Better Than Greenhouses
Location: North Weyr
Time: Afternoon on Day 20, Month 6, Turn 3
Players: Roa and Penny
Scene: The weyrwoman offers Penny an opportunity to do what she does best.
It is somewhere between lunch and dinner and the weyrwoman seems to be expecting a guest. There is a kettle of hot water hanging in the hearth and a pair of mugs set out and ready to receive whatever brew is to be poured into them. There's also a small tray of sweet and savory things to eat. All of this is set out and waiting, so the weyrwoman herself is curled up on the couch reading over a small stack of hides and idly nibbling on a thumbnail. On her side of the weyr, Tialith dozes.
The peace and quiet is soon interrupted, when Penny enters in a flurry of movement. Summer has brought a return to her warm-weather clothes, more reminiscent of Boll than anything in the northern fashion. Her hair is unpinned, though, and she's pushing it out of her face as she scurries in and shuts the door behind her. "I'm so sorry I'm late!" She flashes Roa a harried but warm sort of smile once she spots her. "I was..." she pauses here to take a breath -- she looks as if she ran all the way here, really, "...working. I lost track of time. I hope you haven't been waiting on me too long."
The flurry has Roa jerking her head up and blinking, but Penny's fluster only causes the weyrwoman to smile faintly. "I haven't been. Or if I have, I've been making good use of the time. There's tea, or if it's too warm for tea, there's juice. And little appetizery things. What can I get you?" The hides are set down and Roa pushes herself upright as she waits to hear how she can best play hostess.
"Tea, please," Penny requests, still smiling, before she moves over to flop onto the couch with a sigh. "I'm no cold-blooded northerner to be put off by the idea of hot drinks in summertime. Ooh, appetizery things." There is scarcely a pause between the thoughts, and Penny leans forward to select a pastry before crossing her legs and leaning back again. "Poor thing," she says, sympathetically, her mood calming somewhat in deference to the weyrwoman's use of her time. "You ought to at least take your hidework outside, it's a lovely day." Summer agrees with her.
"I do, sometimes. And sometimes I hide away because..." but the weyrwoman can offer no valid reason for that behavior, and so she only shrugs and moves over to pour the tea into the pair of mugs. "I steeped a blend from Boll. I didn't think you'd mind." Roa glances over towards Penny with another of those small smiles. "I have a request for you, by the way."
"Because..." Penny looks for a moment as if she might let that unfinished sentence stand as is, letting her gaze drift away from Roa and back toward the tray of snacks, but then she guesses, "Because people find you and make you play Weyrwoman if you are out in the open too long?" The mention of the tea shifts her attention back to the goldrider, and the woman's smile earns an answering quirk of Penny's mouth. "You know me well," she replies, reaching for one of the mugs once it's full. Curiosity does not quite prevent her from situating herself comfortably again, mug resting against her knee, and her sweetroll beside it. "Ask away."
With the one mug handed off, Roa curls her hands around the other and carefully sinks into the chair across from Penny's. "Your explanation makes me sound perfectly reasonable, so I think I'll happily agree with it." She leans back, legs stretching, though they do not quite manage to reach the ground, and so end up getting tucked up beside her instead. "Did Neiran ever mention to you, he thought perhaps building a covered walkway around the perimeter of the bowl might be a good idea. For protection in the winter."
Penny's smile is a little rueful, and perhaps there is something in the quirk of her lips that is not quite in keeping with her good mood. "Some day you'll actually talk to me," she murmurs drily. "And then the Weyr will explode." That protest made, she takes a bite of her sweetroll, chewing as she shakes her head. She swallows and then says, "No, he hasn't. Neiran and I actually don't see as much of each other as we used to." Said almost with a little puzzlement, as if unsure how it came to pass that she drifted away from her friend.
"Into little tiny bits, yes," Roa agrees with a small shake of her head. "I am, of course, the only one that keeps her own counsel." She pauses to take a small sip of her tea. "Work went well, I hope?" A single dark eyebrow hitches upwards. "Caucus assignments an make one forget the time on occasion. Very engrossing."
"Perhaps one merely hopes that when one shares with you, you'll be kind enough to return the favor." Penny raises an eyebrow as well, though any bite in that statement is lost when her lips twitch at the weyrwoman's other words. Another twitch, and Penny lifts her mug to hide her traitorously expressive mouth, though even that fails her. "Have a pastry, Roa," she suggests, pointedly turning her head so as not to smile visibly. "And tell me about Neiran's walkway."
