Doing the Rounds [open]

[Wren]

Auctor took his role as guardmaster very, very seriously, so it was not uncommon to see him patrolling around the prison barracks, as he was supposed to whenever he had the chance. He was not quite alone; with him were his two firelizards Sammy and Sally, but he had no human company; the man had often found that patrols went better when he didn’t have others with them, perhaps because many of the other guards did not share his idea that respecting the prisoners would earn one their respect in return. All too often he’d had to stop a guard that was either over-enthusiastic or had just had enough, and he always thought it rather tragic to see an otherwise decent man taking out his irritation on one who could not easily fight back.

And so he patrolled alone. It was a cool day for summer, and so the prisoners were not, in general, as aggressive as they had been over the past sevenday or so. Auctor was glad; he got tired of hearing about the fights and arguments that broke out amongst them when tempers were running high and patiences were frayed. But that, as master of the guards, was his job, and he did not resent it. Rather, he was glad that he had responsibility hear, that he could actually make a difference, if a small one, in the quality of life the prisoners had. He was strict, yes, very strict, but he liked to think that he was also fair, and that he treated every issue that came his way with a clear and selfless heart.

He carried no weapons with him, for he did not expect trouble during this patrol, and if there was any he could use his fists to take care of himself until his shout for help had been answered. Nevertheless he cut an imposing figure. A broad, wide-shouldered man with the beginnings of a pot-belly, he looked powerful as well as heavy. Somehow the green firelizard draped over his shoulders added to the affect, her bulk making him appear even bigger than he was. She flicked her head from side to side warily, her eyes flashing in warning. At his feet his other green trotted along after him, keeping up easily.

But despite how he might look, Auctor was really quite calm. Halfway through his patrol he stopped and lent against a stone wall, taking a sip from the skin he’d brought with him. He peered through the barred front of the cell before him, hoping to find an amiable prisoner who he could talk with to determine the current mental condition of the inmates in general.

[nemix]

Conditions within Warden's weren't exactly, pleasant. Then again, they weren't the worst Tiael had ever seen. At least here they got to go outside and all their basic needs were taken care of. It was just the people that tended to make things complicated. Currently, letting prisoners Stand, was causing a lot of discussion and differences of opinion. So much so, that Tiael almost enjoyed being in her cell. It kept her from having to listen, again, to the same gossip, again, about the same issues......oh yes, again. For Tiael, Warden's bordered on the mundane, despite it's colourful inhabitants. Routines were the same, expectations were the same, the only thing that changed were the people issues and even then most of them bored her. Most of them all thought so small.

Currently her mind was far away, pondering the best way she could use a dragon to get out of here. It wouldn't be easy, they' be able to find her dragon so a straight out run wouldn't work. Yes, if she wound up with a dragon it could between but then so could everyone else's. Plus they followed orders, and spoke nothing but the truth. Getting a dragon to aid her, was going to prove tricky, if she even managed to Impress one in the first place. They were impressionable though, and hopefully, she could get a young one round to her way of thinking. The best way out, was to get in good just about everywhere until she could leave this forsaken place and begin to quietly build her life back into something she wanted.

Quite how this was going to work was still mostly fuzzy, but now that she was being allowed to Stand, the possibilities were getting tantalisingly closer.

Her thoughts were jogged as a shadow fell across the room, and Tiael tilted her chin down to peer at the doorway. Arms folded behind her head as she lay on her cot, she eyed the guardmaster for a long moment before smirking and sitting up. "Well, well, well, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company guardmaster?" She asked smoothly, watching the man with a playful smile on her face. He was kinder than most, though an absolute stickler for the rules. His control in that area drove her insane, but he also saw the other guards didn't get too over the top so it was important to make efforts. He, unlike most, would usually chat and information could be exchanged both ways, if you asked the right questions.

[Wren]

Ah good, someone was talking to him. Auctor flicked his steely eyes to the female in question, and after a moment he recognised her. He didn’t quite smile, he very rarely actually smiled except around his family, but there was a slight softening of the hard lines around his mouth which might have been indicative of a friendly greeting. “Just doing the rounds, Tiael.” He told her in his usual warm rumble.

