Difference between revisions of "Logs:Of Innovation"

Your location's current time: 22:45 on day 26, month 8, Turn 59, of the Tenth Pass. It is a summer evening.

Inner Weyr - R'hin(#7241RJ) A sense of long-standing tradition pervades this space, the polished hardwood furniture that decorates the room having seen many a Turn, and many a Weyrleader. A large round table is coupled with a number of chairs, seated comfortably close to the ever-burning hearth. A pot of klah is usually bubbling away, lending its faint scent to the air. Across the room, a well-stocked wine cabinet is seated circumspectly next to a desk that is piled with hides in a haphazard way. A short passageway leads to the bedroom, the bed the newest looking piece of furniture in the whole weyr. A jacket is slung casually across the quilts, the wardrobe and press tucked neatly back in the recesses made just for them.

A heavy canvas drape hangs across the archway that leads back out to the ledge, keeping out the cool air of the High Reaches. Obvious exits: Weyrleader Ledges

Maja vaults down Vesereth's side to the ground, using his foreleg as a step. Maja has arrived.

It's quite a late evening on a balmy summer's night, but the glows in the Weyrleader's weyr are still shining. Inside, R'hin's seated at the table, hides spread across the surface, inking a carefully in neat, methodical script, occasionally referring to one of the various other hides. Leiventh, of course, is on the hatching ground sands, so the ledges are empty, and there's no one to warn him of impending visitors.

Vesereth isn't entirely stealthy with his landing-- talons scrape on the stones and wings beat wind against the walls. Still, Vesereth doesn't take the time to note anything to Leiventh, apparently not thinking about it--and Maja has neglected to remind him. The woman climbs down the brown's back and gives him a brief (but very loving) pat on the neck. She heads towards the inner weyr and walks past the canvas drape, but only so far--tilting her head to the side to investigate what R'hin is currently busy with. "Sir." She finally reveals herself with a loud voice in the quiet weyr.

R'hin looks tired; tired, and surprised, as he glances up, brow furrowing at the noise and then smoothing away as he sees who it is. "Don't--" the initial syllable is harsh, and then he amends, quickly, "--call me that. You of all people." It's oddly like a plea, and he sets aside the quill pen and rising. Pale eyes are fixed on her, drifting over her form as if to refresh his memory, or assuage himself of her presence - whatever reason, lips twitch into a smile shortly after.

Maja's expression is briefly more serious in reaction to R'hin's exhaustion, eyes narrowing in wary inspection of anything that R'hin might have developed since the last time she was here. Still, one can be tired with no other reason but simple work, and she finally consols herself with this fact and reciprocates the smile. "But it's protocol, s--mmm," she presses her lips together, though her smile is still there. "Weyrleader... duties?" She quickly waves a hand towards his hides, then locks it behind her back in her habitual stance. It must be noted that the woman has yet to let herself take more than a few steps into his weyr.

R'hin has, indeed, noted her reticence, and seems inclined to respect it to a certain degree; though he remains standing, he moves no closer, eyes drifting back to the hides as she draws attention there. "Reports," he confirms. "Searchrider reports. These people will be our future; it's best we pay attention to them." A hand drifts over the hides in indication. "You've been busy?" A beat, then, "Klah?" invitation, in more than one way, and he's walking over to the hearth whether she responds positively or not.

"Ah, Searchrider reports. Vesereth has yet to spot anyone-- but I suppose I shouldn't expect that much, it's the blues who are supposed to be busy with that. I have other issues to worry about." Maja shifts briefly in her position, perhaps waiting for her invitation to enter. It's a residual reaction to R'hin's rank, the brownrider still grappling with the logistics of someone she knows so well so much her senior in position. Her ultimate boss. "Yes," she immediately responds to the offer of klah, marching towards the hearth. "Thanks." She takes a seat. "I... thought I would take some time out of my schedule to see you. Not that-- I mean, concerning Bayan, I've hit a brick wall, and now that he's a candidate..." A deep breath expresses frustration. "As for riding duties, I'm always busy with those."

"It's more important than you think. The last thing we need is more people with no thoughts of their own to become our newest weyrlings. We need thinkers, idealists. We need to be -selective- in our searching." R'hin says, pouring the mugs and bringing them over to Maja, proffering one towards her, eyes drifting over the brownrider, perhaps noticing her lingering hesitancy, still. A faint twist of lips is evidenced at her comment of taking time out of her schedule, and his expression goes darker at the mention of Bayan's search. "M'wen and I have yet to have words about that," he says, a hint of sharpness in his voice. "Knowing exactly what Bayan is, is more important now than ever. The last thing I want - that we -need- is a renegade on a dragon, if that's what he is. You will find out." He offers no room for compromise. "I've some... people, that I might be able to ask."

"Selective Searching. Innovative, although I'm not sure you can tell all the lower caverns boys that they can't Stand because they're not smart enough." Maja takes the klah, the expression on her face half-joking and half-serious, stretched between the two. "No? Well, I can tell you that Bayan is surprised as anything with it. I spoke to him a few hours after he got his knot. He said he accepted as a joke, but I don't believe him." She purses her lips, looking in her hot mug but not daring yet to try drinking it. "Some people? Anything would be helpful. All I know at this point is that he did something in Benden, trading something illegal, many Turns ago. And this is only through what a friend of a guard remembers. It's hard-- what's left is mostly memories, but memories are so unreliable."

