A Gathering of Siblings (Silvio)

[Invisible]

The day itself, meteorologically speaking, was shaping up to be nice. The morning was burning off and the late summer was gifting the Weyr with a beautiful day. A day meant for being outside. Genet had assigned tasks to do and she was not the sort to shirk her duty. Even if it was horribly dull and made her wish she was dead. But, with the promise of outside she raced through those chores and was done in record time. This left her free until time to go back and do her afternoon chores. She raced out of the Weyr like a woman on a mission.

Which was true because she was one. A few people waved at her and one or two even called out to her as she ran across the bowl. She did not have forever and she had something she had to do so she ignored them. There was a woman she had to see. After digging through G’tet’s weyr and finding little to help explain where he might have disappeared to she stepped up her investigation. His wingmates were being little help and good luck she figured getting the Weyrleader to help. Unless she bedded him and she would not do that. The big jerk face. That left her with one person who might help. There was a Caminar woman G’tet had mentioned. Right around the time of his secret assignment. She might know something.

Genet’s feet carried her across the bowl to where the Caminar were gathered. She wasn’t sure she remembered the woman’s name, but she was not going to let that stop her. On a mission, she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. When she reached the outskirts of the place where the Caminar hawked their wares she slowed down. Hazel eyes looked around the gathered merchants and she picked one at random to start with first. Surely they would be able to help her. After all, she was a sweet girl who just wanted to find her brother. How could anyone resist her?

[Alsivor]

Another day, another chance to sell his father's wares. At least, that's what Silvio told himself to keep his spirits up. And how many now since Aleda had been missing? Too many. It was harder to stay focused on things when he was worrying about where his sister might be. She'd been due back weeks ago. Sometimes it got dead boring having to man the stall instead of standing alongside his uncle to learn a little more about /his/ trade, something he could do with his own hands instead of having to depend on the skills of a salesman. Of course, the truth of the matter was, that Silvio was good at selling when he put his mind to it and didn't let himself get distracted.

Milo'd wandered back to the wagons for a drink and a bite to eat. He hadn't been all himself really since he got knocked about in that brawl. Milo was always quieter than the rest of Silvio's admittedly cheery and riotous siblings, but he was even more quiet and withdrawn than usual and seemed to tire more easily since he'd taken that blow to the head. Silvio kept a sharp eye on him and sent him for breaks often.

Movement caught the young Caminar's eye, the swish of Genet's skirts as she strode through the selling area and he watched her move, a little smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Easy target maybe? A young woman looking for something pretty. There was something about the way she moved though, something purposeful and that gave Silvio pause. Still he picked up a brightly colored shawl and shook it out, walked around the corner of the stall and tacked on one of his most charming smiles as he wound the end of the shawl around his hand. He was young and good-looking and had some of the best clothwares in the camp. How could anyone resist him?

"Lovely day isn't it, miss?"

[Invisible]

The thrill of spending her brother’s marks had faded as more days passed without his return. Even the stash she found in his weyr was almost untouched. When she’d thought him almost home and ready to fight over what she had done there had been delight in seeing what she could do with it but now she just wanted her brother home. So, while she was prepared to spend marks if that’s what it took to get what she wanted she was not excited about it even if she was able to appear so. It took all her self-control not to just march up to someone and demand answers to her questions. Genet was not the sort of woman who was good at being sly or sneaky. When she wanted something she was direct about it. In this instance she thought maybe she should try another way so she kept her best sunny smile in place.

Words filtered into the worry in her brain and she paused to find the owner of the voice. Spying Silvio she took a moment to appreciate the view. Despite what some people thought she was not unaware of attractive men. Genet was just able to admire the aesthetics of a man without wanting to get into bed with him. It also wouldn’t hurt to let the man think she might be dazzled. “It just got lovelier,” she answered with a laugh as she moved over to speak with Silvio. “I’m looking for something to match this,” she explained as she looped her thumb around the chain holding the amber pendant she wore. If he thought he might sell something, she reasoned, she ought to be able to get more information. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to spend a few more of G’tet’s marks. All for a good cause, of course.

