Change on the Horizon

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord Holder Candidate

Asirikai couldn’t decide if he was miffed or amused. He was annoyed certainly that Siorreya had been so quick to dismiss him, but he was amused because now he had ammunition against his nephew. One the woman had given him without knowing it. The way Podrell had reacted to just the slightest, and even a respectable, touch from him to her had been enlightening. The man had acted beyond possessive and insanely jealous. But a greenrider? Shards, he should have asked how they had met. His thoughts turned to the woman and he wondered at her. She had seemed willing enough to throw Pod off, but he wondered if she understood the feelings she had stirred in the young man.

He came to, recognizing the hall Siorreya had taken him down just a little earlier, with her chipper voice and light teasing. He had been loathe at the time to leave this hallway, looking to the weyrleader’s door with intention-but she had been a force to be reckoned with, and he would have had to have been rude to escape her. It had all be worth it. He decided he was more amused as he came up to the door, but he recognized in himself the sharp edge of temperament he would have to watch. Shards, it was hard being in control of himself all the time. It would have been nice if he had been able to get Podrell to throw a punch at him. It would also have been a good release.

He adjusted his heavier dyed black fur cloak as he approached the door, it was a tad too warm inside, though it was nice to wear outside in the chilly wind. He contemplated what kind of man ran the weyr, who had come up with the idea of timing back to get the necessary forces of dragons for the current thread fall patterns. He was impressed, and a little envious, because this man, A’zael, had made a name for himself with his well seeded plans that had blossomed as planned. Asirikai would just have to make sure to do the same, make his name. He would do that as Lord Holder of Mavros, raising it from the ashes they had put themselves in.

He knocked on the door and waited for the invite to come in before swinging the door open. He smiled, as he walked in, his eyes on the man before him. “Well met, Weyrleader Az’ael I presume?” He stood before the desk, waiting to be offered a seat, hoping he had come at a good time. The last thing he needed was to make another trek out here and be detained by another annoying woman seeking attention. “I am Asirikai from Cove Hold. One of the Lord Holder candidates, seeking a bit of your time if you have some. I’m hoping to discuss your weyr, and the upcoming benefit and changes that will take place with a Lord Holder established here on Mavros.” Noting the hides spread out all over the table he added, “I’m of course willing to make an appointment, if what you are working on is more pressing.” He tried not to sound to regretful, he desperately wanted this less noteworthy meeting out of the way, so he could fully focus on those who would be under his rule, if-when-he won.

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

It was something of an ongoing process, reassigning Wing strength with the addition of T’lyron’s soon to be new Wing. He’d never had to make such drastic changes to the Wings before, it was all new to him, though a welcome challenge as it meant their meager dragon population was finally growing rather than stagnating. Including all their weyrlings, Mavros had nearly 150 dragons now. It was still a sad number as far as Weyrs went. Even the smaller Weyrs had larger populations, or at least the potential for more. He really didn’t know the population of dragons at every Weyr, he supposed, just that Weyrs like Southern could house about 350 dragons. It was difficult for him to imagine having even that many, and that was on the low end of the spectrum. His trips to Benden had shown a stark contrast in numbers; the larger, well established Weyr had seemed to have a ridiculous amount of dragons just from his cursory observation. Though it hadn’t held a candle to what he remembered from his time in Mirran.

B’rax and X’ar had both given him a short list of riders they preferred to keep in their Wings if at all possible and he was doing his best to see that he honored it, and to be honest it was nice to have a starting point rather than just putting the Wings back together from scratch. He would prefer to keep as many wingmates together as possible to ease the transition with the new Wing. While a fourth Wing was quite a victory and vindicated his, and B’rax’s efforts before him, going back to the start of Mavros, it also made him nervous. They would have little enough time to drill with their newly reformed Wings before they had to fly against Thread. There was a great potential for injury with Wings that were not used to working together. Were they any other Weyr, they could afford to keep certain Wings out of the fight while they drilled more, but four Wings did not afford them that luxury.

Then there were the lists of weyrlings each Wingleader had given him, young riders they favored to tap into their Wings after their graduation, which was fast approaching. Some of the names overlapped and so it was up to him to decide who to give each pair to in the end. And there were riders and weyrlings both that were not specifically requested that he had to determine placements for. D’rew had already given him some insight into the weyrlings and some recommendation about them all, which was helpful. Yet he constantly found himself second guessing. There were plenty of names he had written down, crossed off, added somewhere else, and then decided his first decision was better after all. His potential new Wing lists were something of a mess currently.

