Hofest!

[Xinnai]

Their triad was using words in the way of weapons, looks in place of other deadlier and seductive words, ones that could never be voiced in their current location or position. Attention drifted from Althesia to J'fel during their brief exchange. She felt those hot little prickles of envy eating at her as their eyes, the looks that fizzled between them, were noted.

She swallowed down the ill feelings as best she could and cracked a smile, the movement giving the appearance of real delight and joy. Just three friends, that was all. Forget the rumors that connected the two women to the man. Just three friends.

"I'm not sure I could accept such a gift," she murmured, eyes drifted demurely downward. She was not trying to ruin a conversation between the two, but it would have been a lie to say she did not try to draw their attention from it. "I've the marks to pay, J'fel. Much as I did the last time you graced me with a gift." Eyes were smoldering from behind sunny lashes. Salina looked towards Althesia, as if for her help. "After all, I've asked our lovely harper here if she would do several portraits of Deoneth as she grows."

The queenrider may not have come to the conclusion the journeywoman had, but she was beginning to realize that every look, every touch and utterance that J'fel granted one woman's way was soaked up like water in the desert as the other internally shot her dagger glances. They were dependent upon him, like a man with his vices, and such a very perilous discovery it was.

[Omnia Munda]

And I am sure you never have, thought J'fel to Althesia, not that she could hear - and not that he figured she'd ever had the chance to refuse any other weyrleader. Had they been alone he'd have said it, cocksure and smirky. Another woman might take it as an insult; he felt sure the harper would recognize it for the play it was, and take the due compliment he meant by it. Alas, he was finding that the three of them together made a poor opportunity for plays on words or on anything else - there was too much tension between the women.

It wasn't only Salina who saw the daggers.

"Nevertheless, at least one of them will be my gift. I insist." This to Salina, though 'insist' required a glance at Althesia; she'd acceded already, but he wanted her to know that he required her conspiracy. He wanted her to know this, too: "I'll write to your master to let him know you'll be with us for a couple turns."

The satisfaction was so powerful he felt he might catch flame from its smug and lusty heat. He'd played a risk and it had worked so well, but he knew he'd better depart the women before he took a risk that paid off less prettily. Standing, he bent a little so he could spread his arms and reach one woman's shoulder with each of his hands. The weight of his palms was, as ever, warm and borderline possessive.

"Thank you," the weyrleader said, pausing to look at weyrling and portraitist in turn. His eyes were dark with satisfaction, and his voice made it seem like he was grateful for quite a bit more than their willingness to include him a moment in their conversation. "A pleasure as always, ladies. Will you excuse me?"

[anhydrous]

Althesia sat back in her chair, smile growing thin as this encounter was drawn out longer and longer. Salina’s sidelong glance would have earned a scoff if this was a world without consequences. Was she looking for assistance? Was she trying to refuse the Weyrleader’s gift? What would she want to do that? Althesia didn’t know, but the casually firm set of J’fel’s features lent the notion that he wouldn’t allow such a thing. This was confirmed as he spoke, another glance spared in the artist’s direction.

What the hell were they looking at her for? It was like they were expecting her to guffaw and refuse. Right.

As always, Althesia’s face remained composed. Thoughts swirled, her smile weakening only slightly. It was becoming more of an effort to plaster emotion on her face, but neglecting to fake pleasantries really wasn’t an option at the moment. Duties. Pah.

The artist’s eyes brightened considerably at mention of her master, even more so when the time frame of her stay was announced. She didn’t think of the implications, not yet, anyway. What J’fel might expect from her didn’t even cross her mind. There was only one man lurking in the recesses of her consciousness, his irritated scowl sending an invisible wave of heat over her face. She would be allowed to stay with J’rad.

