A Clash of Gold and Bronze

[Xennai]

The walls were rocky, smooth and mostly barren, worn away by either time or man, who could tell? Dark and cold, the light barely warmed at them, just barely enough to see by, just a pale light that provided enough to see enough to not run into anybody. Exactly how Alder liked it.

He strode through the darkly lit halls, walking as if he owned the place. In his mind, he probably already did. As he walked, he mapped out potential spots for some...fun. But mostly he was concentrating on finding someone, anyone, who could help him. He'd just arrived and been left, stranded, with Aldesk, who had been left in what passed for a courtyard, he supposed, while he went through the internal, human-sized rooms.

Shard it all! Alder stopped where he was, a hand fisting in his hair. His eyes were hot and angry, a green that looked like it would hurt if he aimed his gaze someone's way. He bared his teeth in an angry grimace. What, was there no one even here? Had he been exiled without even knowing it? Those wherryheaded, dragon poop size pieces of...

He'd started walking again as he seethed, mentally calling everyone, everyone in all of Pern, names he'd maybe never say to their faces. Only if they didn't piss him off. After that, all holds barred--he'd call them whatever the by the first egg he wanted and they'd deal with it.

He'd stopped though, finally finding someone. He turned, entering a smaller room off the corridor. His quick assessment was that the someone he'd found was female and a rather good-looking one too. But he didn't have time for that, maybe later, maybe after he got everything sharding figured out. What, did they expect him to just know everything?

He grabbed her shoulder, spinning her. A pretty redhead was his quick assessment. With a stubborn jaw. Well, shard that. He wasn't worried about that at this moment. Far from it. "By the first egg, where in all of Pern am I supposed to be?" He demanded, eyes snapping. No hello, no how do you do, no "Hi, my name is Alder and I'm a handler here." No. Just demands. That was the bronze handler's way.

[panther]

Danae lingered in the corridors, she’d been told that a bronze handler has arrived to the wherhold. She was looking forward to meting him, apparently he was devastatingly handsome. Or so a few of the drudges who had seen him had mentioned upon her quizzing of them.

She’d moseyed on down one of the corridors, taking her sweet time about it, it was daytime outside, and she had no intentions of leaving the shadows that were cast in these deep hallways. Despite the fact that they were not built to take Whers, the corridors had relatively few windows, and few glows scattered around. For most wher handlers were expected to be used to the dark, but, this area was quite well lit – she had recommended to the drudges they change the glows more frequently than usual on account of their few new arrivals. Her mind was on all sorts of things but the new handler right about now.

She was approached, her dreamy state lost unto oblivion, a hand on her shoulder and a quite aggressive tone assaulting her ears. She refrained from introducing herself as he had. Instead she just replied, “That would depend where you’re going Bronze handler Alder - sir, I can lead you anywhere within the wherhold if you should wish it?” She took a step back, his hand being taken form her shoulder in the process. She gave away pieces of information, yet gave him a term of respect. Her vibrant hair glimmering like the embers of the night-hearth as she assessed him. He was tall, quite good looking, not really worthy of the adjective devastating in her opinion at least. But then she was notoriously hard to please.

She refrained from telling him that she was likely the one he was looking for, she was looking for his reaction. “These passages, there’ve been orders to keep them well lit for the newcomers, I am disappointed to learn that it hasn’t helped in your orientation.” A small derision there almost as though to imply where her and his place stood – but not enough to outright say she was the senior queen handler around these parts. She was interested as to how he would rise to the challenge. She knew all about him – obviously – yet he knew nothing of her. Not even her name, or whether she was drudge or handler. He would make an interesting game.

[Xennai]

Alder was not happy with the girl when he asked her his question. She seemed nothing but little riddles and jabs at him, something he didn't like. At all. He stepped back as she did, arms crossing over his developed chest. He was dressed simply, but elegantly, in form-hugging black wherhide pants and a green shirt that was open over his chest, currently hidden by his arms.

