Badgering a Bronzerider (Xanadu Weyr Clearing) - X'hil - March 31st, 2009

Xanadu Weyr - Clearing

A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.

The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.

"Unhand me you insolent buffoon!" the shout rings pristine across the clearing, the tell-tale sound of one very annoyed teenage daughter of Hannista's Lord Holder. Izellah wrenches her arm away from brownrider that's trailing her as she crosses towards the queen's ledges. "Aeryn are you coming or not? I don't have all day and I know that you have as little interest in staying here as I do." And even if the kitchen girl sees otherwise it matters not to our charming Izellah.

T'maz is not trailing the girl but heading toward the kitchens. He stops and warns the other fellow off with a headshake. He approaches with a polite bow."Greetings… Is there something I can do in the kitchens for you and your people, perhaps a favorite dish?" Yep Journeyman T'maz is on the job trying to soothe tempers via food if possible.

Aeryn isn't far behind Izellah, but has stopped to turn and growl at the bronzer taking up the rear guard. She's rubbing chafed wrists as she turns around to catch up to the teen, ankles equally as reddened as her wrists, peeking out from under the hem of her calf-length skirt. "Comin'. Bit stiff yet," another glower sent over her shoulder. "Healers finally let me loose from those shardin'restraints." The Infirmary must be breathing a sigh of relief to have her out of there.

X'hil is heading towards the hatching arena, but he stops short at the commotion, scowling as he recognises the voices of Izellah and Aeryn. Well, not recognise so much as instinctively associate with that raid, and pain. He cringes first, then swears under his breath, and moves on ahead of the Holder's daughter, aiming to get in between the girls and their destination. Probably /not/ the smartest of moves. He shoots a look at T'maz, and frowns. "Don't think /food/ is going to help." he mutters, before turning to eye Izellah. He's quite deliberately not looking at Aeryn, lips twitching in a grimace of sorts as his eyes pass over her.

"Food," Izellah snaps towards T'maz as he attempts the peace offering. "Is not the issue. The issue is that I am still here." she continues in a huff, "But as long as you've brought it up there hasn't been a meal worth eating at this sharding place since I've gotten here so why don't you run off and get on that. Chop, chop now." this last she adds with the classic clap of hands to accompany the phrase. A glance is last shared with Aeyrn, a subtle hint of a smile given the older teen. "Well its a good thing they've finally let you out I was getting tired of having to deal with everything around here myself. Maybe the cook in this sharding place could learn a thing or two from you." But then X'hil is butting in and the girl swings around to shoot him the hardest glare of all. "And you.."

T'maz stays where he is but bridles at her and his voice becomes just as authoritarian as a lord, though he is of humbler stock."Perhaps if your ladyship would be kind enough to tell me what sort of foods her ladyship likes then it can be worked out… One of my senior apprentices says we should keep you on water rations until you go home, due to some sort of problem she's seen of your attitude." He tilts his head at her as well."I might agree with that…" A bit of parchment is produced. He starts writing down an idea very quickly, and puts it in a message tube on one of two firelizards sitting on his shoulder. The green and brown chirple at him and then the green is launched… She flies toward the kitchens.

"Do in the Kitchens-? Ya could bring me a knife." Aeryn follows the sarcastic comment to T'maz with a raucous laugh, rolling her eyes in mockery at the message-writing brownrider, "So transparent." She turns her head, flipping her heavy hair aside and notes X'hil. An unpleasant smile curls her lips as she drawls, "Well, look what the felines drug in." Nevermind -she's- the one that got dragged here. Grey eyes flash up and down his length in open contempt. Keeping her eyes pinned to the bronzer, she mildly answers Izellah, "Cook could learn how sorry it is to take Hannistans Hostage." She smirks as she says it.

X'hil instinctively backs away a step or two at Izellah's glare, then grimaces, and forces himself to step forward again. "Yes?" he says, injecting a boldness into his tone that he does not feel, and doing his best to try and look like he's in charge of this situation. He isn't really though, not at the moment, and it shows. At the water rations suggestion, X'hil looks a little uncomfortable, fidgeting, looking away. "Must it come to that?" he mutters, words escaping his mouth before he even realises he's saying them out loud. However, he does nothing to try and stop the message-carrying firelizard. The bronzerider eyes Aeryn now, cringing a little as he catches sight of the red marks on her wrists, though he mutters, "Funny, could've sworn /I/ was the one doing the dragging." But, again, his stance shows his words to be an act, as he's tensing up, and looking rather much like he wants to run.

