[Log] Guess What!
Who: Draila, Jenna, Kalen, Reighley
When: Day 11, Month 7, Turn 8
Where: Living Cavern, Fort Weyr
What: Reighley tells everyone about her good news.
Fort Weyr Living Cavern
Approaching half the size of the Hatching Grounds, this cavern echoes with voices during the day, and the soft patter of feet during the night. Dozens of tables are spaced throughout, each with open space around to provide small amounts of privacy for the discussions carried on at each. The night hearth, with a cluster of pots of stew and klah, is situated near the large entrance to the tunnel. Several other hearths are spaced around the huge chamber, lending light and some heat to the room. The far wall is lined with tables that always hold something edible to feed the throngs of people who come into this immense room in search of a meal, a snack, or something to drink. As with most Weyrs, the Living Cavern is the busiest place with the most activity. It is here that Fortians and visitors alike migrate in an effort to find information, share gossip, and just plain socialize.
Broad marble steps to the southwest lead up to the impressive Fort Weyr kitchen. An almost constant stream of activity centers around this staircase: people coming and going with loads of goods for the stores, fresh food, dirty or clean dishes and utensils, and plenty of folks just going in to do their duty for the day or night. The aromas wafting down the stairs are indicators of which meal is being prepared or served at the moment. The view into the kitchens is clear from the Living Cavern, everything gleaming and clean, and the muffled but bustling noises coming from within just add to the air of comfort, family, and hard work done at Fort Weyr.
To the east, a short flight of stairs leads to the hallway to the inner caverns. A stout door to the north has a healer's emblem on it, marking the Infirmary. To the south is a wide tunnel, leading out of the Weyr, and a wide opening to the west leads to the Weyr bowl.
Contents:
Jenna
Buffet Table
Meg and Peg
Fort Weyr Firelizard Perch
Obvious exits:
Bowl INFirmary Inner Caverns Tunnel Kitchen
Jenna
The first thing usually noticed about Jenna is the cloud of platinum blonde hair that streams down past her shoulders. Stick straight, the front is usually pulled back out of her eyes, confined in braids and pinned at the crown of her head. Startlingly blue eyes peer out from a face that is all plains and angles - a sharp nose, pointed chin, and cheekbones jut in bas-relief across this rocky landscape - and are surrounded by the early stages of crow's feet. Her frame is tall and lanky, no hint of roundness at all to soften it. On the contrary, muscles from hours spent a'dragonback seem to call attention to her height and utter lack of feminine softness.
Jenna is dressed in a simple pair of black linen trousers. A brown tunic embalzoned with the Fort badge is thrown carelessly overtop. Her feet are surprisingly bare, and do her no more credit than the rest of her frame. Sturdy and calloused, she seems quite comfortable with them bare, even on cold stone.
Jenna wears the complicated knot of the Fort Weyr Weyrwoman in black and brown around one shoulder, with a strand of gold for her lifemate. There are also other small 'details' about her, a handmade pendant and a ring. She looks to be somewhere near forty turns.
Reighley
Reighley's little more than a girl, about 5'3" and slender, with some 12 turns to her name. Still left with a slim, childlike frame, she's only beginning to enter that period of coltish adolescence. Her dark blonde hair reaches her mid-back with a natural wave; she usually keeps it clipped out of her big green eyes, or braids it out of the way. Reighley has pert pink lips, and her nose is ski-jumped, dusted with a spray of pale freckles that spread across her cheeks as well.
Reighley's face might seem girly, but her clothes protest that description. Pants always have scuffed knees and patches; shorts and short sleeves reveal the marks of an active, or particularly clumsy, lifestyle. Her clothes are rarely new, probably for the better, but someone takes care to mend them well. Dresses are a rarity for Reighley, reserved for special occasion. When she has her hair braided, the ribbons holding the braids are usually trailing, the braids themselves unraveling slowly.
