Technically not a mentor any more.
RL Date: 5/17/08
IC Date: 5/31/16
Garden Patio Ledge, High Reaches Weyr
This ledge is a good size, allowing two large dragons on it at the most, however the furniture and decorations do very little to allow dragons to land. The stone has, through time, become smooth with the sting of High Reaches' biting winter winds. Lacking are the telling talon marks of an occupant at any time within the past decade and the ledge has been weeded and cleared of greenery. Situated along the western bowl, this ledge offers a view of the lake in the distance and has a set of wide steps curving along the bowl wall to the ground.
A stone half-arc shelters half of the ledge from the extreme weathers, where a iron-wrought bench and two patio-like tables have been set up. Little niches, carved out of the stone in a rustic fashion hold glow baskets to provide light at night. The very edge has been decorated with wooden boxes of potted flowers that blossom beautifully in the spring and summer.
The morning is clear, and the sun shines with a few small clouds floating past. It is completely still, no winds blow and the spring air temperature feels comfortable.
Nice and cool this morning, no longer /cold/, the bowl buzzes with industry. Some dragon-washing, some airing of laundry down by the lake, some general coming-and-going, some traders setting up their display cases, one Weyrleader sitting on a bench at the patio with an absent attention paid to all this activity. A bit of rock-- Cromcoal?-- weights down a few hides that ruffle in the early breeze, but he does stand out as utterly idle amid the workers.
In that general coming-and-going flow of traffic comes E'dre, the brownrider's shirt fluttering with the breeze. His hair has grown out since weyrlinghood and receives an idle finger-combing as he pauses to gaze at the activity of the Weyr. In that passing glance, he spots his former mentor - the Weyrleader - and strides towards him. A cock-sure grin spreads its way across his features as he pauses beside the table, eying the hides (and possibly that rock) before offering a flippant salute. "G'day, Weyrleader. Enjoying our weather?"
Notably, the hides are all pinned face-down, so there's no telling what he meant to be doing with them setting up shop out here like that. N'thei glances up, squints against the morning sun, and takes stock of the changes in "young" E'dre with open scrutiny. "Not not-enjoying it, says a lot for the Reaches weather. Brings you out and about on so fine a day?" As if he's the only one with allowance for leisure.
"Don't have a ready enough answer for that," E'dre quips, arms folding in front of him as he rocks back lightly on his heels. "Just decided to go for a bit of a walk while Wroth enjoys his fresh oiling." He grins, looking skyward. "Then maybe figured we'd go for a bit of a jaunt around Pern." Pause. "It's m'restday, y'know?" He shrugs, grins, and looks back to the Weyrleader. "If that's okay with you, of course, sir."
N'thei pauses a moment, head half-cocked, smile about the same, and does nothing more than gradually raise his eyebrows; "And if it isn't?" He takes unreasonable pleasure in the question, but he gives no time to reply before moving on. "Seeing as we're looking at nearly two hundred turns of nothing /but/ restdays, suppose you're off to a good start. --How's Avalanche? Prefer it to Flurry?"
E'dre twitches a shoulder, "Prefer it to Flurry mostly for change of pace, but other'n that it's all the same." There's not likely to be complaints from him on the subject of continious 'restdays', and he nods his head. "Gotta be thankful for that tho', right? Let's people like those traders.. do their business without fear. Let's us enjoy tithes, kick back, and stare at the sky." Grin. "What's to be bothered about?"
N'thei heard the pause there, twitches his eyes a shade wider at the implications, then glosses over the matter of 'their business' without further prying. His expression clarifies: let the boy believe what he wants to believe. "Indeed. What's to be bothered about. --Still, you know what they say about idle hands. Have to give people something to do, or watch them wreck things out of sheer boredom. Where's the Interval taking you?"
"Dunno how you could allow yourself to wallow in boredom, there's plenty to do aside from fight Thread," E'dre notes, stepping away for a moment to grab a chair. He drags it over, flips it around, and straddles it. His head plops down on his arms. "Interval's goin' to make me lotsa marks, if I want to pursue my previous career." He shrugs, "Wroth's not too fond of it, tho'. So, I dunno. And you sir? Goin' to take up Harpering or some-such-thing?"