If his memory was anything to go by, Tieal was one of the ‘better behaved’ prisoners; he did his best to know the basic personalities of every prisoner Warden’s had. Obviously, there were some he paid more attention to than others; he dealt with the trouble-making, aggressive prisoners much more than the amicable, peaceful ones, and so he was more familiar with them, an unfortunate but unavoidable state of affairs. Tieal, to the best of his knowledge, was not a major trouble-maker, even if she was a bit mischievous on occasion.

“I hear things have been a little tense of late,” He began, referring both to the summer heat and the stress caused by the clutch and its prisoner candidates. Jealousy, he’d discovered, had become something of an issue of late. The warden was naturally extremely picky about which prisoners he would allow to Stand, with many inmates who would have liked to become candidates being refused the opportunity. Of course, it was only the more temperamental ones, the ones most inclined to get upset if they didn’t get their own way, that weren’t allowed, and so tempers were running high. It was no great secret that the warden only let any prisoners at all Stand because he believed none of them would Impress anyway (a view Auctor privately held), but that didn’t do much to calm frayed nerves. Turning his mind back to Tieal, he continued, “Have you noticed anything interesting?”

It was Auctor’s belief that the best way of keeping the prisoners under control if they were unhappy was to either give them what they wanted or, at least, some compromise that would keep them content, but to do that he first had to figure out what they wanted, and the best way to do that was to talk to them. Talking to just one individual could often reveal a lot about all the prisoners, and, in Auctor’s mind, was a worthwhile exercise.

[nemix]

Tiael watched Auctor quietly. She was often surprised at how many names he got right, considering the numbers were increasing every day. Still, once you'd been here a while, she supposed people got familiar. As usual his greeting was warm, not overly friendly but she often doubted the man knew how to smile so it probably couldn't be helped. "Do you ever do anything else?" She asked with a hint of a chuckle. It would have surprised some she knew, to be so, friendly, with the guards but she'd found it far easier to simply do her thing and let them do theirs. Not to say it had all been fine and dandy, she'd had a few problems settling in and accepting the fact that she couldn't escape. Nothing too major though or she'd not be a Candidate now.

As he spoke again, she stood up and stretched, wandering closer to the door and leaning on the wall of the cell, arms folded. "Always such a careful way with words." She said with a sigh, then shrugged. "Tense is as good a one as any I suppose, personally, its starting to feel more like a wherry that's just been fed spices if you get what I mean." There'd be trouble, though it was hard forTiael to work out whether it would come from the prisoners or the guards. She firmly held the belief that the prisoners WOULD Impress. Mankind had been Impressing to dragons since anyone could remember, they'd never had a prison before but she'd heard stories of not-so-nice riders before Warden's time. What was stopping them getting dragons just because people had created silly rules and barriers? Their leathery lifemates certainly didn't seem to care much about social rank or the lowliest drudges wouldn't have ever Impressed and Faranth knew there'd been a few of those even in her lifetime. What would happen when the prisoners walked off the sands with their heads held high was anyone's guess. Still, she didn't voice that particular side of her opinion, merely turned Auctor's question over in her head, thoughtful before she responded.

"Besides the usual, friendly interactions between yourselves and the rest of us you mean?" She asked smoothly again, apparently amused. He did like to dig this one, for information, to get a feel for things on 'their side' as it were. She couldn't blame him, he was in charge or the Guards, it paid to keep his ear to the ground. It was times like this, Tiael found it hard. Here was a perfect opportunity to fan some flames, perhaps add to the tension a little, twist the screw that was Warden's just a little tighter. It was doing a fine job all on its own, but she could, technically help things along. Then again if it got pinned on her, Candidacy could be right out if people started to get, silly. Ahhh decisions.

Eventually she dropped her arms and leant her back against the stone wall, feeling its coolness and gaining a little clarity. "I, may have heard a thing or two." She said slowly, her features neutral. "You know how it is though, could all just be idle chatter from either side." She said, leaning forward to try and peer out into the hall. It would be stupid to be heard 'blabbing' as it were and she gave Auctor a pointed look. He'd be getting nothing out of her unless they were free from prying eyes and ears, and unless she could get something out of it.

[Wren]

Auctor raised an eyebrow in answer to Tieal’s joking question, unamused. He was a very serious man by nature, not given to making jokes, or receiving them. He wasn’t offended; you had to really insult him to hit a nerve, but neither did he share in the humour. “I do my duty,” was all he said.

