Reconnaissance mission: dissident camps [Tags: Tasha, Lance, X'ilor!]

The Weyr's leaders had sent down an order for a team of riders to be assembled to continue the Hold-Weyr cooperations in sorting out the whole Chorong problem. Most people in Fort or here at its Weyr had heard of the rebellion that the dissident faction had caused some turns back, but there were few who knew of it's more recent resurgence, nor of just how much trouble they'd really begun to cause Igen Weyr during its period of restoration. So, the missions that S'dric and those who'd been selected to ride along with him, were certainly the most informed on the matter. 

S'dric had gathered only four riders today, and each would play their own special role in the group that he'd put together. Of course there would be himself, and then his cousins Lance and Mahyeul. Greenrider Tasha had been asked along also, given her experience with knowing the signs of human habitation from her turns spend traveling the roads of pern on caravan. The young Bronzerider X'ilor had also been made part of their group. As a Wingsecond, it would be good for him to have the opportunity to help prepare a growing metallic for filling special roles in the future. The Brownrider felt like X'ilor was the kind of young man who was competent and deserving of the chance to prove himself a valuable member of any team, no matter what their purpose, and that in being given such opportunities to assist in different ways, the newly graduated weyrling would be able to broaden his range of experiences which would help him grow into a fine leader one day. 


After having called a meeting between them to brief the group early in the morning, just as the sun's first rays created a warm summer glow above the edge of the weyr bowl, S'dric had sent his cousin Lance to pick up the last member of their team -Toshiro. Knowing her particular fanaticism for him, he figured that Lance would appreciate being entrusted with ferrying him -and then later, Toshiro could ride with her when they all took off to investigate their first destinations. 

The Wingsecond had announced that he and Tasha would be paired up together, and that Lance and X'ilor would be paired up together. Each of the teams then, would be carrying one of the hold's guards and their map of coordinates would be split into half, so that in one day they would have time to search each of the locations. The agreement then, was that if there were any suspicion that one location seemed recently inhabited, there possibly being the need to land and explore together, the teams would regroup and land together. It would be safer to do so in numbers.






Only a couple of days back, Mahyeul had been called back to Telgar to fill a Captain's position there, at Telgar River Hold. Before one of his cousins ferried him back to the hold for him to take up his new post, Mahyeul had been ordered to fill a role in a special mission in helping track down some of the Chorong Rebel's camps. It would be his first mission as the First Squad Division's Captain. He had already received a parcel from his commanding officer with some effects in it that would be important to him and the mission, both. One of those things was the map that he and the riders would need to follow in order to scout out specific Rebel locations.

Their briefing conducted by the Wingsecond having come to a close, he sat leaning over the map they would follow, wondering if anything would turn up. While waiting for Lance's return with the other captain that would be joining them, he didn't look to see who had left the briefing room to make any final preparations to leave but, alongside S'dric at least, he pointed out the locations they should perhaps visit first. Locations he thought, based on geographical location, would have the highest chance of being inhabited still. 

Apparently the captain who was coming to join them, whose name had not been specified, was quite familiar with the Chorong, and had encountered them on multiple occasions in the past, so his expertise would also prove useful. Mahyeul simply assumed that that person was the other Captain from Telgar River Hold -not the Captain whose place he was taking in the First Squad Division's ranks.






Toshiro had bundled up in a thick coat better suited for winter, to go flying in all day. Of course, if they landed, it could be removed, but he wasn't sure how frequently he anticipated that needing to happen. The eyes of the dragons would likely be sufficient to discover any sign of life, even between thick overgrowth of trees and the like, which would cut down on how often they'd need to waste time searching the ground themselves. But still... he felt like he was starting to sweat already, as he waited for the arrival of the rider who would transport him. 

His fingers working at the collar of his uniform, Toshiro tried to keep himself cool as best he could. The guardsman had been told to wait to be picked up at a location outside of Southern Telgar Hold. It was a good distance from any other habitations, but in the time of the rebellion, there had been a small outpost along the road there. At present, it was not in use by the Hold Guard, so it seemed in disrepair. When it was in use, it also served as a drum height. There were other towers now that served such purposes, but in a time of peace there had been less need for them. Toshirio knew of several that had gone into disuse. Though, for travelers or Message Runners, there were generally still outposts available for shelter, food and water, set up ever 30 or 40 miles. These could be found on all of Telgar's major roads.


While waiting, Toshiro sat atop a stone fence built alongside the road near the entrance of the outpost, with one foot propped up where a stone protruded. There, he periodically looked off down the road, both toward the north and toward the south, to make sure that no one was coming. He would have kept himself hidden if he'd expected anyone to come that way, but the caravans had already passed this point, and there was no traffic expected to come back by here for another few days, unless it were perhaps a message runner between nearby holds. Still, Toshiro felt it safe enough to sit under the sun for a time, breathing with ease while he didn't have to worry about someone at the hold recognizing him and trying to capture him.

Honestly, Toshiro didn't know whether or not Rihan had informed the Weyr of which captain he was sending with their riders, or if any of them had been informed of what charges rested on him at this point, since he was still under suspicion for the murder of the Lord Holder's son. But, he trusted Rihan to make all the proper arrangements and had decided that he wouldn't worry about it. 

Though... he was certainly not going to be completely comfortable around them all until he knew that none of the small team of riders he was going to be traveling with, were not going to try to be a hero and arrest him and turn him into the guard. Though, if that were the case, there was nothing he could do about it. He would not fight a dragonrider, because doing so would put Rihan and all of Telgar's reputation with the Weyr at risk. Instead, if that happened, he would have to let them capture him. 




[To clarify, everyone but Lance and Toshiro at this point will either still be in the briefing room, or have gone to make their last minute preparations for the mission, if they forgot their flight jacket or something like that.

None of them but Lance and S'dric were told who else was joining them, and it would totally depend on the character's overall concern for world events as to whether or not they have kept up with the gossip of who was suspected in the murder of Ermon, though they probably heard that one of the Lord Holder of Telgar's sons was killed, just in passing somewhere. That itself would have been big news. Some people may have also heard of Toshiro's name before, but likely that's mostly people from Telgar. Unless your name is Lance and you're from a family that idolizes everything hold guard related. >D ]

X’ilor’s Gear (click)
Xi dressed in dark clothing. His small pack and dagger scabbard were strapped to his leg as he leaned over the maps of the territory with S’dric and Mahyeul awaiting his own partner for the mission, Lance, and the other greenrider Tasha. Through their bond, the bronzerider could feel Saolth’s excitement for their selection in the recon, and the man felt the dragon take down a small meal for himself to keep his energy up while they flew their area. Hunting down rebels of the Chorong group sounded interesting to X’ilor, and he reveled in the thought that he could help take down some of them by finding their camp. He had already told Saolth that he needed to keep his sharp eyes open and the bronze dragon eagerly told him he wouldn’t be missing a single warm body if he could help it.

