friends or admirers? [T'vax/OPEN]

[shapeshifter]

[smear:162d9b]You know,[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] the cold never[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b]bothered me anyway,[/smear:162d9b] Prith crooned to her Rider, who was laid across her bed in a lazy mood.

It took you two turns to figure out you did not mind the cold? What about all the whining you did when we first moved here?

[smear:162d9b]We all know I was[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] just being melodramatic, dear. Scenes[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] are best played when believed![/smear:162d9b] She crooned, knowing her Rider would get her humor. Anastasia rolled her eyes at her Starlight.

You never cease to amaze me, you know. She said, before straightening herself on her bed, lying flat on her back looking at the ceiling.

[smear:162d9b]We should[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] call on T'vax, Mine.[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] We haven't seen...[/smear:162d9b]


Anastasia excitedly replied before Prith could finish, For once you have a marvelous idea! She sat up straight on her bed, her legs crossed. She had scrolls spread around her about different Wing tactics from over a hundred years ago. She spent time trying to improve and re-strategize all of these old methods.

This left Prith to call on T'vax's bonded.

[smear:162d9b]Slinesteth, my [/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554]Rider is requesting your Rider[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] join her in her weyr![/smear:162d9b]

That should do, the curiosity of why I want his company should be enough to bring him.

She was dressed in her usual tunic, breeches and boots; her riding jacket slung over the back of her desk chair. She felt like a lazy mess this afternoon, feeling rather like sleeping the rest of the day after she had T'vax's visit, if he was inclined to join them.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

[smear:162d9b]We should[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] call on T'vax, Mine.[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] We haven't seen...[/smear:162d9b]

T’vax looked up, startled at the sound of his name. He was pretty sure he knew the dragon that was talking: Prith, of Anastasia.

Shrugging, he tried to force his mind to return to re-reading the letter he had just written to a couple of friends he had at RMW.

3076.03.11

I hope this letter finds you well, and…

[smear:162d9b]Slinesteth, my [/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554]Rider is requesting your Rider[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] join her in her weyr![/smear:162d9b]

T’vax’s head snapped up. He’d enlisted Anastasia in the group Hedara had started, the group that was going to go after Tiberax. She was more of an auxiliary, a research and information provider, but that made this all the more important.

T’vaxMine, Prith…

I heard. Thanks for the relay though. Despite being able to hear them almost against his will, T’vax disliked sharing his head with dragons, excepting only a few, like Slinesteth (of course) and Niekolgoth, so he generally chose to wall them out as well as possible, and ignore what got through.

Setting the letter down, he started for the door, trusting that Slinesteth would let them know he was coming. Sure enough, before he had gone two steps down the hall, he heard Slinesteth’s reply.

T’vaxMine comes, Prith.

Perhaps a few seconds later, T’vax was outside Anastasia’s door. He knocked once, then stepped back to wait.

[shapeshifter]

Anastasia was thrilled when she heard the light sound of knocking on her door.

"Come in, T'vax!" She said as she swiftly moved from the bed to the door, opening it and swiftly moving back to her bed. She wasn't having it, being on that cold floor.

"I hope you know I only called upon you to visit, nothing too important. However, I've been studying these flight strategizes and have seen there are many that would work in the night sky, even flying low." knowing that low sweeps over Tiberax's locations were very useful. Even when the time came for battle, it would be well useful to have a drop in plan for sure.

She was excited with what she had discovered, showing him what she had mapped out. Different triangular and circular designed sweeps. Some even with erratic placement.

"I wasn't a Wingleader for nothing." She said, a smile gracing her features.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’vax nodded. He’d guessed as much, certainly Prith hadn’t sounded concerned or worried. He was excited about the idea that she might have found something that could be used for sweeps of positions. The most dangerous thing about going after any of Tiberax’s camps and hide-outs during the day was the fact that he had them all designed so that a dragon coming in would be an easy target. Night scouting and night-time attacks would prevent that happening, but, of course, most dragon flight patterns were designed for daytime flying. In hardly any time, he was completely engrossed by the patterns she was describing and the maps that showed how they could be run.

“How much practice?” he asked, glancing up into Anastasia’s eyes. They needed to be ready to move soon, their initial couple missions had not been successful in the slightest, though they had at least gotten away without losing lives.

[shapeshifter]

"Practice will only be able to be done at night, T'vax. Not to mention this may take multiple tries and must be done over the Weyr with at least Hedara watching for us. If she can not spot us, we will be ready to fly. However, this practice could take days. We don't have much time so we need our best fliers." She said, sighing heavily.

This was going to be more complicated if the fliers couldn't get these things right.

She locked eyes with T'vax, "I can lead them you know. If you want to watch the practices from below with Hedara."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

War of interests. T’vax opened his mouth, closed it. Point was, Slinesteth was not one of their best night flyers. The Chrome had improved tremendously, but he was still not in that upper tier yet. However, as one of the leaders, T’vax felt he really should be in on these operations. Men who hung in the background —

Live to lead another day.

