Logs:Misgivings, Messages, Meetings
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| RL Date: 12 February, 2015 |
| Who: Alida, Devaki, Raum, Haibroth, Cadejoth |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, High Reaches Hold |
| Type: Log |
| What: Alida seeks a sudden meeting with Lord Devaki, but must run around Raum, first. |
| Where: High Reaches Hold |
| When: Day 26, Month 13, Turn 36 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Cold, cloudy, snow flurries. |
| Mentions: Issedi/Mentions, Rilka/Mentions, Alani/Mentions, Taikrin/Mentions |
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| It's been just over two sevendays since Lady Issedi's murder. While the remnants of the celebration festival have long since gone, a somber mood remains, not helped by the visible presence of guards -- not the mention Glacier's presence at the Hold. The Lord hasn't often been seen outside his suite since that time, though twice in the last week he made appearances in the great hall near dinner, presumably to reassure the people of his continued presence at the Hold. The exile girl most seem to refer to as "that crazy one" hasn't been seen around the Hold at all, kept under the watchful eye of one or another of Raum's guards in her rooms -- though let out for an hour a day around sunset to walk near the beach. Most of the hold is preparing for Turnover celebrations, though they do so with a cautious, whispered anticipation rather than the joyful, boisterous delight that usually accompanies the yearly event. Surely Raum's presence is felt, as well as the Guard he commands, and it's this specific red-head that Alida intends to find this afternoon...her presence literally the first of Glacier's 'fist' to be seen in the Hold. Though Taikrin 'rules' the Wing, she's got business to attend to more often than not, and it seems as if her 'second...and even Alida act as her intermediaries, here. Through the hushed, sobered 'Reaches she makes her way, listening, watching, perceiving much while tracking down the rather disturbing Captain, Pyrite clinging securely to her human's right shoulder, while Ilicaeth observes the goings-on outside. Two, three pairs of eyes serve the woman better than her own ever could...and it's now time to find out just how the land lays with he who 'rules the roost.' Raum's not in the usual places... not in the guard's barracks, not in the main hall, not in the kitchen, and not near his Lord's suites today. By habit he's often not where he 'should' be, though whether it's a surprise that her firelizard spares an image of the red head emerging from the room Rilka's been confined to, fiddling with his clothes as he does so, is anyone's guess. He's familiar enough with the Hold's shortcuts that he takes the back stairs leading down to the first floor, normally used purely by the kitchen staff. Back stairs...Alida's 'favorite' way of snooping around places...though she wasn't headed towards that specific means of egress, this day, until... Well-well, what have we here? The image of Raum (and by inference, Rilka) offered to her finds the woman only slightly surprised at finding the man exiting the exile's room, Alida making a soft sound of wicked pleasure at her pet's keen senses, a quick carress offered to the little gold's neck as a reward. Churrrrr-preen. With alacrity but sure-footed quietude, the bluerider moves to casually intercept the red-head a quarter of the way up aforementioned steps...to await Raum with no hint of her inner smirk upon her face. Raum spots bluerider, with a grunt that could be acknowledgement or dismissal or something else entirely, and brushes past her, assuming there's enough room -- or presses forward, even if there's not, like he has somewhere to be. "Ain't enough, t'day..." Alida notes briskly to that grunt, pivoting on toes to accompany the man back down the stairs. More seriously, more quietly to the Captain, the bluie mutters, "There's...concern over Lord Devaki's state in Glacier..." A meaningful look to the unsettling ginger presages, "As I'm the current 'envoy'" - smirk - "...I request a meeting with the Lord today." Though the word is politically correct, Alida's 'request' holds more of an expectation of being more, though stopping short of an 'order.' "Don't give a shit what you riders think of him," Raum says, his pace unchanged despite Alida's accompaniment. Once they reach the bottom of the stairs he heads down the corridor. Apparently his response serves as answer to her request, since he's not looking at her, gaze flickering left and right, taking note of who they pass. She halts at that (anticipated) shitty attitude, and calls lightly down to the bottom of the stairs, "Ah well. Uv' course, you know I'll have ta report this ta my Wingleader, the Weyrleaders, as a matter uv' duty. The Weyrwoman might take some pity on ya', but as