A dark brow arched, his eyes narowing. He definitely didn't like this. He chewed on his tongue for a moment, the slight pain taking an edge off his anger. It wasn't her fault that no one had told him anything after all. He inhaled and exhaled, a hand rising to scoop through his dark hair. He tried again.

"No, it did not help me in my orientation." His voice was heavily dosed with sarcasm, a snarl practically rising on his handsome face. He had to remind himself that it wasn't her fault. "The thing that's not 'helping me in my orientation' is the fact that I don't have the faintest idea where I'm going. I've been told nothing. All I was told was to go to the Southern wher hold by Dark Moon." He threw his arms out in a sudden and expansive gesture. "Well, I'm here! Aldesk and I both are. We need rooms and food and we need to meet the people need to. You understand?"

His tone wasn't derisive then. He was just blowing off steam and, unfortunately for her, she was the first person he'd found. And shard it, she better help him. He reached forward, hand taking hers, brow raised as he leaned forward. "Please tell me you can help me." And then he felt the slight bump of a scar on her palm. He tingled with dread. He'd know a scar like that from anywhere. He drew back--he'd been told there were relatively few female wher handlers at Caspian, except for--he drew back, his expression much the same, though he immediately dropped her hand, his arms folding over his chest once more in almost the same motion. "You're a handler," he said flatly. And he had a pretty good idea of who. Oh, Faranth. He just jumped from one hole he'd digged himself into right into another.

[panther]

Her grin spread across her face, slightly smug. He felt the after mark that Danask had left for her, she had endowed her with the bite upon the hand after draining most of the blood from the open wound on her arm upon impression. “Hmmm, Alder.” She let the smugness fade. “It’s a shame you aren’t logical enough to realise that the first thing you would do when you transfer to a wherhold, is to find the person in charge – or someone who could lead you to said person.” She shook her head in a despairing way, making her hair fall down either side of her pale face. But her smile didn’t fade. She looked back up at him. Leaving her hand in his, for as long as he kept it there, but he retracted quickly as he learned she was a wher handler.

“And if I was to say that I was a handler, but am no longer, I suppose you wouldn’t believe that?” She stated lazily, eyes averting to a random point in space. She rolled her shoulders, and fingered the scar on her palm with her other hand as she returned her attentions to him. She sighed and then continued, “I am a handler. In fact, you’ve got no need to go any further for information, because my name’s Danae – handler of Golden Danask.” She gave a fleeting – pixie smile. “Nice to meet you Alder, now, you require a room? Well, how about we give you and Aldesk the rooms a few doors down from mine own? Think you can cope with that?” She asked, challenging the male. She turned on her heel, and set off. She might be small, but she took a good pace about the backrooms of the hold. She slipped through a door, and a darker room opened beyond it. Quiet breathing jut audible through the silence.

Danae… The gold stirred, at the unfirmiliar presence, he smelt of wher, but strange wher.
“Calm Danask, this is Alder, he is the bonded of a Bronze that’s transferred here.” She explained verbally, more for Alder’s use, as she conveyed a series of pictures to her bond, of Alder, of a generic bronze wher, then of Caspian wher hold, then of one of the rooms a few doors down.

The gold grumbled from the dark, she sniffed the air loudly. Then let out a contented rumble as she settled back down to a sleep.
“Danask,” She said to Alder as she started moving forwards again now that she had introduced the wher. “She’s quite a formidable gold,” In comparison to the others she had met before now that was. She lead on towards the outside. And towards the daylight. How odd this would be. Her first venture into the sun’s light since about two or three sevendays.

[Shekru]

It would seem there was at least one more rude awakening for the bronze handler, and, once again, in the form of a feminine package. Having heard voices down the corridor, clattering boot falls began to grow louder in the pair's direction. Their owner was a tall woman with black hair poised in a serious bun at the back of her head. Eyes too yellow to be brown were on them, and a slight curve to her lip arrived in silent triumph.

