[Jaeyi] Of woods colts.
RL Date: 9/9/10
IC Date: 9/19/23
Lake Shore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and around to the southeast where the sand gives way to soil and leaf detritus from a cluster of hardy mountain trees. Where the lake deepens, clear blue water darkens to murky teal, hiding stony depths. Dragons often sun here and riders use the lake for dragonwashing in the warmer seasons, while all of the Weyr's denizens may enjoy walks and picnics among the large, smooth boulders that interrupt the smooth flow of sand. Many of the Weyr's children also play at skipping stones with the wide variety of rocks available along the water's edge.
It's that time of year again, when the weather's changing and-- though still fair enough-- the first hints of a chill (for those unfortunate warm-blooded souls) linger in the mornings. So Jaeyi's got her coat on, even her scarf draped over her shoulders, though she hasn't gone as far as mittens yet. Those not 'in the know' could argue she's putting on weight, though at least now she's up and about instead of whining about being ill, at the moment heading down those newfound steps and across the bowl, skirting the edge of the lake in the process.
One might expect a girl raised in the sultry jungles of Nerat to be unaccustomed to the chill of autumn, but Isandre has yet to forsake her summer garb for that of winter, and shows no indication that the brisk morning bothers her. Though normally found in the Infirmary at this time of the day, she is not there - instead, she is here, hands in the pockets of her trousers, eyes fixed thoughtfully on the lake as she thinks, or perhaps daydreams. Still, whatever is on her mind is not enough to distract her, and the sound of Jaeyi's footfalls draw her attention, one hand drawing free of its pocket and raising in a greeting towards the baker.
"Hello, my darling," Jaeyi calls about the time that the glare of the sun and her own thoughts clear up enough to make Isandre unmistakable there in all her distracted glory. Wherever she might have been headed can wait, as the brunette strolls on over with every congenial intention to peck her friend on the cheek upon arrival, ever affectionate. "I hope it's not too pleasant of a daydream I'm interrupting, hmn?"
"'Ello, my dear," Isandre replies along the same vein, a whimsical smile on her lips as she accepts the peck and the company with good grace. "It wasn't much of a daydream at all, t' be quite honest with ye. Just enjoying th' day - 'tis lovely out here." As she slides her hand back in her pocket, those soft sea-green eyes flicker over the baker briefly - an unconscious check, perhaps, to ensure everything is in order before she brings her gaze back to the other woman's face. "What brings ye out here on such a fine mornin'?"
Though she first issued the idea that she'd be sad if it was a good daydream and now lost, Jaeyi still goes on to offer, "No? Well, that's a shame. A good daydream goes a long ways sometimes, I think." As to what she's doing, her hand waves vaguely toward the steps, the so-called fine mornin', and she answers, "Trish said if I didn't go get some fresh air, she was gonna strangle me. I told her that seemed like it'd be counter-productive?" In an 'is that the right term?' tone. "So she brandished a rolling pin at me and I made a break for it. It's gonna be /really/ cold soon, I bet." Sigh.
"I can see where her logic might be flawed," Isandre replies, amused. "I like a good daydream as much as the rest," she adds, on the previous subject, "but this mornin', I'm just lettin' my thoughts run free. Ain't seen much t' dream about of late, 'les you count th' eve'n spent with your man, an' that was long enough ago t' be hazy in my head." Shrugging her bare shoulders, the healer allows her gaze to slide back to the water, considering it thoughtfully as she chuckles. "Aye - best t' enjoy the autumn while ye can, th' weather'll break soon enough for winter, and everythin' that comes along with it." No doubt, her thoughts are on the incoming flu season.
See, to a lot of people, you say something like 'the evening I spent with your man,' and a green-eyed monster comes out. Say it to Jaeyi, though, and it's a half-hopeful, "Really now." Like, she'll just draw her own amused conclusions about that, mhmn. (For the love of-- please set the record straight.) The head-tilt that precedes her first steps asks if Isandre'd like to take a walk, maybe, instead of just standing around? "I'm not happy about it. Winter, I mean. My daydreams'll be all summertime for months now. I don't know how you stand it."