Jenna is just coming out of the kitchens - or rather, being chased out - by one of the cooks. The harangue is audible across the caverns, despite the people in it. "You /can't/ keep coming in here and messing with things Weyrwoman! For the love of Faranth!" The cook shoves a tray into Jenna's chest, jerks her head at the serving tables, and stalks back into the kitchens. With a sigh, Jenna turns to the tables, putting the tray down on it.
Reighley is on her way toward the kitchens, weaving carefully through the crowds until she's near the door. However, as the cook and goldrider exit, the girl quickly steps aside, blinking and staring at the pair. When Jenna's shoved away, Reighley directs another glance at the departing cook and then slips after the Weyrwoman instead. "They're kind of grumpy today," she notes sympathetically, taking up a post by the serving tables herself. "I offered to help wash dishes again this morning and they told me to go away. I didn't even break anything last time!"
Jenna says gloomily, "I was just trying to help." She doesn't say what she was trying to help with. Instead she looks down at Reighley. "Did you talk to M'yr last night? Find out if Istans really eat raw meat?"
"He /said/ they didn't," Reighley says, her voice conveying a certain dubious note--apparently, the Weyrleader's word isn't as strong as her other souces'. But, breaking into a grin, she says, "But guess what! Guess what happened to me last night, too, after the clutching!" Her smile is huge as she stares expectantly up at the goldrider.
Jenna takes a cookie from the plate she just put down. Looks more like a rock. She frowns at it, and then looks back at Reighley. From her expression, she likely has a good idea, but she plays along, "What happened?"
"I got searched!" says Reighley gleefully. "Danielle did it, her and her green--they got Nico, too, /and/ my brother--but not the Bad Cousins--and there's lots of others already, too! I met this one boy that came in later--he was from /Bitra/. Bitra! I can't wait until the hatching."
Jenna chuckles and says mildly, "I thought I saw your name in a report that came across my desk this morning. I'm glad it was for search and not something else." Eyebrows arch as she fixes the girl with a long look, implying that she better not hear about something else. "Your brother too? What's his name again?"
Reighley's pout is short-lived and minor. "You knew already," she accuses, though good-naturedly. Her excitement means her bright smile is soon fixed back in place. "Don't worry, I won't get in any trouble. I'll be good, I /promise/. My brother, his name is Treizen. He's fourteen already, but I won't let him get into trouble, either, cross my heart," she vows earnestly.
Jenna grins at the girl. "I did, yes. And congratulations. Is your auntie happy? And have you written your parents yet? You really should, you know." She pauses and then, as though it just occured to her, "So should I." There's that whole rank thing, sneaking up on her again.
"Thanks," Reighley says. She breaks off her gushing long enough to take one of those cookies; while Jenna might find them unappetizing, she doesn't seem to notice as she takes a bite and chews a moment. After swallowing, she notes, "Oh, she's thrilled all right. Except, now she keeps worrying more than ever because we don't know anything about candidacy and hatchings and stuff. She says the dragons hurt people when they hatch, but I don't think I believe that. All the dragons I've met have been really nice--well, Arlyth knocked me over, but that was just to point me out, so I forgive her. I'll write my parents this afternoon. How come you need to write yours?"
Jenna blinks a bit at all the babble, and then says, "Not my parents. Yours. It's one of the things Weyrwomen do - nevermind. And yes, hatchlings can injure candidates. It's never deliberate, but they're very clumsy when they break shell. And all they can think of is finding their rider and then getting something to eat."
Reighley's eyes widen again, the girl staring, cookie forgotten. "They really /can/ hurt people?" she repeats, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. "My aunt's right? Oh, no. Does that happen a lot? Every hatching?" She bites her lower lip, a small frown overtaking her earlier exuberance.
Kalen comes up the steps from the Inner Caverns.
Kalen has arrived.
