Baby Abandonment

Xanadu Weyr - Meadow

meadow.jpg

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 northern edge of the meadow, and a faint outline of a fence can be seen to the east.


Afternoon and the meadow is washed in the bright sunlight of a cloudless sky. The autumn wind is brisk, but far from unpleasant as the sun helps to warm the air between gusts. Enkavir is sprawled in an open patch of grass, laying on his side propped up on an elbow while his other hand idly sketches in a bound book. His expression is softly content and on the verge of blank, just enjoying a lazy moment or two.

While Enkavir appears pleasant, landing in the meadow is Senkyou, a scowl on her face she slides off Dulacth without a second thought. Moving down his shoulder she lands with a wince, wiggling her left foot and shaking her head. Spotting the young man laying she walks over. "Middle of the day, don't yu got somethin' to do? If not then I've got somethin' yu could do." With a little smile she glances up Dulacth, Dulacth chortles and they silently agree on something, both brown and rider nodding at the same time. Coming from the forest is a young woman carrying a blonde haired green eyed child, who looks to be just over 1 turn old, her body still having the pudgy baby look though she is clearly mobile and her face thinning and elongating. The little girl is in a little blye outfit that is covered in food and juice, dirt and paint on her face also fuzzies stuck to her butt. Senk shakes her head and without hesistation picks up the little girl, turning back to Enkavir.

Myra is pacing back and forth in front of her weyr, holding a sniffly infant to her chest and jiggling slightly. "There there little one, there there. You, you don't want to cry, do you now?" she's murmuring, desperation in her tone. "You're going to be a /good/ girl now and let your mother have a break, aren't you?" the chef is soothing her infant. There's a clance up and over at Enkavir, and the woman heads over. Poor Enkavir is being approached on two fronts by mothers and infants? Though Myra holds her baby closer as she settles herself on the grass. She just wants the company, really. "Hello." is all she says for now, a sort of all-purpose greeting not directed at any one person.

Enkavir is focused on what he's doing, enough so that the downdraft created by Dulacth's wings isn't enough to make him look up at first. When it finally registers that Senkyou is talking to /him/ he slowly lifts his greenish hazel eyes up to her, blinking at the sight of her as close as she is. "Um, me? I'm just taking a few minutes off from being buried in the records room, actually. I think I am all set, thanks." And it's back to his sketch, not even noticing the woman or the infant or anything. The hello has him finally setting his pencil down with a plink and a sigh. Seriously? He's not getting any peace and quiet here. "Afternoon," he replies with a bit of a forced grin.

Coming across the meadow is Xanadu's most junior weyrwoman, headed who knows where. She's not too unhappy herself by the look on her serene face. There's just a bit of happy glow about her. And she's humming. The sight of two women with babes passing the time of day with the records keeper has her mighty curious and she's careful to hide her amusement as she walks up. To the group and sinks to the ground. "How is everyone today?" Obvious crying tot excluded. Its obvious how that one is doing.

Kire comes out of the smith forge and he wipes the sweat that has accumulated off his head, "Thanks for the insulated wiring, I promise I'll bring it by to show you when I'm finished." He waves to the smith who was helping him and he has a roll of insulated wire under his arm. Kire pauses as he sees the landing of the dragon and then the invasion of the babies. He offers a polite smile as he moves down the path, "Greetings to you all. How is your new firelizard doing?" His own is sleeping in a sling that's close to his chest and over his shoulders.

Senkyou glances over at Myra, placing Zoniya down the little girl toddles over to Myra and the source of the noise. Zoniya points at the baby and Senk says, "I know you probably have job, but I gotta do mine or an entire wing may have to be reworked. So I got yu a job to do, just tell whoever you answer to that the Wingleader of the messenger wing needed yu to do something." Waving to Mire she grabs up zoniya, naturally putting the baby on her hip and giving Myra a wry smile, snorting at the baby and saying to Enkavir. "This is Zoniya, yu and her are gonna get to know each other. Take care of her, don't let her loose near water and maybe clean her up." Holding out the baby to Enkavir the baby points at him and lets out a loud squeal "CRruuuzzzyy!!" She says happily clapping her hands and covering her eyes with both hands, moving them out of her face and giggling loudly. Senk smirks, "She likes yu already" A small wave to thea, but he attention is on the child.

