Who

H'rik, Karysha

What

Karysha enlists the aid of her cousin H'rik for a covert trip.

When

It is midmorning of the sixteenth day of the sixth month of the fifteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Living Cavern, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 09 Nov 2018 05:00

 

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"So how is my favorite cousin doing?"


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Living Cavern

Brightly lit by a regimented march of strung glow-globes, Igen's busy living caverns are cut of the same exotic limestone design that frequents the bazaar without. Tapestries line the tops of the walls, one for each of Igen's wings, past and present; beneath them, skybroom tables litter the floors in scattered profusion. Some of the wicker chairs have seen better days, but most of the worst offenders have long-ago been replaced. The seemingly random placement of furniture, however, at closer inspection yields a sort of cross-shape of negative space. The northernmost walls and nooks of the caverns are owned by the kitchen's buffet, food-laden thrice daily in regimented shifts by busy bakers from the curtained southern entrance to the kitchens. To the east is a large arch leading outside; westerly lies the large doors leading down into the bowels of the weyr itself.


Ya like heat? Cos Igen's got plenty of it. Summer's well and truly here, and while it's not full on, height of the season blazing hot, temperatures are already getting up there. Which makes staying inside and having a cool drink perfectly reasonable, no matter the time of day. Early morning drills over and done with, H'rik has retreated to the relative comfort of the living caverns. Ice cubes swirl and clink in his glass of orange juice, the Weyrleader sipping gratefully from it as he sits at a smaller table near where the tapestry of Whirlwind Wing hangs. Was it familiarity that drew him that way? Or simply a desire to be away from the main hustle and bustle of the area, even though it's that odd time between breakfast and lunch? Either way, the man is dressed casually, alone at a table and looking idly at a hide in one hand while he holds his drink in the other.

Some people may be looking to escape the heat, others things that are far more opressive. Karysha may just be one of the latter with the way the girl's face is drawn, not her usual air of confidence as the scarf covering her head is askew, sliding down her silky golden waves. Conspicuously, she is alone, no chaperone in sight. There's a touch of desperation in her gaze as it falls on the Weyrleader. With furtive glances, she sweeps towards his table, silently thanking Faranth that the place is so empty. By the time she gets there, there's an almost convincing smile on her face as she clears her throat, "Morning cousin, are you very busy?"

H'rik's glass is halfway to his mouth when Karysha is there, greeting him. Lowering it, H'rik returns her smile, looking pleased to see his cousin. "Not at all. Can I get you a drink or anything?" Not that she couldn't get her own or anything, but she's family, and he might as well use some of the perks available to him to make things easier for relatives who haven't cut him off. Already, H'rik is glancing for the nearest available kitchen staff to see if he can catch someone's attention, looking past Karysha as he does so.

Karysha takes a seat opposite H'rik, primly tucking her skirts underneath her. His offer is met with a moment's hesitation, but then she just nods, "Just a glass of water please." Waiting on her drink, she props an elbow on the table in front of her, cupping her chin in her palm and curling fingers over her cheek. "So how is my favorite cousin doing?" With a bright smile, she raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow in his direction, maybe laying it on a little thick, but there's definitely a feeling that the girl has something on her mind for this 'chance meeting'. "Gorgeous weather huh? Not too hot." Now she's just stalling as her fingertips tap nervously against her jaw.

H'rik manages to catch the attention of a passing member of the staff without resorting to flailing his arms around, a significant nod doing the trick. "One water, please. Plenty of ice!" Off goes the young man, and H'rik returns his attention to Karysha, smile still in place. There's a hint of curiosity too, mingled with the gladness of seeing her. Being referred to as her favourite doesn't immediately throw up any red flags in his mind, but give him time: he might figure out that this isn't just a happy coincidence their paths have crossed today. "Oh, yeah. Perfect for drilling people without working them to exhaustion. I can be forgiven a bit more easily for being hard on people when it's this sort of weather." The water arrives, the young man lingering a little longer than necessary and making a fuss of setting it down. He's even put a slice of lemon in the glass!

When the glass of water is deposited in front of her, Karysha turns a weak smile towards the young man, "Thank you kindly." Any other time, the obvious interest would have been noted, but the Steen girl seems almost oblivious to it as she takes a refreshing sip. "Can't imagine you ever being that hard on people to be honest," she teases with a toss of golden tresses over her shoulder. "Actually, I've always known you to be very kind, and generous, and willing to help those who might have a need…" Kary trails off cryptically as her free hand lifts to trail over the surface of her glass, leaving behind curly designs in the condensation.

