[PRP] Impeccable Timing! (Ambrin/Shahera/dragons)

[Teiha]

Another day, another drill. It was all so dull, if one were to be honest. Belting on his wingrider’s leathers, even though they’d been embellished a bit with some stitching, was naught but one yawn after another. He missed his rakish outfits, for the opportunities to wear them had grown slim of late. And the sky called to him… not the sky full of other riders and falling Thread, but the open sky. What he wouldn’t give to whisk his jaunty jewel Jacquol away to some foreign continent, where they could live as they pleased, and see adventure again! Ah, but that would have to wait. Such a life would be so much more enjoyable if she did Impress a dragon of her own before they set off—he privately hoped for a vigorous green, a desire cheerfully agreed upon by a certain brown he knew quite well.

Speaking of Beylith, the dragon’s mental presence seemed distracted. Brin had taken an indoor detour for a spot of klah before heading out. Something amiss, pet? he asked as he made his way back, enjoying a sip or two here and there.

I thought I recognized someone, but… wait, no… It’s Tozyth! Ambrin, his rider is going in! Beylith’s warning, of course, came a moment too late.

Ambrin’s lovely klah spilled everywhere as he rounded a corner and got snared in a (rather skilled) headlock. Oh, my. Was that a knife in the small of his back, or was his captor just that happy to see him?

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

Shahera was in a rather good mood. She had just been running the rooftops and no one has told her to stop. Maybe they were getting used to her off places to be? She didn’t dare hope. She was sweaty in that good way and relaxed from all the exercise. With a slight bounce in her step she turned to go down a new hall and slowed her steps. (still bouncing..just slower to give herself time to think.) Strange riders with doing physical things wasn’t an unseen event for her but this exchange at the other end of the hall had a different air to it… Well then! Time to interfere. She had her knives just in case, and casually checked to make sure she could still reach them easily.

Picking up her step and starting to hum, loudly, she wandered over to the pair. “This seems to be an odd place to rough house doesn’t it.” Shahera’s tone took on a mock disapproval. “Blocks everyone else’s path. And look! You spilled his Klah! Shame on you. You could have at least given him the chance to put it down.” Therianth? Do you know who either of these are? The one in the chokehold seems familiar...

The green lounging outside didn’t even raise her head as she looked through her rider’s eyes. I don’t know either of them…be careful, Mine. Therianth knew her rider wouldn’t leave well enough alone so didn’t even suggest it.

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“Merikh gives you his regards… and condolences,” came the harsh whisper in his ear. There was a flex of the elbow around his neck and a sudden inhale as the knife drew back. In that instant, Ambrin was ready to act. But, upon happy chance, a young woman strode into view so that he had to do nary a thing. He had no doubt that Ry’tho—the fellow holding him as close as a mother holds a newborn babe—knew exactly what Ambrin was capable of. A third, unknown party likely frightened the scat out of him.

The girl came quite close, and Ambrin could feel the subtle tightening and loosening of Ry’tho’s grip as the man tried to decide what to do. Best not to antagonize him for the moment, so our dashing hero remained still, except to grin widely at his savior. “Our apologies for the unsightly behavior, my dear. For my part, it was entirely involuntary.”

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

“I am sure you did nothing to antagonize the nice man here.” Shahera responded to the trapped man, hands on hips and eyes dancing merrily as she took in the scene. The way the trapped man’s muscles were slightly tense, the hidden arm of the capture that could possibly be holding a knife…or be ready to rub the trapped man’s head jovially…but the arm around the neck was tensing and there was that air of slight menace still. Hmmm..

“Maybe you could let the man go? At least until you can get to a less inconvenient place to play?” Best to get everyone separated and able to more. If it was in fact just rough housing there would be no problem with that suggestion. If it wasn’t…well…they would see.

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“Ry’tho. Let’s humor the lady, shall we?” Brin’s well-trained ear picked up a faint shh as his captor tucked the knife up into his sleeve—his cue to expeditiously extricate himself before the other fellow changed his mind. He quickly untangled himself from Ry’tho’s arm and turned to face him, backing several steps away in the process. Blast that he was without his sword! It was a comfort that he carried a dagger within his leathers. Hopefully there would be no need for it.

Ambrin glanced aside at the girl, noting her black hair and violet eyes. She struck him as a familiar face, but this really was not the time to stop and sift through memories.

Ry’tho appeared to be trying to look nonchalant about the whole affair, but there were beads of sweat beginning to form on his temples. “We were just fooling around,” he muttered.

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

Shahera’s pleasantly amused grin never wavered as the men parted. She noticed the space now between them though. Friends would just stand next to each other not back away. “There!” She exclaimed as if just finishing a marvelous feat. “Now people can pass through with ease.” Her eyes automatically went to check knots as she prattled on and was slightly alarmed to realize one of them had none. That was very unusual in a Weyr. And were those beads of sweat? Exertion or nervousness? Perhaps she shouldn’t let them leave together, just in case…

She made a show of peering at the man who had been trapped. “You know…” she began, “I think we’ve met before…” It even a not lie. She actual did think so. “Was it a the Courtesans Hall perhaps?” She paused as if thinking for a second. “Yes! It must be. We really should catch up.” Turning earnest beseeching eyes on the stranger with no knots she pleaded “you won’t mind to terribly if I borrow him for a while will you? You can have him back whenever he wants to resume this.” She waved vaguely between the two men.

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

Oh, how this girl seemed to know exactly what he wanted her to do! Like listening to a harmony surge in between the notes of a melody—not entirely necessary, but oh, how lovely when included! “Courtesan Hall, of course!” Ambrin crowed, touching a palm to his forehead as if suddenly remembering. “I recognized you instantly. You’ll excuse us for a bit, won’t you Ry’tho?” With a casual salute to the other man, Brin strode over and reached out as if to put his arm around the girl’s shoulders, intending to walk with her off to a more populated area of the Weyr.

Thank Faranth, the knotless man nodded agreement and started walking away, looking around as if he suddenly feared there were still others watching. When he was out of hearing, Ambrin bent to speak quietly in the girl’s ear. “He’ll be back.”

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

Shahera’s grin turned into a delighted smile. As the man’s hand came up she tucked into his side a little in a familiar gesture. Something was definitely was up here. She gave the knotless man walking away a little wave. “See you later!” She called jovially. At the man with her’s whisper he laughed lightly as if he had shared a joke. “I take it this wasn’t a friendly encounter between the two of you.” He voice was low and light. “I just made an enemy, didn’t I?” She batted him lightly on the arm. “You better be worth it.”

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“Oh, believe me, pet, I’m well worth my price.” He laughed brightly, giving the girl a light nudge with his shoulder. Words spoken and a gesture made hundreds of times under dozens of different circumstances. “And you’ve some of the Hall about you,” he noted. No need to specify which hall he meant. He’d known full well she carried a weapon (or several) on her person. Most young ladies didn’t just saunter up to men in a deadly struggle—or the awkward situation it may have seemed—and her deliberate acting in tandem with his was all too natural.

faesinger

 

[faesinger]

“Oh, but are you worth mine?” Shahera teased back as she smiled up at the man. “Could be I should have left you there to make a mess on the floor. That poor man would have been so unhappy to lose his blood.” After the interactions between the males she could tell who would have been the victor even if he had been in the more vulnerable position. She laughed again and opened her eyes wide. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I am a simple courtesan turned rider. Just like you.”

She finally stepped out of the man’s personal space and began walking beside him at a reasonable distance. “Shahera of green Therianth,” she introduced herself.

“Teiha”