(19.13) Expanding Horizons (Il'ran, any)

[Katlyn]

Bronze Salmalinth landed near the all but abandoned training field on the weyr's plateau shortly after lunch that day, his rider Il'ran sliding off and landing on the ground as he looked around. The bronze rider gave a sigh as he leaned against his bronze, who laid down on the snow covered grown. It was sunny that day, a nice change over the winter storms they had had over the last few sevendays. Both knew that the sunny weather was only going to last a few more days, then another weather system would move its way in. After all, it had been the pair that had flown back to the mainland and discovered the storm systems. He didn't know if things had changed, but he doubted they had. After all, they had scouts keeping an eye on the weather systems now.

The sigh wasn't due to the weather though. The sigh was due to the changes that the weyr had undergone since M'riel had gone and lead that rescue operation nearly a month before to get Seleti back. Like many of the Weyr, Il'ran didn't agree entirely with all of their Weyrleaders decisions, but he kept those opinions to himself. What he had to deal with was being drawn into the extra, non-thread fighting training that had been ordered for all of them, just in case those raiders one day made their way to the weyr. Il'ran had been trained on reading people, maps, the weather, remember things most forgot, or, if one really wanted to go there, spying when necessary. What he had never received training on from the Harper hall was archery or much beyond simple self defense. The bronze rider knew that he needed to keep practicing, but he wasn't entirely getting it down. That, and not the weather, was the reason for the bronzerider's sigh. Now he just had to bring himself to leave the warmth of his bronze to go grab one of the weapons and practice. Despite the cold.

[kendrall]

R'en was likewise one of the many whom didn't agree one hundred percent with the Senior Leadership's decisions, in spite of the fact he was a part of M'riel's "crisis response team." It was more of an inner circle of advisors, really, whom the Weyrleader turned to for advice when he felt he wasn't getting anywhere with his officially-appointed officers. Already M'riel had led Il'ran, Aquila, Ekaterina, and R'en (along with a few Wherhandlers) on a search-and-rescue operation to find a wayward candidate named Kalerai. That had turned out to be a very close call, and had the search taken a little longer it was likely the crisis team would find a frozen young girl. Frostbite had started to set in, but the field medic was able to keep it at bay just long enough to get the Candidate under the more experienced care of Eodira.

It wasn't much longer after that incident when Seleti wound up running away after getting into a bit of a spat with M'riel, and R'en's fellow Green Rider wound up being captured by an advanced scouting party led by Swift's old Raiding clan. The field medic wasn't able to go on the mission as he was already in trouble with Eodira, but R'en found out that not only was Swift once a part of a clan of dragonkillers, but M'riel had blamed the younger Bronze Rider for the disaster at Igen that cost a lot of lives. Swift had since been cleared of formal charges of treason, but received a very sharp reprimand from the Weyrleader. R'en knew it wasn't wise to cross M'riel like that; but with the many drastic changes his old Wingleader had implemented since ascending to the position of Weyrleader, even *he* was left second-guessing M'riel's motive. But there was no denying the logic the Weyrleader was using when he had issued his orders for everyone to undergo some rather intensive combat training. There would be no telling how long everyone at Izuko Island had until some unexpected visitors paid them a visit, and it wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

R'en pulled up the thick scarf up on his face to cover his mouth and nose. In spite of the sunshine, it was still downright cold. Arieth complained about it repeatedly, but her Rider was unable to do anything about that for the moment. At least, it wasn't until the Green spotted Salmalinth. {{Salmalinth's and his are up here,}} Arieth informed her Rider, and R'en squinted his eyes to look. Sure enough, Il'ran was up here, and his body language suggested he would rather be anywhere else than here on this snow-covered plateau. {{Love, go curl up next to Salmalinth for warmth,}} R'en instructed his dragon, and Arieth got up and stretched before making her way carefully towards the larger Bronze. {{Greetings, Salmalinth. Mind if I join you? It's too cold up here for me.}} R'en shook his head as he heard Arieth croon at Salmalinth, the Green definitely not liking this cold one sharding bit. {{Don't get too cozy with him,}} her Rider mentally warned as he angled in on Il'ran.

"Would it have been too much to ask to have all this moved indoors?" the field medic greeted his fellow Rider with a somewhat rhetorical question.

[Katlyn]

The bronzerider had been caught up in his thoughts when Arieth landed nearby, missing the green’s arrival. Curled up against him, his little blue Numa gave a small chirp, but it only served to briefly distract him. He couldn’t help but feel that there was more going on on the planet than they knew quite yet, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it might have been. If the bronzerider had had any sense, he would have paid attention to the hides that recorded the history after they had arrived. He had known the dangers of such knowledge, though, and hadn’t wanted to bring knowledge of the future for fear of accidently altering it. It was his bronze’s answer to Arieth that brought him out of his thoughts just before R’en greeted him.

