The Battle, Not the War
IC Date: Day 26, Month 8, Turn 2, 7th Pass
Players: E'sere, Vanya, (NPC Guards)
Location: E'sere's Weyr
Synopsis: After Lexine and Vasyath question Morelenth, E'sere sends L'ret to tell Vanya the bronzerider wants to see her. Once she's in his weyr, E'sere tells Vanya to prepare for the worst. She tells him about her suspension, and they talk about the case.
E'sere and Morelenth's Weyr,
Early Evening
This narrow ledge is longer than it is wide, fanning out on either side of the entrance into the weyr. The stone has been deeply scored by the passage of countless dragons over the turns. Its location is optimal; natural outcroppings of the bowl wall keep the wind from raking the ledge's surface and the sun reaches the rock to heat it for most of the day.
Inside, E'sere's weyr is laid out like any other weyr, dragon couch at the fore and rider quarters at the back. However, the decor is not typical bachelor pad: E'sere has instead taken some care in choosing furnishings--a rich dark wood desk and chair, matching padded chairs in a small seating area, and his large bed at the back--and decorations, mainly expensive-looking tapestries hung from the walls.
It's late evening before L'ret knocks at Vanya's door, letting her know E'sere wants to see her. E'sere. Asking to see her. She thanks him, smiling and nodding as he leaves. She closes the door and doens't know if she can face E'sere. Not with her shame. But, it's E'sere. Yes, for him she'll put on a brave face and go to his weyr, smiling and offering what comfort she can in her companionship. She dresses, takes care with her appearance, makes herself pretty for his sake. The elevator dragon approaches, sending a message to Morelenth that she'll be there momentarily. After about five minutes, Vanya is dismounting, smiling as one of the guards does the obligatory search, and smiling wider when she sees Morelenth, offering her comforting touch. And then she moves into the weyr to boldly approach the rider, offer him a touch of her hand to his, and a soft, "Good evening."
An unhappy huddle is rapidly becoming Morelenth's usual state lately; he lies disheartenedly on his couch, sparing a brief, low rumble when Vanya passes him. The two guards are looking as lackluster as the dragon, sitting there boredly and ignoring their charge. E'sere is, as is his usual state, reading until the dragon lands on his ledge. Then, laying aside the book, he stands, going to meet Vanya with a simple, muted, "Hey."
If there's worry in her, she tries to hide it, perhaps unsuccessfully, for her eyes linger on E'sere's face a long time. "He's very despondent," she murmurs, obviously meaning Morelenth. "Time was, he would at least enjoy my scritching. I --" She looks back to the dragon, once, then no more. "I hate to see the two of you like this. What's happened, E'sere? Both of you ... feel different tonight."
"It's been a rough few days," E'sere confesses, ducking his head, half-turning away from Vanya. "We're all right, though; we're hanging in there. How are you?" He looks back then, offering a smile; if it's somewhat forced, she's not to notice that, as he takes care to turn the question on her first.
Talk about two people trying to cover the truth to reassure the other. "Oh, I'm fine," Vanya replies, her smile warm. "Busy, as usual. Doing a bit of study while I have the time, reading the old herbal I found, doing early morning jogs around the bowl, all that." She gives a gentle shrug. "Visiting with Sinopa, sometimes." She looks around the weyr. "Wishing I could spend more time with you," she tacks on the end of that. "Writing some letters. Rappa wrote to say they've talked to him maybe getting his mastership within the turn." But unlike E'sere, Vanya is no consummate actor, and there's an edge of something unsaid in her voice. That, and as observant as E'sere is, it isn't hard to note the lack of a journeyman's knot on her shoulder. True, she doesn't always wear it, but it's rare to see her without it.
With one hand, E'sere reaches out to brush Vanya's unknotted shoulder, his mouth setting into a frown. "What happened?" he asks simply. It's obvious, after all, something has happened; keen hazel eyes search Vanya's face for some hint of this.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Vanya replies, trying her best to act nonchalant. "Oh, the knot? I just forgot to put it back on, is all." But Vanya wasn't wrong when she told E'sere she wasn't a good liar. It doesn't take long for her to cave in, the charade to fall apart. "I was given a three-month suspension by the Hall so they can evaluate my work here," she says, finally, looking down, looking away, the shame so clearly on her face. "Apparently, the Hall received reports about me. Suspension is what usually happens when the Masters are concerned about a Healer's ... emotional stability."
Heavily, E'sere sighs, glancing downward. "I'm sorry," he murmurs in response, pursing his lips. "I'm sorry. This is my fault, for getting you involved."
"No!" That much comes clearly out. "No, not you, it was me," Vanya says firmly. "I had an argument with Aida and ... and accused D'ven of all that, and she --" She pauses, her eyes closing a moment. "-- she has powerful friends, E'sere. She knows how to use those friends, and I'm not as well connected. She called me insane and I'm sure she spoke to her friends and word got back to the Hall." She looks at him with eyes wide and filled with shame. "My being involved with you might have made one or two people question my professionalism, or worry that I might be compromised, but it was my own big mouth, not you. Please believe that." She takes a breath, her hand reaching once more for his. "It's only for three months. I can live with that. I can't practice medicine, but they're not recalling me to the Hall. I'm to stay here."
E'sere rakes a hand through his hair, drawing away, pacing a few steps across the weyr. His guards' eyes track him as he does so, but they're silent still. E'sere says regretfully after a moment, "I asked you here to tell you to prepare for the worst."
Vanya watches. "The worst?" she echoes, not knowing what could be worse than what's already happening. "I thought Master Ysidro had things all planned out. He sounded very confident when he spoke with me the other night, though he did warn me that our ... involvement will likely come out at the trial." She seems a bit bothered by that. "I have tried to be discreet, the way we talked that one time. I haven't said anything, but I guess people just want to believe the worst." She stops, realizing she's babbling. Her eyes close and she takes a deep breath. "Whatever it is you're trying to tell me, E'sere? Please ... just ... tell me."
"That was... before," E'sere says of Ysidro. He moves back toward Vanya when she babbles, standing close and lowering his voice to a murmur. "Before my mother decided to betray me, before I realized just how badly they wanted to take someone--to take /me/--down for this."