R'hin's hand settles on Maja's shoulder briefly, then slips off as she mentions speaking to Bayan. "You always seem to be able to make time in your schedule for the itinerant," he says, purposely even, observation rather than accusation. "I don't know why he accepted at all. If he accepted as a joke, he's a bigger fool than even I'd given him credit for. Given how little he thinks of dragonriders--" R'hin's eyes are narrowed, speculative, and then-- almost pleased. "Kamer will be most unhappy." He doesn't seem given to settling, pacing past the table, mug in hand. "As for selective searching," he echoes her term with a twist of lips, "Who said anything about telling them they've been searched in the first place?" It's hard to tell if he's being facetious or not; he has that sly expression that could easily fall either direction.

Maja looks up from her klah at R'hin's touch, eyeing his hand as it slips away. "He ... I run into him often. We both tend to go to the lake at similar times," she explains, "to think. So I see him often." She might be hiding something, the way that she focuses again on her drink and not on him. "There's-- something else, besides that, that he wouldn't tell me. Something other than for a laugh. I'm not sure what, unless it has to do with Kamer." At his last comment, she snaps her head up, smile again attempting to slide onto her face. "If you get the Searchrider population to agree to that, there's a slim chance it might work," she notes with sarcasm, leaning back in her chair and finally drinking some of the klah. She's noticably relaxed.

Given the intent way R'hin studies the brownrider, he's not unaware of the evasiveness, and not happy about it, either. He's dismissive of the topic, however, waving it off with a sharp flick of his hand. A twitch of brows, as he notes, "The Weyrleader puts together the search wings. I'm not particularly happy that most of our searches were done from the lower caverns, frankly. We need outside blood, people from our coverage area, people who will link us to them, tie us together with them, provide a conduit." Where she seems relaxed, he is the opposite, pacing past her, taking a swig from his mug, thoughtful, distant.

Maja tenses again at R'hin's reaction to her incomplete explanation of the relationship between herself and Bayan. "I could go looking, if you would like. Visit some other places I suspect Bayan has had ties with and send Vesereth sniffing. He's never found anyone, so I don't know how talented he is," there is an audible whuffle from the outer weyr, "but we can give it a try. I don't expect to find much more concerning Bayan anyway, or at least anytime soon. -- Without your contact's help, of course." She drinks briefly from the mug. "Should I do that?"

"Do whatever you must," is R'hin's deliberately succinct answer. Having put the topic away, he doesn't seem inclined to speak of it more. "I want you to meet with some of the candidates-- all of them, if you can. Get a feel for who is... for everyone," he amends. "And especially with Tavrie--" he's hesitant all of a sudden, odd for him. The conflicting guilt and uncertainty bespeak a difficult choice, but he shakes his head abruptly. "Nevermind. M'wen knows his own mind, and I trust him. Forget I mentioned her name." Decision made, he exhales, setting his mug on the hearth, moving towards Maja's chair, hand reaching almost reflexively to brush her hair.

Maja nods in a similarly succinct manner, filing that job away with the rest of her responsibilities. With all these duties to keep track of, it's a wonder the ex-guard does not keep a notebook with her. "I'll try, though as I noticed back when I worked with the Ground Watch, as a rider it's hard to find time to spend in the lower caverns. The Ground Watch is still down there, though I'm not sure-- well, they're doing well enough." Not one to disrespect her own creation, she skirts around it. "M'wen did make some interesting decisions," she mutters. As R'hin approaches Maja takes another deep relaxing breath, letting out tension again in response to his affection. "You are lucky I didn't choose to cut that shorter."

"He's come a long way, since we first met." R'hin says, of M'wen, the brief smile touching his lips somewhat wry, "I can't tell if I've changed him more, or him me. I fear it may be the former." Pale eyes settle on the top of Maja's head, the smile more genuine now. "I'd have found something else to play with," he murmurs, teasing note in his voice, as he leans in to press lips to the side of her temple, gentle.

"I regret I don't know M'wen better," Maja responds, considering the brownrider for a moment. "I knew him better during the candidacy, but since then I haven't seen him much." At the tease, Maja tilts her head upwards-- R'hin's no longer hitting her temple but instead hers. "Vixen. You forgot to call me vixen. Or jewel, if you're in a less antagonizing mood."

"Make time," R'hin says, of the other brownrider. "He has a way of seeing to the heart of things that is both disturbing and admirable." It's clear R'hin has a great deal of respect for M'wen, something that's definitely a long way from their candidacy together. A low-throated chuckle is his response to Maja's words, "Vixen, then," he says, pale eyes glinting. "Can you spare a few hours for your Weyrleader?"

Maja laughs quietly to herself, "Disturbing? I have never heard such abilities described as 'disturbing', before. Perhaps I will go see him, then." The glint in R'hin's eyes is reciprocated by a sly smile on Maja's lips. She answers with a longer and more passionate kiss. It should be interpreted as a 'yes'. "Just a few," she teases.

"Good enough," R'hin murmurs in response, his voice slightly rough as he reaches to draw her up with him and lead her towards the bedroom.