Fort Region - Harper Hall
A random study room within the Hall.
It's a late summer morning, mid-morning to be exact, and the Harper Hall is teeming with activity. Lessons are in full swing and many Harpers of all rank are bustling about on their tasks. Windows are open, allowing the fresh cool air in and the sound of various musical scores, singing and instrumental drift from various sections of the Hall. Rayathess has secured himself one of the smaller "personal" studies, which is nothing more than a larger room with a few desks and work surfaces, shelves containing books and scrolls and other odds and ends. Basically somewhere to go to work that isn't a classroom and offers some semblance of quiet privacy. He's the only one within and the table he's seated at is littered from one end to the other with various hides, notes and who-knows-what. Organization? Pfft. Who needs it? Yet while he concentrates on… whatever it is he's working on, he also waits. He had sent a note to Ezra a few days prior, to give his brother ample time to arrange for a visit and not leave Stonehaven midway through an important project.
Ezra appreciates the advance warning, as it's a few days before he can get to Harper Hall. He rode, exercising one of his stallions for this trip and taking his time - making a day of it. Stabling his stallion he wanders the halls, asking for Rayathess until someone directs him to this study. Knocking on the door, the young heir waits.
A stallion this time! If Rayathess wasn't so busy or had other plans for this visit, he'd ask to go see Ezra's new mount. Not today though and perhaps another day. At the knock to the door, he calls out, "It's open!" and begins to stand up, trying not to disturb some of the papers on the desk and send them flying.
Ezra steps inside and closes the door behind him, smiling and opening his arms as he approaches. "Hello, brother," he says with a warm look. "Keeping yourself busy I see?"
"Hey, brother." Rayathess smiles back and returns the greeting, taking the few steps required to come around and hug him. Fiercely too, which means one of two things: he's in a really good mood or he's excited about something he's wanting to share with his younger sibling. Or both! "Eh, you could say that?" he says with a chuckle as he steps back and with one hand still clasped to Ezra's shoulder, he'll gesture to one of the chairs by the desk. "I'm glad you could make it. Ride in wasn't too bad?" he asks, letting his hand drop as he takes his chair again, settling into it with a relaxed flop.
Ezra returns the hug and the clasp, grinning as he flops into a chair. "Nah, it's a nice ride. Working out one of my stallions, giving him some exercise so he stops harassing the stablehands." Smirk. "So what's up?" He's going to assume this isn't just a visit.
Rayathess frowns, "Harasses your stablehands? Is he high spirited?" he asks with a bit of a grimace. Do they want a stallion like that in their breeding program? As for what's up with him, he looks down at his desk and then exhales, running a hand through his hair and making it even messier than before. Did he… even brush it this morning? "Been busy, with my classes and studies. Work load is higher now." Duh? "And… I've asked permission to begin my project for Journeyman. I was approved." That brings a slow smile to his lips. One of pride for his accomplishment and he looks across the desk to his brother, waiting for that news to sink in before he continues into the real surprise. "I'm… going to chronicle everything there is about Laris and the camps. Everything. All that I know, that survivors know and… and victims. I'll have access to the other archives in Fort Hold now. I have to do this." Even if it'll be so hard for him to do it. "There needs to be proper documentation. Historical and… educational. So it doesn't happen again." And if it does, well… the resources are there to STOP it.
Ezra smirks a bit. "He's just got a lot of energy. Needs to be worked, and I haven't ridden him in a while, so." Now he is. Running fingers through his own hair in a near mirror of his brother's gesture, he sits up a bit, grinning. "Hey, that's great!" But…Laris? Ezra's expression shifts, flickering a bit. "Ah. I…are you sure?"
