I'm sorry, did you think we were gone (Cait)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

3075.06.25 | Early afternoon

It was neither unreasonably late, nor unreasonably early. Let foolish Apprentices tell tales of conspirators meeting in the depths of night. Experts, like the man entering Ice Stone Weyr for the first time in a 34 Turn life, knew better. Had anyone truly noticed the man, they would have believed him a frequent visitor. Certainly he knew his way around well enough, needing only occasionally to pause and glance around to ascertain his location. He was a rather lean man, which had the effect of making him look even taller than his 6’4”, dressed in plain leather clothing that lacked any distinguishing mark. He was wearing a hat that covered the side of his face and his ears, and he’d been careful to groom his mustache so that it was bushier than usual, but that was the only concession he made to the fact that, had anyone both seen and recognized him, he would not have been walking free for long. He wouldn’t even have had to do that much, if his son hadn’t…

With a silent snarl, the man shrugged it off and stepped into the appointed room. The man pulled his hat off, glad to escape the head from it on his neck, then actually smiled in greeting as he turned to face the room’s other occupant, one Barrek Malvois.

“Good afternoon, Barrek,” said Tiberax Noixay. “I understand there’s some details still to discuss.”

[Cait]

Barrek wasn't sure if this was a good idea; well he was sure it wasn't. Sure the Silverlights had all but dispersed so there was little chance of that A'mir kid recognizing Tiberax but that wasn't the only threat that the man faced at the Weyr. It was the man's traitorous child, the boy's spastic little tag-along and their collection of dragons and firelizards that posed the threat now. Ever since his first run-in with Tivax in the forge those two had plagued him. Through their candidacy and then their weyrlinghood. For the most part he was well aware of their snooping and spying; they weren't particularly good at it, but from time to time they managed to go unnoticed, especially since they acquired firelizards.

Twitterpest did her best to keep him aware but even she couldn't watch out for him all the time. She did however, inform him of the arrival of Tiberax as he entered the room. The little black then tried to nuzzle his cheek and he swatted her away. "Go watch for the menaces, you little slut." He muttered and the black huffed before doing as she was told. Rolling his eyes he turned his attention to the man who was both leader and father figure to him.

"Sir." He said in greeting with a respectful salute of sorts. "I still think it would have been wiser for me to come to you. But since you're here." He gestured to a table and two chairs. There was a small collection of food--really it was one plate heaped with food that was deemed trifling considering two rather large men were to share it--as well as wine to drink. "We should probably hurry up before tha' brat o' yours turns up an' his spastic lil' lover along with him.

"Things are in order on this end to set your plans in action; I spoke t' the Jindarex boys and they've sniffed out a few targets. From what I saw at th' graduation, th' holder ain't--" Twitterpest chirpped twice and Barrek cursed. "Damnitall!" He scowled as he moved toward the door, opening it a crack before returning to the table where he poured himself a cup of wine before pulling out a chair and sitting down heavily. "They've come. Time fer that plan I told ya about."

Twitterpest sent him an image of the girl with that strange purple dragon that was prone to fits of lethargy; she was pressed up against the wall, her wild hair just barely tamed by one of her ridiculous ribbons. Barrek grinned and gestured for Tiberax to take the chair across from him so that the man's back would be to the door. Not that it mattered if she saw; no doubt her chrome-riding companion had told her everything he could by now.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Had there been anyone around to observe, it would have been impossible for them to ascertain which of the two new riders was the faster off the mark. Of course, that would have been compounded by the fact that the only signal there appeared to have been was the arrival of a firelizard.

T'vax swore. Naturally, it would be some time in the middle of the sharding day that Barrek would choose to meet with some unknown person. He started down the hall, only to double back to grab his belt knife. He tore off in pursuit of Dav, but despite his longer legs she kept the same lead on him, so that it was only at their destination that he caught up, slowing to slip up flat against the wall across from her.

"...it is a good thing that we at least will know this is coming and can act. Still, I wish that more of the Hold was willing to listen to our advice. I was hoping that those in the Hold that you could reach would feel less strongly then my brother and thus could act to restrain him. The target that he seeks is too highly placed to be struck at yet, they would do better to go about it our way."

T'vax froze. He wished he wasn't hearing what he was, but it made a terrible sort of sense. What else but a very important plan could cause Tiberax Noixay to appear in the Weyr. As to the part about his uncle, Lord Brencis Kalarn, being behind some plot against the Weyr, that was the most horribly logical of them all. Sure the man had come to the graduation ceremony. How else to better confuse his enemies?

