Mneoth crouches low as you shift to the ground below.

Zylpheth lands gently despite the buffeting winds above. Kh'ryn slides down from the cloudy peaks of Zylpheth's neck, leaving the breathtaking view behind.

Zylpheth is flying overhead, when suddenly, he turns into a dive; without his rider's permissions. It's not long before Kh'ryn spies what caught the blue's attention, and he groans silently to himself. Oy.. However, he follows his lifemates lead, and heads down into the meadows, dismounting and taking off his helmet before he greets the brownrider before him. "Hi there Khena," he states, almost shyly.

Khena is leaning against a rock, legs drawn up her head down as she writes a few more words in the notebook she's resting on her knees. Looking up as a shadow passes over she spots Zylpheth's landing and watches as the rider dismounts, then closes her notebook carefully. No need for others (particularly this other) to see what's writting in it. "Hello Khor," she mumbles as she rises to face him.

Kh'ryn reaches up to rub at the back of his neck, noticing with a quick flick of his eye the parchment upon Khena's lap. So, he's not the only one to be writing stuff down lately, it would seem... As the female rider rises, he takes a step forward, his mouth open as if he's about to say something, but nothing comes out. Closing his mouth, he nods instead. He's quite unsure as to what to say, but Zylph has no such inabitions. The blue dragon sticks his muzzle out and rumbles a hello to the girl, butting her gently as though asking for a scritch.

Khena can't help but grin as Zylpheth's muzzle intercepts her on her way toward Mneoth. Rubbing the blue's eyeridge in passing, she looks up at his rider. "You okay, Khor? I heard Kwa had twins...." Cutting herself off to swallow a lump, she turns back to her lifemate, putting away her notebook in a pouch attached to the brown's straps.

Not exactly the greeting he was expecting, but it's much better than what he had imagined. Nodding, Kh'ryn happens to smile, faintly, answering with, "Aye. A boy /and/ a girl. Khya and Kharan." This odd look gets into his gaze as he speaks this, something akin to ... wistful happiness, but it quickly dissapears when he clears his throat. "And.. ah.. How've you been?" He watches Khena rub at Zylph's ridges, and takes that as a sign that she's forgiven the blue for his big mouth.. er... loud thoughts..

Khena pauses for a moment, facing her lifemate's side, then turns to face the bluerider. "I'm okay, I s'pose... " Taking a deep breath, she walks slowly back to the other, resuming the rubbing of Zylpheth's eyeridge. Another pause, and she looks up at Kh'ryn again, trying to catch his eye. "I /might/ be pregnant," she says, stressing the word might. Waiting, watching for a reaction, the brownrider's hand lays still on the blue dragon's head.

Kh'ryn blinks... And then blinks again. He's not sure he heard correctly, and that's why he leans in and asks, "Beg your pardon?" Though he's sure he was mistaken about the words, his eyes do start to widen some, and small beads of sweat begin to appear on his brow. "You said you're... what?" Zylph snorts his amusement at this situation, clearly having understood the brownrider's words. However, he doesn't comment further, not even to his lifemate. Instead, he leans into the scritches and shifts his head to the left. Ahhh.. Just right...

"/Might!/" Khena stresses again, her face grim as she stares at Kh'ryn. "Elehu says she can't be sure about it for another month or so...." Removing her hand completely from the blue's head, she takes up an old pose, standing at attention with her hands clasped behind her back, looking seriously at the bluerider. "I... I could go between...." she says, being quite serious about the intention.

Now he's sure he heard her correctly, Kh'ryn breaks out into.. what else.. a blush. When Khena mentions going between, his features then go from red, to white, to slightly green, and he shakes his head.. "You.. you.. you can't do that.." Well, in truth, she /can/, as it is her perogative, but what he means is, he doesn't think that she would do that. The brownrider might have been a tough guard at one point in her life, and she's still quite rough around the edges now, but even he finds it hard to believe that she'd outright kill something that's growing inside of her.. "I mean.. If you're unsure, you .. ah.. well... It's your decision." He stated his side with that brief statement. As much as he doesn't want to be a father again, (I mean, he /just/ became one!) he wouldn't want to be part of something he considers deathly wrong either.

