[RUMOR] Mapping Territories

[EW-NA]

“You seemed atleast a tiny bit interested, to me,” Daedra replied back, giving a tiny shrug of her shoulders, paired with her disarming smile. “There are some people who don't think very highly of whers; wild or otherwise! So, I generally assume someone who isn't like that is atleast somewhat interested,” she explained in reason.

Though really, such a thing seemed so outlandish to her. How could someone think so poorly of a wher? Because they couldn't fly or breath flame? Whers could do lots of things a dragon could ever hope to do. They were different, but so far from being inferior to their large winged brethren! Though, that was hardly the topic at hand.

When Haron seemed to stare at her in confusion for her thoughts, Daedra returned the expression back. Wide blue eyes, as she tilted her head slightly, as if unsure she was following. The red haired handler hardly seemed phased when he mentioned being 'holdless', but... why would she?

“Why wouldn't they?” Daedra asked rather plainly and directly. From her curious tone, it was clear she wasn't directing the question to mock or ridicule. “While I had thought so, I wasn't really sure you were one of our newcomers! As far as I know, that doesn't bar you from being able to try for a wher, or even a dragon if that interested you! Well... atleast if you're in the age group for a dragon, they are strict on that,” Daedra added.

The petite woman couldn't help but giggle when she heard some of his reasoning. If those were limitations, then there surely would have been far less handlers, and even dragonriders among the ranks!

“Whers don't care if you can read or write! While I could at the time, I know Drask had no opinion on it. Right, Drask?” When Daedra turned her eye to her beloved partner, the old Brown only gave a glance, before returning to the unflattering scratch he was giving himself. Smiling, Daedra turned her attention back to Haron, to continue her conversation.

“Many people who come to the Weyr don't always know how to. You could learn! Besides – while I suppose it would be harder for a dragon to do, whers do bond to Holdless people. Drask bonded to me turns ago,” she said happily. “I suppose it was different when we came to High Reaches afterwards, but they didn't seem to mind -too much- that we weren't from a Hold.”

Normally, Daedra wasn't so communicative about her origin. Not that she denied it or lied, but she was well aware of the unease many people had about those that lived on the roadsides. Still, she figured if Haron had no issue offering that fact of himself and his family, then she could do the same. There was a hint of solidarity there, that she couldn't deny.

[nineofswords]

Really? He seemed interested in whers? Haron hadn't thought so, but if most people typically hated them, he guessed that made sense. He shrugged. "Dunno 'bout that. Just never met a wher who's done me wrong, is all," he said. "And it's kinda like...they're dangerous, so I had to learn enough to avoid them, but the ones at the Weyr are used to people so they're less dangerous than the wild ones. But even those can be dangerous, so I figure might as well keep learning about them as much as I can." Maybe that didn't make sense, but it did to him, and that was what mattered.

Haron was staring at Daedra like she'd grown a second head. "You're telling me that you seriously think that the Weyr's leadership would let me be a candidate for one of their precious protectors?" He asked. Even assuming that he wanted to try for a dragon (which he absolutely did not) he seriously doubted anyone would let him try, whatever this woman said. He crossed his arms. "Whers might not care if I can read or write, but their handlers might. And they say who gets an egg around here, don't they? They might care. They might care that I have no marks, that I'm dirty and have no skills and that my father is branded." And they wouldn't care that they'd killed his mother, but he didn't say that part out loud.

Hold on...Daedra was formerly Holdless? This happy-go-lucky, upbeat, clean-looking redhead used to be Holdless? He glanced at the brown wher. That he could understand, Drask had about as many manners as Haron himself and was almost as outgoing. That gave him pause. Not for long, because Daedra seemed like a "glass half full" kind of person, which Haron was not. They just had fundamentally different views on how the world worked.

"Wild whers don't have a handler to tell them who can and can't bond to their eggs, though," he pointed out. "If I'd found an egg out in the wilds, sure, I probably would have a wher right now too. But I didn't. And there's not many people who'd just give me an egg out of the goodness of their hearts."