I’m sorry you have to hunt all geared up. he sent to Saolth, wincing as he felt the cumbersomeness of it through the bond when the bronze managed to take down a medium sized wherry that wouldn’t hurt his ability to go between. With the equivalent of speaking with his mouth full, his dragon informed him that it was good practice. For what, X’ilor didn’t know, and didn’t ask. The rider stood from his lean and stretched his back, hearing a pop from the long-held position they had been holding. He was eager for Lance to arrive, and even more eager to work side by side with the greenrider. While it was good to know where the other team was going to be, the young man turned to the map where his team would be hunting. At least, while Lance collected their last team member, he could be familiarizing himself with where he would be flying.

Saolth had been disappointed that he wouldn’t be ferrying another rider when X’ilor had gotten him ready for flight. He had wanted to show off his strength by carrying another. The bronze had sulked for a long while until his bonded had told him he could go hunting. Memorizing the map was easy for Xi, and he quickly looked up after having looked over the cartography marks and committed them to his mind. “Does anyone need anything last minute? I am going to check the straps and gear on Saolth and see if the Kitchens have something light to pack. I have no idea how long we will be gone.” Always one to help, he figured it would be to his benefit to help those of the group on the mission.

[I'm only posting for Shiro in this post because still gonna wait on Jess to post here for Tasha unless she wants us to skip her until later?]





As soon as the sound of dragon wings overhead had reached him, Toshiro glanced up toward the sky to find a solo greenrider had been sent to fetch him. Unlike holders who thought highly enough of themselves to be worthy of only riding upon the backs of dragon that was either gold or bronze -something metallic- the guardsman put little stock in such things. He also had never thought that highly of himself. 

Feeling the drafting of wind from under the nearby dragon's wings blow over him as Raidenth landed, Toshiro stepped down from the stony fence to make his way to her. Before he reached the dragon though, he had taken a moment to recognize Lancielle from their first meeting, nearly smirking at the memory of her elation before. At that time, she'd seemed like a good person, and so he was glad to have someone like her, who understood the guard and about the sensitive nature of special missions like the one they were going on. He was growing an increasing sense of appreciation for how the Weyr handled their part in the cooperative efforts with Telgar Hold. He certainly respected Riders more now, than he had in the past. That is to say that at least his stance regarding them was no longer neutral.

Seeing as Lancielle had made a way for him to climb aboard her winged mount, the guardsman made his way up the dragon's side with seemingly little effort, making sure to position his sword so as not to mistakenly assault either one of them with the pommel along the way. After situating himself behind Lance, Toshiro got himself strapped in, giving a final tug to ensure that he was all secure, before giving the okay to Lance. 

"When you're ready, Greenrider Lancielle." The words indicated that he was ready when she was. He had remembered her name specifically because it had surprised him so much during their first meeting, that she recognized him -or had heard stories of him. It both amused him and bothered him that anyone could speak his praise after what happened during Telgar's rebellion. For, in Toshiro's eyes, there was little that happened in that dark time, that was worthy of being remembered in a positive light. 

Saying no more, he anticipated that they would want to arrive to Fort Weyr as soon as possible, in order to join up with the others.

S'dric


While the group awaited Greenrider Tasha's return, S'dric had the message passed on to Lance that she should just land and hang tight for a few minutes while they finished getting ready. Tasha was running a little behind after they split to take a break and get last minute preparations made while Lance was on her errand. It didn't really matter though, exactly what time they took off at, as long as they avoided getting started too late in the day; then they wouldn't have time to cover as much of the map as they'd planned for. It was still early, though, so S'dric didn't feel as though they were in too much of a rush. 

Nicath, let Lance know that we still need to go over the plan with Toshiro really fast; but we can do that out there. I'm sure the Captain is used to on the spot, informal briefings. Have them dismount and wait for us near the training grounds. The brown grumbled his reply and passed along his rider's words.

Straightening himself then from where he and the other two men were bent over the table, S'dric commanded, "Alright. Lance is back. Let's get a move on." The Wingsecond glanced between the two of them, "Mahyeul and X'ilor, you go everything you need?" He wanted to make sure, just before they headed out.

And when they were ready, they would make their way from the meeting room to move outside where they would get one last quick overview of their plan and fill Toshiro in, to make sure he knew what was going on. Though S'dric wasn't a 'fan' of the Telgar guardsman like his cousin was, he must have found her enthusiasm over the man a bit infectious, because somehow he was a little nervous over the fact that he was the one who'd been put in charge of piecing their mission together. It did make sense for him to do so, since he needed to make it suitable for Riders and not soldiers on the ground; but he was technically of a lower rank than the Captain, should he have been in a position at the Hold Guard instead of the Weyr. Though, this was a rather legendary swordsman they were talking about -not just any Captain. Which was Lance's whole point. 

S'dric smirked at that thought.

Nicath, can you please also inform Sionnath that Lance is back and we'll be ready to leave soon. She can meet us at the bowl, by the training grounds where we're doing one last briefing for the Captain. We're just getting things packed up here, and we'll be on our way out.



Mahyeul


Mahyeul had taken up his team's map and rolled it neatly into a scroll that would fit into the hold of one hand, taking a moment to check himself mentally for all the gear on his persona. 

Sword. Check. Knife. Check. Identification badge. Check. Map. Check...

The list went on until he was sure that there was nothing missing and he could turn to his cousin with confirmation of readiness. 




Toshiro


While they circled overhead, Toshiro appreciated the view, wondering why they weren't landing yet. Of course, he trusted that the greenrider had reason not to, though he probably wouldn't have mentioned it even if he wanted to, because it was a little awkward trying to make conversation in flight. It was good then, he thought, that dragonriders had telepathic links to one another through their steeds. There would be no communication otherwise. 

Toshiro's right arm encircled Lance's waist partway as they flew, his left hand gently clasping about the scabbard of his sword. Though it hung on a frog at his hip with his belt, there was the subconscious fear that he might lose it. And a swordsman's sword was his life. Toshiro didn't want his blade -especially a five body blade- falling into anyone else's hands. It was a most impressive weapon. He would be hard pressed to find another so fine. There were few smithcrafters on Pern who would be able to create such a perfect sword.

Raidenth confirmed the message and relayed it to Lance. They were to land and head to the training grounds. Well now that they knew where they were headed, she had Raidenth land them in an optimal spot for the walk to the training grounds. Once the green had them firmly on the ground, Lance unstrapped herself, while saying, "Okay, S'dric wants to meet us at the Training Grounds in order to brief you quickly of the mission and we're also waiting for one team member to be ready." She slid off the green and waited next to her.

Stay here and don't get into any trouble.
Of the two of us I believe you to be the more likely to get into trouble.
Hmmph!

