Infirmaries suck.
Who: E'sere, Issa, Tavaly, T'zen
Where: Infirmary, HRW
When: Uh.. 9/17/2006
What: Look! T'zen's awake, this time!
Other: This is from Tav's view as she comes into the question. Issa's journal has the whole log.
P.S. New Layout for the TavLJ. Thanks to E'sere for showing me new toys. :D
Freshly washed, a little less of a ghost. T'zen's been awake, so say the assistants. Unfortunately, it's always at times that she's called to duty, either to herself or her Weyrlings, or whatever else. This time it was to Immath. And behind her, both entering the dragonside, the green croons softly upon first sighting Uneth among the ranks. Long, calloused fingers are working wet hair into a tight braid at the back of her neck when the tell-tale sound of T'zen's voice shrieking in indignation - and then discomfort - pull her out of it. Bugger off, hair. Braid coming loose as she dashes, Tav comes upon the little meeting with an almost accusatory eye for those hovering around the bluerider's bed. "Uh.. You okay?" She asks, strictly speaking to her weyrmate with a small side-smile to Issa.
"I'm sorry," E'sere apologizes at once to the healer, expression appropriately contrite until she leaves. Then, he slips right back into his earnest mode, glancing between the pair. "I finally managed to find a good lead on the matter, though I wish I could have done so sooner, before this went so far. I didn't personally handle it, however, so I can't say. I didn't really care to know, beyond knowing that you--and the rest of my friends--would be safe in the future," he answers apologetically. Then: "Good morning, Tavaly." He spares a brief half-smile for the greenrider.
T'zen closes his eyes as he focuses on his breathing for a moment, and opens them when he hears Tavaly's familiar voice. A smile isn't ready on his face as he first looks at her, and than narrows his eyes toward E'sere. "I want to know. I wanna see proof ya got this woman." And then
finally, he returns his gaze to Tavaly, eyes turning weary. "Tav. Look. I'm all propped up now. All the better t'feed me dirt." Uneth warbles at Immath as she enters, and reaches over to offer a nuzzle. He's in a bit of better spirits, it seems.
Issa has time only to return Tavaly's quick smile before her eyes flick back to the wingleader. "If you didn't handle it personally," she begins, her tone idly wondering, "then how can you be so sure?" There's a passing moment of scrutiny before Issa turns down to her breakfast again.
"You'll have to excuse me, E'sere. I tend not to trust secondhand information much more than I do secondhand rumors. They both tend to get skewed in the transfer." And the fact that she was tied up and tormented by this mysterious person may have produced a slight bias when it comes to accepting the fact that the danger has now simply disappeared. But all that goes unspoken, and she turns, with a new tension to her lips, to eat more gruel.
"So you shouldn't, Issa." Tavaly says cryptically, one or maybe even two eye skirting over to E'sere for the moment. "I want to know, as well. If I've been denied the ability to repay whatever shoddy little excuse of a woman injured those closes to me, I want to know why and who to thank and or pummel into the dirt." Tav says, venomous. She knees next to T'zen's bedside, her hand taking his up gently. "I'll bring fruitsauce and some softmeat for you soon. I got the go ahead for at least that from some of the healer. Think that'll do ya better than dirt?"
"Of course," E'sere agrees easily, with another half-smile for the bluerider. "I understand, of course. I trust my associate's word, but I understand that you cannot so easily. I'll see what I can do for you, T'zen, Issa." Tavaly, too, he favors with a wry, almost-sad smirk. "I understand," he repeats. "But you see, of course, why I can't let you go charging into this, Tavaly. She had already injured you once--among many other people, not all of whom I know about myself, I'm sure. I'm not about to send her victims straight back to her so she can finish the job."
T'zen nods with Issa. Chromatics unite! He finally offers a small grin to Tavaly, readily accepting her hand in his, and demonstrating returning strength with a squeeze. "I will take /anything/, so long as it comes from the /real/ kitchen. Might even enjoy yer teas." He amends quickly, "The non-medicated ones." Though he may take those as well, just to change the taste in his mouth. He sort of half-nods with E'sere. "Yes, proof would be good. Dead? Exiled? Any other option ain't acceptable." He glances at Tavaly. "No more bein' alone. Charge in pairs, 'least." Way to dissuade the greenrider vengeance! And finally, another look at E'sere. "You seem to know a lot."
