Warning Signs [6.22.2707] (Kiyoni/Arktos/Quindara)

[Kendrall]

It had been nearly two full sevendays since his conversation with Kiyoni at the lake. He even nearly gave in to lust that day, taking advantage of the pretty Searchrider in spite of his wanting to remain pure. Thankfully, the Wingleader of Stardust managed to salvage one relationship: his close friendship with Kiyoni. It'd take a miracle for him to keep his streak going, and only Faranth knew what would happen.

Coth and Elliwodth had been flirting, if he could use the term, with each other that day at the lake. To make matters worse, Kiyoni had suspected her Green would be Rising soon, which explained why the two Riders' emotions were pushing them toward the edge. It would have been awkward had they actually came together to consummate their relationship, even though they weren't weyrmates, and Kiyoni to wind up carrying his child as a result. Luckily, that potential disaster had been averted. But how on Pern was he going to get them out of this one? Especially since there would be the lives of four people - one of those four being a Candidate - at stake?

He rubbed his face with his palms, sitting at his desk for the past two to three candlemarks. Thankfully, Coth was sound asleep. The day had been hot and muggy, and poor Coth was worn out after the latest drills they'd conducted for Stardust, choosing to sleep well into this hour of the evening. It was nearing nightfall, which meant G'rett had to act, and soon. He knew most of the Candidates, including Quindara, would be in their barracks save for maybe one or two. Arktos would be in his own weyr as would Kiyoni be in hers.

Time was of the essence, and quietly pushing his chair back, he looked again over at Coth. Still sleeping. With that, he silently left his quarters and navigated the passageways until he arrived at Kiyoni's weyr. He knocked silently, twice, and prayed the Searchrider would still be awake.

((OOC - Date has been changed from 6.16 to 6.22 to allow room for the growing relationships between G'rett and Quindara, and Kiyoni and Arktos. Should make the arc flow easier.))

[sorra]

Kiyoni had spent the last sevenday fretting over what she had almost let happen. What was wrong with her? She didn't just sleep around with people. Even if they were a friend. Besides, she had hoped to get closer to Arktos. How could she expect to do that if she went and slept with someone else?

But she hadn't. She had been very very tempted to, but they had both resisted. She sighed in frustration. She glanced out at her sleeping dragon. She knew it wouldn't be long before Elliwodth rose and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. She hadn't had a chance to find Quindara and she hadn't confided in Arktos yet. Although she really didn't have any good reason to keep putting the meetings off.

Kiyoni looked up when she heard a knock on her door. Rivi lifted his head from the pillow with an annoyed cheep. He was tired and didn't want bothered. Kiyoni smiled a little as she got up. She wasn't expecting anyone that night. She opened her door and was surprised to see G'rett standing there. "Hi," she said.

[Kendrall]

G'rett breathed a sigh of thanks when Kiyoni greeted him, but thought he noticed something had been bothering her. Glad I'm not the only one, he thought wryly. "Hi," he replied. "I apologize if I'm bothering you, and I know it's late but...I was wondering...do you have a few minutes? There's something I need to get off my chest, and it seems you're the only one I can confide in at the moment. It's been eating at me for nearly two sevendays or so."

He waited for the invitation to enter her weyr, but his nervousness was evident by his right leg twitching. It had become a nasty habit of his lately, but there wasn't much he could do about it. G'rett needed help to come up with a plan of action to prevent chaos from occurring, and only Kiyoni could be that trusted source. They had to warn Quindara and Arktos somehow of the possibility of Elliwodth Rising within a short time. G'rett also knew neither person would be able to leave the weyr, further complicating matters. Arktos had been without his bonded for several, if not many, turns at best. Quindara was still a Candidate, and typically Candidates were only escorted away when a Gold was about to Rise. Sometimes they were permitted to stay if a Green Rose, since it was unpredictable at best as to when that happened. But if G'rett's intuition was correct, Quindara would most likely be present when Elliwodth Rose and she would be witness to it...only to watch as Coth would give Chase.

