[Log] Apologies from the Wrong Source
Who: E'sere, Essdara, Roa, T'zen
When: Day 14, Month 7, Turn 1, 7th Pass
Where: Hot Springs, High Reaches Weyr
What: Late night draws a crowd at the hot springs.
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.
Late night anything is becoming something or an art with the young weyrwoman from Telgar. Tonight it's bathing her dragon that has her up later than a Caucus student should be. She wears a sleeveless black shirt and pants of a matching color that stop at her knees. Roa is currently working on one great golden wing which is carefully extended and carefully getting scrubbed by the girl who is waist-deep in the warm water.
Rubbing tiredly at his eyes, E'sere enters with Morelenth following close behind, the bronze dusty and tired-looking as his rider. "I can't sleep like that," remarks E'sere, shaking his head slowly. "And I might as well get you, too, while I'm at it. Go on." He ushers the lanky bronze into the water, pausing himself to glance over at the other late-night pair. "Oh, good evening, weyrwoman. I hope we're not bothering you?" E'sere wonders.
Roa looks over her shoulder at the sounds of arrival and, because of the angle and being caught mid-scrub, this seems to mean that the girl kind of bends backwards to observe the bronzerider and his dragon from upside down. A quick rightening and a bit of scooting provide a little more entry room for Morelenth. "Evening, sir," is Roa's soft reply. "No, of course not. This is a public bath after all." Tialith, for her part scoots as requested with whirling eyes momentarily trained on the other dragon.
Morelenth slides sinuously into the water with a rumble of pleasure, while E'sere nods, unbuttoning his shirt as he speaks. "Well, yes, but that doesn't give up the right to barge in and be, I don't know, disruptive or something," he remarks with a roll of his shoulders. "How are you, weyrwoman? Tialith?" He passes a glance between the woman and her gold, brows arching in curiousity.
Roa inches down along the still-extended wing, ducking under here and there to make sure both sides are well-scrubbed. The sweetsand coats the mosaic wingsails in suds though glows pull forth the unusual pattern and the shimmer-shine that water causes. "We're both well, thank you, Wingleader. All settled in now and classes are going smoothly so far. And yourself and Morelenth?"
E'sere slips into the water as well, stepping over to Morelenth to start scrubbing the bronze first. Beginning at the dragon's shoulder, he washes methodically, glancing briefly over his shoulder at the goldrider. "We're well, also," he remarks. "Are you enjoying your classes, then? Was it you,weyrwoman, who mentioned something about working with the dragonhealers, when we first met?"
T'zen arrives from the bowl.
T'zen has arrived.
Essdara arrives from the bowl.
Essdara has arrived.
One wing is lowered into the heated water and the other lifted quickly enough to send a spray of water out and over. "Open slowly, Tia," the goldrider murmurs and the acual extending of the wing is done carefully but accompanied with what can only be termed an annoyed whuffle. "Many of them are very interesting," s the judicious reply about classes. "And yes, I am interested in dragonhealing. Weyrwoman Diya has agreed to help me learn." A small frown flits across the girl's face at some private thought. That and a sudden flush of her cheeks.
“Oh?" queries E'sere, pauses in his late-night dragon-washing to turn and study Roa, brows arching at her strange blushing. However, he remarks mildly, "Ah, yes. The Weyrwoman Diya is a very good dragonhealer, and teacher as well. And... there is much practice material here." A wry, not particularly humorful smile twists his lips as he turns back to his sprawling bronze.
T'zen enters in the cavern, Essdara walking alongside. He's wearing shorts and a simple shirt, obviously prepared to get wet. He's in mid-sentence when within hearing range of the others.. ".. nice of you to join me. I was hoping this will be quick." He turns forward, and waves to the others in the room before glancing around. "Wait a sec.. Where's Uneth?"
Essdara rolls her eyes at the bluerider, for the moment oblivious to the others. "You know, most people can't misplace things that big... How do you do it?" She shakes her head with a giggle, "I think he hides just to make you look silly."