Tavaly earns herself a snippet of a grateful glance, for more than just the verbal support, spared over the rim of her klah mug as she washes down the blandness of gruel. Even the good news of a return of flavor to their food, however, doesn't stir her completely from the topic at hand.
Accompanying the clank of the mug being set down is Issa carefully, painfully clearing her throat. Once she's recovered to the little jolt at her injured ribs, however, she speaks again. "Then let someone else charge in. Several, non-victim someones, even," she clarifies pointedly,
drawing from T'zen's directive as her eyes turning up to E'sere though she doesn't raise her chin. "If you have such a good lead, then we have to act." Her fingers trace along the handle of the spoon, searching out the right grip before she takes it up again. Then, quieter, a remnant of some information she's imparted to important ears earlier in her infirmary stay, "She's not going to stop. And there's no logic to it from what I can see." Her words steer clear of the accusatory sounds of T'zen's words, instead gauging the well-informed wingleader's reaction to a different, subtler tactic. She still watches him intently, but dispels the gravity of her study by filling her mouth with the mundane gruel.
"What I want most, E'sere, is a name that I can curse, instead of having some translucent menace hovering in my head. Live or dead, it won't matter to me just so long as I have that one small thing to curse and then forget. Can you give us that much, at least? A name?" Tav asks from
her kneeling place beside the bluerider. Issa calls the girl's attention and, standing, Tav leans like a toughgirl against the table siding the cot. Arms cross, though one of them still dangles down to maintain that oh-so-needed connection with the wounded T'zen. "Difference is, I didn't get to fight 'er face to face. She dropped cows on me, and that's just low. Given the chance, I could prolly take 'er." Mutter mutter. "Oh, right. T'zen." She digs in one of her pockets, withdrawing the scrap of cloth she snuck out of his hand. "Dunno how much good it'll do you, but.. here." She offers.
"No, it's not," E'sere agrees again with T'zen, nodding curtly. In answer to the latter question, he notes, "I've had all my friends listening for anything that might help since this began. We've turned up precious little before now. But. As I said, it's taken care of, Issa. Already," he tells the greenrider gently. "No, she wouldn't have stopped, not until we made her. Her name was Peria--you may have heard of her. She was the supposed victim of some minor thefts early on, as cover apparently. The guards questioned her and then let her go--coincidentally, in perfect timing for her to attack the two of you."
"Peria," T'zen echoes once a name is given. "I look forward to knowing what's done with her." He looks back up at the menacing greenrider.. who's also tenderly holding his hand. Such is their relationship. He offers a bemused smile, mostly to himself, as he carresses the knuckles of her
hand with his thumb. With hunger beginning to set in, his mind's on real food. But as he hasn't voiced that yet, it's Tavaly receiving that dreamy-eyed look.
And then the piece of cloth is received, and T'zen looks at it. "Was afraid ya might've tossed it. Huh." He looks back at E'sere now, waving his free hand with the dark torn fabric. "My trophy. Peria's got a torn tunic."
And Issa's still gnawing on the fake food, another spoonful delaying the reply that seems to be coming. But the mention of a name has her pausing even further, mouth working silently over the pronounciation of that name long after the gruel's gone, summoning up the instances where she's heard that name before. There's a flicker of a frown as she comes up short, but the frustration is taken out on the gruel, her spoon jabbed into the heart of the lifeless grey stuff. And the glance that she favors E'sere with soon after is quieted from the intensity it held during her questioning, the name a reassuring addition to the situation. "Well," she muses, still a bit confused as her eyes wander over the other three, "we'll see if it's been stopped or not, I suppose." Cynicism, for sure, but it's ceased to be directed at E'sere in particular. "I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that we appreciate your information, sir." Wingleader deserves respect, in this instance, at least.