The expression on Vanya's face freezes, and then pales. It is her worst nightmare come true. "Oh, E'sere..." Her voice is soft, and for once the guards don't make an objection when she moves closer to the bronzerider. "I'm --" No, she can't say she's shocked. He's told her enough about Lexine that Vanya isn't surprised, and she already knew all of them -- J'cor, Roa, Aida -- were all to ready to let him take the fall for the real criminal. "Surely Aivey's confession clears you...?" She whispers, letting her hand reach out, touch his arm. "They don't want to give up what they've stolen, and they're going to punish you for their own failings. I'm sorry, E'sere." She swallows. "I can't do anything to help, now, either. This ... suspension will make anything I say suspect."
"I'm afraid," E'sere admits, "they might bribe her to say things about me by offering her exile, rather than Thread." He shakes his head, downcast. "I just... thought you should know what we're going into, with the trial. It will be a farce, and they'll say lots of terribly things about me. I didn't want you going into that blind."
Vanya nods, her expression grave. "I figured as much," she says softly. "Whatever they do, E'sere, I won't believe you had anything to do with it. I don't trust too many people here anymore. I mean, there was no reason for Aida to go after me like this, but she did. Why? Because I dared think someone else might be to blame for all this? Even if it wasn't D'ven like I thought, there was no reason for her to do this. I don't know what to say. I know what Aivey said, but ... oh, Faranth, they've set it up so well. I don't know what to do."
"Just... do what you can," E'sere says gently. "Tell the truth when you're questioned, and--don't worry about me. I'll... I'll be all right. The islands are really nice, or so I here--tropical, like Ista." He offers a half-smile, not particularly happy, but trying to be for her sake.
"Don't talk like that, E'sere, don't give up," Vanya begs, voice earnest. "If they exile you --" She swallows hard. "If they're that stupid and petty, then ... then I don't want to be here anymore. I'll --" A pause. "I'll ask to be re-posted, or if they take my knot, then I'll --" She'll what? "-- go back to Ruatha and scrub floors, I guess. Or, I'll find a way to be exiled with you. But I won't stay here, and I won't keep my mouth shut."
"No," E'sere says firmly at once, shaking his head. "You'll stay right here, for me, and help this Weyr hold itself together while I'm away. All right? I won't let them win you, too; you have to stay, and help, and protect it while I'm unable to.
It's easy to see Vanya wants to argue this, but she's quiet a long time. "And what am I supposed to do with no knot, E'sere. I'm no one important now /with/ a knot, but without it? I'm nothing. What would I have to fight with, to hold it together with. I'd not be able to do anything for you here. At least if I was exiled with you, well, I can't imagine there are all that many healers on those islands. And at least I'd know you were safe, not injured or hurt or ... dead."
E'sere shakes his head. "You'll get it back," he says soothingly of her knot. "And I'll be fine--if you went with me to those islands, /you/ would be the one in danger, not me. I can take care of myself if I have to, but the people there are a rough sort: Instigators and assorted other criminals. I'd have to spend all my time worrying about taking care of you, and I care about you too much to put you in that situation."
There are tears welling in those green-gold eyes, but she forces them back, swallows the ache in her throat. "E'sere, I'm not helpless," she counters. "Once I got my feet under me, I could take care of myself. Not even criminals are going to hurt someone they know will heal them." But she doesn't sound very certain of that, and there's uncertainty in her words. "For all we know, I could be in danger here, if I stay. I mean, I've made it clear who I believe, and that's made a lot of people unhappy. Today it's my knot they're after, tomorrow -- it could be something more dire that happens."
"Yes, they would," E'sere answers simply. "These people have murdered before, and who you are wouldn't matter to them. You'll be all right here. Whoever is really behind this won't dare do anything else, because that would ruin my sacrifice. As long as nothing happens to make people think the bad guys are still free, no one will go looking for them." He shakes his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Vanya. I really... I really wish it were different, but. I'll tell L'ret and my wing to watch out for you; they'll protect you until I can return."
The argument dies a slow death, but it dies, and Vanya nods. Something seems to kind of break inside her, and she takes a ragged breath. "And I'm supposed to be comforted by the thought of you being with those people?" she asks, her voice soft and low, now. "I'm not supposed to worry about you?" She lifts her eyes and watches his face for a long moment. "L'ret's a good man, but he's not you, E'sere. I've made enemies here, and I've no doubt they'll do what they can to neutralize me. They may not kill me, but I've dared defend you, and I've dared to l -- care for you. At this point, the only person I feel I can even trust is Sinopa, and they'll do what they can to see she's never Weyrwoman here."
Quietly, E'sere glances down and murmurs again lowly, "I'm a grown man, and not a young woman; and I've a dragon; and the Weyrwoman Diya is there. I can survive there, for a time." A sigh; he rubs his eyes tiredly. "They're going to discredit Sinopa -- they didn't even allow her to witness Morelenth's interrogation, though she's acting senior for now. That's my fault, too; they're using the fact that she arranged a meeting between myself and Aivey against her. I shouldn't have asked, but--I had to. It was something I had to do, for myself."
This seems to upset Vanya more. "Sinopa's not in their league," she says softly. "Of course, since she didn't immediately jump on their bandwagon, she's suspect. They can't control her, so she's got to go." Bitter, those words. "I won't let them hurt her, E'sere. I can't do much, but she was kind to me when I told her what happened. She even offered to write to the Hall, but I couldn't let her do that. I like her, and I won't let them take her down without a fight." She pauses. "You went to see Aivey? How was she? Had they sent a healer to help her with that side of hers? I told Roa about it, that she needed care."
E'sere rakes a hand in his hair again, frowning. "I don't know. That didn't come up," he confesses. "I just... wanted to know why she did it. I had to face her." He shrugs, frowning.
Vanya nods. "I can understand that," she remarks, apparently a bit calmer now. "And did she tell you? Why she did it, I mean. Why she killed those people, poisoned you, all that?"
"Because..." E'sere's mouth twists into a bitter smile. "Because I'm a good man. She wanted to take down the Weyr, and I stood in the way of that. Taking me down would have destabilized everything moreso." He shakes his head. "Ironic, that we're going to go down together by someone else's hand."
Vanya closes her eyes, nodding again. "It makes a horrifying, twisted kind of logic, doesn't it? She said she thought you were a good man when I spoke with her. I couldn't understand it then, and I'm not sure I understand it now. All she's done is take one person out of the equation who could have helped the weyr, could have made things better. Removing you leaves J'cor still as Weyrleader, even though Karth will never fly again." She shakes her head. "And who knows who'll be Weyrleader after him. R'vain, D'ven, R'zel -- oh, they'd have a field day with him. He's so young, and -- Faranth, I hope he doesn't win the flight. They'd eat him alive."
