Ista Region - Redtide Hold (This is part of an Istan TP)
This small hold's center is located in the cliff overlooking the ocean, just a short distance to the docks where the community's prized fishing ships are moored. Smaller buildings line the outside of the cliff for private family apartments, stables, and other craft necessities. The courtyard has been transformed with pallets for the injured, Healers awaiting in buildings that have survived the destruction nearby for those that need immediate care as well as more at the Weyr waiting for those that can be transported by riders. Two large steel doors open up to the main hall, the largest cavern in the whole place.
This main gathering hub has taken the most of the damage, its ceiling caved in and nearly completely filled in by rubble with little access to the smaller tunnels and rooms. Rescuers have removed rock and debris from a storeroom, to the right after entering the main hall from the entrance, whose wooden door has been broken inwards, allowing a 'crawl' space to be open among the debris, thick wooden beams set up around it to keep any smaller cave ins from closing the gap.
Earlier, a small contingent of riders wearing Istan and Healer knots landed to deliver some supplies a little ways up the coast. The delivery went off swiftly, without any of the expected hitches. A low flyover to check for survivors after, given all of the conflicting rumors flying, has led to a landing to check out an area where it looks like digging has been going on to pull people out. "It's awfully quiet," D'son says to Thea as he pulls some equipment off of Inimeth, who's all muddied up to look more brown than bronze. "But … you never know."
Thea looks uneasy as she shrugs the strap of medical supplies on her shoulder and steps up beside D'son. "It's quiet. Shouldn't there have been someone to meet us?" She shades her face, lifting one hand to peer up at the hold. Her Healer knot flutters in the breeze on the shoulder of her riding leathers. A frown forms on her face as she looks at the rubble. "It doesn't look like there's anyone here." She turns to peer out to the ocean. "Huh. No fishing boats. That's really odd." A puff of wind stirs her hair and she sweeps the dark strands out of her face, turning back to the hold. "Maybe we should go have a look?"
"It's eerie," comments Sigam as he slides from a blue's back, giving the dragon a pat on the side in thanks for his patience. Sad eyes look around, even as he reaches for his own equipment, hoisting it onto his shoulders. "I visited here when I was a kid, I think. At least, the rubble looks familiar." An Ista Hold knot peeks out from under his stuff, looking slightly worse for wear, but intact after so many years. He eyes Thea for a long moment, contemplative as he follows her gaze out to sea. "Might as well. What could it hurt?"
D'son nods agreement with the others. THere's three other riders along with Thea, Sigam and D'son and the little knot of 'Istans' starts up towards the site they saw from above. "Yeah, check it out, make sure the ground is stable," Dels says with a nod. "And if there's anyone who needs help. Okay, up that way," he gestures and moves off with a shovel and a sack slung over his shoulder.
The area is mostly empty, as most people that were in need of rescuing had been rescued over the last few weeks. While some aftershocks still happen, and other areas collapsed, miners had helped evacuate the areas that were under threat long ago. Meanwhile watchriders have been sweeping, guards posted nearby in case of more fires and more looting. Smoke was seen nearby and some people sent out to go look, but have yet to return to the hold so the coast was clear for exactly what they were fearing. Looting. But several guards were kept posted nearby to keep a lookout. Meanwhile Ph'lip, Search and Rescue wingleader, is just sweeping in low over the forests to look for suspicious activity, having pulled along a few riders with him.
"Oh you did? " Thea gives Sigam a look of sympathy, "Must be hard to see the place ruined like this." She hesitates, then starts up towards the hold after D'son, pausing to peers about now and then. "I don't hear any cries for help. That can't be good." She steps carefully, trying not to tread on anything unstable, but through all the rubble and no path cleared, that's not really all that easy to do. A large slab rocks underfoot and her arms wave wildly for balance.
Amongst the knot of Istans, Tellus from the minecraft is waiting for a large container to be unloaded from one of the dragons. "Easy there, " chides the miner. She runs to the container and opens a little door, "S'okay Tesk." A smile is given to the rider, "Thanks! Come back for us later? We'll call."
Niah and Celiketh, needing to escape from there duties have joined Ph'lip on his sweeps. The voilet blue dragging flying in low, with Niah looking down at the forest, scanning back after forth over the destruction, teal eyes begining to tear up. Glancing at Ph'lip she says, "How could anyone have survived.." Quietly clinging to her dragon, who gives a little quirk of his, head, and Niahs body tense, her head snapping to the side and then shaking it. "Just seeing things.." She mutters.