"I dunno 'bout T'zen or Issa, but the only absolute I'm sure of is dead, and in this situation, having a ghost to watch our backs for is almost as troublesome as havin' a known body floating around with pointy objects in hand." Tav sinks down to the bedside, catching the look given by T'zen. Huh. Hiieee. A small, almost embarrassed twitch of her mouth spawns a momentary smile. "However, this is a step forward, if anything. I'm still gonna be on my guard, though."
E'sere reaches out to take the torn fabric for himself, to study it. "A torn tunic. Very well. I'll pass that on," he says solemnly. "I'm certain we can match it. And let us hope so." The latter, to Issa. "I doubt there were others with her, but I also doubt we've ended all the violence. There are still anti-Igenites out there willing to do things as terrible as this girl did, I'm sure. Capturing two of them is enough to send them underground for a time, but I doubt it's enough to end it entirely." He frowns. "And by all means--I'm not asking you to do that," he adds to Tavaly. "Even with this person gone, the Weyr's hardly a safe place right now."
T'zen blinks a bit, realizing the person he'd happened to be dreaming was a roast wherry with all the trimmings has suddenly come closer. Oh, Tavaly. Hiieee. His grin widens briefly when he catches her smile, and squeezes her hand again before focusing on E'sere. "Take it, then," he says, nodding to the scrap. "But I want it back." He frowns now, muttering to Tav. "Okay.. now I /am/ hungry. So.. real food /now/ or /soon/?" He turns pleading eyes on the girl.
Issa draws up her klah mug with her left hand. The right joins to meet, a mindless action that's proven useless as the rigid cast thumps against the mug. Lowering it again, frowning over the inconvenience, she settles back into the pillows, seemingly done with the gruel. Her breakfast has been soured, and apparently it's an unwelcome change from the tasteless texture. Cradling her cup with her single good hand, she lets her eyes wander, unfocused, across the morning bustle of the infirmary. "We'll all keep our guard up," she agrees, in her own little way, with Tavaly.
"And you'll remember our agreement, E'sere?" Issa then prompts, turning her face slowly until she's come to stare up at the wingleader again. "I want to know." There's no specification to what she wants to know; by inference, it can be assumed to be 'everything.'
"Just wait a moment, you hound." Tav says, eyes now skirting every moment or two towards the exit near the caverns.. On time. Good. A young kitchen boy comes down to the infirmary bearing a tray laden with two bowls and two plates. Some sort of mashed-fruit like applesauce, and a plate of fresh, soft bread and thinly sliced meatrolls. He skirts past a couple groups of healers assistants and makes his way over to the group. "Here 'go, Tavvy. This okay?" The boy asks, to which the greenrider nods. "Perfect. Your treasure's hidden in the stores behind the flour sacks." She whispers and the boy scoots off rapidly. Smiling, Tav sets the tray on the side table and grabs a bowl and plate and, 360'ing, moves to Issa's bed. "Thought you might want something else to choke down, too." She says, setting both items on the woman's sidetable. For whenever
she's ready. Finally, she makes her way back and pulls the second bowl and plate down for T'zen. "Weyr would be safer if everyone knew how t'defend themselves. Might make that suggestion to J'cor, sometime. Defense classes taught by the guards. I know a few people are doin' it, but that's the sort of thing everyone could benefit from."
"Of course," E'sere agrees with T'zen as he slides the scrap of cloth into his pockets. "And--" he hesitates, frowning slightly "--you understand, of course, that I'd rather this remained just between the four of us. While I do appreciate very much everything the guards have done for us recently, it would be poetic justice for them to detain the person who stops the murderer they let go, if you understand me. No slight meant, of course, to your brother the captain, Tavaly. Defense lessons would be very useful, but I don't think we've enough teachers to accomondate a
thousand students, unfortunately." He offers the greenrider a half-smile then. And, lastly to Issa: "I know. I remember."
