J'red and Hikanth Arrive!

[Spirithawk]

Christae smiled, a hint of sadness in her face. "Yes, I do have my son back, and so far, my weyr doesn't seem to have suffered but how long before it becomes too much for me to handle? I would hate to fail my weyr."

"Akki has been there since he was born. Rhia, our WLM had twins around the same time as Chiron was born. Rehan and Giana are his favorite playmates. They have been asking about him. How my WLM manages to keep up with her two and her WLM and Candidate Master duties, I will never know. Especially since Chiron is more often than not with the twins." She chuckled. "Obviously the twins don't know Chiron is back. Otherwise there would be a din worse than the people talking and dragons bugling." She winked.

"Perhaps, but I also think Chiron senses you are a good person. I trust my son's judgement in people." There was an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Our people try to be friendly. We usually run off those who do not get along with everyone else." She gave a wry smile. "I guess that's why Sh'iron left. He couldn't take the glares and stiffness from the people who once respected him. He lost the respect of the weyr months before he left."

Christae searched the crowd and caught the eye of one of the drudges. "Pauna." The middle-aged woman approached and curtsied to the WW "Milady?" She asked questioningly. Christae smiled. "Pauna, I would like you to show this gentleman to the bronzerider weyrs. See that he has everything he needs and then show him how to get to the dining hall. I think he can find it from the Weyrbowl so show him the inner tunnel.

She turned to the bronzerider. "J'red, I would ask one more moment of your time before you leave to settle yourself. I would like you to meet my Headwoman, Uslanee. She runs this weyr with a tight fist and I would be lost without her. If you ever need anything, within reason, she can get it for you." She smiled warmly at her Headwoman.

"Uslanee, I would like you to meet our newest rider. Bronzerider J'red of Hikanth, Headwoman Uslanee."

[kestrel]

J'red listened quietly as the WW spoke, all too sympathetic to her feelings-he himself could not imagine having to handle a Weyr all alone-especially not with a young child to care for. While he was aware that many sent their children off to be fostered, some chose to keep their children by them. However, this was rare for a Weyrleaders to do as they already had an entire Weyr to care for. He did not question her choice, as he wondered if he could part with his own child. No matter that it was a common practice he still wondered if he would have done it himself. However, knowing that her dragon would be rising soon, she would not have to lead the Weyr for much longer, and so he said reassuringly,
"well, your lovely Queen will rise soon enough. As it is you speak true-your Weyr does not seemed to have suffered in the least, rather they seem to have prospered despite their trials. What does not kill us only serves to make us stronger," he said with a definative look in his eyes, and then added, "you have done your Weyr proud, Weyrwoman. I am sure that you have not, nor will you, fail them in any respect. I would put your worries behind you and concentrate on the future rather than on the past. As I have said your Queen will rise soon so I do not believe you will be alone in leading your Weyr much longer."

He didn't pause to think until a moment after he'd said these words that there was a possibility he might be the one leading with her. He didn't know whether or no he fancied that idea-he had grown in confidence since his impression to be sure. However, did he have what it took to lead a Weyr? Some had told him he needed to have more confidence and put aside his modesty and qualms. However, he was a modest young man by nature, and he could not, for all he was, have been any other way. He placed others before him, and this was both his greatest gift and perhaps one of his largest faults, for it often meant putting himself last to the point that he was 'walked upon' by those who could not see what he did he did not do to benefit himself but them. However, even if her Kalith and his Hikanth seemed to fancy one another, it didn't mean that she thought anything of him. He liked her well enough, but they'd only just met. He was well aware that she could choose to call an open flight, and that that would mean more competitors. He couldn't say whether or no he minded that-he knew that Hikanth was confident that he could catch any dragon he fancied, but her Kalith was not your average sized gold-

*And I am not your average sized bronze!*

Hikanth seemed to have a point, at that. He was large enough in his size to have been a good-sized gold himself. Perhaps that gave him an advantage. No matter that, he firmly believed that if it was meant to be it would happen, and should Hikanth come out the victor in that flight he would do his utmost to not fail his Weyrwoman or her Weyr. He cleared his throat, and then smiled over in the direction of the Bluerider and Chiron, and asked in a curious mannerism,
"is it a habit amongst your Weyrfolk to raise their children themselves? I know that fostering is a common practice, but it seems you and your WLM have chosen to raise your children on your own." He smiled in an offhanded manner to show he meant it only as a query and not as an offense by any means, adding, "I should think I would like to raise my child instead of fostering, though I know that more often, for reasons of socializing and responsibilities, that fostering is the more common path to take.