"You.." the teen continues towards X'hil, but before she can finish the thought T'maz has interjected. The voice of authority does little to quell Izellah's annoyance with anything and everything. "What I would like," she starts, rolling her gaze back towards brownrider, "is a meal fit for your holder guests. None of this stew and gruel nonsense, and I assure you that if there's so much as a mention more of 'water rations'," the very though filling her voice with disgust, "That you do your best to not be seen by me again." A smile quirks for Aeyrn's words however.

T'maz then nods at the girl."Suggestions would be considered…" A couple of aunties appear with lists of things that have been offered at feasts they've worked on. They're taller than the girls but seem agile for their ages. One pipes up to speak to the Hannistan Lady to be."Lady Izellah, I've cooked for your grandfather but that was when I was younger… Tell me your favorites m'dear and no gruel shall touch your bowls again…" She also has Journeywoman cords from BakerCraft and apprentice Techcraft cords intertwined on her shoulders.

Aeryn merely snorts her disgust with the bronzer before her, "Dithering fool," she snarls softly, lifting the corner of her lip in a sneer. "Yer gonna so regret it." She steps nearer to Izellah and in the process, nearer to X'hil. She makes no threatening moves towards him, seeing they have two Riders flanking them as well as X'hil and T'maz there. The lists and the aunties she ignores completely, rather she tosses a hard laugh T'maz's way, "I've lived off far worse than gruel before." A hard stare back towards X'hil, "Now let us by, will ya?"

X'hil is standing his ground for now, although his expression is less than confident. "/Yes/?" he repeats, in response to Izellah's second trailed off 'you', false impatience in his tone. Does she even /have/ anything to say to him, specifically? "What /about/ me?" He seems to be a lot more cocky around the girl, now. What's interesting are the brief pauses between anyone else speaking, and his own 'snappy' retorts, as if he's being coached. The man ignores the aunties, and shakes his head at Aeryn, still refusing to step aside. "What do you think you're going to accomplish? You were brought here on the Weyrwoman's own orders, who would /dare/ go against that? For that matter, who /could/?" He raises a valid point, actually.

Izellah rolls her eyes as the aunties appear with their lists. "It's hardly my job to tell you what to do," Though she certainly has no qualms doing so. "It's yours to make something suited to the status of your guests," and with that the ladies are ignored in favor of staring down X'hil once again, shifting half a step to the side to make room for Aeryn in the process. "You, need to do something about the baths while we go speak to the weyrwoman about these orders of hers." Who would dare? Izellah apparently.

As X'hil speaks, Aeryn grows a slow, amused smile, her voice falsely sweet, "Why bronzerider, what an interesting question coming from -you-. Not one to break your Weyrwoman's oders? Ever? Not even to… visit Ista?" Softly aside to Izellah, "They too crowded? It would be nice to have one of those." Her scorn ripples as she assures X'hil, "Plenty dare, plenty do. Now move! I'm getting bored."

X'hil raises an eyebrow at Izellah, repeating flatly, "'Do something about the baths.' What do I look like, a plumber?" he snorts, shaking his head in bemusement. If you act confident, you /become/ more confident? Well, whatever it is, it seems to be working. Though he's still not making eye-contact with Aeryn. He /scowls/ at Aeryn, but can honestly say, "I've never broken rules to visit Ista." With the emphasis on the Weyr's name.

T'maz looks at the girls."I visited Ista, but that was way before the plague came… and when the plague happened, I didn't visit my brother at Ista…" Yep he follows orders too.
Candia smirks as she comes out of the caverns. "And I didn't visit any of them, but then, I was pretty much isolated from the plague on the Atoll. Hello, Uncle T'mato. And who are the young firebrands here?"

Izellah nods towards Aeryn. "Far," she agrees with the older girl before a look is spared for X'hil once again. Its at his commentary that she finally breaks into a truly amused smile. "Plumber, hardly," she laughs. "But until recently here I figured you for one who could clear the people from them. Its hardly fitting for someone such as myself to bath with others much less -men-."