[Alsivor]

Inwardly, Silvio couldn't help but be pleased as he caught the signs of being checked out and his posture adjusted subtly putting a little more slink in his walk. "I can't disagree with that," Silvio bantered back, smile widening as the girl laughed so. His gaze followed the movement of her hand to the chain, how her thumb looped into it and shifted the warm-hued pendant into better view. "Ahh, a lovely piece," he said smoothly, deliberately not mentioning that his father's stall wasn't jewelry-oriented. He had relatives with other skills and wares. He wasn't bound to selling only for Favio. "Something to match ... for yourself or perhaps a gift for a friend or family?" The shawl in his hand fluttered a little in the breeze, bright colors flashing.

[Invisible]

It was all she could do not to laugh at the slink. Not in a mocking manner, but just delighted to have got that response. Worry that it might be taken the wrong way kept that particular merriment locked in Genet’s head. She let the pendant drop back down to her chest and stepped closer to Silvio and the shawl. “Oh, I need something for me,” she answered with a grin. The grin, she thought, was a bit flat because he mentioned family and her good time faltered when she thought of G’tet.

“I was supposed to be having something new made to wear with it,” she decided to say. “By my brother, you see? But-“ Genet stopped and looked down at the ground. Tears would be a bad idea right now so she blinked furiously while watching her feet and when she looked up again she found a smile. “Well, I just need something new to wear with it. Something colorful to cheer me up.”

[Alsivor]

"For such a lovely lady, I'm sure we can figure something out, simple or more elaborate, depending on what suits your fancy," Silvio replied readily, trying to keep his tone of voice light, in that same bantering mode as before, to balance the over-done charm. His own smile was warm, just a little knowing with a hint of self-deprecation. Then she went on and the Caminar's gaze narrowed just a little at the shifts of expression the way her head ducked.

"Ahh, your brother? And he's backed out on you? What a shame," Silvio opted for sympathy as a tactic. He could at least bring a hint of the real deal into play, Genet seemed like a nice girl and something was troubling her perhaps or she wouldn't be trying to hard to remain upbeat, seeking cheer. He swept his arm back towards the stall, letting the shawl in his hand wave like a bright flag. "I'm sure we can find something to help cheer you up, please, the choices are yours for the making." He paused and cast her another little grin, this one cheeky and leaned in just a little to add teasingly: "And I'm told that I make decent company for cheering up the forlorn."

[Invisible]

Charming men seemed in abundance at the Weyr these days and Genet was not sure if that was a good or bad thing. At least this one she could punch if he got out of line. With that thought to cheer her she grinned and stepped towards the stall to get a better look at what she might buy. “Oh, G’tet did not back out on me,” she said with a shake of her head. “He is just not here. He left me all alone.” Genet’s voice dropped and wavered just a little like she might cry. She would not, but since she often felt like it these days there was little acting to it right now. “I was searched, you see,” she tells Silvio with a smile. “And the day of the hatching my brother just…disappeared.”

Which was ever so sad which was why Genet didn’t manage a wobbly smile this time. She truly was worried about her brother and didn’t understand the lack of concern by everyone else. G’tet was not the only one missing after all. “Well, and still there’s no need to let my worries completely overshadow such a lovely day and such fine company,” she said with a wink. “My friends think I am silly, but they do not understand. He’s my twin and he never just up and disappears without telling me.” Eyes drawn to the shawl like a bull to a waving cape she asks, “Have you any siblings?”

[Alsivor]

Oh good, even if he'd overplayed maybe, she was following along. Silvio tucked back the curtain that closed off the back of the booth from the front display table and ushered Genet inside. He made an interested face as she claimed her brother hadn't backed out on her. Put on at first, very real interest sharpened in his eyes as she went on. The quaver in her voice concerned the Caminar and the rest of her words only heightened his curiosity. Another person with a missing sibling. Was this related to the children who kept going missing? She'd said 'twin' so her brother wasn't a child, but then, neither was Aleda.

Silvio moved through a forest of hung gowns and shirts, shifting the shawl from his hand to his arm so it draped there prettily and cast another look back at Genet, pulled down a sisal scarf that seemed to bring out the tones in the gem around her neck. "I would be worried too if one of my brothers or sisters went missing," he finally said and held the scarf out to her. "This has many of the same colors as your pendant." Silvio hesitated a moment longer then cleared his throat and went on. "I have eight brothers and sisters. And one of my sisters is missing, actually. What did you say your brother's name was again?" Hazel eyes lifted from where he fussed a little with a rack of shirts, flipping idly through them by size.