"Is there now." N'thei lets doubt color that prompt, please enlighten him. While E'dre's getting a chair situated, he stacks up the hides all together and, with the paper-weight, folds them into the pocket of the coat he's slung over the back of his own seat. "Can't say as I'm familiar with your previous career. You were a... shiftless layabout, in my recollection?" To the brownrider's latter question, he just shakes his head and pursues his own line of inquiry.
Some might be offended by such casual remarks, or inquries, but not E'dre. He chuckles at the question, shakes his head, and slaps his hand against an arm. "That's about right. At least, when I was a candidate. Maybe a -tiny- bit before that." He demonstrates that idea with his thumb and forefinger, showing a small amount of space between them. "But I came here from Igen, y'know, as a tailor. I make some pretty nice dresses, if I do say so."
N'thei, amused; "Ah, but without thread, nothing to stop people from traveling far enough to get a /real/ weaver to do their work for them, is there? Plan to petition the Masterweaver?" Another twinge of doubt to the way he shakes his head. "Not to shut down all your plans, son, but you're at a weyr; who asks a brownrider to do some sewing for them when there are /qualified/ people a dragonride away?"
E'dre tsks, shaking his head. "Hadn't really considered that, now did I? Maybe I will petition the Masterweaver, see how much I know, maybe see what can be done about addin' to it." That's a lot of 'maybe's' in that sentence and he doesn't look overly eager about any of the ideas. "Remember that earlier comment you made? About being lazy and all that? Don't mistake me, I'm not actively seeking anything. It's just an idle hobby, and not a lucrative one at that."
With smiling grimness, N'thei comments, "Everyone's going to have to do something to earn his keep. Even you." Even N'thei? He trails a thoughtful glance across the bowl, fortunately hitting on something worth looking at-- a cluster of laundry girls with baskets on their hips coming toward the patio stairs to use the Snowasis as a bypass for the living cavern. "Or be pretty enough that no one realizes they're useless. Which you aren't, afraid to say."
E'dre notes the grimness, but doesn't fall into it himself. As he's speaking to The Man, he doesn't add a snide comment, just nods his agreeance. "Well, y'know, Wroth's all for doing Weyr-related duties. Thinks we should rise up, do something important." Which dress-making, isn't, "And as far as th' dresses, yeah, they usuall are pretty and useless. Brings the girls around though." His eyes wander, giving a once-over to the girls that are making their way to them. His smile widens, appreciating the view. "I'm not useless?" he adds, curious, and looks back to him.
"Pretty." N'thei clarifies to answer E'dre, but he does it at just such a volume that the girls will be sure to catch the single word. With a burst of childish giggles, they hurry their steps to get inside where they can discuss the dreamy qualities of brown and bronzeriders. Back to business; "Beg to differ, do you? Don't see yourself doing anything 'important?'" Quotes the air, grin come to roost.
E'dre shrugs, straightening up from his slouch to watch the girl's go in. Eyes flick back to N'thei, "Don't know what'd be 'important', I guess. Aside from doing what I'm told, and all of that." His grin goes a little crooked. "But I'm sure I'll figure all of that out, in time. There's plenty of it ahead, yeah?"
Charity; "Want me to call them back out here? I'm allowed to." Ah, the little perks. N'thei starts half out of his chair, his neck craned to watch the girls' retreating steps down the shadowy tunnel, then a look down at E'dre. "Too much philosophy for so early in the morning, neh? Got it in mind that we need to figure out the Weyr's future by lunch time, probably isn't happening."
"Wouldn't be against that, tho' likely those three would be reduced to giggles at the idea of being so near to you," E'dre answers smoothly, grin righting itself and widening. "Thanks tho'." He waves a hand at him, urging him to remain. "Sorry for fallin' into the philosophy, it's something that's easy to do. What else is there to talk 'bout? Aside from gossip and weather."
