Getting In Getting Out

Participants:

Ahnika.jpg Jhath Merendezen.jpg Tuorth Waine.jpgNPCs: Jinnet (played by Jaya) and Waine (played by Max)

Date: 10-15-10 through 10-18-10, but ICly taking place the late night of Regret while Max is ICly gone from the weyr.
Location: EW: Beast Cavern
Synopsis: Ahnika executes her plan to get more information from Jinnet and try to help him escape. Things don't go entirely as planned, and Waine nearly prevents Jinnet's escape just before M'zen shows up to carry her to the infirmary, but in the end her objective is achieved.
Rating: PG-13ish for suggestive dialogue, language, and violence
Logger: Ahnika

Eastern Weyr: Beast Cavern

Sweeping upwards from the tunnel's entrance at the easternmost end, this cavern arches well over the heads of its inhabitants; both two- and four-legged. Wooden stalls and pens have been built in rows. Two rows are built into the north and south walls and two are back-to-back down the center, leaving two aisles up and down. Each animal enclosure is spacious, well-built and solid; the whole place smells of new timber and sawdust, with the subtle undertones of leather, animal and hay. The western end opens out into the feeding pens and from there into the upper bowl. The opening is large enough to allow a decent amount of sunlight to enter the cavern, but not quite big enough to allow the adult dragons inside.


How long would Max be gone? A few days, at least, Ahnika reasoned. Still, better to get this overwith than to put it off and risk something else going wrong. Ahni had already needed to fall back to a contingency plan with that Healer spilled the beans to Jaya about her plans, and the weyrling had no doubt that Jaya had taken the information to Max already, who likely would have just warned Waine to be on the lookout for the attempt. Fortunately, between the problem-solving skills of not just Ahni but Jhath as well, the pair was able to come up with another plan, but if she didn’t act on the information that Max had, indeed, left that day, well, who knows what might happen to render their new plan moot? And so it is that once Ahnika returned to the barracks that night, burdened a good deal with the talk from Indira, she takes the time while the rest of the weyrlings are settling into their cots and couches, to refocus her attention on their plan and go over things again and again, including new contingency plans, with Jhath. The tall and stocky dragonet? No doubt but she would be directly involved in this. Ahnika wouldn’t be able to try it without her even if she wanted to. The green was practically salivating over a challenging and worthy quest of valor for herself and Ahnika and the fact that they were doing this together only seemed to heighten Jhath’s excitement and enthusiasm. Once the other weyrlings have finally settled in and drifted off, Ahnika changes clothes – regular, everyday clothes, to be sure, but not her nightshift, and she is leaving her weyrling knot behind. And the pair cautiously move out of the barracks and into the open night air of the bowl. They are not the only weyrlings to occasionally get some fresh air in the middle of the night, to be sure, and if anyone questions them along the way in the cover of the starlight sky, Ahnika will be sure to say as much. It is when they get to the feeding pens that the pair then split up with Jhath in her natural camouflage coloring hunkered down a couple of meters from the fence within the brush and trees, and for all appearances should anyone happen to see, waiting to execute some terrifying ambush upon some poor soul. Ahnika, meanwhile, uses the entrance there to slip into the beast cavern, carrying with her a bottle of wine in one hand. The rest of her appears unarmed. She makes as little noise as possible, but doesn’t try to stay hidden as she walks down the aisle, seeking the tack room or Waine, whichever encounters first, just as long as she can be quiet about it for now.

With Max away and having put Waine in charge, the big stablehand has only barely managed to keep his head above water, and that without the meetings and other duties the beast manager usually carries out on any one given day. As such, the man is bone tired and not at his usual post outside the tack room. Instead he can be found slumped down onto a stool toward the opposite end of the caverns from where Ahnika enters, doing little but staring off into space, not as alert as he usually is. If it were possible to sleep with your eyes open? That might well be what he's currently doing.

When Ahnika finds the tack room unguarded, her own guard goes up and she looks around a little more, her body tensing, that braid of hers, which she never wrapped up into a bun, tossing around with the sharp movements of her head as she looks for the trap. Paranoid much? It’s only when she actually dares to reach a hand out for the door latch, seeing if it might just be unlocked – because assuming it is and going through a whole bunch of trouble for some kind of key when it’s not necessary is pretty dumb – that the redhead finally spots the terribly tired Waine at the other end of the cavern. For a brief moment, there is actually a genuine look of sympathy for him, and then she reminds herself that none of this would have been necessary at all if Max had just listened to reason, so whatever happens to Waine is really going to be Max’s fault. Right. So. A little breath and jaw set, and Ahnika continues down the aisle quietly toward Waine. If he is, in fact, trying to sleep with his eyes opened, she will give a soft clearing of her throat on approach so as not to startle him. No, she apparently doesn’t mean to hit him over the head with the wine bottle. Not yet at least. “Waine?” she asks softly, more so in an attempt to keep any of the conversation, or even the sound of voices, from travelling down to the tack room.

Waine is very good at doing the vacant eyed act. As such the moment Ahnika steps into view and reaches her hand for that door handle, he's aware of her presence but keeps to that glazed sleeping-with-eyes-open appearance, keeping silent watch on her actions. Gritty and tired eyes really, really want to blink, need to in fact. So it is with much relief that with her speaking his name, the big man does eventually find himself in a position to slowly blink, set bleary blue eyes onto the redhead, "He left this morning." Because why else would the pretty little thing be there other than to see the beast manager? Especially with a bottle of wine in hand.

Unfortunately for Ahnika, she has no way of knowing that word did not trickle down to Waine to warn him of her plans to drug him. In fact, the weyrling appears to assume the worst case scenario when it comes to the whole affair, including what she deems is an ‘act’ when it comes to his statement as opposed to him genuinely thinking she is there for Max. She may not have caught on that his dazed look was an act, but this one she is pretty certain it is. “You can stop pretending. I know you know everything already,” Ahnika gives a little dismissive wave of her free hand, but her voice remains soft, again not to prevent anyone who works in the stables from overhearing as much as wanting to prevent the sound from reaching the tack room. She does, however, uncork the wine bottle and tilts the bottle up in the near silence to take a small sip before offering it to Waine, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “See? No fellis. Don’t worry. Consider this a peace offering.” She smiles gently at the big man. “You know, Max is unreasonable about the whole thing, but there’s nothing saying you have to be. You’ve been around Max for turns as far as I can tell. He trusts you. You both have history together, yes?”

He's a brawler, not a tactician and as such Waine doesn't catch on that Ahnika thinks he's playing the dumb ox. A sheepish grin appears and he straightens out of his slump a little, "Sorry miss, you two were talking pretty loud." Deeming her to be referencing the heated argument between herself and the beast manager. Watching as she uncorks the bottle and takes a sip, the big man blinks a little when she demonstrates and then states the wine contains no fellis. One square chunk of a hand reaches for the bottle and a light frown forms, "Peace offering?" Yeah, he's a little dense at times. Which would be why he thinks she's still talking about the argument. Broad shoulders roll in a shrug as he tips the bottle to his mouth and swallows down a healthy mouthful (never mind that Max would kick his ass from here until next turn for drinking on the job). "Dunno miss, reckon you should be sorting this out with him and not me," he's not however looking set to give up that bottle however. Her last however starts to draw a wary edge in, "Yeah?" Given in grunting reply to having history with his overseer.

The sheepish grin earns a bigger smile of understanding from Ahnika in return, as she thinks she’s won a little of Waine over with that expression. The statement that they had been talking pretty loud only fades the smile by a little bit, just for the confusion factor, before she shakes her head a little and sets that aside for later, presumably, and finally nods in confirmation, “Peace offering. I realize I’m probably putting you in an uncomfortable position here, Waine,” this said as she tries to put her hand on his shoulder companionably, while he drinks, “So, I wanted to bring the wine anyway,” without the fellis, “to make it all a little smoother and easier on your conscience.” Ahnika smiles again, and if her hand connected with his shoulder, she’ll go as far as to rub it once and give it a little squeeze. “Max is no longer involved in the matter as far as I’m concerned,” she states, regarding her needing to sort it all out with him. “But as you and I have history with him and care a lot about his survival, I think you and I know what needs to be done here, Waine.” She leans a little closer, her grey eyes seeking to meet with his to exchange a meaningful look, “It’s up to us to take care of it, Waine. No one else. Just you and me.” And Jhath. “So, you’ll get me inside?” With Ahnika completely assuming Waine knows her real intentions here, she doesn’t have a clue how any of that might be taken the wrong way.

Waine, still completely on the wrong page, lifts a hand to forestall any apologies, "Quite alright miss, I seen and heard worse," trying to cover a light snicker with another mouthful of wine. He doesn't flinch away from her hand at his shoulder, merely twists his head and looks down at it, as if perhaps it were something foreign he's never seen before. Glancing back up to her when she states Max is out of the picture, he sends a hurried glance up to where the beast manager's office/stall is located and then clears his throat, "Uhhh…much as I 'ppreciate the offer miss, I don't rightly think it's good sport to drop on another man's territory before it's even grown cold." The doofus obviously thinking her words to be some sort of invitation to an affair. Of course, her ensuing words don't help much either and he goes stock still when she leans in closer, blue eyes stuck to grey with him licking his lips a little nervously at the thought of what the beast manager might do to him if he moved in on his girl. "Uhhh…" blink. "Get you inside?"

There’s a flicker of irritation in her expression with Waine’s first statement as Ahnika assumes he is criticizing, in some kind of back-handed way, her original plan to use fellis, and then she blinks it away, refocusing back to the plan at hand and its execution. His next statement has Ahnika straightening suddenly and actually lifting her hand from his shoulder, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she seems suddenly extremely interested in that wine bottle. She could be nervously dealing with the ‘rejection’ or it could be the simple fact that she’s suddenly aware of how he had taken her proposition as, well, a proposition. “Oh,” she murmurs softly, cooly, gathering her thoughts on that, and looking for all the world like a desperate woman looking to get back at a lover who scorned her, and who had just come on to a guy and been told firmly ‘no’. But that mildly dejected look, while genuine, is completely for a different reason. “Oh, I see,” she says again, finally, and this time clears her throat softly, fending off internal suggestions from Jhath, one including distracting Waine with a kiss and stealing the key from his person when she does. Yeah, so much for ‘delicate sensibilities’ in that tomboy of a green. “Look,” Ahnika says with a soft sigh, “I need your help to save Max’s life, Waine. I need to get into that tack room. Will you help me or not?” Or do I need to club you with that wine bottle after all? Her grey eyes go back to the bottle he holds.