Sigam shrugs, nodding in a vague response to Thea. "As a SeaCrafter, there are few ports you don't visit, especially on home turf. It's certainly not pleasant." Though her look is sympathetic, his returning smile is grim. "Yes, sir," is the Dragonhealer's response for D'son, eyes immediately riveting themselves to the ground, sweeping for sunken areas. "It does seem too quiet, doesn't it? But maybe people have just given up. Or are knocked out." Sigam frowns, nearly missing the goldrider's stumble, but as her arms begin to windmill, he reaches out for one of her arms, giving her something to hold on to. "Careful!"
Shorynia sits adragonback with one of the sweepriders, looking for survivers more than anything else. Her face has a dark, determined set, but she spares a glance from the ground for Niah, "I survived." Her simple statement says what she thinks most every day. Her tiny blue Tipsy and green Queen fly alongside their large cousins, occassionally dipping down to see a particularly interesting feature.
"/Many/ survived," corrects Ph'lip in his deep voice, booming across the breeze towards Niah and the others, but his face says it all as he keeps his eyes to the ground. "But some places did get it worse than others." He circles, still a bit away from the main hold, to land briefly where Tellus and Tesk was dropped off, "Alright there Miner? Head to the Hold, they guards should be expecting you." Except the guards had yet to return from the forest, leaving it to the sweepriders to catch those three digging around where they shouldn't be digging.
"You all right?" D'son asks looking over his shoulder at Thea while the other riders in the group get ahead of them by a few paces and pause by a spot that looks all caved in and slightly dug at, but like it could still use some investigation. Dels lags behind them a little, concerned over that rocking stone. "Shells it's all torn up around here, maybe it's not actually stable enough," he says warningly and calls ahead a little. "Guys, be careful it might not be stable!"
"All of them, though?" Thea's finding that a bit strange as she walks, then nearly loses her balance before Sigam steadies her. "Thanks- it looked stable." A glance at him to convey her gratitude from eyes drawn with worry for the people here, before she steps off the slab. She nods to D'son, "I am, yes." She eyes the area, "Why's it all dug up like that? It makes no sense to me why anyone would dig here." She pauses once more to sweep the area, head cocked to listen for sound. A movement in the sky from the corner of her eye has her looking up. "Riders." She has nothing but relief in her voice a she points towards them.
Celiketh rumbles deep in his chest, dropping down in almost a dive, and lets out a loud bugle, "It's that.. that bronzerider, the xanaduian." The violet shaded blue dragons eyes are a deep crimson, as he comes upon the xanadu bunch, the little bluerider on his back's jaw nearly touching her cleavage as she glares at them. "You.. How DARE you." She says from atop Celiketh, as the blue circles to try and find a clear spot to land.
Tellus glances around briefly then looks to Ph'lip, "Yes sir." As she walks away from the kennel, "I'll scream bloody murder if I need ya, but you get some rest I'll most likely need you when night hits." /Mrrrppph/ "Ha! Sleep!" The kennel bounces as if it is trying to follow, "Oh knock it off! And get some rest." She mutters, "Whers." Off to the hold she goes, being mindful to not break anything. "What a mess." She sighs, picking her way through the mess.
"I'm trying to be optimistic here, help me out," Sigam says in an attempt to be cajoling, a quirky smile lifting up half his face. "No problem. Everything's iffy here though, unfortunately." And it's true - even the Dragonhealer stumbles at one point, a dramatic arm-wobble stabilizing him. "I don't like this at all," he comments to D'son, eyeing the riders ahead of them as if that cave-in could open up at take more prisoners. "Riders?" Consternation is his new facial expression as he glances skywards, but unlike Thea, he's none-too-pleased by the arrivals. The angry yelling from the bluerider doesn't help. Swearing loudly under his breath, Sigam skips ahead carefully, pulling up beside his Weyrleader. "I think they recognized us. I can use my family as an excuse to be here, and it may extend to protect you, to a degree, if you'd like." He leaves the offer open as he wheels around again, keeping Celiketh in sight.
D'son tips a look upward and his focus goes vague for a moment. "Inimeth's recognizing riders from the Search and Rescue wing," he notes and comes to a halt. "Might be a good idea to back off. They could probably —" he breaks off as Niah starts yelling something but can't make out the words. "Shoot. Mm, just have to explain," Dels says with determination and a certain set to his jaw.
Ph'lip and his green take off again, keeping his riders in sight before turning in the direction that Niah went. "What'd you see?" he calls out, but soon enough he gets a good look himself finally. His eyes narrow immediately on the muddied bronze, as if recognizing him, and then he starts winging that way as well, having a smaller dragon to find a safe landing. "Guards?" he calls loudly, though it's mostly a question and not a summons, because none of the ones that should be stationed around here were in sight. "What the sharding hell— Niah, land at the other end, block them off! No one else is supposed to be flying these sweeps." Which means he's pissed, even if he still sounds quite collected about it.
