Clash of Lions (Casriel, Asteriel, R'fariel, J'ril, Kalabria/Any)

Eventually, Asteriel had to take her leave of E'zen the following day. She had kissed him and given him all her kind and soft words. How she loved him but so far, she had not said the words exactly. To show him her love would need to come first and then, when the moment was true and right, she would tell him.

After seeing to Emanoth's feeding and oiling, she had returned to the Mess Hall to grab herself a much needed meal. She had already been in a good mood but when she rounded the corner, she saw Casriel. The Wingleader noticed the smoke weyrling right off and raised her arm in greeting.

"There is the woman of the hour. Asteriel, by Faranth's first egg! I never would have thought a six month old dragon could best out older, larger beasts but your Emanoth showed them all! Congratulations on winning your man." Casriel said, striding up to her younger sister to clap her warmly on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Wingleader." Asteriel demurred, beaming under the lavish praise of her dragon as well as herself.

"There is no better feeling. Your male dragon, striving above the clouds to catch the queen and then doing so. If you weren't so young, they would likely have made you Weyrsecond. Oh well. A triumph for another day." Casriel added.

"I'm relieved to have won and also to not be Weyrsecond. They really should give that rank to you, Casriel." Asteriel said. Casriel looked at her approvingly and did not correct her. She didn't need to say she was the obvious choice over that smiling idiot Jah'vi. She would put D'kan or H'den up for the position before voting in a bronze rider over herself.

"I thank you for the vote of confidence, dear Asteriel. Yet, when the time comes it is Weyrleader for me. I'll have lead of this Weyr, as I would have had if Garrah and Parazath were still alive. No sad looks, little one. Our Weyrsenior knows what I can give him, what strengths and political savy I bring to the table. Yllaveth will fly to mate again and soon I think. Maraxith has sired two clutches yet, I will see him sire a third." Casriel said, lowering her voice as she dropped a arm across Asteriel's shoulders.

"In the mean time, you keep close to E'zen. You might find yourself Weyrleader to whatever place they give him and Aliseth, should the Weyrleadership decide to take back Eastern Weyr." Casriel whispered, pressing her mouth close to Asteriel's ear. Asteriel said nothing but smiling, nodding. Her sister was ambitious and deadly intelligent; she always seemed to see the long game.

'I will be happy to have E'zen in my arms every night, to one day give me children and become my Weyrmate.' Asteriel thought privately to herself.

"I heard your firelizard queen flew to mate and is expecting." Asteriel said.

"Yes, Victory flew and was caught by a wild brown. I had hoped for a bronze but I was relieved to know it wasn't Jah'vis little runt. " Casriel said.

"What do you plan to do with the eggs." Asteriel asked.

"Give Br'son and Sidran the first pick and then pass the rest out to deserving riders. Why? Do you want one?" Casriel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh no. I was just wondering." Asteriel said.

R'fariel yawned as he strode into the Mess Hall, his own mood as bright as Asteriel's.  No, Vorganth hadn't won, but that didn't mean his rider hadn't thoroughly enjoyed the aftermath of the flight.  But that didn't mean he couldn't rib his cousin a little when he saw her-- Emanoth was still a weyrling, after all, and he'd somehow managed to beat out all of Aliseth's other suitors.

Then again, Casriel's presence made him tone it down a little bit once he spotted the two of them, the Wingleader far more intimidating than her younger sister.  "It seems congratulations are in order, cousin," he said after nodding to both in greeting.  "Though Vorganth was a little peeved he was beaten by a weyrling."  His words were accompanied by a wide grin, proving there were no hard feelings to be had over the event.

Asteriel blushed pinkly and Casriel chuckled under her breath. The young woman turned to R'fariel and gave him a honest look from within her bright blue eyes.

"It was a risk, some luck and Aliseth's choice ultimately that won us the day." Asteriel demurred softly. She was not going to stick her foot in her mouth with some tripe about how her Emanoth was just a natural born lover or some such nonsense. Aliseth had made it clear at the pivotal moment.

"We should all be grateful that our males did not have to fly against Maraxith." Asteriel added, her eyes swinging to Casriel and nodding graciously. Casriel was pleased by that but shrugged her shoulders casually.

"I had other duties to attend to that day." Casriel said. Asteriel looked back at R'fariel with a grin.

"She's too humble by half." Asteriel said smiling. "I'm sure Vorganth will be Weyrleader someday, after Maraxith of course. Both of you have the mettle of rank. Me...well one clutch will be enough for me."

"Listen to her!" Casriel exclaimed with a laugh. "Now who is the humble one. Truth be told, I am glad to hear it. I have enough competition in the air as it is. Vorganth is growing up to a prized cobalt just like his sire."

Raf's grin only grew wider, amused as he was at their competitiveness.  "I'm sure Vorganth'll make him work for it when the time comes," he told Casriel unrepentantly.  He didn't doubt his own cobalt could win if given the chance, but it would take some doing to beat the older dragon who'd already caught himself a queen.

Pleased as he was at Asteriel's thinking him worthy of being Weyrleaer, R'fariel wasn't entirely sure he wanted the responsibility.  At least not now.  "I doubt anyone will be able to live up to the Weyr's standards once you win, though," he again addressed the older of the two women.  "Whoever comes after will just disappoint."  Flattering his cousin's ego, sure, but he was actually the slightest bit serious-- even if he didn't let on.

The young Candidate walked into the room without really thinking anything of the group gathered. It was clear that the family had been celebrating. Funny, she thought to herself, because she didn't see how they could be celebrating the alienation of the Bronze, brown and blue dragons and their riders. When she had left Eastern it was because she believed that the mutated dragons had no choice in what they were and that they were to be admired and not sent away in shame. Now though, she was a little bit ashamed.

They were no better than the others.

With a heavy sigh, she walked past them. There was a brown dragon injured and they didn't care. Who was she though to say something to these riders? She was just a dragon healer and a candidate but not someone who had any right to speak out. And yet...she couldn't quite keep her irritation with them from showing.

Practically huffing past them as she went, her hands stained from using redwort. Under her breath, "I don't understand people." Kalabria was not proud of any of them.