The Dragonriders of Pern® is a trademark, Registered U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, of Anne McCaffrey. This is a recorded session, generated by Harper's Tale MOO on Monday 12 January 2004 for the benefit of members unable to attend. Logged by Lylia.

A New Resolution

R'meld stomps his way into the caverns, his boots slamming against the ground only to be picked up and then smacked down once more. The normally docile looking Weyrleader is now converted into a raging one. His face is red and little vein lines protrude from his forehead as he pushes a drudge out of his way. Snarling, he smashes his fist down onto the nearest table, before just dropping onto one of the chairs. R'meld is angry, that much can be seen. Though for the time being, the Weyrleader contents himself with fuming in rage and staring intently at the small mark his fist made only moments ago.

C'radoc sits quietly at the Couldburst table muching thoughtfully on a meatroll, a slight smile plays on the corners of his mouth but as his storming weyrleader walks in it quickly fades to a frown, this is the first time they have seen each other since he started his affair with Wyn, and he's sure that he's heard. Is that what he is so mad about? He's about to find out, he stands, "R'meld. My greeting to you and yours."

The drudge thus jostled by R'meld makes a mental note to sneeze in his stew someday. Sniffing a little, the plump little woman moves continues cleaning tables--this time at a safe distance from "the other Weyrleader."

Lylia is perched in a corner near the hearth, a mug of cider in her hand as she blearily watches the reddened coals. The brownrider jumps slightly at the sudden slamming, the sound carrying over the usual chatter and clammor of the living caverns. Her dark gaze slides over to the bronzerider, her already-present frown deepening. "Don't break the tables, if you would be so kind," she calls, her tone dripping with annoyance. She's quite content to stay at the Tsunami table, /far/ from those strange riders. Not that the Tsunami table has been very cheerful and pleasant since K'nex issued his wing decrees.

R'meld flicks his gaze over to his wingrider, the barest hint of a smile almost flickering into view. "My greeting back to you and yours as well, C'radoc." The Weyrleader really could care less about the simple affair going on, he has more pressing matters to attend to. A steely glare is steadied on Lylia, as he slowly raises once more to his feet. Lifting his hand up once more, he deftly fists it and then slames it into the table once more. "I do as I chose to. You are not at the authority to give me orders." See the shiny badge? All traces of his former smile are now gone, leaving a deathly frown in its place.

Authority or not, if he slams his fist again, the drudge's going to tell him where to go. He's damaging the polish. However, she's curious now, and she starts wiping a new table, this one closer to the Cloudburst riders. Maybe they'll start fighting. She's heard C'radoc's fist-happy.

"You're not at authority to break Weyr property. I'm sure the /Weyrleader/," Lylia drawls, emphasizing the title with the barest hint of a smirk pressing at the corners of her lips, "would not be pleased to have you wantonly trying to bash our tables in two. They do cost us, you know." The sour look returns to her greenish eyes, a little bitter shake of the head following. "It was a request. After all, doing as you choose to can sometimes end in things going badly, don't you think?" She may be a brownrider, but there's a distinct challenge in her eyes.

C'radoc lets a smirk play on his face once R'meld's back is turned to him, so his weyrleader doesn't know where he stands. That could be used to his advantage, as long as R'meld. "R'meld...What is wrong? Perhaps I can help with something." He levels icy eyes at Lylia, "Do not speak to a weyrleader in such a manner." He may not be the weyrleader of this time, but a weyrleader none the less.

"Well, seeing as how I /am/ Weyrleader and I'm quite pleased with what I'm doing, there really is no problem, now is there?" R'meld watches the brownrider through half-lidded eyes as he speaks, a part of him amused by this small event. "Ah, C'radoc, I'm sure you have heard the sayings going around that we," He gestures to himself and then his wingrider. "are technically not allowed to go back to /our/ time." R'meld explains, crossing his arms. A smug look is shot back to Lylia, as he perks up at C'radoc's behavior. At least someone in this Faranth-forsaken place knows /who/ and /what/ he is.

"Are you well, sir? I believe the Weyrleader for /this/ Weyr is named M'nty. Rather a young thing, but I don't recall that being your name," Lylia responds evenly, leaning back slightly as she takes a small sip of her cider. "Even if you were /our/ Weyrleader, I would still suggest that you don't destroy Weyr property. It sets a terrible example for the riders." After all, who wants a Weyrleader with a reckless temper? Not Lylia -- she's got enough temper for the Weyr, and then some. "No technicality about it," she mutters to herself, shaking her head. She'd be happier to drop the lot of riders off in Igen and let them roast a little.