So it was with some relief that a knock on his door interrupted him and he was all too glad for the distraction. For now at least. He supposed he had been at it for a while and could use a break… though whenever he took a break he always came back second guessing again. Frisk raised his head curiously from where he was draped across A’zael’s shoulders, previously napping, and chittered softly at being woken. “Come on in!” he called, looking up from the hides sprawled over his desk to see who it was. The man that entered was unfamiliar to him. He had a certain amount of confidence about him, that was clear, as he strode up to the desk and A’zael nodded at his inquiry, “I am indeed.” He didn’t really have any time to say anything else before he was introducing himself. Ah… one of the Lord Holder candidates.

He really hoped this didn’t become a thing, the candidates seeking him out like this. He had no desire to get into multiple political discourses when none of them even had the title yet. He supposed he could send the man away to come back later, as he considered the hides before him, but that was only delaying the meeting and he rather thought it would be better to go ahead and get it over with. It would be rude not to agree to meet with him at all, and that wasn’t the foot he wanted to start off on should the man win the Lordship come turn’s end. Ugh, but he’d have to indulge any of them, wouldn’t he? He cleared his throat lightly, “Ah, no. Now is as good a time as any. Please, have a seat if you’d like.” He gestured vaguely to a chair, uncomfortable as ever in this sort of situation. He was no Blooded son bred for politics, that was for sure.

He nearly said something about hoping Asirikai was enjoying his stay at Mavros, but thought better of it. Conditions at Mavros were hardly welcoming, less so in the holder caverns, though he didn’t really make a habit of venturing there much. “How are you finding your stay at Mavros so far?” he asked instead, which got across a similar sentiment without the polite sort of ignorance the former statement would have conveyed. Shells but this was why he hated politics… it took too much effort just to speak, too much thinking about how his words could be taken. He hated all the verbal dancing about. “Quite a change from Cove, I imagine?” he offered a mildly amused smile, “Particularly the climate. I’m a southern man, myself. I do miss the turn-round warmth.”

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord Holder Candidate

“Thank you.” He smiled broadly, glad that the man was willing to put aside his current work for this meeting, and took the proffered seat. He sat up straight, both feet square on the ground, and rested his arms on the arms of his chair. His stance, though unknown to him, was much like his father’s. This was an important meeting, at least the results of this meeting would be important after he won, and it seemed the Weyrleader had the good sense to understand that.

He gave a pained expression at the first question. “Hmm well I can say I've found a little more here comfortable then when I lived at sea during our fishing voyages.” Barely. At least he had had a suitable cot on his ship. His father’s ship. He chuckled when A’zael mused at the change it must be for him from Cove, and he nodded. “Aye, that it is. But one season all year round can get boring. I enjoy the change and overcoming a good challenge. Which from what I hear is what you did, coming up with the timing back solution, increasing exponentially your fighting riders.” He didin't come to talk about the weather and changed the topic easily. Asirikai wondered what other ideas the man had, but patience was key. All in good time. “I have to say I’m impressed. You expressed the need of your Weyr with forward thinking and quick action. What inspired such an idea?”

Working with the weyrleader would be essential in raising the status of Mavros and coming to good terms with the other weyrs. A challenge indeed. Forward thinking would be crucial, but if the Mavrosi Weyrleader wasn’t willing to work with him, then there would be further problems. He felt confident the man before him would work with him.

[Zen]

A'zael

Fishing voyages? Cove was a coastal Hold so of course there was plenty of fishing done there, but he hadn’t imagined any Blooded son doing fisher work. Then again, Asirikai hadn’t given his relation to the Lord of Cove… it could be more distant for all he knew. Or not. He didn’t know much about any Lords and less about their families, except for Reageren and Degranik, of course. And now Divano, he supposed. In the end it hardly mattered to A’zael how the man was related anyway.

A’zael gave a low laugh back at the man’s opinion on the weather and shook his head, “You say that now because you’ve not experienced a Mavros winter yet.” At least they weren’t as bad as Jask’s. But Asirikai was changing topics, as A’zael assumed he probably would, though he was mildly surprised in the direction he took it. Should he really be, though? He supposed anyone coming to Mavros might be interested to hear more about the timing it venture.

“Ah… you have it wrong. It wasn’t my idea at all. In fact I was… very reluctant to allow it,” he recalled that crazy first conversation with Srunae when she’d brought the idea to him. He had required plenty of convincing. “Srunae, gold Danovelith’s rider, was the one who brought the idea to me. She…,” he laughed softly, his fondness evident, “Tends to have her nose in a book more often than not. Her reading inspired the suggestion, and then a very lengthy debate over whether the risk was worth it.” He gestured vaguely, “She convinced me, obviously, but I’d just as soon not take the risk again if I can help it. We could have just as easily lost two golds and a handful of riders, all our candidates, and several support staff all in one horrifying moment. I was not exactly thrilled taking such a risk with so many people under my protection.”