N'thei sounds resigned while he drops back into his seat, commenting, "Probably right, it's what usually happens. The ones that can keep it together won't put-out, and the ones that would put-out can't keep it together long enough. Rock and a hard place, let me tell you." Woe is he. "Can't say as I know any gossip, and we already covered the weather. Anything particular on your mind?"
E'dre snorts, "Ain't that the truth of it. I've been having a hard enough time trying to figure'm out. Half of them seem all for it, then they panic and change their minds." Way he speaks on that, sounds like something along those lines happened recently. He shakes his head, "Nah, not much. Just figured I'd come over and chat idly with you. How're you, and all that, if you care to share with someone as low as me?"
"I hate that qusetion. 'How are you.' Anyone who cares would know already, and everyone else just asks because they think they should." Not that N'thei means to accuse, but he challenges a look on E'dre as if to confirm his speculation there. Then; "Panic and change their minds? Who have you been trying to coax further than she wants to go, I wonder."
E'dre answers that challenge with a lifted brow. "Well, how can a man care enough to track you down everyday and check in? It's just casual chatter. Women do it all the time." As if that ends it, he shifts back to that other topic and makes a grimacing face. Brows go down, lips twist, and he shakes his head. "No one in particular. Just enough to make me reconsider actions, for future reference."
N'thei shrugs to answer casual-chatter, about as far as he's willing to take chit-chat for chit-chat's sake. "Just generic girl troubles then. Shame that. Best piece of advice I've got is to let them think they're convincing you. Gives the timid ones a little power back. Haven't figured out yet what to do about the not-timid ones."
"Hadn't considered that aspect, playing hard to get," E'dre muses, tapping a finger against his chin. "Good idea. I'll have to start playin' it that way." He drops his hand back to the chair's back, letting his gaze wander towards the bowl. "The not-timid ones would as soon jump you at any chance, so I guess you could just be pleasantly surprised."
Just a fount of wisdom today; "Not so much hard-to-get. No girl would believe that. Least, no girl worth having." N'thei ponders the worth-having aspect for a second, teeth filing his lip while he tucks away his grin. Back to half-smiling toward E'dre, he continues, "Women know you want them, that's just the power they have. Just letting them think you're torn-- want to respect them, care for them, all that crap that matters so much to them. Not Milani still?" The last is a quick, frowned addition.
E'dre rubs at the side of his nose, still keeping his attention on the bowl. There's the slightest of twitches to his brows at the mention of Milani. "Mmm. No, not Milani. Anymore, anyway." He looks back at him then, checking to see if maybe that was too much said. "Respect, care, all of that? I figured that's more for the Holdbred."
"Good." Then, with renewed conviction; "Good. Millie's a nice enough girl, but she'd mess a man up. Sweet and nice and weyrbred?" N'thei snorts derisively at the combination, unable?, unwilling to reconcile the spheres there. Holdbred-- "You'd think, wouldn't you? But then there's some woman all low-cut and cleavage for days running at the mouth about respect and sharing and drivel. Telling you, women with dragons are worse than women with husbands."
"Not on purpose," E'dre states, commenting on N'thei's description of Milani. "I don't think she'd mean to, y'know, mess with a guy." Innocence, or understanding? Hard to tell from the neutral expression that falls onto the brownrider's features. He hmphs at the other description, "Ain't that the truth. Almost got myself smacked th' other day when I was at the Snowasis, bit in my cups, y'know?"
N'thei keeps most of his grin in check, a little twitch to his lips, a new brightness behind his eyes. "Not on purpose. Just makes it worse, neh?" Briefly, he entertains some very improper notions of one Milani, evidenced by the subtly lascivious change to his expression. Abruptly; "By whom? Did you almost get smacked, I mean."
E'dre notes that change in the Weyrleader and there's the slightest of frowns on his face. Though he's openly denied it, there just -might- be feelings still attached to one pretty, and flirtatious, assistant headwoman. "Oh," he shakes his head, "Y'know how Lia gets when she's in the mood. One minute she's on, the next she's throwing things at your head. I can't figure it out if it's her, or that green of hers, that spurrs her into such actions."