In a flash Althesia’s smile became genuine, revealing the slightest crescent of white between her wickedly curved lips. “Salvarn will be pleased to hear that you wish me to stay,” she replied as thanks. Her words were chosen carefully but delivered flawlessly, as if she wasn’t trying to dance around the fact that she didn’t use her own name. J’fel didn’t need an ego-boost. Already he undoubtedly thought that she was ecstatic to remain in his company, when in all actuality a different bronzerider was dominating her thoughts.

Nodding to acknowledge J’fel’s wish to leave, Althesia watched him silently with an authentic smile. She didn’t sleeze past her lashes or offer any sort of promise through a heated stare. The harper simply smiled professionally, perhaps the first glimpse of her rank managing to break through her slutty exterior. With a glance towards Salina, Althesia decided to hold her tongue. Until the Weyrleader was out of earshot, that is.

[Xinnai]

Salina listened to the small pleasantries that J'fel exchanged with the woman seated across from her. She was barely taking note of their words, not wanting to find hidden meanings were there could be so many. A phrase broke through though-she started from her pleasant drifting, managing from force of will to keep her eyes from the weyrleader's face. Instead, she examined the grain of the wood in the table, gaze carefully drawing their pattens. Had J'fel just said Althesia was to stay for turns? Oh no, no, no, that would not do!

The weyrling replied to J'fel's sly withdrawal with a nod of the head and a curve of soft pink lips, her thoughts too distracted to offer much in the way of a suggestive word or two. She could feel the heat from his hand seep through the thin material of her shirt, and the touch reminded her of another meeting of theirs. Eyes met Althesia's, many questions and scathing remarks maintained in depths that were quiet with enforced decorum. For the moment, of course.

[Omnia Munda]

The weyrleader was out of earshot quickly enough. A last light squeeze to each womanly shoulder, then he turned and strode off, rooster leaving the henhouse. If there was disquiet among the hens, he was - perhaps by choice - oblivious.

OOC: Sorry, didn't mean to hold things up!

[anhydrous]

ooc| No worries, OM. =D

Althesia remained motionless and silent until J’fel was clearly out of earshot, perhaps waiting longer than she truly needed to. That was more to make sure that she wouldn’t be overheard than to compose her thoughts, but both were deftly attended to in the silence. Salina had proven herself a worthy adversary. The question now was how long she would remain in the haper’s tentative good graces. The weyrwoman had earned the tiniest bit of Althesia’s respect, if nothing else.

Sliding back into her favored causal posture, the dark haired woman’s eyes shifted away from the space that the weyrleader had vacated and towards her bothersome table-mate. After an idle moment she spoke, words rolling laconically. “It’s good to see that the queen chose a girl with a brain,” she observed. It could have been a compliment had it not been said so directly to the girl in question, but there was the slightest note of something other than malice in Althesia’s tone.

Pulling one of her bare feet into her lap so that she could absently pick at her heel instead of bite her fingernails, Althesia blinked and subconsciously flashed a smile while waiting for Salina’s reply. “You’re well-versed in the intricacies of politicking,” she said with that same sincere smirk, not really attempting to justify herself, but more trying to keep herself from shrieking venomously and ripping out Salina’s pretty little throat with her claws. “Such subtlety is difficult for some.” But not you. Or me. Or our Weyrleader. The goldrider might have earned her begrudging respect with her quick tongue and masterful expression, but jealousy is a cruel and unforgiving master.

[Xinnai]

Salina watched the retreating figure of Telgar's weyrleader. She watched as the expanse of his back began to withdraw from them, slowly narrowing within her vision, becoming obscured as people passed by and between. Then he was gone.

The goldrider turned to look at her companion, lips quirking in a slight smile at her words. A brain? Why, wasn't that something. She hadn't thought the woman was capable of anything but veiled insults and half-issued slights. There were surprises left in the world then.

The weyrling picked up a spoon and began to toy with it. She ran the cool metal through delicate fingers, watching the dip of the metalwork rather than Althesia as she spoke. "I expected a harper to be clever with words but then again, you would be a portraitist." Head tilted to the side, golden hair gleaming. "Still, you've a way with your tongue, that's for certain. You know your criteria, your material and aren't afraid for taking risks."

