Difference between revisions of "Logs:Rumours and Reputation"

Southern Bowl, Fort Weyr

This end of the bowl is grassy and serene with the pretty blue of the lake nearby as a draw for residents, riders and dragons alike. Since the earthslide collapsed in the spring of turn 23, a dramatic view of the mountain slopes that circle the Weyr has opened up beyond the lake, where a faint misty haze often shimmers above the small waterfall.

The feeding grounds are fenced off to on the northeastern end of the lake, just a short walk from the weyrling barracks, the Weyrleader's complex, the hatching complex, living cavern, and infirmary.

It's the middle of the afternoon, Fort-time, when Cadejoth stretches out a tendril of mental chain towards Eliyaveith, rattling it gently. « We, » he announces, « Have been with the Harpers. He wished to see if you and yours were free, while we're nearby. » If the bronze himself is rather more interested in heading back to High Reaches and his eggs, well... that's just the way these things go. He can be patient. « He wants to offer congratulations. We do. »

Eliyaveith has no eggs; even her form currently still holds her (rather bulky) length rather than any hint of eggs. « We are here, » she agrees in the brush of fire and flames, inviting towards the bronze dragon as he make contact. She lays out on the ledge closest to the sun, trying to soak in the weak winter rays into her hide as it transitions into spring. It is Lilah that watches for the pair as her dragon passes along the news, her fingers lifted to her brows to shade eyes as she watches the skies above, waiting in the bowl.

One of the good things about going visiting is the freedom to fly; Cadejoth may have forgotten the agony of his period of being grounded, but that doesn't mean he's not enjoying the wind beneath his wings as he climbs in altitude from the hold to the weyr. He offers more formal greetings to Fort as he launches over the rim and circles downwards, coming to a landing not so very far from where Lilah stands. "Lilah," calls his rider, dressed formally, and already swinging his way down to the ground. "Hope we're not an interruption."

"Weyrleader," Lilah greets politely, though a hint of a smile pulls at the corner of her lips as she drags a dark gaze over the rider as he dismounts. "Fort's duties to you, but I can assure you that I have nothing else to occupy myself with, at least at the moment." And, this may be true enough, since the knot at her shoulder shows that she is merely a goldrider, not a weyrwoman to be taking on those duties. "Is there anything I can get you? Klah? Our kitchens are open, now."

That knot - it may be one of the first things K'del notices, once his feet are firmly upon the ground again, as his hands seek out his pockets, fingers balled up to make them fit. "High Reaches' duties to you, too," he says, managing the more formal greeting only belatedly, as his gaze slides from Lilah to the bowl, and then back again. "Honestly, no. As much as I appreciate your hospitality... mostly, just wanted to drop in and congratulate you on your graduation. And your flight. She's-- well? You're well?"

Lilah tips her chin in simple agreement to K'del's decline of her offer, though her attention only linger on the Weyrleader rather than on the movement around her. "We're fine; thank you. The flight went as well as any first flight could be expected, I suppose," she answers dismissively, the hint of a shoulder lifting in response. "And how are you, K'del? I don't imagine there has been much for you to adjust to, since--." But her gaze does finally flick to his dragon, who has healed enough to fly.

After a moment's pause, K'del tips his head in the direction of the lake shore, apparently to suggest they walk: it's something to do, presumably, given his refusal of her offer. Sympathetically, he says, "Mm. Well, no doubt the next one will be better. I'm-- we're well. Cadejoth's glad to be in the air again, of course, though the eggs mean we're staying close to home, for the most part. He likes to be there, even though it bores him senseless."

"I am sure it will be," Lilah answers dismissively even as her gaze slides to something in the distance, nearer to the entrance of the living caverns than anything else, but she is quick to return her focus to the bronzerider with a tip of her chin in agreement. She moves in the direction of the lake without waiting for him, though her pace is slow enough to allow even the littlest little to fall in step. "Congratulations on your eggs. Ten, from what I have heard? Seems a good number for an Interval." She seems to be sincere, as well, no matter what her words. "How is Hraedhyth?"

There's the hint of a frown in K'del's expression in the wake of Lilah's dismissiveness, but he doesn't - immediately - answer it; instead, he falls into step alongside her, and answers her words instead. "She's possessive. Very territorial over her eggs; Cadejoth's pretty much the only person she likes anywhere near, but that's not wholly unusual. We're happy with the clutch, definitely. It could've been worse, given how short it all ended up being." There's a pause, and then: "Noticed you've not been tapped to Junior Weyrwoman, yet."

"And that he is her sire?" is a light question, as if Lilah could pose such a question in the way that it may not be offensive. At least, she tries, even as she lifts her dark gaze to peer up through the brush of dark lashes at K'del. She doesn't press, though, as she answers his openly, "No, it does not seem as if I have earned my position in leading my Weyr. And with the rumors of Eliyaveith's flight--."

