NOTE: Lots of swearing. Lots and lots of it!


Talk about a tumultuous day! While the confrontation out by the northeast bowl has settled, the ripples are still progressing through the Weyr itself. Dragons, riders and weyrfolk are still on the uneasy side but there's also relief. Mr'az has been dealt with, finally, and is currently undergoing preparations for his "farewell trip" south. Temporary, but necessary. Of course this means the Weyrsecond is now acting-Weyrleader, putting Ha'ze into the highest rank possible. Who'd have ever thought? With the dust settling, none were truly surprised to see Th'ero following the younger bronzerider to the offices. Only the discussion within wasn't a pleasant one. THAT bit of news will travel too: Th'ero has been exiled along with Mr'az. Why? For his supposed work against Mr'az. Is there treason within a Weyr structure?

Returning to his weyr, Th'ero is in a dark mood and for once even Velokraeth is quiet and withdrawn while his rider rummages about inside for the necessities he'll need for a sevenday worth of exile. IF that is all it is to be.

Varmiroth appears above the bowl, fresh from a trip down south to feed and releive some of the strain on the weyr's stores, and that's when he hears the gossip spreading. The blue is quick to land on their ledge, his thoughts reaching to Velokraeth's. « What has happened? » he asks as Kimmila dismounts and strides into their weyr, still pulling off her gloves and goggles.

Velokraeth has already curled up quite tightly, allowing Varmiroth to land with ease. The bronze's mind is acrid and sharp, more wood-smoke and bitter taste than the usual honeyed wines. « Much has happened. » he explains, clearly displeased. No need to see the whirling of his eyes to determine that. « Zhirazoth's rider is no longer Leader and has been sent away. Kainaesyth's now stands as Leader, at least for now. We're to be sent away too. » Is that enough of an answer? Th'ero has no idea Kimmila is back. He's too busy brooding and packing a rucksack.

Varmiroth laughs. It's not funny, to be sure, but it's one of those 'omg what?' laughs. « Kainaesyth's…surely I heard you wrong, brother. » Inside, Kimmila pauses and frowns. "What?" she says aloud, echoing Varmiroth's thoughts.

Velokraeth's smokey silence will be the only answer for Varmiroth. No, the blue heard him right! With a sigh that sounds more like a disgruntled growl, the bronze begins to flex his forelegs in preparation for take off later. Inside, Th'ero hears Kimmila's outburst and steps out from their small and cramped bedroom. Without a word, he strides to her and slips one arm around her to draw her into an embrace. Is that enough of a sign too that shit has hit the fan?

Kimmila is still blinking, confused as he pulls her to his side. "Wait. What? He's…what?" she stammers, leaning back to peer up at Th'ero. "You're leaving?"

Th'ero doesn't answer her quite yet. Maybe he's incapable? His hand lifts to the back of her head, allowing her to lean back and peer but not for long. He leans forwards himself to rest his forehead to hers and holding her there. "Not of my choice," he whispers gruffly. "I've been exiled along with Mr'az. Ha'ze will not turn back his decision." Which means he's tried to 'talk' to the bronzerider and, predictably, that didn't go over well at ALL.

Kimmila scowls darkly, giving her head a firm shake. "Don't leave yet." She gives him a firm, fierce kiss, and turns to storm out and mount up, Varmiroth tumbling off the ledge again.

She may have wanted to stick around to hear all the details but Th'ero knows better than to try to stop her once she has it in mind to GO. He returns her fierce kiss, following her as far as the ledge and watching her leave with Varmiroth. « It'd have been nice to see her rip him a new one, wouldn't it? » Velokraeth intones dryly to his rider which has Th'ero laughing low in his throat. Just a brief spell but it helps — a little.


The Weyrleader should probably be at the weyr. But seriously. When has Ha'ze done what he is suppose to do? So he is here talking to a small time holder/farmer about whatever would be appropriate for the season. What season is it?