Among those Istan S&R riders is an ashen-striped blue with an auburn-haired man astride him. A'dar and his blue Zeituth are making sweeps with the others, flying low to the ground, remaining quiet. He doesn't seem to care about who all's there - Xanaduians, Istans, whatever. It's all the same to him! He does look down as Ph'lip points them out. But he makes no visible reaction to seeing them. He does however, volunteer, "Sir! Shall I assist?"
Thea just stops right where she is at that shout. She's remaining calm, although her face is grave. She's away from D'son and Sigam by some yards now. One hand clutches that strap of healer supplies firmly as she waits for D'son to explain. Ph'lip's green lands and the Rider shouting also. She doesn't make a move to run, keeping relaxed and still. She does recognize that blue and the Rider, but for now keeps silent, chin up and standing straight. "We came to offer help." She says it calmly but clearly.
As the green finally lands, all tension drains out of Sigam's form. His strained expression collapses, leaving behind a world of calm graced only by a dose of puzzlement. "Very well," he says quietly to D'son, a flick of his eyes saying the bronzerider can call on him in an instant. "Hey!" Shouting and waving in greeting to Ph'lip, Sigam draws up to Thea, eyes perhaps too bright and too friendly. "Nice to see somebody out here's alive!," he calls again, voice booming through smiling lips. What a ham.
There's no point in pretending on D'son's end, he squares his shoulders, pushes back his bangs and has the other riders pull back and follow. "Ph'lip, Xanadu's duties," he says quite politely. "Good to see you again," Dels continues. "Looked like there was a spot over there where there might still be people stuck," the young weyrleader continues.
Celiketh wings around, locating a clear spot to land and cutting out the way to escape. Niah's never been one to, rush into things, so it's suprising that instead of waiting for others she dismounts with a thump. At as fast of a pace as she can manage, she goes over to where the group is located, tears rolling down her cheeks she looks at them, "You.. How could you do this!" She says, fists balled up, "You lived here, and you'd go off and so quickly come and steal. Steal from people who have no homes!" Pacing back and forth, not listening she rambles, "You would come and take whats left? And bring other people to help you?" Deep, dark circles are around Ni's eyes, and she appears to have gotten very little sleep. "Do you have something to say?" She asks D'son.
Oh, now where was she. Tellus keeps up, heading to the hold, or what's left. Decidely she finds a spot to guard, this looks good. She starts surveying the area, glancing towards the shouting. Trouble brews.
"Keep them in sight and check to see if there are any guards that were disposed of," Ph'lip instructs A'dar as he waves over to the young member of his Wing. "Help them if you do!" he growls half to himself, half to the others as he swings off his dragon and approaches them. "D'son," Ph'lip answers when he comes up to the one of the previous Wingleaders, as there had been a few since, and he's equally polite yet voice strained to keep an angry tone out of it. "It's not so good to see you… out here." He waves his hand towards the more distraught bluerider. "Easy, Niah. They could be at the bad place at the bad time, but still very bad of them. /What/ are you doing here and where in Faranth's name are the guards?"
Thea flickers a brief look at Sigam, before raising an arm to wave. "Anyone hurt here?" Niah's tears and emotional accusations has her lifting a brow in surprise. "Rider, please…" she says it gently, perhaps hearing hearbreak in the tone that Niah uses. Earnestly, "We would never do that, Rider. We came only to help." She watches the woman for a moment, "What can we do?" She's trying to make eye contact with the woman. She casts a look at A'dar, trying to meet his eyes. If she can do so, she shakes her head in a silent, 'no', then acts as if she doesn't know him.
"Stand down everyone," D'son says calmly enough and nods just once as Ph'lip draws nearer. Niah's tearful accusations make him blink in surprise and his mouth opens, the bronzerider for a moment wordless. "Shells, Niah … no," he says with a shake of his head. "We were flying over after dropping off supplies up the coast a little ways, from healer. Saw that spot where we thought some people might still need help. And guards? There's supposed to be guards?" Dels looks perplexed. "There weren't any when we arrived, though we did think it was a little odd it was so quiet."
A'dar's not jumping to any conclusions right now…but he's staying aware of things, keeping his wits about him. "Yes, sir!" he calls in response to Ph'lip's order, and sends Zeituth spiraling downward gracefully to land. As he does, he is able to meet Thea's gaze. He makes no motion that he's noticed, however. He says nothing. Anyone who knew him way back might note something. He doesn't look like the time he's spent in seclusion has been kind to him. But he merely goes about his assigned task, searching for the guards as Ph'lip asked him to. But he's also remaining close to the Xanaduians.