That tone catches Isandre's attention, and she rolls her eyes, snickering slightly. "He took me t' see his family," she explains, wrinkling her nose. "I was in a bit o' a funk, and he took th' time t' cheer me up with good company, good food, an' good dancing. Nothin' more, ye saucy wench. I don't poach, even if ye wouldna mind a lick." Starting to shake her head, she shifts to a nod at the subtle invitation, moving to the baker's side, steps slow and steady. "I like winter well enough, and truth be told, I'm kept so busy I barely notice the cold most days."
There's another big sigh and a predictable, "You make me sad." But Jaeyi's made this attempt before so, she's not going to harp on it. Instead-- "How can you not notice it? It's everywhere. I really ought to go strand myself somewhere warm until my belly's done its business, I hate the idea of having a baby in the snow." How literally she means that is questionable. "Oh well. Which family did you go and see? The Terrivs or the Waystation?"
"'Tis not my intention t' vex ye," Isandre replies contritely, though there's a thread of laughter in her soft voice. "Winter comes, an' with it injury and illness - I'm oft-times so busy in the Infirmary I barely notice that outside it be cold, or snowin'. Though, truth be told, I like the chill well enough, for all it keeps me from the water." A glance is flickered towards the lake. "But fear not," she adds, with a sly grin, "we're not barbarians here, t' leave ye squattin' over a hole to give birth." What a wretched idea. "Ye'll be nice and warm when the babe comes, no matter the season." A pause, then, "The Terrivs. T'rev wanted t' read his young'n a bedtime tale, and took me with t' meet his clan."
Barely; "That's comforting." No squatting over a hole. Jaeyi still goes on to make a face about it, though, not enjoying the prospect despite Isandre's encouragement. "Anyways. They're funny people, aren't they? The Terrivs. I don't think I'd like that kinda life, all open skies all the time. They're nice for a visit, though, and Rodric's pretty normal for all he spends all that time with them." As if he might be tainted somehow by proximity to such madness!
"They remind me of my own... kin," Isandre murmurs, hesitating on the last word, as if uncertain whether it's the one she means to use. "Those as I grew up with, anyroad. A bit more open, a bit more welcomin' t' outsiders, but friendly enough within the fold. I liked them, an' I was grateful t' yer man for taking me to meet 'em." Lips twitching slightly, the healer glances sidelong at the baker. "Sadly, th' Harper wasn't there; I'd like t' meet him again. He seemed pleasant enough - like his son," she adds, smirking slightly.
'Your man,' she says, and Jaeyi points out amusedly, "He has a name. I think it starts with a T, but I'll make sure to double-check for you." She answers the sidelong look with a mild laugh, the very idea-- "It's just funny, you like the whole idea of 'more open' but you sure are bent on making people seem like they /belong/ to someone." An affectionate comment, as if it's part of Isandre's charm. "Mmn, he's nice. Rodric. I guess like T'rev, but also more-- well, older and serious...er. More serious. And he has blue eyes."
"I know his name well enough," Isandre replies, easily as amused as Jaeyi. "T'rev, he is, and your man. And I mean open - ah, ye know what I meant," she adds, wrinkling her nose. "I canna say I understand such... openness," and she grins broadly at her use of the term, "but it seems it suits ye, so I'll not judge. I think, though, I've not the mind-set for such things." Shoulders roll in a shrug as she paces with the other woman. "He's polite - his charm is polished, unlike T'rev, who is, perhaps, a bit more rough about the edges. Still, both of them are pleasant t' be around. They've a knack for settin' ye at ease."
Uncommonly thoughtful, Jaeyi offers, "It does work. It did work. Can work. One of those, anyway. It has worked in the past, it will work in the future. That's what I'm getting at." She confuses herself sometimes, and walks along for a few seconds with a head tilt and a frown, then finally gives up trying to chase that line of thought. "Mmn, I was a little intimidated when I first got to know Rodric, actually. Like, when T'rev told me who his dad was, I kinda boggled. As much 'cause T'rev's such a damn hillbilly-- no offense-- as because he's Rodric, y'know?"