However, as she began to tell him about the current state of affairs with the prisoners, his eyes sharpened with interest and he too walked forward a little; this was what he wanted. So yes, things had been tense, ‘like a wherry that’s just been fed spices’, as she would say. Hmm, well at least she was talking a little, perhaps, if she was willing to tell him this much, she’d be willing to tell him more. Auctor generally found that the prisoners didn’t trust him, and often, when he asked questions, they would clamp shut. It was infuriating when all he wanted to do was help, but at least he had the patience to deal with it. It was only in the most extreme cases that he ever resorted to bullying.

He nodded at the question, then had to resist a sudden and powerful urge to roll his eyes. He understood her meaning; she wasn’t going to say a thing unless she was somewhere private. He’d been right about something then; Tieal was a mischievous little thing. Still, he understood her reasons; being overheard ‘telling tales’, as it were, would probably make her rather unpopular, and in a prison, being unpopular was dangerous. He scowled, but not in an angry way. “Prisoners and their manipulative ways.” He grumbled. Letting Tieal know that he knew exactly what game she was playing. “Very well then, let’s go for a walk.” He reached into his pocket for his key and, checking one last time that there were no other prisoners at hand, opened the door.

It was probably against the warden’s policy for the guards to let a prisoner out of a cell when they chose, but Auctor was the guardmaster, and he was of the habit of overestimating how much power that gave him. Besides, it wasn’t as though he was going to let her escape; if she tried to run off it would take him about a second to send Sally the firelizard to the head of the dragon guards and have her scooped up, that was if he couldn’t catch her and drag her back to the prison barracks himself. He sometimes felt a bit guilty about manhandling the female prisoners, (he was rather old-fashioned in that he believed them to be the ‘weaker sex’) but he would if duty called him to do so.

[nemix]

Tiael wondered if the man knew how to smile, or if that wasn't his problem, whether he was ever satisfied. Perhaps he was simply someone for whom nothing was ever good enough? It was a rather depressing thought, it also made Tiael glad she had little contact with him if that was the case. Imagine spending time with someone who was either never happy, or never satisfied? That thought made Tiael shudder inwardly. Still, he was kind, ish. Married to his job it seemed. Or perhaps he was married? It wasn't something he was likely to talk about, but you had to wonder with some of these Guards. She'd seen the odd child and family but mostly they were kept separated from them all. Just how many mothers had agreed to bring their children to such a forsaken place? Why would you do that? Maybe there'd been no choice....

She knew her request was bound to push a few buttons, but there was absolutely no way she was going to land her hide in a boat load of trouble. Things were tense as it was for the Candidates, given they got time to 'relax' at 'lessons' here and there, away from the hard work the other prisoners got. Still, she was surprised at how easily he assented to her request. A smile slid easily to her lips again. Smart man indeed, just a pity he was such a stickler for the rules, he'd have been so useful. "Thank you, Guardmaster." She said politely, waiting as he checked the hall and then proceeded to open the door. Being among the thick of the prison had no appeal, but a quiet walk away from the main building? That would be bliss. Tempting as anything, but she wasn't a complete dimglow.

Stepping quietly through the door, she held out her wrists questioningly towards him and waited. She debated teasing him a little for his sullen moods, but perhaps here would not be the smartest place if he decided just to chuck her back in the cell. Then again, alone where he'd be at liberty to smack her about and no one would think much of it wouldn't be bright either. The idea was fast losing appeal the more she thought on it, which also made her frown a moment. She did love to toy with people, mostly just to see their reactions, but sometimes you could learn things. It was just disappointing when she learned that she had to behave.

"Always thought you were a fair man." She commented quietly, throwing her gaze to the wall opposite. There would be no ears or eyes, or she'd not even have made it out the door. Good behaviour is best rewarded, at least in Wardens they were making a good go of it. Even if the prisoner Candidates were viewed as a joke. What some failed to realise was that it could work both ways. The guards weren't why they were here, they were just people. So, in Tiael's opinion, the same theories could be applied to them. Reward the kinder ones, appeal to their sense of fairness and keep yourself one step ahead. At least, she hoped she was. Flattery wouldn't get her far she knew, but there were certain things she reckoned he'd appreciate. A compliment about no other guard being so nice, would just get dismissed, he was Guardmaster, he could probably order them all taken outside for an afternoon and people would have to listen. He was however, serious, dedicated and seemed to keep such a tight rein on his temper he surely hated way some of the other guards flexed their muscles. She hadn't seen him interject unless it was really called for though, so she had to wonder just how honourable he truly was. Interesting point to mull over on their walk.