"She doesn't want to help the Weyr; she wants to destroy it," E'sere says. "It's a compliment, in a way--a very backhanded one that I could have done without, but some awful part of myself is--flattered." He grimaces, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know. I'd like to speak with my riders, my bronzeriders, one last time, before--but I don't know if I'll be able to."
"I can take a message to them, if you'd like. They can't deny you a chance to say good-bye to your friends. Not even if you're convicted, E'sere. They can't deny you the right to say farewell to those of us who've come to care about you," Vanya says earnestly, no regard for those guards at this point. "Or, can't Morelenth bespeak their dragons? Pass on messages? It's not like he hasn't already been questioned, like you say. What harm could it do for them to show a little kindness to someone they're going to run out of the weyr? Once you're gone, it's not like you'll be able to pop over for a quick visit or anything." Bitter. Yes, bitterness.
"Oh, Vanya." E'sere steps forward to brush her cheek with one hand, smile tilting wistful as he looks at her. "It will work itself out in the end; they can't win forever."
"It just seems like they have already," Vanya says softly, her cheek leaning into his hand. "It just seems like whatever anyone does is doomed to failure unless it's what they want. I never thought they had that much power. Not enough to force this farce of a trial. Me, yes, I could believe they had enough pull to hurt me, but not you. And ... then you saying it was your fault because they suspended me. That ... no, it wasn't you. It was my own fault for letting Aida bait me until I exploded. It was right after you were poisoned, and I was distraught. I'd been up for nearly three days, and I let my mouth run away with me." She looks at him, sadly. "I warned you I had a big mouth. I said you'd regret knowing me."
"The battle, not the war," E'sere continues reassuringly. "And I'll never regret you, if you won't regret me, either."
Vanya's expression softens as she looks at E'sere. "How can you even think I'd regret you?" she whispers. "I have regrets, yes, but I don't regret a single moment I've been with you, E'sere. If there's anything I regret, it's that I doubted /us/." She takes a breath. "It doesn't matter to me if you've done things that aren't nice. We all have a dark side of ourselves we don't want others to see or know about. I won't be happy, but that won't change how I feel about you." A brief pause. "I love you, E'sere. Not even you being found guilty will change that." And then she hangs her head, embarrassed she finally said it aloud. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but I can't lie about how I feel."
"I..." E'sere hesitates. "I never hurt anyone, and I never wanted anyone hurt," he finally notes. "But they're also accusing me of--inciting unrest, and the simple fact that I knew some of the people who /did/ do these things makes me suspect. There's just enough there to make it sound plausible when they accuse me of everything else. If there's... one thing I am guilty of, it's being blind where my friends were concerned." Pause. "But thank you, for... everything."
Vanya looks back up at E'sere. "I know you were unhappy with how things were here," she says, voice soft and kind, "and I've no doubt you made your feelings known, especially to those closest to you. What they did with it afterwards, well, you can't be held responsible for what others did. It's not like you held a knife to their throats and /forced/ them to act. Even if you didn't like Weyrwoman Yevide, I know you didn't kill her. And I'm not overly fond of the Weyrleader myself, and I don't trust him. And, you've told me about what your mother did, E'sere. I can't blame you for being angry, or for maybe talking to friends and ... well, how many times do people tell each other to drop dead? Do they /want/ the other person to /really/ die? No, they're just blowing off steam. Is it their fault, if someone hears them and then kills that other person? Not really. Only the one who does the actual killing is at fault."
E'sere's half-smile is bemused, fond, as he regards Vanya. "I'm glad you feel that way," he tells her. "But I don't think everyone will, more's the pity. That's why... I wanted you to be prepared, because this is going to be ugly, and I feel terrible for dragging you into it--though... thank you, for being willing to stand with me."
Vanya looks at E'sere for a long moment before she closes her eyes and nods. "I know it's going to be ugly," she whispers. "It's already ugly." A pause. "It's /been/ ugly for a long time, only maybe everyone was too wrapped up in their own world to see it. I don't know if the trial can be any uglier than the murders themselves, E'sere. When I think of what's happened to people, I want to run far away from this place. I want to hide in a cave somewhere and never come out." She wraps her arms around herself and just stands there a moment. "Master Ysidro warned me I'm going to be seen as a whore, and what's funny is I've done no worse than anyone else here has." She shakes her head. "I'm going to hurt your case, E'sere. I'm sorry."
"You only picked the wrong man to get involved with," E'sere notes wistfully. "But I'd not have it another way, except to have prevented you from having to go through all this, too. You can't hurt my case; you may not /help/ it, necessarily, but you can't hurt it. That damage has already been done by... other people."
There are unshed tears in Vanya's eyes when she looks back up at E'sere, and a wry smile touches her lips. "No, I didn't pick the wrong man," she says, voice soft. "The timing could use some improvement, but I have only one regret -- and that's not realizing sooner what they were doing. I keep thinking I could've done something to prevent this, but I know that's silly. That, and you won't let me go along if they send you to exile." She takes a breath, exhales slowly. "I wish you'd reconsider, but I won't argue. You don't need anymore stress, so I'll stay. I'll do what I can and look to the day you return." Another soft breath. "And you will come back. I know that in my heart."
"Someday," E'sere agrees solemnly, "my name will be cleared. Until then--" A quick smile. "Well. Just keep holding on, all right? It will be okay, all of it."
Vanya nods, but doesn't say anything for a few minutes. "I will, for as long as I'm able. I have a feeling I won't be here long." She shrugs. "They'll find a way to get rid of everyone who believed you, I think. Me? I'll probably get recalled to the Hall or kicked out. And, well, healing's the only thing I know how to do. I don't think they'll just let me stay here without being productive in some way." She smirks. "Maybe I can become a seamstress. Sewing cloth can't be all that much different than sewing skin." Another inhalation, breath slowly leaving her. "I don't know if I'll see you again before the trial. Rumor has it the Harpers will be here soon."
"They're already here," confesses E'sere. "They've spoken to me and Morelenth. But... Hold on, all right? Don't just go giving up like that." His tone is mildly chastizing as he regards her. "How well can you act?"
"I can't, really," Vanya replies. "I can be professional and detached because I have to be when patients are dying, but ... I don't know if that's the same. You already know I'm a horrible liar." She shrugs. "I've always tried to keep my emotions hidden, and I was successful --" She shrugs. "-- until I came here. There's something about this place that breaks people."