He shook his head again, “I don’t know if ‘forward thinking’ is exactly the right term… really it was more of an act of desperation.” He frowned slightly, wondering if he should have said that. Shells, but he really hated politics. “Fortunately for all of us, it worked in the end,” he continued, hoping Asirikai wouldn’t dwell on the statement. He supposed he didn’t mind explaining it to him if he asked for more information, but he would really rather not get into how the Weyr was barely limping by and how one bad Fall could ruin them all. He waved his hand dismissively, “If you’d like to hear more, I’m sure Srunae would be happy to talk to you about it. She actually went along as well as being the mastermind behind it all, so she’ll certainly have plenty more to speak on than I do.”

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord Holder Candidate

He gave a polite smile, waving a hand and ceding the point on the weather. He could care less. He had been through storms on the sea, cold weather had never bothered him much, probably because his body craved the difference from the sweltering heat he had grown up in. He was surprised, though not pleasantly, when A’zael refuted the rumors he had heard about the idea stemming from the man. So, he was talking to the wrong man then, or wrong individual. Women had an important role in the Hold, keeping the Hold running with the proper meals, accepting guests, cleaning, and whatever else it took to make the Hold look good. In Asirikai’s mind he understood the role of a woman more in that respect-to make others look good. Srunae, as A’zael described her genius, had done just that. She had made Mavros, and A’zael, look good. Well-better at least. Which would explain the fondness the bronzerider obviously had for the goldrider.

“My mistake. She sounds like quite a woman.” He murmured in the pause, wondering then just what A’zael brought to the table if he allowed his women to think for him. He raised an eyebrow when A’zael denied it being forward thinking, realizing there just might be a reason he allowed his women to think for him. “Ah, but it was a progressive and revolutionary idea-just because it stemmed from desperation doesn’t devalue it in any way.” Shards, this was not the man he had thought he would be discussing business with. He wasn’t sure how comfortable he would feel discussing it with a goldrider though, even if they were the brains behind the weyr, but he was determined to make Mavros great, and he would need the weyr’s help with that… Maybe he could find Srunae later.

As if Faranth smiled on him, A’zael offered up an opportunity to speak with her. Asirikai nodded politely, “It would be an honor to speak with her about her experience-but I didn’t come here looking for the story-“ He had come for the man who he had believed responsible for it –“More like I’m here because I want to know the details behind Mavros. I want to know what makes her tick and what’s holding her back.” He was relaxed, closely watching the man’s face, still wondering if this was a waste of his time. “I want to know who’s give you the most issue and who are the weyr’s friends. I intend to be Lord Holder of Mavros, and I intend to see her flourish, Hold and Weyr alike. I want to work together because I see the value of the Weyr for Mavros.” Did he need to be more forthright? He would see-and if the man really was a fool, he would escape this time sucker and move on to someone who could actually help and not hinder him.

[Zen]

A'zael

“Mm,” he made a soft sound of agreement at Asirikai’s estimation of Srunae, but let the topic of her go as he hardly needed to start raining praises down on her to a stranger. Shells but he sure would rather talk about Srunae than politics. Asirikai’s determination that the timing it venture was more than A’zael thought it was had him inwardly sighing. Either the man was more reckless than he, or he didn’t really understand how dangerous it had been, and how disastrous it could have turned out. Or both. But he had no desire to debate the man over what it was or was not, and perhaps his own feelings on the matter were colored by the chaos that had ensued after and the horrible feeling he’d been left with all day while the entire Weyr held its collective breath to see if everyone would return or not. It had been, by far, one of the worst days of his life. “Well I’m certainly not trying to devalue it,” he agreed easily enough, “I’d have just preferred that the Weyr was not in such a place to need to take such risks with so many lives.”

He was glad, at least momentarily, when the other man seemed to be moving on from the topic. But then it seemed he really wanted to get into the politics of Mavros with him and he would much rather talk about anything else. At least he knew how to give a decent overview at this point from teaching leadership lessons and didn’t feel quite so in over his head anymore. Still, he suppressed a sigh as he decided just where to begin. With a soft laugh, he sat back in his chair, “Well, may as well start with the bad news and end on the good? The Southern Weyrs have no fondness for us… you’re from the Southern Continent, I imagine you have some idea why that might be already. Poaching candidates isn’t the best way to make friends, but when hatchling lives are on the line, we do what we need…. If that means taking advantage of the disdain the Southern Holds have for their own Weyrs, then so be it. It’s their own fault they failed so terribly in their duty at the start of the Pass.”