She was watching the gleam of the silver, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes in replacement of the one that did not touch at her mouth as of yet. Such an intricate little game they were playing. The words for her envy, of the hidden meanings and inside jokes that the woman and their former companion had had that pricked at her were coating her throat like oil, begging to be loosed. But not yet. "It's a trait I find very interesting."

[anhydrous]

While she was trying to pick past Salina’s grudging return of flattery, some scrap of nail bit into the calloused pad of her foot, prying at the dead skin with a vehemence that could only be attributed to intense restlessness. The goldrider was similarly distracting herself.

Althesia watched the silver flash in Salina’s perfect hands, gaze flicking up to the goldrider’s down turned eyes for insight into her words. The little woman had a knack for choosing words that were just vague enough to be taken as both an insult and a compliment.

Exhaling impatiently through her nose, the harper challenged Salina’s open-ended musings. “Interesting?" Althesia considered briefly, "Do elaborate,” she suggested as her stare burned past the other woman's eyelids, one brow raised in a curiosity that was carefully devoid of spite.

[Xinnai]

The goldrider looked up then, her smoke eyes seeming to radiate with an energy that seemed out of place for such eyes, for such a gentle face. Her features were alight with it as she watched the harper for a moment. They were the same. Not in looks, not in personality or rank of anything except the fact that they were both enamored of a man whose love of women was nearly legend.

How strange to be united in such a thing.

Salina looked down again, concentrating on the utensil within her fingers as words found their way to her lips again. She sounded carefully nonchalant, though her emotions threatened to burn through the syllables. "Well, most in your position wouldn't do as you do. Especially women. You're at a very...precarious precipice right now and your actions could be construed in many ways. Yet you keep going as you have and perhaps always will, despite the fact that with a few short words, your position here could be gone."

The spoon was rolled through her fingers, a blur of silver and light. She paused, feeling the biting and sniping words that wanted to roll from her tongues. Some slight, some insult that would make her feel just slightly better for conversation weyrleader and harper had had. But she wouldn't allow herself.

"I find it extrememly odd." Gray eyes glanced up again, the careful half-smile on her face mocking. She could allow herself that much leeway, at least.

[anhydrous]

Althesia smiled broadly as Salina feigned apathy, the fervor of the goldrider's words breaking past her casual exterior. A woman so well-versed in indifference could spot veiled vehemence from a dragonlength away, and she found it nearly as amusing as the words that Salina had chosen. "You find it odd?" The harper responded immediately, ignoring her companion's scornful smile.

Briefly Althesia's eyebrows had risen, but they dropped dismissively with her retort. "How quaint." The curtness was more to disguise how entertaining she found all of this, but as always it was left open for interpretation.

With one finger raised to brush at the corner of her eye, the harper pursed her lips to smother her amused smile. It would probably be in poor taste to openly laugh at a Jr Weyrwoman. Then again, this conversation was about to take a turn towards inappropriate anyway. "You speak of me as if you aren't involved in similar antics yourself," Altheisa pointed out. Gossip traveled quickly, but not every rumor had the harper in the center of it.

The smallest of snarky grins fought past her carefully stilled lips, and she finally gave in to the urge to laugh. "Besides that," she added to compose herself, "it seems that I've just secured my position here for quite a while." Althesia didn't really have add that Salina had sealed the deal. Undoubtedly she already realized the part she had played, and probably wasn't very pleased about it. However, the temptation was far too great. "Thanks for helping me sway J'fel on that matter, by the way," she said with a smooth smile. Such a bitch.

[Xinnai]

Eyes narrowed slightly at Althesia's response. Quaint? She could feel hackles rising at the very phrase. It was the wrong word to use in reference to the queenrider. She didn't appreciate being compared in such a way. As if her thoughts had no merit.