N'thei kens to E'dre's expression; enough beatings will teach a man to pick up on things. He leans back from the table a smidge and eyes the younger man with light-hearted scrutiny, eyes that laugh, mouth that frowns. "Don't go getting all up-in-arms about defending her honor, son. I'd never lay a hand on her in deed, trust me. After everything she pulled on A'son, I'm not about to get tangled up with her mess." Enough to daunt even the big-and-burly.
"Pulled on A'son?" E'dre answers, brows lifting. "Way I see it, they both toy with each other. But that's just -my- casual speculation." Casual, right? He shrugs and looks at him, eyes and tone frank, "I'd never peg you for the type that'd like her ploys, any road. So don't mistake me."
"Nah." N'thei starts to his feet about then, lazily, stretching from his long respite. "A'son's not like that, not the type to play with someone. Just think he doesn't know how to tell her no gently, so he won't do it at all." With a smile that's lighter still, he meets E'dre's eyes with a clipped nod. "No mistaking, son. But I'd hate to see you come to blows over that girl's honor." /That/ girl.
E'dre blinks, lifting his hands to eye them with a comical air. "Me? Come to blows with someone?" He looks down at himself, kicks a leg out for inspection and grins up at him. "C'mon now. I know I'm a little man. We don't get into brawls. Battle of words, maybe." He leans back, brushing at his shirt lightly with a hand. "And /that/ girl's honor is her own to keep, anyway."
N'thei takes up his coat, folds it over one arm, and imparts helpfully, "All well and good till you try and tussle with the big men, neh?" With an abbreviated laugh, he tosses his head toward the tunnel where the girls went not half an hour ago; "Bet you could still catch them folding sheets if you hurry, look important-- fresh off a meeting with the Weyrleader, now taking time to help with their chores." A little whimsical for himself, sigh, then he's jogging down the steps to the bowl.
IC Date: 5/31/16
Garden Patio Ledge, High Reaches Weyr
This ledge is a good size, allowing two large dragons on it at the most, however the furniture and decorations do very little to allow dragons to land. The stone has, through time, become smooth with the sting of High Reaches' biting winter winds. Lacking are the telling talon marks of an occupant at any time within the past decade and the ledge has been weeded and cleared of greenery. Situated along the western bowl, this ledge offers a view of the lake in the distance and has a set of wide steps curving along the bowl wall to the ground.
A stone half-arc shelters half of the ledge from the extreme weathers, where a iron-wrought bench and two patio-like tables have been set up. Little niches, carved out of the stone in a rustic fashion hold glow baskets to provide light at night. The very edge has been decorated with wooden boxes of potted flowers that blossom beautifully in the spring and summer.
The morning is clear, and the sun shines with a few small clouds floating past. It is completely still, no winds blow and the spring air temperature feels comfortable.
Nice and cool this morning, no longer /cold/, the bowl buzzes with industry. Some dragon-washing, some airing of laundry down by the lake, some general coming-and-going, some traders setting up their display cases, one Weyrleader sitting on a bench at the patio with an absent attention paid to all this activity. A bit of rock-- Cromcoal?-- weights down a few hides that ruffle in the early breeze, but he does stand out as utterly idle amid the workers.
In that general coming-and-going flow of traffic comes E'dre, the brownrider's shirt fluttering with the breeze. His hair has grown out since weyrlinghood and receives an idle finger-combing as he pauses to gaze at the activity of the Weyr. In that passing glance, he spots his former mentor - the Weyrleader - and strides towards him. A cock-sure grin spreads its way across his features as he pauses beside the table, eying the hides (and possibly that rock) before offering a flippant salute. "G'day, Weyrleader. Enjoying our weather?"