[Invisible]

While she had intended to come strictly for informational gathering purposes Genet was now caught up with the desire to buy something. Shopping therapy, had the thought occurred to her that it might be so. All she knew was that getting something pretty would make her feel better. Well, it couldn’t make her feel worse. “Wow. You’ve got even more than me. I’ve got six brothers and sisters. G’tet and I were last. Well, he wasn’t G’tet then, but we were the last of the bunch. I think mother and father did not want any more because they were always so grumpy.” It surely had nothing to do with the fact their final children were troublemakers of the highest order.

When he mentioned a missing sister Genet couldn’t help but smile. What luck! Then thinking that maybe that was the wrong response she tried for a more serious expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to smile.” Her eyes flickered to the scarf he displayed and she was caught by it for a moment before finding more words to say. Even then she sounded as if the pretty thing distracted her. “I just…I was looking for someone here. Maybe your sister. My brother mentioned a Caminar woman around the time, well, maybe she’s the one is all. Which means I found the right person to talk to. Although I was hoping to speak to her. But if she’s missing too…” Her words trailed off. What was the Weyrleader up to if even Caminar were missing with riders?

[Alsivor]

G'tet. Silvio had only vaguely paid attention when Aleda'd spoken of the greenrider who was taking her on this collection mission Nerat. Perhaps that was the right name. Perhaps not. It had started with a G, he was pretty sure. He looked Genet over covertly while continuing to sort through the items on the rack. Not bad. But maybe not quite plantado enough, even for his sister if she looked anything like her twin. Then again, it wasn't always just about looks, that smile sure was charming and Aleda did have a very weak spot for charm, in Silvio's opinion.

"Caminar tend to have large families," he generalized and left off with the shirts, held up the shawl he'd been carrying around. "I think this one might be a little too many colors, but there are other ones that will bring out the color of your eyes and go with that pretty necklace." He stepped back up towards the front, neatly folding the shawl with a few flicks of well-practiced wrists and took up another that was patterned and graduated shades of deep orange and red. As he held the article up, he turned and sought to meet Genet's gaze with his own.

"Aleda is my sister. She is our family's sabedoria - a healer." He hesitated a moment before going on. "She did mention a rider. A greenrider. They were supposed to be going to get some plant that only blooms when both moons are full or some notion like that, in Nerat. The sort of thing that sometimes is hard to come by even for traders." The Caminar unfolded the shawl and shook it out, moved to drape it smoothly across Genet's shoulder, though careful not to get too much into her personal bubble. "She is several days overdue now, over when she said she would return." Breath in, breath out and a nod for the shawl. "What do you think?"

[Invisible]

Surely he had mentioned a name Genet thought. G’tet always mentioned names, but she was unable to remember if Aleda was it. Most likely, but…there was no way to be sure. Still, it was too much coincidence wasn’t it? His sister and a greenrider and her brother and a Caminar. How was it possible there were two such people joined together in one Weyr? Genet was sure his sister was the one. She chewed on her lower lip and tried to remember if he’d mentioned a healer. Maybe that was it? Under her breath she repeated that word sabedoria. Mangled it each time as her tongue was unable to wrap around it quite right she let it drop.

Genet looked at the new scarf and her eyes widened some. It was quite possibly one of the prettiest things she’d ever seen that might be hers. “It’s so pretty,” she breathed out before looking away from Silvio to consider the scarf on her. She’d met his eyes just briefly because she wasn’t sure what her own might give away. At his confession Genet nodded her head. “Is she going to get in trouble? Because, umm, if she’s with G’tet I don’t think she went gathering herbs. He rides Kalpeth, she’s green.” The last was an afterthought as if she just recalled she had never confirmed this bit of information. “If she’s with him she’s on some mission for the Weyrleader.” Under her breath she added, “The louse.”

[Alsivor]

Why hadn't he paid more attention to the name? Aleda had told him all about it, but he'd been distracted by his own growing restlessness at being stuck here at the Weyr. Silvio wanted to be on the road again, he craved the open sky and big as he Bowl was he felt trapped. Aha. There. As usual, the customer was suitably impressed by what his father could do with shades of color. It rarely failed. He focused enough to flash her a charming smile as their eyes met, his own gaze unflinching. "And prettier on you," he murmured the requisite compliment. "It is yours, meant to be," he declared and a little wry edge touched his smile briefly, poking fun just a bit at himself. He didn't bring up price right away, nor did he draw the fine fabric down off of Genet's shoulder.