Roa pours several handfuls of soapsand onto the extended wing and begins to scrub though her hands still at E'sere's remark about practice. Her head lifts and turns to regard the wingleader with open surprise and a bit of horror on her face. Maybe it was the ease of the joke or the way dragons were reduced to 'practice material' but she's saved from a very awkward moment by the arrival of two others. "Hello T'zen. Essdara." Her voice is suddenly cheery, a smile of relief melting the other expressions away. Tialith's own attention remains on the bronze and his rider, though an aquatic tail flick notes the others' arrival.
E'sere keeps his back to Roa, missing or at least not responding to her dawning horror at the callousness of his remark. Morelenth, however, has noticed; his whirling blue-green eyes returning Tialith's stare intently, to the exclusion of others. E'sere, however, offers the new arrivals, T'zen and Essdara, a small smile and a nod. "Evening, bluerider, miss," he offers, with his usual politeness.
Morelenth> To Tialith: Morelenth's rueful voice echoes his rider's as he offers an apology for both of them: << My rider has offended yours. We are sorry; our words are uncalled for. >>
T'zen gives the girl beside him a mock-grimace. "I didn't lose Uneth." He unfocuses for a bit, muttering, "Okay, you, where'd you go?" He returns to focus, grinning at the other riders as though there wasn't a problem in the world. "Hello Weyrwoman Roa.. Wingleader E'sere." He looks back at Essdara to make a comment, and stops short, whipping back to face E'sere with something resembling surprise on his face. "Wingleader! You're here!"
Essdara's smile brightens noticibly as Roa's greeting reaches her, and she offers the foreign goldrider a wave, "Roa, sir." To her her and her companion. She grins over at T'zen, about to comment on his lack of draconic companion when his exclaimation comes out. Instead, she remains quiet, shifting aside a bit to be out of the way.
Roa scrub scrub scrubs until wing is sudsy and ready to be dipped. And now its on to the momentous task of washing the length and girth of a 71 foot long body. Roa grabs up an entire bag of soapsand and begins with a front forearm, the rest of the leg gingerly lifting out of the water for washing. "How're the kitchens and the firestone hauling" is asked to Essdara and T'zen respectively. But then, like the kitchen worker, she quiets to see what T'zen's shouting will lead to.
Morelenth> The queen's thoughts are cool with more than just her usual calm quizzical 'voice'. Distance and disapproval are evident as well. << My rider can speak for herself and yours can as well. Apologies come from the wrong source. >>
E'sere's brows arc. "Bluerider. Should I not be?" he wonders mildly, though curiousity at the exclamation does color his voice. "I suppose it really is rather late to be out, but leave the chastisement to Mother, please?" Bemused, he regards T'zen, though his eyes flicker briefly to Roa and back to the other rider.
T'zen shakes the surprise off his face, and immediately starts forward to the bronzerider. "No, no. No problem at all that you're here. I was hoping to find you." He hears Roa's comment on firestone and grimaces, though he tries to hide it. "Ah, rider T'zen, sir. I'm sure you've seen me. In Wingleader I'zul's wing. 3C. I'm sure you're aware of our grounding, sir."
Morelenth> To Tialith: Morelenth's thoughts withdraw briefly, before he replies. << My rider asks me to speak for him, >> he notes. << It does not make the words any less his for me to relay them, particularly as they are only for your rider’s, not others. >> Accompanying the latter words is a brief image of T'zen and Essdara.
Essdara, seeing T'zen distracted and the strange (to her) rider likewise, turns towards Roa with a small grin, "The kitchens are as they are, ma'am. Better than they had been, truth be told. I'm getting better at not causing trouble, which is a good thing." A shrug. "I still love my work, and nothing can ever change that. You, ma'am? I hope you and Tialith are doing well? Did I hear something about learning dragonhealing?"
Uneth arrives from the bowl.
Uneth has arrived.
Uneth lumbers in, wings furling from a short flight. He gives a merry croon. He's here! But then he looks around, and snorts, trying to find his rider now.
Roa seems about to reply to Essdara when her mouth closes and her attention is drawn upwards towards Tia's head. There's a moment of silent communication and a soft 'chuff' from the dragon before the girl turns back to 'Dara. "Oh. Yes. I studied it some at Telgar and it's a skill that's just as necessary here so..." the phrase is left open as foreleg, paw, talons are washed.
