Eggs on the Brain (Tag: Iskra!/Plot)

[Wish]

Rikula had been forming the idea in her mind for a while now, that is ever since she had gone over to the Wherhold earlier that sevenday to check on the progress of the latest wherlings. It was dwindling rapidly, so much so that it was almost pathetic. Mine! Be nice, they have no adult Queen or even Sub-Queen to give full clutches and there is no set Alpha Handler that has been completely trained. Not after the last one retired. Majoriith rumbled from where she had found a sunny spot on the WeyrHeights, keeping herself from the other dragons for now.

Yes, but it doesn't make it any less.....saddening.

Better Minelove.

Either way, something had to be done about it, and so little by little Rikula had been talking to the nearby Mining villages and Minor Holds about getting a small clutch of eggs to them. One of the larger villages was willing to give them a Gold egg even along with two eggs they were certain would hold Sub-Queens to help start off a new program. Of course, it was for a price and Rikula still cringed over the amount of marks it would take. However, the Weyr needed these whers terribly, and more than that she had been able to collect seven other eggs from across The Island in order to complete a grand total of ten.

They would need volunteers, and they would need to make arrangements for the eggs to be brought, but it was something that was plausible. She had taken it upon herself to do the work and make sure nothing would happen in the mean time, that everything would run smoothly. The rider hadn't even needed to ask her Junior Weyrleader for help! That fact made her swell in pride. Can you call Iskra for a meeting with me please? I'd like to discuss this with her...maybe a few other things as well. Majoriith crooned gently from her sleeping position, waking completely now to look at the meeting room and sigh.

If I must....Maelath, can you have Yours go see Mine in the Meeting Room? She has much to discuss about the Weyr and Wherhold, we have been researching some things.

[Kitsuneko]

Maeleth had been dozing in her weyr when she was contacted by Majorith, but she came awake with only a snort, taking the awakening with good grace. Sounds interesting, she told the younger gold agreeably before relaying the message to Iskra.

Fortunately, Iskra had just finished feeding her pet huntyre, so it was a good enough time to pause in her routine and talk to Rikula. She nodded to Maeleth and set the forest huntyre on her desk so Darija could find a proper perch.

It wasn't a long walk from her weyr to the Meeting Room, and she gave a cordial nod to Rikula as she entered, taking a seat in one of the more comfortable chairs. "Maeleth said you had something to speak to me about. I believe it was about the Wherhold? Not causing trouble, are they?" She doubted it, considering how few breeding whers they had now, but well, the way things had been going, you never knew.

[Wish]

Rikula dipped her head in greeting to the Weyrwoman, crossing her legs as she was currently sitting on the edge of the table. It probably wasn't the most "lady-like" thing to do, but when had the rider ever cared about that? Thinking for a moment before speaking, another thing Riku normally didn't do much of, the rider finally nodded her head subtly and began her proposal. "I've been taking visits to the Wherhold lately, and the fact that they have no Alpha Handler or Beta Handler to take over disturbs me. As is, the current Gold and Topaz wherlings that are to take over those positions have talked about transferring out to somewhere less stressful. That said, I know about whers and even remember much of the details involving the wher program at my parent's Hold back when I was growing up. I believe that I can help implement a new program with the help of some of the current handlers and future wherlings. I have been recently discussing the matters, in a theoretical sense, with some of the mining holds and villages around the Weyr, and they have agreed to give us ten eggs. This would include a Gold egg and two eggs that the Queen has confirmed to hold Sub-Queens."

She took a breath, letting the information sink in before continuing. "That said, it will come for a price. The Wherhold has the funds with the Weyr's help to pay for it, though it will be a bit of a cut for a small time until the program is able to pay us back. I think it is a move we should go on with though. I'm confident that this is the proper action, and thus am willing to currently help take care of the eggs with Majoriith on the sand as well as oversee the Wherhold until such a time that the new Alpha and Beta handlers can take over. In return for this, the villages and holds giving the wher eggs would also like some help re-burning the land around their living space so if Thread is missed it doesn't dig into the ground and start catching."