What he interprets as being a woman scorned in her attempt at revenge on her lover draws forth an apologetic look from Waine in response for not being 'man' enough to step up to the plate and take the opportunity just handed him on a plate (as he's reading it). Yeah, he'd like to keep his nuts where they are, rather than crammed down his throat. It stands to reason then that what Ahnika says at the end has the man going dead still once again, his mind working frantically back over their conversation in an attempt to try and tie it to her last. Oh. Oooooh. He gets it now, his expression of high embarrassment evidence thereof. Slowly he pushes to his feet and once drawn up to his full height stares down in silence at Ahnika for a moment or two. "Don't see how your getting in there is going to do any good, miss," but already his boots are tracking a path toward the tack room as if he indeed intends agreeing to let her in, "What do you want with him anyways?" The thief locked up in there.

Ahnika tenses a little as he gets to his feet, anticipating that he means to bodily remove her from the cavern itself. Outside, Jhath straightens from her nestled position and stands up, stretching a little, but she doesn’t hurriedly dart for the door, having more confidence in ‘her Ahnika’ than that, but still prepared to claw and squeeze her way in through the larger entrance if she has to, which really had been part of their contingency plan anyway. It’d have at least likely started the runners into a frenzied riot and possibly even a stampede out the other way. Luckily, it doesn’t appear to be needed anymore. Or so Ahni thinks, as Waine moves past and heads for the tack room. She smiles a little, mentally adding a tick mark to the side of ‘direct and upfront’ as opposed to the side of ‘sneaky and deceptive’. And then starts after him as he walks, “Shhh!” she says first, then in a hushed voice, “I’m going to get the information Max needs first, but I need to be the one to unlock that door. He can’t see you.” So much for booing the ‘sneaky and deceptive’ plan. “I’m going to pretend I’m rescuing him.” Well, in her mind, it’s not as much pretend as fact, but not exactly the way everyone will likely think.

Turning his head over his shoulder as he lumbers along, Waine lifts a brow for having been shushed and then gives somewhat sardonically, "No one else here but you, me and the runners, miss. And I don't think they're going to say anything." Upon reaching the tack room, he halts and frowns down at Ahnika, not liking that part of her plan that has her entering alone, "He's an ugly piece of work, miss," the thief and then blinking a little at her statement of fooling the thief into believing he's being rescued, his expression darkening and turning uncertain, "Only reason I'm letting you in there is because you strike me as the kind of finger root that might favorably loosen that bastard's tongue. Any of this goes wrong and Max finds out? I was never here and you hit me over the head with this," lifting the wine bottle. Apparently not quite so dense after all. His hand goes to his pocket, extracts a key and holds it out to the redhead, "I'll be right here so don't go trying something stupid like letting him go." Possibly worried that her words might hold some truth to them.

As they near the tack room, Ahnika makes a gesture with her hands to please have him keep his voice down if it’s over a whisper, and she points to the tack room as if explaining that she doesn’t care who in the stables might hear, it’s the prisoner himself she doesn’t want to overhear. Then she chews her lip a little as he explains the guy’s condition, but blinks out of her moment of consideration as he states his confidence in her abilities and she gives Waine a smile, a real warm one, shared in a sweet-toned hushed whisper that, while earnest, is completely inappropriate for the dark-intent of the situation, “Thank you, Waine … that’s really … nice of you to say.” You’d have thought the man was complimenting her on her eyes or something. But truth is, Ahnika’s been feeling a little beaten up about her abilities lately, so complimenting that is really just the sort of thing she needs. She nods then, sobering, “Right,” she whispers, “Not a problem, Waine. I hit you with the bottle. Got it.” She grins then, “Nothing stupid, I promise.” Of course, one’s definition of ‘stupid’ is all relative, really. But as she takes the key from him, she holds up another finger and whispers, “One second,” before turning and making her way down to Max’s office. If Waine doesn’t stop her, she will return soon after with one set of Max’s clothes and his used first aid kit bundled within, and explains in that same murmur, “To better sell my rescue attempt,” before gesturing to the wall beside the door, “Throw yourself up against it, as if I knocked you out or something.” Like the redhead could have knocked him out, well, not without the help of that bottle anyway.

Ahnika's thanks has a pleased smile blossoming onto the big man's features. He might have just thought she was coming onto him, and thus turned her down, but he likes the redhead well enough for her opinion to matter something to him. A light frown follows her path to and from Max's office, blue eyes fastening to the bundle of clothing and first aid kit she brings back with her and then an approving grin as she explains, "Clever." Pretending to be knocked out or not, as soon as she enters the tack room, Waine's back goes against its door meaning that anyone trying to exit again, is quite literally, going to have to go through him. Him, his fists…and his bottle. If it's empty by then because he's not about to waste good wine knocking someone over the head with it.

Jinnet is, for all intents and purposes, asleep. It makes him quite oblivious to any noises and voices outside his little haven, and even if he was awake the man could have cared less. Another day strapped to his captive chair has the man on edge, now starting to wonder if the cavalry he was expecting would ever arrive. Did Lorayit really leave him to this den of wolves? He wasn't sure, and he really had no way of finding out himself without suffering the wrath of either Max or Waine. Jinnet still wasn't sure which one was worse, but he has noticed in the last couple of days that Max has been missing. He was hoping that this, at least, was a sign of better things to come.

With another bright smile for the comment from Waine, despite that she figures Max would likely say something mean like, ‘it’s Waine. He thinks being able to get meat inside a roll is clever’ Ahnika nods once more and then sobers her expression into one that could pass for someone conducting a rescue. It’s easy enough to do as she is nervous enough as it is and most in her position mounting a rescue would probably be nervous. Right? She hopes anyway. A soft breath heralds her Ahnika unlocking and opening the door carefully, sending in a sudden flood of dim light from whatever glows are set in the aisle nearby. She then steps in and, with the little bit of light from the aisle, finds the glowbaskets in the tack room and unlids them, her other arm occupied with holding the clothes and first aid kit to her chest. It is only then that she moves back and closes the door once more, firmly letting the latch on the door settle into the bracket, though it’s not locked from the inside, of course. And then, only then, does she dare to turn around and look at the prisoner. Her breath, quite genuinely catches at the sight of him, and her nose wrinkles a little involuntarily at the likely smell of him, too.

Yes, there's definitely a smell to him, and he doesn't look all that pretty, too. Granted, even without all the bruises peppering here and there on Jinnet's face, he definitely wasn't going to be a shoe-in for a Mr. Pern beauty contest, either - if one had existed. One eye cracks open at the familiar sounds of a door opening, watching the redhead go about with bleary interest. Was this another one of Max's tricks? A healer? Jinnet at this point was thinking the latter, and with him still half asleep, he very well could be thinking Ahnika was the same healer that was sent for him before. He mumbles something in his chair, only shifting slightly when a sharp pain went up his side from sitting a certain way for too long. Then, once it looks like the young woman wasn't going anywhere, "Stick yer damn needle in me and get it over with…" he grunts at her openly, his eyes screwing shut from the sudden light. He wasn't in the mood to be friendly - as if he is any other time - and he was making sure the 'healer' was well aware of that.

Ahnika is still a little dazed and even startled at his condition, even if Waine had warned her. Another layer of innocent ideals is stripped away and the young woman has to swallow a moment and gather her scattered thoughts, regrouping with Jhath’s stouthearted help, and the fellow’s surly attitude. “Shh! Keep your voice down!” she says in a hushed whisper and puts her ear to the door for a moment’s effect and then looks back at him, shaking her head and muttering softly, “They really did a number on you. Trust me, you don’t want me sticking anything in you, buddy.” All of that earnestly stated. Then she says, her eyes cast down at the first aid kit as the fingers of her other hand make a show of rifling through it loosely to check on the contents, “Dunno how long the big guy will be out. Do you know how much fellis costs on the black market? It’s unheard of. I’m not sure I got enough.” There’s a little pause and then she says, “Before I do anything though, I need to know you’re not just some decoy,” bloodied or not, “to trap me. So, give me the code word.”

Jinnet becomes fully awake when Ahnika shushes him and puts her ear to the door. The thief is speechless, and growing more so when none of the words said to him seems to make any sense. Well, -one- thing sort of did: "I'd rather stick something in you, trust that," he returns to something said, straightening up more to now give Ahnika a good once-over. He wants to say more, but the rest dies on his mouth when he begins to register the next things said. Brows furrow heavily as if thought alone was proving painful, and the last has him blinking dumbly at her. "Trap ya—- what the shardin' fuck are ya on?" Cuz he's lost, looking like he was suddenly dumped in the middle of a conversation he doesn't remember leaving. The leery tint in his eyes vanishing now, "Aren' ya some healer?" he asks lamely, slowly, trying to piece together what her motive was with a slow mind that was not cooperating.

Poor guy. There’s that flicker of genuine sympathy in Ahnika’s expression again, seen most visible in her grey eyes as she looks up from the first aid kit to him and then moves to the nearest counter for the tack to set the clothes and the first aid kit down. She unfurls the shirt with a sigh, meant genuinely as she can still sort of smell Max on his clothing, though hopefully it will be taken differently. Ahni then eyes the prisoner and then eyes the shirt, doing an earnest assessment of whether or not it might actually fit him as she talks, figuring that a lot of what will help her get through this convincingly is if a) he doesn’t see her eyes too much and b) she mixes in some truth with some fiction and not lay it on too thick. At least it’s helping her in the saying it without stumbling or stammering the whole time. “Did you think you guys were the only ones our Bitran boss, he who shall not be named here,” with a jerk of her head to the door and who might or might not be able to overhear should they get caught, “… sent down here for this job? As important as this mission is? You’re in a real pickle, though, all of you.” The latter most true of all. And then she lowers the shirt and frowns at him briefly before turning to put the shirt back on the counter and more properly open up the first aid kit, taking her time doing it, “So, I’m in here risking my ass for you. You better not be a trap. Code word. Now.”

