Just A Little Bit's Enough

[Taxx]

Aleni hadn't paid much more attention to the conversation around her. Several were still irritated at A'zael's announcement, made more confused by Karredy's obvious confusion, but none of them really mattered to the weyrling and she had little reason to talk to any of them. She could meet with her own classmates later, to discuss it, but for now... she had a more pressing matter on her mind. A last pat of Riyo's head and the gold withdrew from the opening of the hall to join her clutchmates, and Aleni with Skylight draped around her neck went off in search of Talera.

She'd last seen her leading the Weyrwoman off, but Karredy had appeared again shortly, without Talera, heading toward A'zael. She couldn't be too far. When she spotted the older goldrider, Talera was in the middle of another conversation and she'd waited, standing a short distance away, waiting for her to finish before approaching, one hand lifting a bit to catch the Second's attention. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." she started, but hurried on in hopes of at least getting a short answer to her question. "I don't suppose there'd be any way of knowing- for certain- if the timers made it to where they were going?"
Hiko

[Hiko]

Between Karredy’s ineptitude and the sister’s doe-eyed concern, Talera could feel the beginnings of a rather terrible headache forming between her brows. She pinched at the bridge of her nose and let out a ragged breath.
She’d decided to come to this Weyrhold.
She’d taken the invite.
Was she only now regretting it?

Aleni’s soft voice broke her from her self-pitying thoughts and she appraised the questionable girl. Not for the first time did she wonder about the rumors surrounding the young gold rider, but frankly, nothing was really a surprise to the senior rider, any more.
And it wasn’t like Aleni wouldn’t make a better Weyrwoman than what they currently had.

Shells, Talera thought, a soured boot would make a better Weyrwoman.
Not for the first time, she realized just how much the younger queen riders needed a better guiding hand than Karredy’s. Srunae and Melana were both capable young women, despite their leader, and while Talera hoped she’d had some small part in that, she knew most if not all of it came from their own presence of will.
Aleni…
Well, the girl was a concern, wasn’t she? The hatching had proven that, with outbursts both for and against the Impression of the young Riyobith. Her own reservations aside, she knew Karredy and Zalmaranth would be no role model for the pair. And if Danovelith and Sularenth did not return…
Well, she would just have to bite down on those reservations and swallow.

“I always have time for a promising rider,” Talera replied, unable to stop herself from making one more dig at their Weyrwoman’s actions. She bid the weyrling closer.
“If they’d been lost between, we would have felt their passing,” Talera replied, allowing herself a soft sigh. “That’s not to say there’s no danger in what they’re attempting - and they could still be lost on the journey back, if they don’t keep proper coordinates, but we have to hope for the best. We have the responsibility as gold riders to keep our heads clear. For us to panic - well, you’ve already seen the confusion and anger the performance brought in.”

Taxx