Xanadu Weyr - Guest Weyr
Rustic and simple, this one-roomed cottage sits at the edge of the forest near the feeding grounds. The decor is spartan with a wide, comfortable bed and a couch, table and chairs and small kitchenette. Kept stocked with food and drink, the bed freshened with sheets and coverlets after each use by the weyrstaff, it's nothing more than a place to give riders participating in mating flights a bit of privacy should they need it.
The cottage is quiet; not really a surprise…it's much later than it was the last time she rose. Beside you, the bed is once again empty, but there's the smell of fresh, hot klah wafting through the small space, and of quiet footsteps as the winner's rider paces a bit. The lights are very low; just one, providing enough light not to break one's toes on things. Funny…he didn't linger last time either, though by now Seryth's likely let you know who her 'savior' was…Romth is downright possessively aggressive, keeping watch despite his exhaustion…in case any of those rowdy, nippy bronze upstarts come back!
Thea is out, deeply asleep with that exhausted, drained quality that this particularly energetic flight has brought on her thanks to her link with Seryth. How long he's been awake and pacing? She has no clue, but she's been sleeping for hours, though it is still dark. Twined in those blankets, she mumbles something in her sleep, rolls over, then hisses. "Owww!" Sitting up in the tumble of sheets and blankets with her hand clapped to her neck, the Weyrwoman is disoriented - and angry to say the least. "Who BIT me??!" It's a low-pitched growl rather than a shout. As for the moment she hasn't heard but smug pleasure-feelings from the still sleeping Seryth.
The sound of pacing feet stops, before Xe'ter answers…coming closer, but not /too/ close. Mostly out of respect. Or maybe fear…who knows. "Let me look?" He doesn't sound like he's owning up to it at all. But still. "Romth says one of the outsiders' bronzes took a nip out of her." Seryth, he means…but still. Maybe /he/ missed something in the intensity of the clustering!
Thea's eyes carry that who-what look of confusion as she turns to the voice, arm leaving the sanctuary of her blankets to push the mass of dark hair back from her face, pats at her neck in a confused manner and then peers at her bloodless palm. There's not a mark on her neck either. "Okay that is… odd." She raises her eyes to squint owlishly at Xe'ter. "Donn? You're… Oh!" Realization dawns and she's scooting from the bed without another word, covers clutched around her as she makes for the door, pushing it open regardless that it is a freezing cold winter night out there, ignoring the fact that she is barefoot. She strides out into the snow without hesitation and right on up to Seryth to peer closely at her neck until she finds what she is looking for in the starlight. A light touch tells her it is not deep, merely a tooth-raked scrape and clotted over. Not enough discomfort, apparently, to keep the queen from sleeping.
Xe'ter is only slightly better dressed…he'd found his trous and his boots again…and dashes after the quick moving weyrwoman when she darts for her own lifemate. Romth is there, his eyes jeweled and sharp despite his relaxed and deeply exerted lounge, wrapped about his golden mate. It takes Xe that quiet time, letting her reassure herself, before he asks the obvious, "Is she alright?" Romth blinks his eyes, but whatever passes between rider and dragon is only a dark-tinged ghost pressing against Seryth's lifemate's own mind. Funny…the young bronze has some interesting scars across his own face and neck…and now it's probably obvious where he got them!
Thea lingers, head bowed, beside the sleeping Seryth for a few beats, her hand pressed against a patch of unscored hide, drawing a deep breath… and some strength likely. "Yes, I think so," she answers Xe'ter from where she is. She casts a long look up at Romth, "Thanks for bringing her back safely," she murmurs sincerely with a faint, but heartfelt smile given the bronze. Shivering despite the attempt to steel herself against the chill, she offers him a light pat before heading back towards the guest weyr. "Brr! I think… my feet are numb," she says as she steps past the Weyrleader, sliding him a sidelong look as she does so. Small talk, meant to smooth over what she might assume is an awkward moment.
He shifts his stance, ever so slightly, in a gesture of almost gallant 'ladies first'…but he's quick to follow after, as well. It's bleedin' cold out! And shirtless is almost as bad as shoeless. Okay, not really, but it's still not pleasant. "Ye'll have the Dragonhealer look to that come morning, right?" Nevermind, Romth's night-dark, start-spangled mindtouch still lingers about the weyrwoman's mind, long after she's turned away. He's quite pleased with himself…and utterly besotted.
