Weed Troubles and New Healers
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Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.


Its a beautiful day at Xanadu - the sun is shining, the clouds are few and far between, and there is a lovely breeze coming off the lake and filtering through the clearing and the meadow beyond. Not so beautiful, however, are the fluffy, flying seeds that are being carried upon the breeze, and sent flying into anything and everything, be it dragon, human, or otherwise. It is in the clearing that Re're is lingering, talking to his youngest son, the boy of about 8 whining loudly about having to help pull weeds. "Derin, the others have to help, so do you." He says firmly, folding his arms over his torso, before the boy is sulking and wandering off to do that. Maybe.

"Aaa..aaah-choo!" The sound of a sneeze, followed by mumbling haralds the arrival of Rogawani. Above his head, a bronze firelizard chitters, even as the boy wipes at his nose mumbling something in a congested, nasal sounding voice. "I hate these things." With his other hand, the messenger drags along a bag with a few of the weeds poking out from the top. Sniffling, and red-eyed, he looks over towards the rider, giving a twitch of his nose. "Lo' Rider. You have any idea where we're supposed to stash these things once we get them up?" He asks, wiping his nose again on his sleeve.

Even Karashi had to admit it was a beautiful day when she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, hair pulled back by a scarf and bag slung over her shoulder she waved her farewell to the trader who had been her escourt to her newly assigned home. Surveying her surroundings she couldn't help but notice the residents out picking weeds, stiffiling the laughter that rose up in her chest at the sight. At the sneeze she suppressed another fit of laughter, instead walking towards the group with a silly grin on her face. Might as well make a good impression, she was the Weyr's new healer after all. Setting down her bag beside her she grinned at the trio broadly. "You boys need any help?

Re're watches as Derin wanders off, the boy plopping down to begin to pull the weeds out of a flower box, even as Re're is following suit, balancing on the wooden frame, though its very lazily and slowly that the offending plants are removed. At Rogawani's comment, he glances over his shoulder, locating a large bin that's been set near the side of the Hatching Arena, "There.. said something about them making good compost." Re're honestly doesn't know a weed from a flower, or compost from dirt, so he's just outright lost. As Karashi meanders over, the brownrider offers a nod after a long look. "Even if we didn't better not be caught not helping.." And, with his father distracted, Derin is taking off - Freedom!

A look is shot from the rider, to the bin of already deposited weeds, and then back again. The look on Rogawani's face is priceless if not pathetic. "I'll be all too glad when these are gone." He sniffles, and then stiffens a little. "Aah… Aaaah." Shoving his arm over his nose, the boy quickly is able to keep the sneeze from splattering the brownrider. Just then, a new voice catches his ears and Ro' turns, blinking a little. "Wouldn't mind the help. Can you take this over? If I get any closer, my nose'll explode." Offering out the bag of weeds, Ro certainly does sound like his nose might explode as he drags a handkerchief out, blowing into it with a honking sound. Still with his nose covered, he watches the pitter patter of escaping feet. "Think your son is escaping."

Digging around in her bag Karashi grinned triumphantly at the small yet still warm flask she held in her hand, Verbena tea, well it was the least she could do for him, it would ease the nasal congestion at least. Placing her bag back on the ground she picked up the bag of weeds, and handed the tea to Rogawani. "It's the best I can do, It should help, but it might make you a teensy drowsy" Slinging the bag o' weeds over her shoulder she happily marched her way over to the bin that contained even more, stinking and rotting weeds. Well it certainly wasn't as off putting as boiling down numbweed but it certainly was a close contender. Returning back to the others she happily plonked herself down between the two, delightedly plucking up weeds. Looking up only when she heard the same pitter patter of feet Ro had, and spoke with a laugh "I don't think it will hurt him to miss weed plucking this once.. It's not all that entertaining at that age."