Notably, the hides are all pinned face-down, so there's no telling what he meant to be doing with them setting up shop out here like that. N'thei glances up, squints against the morning sun, and takes stock of the changes in "young" E'dre with open scrutiny. "Not not-enjoying it, says a lot for the Reaches weather. Brings you out and about on so fine a day?" As if he's the only one with allowance for leisure.
"Don't have a ready enough answer for that," E'dre quips, arms folding in front of him as he rocks back lightly on his heels. "Just decided to go for a bit of a walk while Wroth enjoys his fresh oiling." He grins, looking skyward. "Then maybe figured we'd go for a bit of a jaunt around Pern." Pause. "It's m'restday, y'know?" He shrugs, grins, and looks back to the Weyrleader. "If that's okay with you, of course, sir."
N'thei pauses a moment, head half-cocked, smile about the same, and does nothing more than gradually raise his eyebrows; "And if it isn't?" He takes unreasonable pleasure in the question, but he gives no time to reply before moving on. "Seeing as we're looking at nearly two hundred turns of nothing /but/ restdays, suppose you're off to a good start. --How's Avalanche? Prefer it to Flurry?"
E'dre twitches a shoulder, "Prefer it to Flurry mostly for change of pace, but other'n that it's all the same." There's not likely to be complaints from him on the subject of continious 'restdays', and he nods his head. "Gotta be thankful for that tho', right? Let's people like those traders.. do their business without fear. Let's us enjoy tithes, kick back, and stare at the sky." Grin. "What's to be bothered about?"
N'thei heard the pause there, twitches his eyes a shade wider at the implications, then glosses over the matter of 'their business' without further prying. His expression clarifies: let the boy believe what he wants to believe. "Indeed. What's to be bothered about. --Still, you know what they say about idle hands. Have to give people something to do, or watch them wreck things out of sheer boredom. Where's the Interval taking you?"
"Dunno how you could allow yourself to wallow in boredom, there's plenty to do aside from fight Thread," E'dre notes, stepping away for a moment to grab a chair. He drags it over, flips it around, and straddles it. His head plops down on his arms. "Interval's goin' to make me lotsa marks, if I want to pursue my previous career." He shrugs, "Wroth's not too fond of it, tho'. So, I dunno. And you sir? Goin' to take up Harpering or some-such-thing?"
"Is there now." N'thei lets doubt color that prompt, please enlighten him. While E'dre's getting a chair situated, he stacks up the hides all together and, with the paper-weight, folds them into the pocket of the coat he's slung over the back of his own seat. "Can't say as I'm familiar with your previous career. You were a... shiftless layabout, in my recollection?" To the brownrider's latter question, he just shakes his head and pursues his own line of inquiry.
Some might be offended by such casual remarks, or inquries, but not E'dre. He chuckles at the question, shakes his head, and slaps his hand against an arm. "That's about right. At least, when I was a candidate. Maybe a -tiny- bit before that." He demonstrates that idea with his thumb and forefinger, showing a small amount of space between them. "But I came here from Igen, y'know, as a tailor. I make some pretty nice dresses, if I do say so."
N'thei, amused; "Ah, but without thread, nothing to stop people from traveling far enough to get a /real/ weaver to do their work for them, is there? Plan to petition the Masterweaver?" Another twinge of doubt to the way he shakes his head. "Not to shut down all your plans, son, but you're at a weyr; who asks a brownrider to do some sewing for them when there are /qualified/ people a dragonride away?"
E'dre tsks, shaking his head. "Hadn't really considered that, now did I? Maybe I will petition the Masterweaver, see how much I know, maybe see what can be done about addin' to it." That's a lot of 'maybe's' in that sentence and he doesn't look overly eager about any of the ideas. "Remember that earlier comment you made? About being lazy and all that? Don't mistake me, I'm not actively seeking anything. It's just an idle hobby, and not a lucrative one at that."
With smiling grimness, N'thei comments, "Everyone's going to have to do something to earn his keep. Even you." Even N'thei? He trails a thoughtful glance across the bowl, fortunately hitting on something worth looking at-- a cluster of laundry girls with baskets on their hips coming toward the patio stairs to use the Snowasis as a bypass for the living cavern. "Or be pretty enough that no one realizes they're useless. Which you aren't, afraid to say."