Khena facade crumbles, with the words from Kh'ryn and the added emotions from her dragon. Seemingly folding in on herself, she slumps on the ground, wrapping her arms around her body. "I just don't know what to do, Khor," she mumbles, her voice thick with emotion she'd rather not show anyone. "It's all so confusing... Mneoth keeps telling me babies are nice. I'm just not sure about anything anymore..." Looking up at him, she moves her head slowly from one side to the other, then whispers, "I coulda done it as soon as I suspected something... I don't know why I haven't..."

This too is unlike the Khena he knows, but Kh'ryn drops down beside her non-the-less. Awkwardly, he reaches out and places a tentative arm around her shoulders. Sure, he might get pummeled for the action, but for once, he believes that his friend will accept this one gesture of emotion. Patting her shoulder, he replies, to his own disbelief, "Actually.. I didn't think that kids would be nice either.. But, to tell the truth, when I first held Khya and her brother in my arms, I.." He coughs, to clear his throat of clogged emotions. "I couldn't believe what i had helped to bring into this world. I mean, that doesn't mean that I'll be some awesome father, or anything.. or that I'll even continue to feel such awe as they grow. However, I will tell you one thing.. If I had to go back and change the course of time, I wouldn't.. Not while knowing what I know now.." Hopefully those words will give her /some/ comfort, especially when the browrider's dragon is decidedly making things tougher with the questions he's asking, and sharing, with Zylph.

Khena sighs, hanging her head while staring at the grass underneath her feet, reaching down with a hand to pick at the green strands. "I dunno, Khor... I'd be off-duty for nearly nine months," she says, rubbing the grass between her fingers in a nervours movement. Of course, she'd already asked S'nor for light duty with no betweening until she was sure of her state of health. "I dunno how I could stay out of Falls for that long...."

Kh'ryn can't help but chuckle at that reply. "Faranth forbid that Khena be innactive from Falls for a few months," he exclaims, pulling back his arms and holding hand out palm first in front of him, just in case she wants to hit him after that remark. Lowering them, he then adds, "But seriously Khena. You might be innactive on that aspect, but just ask Kwa, or Lis, or any of the others who're riders and preggers.. There's still a lot to do on the home front. In fact, the graphs of Thread falls need to be updated, and the council rooms cleared. Plus, you can always keep Pyrene company out on the sands..." He'd go on, but he'll let her digest that first..

Khena stares for a long moment, not really hearing what the bluerider is saying. "Chart are made by starcrafters," she simply states, letting his other comments roll off her back. "But I s'pose you're right... There's other stuff I can do, at least until..." Stopping, she suddenly gets an image of herself with a huge belly into her head. "Local sweeps, and such," she adds, after a long pause in which she rips more grass out of the ground.

The bluerider nods.. "Aye, Starcraft does the charts, but we riders do need to add our input, and I heard that some of the wingleader's were getting tired of recording all of that while covering their other duties.. You could always offer to help.. but, that's not the point.. The point is," And Kh'ryn nods again here to emphasise his point, "You can still stay busy.." A few seconds of quiet and then he reaches over to lift her chin so he can look her in the eyes. "What happened between us.. just .. happened. It was an accident. But, if you are pregnant, that doesn't have to be treated as something wrong... Trust me on this.." And his eyes glaze over with a weird look, as he whispers, "As the child's father... Please.. trust me.."

A funny look crosses Khena's face, a mix between doubt, fear and happiness. "I don't blame you, I blame him," she says, tossing her head toward the brown lounging in the sun, her voice only halfway joking. "I'm glad it's you, though... I mean, I coulda been worse. Like N'sync or H'iss even..." Although neither of those had ever been in her weyr. "I just don't know, Khor... It's not like I'd make a great mother...."

Kh'ryn laughs again, this time, it's genuine. "Oh Khena.. Do you think I'm gonna make the best dad?" he asks, still grinning. "Well, let's make a deal now.. I'll try to be a good father, if you try to be a good mom. Sound good?" Bluerider then removes his hand from her chin and holds it out palm up, nodding at it, in motion for her to shake. "If, that is, you are pregnant in the first place..." But either way, it's something that they should both agree on .. just in case..