fer Taikrin an' K'del..." Shrug. Those two likely would pull Glacier almost instantaneously from the Hold. "I'll send the message off. Taikrin hates waitin' on unfortunate news." Raum gives a wolfish grin, pausing to look over his shoulder. "Sure. Go fetch yer Weyrwoman, yer Weyrleader, yer Wingleader. I'll wait." He folds his arms, expectantly. "Bring yer mom too, eh?" "No need ta fetch..." Alida dismisses Raum's words with impiety, her eyes seeming to take on that disfocus all riders get when chatting up their lifemates. Wait an appropriate span of small moments, and soon enough, "We'll be takin' our leave, Captain Raum." As she speaks, the blonde plucks a tiny scrap of hide and a piece of sharpened graphite from a pocket, scribbles something on it, then offers it to the front left paw of Pyrite, the little gold spreading her wings for a launch. "I like ta think that - even in this time uv mourning - yer Lord would prefer ta be informed uv your choice..." That 'your' receives a full and lilted inflection. Raum's smirking, now, giving her an up and down that is less assessive and more... intrusive. "If that's mean to be a threat, girl, you're doing it wrong. I couldn't give a shit whether you're here or not. In fact," with a grin, "It'll be better once you're gone." A beat, then of his Lord: "He will be. Once yer gone." She's bourne up under pervie gazes before, and insults as well, and so Alida appears to let all of Raum's crap slide right off her shoulders, even as Pyrite winks Between with the note, focused on delivering it to Devaki (only) as speedily as possible. In the meantime, the bluerider meets the red-head's stare with a anticipatorily-smirky one of her own, like a carrion bird that caught the heady whiff of rotting meat on the breeze. "Later...punk." Off she steps...where Raum came from, perhaps to start gathering up the various riders who circulate around the Hold. Off she steps, and off he steps, the Captain following her like a shadow. Pyrite, meanwhile, has a sense of darkness, of a song with an unfamiliar tune being sung. The song falters, and by habit the man she seeks holds out his hand, then waves the firelizard off, while his song resumes. "I must present quite the reason fer concern..." the bluerider notes almost chipperly as Raum accompanies her, the woman appearing in no hurry as she strides up the stairs. It's at their head that Pyrite contacts Alida again, showing what's taking place, the wave off of Devaki's hand. A faint scrunch of brows in internal concentration « Get his full attention and insist he read it! » backed up by Ilicaeth's firm guidance of the firelizard later sees the tiny queen circling above the Lord's head a few times while gently chirruping, then seeking to land near - if not on - his hand...while chirruping again and looking into the man's blue eyes. Meanwhile, the woman continues striding along, looking for whatever signs or people she might have an eye out for. "Just want to make sure yer gonna follow through," Raum says with a brief grin, sharp eyes flickering left and right as he paces behind her. Pyrite will sense irritation from the man, his song faltering again as the firelizard insists on landing again. Pale light floods the room, the girl in the bed pulling the covers up to her eyes, staring, while her father reads. "Fine. Go," he waves his hand again, before turning his attention back to the girl. Chirrup! Pyrite noses the scrap of hide purposefully, then lightly nedges Devaki's hand before settling into a waiting pose, whirling blue eyes tinted with dots of yellow. Squeak! She'll repeat, ad nauseum, under Ilicaeth guidance, while the blue dragon notes in ominously-humored aside to Alida, « Hope that Lord gets 'is ass in gear soon. ». Inside, the blonde woman is internally rolling her eyes and reinforcing Pyrite while she offers a hard, cold little splinter of a 'smile' aside to Raum. She always follows through. As the two pace the halls, they come upon a brownrider from Glacier, who - after Alida gestures to the middle-aged man and engages him in some private talk - raises one brow slightly, then nods, falls into step with the bluerider. Though her words of 'leaving' the Hold on its own are news to him, he's been with the Wing long enough to understand not only ruses and ultimatums, but backing up you fellow Wingmate. The firelizard's insistence on staying earns more irritation, yet the Lord focuses his attention on the girl in the bed, picking up the song where he left off. It's not a familiar tune, though it does have a catchy cadence to it. The girl's clinging to a stuffed toy -- it looks like a runner -- eyes slowly sliding shut. It's only when the girl's breathing evens out that the Lord dims the light, stands, and stares at the gold until it, too, departs, before he's willing to leave the girl's room. Meanwhile, Raum's still following, at