The pastry is passed up, but the request for more information is met with a reply, after Roa has another sip of tea. "It's not a bad idea. I think we're going to build it. It would require men from holds to come here for the actual construction. Probably we'll pull from Nabol, mostly. And we'll need probably a Master or two from the hall to oversee the entire project. But, we need a design to work from. We need to figure out what's feasible, how to keep the weight of snow from collapsing the thing, how to make sure it won't interfere with dragons taking off and landing. Schematics. Something to bring to the hall when we're asking for a bid." Sip. "Interested?"
Penny listens, smile fading to be replaced by thoughtful attention. Her pastry is momentarily forgotten, brows drawing together a little. A slow sort of nod, and she drops her eyes for a moment, no doubt thinking. It's the end of Roa's little proposal that her gaze snaps back up, mouth opening and forming the beginning of a confused, 'What?' but she stops in mid-word, blinking. "Me?"
"Mmm," is the weyrwoman's bland agreement before she finally leans forward to snatch up a flaky thing with melted cheese inside.
It takes a few more minutes for Penny to regain her balance, but when she does, her smile returns. "Yeah," she breathes, still sounding a little confused but obviously not about to question her good fortune, "of course I'm interested." And then Roa is momentarily forgotten, Penny's gaze slipping almost similar to a rider communing with her dragon; thoughtful, her pastry is abandoned so she can lift a hand to tug at a lock of hair. Eyes shift back to the weyrwoman. "I hope you've considered how expensive this project will be. Surely more expensive than a few toes or fingers dead to frostbite. It isn't as if students don't have whole hands and feet full of appendages."
"Well, that's true enough. Toes are barely worth a mention, really, when one considers that each person has ten," Roa notes solemnly, "But we do keep misplacing people in snowbanks and not finding them again until the thaw. And Neiran insists whole limbs have been fractured due to ice. Besides which, the one nice thing about tithes is that we can theoretically get workers instead of goods. And as Nabol has no goods to offer currently..." She shrugs. "Materials and smiths would be something else, however."
That brings a thoughtful nod. "That does change the equation somewhat," Penny agrees, twisting that lock of hair around her fingers. "And I suppose it isn't as though this place is lacking in stone." Then she is silent, leaning back in her seat, both tea and pastry forgotten as she chews on the end of her hair.
The weyrwoman knows a moment of contemplation when she sees one, and so she only leans back, munches her own pastry, and waits patiently.
It's a few moments before Penny looks up again, removing the end of her hair from her mouth without really noticing it. "Was there a specific reason Neiran wanted it to go around the edge of the bowl?" she asks, curiously. "It'll take people a good five times as long to get where they're going, no matter how fast they walk, even if they don't have to worry about snow and ice."
"I'm not certain, but I imagine because going around the bowl would mean there is a single path that allows everyone to come and go from all exits and entrances," Roa muses, her head canting to the side. "Also, paths across the bowl can become troublesome, especially if there would be multiple walkways. It could interfere with dragons taking off or landing."
"I suppose it's a product of being a student," Penny confesses, "that I think first of getting from the Caucus complex to the living caverns across the bowl. There's such traffic at mealtimes, though, that..." Another pause, this one a bit prolonged. "How far down does the gravel and dirt floor of the bowl go before you hit stone?" she asks, absently, as if Roa would know such trivia offhand.
There is a small shake of her head before Roa confesses, "I'm afraid I haven't the vaguest idea. I'd imagine a good few feet, at least. I've certainly never uncovered it just scuffing my toes against the ground. And it would have to be deep enough to allow for the grazing area in the feeding grounds."
"I'd be surprised if it didn't go deeper than that," Penny comments. "This bowl has been here a long time, after all, and every bit of stone that erodes off the walls and spires would roll down onto the bowl floor." That said she gives her head a little shake. "Anyway, yes, to answer your question. I am interested." She pauses then, glancing down and noticing her tea again. "You're certain you don't want to commission the project from a master at the hall, though, Roa?" It's a casual question, asked as she lifts her cup for a sip, finally. "No one would be able to accuse you then of favoritism, handing such a project to a journeyman, and a student at that."
"Perhaps we're just being economical. A journeyman student can get Caucus credits for her work, and might do it to build her own reputation, rather than for the expectation of marks." Roa pauses to finish off her little pastry and chase it down with a sip of tea. "Besides which, they'll only cry favoritism if it's done poorly. If it's designed well, what can be said other than 'well done'?"