The man looks set to linger a bit more, but H'rik gives him a look, and he suddenly realises he has jobs to do elsewhere. The Weyrleader watches him leave, then blinks at Karysha when she teases him. The compliments continue, and now H'rik is starting to get a tiny bit suspicious. The cogs are turning in his head, lubricated by the subtext in Kary's words, and the way her sentence trails off. He clears his throat, setting his glass and forgotten hide down on the table. His voice lowers, though there's no-one near enough to overhear. Still, can't be too careful, right? "Is there someone who might need some help?" His eyes are on Karysha's face, his gaze direct and implying a willingness to listen.

Taking a couple shallow breaths, Karysha's gaze remains on her glass for a moment longer before she lifts them again to lock on H'rik's as he moves closer. Eyes grow wide with a flash of hope, a pure un-schooled expression that's a little unsettling and throroughly unfamiliar on the girl's face. "Maybe. I just want to know, was it worth it? Walking away from the family?" There's a little quiver to her voice, as if that might be the first time she's put to words something that has been weighing on her for awhile. "I mean, you got to impress a bronze dragon, and became Weyrleader. So it was good for you, right?"

The curiosity turns to confusion, H'rik's eyebrows drawing close together as he watches Karysha. As she continues to talk, the reasoning behind her question becoming clearer, his expression doesn't entirely clear. He leans back a little in his chair, eyes lifting and gaze going distant as he thinks. "It…was completely worth it for Wendryth. But if I hadn't Impressed him? I don't know how I'd have coped with it all, to be honest." He gives a thin smile as his gaze focuses on his cousin again. "I doubt father would have welcomed me back with open arms if I'd left the sands without a dragon. That would have been…well. I didn't have to go through it, so I haven't given it much thought." He can sense himself rambling and shuts up there, watching the young woman with a look that's becoming more sympathetic by the second.

The way Karysha's brows knit together darkens her expression subtly. That probably wasn't what she wanted to hear. Actually slouching back in her chair with a heavy sigh, she drops her gaze to the puddle forming at the base of her galss, fingertip drawing through it to drawn temporary designs on the table top. "But…but you would never have known if you didn't take the chance right? I mean, you had to have had a feeling or something that made you do what you did?" Her voice mildly forlorn as clear blue eyes search her cousin's face.

Has he said something wrong? It doesn't seem to have improved Karysha's mood any. Mouth downturned, H'rik nods slowly at her next question. "Sort of." His sympathetic expression is interrupted by a slight smile as he explains this vague reply. "It wasn't all about trying for a dragon. I can't deny the excitement of defying my father's wishes helped me make my choice." His eyes are a little ligher now, as he looks across with that small, slightly mischevious twitch of a smile on his lips.

Talk of defying his father's wishes has Karysha's lower lip quivering softly, which she quickly catches in her teeth to quiet. "I don't want to defy him though H'rik. My father I mean, that's what is making this the worst." Another heavy sigh as her shoulders slump, her whole deamenor taking on a defeated cast. She knows she needs to explain, and takes a moment to order her thoughts before explaining. "Father's in talks with a prominent merchant for my hand. He's a widow twice over, and.." she shudders softly, "A rather large man. He has no heirs, so he wants a nice young new wife in her prime." Her tone becomes a little disdainful before shaking her head. "I should be happy! He's extremely wealthy, has a huge house with lots of drudges. But…" Her voice drops to barely above a whisper. "I can't stop thinking about this boy I met, months ago."

H'rik has a brief look of relief that this isn't going to be too deep into women's problems than he can deal with. Arranged marriages? Safer territory than women's things. And Karysha is discussing things calmly, which makes it all quite a lot easier. But - hearing what's troubling her, it's not that easy, apparently. H'rik is silent for a time, one hand moving to hold his glass as if he's about to drink, though he doesn't lift it. "That is difficult," he agrees, keeping his voice quiet. It's a truth as much as it's a tactic to buy him a little more time to formulate a sensible response. "But…things aren't as…traditional as they once were. You can make your own choices. And…this man will have other potential wives." Sorry, other potential wives, but it is the truth. "You haven't met this boy since then?" No tone of judgement, H'rik's just asking the question because he feels like he should.

Karysha chuckles weakly even as she shakes her head, "No, you're right, I could refuse. But Mother had an arranged marriage to Father, and they have what looks like the perfect partnership. And there's a level of security with this arrangement. I would be provided for, more than actually." It's really like this is the route she should want to take, wealth and maintaining a comfortable life having previously been of the utmost importance to her. "If I don't take it, I know I won't be cast out, but it will hurt my father to be refused. But…" Her voice softens as she gets a curl to the corners of her lips, a certain memory coming to mind. "This guy…He makes my heart race, and my palms sweat, and just…." shaking her head with a giggle, she can't go on without blushing hotly. "I haven't. But there was a connection, I feel it down to my bones."

