Xanadu Weyr - Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
It's after midday meals and the autumn day is overcast and but not overly breezy. Kera is plopped on a thick blanket she has stretched out, some thick manuals and notebooks are opened and holding down the blanket corners. She's not alone though, Minimur is stalking something scuttling across the sand and a shadow over over her draws her attention from her stufy and reviewing to peer towards her dragonmate, Moncerath, who is gliding back down to land with a little bouncy double-hop before waddling a few paces and flexing her wings out in a slow stretch. "Doing Great Moncerath! Now stretch yourself out a few minutes and then go again." A soothing warble and probably some mental wording from the green makes the greenling chuckle and shake her head in amusement before flipping a page and scanning paragragh. Once read, she closes her eyes and repeats it to herself quietly as the brown lizard behind her pounces at the scuttling bug.
There's a busy day ahead for the Weyrleadership of Xanadu. Ka'el himself has a full agenda, the first of which is what he's doing now. The Weyrleader and his dragon head out towards the beach, Ka'el carrying with him a bucket of soapsand and a team of others (mostly drudges who work in the reisdence hall) have towels upon towels carried in their arms. "Back here is fine," he instructs them, waving to an area away for the water for them to stack the fluccy towels. Kanekith is looking pompus as ever, head held high and eyes swirling a color of contentment. Ka'el himself, despite the autumn weather, wears long shorts and a tunic and gestures towards the water. "Go on." Kanekith lumbers ahead towards the shoreline, swinging his head towards the flight-practicing green nearby. He rumbls low in his chest. Maybe a greeting. Likely just an acknowledgment that he sees her. The Weyrleader, on the otherhand, waves to the greenling. "Afternoon, Kera!"
Once again trying to keep track of his mischevious firelizard, Johhny comes running in chase behind Belevro. The little blue lands besides Kera with a chirp and a long sigh as he flops down on the lukewarm sands. " Hey Kera. How are you. " Johhny puffs out, breathing heavily after the chase.
Kera continues silenting recalling what she read just moments before, lips moving even though no sound comes out. Mentally approaching the end of that particular paragragh, she peeks her eyes towards the young green. Moncerath is finishing her pre-flight stretch that Kera makes her do before every leap, no matter how short a glide. With a final little wiggle of her hind quarters, and twitch of her spaded tail, her muzzle drifts towards Kanekith and returns his greeting with a chittering warbling. All the warbling makes the greenling peer around and spot the Weyrleader and a small army approaching down the beach. Watching the motions of the chaotic tasks each does, Kera dips her head politely to the bronzer and salutes "G'day sir. Quite the following ya have there, sir." Flashing her friend a grin, she glances down as a young blue lizard flounders onto her book covered blanket. "Hello little guy."And then the young visitor is chasing his lizard, again, causing Kera to smirk "I'm taking the day off of running." Gesturing to her books "Have you been running after him since the last I saw of you?" She's joking of caorse.
"One of the perks," answers Ka'el to Kera, smirking a bit ashe glances to the people who hang back with the towels unobtrusively. Kanekith's clawed paws splash into the shallows, and his broad wings stretch longly and splash up and down, wetting his back and whole body. Ka'el pauses near the shoreline and sets his bucket down, stretching his back and glancing up at the sun as if to gauge the time. He glances back, spotting another arrival, both winged and non. Johhny is only semi-familiar, but he does nod to him, offering him a friendly-enough "Good day," to him. And his firelizard.
Johhny emit sits down and gently strokes Belevros head with one hand and waves to Kera and Ka'el with the other. " I might as well have been chasing him the entire time. He really enjoys running from me, atleast it keeps me in shape. " Glancing over to Kanekith and Ka'el he is in awe at the size of the dragon. " Thats a massive dragon. How old is he? "
Kera nods to Johhny and peers down to the little blue thoughtfully. "Minimur was the exact opposite when he was younger. He wanted to stay with me /everywhere/ I went for months. Not that I minded at all." The brown tustles with whatever he pounced, little tufts of sand being kicked up before the brown wings off to perch on a nearby rock outcropping. Kera glances back over to the Weyrleader, grinning at his honest reply. "Oh? What other perks? First pick of the best fruits that are served?" Obviously. Weyrleader, duh. Moncerath gathers her legs under her and crouches, bunching her muscles just so and leaping upwards. Wings begin scissoring to grab air, her path veering out over the water. She makes a wide circle, slipping around to the sand again. Kera seems distracted a moment, watching the green who suddenly turns back towards the water and tucks her wings close to her body and splashes down.