It's summer, and life is grand. Except when it's not. Like it's not right now. Varmiroth glides down to land and Kimmila dismounts, stalking up to the Weyrleader after giving the cotholder a brief nod. "Sir," she says to Ha'ze through gritted teeth. She even salutes. Kind of. "A word?"

Ha'ze was warned by Kainaesyth of the incoming so he is just going to ignore Kimm for a bit. Finsh his conversation with a handshake and a smile. Then to her. "Don't bull shit me with the sir. He can come back in a seven. "

Kimmila eyes him. "The fuck is he leaving in the first place for? What'd he do?"

"He exiled me for turns and never over turned it." He could have. Even if Ha'ze didn't come back he could have. "My children barely knew me and I had no chance to try to fix things with Abbey."

Kimmila rolls her eyes. "Did you ever ask to come back, Ha'ze? Your first act as Weyrleader shouldn't be…some…vindictive bitch slap."

Ha'ze shakes his had slowly. "I am being vindictive. Just be gad I didn't try to stab him. That is more my style."

Kimmila snorts. "Even you know you couldn't have gotten away with /that/. Don't exile him. Be the bigger man." Bigger than…himself, apparently. Not like there's two sides to this argument, it's just Ha'ze vs. Ha'ze.

"I thought about making them both go to Drake's Lake." Haze isn't backing down. "But I actually like the people there."

Kimmila puts her hands on her hips and scowls at him. "Well. He's not going." Alright, let's see where /this/ goes.

"Yes. He is. And I'll get backup from someone else to enforce it." Ha'ze is not amused. This is happening. Period. End of story. "He thinks you should stay. I think you should go have a vacation. Nothing's going to fall apart in a seven."

Kimmila eyes him. "Backup from whom? Surely Nyalle doesn't approve of this." Then she laughs. "With you in charge? I give it three days."

"Do I care?" Because Ha'ze doesn't. Honest to goodness he doesn't. A snort of almost laughter, "Kimm, I'm going to do jack shit. The Wingleaders know how to do their jobs and they can do whatever needs to do. And them?" A thumb hooks towards the retreating holder's back, "They like me. I know which fields have blight. I know when their animals are sick. I've spent more time with them then any rider, before and after exile. I talk their language."

Kimmila eyes him, straightening up a bit. "Excuse me? I beg your pardon? Have you forgotten what /my/ wing does?" Th'ero who? This is a matter of professional and personal pride, right here.

"You talk diplomatic talk with them. I get down in the dirt." Because Kainaesyth is awesome and everyone knows Ha'ze is awesome. "I drink with them, cut their firewood when they need it. Help grandmothers across the road." In other words, Ha'ze is a boyscout.

Kimmila continues to eye him. "You know fuck all what my wing does, Ha'ze. We do everything." But. Yes. Kainaesyth is awesome.

"But you're still from the Weyr." Which… now Ha'ze is too. Where is that Weyrleader knot again? Oh. Probably on a desk somewhere. Ha'ze isn't wearing it. "Th'ero's going. Call it an extended vacation, I don't give a damn. He's going."

"So are YOU," Kimmila says firmly. "No. He's not."

Ha'ze isn't going to keep arguing with Kimmila. Th'ero's already said he'd go. To him, the bluerider's objection is exactly moot. "Go with him if you want." A beat. "He wants you to stay though."

Arguing with Ha'ze isn't any fun. Where's angry Ha'ze? Kimmila eyes him and crosses her arms over her chest. Continues to eye him. "Fucked if I need a drink," she finally mutters, turning…towards the cothold.

There is totally a tree right here, and Ha'ze leans against it watching Kimmila leave. A few steps before, "As soon as Jajen's eggs hatch you'll see a whole shitload less of me. He's going to win Kayeth's next flight. You know he will." Unless someone else does. Awkward.

Kimmila pauses to glance over her shoulder at him. "One would hope," she finally says. "C'mon." Inside.