C'radoc chuckles softly at his poor wingleader, who doesn't know realize just what he is saying. "And R'meld...This is a weyr of a different time, it's like we're visiting Ista Weyr or such..." Ah so it's out, though he doubts R'meld is smart enough to figure it out all, just become a little confused at best. "I wouldn't be entirely dissappointed if we weren't, though I do miss some things of the older time." He pauses.

"I have no care for the Weyr's property of /this/ time." R'meld says, turning around and tossing a chair to the ground with a -CRACK-. "You may choose to enjoy it here, C'radoc, but I do not! Look at her!" He hisses out, pointing a finger at Lylia. "They all have no respect, none at all for those with higher ranks! And all of them are the same! I am not about to sit back and watch as the rest of /my/ riders are brainwashed by these horrific people!" Eyes are narrowed into slits as he wraps his gaze around the living caverns, only to end and rest on Lylia once more. "You can let that bloody whelp of a Weyrleader and aggravating Weyrwoman know that Cloudburst will not stand for this! They listen to know one but Adel and I, understand? And the last thing we are going to do is take orders from a bunch of overbearing /weyrlings/ who don't know their place!" Looks like R'meld has been with Adel far to long, her attitude is starting to rub off. "We WILL be going home when we damn well please!"

Lylia leaps to her feet, her mug of cider sent crashing to the floor. It skids under the table, the liquid now pooling at the brownrider's feet. "And few of us have a care for /you/!" Lylia growls, striding forward. "Do /not/ treat our Weyr so carelessly unless you want us to go back and trash /your/ home. You will only get respect when you treat our Weyr with such," she snaps. "You came here like a /fool/, you will /not/ make us pay for your mistakes! You will respect the leaders of this time if you should expect anyone to give a tunnelsnake's droppings of what you think!"

C'radoc stand straighter his shoulders straightening bringing his tall body to fall height, he levely ice cold blue eyes at R'meld, "May I remind you sure that we are visitors here, and if you /are/ weyrleader, why do you not care about you're own property, I will follow you, as you are the weyrleader of my time, however you must make up your mind!" He takes a step toward Lylia, "Down weyrling, weyrleader or not, both of us are still ahead of you in rank." He turns back to R'meld, "And why on earth do you want to go home if you are weyrleader here?"

R'meld rolls his eyes, ever the mature one in an arguement. "I couldn't care less what this blasted time thought of me and mine!" He roars out, slicing his hand through the air. "And I need not worry about you coming to /my/ Weyr and destroying it, for I know that you are all to uncaring to aid another Weyr in distress!" That was his main point for coming to High Reaches of now, afterall. To get help, which he was denied. "C'radoc, we are no longer visitors here, nor have we ever been. We are /prisoners/! Even now they refuse to allow us to do what both myself and Adel think would be the best." He snorts out, thrashing both his arms in the air, to better emphasize his next statements. "I would sooner fly myself and Bannyth between and die, then listen the leaders of this time!"

"That's /Assistant Weyrlingmaster/ to you, sir," Lylia responds to C'radoc and R'meld, rather coolly, a glower in her eyes. "I'm quite familiar with weyrlings, I was Weyrlingmaster for quite a few turns. Pity I wasn't one in your day, Bronzerider R'meld, I could have taught you to know the value of compromise. I shall beg your pardon if you demand respect, but I must say /I/ don't accept tantrums from overgrown children, whether they ride gold or green, /sir/." Which rather explains why she doesn't have much in the way of rank, really. "And why should we aid a Weyr in distress when we know /shardin'/ well that it turns out fine?" She takes a step forward, practically hissing. "Go between and die then."

C'radoc sets his jaw tightly and steps up to the weyrleader meeting his eyes with a glare, "I assure you sir, we are no prisoners, you and Adel have well and made your prison in this place, by never giving any thought or taking the time to reflect on what anyone else has to say, of course, I for one would like to say that even coming here in the first place was ridiciolous, why would a weyr go back to help us when they know we came through fine, however you wouldn't listen to any of your wing then, just like you aren't now." Fist is clentched in anger, "And lucky me I'm stuck having to follow the worlds dumbest weyrleader, too bad there is nothing I can do! How on pern did you end up weyrleader and not me? And now there is nothing I can do but follow you and your crazy rants." So he'll follow, but he doesn't agree.

