November 11, 2002
Politics after politics greet R'hyn's first few sevendays of Weyrleadership.

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You head through the narrow tunnel and into the bustling living caverns.

Jorrien collects the bubbly pies on a plate and brings them back over to his mother. "Here we go." The biggest one is offered out towards Serriena with a smile up at her.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother," Serriena says to Galieden. She looks for Jorrien and the promised bubblies. "Losing a loved one will always affect those they loved." She smiles when she sees Jorrien and takes the offered bubbly. "Thank you!" She eats it one handed, the other hand having gone back in the ice pitcher to cool some more.

Tired is what R'hyn looks, striding across the caverns from the bowl, his hands quietly dug into the pockets of his riding jacket. He pauses for klah, though by reputation he's not a true fan of the liquid; without sugar or sweetener, he grasps up the mug, heading towards the tables to find a seat.

Arisvath> Niaryth seems rather smug as she enters from the northern bowl, having seen her mate touch down into the southern portion of the bowl. She walks over to Arisvath and settles next to him.

Galieden nods a bit, "I don't know what to think really Serri, she didn't uffer, but seeig my da like that, I think that was the worst."

Jorrien glances over at Galieden for a momant and then just takes his bubbly pie setting the plate with the last of them in front of Galieden.

Serriena glances over and then says, "R'hyn!" She must have sensed his presence. "Please come here." She indicates with a hand filled bubbly, the seat across from her. She pats the seat next to her for Jorrien.

Galieden nods his thanks to the youngster and he sighs a bit, "I guess it's an illusion we grow up with, that no matter how old we get, our parents will still be there. There won't be anymore little messages from her to me and Mechelle, little things like that."

R'hyn swallows, but greets Serri's invitation -- or is that direction? -- with a short bob of his head. His walk is slow, apparently not just thanks to his weariness, but also the fact that his mug is over-filled, and with every step he watches warily so as not to make a mess upon Ismaye's immaculate floors. "Coming," he murmurs, just quietly.

Jorrien yawns and covers his mouth. "I think I'm gonna finish this bubbly on the way to bed, Mama. I got to be up early to be ready to go to lessons."

"Okay sweetie," Serriena leans over to place a kiss on her son's head. "Don't let your brothers see the bubbly or they'll want one." Serriena can spoil her children individually. "Sleep tight sweetie.. don't let the trundlebugs bite."

Galieden watches the two a slightly whistfull expression on his face for a moment before he shakes his head and mutters something under his breath.

Jorrien grins and nods. "I won't. I bet Derien's asleep by now anyway." He waves to the two men and then starts out munching at his treat.

Jorrien heads down the stairs, deeper into the Weyr.

R'hyn eventually does reach the seat offered by Serriena, giving a somewhat hesitant smile towards the little boy as he heads for bed. His klah mug is set down upon the table, as the young man sits down on the seat, holding his hands in his lap.

Serriena smiles. "Yes he probably is," she agrees, her youngest son the sleepiest. She turns to Galieden and says, "Your mother loved you while she was alive and she won't love you any less in death." She turns to view R'hyn and bringing her hand out of the pitcher of water, she wipes it on her shirt again. "That's cold." Obviously. Her hand is bright red as the blood rushes back in to warm her numbed hand. "R'hyn," Serriena asks softly, "Where were you this afternoon? What took so long at Red Sands?"

R'hyn all but freezes, his hand reaching out towards his mug, and there it remains, hovering. "They wanted to withhold tithes," he says, very quietly. "I did my best, but it took a while. I think they thought that because we were new, we'd-- just let things go. I'm sorry." And he is - it's obvious in his features, even though it's equally obvious that he was almost relieved at the same time.

Serriena stares at R'hyn. It's obvious she doesn't approve of that relief, not has she approved of his absence. "I really needed you at that meeting." She says this quietly and solemnly. "Your lack of presence was noticed by many of the Weyrleaders." She sits back in her chair. "I know you could not help Red Sands doing to this us on the same day," she won't pin the entire blame on him. "But our united front didn't come across at today's meeting with only me there." She closes her eyes. "To let you know, Priane has been demoted. She is to be a junior at Benden and Alyssa will be going to Fort Weyr to be a junior to the new senior rider."