"Of course!" It's accompanied by a soft snort, almost indignant if it weren't for the smile Thea tosses back at him over her shoulder as she keeps walking. She sinks to the edge of the bed, wriggling her reddened toes to warm them up, but does little else save to clutch those blankets around her and sit there for the moment. The pink-flush to her cheeks matches the tip of her nose, so it must be the cold, right? The fact that he's up and dressed, if only halfway, and the scent of klah in the room seeps into her brain prompting her to tilt him a curious look, "Did you get any rest at all?"
He nods, though he's half-turned away, as if politely raising a curtain between them. "Yes, I got some sleep." A nap, maybe. "Care for some klah? I didn't think to make sure the place was well stocked…looks like the last greenflight cleaned us out of decent vittles here." Yeah. Awkward smalltalk. "So…ah. Another Turn or two…" Maybe more, maybe less…depends on the queen!
Thea just takes the answer at face value, nodding. Her gaze is directed towards the still-darkened windows with a flickered check of the time before she says, "In a minute, sure. I'm going to get dressed." Comfortable enough apparently, with his so very proper turning away that she's not waiting for him to vacate the cottage this time. And while she's hunting hers from the floor, bed - aha-ing as one she finds an undergarment hanging from one of the lamps - she adds casually, "It's alright. That's the headwoman's department and I'm really not hungry right now anyway." Things collected, though it takes some back and forth to find the widely-scattered items, she dresses and makes her way to the kitchenette, settles onto a chair and notes firmly, "More like two turns. Do you think you can stand it?" So there's a bit of dry tease in her tone, but her eyes are watchful, concerned.
Xe'ter smiles a touch, despite himself. But goes to get a couple of mugs and some sweetener. "Yeah…yes'm, I mean." Yeah…he's not quite the almost gibbering fresh from weyrlinghood youngster he was…but he can still hold that slight core of … uncertainty. "No one's died as a result of my leadership, so I think I can call it a success so far. So long as you're comfortable with it…"
Thea reaches for one of the mugs, sliding it towards her to curl her cold fingers about the warm ceramic, giving him a funny little look for his comment. "I think you did a fine job, Xe'ter. The upheaval in the wings was nothing to do with anything you've done wrong. It just… happened." She shrugs helplessly at the timing of it all, lifts the klah, still black and unsweetened to her lips. "I meant… will you be happy here? I know Ista's your home and you must miss it."
Xe'ter shrugs a bit, "Ista's nay my home. My home's a little cove in the stone a long way from Ista." He shrugs a bit, "S'warmer…Ista. Fishing's better. My home's where Romth is." He slowly sinks down into the chair opposite, and takes up his mug. "I don't like Ista any better than Xanadu…suppose I like Xanadu a bit more…I've more reason to like it." That draws a half-smile from him, at least. "I'd say I were maybe a bit lonely, but Ryni's busy at Ista…with her own life. And there's Romth. Can't exactly be lonely with the likes of that Gather ham about."
Thea sips her klah, grimacing at the taste and swallowing audibly to force it down. The mug thunks gently on the tabletop, she reaches for the sweetner and a spoon, scoops three heaping teaspoons into it and stirs it thoughtfully. "Well… okay that's… good I guess?" She sounds a little uncertain about it all, but more out of concern for him. Because he hasn't exactly said he's happy, now has he? "I don't know," she says dubiously of lonely with a dragon, "I've seen plenty who are." She peers into her mug, stirs the spoon idly for another moment or two before noting quietly, "Been there, done that." She lifts her mug, sips again and sighs. Better! "She's welcome here anytime."
Xe'ter shrugs a bit, "She's busy. I go and see our boy now and again." There's a little glimmer of happiness there, at least! "Growing like a bad weed. And aye, I've let her know…but she was born and raised on Ista island. It's /her/ home." He doesn't even blink at the amount of sweetning…he just has his own klah straight. No sleeping tonight, if he keeps that up!