Had Divano told him anything of Cove Hold and their relationship with their Weyr? He seemed to remember something about them having less to lose in earning their Weyr’s ire, due to the grubs in the soil that protected their lands from Thread. Not really enough that he might make some sort of connection. “And, I’m sure you might also be aware that the Southern Holds tend to look upon us favorably in comparison. There is a reason the position of Lord Holder has been opened up only to those from the South. It’s our hope that any tentative alliances will be strengthened with the installation of a southern born Lord.” He considered just how much detail to go into, and decided that the second phase of Divano’s plans, trying to get the Southern Holds to agree to pinching their tithes to their Weyrs in order to convince them to allow Mavros back into the fold, would be a discussion for if Asirikai actually won the Lordship.

“The North is largely indifferent to us, in comparison,” he continued instead, “Though we have been taking steps to build relations with the northern Weyrs. I can safely say that Benden has become our ally and has offered aid if we need it, and Igen has been agreeable with us, allowing us to Search their protectorate on request. The northern Holds, however, favor their own Weyrs over us, in general. We also have good relations with our own protectorate. Lord Reageren has been incredibly supportive and Lord Degranik is a friend of the Weyr and tithes generously.” He paused there, certain Asirikai would have no issue asking for more information if he had any questions about it all without needing to be prompted as the weyrlings typically did.

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord Holder Candidate

“Of course, any good leader would prefer it so.” He was pleased with how easily A’zael seemed to align his wording to complement his own. He wondered if the man would be easily manipulated, just as Srunae must have manipulated him in convincing him to send a group back in time to better favor Mavros. He listened attentively, nodding as he heard A’zaels run down.

"It’s their own fault they failed so terribly in their duty at the start of the Pass."

No wonder they were struggling to get the southern weyrs on their side. Because truth or no, if that’s how Mavros spoke of the other southern weyrs, then there was no wonder they were still in conflict. The southern weyrs probably could care less about Mavros actually having a Lord Holder. If the root of the issue was actually pride, then it would take greater civility and propriety, something this weyrleader possibly lacked. Then again, he could be speaking frankly to have all the cards on the table… It was a hard thing to measure.

In the end, the southern weyrs had failed miserably. He could still remember the fury from his father on their failing. They had been lucky enough to have grubs which had mainly protected their lands, but damage had still been wrought. His father wasn’t one to forgive the stupidity and incompetence of those in high positions. It didn’t surprise him his father wasn’t the only one slow to forgive their respective weyrs…

He waved his hand as if acknowledging his understanding of why a southern Lord had been chosen. “I’m sure allying yourself with the Southern Lord’s by adopting a southern son, as well as considering the holds animosity toward their weyrs, will open up all sorts of… Opportunities for Mavros.” He murmured with a sharp grin and a raise of an eyebrow. It really was brilliant, adopting the Lordship out to a southern Lord’s son, and for a moment he wondered just who had come up with this idea. Srunae? Possibly a Lord in hope’s his son would be the one to win the Mavrosi Lordship?

The bigger question is would he be able to use the animosity of the southern holds in some way? He understood the need to get Mavros Weyr recognized as a weyr, but it would be near impossible if all the southern weyrs were against them. He wondered if his father would accede to any plan Asirikai suggested-or if the old man would only tell him to grow up. ‘Surely if you can get a Hold, you can figure your own way of keeping it.’ He could hear him say it now, nothing Asirikai did was ever enough for him. Would the other holds assist if he couldn’t even get his father to assist?

He tried to push his thoughts out and focus on A’zael’s words. He knew why, or could assume as to why, a the Southern Lord Holder’s sons had been chosen, what he didn’t know was what followed. The north. Not quite a barrier, but also not quite open to Mavros. It made sense the holds favored their weyrs over Mavros, as they should. It was indeed favorable that the weyrs had become somewhat soft allies to the island… The idea of a marriage with a northern lady started to take fruition. What better way to strengthen Mavros then to woo a Hold from the north?

Speaking of the Mavrosi protectorate as openly supportive also wasn’t much of a revelation, but what was interesting was the lack of A’zael mentioning Mavros hold’s relationship and tithes. “And Mavros Hold’s tithes? How do you fare off those?” He knew what the weak-minded Vashemin had said, but he didn't think he could trust the man at his word.