[EW-NA]

Daedra hummed in thought as Haron explained his reasoning for his ‘interest’. The redhead couldn’t really fault him on the logic. She’d heard sayings about ‘knowing thy enemy’ and other such turns of phrase, not that she really agree on them in particular. It seemed a lot simpler to just look into things that interested you, than trying to get an edge on them.

Still, maybe Haron would have a change of heart, Daedra mused to herself. That his initial reason for learning of whers would switch to an active desire for it. Because whers were just wonderful~

Though, it seemed the teen still needed more convincing on the whole matter. As he once again turned to stare at her in disbelief, Daedra could only do what she had done earlier. Blink with an awkward but nervous little smile, as she made her case of reasoning.

“Well...yes?” she offered with a small cough. “I mean – I just don’t see why they would be opposed necessarily,” the redhead added. “The leadership of High Reaches is very different from other Weyrs, anyway! We’ve had unbonded Weyrleaders, as well as wherhandlers elected! I just couldn’t really see any of them barring someone from being a candidate just for being a bit nontraditional.”

Was that a bit blindly optimistic? Perhaps, but it just didn’t seem to make sense in her mind. To allow so many people to come to High Reaches and let themselves be integrated to the lifestyle, only to deny them from participating in a large part of the Weyr structure. Sure, being a drudge in a Weyr wasn’t a terrible lifestyle…. but expecting everyone to just resign themselves to that… now, that seemed unrealistic to Daedra.

“I suppose some traditional handlers might feel that way,” Daedra amended in agreement. “-however, as far as I understand it, the wher mother chooses where the eggs goes. Atleast, so I heard,” the redhead quickly added for clarification. “I can’t say I’ve seen a wher hatching myself, as only the wher candidates can go, but everyone speaks of it enough. Though – I suppose a handler could give the eggs out, if they had to for some reason…”

There was probably plenty of reason why a handler would be the egg-gifter in such a scenario. Though, Daedra could not think of any reason in that immediate moment, so she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, her eyes softened rather noticeably, when Haron listed off a number of reasons for the expected disdain. The redhead still remained firm in her stance, that they were silly things to hold against someone, she couldn’t just brush them aside, as if they meant nothing.

Daedra knew the unease and embarrassment that such worries caused from being considered an ‘outsider’. She’d have been lying if she admitted to never having such concerns herself. Afterall, it would make her a huge hypocrite, when to this day, she still held caution when admitting her origin. It did hurt a great deal to be judged by others, especially on things one had little control of. Or, seeing others judge someone you loved so dearly…. simply because they had a brand to them.

“Well, if a handler or even a dragonrider wants to hold such things against you,” the redhead started again, hopeful and encouraging as she focused on Haron. “-most of those traits can be changed, especially if you spend time here!”

Getting marks was a little tricky sometimes, but the others could be solved with a few trips to the bath caverns and some extra time to practice some skill learning! Still, Daedra wasn’t so naive to believe that some people would accept that so easily. There was no pleasing some… it was just a hard fact, but those people generally didn’t have much weight of importance in the long run.

“I suppose if you’re so set on the idea, I won’t be able to convince you much differently,” the redhead eventually stated. “I might be wrong, and the Council might amend their decisions. However, I think it would be worth it for you to try,” she still tried to encourage. “The worst that happens if that you’re told ‘no’, and you’d be no worse for ware than you currently are! Plus, if that happens, then you’ll atleast have proved me wrong – which you could point out to hold over me~”

Daedra really didn’t seem that bothered that she was offering potential for a teenager to get one up on her, as an older adult. She never minded being wrong is such instances, though. She was only human, and she made mistakes. Often.

[Ignys]

A map would be good... but if they didn't have all the information, would the council send out scouts to try to pinpoint exact territories? Legoshi thought it would be a good idea; send a couple dragonriders out to verify the information they recieved, and ensure the map was as accurate as possible, but it could be time consuming, not to mention dangerous... he listened to the conversation happening around him quietly, mulling over his own thoughts for several minutes.

"Maybe we could ask the sourthern continent mappers to help. They may have valuable experience we could use to produce an accurate map. Thought they may not have the riders or handlers to spare... Though I think being up on a dragon would be safer if we're trying to map wild wher locations...."