Spirited

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 5th October 2007

Characters: Gilsha, Ishek
Description: Ishek meets a rather spirited visitor to his Hold
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 6, day 4 of Turn 4

Why did the rider always get sent to the kitchens to wait? Why was it every time she dropped someone off she were told "I'll come find you in the kitchens when I'm done." Shards, that Beastcrafter was out doing who knew what for who knew how long! Did he really expect her to wait in the kitchen for _candlemarks_? No way. This was her first time at Garnet Valley Hold. She was going to take a look around! And she was finding that Garnet Valley was a fascinating Hold. It was half natural cavern system, half carved by masons. She had seen Holds like this before, but what was most fascinating was the craftsmanship built into the walls. It was like walking through some living piece of art. There wasn't a hall or room that didn't seem to have some sort of carving gracing the face of it.

Gilsha stood, tracing the leaves of a sculpted borage plant. It was so realistic she could see the tiny hairs that covered it. "It's beautiful, isn't it," she murmured allowed as she heard footsteps walking down the stone corridor towards her.

"It is indeed. The entire Hold is like this. It makes it a pleasant place to live." Ishek said. Her knots were those of a dragonrider, a greenrider, but not from River Bluff Weyr. She must be the one who couriered in the new crafter, he decided. "Welcome to Garnet Valley Hold." he continued, offering her his hand.

"Thank you..." She glanced at his knots as she took his hand. Oh shards. She knew she should have taken the time to learn the Lord's name! Politics were just such a bore... "Forgive me, Lord Warder, I seem to have forgotten your name. I don't mean to seem completely ignorant, but in my defense I only recently transfered South."

"It's Ishek." he said politely, smiling warmly at her. He knew that some Lords might be upset when someone didn't know who they were, but Ishek was glad he hadn't developed that trait yet. "May I tell you a secret, dragonrider?" he asked, but continued before she could answer. "I find it refreshing when people don't remember that I'm a Lord." he said in a stage whisper.

"Well, may I tell you a secret, Lord Ishek?" Gilsha leaned in and actually lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "Most Lords I've met have felt the exact same way." She stood upright and gave him a knowing smile. "At least the ones who are decent sorts."

He grinned, pleased. That was good news, that he wasn't alone. Sometimes he felt out of place at his rank. Knowing others did was nice. "And what is your name, ma'am?" he asked her. "And what Weyr are you from?"

"I am Gilsha, rider of green Palialohath of Dragonsfall Weyr. Though you may call me just 'Gilsha'," she added, giving the man an appraising look. "I'm not much for titles. And forgive me for saying so, but you don't seem to be the type who holds too tightly to his Lordly designation."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gilsha." Ishek said. "And no, I'm not fond of being called Lord. Sometimes I still wonder who they're addressing."

"I'm not surprised. You don't exactly have a Lordly aire about you, if you know what I mean." Which was good because Gilsha had always found it hard to get worked up over a man who inherited a title because of a lucky chance of birth rather than earned it.

She was frank. Ishek appreciated that- there were too few people who would be frank with a Lord, and it was refreshing to hear someone speak like this. "I wasn't born to be a Lord. I thought I'd be a Steward at most. This was unexpected."

"A welcome surprise?" she asked curiously.

"It's very different being Lord of a very large Hold." Ishek answered.
"It's quite a challenge, and I've always enjoyed challenges." He didn't _like_ some of the things he had to do now, but he did appreciate doing things that were difficult.

Interesting. "And what were you before you were the Lord Warder?"

"My older brother is the Lord of a minor Hold." Ishek explained. "I was assistant Steward, in training to be the Steward. We thought it would be best to keep it all in the family."

"An _assistant_ Steward?" Gilsha asked, rather surprised. "I bet your sudden jump in rank made more than one Lord Holder's younger son sick with envy."

"Most likely." Ishek admitted. "I could have been the Steward," he explained, "but I didn't want to displace the current one. He helped my family when our father died. It would have been unkind to simply take his job from him."

"So you just took the dead Lord Holder's instead." There was no accusation in Gilsha's tone. More amused appreciation. He made it sound in one breath as though he were not an ambitious man, and yet the implications were clearly to the contrary. How very interesting.