An eyebrow arches upwards. Kimmila wants her to go drinking with him? A slight shrug of his shoulders and Ha'ze follows. Okay, so he's a little wary. Because Kimmila is a bitch.

Kimmila is a fun bitch? Inside the little cothold she veers off to their side room, where there's a small bar and casks of ale. Ah. "You know what this cothold is known for, right?" Kimm asks as she slides onto a stool and waits for the bartender to return from wherever he's been. It's a small cothold.

Hiked eyebrow and a thumb pointing in the general direction of the holder. It's an inaudible, duh. Cupping his hands around his lips Ha'ze shouts out, "Franzen, you fucker, there are people waiting!"

Kimmila smirks, leaning back against the low back of the stool, drumming her fingers on the bartop. "You know the game they play?" He won't know. Because she's going to make it up. Because…she's a fun bitch.

"Shut up you druken arse," that's the reply from the back. But Ha'ze just grins and settles down. "… I know you're probably fucking with me." There's a lot of that word. Bartender comes out wiping soot from his hands. This is not an OSHA approved workplace. "Hanze, you bastard." A flick of his eyes to Kimmila, "And a rider. Moving up aren't you?"

Kimmila rolls her eyes with a smirk. "Weren't calling me just a rider when we dug out those trenches and laid in that nice stone fence last season, Franzen, don't you remember me? Two ales, and keep them coming," she says, putting Smith marks down on the bar. Good currency in these parts.

Of course he does. Which is why Kimmila gets a grin, and the ales get put out. He doesn't leave the two of them alone either, but leans on the bar. "She'd trouble you know. She's with that last Weyrleader. Th'ero, aye?" A glance at Kimmila, though he knows very well the name.

Kimmila smirks. "Ha'ze knows very well how much trouble I am," she says dryly, tapping her bar mug on the bar. "Right. So, to the game." What game? He agreed to a game? "I win, Th'ero stays in Fort. You win, I'll leave with him. Sounds fair, right?" she asks aside to Franzen.

… Ha'ze had picked up that Ale but… nope. It goes back down. "Franzen, could you leave some and give us some space." Mr. bartender is all ?????????????????????????? right now, but their marks are good, so lots of ale gets left and he's gone. Only once the man is poof does Ha'ze turn back. "I'm not playing a game with this."

Kimmila watches Franzen leave, and turns to face Ha'ze, taking a long sip of her ale. She's giving him a head start, even! Head start to Sober Town. "Why not?"
"Because this is serious. Th'ero isn't staying. Period." Ha'ze knocks his knuckles agains the bar considering. "But we can play over if you go too."

Kimmila rolls her eyes. "How is it serious if Th'ero goes or stays?" Then there's a smirk. "Fine then, we'll play for that."

"Because when Th'ero comes back he's going to want people to obey the weyrleader." Not just Ha'ze. The OFFICE. "Mr'az destroyed it." Ha'ze… probably isn't going to repair it.

Kimmila takes another sip. "And…you told the entire weyr he's leaving, so him staying would be proving you wrong?" There's a low snort for that. "Fucking Mr'az…" Ha'ze brings out Kimmila's BEST language.

Ha'ze touches his nose. Th'ero understands he's got to go. Even if he doesn't like it. At least that's what Ha'ze is going to tell himself.

And Kimmila is just whining about it? Maybe a little, but it's STILL stupid Th'ero has to leave. She takes another big sip of her drink.

Ha'ze is going to drink steadily. So long as he and Kimmila drink the same amount, what does it matter who drinks faster? He's watching her - waiting.

Waiting for what? Kimmila gulps down that ale and then grabs for the other one. What…are the rules of this game again? "You know, I missed you when you were gone. Ha, I'm just kidding. I missed Kainaesyth."

For that, for her to say something. Another drink. Rules? One of them can't keep going. Easy. "Kainaesyth missed his fields. And being free." Bitter? Yes.

