Midnight Strolling? (OPEN)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

3073.13.06 | Late night | Meeting room

The moons rose higher. Shadows danced across the surface of the snow and where the moonlight entered corridors through deep-set and thick-sealed windows. Though the moons were only just thick enough to be clearly seen, they still cast more than enough light to create the flickering shadows, the movements of which conjured up thoughts of approaching horrors masked within the shadowy depths where no eye could cleanly pierce.

Or so thought those who didn’t know the one key fact. Shadows can hide things from you, but they can also be used to hide you. That was knowledge that Tamaruk thought of as a veritable truism. Moving carefully, the boy slipped through the corridor, his feet, as always, making practically no sound as he slipped from shadow to shadow with practiced ease. It wasn’t really that hard, for there were the glows as well as the moonlight from windows in the corridor, and the different light sources caused the shadows to overlap and to shift in such a way that a careful person could move along without abandoning cover.

When he’d first come to the Weyr, moving like this had been a habit for Tamaruk, one that he’d acquired Turns previously, trying to stay out of sight back at the Hold. After all, if no one saw him there, it generally meant that no one was going to beat him. He cautiously slipped closer to the meeting room, ears straining to bring him any hint of approaching sounds. There was a meeting going on, but he wasn’t particularly interested in what was said; all he was trying to do was find Rallin, and the meeting room was the one place he hadn’t tried yet. He was so focused on reaching the room that he didn’t keep as close a watch on his surroundings as he had been, so perhaps it shouldn’t have surprised him when Guyaky (who refused to be left behind) suddenly stiffened, a warning that another person was nearby.

Tamaruk froze and looked around carefully, pressing himself a little flatter against the wall of the corridor.

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt often slept little during the night. It was not the cold that affected him, but his dreams. Images of past horrors brought to life in slumber that he did not wish to revisit. Ever. And there was only so much fellis one could consume before the effects became lessened and the dose must be continually increased. Se'Kt decided to leave his quarters and walk the corridors. Episilith his Ice King was sleeping peacefully. He'd had a trying day and was exhausted, so not even his lifemate's bad dreams could wake him tonight. Se'Kt dressed in his dark blue trousers and dark brown wherhide jacket. A brisk stroll would exhaust him enough to sleep through the rest of the night without the need for fellis. He wound his way around a familiar path, through areas plunged into darkness at this time of the night. He was not even aware of the young boy until he reached the corridor leading towards the meeting hall. he knew there was a meeting taking place this evening and he had not even intended to come this way. He was more distracted than he thought. In the deep shadows of this corridor he did not initially see the form of the boy, nor his companion, but he realised his approach had startled them. the barest whisper of sound was brought to him on a breath of air and he froze mid stride in the middle of the corridor
"Who's out and about at this time of night?" he asked calmly, hoping not to scare them any further. After all, he could hardly be critical of anyone taking a midnight stroll, when that was what he was doing himself.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk was already pressed as flat as he could get against the wall, but his heart was thundering, beating so hard that if he had put a hand to his ears he would have been able to feel them pulsing in time. If he’d been in a more relaxed state, he might have had the amusing thought that perhaps that was what the approaching man alerted on, but he was far too tense for such a thought to occur to him.

The man’s dark clothes blended with the shadows, particularly after he froze, but Tamaruk could see the stranger’s face well enough, and could tell that the stranger though wiry, was easily half a foot taller than him. The man didn’t sound angry, but then that wasn’t always a good indication. However, failure to respond was likely to make the man angry, and then there would definitely be trouble.

Steeling himself, Tamaruk crept away from the wall. His confidence might have increased in tremendous bounds since he came to the Weyr, but getting caught in a corridor in the middle of the night would make even a well-adjusted child nervous.

“Just me, sir,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the front edge of his own shoes. When no blow was forthcoming (not that Tamaruk truly expected one, anymore) the boy added: “I was looking for WherHandler Rallin, but he’s not in any of his usual spots.” Despite his curiosity, he refrained from asking what the stranger, who was a Kingrider by his shoulder knots, was doing in that corridor. He might have gotten bold enough to approach a strange adult, rather than running away, but some things were still beyond him without encouragement.