"No offense," Isandre agrees - she makes fun of her own origins enough to ever take insult from some one else calling a sheep a sheep. "I suppose it depends on th' mindset of those involved," the healer murmurs, shrugging. "Whatever makes ye happy, that's what matters in life, yes? Especially," she adds, with a glance at Jaeyi's rounding belly, "now." Lips pursed, she considers the baker's words thoughtfully. "He seemed sweet t' me. But I guess I don' know either of 'em the way ye do - and, face it, I'm an easy sell when it comes t' charmin' people." Her smirk is self-mocking.
It's so simple, isn't it? "Cinnamon toast makes me happy. And peaches. I should figure out how to make cinnamon-peach-toast." Jaeyi ponders this for a couple steps, files it away to deal with later, and drums up a quick beam at the end for Isandre's self-directed mockery. "I don't really know Rodric so well, either, to tell the truth. Just-- he was the Masterharper when I was a little girl, and my auntie thought he was just to diiiiie for, so it was kinda funny for me to be meeting him one day. You didn't hear so much about people like that in the back-woods as a kid?"
"Cinnamon toast with peach preserves?" Isandre suggests, though she wrinkles her nose at the thought. "I think I'd prefer plain butter myself." Chuckling, she drops her gaze to watch as she places her feet along the shore, fingers twitching in her pockets. "Nay. I can't even tell ye if I knew who the Masterharper was when I was a child - I never learned t' pay attention to such things until I was at the Hall, when it was important t' know the Masters, so as not t' give offense. All were more important than I, as a kid, ye ken? Rank made no more difference."
"Or maybe peach bread with cinnamon and sugar?" Jaeyi muses in return, looking off toward the water momentarily in something of a mimic of Isandre's earlier occupation. Again with the, "Anyway. I could get stuck on that line of thought for, like, ever." Moving on. "I guess that makes sense, kinda. Like, I can see how everyone is more important, so it doesn't really matter how much more important. At Boll, it was kinda expected you'd know the names of the really important people, at least."
"Or something of the sort." Either Isandre doesn't like cinnamon (blasphemy!) or peaches, because neither suggested combination seems to appeal to her. "Who from my home would ever meet someone as august as a Masterharper? Or even a Harper Master," she adds, with a snort. "We were lucky t' get journeymen through to teach the littles their basics. Important people don' visit backwoods boonies, an' it's only a stroke of luck I managed t' escape the grind of it for the Hall - luck an' me dam's hard work." She shrugs once more. "We had t' know our own Lord, an' his men, but that was all."
Still not sure she quite grasps this, Jaeyi answers, "I guess that makes sense," to Isandre's presumably rhetorical first question there. She smooths out her brows to plug onward without getting too bogged down, bemused but pressing on. "Your mom's the one that wanted you to go and become a Healer, then? That must've been a big change for you, from a hillbilly to a Healer?"
"Incredible change," Isandre muses, lips curving in a fond smile. "I was so alone when I first entered th' Hall - straw in m' hair, ye would say, but rather was vines from th' trees. And my accent was absolutely attrocious - if ye think I talk odd now, imagine me some odd turns ago, afore the Harpers got their hands on me." It may well boggle the mind. "Took me a while t' fit in, longer t' learn how to function in so-called polite society, but I managed. Helps that th' Healers an' Harpers, they understand what it's like t' be somewhere new. But me dam, she'd have none of me staying home, when it was clear I had th' knack for more'n a midwife's work."
Lightly, "And so she kicked her little birdy out of the nest. At least you landed somewhere nicely feathered?" Jaeyi glances briefly around the shoreline of the Weyr, perhaps meaning here, perhaps the Hall, perhaps both. "Do you go and visit her at all? Your mother? You talk about her a lot, but always kinda in past tense, what's she doing now that you're all important and Healery?"