"Well, it seems like I've found the right people. I couldn't help but drop eaves, these halls are so shardin' quiet, I could'a heard you two outside if I'd been whistlin' up a storm. Fyg's the name, got told to haul myself to his hold." A hand was outstretched and offered first to Danae. The smile on the woman's features brightened. Clearly, it was pleasing to see another female, and a handler no less.

"Fygwesk is my bond, and he's hiding in what I think was supposed to be a large pantry. Confounded sunlight's wrecking havoc on his head. Once you're done showing this bloke his quarters, perhaps you'd be able to help me find one for he and me."

A look was shot over to Alder and a thin black brow shot high over one cat-like eye. "Who're you?"

[Xennai]

Alder's eyes narrowed slightly, his temper rising to the bait she was waving about in his face. If she hadn't noticed, he had been trying to find her or someone. It wasn't his sharding fault that he'd come when everyone had been sleeping! It wasn't as if he liked being awake during this time either. It made him rather crabby and unable to fully appreciate a beautiful woman before him. Not that he wanted to appreciate this one just yet. Better to get settled in first.

He'd been right, of course, about her. The Queen belonged to her. He should have known from the first. She had that woman-in-authority feel about her. He glared at her comment, eye snapping. "Oh, I think I can handle it," he almost hissed. As if he would actually be bothered! The absurdity of it brought a smirk to his lips as he followed her, creating a map in his head of the entire hold, not wanting to look like some dimglow and go stumbling, lost, through it.

He followed her, entering a room that smelled of musk and sounded of breathing. Eyes adjusted quickly to the blessed darkness and he noted the large form, a genuine smile blooming on his lips. Ah, the Queen. He reached for Aldesk, mind connecting with the wher's, their connection not as strong because of the distance.

Aldesk? He sent the bronze a mental image of the queen. Danask, brother.
Pretty. I like... Alder smirked, laughing quietly to himself as they exited.
Indeed.

The handler turned to Danae, a genuine smile on his face, lining his features, charming even when he wasn't trying. "She's a beauty, honestly. Not many can match her." He would have added more, but he heard footsteps and another person ran into their little party. Alder smirked lightly, looking her over carefully. Oh yes, he'd made a good choice in coming to Caspian. Women seemed to just rain down from the sky here. While this one was rougher looking than the gold handler behind him, she was still fine to look at. The weapons she had weren't as much, however. Mmm. But ideas were springing into his mind...ideas he hoped those quick yellow-ish eyes couldn't read. He liked that she seemed unimpressed with him. Something of a challenge.

"Alder." He smiled, lips rising as he looked her over again, not lecherous, but as if he were weighing her merit, her character, even if he'd only just met her. "I've transferred here too, as it were. Aldesk, too, is waiting for a Den." He turned to look at Danae, smile brightening. He just wanted to sleep, honestly he did. It'd be hard not having a warm form to burrow into though...He'd think about that later. After sleep. That was his first priority, if only barely, and only because of Aldesk.

[panther]

Looking towards Alder, she smiled appreciatively as he complimented her queen. “Danask and I are thankful of your opinions” He looked as though he might say more, as though he might share the compliment around a little more, but the conversation was interrupted. A woman, taller than herself (though that wasn’t hard) entered her Dig, a deep and menacing growl came from Danask.

Easy, we’re getting transfers as I told you, Danae sent images over of a brown wher, followed by Fyg’s own image,
strangers. Smell bad. Danae smirked at the human interpretation for a moment, concealed quite nicely by the darkness,
Strangers, are different, they will smell like home soon. Conveying the image of the wher hold again, she relaxed and allowed the tension to fall from the mental bond with the Wher.

“It is good to see you, I hope you and Fygwesk did not find it too difficult to find us? Alder here seemed to have a small problem, but nevertheless, he found me,” She relented and saved him some face at very least. “I am Danae, Handler of Danask. Though I’m sure you knew this.” She smiled. “And, as to you’re Digs Fyg and Alder, I’ve already given his lordship permission for the Dig next door but one to myself, perhaps Fyg, you should go to the weyr equal and opposite? Left and right respectively? They’re both fine Digs, considered them both myself when selecting mine own.” She explained. “No sense in living in each others pockets though is there? If you wish for Digs further away, that can be granted also.” She said as she walked towards where Fyg was stood, pushing the hide curtain aside, into the small gap between that and the door – she waited for Alder.