K'del does not, at least, seem to be offended. "Is that being commented on?" he wonders. "Far as I know, that kind of inbreeding simply isn't relevant, in dragons. Cadejoth's caught his daughters before. Shells - Hraedhyth is his daughter and his grand-daughter. Isyath's had clutches with her sons. Happens all the time." Answering that gives him, it seems, some little time to consider her own words. "I'm sorry," he says, quietly and genuinely. But: "Which rumours?"

It is a noncommittal answer that meets K'del's question as Lilah answers simply, "It's been commented on, by a number of people. It is a bit odd to think that this clutch will be his great-grandchildren, grandchildren, and children, even for those that are used to dragons." She seems to dismiss his rumors as easily as she does her own, however, with a light roll of her shoulder in a shrug. "But, we will never fully understand them, will we? That seems to be--. There are rumors that no gold should rise so early; that it must have been my fault." She may be paraphrasing those, there.

Odd or not, K'del only shrugs, unbothered. He's more interested, it seems, in glancing sidelong at the goldrider as she answers his question. It leaves his expression sharp and unimpressed. "That's-- excuse me, but that's stupid. No one can make a dragon rise when they're not ready to." He pauses, abruptly uncomfortable. "Not really rise, that is. Sure, it's unusual for a queen to rise that early. But she did. That people are making it out to be your fault is... stupid."

A laugh catches on Lilah's lips, a quiet breath of it as she replies lightly to K'del's answers, "If anyone had bothered to ask me, I'd have said the same. I was never in a rush to experience that, even if I had thought it would secure my position here at the Weyr. But it never seems as if rumors are ever concerned with the people they revolve around." There is a brief, quick curve of a smile on the goldrider's lips, as she adds, "I would say that you should tell them, but that would probably cause more rumors than it'd solve."

"No," agrees K'del. "It's much more fun to talk about people than to them. Allegedly." He manages not to sound bitter about that, but there's a weariness to it, and a ruefulness, too. He grins, then: "You really don't want me in your corner, not here. Your Weyrleaders are not exactly my greatest fans, and I'm pretty sure that's a sentiment shared further than just between them. As it is, my visiting you will probably lead some people to say that I'm after my next Fortian goldrider conquest. Or goldrider conquest in general, maybe." This, at least, makes him laugh.

For Lilah's part, she manages a straight-face without even the hint of humor as she quirks a brow sharply up at K'del's laugh. She questions, a hint of challenge in words, "Is it that amusing to consider? That the thought of pursuing me would make you laugh?" If she is teasing him, her expression does not give it away.

K'del, surprised, falters for a moment, gaze narrowing as he regards Lilah in return. "What makes me laugh," he says, "Is that if I were intending to pursue you, it would be automatically assumed, in some quarters, to be because of the colour of your dragon."

"Mmm." The neutral sound slips past Lilah's lips before they finally, irresistibly pull into the smile that she's been holding back briefly. She assures him only after, "What people think doesn't concern me. You are free to find it amusing, especially given your current relationship with Ali." Her dark gaze slides over K'del then, flicking down the length of the bronzerider and then back up as she adds lightly, "Besides, I do not want you in my corner, after all. I have enough trouble with my own Weyrleadrs."

K'del's exhale is not quite a sign of relief, though it's not far off; now, he too manages to smile again, however rueful. "You make a good point," he agrees, falling short of cheerful but only just. "If it helps you, to make me out as the bad guy, desperately pursuing you despite your own inclination, I won't object. Wouldn't want to have caused you any problems."

"I am not sure that it would help to portray myself as incapable of handling my personal life," counters Lilah lightly to the suggestion, though her lips linger for a moment in a smile. "Besides, it would not exactly be fair to you, would it, Weyrleader?"

This, K'del allows with a nod, and a low, easy shrug of his shoulders. "Probably," he says. "On both counts. Though I'm not sure my reputation with your Weyrleaders is reparable, whereas yours... well, I hope it is. Hate to think it couldn't be. Still," he adds, quickly, "If today's visit does cause you any problems, I am sorry for it."

Lilah dismisses K'del's apology with a simple, "I am not. Feel free to visit whenever you would like, K'del. My reputation--. Well, it is not my reputation that will restore me in my Weyrwoman's eyes more than when I prove myself." She draws to a sudden stop, the draw of her attention over the expanse of the lake for a moment before it returns to the Weyrleader. And, apropos to nothing, she adds with a hint of dry humor, "I've never gone skinny dipping."

Is it notable, that K'del doesn't ask what, exactly, has diminished Lilah in her Weyrwoman's eyes? Because he doesn't, not even now. "In that case, I wish you the very best in pr-- wait, what?" Clearly, he was too busy forming his next sentence to really listen to her last, and now that he's caught up with it, he turns his head to regard her, bemused. "Generally, I'd recommend waiting until summer for that."

"And the weather would likely be better in Ista or Southern, even in summer," Lilah agrees, though there is the slow slide of her brow in a challenging curve upwards as she watches the Weyrleader. "Any other suggestions, then?"