Myra slowly rocks the three and a half month old baby in her arms, and the infant already seems to be calming. "That's it, little Rani, sleep now." she murmurs. Rani is her pet name for the girl, whose real name is Zirani. "What're you sketching?" she asks Enkavir, curiously. Distraction. Ignore the woman's yawn, she's interested, she really is. There's a glance up to Thea then, and she says, "Tired. My sh—" she breaks off, glancing to the baby. Oh, like she'd even notice if her mother said 'sharding'? "Brother's /supposed/ to be watching her." The woman shakes her head, and sighs, at least the baby's gone to sleep now? She nods to Kire, and is about to say something in greeting, when Zoniya does her squeal, and wakes Zirani up, the infant suddenly /wailing/. "Oh, /shards/." Myra mutters, shooting Senkyou a brief glare, before trying to rock the girl back to sleep.

Enkavir flashes a quick, easy grin at Thea as she sits down. "Hey there, how are you?" Kire gets a nod as the young man walks over, and he jerks his chin toward a sleeping little bronze ball next to his bag. "He's good, thanks." Then it's that ever so slow upward glance again, as if Enkavir still can't quite believe Senkyou is talking to him at all, let alone what she's saying. "Are you talking to /me/?" He blinks at the toddler as though she has three heads or purple hair or something. "No no no, you really don't want to do that. We have a nursery you know, just for this sort of thing." He holds up a hand palm out as if to fend the girl off, just shaking his head at the cute squealing. He looks less than pleased, mouth downturned and frown creasing his brow.

Thea makes herself comfortable, "I'm good, you?" This to Enkavir and then Senkyou's asking Enkavir to watch her baby? Oh, priceless! She doesn't say a word, but her eyes widen a fraction. Careful to not smirk. Must not, no. So her face still wears that blithe, serene look. Senkyou is awarded a bright smile, however. That's all, woman's working here. Myra gets a nod and Kire… is pointed to. "This lad could help?"

Kire winces as all the crying has woken up his little baby. The brown firelizard starts to creel mournfully like someone is starving it to death, that person being Kire. He sighs as he sits down and he opens up the black carrying case that he has with him. He opens it up and puts the wiring inside before he takes out a small insulated box. He opens up the box and takes out another small container full of meat bits. He carefully takes out the brown firelizard and starts to feed it. The brown stops creeling as it's feed and is once more a happy baby firelizard as it sits in Kire's hand. Kire smiles as his baby seems content for the moment and he looks up at the two women that have babies, "Those are two beautiful babies that you have there." The apprentice says before Thea volunteers him. "Help with what?" He asks.

Senkyou frowns at Myra, "You may call up the father, have him take the little.. dear." Though it takes her a long moment to find the word dear, her slightly slow tone hinting that she might be being sarcastic. At the mention of the nannies she shakes her head, "Zoniya needs to be cleaned up before she can go to see them, and yu look like the perfect person to do that." Glancing back at Kire and the brown firelizard she gives it a smile, as if it was a cute baby and not a small annoying brown creature. "Yu'd better take care of yur own baby." She points to him, looking over at Dulacth who has quietly settled into the sand, though he croons to Thea, bowing slightly to the Junior. "Junior weyrwoman, would you not agree that it is pivotal that my job get done? This young gentleman seems reluctant to take care of my little dear." Zoniya is placed on the ground and she toddles over, attempting to embrace Enkavir with her crusty baby snot covered clothing.