[Wren]

Auctor gave a polite nod as Tieal thanked him. It occurred to him that she would probably see him as something of a pushover, for assenting to her wishes so easily, but frankly he didn’t care what she, or anyone else for that matter, thought about him. He knew what he was doing. He’d been working as a guard at Warden’s for a long while, and he knew a lot about how a person’s mind worked when they were held prisoner. Some of them were genuinely meek and quiet, but most liked to think that they played the guards, that they could easily manipulate them. That was why, in Auctor’s opinion, the best guards were either too stupid to realise this or not vain enough to care. Auctor fit into the latter category; let the prisoners think they could best him; it kept them quiet.

But Auctor did believe in respect, and he believed in treating prisoners like people, especially ones like Tieal, who were clearly in their right minds and, deep down, just decent human beings. Perhaps the guardmaster was just naïve in that way. He was a little surprised that she’d hold her wrists out, as if to be cuffed, and he shook his head a little to say that they wouldn’t ne needed. Violent prisoners were required to wear cuffs on their legs when they were out of their cells, but better-natured ones were not, and he could hardly think that she would attempt some escape.

He shut the door behind her, locking it securely. “I try.” He said simply in answer to her comment, but he looked at her with a hint of suspicion. Tieal could well just be trying to get on his good side by saying what he wanted to hear; she certainly seemed smart enough to be able to figure out what that was. On the other hand, she could just be being honest, and if that was true, he was pleased. He did try hard to be fair to everyone, and if the prisoners appreciated that, well, he was glad.

He put the thought from his mind and began to stroll along the corridor, motioning for Tieal to walk with him. “Are you one of the candidates?” He asked, his voice a little lighter, thinking that the best way to get information out of somebody was to beat about the bush.

[nemix]

Tiael was pleased to find their unscheduled stroll would not, involve cuffs. She was rarely subjected to them, another perk of not being a complete dimglow and kicking up a stink; but being allowed out of her cell specially? She was rather sure she'd have to wear them if nothing else than for the look of the thing. She wasn't about to argue though, merely smirked slightly. "See? Very fair." She said after his short comment, Definitely not a talker, but probably nosy she mused.

As he began to walk, she did too, clasping her hands behind her back and stretching her neck from one side to the other. He hardly wasted time she thought with amusement, hearing the polite question and debating how best to respond. To smile and sound excited? To snort and sound arrogant? Perhaps even angry? No, none of those would do, he'd see through that lot in a minute. He was always watching, a perk of not constantly talking she supposed. He read people fairly well, it was just a shame he hadn't learned to do both at once. Imagine the possibilities that sharp mind of his could have had. Pity. "That I am, Guardmaster." She said evenly in the end. Her tone was neutral, opting for making his job slightly harder than offering any particular emotion one way or the other. "I must admit I was quite surprised we're even being allowed in the same room as the clutch, let alone to actually Stand. Warden's seems to be changing a bit mm?" She said, flicking her gaze from the walls back to Auctor for a moment. It didn't sit long, a pointed look would be too much but perhaps she'd glean something from his expression. Did the Guardmaster even like the fact that prisoners were Standing? She rather doubted any of the guards wanted the prisoner's to Stand, but perhaps some tempers were a little more flared than others.

As they walked, Tiael was patiently waiting for them to be free of the main complex, or at least into a less crowded place. It wouldn't take too long she knew so she walked on, breathing deeply as they emerged outside. She stretched, perking up a little in the fresh air and sighed happily. "Much better." She said out loud, sweeping her eyes across the area, a small idea forming in her mind. "It's a bit of a pity though, that it takes a personal guard to make me feel like I can relax." Her voice was quiet, looking out over the space before her where she'd paused in her stride, a frown on her lips as she was apparently lost in thought. It didn't seem to be a happy one either. After a moment, she shook her head slightly, forcing a smile back onto her lips and turning to glance at Auctor. "Sorry. Shall we?" She then asked, picking up her tones and resuming her pace again, hands clasped once more behind her back.

