Same elements as lionesses. (Kaya) 75.08.11

[Kaya]

It was strange, the tone and timber, the voice that flooded her mind. The Gold was not accustomed to any but Rilora in that space. She looked at the girl and the land beyond her as she spoke. The light played the shadows across her all the more, and Archith had the vague intuition that there was something poetic about it, though if asked she certainly couldn't say what. The more she studied her the smaller she looked, that girl. One voice rendered silent by the thunder of others around it, and yet there was a strength in her that the Gold still didn't trust. Power, it was a precarious thing, and one she trusted in others' hands all the less. Experience then, would reveal this girl, slowly, if things continued apace, but to have far reaching expectations on the first day, it wasn't a sound trail of thought.

I'm honored you're allowing me to work with you.

It caused the Gold to pause. She studied herself, looked down at what now was in some way her student, and let out a rumble. Hm. You are welcome. she said to acknowledge Artemis's statement. She hoped to enjoy working with the girl, otherwise it would be a chore and Rilora would be rather insistent about her continuing to work with her. For your headaches, yes, we should see that they stop. You want to stop listening, or be able to. For that, you must speak. Listening and speaking are two ways on the same path. They go together and oppose one another. Balanced in the very center is silence. Archith explained with certainty. Of course she was not entirely certain, but in the face of all but her Rider, she spoke as such. She was the Queen, she was never wrong unless she had to be, she knew all she should know unless it should happen to be discovered that she did not. She would wear a perfect face to her Weyr, and shrug off with mild admittance when that face did not hold. As such, we will begin with speaking, as it seems you are already more experienced in listening. You may tell me of your home, your people, your family, your likes or dislikes, your thoughts on any of your training to come. And I will listen. We should speak every day, and you will grow accustomed to your voice. Hm, another rumble, I talk too long. Your turn, shadow girl. Archith ended with the name she had chosen for the Candidate. A distant part of her hoped Artemis didn't mind, the Queenly part of her didn't really care for her opinion. Hm, faces to be maintained. She would play her part, which was most often as herself (her perfect self). She liked it that way.

[Nicole]

Artemis wasn't going to tell the Gold that what was saying made little sense to her -- speaking and listening weren't two halves of the same coin, not really -- but she tried to understand anyway.

Still, speaking about herself was not Artemis' strong suit, and there wasn't anything interesting to tell anyway.

I don't see how my family or my home is relevant. At least my old family and home. My place is here, in the Weyr, now. Artemis turned her head away from the Gold's glittering hide and walked to the very edge of where they perched, swinging down and sitting quickly. Her legs dangled over the sides, tightly-laced boots hitting lightly against the carved rock. And my likes and dislikes?

She liked being in control, and being safe, and being able to make sure it would stay that way. But she was sure that wasn't what Archith meant, so she thought about it for a moment longer before carefully phrasing her answer.

I like dragons. I like their intelligence and their range of personalities, and their strength and loyalty, and how strong they are, both in spirit and in physicality. I like books and scrolls because I like knowledge. I like knowing things, even things that some people consider useless, because someday it might come in handy.

She paused and smiled. And I really like hot klah.

[Kaya]

The Gold listened. She supposed she wasn't as good at it as Rilora. It would take more effort, so she left Artemis's dismissal of her previous life alone. It wasn't about relevancy, it was about speaking. Speaking require topics and so she had suggested them. Get the girl to use her talents. Regardless of how they worked, using them would give her experience, and experience, very likely, would grant control.

She reinforced her effort to listen when Artemis finally got started speaking with more than discarded words about her past. It was something. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her mention of dragons. Each of them were different and Archith had met some rather disagreeable dragons in her lifetime, but she had her own generalities for humans. Balanced enough, it seemed. Was she seeking favor through flattery? It sounded genuine enough, her admiration of Archith's kind in general, her love of knowledge and security in it. How little the world had to offer of the latter. It struck Archith as odd that Artemis, who valued idle information, wouldn't share her own. The Gold felt her facial muscles tighten, thinking, a habit she'd picked up from her Rider. Likely then the information wasn't idle.

Then came the comment about klah. Honest laughter pealed forth into the air, a shaking rumble from the great Gold. I swear, you humans need klah like you need air.