Myra eyes Kire at Thea's offer, and shakes her head, rocking the infant back and forth. "I can manage." she says, defensively. "Just… looking for someone to talk to. Little Rani's not so much of a conversationalist." Though she sure can wail! To Enkavir, Myra does offer a grimace and a "Sorry about this. She's a little cranky, with the weeds about. They irritate her little nose." And then she goes all gaga, grinning down at the baby, "Her adorable little nose, yes it is, such an adorable nose." Aww. And then she's defensive again, frowning up at Senkyou. "I can /manage/." she repeats, with a scowl. "Though, honestly," she eyes the turn old infant in snot-encrusted clothing, "/you/ might want to give him a call." /Her/ baby is still meticulously changed at the slightest mess. How long that'll last is questionable, but it's clearly her first.

Enkavir just stares at Thea, daring her to say a single word. Then it's up at Senkyou and horror is beginning to dawn. "Honestly, for her sake. Someone with a trained firelizard could go fetch a nanny or something. I really don't do children." As evidenced by the way he freezes and fliches away from the juice and dirt and food and snot. As she gets too close he holds a hand out with one finger extended as if he can put her off by planting it in her little chest. He looks around at everyone with pleading eyes. Somebody? Help? Maybe Myra! "Oh no apologies needed, babies cry. My firelizard is sleeping through it, so maybe you should apologize to Kire. Hey, maybe you could take /both/ of them to the nursery. Come back and have grown up time." Please?

Uh, oh. Amused look alert. Thea turns her head away from Enkavir's direction to hide it. Perhaps it could be interpreted as -not- directed his way? Maybe she's silently mocking poor Kire? As her head is turned to the meadow, she notes Dulacth and bows back to the brown slightly. Myra's comment draws a cheerful, "Plenty of us to talk to out here today." Kinda obvious, but. Then -her- name is being tossed in the ring. Her head snaps back towards Senkyou and her brows raise. Not even going to glance at Enkavir. Her lips twitch into a smirky-grin in trying not to smile, she had to wait a beat before she can answer, then with a carefully steady voice, "I can't disagree, wingleader." Good thing she's looking at Senkyou at the moment, she misses the drama *cough* right beside her.

Kire smiles, "I'm doing my best." He spots the knot on her shoulder, "Wingleader. This is my first firelizard. I got him last night in a late night hatching. There was 2 bronze, a green, two browns, although I only heard about the other brown this morning and a gold." He continues to feed the brown firelizard. "I'm Kire, apprentice starcrafter and this is my firelizard-master, Temujin." He pets the head of the brown firelizard and he strokes down his neck. "I think you are adorable Temujin." The firelizard creels at Kire, enough talking and more food. Kire obliges and continues to feed the firelizard. "Oh don't worry about it Rider Myra. It was close to his feeing time anyway. I'd be happy to help with the babies as soon as I finish feeding Temujin."

Senkyou nods approval to Kire, "Well he is handsome." Looking back at Thea she smiles, smirking and then looking at what Enkavir is doing to her child, her eyebrows knitting up. "You shouldn't treat her so, she will get upset." The baby starts to cry and moves to push at the mans hand if it's not moved. Senkyou grabs her up, "I could take her to a nanny but the fact is she is to dirty to be left there, you of course could change her clothes out and get all the sticky stuff out of her hair." Now she's pressing, glancing at Dulacth. "I must know you will take care of her though." At Myra's comment she shakes her head, "You won't keep her that way for long, it doesn't work. Soon you'll be changing her clothes every few minutes, run outta clothes and she'll run around naked because she simply must have a clean little thing on, petty.. get pretty cold in winter."

Myra clutches her baby close to her chest, as though Enkavir is threatening to /take/ her from her. "I can manage." she growls, not happy to have to repeat herself. THere's a glance up at Thea, and a sigh. "Plenty of people to talk /to/, not much to talk /about/, apparently." Not that she can think of anything. She frowns at Kire. "Weren't you at the, tunnelsnake hunting, thing?" she asks, with a frown. It's getting to conversation? Sort of? "Ah, I'll never run out of clothes. Parents've sent loads of it over. Honestly. I could have /twelve/ babies and never run out of clothes. And don't be thinking I don't know how grotty kids can get, I have younger siblings. Youngest's not much older than Zirani here." The first time she's used the girl's proper name.