“Perhaps, after you two get your Whers settled down for the day – we can chat? Get to know one another a little better? Perhaps we can make a day of it, involve a little southern wine?” She offered in a nonchalant fashion.

[Shekru]

"Well met." Fyg's reply to Alder was short, though the eying she gave him was not. The downward slant to her lips would certainly do nothing for the confidence of that eying, however. A bright smile overtook the slant, and Fyg offered Danae a bit of a chuckle.

"Apologies t'your queen, I didn' mean to disturb 'er." Fyg said, and then turned her head away from the queen's quarters and belted out a shrill whistle. Soon after, an ugly, hulking specimen of a brown came trundling into the corridor, using his tail and nose to feel for the walls. A blind had been placed over his eyes, to shut out the light.

"Aye, had liddle trouble, place is easy t'navigate." Fyg replied to the woman. When the Dig is described, Fyg offers a shrug. "Shards, I'm happy t'have a roof over m'head, an he's no different." A hand leaned out and smoothed along the brown wher's nose. "Idn' that right, my little dirt clod." Baby voice and all. Fygwesk replied with an embarrassed rumble and a nudge of his nose to his handler's side. Harrumph.

"Said the magic word, lady! Once we get settled, just give th'word, an' if there's a glass involved, I got stories a'plenty."

Another look was shot from the dark-haired woman to Alder, a thin brow raised as if in challenge. "What say you, handler? Think y'can throw a few back with a pair'a girls?"

[Xennai]

Alder shot Danae a dirty look when she mentioned his "trouble." Faranth forgive him! He was used to mines not an actual wher hold, not really. And there had been no people. And she hadn't been talking when she found him. He folded his arms over his chest, harrumphing silently. He didn't mean to be in a bad mood. Usually, he was quite charming and amusing. Just not now.

He nodded at Fyg, listening to her with fascination. He was in love with her accent, honestly he was. He'd never heard a woman speak as she did. It was interesting and he liked it. A lot. Alder mused over this, rolling the idea around like a luscious plum in his head and then noticed her brown. Well. Weellll. He'd known peple to say that whers were ugly. Personally, he didn't see it. He thought they were interesting, and beautiful with that uniqueness. But Fygwesk...Well, he was certainly the exception. Alder glanced up at the brown handler and smirked, brows raised over his eyes.

"Believe me, I think I can. You all need a man with you to even out the estrogen." That's what he needed. Something to drink. And then, after their chat, he could sleep. And sleep long, because Aldesk would need longer to sleep because of the blasted sunlight. He smiled at the thought, and the thought of getting these women a little loose so he could get information. About them, about their whers...about the other women in the hold.

"I'll be right back here, then, since we're all agreed." He bowed lowly to Danae and then bobbed another, slightly lower, bow to Fyg. He disappeared out the door, calling to Aldesk, showing him a picture of how to get to where he was and which Den to go in. He poked his head in and nodded. This would do. This would do just fine.

[panther]

“it is no problem Fyg.” She told the other woman, “Danask just gets grumpy to have people in her Digs, She doesn’t like company at the best of times, and all of a sudden she has two strangers smelling odd and of new whers.” Danae told Fyg, knowing that the woman would kind of understand. “She doesn’t like it very much.” She watched as Fygwesk entered – suddenly becoming incredibly curious as to Fyg’s full name. Fygwe-something Fygwestia? It had to be something odd. But then her attention was drawn to Fygwesk himself. A good size brown, but he was ungainly. Ungainly, actually, was an understatement, he was a colossal example of why most holderfold found Wher’s grotesque. He had a charm, but he was no looker. Admittedly she was yet to meet Aldesk, the Bronze might be uglier still.

