How to Burp a Goat (Kale is Searched)
meadow.jpg

Xanadu Weyr – Meadow

A large, slightly rolling meadow is set high enough above the riverbank on both sides to avoid suffering from flooding, healthy ground cover and grass spreading out from either side of the dividing river. Scattered amongst the meadow are a variety of weyrs, each with a narrow path leading up to it from a main, winding road. Some are set under a few trees, while others sit by themselves.

Runner stables with the paddock beyond are to the south beyond the meadow weyrs, a smithy and a woodcraft shop are settled closer in towards the path to the clearing, while trees border the western edge of the meadow, and a faint outline of a stone wall and low rolling hills can be seen to the north. Wagons laden with felled trees from the forests to the southwest or ore from the mountains to the southeast are hauled by burden beast up the road through the meadow, over the bridge spanning the river to be processed in the appropriate workshops.


Continues from Foggy Notions

It's always something with E'gin. He never seems to enter a place normally. Today is no exception. Emerging out of the fog, herded in by his blue, the wingtip neatly poking the reluctant rider in the lower back whenever he lags, they approach Kale and Idrissa. They're led by a… goat? Yep. That's what it looks like, a teeny weenie newborn baby goat straining at the end of a tether, terrified by the looks – and sounds of it and by the pathetic little bleats its making. And why is he dragging his feet approaching the two? Well, they're HUGGING. Ew. NudgeNUDGE. E'gin takes the hint (how can he not?) and steps closer. "H-hi." That is all he says, then just stands there watching the pair while the goat weasels in between Kale and Idrissa in a 'hide me please' sort of way.

Idrissa sighs softly as she hears Kale. "Really are you going to start that again?" She questions with a soft huff. "You know he gets to me. He always has, and I /have/ tried to give him a chance." Hidalgo chitters and trills out, someone is rather talkative at the moment, little happy firelizard he is! At the questions on the brown she pauses and tilts her head to peer at the brown. "Well, ya it is three. I would if I could." He should know that by now, she does like her animals. Three firelizards, a canine, and a runner. As for the hug she'll keep it, right up until she hears someone speaking up. She blinks and peers up curiously to E'gin and clears her throat. "Ah hi.." She looks at the goat and awwws. "Look Kale, it's a little baby goat." For the moment Kale is unhugged and she crouches down to peer at the goat. "How cute!" Of course she would say this, and goes about trying to pet the little goat

Ah, hi indeed…baby goat and rider folk. Uh oh. ka-el drops his arms from Idrissa immediately. Wasn't he just pondering the rules of hugs? Are they permissible? Shameful? Banned under Candidate rule seven subsection C paragraph four? Kale hardly knows, though he does know that Idrissa's pretty white knot needn't be stripped on his account, and for good measure he takes a half in shuffle step away. "Hello," he offers the rider. He knows this guy. Sort of but not really. He looks from rider to blue dragon, who is offered a light grin too before the goat snatches his attention. Cute? Ah … "Sure… he's alright lookin'," he suffices to say, not adding "scared to death" to the description, although it is fitting. He glances from goat, to dragon …. then to rider. "Is he meant to be a snack?" he asks, whispering the words, sparing the poor kid thoughts of blood and gore.

It's too bad E'gin is too bashful to go girl-trolling with baby goats - he could totally pick then up this way! The awkward bluerider watches closely, but focuses on one of them in particular. As for the goat, it bleats heartrendingly when that narrow hiding place between crafter and candidate parts. Trembling, the creature follows Kale's retreat and butts her little head up under his tunic. Hide. Me. She just might climb him too. Goats can scale anything (hah - Scale Kale!). Having gotten his rider to engage, the blue snorts and backs off to where the fog encloses him again. But. He's. Watching. Everything. Then Kale does it. "NO," says E'gin reproachfully. Don't make him cry? "Here," he says next and thrusts a big square bottle with a nipple on the end that he'd had clamped under his arm. You'd think he'd hand it to the womanly mother-figure (yes, he's dimly aware that Idrissa is but a maid). Still, it's to Kale the bottle is offered. Well, demandingly thrust. And does he help by telling him what's expected? Nope! And the brief glare towards Idrissa warns her not to either.