Could it be? Jinnet's frowning heavily now, watching Ahnika's every move like a trapped hawk. He eyes the clothes, then her, then those clothes again before she's talking. Not bright he may be, but something she said was just not sitting right with him. Leaning back in his chair, which loosens the tension in bound arms, "Who's the boss's name?" he suddenly puts forth, eyes narrowing onto the redhead with interest before he tacks on quickly with a jerk of his head towards the door, "They already know the name, but I'm as certain as rain that I've never seen you around Bitra before, babydoll." And if she was telling the truth, how the fuck did she find them here in Eastern? "Refresh my memory first," he drawls, jaw working mechanically as he watches her now. "Who are ya, and what sort of job did he send ya down here for, eh?" It was his turn to turn up the heat, now switching his motives as he's certain that Max had sent the woman in here to josh around with his head for more information.

Reasonably certain his bindings will hold, Ahnika draws upon the irritation stemming from the way he was talking to her to close the distance quickly, reach out for his ear and if he doesn’t duck or draw himself back quick enough to duck, she’ll clasp onto it and twist hard, leaning in to murmur, “I’ve had just about enough of you and this whole sharding mess you’ve gotten yourself in. You want to drop names and sign your own death warrant? That’s your call, but I’ll see myself a fucking weyrwoman before I let you fuck me over, buddy boy. I’m out of here.” With that, whether her hand connected or not, she will move back and start gathering the clothes and first aid kit again, shaking her head and muttering about fools and idiots, and making to leave.

Jinnet was getting used to random people grabbing ahold of him, so when Ahnika gets a hold of his ear and twists painfully the man barely bats an eye. Then she's leaving, taking those clothes and that first aid kit with her, and before the man could even think logically, "Hey, baby, wait!" he cries out, sitting forward abruptly and straining against the ropes without care. If she had a way to get him out of here. "I ain' fuckin' ya over, baby," he says trying his best to entice her to stay - at least for a little while longer. He still wasn't sure who she was, but perhaps he could somehow, some way "Look, I dunno what yer talkin' about with codes and shit, alright?" he admits, shaking his groggy head. "Are ya here to get me out, or are ya sent in by that bastard beast manager?" Because then, he's wasn't that dumb to go by blind trust for a young woman he hasn't seen or fucked before. It was looking too good to be true, and already he was fearing that he had said too much the last few times he was grilled for information.

Ahnika stops on her way to the door. There is a genuine look of trepidation on her expression. She doesn’t have to plaster that one on because she’s feeling it, looking distracted and uncertain as she holds internal counsel with Jhath who monitors and awaits her outside, steadfast and true. Ahnika chews her lower lip and turns to look at him then, still seeming uncertain, and quietly saying, “Yeah, I’m trying to save you,” because she is. She’s trying to save him from going to Bitra with Max and the both of them just getting themselves killed. “Well, the fellow I was told about anyway,” also true, and handy way to say it to continue her line of suggestion from earlier.

Now they were getting somewhere. It was like life was pouring back into Jinnet's eyes where before there was none. Certain of death, he has been biding his time tied to that blasted chair, but now - now - "And what do I owe ya for such … kindness?" he asks, his eyes bright with possibilities as he stares her down. "And don' play with me, baby. Especially when the red fruit ain' going to be harvested until the sun rises." Well look at that. Guess he knew some kind of code after all, and he waits expectantly for the redhead's response. It wasn't a code used by the big Bitran, either - this time taking a risk that perhaps this woman was actually brought forth by his true boss from Southern, after all.

While Jinnet looks more hopeful, Ahnika look more doubtful, suddenly wishing Max were there – well, the Max she wanted there would be actually a part of this plan, not yelling at her for even thinking what she was thinking, or Faranth forbid, tossing her over his shoulder – because he was much more experienced with this sort of thing and she was quickly feeling like she was moving into waters quite out of her depth. She wants to let the man go, but there’s Waine outside and now she’s stuck playing this role when Jinnet won’t give her what she thinks she needs, or something to show for all this effort anyway. When Jinnet stares her down, that uncertain expression remains, now mixed with a little confusion for his question about what he owes her, and Ahni worries her lower lip a little more as she looks away, and without really meaning to, for that one moment the expression and body language actually has her looking even younger than her already youthful seventeen turns. She’s beginning to feel out of her depth and she looks every ounce of it. Of course, it could just be that she’s some bit player in a larger conspiracy trying not to screw up and get herself killed by her own bosses. It’s only when he talks of red fruits and harvesting at sunrise that something clicks into place. She had already gone over things with Jhath enough to have prepared for the moment when some code might be given, considering she was going to demand one anyway, and what would have to be her reaction to make up for the fact that she had no idea what the code would be. While there is some flicker of recognition crossing her expression for the phrase he uses, recognition of the fact that it is incongruous with the conversation and therefore must be a code, there is also a moment of hesitation and uncertainty again because in her inexperienced mind she was expecting a single word code, not a phrase. She frowns a little thoughtfully, looking at the floor of the tack room, “That’s not the one I was given,” because she wasn’t given one at all, “so I won’t even bother with trying to make up a response to that, you’d know I was lying, but still,” she looks up from the floor and takes him in more critically, assessing his injuries from where she stands, “They did do a number on you … and I can’t imagine they would do that to one of their own.” She chews on her lip more, thinking it over, “And maybe you’ve been here too long to know the new one.” The new code phrase that is, “How long?” She asks, stepping back over to the counter and putting down the first aid kit and clothes, muttering to herself on a sigh, her back turned to him, “Fuck but I hope I have the right guy.” They wouldn’t have imprisoned more than one guy without a trial, would they? Still, seems like she’s made the judgment call to help him regardless.

There's a satisfied smile, and Jinnet leans back as he watches the young woman's face carefully. Detecting that youth in her along with that lack of return code phrase, "I dunno who ya really work for," he grunts that out slowly, eyes narrowing a fraction, "but I can guarantee that it's not the same folks as mine, baby-doll. Boss I got wouldn't change the code unless it was compromised, and I sure as fuck didn't compromise nothing!" Nevermind all the things he told Max and Jaya, of course. "So. If Max sent ya in here to shake me down," he continues to say, settling more comfortably in his chair, "then I'm only gonna offer ya what I did him. Get me outta here and I'll make it worth yer while. Capture the Dicori bitch for me," and his crooked teeth now show in a leery smile, "and there will be a bonus. Ya help me, and I'll help ya. Surely one such as ya can use the marks…" He tries to entice with his words, but the man is no harper by a longshot. He's playing on her age, on youth being led by opportunities presented, and hopefully anything more. He wasn't sure who she was and who sent her, but at this point was thief was pulling at any straws if it meant there was a chance he could go free.

Ahnika turns from the counter as Jinnet begins to speak, and she watches him with her arms folded across her chest, seemingly listening critically, her eyes narrowed in thought, not in suspicion or anger. When he finishes talking, she turns around again and makes a show of picking through the contents of the first aid kit. So, it is while keeping her back to Jinnet that she speaks softly, “My guy,” presumably her handler, but in this case Ahnika means Max – who right now isn’t handling her at all, figuratively or literally, poor Ahni, “didn’t tell me your name or the names of the guys you’re grouped with, either, but you can call me Pheenie instead of ‘baby’ or ‘baby doll’. What do you want me to call you?” Give a little, take a little. He doesn’t have to tell her his real name unless he wants to. His name isn’t as important to her as the name of his handler anyway. The code was definitely a step in the right direction, and hopefully it hasn’t changed since they captured Jinnet as the man says, else it would be kind of worthless. “While we’re talking deals, here, assuming you aren’t the guy I was supposed to be letting out, tell me where you hurt and I’ll at least get some numbweed on you. If you’ve been tied to that chair a long time, you’re not going to be walking out of here on your own two feet real soon. Going to need some time to stretch and get your muscles working right again.” Then a pause and Ahnika slowly asks, “If I help you, how do I know you’ll pay me back like you say and not just kill me as soon as you’re clear of this place?”

"Names ain't important, baby," Jinnet's probably goading her intentionally, his own gaze still a wary one. "But ya can call me 'Net' if ya like." He clams up when she offers to help patch him up, trying to find a hole in this new angle. Sniffing once, "Hurt all over, really," he admits in a grunt, eyeing Ahnika (or 'Pheenie') with interest. "But, ya can just get me untied and I'll figure out all the other stuff. Got a knife on ya or something?" He's flexing his arms against the ropes, pulling at them to show her where. Hope goes up just a bit more to him actually getting free, the man starting to look more favorably on the redhead….well, until she asks him the last. He pauses in his movements, eyes darting to meet her own in the pause. "Uh," he starts, thinking furiously. "Well…ain't gonna kill ya, Pheenie. Look at me!" Indeed, look at him. He still had a messed-up arm, and despite his size he still looked pretty weak. "Look, I want out this Weyr, alright? Ya think I want one more reason for that damn beast manager and his cronies to come at me? What's good in killin' ya?" He shakes his head slowly, "My boss will send ya the marks once ya get me free," he seems to promise, his words coming forth fast. "I'll do it myself! Only one I wanna kill is those that got me in this chair, and I ain't stupid enough to try!" At least, not right now…

Ahnika narrows her eyes a little at his first, but soon relaxes, nodding, “Alright, ‘Net,” and shortly thereafter she is by his side, spreading numbweed over the more obvious of his bruised and sore and cut muscles if he isn’t toppling himself over trying to get away from her. “Sorry about the ear,” and she means it, so it sounds it. Then she shakes her head, “Wasn’t sure the knife wouldn’t get taken away from me and used on me,” this is said with a jerk to the door and presumably the slumbering Waine outside of it. “My guy doesn’t keep me around for my knife skills,” she adds a moment later. And all of this is true, though worded in a way that it could easily be misconstrued. She wasn’t sure Jinnet wasn’t just going to use the knife on her, and Max definitely isn’t keeping her around period right now, let alone for her knife skills. “I figured this is a tack room, there’s got to be something here we can use anyhow,” she casts a glance around the room distractedly and then resumes putting on the numbweed gently if allowed. “So, you aren’t going to kill me now … I think I believe you, Net,” Ahnika agrees slowly, “but if I’m not here for you as I thought, then why hasn’t your boss gotten to you first? Guy like that? I don’t want you to have him send me anything, let alone marks to tie me to him. You sure you wanna go back to him after he’s left you here to rot like this?” She stops a moment, frowning thoughtfully, and looking at Jinnet while worrying her lower lip again, “You don’t think he was leaving you here thinking they were going to kill you and solve his own problems, do you?” She makes a disgusted face, a genuine one, because, really, the whole business pretty much reviles the usually idealistic redhead.