She grinned over at Alder, a challenging yet perhaps a little sultry, as though to say ”I have one up on you now, and what are you going to do about it?” she said nothing though. But smiled as Fyg herself challenged him. He was in the company of two strong female characters, how would he react? Most men were quite intimidated by strong women, let alone two of them. “A man? To even out our oestrogen?” She repeated. “I don’t think either can be supplied by one in current company” Her words were coolly delivered, but the jest was obvious. “And Alder? No need for us to disturb Danask any longer than we are, I shall meet you both in the Kitchens if you can manage your way there? Or perhaps I should jut wait, and show you both the way?” This was not joking, she was offering her assistance for once. That didn’t come for many to a mark.

But as he left, she felt herself seething at him. And why? He had bowed lower to Fyg, that he had to her. She was the queen handler here, Fyg was a brown handler – effectively stationed lower than himself. She huffed inwardly, a sour taste filling her mouth, How dare he. She’d make him pay for that. Sooner or later anyway. For now she had quite a shindig (for an unsociable wher handler) on her hands.

Danask, I shall be turfside for a while A general noise of agreement came from the Wher, who was obviously settling back down. Danae left the front door, and walked back through the Digs to the rear exit.

[Shekru]

"Oh, aren' we optimistic! He thinks 'e can combat the estrogen!" Fyg's voice climbed high with amusement, and a finger jut in Alder's direction. Her eyes turned to Danae, sparkling with glee and a hint of 'We are gonna make him squeal like a piggy'. Returning the hand to her hip, Fyg took a few steps back toward the brown, laying an arm over the creature's neck. Sure, Fygwesk was not all that to look at, but the near-tender way his head tilted in toward his handler spoke of other attributes that he had, instead.

As Alder moved into his own quarters, Fyg spared a moment to lean to Danae and offer, "Two marks says we drink him under the table and he cries like a little girl." The cackle following the offered bet was simply mischevious. A gentle pat was delivered, respectfully, to the gold handler's shoulder.

We thank you for sleep place, the brown offered to the mind of the gold beyond the curtain. The overall tone of his mindvoice was gentle, cautious. Respectful. Perhaps even bordering on shy.

With a pat to the brown's shoulder, Fyg moved him toward their new home to get settled.

[Xennai]

Of course he'd bowed lower to Fyg. Alder smirked to himself as he poked further within his Den, checking to make sure the cot was good, wide and sturdy. He'd broken others before. With a last look around, he smiled. She'd pissed him off, insulted him really, it was his little way of getting back at her. Aldesk came padding in, curiousity emnating from him.
We stay here now?
"Yes, yes we're staying here now." Alder smiled and hunkered down next to the wher, inviting him over. Aldesk came immediately, slumping down next to his handler and rubbing against his chest. Alder smiled, scratching behind his ears and then gave him a pat.
All right, bud. I'm gonna go get some drinks with the girls. You sleep, okay? I'll be back soon.
Aldesk gave a contented snort, all ready for sleeping, whether Alder was there or not. He gave another little muffled snort. 'S fine...
Alder laughed, watching his wher drop off to sleep, already unconscious like a stone. He exited quietly, making his way up to the kitchens, ready for whatever challenge was going to be hurled his way.

[panther]

Danae huffed to herself, she was quite put out by Alder’s actions. How dare he! But, she took a deep breath, vowed her own vegeance, and swearing she would join Fyg in drinking that male under the table.

She straightened out her clothes, grabbed a hair tie, and pulled the top layer of her hair back off of her face. Danae couldn’t quite figure this whole thing out. Two transfers in one day! Why did Wher handlers arrive like this? Why couldn’t their arrival be staggered?

She had a feeling that if Fyg hadn’t arrived, that she would have been quite good friends with Alder by now. But, that was neither here nor in Benden at this stage. For it wasn’t happening, the now was the now, and that was what she had to deal with! She sighed a little as she began to pace the stairs back up to the main corridor.