Oh, it's Turnday! T'zen's eyes light up, eyeing the not-mush eagerly. "Ain't told ya I love ya today, yet, Tavvy," the man says, unconsciously mirroring the boy's nickname for the greenrider, and probably suddenly looking about as young. "So, shards, girl, I love ya." There's a wince now, as he starts to lean forward again in his eagerness, only to have pain warning him back. He settles agains the pile of pillows, and eyes the just-out-reach tray, and then over to Issa, grinning, in spite of the throb in his belly. "Aye. Get rid of the dirt, Issa. We're feastin'
now." On sauce and slices. But whatever.. that is a FEAST. He nods quickly to E'sere as a barely noted aside, "Quiet, sure," before eyeing his own food portions hungrily. "Taaav.. move it closer."
"You, Tavaly," Issa begins, eyes greedily following the progression of that bowl, "are a hero." A right bunch of heroes, all of them, yes indeed. She removes the offending gruel bowl, taking it off the tray and dropping it, more lightly than it probably deserves, to the floor next to her cot for later removal. This leaves ample room for the arriving food- the real food. There's hesitation on her part, however, and she slides a glance over to T'zen. Though her smile comes easily at his jibe about dirt, she waits still, until he's settled with his own feast, before
indulging in hers. Taking advantage of the minor delay, she shoots E'sere a guarded glance. "Good," is all she mutters.
"Secrets between wingmates are always safe." She glances over to Issa a moment, and smirks. "After all. We've been in this situation before. What with the Anti-Igen Brigade flying Nabol, a certain amount of secrecy was called upon then. You know by now that we're trustworthy folk." Tav
turns to favor E'sere with a short, fond smile. Yea. Those were awesome times. Issa's statement of heroism is met with a big grin. "I've tasted the stuff in here. No wonder people get sick." A wrinkling of the nose. Ugh. Plunking into a nearby chair, Tav's eyes begin to slowly droop.
Another sleepless night. Even with T'zen feeling better, she's on a terribly vigilant watch.. That is, of course, up until the point where her body's like.. um.. 'knock it off!'. Which is very soon.
E'sere regards T'zen with a quirked brow, smile wry; apparently, he's not very reassured by T'zen's reply. Somebody's dealt with a big-mouthed bluerider before. Still, he nods once and glances back between the two greenriders. He favors Tavaly in particular with a smile, nodding. "I know. Perhaps I'm just as paranoid as all of you now," he notes lightly.
"Wait 'til a cow steps on you." Tav chimes quietly.
The out-of-reach tray is now in T'zen's lap. Else he would have continued to whine. And there's no ceremony, no lingering of appreciation. T'zen starts in on the food as though he hadn't eaten the whole seven. Right up until his attending healer barks across the room, "Slow down!" Having
seen the sudden motion coming from a normally still patient. T'zen is forced to savor his meal. Which, really, is a good thing all around.
It's so soon after the bluerider attacks his food that the greenrider starts herself that it may well seem simultaneous. Issa sets into her little feast with a bit more delicacy than T'zen, though, spoon sinking, if not deftly then at least functionally, into the fruitsauce and returning with a small bite at its tip. She rolls her eyes a bit at the first taste, but doesn't lose herself in the indulgence, instead favoring the sleepy-eyed Tavaly with an amused smile. Then she adds, cryptically innocent, to E'sere, "Maybe that's a good thing." More of the sauce then is quickly ferried up to her mouth, making more words highly unlikely, if not impossible.
Aaaand there it goes. The chin, now resting over her arms as they cross over the chair-back, sinks lower. Tav's slouched posture sitting backwards in the chairs gains a little more gravity as, with her eyelids, she, too, drops. Right into a light sleep, in the reverent quiet of the
infirmary. T'zen's well enough to squawk at E'sere, so.. things are looking up. Now she can rest, a little.
"Probably," E'sere tells Issa lightly, as though whatever deeper meaning her words possess were lost on him. To judge by the look he gives her then, that studied bland smile, it's not. He looks away after a moment, favoring Tavaly with a soft smile as she drifts off. "I should be on my
way, and let you rest and eat," he notes as he stands himself. "I'll stop by again, and we can talk more." Again, it's to Issa he looks, more than T'zen.
