Shared suspicions

Wind whipped through the air with the first bites of a deepening winter's cold upon it. Though Toshiro had put on longer sleeves, he hadn't his cloak, so the cold brought a chill to him that coursed down his spine and caused him to shiver for just a moment. The Captain of the Guard stepped a little further in to the blacksmith's open-air shop that ran furnaces for their metallurgy that proved plenty hot enough to ward off the chill of a cold evening. Toshiro held his hands up to warm them before one of the multiple fires that were kept alive, feeling the heat far enough from the flames that he wasn't in the way of any of the hold's smiths and their work, from where he stood.

The sun had not been seen in Telgar for several days, and the sky was overcast in a cloak of wintry gray that was already shedding over the earth a fine dusting of little snow flakes. This day however, had certainly been the coldest of them yet, by Toshiro's account. Here, near the blacksmiths' shop however, the dancing snowflakes melted away, even before they came to land and Toshiro was glad to 'oversee' a repair to the hand-guard of one of his swords and a sharpening of it where he could stay warm. True enough that the Captain was no stranger to cold weather -which is why he'd yet to use his winter cloak- but there was something about a cold night sitting by a toasty fire that made him comfortable and even a bit nostalgic, in a way that he appreciated.

From behind, Rihan approached, entering the smith's shop with a look around, "There was something on your mind you wanted to talk about?"

Toshiro was turning toward the Holder even before he began to speak, though the Captain's eyes only met Rihan's for a brief moment, inclining himself curtly to bow in a show o deference to the Heir Apparent though they had long been friends. Shortly after, Toshiro's eyes had returned to the smiths in the room who still worked their forges this late in the evening. "You assured me you also had business here, so I was hoping it wasn't any trouble to meet and give me a chance to share some of my concerns in private."

Rihan was nodding but before he could respond otherwise, had stepped away from the guardsman to hand a scripted order of supplies over to the Master Smith who'd come his way. "Good to see you, Rengard. If I could have these few things supplied to the head cook as soon as you're able, my Steward and I would both be incredibly grateful. She's become very vocal about her certainty there is not enough cookware to prepare for the vast numbers a wedding will surely draw here." Smiling then, Rihan continued rather humbly, "You'd think she were solely responsible for feeding a Gather. I keep telling her she exaggerates." It was obvious however, that his words were in jest, as he chuckled, thanking the smith.

Insightful enough to get back to his work when he could see that the young Lord had other matters to turn his attention upon, the Smith left them. Rihan half-turned to face his friend to continue their conversation, taking a moment to remember where they'd left off. He was very tired, and it showed on his face at the end of the day -sometimes a little forgetfulness plagued him when he had too much 'business' on his plate all at once. Though, with the great help of his new Steward, his cousin Drien, Rihan had had much less work to handle on his own -which was a relief.

Setting his chin at an angle where he regarded Toshiro with some curiosity, Rihan seemed to fumble with his words uncharacteristically, "Ah,...Yes, please continue. You said you had some concerns?"

Going on without hesitation, as if no interruption had ever taken place however, Toshiro couldn't help but nurture a completely different concern now in the back of his mind, than the one he'd come to speak about. The Captain of the Guard had long been friends with the Heir Apparent even if most assumed it was due to Toshiro's current rank that they often conversed. He felt as though he could say that he understood his friend's every mannerism. He didn't have to stop and stare to know that Rihan was not feeling completely well; and he knew very well that Rihan did not need or want to tolerate any worry on his behalf, so the Captain gave no show of that concern. "About the holdless woman Flynn."

"I know you disapprove. I was under the impression that was because of certain similarities in background? Perhaps because of her brother?", came Rihan's answer in query.

It was easy for Toshiro to nod, agreeing with Rihan's reasoning, but that wasn't the full of it. As he went on, the ring of smiths' hammers became enough to keep unwanted ears from overhearing their conversation. "That, but there is more. Don't you think it a little suspicious that the woman made her way into a gather with the rest of her band, isolating herself so that she could be alone to make quick friends with a man of great rank -our new Steward Drien- and then turn around and pretend to be at great odds with those she arrived with. Does it not seem curious that they moved directly into the path of your betrothed to lay hands on only her? Even Flynn's brother had been left behind momentarily so that she could involve herself in a fight against them to make it look as though she could be trusted. Then, much in her favour, we..." The Captain paused to correct himself, "No. you, my Lord Holder, were indebted to her.

"Even though you've repaid your debt, aren't things all the better for her, if she is made to serve you, being all the closer to you, in order to fulfill whatever goals she, or those she is in league with, have in mind? Not to mention, the entire situation puts you in a precarious position.

"We are well aware that there are pockets of those to the south near Igen who do not share such fantastic sentiments about recent news involving the Weyrs. Perhaps there are also those now who feel displaced by the acquisition of the border lands into Telgar's holdings. The current climate would be ripe with reason to give someone enough motivation to take action and look to weaken your position now, before you have taken your father's place, and perhaps even intervene to change the course of things with the weyrs."

"Insurrection requires resources, manpower and leadership that no one on Pern but a Holder or Weyrleader possess." Silently Rihan wondered if his friend believed another holder to be behind some devious coup, but the Captain was already shaking his head, turning to meet Rihan's gaze.

"That is precisely why there would be a need for more isolated, covert action. It's easy for a man to want to help a woman and draw her close, expecting that she is in need of saving. But what if someone hopes to use that against us, so that they can place a spy in our midst; or worse. Flynn has proven she is skilled with at least one weapon."

"I don't think that Flynn would be able to come up with such a scheme."

"There are others that might."

"I don't think that disagreeing tempers have risen to that high a degree."

"And you're willing to take that wager?"

Rihan smirked rather bemusedly at that, giving room for the Captain to interject before he could speak again, "I'm sorry to trouble you over it. There is only speculation for now,... but I'm only looking out for your safety, and the well being of the Hold."

"I know. You have my never ending gratitude." Shaking his head again, Rihan couldn't find himself quite convinced enough on the matter either way, "I'll leave it up to you to figure out. Do what you have to do. You'll have to keep her close, I guess."

"How close?" Toshiro let one eyebrow quirk in insinuating fashion.

"As close as any enemy, I suspect."

"You are aware that by my estimation, that's close enough to kill?"

Rihan knew the Captain was being truthful, but spoke not against the idea, giving only the slightest nod in acknowledgement. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I need rest. Have a good night."

The young lord left from the smith's shop then, pulling his coat about him more snugly as he crossed the alleyway heading back toward the main hold where he would retire for the day.

Toshiro on the other hand, stood in thought for a while longer over these things, waiting for his weapon to be returned to him before he bid the workmen farewell.