Gossip from the Holds

Writers: Aaron, Estelle
Date Posted: 27th January 2019

Characters: Brennault, Deylan
Description: Brennault hears worrying news from a fellow runner.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 6 of Turn 9

Brennault

The road ahead curved around a low hill, and at last the runner station
came into view in the distance. Deylan grinned at the sight and
increased his pace, his stride stretching out as he used up the last of
his energy on the final stretch. Beyond his destination, he could see
the cliffs of Dolphin Cove Weyr rising against the horizon, and caught a
faint scent of sea-salt in the air.

To his delight, as he neared the station, the sky above the distant peak
was suddenly filled with bright specks of colour in a wide V-shaped
formation. A wing of dragons, returning from /between/! It was always
good to finish up a run so close to the Weyr.

One final sprint took him into the open space in front of the building,
where he slowed to a jog and then a walk, breathing in deep gulps of air
and stretching his arms and shoulders while he cooled down. As he did
so, he saw the main door open and another runner emerged.

"Brennault!" He waved, recognising the young man from his occasional
trips to the area. They'd last met at the Weyr itself, not that long ago.

"Deylan! Welcome in," Brennault greeted his fellow runner. "Water?" he
offered, prepared to wait for the young man to catch his breath before
asking how his route went. He held the door open, ready to go back
inside instead of continuing on as he had been about to go. Deylan had
passed R'fal's letter onto the next leg of its journey, and Brennault
wanted to be able to report back that it was most definitely safe on its
way.

"Oh, yes, that would be wonderful," the runner replied. Now that his
breathing had slowed, he leaned against the wall and began to stretch
his legs. "It was a long, hot run to get here today. Like always!"

Brennault cheerfully fetched a cup of water for Deylan and then took a
seat at the small, round table in the break room space.

"But a good run?" he asked, already itching to get out on the trail
again himself.

Deylan took a large gulp of water. "It was a profitable one, for sure.
There's all kinds of gossip floating around, and everyone seemed to have
letters to send. My Station Master's going to be delighted." He was
based at a runner station further along the road to Emerald Falls.

"Do you know who picked up the letter I sent on with you at the weyr?"
asked Brennault. He might not know whoever it was, but if he did, he
might have a better idea of how much longer it would take to get where
it was going. Maybe. Of course, it was likely to be around a month or so
before it got all the way there, one way or another.

"Wait, did you say gossip?" Brennault grinned and sat forward to listen.

"I did, and it's funny you should mention that letter you gave me,
because do you know where it was going to?" His eyes lit up in
anticipation of sharing a good story. "The very cothold that everyone is
gossiping about."

Brennault lifted an eyebrow curiously. "What's the scuttlebutt?" he
asked, all the more eager to find out about it now that he knew someone
who would be interested to hear. That look on Deylan's face meant it was
something juicy.

"Apparently the Lord Holder's guards captured a band of thieves in that
area. They've been plaguing Emerald Falls for some time, robbing
traders. Remember that riverboat that went missing? Sounds like it was
them." Deylan was relieved that the band had finally been dealt with.
Although he hadn't heard of this particular group attacking runners, he
had still felt vulnerable out on the road on his own, carrying the marks
he'd made on delivery fees.

"Anyway," he continued, "the guards also arrested someone from that
cothold."

"Well, that's one more danger we don't have to worry about on the road,"
Brennault echoed Deylan's thought. He rubbed his chin curiously. Maybe
R'fal would know whoever it was who got arrested. Cotholds were usually
small enough for knowing everyone, at least by name, were they not?

"I've a new friend from the weyr – it was his letter I sent on with you.
Did you catch a name of who it was got arrested?" Brennault wondered.
"Were they in on the brigandry, I suppose?"

"Must have been. It would explain why they'd managed to evade the guards
for so long, if they had someone to hide the loot and shelter them in
Fall." Deylan shook his head, wondering how anyone could be so
despicable as to profit from thieving. "I heard it was the owner of the
cothold, though I didn't hear a name. Do you think your friend might
have known him?"

"Seems like there's no way he wouldn't," said Brennault. "Not that many
families usually live in the cots, do they? And besides, even in the big
ones, everyone knows the Holder..." said Brennault, looking troubled
already, wracking his memory to recall whether R'fal had ever said
anything else about his family. Whether he was related directly to the
owner.

"Looks like I might head in sooner than I meant to." Brennault had been
waiting for more of the runners to finish their routes into the
waystation before he took all of the day's deliveries into the weyr. But
most of them had already come in. "Then again. I don't guess hearing the
news an hour later or so will make that much of a difference, will it?"

"It might be he already knows about it." Deylan's eagerness to share
gossip had vanished, as he wondered just how good a friend Brennault was
talking about. If he was living at the Weyr, it could be a lover.
Weyrfolk were much more relaxed about such matters. He started to wish
he'd kept his mouth shut. "I heard there was an urgent message sent to
Dolphin Cove from that area, a few days ahead of me. Not sure who to,
though."

Brennault winced at the change in Deylan's tone, feeling guilty. He had
not meant to take the tailwind from behind him. To be fair, he and R'fal
were not exceedingly close. Yet. But he was one of Brennault's first
friends at the weyr, and knowing that R'fal had been so eager to visit
his home, Brennault felt he owed it to R'fal to at least check in with
him about it.

"Well. He probably does know, then," he said. "But I'll check after I
get back." He patted Deylan's arm and smiled, hoping to reassure him.

"Maybe it's nothing, but he might need a friend." Deylan drained the
last of the water from his cup and got to his feet. "Well, I'm going to
go and bathe. Here's the letters for the Weyr." He handed them over.
"Have a good run, Brennault. You can tell me all the gossip from the
Weyr, next time we meet!"

"Have a good bath," Brennault said with a chuckle. He set the letters
down on the table, retrieved his bag, and then put them in. "I doubt
I'll have anything to top this news, but you know what they say – never
say never. Cheers."

Best to get on the road now, after all, he thought to himself as he
headed out.

Last updated on the February 3rd 2019

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Gossip from the Holds