enough distance that a semi-private conversation can be had, smirking while the bluerider seeks to round up her fellow wingriders. It's a good while before heavy footsteps denounce another arrival, coming up towards Raum. The guard reports to his superior in a low whisper, then departs, while the Captain stares in Alida's direction, then crooks a finger, with a sudden grin. "C'mon, girl. Just you." Throughout the Wing in attendance of the Hold - humans and dragons alike - the 'news' is spread: go through with the 'ruse,' until the very moment of departure. Glacier takes care of its own business. The reason for the 'call' from Alida and Ilicaeth to their guarding wingmates is to the point and bare-bones: backing the Hold guard captain down in order to establish that the Lord is still alive and in control of his Hold...without unduly unnerving any in authority, unless absolutely necessary. Of course, Alida has other reasons, but those are the most important...and potentially unnerving. It's not until about three-quarters of the riders are either following Raum and Alida around, or walking out to their dragons - Haibroth being shusshed, if possible, from spreading any news beyond Glacier - that the 'key' guard, in this case, finally arrives on the scene, and brings the sweeping procession to a halt. With Raum's words to Alida comes the frank and not-so-pleasant grins and looks of enough of her wingmates, who position themselves nearby in order to support her, a few hands drifting slowly nearer belts. There's a crass little grin and a faint shake of the bluie's head to her comrades before she strides away from the assembly of riders...then murmurs in faint amusement aside to Raum as she passes, "*Just* me. You c'n go, now." Since the Lord apparently requested only *her* presence. Haibroth isn't Glacier, or even former Glacier, and the movement of the wing stationed at the Hold does not go unnoticed. Whether the attempts to shush him are polite or otherwise, and successful or otherwise, he keeps his distance, but he's watching, avidly. Raum, however is smirking, at her attempt at dismissal. "In here," he says, after he's lead her to a room, stepping inside. It's empty, and he waits for the bluerider to enter, before he lounges against a wall. Seems he's not going anywhere, and seems, too, the Lord is not in any hurry. To Cadejoth, Haibroth's voice is stifled, whisper quiet, though that's not altogether unusual. He sends through an image of various Glacier members -- most of them, in fact, gathering together -- quizzical. Is something going on? Surprise. Cadejoth's answer is immediate: No. No. (To Haibroth from Cadejoth) To local dragons, Cadejoth reaches out; reaches for Glacier. « What are you doing? » And: « Back to your positions. Whatever you're doing, stop. » There's force behind it; not a queen's command - not yet - but all the authority of his position. Exactly. Haibroth isn't Glacier, but hopefully will respond to the need for silence radiated by his fellow draconic brethren. Hopefully forever. Inside, Alida's trying not to suddenly laugh aloud at this odd circumstance - the irony of such suddenly surging to the fore within her - which might come off to Raum as her trying not to snicker at him, or as the bluerider just being weird, as she glances over at the red-head and half-smirks with dancing eyes. Taking note of the positioning of everything, of where she is and where others are within this room...the blonde waits in silence. Nothing like Haibroth blowing it. Instantly, Ilicaeth responds to Cadejoth with a relaxed baritone, « Alida's concerned about the Lord. » Devaki hasn't been seen in his right mind since the death of his wife. And there's potentially unusual things happening at the Hold.Belatedly « She's bluffin', anway. We wouldn't've left without talkin' ta you, first. » (To Cadejoth from Ilicaeth) To Ilicaeth, Cadejoth, plainly, does not care. « You. Do. Not. Bluff. You. Do. Not. Have. The. Authority. » And not, not when the Lord is concerned, or the Hold. Cadejoth is not relaxed; Cadejoth is furious. « Stand down. No bluffing. No bullshit. » It's enough time. Enough time for the impatient to fidget, enough time for Raum to shift position, however minutely, while waiting, enough time, perhaps, to reinforce that a Lord does not answer to a dragonrider, whether they know each other or not. Finally, he appears. The Lord of High Reaches has the familiar, commanding pace and firm posture, yet there are signs, too, of strain -- an exhaustion and tightness around eyes, a tenseness of jaw, and the sharpness with which his eyes go first, to Raum, and second, to Alida. He hasn't shaved, and combined with plain shirt and mussed hair, gives him an oddly casual appearance. He doesn't speak, immediately, instead heading for the decanter on the sideboard, splashing liquid into it and taking a gulp. Ilicaeth responds like a soldier, his words holding a salute, though firm in his convictions. « We were only bluffin' over *leaving.