Penny laughs at that, just a quiet snicker, curling her hands around her mug as if enjoying its heat, even in such warm weather. "Valid points, all," she declares, with a bit of her brighter smile peeking through. Then, more solemnly, "Thank you," she murmurs with a tilt of her head, "for thinking of me for this." She pauses, and then adds, also solemnly, "Of course, if your Nabolese workmen screw up and the whole thing comes crashing down around my ears and ruins my career, I will reserve the right to be a bit put out with you."
"We'll have Masters here to oversee the construction. I'd rather not sink time and marks into a creation that will flatten students the first time it's used. Wouldn't look very good for the weyr, either." Roa peers down into her mug, watching as her reflection blinks up at her. "You're welcome," she says softly. "You've had to work harder to get where you are than any male Journeyman. I figure if there was somebody I trusted to do this right..." The rest is left for Penny to assume.
Another quick sound of laughter, though Penny doesn't avert her eyes at the potential sentiment expressed, perhaps not entirely uncomfortable with having someone sing her praises, however quietly. She is quiet herself a while, though, perhaps not trusting herself to speak, but then some excitement bubbling up seems to get the better of her, and she blurts, "Oh, this is what I actually -do-. No more-- no more -toasting- racks and, and miniature greenhouses -- no offense --" She cuts herself off, coming to her feet with a few drops of spilled tea before mug and pastry with one bite gone make it to the table. "I have to--" She attempts to contain her grin for a moment, and then gives up the effort as a lost cause. "I don't know, go start working it out." She turns to leave, then turns back. "Thank you for the tea." Wouldn't do to forget her manners.
"You're welcome, Penny, just a second." Roa sets her own tea down and pushes to her feet. "You -should- get started and I am glad you're game to take this on, but just so you know...the Weyrleader would like a word with you sometime soon as well about it. I told him I wanted you and he didn't protest. But he did say he wanted a chance to speak with you...so. Well. Perhaps your next restday?"
"Of course," Penny nods. "Whatever you need. Obviously I'm not going to go start stacking rocks out there. I just wanted to go take a look and think on it." She lifts one hand to chafe at her arm, restlessly, though after a second she pauses. Head tilts to the side, curiously. "Was there some reason you thought he would protest?"
"Only the usual ones," the weyrwoman replies with a faint smile. "Journeyman, student, woman. But when I mentioned you name, he seemed to like the idea. Sometimes, R'vain's hard to predict." The smile on Roa's lips turns wry. "And then other times, not so much."
"Journeyman, student, woman," Penny repeats, wryly. "Odd that his reservations faded when you mentioned my name. I've never met him for any length of time, no reason he should even really know who I am." She lifts a shoulder. "Whatever, I don't care, so long as this mysterious approval doesn't go away the first time I hand him a cost estimate."
"Likely not," Roa laughs, "and I think we'll have the estimate seconded by someone at the hall, just to rest his and the Headwoman's minds. But, it should all be fine. Thank you for this."
"Don't thank -me- for it until there's a functional walkway in your bowl, and no students with concussions from a falling roof," Penny advises wryly. "When should I come by again? I know the plan would be a seven from today, but I hate to even suggest it for fear you'll cancel again." It's a gentle reproof, said with a smile, but a bit of a reproof nonetheless.
The weyrwoman looks down, smiling sheepishly. "Our get togethers have been a bit sporadic as of late, haven't they. I...think that's mostly over now, but...how about in a couple days? Promise I won't cancel if you promise to wrangle some fresh fruit from Sefton for the occasion." She peers back up, eyes twinkling. "I leave the method of such wrangling completely up to you, of course."
Penny raises an eyebrow. "Over now? Well, that's good to hear. How about two days from now, the day before the caucus restday? You can tell me which of the stories I've heard about R'vain are true, and which are not. Make sure I don't embarrass myself in front of your Weyrleader." She pauses, giving Roa an arch, prim little look. "Bite your tongue, goldrider. A lady never wrangles anything." The prim look softens into a brief grin. "I'll seeya, Roa."
"But smiths, I hear, are quite fine at shaping things to their liking," Roa offers by way of reply. "Good afternoon Penny. I'll see you in a couple of days." It is not until her guest has seen her way out that the weyrwoman turns to peer towards the ledge currently covered by its heavy curtain. "...I really like that greenhouse," is murmured quietly.