She went to the kitchens, and she spotted Alder infront of her, “Alder, trying to find the weaker wine for yourself are you?” She called, her tone her best attempt at jestful. But as she seen him in the light of the Turfside halls she was quite amazed, he looked different, below he looked quite scraggy, and rough. But here, there was a debonair charm about his looks, rogue-ish. She pushed the thoughts away, pushing a strand of her shorter side fringe out of the corner of her eye, looking down to the floor.

“Did Aldesk settle down to sleep alright?” She asked, suddenly quite demure. She knew not where it came from in the slightest. It was quite peculiar for her. She was a tenacious girl, not some sapling that swayed in the wind. She was quite looking forward to Fyg arriving back.

[Shekru]

Fyg, as of yet, had not arrived to meet them up in the kitchens. Whatever took the brown handler, it took her quite solidly. Perhaps Fygwesk.

( Feel free to pose around me, Fyg is taking her sweet time )

[Xennai]

Alder turned as soon as her heard the female voice behind him. He turned, brows raised and a devilish smile twisting at his lips. Ah, Danae. His smile quirked and turned wider. "Not at all. Just looking to see what collection you have. And it is a fine one."

He wasn't surprised to see that she looked, if possible, even better Turfside than she had down below. Darkness and dim lighting seemed to make a woman mysterious and soft. It made her eyes big and dark. The dark was sexy, alluring, seductive. The light was harsh. In the light, a woman with scorching potent kisses could turn out to be someone who looked akin to his mother's age.

But Danae...

Her hair was vibrant fire and her eyes just as bright. Her skin was soft and creamy and she looked good, which was saying something because she'd looked pretty shells foxy down below. Mmmm. Well, this was very interesting...

"Aldesk is fine. He was out before I could even leave." He chuckled at the memory, reaching out to tilt up her chin, green eyes locked on her face, raking slowly over her face. "You shouldn't look down. Your eyes are much too good-looking to be hidden." He smiled slowly, lips curling as he leaned down, releasing her chin to bend straight at the waist in a deep and respectful bow. "My Queen handler." He rose and laughed, eyes alight. Appparently, he was awake now. In more than one way. "But no matter your pretty eyes, I'm still going to drink you under the table." He winked.

[panther]

“Ah, I am glad that Aldesk-“ She got interrupted. His hand lifting her chin, she felt giddy for a moment, she met his gaze, then her distaste for him returned. She lifted her hand to his wrist and pushed him away.

He bowed low before her, and still her distaste showed. “Well, my bronze handler,” She stressed the term of possession, “I would remind you to know your place.” She pointed out. She pouted a little, seeming slightly stroppy, she huffed, and grabbed three wineskins, and three large glasses.

oh shard it Fyg, but could you arrive soon? She thought to herself as she felt the distaste of her rancour for Alder over her tongue.

Sliding down to a seat, in a rather unladylike fashion, she sent a dagger of a look towards Alder, ‘Well? Are you going to join me in a drink? I’m sure Fyg won’t mind catching us up.” She slid further down the bench, making room for him beside her. She didn’t quite know why she done this, but her reasoning settled on, so she could keep a close eye on him.

She poured two of the glasses deep with the sanguine-esque liquid. Her mind was perhaps a little morbid, to make this comparison, but living with a wher, brutality was what it was, there was little elegance in a Wher’s killings for feed. She slid one glass towards the empty seat, caught her own around the belly of the glass, she looked quite menacing and brooding over it. Here her inability – or lack of ability – to experience more than one emotion showing itself quite affluently.

She took a good draught of the wine. The taste settling over the prior, cloying her senses with the taste of alcohol, but good wine too. As she drank, she could smell it. It provided ample distraction

[Xennai]

Dark brows rose and Alder tsked lightly, bending up from his bow. "I do know my place," he said, voice low and soft. "It might be that you need to lighten up." There was more to it than that, but the way she was looking made him fear, however slight, for his person. He didn't think Denae would be opposed to hitting below the belt. Literally.

The bronze handler watched the woman as she took her seat and spat nails at him. Apparently she'd gotten in a mood face. Alder nodded and sat in the proferred seat, close to her, but far enough away she'd have her own space. She could close it later if she wished--or he might if he became inclined.