Khena looks long and hard at the bluerider. When had she agreed to stay pregnant? If she /was/ pregnant. Suddenly relaxing her tensed up muscles, she nods slowly, agreeing with the other's wishes. "Just promise me that I won't have to take care of her alone... " she says, a twinkle entering her eyes, and a note of teasing and relief entering her voice.

He heard that teasing tone, and snorts. "Hmmph. Who says it'd be a she?" Kh'ryn asks, looking gruff, but trying not to smile under that scowl. He squeezes her hand in a shake, sealing their bargain. "But no. I won't leave you alone to that task.... Faranth, just imagine what kind of kid we'd have then!" He makes a mock startled act, bringing his free hand to his chest, and fluttering his eyes in a fake faint, before falling to his back amidst the new growth scattered about.

Khena chuckles, her first laugh since the flight, and swats her hand at the bluerider, then lies flat on her back, looking up at the sky. "She'll be perfectly fine, and able to take care of herself when she grows up," she notes, glancing toward Kh'ryn, the smile still lingering on her face. Smile suddenly disappears, though, and the brownrider sits up again, looking gloomily at the bluerider. "What about Skylark, though? And P'rru? They're not gonna be happy...." This she is certain of. Especially since the wingsecond had begun ignoring her effectively.

Kh'ryn has already thought about that, you see.. Waving a hand, as though to shoo away those negative thoughts, he explains, "Oh, Purr and I had a talk already.." Over drinks and gossips about their babies and the mothers of their children. "I don't know so much about Lark, but he said he'd talk to her.." Khor certainly hopes that he already has, as he's expected over at their weyr for dinner later today. "I think they'll be ok too.."

Khena's mouth forms a small o, her eyes blinking slowly in surprise. "You think...?" she asks, her voice full of doubt. "I've never seen P'rru more angry with me." Shaking her head, she clenches her hands, resting them on her knees. "If he finds out that I may be pregnant, he'll never forgive me." After all, female riders were advise to take their green stuff no matter what color dragon she rides.

Kh'ryn nods. "I'm sure.." Though, he's still up in the air as far as Lark is concerned. Rising to his seat, and then to his feet, the bluerider dusts himself off and then reaches for the brownrider's hand. "Come on,.. Zylph was in the middle of an excercise run when we flew overhead, and he still has another half candlemark of flying before I'll let him go and play. Wanna join me?" He says it to Khena, but the true question is posed to Mneoth.

"Why not," Khena says, though she's not really dressed for flying very far. Letting Kh'ryn help her off the ground, she runs grass-stained fingers through her hair, then moves to Mneoth, getting out her jacket. "Where were you going?" Pulling on the jacket, she looks rather mis-matched with heavy riding-coat on top and light canvas trousers at the bottom.

Kh'ryn points over the mountains, replying, "No where far. Just over yonder and beyond the pass some. Zylph likes to see how close he can get to the cloud cover of some of the peaks without getting me sick from the air pressure.." He laughs, showing that it's something he doesn't mind doing either... "We won't go up as far today, but it is a killer view..." Slapping his pant legs one final time, he dons his helmet and gloves again and goes to mount up.

Zylpheth lands gently; almost in the same spot he touched upon a few days past, when there was a huge flit hatching going on around these parts. From between his shoulders, Kh'ryn pats the blue in pride at his good landing, staying seated in order to get a better view of the Reaches and the rest of their surroundings. "See, told you it'd be fun," he calls out to Khena, slightly breathless at their tumbling and speedy flight. He adds, "And I told you it'd be a great view.."

"Cold too," the brownrider calls back, rubbing her gloved hand across her numb thighs. Long flights really called for proper riding gear, not slight canvas trousers. "I think I need to get some place warm and get the chill out of my bones..." Mneoth rumbles agreement, his rider shouldn't get cold in her state.

From Zylpheth's neck, Kh'ryn can't believe he /already/ forgot about that, and so he nods. "Well, I'm expected over at P'rru's weyr soon." He gives her a thoughtful look, and then asks, "Care to join me?" He's sure in the fact that the rider won't mind... Then again.. One can never be sure about anything... "First, let's head on over to the caverns to warm you up. I could use a few cups of klah in me too.." Turning Zylph around so that he's nearly breaching the edge of the Stones, he waits for Khena to reply, before taking off into flight.