K'del's chin lifts even as his gaze drops to watch Lilah more closely, hands stuffed firmly into his pockets. "No doubt," he confirms. "Much less likely to leave you unpleasantly cold." His mouth twitches. "When I first arrived at High Reaches, my former Weyrwoman, Tiriana, dared me to jump off the diving cliff with her in late autumn. It's not an especially fond memory." Does that count as a suggestion?

"Why not?" Lilah questions, curiosity sparking in dark eyes as she studies the bronzerider for that offered memory. "I suppose this means that I am not likely to get you to join me with a dare."

"She was a bitch about it," is K'del's answer; there's clearly no love lost between him and the one-time High Reaches Weyrwoman. "And the water was icy cold. Surprised I didn't come down with pneumonia or something, afterwards." His gaze flicks out towards the water of the lake, then back towards Lilah. "Why the shells would you want to?" His curiosity is genuine.

It is clear that Lilah chooses to interpret K'del's question as she wants even as she answers lightly, "It seems like something that you shouldn't do alone." But, she doesn't press there as she rolls a shoulder upwards in a shrug of dismissal. "Cold, snow, ice--. They don't actually cause sickness, you know."

K'del is silent for a few, long moments. "Heard stories about people up at High Reaches Hold, who make it part of their turn's end tradition: first morning of the turn, they all jump in the water. Seems crazy to me. You're right, though: skinny dipping is the kind of thing you do in company." One hand is withdrawn from its fleece-lined pocket, fingers flexed idly. "Feels like they should. Anyway, hyperbole is fun."

Lilah's brow lifts upwards at the story, though there is a hint of impression for those unnamed, unknown holders of High Reaches and their traditions. "I suppose it is too late to join them now," she replies dryly in a way that makes it clear that she probably doesn't really want to. "I will have to start my own tradition, I suppose. It is close to a month until my twenty-fifth birthday. I am sure I can at least try to trick someone into the experience of it."

"Twenty-five," repeats K'del, without any suggestion that he's surprised by Lilah's age; really, he sounds only thoughtfully musing. "Tell you what," he says, then. "If you've not found someone else to do it with you, by your turnday, then maybe I'll let you guilt me into it. Might be a little warmer, in a month. Not that this should be a reason to slack off in finding someone else in the meantime, mind."

"As long as you do not mind my leveraging your agreement against another," Lilah replies to K'del with the hint of a smirkish smile at the corners of her lips. "I have no idea if it would work, but it may make some people more willing if they know that otherwise I will be skinny dipping with you." The Weyrleader's amusement does earn the lightest tip of her chin upwards, as if drawing herself straighter makes her older. Or at least, portrayed older.

In answering, K'del manages to portray himself quite seriously: "Consider it a deal. Actually, I'll be fascinated to hear your results: if it really does encourage others to save you from my indecent company." No doubt he could be amused by this; but if he is, he doesn't show it, outwardly. "Have they got you doing much of anything, at the moment? Given you're not a weyrwoman, yet?"

It is likely that Lilah has at least one person in mind as she counters, "Or provide better indecent company." However, his question at least moves the conversation away from anything indecent. "Drills, of course. Duties, shifts in the infirmary. And, I have my own projects to see to. I am not left twiddling my thumbs, I can assure you."

"Better!" K'del's mock-affront is heartily amused, as though he can't possibly believe that such a thing is possible; he clearly can, though. "Glad to hear it. Would hate to think of you as bored. How will you even fit a weyrwoman's job into your life, given all that?" A pause. "Don't answer that: I'm going to guess the answer is that you're a workaholic."

"And here I was going to say delegating," replies Lilah with a warmth to her words in response to K'del's amusement. "I spend more time than necessary at some of it, now--. When I earn my knot, I will adjust my schedule accordingly." A smile lingers on her lips, a soft thing as she presses a finger to the side of her nose rather than answer to the Weyrleader's exclamation.

More serious, if only barely, is K'del's nod: "Seems reasonable," he says. "Not, of course, that it's my business whatsoever. Just call it curiosity. Can't seem to help myself." He matches her smile with one of his own, head turned briefly over his shoulder, back towards his dragon. His impatient dragon. "In any case, Cadejoth's desperate to get back to the eggs, just in case they, you know, changed at all since we left. So... let me wish you luck in getting your knot. And with Eliyaveith's clutch, too."

Lilah's gaze follows his to Cadejoth, nodding simply. "Thank you, K'del. And tell Cadejoth that we send our regards to him and his eggs," she replies politely. "I will send word whenever to satisfy your curiosity, whenever it is that I earn my knot." She stills and stops in their leisurely stroll, to turn her attention back to the Weyrleader. "And, to remind you of your promise, if I need to."

"Good," is K'del's parting remark, pleased - and yes, faintly amused, too. "Look forward to hearing from you, Lilah. Keep well." And off he goes. Poor Cadejoth need wait no longer.