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.
It's in the evening, just shortly after Kezi ended her shift. She's taken just long enough to freshen up and then she's headed for the Weyrleader's office in hopes of catching both of the leaders together. It's something that she thinks both needs to know, but it's not been easy to bring herself to see them in official capacity. Course, not even unofficial too easily as what she needs to say weighs on her chest. She's quite nervous though as she knocks on the door, and even occasionaly glances over her shoulder as she waits.
Xe-ter's voice is clear and strong, made loud enough from Turns growing up a sailor, and then a dragonrider, "Come in." Yeah, the door wasn't QUITE shut, and there was no sound of yelling, so it was probably a clear guess it was safe to enter anyway. The young Weyrleader might keep his office door mostly closed for privacy, but it's generally considered 'open' anyway. It's not like a closed door would stop a flit anyway!
It's been one of those days. Paperwork is piled up with new deliveries of documents from out-of-Weyr in-coming with a frequency that has Thea's brows hiking up in perplexed exasperation with each tap on that door. Dressed to go hold-visiting, she's never made it back out of the office since checking in right after breakfast. Her long, fur-lined leather coat has been slung over her chair, boots have long-since been kicked off so she's in sock-feet, sitting at her own desk and pouring over some paper when the knock comes. With an incredulous look first at that door, then at Xe'ter she asks, "Really? Is it something about the weather or has all Pern come down with the plague of attacking paper with pen today?"
Oh, this isn't getting any easier. Keziah pushes the door open and then slips inside and then closes it again. Securely. She feels prying ears outten be listening. She clears her throat a little as she shifts in place. Tis a side of Kezi that not many people actually get to see. "Umm." a pause as she flounders a little about what to say "I have, I have something important to discuss." she stammers out. "It, I, well. I." There's a pauase "Weyrwoman, Weyrleader. It's about Wingleader B'rdian." she takes a breath and draws herself up to attention, best do it formally, let protocol cushion her.
Xe'ter lifts his gaze up for a moment, cold and clear, before he nods. He gestures to the chair across from his desk, as technically, he's in charge of the wingleaders. "Have a seat, please. What do you need to say about Wingleader B'rdian?" He glances over, past the greenrider, towards his Weyrwoman, silently inviting her to join the conversation. At least it's not more…uh…paperwork?
Thea's face clears when she spies Keziah's face, looking partially relieved not to see papers in the greenrider's hand. She's already giving her in-box attention, her fingers twitching another paper from the stack there and skimming the page. Not ignoring the Rider, but perhaps assuming she's here to see the Weyrleader about Galaxy business, she's deeply into that document within seconds. The stop-go-stop of the greenrider's words pull at her and she lifts her head to give Keziah a blank, then slightly puzzled look. "Something…about…B'rdian?" Pale eyes flicker to Xe'ter and she nods ever so slightly in bemusement before peering at the normally self-confident greenrider.
Keziah blinks at the chair. "If you don't mind. I'd rather stand." she murmurs. Always keep an escape route. Right? "It's his treatment of Wingrider Ers'lan." she says as she murmurs to herself. Keep it simple. Though that's not an easy proposition "Mirai, she came and got me because she didn't think what she was seeing was right." Her eyes take on a hurt expression at her daughter witnessing such disgrace in her mind "He ran Ers'lan ragged through the course, not just once, or even twice. But over and over again until he collapsed." she swallows "And then, the words he said." she takes a breath as her voice roughens "But he kicked him. While he was down. And then ordered him to report to sentry duty. He was exhausted and beaten and couldn't get up!" Her voice starts to raise "He suspended him for that!"
There's a moment of silence, as Keziah finishes…if it's stunned or noncommittal, the young Weyrleader's expression doesn't tell. But his silver-green eyes flash around the greenrider again, towards Thea, before he looks back again. "I do believe that that would be considered excessive, by any standard of measure, yes. This happened today?"
Thea listens silently but intently to Keziah, taking in the nuances of her nervousness and distress. The concern on her face is for the greenrider, however, rather than brownrider just yet. She waits for Xe'ter to speak first on the heels of his question, she asks the Rider one of her own, "Did anyone else witness this besides Mirai?" And then she notes casually, "I'd noticed that Ers'lan's been stuck on night shift for quite some time. I'd assumed it was disciplinary. What has he done, Keziah, to merit it, do you know?" And then to Xe'ter she notes in aside, "He had quite a mouth on him during his Weyrlinghood. Got himself in hot water a few times."