Jinnet's not liking the path Ahnika's questions are going. Not at all. He doesn't flinch when she starts to apply the numbweed, but he's keeping his gaze on her face as if any slip she might do something unsavory to him. He grunts at her apology, sending her a strange look for the fact that she does it at all, and then he just can't help but to ask: "And what does that guy of yers keep ya around for, eh?" Cuz, he could think of a reason by the suggestive glint in his eyes. It'll last until her questions about his boss and why he's still there all tied up has it vanishing completely. Oh yes, those questions have circulated his mind already. Having someone voice them however, was another matter. "Ya let me deal with my boss," he says, trying to deflect Ahnika from that line of questioning. "This is a…delicate matter, see. That Max and Waine had me trussed up here like a man chasin' marks, and he can't come get me himself, can he?" Leaning away, "He ain't going to kill me," he puts forth more vehemently now, eyes hard on Ahnika. "Not after I get to him." In the end, though, there is some uncertainty in his voice that could be detected underneathe all that bravado. He wasn't sure what Lorayit was capable of, but he was hoping that murder was far off that list since he saw himself as being loyal. Lo couldn't afford to lose one of them down south, and Jinnet was hoping to use that as reason. Still, whether Ahnika intended to or not, her questions had already watered the seeds of doubt that have been festering in his mind since the Dicori had came by to see him.

Ahnika is used to getting strange looks. She knows she’s quite the ‘odd individual’. But his question for her on what her guy keeps her around for actually has her swallowing hard past a lump in her throat and blinking back the sting in her eyes. Oh jeez. She tries to focus on the numbweed and easing some of his pain and soreness, oddly finding solace in it because, dammit, here was one sharding man, okay one sharding smelly man who was actually letting her help him. The distraction enables her to hear Jinnet’s little defense of his boss and the fact that he doesn’t think he’s going to die, but she struggles to really process it until finally, her lip quivers and she sinks from her crouch the rest of the way to the floor and sniffles, “He doesn’t.” Which considering it comes all the way at the end of Jinnet’s comments on his own boss, might be confusing, until she adds, “The only thing he thinks I’m good for is to look at and fuck.” She draws her knees up to her chest and rests her arms across them, lowering her head to her arms and sniffles again. Meanwhile, Jhath is mentally tapping her shoulder. What the hell? « What are you about? This was not in the plan. »

Jinnet is out of his element. He can handle being beaten up on. He can handle all the questions. He could even handle any ill treatment on him. But this? The first sniffle from Ahnika has the thief peering wide-eyed at her face, perhaps trying to figure out what the deal was. He didn't understand her answer, coming as late as it does, and since she's still treating him he didn't want to make any sudden movements lest she attacks. But then that lip quivers and she's sinking down to the floor. Whoa. Beady eyes are going left and right as if help was going to appear right then and there. That answer she gives was something he could respond to in kind, but the leery look is just not reaching his eyes right now. Not with her on the floor like that. "Uhhhhh….lookie here, uh, Pheenie, right?" he starts, frowning heavily now. "Well, uh. That man of yers, see, he ain't all good. Apparently, right? I mean, sure I want to fuck ya," and well, he'll openly admit that, "but I wouldn't just look at ya. Dun know ya to say, but…." He's flailing here, and it shows. Jinnet couldn't talk a woman out of her panties if he tried, so something like this was near impossible. Running a tongue over his bottom lip, "Tell ya what," he offers, studying her hopefully. "Let me outta here and I'll see he gets knocked around a bit. How's that?" Jinnet's a man of plans - even dumb ones.

And so ladies and gentlemen, we have here what are not one, but now two people, out of their element, which just makes this whole experience a little more fascinating as it unfolds. Ahnika continues to sniffle against her arms, bent over her knees on the floor. “I can’t fuck anyone right now anyway,” Ahnika rasps weakly as she waves miserably at him with one hand, pillowing her face in the elbow of the other arm against her knee and appears to weep a little harder into her arm for a few more moments, and then she lifts her tearful, puffy face up to look at Jinnet, lips all pouty and quivering some more, seeming to give his proposition some weighty consideration before shaking her head and taking a deep, shuddering breath, saying, “All I want is to be taken seriously.” She eyes him, “You’re taking me seriously right? I mean, I got in here, didn’t I? All on my own.” Well, mostly. She slowly gets to her feet, wiping her face on her sleeve, “Why can’t he see that I can do this sort of thing? I just want his respect.” She looks back at Jinnet, “You respect me, don’t you? Even if you can’t fuck me?” Her lip quivers again.

"Why not?" Jinnet will jump on any subject involving sex, trying to lean further forward as more and more he gets drawn to this young woman. It's not everyday you get to have a woman crying at your feet, with you strapped to a chair, that is. Anyone that should walk in right now would be wondering what kind of sick game was being played in the beast caverns with Max out of town. When she asks him if he's taking her seriously, he hesitates before moving his head up and down mechanically. "Whatever ya say," he's easy to agree since he's the one locked up, thinking that Ahnika has simply gone crazy. "Yeah, baby. Ya got in here all by yerself," he tries to soothe, his words coming out more gruffer than he intended to, but he was not a smooth-talker. "But ya know…ya want respect?" His gaze turns pointed now, considering the redhead before him as he continues to work on his way out. "Get me outta here, and then bring me that barkeep of yers. Ya can do that, then I'll respect ya plenty without havin' to have ya." Seems sound to him, the thief looking encouraging as he says it. It was obvious to him that the young woman needed some kind of guidance, but he wasn't clever enough to offer it. If only Lo was here… Well, maybe that could be arranged. "Who ya work for?" he's asking suddenly, trying to cover all bases. Maybe she'll answer in this state of hers, he figured, and he'll even throw out the well-known names of Vaputero's rivals since it was clear to him that she wasn't one of the Bitran's. "Kelarad in Tillek? Timekis in Boll? Borrento?"

“Because there’s someone else already inside me,” Ahnika answers vaguely, more for Jhath’s sake who was monitoring the conversation, antsy in her pacing out past the feeding pens, than for any other reason at this point. However, given the question put to her and the answer, there’s a few different ways it could be interpreted, including the notion that Ahni has indeed gone crazy. She sniffles again, looking at him all puffy and tearful, frowning a little at his mechanical nod and following comment, which actually sort of helps her remember herself a moment, and their mission. Some of Jhath’s pacing outside stops. Ahnika returns to the first aid kit as he continues to speak, getting more numbweed for his injuries, and turns around again only to stop and look genuinely surprised at the statement that he wants the barkeep. “Jaya? You guys are down here for Jaya? The bar owner?” Which might, by itself, help lend credence to the notion that Ahnika was not sent in here by Max, that being one of the things he carefully omitted, but obviously knew. The next question earns several blinks and she latches onto the first one that her mind can make an association with. Boll. Andi was from Boll, right? “Timekis,” Ahni says flatly, nodding, “Or so my guy tells me we are,” and looking down to his legs where she crouches and studiously applies more numbweed. “Jays,” Ahnika says, resuming the point from earlier, “she, Jaya I mean, always seemed nice to me. She must have really pissed a certain somebody off.” But so much for loyalty apparently as Ahnika asks, “So, all this is over Jaya? And if I bring her to you, I can be a part of your gang? And not just to fuck or seduce guys as a decoy? You’ll use me for my smarts, right? Because I am smart. I got in here, didn’t I?” Good grief, Ahni. Get over it, already.

Jinnet blinks. "In…ya..?" He's just not following the logic there, so he's sending Ahnika a dubious look and letting it slide. If the girl wants to talk crazy, who was he to judge? Besides that, she's naming his target, and that suddenly get his attention. "Bajaya Dicori," he corrects her, eyes boring into her own as she continues to work on him. "Someone important wants her. Yer one of Timekis's….?" It's possible that this gets a more incredulous look than her first statement, his beady eyes going up and down her before meeting her eyes. "What does Mek want with me, and why would he send one like you down here, eh? Yer his broad or something?" Beat. There's sudden laughter erupting from him at something Ahnika says, gaze turning hard before he adds, "Join, eh? If yer from Mek's crew, ya don't wanna be tossin' around the fact yer lookin' to desert for the big Bitran, were I ya. Just some friendly advice, baby doll, cuz I actually like ya." Yep, in all of about ten minutes. Adding matter-of-factly now, "'Sides. Vaput don' take in a rival's person unless he be usin' them, and he'll use ya up." There's an ominous tint to his words, laced with warning since he young woman did appear vulnerable to him. No point having them both dead, as far as he was concerned.

To his first statement, Ahnika seems happy not to elaborate and just nods slightly as she continues to numbweed what she can see of his injuries that might still be bothering him. “Bajaya Dicori,” Ahnika repeats simply as she works, not looking at Jinnet, and not seeming to get the significance too much, but then Ahnika is an idealistic country bumpkin, though she’s shredding that idealism layer by layer the more she finishes growing up here at the weyr. She shakes her head a little to all of his other statements, but keeps her mouth shut while he speaks, letting all the names and information being dropped sink in, but at his statement that he likes her, Ahnika looks up and smiles one bright, genuine smile, which is kind of odd-looking as puffy as he face still is from crying, and even her eyes still seeming a little moist, “Yeah? Me?” but some of the brilliance of that smile fades with his last warning, and she sobers appropriately, because well, she certainly feels how ominous this whole mess is. The look is followed with chewing on her lip and she looks down again as she applies more of the numbweed, “Truth is, I really kind of got hooked up to this guy, my guy, and he’s the one who talks to Timekis. I haven’t ever met him. I’m not even sure if he knows I exist. I just want to be around someone who likes and respects me and finds me useful for more than just a good fuck, you know?” And fortunately for her, all of her words in the last three statements are completely earnest. “I don’t know if Timekis knows you’re here either. My man heard about you and talked about you when we were in bed last,” again, true, “and I thought if I got you out, this would be a good way to show my man that I can do more for him. You know?” Mostly true. But also, it would mean saving her man’s life as well as Jinnet’s, the former being a little more important to her.