[Wren]

Auctor gave brief, satisfied nod as he learned that Tiael was a candidate. He had expected as much; Tiael seemed like the kind of person who wanted to make life better for herself, and to many of the prisoners, Impressing probably seemed like a good way to go about it. Personally, Auctor was a little sceptical of the wisdom of giving convicted criminals dragons. Dragons could travel Between, couldn’t they? And no amount of cuffs and chains could stop them. The only assurance Warden’s would have that they wouldn’t all just clear off the moment they learned to Between was that they would have nowhere to go, and that was unlikely to be much of a deterrent to less balanced, or very driven individuals. Tiael did not seem unbalanced, but driven? He didn’t yet know.

There was something about her tone that concerned him a little; it was too neutral, without even a hint of excitement. It was as if she was trying to keep her emotions on the subject hidden, and she would only do that if she thought the topic was a delicate one. That or she was deliberately being difficult, trying to have fun with. Good thing he had such patience.

Regardless, he nodded at her observation. “Yes, things are changing.” He agreed. “Semith clutching made sure of that.” He caught the woman’s glance and held it for a moment before looking forward again. He wondered if he ought to make some pointed remark about whether or not the prisoner-candidates could be trusted with such a responsibility, but decided against it; for now he needed to earn enough of her trust to get the information he wanted out of her.

He was a little surprised at her comment about relaxing, surprised that she would express such discomfort. Was she making a point about the state of Warden’s, or was she trying to earn pity? Was she actually genuinely unhappy and appealing to him for help, in a roundabout way? Her pride probably prevented her from asking directly. He realised that she’d paused in her step and turned to look at her. She was frowning, as if genuinely unhappy about something, and appeared to be lost in thought. He waited for her, blinking when a smile again appeared on her face.

“If you have any concerns, you’re welcome to share them.” He told her quietly, matching her stride. His voice was just as blunt as ever, but it had a kinder note to it; an invitation to confidence. He looked at her searchingly.

[nemix]

Neutral. Neutral and guarded. As the conversation, if you could call if that from the brief exchanges, progressed it became clear that Auctor was going to give away about as much as she was. Well, it would prove an interesting battle of wits if nothing else. His response about the clutch did jog a thought though, as little as it gave away about the current affairs at Wardens, it did give her an opportunity to get the man talking a little more. "She's a bit, unusual isn't she. I mean, a wing deformity is nothing I wouldn't expect from time to time. Just look at people. However people say she doesn't act like a normal Queen. I've not many so I'm hardly one to say but, she does seem a bit more, carefree, than most." She paused for a moment, thinking aloud. "Still, I do find it odd that people thought she wouldn't clutch. She may be carefree, and she may not fly, but if you look at people, that rarely stops them pursuing....urges." She said, then shrugged and shook her head. "Then again, I know little about dragons. Why do people think she shouldn't have clutched?" She asked, turning the question on Auctor, though her tone was polite. He was a rule stickler and being unruly or demanding would get her shoved back in her cell, not the way to handle this.

His shift in tone at her pause had been sutble, most would have missed it if they'd not been listening properly, but it was there. As Tiael had resumed her stride again, she felt a small curl of satisfaction in her stomach as he changed slightly in his approach to their conversation. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped herself from speaking. Instead she closed it again, apparently giving the matter deeper thought as she settled back into her usual walking pace. In the end she chuckled, softly, very quietly and seemed amused in a sad sort of way when she spoke again. "It's an interesting notion. One that I should be welcoming honestly and yet...." She trailed off, looking over the prison grounds and sighed. "I could well talk to you its true, but that can quickly turn into dangerous territory for us both."

She paused as she tugged at her shirt sleeves thoughtfully and then flicked her gaze back to him. "I could tell you, so many things about this place. Some you likely know, you're Guardmaster after all, some I doubt you'd suspect in a million turns." She sighed deeply, as if wrestling with something inside. "That places you in a position of power, you have that information and a hold as it were, over me. It's not entirely safe though, because how can you trust a lowly prisoner like me? I know you don't think much of us, I can sort of see why. Some are idiots, some don't deserve the respect you'd give a wherry after what they've done.......some of us though, some of us are truly sick of this place and determined not to let a past slip-up determine the rest of our existence. Yet still, anything I tell you you'd be sceptical of. It would play around in the back of your mind and you'd not trust it fully. Maybe not even partially." She dropped her shirt cuffs, clasping her hands behind her back and a slight bounce creeping into her stride as she explained her thought process. "So, the answer is simple right? I just have to tell you the truth, something you can look at and weigh up, and learn if I was being honest about. Ah but then, I'm at the mercy of the inmates. Then I'm a tattle tale, and I don't need to remind you how well most prisoners get along with tattle tales in here. I don't fancy being tortured, beaten, or worse. My goal is to keep my head down and get started on a new life should one ever present itself. Still, it doesn't help my current, situation, now does it?"