The greenrider was patient because knowing he wasn't a dragonrider meant he wouldn't be quite as quick to dismount as she was. She also had a head start. "Follow me, it's just over here." She said, indicating they were close to Raidenth should they need to get out of their quickly. No one was supposed to know he was there or who he was or even how he might be connected to some of the unrest in Telgar Hold, due to accusations of him murdering the Lord Holder's son. But just because people weren't supposed to know didn't mean someone might not. She didn't like to take those kinds of risks.

"So, how have you been?" She said casually as she walked toward the training grounds. Lance had an idea that he hadn't been all that well and who could blame him really? But small talk was not her forte and she also didn't want to wallow in awkward silence so that was what she had come up with.

Though Toshiro didn't acknowledge her words with a vocal reply, he was quite the man of action seeing as he was soon right behind her on the ground, having taken little time at all to unstrap himself and follow suit.

Situating his sword at his hip again comfortably, Toshiro's left forearm rested over it in a manner of repose where it's hilt rode angled up toward the waist. The black lacquer of the scabbard seemed in pristine condition, and the hilt of the weapon was tightly wrapped in a flat cord that gave better grip, though it must have been difficult to keep as clean as it looked. The weapon had no real cross-bar though, just a flat, inconspicuous hand guard that circled the hilt at some point, preventing the hand from inching too far forward.

Toshiro found himself somewhat befuddled at Lance's familiar question, thinking it a little personal of her to ask. He wasn't used to people taking casual conversational interest in him, and so that made things a bit awkward for him. But, it was probably for the better. For Ariadne's sake, he should learn better how to comfortably interact with others instead of treating everyone like a possible enemy.

Before responding to Lance's question however, Toshiro paused in his stride behind her, taking a moment to look about and familiarize himself better with this part of the Weyr's bowl. He'd never been to the weyr before. It was an impressive place, truth be told. It was larger than he'd imagined; and turning his eyes up against the rock face where dragons perched on their ledges and stretched their wings, just waking from the night's slumber while their rider's prepared for the day, he was rather awed by the sight. Spectacular, indeed.

Continuing on his way, Toshiro spoke up behind her, his voice low, but still able to be heard. "As well as an outlaw can be." Supposing that she knew of his situation by that point. He assumed that the entire team would have known by now -but perhaps not.

She hadn't noticed him stop at first but she did realize it after a moment and stopped as well. Lance did not know that Toshiro had never been to the Weyr. She generally assumed people had been if they didn't mention it before they arrived. Also having lived at the Weyr for a few turns now she wasn't as awed by the grandness. If she was gone for a while perhaps. Which reminded her of how dumb her question was as much as his response did. "Yeah. I'd heard about that." She paused, wrinkling her nose in thought.

"I suppose not being alive at all would be worse." She said as a cloud passed over her green eyes. Everyone had their own past demons and she was not without them. "I'm sure your name will be cleared in time." Lance spoke with confidence because she believed in justice even if it was slow to the game at times.

"I bet it is hard being away from Telgar River Hold. You were there for a while. There must be people you care about there." She said kindly. For Lance even, this was a personal conversation but she was also empathetic as chromatic riders were often known to be. Not empathetic enough to Search but enough to see that although the conversation might not be normal, he really hadn't had a chance to talk to anyone about any of this since having to run for his life.

Sometimes talk lightened ones burdens. Lance found that to be more true for herself than she had wanted to admit after the deaths of her Weyrling wing. It was partly why she allowed the others in enough to talk to her and over time she had become more forthright with them about what had happened. Now she and Tasha were close friends and the others trusted her more. She thought of R'quiv too, always being there when she needed to talk or not to talk. Sometimes she wasn't very good at talking her feelings out. In fact, she often was not good at talking about her feelings. And as strange as this situation might be, she thought that although Toshiro was a million times better at fighting than she was, he might be just as bad at dealing with emotions as she was. In fact she rather figured he would be.

As Lance talked, he thought that it was now more than ever that he valued that time that passed them by. In the past he had woken up every day expecting that that day would be his last. But with a single purpose that was serving his Hold in the only manner he knew how, there was no reason for him to live beyond that. Now though,... now that he had Ari and together they had a baby, Toshiro had trouble perceiving time in the same way -as though none of it really mattered. Because now, every moment was a moment that he could have been with them, teaching his child and playing, learning to love Ariadne in more ways every day. They were supposed to be together. They were supposed to be happy.

Because they had been torn apart, the time that passed between them seemed to forget their existence. Toshiro felt as though he and Ariadne were on opposite sides of a timeless yet quickly moving divide where they could only see one another's reflection; but they could not reach out to touch one another. They, amoungst all the world, stood still, unable to come near to one another, and unable to reconcile the deep feelings that were surely there, ready to be poured out from their hearts. But Toshiro was unable to send his letters to her frequently, lest the old lines of communication be uncovered by the diligent Hold Guard of Southern Telgar. And nor could he travel back home to see her.

What Toshiro wouldn't give to be with her right then. There was a look of tormenting sadness that crystallized in his eyes, as he thought of his fiance, wondering what had become of she and their child.

"My fiance is waiting for me at Telgar River Hold. When last I saw her, she was pregnant with our child. He will have been born by now."

Any news of a child's birth should have been good, but Toshiro could only love and serve his family from a distance. They could not know just how often he thought of them and wished that he could see them. He'd even begun to miss visiting Ariadne's parents and siblings. He especially had come to enjoy the company of her mother. Family, siblings, a mother, these were all things he'd never had, and finally he didn't have to be without them. With Ariadne's family, he could feel comfortable and at home. Of course, he hadn't told Ari the depth of his feelings on her family just yet.

With the draw of a deep, silent breath, Toshiro decided to put those things from his mind, focusing on his mission here. This was the only way that he could show his child and Ariadne how much he loved them. He would have to protect them, and hunting down rebels was the only way to do that.

Coming to a stop again, beside Lance, Toshiro avoided direct eye contact, though he had glanced toward the woman who was his same height, and in that brief moment thought he saw something akin to his own sadness inside her.

Family was a big deal to her too so she didn't pass any judgement on his missing his loved ones. She'd been so glad when her brother was brought to the Weyr and she'd always had S'dric here as someone she could trust and confide in. They'd both known loss as Toshiro had too.

She tried not to linger on the sadder part of his words. "I had no idea you were engaged, but then why would I know." She shrugged, "She must be very strong to endure all this time without you and carry your child." She was thinking again. Her fingers reached for the silver chain around her neck as she began to rub the chain back and forth.

Lance couldn't say she wanted to be a mother but she did think women who had children were rather patient and good. At the Weyr women riders had children when they wanted them but they didn't have to have them. Lance wasn't sure she would ever want to have a child. Still she thought that his fiance must have it rough. Knowing that he was under suspicion for murder while taking care of a baby and not being able to do anything about it at all. She certainly felt for her position. Toshiro must feel horrible that she was in a position like that. And to not see someone he loved for so long but to know she was living through difficulties. It had to be difficult.