A brief glimpse of gold appears between the clouds far in the distance overhead. For anyone paying attention to the sky, it appears to streak and plummet towards the trees below, diving into them easily like a dolphin in chase of fish. Some heartbeats later Kerys emerges from the foliage with Quvianth not too far behind. She glances around furitively in search of Weyrwoman Ysa.
Sigam is listening quietly to the clipped words darting between Ph'lip and D'son, head tilted to one side. He doesn't move to take his equipment off his shoulder, but does seem to relax the grip he'd had on his shovel, letting his palm instead circle the pack's straps - a far less threatening gesture. "Stealing?," is his quiet balk against Niah's words, eyebrows arching. "Why would we steal? And what? Rocks?" His head shakes a bit. "We're taking in the holdless and giving aid, not taking what little they have left." He leaves Thea to pacify the bluerider, gaze shifting again to watch A'dar's progress. "Is it time for a shift change?," he adds to D'son's question about the guards, but he's not looking at Ph'lip. Instead, Quvianth has caught his eye. Interesting.
Niah lets Ph'lip do some talking, taking a moment to step back from the group, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at the ground in throught, once D'son begins to explain she gives nod, whether it's one of understanding, or one to indicate she's listening it's clear, her eyes remain glaze over for a moment and she looks at Thea, "How do we know?" she asks, turning back to watch Ph'lip, "D'son, theres nothing here, I doubt..anything is alive.. now." she squeaks out, turning meek quickly as confusion sets in, but she does manage one more thing, "Guards, because people have been stealing, stealing from people who have nothing anyways, and lighting the the rubble on fire.." She continues to cry, glancing at each one of them, and just letting Ph'lip speak, saying quickly to him, "I hope so.. I hope it's bad timing.. I hope they are better than this."
Thea relaxes imperceptibly. For a relaxed stance the tightness just around her eyes loosens as A'dar does not call out to her. As he nears and she sees him clearly, she chokes a cry down and averts her eyes hastily, covering it in a cough, missing the arrival of the gold dragon. She continues coughing softly, shoulders shuddering with the spasms. "Dust." She explains loudly enough to be heard, but her eyes are blinking back moisture. At Niah's question she lifts her head answering quietly reasonable, "Do renegades ride dragons?" She shakes her head as if to assure her they do not. At least she believes they do not. Her tone is sincere and she's looking Niah in the eyes.
Quvianth quietly takes in her surroundings, sidling up next to her rider. She does nothing more than that, for now. But her good eye is watchful as always. Kerys notes that the Weyrwoman wasn't here as she hoped and tucks the message she had been carrying discreetly back into her belt pouch. The sound of sobbing elicits a scowl from her normally joyful face.
Ph'lip's jaw is set sternly as he narrows his eyes at D'son. "Of course there's supposed to be guards here and no one other than the guards. We were coming to relieve some of them and keep watch." He turns his head just briefly to watch A'dar's progress, as if expecting him to suddenly call out that there was a dead body. Out of the corner of his eye, the flash of gold catches his attention and he lifts his arm that way to get Kerys's attention before turning back to the ground. Niah's words has his expression hardening some more. "Everyone that could have been taken, /have/ been. Were you given permission to come here to help, you would have know. By all means it certainly looks like you're up to no good." And here he snaps his head towards Thea, eyes narrowing. "We caught two dragonriders coming taking things out of Redtide. And isn't Xanadu the one that are the ones that are plagued with dragonriders as criminals?" As the rumors go afterall.
Tellus takes up a spot to survey the goings on of those becoming heated. She calls to Ph'lip, "Everthing okay over there?" She glances to the sky briefly then looks towards Ph'lip again.
A'dar just…stays silent. But he does send a sympathetic look to the visibly distraught Niah as he looks for signs of the guards. If he notices Thea's moment of near lost composure, again he says nothing. He's more concerned with his duties at that moment. Zeituth also looks more stern than in recent years; both he and his rider remain tactiturn and just continue their search for clues. Footprints? Signs of a scuffle? Something dropped? Dead bodies? Blood on the ground? Whatever he may find, he's prepared. He hopes. Tellus's arrival prompts a reaction from A'dar, and he straightens, looking at her for a moment, before returning to his search.
"You never know, could be someon that's … well lucky or unlucky depending on the way you look at it," D'son says with a touch of grimness to his expression. His gaze stays on the bluerider for a moment. "Niah — I'm sorry you're so upset, but I swear, I'd never okay /stealing/ from Ista. I'm responsible for any Xanadu riders coming in here and it's all because we couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If we've messed up by coming, well, so be it. But no one with any ties to Ista could just — not do something when we could. I'm Istan born and raised, this is still my home, I —" he swallows hard, stops, tries to regain composure. "Ph'lip if any riders came and took things here, you have my word, it wasn't any of us here today, or any Xanadu riders who came to help out."
