Drake's Lake Area - High Plains
The high plains here rise to the Southern Barrier Range from the shores of Drake's Lake, which can be seen shimmering in the distance to the north. Wild and rough, somewhat arid, the rocks, scrub brush and waist-high grasses whispering dryly in the prevailing winds do little to obscure the untamed beauty of the shining snow-clad mountains rising to the south. Numerous beasts, those native to Pern an well as those brought by the colonists, flourish here. Bovine, both wild and feral graze the plentiful grasses along with feral runners, shaggy-haired porcine root the hard ground with deadly tusks, turning over the soil for new growth, which is inturn picked over by flocks of wherries. Overhead solitary raptors ride the wind while in hidden ravines, rocky streams, winding around boulders provide water and shelter for other creatures.
Tacitly, Ha'ze is under Jajen's command here. But for the last sevensday? Ha'ze just hasn't been found. He's faded back into the jungle and hasn't even made his way into the cottage that the goldrider said it was his for the duration. It isn't hard to find him, but unless someone is looking they won't. Of course, if they do look, they're find him here as far away from the limited civilization here as possible. A small scrub brush gives shade to himself and the bottle by his side - one of the few things he had taken from Jajen. From his smell? It's likely that drinking and sleeping is about all the bronzerider has done the last few days.
There is one person that may be looking for Ha'ze, someone that is very good at finding people, very good at tracking and lets face it Abigail tends to find people when she starts to look for them. The brownrider has taken a few days off from sweeps and the like, as of such she is here with Niumdreoh and a pair of her canines, the twins though are at Fort in the hands of the nannies it seems. Right now though Abey is moving along slowly, one canine searching before her and another is off and dozen or so yard and getting ever closer to whree Ha'ze is under that bush. Niumdreoth follows overhead, the large brown keeping a close eye over the area below.
Kainaesyth doesn't give more than a gentle greeting to the brown. He hasn't lost Jajen's gold's side for a moment except to eat since arriving. The two exiled dragons are finding a great deal of solace in one another. There's only one sign that Ha'ze isn't passed out drunk at the moment, and that's the movement of the bottle to his mouth… then slowly back down onto the ground again. He hears the dogs, and surely Kainaesyth has told him the name of the brown above… but he doesn't move.
Niumdreoth offers a greeting back to Kainaesyth but does not get into deep conversation with him, the brown is quiet even for himself to say the least. His rider is troubled that is for certain. Abigail moves along slowly, one of the canines is close to that bush and pauses while snuffling out towards the bush that Ha'ze is near and pauses with a low wruff escaping it. Abbey lets her pale gaze drift towards the canine watching him a moment before the bit of movement is caught and a soft breath escapes her while she pushes onwards. "Ha'ze…?" Is soon questioned.
Ha'ze is laying on his back looking upwards at the sky. When Abigail's questioning voice rings out he seriously considers not answer. But as her footfalls bring her closer and finally within view around that bush he does speek. Flatly. "Abigail." Not wingleader, not Abbey. Just her name. His grip on that bottle tightens slightly.
Abigail is quiet for a few moments as she watches him quietly from her spot. There is a pause before she shifts and just sits down upon the ground and one of the canine's moves to settles down next to her. "None left to share I take it?" Meaning the booze it seems, she can smell him from here after all.
"Nope. Last bottle." Which means that Ha'ze is either going to have to brave Jajen for more or start sobering up after this. The bottle finds his lips then settles down again. "What do you want Abigail?" It comes out perhaps a bit harsher than Ha'ze had intended it to, but some of that might be his diet this last week of straight alcohol and lack of bathing beyond dips in the lake.
Abigail lifts a brow slightly as she looks to Ha'ze watching him a moment before her gaze drifts off as she takes in the area. "I just wanted to see if you was alright…" Perhaps she shouldn't have come, she lways manages to find him though and everytime she's been able to bring him home. Thugh that won't happen this time, he'll have to stay and some part of her wonders if he would even go back if able right now.
"Peachy. Just beautiful. Couldn't be any fucking better." EAch word is almost bitten off as Ha'ze spits them out. The bottle comes to his lips but… it's empty. Rather than continue to sit next to Abigail Ha'ze sits up, and tries to shove himself to his feet. It's more of a stumble than a true action - Ha'ze is drunk. Very drunk.
"Yer drunk, I suppose everything feels just peachy at the moment." Abigail says while she looks back to him, watching him quietly and she makes no move to try and help him. "Ye should sit back down before ye fall down Ha'ze." She is choosing her words carefully right now, she wants to say so much… Yet now does not seem to be the time, his runk after all.
