After All These Turns {Open}

[Zi]

J'degar took a deep breath as he and his dragon re-emerged from between, feeling the warmth seep into his bones as Syphraelth took a moment to view the Weyr below before banking for descent. How long had it been since he had last lain eyes on Trelis? Two Turns now, he mused. Two Turns since he had finally succumbed to stress and taken off, claiming leave to visit Southern Weyr for some well-deserved rest and relaxation (or so he believed). Now he had been transfered back.

Are you sure you are ready to return, GarMine? He felt the rumble of concern through his dragon's hide and reached out to pat the large neck soothingly. I owe her, he replied sullenly, I can't run forever when I have a debt to repay. Let's go. With a bugle of greeting to the watchdragon, Syphraelth finally angled down to land in the bowl, sending up a cloud of dust as he landed. The forty Turn old rider took one last breath before unlatching himself from the straps and sliding down to the ground. He looked around, trying to see if things had changed since he last beheld his home. No doubt they've replaced me since then, if those sharding women have any brains in their heads. He crossed his arms, clutching his official transfer papers tightly. So what if they had replaced him, he didn't want to teach sharding weyrlings anyways. He had bigger goals in mind and such an annoying position was only slowing him down.

Syphraelth rumbled a greeting to an approaching figure, and with a grumpy huff, J'degar turned to see if it was someone worth paying attention to.

[Lark]

I do think there is something you should know about Little One.

Rudith unfurled her wings as she watched from the Weyr Heights, her multi-hued hide glistening from a good oiling her rider had finished not even a full mark ago. Parting bright jaws, she snaked her darker body around and then pounced down from one rocky ledge to another. Only a few lengths from the ground she spread her sails out and glided down next to the brown that had just landed from his ride between.

Greetings Brown.

Her voice was a cool snake slithering across the sub-king's mind, wrapping fondly around his senses before slipping away as quickly as she had come. Who was this new comer? Hers had memory of them, but Rudith herself did not know who they were. That meant he was from before. Calling silently for her rider once more, the green turned her head and trilled softly when Inali came walking out.

"J'degar. What owes Trelis this pleasure of having you back again in its Bowl?" Her voice was careful and curt, but it was also edging on curiosity. Something from turns of policy and teachings kept Inali polite enough to not outright question the brownrider. Besides, he had proved a certain worth to her long ago when Loraketh had been her mount and the Weyr had been hers to run. Now he would have to seek the current Goldriders and the leaders they had chosen. That did not mean that old friends could not say hello again though.

"I see you have met my darling Rudith. Come my sweet, Syphraelth and his rider mean no harm to you or me...I am sure of it." With that the green slunk back slightly, dipping her head and letting her eyes water down to a mix of green and blue instead of orange and red. If you say Little One. Curling her wings up against her sides loosely, she tilted her head as her rider's curiosity flew between her mind and that of her rider's. I do not believe we have met Brown. You must have been before my time.

[Zi]

Syphraelth vaguelly remembered the little green, if only through his rider's memories. They had seen her hatch, had watched that entire clutch hatch before disappearing back to Southern for those Turns. It didn't surprise either of them that Rudith didn't know them. In fact, J'degar would not have recognized the dragoness at all if it weren't for Inali's approaching form. Syphraelth lowered himself to the ground and brought his nose to Rudith, a light, gentle brush of greeting.

"It was time I return." He answered, eying Inali. She had changed so much since that day, perhaps not visually, but he could hear the difference in the way she spoke. His eyes were cold as he looked at her, though there was something mixed into them as well... grudging respect, perhaps. He gave an unhappy sniff as she implied that neither he, nor his dragon, could cause them harm, but J'degar knew she was aware of his particular brand of honour. A life for a life, he would never harm Inali again.

"You look... well." At least, she looked a tad more sane of mind since the last time he had seen her. He hated having to be polite to her, it felt.. unusual, awkward even. He was used to being able to speak his mind when it came to women but Inali... Inali was a special case. He was obligated to be nice to her. Syphraelth was amused by his rider's discomfort, but turned his attention to Rudith.

I watched you break shell, Young Rudith. Syphraelth dipped his head in greeting before stretching out his wings in an attempt to loosen his old injury. You have grown much since then. I am sorry I did not have the chance to see you grow.

[Lark]

"You mean I do not look as if I am about to do something wherry-brained. I am aware of how my condition was after...after Loraketh's death. It is still something I work on even now with Rudith."

She didn't mind giving that bit of information away, it was no secret among those that could see her. There were still the few times where Inali would just zone out randomly and be unable to communicate for a few minutes while gathering her thoughts. There were times when she still got upset or even depressed somewhat and had to be comforted by her children and weyrmate in order to feel better again. Each day was a day closer to being whole and healthy though, and each day she had less and less issue with her new reality.

"You look well too. Do tell me, how are things in Southern? I have heard our Weyrleader goes there sometimes to discuss politics." Offering her arm for the brownrider, she eyed her green carefully giving her a distinct order to play nice. "Come, I'll show you around again, in case you have forgotten anything." She was sure that he had not, but it was only polite of her, and old habits died hard it seemed. Rudith looked over at Syphraelth curiously for a moment before tipping her head to the side and then crooning softly, thoughtfully.