Jinnet remains silent while Ahnika speaks, not speaking about the barkeep for now in favor of the other things said. "Pretty gal like ya, ya shouldn't be gettin' involved with renegades like them, anyway," he notes gruffly. "Even ones associated. Wanna end up dead or something?" He snorts, shaking his head slowly. "Dunno Timekis," he admits, "But I know about him. Who's yer man again?" The question gets tacked on as if to trip Ahnika up, but it would be a far stretch to say that the thief did this intentionally. Then, harking back to his target, "Ya'd be doing this Weyr a whole lotta good if ya got rid of a criminal like Dicori," he adds in, regarding her closely. "Dunno if I could convince my boss of yer loyalty, but he'll pay a pretty mark if ya cooperate." He wasn't wholly convince of her loyalty either, but Ahnika was a pretty woman that has chosen to stay in the tackroom much longer than the healer, and even Jaya herself had done. Jinnet's probably seeing this as a first date.

Ahnika smiles genuinely at the compliment that she’s pretty, even if she knows this guy likely hasn’t seen a woman in a month, not knowing about Jaya’s visit, or the Healer who came to see him being a woman. She sobers at the question of wanting to end up dead and shakes her head vehemently, chewing on her lip again and looking worried. She was worried. About a lot of things. She wasn’t prepared for the question about her man, so she hesitates and asks simply, “He’s not going to get hurt or in any trouble with Timekis or anything because of me is he?” Because girls worry about stuff like that. Right? Well, Ahnika would, if this were for real, so she figures it’s a reasonable question to ask. Finally finishing up the second leg, she stands and knuckles her back a little, moving back to the counter to drywash her hands and saying, “I can bring her, I think. I mean, we’re not best friends,” obviously since she seems ready and willing to bring her to him, “but I think I can get her to come with me. I’d like the marks, if ya know, your boss isn’t just going to kill us both when I bring her. I had to sell my only gather dress for that fellis,” nevermind the fact that she didn’t actually buy the fellis, “the marks sound good, if they can reimburse me for the fellis plus my time and trouble.” Then she smiles at Jinnet over her shoulder, “And then, maybe, Net, maybe you could come find me when you need me again? You know, for something serious? Maybe I can’t join your gang or the Bitran’s party or whatever, but if I do this, I get the marks … and you’ll know I’m good and can find me useful for future … jobs?” She doesn’t wait for his answer before she’s moving around the room, checking baskets and cabinets and drawers for anything sharp that might cut rope. “There’s got to be something in here to cut that rope.”

When Ahnika smiles, some of Jinnet's mind is on a downward slope. "Wouldn' know," he answers on whether her man would get in trouble because of her blithely. "Dunno Mek like that, and I sure as shells don't stick around his men to find out." Then she's telling him she might be able to bring the Dicori, and that has him sending her a chipped tooth grin. Pleased, "Might need ya to go farther than that," he adds on capturing Jaya, settling more relaxed in his chair. "Need her shipped back to Bitra. If ya can do that…." there's a meaningful look at her, telling of rewards and connections that would rival Mek himself. He wasn't about to deliver Jaya to Lo, choosing offer her up as a platter towards Vaput himself. Once Jaya was gone from the south, so would he and Lo - and they both wanted out of the south badly. "Take care of that and then we'll talk," is all he will add on the matter, brows lifting and falling at him expressively. A smart person would have asked Ahnika more leading questions, not taking some of her wards at face-value, but Jinnet just wasn't one of those.

Ahnika continues to rifle through baskets and drawers and shelves as Jinnet talks, but it’s his statement that Jaya needs to be shipped to Bitra, like she’s part of some kind of stock shipment or something, that has her going still and frowning. She casts a glance at Jinnet, briefly. It could be she’s just not sure she could get Jaya off the continent, considering the way she talked like she wasn’t even positive she could lure Jaya to some location outside the weyr. Slowly she resumes her search, letting that stew awhile, and only commenting slowly, “I know a dragonrider. Might can get her to Bitra without him knowing what he’s carrying.” Her back is still to Jinnet as she makes it sound like she’s more or less musing on some plans to do it, considering her options, her resources, talking out loud and using him as a sounding board. “Ya know I’m kind of new at this. So, what do I do with her if I can get her to Bitra? Will your boss be there or something? Who’s my contact?” A reasonable question to ask for someone just beginning their criminal career, right? She punctuates the conversation with a short-low, “Aha!” as her hands finally find some tool used for cleaning and clipping hooves. She turns and moves toward him with it, trying to figure out how it will work on the rope. But she does look like she fully intends on freeing the man … probably because she really does intend on freeing him. She just wants to try and milk him for information in the process.

"No dragonriders if ya can help it," Jinnet is quick to say, frowning. "How ya gonna ship her that way? Fit her in a box?" He pauses, actually considering that possibility before dropping it with a shake of his head. "Once in Bitra, they'll find ya," he answers the latter with confidence then, his eyes glinting with some unseen humor. "Don' worry about that. Boss is pretty careful, so ya'll be lucky to never see him. Ya just pass her on and that will be that." Provided she could even get Jaya to go, and Jinnet's omitting out the fact that the Bitran will not be easy to take like that. He figures perhaps a woman's touch would do more work than a man's. He watches Ahnika closely when she searches about, so when she finds something that might be able to cut the ropes, his posture visibly straightens. Straining eagerly, "Get to my hands first!" he offers, lowering his voice should anyone outside hear. He still wasn't sure how the redhead got past the security known as Waine, but he was the sort not to think on things long.

“A crate, yeah,” Ahnika answers his first earnestly, because her hungry problem-solving mind had already started spinning off how she might have hypothetically done this had she really been this Pheenie person. Then she shrugs, refocusing her attention on the rope binding his hands even a heartbeat before he asks, knowing that if she were in his position, that’d be the rope she’d want cut first, “So, no dragonriders. Will take longer by ship, and more expensive, but I’ll see if I can do it,” pause, “For you.” Her lids stay lowered a bit as she begins clipping and carving at the rope, which is not quite as fast as a knife would have been since this instrument wasn’t designed for it exactly, but it still is making progress at least. “What’s wrong with dragonriders?” she asks casually, trying not to sound a little indignant about it, “they can be useful too, if you do it right.”

For you. It was like courtship had gone on to marriage in two words, flat. Jinnet's studying Ahnika, clearly falling for her words and pretty smiles. It doesn't take much, really. Once she starts carving on the ropes, his shoulders visibly relax and he's looking towards the door as if expecting Waine's shadow to appear at any moment. "Gonna have to hurry that up," he says, his anxiety rising now that he could practically taste freedom. So, it's with distraction - as he thinks of his next moves beyond the beast cavern, of how to get ahold of Lo or even Suli and try to convince them that he was no betrayer - that he answers her question on dragonriders without hesitation. "What's wrong? Pheenie, baby, dragonriders are the bane of our line of work, that's what! They're like guards on those freakin'….winged, rusty-scaled, bat-eyed beasts! Ya show me a dragonrider that's useful, cuz the few I've heard of already got some marbles missin' long before a dragon cracked open their egg and went to say hello!" Maybe he shouldn't have said those words, but the man's far too distracted to take it back otherwise.

Throughout all of that, Ahnika is legitimately cutting his ropes. Not faking it at all, no. And furthermore, all the commentary about dragons and riders? That earns a grim expression, but not a word, as Ahnika channels that fury into working at his ropes harder, and it could simply look like she’s concentrating harder. Although, there does come a rather loud bugle of anger from somewhere near the feeding pens. It comes from a three month old dragonet, but her cry and lung capacity sounds very much like a nine month old dragonet, or even possibly whole turnling, as fierce as Jhath’s physical voice can be when she’s particularly angry or upset about something. Aw hell. Ahnika mutters something under her breath as the rope across the arms snaps finally and she says aloud, “Go easy on flexing those arms, now. Don’t overdo it.” Especially since one had been broken. She sets now to moving on his ankles, and should he decide to double-cross her now would be the time to do it since she is not watching his hands or face, but concentrating on his leg ropes and snipping them free. “If something goes wrong, how do I get in contact with you again, Net?” she asks earnestly.

If Jinnet is noting anything wrong through what he had said, it's just not registering on his face. He does hear the sudden bugle however, his head turning in the direction of it with a frown. He's not making any connection though, and his curiosity is short-lived once his hands are free. "Ah!" He flexes the uninjured one experimentally, but the injured arm could only go so far before he has it back against his chest protectively. Looking down at Ahnika in amazement for -actually- breaking him free, "If something goes wrong, ya better get outta dodge then," is his answer, sending the woman hard look. "I'll contact ya when it's safe and not a minute less! I'll be damned if I get caught up in this Weyr again," and while he's flexes, he's looking about the tackroom for what he could see for weapons. He could use anything, really, having had the skills for turns, so he finally regards Ahnika again with interest. Eyes going to the door, "Tell me, though. How did ya get passed that Waine-person, again?" he asks, returning his gaze on her.

Ahnika remains quiet as she works on his leg bindings with the little clipper tool, half listening to him and not seeming surprised when he tells her he’ll reach out to her when he can, when it’s safe, and not the other way around. “Yeah, I wouldn’t show my face around here ever again. So, you’re going back to Bitra? I’ll be able to see you again there when I bring the barkeep?” her tone sounds hopeful, when in reality she’s more hopeful about the idea that he’ll go back to Bitra on his own, without Max, and maybe get himself killed after what he said about dragonriders and dragons. Finally the last of the bindings on his legs snap free and she murmurs only one word, “Fellis,” to his last question. She’s made similar comments earlier in the conversation, so she’s sticking with that. While he presumably flexes his leg muscles and reteaches himself how to walk again, she stands up and moves to the door, clippers still in hand, and makes a show of cracking the door open to look out. “Shit!” She whispers, turning away from the door, “He’s waking up already,” said with her eyes scanning the room, and not him, and presumably looking for a weapon as well. She makes another show of looking like she’s thinking already of a plan and then says, “You’ll have to pretend to take me hostage, Net, at least until we can get out of here.” She leaves off the implication that it means taking her with him to his handler, sensing that he’d see right through it if she spelled it out for him.