"Fuck you Abigail." The words underscore the sarcasm of his flippant reply. Somehow he manages to stumble up onto his feet and look down at the woman. His eyes are bloodshot and his hair is more than a little dishelved. Of course, now that he's standing upwind of her, the smell is even more evident too. "What do you want? Come to try to make something about this chicken shit right? Because it isn't. None of it."
Abigail there is a pause, a very long pause as she hears those words. If anyone else said that well, his never seen her really mad now has he? She shifts slowly while standing up and brushes her hands off and lets her pale gaze rest upon his. "No, I didn't come here to sugar coat things Ha'ze." This said with a faint mutter. "Though I don't think now is the time to talk with ye, not like this."
"Then why are you here? As you can see," Ha'ze spreads his arms wide and knocks himself off balance. A few staggering steps are taken backwards before Ha'ze is able to regain it, and glare at Abigail, "I'm not dead. And Kainaesyth would probably tell Iaverulth before I did anything stupid and someone would come drag my butt back to civilization. "
"Because, people do things for those they care about." Abigail says softly while eyeing him a few long moments. "Why did you take those kids out to the Seahold's…?"
"Heh, whatever." When he's not drunk Ha'ze probably would be willing to admit that he does care about Abigail. And even drunk he is willing to admit that he loves his kids. But he is drunk. And no one has mentioned the twins yet. "I already told Th'ero. Don't tell me he didn't already talk to you… wingleader." Sarcasm there, heavy and dark. There's anger in his eyes, anger like what use to burn there for Ustrr.
Abigail is use to things, use to more things then she's ever told Ha'ze. This was something she worried about for a long time, that they would be at odds with one another, though she didn't think it would be now of all times. "Th'ero told me some of what happened, his side of it. Not yer side of it." Because here she is talking to him to get his side of things. "Do ye honestly think that I don't care about ye Ha'ze?" This is questioned quietly even as he stare's her down.
Ha'ze brings up a hand, the one holding the empty bottle, and points to her shoulder. "Would you be willing to give that up?" He means the knot. From the angry look in his eye it's that particular symbol that he's more mad at. "Yeah. I sent the candidates out. Asked them to go listen. And they did. They were useful. And not a fucking one of them got hurt." Ends justify the means.
Abigail glances to her shoulder a moment before sending a glance back to Ha'ze. "Would that honestly mean anything to ye if I would?" She questions curiously. "The knot doesn't make the person Ha'ze." This said with a soft tone and a slight frown is seen. "No, they didn't get hurt but that is not the point. What if something happened out there, with them, with ye?" She questions curiously.
"No. Because you wouldn't." Ha'ze is done - done with a lot of things right now. Especially anything that wears the colors of the Weyr. "No. It doesn't matter. I don't have to explain what I did to Th'ero, and I sure as hell don't have to explain it to you." Unsteadily Ha'ze turns away and he begins to make his stumbling way away from Abigail, towards the lake.
"The Weyr is all I have Ha'ze." Abigail sends after him, making no move to follow him. "Besides the twins, Nium and ye I got nothing else." Though it seems there is no 'them' anymore. Perhaps it was just the writing on the wall and she missed it, perhaps it was always there and she chose the over look it. There is a slight pause and she shakes her head while glancing Niumdreoth who has settled a good distance away and is watching. "Until yer past whatever this is… I will not bring the twins here." She looks towards him now. "When yer sober and feel the need to see yer children I suppose then we're talk more."
"You have." Ha'ze stops his weaving steps to look backwards. Drawing moisture up to his lips he spits at the ground. "And I'm not a part of that. If you want to keep my kids away from me then you'll do it. That's what Th'ero sharding wanted when he exiled me here." He shakes his head once and turns away. The bottle slips from his fingers and hits the ground - sue him for littering next and he's going to walk away. This time, no matter what she says, he's going to keep walking.
"Th'ero told me to bring the twins, told me to talk to ye. He sent ye here because ye broke the rules Ha'ze and for no other reason." Abigail states while watching him move further away. She frowns and shakes her head slightly. "Ye damn well know I wouldn't keep them from ye unless there was a reason Ha'ze." Her gaze turns back to him and as he keeps walking she just watches. She's sad, sadder then she's been in a long time. A soft whistle is heard and the canines are up and she is heading towards Niumdreoth, seems the conversation is over.