Kalen
Light bordered almond shaped eyes harbor a stormy grey tone lightened near the edges with a pale silver lining. Descriped easily as soulful, or somber, they appear the be the type to hold many secrets. Slender brows of ebon black frame the eyes perfectly, expressive in their use. Sharply defined angles make up this youth's face, high cheekbones and a slender nose make for a typically handsome profile. Hair, black as the darkest of night, is cut in various lengths due to some barber negligence or the fact he just hasn't the patience to sit still for terribly long. He has fairly pale skin, not one that easily takes to tanning. He looks like he can't be much past fifteen turns in age, but looks can be deceiving.
Standing a few inches under six foot in height, this young man holds the promise of being well muscled in the future but right now he's fairly lanky and hasn't quite finished the gawky stage of adolescence. Wearing simple clothing, Kalen rarely dresses to impress - but if he did, he might actually turn some heads. But, for everyday, he wears a motley arrangement of mottled browns. Some are loose like he needs to grow into them, while others are tight as though he's grown out of them yet can't bear to let them go.
Jenna is standing with Reighley by the serving table. "They can, yes. And no, not every hatching. No one's been killed in ages. That's why we take you lot onto the sands when the eggs get hard enough to touch. Get you used to it. And tell you what to do during the hatching. First rule is: unless a dragon calls you," she taps her temple, "You don't touch them or go to them."
Reighley looks mildly reassured by Jenna's words, offering a hesitant little smile and a nod in answer. "Weeeell, okay. I won't, promise. I don't want to get hurt. I won't let Trei, either--he's kind of silly, you know how /boys/ are. What else is it like, on the sands? It didn't look so bad when we saw the clutching." She manages another bite of the rock-cookie then, chewing slowly while she awaits the reply.
Kalen comes out of the inner caverns, one hand lifted up to ruffle his hair and try to get it looking half decent. It's wet, so it's possible he's just crawled out of the baths, and he looks only half awake as he makes his way to look for food. Lowering that hand that was ruffling his hair, he tugs up his pants and then tucks his shirt into them a little better in an attempt to get them to stay up on their own. All while walking, which might work better for other people than him, since he nearly trips over his own feet in the process and takes a couple fumbling steps forward. Hrmph. "Excuse me. Sorry." He says to the poor guy he used as a balance for a minute then finally looks around to see if there's anyone around he knows.
Jenna says succinctly, "Hot." She pauses and then amends, "Not as hot as it was during the pass, but. It's odd, seeing so few eggs on the grounds. Makes the cavern more echo-ey." Catching Kalen's trip, she half reaches out to steady him, even though she's not right as his elbow. "Careful there. You okay?"
Draila comes up the steps from the Inner Caverns.
Draila has arrived.
Draila
Before you is a deeply tanned female in her early 20's standing around five feet five inches in height. Her sun-bleached curls have been shortened and wisp every which way, framing her face, forehead and neck. The overall care free style gives this young lady the appearance of some harper imagined character that just stepped out of the hides of a littles bedtime story.
She wears a large oversized tunic with the arms rolled up to bare her hands. A rag of twisted cloth binds the tunic to her thin waist in skirt fashion yet leaves her legs and feet bare just below the knees, showing off a deep tan she must have gotten through out her turns in the warmer climes of Southern. With a closer look at her shoulders, she appears to be knotless.
Around her neck is a braided choker of black runnerhair, with a tiny pebble incorporated into the braid, the pebble has something engraved on it but it's unreadable from here.
Draila quietly enters a relieved and pleased look touching her features as she heads over to the buffet table and helps herself to a well deserved mug of tea.
One of Nananthia's assistants sneaks up on Jenna and corners the poor goldrider with what looks like a mountain of reports that have to be gone through Right Now. So much for free time.
Jenna has disconnected.
Reighley, munching on a rock-like cookie and nodding seriously, stands by the serving tables with Jenna; Kalen's just joined them. The girl looks over at the boy while Jenna's distracted. When the Weyrwoman is pulled away, Reighley murmurs a good-bye, then glances sideways at Kalen again. "Hi," she finally offers simply.