Galieden shakes his head, "Make sme real glad I wasn't here. Sorry Serri, but I'm not much help against riders, it was all we could do as candidates to stop that egg thief."

R'hyn swallows thickly, nodding. "I know. I'm sorry. It was intended-- none of it was. I was as quick as I could be, and I was trying." There's no relief in his gaze, there, nothing but disappointment at himself. "I'm relieved to hear that it went well. Arisvath passed it on to me. We'll miss having Alyssa's assistance, of course, but I believe that that's probably the best solution."

Serriena nods. She blows her knuckles and then smiles slightly, "I think the best part of the meeting was the end." She gives a little laugh, "I'm afraid my hand found contact to Priane's face. Hurt too... I'm going to bruise."

R'hyn reaches out for Serriena's hand, as if he wants to examine the skin that contacted the former Fortian Weyrwoman's face. "Oh, Serriena. I bet that felt good. As well as bad."

"It felt more good than bad," Serriena chuckles. She gives a small sigh, "I am mostly so tired." She shakes her head, "Rafiet, N'ago and T'lon confessed to Priane's treachery. But when I brought Brindel in, he lied!" She sounds irritated. "He actually lied after telling us almost everything he walked into the council and lied right in front of me." She lets her hand be taken, giving yours a small squeeze. "I could have used you then, because without you or Shiae, I could not prove his lies."

R'hyn squeezes the hand back, examining it -- as if for signs of bruising, smoothing his fingers over it before he lets it go. "You should sleep, soon, then. I can understand how tiring it would have been. A relief to have it over-- but mostly exhausting." Slowly, he nods his head, grimacing. "He's been removed from Ista, though? But-- I know. I'm sorry."

"He will face his own punishment," Serriena assures. "He may have lied, but the council voted to demote Priane anyways." She looks at you closely. "He is still here at Ista, but none of the people that gave testimony are to be harmed today. None of them." She sighs, "Not even Brindel." Serri tells you, "This was to protect the Fort Weyr riders from Priane's wrath. They confessed to her treachery." A corner of her lip raises, "One of them even apologized to me."

R'hyn nods, drawing both hands about his mug. "But he's no longer an Assistant to the Steward, right? Or won't be, for much longer. He still lied, and I don't like the idea of his being anywhere near the records, and the tithes, of Ista. Priane is no longer in power, but there's still things he could do, if he put his mind to it." His head is tilted to the side, as he remarks, "I wonder how many truly were happy with what they were doing, for her."

Galieden hmms softly, "Seems to me, if you don't mind me offering an opinion?" he says pausing. There's more introspection than before he went home.

"I don't think any of them were," Serriena says, "T'erst turned on Priane when she called him a moron." Serri shakes her head. "Please R'hyn.." she pleads, "Don't ever let me get to the point where I am like that woman." She hasn't mentioned the other Weyrleaders either. They possibly think Serriena an idiot. She glances at Galieden. "Yes Galieden?"

R'hyn uses his hand to beckon Galieden to speak -- already a change, in the sevenday or so since he picked up the Weyrleadership. "I won't," he promises to Serriena, quietly. "You'll never be. Never. You're not like that at all."

Galieden taps his chin, "It seems to me they were caught between duty to the weyrwoman and weyr, and thier duty to protect Pern. I think a rider will do much for his Weyr when he is treated well and perhaps Priane did treat them well at first, but what did she do to them when they failed her? What punishment did they suffer for not flying you. We will likely never know what happened after the flight, but it must have been something terrible to make them go from duty to the Weyr, to the duty to protect Pern as a whole from that woman. Any rider may seek assistance from another Weyr, during a time of need, but what if they feared to seek those other Weyrs, not for themselves, but for those other Weyrs?"

Galieden then shrugs and sighs, "We will likely never know Serri, why they turned on her, but I would be wary of them and trust them only so far until they prove that they can remain truely loyal to a Weyr, and not just to themselves."

Serriena is tired and she tilts her head at Galieden. "I think I caught most of that, but..what do you mean they feared to seek the Weyrs for the Weyrs?" That part she did not understand. She smiles across to R'hyn. "Thank you," this mouthed to him. He has become a good friend to the Weyrwoman.