((Of course, Arieth. It’s quite cold out,)) the bronze replied simply, raising up a wing just enough for the green to get close enough for warmth. The bronze knew this green had her fair share of suitors amongst their ranks, and he wasn’t about to mess up any relationships. It was those words that drew Il’ran’s attention back to the present, though he was left blinking for a moment at R’en’s comment.

“Oh…” he mumbled. “Well I know that there’s a much smaller range inside….just not set up quite for this distance,” he stated. He didn’t have an issue with indoor range…it was the range outside where he started having issues, going so far as to even miss the targets on occasion. Weapons just weren’t his thing, in general, no matter the reason for having them. “What brings you up here anyway, R’en?”

[kendrall]

Arieth snuggled in tightly under Salmalinth's wing, definitely content and happy now that she had someone larger to help her keep warm. R'en glared at the pair of dragons, then looked at Il'ran as the Bronzerider blinked in confusion. It was true that there was a smaller range indoors, but why Il'ran was out here was anyone's guess. But the Greenrider was a bit smarter than that. R'en simply shrugged at his fellow Rider's question. "Curiosity, my bookwormish friend," he answered with a half-grin, then pointed towards the targets off in the distance. "Let me guess. You're probably here for the same reason I came up here. M'riel wants everyone to stay sharp and get their practice in with ranged and close quarters combat. We have an indoor range, but it's not built for hitting targets beyond two hundred yards." He pointed at the nearby half-shed that housed the weapons rack. "Feel free to pick out a bow or even a crossbow. Me, I'm more of a crossbow type of guy. It isn't so much as trying to hit something from more than, say, over three hundred yards away, but rather stopping someone cold at two hundred yards."

[Katlyn]

"There's nothing wrong with reading," Il'ran retorted softly, though he knew R'en had merely intended to be friendly, and to show that he softened his retort with a small smile, though he gave a soft sigh at the greenrider's reminder of why he was really up there.

"To be completely honest, I think M'riel's forgotten that we're practically frozen in and probably will be until spring hits. This push he's making on combat could probably be relaxed, in my opinion. I find it hard to believe that we'll actually even need it. But I sure won't say as much...He's the guard, not me," he said, shrugging lightly. "In the meantime, I'm left with the issue of, the moment something's more than say...50 yards or so away, I miss every single sharding time. I figured I'd come up here and work on it, without looking like a fool in front a mass group of people..."

[kendrall]

"Why read when you could be out having a good time with the others?" R'en teased his counterpart. Although his definition of "a good time" was vastly different compared to anyone else's. For the field medic, it was the best bottle of Benden he could get his hands on, the most beautiful ladies, and a carousing tune to get his blood stirring. Problem was, now that he was going to be a father by two different women, he had to curtail the wine and keep the lively tunes down for a while. Being around two pregnant women simultaneously wasn't the easiest task, but R'en had a very special place in his heart for both Aquila and Ekaterina. He had always been smitten with them, and there had been a sensual attraction between Aquila and Ekaterina to boot. But ever since that night when Duhath caught Tigrith, well...

M'riel wasn't too happy when he found out R'en had managed to get himself involved with both female Riders during the Flight. He became even more agitated when he found out his protégé had caused the two women to become pregnant. By way of punishment, one of the first acts as Weyrleader M'riel had ordered the three to not only to continue to share the same quarters, but "learn to get along and genuinely act like responsible Riders who are committed to each other. If you truly love each other, and you're willing to make this triangle work, at least show it."

To his defense, R'en could still make the case that Aquila and Ekaterina ranked amongst the most beautiful ladies in the entire Weyr. Although he couldn't keep himself from making that pass at Aeila the day Lorina's Descanth rose...

He cleared his throat to bring himself back to the present, then scratched at an itchy spot on the back of his head. R'en made a face. "Ever since he and the others encountered those scouts, he's been practically beside himself, trying to plot the defense of the Weyr in case we're ever found out. From what I know, there wasn't a single surviving Raider on that island after it was all said and done. Part of me has to wonder, though, if the bodies were disposed of, or just left out there to rot. I don't have any clue whatsoever on how these Dragonkillers think, save for the fact Swift used to be a member of their clan before he became a Dragonrider. It's an obsession with M'riel. He just wants us to be ready, and that involves never letting our guard down. 'Three-sixty, three-sixty-four', or something to that effect is what he would say. In other words, always keep an eye on what's going on around you, every single day of the Turn."

R'en listened as Il'ran confessed that he had never been very good with hitting targets at more than fifty yards. "Lemme ask you this, Il'ran. What's more important to you, forcing your opponent to keep his head down or getting him on the first shot?"