Kerys briefly touches Quvianth on the shoulder before she trots over to Ph'lip. She gives him a sharp salute, "Kerys, sir, and Quvianth," She nods to the gold, "…of Ierne Weyrhold. We received word that our presence might be…needed…here." She glances once more to Niah.
"Here," Sigam murmurs to the coughing Thea, digging his free hand into a pouch of his pack and withdrawing one of the wet towels stored within. "Breathe through that." His eyes flicker with concern as he watches the incognito goldrider, curiosity lurking, but now's not the time for questions. "Ierne?" D'son is explaining their presence far better than the Dragonhealer ever could, so instead, he directs his attention to the approaching Kerys. Yes, she did look a little familiar. But the weyrhold was large - she wouldn't be likely to recognize one of many Dragonhealers that had passed through. "Nice to see the weyrs are coming out and supporting," he supplies as a sort of excuse for covering his surprise.
Thea does not look A'dar's way again. Instead she looks surprised by Ph'lip's comment and she sucks in a breath. "I did not know." She considers his harsh words for Xanadu carefully considering him as she answers, "Rumors have a way of becoming bent to the minds of the malicious. I heard there was a madman about who did something horrible, but he has disappeared. He was sought but not found." She says it firmly, adding, "If Renegades truly entered any Weyr borders surely they would not be welcomed there." She lifts her chin returning his gaze. Keyrs she does not know and there is no reaction when she steps up. she reaches for whatever Sigam is handing her without looking down, lifting it but not applying to her face. "Shouldn't the Wyers stand together in times like these?" Her tone is again a plea for sanity.
Tellus clucks her tongue, "Renegades are like vermin, they are everywhere. Waiting, until somebody makes a mistake, or they themselves become over-confident." Well that's her two cents on things. As for the rest, let the leaders hash it out. She's just a wherhanlder after-all.
Quvianth takes little notice of her rider's departure. Instead, she focuses on listening- a skill which the half-blind gold has honed to perfection. She isn't yet well acquainted with the delicate relationship between the two Weyrs, and her main concern is for anyone who may be injured, or indeed, dying here.
Niah nods to D'son again frowning and taking a step forward, "If.. if it was a mistake.. what? What're we to do?" Asking and picking up a piece of rubble, only to find the soiled remains of what was probably a childs toy, the bluerider picks the stuff firelizard up and grimaces. "Should we inform Ysa? Or the Weyrleader?" Wringing her hands and pacing again, to thea she says, "Dragons are the only things that can get here, and fires are being set, by someone, or someones, riding dragons." Her tone a little sharp.
Ph'lip shakes his head slowly, always keeping his eyes on the Xanaduians though. "No, you can't ever know. And I do not have the authority to do anything about it." Not that he looked remotely like he was going to tell them to have a nice day and let them off. "And we heard that riders joined him," says the greenrider to Thea again, eyes narrowing as he takes the young woman in, not recognizing her as any goldrider he's ever met. "Holders are right in not trusting riders. They are not all willing to do the good of their Weyr, and you should learn that by now. The Weyrs /should/ respect each other and help by obeying decisions. And by not resisting when we take you back to the Weyr for the guards /there/ to deal with you." There's a nod to Kerys, and he waves his hand towards the muddied Inimeth and any other dragons that weren't with him. "Make sure that /they/ don't get in the way!"
A'dar is more or less ignoring the goings-on with the riders. It's because of this that he hears the noises in the forest, and his head turns towards the foliage. He pauses a moment, giving a frown. Then his expression goes a bit unfocused for just a moment, and then he turns his back to the gathering of people there. He begins to circle around where he heard the chitchatting from, a hand to something sheated on his belt — probably a knife. Zeituth remains quiet, though his eyes swirl with a little worried color as his rider starts moving in a circle towards the forests. A'dar is quiet, and it's obvious that he's trying to be quiet. He's counting on not being seen by the arguing riders, and using the noise of their talking to cover his own approach as he makes for the forest….
Being that Inimeth isn't actually right around there, he's not liable to get in the way. D'son waits while Ph'lip lectures and nods. "No, no of course not, we'll abide by your decisions as the wingleader here," Dels says nods around to the group of folks with him. "No one will get in the way either. We only came to help and we're not going to start causing problems now." That message is passed from Inimeth to the other dragons as well, including Seryth back at Xanadu, so that every rider in the little party from that Weyr at least, knows to follow the Weyrleader's orders. D'son himself will pose absolutely no resistance to being brought back to Ista, likely thinking that there's a way to work this all out.