[sorra]

Kiyoni managed a weak smile. She could see that he seemed as distraught as she felt. Perfect. What were their dragons doing to them? She nodded. "Of course," she answered. "I'll try to help." She really did want to help.

She backed away from the door to allow him in. "And don't worry about the time. I couldn't sleep anyhow." Which was true. She hadn't slept much the past couple of days anyhow. Everytime she tried she started dreaming about what could happen and then she was up for the rest of the night. Kiyoni sighed. She was past tired and just wanted things to go back to normal. Why should a flight bother her so much anyway? She'd had countless flights before. Because this time you actually care about the two that are going to be affected, she chided herself.

[Kendrall]

G'rett wasted no time and headed inside Kiyoni's weyr. At least she was willing to help, especially at this late candlemark. He gave her a soft smile when she said she wasn't able to sleep. "Neither have I," he replied softly. "Anyway. I was just wondering if you'd been able to meet up with Quindara. I know your schedule is rather hectic, but trust me; mine is much worse." G'rett gave a rueful shake of his head. "I haven't been able to meet up with Arktos since he's focused on getting this current group of Candidates through."

"Truthfully, it's been very difficult to keep Coth from hearing my thoughts. He acts as if everything will be fine, but I feel he doesn't quite understand how complicated things will become if Elli Rises and he Flies her. He thinks, oddly enough, that you and I should be bonded if that happens. He's been rather insistent lately." G'rett blushed as soon as the words escaped his lips. It was true Coth suggested that if Elliwodth chose him for her mate when she Rose, Kiyoni should by the same token choose G'rett as her mate. What G'rett had failed to get the Bronze to understand was it didn't always quite work that way, that sometimes humans didn't bond quite as easily as dragons, and dire consequences often came about as a result. Especially in this situation where he and Kiyoni were close friends, but each person involved was, for all intents and purposes, in love with someone else. G'rett had only known Quindara for a short while, but he had already promised her he would wait for her and vice versa. Kiyoni, on the other hand, was slowly becoming attracted to Arktos. "I tried to tell him you and I are close friends and nothing more, but he isn't listening." He gave a resentful sigh.

"If you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them before we pay a visit to the others."

[sorra]

Kiyoni collapsed into a chair with a sigh. things just weren't working out well at all. And the dragons only seemed to be making matters worse. "I am sorry I haven't spoken with Quindara yet. I will though. I'll make time to do it."

She sighed as she listened to G'rett. She knew exactly how he felt. Elliwodth wasn't being much help either. "No reason to be embarrassed. Dragons can be very hard headed at times," she agreed. "And Elli has mentioned it to me a few times well," she admitted. Elliwodth just couldn't understand why Kiyoni seemed to be in love with Arktos. "I think we should forget them though and concentrate on Quindara and Arktos for the moment."

[Kendrall]

"Agreed," G'rett said when Kiyoni suggested they should focus on Quindara and Arktos. "But we'd better make it fast. Coth's sound asleep and I don't want him to come calling when he wakes up to find I'm not in my weyr. He tends to be a bit cranky when that happens." The last time that did happen was shortly after G'rett received his Rider's knots, and was celebrating with the rest of the weyr when Coth woke up. The Bronze's worried voice could be heard clearly in his bonded's mind, and G'rett had to excuse himself early from the event to soothe his dragon's fears. If he hadn't done so, there was an even chance Coth might have gone between.

"So do we go together to Arktos then to Quindara? Or one of us goes to each person?" It was a valid question, at least to him. Going together to each person made sense, but he wasn't entirely sure how Quindara would react when she saw the two Riders together. On the other hand, if only Kiyoni went to Quindara, it was a safe bet the redheaded Candidate would most likely cause a scene and accuse the Searchrider of 'stealing her man.' Conversely, if G'rett went to Quindara himself, he would need a valid explanation why he was in the Candidate Barracks should he be seen by anyone else...but it was a fifty-fifty chance she would listen to him and heed his warnings, provided he left Kiyoni and Elliwodth out of the conversation by name. At least Arktos would be more reasonable, or at least he hoped. G'rett knew the Candidate Master understood how dragonlust worked, but wasn't so sure he would appreciate it if he discovered a Wingleader was flirting with a Candidate and vice versa. If that came to light, there would be swift repercussions as a result.