Re're continues to absently tug at the weeds, pulling them up and tossing them on a piece of burlap at his feet, as his attention goes from Karashi to Rogawani and back. "Good to have a Healer around, I think.." Re're murmurs to the youngster, before he's stopping and realizing that half of the greenery in his hand is anything but weeds. Hurriedly, its added to the pile and hidden away, just intime to hear the words, and see Derin fleeing around a corner. A sigh, and a shake of his head, and the rider doesn't move to call after him. "Oh, he'll get it when his mother finds him.."

"Huh?" The first reaction from Rogawani is a stuffy look as his hands instinctively take the warm flask from Karashi. He looks down at it, as she goes to deposit the weeds, a bit unsure what to make of it. Then, with a wiggle of his nose, the boy takes a drink and sticks his tongue out, not exactly enjoying the taste. "Bleh." However, the sniffle that follows isn't quite as congested, so he resigns himself to forcing down a bit more. "A healer, huh?" Taking another drink with a slight wince, Ro' settles himself to the ground, leaning the flask up against his leg as he pulls over an unclaimed flower box. "What's your name?" He offers, sniffling again before offering his own. "I'm Rogawani. I'm the local messenger for the weyr. Although right now all of us are resigned to weed duty for a while."

As she pulled more weeds up she was glad to see the tea was taking effect with Rogawani, she was always glad to help. She stiffled a laugh at the look on his face when he took a second drink she couldn't help but sympathise, Verbena Tea was not the most pleasent tasting tea, but at least it worked. "Yeah I know it doesn't taste to great does it," Pulling up more weeds contentedly humming she didn't heard Rogawani at first when he asked her name, looking up when she heard him introduce himself. Whoops, she probably should have done that earlier, she was presented with the time to do so now and she did. "Karashi, Journeywoman Healer. I was assigned to this Weyr as of today" turning to the rider beside her she smiled warmly, "And you?"

Re're is still trying to hide the poor uprooted plants from view in the pile of leaves, giving them nudge and nudge again with his toe before giving up, and shifting further down the flower bed. "Should just put a mask on you, perhaps, boy.." Re're tells Rogawani, shaking his head, "Though, you're not the only one miserable. Poor Dreia doesn't want to move, if it means going outside." Karashi's introduction gets a nod, and a bit of a smile. "Xanadu's duties, then, Journeywoman." And then, realizing its only proper, he offers a hand. "Re're, my brown, Saenkarith, is rather glued to the Sands."

A bit more careful than the brown rider, Rogawani plucks the weeds from between the actual flowers, stacking them into a small pile at arm's length. "My thanks either way, healer. I tried the mask thing earlier, but it wouldn't stay on. I'll survive, though." He puffs his chest out a little, a boy still trying to act mature and falling a bit short. Ro' rubs at one eye, perhaps due to itchiness or maybe the drowsy effect of the tea. "Welcome to Xanadu." He opens his mouth, about to say something about some of the other recent arrivals, but changes tactics instead, "It's an interesting place to live."

Karashi reached out to take Re're's hand in a firm shake, dipping her head to acknowledge his rider status. Chuckling softly she gently points out to Re're the difference between a plant and a weed. "This one here has a long tap root, so it's a weed. Not all weeds have tap roots, but I think we can safely assume that all the plants with tap roots here are weeds. The leaves are different too, this one is a weed" Picking up one of her weeds she showed it too him, then gently fingering the plant next to the weed she had pulled out she points out the differences in that one "This one is a plant. It's not that hard once you know" Turning to Ro she grinned, yes masks were definately tricky things indeed, even she a trained healer had trouble with the fiddly things sometimes, either it was too tight or not tight enough. Karashi liked the sound of that, this was exactly what she was looking for, interesting. There wasn't enough interesting things in her life at this moment and she wanted more. "Good too hear, I like interesting places the best."

Re're smirks a bit at Rogawani's reaction, arching an eyebrow to listen to Rogawani's words, before nodding slowly, his attention drifting to Karashi as she explains the difference in the good plants at the weeds. After a moment, he stares at them, before shrugging and going back to work, though there is a mutter about 'Weeding being a job for gardeners not riders'. However, he is more careful as he goes - this time as his attention wanders, his hands stop working. "You'll likely be busy in the infirmary. Seems that half the Weyr spends half their time in there."