E'dre notes the grimness, but doesn't fall into it himself. As he's speaking to The Man, he doesn't add a snide comment, just nods his agreeance. "Well, y'know, Wroth's all for doing Weyr-related duties. Thinks we should rise up, do something important." Which dress-making, isn't, "And as far as th' dresses, yeah, they usuall are pretty and useless. Brings the girls around though." His eyes wander, giving a once-over to the girls that are making their way to them. His smile widens, appreciating the view. "I'm not useless?" he adds, curious, and looks back to him.
"Pretty." N'thei clarifies to answer E'dre, but he does it at just such a volume that the girls will be sure to catch the single word. With a burst of childish giggles, they hurry their steps to get inside where they can discuss the dreamy qualities of brown and bronzeriders. Back to business; "Beg to differ, do you? Don't see yourself doing anything 'important?'" Quotes the air, grin come to roost.
E'dre shrugs, straightening up from his slouch to watch the girl's go in. Eyes flick back to N'thei, "Don't know what'd be 'important', I guess. Aside from doing what I'm told, and all of that." His grin goes a little crooked. "But I'm sure I'll figure all of that out, in time. There's plenty of it ahead, yeah?"
Charity; "Want me to call them back out here? I'm allowed to." Ah, the little perks. N'thei starts half out of his chair, his neck craned to watch the girls' retreating steps down the shadowy tunnel, then a look down at E'dre. "Too much philosophy for so early in the morning, neh? Got it in mind that we need to figure out the Weyr's future by lunch time, probably isn't happening."
"Wouldn't be against that, tho' likely those three would be reduced to giggles at the idea of being so near to you," E'dre answers smoothly, grin righting itself and widening. "Thanks tho'." He waves a hand at him, urging him to remain. "Sorry for fallin' into the philosophy, it's something that's easy to do. What else is there to talk 'bout? Aside from gossip and weather."
N'thei sounds resigned while he drops back into his seat, commenting, "Probably right, it's what usually happens. The ones that can keep it together won't put-out, and the ones that would put-out can't keep it together long enough. Rock and a hard place, let me tell you." Woe is he. "Can't say as I know any gossip, and we already covered the weather. Anything particular on your mind?"
E'dre snorts, "Ain't that the truth of it. I've been having a hard enough time trying to figure'm out. Half of them seem all for it, then they panic and change their minds." Way he speaks on that, sounds like something along those lines happened recently. He shakes his head, "Nah, not much. Just figured I'd come over and chat idly with you. How're you, and all that, if you care to share with someone as low as me?"
"I hate that qusetion. 'How are you.' Anyone who cares would know already, and everyone else just asks because they think they should." Not that N'thei means to accuse, but he challenges a look on E'dre as if to confirm his speculation there. Then; "Panic and change their minds? Who have you been trying to coax further than she wants to go, I wonder."
E'dre answers that challenge with a lifted brow. "Well, how can a man care enough to track you down everyday and check in? It's just casual chatter. Women do it all the time." As if that ends it, he shifts back to that other topic and makes a grimacing face. Brows go down, lips twist, and he shakes his head. "No one in particular. Just enough to make me reconsider actions, for future reference."
N'thei shrugs to answer casual-chatter, about as far as he's willing to take chit-chat for chit-chat's sake. "Just generic girl troubles then. Shame that. Best piece of advice I've got is to let them think they're convincing you. Gives the timid ones a little power back. Haven't figured out yet what to do about the not-timid ones."
"Hadn't considered that aspect, playing hard to get," E'dre muses, tapping a finger against his chin. "Good idea. I'll have to start playin' it that way." He drops his hand back to the chair's back, letting his gaze wander towards the bowl. "The not-timid ones would as soon jump you at any chance, so I guess you could just be pleasantly surprised."
