Xanadu Weyr - Smith Forge
Loud, dim, and hot is the large area set up for the Smith's forge area. It's been roughly divided into separate areas, the large common one holding the main forge lodged against the western wall, with bellows at the ready and a chimney rushing high to open in the ceiling outside. This is the area that the apprentices are taught in and are able to use, the nearby wall clasps a vast and unspecialized collection of tools, while the built-in shelves of another wall host jars of nails, crates of wood and metal scraps, spools of wire, sacks of sand, and heavy bins of Cromcoal, all decorated with a fine coating of grime and sawdust.
To the other side are the separate forges for the Journeyman's use, each one kept clean and neat, even when in the midst of a project. Behind and to the back lies the more private forges reserved for the few Masters that stay here.
There is a door to one side that leads into a hallway and to the dorms and rooms of the smiths that call Xanadu home.
The past couple of days have been getting warmer, but today Xanadu has been plagued with a drizzly rain, on and off, all day. It's been working wonders lowering the temperature, but more than the usual complement of smiths have sought refuge in the forge today. Karona is seated against a wall, just far enough from the door to be protected against the drizzle, waiting for the forges to free up a bit. She as a textbook in one hand, and is idly feeding bits of meatroll to a sleepy looking dark brown firelizard with the other. Her attention is on the book though, so her food offerings often miss the firelizard's mouth entirely, earning her annoyed chittering from the brown.
Done with duty for the day, D'son ambles on over to the forge, probably just to see if anything interesting is going on. Stepping in from the drizzle, the Weyrleader's gaze is drawn to whatver work is going on over yonder and he fetches up against the wall near Karona. "Is he eating you out of house and home?" he inquires casually.
The drizzly day likely sees more than one bedraggled crafter seeking refuge in the forge. Eledri is not a frequent visitor, though his masters no doubt require the services of smiths now and again. It seems the journeyman is on an errant, piece of hide tucked beneath his arm, though as he ducks inside, his spectacles are the first to be seen to, gently shaking the water off and running finger back through his hair to shove it out of his face, then glancing around. So many busy people, the computercrafter wisely moving out of the way, toward the spot Karona and D'son occupy. Inclining his head slightly, Eled offers the latter a polite, "Sir," and Karona a more relaxed, "Hello," before shaking off the hide and glancing around again.
Karona doesn't even glance up from her book, she just chuckles at the question about the firelizard. "Course he is, he's a firelizard, isn't he?" she notes, with a hint of sarcasm. The brown seems much more curious than his owner, peering up over the edge of the book at D'son, then climbing on top of the book for a better look. Karona just sighs, shaking her head at the firelizard. "You do love a good book, don't you?" she notes, though, with that distraction out of the way, she finally does look up at D'son, and she pales slightly. "Oh, uh, sir! What brings you to the forge today, sir?" The sleepy little brown is suddenly wide-eyed and alert, /people/! He stares at Eledri now, looking a little freaked, actually. Strangers! Two strangers! Karona strokes the firelizard's head idly to calm him, tipping her head at Eledri. "Hey." she greets him, adding, "May I help you?" in a curious tone. With so many smiths present back there, she must be on her best behaviour.
"Depends on the lizard?" D'son suggests with a grin that quirks a little to the side as Karona looks up and susses out his identity. He turns slightly as Eledri approaches, nods his way. "Thought I might muck around a little," the Weyrleader answers and brings up his own notebook, gives a little waggle. "Try out some ideas and not think about holder visits and mud."
Eledri gives the firelizard an obviously wary look, vague frown flickering across his face as he eyes first it, and then Karona. "..I'm here to pick up one of he side panels for a terminal," holding out the piece of hide, which has been signed by someone or other in the craft complex, though a glance out toward the entry had Eled remarking wryly, "Don't think I'm in any hurry to carry it back, in this weather, though." Maybe he'll just be stuck here for a little while, the crafter tugging at his collar a bit, in the warmth of the forge, shoulders and hair damp from the rain. At least he does have a decent jacket, if a bit over-large for his frame. The weyrleader;s notebook has Eled tilting his head, eyebrows rising slightly as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Seems like anything would be better than those," holder visits and mud, that is.