Time: Afternoon on Day 20, Month 6, Turn 3
Players: Roa and Penny
Scene: The weyrwoman offers Penny an opportunity to do what she does best.
It is somewhere between lunch and dinner and the weyrwoman seems to be expecting a guest. There is a kettle of hot water hanging in the hearth and a pair of mugs set out and ready to receive whatever brew is to be poured into them. There's also a small tray of sweet and savory things to eat. All of this is set out and waiting, so the weyrwoman herself is curled up on the couch reading over a small stack of hides and idly nibbling on a thumbnail. On her side of the weyr, Tialith dozes.
The peace and quiet is soon interrupted, when Penny enters in a flurry of movement. Summer has brought a return to her warm-weather clothes, more reminiscent of Boll than anything in the northern fashion. Her hair is unpinned, though, and she's pushing it out of her face as she scurries in and shuts the door behind her. "I'm so sorry I'm late!" She flashes Roa a harried but warm sort of smile once she spots her. "I was..." she pauses here to take a breath -- she looks as if she ran all the way here, really, "...working. I lost track of time. I hope you haven't been waiting on me too long."
The flurry has Roa jerking her head up and blinking, but Penny's fluster only causes the weyrwoman to smile faintly. "I haven't been. Or if I have, I've been making good use of the time. There's tea, or if it's too warm for tea, there's juice. And little appetizery things. What can I get you?" The hides are set down and Roa pushes herself upright as she waits to hear how she can best play hostess.
"Tea, please," Penny requests, still smiling, before she moves over to flop onto the couch with a sigh. "I'm no cold-blooded northerner to be put off by the idea of hot drinks in summertime. Ooh, appetizery things." There is scarcely a pause between the thoughts, and Penny leans forward to select a pastry before crossing her legs and leaning back again. "Poor thing," she says, sympathetically, her mood calming somewhat in deference to the weyrwoman's use of her time. "You ought to at least take your hidework outside, it's a lovely day." Summer agrees with her.
"I do, sometimes. And sometimes I hide away because..." but the weyrwoman can offer no valid reason for that behavior, and so she only shrugs and moves over to pour the tea into the pair of mugs. "I steeped a blend from Boll. I didn't think you'd mind." Roa glances over towards Penny with another of those small smiles. "I have a request for you, by the way."
"Because..." Penny looks for a moment as if she might let that unfinished sentence stand as is, letting her gaze drift away from Roa and back toward the tray of snacks, but then she guesses, "Because people find you and make you play Weyrwoman if you are out in the open too long?" The mention of the tea shifts her attention back to the goldrider, and the woman's smile earns an answering quirk of Penny's mouth. "You know me well," she replies, reaching for one of the mugs once it's full. Curiosity does not quite prevent her from situating herself comfortably again, mug resting against her knee, and her sweetroll beside it. "Ask away."
With the one mug handed off, Roa curls her hands around the other and carefully sinks into the chair across from Penny's. "Your explanation makes me sound perfectly reasonable, so I think I'll happily agree with it." She leans back, legs stretching, though they do not quite manage to reach the ground, and so end up getting tucked up beside her instead. "Did Neiran ever mention to you, he thought perhaps building a covered walkway around the perimeter of the bowl might be a good idea. For protection in the winter."
Penny's smile is a little rueful, and perhaps there is something in the quirk of her lips that is not quite in keeping with her good mood. "Some day you'll actually talk to me," she murmurs drily. "And then the Weyr will explode." That protest made, she takes a bite of her sweetroll, chewing as she shakes her head. She swallows and then says, "No, he hasn't. Neiran and I actually don't see as much of each other as we used to." Said almost with a little puzzlement, as if unsure how it came to pass that she drifted away from her friend.
"Into little tiny bits, yes," Roa agrees with a small shake of her head. "I am, of course, the only one that keeps her own counsel." She pauses to take a small sip of her tea. "Work went well, I hope?" A single dark eyebrow hitches upwards. "Caucus assignments an make one forget the time on occasion. Very engrossing."
"Perhaps one merely hopes that when one shares with you, you'll be kind enough to return the favor." Penny raises an eyebrow as well, though any bite in that statement is lost when her lips twitch at the weyrwoman's other words. Another twitch, and Penny lifts her mug to hide her traitorously expressive mouth, though even that fails her. "Have a pastry, Roa," she suggests, pointedly turning her head so as not to smile visibly. "And tell me about Neiran's walkway."