"I'm looking to," Jinnet admits on going back to Bitra - that's if Lo would let him go, that is. "Ya just may see me, pretty thing like ya. Maybe then ya can ditch that man of yers an get with a real one?" Yeah, one that got caught trying to steal a runner and then peed on himself when he was questioned. Still, that doesn't dampen his sunshine, apparently. Not when he's finally going free and there's a pretty woman paying him some attention on top of that. Once his legs are free, Jinnet is slow to get to his feet. He sways some, using the support of his captive chair to start getting the kinks out of his legs. When Ahnika mentions the fellis, "Good call," he gives, clearly impressed before he himself starts looking around for weapons - that's until Ahnika's cursing and making the call on Waine. He curses under his breath, still shaking out his wobbly legs as he looks frantic. "How's that going to work?" he levels at her for taking her hostage, limping himself towards the counter with a wince. "Better yet. Let's just make a run for it!" he hisses in a loud whisper. "I'll knock him a good one on the way out, and then we're free! I'm going to keep outta the Weyr until things blow over!" Then he's quickly going through boxes, grabbing what he could of sharp-looking objects.

Ahnika manages a distracted smile for his calling her a ‘pretty thing’ but the second half of that, ditching her man, makes her lip quiver a moment with thoughts of already ditching and being ditched overwith, before she is able to take a deep breath and refocus on the task at hand. “No, it can work,” she tries, still distracted with searching for a weapon in the room, well, other than the clippers in her hand, “he can think I was trying to steal something out of here and so I knocked him out and came across you, freed you, and you double-crossed me to take me hostage just as he was waking up. You’re not going to be able to run fast on those legs, Net.” And then Waine and Jhath can track them to his hideout. All thugs have hideouts right?

Jinnet's shaking his head, turning to send Ahnika a short look. "We gotta split up," he's being adamant about that one. "Ya stay here in the Weyr and I'll go out. Listen," and with a limp, he moves towards the door to put his ear to it for a moment. Stepping away, "I could get one of the runn-" Yeah-no. "Don't worry, I'll get going before the pain gets to me," he assures Ahnika instead as he approaches her. "Ya can help me," he changes his mind, now gesturing for her to follow as he goes back to the door. "Only out of the Weyr, though. Deal?" He had his own reasons - that being, he wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but it was going to be somewhere outside of the Weyr. He had to find his fellow, Passan! He decided on that course of action, certain the more clever of the group had escaped from the stables unscathed.

Ahnika looks a little skeptical, but that’s mostly because she’s now realizing that her plan B isn’t going to work as Jinnet doesn’t seem to like the idea of taking her hostage with him all the way to his handler. So, she finally nods, her expression smoothing to one of attentive ‘student’ and she says, “Deal … and if I get caught again, just keep going. Don’t worry about me. I’ll get myself out, or my man will,” seeming certain of that, and then she murmurs, eyeing the door, “If you get caught again, I … don’t think I can come back for you. They know my face. So, what do you want me to do?” She won’t ask him to tell her how to contact his handler for him. Again, she senses that would make him too suspicious, so she leaves it in his hands to tell her what she is supposed to do if he doesn’t make it out, but she does, and just hopes he’ll give her something, a description, anything, if not a whole bloody name, to work off of. Internally, she is crossing her fingers as this is the point of no return and she knows it.

"I won't get caught again," Jinnet says with certainty, first and foremost, his eyes glittering in the lighting. "And ya play it safe!" He's still at the door, leaning in close so that he could crack it slightly open. Shutting it again when he could see no one in sight, "If I get caught again, let's say, then…." he's pausing toying with what to say next. He didn't know where Lo had gotten to, seeing as how he was left to stew in a damn tackroom all this time. Suli, perhaps? "Look for a man called Passan," he chooses to pin the woman on his fellow companion, provided that he was still alive. Passan could feel the woman out and choose whether or not she could meet Lo, which is better than what he would have done. Turning to look over his shoulder at her, "Ask the farmers. One of them's bound to know who he is. Something bad goes down, look for him and tell him 'Net sent ya." He pauses his mind working overtime before he adds, "If he ain't around, baby doll? Then talk to that farmer." 'Ain't around' was usually code words for 'dead.'

Ahnika goes very still when Jinnet pauses before telling her to look for a man named Passan and ask the farmers. It takes both will and a lot of focused determination not to let that smile slide into place, but considering how she’s been here this whole time more or less trying to win his trust and get some direction out of the man, she manages it. If anything, she probably looks a little wide-eyed and sober with worry over their escape attempt. There’s a brief moment when she looks surprised for him to say to tell Passan that ‘Net sent her, realizing that ‘Net must be his real name, or some near enough facsimile of it for Passan to recognize it. That’s when the guilt sets in – she used a fake name – and she frowns a little more at the door. Another brief internal exchange with Jhath and the camo-colored green settles back into the summer brush and foliage near the feeding pens, multi-faceted eyes merely cracked open enough to be able to see the opening to the beast caverns from where she lies in wait, hopefully nigh invisible to the casual eye. It being the middle of the night helps, too, the weyrling pair reason. Finally, she nods once more, confirming in a whisper with, “Right. Let’s hope I don’t have to do any of that and you and I can just meet up later,” she adds a little extra blinking at the end, an attempt at batting her lashes, and then she’s looking at the door again.

"Meet up. Right," Jinnet's going along with that betting of Ahnika's lashes, his own look not very appropriate to say the least. Since there's no response on his contact-drop of Passan, he's not giving anything else - in case he never found the man, he was hoping the woman gets to his companion and that would be message enough. He's turning back to the door with a heavy sigh, his posture tensing as he braces himself for their run. He wasn't sure where Waine was, but that little piece of missing information wasn't going to stop him from getting out there. This was probably the only opportunity he was going to get, and once he was past that door it was every man (and woman) for himself. Hand landing on the latch on the door, he turns back to send a loaded look towards Ahnika, nodding gravelly. His voice lowering, "Thanks, babydoll," the thief tells her, a wink going her way since this just might be the last time he'll see her. "I owe ya. Ready to move?"

And Ahnika doesn’t seem dissuaded from believing, or giving the impression that she believes, that they will reconnect somewhere down the way and live happily ever after. As he looks back at her and winks, asking if she’s ready, Ahnika grips the clippers in her hand more tightly, nodding, and for a moment she swallows her lips, appearing fretful and genuinely feeling it, though perhaps not for the reason one might think. She leans in and, if allowed, will give the poor man a quick peck on the cheek, “For good luck,” she murmurs, and pulls back a pace or two away, feeling like she wants to throw up knowing that there is a very good chance Jinnet won’t be making it out of here. She looks at the door once more, but casts her gaze toward the bottom of it, “I’m ready.”

The reason Jinnet hadn't seen anyone when he'd cracked the door open earlier, would be because Waine was in the adjoining stall with his bottle of gifted wine, straining to hear what had been going on in the tack room but not really having been able to pick up much of anything. He's a big guy and while he's perhaps not as in his cups as Ahnika might have hoped for, he's at least somewhat on his ear. His is however, starting to become a little concerned by how long she's been in there with the thief. Which is what finally draws him away from the stall siding and out of the adjoining stall, heading back toward the tack room.

The peck on the cheek actually gives the thief pause, and Jinnet almost loses the reason why he was standing at the door. Hope blossoms in that expression, the man looking like he could now take over the whole Weyr if he had to for that kiss to the cheek. He was simple-minded like that, convincing himself that the fretful look on Ahnika's face was genuinely meant for him an his safety. "Don't worry," he sends this with confidence, his best at trying to assure her before he resolutely turns back towards the door with a muttered, "Here goes…" A breath, and then he swings the door open wide enough to accommodate him and Ahnika if they went out of the tackroom in a single file. Not looking left or right, but hearing more than seeing the stall door next to him open, he's biting the inside of his cheek in preparation for the the joint pain to come and sprints on ahead. The ache in legs not used for sevendays don't have him running as fast as he wants, but the sharp object he's holding out in his uninjured hand is there as warning enough anyone decides to get the drop on him.

Her attention still fixed on the door, Ahnika merely nods a little and misses any expression of hope and confidence on Jinnet, and then the door opens and her legs move, much more able-bodied than Jinnet is likely at this point, and she will try to move past him at least until she can get a fix on where Waine is. Outside beyond the feeding pens, a huddled green dragonet tenses, observing through her mind’s eye and her physical one as simultaneously as possible considering only the delay it may take for Ahnika’s own eyes and mind being an extra relay point. It is when the stall door opens and Waine starts for the tack room that Ahnika adjusts her track and throws the clippers against another stall door, beginning to scream and cause a ruckus, hoping to stir up some of the runners in the process and at least add distraction if nothing else, and she yells, “Run, ‘Net! Ruuuunnnnn!” Before she turns and looks to be heading toward Waine, herself.

Being as how he has around three quarters of a bottle of wine in him, Waine is a little slower than usual to react when he steps out of the stall to find Jinnet heading straight toward him. A sight he'd never expected to see for sure. Blink, blink. Where usually he might launch himself forward to tackle the man head on, he resorts to something a little simpler. Sticking his leg out at the last moment, right into the thief's path with a mind to tripping him up, his bottle bearing hand coming up and arcing on a collision course with the back of the man's head, heedless of the weapon (or not expecting him to have one) he carries. Ahnika's sudden screaming has the desired effect and almost immediately has the runners performing like nobody's business. "Aw shit!" blue eyes narrow and a thunderous look gets pinned onto the redhead heading his way too.

The sudden arrival of Waine would have stopped any man dead cold, but Jinnet merely barrels on through now that the momentum of his legs were working. Well, they were. Suddenly one of his legs catches on something as he passes by the big man and he sees the ground rushing to meet him dangerously. He misses the swing of the bottle since he's going down, mere inches pass his head, and he lands painfully on his side. "Fuck!" he explodes, managing to land on his injured arm as the sharp pain nearly blinds him. His eyes take on a wild look, the thief now determined to do whatever it takes t get away. He was certain, should stay on that ground longer, that Max would probably show up and do worse things to him. Maybe even to Pheenie, and that thought was putting enough rage in him that he boosts him back on his feet. He lashes out with that sharp object that's still in hand as he cradles his bad arm more closely to his chest. Through all the cacophony being made, he sees Ahnika coming and that has him, again, going for the entrance under the assumption that Waine would be distracted enough for one of them to get free. Apparently his 'love and affection' for the woman only goes so far when faced with the headier taste of freedom.