Idrissa glances up to Kale offering him a soft smile to show that it's alright. It's just a hug! Not like they was making out in the open, and not kissing just a /hug/. Look she is totally fine with it. Actually Rissa has been fine with a lot of things lately, not freaking out like normally over stuff which is a good thing yes? "Uh.. No.. of course not." Is murmured back to Kale, she winces slightly as she hears E'gin's strong no and oys softly. The bottle is caught sight of and then she looks to the baby goat. A soft oh escapes her and she is about to say something but then the glare makes her cower a moment. Nope not a thing from her! Hidalgo clambers down and she hugs the little brown firelizard to her to keep herself quiet it seems. Though her gaze does go to where the blue dragon has sneaked back into the fog. Sort of creepy like.

Oh no, it's the attack o the billy goat! Billy the Kid! Animals are Idrissa's thing, not his, and while he's not adverse to them, it's obvious that Kale's experience over the last few turns has been limited to his own firelizard and whatever critter may be hanging around Idrissa. Goats…not being one of them. At least the little thing doesn't have any horns, which spares him a bit of uncomfortable poking as her head disappears beneath his tunic. "Woah! I..er, hey! We've only just met, little goat!" he can't help but laugh a bit as he scrambles to keep himself upright, deciding that kneeling may be the best route to take. He rubs at her little goat body like one would a friendly dog, then looks to E'gin and his offered bottle. His brows furrow. Bottle. Goat. Him. Bottle. Milk. Nipple. *snerk, nipple!* Goat. "Is..he yours? A pet?" he asks, taking the bottle though holding it like one would some newfangled doohickey they're not sure how to work. "This is for him?" Duh.

Blink! Blink! go the green-glow of eyes back at Idrissa in the eddying fog. He is there. Lurking. E'gin is going to just pretend he didn't wander in on someone's Intimate Moment(tm) and cut right to the chase. "SHE! I think she likes you," observes E'gin stoically and without a trace of facetiousness as he watches poor Kale struggle with the goat. "Nope," is the singular answer to all three questions. So the bottle is for Kale? Er, well two of them anyway. He'll have to figure it out because E’gin's not allowed to help. Now that the goat cannot see the dragon, she calms. Seeing that bottle in Kale's hand goes, Maaaaaaa! and nearly butts it out of his hands in a feverish attempt to get at it. She'll show you what to do with ni- nevermind. E'gin just… stands there. Watching.

"Her." Idrissa says to the question on calling the little goat a boy, because it's not! She doesn't have any equipment. She does look back towards that green-glow of eyes now and then, a soft heh escapes her and she wiggles a wave towards the blue that is over thar somewhere. Her attention drifts back to Kale and her eyes flick from the bottle then to the goat, yes it is for the goat but she isn't allowed to tell him that! Come on Kale think, use that brain of yours! Rissa is rather sure she has talked to Kale about having to hand nurse foals in the past at times.

She! Her! "Sorry," says Kale to the both of them, though looking at the little billy goat … uh… Jilly goat? "Geeze," he says in lower tones, though not soft enough to not be heard. "You'd think the first thing I do when I meet a lady is look at her bits, huh?" He ruffles the little goat's head. "But I'm too much've a gentleman for that!" Cue another trademark grin, but he still has a problem. There's a bottle in his hand and E'gin has informed him (maybe) that it isn't for little goat. He looks at the unhelpful rider confusedly. "But…" Ack! The question gets cut off by insistent headbutts by his little charge, so eager for the bottle. "Well, she definitely seems t'think so!" Idrissa, help? But, bah, she's being so unhelpfully quiet too! Brows knit as he eyes the hungry, probably starving goat. "Then why give it to me? She's hungry an' … don't they eat from these?" Or something. The dragon…well, they don't drink milk. All options are exhausted. Baby goat must get the bottle! He holds the thing in his left hand and points it at her. "Here." Drink. I command thee!