"With all due respect, Rider," Sigam says to Niah, arm swinging to point out at the sea beyond the rubble, "It's not only dragons that can access an island." His voice is nothing but polite, and in fact might have a note of entreaty. "Don't forget to look for suspicious seacraft, dragons could merely be a cover. A goose chase." To emphasize the fact that he's not discrediting their intelligence, Sigam drops the subject, gaze swinging over to Ph'lip. A slight frown on his face shows he just might object, shifting his pack as if to expose the Ista Hold knot that's truly his, but simple commands from his Weyrleader has the Dragonhealer's jaw snapping shut. A quick glance for Tellus is spared, but it seems that anyone who isn't talking is going to go ignored by Sigam. He didn't have enough eyes for them all! "Yes, sir," he grumbles, not at all happy by this turn of events.
Kerys nods to Ph'lip, her attention now settling upon the gathered dragons, "Aye, sir." She'll do her best at least. Since she first arrived from Ierne she has been trying to remain as neutral as possible in the affairs between Ista and Xanadu. Support she may provide in case anything got messier, rescue to those in need-certainly… As Kerys carefully assesses her orders and position, Quvianth's attention goes to Zeituth. She croons quietly to the anxious looking blue.
Thea turns her head towards Tellus agreeing calmly, "Aye, but not deliberately welcomed at any Weyr or Hold that I've ever seen." Niah's words cause her to give the woman a concerned look, "There is the sea. Boats could come this way." That comes almost at the same time as Sigam's words. The Healer's knot on her shoulder and the bag of supplies on her shoulder is not about to make her a believable witness, apparently and she shakes her head in pitied disbelief as Ph'lip gives the orders to have them detained. As D'son speaks, she nods slightly, forestalling any protest but one, "Trust and unity are needed in times like these, as in all times." She looks directly at Kerys then, holding out the bag to her. "Please. Take this. It is medical supplies and valuable medicine for Ista from Healer Hall. Use it for the injured folks?" Thea's eyes plead with her to come take it.
Zeituth suddenly looks much more relaxed, his eyes swirling back to a more relaxed set of colors. Whether it was the crooning from the gold or something else is unclear. However, the blue returns with a soft crooning sound almost under his breath. Near the forests, A'dar pauses as he realizes what's been making the racket, and relaxes, almost at the same time that the blue did. He turns back to the group, and whistles loudly, to catch Ph'lip's attention. "Never mind, false alarm!" he calls out. "But I found the guards, anyway!" He looks back into the forests, indicating that the guards should come forward, out into the open. The first words out of his mouth are not 'where have you been?!' or any such demand. They are in fact a simple, calm, "There were fears for your safety. Are you all right? Did you see anything?"
Kerys looks from the proffered bag of medical supplies and then towards Ph'lip. Yes, they were dearly needed… "Sir?" It was for the people, rivalries or somesuch aside.
Ph'lip doesn't seem to be taking in the Weyrleader's words at all, but he does nod his head stiffly once or twice. To the other riders around there he waves his hand at them. "Take them straight to the guards and the prison cells. Daaeth!" he calls over his green, who was just along the sidelines and comes quietly over, her eyes a-whirl with excitement. "And obviously Xanadu cannot even be trusted to listen," he snaps at Thea, frustrated by her continued protests. "Take them," he tells Kerys. "You can have your excuses made for the Weyrleaders on the way as to why you did not use your own Weyr to transport them from the Hall directly to the Weyr, Healer." A'dar's whistle makes him jump, swiveling around. "Are they alright?" he calls out, but looking relieved.
The guards are definitely shocked as they step forward and out of the forests, finally making their way back to the Hold. "We saw nothing but what in flaming Faranth is…" he blanches. "Captain's gonna have our head," is muttered by another as he glares off at the congregation of riders. Ph'lip already urging them to get the Xanaduians to mount up and go.
Sigam turns his hard eyes towards Thea, watching her surrender the pack and, quietly, he slides his own from his shoulder, unstrapping the shovel and edging it towards Kerys with one foot. "Thanks," he murmurs towards the goldrider before shoving the digging tool hard and defiantly into the dirt. "You know, for once, it would be nice for Xanadu to get in trouble for what it has actually done, as opposed to what everyone hypothesizes it's doing. /Sir/." The words are growled as the Dragonhealer stalks past Ph'lip towards the dragons. His dark eyes only roll when the guards arrive unharmed and apparently only stupid enough to wander off mid-shift. There is a muttered "wherry-heads" from the man before he falls into a brooding silence, cooperating with the arrest, but only just.
Kerys steps forward to relieve Thea of the bag, a silent look of gratitude meant only for her and Sigam' eyes passing over the goldrider's features for but a few seconds. Bowing out, she makes her way over to Quvianth to start loading the goods.
