Logs:On the Inside
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| RL Date: 11 September, 2015 |
| Who: R'hin, Leiventh, Keysi, Neianth |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Crom Hold |
| Type: Log |
| What: R'hin sends a rider with a trader's cover to find what can be found about Greenfields |
| Where: HRW and Crom, trader's caravan |
| When: Day 21, Month 9, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Bristia/Mentions, A'gon/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Telavi/Mentions |
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| It's been a difficult week, between the senior flight, news of the Weyrleader's stabbing, and High Reaches' junior starting to glow, as well. It's, perhaps, unsurprising that R'hin's been largely absent, with Bristia doing the morning briefings and assignments in his stead. This morning, Bristia gives out assignments to everyone but Keysi, and instead, touches her arm, murmuring, "Crom, at the river," as she passes by. It's drizzling, out there over Crom, the river running swiftly as a sign of the recent autumn rains. A handful of caravans are set up at the river's edge in a makeshift camp, figures visible moving here and there. One might even be familiar, from this angle; her Wingleader appears to be talking with an older man near one of the larger wagons. The young brownrider stands where and how she almost always does, in that lingering sense of her shroud of formality that she's slowly learning to forego when assignements and occassions call for otherwise. Perhaps it's because it's not the first time she's been left at the end, Keysi lets her stormy grey eyes follow the other riders out before returning to Bristia and giving her a faint nod when she passes by, only to follow suit on her heels without missing much of a beat. Neianth had blinked in over Crom from Between, but landed some calculated distance away. On foot, the girl jogs towards the caravan and slows before coming upon the camp. Observations first slow her approach, moving between the figures among the camp, settling on her wingleader long enough to angle her destination, and otherwise focus lingers on what seems to be memorization. Although she's kept her jacket, helmet and elsewise has been left behind in saddlebags. By the time she arrives, her hands are stuffed into pockets, quiet, likely to catch whatever tail end of that conversation she may. Leiventh is nearby, somewhere -- that much is clear by the abrupt gust of cold, wintry wind that greets (assaults?) the young brown the moment he appears in Crom's skies. Flickered images pass in succession: sunlight glinting off an impossibly bright not-quite-Crom river; a green dragon, making an impossibly shrill noise a moment before she winks between; an empty bottle on a sandy beach. The images are intense, full of sounds, scents, and smells, and then gone as abruptly as if they never were, along with the sense of the older bronze's presence. "I'm sure it will be a fruitful trip, Bresmon," R'hin is telling the younger man -- certainly nothing exciting. Bresmon notices Keysi first, thoughtful eyes settling on her, and the Savannah Wingleader notes the look, enough to turn. "Kimmi," he stretches out a hand towards Keysi in welcome, pale eyes amused as ever: "Come and meet Bresmon, would you? He's been looking for an extra pair of hands for a while now, and I've told him all about you." Bresmon snorts, amends: "He's told me nothing." He sticks his hand out all the same, in greeting, regarding her thoughtfully, "So, you traded much before?" The ripples of Neianth's mind smooth over almost completely at the sensation of Leiventh's chill. The more still surface mirrors, mutedly, those flickered images in the reflective pool that makes up the feel of his mind as his means of denoting understanding, acceptance. Some of those glass-like light-glinting ripples carry back sensations of question; the green?, the empty bottle? The small brown doesn't seem utterly overwhelmed, but in making sense of it all, there is the feeling of pause, of unraveling. Keysi adopts an earnest, light smile that seems to brighten her face in such a way that would be foreign to those who know her. It casts gentle lines on her face and beside her eyes that makes her seem expressive, sincere, as she looks at first from R'hin to Bresmon. "Hello." Is simple at first, but a friendly thing. "No, sir. But I've talked with many traders coming by the healerhall. I'm happy to help, just tell me what you need done." Her hand meets his to shake amiably, a light handshake but sincere enough. "Healer?" Bresmon's brows go up in brief surprise, seemingly impressed. "Well, won't say no to someone who's spent time there, either. Get into a few scrapes -- especially my youngest," he flicker a hand in the direction of a boy of ten-or-so, who is kicking despondently at a ball. "The last on the right'll be yours," the trader adds, with a nod to the