"Yeah, that part sucked," Kimmila mutters before gulping again at the ale. "So, have any new kids?"

"Just the three." That he knows about. But Drake's lake is pretty tight knit. He would have heard if someone was having a baby and everyone would have pointed at him. "They're four." All of them.

Kimmila nods. "Kyzen impressed. Bronze. In Igen." Scowl. "I don't like it."

Ha'ze loves his kids, but he's tough love. "I know." A beat, "I went and saw him."

Kimmila turns to look at him. "You did?"

"I hate your weyrmate. Not K'vir." A sideline glance at the bluerider as Ha'ze deliberatlly drinks the rest of his ale. Keep up Kimm.

Kimmila is already on her second! Keep up, Ha'ze. "Why do you hate my weyrmate?"

Ha'ze just finished his second! They're both going to die of poisioning. "Because he chose to lock me down. He stole my children from me. He had Iaverluth keep us chained." Ha'ze is a free soul. Exile, one thing. PRISON is different.

"Yeah but you were a dick."

"He could have exiled me. I screwed up. Not Kainaesyth." Seriously. Kainaesyth is innocent of his rider's dickery.

Kimmila shrugs. "You'll never get over it then?"

"Probably not. I'm pretty good at holding a grudge." Down goes #3. Seriously.

Kimmila keeps up. Seriously. "Why?"

A Shrug. Ha'ze doesn't have a reason. "I won't be chained again."

Kimmila shrugs back. "So? Leave Th'ero alone."

They've been over this. "When he comes back in a week he can do whatever the fuck he wants with Phoenix." Because Ha'ze is SO not taking over that wing.
Kimmila shrugs and puts her head down on the bar. "This is cold."

"I burned a man alive turns back Kimmila." Ha'ze isn't exactly known for warm and fuzzy.

Kimmila says, “So you want to burn me alive?”

"Aren't I?" Ha'ze arches an eyebrow. "Figured you and Th'ero as a pair." One gone, hurts the other. Win-win.

Kimmila lifts her head to stare at him. "Th'fuk I've done to you?"

Stare at Kimmila. Stare. Let her come up with what.

Kimmila drinks more. Stares back.

A shrug again. If she's not going to say, no worries. More Ale. He's going to win.

He probably will, because Kimmila throws up on him.

That sucks. That really sucks. Ha'ze freezes when Kimm tosses her cookies. "Damn woman." That was his favorite vest. "Let's go." He stands and lets vomit slide onto the ground. yum.

Delicious. "No."

"Alright." Ha'ze steps back from her and reaches for a rag. Let's see her get up.

Nope. Not getting up.

"I bet you a mark you can't walk without stumbling." Ha'ze… probably has a full mark.

Kimmila giggles. "You win." Here's a mark.

… "Man. I didn't figure it would be this easy." So… should he leave her? Or pay lip service to his new knot and drag her home?

Kimmila is a burden to Ha'ze. She wins.

Damn woman. A sigh as Ha'ze steps forward again and reaches under her arm to haul her up.

Kimmila is hauled! Wherever Ha'ze wants.

Damn being responsible. Kimmila makes it home safe and sound and Ha'ze steals one of Th'ero's shirts. TAKE THAT.


Well — that was unexpected? Having Kimmila delivered to him drunk by Ha'ze no less (and he hated that shirt anyways, so jokes on him!) was not at all on Th'ero's lists of reasons the bluerider was so delayed in returning. Not that he's in THAT much of a hurry to leave Fort. "Shards, Wingmate. What have you done?" he sighs softly as he goes to her side, to help her — if she wants it.

Ha'ze will be smelling Th'ero. Ha. "I lost," she says with a quiet giggle, leaning heavily on him.