T'zen snarfs.
Where: Infirmary, HRW
When: Uh.. 9/17/2006
What: Look! T'zen's awake, this time!
Other: This is from Tav's view as she comes into the question. Issa's journal has the whole log.
P.S. New Layout for the TavLJ. Thanks to E'sere for showing me new toys. :D
Freshly washed, a little less of a ghost. T'zen's been awake, so say the assistants. Unfortunately, it's always at times that she's called to duty, either to herself or her Weyrlings, or whatever else. This time it was to Immath. And behind her, both entering the dragonside, the green croons softly upon first sighting Uneth among the ranks. Long, calloused fingers are working wet hair into a tight braid at the back of her neck when the tell-tale sound of T'zen's voice shrieking in indignation - and then discomfort - pull her out of it. Bugger off, hair. Braid coming loose as she dashes, Tav comes upon the little meeting with an almost accusatory eye for those hovering around the bluerider's bed. "Uh.. You okay?" She asks, strictly speaking to her weyrmate with a small side-smile to Issa.
"I'm sorry," E'sere apologizes at once to the healer, expression appropriately contrite until she leaves. Then, he slips right back into his earnest mode, glancing between the pair. "I finally managed to find a good lead on the matter, though I wish I could have done so sooner, before this went so far. I didn't personally handle it, however, so I can't say. I didn't really care to know, beyond knowing that you--and the rest of my friends--would be safe in the future," he answers apologetically. Then: "Good morning, Tavaly." He spares a brief half-smile for the greenrider.
T'zen closes his eyes as he focuses on his breathing for a moment, and opens them when he hears Tavaly's familiar voice. A smile isn't ready on his face as he first looks at her, and than narrows his eyes toward E'sere. "I want to know. I wanna see proof ya got this woman." And then
finally, he returns his gaze to Tavaly, eyes turning weary. "Tav. Look. I'm all propped up now. All the better t'feed me dirt." Uneth warbles at Immath as she enters, and reaches over to offer a nuzzle. He's in a bit of better spirits, it seems.
Issa has time only to return Tavaly's quick smile before her eyes flick back to the wingleader. "If you didn't handle it personally," she begins, her tone idly wondering, "then how can you be so sure?" There's a passing moment of scrutiny before Issa turns down to her breakfast again.
"You'll have to excuse me, E'sere. I tend not to trust secondhand information much more than I do secondhand rumors. They both tend to get skewed in the transfer." And the fact that she was tied up and tormented by this mysterious person may have produced a slight bias when it comes to accepting the fact that the danger has now simply disappeared. But all that goes unspoken, and she turns, with a new tension to her lips, to eat more gruel.
"So you shouldn't, Issa." Tavaly says cryptically, one or maybe even two eye skirting over to E'sere for the moment. "I want to know, as well. If I've been denied the ability to repay whatever shoddy little excuse of a woman injured those closes to me, I want to know why and who to thank and or pummel into the dirt." Tav says, venomous. She knees next to T'zen's bedside, her hand taking his up gently. "I'll bring fruitsauce and some softmeat for you soon. I got the go ahead for at least that from some of the healer. Think that'll do ya better than dirt?"
"Of course," E'sere agrees easily, with another half-smile for the bluerider. "I understand, of course. I trust my associate's word, but I understand that you cannot so easily. I'll see what I can do for you, T'zen, Issa." Tavaly, too, he favors with a wry, almost-sad smirk. "I understand," he repeats. "But you see, of course, why I can't let you go charging into this, Tavaly. She had already injured you once--among many other people, not all of whom I know about myself, I'm sure. I'm not about to send her victims straight back to her so she can finish the job."
T'zen nods with Issa. Chromatics unite! He finally offers a small grin to Tavaly, readily accepting her hand in his, and demonstrating returning strength with a squeeze. "I will take /anything/, so long as it comes from the /real/ kitchen. Might even enjoy yer teas." He amends quickly, "The non-medicated ones." Though he may take those as well, just to change the taste in his mouth. He sort of half-nods with E'sere. "Yes, proof would be good. Dead? Exiled? Any other option ain't acceptable." He glances at Tavaly. "No more bein' alone. Charge in pairs, 'least." Way to dissuade the greenrider vengeance! And finally, another look at E'sere. "You seem to know a lot."