T'maz looks at his niece with a smile."This, my dear Candia, is the Lord Holder's daughter from Hannista Hold… Izellah, by name, and her companion…"He pauses for a moment."Aeryn…" He leans over and whispers into his niece's ear."I think… need…anki…the both of them…but who am I to cause a brouhaha over….pitty…ats."

The sound of voices is enough to draw Rogawani's attention as he walks across the clearing form the direction of the meadows. Rubbing at one eye, still drowsy from the tea the healers have him taking daily, the boy squints and looks on at the grouping of riders and… holder women. "This doesn't look good." He comments to himself, lifting the hand that was rubbing his eye to run through his hair. For the time being, the boy doesn't speak up, but he does approach a bit further, if for no other reason than keeping himself aware of what's going on.

Aeryn just snorts her disdain at X'hil, "Ista - Ierne, something like that. Whatever." Her cold grey eyes glance over T'maz and Candia's way idly while she waits for X'hil to move. Izellah's assertion brings her back to the task at hand and she spits, "We require decency. Some privacy. Surely you're capable of shooing the men out of there for awhile so we can bathe." She catches movement out of the corner of her eye and glances sharply that way. Her expression undergoes a subtle change. One might call it wary. She suddenly begins walking towards X'hil.

T'maz tilts his head at the girls."You can ask them yourselves to leave…"

Candia shakes her head. "Little girl, that's not how things are done at a weyr. And frankly, not always at any hold I've ever been at." She makes her way over to T'maz's side, limping slightly.

X'hil snorts, and mutters something about holders, shaking his head. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. Faranth forbid we let you lot go /without/. No-one wants to smell that." Ooh, that one was almost /nasty/. But he does seem to make a mental note of it at least, nodding briefly. He mutters as Aeryn gets the location right, and looks away. He can't deny that one. Under his breath, he mutters, "Got no answer for /that/, have you?" then scowls. "Look,

X'hil snorts, and mutters something about holders, shaking his head. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. Faranth forbid we let you lot go /without/. No-one wants to smell that." Ooh, that one was almost /nasty/. But he does seem to make a mental note of it at least, nodding briefly. He mutters as Aeryn gets the location right, and looks away. He can't deny that one. Under his breath, he mutters, "Got no answer for /that/, have you?" then scowls. "Look, I'll see what I can /do/ about the bathing thing. But the whole Weyr has to use those baths, you can't just barge in and get everything /your/ way. I'll have someone draw up a schedule." Probably /not/ in the holders' favour, but still, it's a step in the right direction.

"If by 'see what you can do'," Izellah replies, "Means tomorrow the baths belong to the Hannistan women, that will do." Any less and there's sure to be more screaming on her part. "I -will- be speaking to your weyrwoman regardless." Regardless of what? Regardless of the result, or if X'hil decides to let her and Aeyrn by to meet with the woman. She has it in her head that things will be done her way it would seem. As for Candia, the woman barely earns a glance as the girl replies, "Well then the hold you've been to wasn't very civilized, was it. I for one, don't care how weyrfolk want to live. But I for one will not stoop to that level."

The sharp look from one of the holder women is enough to cause Rogawani to stop in his tracks. Standing up strait, he blinks and looks as if he had just been caught in the act of something, even if he's clueless as to what he's been caught doing. Tucking his hands into his pockets, the messenger boy suddenly has a feeling of deja vu. It's possible that he's seen one or both of them before during his trips to the hold. "If there's anything I can get you ladies, just let me know?" Raising his eyebrows, Ro' seems a bit lost, caught between the lessons about always treating holders properly and his own mixed feelings on what has been happening in the hold. Feeling fidgety, not sure what he should say to the kidnapped women, he toes a boot at the ground.

Speaking of stepping in the right direction, Aeryn continues her slow steps X'hil's way. Both T'maz and Candia's words draw an amused smirk of condescension, one gold-brown brow arching in irony "Is that so?" Her tone begs to differ, as her attention retuns to X'hil, "We could stay all day and trade insults with you, little man, but we've better things to do. We will speak with Niva now." She's no longer waiting for him to step aside, a furtive glance darts Rogawani's way as she picks up the pace, getting closer to X'hil. Her grey eyes lock on the bronzer's if he dares look her way. Her expression perhaps could say that the only weapons she has are her knees, but they have sufficed before.