"I see." And Thea does, nodding understanding of the greenrider's preference of home. She's cupping her hands about her mug, not really drinking it down but more like inhaling the steam for the time being. "Well…" Almost uncertain whether this is the time or not, she offers, "Congratulations, you get to keep the big shiny knot and the salary for a few more turns and Romth gets to continue to organize us all?" There's a snicker for the last bit, a fond sort of tease inserted for the bronze.
Now that gets an unexpected chuckle from him. Not the big, shiny knot. "Oh shards yes…we ought to get HIM a big shiny knot…as he's still fully convinced he's the Weyrleader and I'm just along for the ride." He chuckles, then rubs his face, "Shards…has it been that long since we were in that hole?" And Seryth was clutching without us….
Thea lowers her mug to the table, props her chin on the heel of her hand, elbow braced on the tabletop and eyes Xe'ter though the steam. "You mean… you're not?" She snickers quietly then turns reflective at the mention of the sinkhole. "Two turns just about, yes. And that reminds me, the workers have it pretty much cleaned and shored up. The masons are ready to begin restoring the crumbled stone molding and crownwork in there. But you already saw their report that stone in our quarries isn't right. We really should be taking that trip to Igen before Seryth clutches."
He nods to that, though he's studying the slight 'heart shaped' glow of the reflection of light in his klahmug as he does so, "Aye, to Igen…before she clutches." Then he cocks his head a bit, "Igen…wait…" Wait, he missed something. Are we getting the stone from Igen?
Heart-shaped. How romantic! If Thea notices his preoccupation or the shape, she doesn't comment although the little smirk tugging at her lips might suggest she's squelching a comment regarding it. Instead it is the Igen question that she addresses, with a concerned look for his distraction. "Our quarries don't have the igneous rock needed to match what they've used down there. It's denser, harder, finer-grained and the color is far more pale than our crumbly, dark grey or blackrock. We're supposed to take some samples and find something to match." Her tone is one of gentle questioning reminder, mingled with understanding rather than critical since post-flight addled hits her all too often and she’s assuming it’s hit him too.
Xe'ter glances back up, with that 'caught in the headlights' look, as his memory is jogged…and then he coughs. Ahem. Yes. Right. He knew that, "Of course. We'll need to wait for her bite to firm up properly, but as soon as you're ready to go…" He pauses, "I think maybe a change of scenery even for the day might be… refreshing."
Thea hms a bit at that, fingers of that hand propping her chin curled to taptap her lips idly. "I can hitch a ride on Seibith while Seryth recovers. D'had is bored kicking around with nothing to do and restless. He can help us find it as long as we keep him away from the Senior while we're stopping by Igen Weyr. Retirement indeed!" She snorts a soft disdain of the man's decision. "It might take us a few days of scouting, even though A'dmar is native to those parts and will be along as our guide, so…" She peers at the younger man speculatively, "How do you feel about desert camping?"
Xe'ter nods a little, until he thinks about it for a split second. He almost suggests that really, no need to bother the bluerider, he could give his weyrwoman a ride! But the bit about camping kicks in, and he shrugs again, "I've never done so, but I'd be more than willing to give it a try." More dryly, "I suppose that the fishing there is truly terrible."
Yeaaaaaah that would go over big with D'had, Thea skipping off with not one, but two bronzers into the wilds to camp for a few days. Not. It's sure to be a growl-glare fest but what's a Weyrwoman to do? Lesigh. It could have been worse though? He could have been trapped underground with them for a week? "I've never even been to Igen. Or to the desert," Thea admits with a bit of sparkle lighting the pale green of her eyes at the thought of that adventure. She grins at his quip about fishing returning with an amused, "Possibly." And then she sighs, pushes the unfinished mug aside and rises slowly. "I need to head home and check on… things." Namely her possessive weyrmate and be sure he isn't pacing their home with a bottle of whiskey for company. "We'll get it sorted out." So saying, she finds her jacket, slips into it and heads on out without disturbing Seryth out there in her cuddle-ball with Romth.
Is it bad if my favorite part of this was picturing D'had's reaction to Xe'ter (who just won Thea's flight) sweeping her off to Igen to camp, with no dragon of her own to get home? Classic.