* We wouldn't've done it if we weren't concerned...and tryin' ta gain more information without upsettin' everybody. » Like Cadejoth. His piece spoken, the blue awaits what might come within whirling sands. (To Cadejoth from Ilicaeth) To Ilicaeth, Cadejoth cares not for the blue's convictions; he's still furious. « I don't care, » he says, with an angry rattle of his chain. « You DO NOT do that. You DO NOT. Not with the Hold. Not ever. You're recalled. We don't trust you at High Reaches Hold. » And with that, he clamps down... though surely there will be a summons to come. She too waits in tense silence only further ratcheted up by Ilicaeth's report of Haibroth's yakking to Cadejoth, and the bronze's anger. Fuckin' GREAT. Well, deal with that later. Inside, Alida notes all those signs of strain upon the Lord of the Reaches, watches Devaki move to his decanter, gulp a strong one. When he seems able to take in her presence, the bluerider first bows deeply from the waist, then notes in low tones, "My condolences, Lord Devaki." Formality from the blonde is rarer, but rarely disingenuine, and her regret can be heard in the subtle thrum of her voice. And then...business. "We're relieved ta' see you... alive." If not well. "There's been some concern about you...yer health." Never great at platitudes or the subtle couching of delicate concerns, Alida flicks her glance between Devaki and Raum. Observing. Devaki moves over to take a seat, though he doesn't offer one to either guard, or former guard, resting his glass on the arm. His expression is tight, flickers of something visible while she speaks, but he waits until after she's finished before he says, "Was there? I'd have thought the appearances at dinner this week were enough to settle that particular rumor. What do you want, Alida?" He, at least, seems to think she didn't call him in so urgently to talk about his health. Raum smirks when he's looked at, but otherwise stays silent. "Sometimes appearances aren't enough..." the bluerider intones without inflection, her words neutral, her head shaking gently, once. "I honestly didn't wish ta intrude on yer grief...but prudence necessitated, finally." From out of the corner of one green eye, Raum's reactions are noted, even as the woman murmurs, "I assume you've heard all the standard rumor mills... Islanders at fault, yer own hand, Igenites, etcetera..?" "You can't draw blood from stone, as you mainlanders say," Devaki says, with a dark little laugh, lifting the glass to his lips, although he doesn't complete the gesture. He nods, at the rumors, though his brow is furrowing, lifting a hand as if to forestall more words: "Alida. I was trying to put my daughter to bed. You made this sound important. Your firelizard was... persistent. I can only assume there was a reason for that, other than to tell me rumors I've heard a thousand times, even before--" he stops, stills, stares at her instead. "Not good at tryin' ta be...kind," Alida murmurs to Devaki's latter words, the blonde finally looking a little cornered for an instant. "My pardons." No matter, time to dash into it. "You put faith in those few ya trust, I think." Cue a pointed look over to Raum, the woman's eyes then going back to the Lord. "I may be Weyrfolk, now, but I try not ta fer'get where I came from." There's a quick intake of breath from the bluerider. "Ever think yer trust might just be misplaced, in some circumstances?" Beat. "Maybe even by yer own folk...not necessarily Islanders, either." A hand is passed before her face by now, a faint shimmer of sweat breaking out finally upon the woman's forehead and upper lip. Pressure...though nothing else on her betrays it. "My gut's been wrong before...but not often, Lord Devaki. All I c'n honestly say right now is that I just don't like the 'feel' uv' things. Somethin' deeper is up...but I can't put a finger onn'it." By this time, she's tight-lipped with restrained, inner upset. Devaki leans forward, now. "Then don't be kind," he counters, "Be straight up." And he's staring at her expectantly, now. While she talks, his gaze is unwavering, even if the slight movement from Raum might suggest some silent signal exchanged between Lord and Guard. "What are you trying to say? That I shouldn't trust my own Hold, my own people?" A beat, as he gives the smallest shake of his head. "What do you know? I can't go on a gut. If I did -- that man would be on his way out to the ocean to be food for the fish, but there are--" the heat that rises in his voice dissipates just as abruptly as it came, with a breath, "Civilities to adhere to." "All I'm sayin' is...just watch out. Watch. Like I said, I can't expect others ta go fully on gut instinct..." Rather like she just did...perhaps one of Alida's