Another pause, this time she turned to face Auctor, head tilted slightly to one side. "So what do I do? What is the best path to take? You can see why it is not an easy decision to make." She gave Auctor a long, critical look, before she finally nodded firmly. "Alright, because you are a fair man and because you actually attempt to listen, perhaps information is something I can share." She mused a little more, the thinking causing her to rock up onto her toes and back down here and there. "That doesn't mean I'm about to spill my guts to you but it does mean I'm willing to give this a shot. I know you're not a fan of 'deals'," She said almost in distaste, as if she didn't like the idea much either, "but I think you can agree that it would be stupid of me to simply start blabbing. I want to know, that on some level at least, I can trust your word and that this whole thing wont get me hurt. I'm not going to simply hand you over my safety and hope you'll keep me protected from any potential backlash. You've seen some of the other Guards, you know they wont uphold that promise like you would and unfortunately, you can't be everywhere at once. So, perhaps the best idea is to start small and work our way up to something juicy hmm?" Turning away she began to walk again, her features relaxed though her mind was racing. "What do you say to this: I'm prepared to talk to you a little today, give you some information you can take away and check out. If it does so, you'll know I'm not trying to lie. In return, you make sure I stay safe. It'll be something small, something that shouldn't have dire consequences, but if any of it gets back to them that it was me or they touch a hair on my head, I'll know you're not a man of your word." She knew it was a big ask, it would be going against most of his principals, but it was also sensible if the man wanted the insider scoop on the prisoners. The trick, was going to be balancing her requests, with the value of information she could offer.

One thing had seemed to catch him off guard earlier though and she wondered if it might help. She hated herself for using it in this way, but what he could give her in terms of protection was far more than any other Guard. Her features had grown neutral again as she toyed over whether to say more, flicking to a sad smile as she glanced briefly at Auctor. "I don't like this any more than you do, but it would be nice to not be watching over my shoulder all the time. To know that someone at least, thinks a person can change. I'd never meant to end up in a place like this." Her gaze flicked out over the grounds, the frown appearing for a moment again before she shook her head and her neutral mask slipped back into place.

[Wren]

Auctor pondered what Tiael said about poor Semith for a short while, trying wondering how best to answer her. He liked to educate the inmates where he could, thinking that knowledge would allow them to better themselves even if they were in prison, and it made for far more pleasant conversation than the usual verbal sparring he had to put up with. He certainly was not offended by it. Unfortunately Tieal’s topic of choice was not one Auctor was really and expert in, and he had to think for a while before he could dredge all the old knowledge up from his brain.

“From what I’m told, Semith is an unusual queen, yes, and not just from a physical point of view. It’s said that she has a child-like personality, and certainly those that know dragons well say that this is not typical for a dragon.” He paused here for a moment. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t say anything that could be construed as disrespectful. “People were surprised that she ran simply because such a thing has not happened before, at least as far as records tell us. The fact that she clutched is even more surprising, and that for two reasons. First, the long-held belief is that the higher a gold’s flight, the larger her clutch, and as Semith had no height at all, it was assumed she would have no clutch. Also, she was caught by a blue, something that is also without precedent, or so it’s thought. Golds are sometimes caught by browns, and then their clutches are smaller even than Semith’s is now. It follows that one fathered by a blue would be even smaller. Combine the two, and it’s not surprising that she was no expected to clutch.”

There, he was done with his mini-lecture, as it were. What he said came purely from what he’d heard said by the warden, the weyrwoman, and other high-ranking riders at the Weyr, and had nothing at all to do with personal knowledge. It made sense to him nonetheless, and if they believed it, he was perfectly happy to pass the information on.

But it seemed a nice, intelligent conversation about dragons was not to be had. When Tieal started speaking again, he could but keep his expression neutral and his pace even, though he followed what she said closely. She was, he thought, one of those people who liked to talk. She was expressing her thoughts freely enough, the problem was that they were not the particular thoughts that Auctor needed to hear. The way she spoke, of keeping things from him for her own safety, suggested to him that she did have some things to tell him, and yet wanted reassuring that there would not be unpleasant repercussions. She was too guarded for his purposes, not naïve enough, and yet she also seemed truly unhappy. Although her tone was ever neutral, her words pointed to a deep misery and desire to be gone. He didn’t blame her. He knew that life was not easy for the prisoners; it was his job to make sure that it was.