Pyrene raises her eyebrows as she realises that she's walked in on something.  And as usual, Cloudburst are clearly to blame.  "What's going on?" she snaps out, brisk and no-nonsense.  She's the one in charge, after all. "Lylia?"  Lylia isn't always the most reliable of witnesses, but at least Pyrene knows when she's exaggerating.

Jiu flows into a cavern full of arguing and tension.. and stops cold.  She still isn't entirely certain about the new comers from the old Weyr, so she siddles out of the direct line of fire to watch.  The only rider from the past that she has spoken to, after all, is C'radoc -- and he was nice enough, before El'wyn's green rose and distracted everyone.  After snatching up the prerequisit pot of klah (after all, a tiny little mug is simply not enough) she scoots closer.  Head tilting as she listens to the arguments Jiu quips, "How can you care for your present if you don't care for its future?  Which is what we are, aren't we?  Anyway. when you're dead and gone, all people will know is how good -- or bad -- you were as a weyrleader, which you are setting in place right now."

"And it is a pity that I don't have you as a wingrider, young lady, so that perhaps I could get some amount of intelligence into that oversized head of yours!" R'meld shouts, taking an unknown step back, as he seems to be bombarded from all sides. "It is not known that you do not come back with us, or perhaps we must do another jump to find more helpful dragonriders! You do not know of the past and the hard times we have there, there is no way the Weyr can make it without aid!" Or so he believes. C'radoc, his normally 'loyal' wingrider, is looked at with awe. For a fraction of a second, the Weyrleader only stares at him, his mouth gone slack. Sad it doesn't last longer. "You? As Weyrleader? Surely you jest! Adel and I are the perfect team, you would have only screwed things up more then they already are. This was all done so High Reaches would have a future! C'radoc, I cannot believe you would side with them! /They/ are the enemy, not your own Weyrleaders!"

"That... that /bronzerider/," Lylia spits the word as thought it were a curse, "said that /he's/ the one in power here, and that he and his wing will return to the past whenever they shardin' well please. And that we show no respect, but /he's/ the one that just broke a chair." She points at the thrown chair accusingly. See Py? She's a /good/ brownrider. "They'll condemn us to death, Pyrene!" She bares her teeth R'meld, looking a bit too much like her dragon for a moment. "We have records, we /know/ that no one comes back, you bloody idiot!" She does toss a curious look at C'radoc, almost of wonder -- maybe there /is/ an oldtimer with some sense. Now that's news to her.

C'radoc takes a set forward following R'meld not letting him out of his near vecinty, using his large body length to tower as best he can, he is skinny after all. "You have no brains R'meld, don't you see, we are in the future of the weyr! How, if the weyr has no future, in the world are we here!?" He seems exasperated at his completely idiotic weyrleader. "You have no brains R'meld, you are my weyrleader, and I will follow you, but we're not in our weyr...we're visitors, and we must follow their rules."

"Tell me," Jiu interjects.  Just a simple wingrider (and a crazy bluerider, at that) she has no rank to throw around -- and doesn't care if others do it around her.  Its that whole dolphincraft mentality of judging people on actions, not knots -- go figure.  "Who, exactly, is in charge of your Weyr if your "perfect team" of Weyrleader and Weyrwoman have buggered off?  Who is handling this 'crisis' in your absence?  And what future do you expect High Reaches to have, if the future is your enemy?"

"Shut up!" Pyrene shrieks, suddenly losing any patience. She wheels on R'meld, stalking forward.  "How /dare/ you say we know nothing of the pass?  We lived it while you tried to dump it between as you'd bend your dragon's tail. We have the records... I /remember/ hearing about what happened.  You disappeared, and, oh look, the Weyr survived without you.  What in Pern do you really think you're going to accomplish other than to destroy the lives that have been worked for in your absence?"  She finishes, almost right up against the Weyrleader.

R'meld stills looks a defiant as ever, but he has enough sense to shut his mouth when he is not only out-numbered, but out-smarted as well. Pyrene gets the majority of his angered glare, the Weyrleader holding onto as much of his masculinity as he can as he faces off with her. Jiu is overheard, and he stammers out, "We put a very reliable 'rider in charge with one of the junior weyrwomen, if you must know. Then again, that should be known from your precious records." More so, Adel put the very reliable rider in charge, but that was a fact he didn't care to share at the moment. Clearing his voice, R'meld squares his shoulders and then crosses his arms. "Pyrene," he says, purposely adding no title. "We refuse, downright /REFUSE/ to stay at this Weyr any longer. Adel and I both want to and will be going back to /our/ home." There, he said it.