mixed blessings of person. "There's many people loyal to ya...but all it ever takes is one...'r two bad apples." She ought to know. A bob of plaited head presages the rider's look into Devaki's blue eyes, greens slightly clouded for a moment. "Glacier's here ta help, as ever...at the Weyrleaders' and *your* word, sir." Those suddenly keen, irked eyes stab over from the Lord of the 'Reaches to Raum for a moment for emphasis, then move back. "It was mostly a pleasure ta serve both Weyr 'n Hold again, no matter." A sudden, clipped little salute - as if on marionette's strings - overcomes the woman - who mutters a dour, "Guess there's nothin' more ta keep me...you. Thank you fer yer time." Even if it's all useless. "And where," Devaki's not following her glance to Raum, staying on the bluerider, "Are your loyalties? To Glacier, to the Weyr, that man," a slight growl at the thought of the Weyrleader. "Do you know, the day it-- he all but said it would happen. Is that doing the rumors yet?" He knows it isn't, since he and K'del were the only ones in that conversation. "My loyalties are ta myself, my dragon, and those who're doin' honest good fer others," Alida murmurs with intensity, unsurprised at Devaki's question...but rather surprised, indeed, by the man's mention of K'del's perhaps premonition-like words about that dark day. "Never heard anything about that..." is admitted. "Never particularly been in 'is good graces, anyway." Snert. And *how*, as of now. "Clearly then, I am not the only one who should watch who I trust, even amongst your own people," Devaki says, before he gulps another mouthful of the liquid down, pushing to his feet with an exhalation, his gaze finally shifting away from the bluerider. "It never does to tip one's hand. Should you hear anything from the Weyr... I'd be interested." A beat. "And grateful." "I'm not among those who trust *anyone* easily, Weyrfolk 'r not..." Alida notes in dour, dark fashion to Devaki, all her jaded bitterness unable to be kept from her eyes. "Yeah... Well, I'm just a fucking wind-up grunt. Point me in the right direction, let me do my thing." So bitter, so angry, still. "Yeah... yeah..." the woman notes sourly to that potential 'request' for information, her lips twisted at the inner gall she's swallowing. "Don't think I'll be seein' much uv' the Weyr fer awhile." A snippet of black humor presages her parting bow, and a brisk turning away, the blonde headed for the door, and brushing past Raum in doing so. The Lord gives a nod -- acknowledgement of her point as much as anything. Devaki steps towards the decanter again, the sound of splashing liquid audible as she heads for the door. Raum, likewise, is silent, though as Alida brushes towards him, he steps forward, just so that their shoulders will hit roughly, unless she steps around. She'll let their shoulders collide with equal force, and then pivot about in the doorway with a very shark-like grin for both Raum and Devaki. Spoken aloud to the Lord, "Best place ta start first, Sir: Might wanna ask yer Captain uv the Guard why he's dippin' 'is wick on the sly in yer Islander friend. You know; the gal the rumors say is crazy?" And out into the hall she'll traipse, briskly walking on her way back to DOOM (tm). You shouldn't have provoked her, Raum. Devaki's quiet, but firm, "Raum," holds a note of weariness and warning, both, at that impact. With a grin that has little to do with amusement, the redhead saunters past her, sharp eyes narrowing at her latter words. Devaki's expression is rather more difficult to read: stony. If there's an exchange between Lord and Captain, it happens after the bluerider is long gone. Glacier's been seconded to High Reaches Hold for a while now - ever since the Lady's murder. It's been a quiet posting on the whole, though recently there's rumor of some kind of conflict between one or more Glacier wingriders, and the Weyrleader; something about an attempted bluff, the wing standing down? Word is that at least one member of Glacier is now banned from the Hold; further suggestion indicates private discussion between Taikrin and K'del, and an equally private meeting of Glacier as a whole that everyone is being tight-lipped about. Is it only coincidence that bluerider Alida is the only wing member, so far, to be pulled from duty, or are other punishments soon to follow? Indeed, that bluerider has made a sudden appearance in Taiga's drills and duties, though her wing patch remains Glacier's, and has thus far absolutely refused to engage in conversation about the whole situation. Whatever went down, there has - as yet - been no comment from High Reaches Hold; then again, relations between that wing and that Hold have long been close, while it's practically common knowledge that K'del and Devaki have no love lost for one another. |
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