E'gin gives Idrissa a beatific smile. She knows her goats! He totally approves of her and deems her worthy of the white knot she wears. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer but he catches those helpful glance-flickers she sends Kale and frowns. SHE doesn't have to live with the reproach of a lifemate for bungled missions, HE does. As for Kale, he's not so sure. "Because-" he starts when a mutter of warning emerges from back there in the fog. Sigh. E'gin's life is so hard. So he just says, "Ye-e-e-e-es," about baby goats being bottle-fed. The pointing of that nipple in the right direction has the bluerider peering over his shoulder to squint through the fog while the little girl goat suckle-tugs on that bottle, her tail twirling triple-pace. E'gin he nods and just waits until the bottle is empty. He sidles up to Kale and says cringingly, "Now you have to burp her." Really Mazunth?

Idrissa isn't trying to get stared at, or glared at, or anything else. She just sees how much the little goat wants to eat and it makes her ache to tell Kale want to do. She peers back to E'gin a soft ah escapes her at the look of the frown is picked up and she is quick to peer at Hidalgo giving the little brown a soft petting across his sides. She'll just stare at her firelizard and that will keep her from getting in trouble, right? At the part where Kale needs to burp the goat she sends a curious glance towards both rider and dragon and then sends a creeping glance over to Kale. Oh dear, does he know how to do /that/?

Psh. So much for what E'gin knows. The bottle was totally for her! See how hungry the poor little thing was? .. Wait. Poor little thing? Did those words just manifest in Kale's mind? Man up, Kale! It's just a goat, he coaches himself. Prey animals. Dragon snacks. Milk providers and giver of mohair. So he banishes that 'aw, cute' look that was beginning to take over his face and adopts a more appropriate 'eh, whatever' expression. And after some hard suckling, the bottle is empty. He pull, pull, yanks it from her mouth. "There's nothin' more. There, now you're fed." Mission accomplished! … Almost. His eyes flit to E'gin incredulously. "Do…what?" What does that even mean?? He blinks owlishly at the man, then gives Idrissa the same look. But still. She's being just as unhelpful as before. Burp her. He can figure this out! Uum…AH! He knows. He pats her head to get her attention. "Alright goat. Y'know how to burp? Do this." He takes a second to swallow air, thumps a fist gently to his chest, then..*BUURP!* A perfect example! "Like that. Can y'do it? C'mon. Burp." He burps a small one to show her just what she's supposed to do, then pats her chest a time or two, though without a fist. Cuz punching a baby goat? Uncool.

Goats are AWESOME belchers! Well, the adult ones anyway. Next time you see a goat, just wait and REMEMBER (you'll hear that word in your head, sounding just like Mufassa) to expect that burp. E'gin is darting edgy looks back into the fog. He shoots Idrissa nervous looks under his lashes. Will she blow his cover? She doesn't and you'd think he'd relax. Instead he grows even more tense as Kale give it the ol college try with the baby goat and… nothing happens. Not even a hiccup from the she-goat baby. "Here," E'gin says and the end of the lead is transferred to Kale, along with a white Candidate's knot. He backs off, poised to run and says very fast, "Mazunththinksyou'reagreatsportfortryingtoburpagoatandyou'dmakeagreatriderwillyouStandfortheclutch?" He's dizzy, so takes a deep breath before he passes out.

Idrissa oh she so wants to say something, like you know.. Goats don't tend to burp like that, but she kees quiet, biting her lip firmly as she just watches wide eyed. She blinks at Kale and eyes him as he burps. "Really You think showing her is going to make her burp?" How is he so cute yet so boyish at the same time? Her bright gaze flicks back to E'gin and she offers a soft smile, see she doesn't say anything about trying to burp a baby goat! Then the knot is pulled out and held out and she is rather sure that E'gin just nearly had a stroke as everything comes tumbling out like that. "Ah… Are you alright sir?" Yup she called E'gin sir, all polite like don't cha know?

