Post by Zen on Jul 9, 2020 0:28:31 GMT -5
A’zael had never been up to the watchheights of Jask, where generally the Hold’s watchdragon and rider spent most of their time, overlooking the entire Hold and far beyond it. It might have been a rather impressive view if he wasn’t already used to overlooking the world from the back of a dragon. Set back into the mountain was what amounted to a weyr for the watchdragon and rider to shelter in during the worst weather of winter, but it was hardly needed now. Jask’s summers were mild and pleasant.
Degranik and Relaena were waiting for him as he reached the top of the stairs and spotted them, heading over to clasp the man’s arm for the second time that day, “Finally escape your wellwishers?”
Degranik laughed, “Indeed. Today will be a long one for me. I’m not used to dealing with so many people in such a short amount of time. Not used to seeing so much of the sun either.”
Before he could stop himself or consider that Relaena was standing right there to hear, A’zael grinned, “Careful, Degranik, or you may not make it to your wedding night properly.”
Relaena colored and Degranik coughed in some attempt to hide his laugh, “A’zael, my lady wife can hear you.”
A’zael did his best to look chagrined, “Apologies, my lady.”
Relaena couldn’t meet his eyes, “It-it’s quite alright, Weyrleader.”
She was just being polite and he knew it. He was so used to being able to speak freely around Degranik, it would take some getting used to, checking his words when Relaena was with him. “Well, shall we get the races started?”
“I did want to ask you about something first,” Degranik replied, and A’zael raised an eyebrow curiously, “One of your crafters, Master Galderran, has been in contact with me recently. He was born and raised in Jask, I knew him rather well before he decided to leave to assist Mavros shortly after your founding. He has requested more whers to help with the expansion of your caverns. It seems Mavros is finally threatening to outgrow what your miners have accomplished and they are having a difficult time keeping up.”
A’zael had no idea about any of this, the holder side of Mavros had little to do with him and if any riders were interacting with the holder council on a regular basis it would be the goldriders. But Degranik knew him well so he supposed it made sense the man would discuss it with him when he had the chance. “So it seems? We do have plenty of young golds with many clutching turns ahead. There is little for us to do but grow.”
Degranik nodded thoughtfully, “Would it be agreeable, do you think, for us to send you a gold wher and leave you her eggs as part of our next tithe? Galderran has told me there is interest among the Mavrosi crafters in becoming handlers, so it seems a better solution than simply transferring some of Jask’s handlers. There would be a learning curve either way, but there is pride in building your own home rather than having outsiders come in and do it for you, and I know from correspondence with Galderran that your whers serve several purposes, which our handlers aren’t trained for. Well, I just wanted to put the idea to you. You can discuss it with whoever you need to and get back to me. We have a gold wher that is due to run in the next month or so, so the sooner we can get her to you, the better. Galderran’s bronze is from good stock and would make a fine mate for her.”
Wher eggs as part of tithe? That was a first. “I’ll get back to you on that as soon as I can, then.” He wasn’t really sure what to think about it, but if Mavros needed it then why not? He wasn’t even certain who to talk to about it at this point. Talera, perhaps? Which of the goldriders met with the holder council on the most regular basis was not something he knew. For all he knew none of them did and they left it to the headwoman. He would have to find out later. Negotiating tithe agreements wasn’t really supposed to be part of his job, but he had a bit of a hand in it now and then due to Karredy’s fluctuating state of health. He had been a constant and stable authority figure in her stead when dealing with the Holds. He was rather looking forward to that changing in the coming months.
“Then, by all means, A’zael, start your dragon races,” Degranik grinned, clearly eager for the event, “I’ve been looking forward to it all morning.”
Fath, tell Gamath it’s time for the races, he passed along to his dragon, and after a short time the older bronze could be seen rising into the air and heading toward them. Gamath found a perch higher up on the mountain with B’rax on his back and called the first group of racers to him. A’zael would have officiated the races this time, seeing as he wasn’t participating, but B’rax had done it last time and well, Fath wasn’t the best at communicating things clearly. It was better left to someone else. “Have you already placed your bets, my Lord?”
“Of course. I told you I was looking forward to this all morning,” Degranik was still grinning, gaze upturned toward the gathered racers. Gamath bugled and the six dragons shot off toward a distant peak, where B’ram was waiting on Ganth to ensure that the participants circled around the peak as they were meant to and no one took any shortcuts to cheat. Degranik glanced at him as the dragons grew to six colored smudges in the sky, “Who did you bet on?”
“What makes you think I placed any bets?” he raised a brow, attempting a serious expression, “Don’t you think that might be considered cheating? After all it is my job to know the capabilities of my riders and their dragons.”
“Bah, I don’t believe that for a moment,” Degranik laughed, and so did A’zael.
“I may have placed a small bet here and there,” he admitted, watching the sky as the racers made their return, “After all, Cat’na and her blue Uskith won one of our turnover races.”
“Did they? See these are the sorts of things a friend shares, A’zael,” Degranik insisted, and A’zael laughed again. But both men cursed softly as C’tun and his blue Gometh pulled off quite an upset to win the first race of the day, “At least your pick came in third.”
“Who did you bet on?” A’zael glanced over at him curiously.
“C’lin and green Arith,” Degranik admitted with a shrug.
A’zael chuckled, “Arith’s distractible. I’d say she was a bit of a longshot, but I would have said the same for Gometh, what with his larger build. Perhaps I don’t have as much of an advantage as I’d thought.”
Degranik grinned, “Perhaps I’m not so mad at you for keeping inside information to yourself then.”
“Well, I’ve never had the best luck with gambling. I’d rather be flying with them than losing my marks,” A’zael replied as the next set of racers were summoned, his gaze shifting to Relaena, “What do you think, my lady? Is it to your liking?”
“Oh, yes, Weyrleader. It is quite exciting,” she replied with an easy smile, one that seemed genuine, and took a step closer to her new husband to wrap her arm around his, “I hope you didn’t lose too much, my lord.”
Degranik offered her a sheepish smile, “I told you, small bets only. I’ve never had much chance to bet on any sorts of races. Jask’s terrain makes runnerbeast races rather impossible. All the more reason I was excited by your offer of dragon races, A’zael. Ah, the next race is starting!”