Aleda had made such a point of the rider being a /green/ rider and what that meant about his preferences. That he did remember. And how much she had repeated it to their father. His eyes closed and suddenly he started laughing helplessly. "Aleda, Aleda, Aleda," he murmured softly then cracked both eyes open, grinning with very real humor at Genet. "So long as my father does not hear what you just said, I believe all will be well." Silvio held his hand out, palm up. "Silvio, is my name. And that is very interesting news to me. A mission for the /Weyrleader/? What could the Weyrleader possibly want with a Caminar healer?"

[Invisible]

The shawl took up much of Genet’s attention and there was no way to hide that. She was not so bad at haggling for things that were not for her. With no vested interest what did she care if she could not get something? When she wanted something the story was different. She would begger herself and her brother if she was not careful. The thought made her laugh and she looked at Silvio once more. “This, I think, is why our people do not get along. You make the most beautiful items and we cannot help but hand over all our marks to own them. For shame.” Her last words were accompanied with a wink. There was no sense hiding she wanted this so she would just have to hope to get a better deal some other way.

When the hand was held out Genet placed her own atop it as she said, “I’m Genet. It’s nice to meet you, Silvio.” All proper enough that she didn’t have to add that little curtsey with her hand still touching his but she did it anyway. Never let it be said she had no manners. When it suited her. “I’ve no idea what he wants with a Caminar healer, a pair of greenriders, a wingsecond, and I hear a wingleader is missing as well.” At least she was quite sure that’s what she’d found out. “When I asked him about it at the hatching he just brushed me off and told me it was important to everyone. And G’tet just told me it was a secret mission, but it’s been months.” There may have been a slight whine on the last word in her sentence. It really couldn’t be helped. “He never goes this long without speaking to me. Ever.”

[Alsivor]

It was plain as the nose on Silvio's face that Genet wanted that shawl pretty badly. He could so easily take her for all she was worth in marks on the deal and the words she spoke next didn't exactly make a positive impression, for all she was teasing. The Caminar merely smoothed out a wrinkle in the fabric with a light touch of slender fingers. "I do not think that I would put it that way. But it's one way to look at the ... distance between our people."

Silvio shook Genet's hand, not too hard, but no limp-wristed shake here. His gaze sharpened, intensified on her face when she named the rest of the missing. "So many?" And his hand withdrew, ran over his chin lightly. "She must be with them," he finally decided and his brows drew down into a tight frown. The Caminar gestured loosely towards the back of the stall where a pair of chairs sat in front of the curtain where customers could try things on. "Have a seat?" he invited her and then paced back and forth a few paces, arms folded across his chest. "I will have to tell my father about this. He has been speaking of bearing complaint to the Weyrleader. She's been gone too long and he's been trying to get her married off. This hasn't done any wonders for her reputation."

[Invisible]

Well, she could hardly say the real reason she saw such distance between their peoples. Besides, if he could not take a joke it was of no concern to Genet. As much as she wanted the shawl…no, as much as she wanted the shawl she wouldn’t just walk away from it. The bargaining would come later it seemed so she let it go for now. When the chairs were gestured to she hesitated and then walked over to seat herself. Smoothing out her skirt kept her fingers busy and off the shawl that she wanted to be touching. Once she felt herself properly situated she folded her hands properly in her lap. It was only then that she talked, snorting before any words escaped.

“Fathers always want to marry off their daughters. Rarely do they consider the wishes of said daughters in the process. Perhaps it’s different in Aleda’s case, but I am quite happy to be free of my father so I might choose my own husband.” Not that Genet stood much chance of finding a husband in a Weyr, but that really wasn’t what was on the top of her list of things to do. “He should complain though! I was going to, but he’d just try that stupid charming act again and not answer my questions. Faranth forbid I get taken seriously!” An old complaint, but one Genet was quite happy to bring up every now and again. Why should G’tet get taken seriously and she not? Just because he was a man was never a good enough reason for her.