"I had a thought just now but you must not tell S'dric..."Because he would be worried about her risking all they had accomplished with her foolishness. And it might be foolish but it also felt right. "I don't see why I couldn't bring her a message or maybe even bring her to you briefly." She bit the side of her mouth, "We'd have to be discreet about it but Raidenth and I are always discreet."

The swordmaster's eyes followed Lance's hand where she toyed with the silver necklace. He thought again that she too must have known a similar situation, either now or in the past, so it was possible that in that aspect at least, they could understand one another.

The Greenrider's mention of passing notes or even the thought of Lance bringing Ariadne to meet him made his heart leap in his chest. The surprise and momentary hope could have probably been seen there, because it was something that he would desire, having that chance, and even the chance to see his child. But, was it something that he should truly ask of her? Toshiro thought it would be too risky to involve a dragonrider with himself on any more personal level, given the nature of his current status in the hold -that of an outlaw.

"I am not someone that you should involve yourself with in that way, nor am I the kind of person you should place upon a pedestal. You should know as well as I that people get hurt when they involve themselves in situations they do not understand, or that do not concern them. I have no right to involve you in my personal life, for my own personal reasons. Even if you offer your help to me freely, it would be a risk to you. What would happen if your superiors found out? what would happen if the Hold Guard found me and there beside me was a rider aiding and abetting a one of the most wanted criminals in Telgar?

"I have but a small safety net to rely on in the form of Lord Rihan, as you may have guessed by now, since it is he who allowed me to come here to lend my skill to you today, but if a dragonrider were to become somehow involved with me personally, it could cause trouble for Rihan in the future should we be found out. I have already caused him trouble enough."

With that, Toshiro turned his gaze out over the empty training grounds where later in the day he imagined that there would be dragonriders lined up in ranks to go about their physical training drills. He was curious then just what that entailed.. for a dragonrider. He'd never had much interaction with them in the past, though he supposed that regardless of what training they received here in the form of self defense and physical fitness, personal level of skill would also be determined by their varying backgrounds. Take Lance for example.

Toshiro was impressed that she'd been driven enough to take training from her family in the art of the Hold Guard at Fort.

Listening to Toshiro's thoughts, she understood what he was saying. She was not unlike him in her caution either. At least not most of the time. Right now though she felt like she had the training and capability to do something good for someone in a very bad place and it was hard not to just do it without consulting her better judgement. Bladen being around must be having that affect on her. He was rational until it came to doing something good for someone else and then she was pretty sure he just did what he thought was best.

Some people were simply too good and easily hurt because of it. Unlike Bladen she was much more aware of the real world, or at least she knew more about the darker side of life. He lived in a happy place in his head where there was more good than bad in the world. She didn't understand it completely but she did know that Toshiro, like her, had seen more of the bad than the good and it was hard to place trust in anyone.

So she could understand his reluctance to get anyone involved in his trouble. When it could be brought back to Lord Rihan, one of the few people he could trust with his life. Still she wondered if bringing a message to his beloved would be so bad? She could find an excuse to be in Telgar. Maybe pretend to be visiting a cousin or something which of course her brother and cousins would see right through but no one else would know any better.

However, due to her respect for the man beside her, she didn't press the issue. She only smiled at the mention of what her superiors would do. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'm rather popular with the Weyr Leadership. You don't often see greenriders on missions like these. Tasha and I have been singled out for our talents. Weyrwoman Karene is a clever albeit manipulative woman, she uses those with particular talents for particular tasks and so it would be very unlikely I'd be punished with anything that would bother me overly much. She wouldn't keep me from helping with the recon missions or in hunting down those who are killing and pillaging off of innocent Traders."

She had a usable set of skills and the Weyrwoman liked people with usable skills. Lance saw the Weyrwoman though as mostly a force for the good of Pern and didn't mind that she used her own skill at dealing with and organizing people to her own ends because it seemed to Lancelle the Weyrwoman's ends were the best thing for Pern. She might be a little bit proud of Fort Weyr and those within it. She was born in Fort Hold and now resided at Fort Weyr. They were the places she connected most to. More than that Fort Weyr seemed to take charge of the hardest tasks. She could only anticipate what the Weyr would be capable of when Thread fell.

"Lord Rihan sounds like a good man. To know when to trust your friends and comrades and when not to is a wise talent to have."

[Actually, she would totally have an excuse to visit a cousin at TRH picking up Ari lol Mahyeul is going to TRH when this mission is over, to take Toshiro's place as Captain there >D Since he's theoretically unable to fill that position right now. Buahahah.]




Just as Lance seemed to think highly at his mention of Rihan, Toshiro thought highly of the Weyrwoman Karene as the Greenrider spoke of her. It seemed that Karene was a woman of integrity and great leadership ability. Something to be admired. If nothing else, it certainly had to be admired that she intelligent enough to know how to utilize the skill of those around her for some purpose and not let them go to waste.

In any case, her assurance that the Weyrwoman would not hinder her riders helping the Holds in a time of need made him glad, but willingness did not reduce the risk, nor the fact that the Holds would only let the Weyrs take on a certain level of assistive responsibility before they drew the line. It was a matter of pride and sovereignty more than anything else. Especially for a hold like Telgar who'd survived prior rebellion on its own. This time around, they were just trying to go about things a little differently in order to cut down on the number of lives lost. But if all else failed, they would resort to their most desperate measures, doing much like they had done in that time of former chaos. Only, this time around, there were some differences in the present Chorong Rebels that should allow them to go about eradicating them without as much wide spread conflict. Which is what everyone hoped for. And it was the reason he was here today, working with Lance and her comrades.

The Guardsman let Lance's suggestion of her bringing Ariadne to see him bounce around in the back of his mind; it was something to consider. It was certainly difficult to pass up that kind of opportunity, regardless of what reservations he had about it. He'd not seen his beloved Ariadne in months.


Nodding then as lance confirmed Rihan's admirable character, Toshiro let his eyes turn out over the training grounds nearby again, as a few riders started showing up -apparently a little early- for their morning drills. It was obvious what the area had been used for, because their racks of practice weapons were lined up nearby.

"Rihan is too good a man to accept someone like me as a brother. Like you, he considers me more highly than I deserve, and I'm afraid of the lengths he would go to to defend me in his own way. He takes on a great deal of responsibility for the people of the Hold. He loves them and expects to be loved in return, so the hurt is deep if he is betrayed. Like with the Chorong." Toshiro knew that Rihan was the kind of man who kept his word and protected his honour, and that of his friends and family. If it came down to it, Toshiro expected he would even go so far as to give up all his inheritance in order to save someone he loved. But if it came to something like that, in order to protect Rihan's interests, Toshiro would take his own life first, so that such a thing could never happen. If he became too great a burden on his friend, it was better than he leave this world. Not to mention, Rihan's inheritance was what Toshiro had essentially been striving so hard to protect throughout the rebellion, up to present. To lose it over something as silly as his own life would be the last thing that Toshiro hoped for.