Finally finished with the proposal, Riku sighed and let her shoulders slump, her posture returning to a semi-relaxed state. There was much to be done if this was all going to happen though, and she knew the repercussions if it were to somehow fall through. What could happen though? The worse was that the Sub-Queen eggs they thought would hatch females ended up hatching Kings or Sub-Kings instead, and those were always needed as well as the fighters that would surely come from the smaller eggs. Either way, they could even open up discussion with other Weyrs and Wherholds for the transfer of some handlers as well if it came to that, though it was always a risky move since you didn't know who would take the offer.

Do not worry MyHeart. Rikula, you are very smart, you figured this all out and you'll figure out something else if it comes to that. Majoriith's gentle croon was a soothing thought in the back of Rikula's mind. The rider had other matters to discuss as well besides the Wher eggs, but that was the first thing on her agenda.

[Kitsuneko]

Iskra frowned as she listened to Rikula's description of the wherhold. She had been focusing most of her attention on other aspects of the Weyr and had not paid much attention to the whers. She was lucky the other goldrider had thought to look in on it, and she nodded in approval as Riku outlined her plan. She was pleased, but also a little surprised at what she had managed to do already. "That sounds like a good idea. A gold and two subqueens isn't bad at all; expensive, surely, but I think Trelis can afford it. Sending some of the wingriders out to re-burn the land isn't a bad idea either. It'll just make the ground crews' jobs easier. Good job, Rikula." She added with a smile.

"Something tells me we're probably going to need more wher candidates than we've got so far for those eggs, though. What about someone to train the wherlings? Have you already got someone in place? I think you know a lot more about the wher handlers than I do at the moment." It wasn't particularly something she liked to admit, but it was the truth, and anyway, it was just the two of them in the room.

[Wish]

Listening to Iskra's reply and allowing her time to add in anything else given the opportunity, Rikula wrung her hands together, an action to keep her from showing off too much of her nerves. "We will need candidates yes, but that will come once we have eggs and to be honest I wouldn't mind talking to some of the weyrfolk here about volunteering, or asking if any candidates at the Mining Holds would like to join the program. Either way, older, more experienced candidates is what I'm trying to aim for more so than children who just found the interest. In regards to the wherling training, I have a greenhandler who has been looking after the program and helping to train the wherlings currently. Tarin of green Task, she's been here for a while."

The rider took a moment to see if Iskra would recollect any memories of the handler, but after a moment continued. "Anyway, we can open up transfers for some handlers as well and audition for a new candidate and wherling master in the Wherhold. In the mean time, I'm sure we can modify the candidate's lessons and have some of the current dragon candidatemasters help out....though even that I think we should have more of. We don't have excess of anything it seems. However, I do think that we should implement a Rescue and Healer's wing of sorts that rides with the Queen's Wing to prevent events like the one we encountered a few days ago."

She sighed, speaking almost softly as she remembered the Amethyst and the other riders that had come to help without any coordination. It had almost been an entire mess, one that could have cost the Weyr a Topaz and Brown. That was the next order of business the younger rider had to talk about, but again it was not the last. There were other things to think about, to discuss. Some of which Iskra probably would not want to deal with if she had not yet heard the rumors.

[Kitsuneko]

Iskra nodded again, a small smile on her face. "That sounds fine to me." The name of the greenhandler was familiar, though she didn't have a face in her mind to go with it at the moment. Oh well, she was sure she could recognize the handler if need be.

A frown crept onto her face at the mention of the other day's incident, but she tried to keep a passive expression. "Yes, I suppose. More training and drilling among the Wings would help with preventing those sorts of accidents as well, I suspect." That was all she said about that topic, not wanting to come across as too irate about it when Rikula had really only been trying to help. Seeing that Rikula seemed to have something else to say, she remained silent and stared at her, waiting for her to comment.