Finishing one section of the flower box, Rogawani picks up the flask and takes another long drink of the tea, as if trying to chug it down so that he doesn't have to taste it. The combination of the warmth, and whatever medicinal properties the tea has, however, makes him sniffle almost immediately as his nose begins to clear further. "Not just half the weyr. We've got two Rubicon River Holders in there right now." Blowing his nose a second time, the boy shakes his head slightly, showing his dismay at what is going on outside of the weyr. "The third one didn't make it. Found out this morning from his wife. She's thinking of going back to Irene, but the rest of the family is staying at least through the hatching because of those two boys."

"Busy is good. I like busy, not enough time to become idol or think on things that should be though upon later, that's what I like" In some ways Karashi was a workaholic, but in truth she merely loved the job. When Rogawani spoke her face became solemn, death was the only think she did not love about her job, and to hear about others falling upon hard times well she didn't want to think about it. However she knew she had to know, she was a healer and so she would act like one, it was better to know what she was going to walk into, than to be a fish in the water on her first day. "What happened? I would rather know what I was walking in on than be a floundering fish on the sand when I get there." Her face drew a solemn line, something that didn't look good on her, she was not a solemn person. Even her hands stilled with the others, it seemed that not everything was sunshine and warm skies this end of pern either. "I take it there is a hatching soon here?"

"He didn't?" Re're says rather slowly, shaking his head. "Poor kid." He murmurs and shakes his head again, sliding from the edge of the flower box to the ground, using the box as a backrest instead. At Karashi's question, however, he nods in Rogawani's direction. "He was.. there. He could probably explain it better.." Re're murmurs after a moment, before shaking his head, mood caught between sober at the mention of the unfortunate Holder, and pride for the eggs on the sands. "There are two golds on the Sands now, clutched together.."

With a sigh, Rogawani scoops up the flask and pushes himself to his feet, tying it to a few straps on his belt. "I'll bring this back later. Promise." With reassurances given, he nudges the flower box he'd finished with his toe, and then looks at the rider, an then the healer before rubbing the back of his neck. "Rubicon doesn't have a Lord Holder right now. Went missing in some shipwreck. Hannista, the next hold south, has been pushing into Rubicon land. One of the outlying cotholds got attacked." It becomes obvious by his movements that Ro' really doesn't want to think about what is going on out at the holds. A yawn sneaks it's way up onto him unexpectedly, causing the boy to blink. "Drowsy huh… Well I need to go check and see if the stablehands have more weeds for me to haul up. Thanks for the tea again, Healer. And welcome to Xanadu." With that, the boy walks off towards the meadow, giving a stretch of his arms upward, and another yawn.

When it became clear that it had upset Rogawani she almost berated herself, instead however she smiles at him, and waved her hand at his promise to bring the flash back. "It's fine I have plenty more empty ones I can use. If you really want to return it you know where to find me.. and.. Thanks..for the welcome." Turning back to Re're she pulled a flask of water from her back, a rather large flask taking a long drink she handed it too him. "It's water, you should keep yourself hydrated in this weather" Leaning back aganist a flower box she looked up at the skies, two dragon clutches, what a nice thought, not that she'd ever be searched, having convinced herself that she was probably too old to stand. Unlikely but possible, she was not sure, and wasn't going to dwell on it either. "I look forwards to being here for the hatchings then."

Re're glances at Rogawani as the boy excuses himself, a shake of his head. "Poor kid.." He murmurs again, and then glances up at Karashi with a smile. "Thanks.." After a long drink, the flask his handed back, and he's nodding in the direction of the infirmary. "They'll probably be expecting you, and they'll get you all set up with where you're supposed to be. Saenkarith's rumbling again, and I should get back in there." And so, with a distasteful look, the somewhat heavy man is getting to his feet, and nodding. "Welcome to Xanadu, Journeywoman.." He offers, before he's toddling off to the Hatching Arena, and the Sands beyond.

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