"Vanissa and T'rev take me sometimes to visit her, when they go see their own kin," Isandre replies, chuckling. "An' she does the same thing she's always done, though at least now she has no wood's colt daughter underfoot for the others t' whisper about. She's th' closest thing to a healer for our holding an' those closest, though she knows only midwivery an' a bit of herblore - enough to keep 'em well enough until an itinerant comes through. I think she's happier, now that I'm somewhere I'm judged for what I do, not what I am. But we're close," is added softly. "Still."
"Do you think she would call you a wood colt? Obviously, she must have thought enough of you to want you to go off and be something important, hmn?" Jaeyi, having gotten her quota of fresh air by strolling all this while, now comes to a halt, angled so she can go back into the caverns when the conversation takes a proper turn, though she's likely to stay and pick at Isandre at least a while yet.
Isandre, being the pickable sort, doesn't seem to mind. "She has before. I am what I am, Jaeyi, a bastard child from backwoods Nerat. Th' only thing as saved my mother an' me from being completely ostrisized is th' fact that she's the only healer they got. I've no shame for it, nor has she - she says she was fond enough of my father, an' bein' a midwife - well, if she didna want me, she'd not have me, ye ken?" Though the healer herself may have issues with her own birth, it's clear she doesn't blame her mother for it. "We love each other," is stated simply. "I'd move mountains for her. An' she already did for me."
Jaeyi, at 'I am what I am,' starts to say something but maintains her silence, just the breath taken, until Isandre's finished. Then; "See, you say that, but you're always talking bad about yourself, calling yourself a wood colt and such. I dunno. I like you, and it bothers me when people aren't extra-nice to my friends, even if the people not being nice are the people themselves." She pauses, looks up, making sure that made sense, must decide it did, judging by the shrug afterward.
"I am a wood's colt?" Isandre is clearly confused. "I ain't gonna lie about it an' say me dam was married - wouldn't be fair to her, who bore the burden of guilt for me." Pursing her lips, she toes at the ground, frowning thoughtfully at it as she considers the other woman's words. "I'll try t' remember ye don't like the term though, an' refrain from using it around ye. I'd not wish t' make ye uncomfortable, being as ye be a friend and all. I prefer when my friends be smiling an' cheerful." She offers her own grin - lopsided, but there - to the baker.
There she goes, making a face again. "Bore the burden of guilt. What does that mean?" Jaeyi does feel the need to add, as if to explain her particular perturbance over the matter, "My mom and dad weren't married, either. Neither am I." With a pointed pat for her belly. "And you still turned out all right. And I'm. Well, getting there, hmn?" With an answering beam for the grin.
"Y'know how them backwoods loobies can be, Jaeyi," Isandre replies patiently, kicking at a half-buried rock. "A woman with child ain't tied t' a proper husband, she's no better than she aught t' be. It's a bunch of nonsense, but it's what she had t' deal with when she decided t' keep me rather than give me up. It's nonsense - th' Weyr proves it, if nothin' else, but ye know what they say about the Weyr, as well. So." She shrugs slightly, clearly not as vexed by the discussion as the baker is.
What they say about the Weyr? "It's where they keep dragons?" Jaeyi guesses with a quick, silly smile. "Well, my dearie, before I go getting all philosophical about having babies outta wedlock, I better get myself back to the kitchen. Where a pregnant girl belongs, now if only I remembered to go around barefoot..." She nudges a toe at the sand, amusing herself at the whole barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen idea, anyway.
"Something like that." Isandre really doesn't want to go into the general attitude of the common folk versus the Weyr if Jaeyi's unfamiliar with it. Eyes dancing, she reaches out as if to press an affectionate hand to the baker's arm, then retracts her hand with a sheepish smile. "Enjoy yourself - I should be returnin' to the Infirmary, anyway. Either it's been really quiet in there, my apprentice is up t' some trouble, or Spring got lost tryin' to find me. Either ways, I'm sure there's work to be found."
Like they're just soooo far removed from it themselves, Jaeyi offers, "Oh apprentices. I think they exist just to make messes. Mine is--" She waves a vague hand and leaves it there, laughing quietly at Isandre's woes with firelizards before, with her recently pressed hand, she blows a kiss at the Healer and heads in out of the (very slightly) cold.