E'sere nods. "Of course," he reples promptly, straightening as T'zen brings up business. "How are you and Uneth doing? And the remainder of the wing?" It is, perhaps, an odd choice of words, and E'sere's expression is very carefully politely interested in the bluerider's response. Then: "Indeed," he remarks, eyes cutting again to Roa at that simple reply to her thoughts.
Morelenth> There is the psionic equivalent of a sigh. << My rider requests that I tell you she accepts your and your rider's apology. >> There's reluctance. A very head-down-toe-scuffing-dirt-I-don't-wanna-but-I-gotta element to the thought.
T'zen stops at the water's edge, and continues to address E'sere. "The wing's a loss, if you have my opinion, sir," T'zen replies immediately, "I mean, I don't see how it will function as a wing until we get many replacements. And, rumors of I'zul getting moved.." He falters, and starts again, "But anyway sir. Uneth and I are well. More than well, sir. We're fit for duty, but have no wing. I've been allowed chance to volunteer, and have been doing so for various wings here. But there doesn't seem to be room- room on the wings. You know. Flying thread and such. So I'm looking. Perhaps, sir, you have room to spare for a bluerider? Well experienced, sir. Volunteer if not full transfer yet.." His attempts to look confident are betrayed by biting his lip.
Morelenth> To Tialith: Morelenth's bemusement at the tone of that reply is barely hidden. << Thank you, Tialith. >>
Essdara glances at T'zen with an encouraging smile, but remains out of that conversation, well above her station. Instead, she keeps on with Roa, moving to be near the water, though not yet venturing in. "It is a very useful skill, yes, one I think, personally, everyone should know more of... And I certainly think you will do well at it." She kneels, running a hand over the water of the bathing pool. "I am suprised that they aren't required lessons over there."
"Well, I think you have to have a certain...tolerance for things first," Roa offers to Essdara, one ear pointed towards the other discussion. "And it's rather helpful for dragonhealers to also be riders, so that limits the pool as well. I do agree that everyone ought to know how to treat simple scores, however. The more with that knowledge the better." She dissapears from view as she moves down Tialith's side, scurbbing the expanse of the gold as high as she can rach and working her way from shoulder to hip.
Morelenth> The young queen's response can only be described as this: << hmph. >>
While T'zen speaks, E'sere turns back to scrubbing at the bronze hide of Morelenth, pausing periodically to nod and glance over at the bluerider. "I see," he remarks, rinsing off the dragon's side and turning to face T'zen. "I see," he remarks slowly. "You and Uneth are both healthy, ready to start drilling and flying with us? I've an opening I could put you in--we lost M'rel early," the wingleader admits, frowning sadly as he mentions the agile blue pair lost in the first 'Fall. Shaking his head, he continues quickly, "If it's a full transfer you're seeking, however, you'll have to speak with the Weyrleader."
T'zen breaks into a massive grin. "Sir! We are beyond ready, sir! Name when, and I'll be there. Can volunteer immediately on the wing." He turns his head to point his grin at Essdara, and then to the gold dragon, since he can't see the rider any more. And then- Uneth at this point had found him and came up behind him, so with a nudge from behind by the blue dragon, T'zen tips, grin and all, into the water.
Essdara returns the grin, before bursting into giggles at the blue's antics. "Nope, not lost at all. But sneaky!" She gives the blue an approving look. She glances at the gold, but choores not to reply to someone she can't see. So, instead, she turns to the bronzerider. "I don't think you will be dissapointed, sir. Da always says good things about T'zen."
Rather indulgently, E'sere smiles at T'zen, nodding. "All right, then. We have drills tomorrow, mid-morning," he decides. To Essdara: "Oh? Well, then, I'm glad to hear that," adds the wingleader, as, finishing scrubbing the dragon, they both clamber out of the water. While drying himself off and redressing, he continues, "It's late, though, so I wouldn't recommend staying out much later. I'll see you in the morning, T'zen. Good night, miss, weyrwoman. Tialith." Offering the latter words to Essdara, Roa, and the golden dragon in turn, he and Morelenth slip out into the bowl.
T'zen sputters, clambering up out of the water. "Uneth!" And then back to the wingleader, through his mop of wet hair over his eyes. "Morning. Sir! I'll be there." The perfect model wingrider, right here.