Lips thinned as she listened, gripping with a slippery hold on to the anger that threatened to rise. She didn't get angry, not often. And she refused to let such a tart make her lose her control in such a way. She inhaled carefully through her nose. Cool. Calm.

"Yes," she said evenly, meeting the other woman's gaze. Cool. Calm. She seemed sheathed in ice. "But while they cannot take my position away as it will kill myself and Deoneth, your credentials can be taken away like that." She snapped to emphasize her point, letting her smile turn deliberately malicious. "And you are a journeyman. Rank for you could be unattainable if the right words were whispered into the right ears."

She chose to ignore the comment on her involvement in Althesia's extended stay. She knew and it rankled. But she wasn't going to let it get to her. She was going to let it get to the other woman, but not to her.

[anhydrous]

It seemed that she had struck a nerve. The polite charm of the weyrwoman was fading fast. "Are you threatening me?" She asked at length, more curious than frightened. Althesia had not chanced upon her position. She had not stood on blistering sands and had an infant creature assure her greatness. No, she had earned her knots. Talent spoke loudly at the Harper Hall, but Althesia had paid her dues as well.

Thus her question hung on the gentle upturn of a collected smile, unworried by this wisp of a goldrider with a chip on her shoulder. "Save your whispers," she said quietly, leaning in as if she were sharing a secret. "Salvarn is getting on in years, he wouldn't be able to hear your scheming, and it's doubtful that he would listen even if he could." Leaning back into her chair, Althesia grabbed her sketchbook and set it on her lap in a definitive gesture.

[Xinnai]

Eyebrow rose and Salina smiled in truth then. Oh, how dense. She didn't worry that the other woman might find her sudden change in mood odd. Fingers felt the curve of her lips before she laughed, fingers moving as if to release her humor.

"Me? Oh no, no. I don't think you understand." She didn't care that she was losing her hold on her control. It didn't matter now. They were being frank with one another for perhaps the first time in this whole long talk. Walls down. Words not weighed. "I never said I was going to be the one whispering. Salvarn might be getting on in years, but surely he could listen to one of the leaders within the Weyr?"

She grinned, watching the harper's defensive gesture. Perhaps she'd rallied the ball back now. It didn't matter as much. She could feel that they were finally getting to the point now.

[anhydrous]

Panic might have flared briefly somewhere deep in Althesia's chest, but logic quickly overruled it. What leader? J'fel? Althesia snorted. "The pride you have in your powers of persuasion is severely misplaced," she said pointedly. "Why would the weyrleader send me away? Because you hold a grudge? Not likely." Salina might think highly of herself, but what she was suggesting made absolutely no sense. Why would J'fel get rid of one of them would he could easily bed both?

Althesia kept this to herself for now, knowing that Salina was not ready to hear the truth of the matter. It was doubtful that the goldrider could see herself as merely a bedmate. Many girls held such revulsion to the title, unable to understand the perks. Althesia knew them well. She could secure her place, and she knew it.

However, to think that she could send another bedmate away was preposterous. Men were greedy. A woman who made demands was not worth the time. Salina would understand it soon, but Althesia would not be the one to teach her. No, she could get far more pleasure out of watching the little goldling figure it out on her own. A misplaced smile was the only clue as to these thoughts, Althesia's eyes as clear as a stream as she watched Salina toy with her immature powers.

[Xinnai]

"Whoever said it could be J'fel?" She knew that option was out. She'd understood when the weyrleader had come that he was toying with them both. One had no more influence over him than the other. He and Althesia were undoubtedly closer-as she'd sensed they'd actually had relations whereas the bronzer and the goldrider merely had the promise of it, the deadline of that hazy maybe getting closer with everyday that passed and every inch that Deoneth grew.

"There is more than one weyr of course. Ones whose leaders are not so susceptible to...charms." She watched Althesia carefully. She was younger than the other woman, but was not so immature to not realize the full portents of her new power. She was not used to it, but she had a good idea of what she could do.