Keziah hangs her head a little "No, sir." she murmurs "Not today, it's been a few days." her face reddens in shame. She then nods to Thea "He has been and I don't really know why. He just has never seemed to like him." she frowns a little "I think it's because Ers'lan has been trying too hard. He's been keeping his mouth shut quite a bit." More so than she tends too. She shakes her head a little "He was a bit of trouble, but he's not the same as he was as a Weyrling." she sighs a little "But what do I know? I was told to mind my business. But, after seeing that…" she trails off though she does look towards the door a bit.
Xe'ter sighs a bit, and rubs his face with one hand, but the still, serious mask has faded a bit. "I know something about having been a mouthy Weyrling…" He takes a breath, "And I know that…when a wingleader feels their authority's been…questioned, sometimes they can go too far to try and make their point, but that does seem very excessive. I'm more worried that Ers'lan didn't come to me…but then I think we got off on a rough start together, he and I, in the first place." He looks to Thea again, more thoughtful than permission asking. Instead, "I'd like to speak to your daughter, Keziah, if I can. If he got kicked hard, he should still have the bruises to show of it…Ers'lan, I mean." Not Mirai. He takes a breath, "And to speak to B'rdian, of course. Discipline is one thing, but complere, reckless disregard for someone's safety is another. Shells, if that had been ME," he notes with some dismay, but then he cuts himself off…wordlessly.
"You saw it too then, Keziah?" Thea looks thoughtful in the wake of the woman's comments. Not even trying to disguise the amazement in her tone, she muses aloud, "And you say Ers'lan's been keeping his mouth… shut?" Green eyes slide towards the Weyrleader, "I guess he's been doing some growing up then, which is good to know." She returns his look steadily, holding Xe'ter's if she can. "How about…" she says the words slowly, still forming her thoughts, "we wait." She rises from her seat, paces to the window and stares absently out onto the clearing below. "Ers'lan didn't come to you for whatever reason-" a hand waves vaguely, "Male pride, shame… He could very well claim all is fine and try to carry on. Or… B'rdian can claim it is Mirai’s word against his." She turns and the ice-green of her eyes flash fire. "I agree with you, Xe'ter. We cannot have a Rider - and in turn his dragon - endangered. But we could observe and catch him in the act. Because the repercussions of this will not be pleasant."
Keziah shifts a little as she straightens up a bit, her eyes staring off to the back wall as Thea mentions it being her word against B'rdians. That's one thing she was afraid of. She keeps her mouth shut though as she listens to the two leaders talking back and forth, and bites her tongue. Literally, judging by wince on the greenriders face. She does not to Xe'ter. "I will let Mirai know that you request her prescence." she states formally, still staring at the wall. There's a sheen of sweat on her forhead. Course, if it was Mirai who had gotten kicked. She would have taken matters into her own hands most likely. She nods to Thea 'He has matured." There's a pause and then a flush on her cheeks. "He's not as quick to rise to being baited."
Xe'ter nods to that, and notes, "You're free to go, Keziah. And thank you for bringing it to my attention. I'll keep an eye on B'rdian myself, of course. This is exactly the sort of thing I /do/ want brought to my attention, at least so that I know it's going on. And let Mirai know, she's free to meet with me here…or if it's too intimidating, we can meet down by my weyrbarn…Romth would love the company."
Thea grins in spite of herself and teasingly asks Keziah, "And you would know this becaaaause… you've tried baiting him?" Her hand-motion says not to answer that. Though the expression on the greenrider's face causes her smile to fade to seriousness and she steps towards the woman, eyes seeking hers if she can catch them. Gently, "Kezi, you did the right thing, coming to us. No matter what Ers'lan says or may have said. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Keziah gives a little nod to Xe'ter, still keeping her eyes on the wall and still standing at attention and then there's Thea's little question about Kezi baiting him and she startles, her face going even redder. She then nods a little "You will?" she asks, looking hopeful and wary at the same time. "You won't wait until, until it's too late?" she asks and then swallows as she gives herself a shake. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I should go now." she stammers and then turns to hurry out the door.
<To Be Continued…>