Gifts and Favors [Asirikai/Kev]

[Zen]

About a week after Turn's End

Treyjen

Pearl’s eggs seemed to have hardened about as much as they were going to, which seemed to also calm the gold’s aggressive protection of the clutch. Srunae had told him that they should hatch about two sevendays after they’d ‘completed’ hardening, so Treyjen imagined they would hatch soon enough, which meant he needed to get rid of them before he had a whole nest of them in his quarters. Or pod, he supposed, is what Srunae called a group of the creatures. Pearl had been letting him handle the eggs briefly for the last several days, watching him silently with eyes whirling red but making no move to chase him away. It had been quite a ridiculous ordeal. The first few days after her laying he could only manage to enter his quarters when he brought her food, regardless of how he pressed his will upon her, and she hadn’t allowed him anywhere near the eggs, though he’d set up a proper place for her to do so with Srunae’s assistance. Slowly the spitter had allowed him to linger for longer and longer periods of time, but as the eggs were buried and he wasn’t allowed to root around in the sand looking for them, he hadn’t even been able to count them until just a few days ago. It seemed once they were properly hardened Pearl had finally relaxed… as much as Pearl ever seemed to relax. There were ten in all. Srunae said it was a good number.

He sat in a chair he’d pulled over to the tub of sand that held the clutch, rigged atop another, larger tub that held smoldering coals to keep the eggs warm. Wild spitters would lay their clutches on the beach, buried in shallow sand, so the sun could warm them. There was no sun in his quarters, so embers had to do. It made him uneasy, having unattended fire in any form aboard his ship, but it wasn’t like there was much other option. Clever as Srunae was, she’d helped him come up with a pretty decent, and safe, setup to ensure the eggs developed properly and actually hatched, and that his ship wasn’t set aflame in the process. He hadn’t had to worry about that when they’d found Pearl’s clutch on the sands of one of the Western Isles’ beaches, fortunately, or the eggs very well may have died. What was left of the clutch had been hardened when they’d found them. Broken shells told the tale of some predator or another finding some of the gold’s siblings. Srunae said the eggs could survive without constant heat after they’d hardened fully, so long as they didn’t get too cold.

Now he just had to get the eggs away from Pearl without her attacking him. He’d gathered a variety of small pots to place each egg into, but getting them out without the gold noticing and becoming protective was another matter. So he’d promised a child a half mark to go catch some minnows for him, and he’d dumped the bucket of the little live fish into Pearl’s wallowing tub, hoping she might be distracted by catching them long enough for him to nab at least one or two eggs without her notice. It had worked, the gold hadn’t left her eggs since she’d laid them and seemed quite appreciative of the game he’d provided her, and Treyjen was able to scoop the largest egg into its own little container, packing sand in around it, without Pearl being any the wiser. He hadn’t wanted to press his luck too much on the first try, so he just stuck to the one for now. At least he should be able to use the same strategy a couple more times. Perhaps he’d even be able to sneak them all out. Pearl didn’t tend to the eggs that he’d noticed, she just kept a watch over them to ensure nothing came to harm them. She couldn’t even see them properly, being as they were slightly buried. He had to dig them out to look at them.

With his gift in tow, he left the gold to her brooding and headed for Asirikai’s - Lord Asirikai’s - quarters. He had an appointment to keep and it wouldn’t do to be late, gift or no. The new Lord was surely quite busy with all his plans for Mavros now that he had won the election, and he was still doing him quite the favor. It would be rather insulting to waste his time. Treyjen sighed lightly. He disliked having to be on his very best behavior, it was incredibly grating, and yet the situation rather demanded it. He just hoped Asirikai would accept the gift he was offering, all the better to keep his sister away from the man in future. They could not afford her reckless antics ruining their working relationship with the new Mavrosi Lord. Perhaps it would even keep her out of any future meetings she might otherwise demand to attend, for all that she hated being left out of important affairs. That was how she had ended up in bed with A’zael, after all. At least A’zael wasn’t a temperamental lordling.

Upon reaching his destination, Treyjen waited to be invited inside before offering the man a bow and a pleasant grin, “Congratulations, my lord. You won quite handily as I understand it.” A little ego stroking never hurt. “I thought I might offer you a gift to celebrate your victory,” he continued, setting the little container on the edge of Asirikai’s desk, “You might remember my seaspitter, Pearl. Her first clutch of eggs is nearly ready to hatch. I’m afraid there doesn’t appear to be a gold egg, but this is the largest egg in the clutch. Surely a brown at the least.” He didn’t pause to let Asirikai think on the matter for too long before he added, “My sister has a terrible distaste for the beasts, avoids them if she can. It seemed to me a… prudent gift for you.”