Ka'el chuckles. "Of course," he replies to Kera, waiting a minute before he begins to wade in the water, grabbing his bucket and washing cloth. "Best fruits. Imported drinks. Fine wines. An entourage." A gesture to those drudges in waiting. He laughs though, jest made obvious by that and the grin that follows. He pauses to look at Johhny. Kanekith looks his way too, perhaps sensing attention. The large bronze spreads his wings wide again, allowing droplets of water to slide from the spars and drink down like crystals from his metallic hide. Showing off. It's what he does. "Four turns," Ka'el answers with a light grin. "And still acting like a yearling," he says affectionately before he continues out towards his dragon. Bathtime! "The two of you heading to Keroon later? It's the finals of the races," he says, distractd momentarily by Moncerath's acrobatics. Splash!
Johhny emit Johhnys gaze is fixed to the bronze, in awe at the wingspan. " Thats one massive dragon. Keroon races? I will try my best to go, but other things may come up. " he says with a sigh and mutters " Work always gets in the way of anything interesting. "
Kera grins as her dragonmate lands in the water rather than the now populated stretch of beach. Tromping towards the sand with little splashes from each paw surging forward, Moncerath drips and spreads her wing, no where near as large as Kanekith's, but a bit overlarge for her slender and gangly frame. Turning her gaze from her dragonmate to Ka'el, the greenling smirks with an amused headshake and mutters "Not gone to his head at all…" A wink is flashed to her friend turned Weyrleader, and glances to Johhny when asked about the Keroon Gather. After the visitor replies, she gives a negative twitch to her head. "Moncerath and I aren't allowed to leave the Weyr sir."
Ka'el reaches Kanekith with no problem, though 'shallow' for a dragon is swim worthy for a human. But Kanekith has done this many, many times. He moves back to the 'very shallow' part of the water, as so that his rider won't drown, and lays. Ka'el clambers upon his dragon's back and begins to do what dragon riders do: Wash him! Soapsand and a rag helps the process along, rubbing and scrubbing his metallic hide. Neck. Sides. It's a big job! It's a wonder he doesn't have those people in waiting help him. Kanekith seems pleased though, crooning vaguely. "Yeah, he's a big one," he agrees with Johhny, grinning. "Too bad you may not be able to watch the races. What do you do for work?" he asks of him before looking to Kera. "Moncerath, definitely not. But you?" he quirks a brow, "I don't believe you're trapped here. As long as you're with an escort and experienced rider, I don't see why you couldn't go. And if that rider happened to be the Weyrleader, I don't see how anyone could protest."
Johhny watches as all of the people wade out to the dragon to begin cleaning him. Johhny's firelizard stands up, stretches his wings, and flys over to Kanekiths snout and gently lands with a chirp. " Belevro! Dont land on him please! " Johhny yells out to his firelizard. " See what I mean about mischevious? Anyways, I'm an apprentice smith. "
Kera grins but still gives a headshake. "Experianced rider, Weyrleader or not, I wouldn't feel right goin off without Moncerath. Besides, I'm don't really like runners all that much." Kera chuckles and glances off towards the weyrling grounds direction "Not to mention, the last Gather and Runner races I attended had a bit too much excitement for one evening." And a huge gaping maul of a pit in the weyrling grounds to show for it. Gesturing towards the books scattered about her "Best if I stay and get in some studying for the exams coming up." Nodding over her desision to study, Moncerath gets her attention, the young dragon cavorting in the water and just plain in play mode. Smiling at her green's mood, Johhny's answer gets a little smirk sent from one smith to another "Did you arrange for the Smithhall to take over Xanadu Ka'el? Sir." That last added as an afterthought.
Kanekith soon finds himself with an extra accessory on his nose. The bronze dragon gives a little snort as he peers at the firelizard on his snout, and … well. Snort! He snorts again, a little more heavily this time, and gives his head a shake as if he were a bothersome fly. Off, you! "Keep still," instructs Ka'el. "And be nice. You hardly complain when Alloy's about." Scrub scrub. He perks at the mentioning of smith crafting. "Oh? I was a smith once. Still am, I suppose. How are you getting along? All settled in?" To Kera's remarks about excitement, he chuckles. "I suppose so. Though you'll get used to not being with your lifemate every second of every day. There'll be times where you'll want your space, even if just briefly. Remember, all work and no play…" It does something or another that's not fun. He grins at her last comment while reaching down to scrub beneath the wings. "Little by little."