Just a fount of wisdom today; "Not so much hard-to-get. No girl would believe that. Least, no girl worth having." N'thei ponders the worth-having aspect for a second, teeth filing his lip while he tucks away his grin. Back to half-smiling toward E'dre, he continues, "Women know you want them, that's just the power they have. Just letting them think you're torn-- want to respect them, care for them, all that crap that matters so much to them. Not Milani still?" The last is a quick, frowned addition.
E'dre rubs at the side of his nose, still keeping his attention on the bowl. There's the slightest of twitches to his brows at the mention of Milani. "Mmm. No, not Milani. Anymore, anyway." He looks back at him then, checking to see if maybe that was too much said. "Respect, care, all of that? I figured that's more for the Holdbred."
"Good." Then, with renewed conviction; "Good. Millie's a nice enough girl, but she'd mess a man up. Sweet and nice and weyrbred?" N'thei snorts derisively at the combination, unable?, unwilling to reconcile the spheres there. Holdbred-- "You'd think, wouldn't you? But then there's some woman all low-cut and cleavage for days running at the mouth about respect and sharing and drivel. Telling you, women with dragons are worse than women with husbands."
"Not on purpose," E'dre states, commenting on N'thei's description of Milani. "I don't think she'd mean to, y'know, mess with a guy." Innocence, or understanding? Hard to tell from the neutral expression that falls onto the brownrider's features. He hmphs at the other description, "Ain't that the truth. Almost got myself smacked th' other day when I was at the Snowasis, bit in my cups, y'know?"
N'thei keeps most of his grin in check, a little twitch to his lips, a new brightness behind his eyes. "Not on purpose. Just makes it worse, neh?" Briefly, he entertains some very improper notions of one Milani, evidenced by the subtly lascivious change to his expression. Abruptly; "By whom? Did you almost get smacked, I mean."
E'dre notes that change in the Weyrleader and there's the slightest of frowns on his face. Though he's openly denied it, there just -might- be feelings still attached to one pretty, and flirtatious, assistant headwoman. "Oh," he shakes his head, "Y'know how Lia gets when she's in the mood. One minute she's on, the next she's throwing things at your head. I can't figure it out if it's her, or that green of hers, that spurrs her into such actions."
N'thei kens to E'dre's expression; enough beatings will teach a man to pick up on things. He leans back from the table a smidge and eyes the younger man with light-hearted scrutiny, eyes that laugh, mouth that frowns. "Don't go getting all up-in-arms about defending her honor, son. I'd never lay a hand on her in deed, trust me. After everything she pulled on A'son, I'm not about to get tangled up with her mess." Enough to daunt even the big-and-burly.
"Pulled on A'son?" E'dre answers, brows lifting. "Way I see it, they both toy with each other. But that's just -my- casual speculation." Casual, right? He shrugs and looks at him, eyes and tone frank, "I'd never peg you for the type that'd like her ploys, any road. So don't mistake me."
"Nah." N'thei starts to his feet about then, lazily, stretching from his long respite. "A'son's not like that, not the type to play with someone. Just think he doesn't know how to tell her no gently, so he won't do it at all." With a smile that's lighter still, he meets E'dre's eyes with a clipped nod. "No mistaking, son. But I'd hate to see you come to blows over that girl's honor." /That/ girl.
E'dre blinks, lifting his hands to eye them with a comical air. "Me? Come to blows with someone?" He looks down at himself, kicks a leg out for inspection and grins up at him. "C'mon now. I know I'm a little man. We don't get into brawls. Battle of words, maybe." He leans back, brushing at his shirt lightly with a hand. "And /that/ girl's honor is her own to keep, anyway."
N'thei takes up his coat, folds it over one arm, and imparts helpfully, "All well and good till you try and tussle with the big men, neh?" With an abbreviated laugh, he tosses his head toward the tunnel where the girls went not half an hour ago; "Bet you could still catch them folding sheets if you hurry, look important-- fresh off a meeting with the Weyrleader, now taking time to help with their chores." A little whimsical for himself, sigh, then he's jogging down the steps to the bowl.