Leaving that left arm resting upon the raised hilt of his sword where it secured to his belt, the guardsman turned his body then to watch as a few riders began sparring in jest with one another. It was clear that they were just involved in a bit of horseplay, because even from some distance he could see that their faces were lit up with laughter; but soon they both took recognizable stances to rehearse their moves more seriously.

Taking an interest in their routine, Toshiro asked offhandedly, "Have riders always practiced combat drills?"

Lance listened. She didn't feel she needed to say that riders were meant to put themselves at risk. It was their purpose to put themselves at risk because they were better suited to the task of protector of the people. Not that it wasn't also a responsibility of the Guard of whatever territory but dragonriders rather saw outside of the territory lines. All of Pern was sacred. Everyone was worth saving.

"Just basics." She said with a shrug. "If they are going to protect people, they need a basic knowledge of weaponry. I think though that now is one of those times when they tend to train a little more in the art of fighting than before. There is a lot of unrest throughout Pern and while not all of it is directed at the Weyr, a good amount of it is. No one seems ready to accept the horrible things that will happen when Thread falls. As much as we try to prepare them for the inevitability."

To her at least, it made sense for them to have training.

(short... but...you know they are waiting for the others)

Though the guardsman did not answer Lancielle's thoughts aloud, though he mulled over the implications. Nodding absently, he thought that she may be correct in her assumptions though, seeing as how the Chorong had been on the rise once more. And this time, the rebels were more cunning. And it was true that they had been trying to encroach on Weyr territory -though only through Igen Weyr. Had the Greenrider perhaps been implying that Fort had its own trouble from holders in the south? He couldn't be for sure.


Toshiro watched the riders at practice from a distance for a few moments longer. Observing their practice weapons dance as they met in repeated strikes and counter strikes, he nearly winced when one young man ended up making a call of misjudgment, letting his weapon fall to a low guard; Toshiro anticipating that the rider would soon be defeated. It would be difficult to win with that kind of stance.

Eyes having been playing through their continued scenario of combat practice, Toshiro was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the riders, whom they'd been waiting on. 

Empyrean's Wingsecond S'dric called to him first, "Toshiro! Glad you could join us. And glad that we dragonmen can be of some assistance to the holds. Though that isn't to say that the holds haven't also been a help to the weyrs. I'm just glad we can work more closely together again." 

The Brownrider awarded Toshiro a bright smile, which the Telgar Guardsman was appreciative of, but reflected no happy expression in response. It simply wasn't in his nature. However, the guardsman did bow his head in a gracious show of acknowledgement for the positive words.


"First Squad Division Captain -Toshiro?" The question was uttered by Mahyeul as the other guardsman joined them. Mahyeul's expression however, was not quite as welcoming. "You have been relieved of your position. I hope you've been made aware?"

S'dric looked between the two, wondering, as he'd not yet heard that Mahyeul had been given the position in Telgar River Hold. That meant that he'd be leaving them soon. 

Eyeing the newcomer more skeptically than it might appear, Toshiro measured Mahyeul up, wondering at his words. "You are?"

The answer can quickly, as though he'd expected the question, "Mahyeul. Former Fifth Squad Division Captain." And when Toshiro did not answer the introduction, Mahyeul went on, "It would have been more considerate if you'd not allowed this kind of situation in the first place. Now, I am called back to Telgar -to take your place. The place of a murderer!" 

A sudden, hidden aggressiveness erupted in Mahyeul as the determination in his eyes was set fiercely and he drew his sword. The strike directed at Toshiro may have felled anyone else, but 

"Did you even feel the pain in your hand... when you struck Ermon down? The very weight of taking the life of another human. Not just a pain in the hand... Did you, a Telgar Guardsman, forget the meaning of picking up a weapon? Did you become so corrupted that you can't even tell who to point your blade at?!"

Only well-honed reflexes allowed Toshiro to distance himself from the offending blade in time to avoid certain disaster -yet the tip of Mahyeul's sword still grazed him, slicing cleaning through the side of his tunic and drawing a thin cut along his side. Luckily it was not deep; though it did begin to bleed immediately. 

Toshiro however, did not draw his weapon until Mahyeul came at him again, in an over-handed strike that brought the weapon down over his head. Unwilling to fight Mahyeul if he could keep from it, the guardsman unsheathed his blade at the last moment, in order to guard against the strike. Though Mahyeul's second attack was swiftly redirected from the initial draw -which was a brilliant and effective strategy- Toshiro was more skilled than he'd anticipated. Though perhaps any Captain of Telgar should have been able to parry the strikes, Toshiro could have killed him in that time. There were fractions of seconds left open for him to have done so -but he did not. 

"Mahyeul!" S'dric cried at his cousin, knowing that jumping into the middle of a fight between blades was only done at great risk. 

Still pressing his advantage, the well trained muscles of Mahyeul's torso, arms, back and shoulders, all bore down on his opponent with intensifying weight. His attack had forced Toshiro nearly to his knees, in a low stance, in order to keep his skull from being cleaved in two; he was in a clearly weakened position. 

"My personality won't let me simply stand by and do nothing! Not when he is the only suspect in Ermon's murder." The assertion from Mahyeul made it clear his intent as the two Telgar guardsmen glared past the grind of their swords at one another, each gauging the determination of the other. 

But, while Mahyeul did have the more advantageous over-handed position, Toshiro could apply the strength of his legs behind him to weasel his way out of it. Which he did. Just when it appeared as though Mahyeul may have had the upper hand, Toshiro yelled to strengthen the effectiveness of his stance. Powering his resistance of Mahyeul's press from the strength of his legs, up through his core, Toshiro's palm pushed at the spine of his blade to balance the strength behind it. Effectively fighting off Mahyeul's attack, the other guard staggered back, setting himself up in a stance that suggested he anticipated that Toshiro would pursue him.

Toshiro however, whirled away, putting more distance between them. That put them about seven steps apart in total; and Three Steps was considered 'Life's Distance'. From Two Steps distance, a man could be killed. One Step's distance meant facing death. Life at that point was uncertain.

It was clear though, that Toshiro held back. A swordsman of any great skill did not use his sword to simply block. In truth, there were no purely defensive maneuvers in swordplay. Because in swordplay, the opposite of an attack was not defense; it was counter-attack. Defense alone would never produce victory in a sword fight, and thus it would never be wholly effective in keeping one alive during such a battle.

Still, Toshiro sheathed his sword, left hand on the scabbard and right hand remaining poised over the handle of his weapon, as he watched for Maheyul's next move. Though it may have seemed like Toshiro was backing down from the fight as graciously as he could in order to prevent unnecessary violence -which he may very well have been hoping for- that was not actually the case. In truth, as he lowered his stance just slightly, positioned to draw his sword again if need be, he had taken on a very dangerous pose. 