Hand hooked round the glass and he lifted it, nose dipping for a smell. Smile ghosted across lips before Alder took a long drink, setting his glass down carefully. "Mmmm. It's good stuff, that's for sure." His eyes were soft and sleepy as he took a small sip and nodded. "Very good. Thank you, Danae."

His smile turned soft as his head rotated so he could look her full on. His face seemed thoughtful and then he spoke, apparently putting those thoughts into action. It was yet to be seen if it would be well-played or if he should run for the hills. "You know...I think you'd be a fine person if you didn't scowl so much. Lighten up a little! You have two new handlers and two new friends here now. You're drinking fine wine, good as the Weyr gets, and yet you're still scowling." He shook his head and glanced away, into the belly of his glass. It just didn't make sense to him at all why the woman would be so unhappy.

[panther]

“Mmm,” the noise was quite objective. As though wisely she had considered all opinions on the state of affairs and her conclusion was Mmm. She tried to pull back her opinions. By the seems of things, he was just as adverse to company as she was. Well, maybe not by how he’d eyed up Fyg, and later herself. For it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Neither part had. Perhaps the thing that hurt just a tiny piece more was that Fyg got the consideration before herself, despite the fact that – nice as Fyg seemed – she was quite a masculine looking girl, handsome as opposed to pretty. Unconventional. But then Danae was unconventional in her looks. But she was also rather stubborn. Very stubborn.

She took another mouthful of the wine, as he commented, “Aye, it’s good, so far Lord of Caspian hasn’t seen to cut any of our incomings. We’re in a very unique position. Neither Weyr, nor Hold, we don’t quite have our own budget, but I do intend on getting revenue when we get more handlers. I do not wish to live out of the hold’s pockets for very long.” She explained – Alder should probably know details like this, especially seen as he was one who would be taking a front seat in this ride. Bronze handlers had to. Those and the lower ranks she trusted to. She hated living off the gratitude of others. The Real world was rarely so kind as to offer it. And, unlike her cousin, she was a worker.

A pair of drudges filed in, and began sweeping out the embers from the previous nights fire into a bucket. Making quite a bit of noise as they went, but she showed no aversion to their presence, nor took any notice that they were there. They went dutifully about their task.

She was silently thankful that he had taken up the seat next to her. She would have felt quite dejected otherwise. But then perhaps he was not brave enough to deny her. The thought made her smirk, she shot a glance sideways to him, her lips contorted with her amusement as she took a good mouthful of wine. Not sipping it quite like he was. She wasn’t a wine fan really, she drank it to relax, the taste was ok, some of it was nice, but she didn’t adore it, nor did she savour it. But Alder was certainly amusing. He could be two totally different people by the seems of things.

Fresh fuelwood was thrown on the fire by the two female drudges, the fire was kindled and lit, stoked, and one of the pair stood with bellows, blowing air onto the fire to make it stir quicker.

If she didn’t scowl so much! Shards he had front! She gave a half, disbelieving laugh. “A fine person if I didn’t scowl so much? I’m generally quite a nice person I’ll have you know.” Though having been cooped up in this place for this long with meagre company, all of whom seem to be sharding day lighters, she grumbled to herself. Her eyes showed her mild distaste, but it didn’t affect her expression much. Her tone was implicit, “Aye, I have two new handlers” She omitted the friends part, “and yes, I am drinking fine wine, and yet I scowl? Give me two or three more glasses of fine wine, then I might have cause to forget my reason for scowling” Her comment wasn’t pointed, it was humoured. She was trying to be nice. She did feel perhaps a little guilt where he was concerned, she had challenged him, and he had pushed her a little too far. But when they didn’t overly know each other, boundary testing was to be expected surely? And she had deliberately mislead him when he introduced himself. Her lips pursed in thought. She paused, silence heavy as a dead weight Wherry. “I’m… I’m sorry I don’t mean to be rude. It’s born of solitude really.”