[Wish]

Well, that went better than she had originally expected. Unable to keep the small sigh of relief from slipping, Rikula twirled a loose strand of hair and bit her lip as she realized how tense the conversation had made her. Surely what had occurred was not a bad thing though. Besides, what was done was done and it was time to forgive and forget it seemed. "Have...have you heard the rumors? More reports than anything else. Our sources on the Southern Continent that we watch over with Southern and Bay Weyr have seen the Rebelriders out and about again. They're picking off livestock and up to their usual games. They say that Noita is gone now, that she was run off by the rebels...but that there is an Obsidian clutching. I assume it is either Aela's or the other rider's dragoness. Either way, I think we should keep our ears and eyes open in case they start looking toward The Island for trouble again."

Rikula let her words drift for a while, her mind settling into Majoriith's calmness as the young Queen basked under the warm rays. "I also wanted to ask you when Maelath was due to rise. Majoriith won't for another season or two, if more yet. I don't want them to be around the Weyr at the same time if they're overlapping. I worry for the consequences despite the mother and daughter pair being quite friendly and calm with one another." That had the Gold's attention as she looked up toward the older Queen's cavern, her swirling eyes betraying the worry that she and her rider felt. I would never harm my Queen. I would never harm any of them....I couldn't do that Mine. I don't want to risk it anyway Maj.

[Kitsuneko]

Iskra let out a sigh. "Yes, I'd heard--some of it, at least. I'd almost have preferred if Noita had stayed in power; at least we had some sort of idea who was in charge then. But her leaving obviously hasn't deterred the other rebels, and it probably won't be long before someone else takes charge of the rebels," she added with a scowl. She had never cared much for the rebellion or its leaders and thought their methods of raiding and such were far too ruthless, even if some of them had been mistreated by their Weyrs due to the mutations.

"I hadn't known about the Obsidian clutching, though. I can't imagine they'd go looking for trouble with a clutch on the sands--or whatever passes for Hatching Sands there--but perhaps it would be a good idea to keep a close watch out for them, all the same." Iskra also made a note to herself to pay closer attention to what the rebels were doing. She probably shouldn't have had to rely on Rikula to learn about the Obsidian clutch. Faranth, being Weyrwoman was complicated.

"Maeleth is pretty calm with everyone; still, I see your point. I don't think it will be a problem, however. We should be able to find a reason to stay away from the Weyr when it becomes clear Majorith is about to rise, but Maeleth probably won't rise for another turn or so. Probably not until next winter or so, though it could be earlier."

[Wish]

Good. Another confirmation and another subtle relaxation on Rikula's part was what Iskra received. Looking from the Weyrwoman, to her own hands which had ended up in her lap, and then back again the Junior nodded. "That's good, definitely good to know." She racked her brain, trying to remember anything else she had meant to discuss with the Goldrider. There were a few more things, but nothing pertaining too much to their meeting today. So, in other words they could wait more than anything else. It did dawn on her that they had not had a lesson with the Queen's Wing in a while, and now that Saekath could between that was something worth looking into, but that as well would be decided by Iskra since she was the Wingleader.

Asking about their next practice was not going to help matters. Instead, Riku's mind back-tracked to the topic of whers again, wondering how she would get the eggs to the Weyr. They would need either a caravan or dragons that would tether tarps between their front legs to hold the eggs. Something of the sort at least to get them here safely...and they certainly could not go the easy and fast way. No, something else would have to do. However, Rikula could decide that on her own, she didn't need Iskra to figure that much out. Looking up at the woman again, the younger rider gave a small smile and nodded her head once more.

"Alright, if there is anything else you would like to discuss with me.....if not I should be on my way and start the preparations for the Wher eggs to be delivered."

[Kitsuneko]

Iskra gave a shake of her head. "No, that's all for now. I'll leave you to your work then." She spared a quick, encouraging smile for the other goldrider before she climbed to her feet. "Good work Rikula. Feel free to contact Maeleth if you need anything else." The gold had not gone back to sleep; instead she'd found a nice perch on a warm rock out in the Weyrbowl, where she'd probably remain until the sun went down. As for Iskra, she had a huntyre to check on; she could tell the flitter was bored, and when she was like that, there was no telling what trouble she might get into if no one was around to watch her.