E'sere's smile is wry. "Maybe because we're all already broken," he notes, shaking his head. "Just... try, please, if you can, to keep a lower profile--you don't have to lie, or say you don't believe me or anything, but you don't have to go proclaiming my innocence from the star stones, either."
"I don't, actually," Vanya says openly. "I try very hard not to talk about it at all, save that K'rom seems to seek me out to reassure me he's testifying because he was /asked/ to, not because he volunteered. He's brought it up a couple of times in our conversations." She gives a soft chuckle. "He's very young, and I try to be patient with him, but ... it's difficult at times. And, other than my sterling example of vocal pyrotechnics with Aida, I've not proclaimed anything much to anyone." She stops a moment. "It doesn't stop people from attributing all kinds of things to me, however."
E'sere nods slowly. "Well, that's good," he tells her. "You'll be better off letting this die down--I suspect my detractors are outnumbered, but they are vocal and they are powerful. As for K'rom--" He grimaces. "I... Well. His reasons are a matter for Ysidro to handle."
"So I was given to understand," Vanya remarks, a rather wry expression on her face. "Be that as it may, I've gotten over the shock of your arrest, and haven't talked much about it, save to Sinopa and R'zel, and even then, we all try to keep from bandying our opinions about much. There are, after all, ears throughout the weyr." She nods. "I'm all too aware of how powerful they are, and how far is their reach, E'sere. I'd hoped Aivey's confession would clear things up, but I suppose it's hard to believe one young girl could have done so much. After all," and there's a very big smirk on her face now, "a mere girl couldn't possibly have acted on her own. She would need a man to guide her, to tell her what to do." And then she snorts. "But, yes, I'll let it go, at least publicly. Please don't ask me to just forget it." A pause. "Or you."
"They don't want to believe that one young girl could have fooled them all so completely," agrees E'sere, nodding. "They'd much rather a grown man, a bronzerider and wingleader, did it. Maybe Aivey was acting for someone else, but she's not... She's not going to take them down with her. It's... a very twisted honor." He shrugs. "Ironic, really, that my one ally, the one person who says I /didn't/ work with her, is the one person who tried to kill me."
"Like I said, she makes a very twisted kind of logic, and it frightens me. I hate to think of what they'll do to her, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop that," Vanya says, voice sad. "Though she scares me to death, I ... I can't help but respect her in some ways. She told me that loyalty was most important to her. She even had me deliver that message to you, for some strange reason. I guess she meant the way I was loyal to you, since that's what we'd been talking about." Vanya shrugs. "I gave up trying to figure out what she was trying to tell me after a while."
"She's... loyal to her cause, whatever that is," E'sere confesses quietly. "She's willing to die for it. Most people--most people don't have that kind of belief in anything, and it's a tragedy that the one person who does has as a goal the destruction of everyone else."
"Rather ironic, that," Vanya agrees, somewhat calmer now, not as ready to cry. "I'll likely be called as a witness in her trial, more so than in yours, I imagine. Master Ysidro asked me quite a bit about what she said to me. Fortunately, I have what the healers call an eidetic memory, and could give him verbatim what she said in the cell that night." Vanya glances over to the guards, who have at least remained at a distance, although both of them are watching her and E'sere closely. They don't, however, seem to be bothered by the couple's closeness. She was searched, after all, and has never caused them concern before.
"I think Ysidro would like you up there for me," E'sere notes dryly. "Watch out--I imagine he's... not going to go easy on you just because you're on our side already. He's already said that he's of the opinion a distraught lover is good for us. Ysidro is not... in the business of justice; he's in the business of winning. I don't think he rightly cares if I /am/ guilty or not, so long as I win this case. It's the best thing and the worst thing about him. He's mercenary."
Vanya nods, her lips twisting wryly once more. "I was suitably warned, and told to have the tears ready," she remarks. "I told him not to worry, they wouldn't be pretend tears if they came. I don't know what he has in mind, and yes, mercenary is a good way to describe him. He may not like to lose, but I'm afraid the deck is stacked against him this time." A sigh. "Distraught lover -- an apt description of me, isn't it? Odd he sees that as an asset. But, he must have a point. I was important enough they took the opportunity to discredit me as much as possible. It hurts I gave them the ammunition to use against me, too."
"Ysidro has a way of coming out ahead," E'sere says reassuringly. "If anyone can win this, it's him. He's not a bad man, just... Well. You've met him." His grin says that's enough to know. "I think, apparently, it's good if people see you, and feel some sympathy for you, and me by proxy. Though, I can't see it swaying my judges, but."
Vanya looks at him a moment, then unfolds her arms to brush her hand over his cheek. "I don't mind, E'sere. I will do what I can, because of what you said. You told me that /we/ weren't a lie, and that's all I needed to know. What you've done or not done ... well, yes, it matters, but as long as what we had together was real, I can live with the rest." She smiles now, genuinely. "I can survive anything as long as I know what we had was real."
"You... should go, though. It's getting late and--" A glance to the guards. E'sere adds, unhappily, "You... probably shouldn't come back, either, until... after all this is over."
Vanya nods, her eyes searching his face, as if committing it to memory. "I know, and hopefully this will all be over soon. If --" She swallows. "If things go horribly wrong, I probably won't see you for a long time, but I will never stop caring, E'sere. No matter what happens, I will never stop feeling the way I feel about you." And, despite the guards, Vanya moves close and places her hands on E'sere's shoulders, leans up and presses her lips to his. "Let them say they saw us kissing, I don't care. I'm your distraught lover, after all."
"You are," E'sere agrees, enjoying the kiss, brief though it is. Then, pulling back, he tells her, "I'll have Morelenth carry you down. Good-bye, Vanya. I do love you."
One of the guards clears his throat in a very meaningful manner, and Vanya steps back, away from E'sere. "I know," she says, smiling at him. Reluctantly, she turns to leave, moving toward the bronze dragon where he lies on his couch. She pauses at the guards, murmuring her gratitude for the time with E'sere, even offering them a smile, though it's not returned. At least the younger of the two men gives her nod, acknowledging her thanks. Once she's reached Morelenth, Vanya lightly strokes his muzzle, offering her usual comfort to the dragon just before he mounts. After strapping herself to the neckridge, she looks over at E'sere one last time, touching her lips and then extending her hand. A turn of the dragon, and a few steps later, she's disappeared into the night.