[Katlyn]

Il'ran nodded at the greenrider's assessment of their Weyrleader. He'd seen that sort of mentality in the bronzerider before, and now that M'riel was the Weyrleader, it didn't surprise the younger bronzerider at all that that mentality had not only remain, but seemingly grown even more prominent. "To be fair to Swift, all indications point to the fact that he has not only not had contact with his old clan, he most certainly wouldn't hesitate to turn against them, if the day should come," Il'ran stated simply, though he shrugged. These Raider born Riders made little sense to him, in the long run. Though he was curious how the Raiders of this time were related to those of the time they had come from originally.

R'en's question made him stop and think, though he frowned. "Just forcing someone to keep low doesn't stop them from getting close enough to do harm. Why waste arrows in trying to keep a person pinned down, when in reality, depending on the layout of where the confrontation is taking place, they could easily be finding their way around. Thus you risk putting yourself and others at risk, because you're too focused on just keeping them pinned down, and not enough on stopping their advance," he stated simply. Then again, he was entirely knowledgable when it came to combat. As far as he was concerned, it was the end game that mattered, not the means that were used to obtain that end game. But he'd always been good at picking up the small details that many others seemed to overlook. Details that some would consider insignificant...details that made a difference in obtaining that end game.

[kendrall]

R'en couldn't agree more with his fellow Rider's statement. While it was true that Swift did indeed come in contact with his old clan, varying reports all suggested that the brash Bronze Rider had suddenly turned on his former Raiders when M'riel, M'cleod, and the others arrived. M'riel was still furious with Swift for going AWOL in the first place, and not telling a single person where he was going; the official reprimand that came down from the Weyrleader could still be heard ringing in the field medic's ears. He'd rarely heard M'riel shout so loudly, and that was only if someone really got under his skin. But like Il'ran, R'en wasn't quite sure what to make of the Raider-born Riders he now served with.

He listened as Il'ran tried to come up with an answer to his earlier question. The Bronze Rider didn't seem to think that it was important to keep his foes' heads down, but rather it was crucial to take them down as soon as the opportunity presented itself. "Why waste arrows in trying to keep a person pinned down," he had said, "when in reality, depending on the layout of where the confrontation is taking place, they could easily be finding their way around." The field medic nodded, then spoke. "That's why I like using the crossbow more than the longbow. Sure, it takes longer to reload, and you can't shoot quite as far. But in my opinion, you have several advantages. One, a crossbow bolt usually flies a bit faster compared to an arrow. Two, I think it's a little easier to set your sight on your target. Three, I also think that a bolt fired from a crossbow has a bit more 'punch' to it, if you catch my meaning."

R'en started to walk over to where the weapons were kept. As he took stock of the inventory, he noted that they were kept in good condition in spite of the cold. That was one thing he had to admit about their Weyrleader; M'riel was notorious for making sure every piece of equipment was well-maintained and properly cared for. He recalled a little conversation he had one day with the man, well before making this one-way trip. "A little preventative maintenance goes a long way," M'riel once said to R'en. "Far easier to spend a candlemark or two on caring for a weapon or piece of equipment, rather than spending a couple of days or longer trying to repair it." The Green Rider picked out a simple-looking crossbow, hefted it, then grabbed a dozen or so wooden bolts.

[Katlyn]

Il'ran considered how R'en had responded, thinking about the over all picture of things again. "Seems to me, then, the best place to be putting you crossbow users is somewhere...high. Up on these cliffs, for example. One, to keep you out of reach, so the reload time makes little difference. Two, better angles for targetting from, depending on where exactly you are. Not to mention it's easier for something to fly down than it is for it to fly up," he finally said, following the greenrider as R'en went to gather a crossbow and some of the arrows for it. He knew, of course, that his theory relied on the assumption that if they were to be attacked, it wouldn't be by a group of individuals capable of easily getting onto the plateau of their island. But he still couldn't help but think that an attack wasn't going to be likely any time soon. The only enemy they ought to have been concerned about was Thread, and they still weren't entirely certain when that would be coming back, disregarding the hints of rumors that were starting to come their way. Well...Thread and the winter, but this was all entirely his opinion.

[kendrall]

R'en watched as Il'ran picked out a crossbow of his own along with several bolts. "Up high, from a kneeling position, behind a rock or tree...from what M'riel taught me, you learn to take advantage of the land. The cliffs would be the most ideal place to shoot from, but then again we have to watch out for the more skilled archers. It wouldn't surprise me if one or two of them were M'riel's equal with the longbow." R'en wasn't sure just how proficient these Raiders were with the bow, but it wasn't anything he was looking forward to finding out anytime soon. He set the crossbow nose to the ground, then put the bolts in a belt pouch he kept handy. The sharpened tips were sticking out, but they would be out of his way so he could pull back the string with both hands as he put one booted foot into the stirrup. It took a bit of effort, but once he heard the clicking noise he knew that the catch had caught, meaning he could now insert a bolt into the narrow groove. Carefully, R'en lifted the crossbow again, then withdrew a bolt from his belt pouch. Placing the bolt just in front of the catch, he nodded as he stepped off about twenty paces, looked downrange, then bent down on one knee so he could stablize himself before pressing the trigger against the tiller.

