[Log] Pieces of Home
Who: Lexiana, Reighley, Tirien
When: Day 11, Month 7, Turn 8
Where: Candidate Barracks, Fort Weyr
What: Reighley welcomes another candidate to the ranks.
Candidates Barracks
This large low-ceilinged cavern provides temporary housing for the Weyr's Candidates. Various tapestries hang from the walls, lending an air of color and cheefulness to the dark grey walls. Neat rows of cots fill the back of the cavern, a small press at the foot of each. Numerous shelves dot the walls of the cavern. Littered with various containers and odd items, they seem to lend themselves more to firelizard perches than anything else. A few tables with chairs have been placed towards the front of the cavern, providing a place to visit or do handicrafts.
Contents:
Fort Weyr Firelizard Perch
Obvious exits:
Inner Cavern
Lexiana
This isn't the face that launched a thousand ships - she's attractive but in her own subdued style, which owes little to artifice and much to nature. Dark auburn hair falling in burnished layers around a narrow, fine boned face, her eyes are the deep sea-green that can become sea-blue with a change of light, or her mood, and her skin is a warm peach, with a healthy tanned glow that still seems to hold summer warmth.
She stands around 5'6, with a well-proportioned figure, her breasts are small but firm and well shaped and her waist curves smoothly in and then out to full hips, a woman's figure rather than a girl's, carried with grace and dignity.
She's wearing a loose fitting shirt of creamy white cotton, with the long sleeves ending in neat cuffs trimmed with forest green embroidery, this color is echoed at the collar of the shirt and along the yoke, and is accented by a long skirt of paler green, swirling around her calves and picking up a shimmer of light, the fabric has a 'shot' effect.
Normally, on her shoulder is a brown and black knot that shows her position to be that of a rider at Fort Weyr, a brown thread runs through it denoting the color of her life mate, and on her finger is a 'silver ring.' She appears to be somewhere around 26 Turns, 1 months, and 23 daysturns old.
Tirien
Tirien is a young man of average size and build, reminiscent of his father in the way he stands and carries himself. His complexion is fair, though certainly tanned from repeated exposure to Igen's sun. His fine hair is a light brown color with dark red highlights, cut short and neat. His eyes are a blue-gray hue, much like the sea on a cloudy day and they regard the world with a mixture of curiosity and naivete - so like his father once again. He's enthusiastic about everything he does, though a lack of coordination sometimes leaves him apologizing for something spilled or, at worse, sprawled in a heap at someone's feet. His features are a mix of both parents - a quirk of his mouth may make him suddenly look like his father; a thoughtful cast to his eyes, his mother.
On any given day, Tirien is wearing simple clothing of an Igen cut - black wherhide pants, a white shirt embroidered with some odd design on the collar and cuffs and a pair of scuffed boots on his feet. Tirien is 19 Turns, 7 months, and 7 days old.
As before when Lexiana brought in a candidate, the barracks are quiet, but mostly because at this time of day, they're already out working. Reighley is one of only a couple that remain in their, the girl stretched across her cot on her stomach, legs kicking idly in the air as she works on writing a letter.
Tirien drops his bag near a cot, looking around the room slowly as he attempts to take it all in. "Where is everyone?"
Lexiana walks in just like before and heads straight to the basket with the knots. Tossing one to Tirien, she nods to Reighley. "Okay, weyrwoman Draila is your keeper so I don't want to hear anything about you giving her a hard time. There is a chore list some were around here. I am sure Reighley can show you it. Your name should be on it. I suggest you get settled here and then got take a hot bath in the springs to warm back up." With that the woman walks out the door.
Reighley straightens at once when other people enter, eyes lighting up at the new approval. Scrambling up quickly, she tugs on her shirt and leaves her letter in place as she steps closer to Tirien and the brownrider. "They're out doing stuff, I think. I don't know--I haven't actually seem them yet this morning, except my brother," is her explanation to the boy as Lexiana exits. "I'm Reighley, by the way, like, well. Like she said." Smile.
Lexiana brushes aside the curtain and heads back to the Inner Caverns.
Lexiana has left.
Tirien peers after the rider, turning the knot around in his hands for a moment. "Okay..." In the stunned silence he plops himself down onto the nearest empty cot. "Shards..." Looking up as he's addressed, he replies with a weak smile. "I'm Tirien. Nice to meet you."
"Do you need anything? I know where everything is now, if you do," queries Reighley after a moment, shifting her weight as she regards the older candidate. She clasps her hands behind her back, affecting more turns than she has as she watches him. "You aren't from around here, are you? I've never seen you before, but I don't think I know /everybody/, so." Shrug.
Tirien eyes the knot in his hands for a moment longer, then reaches up to unfasten the plain cord already gracing his left shoulder. "No...I mean...I'd like to find those hot springs she mentioned. Eventually." He removes his old knot and fastens on the new. "I'm from Igen Weyr," he tells her. "Born there."
"I know where they are," Reighley says at once, grin broadening. "I can show you if you wanna. I was there just this morning, actually. It's really nice. Is Igen nice? I don't know anyone from there yet, I don't think. It's a long, long way away, right?"
Tirien licks his lips, running a hand through his half-damp hair, some strands of which seem to hold melting ice crystals. "I guess it is a long way away. I don't leave it very often. It's...home." What could be nicer than home, after all?
