[Log] And the Survey Says...
Who: E'sere, Valandys
When: Unknown
Where: Hot Springs, High Reaches Weyr
What: Valandys surveys E'sere.
Hot Springs
This large natural cavern is heated by the same mechanism that warms the hatching sands. Fed by a spring, the waters that fill the center bowl are warm enough to steam and deep enough that a bronze might almost float after following the gentle slope down into the pool. There is room enough there for several dragons, provided they mind their wings.
To the right of the entrance tunnel, a second pool has been hollowed out of the rock. It's much smaller than the first and is intended for use by the human residents of the Weyr. Alcoves over the pool hold extra towels and pouches of 'sand.
Glowbaskets have been raised on poles around the lip of the larger of the two pools. They end three-quarters of the way into the cavern, leaving the rest in perpetual shadow. The rear of the cavern is gloomy, its wall broken by a number of small crevasses.
Contents:
Valandys
Bowl
Valandys
Valandys' features are simply drawn with soft curves and a strong bone structure, her skin the color of sun-warmed copper. There is sharpness to be found only in the thin bridge of her nose, and her lightning-quick smiles. Set deeply enough to seem always in shadow, her eyes are black, but bright with intelligence and calm. She wears her equally dark hair parted in the center and drawn back to a thick bun secured with red and yellow enamelled pins.
Her healthy frame is draped in attire suitable for cold weather wear, provided she remains inside. A long-sleeved white blouse is tucked into the waistband of a black overskirt. The underskirts are less bland in shade; when she walks, flashes of red and yellow and orange can be seen, matching the gauzy scarves she has wrapped around her hips, her throat and her head. The scarves have fringe beaded with tiny bone beads, dyed in natural colors, and these beads match the clacking array of bracelets decorating her wrists.
The bright red and golden yellow knot at her shoulder declares her origin as Igen Hold. The crosspoint of the knot serves as a bed for the beaten-copper pin of the Caucus.
E'sere
Shaggy, stick-straight brown hair gives this young man a more youthful appearance, disguising his 28 turns. E'sere is tall, rangy, with long limbs well-muscled from turns as a rider. His features are strong, distinctly masculine and rugged in their sharpness. A hawkish Roman nose centers his face; above it, eyes of nondescript hazel and thick brows are half-obscured by a too-long forelock. Thin lips line his mouth. Below that mouth is a strong, sharp chin, his jaw lined with a perpetual five-o'clock shadow.
E'sere is dressed neatly and stylishly, taking great pride in his appearance. His shirt is made of simple white fabric; his pants of a heavier weave that has been tailored to fit him. Even his boots are kept quite clean, polished, and with minimal scuffing and wear. He also wears a thick jacket to keep out the cold of High Reaches, though it seems a bit more battered than the rest of his attire. The knot he wears is the rather complicated mix of threads that denotes a bronzeriding wingleader.
Morelenth
Deep bronze seeps through this dragon's hide, staining haunches and limbs the color of burnished metal. His coloring is dark for a bronze, but its faint metallic glimmer distinguishes him from smaller brown cousins. Morelenth is thin and rangy, like his rider; he seems almost ragged for his thinness. There's a hint of ribs at his sides, and his bones provide him a sharp framework of hard edges. His wings are particularly large, long and narrow as the rest of him. Despite the somewhat skeletal nature of his build, his large eyes gleam with life in his narrow muzzle.
To the holdbred, this is all but sacred ground- a cavern dedicated to the care and comfort of dragons, a sanctuary where dragon and rider can withdraw to enjoy steamy heat and a moment's peace in a life otherwise filled with danger and drills. Even Valandys, as cool and composed as they come, is not above looking somewhat out of sorts in this place. The young woman has placed herself near the second pool, and appears to be deep in conversation with a pair of riders that are- or were- on their way out. Their dragons, still dripping from their recent turn in the springs, are already lumbering out into the bowl. After a moment, the riders excuse themselves and leave laughing, shaking their head at whatever was being said. Valandys, left where she is, gives an audible sigh and passes a hand over her eyes. The gesture speaks of frustration, though of a mild sort.
Preceding his rider in the baths, Morelenth slinks across the room and into the pool of water in one sinuous motion. E'sere, sauntering behind, arrives just as Morelenth submerges himself for a few brief seconds, and the rider pauses at the rim of the pool to watch. Then, grinning at some silent comment, he shakes his head and walks over to the smaller pool, nodding politely at a rider here and there along the way that he knows. He gives Valandys, however, a mildly curious look before shrugging it off and turning away, chalking her up as some rider he doesn't know.