It would be difficult for Mahyeul to hazard an attack on him now. If Mahyeul did so, he would be facing a very ready and masterful opponent -one whose true ability he was unfamiliar with. For now, unless Mahyeul was very determined to both live and win against Toshiro, he would not easily be able to obtain that victory. 

Recognizing this, as Mahyeul seemed to deliberate on his next move, Toshiro finally spoke, his eyes sharp and attentive of the other Telgar Guard.

"If you have any intent to kill me and take my head to those who would have it, then this has been your first and last chance. I will be on guard against you in the future."


Breaking the brief delay in swordplay that followed, the Wingsecond raised his voice, letting the authority of his station ring through it, "That is enough!" The Brownrider's eyes glared, resting heavily on one man, and then resting on the other. "Mahyeul! Put your sword away. This is not the time or place. I know what crime he's charged of. Regardless of his innocence or guilt, he is here as an ally today. You will respect the decision to bring him with us, or you will stay here. His expertise is something that we will need to rely on. Settle your dispute with him elsewhere, once our mission is complete."

The greenrider was happy to see her cousins approach. S'dric had always been one with a good head on his shoulders. Anyone could see that he treated those around him with courtesy and respect. His treatment of a man like Toshiro would be no different, no matter what rumors were circling around the swordmaster.

Of course she had been expecting her cousin to allow them to continue on to Telgar when Mayheul began to speak. Lance watched the scene unfolding in a sort of shock where she didn't seem to be able to move or speak. What the fuck?! This was not the way things were supposed to happen and as much as she valued her blood relatives, she didn't think she could allow things to continue. Although her cousin was able to tear Toshiro's shirt and cause him to bleed, it was clear to her that Toshiro was holding back, he wasn't really trying at all.

Her green eyes landed darkly on her cousin. There was no evidence to support that Toshiro had killed the Lord Holder's son. She wanted to protect the swordsman from her cousin but thought the better of it. There was no doubt in her mind that Toshiro could easily defeat any one of them. If he was a murderer why not kill Mayheul now? Why not kill all of them? She simply didn't see him doing something that went against his code. He seemed to be loyal enough to Lord Rihan, he would never kill his brother, unless the Lord himself asked it of him.

"Captain, do you need anything for the cut?" She asked. Lance was doing her best to be professional this time. She didn't want another report going back that she had behaved out of turn around Holders. She moved close enough that the others couldn't hear her, "I apologize for my cousin. I guess people don't require proof to condemn a person to death. Strange how justice is rarely actually justified."

Looking past him at the others gathered, "It might be best if you stick close to me and Bronzerider X'ilor." She didn't know the Bronzerider well since he was newly graduated, however she doubted highly that she would find him any different from most of his kind. As much as she might try, she still couldn't seem to trust Bronzeriders without them proving to her they were trustworthy.

Anything X'ilor did today would be used to determine whether she thought he was someone worth trying to trust or not. She didn't know how much he knew of her situation either. Hopefully he was anticipating her being strong willed.

X'ilor and Saolth

X’ilor blinked at the woman’s tone. Stay near her? Well. It wasn’t a bad idea as this was their first mission, but he didn’t need coddling. An easy smile slid over his face when he regarded her; he liked a woman with a backbone, and she certainly had one. He had grown fond of the Weyrlingmaster in his time with her for that very reason; the man supposed it was a good thing Syra had prepared him for women with a sense of duty. He was, though, unique as far as bronzeriders and more progressive if the attitude of others was anything to go by, so he simply dipped his head in acquiescence and kept himself quiet on the matter, “You got it, Lance.”

Brawling and fighting were nothing he wasn’t used to, so he had watched the scene with interest. The bronzerider already had great respect for Mahyeul thanks to a previous altercation resulting in X’ilor’s fight partner having a sore loss and attacking him from behind. Still, he had no place in this fight – let alone breaking it up, so he left it to S’dric to handle. X’ilor believed in innocence until being proven guilty, and since he had no fact or fiction to go on in the matter, it was all the more reason to keep out of it.

Deciding that there was nothing he could really do for the moment, a cut like that didn’t need any attention he could give it, he turned toward where Saolth was watching them with worried eyes. It’s alright. He’s not badly hurt. Lance says we should stay with her. Listen to what she says, okay? The bronze agreed, turning his contented eyes toward the group. The blue-green whirls looked at Lance and returned to his rider, questioning him silently about whether she had been the one if their training stories.

Like most weyrlings, X’ilor had heard the stories of tragic accidents and cocky riders who thought they were right. Lance, he had heard, had corrected bad coordinates that someone else had insisted on and as a result – her half of the weyrling class had perished because an arrogant man hadn’t wanted to listen. Well, X’ilor thought, all the more reason for me not to be like them. Thoughts of the past persisted, though, and he couldn’t help but look at Lance in a new light. She was a strong woman, probably as strong willed as the woman Syra. Maybe more so. Plus, she had been picked for the mission alongside him and the rest of them – there was something about her that people respected and that gave him enough reason to respect her as well.

It helped, too, that she was easy on the eyes. But he didn’t dwell on that fact. They were not here for courting or romance, and he was not the type to pursue a woman just for pleasures of the body. He liked his women strong, dark-haired and strong-willed. None of that simpering, giggling, overly flirty crap would for him. He scowled at the thought; those women were obnoxious. Refocusing his mind on the task at hand, he went to check the straps on his dragon one last time to ensure that they were in good order and well cared for before they departed. He spoke quietly to Lance as he walked past her, letting her know what he was doing, “Please let me know if there is anything you need before we leave, I’ll be right over here with Saolth.”

Mahyeul knew that from all eye-witness reports, Toshiro had been the only one seen entering or leaving the room where Ermon had been murdered. He knew that Toshiro had fled from the scene of the crime -and if he wasn't guilty, what reason did he have to run from them? Certainly a man should be innocent until proven guilty, but the Guard had been in search for evidences of who else may have been involved for many sevendays now, with no luck in turning up other suspects. They'd interrogated several other people and been led on what seemed like a wild goose chase, all based on the scant information about the true killer, that Toshiro was able to provide them. Even if he wasn't a murderer, Toshiro had escaped from prison before he could be tried before the Lord Holder, thus giving them all the more reason to suspect him.

Though, S'dric was probably right; regardless of Toshiro's crimes -or what crime's he'd been accused of- they needed the man's expertise to accomplish the tasks ahead of them. The two Telgar guardsmen went on eyeing one another for another breath or two, but it was decided that they could at least find room for a truce between them until after the mission.

Realizing that most eyes were on him at that point, and that Toshiro had no intention of engaging him in a fight, Mahyeul straightened his stance. He heard both of his cousins out before finally putting his sword away, though he never took his eyes from Toshiro.




