
Xanadu Weyr - Weyrleaders' Office
Office and retreat, this is the domain of Xanadu's Weyrleaders. The door is in the eastern wall, quite close to the southern end while the northern wall is dominated by big, expansive windows, framed by sumptuous deep blue drapes edged with a brilliant gold braid and tied back with a thick rope of braided gold and blue cord. In between, the eastern wall is covered floor to ceiling with shelves that house all sorts of records, manuals and supplies that are used on a day-to-day basis. The southern wall has the Weyrleader's desk — plain fellis wood, well polished and masculine. From behind his desk, the Weyrleader can look straight through the windows and out onto the main airspace of Xanadu. The western wall is where the Weyrwoman's desk resides: a lovely piece of furniture made of warm cherry wood. From her seat, a glance sideways gives her an equally good prospect out the window. There are a few other seats, some comfortably arranged around a low round table for small, informal meetings while there also some that can be drawn up to one of the desks.
On the south side of the door, the space is occupied by a low oblong table where refreshments can be set without someone needing to intrude. There is also an 'incoming' tray where incoming correspondence or similar items can be left.
The hour is quickly approaching the dinner hour, and Rukbat is already sinking low in the spring sky, a chill still lingering over the weyr. And yet, despite the hour, Niva is still lingering in the office, bent over a boot, flipping through it ponderously, muttering softly to herself as she transcribes things occasionally to a list infront of her.
The Weyrleader's Office is one of the last places D'had is likely to go on his own without the neccessity of a meeting or some such. But for some reason its just there that the Weyrsecond is headed this evening. There's a warning knock before he lets himself in, still muttering something about that 'sharding stupid weyrwoman'. Spying Niva at her desk his greeting consists of "I need to talk to you," even as he helps himself to a drink.
Niva lifts her hand behind her, one finger held up to stay his words as she finishing her writing, doublechecking between the two after a particularly awful name is copied, closing the book and tucking her note away before she dares look back at D'had. "Talk, then.." She says without preamble, forehead wrinkled as she's still half distracted with her own concerns.
D'had waits, not so patiently, but he's getting that drink and then tossing back half of it in the meantime. "She's crazy," he starts given the go ahead, crossing the room to slump into a chair across the desk from the Weyrwoman. Of course by now she'd know that his family's ship, and hence his family as well, has been missing and he's been spending most all of his free time in search of them. His lack of sleep wears heavily on his features. "I don't care how you do it, but you ground her until this is over."
Niva shakes her head a little, clearing her thoughts as his talking again, blinking at him. "Who?" And then after a moment, the pieces slowly start to arrange themselves, and she's staring at him. "What did she do?" And it seems that now she has realized exactly who the Weyrsecond is talking about, and she's looking at him with an almost bored look.
"Thea," D'had replies to that first question. Who ELSE did she think he might have been talking about? "She's talking about timing it back." And even he knows how terrible of an idea that is. "I don't think she'll go anywhere tonight, but…" he trails off into that glass in hand, taking another long draught that nearly drains it. He can't be sure about what she might do come morning.
The look on Niva's face is echoed by the deep sound of Kilaueth's rumble in the Hatching Grounds, audible despite the distance, Niva's hands tightening hurriedly. "She isn't.." The Weyrwoman says with amost a hiss, shaking her head. "She's a bloody idiot." She snaps, pushing herself to her feet to begin to pace, even as she looks at him. "What does she think it would accomplish?"
"Apparently," D'had beings as he lowers the glass from his lips. "She thinks she can go back and warn them. Told her it was crazy, dragged her back here. Tried to reason with her," but they both know how difficult that can be. How stubborn the woman in question is. "Hopefully Seryth'll have sense enough to listen to that sharding beast of yours." Said with the utmost affection intended of course.
"What's she suppose to warn them of? We don't even know what happened!" Niva's voice is raised in exasperation as she turns sharply, whirling to pace back the other directly, muttering now herself. "She's better listen.." And from the look of concentration on her face, she's already discussing with Kilaueth, the gold on edge, ready to lay restrictions on the younger gold.
D'had shrugs, finishing off that drink. He's already said she's crazy. How's he to know what she thinks she's going to warn them of? "Tried," he says again, trying not to distract the woman from that other discussion that seems to be going on. But look, so far they've managed to have a sane conversation.
"If she doesn't listen, I'll.. I'll tie her somewhere myself." Niva mutters grumpily, slamming a drawer on a cabinet shut as it dares open up, muttering something else. "I've enough to worry about without her running off risking herself and Seryth over some desire to be a shardin' hero." Now, temper thoroughly ruffled, she's dropping heavily back in her chair, even as Kilaueth does her job.
Seryth senses that Kilaueth senses a heavy weight as licks of red and orange settle around her mind, quickly cooling, darkening to the dark hues of stone, mental anchors attempting to root her in place. « You and yours are not to leave the Weyr. » The words, the feeling, all take on a feeling far more than a mere order, as the Senior queen imposes against the younger gold.
"Least I'm not the only one who thought of it," D'had replies, trying to lighten the mood of the space a bit perhaps. Well, he did think of tying her up if this didn't work. "She ain't listenin' ta me, so far as I can see she ain't gonna listen to no one else cept maybe you." Hence why he came here. "Sure you're busy," so he's just going to go now and leave her to it now that he's nothing left to say. Or so it would appear as he shifts to his feet.
"It might work. As far as I know, dragons aren't particularly good at untying small, tight knots to get their riders free." She says with a snort, stretching a foot to kick at that drawer again as it starts to roll free. "Good luck, with your search." She says, as much a dismissal as anything else is.
D'had chuckles, almost amused by that comment as he leaves the glass on the table where he found it and turns towards the door. "Thanks," he adds with a nod towards the woman before he leaves.