Karona turns a little red at D'son's quirked grin, lowering her eyes sheepishly. "Mmhmm." she near mumbles. "Always felt this one was more feline than firelizard. Other one seems to hunt for himself, I suppose. Well, they both do, but this one does it for fun, not food." Nope, she'll always be the main source of food for the dark little brown. She raises her gaze, expression clearly confused, when D'son mentions mucking around a little. The notebook is noted then, and she blinks. "Y-you were a smith, sir?" she asks, clearly surprised. Eledri's errand here has the woman nodding. "Ah, yes, I do believe that's… one moment." she gets to her feet, and caaarefully places the book - firelizard still on it - on the chair she'd just vacated. She moves over to a stack of crates, peering at the labels. There's a slight nod at one, and she idly reorders the stack, pointing out the one now on top to Eledri. It's safer than carrying it to him, it's likely delicate. "It's here, no rush to take it now though, water's probably not good for it." The crate looks fairly safe, but any excuse to hang about is a good excuse.
"They've all got their own personalities, huh?" D'son comments further about firelizards. "When I lived at Ista, I had a whole fair of wild ones that liked to live on this outcropping above Inimeth's ledge. It was kind of crazy, they'd be loud sometimes, but Inimeth liked the company." A faint air of regret infuses D'son's expression and he shakes his head. "Not apprenticed, no, my grandfather's a smith and I studied some with him, getting ready to apply to the smithcraft, but it didn't wind up panning out. I dabble though, as a hobby." On the side. In his oh-so-copious spare time. His gaze travels with Karona as she heads over to that crate and he nods. "Don't want that getting wet, no," then he chuckles at Eledri's remark. "Some days I don't mind, even like the visits. Other days," he waggles his hand back and forth.
Eledri will certainly take the excuse, giving the rain outside a less than pleased sidelong glance. And perhaps the vaguest traces of a frown linger in his expression as he turns back. A "Thanks," is nodded to Karona as the smith re-orders the crates, the computercrafter following to regard the thing, eyes flickering over the labelling and the hide, just double-checking, "Is it packaged for between, do you know? I'm not sure if it has any components that could be damaged by the cold, but.. I don't know if we have everything here to put it together." There's a pause, brown eyes flicking to the weyrleader, "You lived in Ista?" it's Eledri's turn to be somewhat surprised, giving D'son a curious look for a moment, before he mumbles, absently almost, "My sister's a rider there," though the talk of firelizards has the man attempting not to wrinkle his nose outright, "That sounds awfully loud. I've never been.. very fond of the noisy ones." He finds some clear spot near the crates, against the wall and out of the way, and tugs at his hair, brushing fingers back though it as it begins to dry again in the heat. "Hopefully the weather clears soon. Won't be fun carrying that back in the mud," he suppresses a grimace for crate, stuffing the hide back in a pocket.
Karona tips her head slightly. "Mm. I've got a blue and a brown, the blue likes to do his own thing, mostly. Shows up if he thinks I'm in trouble, took the longest time to convince him I didn't need 'saving' from the forge." she admits, with a shake of her head. "He means well. But this one, he's my shadow." she says, wandering back to the chair, though she doesn't move the book or the firelizard. "I'm sure any smith would be glad to make room for you to work, sir." is noted, to D'son. After all, she's just a journeyman, he might not even be a smith, but he's the Weyrleader. The brown starts to stretch now, and paws idly at Karona, causing the smith to absentmindedly pick him up. Conditioned response, no doubt. Eledri's question has her furrowing her brow, and she moves back to the crates, frowning slightly. "They're, uh, padded," the firelizard shifts to Karona's shoulder, nearer Eledri. Karona continues obliviously, "against damage, knocks and bumps, that" the firelizard streeeetches his neck out, peering curiously at Eledri, "sort of thing. I'm not sure about" sniff, sniff, the firelizard seems very interested in Eledri, "cold, though."
"Born and raised," D'son tells Eledri of Ista. "Impressed there too," he notes further and nods. "Cenlia, yeah. She used to work on the gardens here." He makes a sympathetic face about the rain though. "Yeaah, you and me both. I'm tired of hopping off Inimeth and winding up in my knees in muck." Back to Karona as she returns and he nods. "Sure, but … I'd rather wait my turn just like everyone else."