IC Date: 9/19/23
Lake Shore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and around to the southeast where the sand gives way to soil and leaf detritus from a cluster of hardy mountain trees. Where the lake deepens, clear blue water darkens to murky teal, hiding stony depths. Dragons often sun here and riders use the lake for dragonwashing in the warmer seasons, while all of the Weyr's denizens may enjoy walks and picnics among the large, smooth boulders that interrupt the smooth flow of sand. Many of the Weyr's children also play at skipping stones with the wide variety of rocks available along the water's edge.
It's that time of year again, when the weather's changing and-- though still fair enough-- the first hints of a chill (for those unfortunate warm-blooded souls) linger in the mornings. So Jaeyi's got her coat on, even her scarf draped over her shoulders, though she hasn't gone as far as mittens yet. Those not 'in the know' could argue she's putting on weight, though at least now she's up and about instead of whining about being ill, at the moment heading down those newfound steps and across the bowl, skirting the edge of the lake in the process.
One might expect a girl raised in the sultry jungles of Nerat to be unaccustomed to the chill of autumn, but Isandre has yet to forsake her summer garb for that of winter, and shows no indication that the brisk morning bothers her. Though normally found in the Infirmary at this time of the day, she is not there - instead, she is here, hands in the pockets of her trousers, eyes fixed thoughtfully on the lake as she thinks, or perhaps daydreams. Still, whatever is on her mind is not enough to distract her, and the sound of Jaeyi's footfalls draw her attention, one hand drawing free of its pocket and raising in a greeting towards the baker.
"Hello, my darling," Jaeyi calls about the time that the glare of the sun and her own thoughts clear up enough to make Isandre unmistakable there in all her distracted glory. Wherever she might have been headed can wait, as the brunette strolls on over with every congenial intention to peck her friend on the cheek upon arrival, ever affectionate. "I hope it's not too pleasant of a daydream I'm interrupting, hmn?"
"'Ello, my dear," Isandre replies along the same vein, a whimsical smile on her lips as she accepts the peck and the company with good grace. "It wasn't much of a daydream at all, t' be quite honest with ye. Just enjoying th' day - 'tis lovely out here." As she slides her hand back in her pocket, those soft sea-green eyes flicker over the baker briefly - an unconscious check, perhaps, to ensure everything is in order before she brings her gaze back to the other woman's face. "What brings ye out here on such a fine mornin'?"
Though she first issued the idea that she'd be sad if it was a good daydream and now lost, Jaeyi still goes on to offer, "No? Well, that's a shame. A good daydream goes a long ways sometimes, I think." As to what she's doing, her hand waves vaguely toward the steps, the so-called fine mornin', and she answers, "Trish said if I didn't go get some fresh air, she was gonna strangle me. I told her that seemed like it'd be counter-productive?" In an 'is that the right term?' tone. "So she brandished a rolling pin at me and I made a break for it. It's gonna be /really/ cold soon, I bet." Sigh.
"I can see where her logic might be flawed," Isandre replies, amused. "I like a good daydream as much as the rest," she adds, on the previous subject, "but this mornin', I'm just lettin' my thoughts run free. Ain't seen much t' dream about of late, 'les you count th' eve'n spent with your man, an' that was long enough ago t' be hazy in my head." Shrugging her bare shoulders, the healer allows her gaze to slide back to the water, considering it thoughtfully as she chuckles. "Aye - best t' enjoy the autumn while ye can, th' weather'll break soon enough for winter, and everythin' that comes along with it." No doubt, her thoughts are on the incoming flu season.
See, to a lot of people, you say something like 'the evening I spent with your man,' and a green-eyed monster comes out. Say it to Jaeyi, though, and it's a half-hopeful, "Really now." Like, she'll just draw her own amused conclusions about that, mhmn. (For the love of-- please set the record straight.) The head-tilt that precedes her first steps asks if Isandre'd like to take a walk, maybe, instead of just standing around? "I'm not happy about it. Winter, I mean. My daydreams'll be all summertime for months now. I don't know how you stand it."
