January 20, 2004
R'hyn and Serriena's already slightly strained relationship is made moreso when R'hyn attempts to do what Ainsley has asked of him.

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Niaryth wings her way over from the sky to land on the precipice.

Serriena dismounts from Niaryth, using her extended forelimb for help down.

R'hyn's sitting on Arisvath's forelimb, staring out at the deep blue of the sky - and the ocean beyond. The sleeves of his shirt are fluttering in the breeze, which is strong and cool up here.

Niaryth sails down to land on the Star Stones. She croons a greeting to Arisvath. On her neckridges, Serri unbuckles the safety straps and slides down. After Niaryth repositions herself so that she can try to tail cuddle with her favored mate, Serriena opts to do the same as R'hyn, taking up a nonchalant position on Niaryth's forelimb. She glances over at him and greets, "Good day R'hyn."

If it weren't for the fact that Arisvath moves to save him, R'hyn might have fallen off at Serriena's greeting; he very nearly jumps out of his skin. "Oh! Serri! I was just thinking about you." His face turns properly red at this, as though he's guilty of something. Arisvath's tail snakes out to join with Niaryth's-- his affection for her has never died.

Serriena raises a brow. "Good thoughts or bad thoughts?" Her voice is quiet. She seems almost subdued in manner. She reaches up to flick her hair behind her shoulder. She's braided the length of blond for the day.

"I--" R'hyn breaks off. "I guess that depends on how you interpret them. It's kind of important, though. I was going to seek you out, shortly." He doesn't meet his old friend's gaze, instead staring out over the ocean again.

"So you found me," Serriena says without much juncture. "You have my attention." She leans back against Niaryth comfortingly. The golden queen croons softly and twines her tail with Arisvath's.

Dragon> Arisvath senses that Niaryth had a perfectly wonderful day. << Arisvath how was your day? >>

R'hyn opens his mouth, then shuts it again with a snap. This is harder than it seems. "Serri... it has to stop. This battle, against the Weyrwoman. It's bad for the weyr, for Ista. You don't have to like her, but she's... she's all of our better, now, and we have to respect her." His voice is kept very low, and he still can't manage to actually look at Serriena.

Dragon> Niaryth senses that Arisvath's tone and touch are light and lazy; warm, fluffy blankets, soothing and draping without much thought. << It was a fine day, made finer by your company. >>

"What makes you think I'm fighting her?" Serri queries. She looks over at R'hyn. "Have I said a single word against her? Have I complained once in any way to you?" She looks out at the sky. "Unless you refer to the fact I called her a bitch to her face in front of the cavern." She glances over at R'hyn. "So tell me something R'hyn. It's okay for her to belittle me in public, cast slurs upon me and make mouths when I turn my back?"

R'hyn lifts his hands, as if to protect himself. "You called her a bitch because she was not going to rush to Ista Hold to interfere. Whether or not you think that, Serriena, it makes the supposedly cohesive team of Ista's leadership look weak. Fragmented. You /have/ to work with her, because she's not a weak leader who will let you run wild, Serriena. She belittled you because you acted inappropriately." R'hyn has turned bright red, and the hastiness of his voice makes it sound and look as though he's incredibly uncomfortable, which is probably not untrue.

"R'hyn I called her a bitch because she called me dumb and stupid." Serriena corrects. "Not because of Ista Hold." She sits up straighter and says, "I have been working with her R'hyn. I don't know where your information is coming from, but I deliver my reports in on time, I have not said more than absolutely necessary to her, or to E'van." She glances over, "My silence is my cooperation...and my burden."

R'hyn finally turns back to Serriena, shrugging helplessly. "Not according to the Weyrwoman herself, Serriena. I don't know what to believe - she was pretty adamant that you were out of line, and I've only seen... what I've seen." R'hyn shuts his mouth, heavily. "I'm just trying to help."

"There's nothing to help," Serri states firmly. "I dislike her, so I will do my job as best I can. When they make this weyr into a skeleton of its former self, I say nothing. When anyone who opposes E'van gets replaced, I say nothing. When the day comes that I will be replaced, I still will say nothing." She looks at the ocean, so far off, "I'm beyond caring anymore R'hyn. My life has been turned upside down and inside out too much. Niaryth is my only care for now, forever more." Her voice wavered at the statement.

R'hyn stops, suddenly. "Oh, grow up, Serriena." He slides down Arisvath's forelimb, landing upon his feet calmly. "No, I do mean that. Grow up. The weyr is /not/ doing that badly. Weyrwoman Ainsley is a good leader, and she's doing a good job. She's a natural."

"Go fly yourself between R'hyn," Serri states back, turning, her eyes flashing with anger. "And stay there for all I care!" She rises up, reaching to grab ahold of Niaryth's straps. "You don't care! You never have! Your mother at least has some shardin' sense but she failed to pass even a shred of it on to YOU!" She doesn't leave just yet. "I've stated my piece. I will remain silent and do my job in silence. This conversation is unnecessary. She starts to climb into those straps.

R'hyn turns around to face Serriena, as she goes. "Of course I care. Of course I've always cared. I don't want to see you cause trouble for yourself, Serriena, and you are. I don't care what you say, you are. Do you want to get sent away, lose your rank, be disgraced? Ista NEEDS you to be a help, not a hinder. Do you care so little for this weyr you claim to love?"

Serriena climbs into the straps. She stiffens as she sits there, staring at the ocean. "What do you expect me to do R'hyn?" She finally asks. "I have remained with tongue in cheek. Isn't that enough?" She looks down. "Weyrwoman Ainsley knows that I wish to remain silent and not speak to her more than necessary. If she expects more, then that is her fault not mine." Aso to his other claim, she states, "What can I do? I am no more than a glorified recordskeeper at Ista with no voice, no respect, and only a false reputation to live up to."