"Oh, yes. Sir. Ma'am. Ah, yeah I'm fine." Kalen finally decides, and that's about when she's pulled off to deal with said reports. All the better for him, since he seems to relax a little until he notes Draila's there too. Reighley very nearly gets looked past, but the floor speaks. Er, wait, she's just down there. Looking down, he looks at the cookie then at her. "Hi. Where'd you get the cookie?" He asks, looking from her to the table to see if they're over there.
Draila turns about and catches sight of Jenna being called away, her smile fading a bit. "I suppose I'll catch her later and let her know P'ter has the records and is going over them." She shrugs lightly before scaning the cavern to find a seat.
"Over here," says Reighley, taking a step over and pointing at the plate of cookies. "They're, um. Well, they're okay," is her diplomatic decision on the taste of the hard cookies. She pokes experimentally at the one in her hand; it doesn't give at all. Still, she shrugs slightly and takes another bite, adding once she's cleared her mouth, "My name's Reighley, by the way. Ooh, Draila!" She waves enthusiastically with her cookie hand when she sees the other goldrider, sending crumbs flying off the cookie.
Kalen reaches for one of the cookies as they're pointed out, grimaces when he notices it's hard, and drops it back down to the plate. "Well, thanks anyways." He says politely, giving the girl a bit of a smile and then glancing over towards Draila as she's waved at so enthusiastically. Deeming that Reighley is probably not listening to him anymore, he wanders off to go fill up a plate with other types of food rather than introducing himself a little more properly.
"Hello Reighley. How are you today?" Draila softly greets as she passes the younger girl, her smile spreading again. Her path takes her past Kalen as well and he receives a nod before she takes a seat. "Did you hear the news? We've new eggs on the sands." Apparently Draila has been so busy of late she's not totally up to date on everything that's been happening about the Weyr.
Reighley giggles at Kalen, offering a quick, "You're welcome," to him as he starts to fill his own plate. She continues munching on her cookie slowly, then tells the goldrider brightly, "I know, I saw! And guess what! I'm a candidate, me and my brother both. There's lots of us already!"
"Ah, yes. I heard, and it's difficult to miss the buzz that usually happens when candidates are brought in. Look at her." Kalen says, motioning vaguely to the estatic Reighley. He does give Reighley a smile though, and offers, "Congratulations, though. I hope you enjoy all the chores." He says with a faint chuckle and tops off his plate with a meat roll before looking for himself a place to sit.
Draila lifts her tea mug and samples the blended brew before giggling lightly, clearly misunderstanding Reighley's excitement. "Yes we'll have candidates very soon. So many we'll be swamped by them." But Kalen's congratulating Reighley brings her attention to the full. "already? But we're not prepared.. There aren't enough cots set up yet.." Her tea is forgotten and placed on the table top as Draila springs to her feet again looking at both Kalen and Reighley for conformation.
"There's bunches of us already," Reighley tells Draila helpfully. "Me and Nico and Trei and, uh... Ven-something, I forget. And I saw two or three others in there, too, but I don't know them yet. And thanks," is added to Kalen, any sarcasm lost on the blithe girl.
Kalen purses his lips, but doesn't appear to have anything to say one way or another on the matter. He shrugs his shoulders at Draila, gives them both a bit of a smile and then looks at his food before deciding, "I think I'm going to go outside to eat. It's a nice day, no reason not to enjoy it. Congrats again." He says and wanders off towards the bowl.
"Cot.. need more cots. Fresh sheets too.." Draila begins mumbling to herself as she waves over some inner cavern girls. "Come with me. and someone find the candidate knots. We'll need them as well." Pausing by the inner caverns archway, Drai turns about and smiles back to Reighley. "I'm so happy for you and do come tell me all about your search later. Right now there is so much to do.." Then she heads off with hurried steps, a pair of serving girls in her wake nodding to instructions being given.
Draila walks down the eastern stairs to the Inner Caverns.
Draila has left.
"Oh. Well. See you later," Reighley tells both Draila and Kalen, looking downcast as both of them leave. It's a fleeting mood, however, as she sees another friend of hers, and skips over there to relay the good news.