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt studied the youngster, though the darkness made it difficult to judge properly his emotional state,
"Rallin you say? Was he supposed to be in that meeting this evening? It might have over run" Se'Kt said calmly, "No need to look so frightened, I'm not going to discipline you" he added, upon seeing the fright in the young man's eyes. Se'Kt knew some rules were in place for a very good reason, but on this occasion, he could understand this youngster being out so late. If he was looking for Rallin, and Rallin had been delayed, then he would be understandably concerned,
"Well since I'm here, why don't I help you find him?" Se'Kt offered. It wasn't as if he was going anywhere in particular and it would save the boy having to creep around the Weyr unattended. Shells, when he was a Weyrling he and his brother would get into all sorts of trouble...
"This way then" Se'Kt said, more to himself than the lad.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk hesitated, the silence stretching on. He wanted to believe to the Kingrider but… Well, he’s seen me now, no point in half-measures, I’ll be in just as much trouble whether I leave this instant or not, he told himself. Indeed, he was already accustomed enough to the Weyr that he was aware, on a somewhat subconscious level, that fleeing Kingrider Se’kt was likely to get him in more trouble than if he stayed put.

“Would you really?” Tamaruk asked, relief making him speak louder than he was wont to do, so that his voice was clearly audible. Abruptly realizing how “disrespectfully” he’d spoken, and to a Kingrider none the less, the boy swallowed and appended “Sir.”

He pulled his shoulders up, cringing as he waited for the doubtless inevitable blow. To his mind it was, still, an almost mathematically perfect relationship. One talked impertinently, one got hit. Even six months at the Weyr had not quite erased that relationship from his mind.

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt knew so many of his fellow Riders would slug the kid over the head, send him back to his room and then think nothing more of it. But Se'Kt had no stomach for striking youngsters. If he was going to discipline anyone, he'd do it with words alone. When he saw fit to even speak that was. He realised curiously that he'd said more to this young man in a few minutes than he had the entire morning to other Riders. He felt a light stirring of Epsilith in his sleep and made sure to send him some reassurance. He looked again at the young man and smiled a little,
"Don't worry lad, I'm not trying to trick you. As a Dragonrider you have my word on that" he said quietly, "I will help you find Rallin and then he can decide what should be done with you...if anything at all"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

That sounded fair to Tamaruk. After all, he was pretty certain that Rallin wouldn’t do anything to him; other than let him burrow into that nice warm jacket, that is.

“He said he’d be at a meeting tonight, but… it was supposed to get done hours ago.” Tamaruk was worried, it was clearly audible in his voice. He didn’t understand. Why would Rallin have told him the meeting was going to end if it wasn’t going to, but if it had ended, then where was Rallin?

Guyaky crooned, running his Aurora head along Tamaruk’s cheekbone, but it didn’t have much of an effect.

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt could sense plainly the young man's distress. He knew Rallin well enough to know the man was dedicated to his duties and should any issue have been raised that needed discussion, he would discuss it and come to a solution. However long that took. Se'Kt admired the man's diligence and patience, he wished he had even a small measure of it himself for some of his colleagues. The Fire Lizard on the boy's shoulder gave a small croon and tried to comfort him. Se'Kt beckoned him to follow him,
"Come on then lad, let's get moving then. I'm sure Rallin is fine. I'm sure you know him well enough to know he never leaves a meeting until everything is settled" Se'Kt said diplomatically, hoping vainly to allay his fears. He knew how the dark could make one's fears feel...closer. Even when the rational mind was speaking with only logic and reason, still the fears could cloud judgement and send the heart racing. The dark could conjure fearful visions that the daylight kept at bay. Se'Kt could not pretend he was a warm or overly friendly person, but he understood what fear could drive people to. And he knew what this youngster must be feeling right now and so he was determined to help him.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk stepped closer, not completely certain of the strange new man, Se’kt, but willing to, cautiously, give him the benefit of the doubt. He followed after Se’kt, not quite close enough to be in easy reach, but far closer than he would once have walked.

——
Rallin looked around. The meeting was finally wrapping up, and Rallisk had been standing at the door for the past half candlemark, obviously eager to be gone.

“I know Rallisk,” Rallin said. “We should have been out a while ago according to you.”

Rallisk’s response was a quiet “Rroo.”

“Is someone coming?” Rallin asked, for the intonation was what Rallisk might use prior to someone’s arrival.