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai – Lord Holder of Mavros

He, Tolf, Nedric, and Torli had sat for a short candles melt, discussing immediate business. Torli had excused herself when her business part of the meeting had ended. Pollifa was to meet with her to discuss what matters Pollifa and Rellira could be directed to in order to assist in what ways they could. He had smiled when Torli had mentioned his nieces, remembering the pleasant welcome he had extended to them both when he had visited them after their announcement of arrival. They deserved better living circumstances, and if he could, he would do so as quickly as possible.

Their business had maneuvered into his plans for Mavros hold’s expansion. He had every intention of expanding his hold above ground. He laid out the plans he had been studiously working on since before the vote. He had had no doubts when it came to his election, and it was a relief to be able to enact them now. Tolf and Nedric sat around his desk; Nedric leaned forward, quietly taking it in, and Tolf merely stood, placed his hands behind his back, and bent his head to better see them. It was a strange sight, the tall man didn’t stoop, merely bent his head, his sharp eyes taking it in.

“Hmm, what of moving the dining hall next to the greeting hall, so then the assembly room,” He gestured to how the three would then connect. “would open up into one large, magnificent room, capable of being used as the ballroom?" Asirikai looked at his plans, nodding, picking up his charcoal and making a little note. “Not a bad idea, I will take that into consideration.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Tolf nodded respectfully, stepping back.

Nedric whistled. “I ain’t know much ‘bout this kind of stuff, but I reckon that we can get the work done, it’d just take a good long while.” He grimaced at the thought, and Asirikai nodded again.

“I don’t doubt it. I’ll be fighting the weyr overuse of the whers in order to refine the cavern system of the Hold. The work would go much faster if we could use the whers for the wood hauling and root pulling.” Asirikai walked away from the desk, looking at his office area.

“Knowin you, not much will keep ya from winnin that fight.” Nedric said with a quiet chuckle.

"Yes well, it is because of me that they have a legitimate Weyr, recognized as such by Pern. I believe that gives me some room for strict negotiations.  

Before Nedric could respond, Tolf inserted himself. “Excuse me sir, but we should conclude our business, you have a meeting coming up.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Asirikai agreed, and Tolf rolled up his plans for the future, and handed him the packet of instructions and letters, each neatly closed with his new seal of Lordship, except for one. He grimaced, shards but he didn’t want to finish that one. It was the letter for Piros Jewt himself.

Nedric merely stood and offered a bow, before departing. Asirikai enjoyed the companionship of Nedric, and couldn’t have chosen a better man, even if his language skills needed assistance.

“I’ll leave you to it, my Lord.” Tolf set the wax to melt over one of the candles, offered a more graceful bow then what Nedric had done, and departed. Asirikai sat down, working the letter slowly, wording each sentence carefully. Technically, just getting Piros Jewt to see Treyjen, was a favor. Which would mean getting the man to do what Asirikai wished, the way he wished, would put him in debt of the loony man. He wasn’t willing to do that-so he made sure it was clear that the debt would fall to Treyjen if Piros did indeed gather the necessary means for Asirikai to legally glean the deed of Treyjen’s boat for the pirate. Treyjen could handle it, but that little detail, Asirikai would keep for himself. If anything, the retired spymaster would surely be itching to work if but once more, and the debt owed would be small. Probably. Something perfectly within the pirate’s ability. Hopefully.

He signed the letter with a flourish and sealed it with the wax Tolf had prepared for him, stamping it with his new seal. Delightful. It felt so satisfactory to sign and seal with his very own Lordship. It was right. A knock at the door came, and Tolf appeared from his service door. He must have been sitting at his own desk, waiting their visitor. The wiry, tall man, ushered their visitor in, murmuring, “Captain Treyjen, my Lord.”

“Thank you, Tolf. You are excused.” Asirikai motioned an excusal for his steward, who bowed, and left through the main door. He wouldn’t be needed for some time, and there would be work for him plenty elsewhere. He shut the door quietly, and Asirikai felt a rush of pleasure as the captain bowed before him. He didn’t move from his seat, but motioned for Treyjen to join him in the chair that Nedric had been sitting in during their earlier meeting.