That tone catches Isandre's attention, and she rolls her eyes, snickering slightly. "He took me t' see his family," she explains, wrinkling her nose. "I was in a bit o' a funk, and he took th' time t' cheer me up with good company, good food, an' good dancing. Nothin' more, ye saucy wench. I don't poach, even if ye wouldna mind a lick." Starting to shake her head, she shifts to a nod at the subtle invitation, moving to the baker's side, steps slow and steady. "I like winter well enough, and truth be told, I'm kept so busy I barely notice the cold most days."
There's another big sigh and a predictable, "You make me sad." But Jaeyi's made this attempt before so, she's not going to harp on it. Instead-- "How can you not notice it? It's everywhere. I really ought to go strand myself somewhere warm until my belly's done its business, I hate the idea of having a baby in the snow." How literally she means that is questionable. "Oh well. Which family did you go and see? The Terrivs or the Waystation?"
"'Tis not my intention t' vex ye," Isandre replies contritely, though there's a thread of laughter in her soft voice. "Winter comes, an' with it injury and illness - I'm oft-times so busy in the Infirmary I barely notice that outside it be cold, or snowin'. Though, truth be told, I like the chill well enough, for all it keeps me from the water." A glance is flickered towards the lake. "But fear not," she adds, with a sly grin, "we're not barbarians here, t' leave ye squattin' over a hole to give birth." What a wretched idea. "Ye'll be nice and warm when the babe comes, no matter the season." A pause, then, "The Terrivs. T'rev wanted t' read his young'n a bedtime tale, and took me with t' meet his clan."
Barely; "That's comforting." No squatting over a hole. Jaeyi still goes on to make a face about it, though, not enjoying the prospect despite Isandre's encouragement. "Anyways. They're funny people, aren't they? The Terrivs. I don't think I'd like that kinda life, all open skies all the time. They're nice for a visit, though, and Rodric's pretty normal for all he spends all that time with them." As if he might be tainted somehow by proximity to such madness!
"They remind me of my own... kin," Isandre murmurs, hesitating on the last word, as if uncertain whether it's the one she means to use. "Those as I grew up with, anyroad. A bit more open, a bit more welcomin' t' outsiders, but friendly enough within the fold. I liked them, an' I was grateful t' yer man for taking me to meet 'em." Lips twitching slightly, the healer glances sidelong at the baker. "Sadly, th' Harper wasn't there; I'd like t' meet him again. He seemed pleasant enough - like his son," she adds, smirking slightly.
'Your man,' she says, and Jaeyi points out amusedly, "He has a name. I think it starts with a T, but I'll make sure to double-check for you." She answers the sidelong look with a mild laugh, the very idea-- "It's just funny, you like the whole idea of 'more open' but you sure are bent on making people seem like they /belong/ to someone." An affectionate comment, as if it's part of Isandre's charm. "Mmn, he's nice. Rodric. I guess like T'rev, but also more-- well, older and serious...er. More serious. And he has blue eyes."
"I know his name well enough," Isandre replies, easily as amused as Jaeyi. "T'rev, he is, and your man. And I mean open - ah, ye know what I meant," she adds, wrinkling her nose. "I canna say I understand such... openness," and she grins broadly at her use of the term, "but it seems it suits ye, so I'll not judge. I think, though, I've not the mind-set for such things." Shoulders roll in a shrug as she paces with the other woman. "He's polite - his charm is polished, unlike T'rev, who is, perhaps, a bit more rough about the edges. Still, both of them are pleasant t' be around. They've a knack for settin' ye at ease."
Uncommonly thoughtful, Jaeyi offers, "It does work. It did work. Can work. One of those, anyway. It has worked in the past, it will work in the future. That's what I'm getting at." She confuses herself sometimes, and walks along for a few seconds with a head tilt and a frown, then finally gives up trying to chase that line of thought. "Mmn, I was a little intimidated when I first got to know Rodric, actually. Like, when T'rev told me who his dad was, I kinda boggled. As much 'cause T'rev's such a damn hillbilly-- no offense-- as because he's Rodric, y'know?"