And yet it was also his job to make sure that they were not unduly unhappy. When she made her ‘deal’, he paused to look at her for a long moment, wondering how to speak in a way that would not upset her or hurt her pride, and yet would let him change things to better suit him. He knew that she was already offering something of a sacrifice. “If you have anything to say, be sure that you can say it in confidence.” He said eventually. “I will make no deal with you except this: You tell me about a problem there is, and I will do my best to fix it in a way that makes life better for you and all other prisoners.” His voice grew gentle again. “I’m not interested in prison-gossip, and I don’t need a spy, I just want to know how to help. You don’t have to tell me anything that could get you in trouble, unless you have a personal issue with any of the others. You are already safe, even if it doesn’t feel that way.” He blinked, scrutinising her closely. “Tell me, what is it about this place that makes you so sick of it? Why do you hate it here so much?"

[nemix]

Tiael listened thoughtfully, taking in the information about Semith and turning it over in her head. Much of dragon knowledge was based upon what 'usually' happened, Semith had broken norms. It seemed to fit then that the clutching was unexpected when put that way. "I can certainly see why it caused a bit of a stir." She mused thoughtfully, tucking away as much information as she could. She opened her mouth to say something else, paused, and then settled on a simple, polite "Thank you."

Her thought pattern might, very possibly, have been a little busy and not checked everything that she was saying. One critical part of her deal, depended on Auctor being sway-able. That he held a burning desire to know what went on behind closed doors so that he could control it all the more. Auctor seemed to be about nothing but control, over himself and the prison. As he responded to her offer though, it became clear that he was not that driven, or simply didn't believe she could ever know something he needed to hear that badly. Well, that could be his loss. No safety guarantee, no 'gossip' as he liked to term it.

His question caught her a little off guard, and she had to fight the urge not to simply snap back a retort at him. It wouldn't be smart and it wouldn't get her anywhere. She took some time, to look over the grounds again. It was imperative that she didn't seem put out by his refusal, nor that she get angry at his probing. He was all about probing. Probing, and nothing back. Did he really expect her to play ball with him when the best he could do was say she could tell him things in confidence? Clearly he had no idea how to bargain, or how Tiael worked. He disliked the former and had taken no time to work out the latter and she wasn't about to help him.

She let the matter of the deal drop, shrugging her shoulders and clasping her hands together as she looked back at Auctor. There was no point in talking to the man about the things that troubled her. There had seemed possibly a point before, but she'd not be swayed with empty words. Even if he believed them, he wasn't everywhere all the time, it was more likely to land her in trouble than anything. So then, his question, that one was easily addressed. "What exactly am I supposed to like about being here?" She asked in the end, gesturing vaguely about. "I don't quite see why I'm supposed to be happy about being stuffed onto an island, with apparently no hope of getting off this rock and being treated like I'm some great 'danger to society'." She said, sighing lightly. "You have a job to do, I can respect that, you feel you're doing your part or some-such I'd imagine. If you were us, would you honestly want to be here? Well, the us that still have functioning minds anyway. I'm aware some of my fellow inmates aren't exactly running with a full flock of wherries in the head department."

The question seemed absurd to Tiael, was she supposed to feel grateful that they'd brought here here or something? Now she was here, she was tarnished with a brush that meant she was never getting away, not properly and she'd never even hurt anyone! Outright defiance against the place probably wasn't smart, she mused sullenly, it caused her to sigh again. "Yes, I broke rules.....though it was mostly to survive, or in certain cases to make people happy. I just don't find it particularly encouraging that I'm doomed to forever be here when my crimes are hardly on par with some of the others."

[Wren]

Tieal did not seem too pleased with his response. Sure, she did not show any obvious sign of displeasure, but there was something a little less friendly in her demeanour. He guessed that was better in a way; it was better that they be frank rather than each trying to manipulate the other into getting what they want. He realised that she might have over-estimated the extent of his desire to get hold of information, or underestimated his ability to acquire it through other means. Or maybe she was just paranoid. Perhaps that was more likely.