Tavaly earns herself a snippet of a grateful glance, for more than just the verbal support, spared over the rim of her klah mug as she washes down the blandness of gruel. Even the good news of a return of flavor to their food, however, doesn't stir her completely from the topic at hand.
Accompanying the clank of the mug being set down is Issa carefully, painfully clearing her throat. Once she's recovered to the little jolt at her injured ribs, however, she speaks again. "Then let someone else charge in. Several, non-victim someones, even," she clarifies pointedly,
drawing from T'zen's directive as her eyes turning up to E'sere though she doesn't raise her chin. "If you have such a good lead, then we have to act." Her fingers trace along the handle of the spoon, searching out the right grip before she takes it up again. Then, quieter, a remnant of some information she's imparted to important ears earlier in her infirmary stay, "She's not going to stop. And there's no logic to it from what I can see." Her words steer clear of the accusatory sounds of T'zen's words, instead gauging the well-informed wingleader's reaction to a different, subtler tactic. She still watches him intently, but dispels the gravity of her study by filling her mouth with the mundane gruel.
"What I want most, E'sere, is a name that I can curse, instead of having some translucent menace hovering in my head. Live or dead, it won't matter to me just so long as I have that one small thing to curse and then forget. Can you give us that much, at least? A name?" Tav asks from
her kneeling place beside the bluerider. Issa calls the girl's attention and, standing, Tav leans like a toughgirl against the table siding the cot. Arms cross, though one of them still dangles down to maintain that oh-so-needed connection with the wounded T'zen. "Difference is, I didn't get to fight 'er face to face. She dropped cows on me, and that's just low. Given the chance, I could prolly take 'er." Mutter mutter. "Oh, right. T'zen." She digs in one of her pockets, withdrawing the scrap of cloth she snuck out of his hand. "Dunno how much good it'll do you, but.. here." She offers.
"No, it's not," E'sere agrees again with T'zen, nodding curtly. In answer to the latter question, he notes, "I've had all my friends listening for anything that might help since this began. We've turned up precious little before now. But. As I said, it's taken care of, Issa. Already," he tells the greenrider gently. "No, she wouldn't have stopped, not until we made her. Her name was Peria--you may have heard of her. She was the supposed victim of some minor thefts early on, as cover apparently. The guards questioned her and then let her go--coincidentally, in perfect timing for her to attack the two of you."
"Peria," T'zen echoes once a name is given. "I look forward to knowing what's done with her." He looks back up at the menacing greenrider.. who's also tenderly holding his hand. Such is their relationship. He offers a bemused smile, mostly to himself, as he carresses the knuckles of her
hand with his thumb. With hunger beginning to set in, his mind's on real food. But as he hasn't voiced that yet, it's Tavaly receiving that dreamy-eyed look.
And then the piece of cloth is received, and T'zen looks at it. "Was afraid ya might've tossed it. Huh." He looks back at E'sere now, waving his free hand with the dark torn fabric. "My trophy. Peria's got a torn tunic."
And Issa's still gnawing on the fake food, another spoonful delaying the reply that seems to be coming. But the mention of a name has her pausing even further, mouth working silently over the pronounciation of that name long after the gruel's gone, summoning up the instances where she's heard that name before. There's a flicker of a frown as she comes up short, but the frustration is taken out on the gruel, her spoon jabbed into the heart of the lifeless grey stuff. And the glance that she favors E'sere with soon after is quieted from the intensity it held during her questioning, the name a reassuring addition to the situation. "Well," she muses, still a bit confused as her eyes wander over the other three, "we'll see if it's been stopped or not, I suppose." Cynicism, for sure, but it's ceased to be directed at E'sere in particular. "I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that we appreciate your information, sir." Wingleader deserves respect, in this instance, at least.