Archith wondered, had she or Rilora known the girl earlier, if they would have suspected her secrets, or her unusual gift. Certainly now the Gold knew she was at least moderately skilled in keeping secrets. It made her wary but she had to provide some trust to the Candidate. It was hard to learn when both teacher and student kept tense relations.

All the same I like your attitude. Know what you can, enjoy a small thing like a cup of klah, Archith trailed on. What to ask her next? How are you finding life at my Weyr? she asked, looking out at the expanse before them. Greenest trees, rushing falls, lazy streams leading away, distant figures busy with life's demands, a trill of birdsong, and a rainbow dancing in the mist and bright sunlight. The namesake of Archith's domain. She'd seen other Weyrs, briefly. They didn't measure up to here.

[Nicole]

Archith's laughter brought a bright smile to her face, and she ducked her head to hide it as the Gold praised her personality.

But the question brought her to silence for a moment. How was she finding life at the Weyr?

Compared to what? Her old home? That had never been home; she loved her sister, but she loved the waterfalls of Rainbow Mists more. There weren't boxes and sweat and selling and bleak days. Everything was sunny, here. The rain sparkled. The dragons glowed. The people were nicer most of the time, even if she didn't like some of them personally.

How was she finding life at the Weyr?

I don't understand why people would live anywhere else. Visit, maybe. But nothing compares to this. And if there was a little bit of happiness tinging her tone, and a little bit of awe - well, too late to take back the statement now.

[Kaya]

Indeed, child; nothing compares to this, Archith agreed with a voice full of warmth and ease. This they agreed on, that this place was paradise, it was home. There was no where else better for living, growing, hoping, enduring... Those here were varied, true, but on the whole they were good. They worked together and held their home aloft, kept it working. Would you like to see more of it? the Gold asked, reaching out with her mind to see what Rilora was up to. She found a wall of concentration and tension. Perhaps the Gold's plan would be a good thing for all of them.

[Nicole]

Artemis' heart leapt into the throat. She couldn't mean - she was a Queen, she definitely didn't mean -

The only time she had flown was when she was brought to the Weyr. Maybe that explained her obsession with all dragons, even those whose personalities rubbed her the wrong way. They could all fly.

And flying was a gift. There was nothing that compared to the feeling of being on a dragon's back and breezing through the air, to feel all the muscle underneath you, to trust the creature whose back you were on. Humans were so tiny compared to an airborn dragon. A flying dragon was power, the literal incarnation of it.

They never tried to use it for their own gain. They flew because it was part of them.

But Archith was a Queen; she wouldn't just let anybody on her back, and Artemis pushed away such thoughts. I did not know there was more to see.

[Kaya]

Then clearly we need to instill a Candidate's exploring urge into you, the Gold replied in time, feeling the light breeze ruffle her wingsails. Then she very stubbornly broke through Rilora's barrier (perhaps she would have something to teach Artemis as well) and saidCome, it's high time you took a real break.

A quill went down and Rilora's frown deepened. I'm busy, Archith.

You're tense in a way that's dreadful for your health. Come outside. Archith ordered.

Rilora felt her leg twitch in reply. Bossy Gold. It became uncomfortable to remain sitting with her dragon's pressuring. Archith. Rilora replied. There was no humor to her tone.

I say you take a break and come flying with us. I- the Gold had about to say something personal about Artemis but she caught herself. She hated being overheard like this. Perhaps there was a way to block her out. This isn't up for debate. Plus she can hear this.

Oh, shards pierce you, Archith, for Faranth's sake you're entirely too much today. Rilora growled, slamming the chair back and standing. The thunk and clatter as the chair struck the ground punctuated her irritation. You cannot boss me. You'll stop making me look bad in front of the girl, and you'll stop interrupting my work. You know what's going on, you know how it's been this that sharding book - Thread take it - of Lindalyn's showed up. It's been plots this and spies that, Benden pressuring us, increased suspects at the Hold, not to mention petty crime, T'kar and I never get any time to ourselves any more and I'm scorching sick of it Archith. So leave me be.

The Gold sat there with a perplexed look on her face. Rilora didn't act that way. She curled her tail tight up against her body and sat with her head straight up. Well then. Maybe Hrith would be up for something then...it seemed Rilora needed her space.

[Nicole]

She didn't need to be able to sense Archith's emotions to tell that something was wrong. It was all in how the Queen was hunched over, despite her head held high, and how tight her tail lay against her side. She was a Queen. She commanded. And Artemis had never seen her so... still.