T'maz heads to the kitchens when an apprentice with a smudge of something on her nose runs out and tells him the fruit tarts he had ordered as a surprise for the Hannistans were burning.

X'hil scowls at Izellah. "And where would you have the /Weyrfolk/ bathe?" he asks, with a raised eyebrow. "I will have a /time/ set aside for you and your holders," he spits the word holders like it's a curse, "to have the baths. Outside of that time, they will be open to /all/." He's firm on that point. There's a brief nod to Rogawani, but the man has his hands full - figuratively speaking - with Izellah and Aeryn. He's not backing down, but he's tensing up again as Aeryn approaches, looking like he wants to run. "Look, is the Weyr really so bad?" he changes tactic, struggling to keep the desperation from his tone. "Look at Rogawani here, /he/ doesn't mean you any harm!" Why doesn't he use himself as the example? It's a distraction technique, that's what it is. "And I would certainly rather not harm any of you." /Rather/ not?

Izellah draws a deep breath, letting it out in a slow, quiet huff. "Well.. if it is to be a time, then it shall be a daily time. An hour, no less, for myself and each of my sisters and an hour for the rest. That should be sufficient. I will Not sully myself for the likes of you rider, and you are the ones that brought us here." she reminds. It is, after all, not of their choosing that they are at the weyr in the first place. A glance is spared for the messenger as he's pointed out, "He," she remarks, turning back to the werysecond, "Seems to know how to treat a lady. Unlike some people here," a sharp glare sent towards the other bronzerider who was giving her trouble before. "But yes, it is. The accommodations are terrible, the food wretched, and well.. we've already discussed the situation of bathing. Now. If you'll excuse me." See, she's being perfectly civil about all this, if more than a bit curt.

Put in the spotlight, Rogawani's eyes go large as he just continues to stand there looking bewildered. "W..Weyrwoman Niva is really busy sometimes. I've only really talked to her once, and I've lived here all my life." He runs a hand forward through his hair, as if trying to hide behind his bangs. His eyes move between Izellah and Aeryn, settling on the later for a longer time, as if trying to figure out just where in his memories she lingers. However, when Izellah talks about the food and accomidations, he perks a little. "I have some friends in the kitchens. I can have some fresh fruit and meatrolls brought. If… you think that would help?" This time, he looks at X'hil as if trying to get permission.

Aeryn doesn't seem to want to look at the messenger boy, she keeps her face turned away from him with her attention on X'hil. Her lips, however form the name 'Rogawani' silently. Committing it to memory, perhaps? She pauses but a stride away from X'hil, adding to Izellah's list, " And this place smells like…" her tone oozes dislike, "Dragons. We need to get the stench off." A flick of her hand dismisses the topic. "I have other matters to see her about." A toe taps impatiently. She's getting tired of waiting.

X'hil narrows his eyes at the other bronzerider, and makes a note to have a little /chat/ to the man later. Probably give him the benefit of the doubt still, because he's not exactly fond of Izellah right now himself. "Daily, we can do. We're not /savages/. But consider how many of you there are, and how many of the Weyr there are. An /hour/ a day. /Total/." he offers, tone firm but not /entirely/ inflexible. The man nods at Rogawani, giving the messenger blanket permission pretty much. The boy knows the holders better than he does - he prefers not to associate with Hannistans. "Bah. Dragons smell nicer than any hold I've seen." And he's including Hannista. Naturally. And then there's a frown. "Other matters?" he asks, with a furrowed brow. "Like what, exactly?" Cautious, shifty-eyed, even a little paranoid. But he /did/ knock her out, and he's still feeling guilty about it, so of course paranoia would be his first response.

"You certainly put on a good show of it if you're not." Savages that is. "An hour is simply not plausible. You've heard my terms rider. Certainly you lot can bath in the lake with your dragons if you must." A smile, ever so sweet, makes its way across the holder's lips as she turns to regard the messenger. "Some fresh fruit would be lovely." she agrees, "Do make sure its cut into wedges before it's brought. An cold. Make sure it's cold. I like that crisp little bite." The smile disappears rather quickly as she looks back to X'hil however, "Other matters, which are none of your concern."