There was one target about two hundred yards away. R'en raised the crossbow, looked through the sight, and as he aimed he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, squeezing the trigger.

There wasn't much of a recoil, but the faintest sound of a crossbow string snapping back into its rested position was heard along with the sound of a bolt in flight. It raced towards the target, hitting it dead center. He looked at Il'ran. "The other thing we have to worry about is it takes longer to reload a crossbow compared to a longbow. I've seen M'riel fire off several arrows in succession with his longbow before the guy he went up against could fire off a second bolt from the crossbow."

[Katlyn]

Il'ran nodded, watching as R'en set up the crossbow he had grabbed. It seemed to the bronzerider that R'en was much better suited for this sort of thing than he was, though he knew that M'riel wouldn't give him much of a choice other than to expand his horizons on the matter. Sighing, he shook his head and stayed silent while R'en got set up and shot at the target.

"That may be, but if you put the shooter up where they can't be seen, even the most skilled archer won't be able to get to them," he said again. Thus his point by mentioning a perch up high. While he was Impressed by R'en's shot, Il'ran knew that the greenrider had to have much more experience than him on the matter. "M'riel's concerned someone will come at us from the sea, yes? We all know that most of our coast line is cliff...If, and I'm saying it's a very big if, but if it were to happen, move everyone up to the plateau and and use the cliff to our advantage. There are few ways to get up here that aren't on a dragon..." He shrugged though.

[kendrall]

R'en stood up, hoisting his crossbow to rest on his shoulder. "Yep. M'riel's worried that if there is such an attack, it'll come from the sea. What he's wanting is to have anyone who can use a longbow or crossbow up on the cliffs and shooting down on our would-be invaders. He wants to have several of us Riders wait with everyone else on the welcoming island, ready to make a quick getaway on dragonback just in case. He's thinking the most likely approach will be coming from the continent's shoreline, so in theory that should give us plenty of time to prepare. The only way up here on the cliffs is either on dragonback, or by the basketlifts." He waved Il'ran over. "Here, lemme help you pull the string back on that crossbow." It was hard for R'en not to tease the Bronze Rider, since he always thought that by spending far too much time reading meant one didn't spend time working out or exercising.

[Katlyn]

Il'ran shook his head. "Why the welcoming island? Seems too risky to put anyone there if we're thinking there's gonna be attack from sea...that's where they built the pier after all," he said, shaking his head again as he blinked, a bit confused by M'riel's thinking...even more so than before. Who knew what was going through the bronzerider's mind other than his bronze.

At the tease, Il'ran rolled his eyes. It was true that he wasn't exactly the most fit rider there, spending more time in hides than others. He had still stood his own throughout weyrling training though, and he wasn't going to let this be something where he didn't. "Alright then," he said all the same. Honestly, he was more than willing to accept help when it came to this issue he was having.

[kendrall]

"Wasn't the pier weakened by the series of storms?" R'en asked as he pulled the string up towards his chest. Once he heard the clicking noise, he hefted it and gave it back to Il'ran. "Careful you don't prematurely set off the string without the bolt in the groove," he warned his counterpart. "Dry firing a crossbow is probably one of the worst things you could do to it. The second, of course, is shooting without aiming." It was in his best self-preserving interests to stand behind Il'ran, and wait for the Bronze Rider to arm the weapon. As he took a cautious step back, R'en then asked his next series of questions. "If the pier was weakened, then the other option would be for our invading force to storm the rocky coasts. There's a bit of a beachhead, but not much. By the time our unwanted guests come within range, M'riel will order the non-combatants to get clear, giving them time to escape before the shooting starts. He has his spyglass, so he'll see any ships flying their colors from a good distance away."

[Katlyn]

Il'ran watched carefully as R'en pulled the string back to set it and then handed it back to him. The bronzerider didn't need to be told twice to be careful. He doubted that M'riel would be lenient with him if he were to mess up one of their weapons. Crossbow in hand, he took the arrow and put it in place, shrugging at the question. "We won't know for certain until the waters melt back. Which is why I honestly don't think we need to be worried about this at least until spring. Who knows how long it'll take for the coast line to thaw out," he answered. "And remember, the Weyr had only been here a couple of months before we arrived. It doesn't seem to me that it takes them long to build things. Any repairs ought to be done quickly."