As she mentioned that Chiron was a good judge of good people, and that she trusted his judgement, he raised an eyebrow, and then said with a smile,
"you flatter me-we've only just met and I would like to make you assured that I am worthy of your trust and judgement. I believe that trust is earned, not something that can always be given right away. As is, I am fond of trusting until given reason not to," he confided, and then, "it sounds like this Sh'iron was someone I'd not like to meet. I can see that it would make things quite difficult for a Weyr if the Weyrleader was ill-liked. I hope whomever leads with you next will be more liked, and more worthy of the position. You did not deserve to have a Weyrmate so unlikable and unworthy of you and your weyr," he said more quietly, tone thoughtful for a moment before he met her eyes, his expression sincere and rather open.

As she called over a woman who was more than likely a drudge, he noted that she was dressed more well than others he'd seen, and gave her a polite smile and a nod, greeting her.
"I would appreciate the help, Pauna, is it? I will not take up too much of your time, I only need to be shown where I am to be staying." His opinion of Christae and her Weyr was raised by the appearance of this drudge-it seemed that even the drudges here were cared for in a fair manner. He felt that even drudges were equals-without them how would the Weyr remain in good order and running smoothly?

He turned to face the woman that the WW was introducing him to, and then made a polite bow to her.
"Greetings to you, headwoman Uslanee. It is my pleasure to meet you, and I am sure that you will be more than capable of helping me out if I should need it. I am pleased that this Weyr has someone reliable such as yourself in charge!" He smiled good-naturedly at Uslanee, and then straightened up, glancing at the drudge and waiting for her to reply before he took his leave. He wished to be unpacked and settled in quickly-he was actually rather eager to meet the other individuals in this Weyr.

*And to speak more with Weyrwoman Christae?* came Hikanth's teasing tone in his mind, as he colored slightly at the words, glad that he was the only one who could hear them.

~Perhaps, but it is not like there are not others to meet,~ he said, mock defensively.

Hikanth did not reply, but he was aware of the sound of what was akin to draconian laughter in his mind. He negated to make a retort on how 'friendly' Hikanth was being with Kalith...

[Spirithawk]

Christae glanced at her dragon."Yes," She mused, "She should be flying soon, though her latest Hatchlings are still Weyrlings. She shows all the signs of a Queen approaching her cycle. "It is my hope that the dragon who catches Kaith is worthy of her and that his rider is worthy of Dark Moon." She smiled. "Though with the fine bronzes out there in Pern, I am certain that at least one of them is worthy." She winked flirtatiously.

"There was never any question about my fostering Chiron. I couldn't bear to part with him. In our weyr, we are a very close-knit community. We aren't that large and we don't have as many people as other weyrs, so we don't really have that many women who are able to take foster children. Also, I might be raising Chiron, but I am not raising him on my own. When I or my WLM have to attend to our duties, our children are in the Lower Caverns with the women. Some of our greenriders foster their children off but for the most part, they are fostered to people outside the weyr. Most of the children who remain in the weyr are raised by one or both of their parents."

"I like to trust people too but sometimes that leaves you open to treachery." She frowned, remembering the egg that had been stolen from Kaith's last clutch. She let go of that anger, remembering why the girl had done it and then turned her thoughts to the bronzerider's comments. "Trust is something that should be earned but sometimes is given freely. It is respect that is always earned. You can trust someone without reason but you need a reason to respect people do you not?"

"Thank you Pauna." Christae called as J'red took his leave. "I hope to see you at the feast Bronzerider. Good day to you and your dragon. " With that, she was off, answering a hail from a nearby rider who had been waiting to speak with her.