Johhny watches Belevro attempt to hold on to the great dragon, then leaps off with rapid fire chirps, as if to mimic laughing, then dissapears off between somewhere. " Off he goes, again. I'm settled in quite nicely, thank you for asking. " he says, then leans back onto his elbows and watches the great bronze dragon being cleaned. " I never knew that watching a dragon bathe was so interesting. "
Kera chuckles at Kanekith's reaction to Belevro's antics and vanishing act. "He's definately an indepentant fellow isn't he." Nodding to Johhny after his remarks about watching dragon baths. "Just don't try to play kickball with them, they cheat." that said in a loud whisper to the Weyrleader can hear it from his lofty dragonperch. Kera flashes a smirk to Ka'el at the little teasing, but nods at his advice and shrugs with a little grin "Ja'ken mentioned needing to study after his lessons today, so studying isn't /all/ bad." At least the greenling won't be reciting paragraghs to herself.
"Try giving a dragon's bath," says Ka'el before slip-sliding down Kanekith's foreleg, splashing back into the water with his bucket. Now time for the lower parts. "It's time consuming… but worth the time. Before we go to Keroon, he wanted this, so here I am. Plus, he needed one," he adds with a grin. "They," a gesture to the towel squad, "are to make the drying process a little quicker before helping with oiling." And once all that's done, he has to get himself ready to go! Kanekith is on the lookout for any more firelizards who want to make a perch out of him. "You'll learn a lot during your time here as a smith, I'm sure," he continues to Johhny. "The journeymen know their stuff, though if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll do what I can to help." He snickers at the mentioning of kickball and tosses an innocent look to Kera. "Cheat? Never! And if you're determined to study, then I truly can't complain. THere are worse things a Weyrling could do with their time." He knows this rather well!
Johhny snickers. " I cant imagine having to wash, dry, and oil that much hide. Firelizard are much easier to manage. Atleast in their caring, escapades on the other hand. I hope I do learn as much as possible here. " Johhny glances over to Kera and laughs. " Well, I will keep that in mind. " Suddenly, Belevro bursts in with a bubble of cold air. " Bah! Why are you always going to high reaches? I should have named you glacier. " he says with a smile and a laugh. Belevro chirps in beckoning and flys off towards the meadow. " Well. I guess Ill be going. When he wants me to follow him he expects me to come. Have a nice day Kera and Ka'el. "
Kera sends an amused eyeroll skyward at Ka'el's denial of cheating. "You just wait. A little more work with Mon and we'll dance circles around you both. I'll bring the kickball this time." Wouldn't want ant flat or weighted defect to taint the game. A huge bronze wall is gonna be enough to deal with. Grinning, she flashes a smile around before scanning her notes a moment. When Johhny jumps up and chase after his blue again, Kera waves "Have a nice day." Her gaze drifts back to Moncerath, the young green finally coming out of the water completely and holding her wings up so they don't drag in the sand. The greenling watches Ka'el work his way along the bronze hide, a slightly confused expression "Why do you seem surprised that I'm gonna study? Besides, when have I ever gotten in trouble when I was studying?" Answer? Never!
Ka'el sends a wave to the busy Johhny, who will forever be chasing his firelizard. He chuckles. "Oh we'll see just who dances around who," he says to Kera, smirking. "Bring your kickball. I'll be sure to check it over myself for any trickery you might've done to it!" He grins, heading out of the water with Kanekith more or less thoroughly washed. The dragon goes about rinsing himself off. An easy task. Just a dip into the deep end and a few splashes here and there! Ka'el himself, once on land, goes about squeezing water from his drenched clothes. "Why am I surprised? Because given the choice between studying and partying, the answer for me was always partying." And look where that got him. In charge of an entire Weyr! Maybe Kera has the right idea? He shudders, the air cold against his wet clothes. Getting sick on the eve of a new turn won't do at all! "Time to dry. We're going down beach for that to move the process along a bit quicker. Fewer distractions. If you change your mind about Keroon, send word to Kanekith. We'll be off in a few candlemarks."
Kera snorts, not a dragonsnort but a respectable one none the less, at Ka'el's insistance to keep her 'trickery' in check "As if….but if it will help you sleep better to think Mon and I 'use trickery', then by all means, go ahead." She gestures airily, but grins at the harmless banter. Moncerath warbles to Kanekith whent he bronze starts off down to the towel portion of the bath and Kera sends a wave to Ka'el. "Use a few of those towels on yourself, wouldn't due to end up in the infirmary and miss bettin g on the races." An amused chuckle follows before she nods "Hope you both have a good time sir." Whether she's talking about Ka'el and Kanekith, or Ka'el and Sori, who knows.