Backfired Threats

Writers: Curious
Date Posted: 28th November 2021

Characters: L'saz, Ay'ell
Description: Never try to hold a conman accountable.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 10

"You need to do something, take responsibility."

Ay'ell leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind him, and smirked at the weyrling.

"Take credit for searching you?" he drawled. "Sure. That was part of the deal."

"No!" L'saz exclaimed. "I mean my impression. I wasn't supposed to impress - the whole deal was that I wouldn't impress, and I don't-" he faltered for a moment, a pained look flickering across his face, before finally admitting, "I don't know what to do."

Ay'ell sat up and crossed his arms. "I don't see how that's my problem."

L'saz moved to open his mouth, but Ay'ell continued speaking before he could get a word out.

"Also, I never said that you wouldn't impress. I said that you _probably_ wouldn't impress. But lightning strikes sometimes, and by getting on those sands, you were taking that chance. Whatever melodrama you're dealing with is yours and yours alone."

L'saz's expression shifted into an angry glower. "No it isn't," he hissed. "It's your problem too, because _you're_ taking bribes. If I go to the Weyreoman-"

The weyrling was cut off by Ay'ell tilting his head back and letting out a booming laugh. It continued for several seconds before straightened back up to grin broadly at L'saz and say, "If you tell the Weyrwoman, you'll come across as a pissy kid who's telling lies because he's upset about impressing green."

L'saz's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "I wouldn't."

"You would. You have nothing on me. I'm an experienced, trusted bluerider. A searchrider. Maybe Tseyth doesn't have a perfect track record, but we have enough impressions to our name. You, though? I haven't been keeping the closest eye, but an entitled little rich boy like you, something tells me that you didn't make very many friends during candidacy. What's your word against mine?"

"It's still-"

"It's nothing." Ay'ell leaned forward and placed a heavy hand on L'saz shoulder. "I'm going to offer you a deal. You get out of my weyr, we forget this ever happened, and you avoid making an enemy that we can't afford. Otherwise, you can keep pushing, and, well." Ay'ell's smile faded into something colder. "You think you're having a bad time now? I promise that the rumor mill can make it a whole lot worse."

L'saz wanted to fight back. He wanted to defend himself, to say that he could find _someone_ who would listen, that Ay'ell couldn't dance away from responsibility with a few threats. Yet as he gazed into the other rider's blue eyes, a chill ran up his spine.

He didn't know what rumors the bluerider would plant if he retaliated against him, but he _did_ know that he didn't want to end up even further out of his depth.

L'saz pulled away and murmured, "Yes, sir."

Ay'ell grinned. "Good boy. Now get the feck out of my weyr."

Last updated on the February 10th 2022

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Backfired Threats