Players: E'sere, Vanya, (NPC Guards)
Location: E'sere's Weyr
Synopsis: After Lexine and Vasyath question Morelenth, E'sere sends L'ret to tell Vanya the bronzerider wants to see her. Once she's in his weyr, E'sere tells Vanya to prepare for the worst. She tells him about her suspension, and they talk about the case.
E'sere and Morelenth's Weyr,
Early Evening
This narrow ledge is longer than it is wide, fanning out on either side of the entrance into the weyr. The stone has been deeply scored by the passage of countless dragons over the turns. Its location is optimal; natural outcroppings of the bowl wall keep the wind from raking the ledge's surface and the sun reaches the rock to heat it for most of the day.
Inside, E'sere's weyr is laid out like any other weyr, dragon couch at the fore and rider quarters at the back. However, the decor is not typical bachelor pad: E'sere has instead taken some care in choosing furnishings--a rich dark wood desk and chair, matching padded chairs in a small seating area, and his large bed at the back--and decorations, mainly expensive-looking tapestries hung from the walls.
It's late evening before L'ret knocks at Vanya's door, letting her know E'sere wants to see her. E'sere. Asking to see her. She thanks him, smiling and nodding as he leaves. She closes the door and doens't know if she can face E'sere. Not with her shame. But, it's E'sere. Yes, for him she'll put on a brave face and go to his weyr, smiling and offering what comfort she can in her companionship. She dresses, takes care with her appearance, makes herself pretty for his sake. The elevator dragon approaches, sending a message to Morelenth that she'll be there momentarily. After about five minutes, Vanya is dismounting, smiling as one of the guards does the obligatory search, and smiling wider when she sees Morelenth, offering her comforting touch. And then she moves into the weyr to boldly approach the rider, offer him a touch of her hand to his, and a soft, "Good evening."
An unhappy huddle is rapidly becoming Morelenth's usual state lately; he lies disheartenedly on his couch, sparing a brief, low rumble when Vanya passes him. The two guards are looking as lackluster as the dragon, sitting there boredly and ignoring their charge. E'sere is, as is his usual state, reading until the dragon lands on his ledge. Then, laying aside the book, he stands, going to meet Vanya with a simple, muted, "Hey."
If there's worry in her, she tries to hide it, perhaps unsuccessfully, for her eyes linger on E'sere's face a long time. "He's very despondent," she murmurs, obviously meaning Morelenth. "Time was, he would at least enjoy my scritching. I --" She looks back to the dragon, once, then no more. "I hate to see the two of you like this. What's happened, E'sere? Both of you ... feel different tonight."
"It's been a rough few days," E'sere confesses, ducking his head, half-turning away from Vanya. "We're all right, though; we're hanging in there. How are you?" He looks back then, offering a smile; if it's somewhat forced, she's not to notice that, as he takes care to turn the question on her first.
Talk about two people trying to cover the truth to reassure the other. "Oh, I'm fine," Vanya replies, her smile warm. "Busy, as usual. Doing a bit of study while I have the time, reading the old herbal I found, doing early morning jogs around the bowl, all that." She gives a gentle shrug. "Visiting with Sinopa, sometimes." She looks around the weyr. "Wishing I could spend more time with you," she tacks on the end of that. "Writing some letters. Rappa wrote to say they've talked to him maybe getting his mastership within the turn." But unlike E'sere, Vanya is no consummate actor, and there's an edge of something unsaid in her voice. That, and as observant as E'sere is, it isn't hard to note the lack of a journeyman's knot on her shoulder. True, she doesn't always wear it, but it's rare to see her without it.
With one hand, E'sere reaches out to brush Vanya's unknotted shoulder, his mouth setting into a frown. "What happened?" he asks simply. It's obvious, after all, something has happened; keen hazel eyes search Vanya's face for some hint of this.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Vanya replies, trying her best to act nonchalant. "Oh, the knot? I just forgot to put it back on, is all." But Vanya wasn't wrong when she told E'sere she wasn't a good liar. It doesn't take long for her to cave in, the charade to fall apart. "I was given a three-month suspension by the Hall so they can evaluate my work here," she says, finally, looking down, looking away, the shame so clearly on her face. "Apparently, the Hall received reports about me. Suspension is what usually happens when the Masters are concerned about a Healer's ... emotional stability."
Heavily, E'sere sighs, glancing downward. "I'm sorry," he murmurs in response, pursing his lips. "I'm sorry. This is my fault, for getting you involved."
"No!" That much comes clearly out. "No, not you, it was me," Vanya says firmly. "I had an argument with Aida and ... and accused D'ven of all that, and she --" She pauses, her eyes closing a moment. "-- she has powerful friends, E'sere. She knows how to use those friends, and I'm not as well connected. She called me insane and I'm sure she spoke to her friends and word got back to the Hall." She looks at him with eyes wide and filled with shame. "My being involved with you might have made one or two people question my professionalism, or worry that I might be compromised, but it was my own big mouth, not you. Please believe that." She takes a breath, her hand reaching once more for his. "It's only for three months. I can live with that. I can't practice medicine, but they're not recalling me to the Hall. I'm to stay here."
E'sere rakes a hand through his hair, drawing away, pacing a few steps across the weyr. His guards' eyes track him as he does so, but they're silent still. E'sere says regretfully after a moment, "I asked you here to tell you to prepare for the worst."
Vanya watches. "The worst?" she echoes, not knowing what could be worse than what's already happening. "I thought Master Ysidro had things all planned out. He sounded very confident when he spoke with me the other night, though he did warn me that our ... involvement will likely come out at the trial." She seems a bit bothered by that. "I have tried to be discreet, the way we talked that one time. I haven't said anything, but I guess people just want to believe the worst." She stops, realizing she's babbling. Her eyes close and she takes a deep breath. "Whatever it is you're trying to tell me, E'sere? Please ... just ... tell me."
"That was... before," E'sere says of Ysidro. He moves back toward Vanya when she babbles, standing close and lowering his voice to a murmur. "Before my mother decided to betray me, before I realized just how badly they wanted to take someone--to take /me/--down for this."
