Something strange is happening here (Kaya\Rilora)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

3076.06.15 | Early afternoon

The letters, which should have arrived yesterday, had not been on his desk that morning. Nor had they appeared there by the time he finished practice and lunch. Asking the messengers revealed they didn’t remember, since there’d been a lot of message traffic. Asking woman currently in charge of mail delivery had produced the verdict that the letters from Igen had 1) arrived, 2) already been delivered. T’kar asked her if she could keep her eye out, just in case, and rechecked his desk. Nothing. He checked R’le’s desk, grinning as he did so to see the Jr. Weyrleader absent again, but they weren’t there either.

Ancalanath, where is Rilora? They might have been mis-delivered to her.

She is at the Aerie.

T’kar hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted to interrupt. In fact, he rather believed that he probably shouldn’t do so. On the other hand, if the letters had, in fact, gone astray, than he needed to know, since that meant that someone might have made them disappear for a reason.

Running a hand roughly through his hair, he sighed. Ask her if she’d be willing to talk with me, T’kar said, already starting to head towards the Aerie. If nothing else, he could bump into her on the way out and ask her then.

Archith? T’kar would like to talk with Rilora about something, Ancalanath paused, then added: He is worried.

[Kaya]

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the healer hesitated. His white mustache rustled uncomfortably. She was the shelling Weyrwoman. Shard that journeyman for saddling him with her. "There's no way to know. Not unless you, actually, you know," he gestured at his abdomen. "LifeWing's ain't miracle workers."

Don't say ain't around the Weyrwoman, you old bird.

He hmphed and shook his head. "You'd be better off asking for a second opinion after you get to trying again. 'Til then, I don't think there's much we can do for you."

Rilora was silent while the old healer spoke. He wasn't really that old, he still had a couple good decades left. He was just whiter in the hair a little earlier than most. She watched his mustache dance around so she didn't have to focus on the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Thank you for your time," she said, getting up and heading for the door.

"You're young. Don't give up so easy," the man said, watching her leave.

Rilora snorted. She would be 25 when the beating warmth came back to the south this Turn.

Because more worry is what my Rider needs, Archith sent her reply with vexation. Find her yourself.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Ancalanath hesitated. Archith does not wish this, T’karMine.

T’kar paused, then strode on. Somehow I doubt she said “no”.

She said: “find her yourself”.

T’kar sighed. He didn’t really want a fight but… this didn’t have to turn into one. He knew the real reason he was suddenly angry; he kept remembering another time — nine months, had it truly been so long as that? — when Archith would have told immediately, and when he would have been completely certain of his reception.

Aw well, at least you’re able to work together still, he told himself, re-directing some of the anger at himself, rather than at the situation at large. The whole thing wasn’t fair, it wasn’t like he could just drop the twins, nor Dalonia, though it wasn’t like he had an on-going lovers relationship with her, yet he felt as if he’d have to to get Rilora back.

Life isn’t fair, he reminded himself. Though this whole thing might be easier if I did have an ongoing physical relationship with Dalonia. He doubted that possibility existed, though. Dalonia… wasn’t really the type for that, although she was highly dedicated to the twins. The only reason that Avonia and Vakaral were in the crèche at all was that both he and Dalonia had other responsibilities that could not be shirked.

“Wamarna, Shadow, find Rilora.” After all, Wamarna had been Rilora's favorite out of the four. Inasmuch as Rilora had been attached to any of them.

Ignoring the disappearance of the two flitts, T’kar looked up towards the main entrance to the Aerie. Rilora was just outside it, Wamarna and Shadow emerging from the building to appear over her head.

“Rilora?” he asked as he came closer, concern openly present in his voice.

[Kaya]

Why did I even come in the first place? Her feet led her out of the Aerie, not sure where to go, what to do now. She knew though, what had set the thought in her mind to visit.

Before she could dwell too long on the thought a pair of firelizards darted over her head. She watched them as they sped out the end of the hall ahead of her, just to circle back. They looked familiar too. A small smile found her as she reached up towards the-

Her head swiveled to her name. The smile evaporated and her lips tightened. It dawned on her how she knew those firelizards. Her eyes flicked to her feet and back up. This day didn't need to be harder. She fought her tone into a plain, shallow, "What?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar felt his own smile, which had just started to flicker into existence as Rilora reached towards the firelizards, falter and slide off his face as she turned to face him, smile gone. Her tone made his chest ache, and he started to reach forward, before forcing his hand to return to his side. Rilora had placed the barriers, they were hers to remove, and until then he had to respect them.

“I was just wondering if you might have gotten a letter from Igen’s Weyrleader? It seems to have disappeared overnight since its delivery.” His voice came out brisk, businesslike. He felt guilty about bringing it up at all, relations with Igen were starting to slide downwards and there was something with the way Rilora looked overall…

“Rilora, what’s wrong?” he asked, voice suddenly so much softer, concerned, so much broader with undertones, daring a step closer to her. Daring to start to reach out again.

[Kaya]

Her eyes watched his hand rise and fall back to his side, her shoulder turning the slightest fraction away and relaxing when he declined to reach for her. What was he doing here?

"No. No, not since I was last at my desk this morning," Rilora replied, a twitch in her muscles straddling this place between person and business matters. The missing letter was odd, but it would probably turn up. She hadn't had any trouble getting the mail. Even from Igen. The last letter from their Weyrwoman had been practically scathing behind the nice political talk. What they had done to evoke such a letter, she didn't know.