"Pardon me?" She has a desert accent, syllables low and flowing into each other as she speaks. A step is taken towards the rider and her expression settles into polite yet hopeful lines. Another prospect! "I apologize for intruding but I wonder if I could have a moment, to ask you... to ask a question. It is for one of the instructors." Valandys gives the rider a smile. "For a class. The Caucus. It should only be a moment, I won't keep you from..." Her gaze courses past him, picks out the dark bronze enjoying the water.
E'sere glances around again at the sound of Valandys' voice. "Yes?" he asks, brows knitting slightly as he stops and faces her. However, as she explains, his expression quickly brightens, and he even offers a small smile. "For the Caucus, of course. I'm always willing to help out you students," he offers, suddenly generous. "Really, it's no bother. Morelenth doesn't need me for anything, so I've plenty of time. What can I do for you?"
"Thank you, Rider... oh! Wingleader." Valandys corrects herself, inclining her head to him at the same time as her knees sink just enough to give the impression of a curtsey. Now that he's agreed- or now that she's noticed his rank- her manner becomes less about hope and smiles, and more about the business at hand. "I am sorry, again, I do promise it won't take but a moment... Instructor Sefton said I was to meet what riders I could. My home is Igen Hold, and I have never been around dragons very much. He is curious to know if riders believe a dragon's choice at Impression is chance, or a sign of deeper ability, within the rider."
Indulgently, E'sere inclines his head to Valandys. "Don't apologize, please," he instructs her. "It's not a problem, as I said." He shrugs and ponders her question a moment, gazing at Morelenth. The bronze, curious, has come to the side of the pool nearest them, his head leaning over the side as he watches. "Chance, or fate?" he mulls the question. "I believe... dragons choose because of this... deeper ability you speak of. At least, that's why bronzes and golds and perhaps some browns choose," clarifies the wingleader. "Blues and greens, perhaps there's more chance in that. I don't know myself; I don't ride either of those colors." A shrug finishes his statement. He adds after a moment, "And of course, not everyone lives up to this deeper ability, but I suppose it's there just the same."
Valandys' hands clasp neatly before her, arms forming a stiff 'V' as she listens, nodding to punctuate each of his sentences. "But you do not ride gold or brown either, Wingleader?" she prompts once he's finished, the light in her eyes that of curiosity. "Yet you still believe they are also chosen because of the potential for accomplishment?" Morelanth is regarded, briefly, as he draws nearer but she is careful not to look for too long at the bronze- creatures worthy of worship are best admired from afar. This close, they can be overwhelming and she finally seems to decide to ignore him, focusing instead entirely on the rider.
E'sere arches his brows slightly, regarding Valandys once more. "I feel like I can speak for them because they're close enough to my own bronze," he tells her after a moment, shrugging. "The, ah... adjacent colors overlap in things like length and wingspan; why not in other areas, too? Perhaps I am wrong, though, and you should speak to riders of every color." A pause, and slyly he adds, "Besides, I can hardly speak for every bronzerider, either--only myself and Morelenth."
Valandys offers a smile, disobeying his earlier instruction by saying again, "I do apologize. I would prefer not to offend, but I am entirely ignorant in the ways of dragons and their riders. I do intend to speak to the riders of other colors... I have tried, already." This is said with a flickering glance towards the tunnel that leads out of the baths, the tunnel taken by that pair of riders earlier. "So far, the tally is two who believe the question is ridiculous, and one who was too busy to answer. You are the fourth," she continues, black eyes turning back to a respectful study of his face. "There are other bronzeriders to ask as well... I only know Ch'dais so far, however. He brought me from Igen."
E'sere smiles again, nodding slowly. "Oh, you're not offensive, really," he reassures her. "More... thought-provoking." He nods as he settles upon that workd, and continues, "You'll learn me while you're here at the Caucus. There's quite a number of gold and bronzeriders here for it as well, and plenty of riders of all colors here at High Reaches. I'm sure you'll be able to do a more complete survey, given time. But speaking of time..." He trails off pointedly.
"Oh, quite." Valandys allows herself a chuckle, stepping backwards to take her out of the rider's radius. "Thank you, Wingleader. It is much appreciated," she tells him. "I do trust that the Instructor will be patient as I make the rounds, but I don't wish to keep you from your business here." She inclines her head again to man and dragon before retreating back towards the tunnel.
"Good luck with your survey," E'sere tells Valandys as she exits, turning back to Morelenth himself. "Well, /that/ was interesting," he murmurs to the dragon, shaking his head and getting down to the business of bathing.