"Good." S'dric echoed the thought to enforce some finality on that there would only be peace between them as they conducted their mission. "Toshiro, you are to ride with Greenrider Lance and her partner, Bronzerider X'ilor. I take it you brought a map? It should be the exact same as the copies Lord Rihan sent us.

"As I instructed in the briefing with everyone else, you three will be headed toward the more north westerly quadrant that has been outlined; myself, Tasha and Mahyeul will be headed south and east. If there is any reason we may want to investigate any of the suspected camp sites more closely, no one lands until we are regrouped and we can do so together. Just being in greater numbers will be a good deterrent if anyone is out there, hoping to attack.

"Mahyeul and Toshiro, please take time to make appropriate marks on your maps as you find anything. Even if the sites are completely vacant. We'll need to refer back to them later." Anyway, the Guardsmen would likely know what to do.

"As soon as you are all ready," and the Brownrider nodded to Toshiro, making sure the man didn't have any questions, or that he didn't need any time to get himself bandaged up, "mount up and we'll take off." Then again, S'dric's eyes passed over the rest of them, just to make sure that they were all prepared.




All the while, Toshiro, though attentive to the Wingsecond's words, looked irritated; probably just at the cut. It was more of a nuisance than anything.

Appreciative of Lance's offer, his response was still terse. "Do you have a bandage, just to keep it covered?"

Un-belting his uniform in order to loosen the tunic-shirt worn, Toshiro removed his overcoat and then drew his left arm from its sleeve, removing the shirt from that half of his body so that he could get a better look at the cut. Of course, it was no worse than he'd suspected, but he had suffered infections before, and knew that even small cuts could result in them. Not to mention, they were getting ready to go Between, and he didn't want to risk any strange ill effects of traveling between with open wounds. Though, he didn't know much about Between.

After a quick study of the cut, he was glancing back up at the Greenrider to check on the status of any first-aid. It would seem though, that such a minor cut was laughably insignificant in comparison to the terrible scars that were uncovered on the bared side of his body. So much so, one might wonder why he even bothered with wanting to bandage the relatively small line drawn across his side, now.







[errr.. I don't know what else to add to this so sorry, that's all for now.]

Tashamoretta arrived at the bowl a moment or two after Nicath informed her that's where the others now were.  She'd just been checking the last of Sionnath's straps in preparation to leave, so it didn't take her much more time.

When they touched down in the bowl and she started to dismount, she realized she either hadn't closed one of the saddle bags attached to her green's harness, or it had come open with the force of their downward glide.  A strange enough occurrence, but not one she was unfamiliar with.  In a rush to get to practice at times, their bags were often not closed until the final check.

Wrestling with the almost-too-full bag, she quickly rearranged the items on top and refastened the buckles holding the flap down.  A quick check of the other bags, and she was finally sliding from Sionnath's neck.

Just in time to catch the near altercation between Lance and S'dric's cousin and the guardsman they'd worked with before.  Jogging over, she came up beside S'dric, eyes widening as she realized the guardsman was actually hurt.

"Shards!" was all she muttered, trying to catch Lance's eyes with the obvious question of 'What in the Red Star just happened?!' in her eyes.  If she didn't succeed, it was likely because Lancelle was too busy glaring at the cousin who had caused the wound in the first place.

This wasn't exactly the best way to be starting off on a special mission, especially one that required them to be on their guard and watchful.  It was probably best that the guardsman and Mayheul were to be separated unless they managed to find a sign of recent habitation indicating a possible rebel encampment.

Still, Tasha kept a watchful eye on the two men, even as she listened to S'dric's additional instructions.  Hopefully, she'd get the chance to ask either Lance or the brownrider about it later.

"I think we're good for now X'ilor, just be ready when S'dric gives us the go ahead." She said, looking back in the direction of Toshiro who surprisingly requested a bandage. Adressing his request she said,  "Hold on a moment."She walked briskly to her dragon's side and rummaged through on of her packs till she came back with a bandage. "As a warning, I'm a fighter, not a healer."

Lance didn't comment on the removal of Toshiro's shirt but if her eyes lingered just a little longer than they should, no one would be aware of it. She took the material she had and packed it on top of his wound, then with a larger strip of fabric, wrapped the bandage around his body. There may have been a slight flush in her cheeks as she bandaged him, mostly because she was so rarely that close to men without shirts on and then in small part because he was kind of one of her idols and she had been given the opportunity to help him.

"Hopefully that will hold for now. You don't happen to know someone who could help you, after, since it would probably not be a good idea for you to enter the weyr for healing?" Her voice was matter of fact at first but the second question held a hint of concern for the Captain's well being.

She could bring him a healer if he needed. At the very least he should have someone with more than a basic grasp on first aid to handle his wound later.

Smiling over at Tasha, she did her best to smooth the situation over. There was no need to re-hash what had happened at the moment. Later perhaps when Mahyeul was far away from Toshiro. "Captain, if you are ready." She said, indicating they should mount Raidenth.

Toshiro

Conscious of Mahyeul's whereabouts but paying him little heed, Toshiro went with Lance toward her dragon where she took out some first aid supplies. The man was quiet as she covered the wound, but she was right, it might need a little more attention later. 

Inquiring after a healer, if he knew one, Toshiro found himself surprised by Lance's question, and at the same time, oddly touched by the hint of concern in the Greenrider's voice. For a moment then, he looked at her curiously, but had soon turned his head down to inspect the bandage.

"I know one." Quietly spoken, Toshiro honestly believed that once he'd returned to his hideout, he could probably care for the injury on his own, but the opportunity was before him again, to request that Lance retrieve Ariadne. Surely another chance like this would not present itself. With an excuse to see her this time,... it should be okay to bring her, shouldn't it?

Taking too long to wonder over whether or not he should send for her, Lance was indicating her readiness to leave while S'dric ordered everyone to mount up, so Toshiro had to catch her before the Greenrider turned from him. And as he addressed her question again, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Lance. After the mission, there is a Healer that I would have you fetch."

Watching her for confirmation that she really wouldn't mind doing so, the Captain was pulling his arm back through his sleeve to re-dress. As soon as he was back in full uniform, he went with her to the dragon's side to climb aboard Raidenth.

Just before doing so however, S'dric caught up to him.



S'dric


Empyrean's Wingsecond was no more smiling than any of the others as Tasha arrived; but it wasn't because of her coming. He was glad to see her trotting up just behind the last of the others. It was just, he was still upset over the Guardsman's quarrel. 

S'dric had probably rarely worn such a severe expression as he did just then, looking very stern also in his carriage. But when weapons had been put away and while Lance treated Toshiro, the Brownrider went to address Tasha and Mahyeul, making sure there were no questions before they took off, and that Mahyeul was okay to continue on the Mission though it involved having to work along side Toshiro to some extent. 

When satisfied with his own group's preparations, S'dric went to Lance, Toshiro and X'ilor to do the same. Toshiro had just arrived, and so he needed to make sure the Guardsman was on the same page as the rest of them. Again, when satisfied, the man skipped back, away from the group, calling to all of them.