"What's wrong? Why are you here?" she asked, the accusatory tone leaking into her questions. "Don't you have better things to do than track down the Weyrwoman on her few moments of personal time to dither on about some letter? Is that really what this is about?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Even as he’d stepped closer and let that question out, he’d known it was probably a mistake. Nix that, it was a mistake. Unfortunately, now she was definitely mad and he had better deal with it. He raked his hand through his hair again, almost wincing at the tonality threading its way through her questions.

“If it were just any letter, than yes, I probably would, and therefore wouldn’t be here.” Holding up a hand to prevent comment, he gave a low whistle. Immediately, Star, Boot, and Shadow detached themselves from their perches and darted about inside, with Shadow also checking behind any convenient sightline blocks in the general vicinity. Finally, Star popped out of between over T’kar’s head, chirping twice before settling onto the man’s left shoulder.

“It was about the young Igen transfer, K’rad. The letters I sent to Igen’s Weyrleader twice vanished; to the best of my ability to determine, before they even crossed his desk. The third one, the one whose reply should have been on my desk at the latest along with all of K’rad’s training records from Igen, only reached him because it was delivered directly into his hand. I’m starting to get a little suspicious about the whole situation with the communications. It keeps reminding me of that black book.”

[Kaya]

Well, at least he seemed to have some reason, imagined or real, that was pressing enough to track her all the way out to the Aerie. She hoped it wasn't an excuse just to follow her out here. She was done with the Aerie business and didn't want to talk about it.

While thinking she watched the firelizards dart off and only once Star returned with his double chirp did she recognize the perimeter check. This was that kind of important...

Shard that Midnight Rider. He'd been nothing but trouble since he came, out of nowhere, and burned him and his dragon into something resembling a child's first cake. And now these letters, reminding T'kar of the book? Shells, that shelling book she had wanted to forget, she couldn't. This whole thing, everything. The actors clinging to the shadows, T'kar's children, none of it was going to be forgettable. It all demanded to be addressed.

Such language.

Keep it to yourself.

Oh come now, Archith laughed. It's practically comical coming from you.

A very faint crack of a smile appeared on Rilora's face as she felt her dragon's amusement. Leave it to Archith to add in an asynchronous thought. Still, looking ahead at T'kar she felt grateful Archith was getting along with her well, given the circumstances.

Feeling supported by her Gold's presence, Rilora faced anew the situation brought before her. "I need a day out anyway. Not that Igen would be much of a vacation, it's practically roasting there this time of Turn, but maybe that explains the hot heads up there," she chuckled. A joke. It had been so long since she'd been anything but business around T'kar. She declined to think about it further. "But your hunches are usually right. You have a real knack for colliding with the troublemakers around here." She called to mind the time he had been assaulted by that crazed Candidate. That could have ended better, honestly. "So I believe we should look into it. See what this K'rad's been assigned to do lately. See if there's any anomalies in it. And if you've a harper friend with the right kind of smarts, maybe they have a trick for watching letters walk off on their own."

Reaching for another thought, Rilora paused. Had she covered it all? "Thank you, for bringing this to my attention," she added.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar sketched a bow, smile dancing along his lips at Rilora’s comment regarding Igen. Shards but he’d needed that. It ached, but it was good too, being able to smile with Rilora again. The reflexion was brief though, T’kar dragged his mind quickly back to the business at hand.

“One does one’s best,” he quipped, while casting his mind over the list of his acquaintances. It was possible, probable even, that some of the Harpers he’d set Alyga’s apprenticeship up with would be able to help, although he’d have to make sure his sister stayed well out of it. She didn’t need any danger; just walking around was dangerous enough for her.

“I believe I have a Harper or two who might be able to look into it, at least,” he commented. “I’ll also double check Wing assignments and make sure no one’s pulled tricks with K’rad’s duty roster.” Then, remembering the way K'nan had described Weyrleader Fi’man’s attitude regarding the message and being handed it directly, he took a deep breath.

“I would… suggest that in going to Igen, you take someone else along, just in case.”

[Kaya]

"Good suggestions, all," Rilora commented with the idleness of work. She did think his connections good. Someone he knew would have an idea about the letters if they didn't turn up. And keeping an eye on K'rad was at this point, no less than a good idea. When he brought up the idea of a body guard she was caught a little off balance, she was disinclined to believe that violence would encroach on her work life in the confines of a Weyr. They should be safe on the inside. Sign of the times, maybe...

"One of L'ras' best fighters might do well," she commented aloud.

What else was there to say now? He had his task with the letters and she had hers with finding out what Igen's reply really was since the avenue of written communication was proving difficult.

"Well, you have your assignment and I've mine. No rest for the Weyrleaders, eh?" It was a phrase of work dismissal. He could stay and try and open a new line of conversation if he wished. Rilora sensed he was here for work and had settled her ruffled feathers over the 'personal' intrusion. She missed him sometimes, the old him, but this T'kar had younglings he wanted in his life and the whole matter of it all... It wasn't the same now and she doubted it could be again. How long had it been? She twitched in place, trying to box up the thoughts. They weren't helpful for productive working, now that she had things of that sort to attend to again.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar laughed. “There’s never any rest for Weyrleaders,” he agreed. He almost wanted to say something further, make some excuse whereby he could remain here with her. Duty though, dictated otherwise, and it was a poor Weyrleader who couldn’t carry through on duty, no matter how the heart might ache for more.

“Good luck. Stay safe.”

With those words and a final quick bow, T’kar turned and strode off, heaping both blessings and curses upon his duty — duty that gave him an excuse to see Rilora, and duty that kept him from staying beside her longer.