"You will be going between and never coming out, y'mean!" Lylia shouts, stalking forward. She glowers at R'meld, eyes turning into slits. "I don't care what anyone says, I'll hunt you down myself in the past if I must. You will /not/ condemn this Weyr to death. I will /not/ let you take my lifemate from me. You made one mistake, don't you /dare/ make another stupid move and let /us/ pay for it." The rider turns to Pyrene, a little look of hope in her eyes. "I'd say, lock 'em up for the rest of time, Weyrwoman. If they think they're prisoners, let 'em be prisoners." Another dark look at R'meld, and she stalks out, her shoulders shaking.

Pyrene takes a step back--if nothing else, she needs the breathing space.  She stares at R'meld for a long moment. "But the records say you don't come back," she finally says quietly, although her voice isn't totally steady.  "I repeat... what do you think going back will accomplish? You profess to be saving the Weyr..."  She hesitates and lets him have a moment to speak, since she doesn't like considering what Lylia's so casually shouting around the cavern.

C'radoc grabs at his hair, "R'meld! R'meld!" He screams directly in the mans face before calming down and trying not to rip at his hair, he has to follow this man, that's what the law says but he knows they don't make it back. "R'meld don't you understand, it would be in the record books if we made it back!" He staggers back a few steps and slips into a chair, is the man serious. He actually looks to Pyrene for the answers, "Pyrene?" he says voicelessly, asking, begging her to talk some sense into the man.

"And he became a much better Weyrleader than /you/ in your absence," Jiu snorts, driving her point in home.  "In fact, the rest of the Weyr prospered after you left, glad to be rid of you.  Or haven't /you/  looked at our records yet?" She takes a hefty swig of the pilfered klah, and give's Lylia's back a contemplative look as she stalks out.  "I don't think Inprisonment is fair to their lifemates," Jiu says reasonably to Pyrene before she can comment.  "Its not their fault they chose to Impress to idiots when they were too soon out of the shell to know better.  Think of the dragons!"

R'meld simply ignores Lylia, not even batting an eye as she shouts and gets into his face. Though a small sigh can be seen being expelled as the brownrider leaves. "We are not changing our minds." He says, slowly, his voice now toned down. "You cannot keep us here unwillingly. The loyal members of my wing," C'radoc is sent a seething look. "and myself will not be held captive somewhere that we do not enjoy. Even our dragons are suffering from being here! If we get lost between in a jump, so be it, but it would be better then sitting and rotting here, in a place that does not appreciate us!" R'meld lifts his head, pursing his lips until they form a thin line. He had said all that he wanted to, and inso had no more of a reason to be here. Without another word being uttered, the Weyrleader turns on his heel and walks briskly out of the caverns.

R'meld exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.

Pyrene stares after him.  "The man's a fool," she says, but her voice is definitely unsteady now.  "He can't mean it....  it'd either be suicide or murder."  Forgetting the others in the room, she walks out half-dazed.

C'radoc sighs softly as Lylia, and then R'meld and finally Pyrene leave the caverns and forgetting there is still someone there he lets out a long sigh and turns to face the table, head buried in hands as he thinks.

Jiu blinks.  "Well then," she mutters, and takes another swig.  She really is the klah-drinking equivalent of an alcoholic, if you must know.  "If you don't want to go with him..." Jiu looks speculative.  "I mean, if you don't think you can defy him directly, you could always go between to somewhere else, and simply not show up back in your time...." She suggests tentatively; after all, he's reasonable enough, and she doesn't want to see R'meld condem anyone to death.

C'radoc turns to meet the girl with icy cool blue eyes and raises an eyebrow thoughtfully at her, "Yes...." is said quietly, as he turns the word over in his mouth, mulling over the though. "No..." he sighs, "The rules my dear, I would be starting a dangerous precedent...But is it fair for a weyrleader to take me to my death? They do lead us through thread....but that is less dangerous than this..." He speaks mostly to himself as he works things over in his head.

"If nobody knows you went somewhere else," Jiu continues, logically, "Nobody will know you defied orders.  You will be mourned as having died Between on the journey back through time."

C'radoc shakes his head gently, "No, the dragons would know." he sighs, "But maybe....maybe I just have an idea," The girl has sparked an idea, his eyes light up with a scheme and ambition, but is that also a certain light affection. He pushes his chair out and strolls from the caverns completely unaware of anyone else as he brushes past them.

C'radoc exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.

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