What Do You Know?

Writers: Devin, Yvonne
Date Posted: 19th November 2024

Characters: K'mai, H'run
Description: H'run tries to get K'mai gossiping about the Weyrleadership
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 2 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, R'enh, Saibra, M'kayre, Tsaera

H'run

"Tell me about I'serin." H'run smiled sweetly at K'mai from his place across the table. He'd managed to find the other bluerider alone for once, and had coaxed him into staying to chat with a bottle of fine wine and a little flattery. "You've known him for ages, and now he's Weyrleader. Were you surprised?"

K'mai felt a tiny flicker of surprise, wondering if H'run somehow knew something, but then he realized it was just a general question. "Not to knock the man, but . . . yeah. Any bronzerider could potentially win, of course, but he's so quiet and doesn't seem ambitious at all. I don't know him well. We grew up together, we're friendly, but we've never been very close." Except for the fact that he'd slept with their new Weyrleader.

"What was he like when you were growing up?"

"Well he did have a . . . phase." K'mai chuckled. "For a while he'd spout his opinions to anyone who'd listen, as if a sixteen-turn-old knew how to run a Weyr better than people with decades of experience. That was when I started wondering if he'd get a bronze." He rolled his eyes.

"I hope you won a few marks on that! Still... it is a bit of a shame. He is rather handsome," H'run said, batting his eyelashes. "Don't you think?"

K'mai didn't want to comment on that. "Too bad he's a bronzerider, right?" He took a sip of wine.

H'run's lips twitched. "Well, one never knows. Did it surprise you that he Impressed a bronze dragon?"

"I was more surprised after he Impressed. Once his rebellious phase passed, he got a lot more quiet." K'mai shrugged. "He's a bit . . . standoffish. I mean, he's friendly enough, but I think he spends a lot of time in his head." And now K'mai wondered how much of that was repression.

"Why, do you think?"

K'mai certainly couldn't tell H'run what he was thinking. Faranth, he wanted to brag about having the Weyrleader in his bed but he could never betray I'serin's trust like that. "Maybe the responsibility got to him, knowing he was supposed to be a leader. Maybe it was the return of Thread. That changed a lot of things for everyone." He fought an urge to rub at the scars on his back.

The harper's eyes narrowed just a little. There was something that K'mai was dancing around... in H'run's experience, that usually only happened when K'mai didn't want to offend. "I'm surprised, K'mai. You're usually pretty sharp when it comes to reading people. No theories?"

K'mai tried to figure out a way to be honest. What would he have said before I'serin showed up that night? "He's always been a little hard to read, at least in my experience. We have friends in common, we chat at small gatherings -- he doesn't like big parties -- but he's been a bit closed off since he got older. And well, I have heard . . ." K'mai took a long drink to cover the pang of guilt he felt at this blatant attempt to distract H'run.

"His father is difficult and demanding. A'len, used to be a Wingrider, and I've heard he's got high expectations for his sons. A bronzerider with daddy issues, imagine that."

"Don't all bronzeriders have daddy issues of some sort?" H'run sighed and reached for his wine. "And here I was, hoping that you were about to reveal some deep dark secret. Alas."

"Like I said, we aren't close." K'mai shrugged. "Whatever deep, dark secrets he has, he keeps them close." He tried to change the subject. "I wonder if he's going to shake things up. I don't know what happened with R'enh, but obviously he's not Weyrsecond anymore."

"I'd imagine he's still warming Saibra's bed, so I doubt that he'll be going anywhere quickly," H'run said dryly. It was times like this that he missed Ashela. She would say something witty and cutting, but K'mai was too kind. It was a credit to K'mai, and as much as it annoyed H'run it also made K'mai that much much dearer. He sighed. "Both I'serin and M'kayre are River Bluff men though, so I suspect I'serin is keeping the people he knows and trusts close... although having a Dragonsfall man as your Weyrsecond would have been a much smarter political move. For a man you say is so often in his own head it seems like a misstep. Perhaps there's a secret between _them_ that made M'kayre I'serin's choice."

K'mai knew I'serin definitely wasn't in the Weyrwoman's bed, but he didn't have any insights on the political decisions. After thinking a moment, he said, "His father's influence, maybe?"

H'run waggled his eyebrows. "Or _maybe_ I'serin secretly has the hots for M'kayre!"

It was the kind of joke K'mai himself had made about bronzeriders a hundred times before and any kind of denial would just make H'run suspicious. So K'mai ignored the nervous racing of his heart and stuck out his tongue. "If so, I need to have a talk with him about having better taste. Unless being an arrogant ass _is_ the appeal."

"Mmm, sometimes it is." The harper paused again, thinking simultaneously about why I'serin would have made the choice he did and why something felt _off_, somehow. "At any rate, we now have M'kayre. And now the old Weyrwoman from River Bluff Weyr has joined us. The winds are shifting, my friend."

"It feels good to have Tsaera back." Like a little piece of home.

"Tell me all you know about _her_," H'run said. If there was gossip to be had, he wanted it.

Last updated on the November 19th 2024

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