-----
Inside the room, unseen by either of the two amateur spies, Tiberax smiled.

[Cait]

As Tiv pressed himself to the wall across from her, Dav contemplated sending one of her little whites forth from her loose tunic then thought better of it. Snowball and Snowflake stayed put and she closed her eyes briefly, concentrating on the voices inside the room until she could make out words. She recognized the voice of Barrek, the weyr's smith, but the other voice was foreign to her though there was something about it that struck a familiar chord that she couldn't quite place. Opening her eyes she glanced over at Tiv only to find a look of utter horror on his face.

For a second she forgot to listen to the talking within the room until the word 'restrain' caught her attention. Swallowing her eyes went wide at what the words implied. Target...there was a target! But who was the brother that sought to strike out at a high target? Looking to T'vax for some sort of silent explanation, she stayed put.

------

"There ain't much I can do with my contacts." Barrek made sure to keep his expression neutral lest one of the little tunnelsnakes peek inside.

"We need to do something; my brother seems to be edging towards a violent confrontation." Tiberax added and Barrek couldn't keep from rolling his eyes just the once.

"Even if we try t' warn the weyr, how long d'ya think they'd listen before lockin' us both up; especially you? I have a plan in mind. I've a few of my men from the hold camped out in the network of caverns. I'll keep an eye on the target o' course and step in if I have to but I need men I trust in the weyr or damn close to it. Wouldn't hurt to have an escape plan either if things go wrong."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’vax couldn’t have moved if his life depended on it, which it very soon might, if Tiberax and/or Barrek realized that he was there. He had to hear more, had to hear the rest of it, but at the same time, he had to get the information to the Weyrleader or the junior Weyrleader at least. Shards, even the junior Weyrwoman would be a good person to tell; the Weyr had to know about this, so that they could defend against the attempt. Besides, it might even turn into two attempts, one by Lord Brencis Kalarn, and one by Tiberax Noixay, who may or may not first thwart the attempt by Lord Brencis.

Tell Dav that we are going to need to tell someone about this, try to find evidence later, but if Lord Brencis is plotting against the Weyr, than people need to be told. He was in a hurry, and Slinesteth was still resting, so he just went straight to Niekolgoth.

Even as he talked to Niekolgoth, T’vax started slipping away from the door. He had the feeling that Tiberax would be leaving soon, and he didn’t want to get caught.

——
“Well, if that’s it then…” Tiberax let his voice trail off, but his smile reflected the amusement, that, had T’vax only been able to see it, would have let the boy know immediately that something was dreadfully wrong.

“Amateurs,” Tiberax mouthed at Barrek, grinning. Disconcertingly, it looked like T’vax’s smile, only without a trace of the latter’s good humor.

[Cait]

This was getting far too serious much too quickly. Dav stared at Tiv looking a bit like a startled puppy. There was supposed to be an attack on someone high up in the weyr and all she could think to do was start to cry. But Tiv wasn't going to cry so she wasn't going to cry. When Niekolgoth bespoke her she jumped slightly then held her breath as she steadied herself.

T'vax says we need to tell someone. That Lord Brencis is plotting against the weyr and we must tell. We will find proof later.[/b]

If it was possible, Dav's eyes went wider. Lord Brencis? That was Tiv's uncle...but then that meant that...She let out an unsettled squeak and scampered after her friend, a hand clamped over her mouth.

Tiv's father is in the weyr. TIBERAX IS IN THE WEYR!

Why are you shouting at me?

I'm not. I don't feel good.

You are going to cry, I do not like when you cry.

---
Barrek joined Tiberax in his grinning and then after hearing a muffled squeak and Twitterpest gave the all clear chirp, he chuckled. "Amateurs indeed. So when do ya want me to start, boss?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tiberax took a sip of wine.

"I'd say that our little amateurs are going to take care of the first steps just fine." Tiberax paused briefly, staring at the red of the wine. "I'd say that after the Weyrleader leaves on his little visit home should be soon enough. After all, we don't need any interference with the next stages."

Tiberax turned to go, then glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, and start the understated and can be ignored reports oh, right about the same time the amateurs finish their "reporting."" Tiberax dragged the last word out, clearly not thinking for a moment that the new riders would manage to be at all professional about it.