R'hyn merely inclines his head towards Serriena, though there's a smile upon his lips, quickly hidden by his klah. He turns his attention back to Galieden, frowning. "Feared that Priane might turn her attentions to those weyrs, if they tried to seek them out?"

Galieden looks at Serri, "What would Priane have done to a Weyr that helped hide those brozeriders from her, had she not been discredited first, think about what she's done, if she could do all that, what else could she have done?" He then nods to R'hyn, 'We really have no idea what Priane was planning, perhaps they stayed and did what they did, not because they are evil, but because it was the only way to stand between Priane and Pern, to protect Pern and her Weyrs from Priane's evil? As I said, we will never know, not really."

Serriena nods. "I see what you mean Galieden." She mulls that over apparently. "It is a good point you make. I suppose there was no other way for them to do it except to wait for Priane to make a mistake such as this." She gives a small sigh. "And hopefully now they are safe from her harm."

Galieden looks at Serrina, "If I was a bronzerider in thier positions, I would have bided my time as well, all evil makes a mistake sooner or later, I'm just betting they had hoped she would have made her mistakes a lot sooner than she did. Think on that freenrider, He was Wearing Fort Weyr's knot Serri when he was caught. Don't you think that if you Didn't want someone to know what weyr you were from, after stealing an egg, that you'd be smart enough to wear wherhide without wingpatches and knots?"

Ginta comes up the flight of stairs from the inner caverns.

R'hyn nods, slowly. "No doubt you're right. Though, in the case of that greenrider, it would have been easy to find out where he was from regardless of what he wore. Dragons are too easily traced." He sips again at his mug, shaking his head. "I'm glad that that is over. Which Weyrwoman has been installed at Fort now, Serriena?"

Galieden tilts his head a bit, "And yet there he was in Fort's colors, with her wingpatches and knot on. Seems to me that a number of riders were plotting to get the best of Priane, for every evil plot she made for Ista, we somehow foiled it in time."

Serriena listens to Galieden, amazed that somehow that makes sense. "I suppose that is why." She glances to R'hyn and murmurs a name off of a junior gold. "I'm not sure if she is influenced by Priane which is why both Alyssa and one of Igen's juniors are there." She laces her fingers together, wincing as the bruised ones come in contact with the non-bruised ones. "I find myself sympathizing with these Fort riders... but not Priane." She sounds disturbed as if she should not sympathize.

R'hyn continues to nod, mostly musingly, as if the motion is soothing, and conductive to thought. "Ah," he adds, to Serriena, smiling. "Of course. I'm sure she'll do well, with Alyssa, and the Igen junior. It'll be good, to have firm ties with another weyr." His head shakes, and he murmurs, "I'm sure that feeling is not without cause, Serriena."

Galieden nods a bit, "It would stand us well not to show that sympathy too much, or they may think that we... pity them. That would put them in a bad mood I think. Best we treat them with wary courtesy, if you'd like my opinion."

"I think I know this Galieden," Serriena chuckles. "I'm hardly the naive sixteen turn old I used to be." She stretches out. "No I am nearly twenty-six and I used to think T'rrent was old at this age! I'm not old am I?"

"Wise," remarks R'hyn, in response to Galieden's words. "No, no, you're not old, Serriena. Merely-- mature." He winks at her, bemused, then stretches, admitting, "I think it's time I went to seek out my bed. It's been a long day."

Serriena looks to R'hyn and nods. "I may seek out a warm bed too." She is exhausted. For a moment she stares at R'hyn and then says, "Oh! Did Belena ever talk to your mother?"

R'hyn nods, as he stands. "She's chuffed-- I think. It gives her something more to occupy her time, I suppose, and that's wonderful." A yawn breaks apart his face, and his expression turns rueful. "Definitely time for that bed. Come on, Serriena. I'll walk you as far as the ground weyrs, and get Arisvath away from Niaryth so that we can seek our own." He's resisted making the Weyrleader's weyr his own, this past sevenday.

Serriena nods. She stands up and smiles to Galieden. "Good night Galieden. Please give my regards to Mechelle and I hope your dreams are pleasant." She turns and links her arm to R'hyn's. "You've not taken the Weyrleader's Weyr then?" She queries. "I suppose I could understand with that fantastic view you have out on the Outer Rim." She heads for the bowl.