If Ahnika didn’t actually get past Jinnet as they ran out, then Ahnika is likely close behind him as he moves past Waine (or rather trips past Waine). Pissed-off look from Waine or not (she was more or less expecting he’d be upset with her before she even got her tonight), she’s picking up speed on her approach to Waine and not showing any signs of slowing down. It may have been suggested they go in separate directions, but she’s not following it. She continues on that direct course to try and carry out her original intentions of barreling into the large stablehand in the hopes of buying ‘Net some time, and while she is a leggy teenager who’s toned up a little through the physical training of weyrlinghood, Ahni is still no real match for Waine. She’s just now mentally bracing herself for what she figures is going to feel like hitting a stone wall when the glimpse of sharp object in Jinnet’s hand catches her eye and the woman reacts on instinct with a yell, “NO!!” and with only a slight course adjustment, she throws herself between Jinnet and Waine, one arm reflexively going up and in close to shield her face some and the sharp object tears across the flesh of her forearm and slices down her chest to her midsection, mostly from her own momentum carrying her past. Yeah … that’ll leave a mark. Try getting out of explaining that one to Max, Ahni. A fierce and deeply angry draconic roar rips through the night outside while Ahnika’s dive to defend Waine from getting shivved ends with her impacting the ground a little past them, shoulder first, head bouncing a little against the ground, and she skids and rolls to a stop, slightly twisted on her side, and deadly still. Stunned and dazed, she just sort of lies there a moment to try and figure out where her head is – somewhere up her own ass, more than likely, considering this unexpected turn to her otherwise carefully laid plans. Anyone who wants to take the time to give her a closer look would see the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathes; she’s alive, but is just sort of taking a time-out right now … and starting to bleed. Amidst the din of startled runners comes the snap and crack of wood splintering and breaking somewhere beyond the feeding pens.

Dragon> To Tuorth, Jhath sends amidst a blazing inferno, snapping and crackling with fury, blood-curdling screams add a disharmonious cacophony of noise in the background and the smell of charred and blackened flesh is rankly entwined within her mindvoice as she erupts into your mind from afar, uncaring of waking you up considering the late night hour, « Tuorth! My brother! To arms! Awaken yours! To arms, I say! A cursed and vile fiend has drawn his last breath this night!! We shall feast on his entrails! He has harmed mine! »

As Jinnet goes down, Waine aims a kick to his side but being as how his attention is now split between the thief and Ahnika barreling towards him, he misses. One square block of a hand aims a fist toward the side of the escapee's head right as the redhead throws herself between them and takes the cut of the sharp object. That is enough to incense the big burly man, the draconic roar from outside only serving to further fuel his ire as he launches himself at Jinnet, one arm raised and sweeping out toward the weapon bearing hand in a bid to knock it free from the other's grip, while the fist that had been on a path with the side of his head now aims an uppercut to his jaw. Worry flashes through for the young woman now down and on the ground, but his first priority is resting the one that did it in full awareness that Max was going to tear him a new one but hoping that in re-capturing the dirt bag, it might buy him some sort of forgiveness for even letting her in there in the first place.

Oh crap! When Jinnet sees Ahnika coming to put herself between him and Waine, it was far too late for him to reverse the swing of the sharp object. She goes down, giving just enough moment's hesitation to catch that uppercut to his jaw. Desperate to block the blow, he drops the sharp object, but it was far too late. Wild eyes flash of concern for the downed Ahnika, and then instead of swinging a return blow towards Waine, he turns on a heel and attempts to make as hasty an exit as one could with jacked up legs. It definitely wasn't his intention to hurt the redhead - he was firmly laying the blame at Waine's doorstep in his special logic - but he wasn't about to stick around to check on her when there's an enraged man that's up for cracking his skull open.

Dragon> To Jhath, Tuorth is at first a dimly lit fire, only the embers left lit after all have gone to bed in the campground and the sound of gentle snores that are jerked awake roughly. Soon, the fire is blazing with a sudden flare and slowly coming to wipe away the peaceful scene. The smells of smoke and food are replaced with the heavy scent of blood and death. « Must you be so loud constantly?! » Though the rage in his voice dims shortly after into a mild annoyance, schooled patiently. « Where? He will come. » While there is no calm to the scent of his mind or the raging war in the scene as the disturbance as done more than wake him from his sleep. « You are to consider yourself lucky that we hold you in such high regard. »

What pretty stars and birdies! About the only thing that seems to really have Ahnika’s attention now is the ceiling. At least to anyone looking at her. She’s vaguely aware of more fighting behind her between Waine and Jinnet, but internally she is working hard to calm an irate green dragonet and deal with the stinging pain down her arm and chest and the throbbing in her head and shoulder at the same time. There’s another roar from outside, but it is not quite as fierce as before since Ahnika is more or less directly out of immediate danger; at least she’s not continuing to be sliced up in any way and is just lying on the ground getting her senses back. However, that roar is getting closer.

Dragon> To Tuorth, Jhath seems undaunted by his quelling reply, but then, her lifemate has been hurt, and that is a highly motivating factor. Her usual fragrant scent of incense is replaced by a cloud of choking soot and ash and the smell of charred flesh remains as she impatiently replies, « The place of the herdbeasts. » Pause as she confers with Ahnika, « The Beast Cavern. I am too big to get inside to her, I think! The brigand CUT her! He shall perish in my maw! » Pause. « Just as soon as I can get to him. »

The only reason that it takes the bronzerider to long to get from his bed to where they are is the fact that he needed to get dressed… And the fact Tuorth's bloody mind voice in his dream sparked some horrible memories. But worry not! As a hurriedly dressed M'zen (note: his clothes aren't matching) comes rushing in and looking wild. And sleep crrazed. And possibly considering the fact that Tuorth might have lost his mind and decided to mess with him. But there's the scene before him and green eyes blink as he tries to decide best course of action. Going in fighting or dragging Ahni's butt to her green. Meanwhile, Tuorth may be pondering possible ways to break in. There is a fight to be had and a war to win.

Dragon> To Jhath, Tuorth's scent of blood begins to mix with the scent of the charred flesh, easily melding their two scenes into one. Despite all this, a sudden laughter bellows forth as the King hath decided that this war is fun, this hunt, and this game. The yelping canines begin to become more frequent in their barks. « We shall break down the walls in which they hide! And we shall go for the kill! The hunt shall be victorious. And we shall claim the glory. Though you may bask with us and enjoy your manmeat. I doubt he tastes good. »

"C'mere you little shitbag!" Waine makes a grab for Jinnet as he tries to wriggle on by him again, misses and then physically launches himself after the escaping thief in a full on body tackle style hoping to bring him down to the ground again. It's at around the same time that he spies a rather disheveled Zen making his appearance, "Get her outta here!" Ahnika that is. Unless of course his bid to tackle Jinnet fails, then he'd be right grateful of the bronze weyrling intercepting and doing what he could to stop the man.

Well, messed-up legs never do work out too well. Poor Jinnet. Through all his whining for it, he finally got the full body contact he was asking for….but it was with Waine. Taken from behind, the thief goes down in a flurry of curses. He puts his hands out to try and stop the impact from being too great, but with only one arm working, he does a sort of roll that has him scrabbling for a hold on the ground. He'll attempt to push Waine off by sheer fear, deja vu already setting in. "Let me go!!" he cries desperately, trying to save himself as in the corner of his eyes, he spies another new player in this scuffle. He curses loud at this, M'zen's appearance only forcing him to start raining one-armed blows at Waine and not caring where it landed. He was going to get free one way or another, and with his weapon of choice too far from him for him to reach he had to settle this with his fists.

The stunned appearance only slightly begins to fade, but most of that distracted, slow look on Ahnika is due to the intense interaction she’s having internally with her green, which is about when a large wedge-shaped head pokes in through the entrance to the feeding pens, with her finally having arrived, even if she was, truly too big to fit through the door. Her eyes are swirling red, and she hisses at the humans inside just for general irritation, and her shoulder pushes a little at the corner of the entrance as leans her head in a little farther, snapping with furious intent even if she is likely meters away. The only reason she’s showing any self-restraint of that obnoxiously loud bugle of hers is because of Ahnika’s reassurance. She’s still hopping mad, and there’s little left to the imagination over what might happen to anyone who tries to escape out of the beast caverns that way, but she’s not blowing anyone’s eardrums at the moment. Ahnika, herself, slowly starts to struggle to a seated position, scooting a bit out of the way, or trying to, as the struggle between Waine and Jinnet start to roll past her, and then she looks up at Zen and, of course, bites her lower lip. She’s in trouble, isn’t she?

Dragon> To Tuorth, Jhath replies with more screams of agony in the background, but they are softer at least, not as loud, and the charred flesh and choking smog of ash is mingled with his scent of blood quite easily, indeed. Her flame remains strong and snapping loudly, licking higher « I care not of his taste! We shall vanquish him and his fellows! They will sing songs of our triumph this night, my brother! Villainy will know only defeat as long as you and I and ours are here! »

"… The fuck?" Is the first thing that slips from the bronzerider's lips. Though luckily, his reaction time isn't slowed down by his confusion. He's moving quickly, and easily to Ahnika if only because he has faith in Waine in handling the man trying to escape. And because Jhath is now trying to get into the caverns through the feeding pens. And Tuorth is right there beside her, considering what keeps them out. Zen reaches Ahnika and if she does not struggle, he'll try and sweep her up (not in the romantic way, oh no. Like a heavy sack over his shoulder) and then he'll start for the entrance to the feeding pens, having faith that Jhath will let him pass because of her rider. "Ahni… I swear… You better tell me what the hell you did." Because, yes, it is automatically her fault.

