Healer and Dragon(healer)
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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 border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the rock edifice where, high above on Xanadu's Star Stones, the ever-present watchdragon sits on the lonely peak. Directly south is the hatching arena, the large round complex taking up a large portion of the perimeter, a line of trees visible beyond it. 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 Wandering Wherry Tavern. Tucked neatly under the arch, to one side is a tiny wood-frame shop bearing the name 'Petals and Pots Garden Shop'. Southwest lies cliffs where windows for the administrative offices have been cut. Underneath them are the entrances to the crafters complex while north and west along the cliff's base, a broad path leads to the feeding grounds. Due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr - the meadow, the forest beyond. At the far edge of the clearing, beside the trail leading to the forest sits a clocktower.


Unable to resist flying no matter the weather, M'kal and Xeosoth have been swooping above the weyr in several different locations such as the star stones or hovering over the forest. Lucky for them though it's a fair evening with the moons casting a wonderful light for them to see. Finally though M'kal's stomach rumbles so slowly they decend down into the clearing so that the blue weyrlings can go find some food. "Because I can't hunt like you." he's saying as he undoes the straps and dismounts in a slide down to his feet.

Flying in the rain is still flying. So will flying in the snow, when that time of year comes around again… but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Soriana and Luraoth have been doing their share of flying, when they get the chance, but right now, they've made time for something else. Dragon and rider are emerging from the Annex after what was more or less a social visit. Still not time yet for a full set of dragonhealer studies. Or even a half set… but they're getting there, or at least Soriana hopes so. At the moment, she looks over to the moonlit blue and offers a wave as she tries to figure out who… « Hello, Xeosoth. » Luraoth supplies with a wisp of soft purple dusk.

« Greetings my fair Luraoth! » a cool breeze laces through the voice of Xeosoth, his blue wedge shaped head swiveling to spy the golden Luraoth. This of course brings M'kal's attention shifting form his goal of the caverns to more of where Soriana is emerging from. "Heya Sori!" he greets his friend with a roguish smile. "Stuying this late?"

Evening cool finds warm pleasure. « How are you? » Luraoth asks as she makes her way toward the blue. Soriana comes along as well, soon close enough that even human eyes can make out the details. "Heya," she says with a grin, then laughs. "It's the only time I've got time." A shake of her head, and a brief sigh. "Sometimes, I almost wish I was back scrubbing the floors again, because at least then I was there… and then I remember how much I hated scrubbing things and wanted to do something, anything else." Luraoth tilts her head to Soriana. « We will. » Sori looks back to her dragon, and smiles as she nods. She knows. Then she looks back to M'kal. "So what're you up to?"

M'kal snorts with a bit of an eye roll. "Too much has changed from the days when I thought I had too much work as a mere apprentice healer." he scoffs at his former self. "Oh the days of old!" laments the young weyrling. "Still though…I got my studies done a bit earlier so we went flying. It was perfect weather up there!" which reminds him to tug off his flying helmet and goggles to shove them in a pocket of his riding jacket. "Soon though they say they will use Xeosoth here in the dragon infirmary." he brags, resting a hand on the lowered muzzle of the blue. "I was just headed for some food though." as usual! Though lately he's hardly had time to eat it seems! "Join me?"

"I know!" Soriana agrees wholeheartedly. Oh her young and foolish self, who did not know what busy was. Who had no concept of what it was to be woken up in the middle of the night by a dragon who was hungry now, or have five things to study before she could get the things she wanted to study, or… any of it. Sigh. She can still grin about it, at least, looking up to the sky as if to confirm before nodding. "It looks it. Maybe I'll try and get a ride in." If she leaves now, and then… oh wait. Food. That's right. Eating is another of those things she's got to fit in. Her stomach thinks it would be a good idea. "I think I will," she decides, and grins as she prepares to head that way. "Xeosoth'd be good in the infirmary, I think. He's calm." Which can be important when somedragon is going wild. "Luraoth's already helping some." Because really, it's not like Sori could stop her gold if she wanted to, not that she wants to.

Xeosoth is a very calm dragon indeed. Except perhaps when hunting when he growls and stalks and rips things open. But over all a calming blue! Xeosoth's eyes whirl quickly as if fully aware he's the topic of discussion however briefly. After all M'kal's not eaten in hours so he too moves away from the dragon pair and towards where food will be. Chatting on his way he's quite agreeable to the subject matter. "I've been told he'll be as calming as a queen so he'll be very needed when there are lots of injuries in there." chat chat chat.

Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.
A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.