The expression on Vanya's face freezes, and then pales. It is her worst nightmare come true. "Oh, E'sere..." Her voice is soft, and for once the guards don't make an objection when she moves closer to the bronzerider. "I'm --" No, she can't say she's shocked. He's told her enough about Lexine that Vanya isn't surprised, and she already knew all of them -- J'cor, Roa, Aida -- were all to ready to let him take the fall for the real criminal. "Surely Aivey's confession clears you...?" She whispers, letting her hand reach out, touch his arm. "They don't want to give up what they've stolen, and they're going to punish you for their own failings. I'm sorry, E'sere." She swallows. "I can't do anything to help, now, either. This ... suspension will make anything I say suspect."
"I'm afraid," E'sere admits, "they might bribe her to say things about me by offering her exile, rather than Thread." He shakes his head, downcast. "I just... thought you should know what we're going into, with the trial. It will be a farce, and they'll say lots of terribly things about me. I didn't want you going into that blind."
Vanya nods, her expression grave. "I figured as much," she says softly. "Whatever they do, E'sere, I won't believe you had anything to do with it. I don't trust too many people here anymore. I mean, there was no reason for Aida to go after me like this, but she did. Why? Because I dared think someone else might be to blame for all this? Even if it wasn't D'ven like I thought, there was no reason for her to do this. I don't know what to say. I know what Aivey said, but ... oh, Faranth, they've set it up so well. I don't know what to do."
"Just... do what you can," E'sere says gently. "Tell the truth when you're questioned, and--don't worry about me. I'll... I'll be all right. The islands are really nice, or so I here--tropical, like Ista." He offers a half-smile, not particularly happy, but trying to be for her sake.
"Don't talk like that, E'sere, don't give up," Vanya begs, voice earnest. "If they exile you --" She swallows hard. "If they're that stupid and petty, then ... then I don't want to be here anymore. I'll --" A pause. "I'll ask to be re-posted, or if they take my knot, then I'll --" She'll what? "-- go back to Ruatha and scrub floors, I guess. Or, I'll find a way to be exiled with you. But I won't stay here, and I won't keep my mouth shut."
"No," E'sere says firmly at once, shaking his head. "You'll stay right here, for me, and help this Weyr hold itself together while I'm away. All right? I won't let them win you, too; you have to stay, and help, and protect it while I'm unable to.
It's easy to see Vanya wants to argue this, but she's quiet a long time. "And what am I supposed to do with no knot, E'sere. I'm no one important now /with/ a knot, but without it? I'm nothing. What would I have to fight with, to hold it together with. I'd not be able to do anything for you here. At least if I was exiled with you, well, I can't imagine there are all that many healers on those islands. And at least I'd know you were safe, not injured or hurt or ... dead."
E'sere shakes his head. "You'll get it back," he says soothingly of her knot. "And I'll be fine--if you went with me to those islands, /you/ would be the one in danger, not me. I can take care of myself if I have to, but the people there are a rough sort: Instigators and assorted other criminals. I'd have to spend all my time worrying about taking care of you, and I care about you too much to put you in that situation."
There are tears welling in those green-gold eyes, but she forces them back, swallows the ache in her throat. "E'sere, I'm not helpless," she counters. "Once I got my feet under me, I could take care of myself. Not even criminals are going to hurt someone they know will heal them." But she doesn't sound very certain of that, and there's uncertainty in her words. "For all we know, I could be in danger here, if I stay. I mean, I've made it clear who I believe, and that's made a lot of people unhappy. Today it's my knot they're after, tomorrow -- it could be something more dire that happens."
"Yes, they would," E'sere answers simply. "These people have murdered before, and who you are wouldn't matter to them. You'll be all right here. Whoever is really behind this won't dare do anything else, because that would ruin my sacrifice. As long as nothing happens to make people think the bad guys are still free, no one will go looking for them." He shakes his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Vanya. I really... I really wish it were different, but. I'll tell L'ret and my wing to watch out for you; they'll protect you until I can return."
The argument dies a slow death, but it dies, and Vanya nods. Something seems to kind of break inside her, and she takes a ragged breath. "And I'm supposed to be comforted by the thought of you being with those people?" she asks, her voice soft and low, now. "I'm not supposed to worry about you?" She lifts her eyes and watches his face for a long moment. "L'ret's a good man, but he's not you, E'sere. I've made enemies here, and I've no doubt they'll do what they can to neutralize me. They may not kill me, but I've dared defend you, and I've dared to l -- care for you. At this point, the only person I feel I can even trust is Sinopa, and they'll do what they can to see she's never Weyrwoman here."
Quietly, E'sere glances down and murmurs again lowly, "I'm a grown man, and not a young woman; and I've a dragon; and the Weyrwoman Diya is there. I can survive there, for a time." A sigh; he rubs his eyes tiredly. "They're going to discredit Sinopa -- they didn't even allow her to witness Morelenth's interrogation, though she's acting senior for now. That's my fault, too; they're using the fact that she arranged a meeting between myself and Aivey against her. I shouldn't have asked, but--I had to. It was something I had to do, for myself."
This seems to upset Vanya more. "Sinopa's not in their league," she says softly. "Of course, since she didn't immediately jump on their bandwagon, she's suspect. They can't control her, so she's got to go." Bitter, those words. "I won't let them hurt her, E'sere. I can't do much, but she was kind to me when I told her what happened. She even offered to write to the Hall, but I couldn't let her do that. I like her, and I won't let them take her down without a fight." She pauses. "You went to see Aivey? How was she? Had they sent a healer to help her with that side of hers? I told Roa about it, that she needed care."
E'sere rakes a hand in his hair again, frowning. "I don't know. That didn't come up," he confesses. "I just... wanted to know why she did it. I had to face her." He shrugs, frowning.
Vanya nods. "I can understand that," she remarks, apparently a bit calmer now. "And did she tell you? Why she did it, I mean. Why she killed those people, poisoned you, all that?"
"Because..." E'sere's mouth twists into a bitter smile. "Because I'm a good man. She wanted to take down the Weyr, and I stood in the way of that. Taking me down would have destabilized everything moreso." He shakes his head. "Ironic, that we're going to go down together by someone else's hand."
Vanya closes her eyes, nodding again. "It makes a horrifying, twisted kind of logic, doesn't it? She said she thought you were a good man when I spoke with her. I couldn't understand it then, and I'm not sure I understand it now. All she's done is take one person out of the equation who could have helped the weyr, could have made things better. Removing you leaves J'cor still as Weyrleader, even though Karth will never fly again." She shakes her head. "And who knows who'll be Weyrleader after him. R'vain, D'ven, R'zel -- oh, they'd have a field day with him. He's so young, and -- Faranth, I hope he doesn't win the flight. They'd eat him alive."