Artemis swung her legs up from the side of the stone, climbing to her feet and looking at Archith with worried eyes. And then she reached out with her mind - it wasn't difficult, this, once you got a hang of it - and brushed it lightly with the mental equivalent of a smile.

Then she turned around, strode back into the building, slipped down the stairs, and opened the door to the Weyrwoman's chambers without knocking. She only stuck her head in, though. She was stubborn, not suicidal.

And she waited.

[Kaya]

Now where is she going... Archith thought to herself as Artemis sped off without explanation. Perhaps her posture was too hostile. She hoped she hadn't scared her off. That wasn't suiting for winning her good rapport.

In picking up the chair she'd bumped a stack of papers to the ground. They lay around her on the floor, one even trapped under a leg of the chair. Her rage fading Rilora was on the verge of tears. She wasn't a stone wall like Isodae. She was young, she had her moments. Rilora hated it. She sat in the chair and put her face in her hands. Then something worse happened and her door opened. At first she didn't look. Maybe it was just someone from another office who heard her chair and came to investigate. Maybe they'd just think she was upset about dropping all these papers, help pick them up, and leave.

That was not the case.

"Oh," was the first thing she said upon seeing Artemis. "It's you," came the drained voice. Her shoulders sagged and she thought she should stand up. Her legs did not comply. She didn't know what to say. She was trying to hold it together in front of her audience of one. She wasn't doing a particularly good job. She should do something. Pick up the papers. Ask if Artemis needed anything. But she didn't move. She wasn't okay. She just sat there, one hand still draped loosely against her temple.

[Nicole]

It took one glance at Rilora's face for Artemis to put the pieces together, and she decided not to mince words. "Archith looked like you slapped her in the face. And I can't feel your emotions, but you look like you're about to fall apart."

She slipped in the rest of the way and clicked the door shut behind her, pressing her back against it. "Pardon me, Weyrwoman, it's not my place - but you'll do nobody good if you run yourself ragged."

She probably shouldn't say such things. She should have been much more clever about this - talked to Archith some more, or waited for somebody else to take care of Rilora and spoken to her more later. The Weyrwoman wasn't her responsibility.

But the part of her that wanted more than just power was twitching, and it reminded her that leadership positions were hard, and it's easier when good leaders came before, and if she ever wanted to be Weyrwoman of someplace like this - or in a position of power here at all - it would help to have somebody who wasn't a quivering pile of stress doing it.

And so to offset her words, she smiled as she looked at Rilora. And if hope crept into her eyes with the thought that she could help somehow - well, there were worse things in the world than showing her emotions to the only two creatures in the word who knew her secret.

[Kaya]

Pretentious and smiling. "So you've come in here, unannounced, without knocking," Rilora started, voice quiet. "You are smart enough to know your place but speak anyway, and as such to the Weyrwoman no less. And then you've got the guts to smile anyway. You're something, but I don't know what," Rilora stated, pulling herself up into the chair, and then to her feet. "I will consider your words. If you please, in the future, knock, and ask permission to speak freely before you give advice." The steely stature of leadership, a face of discipline, was working its way back up. A wall, of sorts. Rilora hated them. Where she grew up everyone was honest. Farmers said what was on their minds, what they meant. They didn't deceive, they weren't distant, you never had to guess what they were thinking. This was so different than that. "...and Artemis," she added, trying to fight the coldness, "Thank you for your concern." She paused, looked at the papers on the ground, took a deep breath, and decided she could move on. "Dismissed."

[Nicole]

Was it advice she had given? Advice usually meant opinions; Artemis saw what she had said as fact. But correcting the Weyrwoman when she had already barged in seemed like a terrible idea.

But Artemis dropped into a half-bow as she cracked open the door, slipping out without saying another word, and strode back to the stairs.

Speaking came easy as she slipped up the staircase back to Archith. I do not think she took that as I meant it. I apologize if I traipsed on - what I mean to say-

Speaking came easy, but she should still think before she did, and she paused in her thoughts as she emerged back into the sunlight. I am sorry if I caused more tension. Is she okay?

And Archith's feelings faded from her mind briefly in her own surprise that she actually cared.