Rayathess nods his head in understanding about the stallion. Having one of his own, he can entirely relate on how it is to ride a runner with pent up energy. Not fun! He grimaces when he can see that flicker and shift in Ezra's expression. "Oh, I'm sure." he says firmly and there's determination in his tone and eyes. He's dead set on it! "I'm studying law and history, Ezra. It just makes sense that I, having been a witness to so much, am the one to spear head the project. People need to know who he was and just the extent of the damage he did because no one was equipped or prepared for a man of his kind. This sort of thing, as awful and dark and traumatic as it was… shouldn't just fade into the past so it can be repeated in another generation or so of Turns. Do you see what I mean?"
Ezra is nodding along as his brother speaks, slouching in his chair. "Yeah, I see what you mean," he's quick to say. "I understand. I just…are you sure /you/ want to do it? To…o through that?"
Rayathess picks at a few of the papers, idly scanning them before stacking them into a small pile. Some of the hides he rearranges too, seemingly without much rhyme or reason. "I'm sure, Ezra. Very sure. It's what I want to do." he murmurs, without faltering or wavering on his decision. He's made his choice and made up his mind. "Which means… I'll probably be visiting you and having to ask you to go over things too. If you're alright with that?" Documenting, is what he's trying to explain. Writing everything down. Committing it to record. Records most of the population can read. No longer will so much be left in the dark! And yet some may not approve of being so exposed by their experiences in the camp. Rayathess will have to struggle in his own way, to come to terms with what he's so guarded up until now. Will he share it all? Or just what he deems is necessary and still keep some experiences cloaked in shadow and secret, to die with him when his time comes? "I'll be travelling a bit too. Within the Holds, tracing, as best I can, Laris' path. Might be in Xanadu for a bit, then Drake's Lake. Never out of touch," he assures his brother. "And always with other Harpers." Never alone. And yet there's something that IS making Rayathess hesitate. There's more?
Ezra exhales softly, watching his brother closely. For…what? Any signs of hesitation, perhaps. "Okay," he finally says with a small nod. "I think…it's a good thing to document it. Can Stonehaven have a copy of the final report?" There's another little nod for his part in it. "Of course."
The travel, his brows knit but then he nods, but when Rayathess hesitates, Ezra just lifts his brows and waits. Yes?
"Of course Stonehaven can have a copy!" Rayathess almost scoffs. It'd be ridiculous if their family cothold never received one! Ezra won't have to wait for long, though it's obvious he's picking his words carefully as he explains a few more things. "… documenting this also means getting the account of other survivors and witnesses and victims." Rayathess repeats again while watching his brother closely and trying to see if he can catch any glimmer of understanding in his younger sibling before he continues. "Which means I'd have to go speak with the holdless again. Former, like Laurali and Hazelon and the dragon rider quartet and… current holdless." The ones who didn't adapt back to civilized life.
Ezra's frown sharpens. "Lyreh." No. He's not pleased about that. Not pleased at all. "I'm going with you when you talk to her."
Rayathess's frown deepens too and his jaw sets stubbornly. He figured this would happen and he's prepared himself, but it still isn't easy to argue against your own brother. "No, you're not, Ezra. She won't talk if you're there with me and neither will any of the other holdless. And it's risky." Which brings up the painfully awkward and implied but unspoken words: Ezra's life is worth more than Rayathess', at least in his mind.
"If it's risky then you shouldn't be doing it either," Ezra says with a firm frown. "What if something happens?"
Rayathess just levels his brother with a look that says it all: he's not going to budge on this. Not a single inch! So he'll continue to frown and almost stare his sibling down. His mind is set and made up. "Nothing will happen because I'll be careful. I know them and it's not like I'm going to walk right into a nest of renegades. These are holdless. There's a difference. And Lyreh, as abrasive and unable to adapt as she is, she's not evil, Ezra and she's the only… current holdless I trust. I need to try and see if she won't tell me, even if a small snippet, as to why she chose the path she did, when she had the chance to escape it. Faranth, I don't even know if she'll talk to me! You know how she is." For all they know, she'll tell Rayathess to go shove off in a very colourful and insulting manner and then disappear or just not appear at all.
