Like a Rock
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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 buildings, 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.
Stables and a smithy are settled on their own plots, while trees border the western edge of the meadow, and a faint outline of a fence can be seen to the north.


Fair — A cool breeze blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it which blot out the stars in patches overhead. Elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky. One can easily hear the peeping of minor wildlife singing as the leaves of the trees and bushes rustle in the wind.

It seems a rather nice night for a walk, as well, under the light of no moon…or a good night to find a hole and sprain an ankle or worse. Or, if one isn't lucky, to get near trod upon by a rampaging bronze dragon…the sound of huge feet pounding the earth as the massive creature cavorts can be heard for some distance, and his bright, jeweltone eyes glimmer in the darkness of the Weyr's night…more piercing than that are the yelps and admonintions from his weyrmate, "Romth! You lunk! You're freshly bathed…stopit…stop it right this…." Something goes WHIRSHING through the air, landing in a heavy thud in the darkness from the direction of the feeding grounds…and the bronze comes storming ahead, chasing his 'fleeing' prey. "Instant." The young Weyrleader is left to chase after…and even his long legs won't make chasing a trotting bronze dragon easy.

Romth senses that Seryth is beginning to think a hatchling won her flight. « Really? playing with your food? Please say it wasn't a herdbeast… »

Seryth senses that Romth hrmphs, utterly unphased by auric disapproval. « They are old and stringy. It needed tenderizing. »

Petra was taking a walk though the cloud covered dark this evening. Not your average evening stroll, but she isn't in a hurry either as she crosses the meadow heading out towards the observatory from the weyrproper. Its that noise in the air followed by the all too near THUD that follows, not to mention the large eyes in the dark, which causes her to both jump and shriek as she's startled. Its only then that the Weyrleader's voice carries to her and she turns towards it, "Who..?" Does she really want to know?

The answer is a bounding, thumping, earth-shaking gamboling, and the dark shadow of the massive creature that answers to the name Romth…followed by Xe'ter's swearing-fit-for-a-Sea-Crafter… "Shardit, Romth! Shardit it all…" That would be some of the mildest the man bellows, "Stop! The stupid thing's good and dead, just EAT it! Stop playing with your food!" But the mushed carcass of…whatever…is scooped up in his jaws…which brings the big bronze's head looming out of the darkness towards the running shape of Petra. For a moment, she's a dark silhouette against one of his big eyes…and then she's near enough for Xe'ter to see her…and warn her off, "Get out of the way! He's flinging that herdbeast about! You'll get smashed!" Or wosre!

Romth senses that Seryth doesn't LIKE flat Candidates. They fall over too easily on the Sands.

Seryth senses that Romth is matter of fact to a fault. « I was not going to step on HER…humans are crunchy. »

Romth senses that Seryth idly wonders « How the shell do you know humans are crunchy? Did you sit on that Iforian fellow? »

Petra wasn't planning on standing around once she came to a realization of just what is going down this evening. Only a split second after that first warning shout from Xe'ter the young woman is doubling her pace to dodge out of the way of the rampaging bronze which in turn brings her closer to his rider. "I swear I didn't do anything."

Xe'ter makes short work of the distance between himself and the young woman as well, though it might be frightening to an outside observer…because Romth's big head is following Petra like a disembodied monster of its own…whilst the dead, and now thoroughly smashed up, carcass dangles from between his teeth. It happens very fast…and in a dreadful sort of slowmotion, too, until it all comes to sudden halt…with Xe'ter offering a hand to Petra…and Romth looming over them with his mangled 'prize'…which he then drops to the ground again, with more squishing sounds. "Romth, you assinine idiot..what are you DOING?"

Romth lowers his head, though, until his chin nearly scrapes along the tround, and keeps one big eye focused on Petra…the tones of it whirling faster and faster as he adjusts his vision to really take her in.

Romth senses that Seryth REALLY hopes the herdbeast didn't land on her either.

Seryth senses that Romth is downright disdainful. « I wasn't throwing the beast AT her! » Oh ye of little faith!

Romth senses that Seryth sagely notes, « What goes up must come down… somewhere. »

Hand offered and Petra is more than willing to both take hold of it and duck behind the man least that mangled prize the dragon holds drops on her. Eww! Now be a man and protect her Xe'ter! Of course at this point it hasn't quite sunk in as to just who she's hiding behind. "Are they all like this?" she finally questions the behavior of the bronze.