Enkavir pushes himself up to sitting, flinging a hand toward Kire. "See, he's happy to help. Wouldn't you feel better knowing your daughter is in the charge of someone willing and able to take care of her?" He just shoots a half-glare at Thea, shaking his head. "Disagree," he growls under his breath, then he's looking at the tot with growing alarm. "She's upset because you are foisting her off on some strange man who doesn't like children! She's not too dirt to be left with the nannies, it is what they /do/. I don't know how to take care of a baby. Really." He drops his hand but inches back in the grass, out of her way. "Really," he repeats. And to Myra, "It's easier to make conversation about something other than kids if they aren't dominating the conversation by screaming, generally." It's a bit snotty maybe, but he's not terribly pleased at the moment.

Thea continues to avoid looking over Enkavir's way, but it's hard not to. Myra's comment about the tunnelsnake hunt has her rolling her eyes, "That was a real mess they left in the Storage Caverns. Did you guys get that all cleaned up Kire?" When the baby cries, tempting fate, she looks at the records keeper to see he is holding the tot at bay with- a finger? A crying one at that. It's too much. She doesn't heckle or needle him. Yet. But she does giggle a bit. His growl of 'disagree' as the tot starts crying has her snorting as she helplessly shrugs. When she can the the words out, all she can say in response to him is "Too late." Well, it is. She already agreed with the wingleader. "This might… give you a new insight on Weyr life?" Yes, she's officially needling.

Kire smiles at Senkyou, "Thank you. Very much he is a handsome fellow." He says as he feeds the brown as the lizard is finally content. He strokes the brown's head and along it's body. Temujin yawns loudly and he snuggles up to Kire, see he is a gracious benevolent ruler as long as you please him. Kire slips the brown back into the sling and he pets it gently as he starts to clean up. He looks to the two women and ums as he looks over to Thea. She did suggest that he help, "If you need my help I'd be more then willing to help." He smiles and tries to look helpful. He looks over at Enkavir, "So um…how are the refugees doing?" He tries to change the subject and he looks over to Myra, "Yes that was me at the store cavern. Yep we got them all out thankfully, although I just hope someone is going back to check otherwise there might be another horde of them." He says to Thea and then back to the mothers to see if they want his help or not.

Senkyou lifts the child, now in an irritated hurry. Moving to hand the child to kire she says, "Thank you." Looking over at enkavir she says, "We will speak later." her eyebrows going up, face stern as she glares at him. Waving to the rest of the group she just shakes her head at Myra, moving to mount her dragon. The brown takes off, though a young teen comes shortly afterwards and offers to take Zoniya off Kire's hands.

Myra glances to Enkavir, then to Kire, then back to Enkavir. "He's just a kid /himself/." Not that Enkavir's much older, but at least he's an adult? Finally, something snaps. She shoots a /look/ at Thea, then shuffles closer to the grotty toddler. "Hey, come here, /I'll/ look after you." she murmurs, glaring briefly at Senkyou. Honestly, the child is in /such/ a state. Her own baby seems to have tired herself out crying, as she'd calmed to a whimper a short time ago, and has now gone quiet. She nods at Kire, and echoes Thea, "I do hope /someone/ cleaned up afterwards? I… Er… Sorry about running off like that, I had to go see to Ailath. She was acting /proddy/. False alarm, thankfully." Scowl. The woman looks a little relieved as Senkyou leaves, and Zoniya is taken away soon after.

Kire smiles as he takes the child and he gently bounces the baby in his lap. He looks at the girl that comes over and offers to take the baby away. "Um…no offense, but who are you? I am not just going to give the baby to someone that I don't know. Senkyou entrusted me with her child and I'll watch her until she comes back." He says as he takes his responsibility very seriously as he reaches into his carrying case to get out some tissues and wipes the little girl's nose.