Khena just gapes at the other for even suggesting going over to P'rru's with him. Shaking her head no, she really has no choice in the matter, since Mneoth takes off right after Zylpheth, following the blue across the Bowl. "Mneoooth," she shouts, trying to get her dragon to listen to her commands.

Zylpheth has something else in mind too, as he bypasses the bowl altogether and heads over the lake instead, soon bringing them to one specific ledge. Kh'ryn just snuffs... There's not much they riders can do when their dragons have got something in their head; as has already been proved to them before. Ahem. Zylpheth takes off.

Zylpheth soars in for a landing on Dsalth's ledge.

Kh'ryn slides down from the cloudy peaks of Zylpheth's neck, leaving the breathtaking view behind.

As Zylph makes a landing, Kh'ryn gives Khena a faint, sickly kinda look, that's supposed to portray his apologies for his blue's behaviour. However, it's no use worrying aobut it anymore, as they're here now. Therefore, he bites back any retort to the dragon,and dismounts. Waiting for the brownrider, the bluerider takes off his helmet and gloves, before shoving them into the pouch attached to Zylpheth's straps. "Come on Khena," he tells the other rider, ready to drag the woman if he has to.

"/What/ do you think you're doing," Khena demands of her dragon, staying put in her seat between neckridges, refusing to dismount. Invariably her eyes glance toward the darkened weyr opening. "Khor? Was this /your/ idea?" she asks, making it clear to the bluerider that he's in jeopardy of messing up their friendship again.

Kh'ryn shakes his head. "Not getting him to follow," he states, then pointing to Zylph. "In fact, he dragged me here instead of to the Bowl. Seems our dragons want to atone for their past actions.." Or, they want to make things worse. Well, there's only one way to see.. "If you dont want to come in, I understand, but I'm expected, so off I go.." And knowing full well that Khena doesnt like to be left behind, he steps through the entrance leading to the weyr.

Kh'ryn walks, with casual strides to the weyr.

Mneoth crouches low as you shift to the ground below.

P'rru wanders over to his weyrmate and kisses the top of her head "Your right, love, she's a grown girl, I just thought she'd want to know that I've made my peace with Kh'ryn now...". He's trying to be sensible, really he is. New arrivals make him glance up, cheeks colouring perhaps because he's in the middle of arguing with Skylark, pr perhaps because he's cuddling round Kezzra. "Ahem, Kh'ryn, come in, come in....Khena?" oooh.

Kh'ryn walks right in; something he'd not usually do in any circumstance, but he's trying to prove something to the other brownrider. "See?" he turns and tells Khena. "Told you I was expected.." Not so much for her, but.. He winces at Purr, giving him a pleading look that says, 'can you do the same for her that you did for me?' .. Hoping against hope that the older man catches the hint. Then he sees Kezz and Lark, and offers them both a short bow; though his eyes linger on Lark's slender form, his eyes pleading something yet again..but this time, of a different nature.

Khena follow Kh'ryn, yes, but only because she's aware that her own lifemate won't return her to her own weyr, and because she's cold from the flight the bluerider had taken her on. Pulling off gloves and helmet, she stops just inside the weyr, shivering slightly though she's wearing her riding jacket with over the summer clothes. "P'rru," she mutters, nodding slightly as the older brownrider discovers her, not saying anything more, particularly to Skylark or Kezzra.

Skylark is strolling from her room buttoning buttons to a fresh shirt she slipped on when her eyes lock on Kh'ryn. Khena's momentarily forgotten until the brownrider's daughter can't stand watching the bluerider's eyes any longer. She heads into the small kitchen nook. "Hi..."

P'rru keeps one arm firmly around his weyrmate's shoulders, eyes glancing once to the bluerider and then back to Khena. His beef with her goes a lot further back than it did with Kh'ryn, so of course, things will have to be a little stilted. It's his weyr, he can be a jerk if he wants too. "I see you've brought Khena with you" he manages through a broad smile (so cheesy). "Luckily Tevya made sure we had more than enough food today..." he says, releasing Kezzra as she goes to fuss with their youngest daughter. "Come in, take a seat then..." He's being a good host, motioning towards the cluster of armchairs around a low table. "Skylark, dearest fetch a good skin of wine please?"

