Shores of Lake Caspian
The cliffs that run along the shore come and go, various weyrs nestled along the tops of them or dug into the walls, but eventually they recede enough to expose a beach. The white sand echoes the rise and fall of the cliffs with a multitude of sandy dunes, endlessly creating tiny valleys that are constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of dragons. The dunes smooth out as the gentle slope approaches the edge of the deep blue water. The sand darkens, and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect.
The beach narrows to the southwest, leaving a path barely wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sands are the same white, the waters the same blue, but they're calmer and more tranquil, more protected from the winds that ruffle Lake Caspian and the currents that tug beneath the surface.
Rough, wide stairs lead up to the meadow above and the road that runs along the top of the cliffs, passing through the fields and heading for the river mouth that can be just barely seen from here. The largest of the staircases up the cliff is located near the docks that jut out onto the peaceful blue waters.
Sometimes someone just has to say pfffft to the weather and brave chilly autumn water and try to scrub their dragon. When that dragon has recently grown to be one of Pern's largest golds and has the ability to between maybe Rhodelia should have rethought some of the life choices she made this afternoon. Stubbornly she powered through a very quick dragon bath, Inasyth happily warbling along whatever song came into her mind and leaning wing or shoulder or side against a convenient large rock to 'help' with the scrubbing. Finally, finally, the blonde still-weyrling shivers her way onto the shore and collapses into a pile of waiting blankets. "Brrrrrrr…." Ignore the teeth chattering. This is fine. Everything is fine.
Vallen is, quite appropriately /dressed/ for such weather. It might not be snowing or anything, but the guard has a jacket on at the very least, hands stuffed right into the pockets as he heads down towards the way of the water. Oh yes, there's a decided bit of staring going on for the fact that there is a person in the water, even if there's a dragon that happens to be along for it. Sure, bathing dragons are normal. People freezing their bottoms off with them? Less so. Feet finally hit sand as he heads down off the path, one step at a time coming over to peer at the bundle of blankets, brows steadily raising. "Um, you lookin' to need any more like..towels or somethin'? I don't have any, mind, but I could prolly get some." Granted, he doesn't look all that in a hurry to go running off the beach again, but it does seem the /polite/ thing to offer a chilly, soaked lady.
Rhodelia burrows into her towel pile and there's a great deal of arm flinging as she fights with something deep within only to emerge victorious and wearing the fluffiest blue hooded sweater ever. "Huh?" It's a very elegant response complete with now slightly slowed teeth chitter as Rhody hugs her arms tight to her chest. "I'll be fine in like… ten minutes. But next time we're gonna to Ista no matter what she says!" There's a glare momentarily directed at the still waterbound gold who looks utterly unrepetant. In fact, Inasyth seems to be having a grand ol' time out in the water jumping up and making waves for herself and then rolling over in them. Luckily she does seem to be a safe-ish distance away.
There is a fair bit of wary eyeballing for all that water frolicking. Indeed, too close and Vallen is likely to skitter away like a crab to keep from getting wet. There's a faint smile though when at least Rhodelia pops back up with warmer stuff on, nodding. "Well so long as I don't gotta report findin' a human-shaped popcicle out by the water, it's all good." He takes a step farther away to make sure there's space for all that flailing, and the guard's hands stay firmly in pockets. Don't want chilly fingers!
FEAR NOT, TINY HUMAN! Inasyth's frolics have summoned a WHOLE POD OF SHIPFISH! Or like, three. Who is counting? Certainly not the dragon trying her best to do a blowhole impersonation by snorting seawater out her snout. Rhodelia's eyeballs are not at all weary and she gives a dismissive wave for Vallen's concern. "That'd be pretty ironic after how many hours we've spent drilling on looking for human-shaped popsicle and other unusual occurrences this seven." Galaxy may have even had a few water rescues scheduled as well… probably on a warmer day!
Vallen snorts out a laugh, head shaking ever so slightly. "Well I'll leave that sort of thing to you lot, yeah? I sure don't wanna be finding popcicles." His job is guarding, not finding and rescuing folks! Hopefully. "You got the right of it though, I think Ista's /probably/ a better idea. If she'll allow it." A nod is given out at the water and the happy gold in the chilly water. The arrival of dolphins earns another smile though, watching them for a moment or two.
Search and rescue technically shouldn't be Rhodelia's job either, at least eventually, but she'll go on clinging stubbornly clinging to those last couple months of (sometimes chilly) freedom before she has to join the ranks properly. For now, she just shrugs and wraps her fuzzy arms around her legs, propping her chin on knees and looking at the guard. "Unless she's injured or I'm injured or she's got eggs, I don't see why she would not. I just have to make Ista sound more interesting than here." That last sounds a little bit doubtful as she watches the dragon cavorting with her new-found aquatic friends.
"Well aside from those times, yeah." Vallen doesn't seem too terribly thrilled by the lack of optimism there. He gives a shift though, raising an arm to rub against his face and likely give his nose a bit of warming. Things /are/ getting cold out. "Can't be that hard, just tell her all the good bits about it." There's got to be loads of good things about Ista, right? Vallen…well. He doesn't really look like he knows what those things /are/. But he'll encourage it all the same. Fingers offer a lazy salute though as the guard turns in the sand, giving a smile down in the process as he makes to head back to the path. "Good luck with that, though. And take a break inside, yeah? Warmer there!"
"Nets and nets and nets of fish!" Rhodelia can list of at least one probably good thing about Ista. "And rum." She's also at least warm enough now to stand up, towel pile now become towel cape and towel shawl. "Good luck to you as well. Hopefully you don't find any actual popsicles. Or falling ice shards!" Not much chance of that happening unless his guard path takes him down into the cold stores but stranger things have happened.