"I dunno 'bout T'zen or Issa, but the only absolute I'm sure of is dead, and in this situation, having a ghost to watch our backs for is almost as troublesome as havin' a known body floating around with pointy objects in hand." Tav sinks down to the bedside, catching the look given by T'zen. Huh. Hiieee. A small, almost embarrassed twitch of her mouth spawns a momentary smile. "However, this is a step forward, if anything. I'm still gonna be on my guard, though."
E'sere reaches out to take the torn fabric for himself, to study it. "A torn tunic. Very well. I'll pass that on," he says solemnly. "I'm certain we can match it. And let us hope so." The latter, to Issa. "I doubt there were others with her, but I also doubt we've ended all the violence. There are still anti-Igenites out there willing to do things as terrible as this girl did, I'm sure. Capturing two of them is enough to send them underground for a time, but I doubt it's enough to end it entirely." He frowns. "And by all means--I'm not asking you to do that," he adds to Tavaly. "Even with this person gone, the Weyr's hardly a safe place right now."
T'zen blinks a bit, realizing the person he'd happened to be dreaming was a roast wherry with all the trimmings has suddenly come closer. Oh, Tavaly. Hiieee. His grin widens briefly when he catches her smile, and squeezes her hand again before focusing on E'sere. "Take it, then," he says, nodding to the scrap. "But I want it back." He frowns now, muttering to Tav. "Okay.. now I /am/ hungry. So.. real food /now/ or /soon/?" He turns pleading eyes on the girl.
Issa draws up her klah mug with her left hand. The right joins to meet, a mindless action that's proven useless as the rigid cast thumps against the mug. Lowering it again, frowning over the inconvenience, she settles back into the pillows, seemingly done with the gruel. Her breakfast has been soured, and apparently it's an unwelcome change from the tasteless texture. Cradling her cup with her single good hand, she lets her eyes wander, unfocused, across the morning bustle of the infirmary. "We'll all keep our guard up," she agrees, in her own little way, with Tavaly.
"And you'll remember our agreement, E'sere?" Issa then prompts, turning her face slowly until she's come to stare up at the wingleader again. "I want to know." There's no specification to what she wants to know; by inference, it can be assumed to be 'everything.'
"Just wait a moment, you hound." Tav says, eyes now skirting every moment or two towards the exit near the caverns.. On time. Good. A young kitchen boy comes down to the infirmary bearing a tray laden with two bowls and two plates. Some sort of mashed-fruit like applesauce, and a plate of fresh, soft bread and thinly sliced meatrolls. He skirts past a couple groups of healers assistants and makes his way over to the group. "Here 'go, Tavvy. This okay?" The boy asks, to which the greenrider nods. "Perfect. Your treasure's hidden in the stores behind the flour sacks." She whispers and the boy scoots off rapidly. Smiling, Tav sets the tray on the side table and grabs a bowl and plate and, 360'ing, moves to Issa's bed. "Thought you might want something else to choke down, too." She says, setting both items on the woman's sidetable. For whenever
she's ready. Finally, she makes her way back and pulls the second bowl and plate down for T'zen. "Weyr would be safer if everyone knew how t'defend themselves. Might make that suggestion to J'cor, sometime. Defense classes taught by the guards. I know a few people are doin' it, but that's the sort of thing everyone could benefit from."
"Of course," E'sere agrees with T'zen as he slides the scrap of cloth into his pockets. "And--" he hesitates, frowning slightly "--you understand, of course, that I'd rather this remained just between the four of us. While I do appreciate very much everything the guards have done for us recently, it would be poetic justice for them to detain the person who stops the murderer they let go, if you understand me. No slight meant, of course, to your brother the captain, Tavaly. Defense lessons would be very useful, but I don't think we've enough teachers to accomondate a
thousand students, unfortunately." He offers the greenrider a half-smile then. And, lastly to Issa: "I know. I remember."