wagons, now. "Got some clean bedding in our supplies. I'll go get that for you." With a nod to the pair of them, he heads for one of the middle wagons, calling to the boy to help him. R'hin, silent throughout the exchange, gives a low-throated chuckle of what appears to be approval, then gestures towards the wagon Bresmon indicated as if to invite Keysi to walk with him in that direction. He speaks in a low, easy voice, like he's picking up in the midst of a conversation previously interrupted: "You'll be able to step away once they camp for evenings, to tend to Neianth. Some of the dragons don't mind; others do. Best to see which he is. The others'll keep him company, mind, if he wants." "I have a few skills down." Keysi adds in what could be considered a playful exchange, her glance straying from the trader to his boy. She watches him for maybe a prolonged period of time, as if lost in her thoughts. Given the delay, she'd missed the initial nod, and visually searches for the one he'd indicated- thankfully through word as well. "Thank you. I'll be there inna moment." There's a brief moment of appearing stiff- likely an indication through the girl of having a measure of uncertainty, but it's only after the trader had turned away. And the smile wanes and fades back to her typical controlled one. Grey eyes look up at R'hin, intense as they always are, but maybe even a grade or two more. "It will be a little late by then. I can't just leave." She raises a hand to rub at her opposite bicep and shakes her head, "Where will you be?" "Bresmon won't watch too closely. It's why he's perfect," R'hin reassures her, lips twitching into a smile when she looks at him, taking a slow step or two in the direction of her new temporary home. "Not with you, I'm afraid. Not for Greenfields." He grimaces, a fleeting gesture gone as soon as it appears. "I want you to listen, Keysi. If I hear you're getting caught where you shouldn't, or in some sort of fight, I'll be very displeased." He exhales a breath, glancing at her sidelong, letting that sink in a moment. "People will talk. This sort of thing -- it's inevitable. It's too big to keep quiet forever. Drink, make friends, talk and listen. Fuck, if you want -- have fun, but don't fuck it up, mm?" Keysi's eyes narrow slightly, at the grimace mainly, but she otherwise doesn't move until after the warning off of many things, the most clear of which that gets her is the note of fighting. And after it? She looks away from him, attention straying to the people she'll be with for the time she's here. But she starts moving in the direction that he does, towards the wagon indicated for her, for the time being. 'Try' isn't an acceptable word, so she responds with "I won't let you down." That addition seems delayed after his final words, but it's not that she doesn't mean it. The girl already seems a touch wound up, and not all from this being a first time left alone, and she has something on her tongue that she doesn't say, given their location, as to why. "And I'm glad I'm here. I'll be fine." Far more resolved than she was moments before, after letting herself fall into her thoughts for a minute and then drawing herself back out again. "You won't," R'hin agrees, with a certainty. There's a couple of steps leading up to the entrance to the wagon, and the bronzerider reaches up to open it, allowing Keysi first view of her temporary home. It's pretty plain inside, but clean -- there's a cot with no bedding on it, a press for storage, and some basic amenities. It's his wingrider's latter statement that earns an amused snort, "Of course you will, or I wouldn't send you. I am omniscient, if you haven't learned that yet." He tugs a hand through his hair, before he adds, "Your mm, aunt, older cousin, whathave you, might drop in to check you haven't run away with a traveling troupe. Not that I'd blame you -- they are fascinating and different." Keysi does manage to roll her eyes, but it's as she moves beyond R'hin to climb up into the wagon. "If you were that, this wouldn't be necessary." Is said in passing. A too-practiced hold on the door and lift to bring herself up into the cabin leads to spending a little bit of time 'exploring' in a short turn. Arms folded, she takes a step down the first of the steps to sit in the doorway so as not to need to raise her voice. "Yeah, I have that rebellious streak in me." Her dry sarcasm offers, in place of nervousness that's not wholly put aside, "We'll see if they're any more fascinating than mine was." She sits back a little and glances past him to watch a younger man closer to her age pass by, a lopsided slight grin rising as she shakes her head and looks back at him. "Sounds like you're half considering it." "Have you not considered that I'm doing this merely to assuage my complete boredom with the world?" R'hin replies all too readily, as he follows her up the steps, ducking his head as he passes inside. With one person, it's