[Zen]

A'zael

Asirikai spoke of opportunities in allying with the southern Lords and A’zael nodded, “That is the hope, at least…. And should you win the Lordship of Mavros, I’m sure we would appreciate your assistance in such endeavors.” He wondered just what opportunities Asirikai might have in mind, or if he had caught on that there was more to this planned alliance, but he spoke to make it rather clear he didn’t intend to speak more on the subject with him unless he came away at turn’s end as Mavros’s rightful Lord.

The lordling seemed to take his brief rundown in easily enough, and had a prompt question to toss back. “To be honest with you, I don’t tend to meddle much with tithes we receive. That is the jurisdiction of the Weyrwoman and her juniors. I’ve only had to step up into dealing a bit more with it than most Weyrleaders due to our Weyrwoman’s health issues, but that has mostly been with Jask due to my friendship with Lord Degranik. The goldriders generally handle negotiations and tithing arrangements from elsewhere as the domestic needs of the Weyr fall under their supervision.”

He paused but briefly, considering, “However… Mavros is not simply Weyr and Hold… it is a Weyrhold. You may have noticed by now in your stay here that we share many things between us, even if there is some separation in living and working arrangements…. The healers and harpers here serve both sides of the bay, and there is nothing stopping anyone from the harbor caves or the beasthold from sharing in the labor of our kitchens but for the trek it takes to get there. Certainly no holdfolk would ever be denied a meal in our dining cavern. The herds our beastcrafters keep are shared by all, though I know the Weyr must claim more by necessity of sustaining our young dragons who cannot yet hunt for their meals on other isles.”

He spread his hands, “There is a rather unique relationship here, between holdfolk and weyrfolk, and it is my understanding that tithes aren’t handled in the same manner as with Holds that are completely separate from their Weyr. But if you would like to have a more in depth discussion of tithes, I’m afraid you’ll need to seek out a goldrider. My days are far more consumed with keeping our Wings in fighting shape and ensuring our ability to meet every Fall we must face, so I apologize if I’m not as helpful as you’d hoped.”

He wondered if Asirikai had any idea just how Weyrs were run, or if he had just assumed the Weyrleader would be in charge of everything because he was a man, and in the Holds that seemed to be how things were done, with a Hold's Lord ultimately having all the power. But a Lord didn't have to predict and strategize for Threadfall, or drill Wings every day to ensure every pair was ready and prepared for the next fight, or coordinate watch and sweep and search riders. It may be easy for a holder to associate a Weyrleader with a Lord, but there was really little similarity between them, and from what A'zael could gather it seemed Lords had a lot more in common with Weyrwomen than Weyrleaders. If that was the case, however, he couldn’t help but also wonder just what the man thought a Weyrwoman did. If he was lucky, Asirikai would realize he wasn't going to get all the answers he wanted from him and he could finally be free of this unwanted political encounter. Unless Asirikai suddenly wanted to start talking in depth about Threadfall strategies he didn't think he'd be able to answer many more of the man's questions, considering the subjects he'd seemed most interested in so far.

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai – Lord Holder Candidate

He caught the distinct ‘should you win the Lordship,’ but kept his face neutral. Out of all his competitors, Asirikai was the better choice. He believed Mavros was seeing that just fine. He only nodded slowly, not willing to give a verbal as to whether he would help. He would, he planned on it, but not need to seem over eager.

A’zael’s answer for everything game down to the weyrwomen, the goldriders… He was starting to understand that A’zael didn’t deal with the workings of the weyr whatsoever, which is exactly what he admitted as he thought it. It almost made sense, much as the lady looked after the basic runnings of the Hold, but he still found it interesting that A’zael lacked the basic knowledge of the runnings. He had often heard his mother give report to his father, who was interested in every single grain and fish. Asirikai nodded, standing, “No need to apologize, I see that weyr and hold are quite different, even if this one shares much, I apologize if I’ve wasted your time. I will make sure to seek out the Weyrwoman for my remaining questions.” He gave a respectful nod, “Thank you for your time. I’m sure I will see more of you.”

He waited a beat more for the Weyrleader’s acceptance of his departure, then turned on his heel and walked out. He chewed on his lip thoughtfully, considering his options. Srunae wasn’t the weyrwoman, from what he understood, and the rightful Weyrwoman had stepped down due to mental issues (if the rumors he had heard were correct), which meant another woman was in until the next gold rose. He would wait, he decided, for the next gold to rise, and then make his introductions. He would also have to better consider the ‘weyrhold’ idea that A’zael had pointed out, and figure out if that would be a threat to his power.