"The only thing I can reasonably think of is if one of us goes to each person, to leave my name or your name along with our dragon's out of the conversation, or at least try to. Faranth knows this isn't going to be easy."

[sorra]

Kiyoni nodded. "Then let's go now before either of them wake up. Elli will want to know exactly what's going on and I don't really want to tell her." It wasn't that she hid things from her dragon, but she knew Elliwodth would only make matters worse here.

The search rider thought for a minute. Going together sounded really good. She wasn't sure if she could face Arktos alone or handle a confrontation with Quindara. She really didn't want the candidate mad at her. She kind of wanted to get to know Quindara better. Especially since G'rett seemed to like her and Kiyoni was good friends with G'rett. "Well, I'm not real keen on going alone, but I can see how it could cause a problem to go together. What if we both go, but the other can wait outside just in case things turn bad?" she suggested. Kiyoni knew it was the coward's way out, but at the moment she didn't care. She was scared if she really admitted it.

[Kendrall]

G'rett let Kiyoni's suggestion roll around in his head for a moment. Granted, the idea did have some merit to it...but he really didn't have any alternatives to offer, either. "It'll have to do, I suppose," he replied to her suggestion. "I don't mind talking to Quindara by myself, but having you nearby should help in case things go wrong. The only thing I can really think of saying to either of them is we suspect Elli might be Rising soon, which means all of the male dragons will be Chasing her, including Coth. We'll have to remind Quindara especially that no one can control the outcome of any given Flight, and dragonlust tends to put people in an otherwise awkward position they normally wouldn't find themselves in. At least Arktos understands."

He offered to help Kiyoni to her feet. "The skies may seem rough, but we'll pull through. Somehow." He offered her a weak smile, wishing those very words had more merit to them. "So who first? Quindara, or Arktos?"

[sorra]

She sighed as he seemed to agree. She agreed, it wasn't the best solution, but it was the only thing she could come up with. "I'm not sure how Quindara is going to react to me telling her that Elli is rising soon," Kiyoni said softly. She didn't know the candidate well enough to be able to gauge a reaction. Flights weren't supposed to be this complicated. And they hadn't been until she had met Arktos. "I hope Arktos understands. He's been without his dragon for quite a few Turns," she whispered. "I think that's why this may hurt him more then either of us realize."

Kiyoni accepted his help up. Not that she was looking forward to any of what they had planned. " I hope so. Maybe after this first time we won't have to worry anymore." She thought for a minute. "Quindara maybe? The candidates go to bed sooner then Arktos. With Arkysk he'll probably be up for a while yet," she said, thinking fondly of the black wher.

[Kendrall]

"Only one way to find out," G'rett said, his voice hinting that he was trying to keep from grimacing. He knew this would be ugly, but then again he could be wrong. He hoped. "I suppose I should talk with Quindara first since she knows me better." That wasn't entirely true; he had seen little of Quindara since their first encounter at the lake, but he was willing to prove he would be a man of his word. Whether or not the redheaded Candidate would believe him would be a different story. G'rett was bound and determined to salvage his budding relationship with Quindara, no matter what it took. Even if he had to let things between them cool down a bit before she finally Impressed to a female dragon and had to wait at least a full turn. That would give him plenty of time to re-assess things, and find a way to win her heart for good.