[kestrel]

J'red reddened ever-so-slightly at the Weyrwoman's implications, but for whatever reason found himself almost hoping that Hikanth would actually succeed in this flight-not for the role that it would mean for him and his bronze if they did, but...was it possible to be attatched to someone you just met? He wasn't entirely sure, as it had never been something he'd experienced. Then again, Hikanth had always shown minimal interest in the Golds of their previous weyr. For some reason he'd preferred flighting with the Greens. J'red knew that while Hikanth had rather fancied golds for their size and 'beauty'-insofar as draconians did!-and yet J'red was aware that something had held his dragon back in flights where Hikanth should easily have been the victor-was it himself, perhaps?

J'red was ready to befriend and be kind to any person he'd met, but his taste in women had always been very exact-he was not overly concerned with looks, so long as she was no hag, and had some good physical qualities; he dwelt more upon features of her personality. To find a woman who was equally attractive to him physically and mentally always presented a challenge for the bronze rider. He'd never actually been in love, though he was aware that a couple of times he'd thought he'd been. However, that had turned out to be mere infatuation with some pretty creature at a younger age-something he knew everyone experienced at one time or another. His parents had always told him that when he was in love with a woman, 'he'd just know'. Since this had yet to happen, he was quite sure love was something that, alas, had eluded him thus far. Nor was it something that, like some, he searched for. He always figured that if it were meant to happen it would, and that there would be nothing he could do about it and would have to experience it for better or for worse.

"I am sure that whichever bronze and rider make that catch will be the luckiest pair on Pern," he replied sincerely, with a polite nod of his head, almost a 'bow' but not quite. The gesture was clearly, however, one of respect.

As she spoke on about her Weyr, he found himself rather pleased and liking the ideals of the place all the more. He himself was not fostered so he supposed this had some bearing on why he would have preferred his children...had he any...be raised by himself and whomever the mother of said child was. If, of course, they were Weyrmated and that should come about. He made short words of agreeance while she spoke, and then when she was through admitted,
"truth be told I would prefer to raise a child that I had begotten myself," and then after a brief pause, and with care to make his tones respectful of the matter, "or even another that I had come to think of as my own," with a small smile that was a tad braver about the matter than he felt-though in all fairness he had liked what he'd seen of her young son-and then went on, "I never particularily liked the thought of fostering a child, though I understand why it is done, and it really would seem to benefit many." With that said, he listened intently as she went on to speak of trust, and was once again impressed by her words.

*Brains and beauty, is it not so, mine?* Hikanth would often speak up to let his rider know that he was still and always present, even when J'red was lost in his own thoughts. And then,
"do not worry, I will be the victor in this flght!* There was more confidence in his mental tones than J'red had heard him exhibit about anything before. However, he didn't illicit this with a reply-not that he didn't think that his dragon could win-no, he was quite certain that his dragon could do just about anything he put his mind to-but he still wasn't sure how he felt about certain aspects of what winning said flight would entail...

"You speak wisely indeed," was his only reply to her before he bid her farewell and told her that he, too, would look forwards to seeing her there, knowing that he spoke true of that fact. He turned now to Pauna, inquiring, "so, where to, Miss Pauna?" with a curious glance at the Weyr.

Ooc: do I roleplay him getting settled in or Pauna showing him to the rooms? What next, hmm?

[Spirithawk]

ooc: its up to where you want to go with it

[kestrel]

Ooc: Well, seeing as how I have J'red and Hikanth both in the other board, I might just leave it at 'they got settled in' and then the 'next day' is where they are on the other board? That would make the most sense...are you going to have another board for the feast though? I think it'd be good because everyone could meet everyone else. x) Just an idea, though!

[Spirithawk]

OOC: I'd rather not have another topic going on when the topic has a setting here. If anything I can move this to the Dining Caverns but I think the Feast should be rped here if everyone wants to rp it. That other topic wasn't meant to be the next day but rather at least a sevenday or two after he arrives...we don't do things in a linear timeline on this site and it gets confusing but its more fun that way))