The pastry is passed up, but the request for more information is met with a reply, after Roa has another sip of tea. "It's not a bad idea. I think we're going to build it. It would require men from holds to come here for the actual construction. Probably we'll pull from Nabol, mostly. And we'll need probably a Master or two from the hall to oversee the entire project. But, we need a design to work from. We need to figure out what's feasible, how to keep the weight of snow from collapsing the thing, how to make sure it won't interfere with dragons taking off and landing. Schematics. Something to bring to the hall when we're asking for a bid." Sip. "Interested?"
Penny listens, smile fading to be replaced by thoughtful attention. Her pastry is momentarily forgotten, brows drawing together a little. A slow sort of nod, and she drops her eyes for a moment, no doubt thinking. It's the end of Roa's little proposal that her gaze snaps back up, mouth opening and forming the beginning of a confused, 'What?' but she stops in mid-word, blinking. "Me?"
"Mmm," is the weyrwoman's bland agreement before she finally leans forward to snatch up a flaky thing with melted cheese inside.
It takes a few more minutes for Penny to regain her balance, but when she does, her smile returns. "Yeah," she breathes, still sounding a little confused but obviously not about to question her good fortune, "of course I'm interested." And then Roa is momentarily forgotten, Penny's gaze slipping almost similar to a rider communing with her dragon; thoughtful, her pastry is abandoned so she can lift a hand to tug at a lock of hair. Eyes shift back to the weyrwoman. "I hope you've considered how expensive this project will be. Surely more expensive than a few toes or fingers dead to frostbite. It isn't as if students don't have whole hands and feet full of appendages."
"Well, that's true enough. Toes are barely worth a mention, really, when one considers that each person has ten," Roa notes solemnly, "But we do keep misplacing people in snowbanks and not finding them again until the thaw. And Neiran insists whole limbs have been fractured due to ice. Besides which, the one nice thing about tithes is that we can theoretically get workers instead of goods. And as Nabol has no goods to offer currently..." She shrugs. "Materials and smiths would be something else, however."
That brings a thoughtful nod. "That does change the equation somewhat," Penny agrees, twisting that lock of hair around her fingers. "And I suppose it isn't as though this place is lacking in stone." Then she is silent, leaning back in her seat, both tea and pastry forgotten as she chews on the end of her hair.
The weyrwoman knows a moment of contemplation when she sees one, and so she only leans back, munches her own pastry, and waits patiently.
It's a few moments before Penny looks up again, removing the end of her hair from her mouth without really noticing it. "Was there a specific reason Neiran wanted it to go around the edge of the bowl?" she asks, curiously. "It'll take people a good five times as long to get where they're going, no matter how fast they walk, even if they don't have to worry about snow and ice."
"I'm not certain, but I imagine because going around the bowl would mean there is a single path that allows everyone to come and go from all exits and entrances," Roa muses, her head canting to the side. "Also, paths across the bowl can become troublesome, especially if there would be multiple walkways. It could interfere with dragons taking off or landing."
"I suppose it's a product of being a student," Penny confesses, "that I think first of getting from the Caucus complex to the living caverns across the bowl. There's such traffic at mealtimes, though, that..." Another pause, this one a bit prolonged. "How far down does the gravel and dirt floor of the bowl go before you hit stone?" she asks, absently, as if Roa would know such trivia offhand.
There is a small shake of her head before Roa confesses, "I'm afraid I haven't the vaguest idea. I'd imagine a good few feet, at least. I've certainly never uncovered it just scuffing my toes against the ground. And it would have to be deep enough to allow for the grazing area in the feeding grounds."
"I'd be surprised if it didn't go deeper than that," Penny comments. "This bowl has been here a long time, after all, and every bit of stone that erodes off the walls and spires would roll down onto the bowl floor." That said she gives her head a little shake. "Anyway, yes, to answer your question. I am interested." She pauses then, glancing down and noticing her tea again. "You're certain you don't want to commission the project from a master at the hall, though, Roa?" It's a casual question, asked as she lifts her cup for a sip, finally. "No one would be able to accuse you then of favoritism, handing such a project to a journeyman, and a student at that."
"Perhaps we're just being economical. A journeyman student can get Caucus credits for her work, and might do it to build her own reputation, rather than for the expectation of marks." Roa pauses to finish off her little pastry and chase it down with a sip of tea. "Besides which, they'll only cry favoritism if it's done poorly. If it's designed well, what can be said other than 'well done'?"