Ishek had never considered it precisely that way before. "The Conclave thought I deserved a Hold." he replied. "I would have been content as my brother's aide."

"Hmmm, well, I think you can kiss those days goodbye." The greenrider wondered if he knew what he was in for. He was certainly an intelligent man, so she was sure he had. "Before long you'll be married off for the good of the Hold to some Lord Holder's or ambitious but prosperous Minor Holder's daughter. You'll marry them to better the Hold, and they'll marry you to advance their prospects. I very much doubt 'Daddy' would appreciate their son-in-law being relegated back to Steward once the baby Lordling grows to a man."

"You make it sound complicated. I suppose it is complicated, now." Ishek said. "All matches are political. My wife, whoever she is, and her family *must* be willing to accept that I am only the Warder, though, and after Aslian takes the Hold, I will have some other position, possibly here, possibly somewhere else." It was a diplomatic answer, he hoped, but he hoped it showed that he wasn't out to take the Hold from Aswic's bloodline.

Gilsha rolled her eyes. Putting this man in the Lord Warder position was like tying a young herdbeast down in front of a feline's den! "At the very _least_ you will be given a Minor Holding of your own. It would be insulting to yourself and your future wife's family to be given less. You will never be a Steward. Your only other option will be to retire and sit on your arse and collect a stipend for the rest of your life, and you don't strike me as the type."

"A Minor Holding would be easier, I suppose, but retirement might be nice after over a decade." If only to escape power! He wasn't sure he could stand being a Lord the _rest of his life_. Maybe being the Warder until Aslian grew up was the best thing for him. "I suppose we never know where we'll be in the future though."

"Screw them all, eh?" An amused smile curved Gilsha's lips. She could just picture an ambitious man looking to advance his family by using his daughter as a pawn, just to find that the man he had placed his hopes in wouldn't play the game by the normal rules. There was something admirable and yet incredibly naive about that. The greenrider wasn't sure if she should respect this Warder, or pat him on the head.

"Pretty much." Ishek answered. "I suppose I'm not what you would have expected in charge of here?"

"No," she said thoughtfully as that hint of a smile spread into a grin.
"But that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"I'm glad." he said. "You're very honest with me about future prospects.
Very few have been so blunt about that before. I appreciate it."

A chuckle escaped the greenrider's lips. "One thing I'm not known for is holding back."

"I think that's an admirable trait. Is that a common trait of many dragonriders? I haven't met many," he admitted. "And only then since I became Warder. All my contact with them is usually just conveyances.
It's rare I get to speak with people from outside the Hold."

"It depends, I suppose," she shrugged. "Dragonriders are like all folk.
We come in all types."

"Well, I've never met one like you." Actually, he hadn't met any female quite as blunt to speak her mind since Shama. Even Shama had had more restraint- at least, in public, where they might be overheard. In private, she would discuss politics like the best of men. But never, _ever_ outside of their own rooms.

Gilsha laughed softly. "I should expect not. And I would be disappointed if you had. I pride myself in being one of a kind."

He couldn't help but smile at her. "That you are." he said. She was fascinatingly unique. "Have you eaten or do you need anything?" he suddenly asked. "I wouldn't want you to think that my Hold does not provide for visitors."

"To tell the truth, I've been avoiding your kitchens. Nothing against your Hold or its hospitality, but I have seen too much of Hold kitchens in the past. However," she sighed dramatically, "I suppose if that beastcrafter doesn't hurry it along I will waste away to nothing."

"Have you ever seen the kitchens with the Lord, though? I can find you the finest food and treats that they hide from the rest." he teased.

Gilsha raised her eyebrows curiously. He was offering to give her a tour of the kitchen? How very... un-Lordly. "Well, I can certainly say I have never seen these kitchens with this Lord. I think I would like to see what secrets the Hold is hiding. But I have to warn you, I'm rather difficult to impress..."

"There's a gorgeous carved mural near there, and one of our cooks makes the best bubbly pies I've ever had on demand. I'll eat my words if neither of those things impress you." Ishek promised.

"Hmmm, a challenge," Gilsha chuckled as she turned back towards the kitchens. "What girl could resist?"

Last updated on the October 6th 2007

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Spirited