Eledri leans back against the wall, adjusting his spectacles and crossing his arms lightly over his chest. A brow arches at Karona, "..Saving you from the forge?" tone more than a little dubious, "Suppose that's not as bad as some I've seen." (Charmer and his underpants escapades, for insteance, cough.) Though once Karona heads back /with. the critter, Eledri is finging himself leeaaning away, in increments, as the brown stretches his nose out. It's given a wary, sideways look, Eled puching his spectacles higher on the bridge of his nose, and taking a tiny step away. "Er.." gaze flicking past the creature to the crates, "We can re-pack it if the terminal needs to be taken to Landing, I guess.." again that slight frown appearing, "Padding's good, though." Because he'll be the one hauling it back, and he's not exactly the strong sort. "How did you end up here?" it's asked before Eledri really thinks about it, the computercrafter tacking on an, "Er, sir." There is a slight grimance though when D'son does apparently recall his sister, Eled sinking back against the wall a little more and wrinkling his nose with another glance at the exit, "I'm.. glad I have to work indoors most of the time. If I could," voice turning wry, "I'd sit in the craft complex until the rains stop. I think some of the masters are doing that."
Karona grimaces at talk of muck and mud. She herself is perfectly dry, though her boots are caked in the brown of dried mud. Her clothes have not a speck of mud on them - she must have brought a change of clothes with her. "Sooner it dries up, the better." she states, emphatically, with a little shudder for emphasis. Mud, /ew/. There's a tilt of her head for D'son's patience, and she seems… surprised, perhaps. "Ah, of course, sir. Might be waiting a while though, sir. I've been here since morning." Which means, hopefully, something will open up soon? "…you can take my spot, if you like, sir? I really should study." she jerks her head at her textbook. But there's no telling when her spot will be available, either. Karona blinks at Eledri's leaning away, then frowns as she realises the culprit. "Kistane!" she snaps, presumably the firelizard's name, and the brown's eyes go wide. Oops, caught! He takes flight, and then disappears, between. Karona sighs, and glances to Eledri. "I am sorry, I didn't notice. He… he gets very curious. Harder to train than the other one." she shakes her head. Though, the question about the forge has her nodding. "Ah, yes. Sometimes I, uh, burn myself, nothing serious, when working at the forge. The blue, I guess he felt my pain, and came to my 'rescue'. I had to save him every time, he'd burn himself if he tried to take on the forge." Brave, but not especially bright. Well, he is just a firelizard.
"Inimeth flew Kilaueth several turns ago," is D'son's simple explanation for how he ended up at Xanadu. "I like the garden a lot, nice place to just sit." Beat. "When it's not all muddy." The Weyrleader laughs a little. A little shrug answers Karona's concern about waiting. "That's all right, if it doesn't happen today, it doesn't happen today. It's still interesting to watch what others are working on," and he points to a thing or two ongoing over yonder. But. Thieving lizards. D'son makes a little face. "I've never impressed one because of that. Don't want to deal."
Eledri nods in agreement with Karona, about the mud, though his gaze returns to the firelizard, wary still. When the creature takes to the air, though, the computercrafter gives a slight start, jerking away, and taking the tiniest step in the opposite direction, but just waves off the smith's concern with a muttered, "..It's fine." Resettling back against the wall, he adjusts his spectacles again, "I've never impressed one," lips thinning briefly into a line, "..I don't get along with most things." Understatement. There's a soft snort for Karona's tale of her brave little blue, the man commenting wryly, "I imagine that would have ended badly, a firelizard taking on a fogre." Another nod is for D'son's explanation, and a quiet, "It is nice sometimes," about the garden, "I don't spend much time there anymore." Eyes follow to where D'son points, the computercrafter's brow creasing slightly, "..What are they doing? The the giant ..pliars?"
Karona shakes her head slightly, "My firelizards are… well, occasionally not very bright, and they tend to pester the wrong people if I don't have my eye on them, but they don't steal things, or anything like that." she shrugs slightly. "I've managed to tame them a fair bit, should've seen when they hatched, that was… interesting." she shakes her head. "Still, would be nice if I could train them to carry messages, they're awful at that." but, she shrugs, and glances over to the activity in the forge. "The pliars are to grab the crucible, uh, this clay pot basically, full of molten metal. Then they pour it into a mould." she explains. "The pot has to be clay, because it's got to withstand higher temperatures than the metal."