"I don't think that's true," says R'hyn, sounding more calm than he looks. "No, I don't. You don't have a voice, because you're being a spoilt child. You don't have respect, because-- well, see the above point. Of course Ainsley doesn't respect you: all she's seen of you is that you called her a bitch in front of the weyr she is supposed to be leading, on her very first day, and that you've been difficult ever since. Prove them wrong. Show them that you're good at what you do."

"This is a highly useless argument R'hyn," Serri states. "You tell me I am a spoiled child. Why do you think that? Because I stated my opinion of Ainsley's actions towards me by calling her a bitch? Do not even try to make me such an argument. You heard what I said, but you did not hear anything of her words to me." She glares down at him, very unhappy, "And my doing my job, not stating my opinions -- tell me -- how is that not cooperating? How is that not showing I am good at my job?" She throws her hands up, "You! You can prove your worth by showing them how big Arisvath's flame is when fighting thread. Me? All I can do is write down reports and weyr ledgers! WOW! I am soo going to impress them with my writing skills!" The saracasm in her voice is heavy. "Or better yet... I'll impress them with not falling off Niaryth while carrying an agenothree tank! Amazing! Nobody else can do that!"

"You did that before you even knew her, Serriena. You formed your opinion of her well before you even knew who she was. She was here for five minutes before you were calling her a bitch in front of the world. Fardles, I bet you'd decided before you'd even met her." R'hyn's not used to saying this much, this loudly - not even to Serriena. He's gone bright red, and he's somewhat breathless. "You have been stating your opinions, though. And, hell, that's fine. But you need to show respect for the Weyrwoman, because otherwise you are the weak link in this weyr. You can prove your worth by being a useful, supportive member of her wing. And if you can't do that, after all these turns, then I can't say I'd blame the Weyrwoman for sending you away."

"I'll thank you not to make assumptions about me," Serriena states coldly. "I had no such assumptions about her R'hyn but she let me know in the first minute of meeting her, that she'd heard about me and my idiotic notions and my uselessness and stupidity." Serriena looks directly at her friend, "All before I had formed any sort of opinion about HER -- and by the time she was through -- there it was -- my opinion of her."

R'hyn waves his hands up in despair. "Oh, fardles. Think what you will Serriena, if you have to keep up this childish thing, but damn it if you can't try and prove her wrong. You're only making it worse, at the moment. She may not be nice to everyone, and she may not be patient, but she's the best damn Weyrwoman we've had in a long time -- and she's going to win a lot more support than E'van ever can. If you can't even try and make things work, then go on, leave. I wash my hands of it."

"Thank you R'hyn," Serriena states rather blandly, "For just insulting Niaryth and I, Llilian and Isyrath and Mechelle and Selynth." She bows, "I'll be sure to pass your sentiments on to them." She points, "Although I should feel some shame that you, possibly Ista's worst Weyrleader ever, even compared to that egotistical A'son, feel that I was lacking." Then she says as if it doesn't hurt, "But I don't, because it would be childish to care what you think or give a damn." She looks outward. "R'hyn, you're not going to get the answer you seek, because you're seeking something that's already there."

R'hyn shrugs his shoulders. "I know I was a bad Weyrleader. I /know/ that, and that's fine. I didn't say you were all bad, I just-- she's /good/. Better than good. And, all right, you're never going to listen to me now, because you think I'm insulting you." He breaks off, and shakes his head. "I'm not an idiot, Serriena. You're not keeping your mouth shut. I know that much. And-- well, if you want to lie to me, then go ahead. If you want to lie to yourself, fine. But just remember that, damn it, you matter in this weyr, and whatever you do reflects upon the whole. It impacts a lot of people."

Throwing up her hands, Serriena asks, "R'hyn what the shardin shell are you talking about?" She looks confused. "The shell I'm not keeping my mouth shut! I haven't spoken a single unkind word about Ainsley to anyone until now. And the only reason I am telling you is because YOU brought her up!"

"To Ainsley's face, you've been difficult. Withholding hides, or something? Not accepting that she has authority over you?" R'hyn's beginning to grasp at straws, a little - he has his Weyrwoman's word on this, but not necessarily any evidence of his own.

"Difficult?" Serriena suddenly leans back. "Is that what she said of me?" She snorts with sudden laughter. "Yes, I suppose it was difficult for her and for me." She shakes her head. "I have not withheld any hides. I simply did not give them all to her right away. She had enough to deal with, what with five trunks of just clothes to obtain from Southern Weyr." She rolls her eyes at that statement. "As for conversations - we have very few and she has learned I prefer silence to talking to her. If she is not happy with that - that is her fault alone." Serriena says simply.

"Clothes? You didn't give her hides because you don't like the fact that she has so many clothes? Now that IS childish, Serriena. If she asks for something, you give it to her. It's that simple." He shakes his head, turning back to Arisvath. "I give up. I tried, honestly I tried, but I can see exactly what she means, now. Good day, Junior Weyrwoman."

With a smooth motion, you grap a hold of Arisvath's straps, using their guiding length to scramble from forelimb to neckridges, at which point you settle, safe atop the bronze.

** "If that is what you think, that is what you think," Serriena states. "Good bye R'hyn." She sounds almost final in her statement. Niaryth lets out a croon to Arisvath as if she didn't want him to leave.

R'hyn doesn't say anything more, strapping himself in coolly - though his hands are shaking. Arisvath releases Niaryth's tail unhappily, drawing back as he's given the command to rise up into the evening sky. Oh, unhappy day.

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