Around two hundred pounds of muscle slamming into a body, can't be much fun. Waine however doesn't seem to care too much whether he's crushing Jinnet with his weight or not, only lifting his chest off of the man in order to try and grab at that hand that's raining punches on him. "Got you, girlie!" the stablehand's mouth curling around a triumphant grin, "Now give us a kiss." Taunting the man. That is until one of the thief's flailing legs manages to knee him in the nuts causing the big man to howl with pain and roll off to one side, hands cupping over his abused family jewels. "Sweet Faranth!" the curse groaned out as he makes a half-hearted attempt to try and grab the escapee by the ankle as he scrabbles to get away, grunting through the unholy pain in his groin area. And that's about when Jhath sticks her head through the feeding pens side of the beast caverns drawing an even longer groan from the poor man, knowing the only way she likely got up that close was by breaking through a fence. Meaning he'd now have to not only face the fury of his boss, but also get the herdbeast rounded up again and the fence fixed. That is, if he'd ever be able to walk straight again. So how's your day going? The only upside to all this, is the fact that Zen has been able to take care of Ahnika and get her out of the situation. Hopefully, to the infirmary.

Dragon> To Jhath, Tuorth's scent of blood grows heavier, the yelping canines growing into harsh growls while that laughter in his voice continues. « Indeed we shall. Spill their blood and make a river of red! They dare wrong us! » Us? « They dare wrong my Weyr and they shall pay! Defeat is their only path. » He's just stroking his own ego right now. He's not even really paying attention to his words. Promise.

"Ha!" Allow Jinnet to be triumphant for just a little when one of his blow kicks connect to Waine's groin. Once that 200 pound of muscle rolls right off of him, the thief is jumping painfully to his feet and hobbling passed Mzen and Ahnika for the entrance….well, that is until Jhath's head pokes through it has him throwing one arm up in shock. "Ack! Damn dragon!" Where did that one come from? He's wrenching his head left and right, mindful of where Waine was he tries desperately to find another way out. It was amazing him how quickly to shit this escape was going - and he only vaguely noted how Max was still missing. He darts glance towards Jhath, and you can see the internal struggle in his eyes on whether or not to attempt getting past the green dragon. Was he that desperate? Another look goes towards M'zen and Ahnika, then to Waine, then back towards the entrance. Effectively, anger rolling off of him in waves, Jinnet was stuck with indecision. He's not paid to think, certainly, and if Passan was here he would be in a better position. But right now, he's kind of standing there like an idiot, turning eveyr which way and watching his chances for escape dwindle away further.

While most of her dark blue tunic hides it a fair bit and superficial though it is, Ahnika is bleeding along that long slash across her arm and down her chest and middle, and so while the redhead doesn’t protest Zen heaving her up, she does show a visible wince when he puts her over his shoulder and probably bleeding all over his clothes, front and back. Prisoners escaping. People getting hurt. Runners all anxious. Dragons breaking through fences and herdbeasts escaping and now clothing being bled all over. It’s starting to look like a Rush Hour movie, with all the collateral damage being caused by one teeny weeny judgment call. Really. She meant well. She did. And so it is with M’zen hauling her toward her irate and fretful green that Ahnika sees Jinnet’s dilemma and waves at the beast tunnel entrance at the other end of the cavern, “Hurry, ‘Net! Go!!” Of course, it means having to get past Waine, but Ahnika knows – with no offense to Waine – that while the man is dealing with bruised family jewels, ‘Net has a better chance that way than out past two salivating oversized dragonets, one a green whose lifemate was injured by him, and the other a freaking huge bronze with a Henry-the-VIII-complex. After a brief pause, she presses her hands against Zen’s back to brace herself a little more as he carries her and answers simply though softly, “Trying to save the life of the man I love, Zen,” while closing her eyes and sagging a little more in against his shoulder. No, the young woman isn’t struggling or irately beating on him right now. She’s in too much pain and her head is throbbing and she needs to focus on keeping Jhath from nipping at Zen in her mild frenzy as they approach the feeding pen exit. Jhath hisses a little harder for Zen’s manhandling, but it is brief as her attention returns more toward Jinnet in his indecision, stretching her neck a little more and snapping and hissing at him while Ahnika is being brought to her.

Dragon> To Tuorth, Jhath brings more heat with her fire as she agrees, « They shall all be routed and exterminated like the filthy vermin they are!! » Pause as more screams erupt in rhythm with some of her snapping into the beast cavern and the hissing seems joined with the hissing and spitting of her blazing inferno within her mind, « There he is!! I can almost get him!! » Snap! Hiss! « Almost! »

Ahnika is actually more lucky that she's bleeding all over his tunic. Otherwise he'd be dropping her ass as soon as they got near Jhath and going back to deal with Jinnet. Though she's calling for the man to freaking run and a look crosses his face (only no one can see it as he's facing the opposite direction). "Who the fuck do you love, Ahni?! 'Cause it sure as hell isn't Max with all this shit you're pulling!" Color him unhappy. And pissed. And confused. He is thankful she isn't fighting him, at least. Because that would also end up with her getting dropped like yesterday's bad news. Jhath gets a look for nipping at him. "If you want her ass to bleed all over the ground, be my guest. Otherwise you'll stop nipping and be thankful she's not where she can get hurt." Angry Zen is Angry. And he'll keep on walking straight to the infirmary unless stopped. Waine is left to deal with Jinnet and the angry dragons out for blood.

Spotting the route Jinnet decides on taking and the pause of indecision when he realizes there's a pair of dragonets waiting outside for him, Waine rolls painfully to his knees and pushes up into a stand, sending a glare Ahnika's way as she reminds the thief of the other exit. Growling out to Zen, "Get her the fuck out of here before she gives him a sharding runner too!" yeah, he's somewhat pissed, and embarrassed for having been so well played by the weyrling, not to mention…being in a whole world of pain right now. As incapacitated as he is, he realizes he likely doesn't have much chance of stopping the escapee should he turn and take the alternative route given him, but he'll make a good job of trying nonetheless. Shoulders bunch in preparedness, blue eyes fastening to the idiot cause of all the trouble as he tries to anticipate his next move.

Ahnika doesn't have to tell Jinnet twice! He casts a look Ahnika's way, seeing that she's getting the help she needs before he turns resolutely towards Waine and finds him on his feet. Breathing heavily, "I ain' goin' back in that chair," he says this slowly and carefully, gathering his strength for a final run towards the other entrance. "Ya ain' goin' to make me, buddy." With M'zen and Ahnika out of the picture as far as he was concerned, the thief gives no further warning and launches himself himself past Waine in an attempt to shoulder the man aside as hard as he could. It probably won't do much, considering that Waine is solid muscle, but the push wasn't meant to harm. It was meant to distract, and so the man is going to trying to push pass Waine and head towards the other exit not being blocked by angry dragons. If this attempt fails, his energy will sap completely from his weary bones, and the thief will be out of commission once again.

Okay, that first comment earns a smack at M’zen’s back, not playful, but considering everything it’s probably not much beyond a brief sting, even if his gi-normous bronze dragonet is waiting nearby. Yeah, Ahnika went there, apparently feeling confident enough with her fellow weyrling and their two dragonets to do so. “You don’t understand and it’ll take too long to explain it all to you!” is the grumbling snapped retort from Ahnika toward the back of M’zen’s head. It only takes one close call of a nip and Ahnika internal calming as well as her arrival at the entrance, brought by M’zen, combined with M’zen’s look and angry snap back and Jhath is pulling her head back out of the beast cavern with a mild snort, though who or what it is intended for is anyone’s guess. Now militant, soldiering-green Jhath is the one who is indecisive in what to do as M’zen keeps on walking, heading for the infirmary, but the man she wants to rip into shreds is still in the beast cavern. She puts her head back into the cavern once more and issues a growling hiss toward Jinnet in warning as if to say ‘I’ll be dining on your entrails one day, just you wait and see!’ not that Jinnet and Waine are liable to be in any position to really pay any attention to her right that moment, and then Jhath’s head is back out again, and she turns and stumbles over more fencing, deciding, apparently, to play guardian escort for M’zen and Ahnika on their way to the infirmary instead of staying behind and eating some smelly prisoner Ahnika was only trying to help. Following closely along, Jhath noses Ahnika’s bobbing head affectionately once before marshalling her steps behind the weyrling pair with a constant surveying and yellow-eyed gaze just looking for more trouble. Practically daring it to come at them from the darkness, in fact. She’ll pounce on some poor, unsuspecting rodent or kicked up rock along the way, because they must be evil too! Rar!

M'zen makes no reaction to that smack on his back. He takes it like a man. Or, he's too focused on hauling her butt to the infirmary. "We have plenty of time to hear the whole story on the way, hm?" Cause really, she's not getting out of this talk no matter how much she may try and avoid it. Jhath's snort is also ignored. Pfft. Women. However, when Jhath makes to follow their riders back Tuorth has other plans. Like ripping open the door so he can shove his head in. He wants that river.

"Yeah?" Waine meets Jinnet's gaze dead on and then lifts a hand, fingers making a beckoning gesture as a taunting smirk forms, "C'mon on then, sweetheart." Just as the thief gets within striking distance, the stablehand sidesteps and flings an arm out sideways, meaning it to connect with the man's head and toss him to the ground once again. Except that his wine befuddled brain fails him and has him stepping in the wrong direction and throwing the wrong arm out. This all results in a grunt as Jinnet slams into his shoulder and while it only pushes him a half step back, he's not quick enough to recover his mistake, ineffectually grabbing at thin air as he goes by. A string of curses and then he's hobbling as fast as his undignified injury will allow him too, after the man, "Come back here, you little pansy!" growling through a stab of pain, "I'm gonna rip your arm off and beat you with the sticky end! And then, I'm gonna rip your head off and say 'Howdy' to your mother down the hole!" All of which he very likely might do if he were able to actually, you know…run. "Shit!" the expletive falling flat from the big man watching in disbelief as his last hopes of making it all up to his boss and keeping his own head on his shoulders, widen the gap between them and make his getaway.

With there being dragons hissing and snapping from behind and Waine taunting from the front, it's a wonder why Jinnet is desperate to escape. All he manages to see is Waine's mistake, the thief taking that last ditch attempt to run towards the doors. He can hear all the shouts and threats, but the man was not going to stop and taunt back like he wants to. Looks like he has some kind of brain after all! He hears more than sees Waine lagging behind, so the thief gives out one more push of his protesting joints and bursts through the doors leading outside into the night. From there, he's going to keep on running - his momentum and speed being to only thing he's willing to focus on now that freedom is his. He's not looking back - well, maybe just once to make sure no dragon's launching behind him - and then … just as quickly, the darkness swallows him up and he's gone.


Closing Credits Theme Music: Flyleaf - "I'm So Sick"


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