Kh'ryn continues to watch the young woman for sometime, before his attention too gets dragged away by P'rru's words. Nodding his head, he says little, but does as the rider suggests; which is, he takes a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs. What luxury this weyr proclaims; something that he would never be able to afford. Finally, he clears his throat and nods towards the brownrider. "I hope you don't mind?" he asks the older man, though his eyes are straying towards the kitchen area, hoping for another peek of the one person he truly wants to talk to...

Khena stays where she is, just inside the opening. She's just here to get a little warmth, after all, not to socialize with the weys inhabitants. "I'll never forgive you this, y'know," she mutters under her breath, speaking to her dragon and not discovering that she had spoken aloud until it was too late. "Mneoth won't bring me home." Glancing from one to the other, she attempts a failed halfsmile. Just pretend she's not here.

Skylark makes a ruckas in the kitchen nook and comes out a long few moments later with a bottle of rich Benden Red in her hand. Silently, she slips across the weyr to snatch up five wine glasses and distribute them between the group of folks, keeping her eyes on the glasses.

Kh'ryn jumps when he hears Khena's words, his features becoming saddened while he believes she's talking to him. Realizing soon after that she was speaking to her dragon, he flushes at his assumptions. Eyes dart back towards Lark, and he clears his throat, trying for a hopeful conversation. "Thank you for the wine," he whisper/chokes to her, his voice catching. He peeks up again, trying to catch her gaze, but not succeeding. Hand reaches out to accept the glass of amber liquid, and he allows one finger to softly touch hers before retracting.

Khena waves off any offerings of wine, stuffing her hands into her pockets, her eyes still darting from one to the other, while she moves from one foot to the other. "Maybe I'll just wait out on the ledge," she mumbles, but that option is quickly blocked by her own dragon's head moving across the entrance. "Mneoth," she hisses, staring at the dragon - who only rumbles amusedly - for a long time before turning back to the others. "Well..."

P'rru has a quiet word with Kezzra and as the starrie disappears into a deeper alcove to the far back of the weyr he glances up "I apologise for Kezzra, she's got to see to Azerra, the little one's not quite asleep yet.." He takes a glass from his daughter, almost hurriedly "Good choice, pet, good choice" he murmers at the wine selection, heading for a seat opposite Kh'ryn's. "Please Khena, don't hover, it makes me nervous. Sit down already.." The brownrider's voice has a hint of the wingsecond in it. "So..." he says, trying to break the ice "How are your twins, Kh'ryn?"

Kh'ryn jumps again at these words, though he gives a funny little smile in reply first, before answering, "Oh.. they're.. ah.. red. And little." And crying too.. Don't forget that. "I think Khya has the bigger set of lungs on her though.. She frighten's me sometimes, that on.." Much like her mother does. "I often wonder if she's gonna bawl her head straight off." The talk of the twins, however, brings to mind other thoughts, and he clears his throat. "It's odd.. Being a father.. But I s'pose it's something I'm going to have to get used to." Yes, he will.. and sooner than later, if there's more on the way. However, Khor doesn't disclose that knowledge aloud...

Khena will follow any order given to her. Including one to sit, even if it mightn't strickly have been a direct order. Slipping into the nearest chair, she opens the buckles on her jacket as warmth begins to seep back into her bones. Eyes come to rest on Kh'ryn while he speaks, the expression on her face odd. Picking at a loose thread in her pants, the brownrider's motions are still nervous even as she's seated.

P'rru snorts as he sups from his glass, one knee crossing over the other. "Azerra is a quiet little thing, like her mother I suppose...Skylark was never that quiet" he says, amusement ticking at the corner of his cheeks. "Kwa's a good mother though, Kh'ryn. You've nothing to worry about...in fact I've offered to take Kaorru for a few sevendays, just to give her some time alone with the twins.." He passes information along conversationally, glancing at Khena every so often. But then a silence seems to drift in, as the old man finds little more to discuss on that topic.