T’vax sighed. “I’ll watch half, participate in half. That way…” he shrugged, but he figured Anastasia already knew what he was going to say. That way, if anything happened and they lost someone, Slinesteth would be better ready to take that place. Besides, Anastasia had been a Wingleader. She knew how to do this.

“Would you be free to start them tomorrow night?” he asked. He would have preferred tonight, but for that many people to suddenly juggle standing arrangements would be a dead giveaway to anyone, like B’rek, who might be watching.

[shapeshifter]

"Yeah, I doubt anything will happen to me. I'm too highly trained. It would be a peon who we'd lose. One slip up it all it would take." She said, her voice darkening at the thought of losing herself or T'vax.

She had grown fond of this man, two turns together would result in such closeness and the pain of losing him.

She paused and thought for a moment, "Free tomorrow? I don't see why I wouldn't be. You need to list off who will be in practice so who I know who to expect at the heights. We can't be instructing in the Weyrbowl. At the heights we can gather close, spill out the drill and run practices over the Weyr until its perfect."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’vax nodded. It made sense to him, at least now that he’d gotten over his spurt of irrationality regarding actions and assignments. He paused for a second, mentally running through his options for the practices.

“Probably going to include Nieko for sure, and likely Faro…”

What about Korinath? We’ll need to tell her something, or she’ll be spreading word of the “mysterious practices” all over the place, and you know where that’ll end up.

T’vax sighed. It wasn’t that he was bad at thinking twisty, just that doing so made his head hurt sometimes. It certainly wasn’t the unadulterated pleasure for him that it was for Slinesteth.

Why not just find something for her to be doing so she doesn’t notice?

Because it’ll be almost impossible to keep the practices completely secret. By finding a legitimate reason and seeing to it that Korinath knows, we get the benefit of a believable excuse, without the disadvantages of an excuse. Namely, others will believe the story true, simply because we don’t appear to be going out of our way to spread it.

Good point.

“Would there be a reason, other than ours that is, for practice sessions like this?”

[shapeshifter]

"Practice reasons?"

Anastasia began to ponder for a moment.

[smear:162d9b]What if it was[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] for Thread fighting[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b] practices? We all know that it[/smear:162d9b][smear:d6b554] can fall at night. We don't know[/smear:d6b554] [smear:162d9b]when it will fall again.[/smear:162d9b]

"Excellent point, Prith! We can always say its for Threadfall. We don't know the exact Threadfall times, it can be useful to practice at night when we are most vulnerable? Then no one can challenge our reasonings. I am a Wingleader and I dare anyone to question my motives." She said, raising and eyebrow and grinning mischievously. She was never one to cross paths with when it came to her motives.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

It was T’vax’s turn to ponder next. On the surface, it didn’t seem to hold together. Thread would not fall again for almost another 200 turns, after all. However, before he could open his mouth to say so, Slinesteth cut him off.

That is precisely why it will work. With Threadfall not going to be due for such a long time, the argument would be that this is the best time to work out new moves and tactics, as well as adapting old ones. Night-time Threadfalls were much worse, owing to an absence of tactics for them. The argument, of course, will have to be advanced by Anastasia. Of course, that does leave the problem of your presence… Slinesteth’s voice trailed off, the Chrome weighing decisions and thoughts, likely reactions and likely suspicions, trying to place what would have the best effect.

T’ruk watches too.

Wait, what?!

T’ruk watches too. Everyone knows you are essentially his very unofficial guardian. T’ruk watches because Azeriuth has command and will someday lead, you are then present to guard T’ruk, but of course, you won’t say so, because you never say so. This will work. The plan is good.

T’vax slowly nodded. He didn’t like this, but he couldn’t think of any reason why it wouldn’t work.

“Slinesteth raises some good points. Firstly, that should anyone inquire, these are sessions being used to develop new techniques, since time during passes for doing so is so short. Secondly, is that T’ruk is going to be officially observing as part of Wingsecond duties, and I’ll be, officially,” T’vax grinned “simply standing around with him as a friend.”

[shapeshifter]

Anastasia nodded to T'vax at his response, "He may be a Wingsecond but how will you practice, T'vax? You and Slinesteth need this at some point." She pointed out. There would be no way for him to know the tactics unless he actually practiced them.

Watching them only went so far.

"This will also be a low sweep so any dragons that would blend in with the night sky, darker in colors, must be used. Also, we must try with low clouds, possibly light fog. It may apprehend our sight, our dragons sight however would be better. They can see through what we can't, of course, and they can relay us images."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’vax nodded. There was that for an issue, at least at first.

T’ruk will of course, be required to practice these moves, and if it happens soon enough…

“We could have T’ruk join the practices after a few sessions, I could fly them with him. Just rotate through who we fly with, so we end up flying the positions I’ll need to know.” He paused for a second, then shrugged.

“If we’re going to try with low clouds and light fog, we might be able to try well away from the Weyr as well, make out like we’re doing precision group between drills, perhaps?”

((I think this one is just about done, perhaps))