"She doesn't want to help the Weyr; she wants to destroy it," E'sere says. "It's a compliment, in a way--a very backhanded one that I could have done without, but some awful part of myself is--flattered." He grimaces, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know. I'd like to speak with my riders, my bronzeriders, one last time, before--but I don't know if I'll be able to."
"I can take a message to them, if you'd like. They can't deny you a chance to say good-bye to your friends. Not even if you're convicted, E'sere. They can't deny you the right to say farewell to those of us who've come to care about you," Vanya says earnestly, no regard for those guards at this point. "Or, can't Morelenth bespeak their dragons? Pass on messages? It's not like he hasn't already been questioned, like you say. What harm could it do for them to show a little kindness to someone they're going to run out of the weyr? Once you're gone, it's not like you'll be able to pop over for a quick visit or anything." Bitter. Yes, bitterness.
"Oh, Vanya." E'sere steps forward to brush her cheek with one hand, smile tilting wistful as he looks at her. "It will work itself out in the end; they can't win forever."
"It just seems like they have already," Vanya says softly, her cheek leaning into his hand. "It just seems like whatever anyone does is doomed to failure unless it's what they want. I never thought they had that much power. Not enough to force this farce of a trial. Me, yes, I could believe they had enough pull to hurt me, but not you. And ... then you saying it was your fault because they suspended me. That ... no, it wasn't you. It was my own fault for letting Aida bait me until I exploded. It was right after you were poisoned, and I was distraught. I'd been up for nearly three days, and I let my mouth run away with me." She looks at him, sadly. "I warned you I had a big mouth. I said you'd regret knowing me."
"The battle, not the war," E'sere continues reassuringly. "And I'll never regret you, if you won't regret me, either."
Vanya's expression softens as she looks at E'sere. "How can you even think I'd regret you?" she whispers. "I have regrets, yes, but I don't regret a single moment I've been with you, E'sere. If there's anything I regret, it's that I doubted /us/." She takes a breath. "It doesn't matter to me if you've done things that aren't nice. We all have a dark side of ourselves we don't want others to see or know about. I won't be happy, but that won't change how I feel about you." A brief pause. "I love you, E'sere. Not even you being found guilty will change that." And then she hangs her head, embarrassed she finally said it aloud. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but I can't lie about how I feel."
"I..." E'sere hesitates. "I never hurt anyone, and I never wanted anyone hurt," he finally notes. "But they're also accusing me of--inciting unrest, and the simple fact that I knew some of the people who /did/ do these things makes me suspect. There's just enough there to make it sound plausible when they accuse me of everything else. If there's... one thing I am guilty of, it's being blind where my friends were concerned." Pause. "But thank you, for... everything."
Vanya looks back up at E'sere. "I know you were unhappy with how things were here," she says, voice soft and kind, "and I've no doubt you made your feelings known, especially to those closest to you. What they did with it afterwards, well, you can't be held responsible for what others did. It's not like you held a knife to their throats and /forced/ them to act. Even if you didn't like Weyrwoman Yevide, I know you didn't kill her. And I'm not overly fond of the Weyrleader myself, and I don't trust him. And, you've told me about what your mother did, E'sere. I can't blame you for being angry, or for maybe talking to friends and ... well, how many times do people tell each other to drop dead? Do they /want/ the other person to /really/ die? No, they're just blowing off steam. Is it their fault, if someone hears them and then kills that other person? Not really. Only the one who does the actual killing is at fault."
E'sere's half-smile is bemused, fond, as he regards Vanya. "I'm glad you feel that way," he tells her. "But I don't think everyone will, more's the pity. That's why... I wanted you to be prepared, because this is going to be ugly, and I feel terrible for dragging you into it--though... thank you, for being willing to stand with me."
Vanya looks at E'sere for a long moment before she closes her eyes and nods. "I know it's going to be ugly," she whispers. "It's already ugly." A pause. "It's /been/ ugly for a long time, only maybe everyone was too wrapped up in their own world to see it. I don't know if the trial can be any uglier than the murders themselves, E'sere. When I think of what's happened to people, I want to run far away from this place. I want to hide in a cave somewhere and never come out." She wraps her arms around herself and just stands there a moment. "Master Ysidro warned me I'm going to be seen as a whore, and what's funny is I've done no worse than anyone else here has." She shakes her head. "I'm going to hurt your case, E'sere. I'm sorry."
"You only picked the wrong man to get involved with," E'sere notes wistfully. "But I'd not have it another way, except to have prevented you from having to go through all this, too. You can't hurt my case; you may not /help/ it, necessarily, but you can't hurt it. That damage has already been done by... other people."
There are unshed tears in Vanya's eyes when she looks back up at E'sere, and a wry smile touches her lips. "No, I didn't pick the wrong man," she says, voice soft. "The timing could use some improvement, but I have only one regret -- and that's not realizing sooner what they were doing. I keep thinking I could've done something to prevent this, but I know that's silly. That, and you won't let me go along if they send you to exile." She takes a breath, exhales slowly. "I wish you'd reconsider, but I won't argue. You don't need anymore stress, so I'll stay. I'll do what I can and look to the day you return." Another soft breath. "And you will come back. I know that in my heart."
"Someday," E'sere agrees solemnly, "my name will be cleared. Until then--" A quick smile. "Well. Just keep holding on, all right? It will be okay, all of it."
Vanya nods, but doesn't say anything for a few minutes. "I will, for as long as I'm able. I have a feeling I won't be here long." She shrugs. "They'll find a way to get rid of everyone who believed you, I think. Me? I'll probably get recalled to the Hall or kicked out. And, well, healing's the only thing I know how to do. I don't think they'll just let me stay here without being productive in some way." She smirks. "Maybe I can become a seamstress. Sewing cloth can't be all that much different than sewing skin." Another inhalation, breath slowly leaving her. "I don't know if I'll see you again before the trial. Rumor has it the Harpers will be here soon."
"They're already here," confesses E'sere. "They've spoken to me and Morelenth. But... Hold on, all right? Don't just go giving up like that." His tone is mildly chastizing as he regards her. "How well can you act?"
"I can't, really," Vanya replies. "I can be professional and detached because I have to be when patients are dying, but ... I don't know if that's the same. You already know I'm a horrible liar." She shrugs. "I've always tried to keep my emotions hidden, and I was successful --" She shrugs. "-- until I came here. There's something about this place that breaks people."