He led the way towards the Candidate barracks, and the Weyr was now shrouded in twilight. Thankfully, the shadows were deep enough to hide any presence of his passing from those whose eyes worked better in daylight. His own eyesight didn't suffer quite as much due to the long turns of swordsmanship, but then again he'd memorized how many paces it was to the Candidate barracks long ago when he himself was among their number. Stopping short of the entrance to the female Candidates' side, he motioned for Kiyoni to stay just out of sight. He whispered softly, hoping not to arouse any of the other females save the one he wanted to talk to. "Psst! Quindara!"

[sorra]

"I fear we may chicken out if we don't go now," Kiyoni said with a slight smile. She wasn't sure how things would play out, but they couldn't put it off any longer. For all Kiyoni knew Elliwodth could rise the next day. She nodded, her bangs falling into her face. "I should probably argue that point, but I don't think I will," she whispered. "But if you would like I'll talk to Arktos first." She hoped she would be able to make the candidate master see. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. She cared about him and that's why she was going through all this trouble to talk to him. She just hoped he saw that.

Kiyoni followed G'rett out into the night. She hoped to Faranth that their plan wouldn't backfire. The search rider squinted her eyes a bit to see. Although after a few moments she could see perfectly. She stopped just behind G'rett and let him proceed up to the barracks. It wouldn't do to let Quindara see her yet. That could cause problems before they ever got a chance to explain themselves.

[Kit]

Quindara was writing the promised essay for Arktos. it wasn't difficult, and it had certainly been worth it to miss class yesterday. She smiled in remembrance of yesterday. It had been better than even she had hoped for.

Suddenly, Shadow was by her side, looking rather agitated. "What?" she asked him, slightly annoyed. But when the firelizard showed her an image of G'rett outside, she forgot her annoyance and rushed out, ignoring the questioning stares of the other Candidates. It wasn't lights out yet. She blew out the door before anyone could say anything. It was nearly dark, but not so dark that she could not make out the familiar form of her weyrmate to be. She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. "G'rett, what are you doing here?"

[Kendrall]

G'rett breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Quindara was still awake, and returned her hug. He had to hold her by her shoulders, though, so he could get a close look at her. His eyes were full of worry, and what he was about to say wasn't going to be received well. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he explained.

"I had to come warn you about a possible Flight. I don't think it's Chandrath - Cybele would've come and told us - but I think it might be a Green. I'm almost positive it's a Green. I don't know which one, but in case you haven't noticed there's been quite a few dragons on edge lately. Including Coth." His eyes tried to search Quindara's, but the poor lighting prevented him from doing so. "Quindara, you've got to get away from here if you can for a few days. Look - I know what I told you last night. I'll prove to you that I'm a man of my word, that I'll always come back to you if Coth chooses to participate in the Flight and wins. I know it sounds crazy about Coth, but please, Quindara, you've got to believe me."

He let out a sigh. "I made a promise to you, Quindara. I love you and want to be with you. But if Coth gives Chase, I won't have any control over the flight lust. You and I both know that. I don't want to see you hurt nor would I ever hurt you intentionally. Shards, it's risky enough that I came here to see you at this time of night. But I had to warn you."

[Kit]

Quindara scanned his face, bothered by the worry she saw there. She sensed that there was something he wasn't telling her. Perhaps a dragon had already shown a preference for Coth. Still, she could tell he honestly didn't want to hurt her. She put her hands on his cheeks, looking directly into his eyes.

"I can't pretend that it won't bother me, knowing you are with someone else, that they are having you when I dare not. But as long as they know you belong to me, then I can't really hold it against you. I love you and I do understand. But well, I hope you'll understand too, that it is hard for me, and you might have to reassure me. And I hope you don't expect me to be friends with the riders of Coth's conquests. That's a little more than I can bear." She tried to smile at him but found it was too hard to do more than grimace. Despite her bold words, she was afraid. What if G'rett changed his mind? She knew she was a handful, many times she'd been told this. Another woman might be easier, less complicated. He wouldn't have to wait for them.

"I can't really go away for a few days. I have nowhere to go on such short notice. Even if I could go home, I would not." She sighed. "I'll just have to tough it out."