The bluerider listens to the older man speak about his daughter, and can hardly believe that he too understands this joy. It seems like such a personal thing, but in truth, it's something that happens everyday; nearly every candlemark somewhere on Pern even! Kh'ryn just sits and sips at his wine, that little smile still on his face, even while his thoughts fly to and fro within his mind, and his heart aches with sorriness for the hurt his past actions have caused. How odd to feel such different and conflicting emotions all at once. Isn't life just a marvelous thing? Coughing, he clears his thoughts and nods his head at the idea of being able to spend some time with just Kwa and the twins. "That'd be nice," he states.

Khena doesn't say anything, though her lifemate's voice in the back of her head is pressing her to say /something/. "Shut up," she suddenly says, directed at the dragon peering in through the weyr's opening. Looking back at Kh'ryn her eyes are almost pleading him to help her. After all, he was the one who was on good terms with P'rru and Lark.

P'rru glances quickly at Khena as she voices -something-. "Right, well, shall I get something for us to eat? No good drinking on an empty stomach.." it's his way of getting out of something entirely awkward and the brownrider thus rises, and heads towards the table "We've got little nibbles, some little savory pastry things from one of the cooks who unfortunately won't stop whisteling at me- Fyria's fault for dressing me up in that ridiculous get up the other day..." He's trying vainly to lighten the mood with a joke, fussing on the table with clanking dishes. "Can I get you a juice, Khena?" Though he's enevr known her to reject benden wine.

Kh'ryn doesn't catch Khena's look at first, so he continues to ponder thoughts silently. When he does notice the stare, he coughs again, and replies to P'rru. "Actually, food would be good now. And I think juice will suit us both fine.." He's nearly finished with his glass of wine already anyway; his sips having become longer and longer with each deep thought created within his mind. Draining the rest of the Benden, he sets his empty cup aside and fidgets for a while. He blushes at the mention of the pageant, but then mind flows forward to the party afterwards and his chat with the older rider. Suddenly, he blurts out, "Khena might be pregnant." There, that's out.. and shockingly too. Even Khor can't believe he said it, and idly, he wonders if there's a way for Zylph to control his words.. Doubtful, though, the blue does rumble softly from the ledge.

Khena slides further into her chair, trying to melt with the furniture and disappear. Of course, it had to get out or she would have spent the night here with Mneoth guarding the entrance. Nodding slowly in agreement with Kh'ryn's abrubt statement she keeps her eyes on the floor, not wanting to face the older brownrider and his daughter.

Skylark gulps down her entire wine glass and pours another, studying the liquid before downing that too. Great, just the topic Lark wanted to be on. Sure. Pssh. Another glass is downed. She sighs, exasperatedly, running slender fingers through her hair. And then Kh'ryn has to go and ruin her just when she was becoming comfortable. Lark's brow twists painfully. "First Kwa, who got pregnant, then the already-pregnant Lis, then Khena and now /she's/ pregnant?! Doesn't /anyone/ take their /sharding/ green stuff!?" She's calm as she rambles and pours another glass of wine. Grumble. "Whatever..."

P'rru spins around, plate of nibblies in his hand "What?" he barks, cheeks already flushing with the shock of the news. "Great Faranth give me some bloody strength!" he says, dumping the plate in front of the visiting riders, onto the little table. "I know I set high standards, being that I can control myself, and I've tried to be understanding...but you kids!" he grumbles and shakes his head, stalking off to the dining table, muttering to himself.

Kh'ryn really does jump this time, at both Lark's outburst, and P'rru's; he leaps right out of his seat. He knew that the statement would be greeted with some yelling, but this is even a bit too much for him. Mumbling some apology, or whatnot, the bluerider rushes back towards the ledge, jumping atop the awaiting Zylph and dissapearing out into the night. It wasn't the older rider's words that got to him... No, what really sent him running was the anger her heard in the young woman's voice, and for once, Khor truly believed that Lark would never forgive him...

Kh'ryn walks, with casual strides to the ledge.

The news broken, Khena glances toward her dragon at the entrance, conversing quickly with him at which point the brown removes himself from his blocking position. Looking at the other humans in the weyr, she swallows a lump, then follows Kh'ryn's example and makes her escape, though she doesn't say a word as she exits the weyr.

*** Disconnected ***