Enkavir just lifts a hand in a casual wave after Senkyou, pleased enough at the outcome. "I'll look forward to it, Wingleader." Once she's off he sighs and shakes his head, then leans across the grass to poke Thea gently in the ribs. "You, my dear, are going to pay for that. Dearly." The challenge in his eyes doesn't quite match the grin that's still lingering on his lips. He can affor to be in a decent mood now that the threat of baby goo has passed. "The kidnapped Hannistas or the ones the Hannistas ran off their land?" Enkavir flicks a glance over to Kire with brows lifted. "Either way I imagine not as well as they'd be back home, but what are you going to do?" He shifts around, his body joining following his hand's path so he can sit beside Thea, leaning back in the grass again as he peers up at Myra. "If she makes a habit of dumping the kid on random guys she meets in a meadow, I'd be surprised if she /wasn't/ a mess."

The word Refugees does get Thea's attention. She sends a sharp glance Kire's way, then back at Enkavir. Maybe there's something she needs to know? Something someone forgot to tell her? She calls a cheery, ""Clear Skies, Wingleader!" As Senkyou departs, force of habit, but given the fuzz-blown meadow, appropriate. A finger- (not the same one that touched all that baby goo shirt, surely?) pokes her in the side and she jumps. "Hey!" She whirls to poke Enkavir back, finds him unexpectedly right there beside him and overshoots him, landing across him. She's heard the comment, oh, yes. But she's too busy right now to reply as she tries to regain her balance.

Myra just frowns at the mention of refugees, and busies herself tending to her baby. That's none of /her/ business. There's a nod to Enkavir, and the woman notes, "Maybe I'm lucky, being able to take my kid to work with me." For now, anyway. She'll grow, and get into running around and grabbing things, and that's not such a good idea in the kitchens. "But shards, /I'd/ not let my girl get in such a state." Nooope. Miss first-time mother thinks she's so great, she's been preparing for this for turns. There's an odd smirk as she eyes Thea and Enkavir, then shakes her head. "Xanadu, don't know /why/ I came here." she murmurs, though it's more amused than anything.

Kire smiles as he plays with the little girl and he looks over at Enkavir, "Well Thea did recommend me Enkavir, I'm not just some random guy and I don't like that you are implying that I wouldn't be able to take care of the little girl." He smiles as he bounces the little girl on his knee and grins at her, "You are very adorable Zoniya. Yes you are." He turns his attention back to Enkavir, "I was talking about the Weyr's guests from Hannista. Has there been any news about the Lord Holder's response to what has happened besides just closing down all the roads to the Hold?" He asks as he gently tickles the little girl on her sides, "I bet you are just a ticklish little wiggle worm."

Enkavir chuckles lightly as Thea goes falling past him, and he offers her a hand to get stabilized. It wasn't the same finger, incidentally, because he's treating that finger a bit like it's been dipped in some hazardous waste - as far from the rest of his person as he can possibly manage. As for refugees, he arches a brow at Thea's sharp look. "The… refugees. From the farmhold near Rubicon? Don't you get reports about this sort of thing?" It's not amused any longer, now he just shakes his head. "I mentioned it the other day, rather than sending dragons they sent me on a runner to get healers, you remember?" And then he's blinking up at Kire, his face going blank. "Excuse me? I was talking about /myself/, Kire. To be fair it isn't as if she knows you either but I'm sure you'll do a fine job. And… for the record. They are hostages, not refugees. There's a difference" All that last rather stiffly.

Starcrafter turned nanny, who knew? Thea might likely heckle him too is she weren't busy being helped up. Settling back to the grass she shoots Enkavir a confused glance at his swift change in mood, "I- yes." And she closes her mouth abruptly, looking at the ground, thinking. Suddenly she gets to her feet, "I..I have to get." And with that she rises and walks away with out really looking at anyone.