comfortable; with two it's starting to get cramped, and the bronzerider retreats back outside, one arm outstretched to lean against the wall, waiting until Keysi emerges again with a quizzical lift of brows as if to determine whether it passes her muster. There's an amused chuckle when the younger man catches the brownrider's eye. "Would, if Leiventh'd stand for it," he confesses, to all apparent seriousness -- only the glimmer of pale eyes perhaps serving to belie the words. "Something satisfying about life on the road. Always new people, new places, new things, new secrets. What's not to envy?" Keysi offers no assessment on the wagon, in fact the way she's sitting makes it appear like she's already lived here for awhile. "Satisfying, terrifying. Same meanings in some sense if you're just chasing boredom away." Her wry tone is partially relaxed of its seriousness by his amusement, riding on it which seems to smooth over that tension easily. "You don't envy what you have until you don't have it anymore." Keysi does her usual hedging before she relents with, "I did this for a long time when I was growing up. There are an awful lot of secrets out here. " But it explains the familiarity at which she's been taking everything in. And from that admittance of a secret of her own to something of a realization, her grey eyes lighten as she allows an abbreviated laugh of sorts; sort of a cough-like sound that's only notable for what it is by its context. "I guess I hated them so much," the secrets, she implies, "I didn't realize how useful they could be." And R'hin, for his part is silent, or almost so; he acknowledges her point about boredom with a twitch of lips and tip of his head, her mention of envy with a silent regard, and her talk of secrets with an acknowledging noise in the back of his throat. There's noise over by the storage wagon, where Bresmon's kid is struggling to carry the bedding, but flatly refusing his father's help, with a determined expression. The Wingleader's gaze is only for Keysi, however. "It depends," he says, after a moment, "Whose they are, and whether they can hurt you. There is power in keeping secrets, but power in releasing them, too." Keysi is quiet for a few moments, considering in her intensity that's lessened by a general lightness she seems to keep in place. "Easier to be prepared for something you know about, whether or not it hurts you." But to the latter, she sighs heavily, an agreement if a semi-reluctant one. Only then would she look past him to the kid. "At any rate, I hope they're not too stuck on keeping them. Or else I'm just going to party wildly for days and not have anything but scary firepit stories to tell you when I get back." Is so out of character that despite how dryly she says it, she can't help but smirk at the end. R'hin lifts one shoulder in an obvious shrug, replying with no small amount of amusement, "Can't see that it's waste, either way." He lifts one hand, "Either you learn something useful," he lifts the other, higher than the first, "Or you don't, but you make a cover you can use again, establish yourself with some of the Greenfields locals, and when something happens down the track -- it will, with Greenfields -- you'll be in a good position to learn something next time." He moves his hands as if weighing the two against each other, then finally gives another shrug, hands dropping to his sides. "Win-win. And," he pushes away from the wagon's wall, "At least try and sneak in some enjoyment, mm? Something to exaggerate around the firepit for A'gon." "This cover won't be." A thought as she watches the young boy, "Except if-" Keysi could play over a hundred scenarios, but stops herself from any of it- "Doesn't matter." The dismissal is more for herself than for R'hin. "I don't know anything about them as it is." Except the obvious, in regards to the fires and the Weyrleader. "Is there anything in particular?" To watch for? To know? As he pushes away, her brow furrows curiously, shaking her head slightly with a lightly exasperated, "He's got enough stories for everybody." But there's a hint of a smile for it, a natural one and not simply created from nothing. "Fine. I'm sure I can manage something." And to business, the pleasure in that moment fading as fast as it'd come, before he goes, "And if I need something immediately- do we reach for you, Bristia?" "You'll have time on the trip down to Greenfields to learn," R'hin seems unconcerned about it, or perhaps that's merely confidence in her abilities. He spreads his hands at her question, "Even the merest, unlikeliest rumor could prove useful. The important thing is watching, and listening -- learning to judge when people are telling a story merely to brag, or telling a story because it is so interesting, they can't stand to keep it to themselves. The latter ones are almost always useful in some way." He chuckles at her assessment of A'gon, in agreement: "You're not wrong. But there's