"Ahh yeah, hatchings get a little crazy, firelizard or dragon," D'son says with a grin. "Making shapes - all kinds of fun," the Weyrleader murmurs, then gets a little distracted-looking. Drawing a breath, he blinks twice and nods to the other two. "Please excuse me, Inimeth's conveying that someone needs some of my time." He waggles his notebook again. "Fun will have to wait for another day. Karona, I hope that you get a spot at the forge soon. Eledri, good luck with those pieces and my regards to Cenlia if you see her before I do." With that, he ducks back out into the rain to slog off to wherever he's needed.
Eledri frowns at the talk of firelizards, eyes flicking around the forge briefly, just in case. "..So long as they don't steal things," the crafter mumbles, though there's a slightly wary set to his shoulders, as he continues to lean back against the wall, arms still crossed over his chest. "..Interesting?" asked despite himself, perhaps, and nodding to the weyrleader, "I've.. seen a few hatchings. It was ..chaotic." And possibly not something the man's eager to repeat anytime soon. Eyes returning to the smiths with the pliars, eyebrows draw together at Karona's explanation, "I see. That.. makes sense. Just looks dangerous," all commented absently. Then again, he's not a trained smith, so likely hasn't the foggiest idea what goes on in here most of the time. There's a nod to the suddenly-departing D'son, and a formal-enough, "Thanks. Clear- uh.. good luck, as well," and then a barely-suppressed kind of face at mention of Cenlia, mumbling under his breath after the bronzerider has left, "..Not likely." He probably hasn't seen the girl since he punched X'hil.
Karona tips her head at D'son, with a polite, "Ah, good day, sir. Sorry the fun didn't get to happen today, sir." Once the man is gone, she picks up her book, and flops back down on the chair. "Mm, interesting. Chaos is another word." she agrees. She glances back to the smiths at Eledri's voicing of concern. "It's not that dangerous. Well, it /is/, but it isn't. We smiths have a ton of protective gear we wear. Wool gloves, long sleeves and trousers /always/, preferably something thick. A large, well, apron, but it's not like a cooking apron at all. Sturdier, thicker, larger, much much less flammable. And large gloves of the same stuff, over that. The pliers, too, have long handles, as you can see. It's still possible to get burned, and there's no escaping the heat when dressed like that, but it's… it's the safest way to do it." she shrugs. Metal must be worked, and that's going to require a certain temperature. There's a look that might be empathy when Eledri says 'not likely'. "Hm. Family. Shame you can't just pick and choose the ones you like." she says, with a snort.
Eledri's eyes might glaze over slightly as Karona goes on about the forge and safety, the computercrafter glancing toward the various crafters at work, and nodding almost absently, though it's doubtful he's listening after a moment or two. Mind somewhere else? Porbably, though he doesn't have the excuse of a dragon. "That's.. fascinating," is mumbled a little flatly, though the smith's comment on family has Eled's shoulders tensing suddenly, with a muttered, "I don't dislike them," abruptly defensive. He frowns, gaze fixing on the rainy entryway, as if willing the drizzle to stop.
Karona blinks a little at Eledri, and furrows her brow. "Okay… maybe 'like' is the wrong term there. 'Get along with' might be more… accurate?" she shrugs slightly. "Personally, I've not been to Ista since I left, when I was twelve, and I'm not going back there. My mother is a /rider/ there." she grimaces. Doesn't get along with her mother, then? Seems not. "I just… figured. If the Weyrleader's more likely to see your sister than you…" she trails off, and shrugs.
Eledri shifts uncomfortably where he's leaning, back against the wall, frown deepening slightly, not answering about getting along with anyone, though his expression might be answer enough, really. He makes no commentary on Karona's mother either, though there's a faint grimace of his own as he shifts away from the wall, giving the ecit another look, and a muttered, "..I should probably head back before the masters start wondering where I am." As for Karona, the computercrafter mutters shortly, "Don't worry about it," moving to take hold of the crate and then ..very carefully carrying it out with a mumbled, "Good day." Tsk, someone's cranky.
Karona opens her mouth to say something to the departing Eledri, but she honestly doesn't seem able to think of anything. "…good day." she mumbles, saved thankfully by a bellow of her name from near the forge. She carefully closes the book and sets it down on the chair, then moves off to get kitted out in forge safety gear. Time to /work/.