Hm. Kale does not see the goat putting forth any efforts into gaseous releases. Maybe she needs another demonstration? And .. is he really supposed to make this thing burp? Can goats even burp? He's glad to hear Idrissa though, for he knows she'd be the likeliest person of them all to know the answer. "So they can burp??" he asks with wide eyed wonder. "Maybe she's a … I dunno. Visual learner. Has to see an' not just be told." Oooor something like that! He looks back to the young kid with a determined look, but thankfully she's saved from more burping by E'gin, who is handing him that rope. "Uh, I don' think Orik'll allow a goat in the forge…" he says hesitantly, just as hesitantly taking that lead from him. Oh! And there's something attached. Something familiar. His brows raise, heart stopping for a millisecond, and he's so intent at staring that he misses much of what E'gin says. Mazunth. Trying. Rider. Stand. Clutch. Piecing that toether, he gets the gist. Eyes turn to Idrissa, and he can't help the grin that forms. "Shards, yeah I'll take it! .. Er.. that is.. yes, sir. Thank you!" … "Er. And the..goat?" And yes, are you ok? But Idrissa has that part covered.

E'gin actually whirls around in horror at that little word 'sir'. He's been WATCHED this entire tiiiiiiiiiime. AUUUUUGH! He actually starts to hyper ventilate a little but no, there is no one there. He's dumb-struck then, his eyes go wide as he turns 'round to stare at Idrissa and gesture to his chest with a limp hand. You meant me? Really?? He has no voice or it would be squeaking like a girl's asking her that. It appears that little word sir has never ever been applied to him. Poor E'gin. He's harmless. And totally serious about asking Kale to Stand. He just goes about it in the weirdest way. "Yeah they do belch and you don't even need to stick your finger down their throat," says the rattled E'gin at which a growl sounds out there in the fog. "Good. You know the rules already. No leaving the Weyr without a rider, no fistfights, no getting drunk and no getting pregnant." Yeah, E'gin totally just said that to a guy. He's being recalled and so trots off, chattering over his shoulder, "Mazunth says you'll know what to do with her." And as the fog swallows him up, the last sight is of him walking off with a blue tailtip snaking around to whap the back of his head. An embarrassment to his dragon!

Idrissa just peers at E'gin, watching him a few moments and soon nods. Yes she did mean him, she didn't know it would cause this sort of reaction and she just peers at at the rider looking confused. She coughs a moment and then looks to Kale and then the little goat that seems to belong to Kale now? There is a slight pause and chews upon her lip. "Ah, Kale What are you going to do with the baby goat and the forges?" Yes she is rather sure Orik will have a problem with it. "I wonder if Keziah would want a new goat." Well it's an idea, and with E'gin and Mazunth gone she is allowed to talk now, right?

Rules. Yes he knows them. No getting pregnant? Ok, he won't even have to try not to, but sure sir! Whatever you say. Kale is following along with E'gin better now, listening to important things like The Rules and Not To Put Your Finger Down Goats' Throats. Noted! And then he's off, leaving just a cryptic message behind about cute little baby goat. He still has the empty bottle. A knot. And a goat. What day! Eyes slide to Idrissa, then to baby goat. "You won't be a dragon's snack," he promises with a small smirk, looking to Idrissa again. Having a beastcrafter friend (nope, girlfriend!) never fails to come in handy. "I'll figure somethin' out. She…I'll figure somethin' out." Maybe Allie could use a new pet? "An' you'll help me figure it out too huh, after you knot me." He reclaims that shufflestep of separation he took upon E'gin's arrival, and will happily hand over the knot to her to have a not-so-formal knotting ceremony, much like one he had once upon a suprising time ago.


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