Oh, it's Turnday! T'zen's eyes light up, eyeing the not-mush eagerly. "Ain't told ya I love ya today, yet, Tavvy," the man says, unconsciously mirroring the boy's nickname for the greenrider, and probably suddenly looking about as young. "So, shards, girl, I love ya." There's a wince now, as he starts to lean forward again in his eagerness, only to have pain warning him back. He settles agains the pile of pillows, and eyes the just-out-reach tray, and then over to Issa, grinning, in spite of the throb in his belly. "Aye. Get rid of the dirt, Issa. We're feastin'
now." On sauce and slices. But whatever.. that is a FEAST. He nods quickly to E'sere as a barely noted aside, "Quiet, sure," before eyeing his own food portions hungrily. "Taaav.. move it closer."
"You, Tavaly," Issa begins, eyes greedily following the progression of that bowl, "are a hero." A right bunch of heroes, all of them, yes indeed. She removes the offending gruel bowl, taking it off the tray and dropping it, more lightly than it probably deserves, to the floor next to her cot for later removal. This leaves ample room for the arriving food- the real food. There's hesitation on her part, however, and she slides a glance over to T'zen. Though her smile comes easily at his jibe about dirt, she waits still, until he's settled with his own feast, before
indulging in hers. Taking advantage of the minor delay, she shoots E'sere a guarded glance. "Good," is all she mutters.
"Secrets between wingmates are always safe." She glances over to Issa a moment, and smirks. "After all. We've been in this situation before. What with the Anti-Igen Brigade flying Nabol, a certain amount of secrecy was called upon then. You know by now that we're trustworthy folk." Tav
turns to favor E'sere with a short, fond smile. Yea. Those were awesome times. Issa's statement of heroism is met with a big grin. "I've tasted the stuff in here. No wonder people get sick." A wrinkling of the nose. Ugh. Plunking into a nearby chair, Tav's eyes begin to slowly droop.
Another sleepless night. Even with T'zen feeling better, she's on a terribly vigilant watch.. That is, of course, up until the point where her body's like.. um.. 'knock it off!'. Which is very soon.
E'sere regards T'zen with a quirked brow, smile wry; apparently, he's not very reassured by T'zen's reply. Somebody's dealt with a big-mouthed bluerider before. Still, he nods once and glances back between the two greenriders. He favors Tavaly in particular with a smile, nodding. "I know. Perhaps I'm just as paranoid as all of you now," he notes lightly.
"Wait 'til a cow steps on you." Tav chimes quietly.
The out-of-reach tray is now in T'zen's lap. Else he would have continued to whine. And there's no ceremony, no lingering of appreciation. T'zen starts in on the food as though he hadn't eaten the whole seven. Right up until his attending healer barks across the room, "Slow down!" Having
seen the sudden motion coming from a normally still patient. T'zen is forced to savor his meal. Which, really, is a good thing all around.
It's so soon after the bluerider attacks his food that the greenrider starts herself that it may well seem simultaneous. Issa sets into her little feast with a bit more delicacy than T'zen, though, spoon sinking, if not deftly then at least functionally, into the fruitsauce and returning with a small bite at its tip. She rolls her eyes a bit at the first taste, but doesn't lose herself in the indulgence, instead favoring the sleepy-eyed Tavaly with an amused smile. Then she adds, cryptically innocent, to E'sere, "Maybe that's a good thing." More of the sauce then is quickly ferried up to her mouth, making more words highly unlikely, if not impossible.
Aaaand there it goes. The chin, now resting over her arms as they cross over the chair-back, sinks lower. Tav's slouched posture sitting backwards in the chairs gains a little more gravity as, with her eyelids, she, too, drops. Right into a light sleep, in the reverent quiet of the
infirmary. T'zen's well enough to squawk at E'sere, so.. things are looking up. Now she can rest, a little.
"Probably," E'sere tells Issa lightly, as though whatever deeper meaning her words possess were lost on him. To judge by the look he gives her then, that studied bland smile, it's not. He looks away after a moment, favoring Tavaly with a soft smile as she drifts off. "I should be on my
way, and let you rest and eat," he notes as he stands himself. "I'll stop by again, and we can talk more." Again, it's to Issa he looks, more than T'zen.
T'zen snarfs.