[darkwanderer]

The meeting hall's soft glow became visible ahead in the gloomy corridor and Se'Kt turned towards the young lad,
"Here we are. It looks like some people are still here" The Kingrider informed him. As he approached the doorway he could make out the soft crooning of Rallin's Watchwher...was Rallisk her name? He shamefully couldn't remember, but he blamed it on the late hour and his own lack of sleep. Se'Kt was about to stride into the room and present the young man to Rallin, but instead he paused and turned to the boy,
"Would you like me to come in with you? Or are you alright on your own?" he asked quietly.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamrauk wasn’t sure quite how to respond. He certainly wouldn’t mind if the Kingrider stayed, but he didn’t know how to say so. had it been just Rallin, he would have gladly run in without a care as to whether Se’kt stayed or no, but there were all these people… As a result of this inner confusion, the boy remained silent.

The meeting finally over, everyone was just standing up, except for the unfortunates who’d been tasked with taking notes; they were gathering up all the papers and pieces of hide and ink, all of which they’d have to have accounted for before they could leave. Normally Rallin would have gone over there to help, but he wanted to see what Rallisk had alerted on, so he stood and turned towards the doorway. There were two people standing in it, a man and a tallish boy.

Rallin took a couple steps closer, and recognized both. The man was Icerider Se’kt, the boy was Tamaruk. He smiled in greeting.

“Hello Se’kt, what brings you here?” Rallin asked. He rather thought that the answer was ‘Tamaruk’, but if it were otherwise, it was important to find out before those in the meeting escaped.

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt turned and nodded to Rallin as he appeared in the doorway,
"I was out for a stroll and encountered your friend here. I offered to escort him to you, so that he wouldn't have to sneak around in the dark all alone" he said with a faint smile, "by the way, I hope nothing troublesome has happened? I notice your meeting has run more than a little late this evening" he glanced at the others in the room and saw some of the meeting goers laboriously taking notes at the table. He didn't want to appear too overtly nosey, but he did like to know what was going on in the Weyr.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Rallin laughed. “No, nothing too untoward; just a bunch of last minute complaints about who’s going to be guarding what and when.” His smile was wry; the single most important reason that he’d been there was that everyone wanted Rallisk, and thus him, on the guard duty where they thought it was most important.

Tamaruk darted forwards, stopping just to Rallin’s left and bouncing slightly.

Rallin slipped his overcoat off and wrapped it around Tamaruk. “There you go, silly,” he smiled.

“It’s because of the whole thing with A’mir,” Rallin continued, after shooing Tamaruk over towards Rallisk, who had immediately coiled up around the boy. “Everyone’s thinking that Tiberax or one of his friends might try something else, or try to get their hands on another Weyrling, so the guard is being tripled or even quadrupled in most places.”

[darkwanderer]

Se'Kt watched the lad race over to the Watchwher and let the beast cosy up to him affectionately. He was glad to see him beginning to settle down and not look as frightened. When Rallin told him why he'd been held up, Se'Kt frowned,
"They think Tiberax would be foolish enough to try something? Even if I believed he was inclined towards anything criminal, he wouldn't be insane enough to try it now. Not after this business with A'mir, as you say" he said thoughtfully, "though there is a chance of others like the ones who kidnapped A'mir making themselves known with acts of violence" he added gravely. This whole affair had been on his thoughts rather a lot lately. If there was a chance of further violent acts then he was glad to have more guards. But living in fear of such acts would put everyone on edge,
"Have you heard any rumours? Are there any groups of malcontents making noises about SIlverlights or anything else?" Se'Kt asked grimly, hoping Rallin had heard nothing of concern on such matters.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Se’kt was about to get lucky, for Rallin had not, in fact, haerd any more than the usual mild bickering (read: fist-fights) from the usual people.

“Nothing more than before all that stuff happened,” Rallin answered. “Actually, there’s been a little bit less, now that people are thinking about what happened, instead of just exploding at each other over it.” It was a good thing, in Rallin’s opinion, that the tempers had cooled some since the day that the rescuers had returned, with a battered A’mir, an injured Sayurith, and an unknown youth who just happened to be both Candidate material and Tiberax’s son. In the days following their return, the Weyr had felt like a container of coal dust with a match inside it.

Rallin glanced off to the side, but Rallisk had effectively pinned the frequently too-curious Tamaruk by encircling him with her head and tail. In fact, it looked like Tamaruk, now that he was sure that nothing bad had happened, was asleep, with Rallisk making an ok substitution for both bed and pillow.

Rallin watched them for a second, smiling, then returned to his conversation. “What about you, have you heard anything untoward? Have the LifeWing Riders said anything about what’s up with Sayurith’s leg?” It worried Rallin, that the weyrling was still not using the leg as well as the other one.