[Moo]

With a few beats of his wings, Mosiliath alighted down on the Heights near the Queen. It had been a while since he had spent any time near the Queen, and he had wanted to make his rounds to see his friends. He hoped Quiorith was nearby, too - a race today sounded nice. But besides that, he wanted to stretch his scarred wing. It had been hurting a bit more ever since Orikaeth's Flight.

While his Tiger was visiting with Archith, D'gan headed over to the Weyrwoman's quarters to try his hand at socializing as well. They both had been neglecting their duties, as loathe as he was to admit that to himself, and he had been selfish. He had hoped to speak with Rilora and play catch-up; it really had been too long. Ever since the Headwoman's death, the Weyrwoman had been…distant.

Not that he blamed her.

And though his hearing had faded more, his eyesight was as good as ever - but who was that leaving the Weyrwoman's room? She looked young, young enough to be a Rider - though if she was, he did not see any shoulder knots. Reason told him to assume a Candidate, though that was nothing new. More and more candidates were arriving every day for the upcoming Hatching. This one would be no different, at least up until Wing assignments.

Clearing his throat, D'gan brushed back his hair and knocked twice on Rilora's door once he had reached it.

"Weyrwoman Rilora?" he tried. "It's D'gan. Umm...May I come in?"

Mosiliath rumbled with pleasure as he turned to the lustrous Archith.

Hello, my Queen. How are you this -- Oh. He paused, head tilted, as he noticed her tense posture, her tightly-curled tail. Though he didn't know what was on her mind, he hadn't hatched yesterday - clearly, something wasn't right at all. Dear, is there something I might be able to help with? He knew it wasn't proper to call her anything but her title, but he took a chance - she looked like she needed some down time.

It was then that he noticed the small human. He gurgled with surprise, but kept quiet and swished his striped tail on the ground. He had not met this one yet - then again, there were a lot of people he and D'gan had avoided in the hopes of avoiding Yuki. They both knew how well that had gone over.

[Nicole]

Artemis didn't rely to Mosiliath, though she knew who he was. She couldn't - she might be a hear-all dragon, but she was a secret hear-all dragon. Given that, she couldn't answer.

But she was happy he and his rider - D'tan? D'nan? D'gan? Yes, D'gan - had arrived. They might take the edge off of Rilora.

Of course, Rilora could confess her secret to them. But she had made a promise, and she would keep that promise. She was the Weyrwoman. Of course she would keep it.

So she swept into a bow as he looked at her and straightened back up, speaking - aloud - to Archith. "Shall I come back later?"

[Kaya]

Another deep breath and Rilora was knelt to pick up the papers. Bel had reappeared, her human's apparent unhappiness drawing her out from under the bed. The loud noise of the chair had sent her scurrying under there. The little feline weaved her way through the chair and around her human. She let out a little mew to be petted and then gracelessly plopped down on a pile of the papers.

"Bel..." Rilora said flatly. Then the knocks came.

The jolt inside Rilora could have sent all the papers scattering up into the air were it external. More people. D'gan? After a moment's consideration, she decided his showing up was preferable to a number of other persons, though she still felt she'd rather be left alone. How she felt might not necessarily be best for her, all things considered. Rilora left the partial stack of papers next to the scattered ones Bel was laying on and stood up. "Yes," she said, probably too quietly and repeated, "Yes. Enter." Was that too harsh sounding? And how did she look? Shards, he might guess at it. It wasn't proper for a Weyrwoman to look upset. Isodae never did. No time to fix that, she thought. With one more wipe at her face Rilora faced the door and the man coming through it.

...She will be okay. And she is not so easily offended, Artemis, Archith said, trying out the Candidate's proper name. Give it-

Archith looked stiffly up as Mosiliath arrived. Unlike Rilora, she clearly displayed her current state for all to see and bore no shame in it. It actually pleased her that he acknowledged how she looked and felt. She relaxed just a little until she remembered Artemis was still there. Rilora's upset, she said, knowing full well the Candidate there could still hear her. She didn't like having her conversations overheard, no matter the content. Just on principle.

At Artemis's inquiry she lowered her head a considerable distance closer to the girl, the eye facing her whirling. That would be wise. Tomorrow then, when the Candidate Master is done with you. Archith replied and dismissed her. She wondered how far away the girl had to be before the general murmur of dragons' speech would obscure her own words.

Is D'gan with her? Archith followed up, not wanting Mosiliath to take her quietness as irritation. She was actually quite pleased with him at the moment.