always room for more, no?" A beat, after that last, an unusual hesitation on his part. "Your... mm, let's say cousin, Tela, will be keeping an eye out for you." The boy's making his way slowly over towards them, and it makes R'hin straighten to watch as he nears. Keysi starts to rise as she listens to the answer, stepping down from the foot hold leading into the wagon's cabin but not quite leaving his side yet. To his instruction there's a nod amidst her movements, pretending to need to steady herself as she reaches the ground by leaning slightly against the wagon close where he had. In response, part of her seems glad that it's Telavi, but the other part lingers her attentions on her Wingleader. She caught this hesitation, and although she's looked over abnormalities before, she seems to hold onto this one. "Is there something else?" The words are a little rushed this time, given the boy finally managing to make it closer with the articles promised despite his determined struggle. With a glib ease of Turns of dissembling, R'hin replies, low-voiced and amused: "Just the nerves of a father letting his daughter out into the world on her own. I'll be fine." A beat, as he leans closer, low-throated amusement audible in his voice. "All the same, sleep with a knife under your pillow, mm? Just to make this old man feel better." His voice fades as the boy approaches, gives both of them a narrow-eyed look, and roughly tries to push past Keysi to gain access to the wagon. "I'll leave you to it," the Wingleader says, taking a deliberate step away. Keysi pauses in both a physical and thought-stilled sense at his reply, pale eyes watching his. She searches his eyes for a drawn out moment as if she'd find something else there, until he leans closer for his addendum. Instead of a reply, her balance is shuffled by the kid- something she gives for, with a returned reach and messing of his hair in a way that an older sibling would do, regardless of the backlash it might- and should- deserve. As he takes that step away, she turns to follow the boy in, her arm shifting back to send a casual wave of farewell, and that lifts her jacket up enough that the end of the sheath of one of her more plain daggers that she'd brought with her can be seen. The beginning of "Come on, kid, you look stronger than that.." can be heard from within the wagon as she disappears inside. When Keysi's attention is taken by the boy, R'hin retreats, taking a moment to have a last word with Bresmon before disappearing. Neianth feels the wintry touch of the bronze moments before he becomes visible further down along the river, though they barely reach the top of the treeline before they vanish. The boy, meanwhile, gives Keysi a dark look, as perhaps expected, in response to that hair-ruffle. He's way too old for that sort of thing, now. "Bet you couldn't do it better!" is his response, giving her an expectant look, a moment before he asks hopefully, "Do you know to play ball?" Neianth lingers at the riverside some ways off from the actual campsite, though doesn't actually invade the water's edge. The wintry touch is met again by a ripple of uncertainty, followed by one of disapproval, followed by concern. The levity of it is not groundbreaking, only unsettling as something new. The brown had been as close as to be in his rider's mental and physical shadow since he shelled, dizzyingly close. He shakes his crescent-touched head, dark-hewn wings spreading as he leaps to become airborne again- if not yet to go Between and fully leave Keysi. Keysi seems unperturbed by the boy's reaction, having incited it. "I bet I could. Twice as much." Stern eyes are less so, her arms folded as she converses with the tradersson. This really wouldn't be that hard of a cover, so long as it didn't prove as memory-invoking as the tea. "Of course I do. But I wouldn't want a girl to embarrass you or anything." While Leiventh's presence doesn't linger, there are others to fill the gap after he goes: Bristia's Saindyth, A'gon's Druisath, others; checking in non intrusively and retreating if not wanted. It won't take much for Keysi to make a friend in the young boy; he's clearly starving for someone willing to indulge him and play at something -- anything -- other than boring old trader talk. The afternoon passes pleasantly enough, with Bresmon introducing her to the rest of the members; his wife, first, and his sister and her family. They seem welcoming enough of Keysi, curious but not pushy. Dinner is a communal affair, and they retire soon after, in preparation for the early start in the morning on their trip to Greenfields. |
Comments
Faryn (07:54, 12 September 2015 (PDT)) said...
I like this Keysi. I like this Keysi a lot. Savannah is such good fit for her. R'hin's influence is perfect.
I'm eager to see where this ends up.
Squishy (09:52, 12 September 2015 (PDT)) said...
I loved this, and What Faryn said.
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