He frowned a little as she made her argument, not because he was angry but because she was surprised that she said what she said. He paused to look at her. “But you don’t have to enjoy something to not despise it.” He gave her a pointed look, though his voice remained as measured and still as always. “Obviously, we don’t want you to really like it; you’re here to be punished. But we don’t want you to be truly miserable either. If you’re unhappy because you feel you have no freedom, well, you shouldn’t have broken the law. If you’re unhappy because you feel in danger or there is something else compromising your health, I can help.”

He was not at all surprised to hear her complain that she was treated like prisoners who had committed far worse crimes; it was a fault he recognised in the way Warden’s was run. Violent prisoners were treated a little differently; they were not allowed out of the prison complex without shackles, they got food of worse quality and they were generally treated worse by the guards. Even so, all prisoners were in for life, and there were only so many ways the warden and his staff, Auctor included, could do to make things any fairer.

Eventually he just said. “You’re a candidate, you have a chance to make something of yourself. Impress at this hatching, if you’re lucky enough to do so, be obedient and helpful, as unpleasant as that may sound, and do the duties you are assigned well. Apart from telling me about any immediate problems you have, the only way to make things better for yourself is to earn the trust and respect of those in charge. Do that, and you will also earn liberty, or at least, more of it than you have now.”

[nemix]

Tiael wondered if the man would ever be able to understand Warden's from an inmate's perspective. Though to do that he'd have to break the laws that people were so bound by. That and Auctor didn't seem to compute in her head at all, he was too narrow, to, straight to noble. It seemed a fitting word for the man who seemed permanently in control of everything about himself. Curiously, she wondered what he would be like drunk and if he'd ever been a carefree child. Again, neither seemed to compute. Auctor was so, together, he seemed almost inhuman at times.

She wasn't surprised by his response, it merely highlighted how different they were. She doubted the man had ever needed to survive, doubted he'd faced times with no home, no family, no help. She strongly suspected, he'd never experienced proper emotions too but she wasn't too worried. Auctor was, well, Auctor and nothing about that was likely to change. She let his mini lecture wash over her as she'd done on countless occasional with others. Still, he raised an offer of help, it seemed he liked to be needed, on some levels. Otherwise why bring her out here to ask? Auctor might, possibly, have a teeny tiny soft spot under all that, control. It was an encouraging thought.

"Nothing compromises my health, I worry a fair bit more at meal times now though." She mused quietly, then shrugged. "Open space, lots of prisoners, not many guards." She summised, kicking at the ground again. "You can probably figure out what, along with eating utensils makes some of us a bit, nervous." He would have been deeply suspicious about a sudden blubbering breakdown, but there was no harm in giving him a small hint of what was plaguing most of the Candidates' minds.

Listening to Auctor's advice, she debated arguing over some of his points. Be respectful, it seemed to become harder to Tiael the more time she spent in here. The more time she was less than a person in most people's eyes, the more she simply wanted to yell back at them. That was the problem with this place, it had a tendency to twist people. She resisted as much as she could, but the urge to lose her temper was growing a little closer each day, yup, she needed to work harder on that getting out thing. She chuckled, almost sadly as Auctor finished, peering up from the ground and giving him a lopsided smile. "You probably make a good father you know. I mean, I'm sure the kids complain you never let them mess up their rooms but, you're patient. I'd imagine that's pretty important." Sighing, she looked at the ground again then back up to the Guardmaster pulling herself up a little. "You're probably right." She conceded. "I am a Candidate, I do have a chance to become more than what I am now so I am grateful for that."

Falling quiet, she didn't dare approach any of the more pointy subjects Auctor had mentioned. Earning trust she could do, it meant people could be more useful later, she just needed to keep a cool head. Respect would be harder, most wouldn't give them it now despite their thus far good behaviour, quite how that would change she had no clue. The prospect of some form of liberty was also not much of a pacifier. Even if you work hard, harder than most have to in fact, we still wont treat you like a normal rider. Boy didn't that just sound lovely. No. Tiael wanted far more than that, she just had to figure out a way to make it happen........once she'd figured out the dragon issue.

"Will you still come visit?" Tiael asked suddenly, an odd smile playing across her features as she looked ahead of where she was walking. "I'd hate to think you'd forget about us if we got dragons. Besides, it's nice to have an intelligent conversation with someone. Even if we're rather, different, to one another."