Ezra knows that look. He /knows/ that look his brother's got and it /grates/ on him. Still, he's already beginning to waver, and a moment later he's giving in, slumping and pouting with his arms over his chest. "/Fine/." Sulk. "You'd better be careful," he mutters. Stare. Sulk.
Rayathess hates having to do it, but he will not budge on this. Already this project is starting to take a hold of him and he will see it through. His expression softens a bit when Ezra gives in, "You know I'll be careful. I'll have Cervena or Gren come to you, when the day comes that I have to venture out." He grimaces, "Ezra… don't sulk." he grumbles. Seriously! He's… how old now?
18. Still young enough to sulk. Which he does. "I just worry about you, brother," he mutters. "I know you'll be careful…"
Rayathess sighs softly, "I know you do and that's why I'll be careful. I'm not doing this to make you worry yourself sick over me and I really do not plan to die for this project either. Still too young and haven't experienced everything life has to offer," he mutters, smirking at his brother. "Speaking of which…" Uh oh. Topic change! And if there's one thing he enjoys getting under his brother's skin about it's… "How's Laurali of late?" Smirk. He's starting to clean up the mess he's made on the table, hide by hide and scroll by scroll, but he's listening! And watching.
Ezra jerks a bit when he mentions Laurali, giving his brother a look. "She's, uh, she's fine. Senior Apprentice now." Grin. "She'll be posted at Stonehaven pretty soon too, with Journeyman Sarah. I'm really…excited to have her there," he admits, looking a bit sheepish.
Rayathess blinks. "Senior Apprentice? When did that happen? I thought… didn't Healer Hall just finish their exams?" he asks, sounding clearly surprised. Someone is out of the loop and that's bad for a Harper! Second surprise is her posting, though he's not so much at the location of it. It's how soon! "Huh. Well! That's great. So you've a Journeyman Healer and a Sr. Apprentice. Nicely done…" he murmurs and at the sheepish look, he only chuckles. "Excited?" Don't grin. Don't grin. He'll pretend to shuffle some more of those hides too.
Ezra grins widely. "Yup! It's /happening/, Raya," he whispers excitedly. "It's actually happening. I've a Beastcrafter too, doing his trial run to see if he wants to stay. And the fields…there's /food/ growing out there." Free food! "It's amazing. I'm so excited." Not just about Laurali, clearly.
Of course it's more than just Laurali, but Rayathess couldn't resist teasing Ezra about it and he'll rightly sober when his brother shares the rest. He smiles and there's pride there, as well as happiness and all for his brother's accomplishments. "Knew you had it in you, to be Stonehaven's holder. So you're on schedule then, for the reopening?" he asks, standing from his chair to begin returning some of the books he's pulled off the shelves.
Ezra nods, "Yup, right on schedule. Well," he grins, "we're ahead of schedule actually, but I want to give folks a few days off when things get closer, so. That's my secret goal…"
Rayathess chuckles and shakes his head, "So you've secret goals now?" he teases him gently, though there's approval in his tone and the look he gives his brother. Shards, he's going to make a good holder! Stepping back to the desk, he won't take his seat again and instead ruffles his brothers hair and goes about slipping a few sheets into a folio. "You eaten yet?" he asks, glancing from him to the door and back again. Brunch? "I've a candlemark or so left before I have to go to my afternoon classes."
Ezra ducks his head and bats his hand away at the hair ruffling, pushing to his foot. "I'm always hungry." If he's eaten or not is irrelevant.
Rayathess smirks when his hand is batted away and with the folio now tucked under this arm, he'll gesture for Ezra to follow him. "Figured as much," he mutters with a grin and he'll head to the door and open it. "Come on. If we hurry, we may not miss out entirely on breakfast but also get the best of lunch." Win-win scenario there! "And it won't be too crowded." Bonus. So off he goes down the halls, at a reasonably brisk pace and making sure that Ezra is keeping up. There's only so much time left and half of it they'll spend eating and Rayathess will try to make the most of what remains of their visit before his classes draw him away. One day he won't have to be at the Hall regularly anymore. One day.