"Alright. Mount up and take off. Each group knows where they're off to next! Play it safe, everyone; and if any location seems worthy of closer investigation, alert Nicath. We'll land together."

Jogging to return to Nicath's side, the man swung up onto the Brown's neck, and signaled his team for takeoff. Within moments, they were in the air. Nicath shared the visuals for the jump to their first location, and they were Between.



When Nicath and Sionnath appeared over their destination in a blast of cold air, S'dric had his dragon relay a few things to his partner, Tasha. 


S'dric says to let us know if you see anything that appears to be signs of habitation. 


Part of S'dric wanted to hope that the day would be uneventful, but an eventful day might mean that they'd located one or more of the rebel camps. 




Toshiro



After S'dric caught him up to speed with the rest of them, Toshiro climbed aboard Raidenth, sitting himself behind her. With everything he needed tucked safely into his uniform, he situated himself for takeoff, ready when Lance was.

Tasha was still frowning faintly when S'dric once again ran over the plans with his small group.  Lance's smile had been reassuring, though she was definitely going to be asking her friend about the incident later.  Or maybe S'dric, depending on what happened later.

The greenrider was certainly looking forward to the proximity with him, though nothing much had changed since the night of the masquerade.  S'dric was polite enough, and sometimes their relationship seemed the same as it was before Sionnath had flown and chosen J'ace's bronze-- Tasha tried to tease the brownrider the same as she had before, though it was anyone's guess whether he'd noticed it was far less than it used to be-- but she personally wished for some new catalyst.  Yet, despite his actions during the flight, his attitude since hadn't really given her any indication that he wanted the same.  So she'd thought it somewhat safer to back off, in case it really had been just his and Nicath's hormones talking.

Then again, she'd never really know for sure unless she asked… or did something drastic.  Like plop herself down in his lap the next time she caught him alone, and see what sort of reaction she got…

I can ask Nicath when they are in their weyr next.  Or when he's in the bath.

Thankful she didn't have a drink to choke on, Tasha still ended up coughing on air at her green's comment.  She wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or smack Sionnath in response.  Thanks, love, but I'm pretty sure he'd just think me a crazy stalker sort if I ambushed him in the bathing room.  Not that the idea wasn't at all appealing...

Shaking off the thought even as a little smirk curled her lips, the greenrider checked Sionnath's straps one last time before hauling herself to her dragon's neck.  And in no time at all, they were between.

--------------

Searching for signs of humans below them seemed to be the order of these missions lately.  Not that Tasha wasn't excited at the idea of being asked to join them, but simply staying back and watching for tracks and the remains of campfires and cleared living space was getting a little too repetitive.  Maybe this time, they'd see something more exciting.  Or maybe even catch someone in action...

From the sounds of it, though, that wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.  Then again, she wasn't afraid of whatever riffraff the woods could throw at them-- she'd helped fight off bandits from her family's encampment when necessary, though it usually hadn't taken much.  A bit of food, or freely given clothing, and they were typically on their way again.

There was that one time one of the runners had been stolen, though, which had infuriated both herself and her father to no end-- her father because he'd lost a good animal, and herself, because she'd been working on training the animal for some pairs tricks with her own favorite.

But nothing more had happened, thankfully.

Half hoping today would be the day that would change that, Tasha kept her eyes vigilantly on the ground, reminding Sionnath again of what they were looking for.

The greenrider did not read into his request for her to fetch a healer whom he knew, who would be discreet no doubt. In fact she was happy to help the Swordmaster where she could though he seemed to be the last person in the world to want help. Knowing what she did about herself, she would be considered a hypocrite if she mentioned anything about it. Anyone could see how stubborn the greenrider usually was. "Of course Captain. As soon as we finish the mission at hand."

S'dric's orders were straightforward and direct. They left little room for misinterpretation. Just as she received them, she was certain X'ilor had too. And while the other was a Bronzerider, she was beginning to wonder if she was actually in charge of the three of them instead of X'ilor. He seemed only too happy to defer to her thus far.

Once both rider and passenger were strapped in, Raidenth took to the skies but not to high. They were looking for anything that could hint at being suspicious. She had Raidenth start searching in the pattern they had discussed earlier. If there was something to see, they would find it. She only hoped these Holdless didn't continue to disrupt operations concerning the Weyrs. The Holds would not be pleased if they thought dragonriders were starting wars with common people.

Is that smoke? The green asked her rider, who thought perhaps they did see something like smoke coming from a little farther ahead. The greenrider had her dragon share the image of the smoke with Saolth s that the Bronzepair would know what was going on and why Raidenth was changin her trajectory slightly.

Turning her torso slightly, she tapped Toshiro's arm and pointed in the direction of the gray puffs. Then she put ao finger to her lips to indicate they were going to communicate via dragons. The quieter they were the better. The smoke was likely from a fire that had already been put out but not too long ago.

The green being a dragon and born into the natural hierarchy of the Weyr, deferred to her Bronze counterpart. Lancelle didn't mind getting another opinion but may have worded things differently than Raidenth. Then it appeared the green liked Bronzes a lot more than her rider did.
Should we move in closer Saolth or contact Nicath?

Toshiro


Grateful that the Greenrider was willing to retrieve his fiance when this whole mission was done, Toshiro was suddenly a little apprehensive about arriving to that point. It seemed like an eternity had passed since he'd last seen Ariadne; and now they had two children... and one of them was out of his own flesh and blood. if anything though, he was excited that he would be able to see her again; because there was still no telling when he'd be able to return home to her.

After they'd all taken to the skies and appeared out from between near the locations they'd be searching, Toshiro found himself gazing out over the landscape over Lance's shoulder or off to one side or the other, hoping for some sign to show itself.

The distant plumes were hard to make out, but the first sign that they would run across. After Lancielle pointed out the smoke, it seemed promising that they might be onto something, there. Picturing the map of the area in his mind, Toshiro remembered that there were three other possible locations on their portion of the map to be scouted out, and this particular spot had seemed like the most likely to harbor any holdless or other residents.

The Guardsman spoke over the Greenrider's shoulder and into her ear, "Can dragons see through the trees from this distance? Are there any shelters built that can be seen? Or people?"

Of course, depending on if any could be spotted, they could decide whether or not they should land to investigate further.




S'dric and Mahyeul


S'dric and Mahyeul took to the skies with Tasha, and on S'dric's command, checking the coordinates they would use together, made their first jump between, to the Telgar countryside.

Orders had already been given, so there wasn't anything more to say to Tasha until something happened that they needed to communicate.

Before long, they were flying over the first point on their map, which S'dric kept vividly in his mind's eye. Unfortunately to him, there seemed little obvious evidence of human habitation.

Nicath. Do you see anything? Can you see through all the tree branches as we're passing over?