[Xennai]

Alder found it interesting that Danae seemed so opposed to living out of the Hold's pocket. He personally agreed with her though. The handlers needed their own source of a revenue. A Hold wasn't going to necessarily realize the importance of certain items that the handlers would consider neccessities. But...if the Hold was willing, Alder thought they should milk it for all it was worth. He personally knew that their generosity was never guaranteed, but he also knew how far their pockets extended. Yes, he thought the wher hold should milk it for all it was worth.

But what he found interesting was that Danae was the one who objected.

In his experience, vast as it was, he'd never really met a female who had a head for finance. It was probably because of the women he was around, he could admit that, but he found it interesting and almost...attractive that a woman would not only have such a strength and pride in character, but know that at some point, you had to stand on your own feet. Though that day didn't have to come for a while, in his estimation. But despite all of the thoughts that ran through his pretty little brain, Alder commented only with a, "Well, that's very good then."

He glanced over as the two drudges entered and stoked the fire to new heights, but his attention was caught more by the smile on the Queen handler's face. It completely transformed her as he had seen her thus far, something that Alder hadn't expected. Her face softened, her eyes turning more amber than brown and he could see himself doing things, doing things that had no place in polite conversation. And all because of a smile.

Alder buried the thoughts deep, more deeply than he would have had he been with any other woman and listened to her curiously before he laughed softly, ducking, hiding the smile on his lips by raising his glass to his mouth and taking a careful swallow. He liked his alcohol good and plenty, special emphasis on the plenty, but he was careful with it. You had to drink it soft and slow, the way you did a particularly good woman whose scent you couldn't get out of your head.

"Am I to assume it's my company that's detracting from your usual pleasant demeanor?" A brow winged upward and he chuckled, taking another slow sip of wine. He glanced over at her, green eyes not sleepy now. "Then you'll have two more glasses of wine and I'll give you the company to keep away the solitude. At least for a while."

He winked and grabbed one of the wineskins, swooping her glass over from where she'd set it on the table and filled it back up, only halfway. Wine was best when it was aired a little. "There." He pushed the glass carefully toward her and raised his glass in a toast, eyes alight with humor. "Here's to good wine and even better company." He smiled, rim falling, only his eyes evident over it. "Especially company with not pretty, but gorgeous eyes."

[panther]

“Aye, it could be your company that is detracting from this situation right now” She pulled a slightly more solemn expression, but it faded as fast as it had arrived. She could not be doing with that now, She’d been up at peculiar hours. From about 3 in the afternoon, until now. That was like a Weyrman waking at 3 in the morning, stretching out his day as would be regular. He lips faded to a smile.

She let her smile linger on, gave a very dutiful “Weight of a wher on her shoulders” sort of sigh, allowed him to replenish her glass, and listened as he spoke. Gorgeous eyes? Shards but this handlers fancied his chances.
“You know, Alder, it is polite to refrain from trying things on with your queen handler for atleast a few weeks, the more aggressive suitors attempt a few days, but this, this is impressive, that much I will say.” She too charged her glass, letter her eyes catch his for a moment as the glass clinked elegantly together, “but, thank you, perhaps the company isn’t quite as drastic as I had thought.” A lofty grace in her movements showed that she was sincerely complimented by it, for she did feel he meant it. She took another mouth of wine, savouring it a little more now she had adjusted to the taste of the alcohol in it.

Danask. The wher called, sending a strange complexity of thoughts, likely dishelved slightly from the alcohol that Danae was consuming, Danask wasn’t used to it. Nay, Danae was no more used to it either.

fygwesk? Danae replied. The gold searched out two minds, both unfamiliar, she addressed both’

Fygwesk’s the gold purveyed a sense of location towards where Danae and Alder sat. Hoping that the brown – would be amongst those she addressed, and that the brown would gather that his bonded was missed.

“So, come on then Alder, stop your flirting and tell me about yourself.” She told him, despite the fact that this should remain until Fyg arrived – but she was sure he wouldn’t mind recounting his tale to them separately.