“Thank you, Captain. So, I’ve heard. Just as I expected. I knew two of the competitors quite well, seeing as they were my kin. They didn't have the resolution that I have, and the people of Mavros agreed, so it would seem.” He leaned forward, his eyes falling on the supposed ‘gift’ the man had brought forth. “A gift? How considerate.” Though it was the very least he could do, with him putting his metaphorical neck out for him. Shards, he just hoped Piros didn’t stir up too much trouble. He really, sharding hoped saving Priyaanya would give him more grace for his favor. He raised an eyebrow as he considered Treyjen’s words and the little egg before him. A brown? Well, at least it wouldn’t be a green or blue… But a brown wouldn’t have been his choice if he’d been given one.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the pirate was honest, if this was indeed the largest egg, or if he was just saying it to appease any displeasure at being given a brown, instead a bronze or gold egg.

“My sister has a terrible distaste for the beasts, avoids them if she can. It seemed to me a… prudent gift for you.”

Asirikai’s gaze went back to Treyjen, and his other eyebrow joined the first. As if he couldn’t take care of himself around Nalyra. Though, it would please him to agitate her a little more if he did come into contact with her. A slow smile came to his lips, and he chuckled. “Yes, I recall that interaction between her and your little pet with a great deal of pleasure now.” He did wish to look closer at the egg, but at the same time had no desire to show how much he anticipated the little creature within, so made no move toward it. It would be especially useful as Lord Holder, even if a brown weren’t as prestigious as he deserved.

“What a judicious gift, my thanks.” He took the last letter he had sealed and placed it at the bottom of the pile of instructions and letters, and then offered them to the pirate. Soon to be ex-pirate if all went well. “And this is for you. There are instructions as to getting in contact with Piros, a letter with a bit more information on him and his daughter, and the last letter is for Piros.”

He leaned back in his chair, studying the man before him for a brief moment before offering, “While I haven’t excused you or yours yet for the past crimes, I'll remind you that I expect this work to be done as legally as possible. It will make the process of getting your ship under your name less chaotic, as I would prefer. Piros is a… wily fellow, and once he agrees to work with you, hired as best description could be, he will follow your wishes. Be especially careful of your wording around him.” He said the last softly, seeking to gentle the command into a warning. In the end, Piros would do as he saw fit, and fit the action to the words in his dishonest way, as long as it got the job done. But it couldn't hurt for Treyjen to be cautious, and if luck were with him, it would all fall into place. Shards, he really hoped this didn’t ricochet back to him.

[Zen]

Treyjen

Asirikai’s confidence really did edge into arrogance, but Treyjen didn’t think a little arrogance was terrible in a leader. If a man wasn’t absolutely sure in himself then what sorts of fools would choose to follow him? He just hoped the young man had enough humility to recognize his own weaknesses and seek advice in places he was lacking. Asirikai would always be a bit too proud for Treyjen’s tastes, but - particularly if this entire plan came together - he had more than earned his loyalty.

So he simply nodded at the Lord’s thanks and was happy enough to turn directly to business. He reached for the offered letters and instructions, and they seemed to weigh heavier in his hands than they should, perhaps due to their importance. It was a silly notion, but he felt it all the same. They were the first step and he wanted nothing more than to gather his most trusted crewmates and set out immediately to get the venture underway. It was an effort to remain where he was, lifting his gaze back to Asirikai as he listened to his warning. Be careful of his wording? This would be interesting, wouldn’t it? His curiosity about this Piros was piqued again.

“I’ll keep that in mind… and I’ll certainly do my best to make it as easy as possible for you, my lord,” he assured him, which was true, but he was also more than willing to do whatever it took to see this through. He would try to stay as close to Asirikai’s preferred methods as he could, but he had no idea just what might be required in the end, and this Piros was clearly someone who would resort to any method to get his job done as well. It was the best he could promise, under the circumstances. He certainly had no desire to make Asirikai’s part in this any more difficult than it had to be. The smoother it all went, the better for everyone.

Though… had he ever mentioned the man having a daughter previously? Strange that he couldn’t recall. Surely he would remember such a detail. He supposed anything he needed to know about her would be among the information Asirikai had given him, but he couldn’t help but ask, “You didn’t mention a daughter before. Anything particularly pressing I ought to know of her?” If she was anything like her ‘wily’ father, this would be doubly interesting.

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord of Mavros

“I’ll keep that in mind… and I’ll certainly do my best to make it as easy as possible for you, my lord,”

Asirikai nodded in response. He was not about to thank him for his efforts, seeing as he was still unsure of a pirate’s honor. Still… Treyjen had stuck to his promise to assist in gathering votes, and if this had held true for the captain then that meant there were men under Treyjen’s care that looked to Asirikai for help, no matter the captain’s honor. He had some responsibility for them, in assisting them on the correct path again. Asirikai also knew that he should refrain from more attempts to encourage care. Some men took it into their heads to do the opposite, and that really was the last thing Asirikai wanted or needed. It was hard to curb his tongue. He hated when things were out of his control. But leadership was delegation, and he truly didn’t want to get mixed up with Piros if he could avoid it.