While there is a nagging feeling still lingering in the back of Rogawani's mind, he tries to push it from his thoughts. "I like the smell of dragons." He comments to himself, looking a little confused at how someone could find dragon smell distasteful. Nodding his head, the boy gives a small, "Yes ma'am." Before heading towards the caverns. After a few paces, he does look back over one shoulder. Then, shaking his head he continues inside, vanishing around the corner towrads the inner caverns and the kitchens beyond.

Aeryn doesn't join the bargaining about bathing time. Her bored look towards Rogawani says she truly doesn't care whether he likes the smell of dragons or not. Perhaps she's just supporting her Lord Holder's kin? She moves a half-step closer to the bronzer, her long hair swaying as she deliberately rubs with a hand at one of her raw wrists, flaunting the purplish-red scores on the white skin, "Things." She says it smugly without explaining to X'hil what she wants. A soft whoosh of a relieved sigh escapes her parted lips as she sees Rogawani depart from the corner of her eye.

X'hil raises an eyebrow at Izellah. "Oh? Seeing savage riders bathing in the open wouldn't offend your delicate holder sensibilities?" he can't resist the jab, before his firm tone returns, and he makes a final offer, "An hour for just holders, and a separate hour for just women and children." The look he gives to Izellah indicates he puts her in the /second/ category. "That's two hours a day with no Weyr men. Take it or leave it. The baths /will/ be free for all for the rest of the time." Because apparently weyrfolk aren't nearly so fussy as to require their own time. "I'll send the headwoman around to arrange a time." he adds, dismissing any further attempts to wheedle more time. He frowns after Rogawani, then glances to Aeryn, with a curious little frown. The man shakes his head then, and glances away, deliberately not looking at Aeryn's raw wrists or ankles. "What do you hope to /accomplish/ by speaking to the Weyrwoman?"

"I have no intentions of seeing them," Izellah replies, "Simply stating." And although she looks less then thrilled with the offer, "Two hours," she muses as if in agreement, though Faranth knows she'll try to overstep him before the day is out, "Two hours with no weyr/folk/. That still hardly gives me time to ready, but I suppose it will have to do. I'd hate to put anyone out seeing as you're forcing me to be here and all."

Aeryn slides a subtly triumphant look of conspiracy Izellah's way at the two hour concession. Her full lips spread into an exultant smile. She then sneers at X'hil, "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" With that she smoothly ducks and turns, her tumble of hair sweeping the ground as she whisks around the man in her way, gathers her long skirts at the same time and sprints off to the Queen's Ledges before he can stop her. As she disappears from sight, all that can be seen of her face through the flying disarray of locks is the purple-yellow cheekbone under the eye she peeks back over her shoulder with. A flash of victory gleams therein. And a promise of trouble to come.

X'hil snorts, and shakes his head. "One hour for holders, one for women and children of both Hold /and/ Weyr." he states, mind most definitely made up, though he's eying Aeryn's triumphant look with a scowl. "If you take longer than that, you'll simply have to share. It's no problem of /mine/. You should be lucky we're letting you bathe or move around /at all/, even escorted." He nods to the escorting riders. "If I had my way, you'd all be stuck up in one of the old cliff weyrs." But he shakes his head on that dream, and closes the subject with a firm, yet mocking, "Will there be anything /else/, your ladyship?" Unfortunately, the man is too busy mocking Izellah to catch Aeryn's escape, and he swears under his breath as his belated sidestep is just too late. But hey, at least he's still in one piece? "Sharding /Hannistans/." he mutters, letting a moment of genuine irritation get the better of him.

Izellah returns a smirk of her own Aeyrn's way before the older girl ducks out. "That will be all rider," she concedes, though its sure not to be the last anyone has heard from her. "You may go." A glance follows over her shoulder for riders who were escorting Aeryn and herself as if to challenge one of them to stop either of them in reaching their destination. "I heard that," she snaps back to X'hil before sidestepping him in following the other Hannistan towards the ledges.

X'hil narrows his eyes at Izellah, and would probably retort if Kinseth weren't actually calling him. "I'm coming, I'm coming, keep your wings on. Had to deal with a couple of holder brats." he calls to the bronze. Yes, he /does/ mean to be heard. He nods to the escorting riders, giving silent permission to let them get to Niva. Let /her/ deal with them for a while. "Keep a close watch, that one likes to run." he mutters to the riders, about Aeryn, before ducking into the hatching arena.

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