Thea takes a step forward, her eyes seeking Kerys, arms still holding out the bag. "Please." Ph'lip's words only elicit a look of complete pity. No more. She simply waits for Kerys to take the bag and when the woman does so, she tightens her fingers around the straps for a brief second to pause the goldrider and meet her eyes, "Use them well for the healing of Ista." Then she releases the bag with a quiet, "Clear skies." The arrival of missing guards causes no reaction save for perhaps relief that they are alright. The order of Ph'lip does not cause her to move. If they want her imprisoned they'll have to come get her! She watches D'son and Sigam move towards the dragons, but she stays where she is.
Tellus glances towards the new arrivals, "Ah, fantastic!" She claps her hands together and decides to go and join the guard's ranks instead of waiting for them. "Is anybody in need of medical attention; I've got some water, if any of you need it." She glances towards the wher kennel. "Food too."
A'dar gives a kind of hard-edged smirk. Really, he has little sympathy for the guards. While he may understand their reasons for doing so, they /did/ abandon their posts, for however short a time. "It looks like it," A'dar calls back, walking with the guards back to the Hold. "I believe they saw something they thought at first was a fire, but it turned out to be nothing but a strange cloud formation or the like." He looks to the guards as if to confirm this. Really, he doesn't look at all concerned or bothered when he hears Ph'lip's order to load up the Xanaduians. He just makes to do so. If there's a Xanaduian who doesn't have transport, he's open, but it seems they've all been assigned. All the better, he supposes; now he can go without extra weight.
Niah shakes her head, "I don't see it happening in the amount of time." Quietly standing by Celiketh she looks over at Thea, raising her brows, and being kind hearted she says, "Go easily, don't fight, don't scare your dragon.." Pitying Thea for a moment, and packing the toy she found so that it can be taken back to the Weyr. "To jail?" She asks Ph'lip, her voice quiet and sad.. "How does jail work, for a dragonrider? I mean.. there bonds will surely follow us." Looking concerned, her eyes widening.
The guards aren't hurt, obviously, though now they're looking faint. "We didn't know!" one was gibbering on. "There wasn't /actually/ a fire but look! Look! More riders stealing!" And the young man's ready to step in, sword waving, if the situation wasn't already being handled. At the ground, there was much cool glaring going around. "And I hypothesize that you were all trespassing," Ph'lip says almost calmly after the dragonhealer, watching him closely. "Deny it to the Weyrleaders if they come visit you in prison." He watches the exchange between Kerys and Thea, looking mighty suspicious, and turns to the goldrider afterwards, making sure to say in a clear voice, "Take them straight to the Healers. They'll be sure to know if it's safe." And then to Thea he growls, "Innocent people do as they're told." With that he doesn't wait for much more resistance or answer. With his Daaeth right nearby, he's aiming to grab her and swing her up himself with a firm hold. "They follow, but they won't resist if they know what's good for them!" That to Niah in a half-shout at Thea as well to get them mounted as soon as possible. "Hurry up and take the rest and /you/—" he shouts to the guards, pointing at them. "Back to your posts for another shift!"
Kerys finishes securing the straps around the supplies, giving one more /tug/ at Quvianth's harness. She clambers up from the queen's foreleg and settles herself snugly between her ridges. "Alright Quvi, time to go back!" The Healers, ok. Quvianth launches into the air, gaining height quickly to get well ahead of the other dragons and back to Ista as soon an possible.
Thea finds herself in the rough grip of Ph'lip but she's not helping him any. She's not fighting or running, really. "Consider it my way of protesting this continued mistrust between weyrs. I want peace." As the man heaves her up onto his dragon, she turns her head towards A'dar, meeting his eyes. "Tell Zeituth Seryth stays in her Weyr. She knows we are with friends. I have told her so." And her voice, indeed is calm. But she watches Kerys with that bag, giving her the first smile she's been able to manage.
A'dar really doesn't look all that pleased about Ph'lip manhandling Thea….but there's really nothing he can do about it apart from scowl darkly, which he does. Which only makes him look less like Thea remembers him. Zeituth's eyes swirl with sad and mildly upset colors, but he doesn't 'speak' to anyone. A'dar acknowledge Thea's words with eye contact and a terse nod, however. And then he and Zei take off from the area, heading for Ista.
"Oh, don't worry, I plan to," Sigam hisses over one shoulder, eyes as cold and hard as jasper. The look in them turns positively furious as Ph'lip grabs ahold of Thea, and for a moment, the Dragonhealer's steps reverse, body rigid, looking for all the world like he's about to pummel the greenrider's face in. "If there are bruises, there will be consequences." A quick look to D'son keeps the Dragonhealer in check, and the look on Niah's face only helps to melt away his moment of anger. "Ista isn't what it used to be," he says in a quiet, disappointed voice before turning back and getting aboard the nearest dragon before he can think twice.