Hunting is different. It's, well, hunting. Luraoth crunches bones and rends flesh with glee, when she's hunting. She stays out here, probably to have conversation with Xeosoth. Or maybe she'll find something else to do, the young dragons are old enough now to handle themselves for a bit. Into the caverns Soriana and M'kal go, continuing the conversation. "Huh, interesting." She considers that for a moment. "I wonder if it'll depend on the other dragon, like… I could see some dragons not wanting to let a blue take charge like that. Not that I don't think he can do it," she assures, "Just… well, some bronzes…" Cough Kanekith cough. For example.

M'kal shrugs a shoulder. "S'kinda what I thought but my rider mentor insists that he'll be as good as a Gold when it comes to that!" that's said as he strides with long strides over to the food tables. Silence defends momentarily as he works on filling a plate and then a mug with drink to wash down the food. A yawn escapes as he sits down and his body relaxes just from that. "Wonder what's next in our training with 'em." he says, thankfully not with a mouthful of food.

"Huh," Soriana says, and she takes a moment to ponder on that before she shrugs and grins. "Guess we'll find out!" Because, well, no point speculating when time will tell. She picks up a plate and mug of her own - yay food! She hasn't had food since lunch. Or did she skip lunch today? No, no, she's pretty sure she at least grabbed a meatroll, which totally counts. Regardless, she's certainly hungry now, so she picks up a good assortment of stuff to take to a table and sit by M'kal with. "Mmh," is her first acknowledgment, but then she finishes her mouthful and ponders a bit. "Well. We've got to learn between… but I dunno if that's next." She'd expect more dire warnings first! "More flight practice, maybe? They're talking a lot about building stamina, so… maybe they'll bring us out of the weyr sometime soon." She hmmms, speculating on more things that time will tell on. Weyrlinghood is like that sometimes. "Hey, so, are you going to study dragonhealing? Or just the bits for Xeosoth?"

But..but..it's fun to speculate! One can almost read that easily in M'kal's expression. However he doesn't continue the line of speculation regarding their future tort…lessons. Until she does so and then he listens to her guesses. "Between…" he ponders that a moment. In that time he's devoured a good third of his plate which makes one wonder if he actually tasted it before it hit his stomach. Most likely not. "More flight practice?" his eyes nearly bulge out at that. "Maybe our own weyrs?" he suggests. "Though I don't know 'bout that….it'd seem weird not to be sleeping in the same barracks as everyone else." he pops the rest of a roll into his mouth and chews. "Huh? Oh I dunno. I think I'd like to learn more than just the bits for Xeosoth to be honest but I'd also like to be a full fledged healer someday too. Think I'd be able to do both?"

Oh, well, if it's tortures M'kal wants to speculate on, they can try guessing what they'll have a test on tomorrow? ('Nothing' is possible, but… well, with V'dim, even when it isn't a test… it's a test.) Soriana's putting a good dent in her own plate, though she totally tastes it. It tastes like food! And food is good. She nods about the weyrs. "Yeah. Have you gotten dragged into cleaning the storerooms yet? We're supposed to find furniture and stuff there as we clean, but if we're stuck with that, there's gonna be a lot of weyrs furnished with old crates." She casts a glance down that hallway, then gives her head a shake. "It'll be kinda nice, I think. No more snoring and random thumps." She grins, and has another few bites of food, chewing as she considers on the dual-healering stuff. "I dunno. I mean… I've looked at some of the healer-healer stuff… and it's like, some parts are similar, but even the parts that are the same, aren't." So helpful. "Like sutures, it's the same thing but hide and skin are different…" She gives her head a shake. "You could probably learn some, though. Like, enough to be an assistant, or like… first response stuff. Weren't you thinking about going Galaxy?" Aka yet another thing to occupy a sadly limited amount of time. Why are days so short?

"Yeah." M'kal confirms her question first as he mulls over the rest of her words. "Looking to join Galaxy. I suppose it would be more beneficial to learn perhaps the basics of dragon healing so that I can assist or work in an emergency." he muses thoughtfully, even putting down his fork. "Yeah, got drug over there yesterday morning. Hey old crates and stuff would work just fine in my weyr. Extra useful to store stuff and double as seating!"

Soriana nods agreement to M'kal. "Enough to get them stable, if you're the first one there. Especially since you've got Xeosoth to help…" The blue with a heart of gold! Or something like that. She laughs to his plan of crate-based furnishings. "Well, I guess…" she says, and from there the conversation wanders for a bit as they both finish up their meals before heading out again, back to their dragons.


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