Nothing's ever simple in life. H'rik's mouth is back to that downturned look of sympathy. He's not exactly the expert when it comes to matters of the heart, though he can support others when it comes to them finding their own love. Whether he personally feels Karysha is still too young to know if this connection is true love or not? He'll keep that to himself. The advice he will offer, however, is carefully given. "Any hurt would only be temporary. I don't think a father can ever hold a grudge against his daughter." As for sons, he won't mention that. "But…don't pin all your hopes on this boy, yeah? He's not here at Igen, I take it?"

"That's the problem," Karysha laments, "He's all the way at Southern Weyr, he's a second son of a Minor Holder down there. He was up here negotiating prices for various goods. I helped him find things in the Bazaar." Here comes that blush again, causing the girl to dip her head with embaressment for a moment. "Anyway. He said I had an open invitation to come visit him there, and I want to take him up on it and see if he's feeling the same for me. But I want to do that without upsetting my father. So the option to come home and marry this merchant is still available if things…don't go as I hope they do."

H'rik listens to this quietly, finally returning to his orange juice - now much watered down by the melting ice cubes. Karysha's last sentence has him blinking, mouth half-opening as he puts the glass back on the table with a soft clunk. "I… I see." This is going to take some careful negotiating, isn't it? "But…do you think it would be worse if your father found out why you kept visiting Southern? When you have a marriage waiting for you?" He's trying to be as gentle as possible. Teenage girls are basically hormonal time bombs, right?

"No, you misunderstand," Karysha replies with a shake of her head, "I just want to go down once, find this guy and ask him his intentions. I mean, he must have liked me a bit since he told me to come down whenever I wanted for a visit, right?" Her question has a worried tone to it as she tilts her head to one side to regard H'rik once more. "This is where I was hoping you could help me. If I could get a ride, a-dragonback, I could be there and back the same day, no one would be the wiser. I would have my friends cover for me here, say we're going somewhere for a picnic or whatever. So what do you say…oh generous, kind and helpful cousin?" She's even going the extra step and fluttering her lashes in his direction with a wide, hopeful grin.

Karysha's actual intentions seem to make H'rik more at ease, even as his cousin's tone becomes more worried. He can't help but be amused by the boldness of her request. What is it about Steen women…? With a smile, and a convinced look, he nods. "A picnic it is, then." And in a quieter voice, he adds, "not as if I can be any more disowned by the family, right?" Not that he's untouchable as Weyrleader, but…well. He'll indulge her in this. And at least he'll be there to stop anything going too crazy, hopefully?

Karysha looks as if she will actually jump out of her seat with joy in response to H'rik's acquiescence but, cautiously remains where she is, silently squeeing in her head. Finally exhaling a breath she didn't even know she was holding, she bobs her head excitedly. "Ok then. Well, let me know whenever you have some time in your schedule. Obviously, being as busy as you are, I wouldn't want you to stick around while I go about finding and talking to this guy. I mean that could take a while, and your time is so valuable. But a ride there and back would be perfect. Or maybe if you're headed there yourself on Weyr business, I could tag along?" Karysha is trying not to make it obvious that a chaperone isn't exactly what she had in mind, offering up some very good arguments against him playing one. But that might have to wait, because her young gold firelizard appears then with a cheep before landing on the girl's shoulder and crooning mournfully and scratching at a particularly dry patch on her neck. With a sigh, Kary turns back to H'rik, "I need to go, Hunny needs an oiling. Just let me know when's good for you, kay?"

H'rik has plenty to consider! At least a trip to Southern Weyr wouldn't be out of character for him - there are so many reasons, real or imagined, that can be given for his visiting there. "I'll let you know," he promises, giving Hunny an amused look when she arrives to beg for an oiling. "I'll send one of my fire-lizards when I know what my schedule looks like." It's…kind of up in the air at the moment, until - well - Zsaviranth goes up in the air. He gives Karysha what he hopes is a reassuring smile.

"Sounds good," Karysha replies getting up from her chair, and after only a moment's hesitation, she walks around the table to treat her cousin to a tight squeeze around his neck and quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks again H'rik. I'll definitely owe you one," she assures him before straightening and replacing the scarf over her hair for propriety sake before sashaying her way out of the living Cavern, in a much better mood than when she entered.

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