I am sorry I do not remember you, and I am not that young. Her gaze flicked to the stiffness in which he moved his wing, the facets leaking a red as she then turned her eyes back on him. Perhaps slipping into the warm lake would help your wing? Injuries often have a nasty way of lingering, don't they?

[Zi]

J'degar didn't bother to correct her in that he though almost everything she did was wherry-brained, pre-Loraketh or not. Shards, giving him his life back had been terribly idiotic in itself, but he was thankful nonetheless.
　
"I can tell you nothing of Southern or your Weyrleader, or do you forget I betrayed Southern when I failed to fulfill their plans." He snorted, positioning his arm to take hers, as was only proper, not because he felt any real inclination to do so. It was truth though, there was no trust in Southern for him, and so the two Turns had been spent mostly vacationing rather than doing anything productive, aside from flying as a regular Wingrider of course. An untrusted dragon was still useful during a 'Fall.
　
"You insult my memory, woman." He said simply, allowing her to steer him if she truly thought it necessary. He knew the Weyr like the back of his hand though. "I hope the Weyr has not fallen into further disrepair since my last stay." He hadn't grown to like or trust the goldrider Rikula when they had first met, and he knew next to nothing of Trelis' new senior. Of course, with the string of mutant-riders and too-green-weyrwomen that seemed to lead the Weyr he could only assume the place was a disaster. Well, he would hopefully see to that soon enough.
　
"You would be more helpful by showing my to an available weyr. No doubt my last has been taken by someone else by now." His eyes scanned the Weyr walls, lingering a moment longer on his old weyr, the weyr he had shared with Assaila, than he wished to admit.

[Lark]

"I have not forgotten J'degar, merely been curious as why you would turn back to them in that case. You could have gone to Ista if you wanted a warm place to vacation."

She didn't miss a beat as he reacted to her, and Inali honestly did not care that he was doing all of this because of nicety. He could do as he pleased as long as she was concerned, but for now it was interesting to push and prod and watch. Southern was obviously a sore spot for J'degar, as was any matter of pride...as it always had been. The man thought too much of himself, or that was Inali's opinion at least. Faking a short laugh at the concept of her insulting him, she shook her head. "I only meant it as a common courtesy J'degar. Do relax brownrider, you're more prickly than a Gold with her clutch."

Oh, and didn't that have connotations to it in so many ways, not that she had purposefully meant them at the time. No, Inali was just talking, simple, because she felt comfortable. That was the way she acted now, tipping her head and directing interest to a new things that had become additions to the Weyr since J'degar had left. "Oh, and that is where most of the senior riders come to meet and talk now. The old community halls are being re-done apparently...something about Tunnelsnakes getting into one of the caverns near them." There was a slight smirk as she said those words, her mind flicking back to when she had discovered her own daughter had tried to see just what a Tunnelsnake looked like.

"There are available riders up here, and I am sure that once G'lwein puts you into a wing you will move, so don't make yourself too comfortable quite yet. Knowing him however, I would not doubt that he would put you in his own wing. You did fly together at one time after all."

Yes, they had both been there during Southern's incident, and they had both come over and held her pardon. Ignoring his slight pause in front of his old weyr, she slipped her gaze and whispered a softer, "she is still there you know. Or so I have heard. I do not believe she took a different weyr after graduating. I may be wrong though."

[Zi]

"I did not go simply to lollygag about and waste my time." He huffed, not really answering the question at first. Though after a moment he sighed and continued, assuming Inali would be an annoyance if he didn't answer clearly. "There was someone I needed to see." To remind him of the choices he had made, had yet to make. It was a simple as that. He hadn't expected to end up staying at Southern as long as he had. But then, plans rarely went as expected.

"Leave it to a woman to give me information on renovations." He almost seemed amused, but in truth he felt like Inali was simply wasting his time, skirting around and giving him useless information. "No matter. I'm sure I'll discover all I need to know in due time. I've waited two Turns, what's another few days? Though as to Gl'wein..." He trailed off a moment, contemplating his relationship with the other man. Tentative at best, really.

"I find it hard to believe he would go out of his way to have me in his wing. He knows my stance on the mutants. No, if he's smart, he'll keep me to a wing with as few of the beasts as possible." It was a shame, really. They could have gotten along so well if Gl'wein hadn't ended up on a garnet of all things. It wasn't that J'degar hated the mutants, by any means. He disliked them, sure, but he knew they were useful in Threadfall. Even so, if he had to follow someone else's lead, he'd be so much happier behind a good ol' bronzer. He stiffened suddenly, angrily, as Inali brought up Assaila.

"What a shame. I was so very fond of that weyr." he hissed, turned away from the weyr in question and giving Inali a tug to get moving. He wanted to put distance between him and his old home as quickly as possible. Although, part of him was happy to know she had made it through training without getting herself killed. Of course, that meant she was facing Threadfall now. A worse prospect. "How's that brat of yours?" He didn't care about the woman's kids, but anything was a better topic than his old lover.

Syphraelth watched his rider head off, at first ignoring Rudith as his worry for J'degar was too strong. As they moved out of sight, however, he gave a tired sigh and looked to the green. Some time in the lake would be lovely, Rudith. He stretched his legs before turning to hobble. Care to join me? Or will the pratterings of an old brown like me be too much of an annoyance?