D'son walks steadily to the dragon indicated for him which ends up being Celiketh. He approaches Niah's dragon, waits politely for her, then and pulls himself up to sit calmly and silently, awaiting transport.
Niah mounts her dragon, brushing locks of hair out of her face and hooking D'son in. The bluerider spends her time, making sure everythings secure. Looking down at Thea she says, "Right now, you're not.. doing the right thing." And without another word Celiketh launches himself into the sky, flying a short ways before he poofs -between-.
Tellus aint going to say a thing, she'll just wander back over to guard post. But for the sake of keeping the peace she watches those still waiting to be lifted out of the air. She just shakes her head quietly.
Thea looks straight ahead, just waiting to go. She isn't looking afraid, but her face looks saddened by it all. On one cheek there's a bit of a welt from bumping her self on the way onto Daaeth. She shakes her head at Niah, "Sad when trying to help a beleaguered Weyr and Hold isn't doing the right thing." It's all she says but it's a sad commentary on how bitterness and distrust kill the goodwill between friends and ties across the planet.
Ph'lip tips his head just so, as if watching Sigam out of the corner of his eye. He's waiting for it, expecting it for the Xanadu riders to resist. "I'd be more worried about yourself," he replies, strapping Thea in firmly in case she were still to want to run. His eyes snap over to A'dar as the words are exhanged, and he gives the young bluerider a long look before letting him go, but there's clearly something that passes there. "We're sorry to disappoint you after our tragic loss," he says, this time the anger not being able to be hidden, after Sigam. He settles himself behind Thea, grabbing the straps around her to cage her in. And not in a nice way. "Respect, rider," he growls lowly to her instead. "Would be more helpful in this world. Convince yourself as much as you like." And with that he takes off as well after the other captive-holders, blinking in and out back above the Weyr.
Ista Weyr - Prison Cell
Separated by a stone wall from the barracks, way at the back, with only a narrow archway as the exit in and out, is the prison cells of Ista Weyr. The cavern can be clammy when it gets really crowded or cool on otherwise empty days with its location deep in the mountain. The prisons are all made of thick metal bars fitted deep into the natural rock of the Weyr, deep and impossible to remove, and then separated by more bars in between to make for individual cells. Each cell is then decorated with a half-filled straw mattress on a low wooden pallet for a cot and a chamber pot hidden under it for the occupant's use.
And so they arrive to the Weyr, none worse for wear really besides the usual bumps and turbulence of AirDragon. Daaeth actually being one of the graceful greens around, makes it a smooth ride through. But the ride is silent throughout, Ph'lip seething in his frustrated rage quietly, looking like he's all calm on the outside now, though. "Bring them in," he calls over to the other riders that have landed with him out in the guard's training grounds. He marches Thea personally into the barracks, guards that were there getting up from their cots curiously. "New arrivals," is Ph'lip's gruff reply as he moves to the prisons. Thea gets her own cell, the others piling two each. And with that Ph'lip leaves.
Thea doesn't help Ph'lip here either so any marching he does is his own. She allows herself to be dragged into the cell and lands on the floor on her hands and knees. She turns around to see where Sigam and D'son are being placed. She scoots across the floor to sit next to the bars that separate them, but declines to answer Ph'lip. She offers a small smile to the two in the next cell before looking around the place, leaning her head back against those bars looking rather weary. She slips a hand through the bars towards Sigam and D'son. "At least they didn't strip-search us?" A weak attempt at humor.
K'nan rouses from the spot on the mattress where it's been a right comfortable sleep. Beats sleepin on rock any day. There's a bit of a yawn and then a stretch and then the people that are being dragged into the other cells. Green eyes light up. "Ooo, it's a party?" There's a grin and another stretch and then she looks around a little "Hard to play hide and go seek here though."
Sigam has refused to say anything in-so-far, deigning only to give a withering 'your loss is my loss too, pal' to Ph'lip's comment back there. He's a sight now, all five-foot-eleven of him surly and snarling at anyone that tries to touch him for a frog-march into the prison. "I can walk myself," he snaps, head high, leer forboding. At least, small blessings, he's been stuffed into the same cell as D'son. "Well, this is jolly," the Dragonhealer quips to no one in particular, eyes roving around before finally settling on Thea. A small smile does quirk up on his lips, taking her hand in his for a moment if she'll allow. "Yeah, shards. I'm not up for a pat down at the moment." A rustle from the far corner of the jail room nabs Sigam's attention, and he frowns over at K'nan. "Hardly a party, I should think," he says, words gruff, but he's smiling a bit in spite of himself. "And I think they'd just get angstier if we tried to hide."