He expected Treyjen to take his leave soon after, and he could turn his attention on the gift he had received from the man. Instead, Treyjen asked a question.

“You didn’t mention a daughter before. Anything particularly pressing I ought to know of her?”

“Haven’t I?” He blinked, realizing his tongue had slipped in mentioning Piros having a daughter. He hadn't meant to mention Priya in person, instead letting the letters take care of that burden. The vision of Priaanya came to his mind, her scarred face, and burned neck, the freckles and her sharp green-hazel eyes. His first serious ‘love’ as a youth, she had enraptured him, and he had learned the hard way that love was not always good, nor easy. She had proven to be far more dangerous than he could have imagined. Dangerous, and lovely.

“Ah,” he cleared his throat, dismayed at the slip of tongue. “Well, I would avoid staring at her.” She was quite a sight, scarred as she was, and Piros did not take well to stares… Well, he hadn't taken to Asirikai staring at her, though Priya herself usually found it humorous. He scoured his brain, trying to decide what to say, floundering. “And trusting her. Ah, and her right side is weak, if ever you need an upper hand.” He almost winced at the last, remembering her before him, smelling of cooked meat and weak with dehydration. Burned and almost dead from it.

“I’m afraid that’s the best I can do, in that front.” He put his hands up, looking innocent, and looked to the egg he had been presented with. He wanted to change the subject, though not so dearly that he would ask how to take care of an egg. He already knew the basics, from his father being gifted eggs in the past.

[Zen]

Treyjen

Upon his question about the daughter, Asirikai’s manner shifted. How interesting. Treyjen studied the younger man as he spoke, considering just what the shift might mean. There was a sort of hesitation in him. It didn’t last terribly long before the Lord seemed to end that line of questioning, though Treyjen thought it was more that he was unwilling to offer more than he was unable. The lordling didn’t want to discuss the daughter further. Hm. Treyjen filed away what Asirikai did tell him for later. Refrain from staring and trusting her, and a possible weakness to exploit if needed. The fact that the man felt the need to offer a weakness to exploit only piqued his interest more, but with Asirikai shutting down the conversation it seemed he would have to wait until he met the woman to discern just why it might be necessary. He wasn’t about to press the issue, one didn’t push the buttons of a man doing you no small favor.

“Very well… ah,” he noted the lordling’s gaze shift to the spitter egg and reached into his coat, drawing out a rolled up hide and setting it beside the egg’s container, “I nearly forgot. A basic guide to sea spitters, written by our very own Srunae of Gold Danovelith. She identified the beasts for me when they hatched and wrote me up a fine guide for their care. I’m sure it will come in handy for you after it hatches. If you’ve any questions about them, she’s the one I’d seek. Strangely informed on rare beasts, she is.” He didn’t try to hide the note of fondness in his voice when he spoke of the goldrider, but didn’t linger on the subject either. He was too eager to get underway as soon as possible.

He stowed the letters Asirikai had provided him with into his coat for safekeeping, sure the man had been thorough enough that any further questions would be answered within, and any that weren’t would likely have to wait until he found Piros and his daughter. “By your leave, my lord… I’ll not take up anymore of your time. I have preparations to make for our venture.” The sooner the better. His father could show up at Mavros any day and he’d prefer to have this business resolved before that happened. He hadn't a clue when it might happen, but he was entirely convinced it would, and no matter when it occurred, it would be far sooner than he ever wanted it to.

kevna

[kevna]

Asirikai - Lord Holder

He was relieved that Treyjen seemed to catch on to his dismissal, handing off the packet and offering tidbits of information. So the gold rider should be his contact? He did not look forward to asking a woman for assistance. He’d figure it out himself if needed, though he did have some contact with the beasts before. Fellow fishermen had found some eggs hatching, and had impressed the beasts, and he could recall some useful information from those exchanges.

“Ah, interesting. If I have questions I’ll direct them to her, then.” He said congenially. He wouldn’t, but it couldn’t hurt to be polite.

He nodded, dismissing the man. “Safe journeys captain, let the sea be with you. Good luck with your venture.” Silently he wished the man not to return if the luck of Faranth was not with him. He truly did hope for good luck, because if he saw the man again, without the necessary proof of injustices for Nalyra, he would have to condemn the man. That could cause all sorts of issues, maybe even a battle. That was the last thing Mavros needed.