Kire looks over to Enkavir, "Well you weren't very clear on that you were talking about yourself. She might not, but I plan to do a great job. I guess it depends on your perspective, I mean not much difference between being a refugee and being a hostage." He waves to Thea, "See you later Thea, it was nice to see you." He smiles at the little girl as he stops tickling her and hmms as he looks around to see if the little girl has any little girl supplies like a diaper bag or something like that. He spots a bag with Senkyou's name on it and he moves over to open it up to take out a toy for the little girl to play with.

Myra just shakes her head at Kire and the toddler girl, still holding her own infant protectively close to her chest. "I've been… busy. More important things." Baby things. "I, I'm not, I can't," she frowns, and shakes her head again. "So." she goes back to an earlier unanswered question. "What were you sketching?" she asks Enkavir, with a slightly pleading tone. She really doesn't want to talk hold politics. She'd have to /do/ something, and she can't, she has a baby to think of. Thea's exit gets a nod, and a frown. That was abrupt.

Enkavir just shakes his head, flipping a hand dismissively at the whole refugee versus hostage topic. "If you are one I warrant there's a pretty big difference, but let's not get into it-" he breaks off as Thea stands and departs, waving after her with a puzzled expression. "I guess I'll see you… later?" A little shake of his head and he reaches for his book, flipping to the page and lifting it for Myra to see. "I'm not really any good but it helps me clear my head." It's a decent pencil sketch of the meadow, focusing on the stables.

Kire smiles as he shakes a toy in front of the little girl's face. He shrugs as it seems others don't want to talk about politics so he's not going to push it. "I do some drawing too, just technical drawings really. Although I haven't had much time for it." He lets the little girl have the toy as he holds her in his lap.

Myra nods slowly at Enkavir, shuffling over to take a closer look, and grinning. "It's good, it's really, it's good. It's a dragon, right?" She kids, she kids. "I used to draw a bit, before I impressed. Haven't made the time in turns." she grimaces. "Family always thought it was a waste of time. Wasn't any good, anyway." the chef shrugs it off, rocking her baby back and forth idly. "Business or pleasure?" she asks, of the records keeper. There's a tilt of the head at Kire, and a nod. "Technical drawings take skill, though. Have to, have to get them /right/."

Enkavir is still distractedly peering after the spot where Thea's form dwindled to nothing, holding the notebook in the air until he realizes what he's doing and flips it closed. "Ha ha, very funny," he quips to Myra with a faint smirk. Then he's flopping back in the grass whose long blades nearly hide him from view. Out of the waving grass comes, "Star drawings, Kire, or do you dabble in other tech stuff too?"

Kire smiles as he watches the little girl play with the toy and he hmms, "Oh drawing is never a waste of time, for those that can do it drawing is a window into their creative souls." He shrugs, 'Maybe, but really all it takes it the right instruments, like a ruler, a compass and some other drawing tools. Well the drawings I do are for telescopes and the one I did recently was a technical blueprints for a model I'm building."

Myra shakes her head and glances over to the stables. "You come here often, to draw, I mean?" she asks, nodding towards the stables. See, she did know what it was! And then he's sinking in the long grass, and the woman shakes her head, turning to Kire instead. "Back home, you were either useful, or you went hungry. Didn't much fancy being a starving artist. It's… a hobby. Nothing more." she frowns a little though, and glances to her nearby weyr.

It's afternoon in the meadow. Enkavir is there somewhere though he's laying in the long grass making him a bit hard to spot. Myra stands nearby with her three month-old daughter, and Kire is trying to entertain both his firelizard and some random one turn old, though the bag at his feet has the name Senkyou on it - might be a clue. Enkavir looks up through the breeze-tossed grass, catching at least a glimpse of Kire. "That's pretty impressive. Telescopes are incredibly complicated," as he would know as a former StarCrafter. "I never actually did any of those drawings, myself. Left too soon." He stifles a yawn, pushes himself back up to sitting and starts gathering his things. "Once in a while, but I don't always have much free time. Like now, I better get back before the Harper has my head. Good to see you all." Spark peeps in irritation as Enkavir gathers up the sleepy bronzeling and waves to the group before heading back toward the weyr.

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