Xe'ter chuckles a little despite himself…mostly at the question, as he uses his free hand to shove a finger in Romth's face. "Lay off, will ye? Blathering IDIOT!" The bronze seems unperturbed by such inconveniences as irritated riders, and like some massive canine, drops the beast's carcass on the ground and tries to 'peek' around his rider's side, "Nay…he's been like this because he's been cooped up on the Sands with Seryth…he willnae hurt you apurpose!"

Petra keeps a careful eye on the bronze the whole while, far less worried about his rider being that the dragon is the one who would crush her like bug. "Ew!" she comments on that carcass, she at least has no qualms about speaking her mind. "That's just gross." A few short seconds pass before she turns her attention to the rider, "And he's yours?" she supposes, "Which would make you Weyrleader…" Awkward.

Xe'ter pauses for a moment, as if he were having to try and follow that line of logic. But then, he nods. "Aye, he looks't me…and I'm 'is rider, so that makes me Xe'ter…" He smiles a touch, though now he's looking through the dark to see if he can make out a knot, or not. "And that's Romth…who doesnae care if you dinna like mushed herdbeast or not. He thinks he can cook…" He shrugs, but there's a faint smile on the young Weyrleader's face. "An' my apologies…he has been on one all day."

Petra's train of thought doesn't always make sense to everyone, at least he followed it enough to answer her question in the end. The knot he looks for is there if he can make out the denotation of a Xanadu resident in the semi-darkness. "I thought you would be older," she muses having had a moment to study the pair of them while her heart slows down.

Xe'ter almost chokes a bit, and then snorts, "Aye, well…I were younger still the first time Romth caught 'er." The bronze, as if settling on something, RUMBLES at his lifemate…and there is a sensation akin to a dark pressure wave, that seems to burst out of Romth.

« Her. »

Xe'ter was going to say something else, but then he pauses, as if surprised…before his expression changes entirely. "Seriously, Romth? Again? The last one hasnae even said yea or nay…"

« Her. »

The young Weyrleader's jaw clumps shut for a moment, and then he clears his throat, "What'd ye say yer name was again?"

"Not that that's a bad thing," the young woman says with a smile, trying to fill in any hole she might have dug for herself with that previous comment. That noise from Romth then has her looking quickly in his direction. Seriously. She hasn't done anything! "What?" she inquires before realizing the question, following with his answer before he can give one, "Oh, me. Petra."

Xe'ter nods a bit, "Aye, you, Petra…What the lunk is telling me is that he thinks you…" He takes a breath, as if he's not sure why he's saying this…or how he CAME to say it, "…would make a suitable candidate for his eggs." Aye, Xe'ter just said 'Romth's Eggs'… "An if ye've no objection to that idea."

People really shouldn't give Petra a chance to interject her thoughts, given a moment she will and that breath Xe'ter takes is just long enough. "I swear, whatever I did, I didn't mean to," because surely he must be about to tell her she did something wrong or something she shouldn't have. When the Weyrleader's question follows the girl just blinks, "Wait, me?" He's sure? "You're serious? .. I.. I'd be honored." That was certainly an unexpected turn of events.

Xe'ter sighs a bit, "I were afraid ye'd say that…I dunna have the knots on me…as I don't usually Search…" He EYES the bronze, who by now has turned his head away…to pick up the mangled herdbeast. Mmm. Mangled herdbeast. "If ye don't mind…we'll leave this one t'finish his dinner…and I'll grab ye a knot from my office."

"I could always say no if you'd rather," Petra replies, though the grin that quickly follows the comment shows that she's not planning on changing her mind that easily. Its a grin that soon turns to disgust when she eyes the dragon again, though that look quickly fades back to a smile again when she looks back to Xe'ter. "I can hardly blame you for not having one in the middle of the night. I could always pick it up in the morning if that would be more convenient."

He waves a hand, "Nay…I need t'give ye the pertinant information…ye've a place to stay, or would ye prefer a spot in the Candidate barracks? Have ye stood before?" He makes a face, and mutters, "Oh Shardit…what's yer age, anyway, Petra? Yer not wed or beholden to anyone, are ye? To Hold or Hall?"

Petra nods in both understanding and answer. "Your headwoman was kind enough to set me up in the resident's hall," she explains leading in the the next answer with a shake of her head. "I haven't.." Is there something she missed somewhere along this discussion? "Nearly seventeen, and unless someone has neglected to tell me of such 'arrangements' no."

Xe'ter nods and half claps his hands together, "Aye, good…then if ye'll be so kind as to follow me…"


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