Reighley's expression turns sympathetic, and she glances down at her feet, scuffing toes across the stone floor. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she agrees after a moment. "I mean, my home's not /that/ far away, but still. I'm not from here, either, so. But it's really nice here, don't worry. You'll love it, I'm sure," is her earnest reassurance, eyes cutting back upward to Tirien.
Tirien looks up, trying to smile. "Where're you from?" he asks politely, bending over to open up his bag of belongings.
"Riverside," answers Reighley, taking a half step back when Tirien starts to unpack. "It's one of the little holds kind of near here. It's really nice, but, well. My aunt Martel lives here, my mom's sister, so me and my brother came to stay here with her for a while. I'm kind of happy, really, because there's lots of really nice people here and now I get to see a hatching, too! Have you ever seen one before?"
Tirien pulls out his clothing and starts to pack it away in what appears to be his press. "A hatching? More than I can conveniently count." He offers a slightly apologetic smile. "One of the hazards of growing up in a weyr. There's a hatching every time you turn around. My parents, my grandparents...even my older sister - they're all riders."
Tirien sits up straighter, a thought occuring to him suddenly. "Hey! My Aunt Delia is at Fort!"
Reighley ponders that a moment, watching Tirien's unpacking effort with a thoughtful expression. "Does that mean you'll impress, too? If all of them are riders? None of my family has ever impressed. My aunt was searched, a long time ago--that's why..." She trails off to blink confusedly at Tirien's outburst, finally remarking uncertainly, "I don't think I know her."
Tirien smiles, looking somewhat reassured by the thought. "She's a greenrider - my father's half-sister. She came to Fort awhile back. Dad wasn't too happy about it but they seem to have gotten over being mad at each other." He pulls more things out of his bag, including a box of items that clink together like stones. "Nothing assures Impression. It's the dragon's choice. My father has a brother and a sister who never Impressed. Honestly, I was beginning to think I'd never be Searched, even living at a weyr like I did."
Reighley settles onto the cot opposite Tirien while he works, nodding slowly. "That's reassuring," she decides after a moment, offering a quick smile to the man. "I mean, I don't want to... I don't know. It's nice to know that it's not decided just 'cause of my family, I guess." Another nod, and then she adds, "I bet somebody here knows her, though, if you asked. Everybody know /everybody/ here, it seems like. Bet she'd like to see you. My aunt was real excited about me and my brother, you know?"
Tirien grins. "She'll probably swallow her tongue when she sees me." He makes to put away his box, then hesitates, and opens the lid to show Reighley. Inside are an assortment of various rocks and stones, each with a distinct pattern of colors and shapes. "This is what Igen's like," he tells her. "I found most of these around the bowl."
"Is that a good thing?" wonders Reighley, eyeing Tirien uncertainly. She shrugs after a moment, howeve, standing up to lean over the box, studying the rocks inside. "Wow, these are pretty. I really like that one," she decides, pointing to one. "You collect them? How come?"
Tirien chuckles and shrugs. "I dunno. She'll probably think my Dad sent me to watch her or something." He picks up the stone Reighley points out and holds it out to her. "I dunno why I collect them. I just like the way they look, I guess. Kinda glad I did, though. Now I've got a piece of home to keep with me while I'm here." He smiles, dangling the box between his knees. "I can start collecting Fort rocks now."
"If I find any good ones, I'll pick them up for you," volunteers Reighley, reaching for the rock and turning it over in her hand. "Our rocks are pretty, too. But I better finish my letter right now--I have to write Mom and Dad back home and tell them what happened--and then I need to find somebody to take it to them. Do runners charge you lots of money to take letters places?" she asks after a moment, glancing expectantly back at the other candidate.
Tirien blinks for a moment, then shrugs. "I'm not sure. I've never had to use a runner to take a letter someplace. I always just asked my sister. Or my parents. Where are you going to send it? Maybe I can ask my Aunt Dee - provided I can find her."
Reighley nods at that, frowning slighly. "I never have, either. I know Mom wrote letters sometimes, back to my aunt, but I never found out what it costs. I guess I can ask one of them--they'll know. But... Would she mind?" asks the girl after a moment, smiling slightly. "A dragon would be a lot faster, I bet. They go places right away--it's amazing. I've seen them disappear and come back before."
Tirien chuckles, closing the lid on his box and setting it aside. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind. But, I'll have to ask her first. She might be too busy. Otherwise, we can figure out some other way to get your letter home."
"Okay!" Reighley declares happily. "I'll let you know when I finish it, and then we can send it. Thanks a lot. I'll go work on it now." She turns and starts to head back to her cot, before turning back and extend a hand to offer him back his Igen rock. "Here you go. You better stick it back where it goes, or I'll lose it," she tells him with a grin.
Tirien takes the rock and slips it back into it's box. "Thanks." He peers around, getting to his feet. "I'd better go find those hot springs. I didn't quite get to finish my bath earlier."
"You're welcome," Reighley says as she backs up, back toward cot and letter. "They're just right outside, to the... left? I think that's it. You can tell because it's always warmer right outside the door, and kind of damp. See you later."
Tirien offers a brief wave, heading out of the barracks. "Thanks!"