Penny laughs at that, just a quiet snicker, curling her hands around her mug as if enjoying its heat, even in such warm weather. "Valid points, all," she declares, with a bit of her brighter smile peeking through. Then, more solemnly, "Thank you," she murmurs with a tilt of her head, "for thinking of me for this." She pauses, and then adds, also solemnly, "Of course, if your Nabolese workmen screw up and the whole thing comes crashing down around my ears and ruins my career, I will reserve the right to be a bit put out with you."
"We'll have Masters here to oversee the construction. I'd rather not sink time and marks into a creation that will flatten students the first time it's used. Wouldn't look very good for the weyr, either." Roa peers down into her mug, watching as her reflection blinks up at her. "You're welcome," she says softly. "You've had to work harder to get where you are than any male Journeyman. I figure if there was somebody I trusted to do this right..." The rest is left for Penny to assume.
Another quick sound of laughter, though Penny doesn't avert her eyes at the potential sentiment expressed, perhaps not entirely uncomfortable with having someone sing her praises, however quietly. She is quiet herself a while, though, perhaps not trusting herself to speak, but then some excitement bubbling up seems to get the better of her, and she blurts, "Oh, this is what I actually -do-. No more-- no more -toasting- racks and, and miniature greenhouses -- no offense --" She cuts herself off, coming to her feet with a few drops of spilled tea before mug and pastry with one bite gone make it to the table. "I have to--" She attempts to contain her grin for a moment, and then gives up the effort as a lost cause. "I don't know, go start working it out." She turns to leave, then turns back. "Thank you for the tea." Wouldn't do to forget her manners.
"You're welcome, Penny, just a second." Roa sets her own tea down and pushes to her feet. "You -should- get started and I am glad you're game to take this on, but just so you know...the Weyrleader would like a word with you sometime soon as well about it. I told him I wanted you and he didn't protest. But he did say he wanted a chance to speak with you...so. Well. Perhaps your next restday?"
"Of course," Penny nods. "Whatever you need. Obviously I'm not going to go start stacking rocks out there. I just wanted to go take a look and think on it." She lifts one hand to chafe at her arm, restlessly, though after a second she pauses. Head tilts to the side, curiously. "Was there some reason you thought he would protest?"
"Only the usual ones," the weyrwoman replies with a faint smile. "Journeyman, student, woman. But when I mentioned you name, he seemed to like the idea. Sometimes, R'vain's hard to predict." The smile on Roa's lips turns wry. "And then other times, not so much."
"Journeyman, student, woman," Penny repeats, wryly. "Odd that his reservations faded when you mentioned my name. I've never met him for any length of time, no reason he should even really know who I am." She lifts a shoulder. "Whatever, I don't care, so long as this mysterious approval doesn't go away the first time I hand him a cost estimate."
"Likely not," Roa laughs, "and I think we'll have the estimate seconded by someone at the hall, just to rest his and the Headwoman's minds. But, it should all be fine. Thank you for this."
"Don't thank -me- for it until there's a functional walkway in your bowl, and no students with concussions from a falling roof," Penny advises wryly. "When should I come by again? I know the plan would be a seven from today, but I hate to even suggest it for fear you'll cancel again." It's a gentle reproof, said with a smile, but a bit of a reproof nonetheless.
The weyrwoman looks down, smiling sheepishly. "Our get togethers have been a bit sporadic as of late, haven't they. I...think that's mostly over now, but...how about in a couple days? Promise I won't cancel if you promise to wrangle some fresh fruit from Sefton for the occasion." She peers back up, eyes twinkling. "I leave the method of such wrangling completely up to you, of course."
Penny raises an eyebrow. "Over now? Well, that's good to hear. How about two days from now, the day before the caucus restday? You can tell me which of the stories I've heard about R'vain are true, and which are not. Make sure I don't embarrass myself in front of your Weyrleader." She pauses, giving Roa an arch, prim little look. "Bite your tongue, goldrider. A lady never wrangles anything." The prim look softens into a brief grin. "I'll seeya, Roa."
"But smiths, I hear, are quite fine at shaping things to their liking," Roa offers by way of reply. "Good afternoon Penny. I'll see you in a couple of days." It is not until her guest has seen her way out that the weyrwoman turns to peer towards the ledge currently covered by its heavy curtain. "...I really like that greenhouse," is murmured quietly.