R'hyn tilts his head after Galieden, as he steps with Serriena out into the bowl. "I'd feel kind of weird doing it. I mean, Arisvath can have the view from the Star stones, if he pleases, but-- The weyrleader's weyr is so /grand/. It's unsettling."

You head out through the narrow tunnel to emerge in the bowl.

Serriena comes out of the narrow tunnel from the living caverns.

Serriena shakes her head, "I suppose so. But you now belong to privelege with the respected position of Weyrleader." She grins, "The first time I saw the bed Llilian told me the Master Woodsmith made me, I thought it was meant to have five people sleep in it." She grins. "I'm very comfortable if someone stays with me for the night." And then because she made that sound too much like flirting she stammers, "Uh.. I mean like the boys." And then because that could sound bad too she says, "Mine.. not just any boys!" Her cheeks turn up a notch in color.

R'hyn takes a deep breath, and then nods, slowly. "Perhaps you're right. I'll-- well, I'll see. I still think of T'rrent as Weyrleader, I guess, even though he's dead, and all of his things have been moved out of there." His face turns scarlet, and then he giggles uneasily, finally remarking, "I know what you mean, Serri. Don't worry."

Niaryth looks over at the riders from her position next to Arisvath. She croons softly. She is tired too, confronting dragons can do that to a lady dragon.

Derien comes up from the Northern Bowl his harp in his carrying case slung on his back. He is being escorted home by one of the woman on the hold. Apprently someone forgot to come home when his brother came home.

Arisvath nuzzles Niaryth softly, twining his tail about hers. He's tired, too -- but comfortably so.

Serriena suddenly laughs, "Niaryth is telling me to tell you that the Weyrleader's Weyr has the advantage of being near hers and so Arisvath could visit safely." She glances over to the people walking through the weyr. Any thoughts of Niaryth's fly out as she says, "Derien! What are you doing up so late?"

Arrieth heads over from the far end of the bowl.

Linnelei slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Arrieth, the Blue lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the she hops to the ground.

The woman ushers Derien over the the weyrwoman. Derien looks sheepishly at his mother as the holdwoman has a stern look on his face, "Are you his mother?" She looks down at Derien like he was a tunnelsnake.

R'hyn's expression turns wry. "Niaryth has a point. Well-- perhaps. We'll see. I-- uh, need to get some sleep, Serri. I'll see you tomorrow, I'm sure. Arisvath?" Disgruntled, the bronze begins to disentangle himself. "Having a weyr on the ground'd mean not having to bother him to go home, too," he muses.

Niaryth keeps her tail bound to Arisvath's. Why not practice this tonight?

"Yes I'm his mother," Serriena says to the holdwoman. "May I ask who you are and why my son is with you tonight?"

Arisvath, thusly caught where he is, seems to believe that this is a good idea, and stays put. R'hyn's expression remains on the verge of being amused-- but wearily so.

Dragon> Arisvath senses that Niaryth heard your rider's words <>

Dragon> Niaryth senses that Arisvath agrees, without hesitation. << Yes. It is done. I'm not moving. >>

The holdwoman looks Serriena in the eye, "I am Beldenna from Ista Hold, Belle's mother. Your son is out late because he and my daughter decided to take a nap on the beach and didn't bother to wake up til a candlemark ago." There is something worse, at least in Beldenna's mind, but she was building to it. Derien continues to look down at the ground.

"You're Belle's mother? My son mentions her alot." Serriena admits. "It is nice to finally meet you." She glances over at Niaryth for a moment, sensing the gold plotting, especially when her tail tightens around Arisvath's. "I am Serriena, Derien's mother, Weyrwoman of Ista." She looks at Derien. "I suppose you're hungry? You should go in and get something to eat. But you'll have to go to bed immediately so you can get up in the morning."

Niaryth does tighten her tail around Arisvath's and looks at R'hyn and then towards the ground weyrs, significant looks in her eyes. She nuzzles Arisvath, enjoying the fact she'll have her mate with her for the night, as it should be in her practically perfect world.

R'hyn watches Serriena for a long moment, then stiffles a grimace, shaking his head towards Niaryth with a somewhat disgruntled glance. Manipulative thing. He turns upon his heels, and strides towards the ground weyrs. What else can he do?

You head over to the slightly detached area of the bowl that houses the ground weyrs and the council room.

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