"Of course you did, you tried to out drink Ha'ze!" Th'ero mutters with a smirk. That'd be like trying to out drink him! And with ale! Isn't she usually fond of ciders? "Come on, lets get you on the couch. I think we still have some klah…" Which he's going to 'spice' with a few things — namely herbs to help with the later (or present) side effects of drunkeness.

Kimmila shakes her head. "I tried to win to keep you here," she mutters. "But then I think, fuck it, let's just go somewhere."

Th'ero grimaces. He figured as much! "Thank you, for trying…" For what good it did. He won't tell her that it was a lost cause, that he'd already tried and wasn't going to be reduced to fighting Ha'ze. Again. Seeing her settled to the couch, he will make sure she is comfortable before he moves off to stir up the fire and get some klah brewing. "I suppose we could go to Keroon, if you're set on following me?"

Kimmila snickers. "Not right now, no. But later, then yes. Because screw him."

Th'ero looks up from where he was carefully measuring a few herbs into the brew. "I'm confused," he admits and can't help but chuckle dryly. "Just how much did you drink, Wingmate?"

Kimmila shrugs. "I don't know…"

That bad, huh? Th'ero won't press for more. "So, you don't want to go to Keroon?" he'll keep the questions simple and to a minimum, while he keeps an eye on her on the couch and silently wishing the klah would hurry up and brew already.

Kimmila blinks at him. "Yes. But not now. I can't fly good right now."

"Not now. In the morning," Th'ero corrects and walks over to their tiny little 'kitchen' if it can even be called that. He finds some flat bread and a hummus-like dip to bring back to her. "Here. Have a little of this. It'll help." And so will the klah, now that it's done and he walks off to take it off the fire and pour her a mug.

Kimmila nods. "Okay…" She'll reach for the mug with an eager hand.

Th'ero won't keep the mug away when she seems so eager for it. "Careful," he warns and may linger to be sure she's not about to go dumping the contents on herself. He'll try to encourage her to have some of the food too before joining her and sitting beside her on the couch.

Kimmila leans heavily against him. "I couldn' make Ha'ze angry…" She is sad.

"What did you speak to him about?" Th'ero asks, supporting her as she leans against him. If it were a different situation, he would be amused that she was upset over not baiting Ha'ze into an argument but he has a lot on his mind.

Kimmila shrugs. "Tryin' to keep you in Fort…"

Th'ero shakes his head, "I could have told you that was a lost cause, Wingmate. He's bent on revenge and he won't let up until he's had it. And what he said in public, about my working behind Mr'az's back — well, he's not entirely lying there." So he's not PURELY innocent but not exactly exile-worthy.

Kimmila snorts. "He's an idiot." Just because he is. "So. Keroon. Sevenday?"

Th'ero won't argue with her there and tilts his head to gently kiss her forehead. "Drink your klah, love." Time to sober up a little more. "Mhm, so it would seem. Keroon, Drake's Lake — it doesn't matter. He said so himself: I can go wherever so long as it's not Fort territory."

Kimmila nods. "That sounds good. Real good. Now, sleep."

"Finish that," Th'ero points to her mug, "And eat a little more. Then we'll sleep." And she better not gripe about the pre-dawn wake up she's going to get either! He hugs her close, "I am glad you're coming with me but… aren't you concerned about your work with the cotholds? Should you be gone so long?"

Kimmila shrugs. "Ha'ze said go. I go. Screw him."

Th'ero sighs softly, "Alright." They'll have to discuss this more when she isn't working off several ales. He'll make sure she finishes most of her klah and coax a bit more food into her before he stands and helps her up. "Come on. We'll sleep now." As promised.

Kimmila does as he asks and slumps against him, snuggling close. "I love you."

If they were still in their old weyr, he'd have made her a bath too but alas! At least their hide-away in Keroon has one. And no one knows where it is. Maybe this exile won't be entirely terrible? "I love you too, Wingmate. We'll make this work." he murmurs and snuggles back against her as she slumps against him. Off to bed they go! The morning will be coming fast…


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