E'sere's smile is wry. "Maybe because we're all already broken," he notes, shaking his head. "Just... try, please, if you can, to keep a lower profile--you don't have to lie, or say you don't believe me or anything, but you don't have to go proclaiming my innocence from the star stones, either."
"I don't, actually," Vanya says openly. "I try very hard not to talk about it at all, save that K'rom seems to seek me out to reassure me he's testifying because he was /asked/ to, not because he volunteered. He's brought it up a couple of times in our conversations." She gives a soft chuckle. "He's very young, and I try to be patient with him, but ... it's difficult at times. And, other than my sterling example of vocal pyrotechnics with Aida, I've not proclaimed anything much to anyone." She stops a moment. "It doesn't stop people from attributing all kinds of things to me, however."
E'sere nods slowly. "Well, that's good," he tells her. "You'll be better off letting this die down--I suspect my detractors are outnumbered, but they are vocal and they are powerful. As for K'rom--" He grimaces. "I... Well. His reasons are a matter for Ysidro to handle."
"So I was given to understand," Vanya remarks, a rather wry expression on her face. "Be that as it may, I've gotten over the shock of your arrest, and haven't talked much about it, save to Sinopa and R'zel, and even then, we all try to keep from bandying our opinions about much. There are, after all, ears throughout the weyr." She nods. "I'm all too aware of how powerful they are, and how far is their reach, E'sere. I'd hoped Aivey's confession would clear things up, but I suppose it's hard to believe one young girl could have done so much. After all," and there's a very big smirk on her face now, "a mere girl couldn't possibly have acted on her own. She would need a man to guide her, to tell her what to do." And then she snorts. "But, yes, I'll let it go, at least publicly. Please don't ask me to just forget it." A pause. "Or you."
"They don't want to believe that one young girl could have fooled them all so completely," agrees E'sere, nodding. "They'd much rather a grown man, a bronzerider and wingleader, did it. Maybe Aivey was acting for someone else, but she's not... She's not going to take them down with her. It's... a very twisted honor." He shrugs. "Ironic, really, that my one ally, the one person who says I /didn't/ work with her, is the one person who tried to kill me."
"Like I said, she makes a very twisted kind of logic, and it frightens me. I hate to think of what they'll do to her, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop that," Vanya says, voice sad. "Though she scares me to death, I ... I can't help but respect her in some ways. She told me that loyalty was most important to her. She even had me deliver that message to you, for some strange reason. I guess she meant the way I was loyal to you, since that's what we'd been talking about." Vanya shrugs. "I gave up trying to figure out what she was trying to tell me after a while."
"She's... loyal to her cause, whatever that is," E'sere confesses quietly. "She's willing to die for it. Most people--most people don't have that kind of belief in anything, and it's a tragedy that the one person who does has as a goal the destruction of everyone else."
"Rather ironic, that," Vanya agrees, somewhat calmer now, not as ready to cry. "I'll likely be called as a witness in her trial, more so than in yours, I imagine. Master Ysidro asked me quite a bit about what she said to me. Fortunately, I have what the healers call an eidetic memory, and could give him verbatim what she said in the cell that night." Vanya glances over to the guards, who have at least remained at a distance, although both of them are watching her and E'sere closely. They don't, however, seem to be bothered by the couple's closeness. She was searched, after all, and has never caused them concern before.
"I think Ysidro would like you up there for me," E'sere notes dryly. "Watch out--I imagine he's... not going to go easy on you just because you're on our side already. He's already said that he's of the opinion a distraught lover is good for us. Ysidro is not... in the business of justice; he's in the business of winning. I don't think he rightly cares if I /am/ guilty or not, so long as I win this case. It's the best thing and the worst thing about him. He's mercenary."
Vanya nods, her lips twisting wryly once more. "I was suitably warned, and told to have the tears ready," she remarks. "I told him not to worry, they wouldn't be pretend tears if they came. I don't know what he has in mind, and yes, mercenary is a good way to describe him. He may not like to lose, but I'm afraid the deck is stacked against him this time." A sigh. "Distraught lover -- an apt description of me, isn't it? Odd he sees that as an asset. But, he must have a point. I was important enough they took the opportunity to discredit me as much as possible. It hurts I gave them the ammunition to use against me, too."
"Ysidro has a way of coming out ahead," E'sere says reassuringly. "If anyone can win this, it's him. He's not a bad man, just... Well. You've met him." His grin says that's enough to know. "I think, apparently, it's good if people see you, and feel some sympathy for you, and me by proxy. Though, I can't see it swaying my judges, but."
Vanya looks at him a moment, then unfolds her arms to brush her hand over his cheek. "I don't mind, E'sere. I will do what I can, because of what you said. You told me that /we/ weren't a lie, and that's all I needed to know. What you've done or not done ... well, yes, it matters, but as long as what we had together was real, I can live with the rest." She smiles now, genuinely. "I can survive anything as long as I know what we had was real."
"You... should go, though. It's getting late and--" A glance to the guards. E'sere adds, unhappily, "You... probably shouldn't come back, either, until... after all this is over."
Vanya nods, her eyes searching his face, as if committing it to memory. "I know, and hopefully this will all be over soon. If --" She swallows. "If things go horribly wrong, I probably won't see you for a long time, but I will never stop caring, E'sere. No matter what happens, I will never stop feeling the way I feel about you." And, despite the guards, Vanya moves close and places her hands on E'sere's shoulders, leans up and presses her lips to his. "Let them say they saw us kissing, I don't care. I'm your distraught lover, after all."
"You are," E'sere agrees, enjoying the kiss, brief though it is. Then, pulling back, he tells her, "I'll have Morelenth carry you down. Good-bye, Vanya. I do love you."
One of the guards clears his throat in a very meaningful manner, and Vanya steps back, away from E'sere. "I know," she says, smiling at him. Reluctantly, she turns to leave, moving toward the bronze dragon where he lies on his couch. She pauses at the guards, murmuring her gratitude for the time with E'sere, even offering them a smile, though it's not returned. At least the younger of the two men gives her nod, acknowledging her thanks. Once she's reached Morelenth, Vanya lightly strokes his muzzle, offering her usual comfort to the dragon just before he mounts. After strapping herself to the neckridge, she looks over at E'sere one last time, touching her lips and then extending her hand. A turn of the dragon, and a few steps later, she's disappeared into the night.