"No offense," Isandre agrees - she makes fun of her own origins enough to ever take insult from some one else calling a sheep a sheep. "I suppose it depends on th' mindset of those involved," the healer murmurs, shrugging. "Whatever makes ye happy, that's what matters in life, yes? Especially," she adds, with a glance at Jaeyi's rounding belly, "now." Lips pursed, she considers the baker's words thoughtfully. "He seemed sweet t' me. But I guess I don' know either of 'em the way ye do - and, face it, I'm an easy sell when it comes t' charmin' people." Her smirk is self-mocking.
It's so simple, isn't it? "Cinnamon toast makes me happy. And peaches. I should figure out how to make cinnamon-peach-toast." Jaeyi ponders this for a couple steps, files it away to deal with later, and drums up a quick beam at the end for Isandre's self-directed mockery. "I don't really know Rodric so well, either, to tell the truth. Just-- he was the Masterharper when I was a little girl, and my auntie thought he was just to diiiiie for, so it was kinda funny for me to be meeting him one day. You didn't hear so much about people like that in the back-woods as a kid?"
"Cinnamon toast with peach preserves?" Isandre suggests, though she wrinkles her nose at the thought. "I think I'd prefer plain butter myself." Chuckling, she drops her gaze to watch as she places her feet along the shore, fingers twitching in her pockets. "Nay. I can't even tell ye if I knew who the Masterharper was when I was a child - I never learned t' pay attention to such things until I was at the Hall, when it was important t' know the Masters, so as not t' give offense. All were more important than I, as a kid, ye ken? Rank made no more difference."
"Or maybe peach bread with cinnamon and sugar?" Jaeyi muses in return, looking off toward the water momentarily in something of a mimic of Isandre's earlier occupation. Again with the, "Anyway. I could get stuck on that line of thought for, like, ever." Moving on. "I guess that makes sense, kinda. Like, I can see how everyone is more important, so it doesn't really matter how much more important. At Boll, it was kinda expected you'd know the names of the really important people, at least."
"Or something of the sort." Either Isandre doesn't like cinnamon (blasphemy!) or peaches, because neither suggested combination seems to appeal to her. "Who from my home would ever meet someone as august as a Masterharper? Or even a Harper Master," she adds, with a snort. "We were lucky t' get journeymen through to teach the littles their basics. Important people don' visit backwoods boonies, an' it's only a stroke of luck I managed t' escape the grind of it for the Hall - luck an' me dam's hard work." She shrugs once more. "We had t' know our own Lord, an' his men, but that was all."
Still not sure she quite grasps this, Jaeyi answers, "I guess that makes sense," to Isandre's presumably rhetorical first question there. She smooths out her brows to plug onward without getting too bogged down, bemused but pressing on. "Your mom's the one that wanted you to go and become a Healer, then? That must've been a big change for you, from a hillbilly to a Healer?"
"Incredible change," Isandre muses, lips curving in a fond smile. "I was so alone when I first entered th' Hall - straw in m' hair, ye would say, but rather was vines from th' trees. And my accent was absolutely attrocious - if ye think I talk odd now, imagine me some odd turns ago, afore the Harpers got their hands on me." It may well boggle the mind. "Took me a while t' fit in, longer t' learn how to function in so-called polite society, but I managed. Helps that th' Healers an' Harpers, they understand what it's like t' be somewhere new. But me dam, she'd have none of me staying home, when it was clear I had th' knack for more'n a midwife's work."
Lightly, "And so she kicked her little birdy out of the nest. At least you landed somewhere nicely feathered?" Jaeyi glances briefly around the shoreline of the Weyr, perhaps meaning here, perhaps the Hall, perhaps both. "Do you go and visit her at all? Your mother? You talk about her a lot, but always kinda in past tense, what's she doing now that you're all important and Healery?"
"Vanissa and T'rev take me sometimes to visit her, when they go see their own kin," Isandre replies, chuckling. "An' she does the same thing she's always done, though at least now she has no wood's colt daughter underfoot for the others t' whisper about. She's th' closest thing to a healer for our holding an' those closest, though she knows only midwivery an' a bit of herblore - enough to keep 'em well enough until an itinerant comes through. I think she's happier, now that I'm somewhere I'm judged for what I do, not what I am. But we're close," is added softly. "Still."
"Do you think she would call you a wood colt? Obviously, she must have thought enough of you to want you to go off and be something important, hmn?" Jaeyi, having gotten her quota of fresh air by strolling all this while, now comes to a halt, angled so she can go back into the caverns when the conversation takes a proper turn, though she's likely to stay and pick at Isandre at least a while yet.
Isandre, being the pickable sort, doesn't seem to mind. "She has before. I am what I am, Jaeyi, a bastard child from backwoods Nerat. Th' only thing as saved my mother an' me from being completely ostrisized is th' fact that she's the only healer they got. I've no shame for it, nor has she - she says she was fond enough of my father, an' bein' a midwife - well, if she didna want me, she'd not have me, ye ken?" Though the healer herself may have issues with her own birth, it's clear she doesn't blame her mother for it. "We love each other," is stated simply. "I'd move mountains for her. An' she already did for me."
Jaeyi, at 'I am what I am,' starts to say something but maintains her silence, just the breath taken, until Isandre's finished. Then; "See, you say that, but you're always talking bad about yourself, calling yourself a wood colt and such. I dunno. I like you, and it bothers me when people aren't extra-nice to my friends, even if the people not being nice are the people themselves." She pauses, looks up, making sure that made sense, must decide it did, judging by the shrug afterward.
"I am a wood's colt?" Isandre is clearly confused. "I ain't gonna lie about it an' say me dam was married - wouldn't be fair to her, who bore the burden of guilt for me." Pursing her lips, she toes at the ground, frowning thoughtfully at it as she considers the other woman's words. "I'll try t' remember ye don't like the term though, an' refrain from using it around ye. I'd not wish t' make ye uncomfortable, being as ye be a friend and all. I prefer when my friends be smiling an' cheerful." She offers her own grin - lopsided, but there - to the baker.
There she goes, making a face again. "Bore the burden of guilt. What does that mean?" Jaeyi does feel the need to add, as if to explain her particular perturbance over the matter, "My mom and dad weren't married, either. Neither am I." With a pointed pat for her belly. "And you still turned out all right. And I'm. Well, getting there, hmn?" With an answering beam for the grin.
"Y'know how them backwoods loobies can be, Jaeyi," Isandre replies patiently, kicking at a half-buried rock. "A woman with child ain't tied t' a proper husband, she's no better than she aught t' be. It's a bunch of nonsense, but it's what she had t' deal with when she decided t' keep me rather than give me up. It's nonsense - th' Weyr proves it, if nothin' else, but ye know what they say about the Weyr, as well. So." She shrugs slightly, clearly not as vexed by the discussion as the baker is.
What they say about the Weyr? "It's where they keep dragons?" Jaeyi guesses with a quick, silly smile. "Well, my dearie, before I go getting all philosophical about having babies outta wedlock, I better get myself back to the kitchen. Where a pregnant girl belongs, now if only I remembered to go around barefoot..." She nudges a toe at the sand, amusing herself at the whole barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen idea, anyway.
"Something like that." Isandre really doesn't want to go into the general attitude of the common folk versus the Weyr if Jaeyi's unfamiliar with it. Eyes dancing, she reaches out as if to press an affectionate hand to the baker's arm, then retracts her hand with a sheepish smile. "Enjoy yourself - I should be returnin' to the Infirmary, anyway. Either it's been really quiet in there, my apprentice is up t' some trouble, or Spring got lost tryin' to find me. Either ways, I'm sure there's work to be found."
Like they're just soooo far removed from it themselves, Jaeyi offers, "Oh apprentices. I think they exist just to make messes. Mine is--" She waves a vague hand and leaves it there, laughing quietly at Isandre's woes with firelizards before, with her recently pressed hand, she blows a kiss at the Healer and heads in out of the (very slightly) cold.