The Boy That Never Was!
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Xanadu Weyr - Stables

The Stables of Xanadu Weyr are composed of one long building, lined with box and standing stalls that are kept thoroughly clean by the resident grooms and stablehands. Runners nicker and neigh at everyone who enters, save for the obstinate ones that just flicker their ears in indignant curiousity that they dare not make visible. The foremost stalls near the door to the Barn Yard are the grand box stalls which are home to the prized runners of Xanadu, as well as the most pregnant, those which are so far along that they require constant observation by the Herders, so as to ensure easy foaling.
However, the primary design of stall which lines the broad pathway that is covered in saw dust which is the main avenue of the Stables, is that of the Standing Stall. Many runners are in the standing stalls, with ropes strung across the front so as to keep the runners from leaving their designated containers. A few hay bales sit here and there along the avenue, some of which act as seats for the stablehands and grooms on their breaks, others as snacks for those runners who can reach out their necks far enough. Buckets and baskets of grooming supplies, brushes and combs, and the like also sit here and there, occassionally knocked over by a wayward hoof or inquiring muzzle.


Its about midday and Idrissa is busy brushing out one of the runner's that felt the need to get rather dirty when out in the paddock. The mare is busy chewing away on some hay from a bale that is set rather close to her. The runner is tied to a post while Rissa works, bush working at getting out a few knots of mud that cling to the runner's haunch, and she is thanked by a tail flicking into her face a few times. With a smirks Rissa pats the flank a moment. "I'm sorry, I know that was a bit pully against your fur." A faint snort escapes the mare as if the animal was agreeing with her.

About midday, yep. A bit after, to be precise. Soriana comes into the stables with a covered basket in one hand, setting it down on a bale of hay as she waves to Idrissa. "Heya!" she calls, in the soft non-runner-spooking sort of voice.

Idrissa glances over towards Soriana after hearing her and smiles while waving to her friend. "Hey! Come on over, she won't hurt you or anything." She offers to Sori while glancing back towards the runner in question. "Your nice an't ye?" The runner tilts its head, ears perking as head turns to look towards the new voice within the stables, a faint nicker escaping the animal.

Soriana laughs, tilting her head to the runner as she steps closer. "You're a friendly one, huh?" she asks the horse. She reaches out a hand for the mare's inspection, letting the runner sniff as she looks the creature over. "Pretty one, too," adds Sori, as the mare puffs air against her hand then nudges it, and the girl pets lightly along the runner's muzzle.

Idrissa grins and nods while watching as the runner goes about sniffing at Sori's hand, an soon bumps her nose against girl's hand. "There all rather good natured here." She offers happly and goes back to her brushing, moving to another rather dirty spot in the process.

Soriana grins, petting up to comb her fingers through the mare's mane. "Well, that's good. I suppose it's important to have the ones with mellow tempers here, or else they'd freak out every time they saw a dragon. I dun even want to imagine if Saric had come along… you 'member him, that big black one?"
Idrissa makes a faint face as she does indeed remmeber that one. "Oh yes.. I remember him. You know how many carrots I had to tempt that one with just to get a brush anywhere near that fella?" She shakes her head at the thought. The mare turns her head and snuffles curiously at Sori's shoulder, a faint nibble even offered to the girl's shirt.

ka-el's isn't a face that has been seen around Xanadu much solely because the guy has just arrived here. Not /just/ arrived, but he's a newer face who is still learning his way around and getting to know the people he's bent on impressing. That in itself will be a challenge, as those he's hoping to impress seem to want little to do with their new young and eager charge. And thus, in the time he's been here Kale has learned the following: Metal is hard. Runners wear metal shoes. Metal shoes are heavy to carry. But hey, he's not complaining (yet) even as he's sent to lug a heavy bag of newly forged shoes to the stables. With his heavy load on his back, he enters with a grunt and the gentle clanging sound of metal shifting against metal.

Soriana laughs at that face. "So many," she answers Idrissa. The mare gets a chuckle, and fingers trailed back over her sleek neck… until there's a clang from the stable entrance that makes no few of the runners look up in that direction. It also makes Soriana look in that direction, taking a step back from the runner as she does. Someone in charge? Mmm… no, doesn't look like it. "Hi," she offers.

Idrissa chuckles an nods with a grin seen while she picks at a bit of mud still clinging to the runners side. The runners shifts on her hooves, one stomping the ground and she snorts out. Rissa glances towards the movement and blinks while watching Kale curiously. "Ah.. Hi.." She offers with as much as a friendly tone as she can manage. She is not the most out going, and tends to be very shy, though being here she has gotten somewhat better at least. Rissa lets her hand softly rub and scritch across the runner's side to show that it is alright.

Runner stares. Kale peers at the closest one and, with one fist still tightly closed around the opening of the bag that he carries, he lifts his free hand and points in its direction. "Don't look at me like that. I've your shoes, and I'll see to it you're fitted last with all'm on upside down and backwards, eh!" Evil stare! The runner stares back, and as if bored by the speech, snorts. Kale begins to grin, but at the sound of voices he blinks and looks towards the wo girls. "Oh! Eh-heh, hullo 'n hi. Good day and good morning, if you're the proper type." He clutches both fists around the neck of the bag again and starts forward, seemingly heading to the two of them, though detours to deposit his load on the ground near a haybale. "Ah…better."

Soriana laughs at Kale's defiance to the staring runners, though that nearest one definitely seems unconvinced. She gives her tunic a quick brushing-off. "All that at once, huh?" She grins, eyes going to where he settled the bag… but it seems the basket she set on that haybale is doing okay, so no worries there. Her attention returns to Kale. "I s'pose it depends on proper for what."

Idrissa blinks as she watches, an amused grin soon seen. "Don't let 'em bother you. They stare a lot, specially if it might involve food, or shoes." She points out with an amused tone. The basket is just caught sight of and she peers over at Soriana. "Did you bring the basket?" Even with her being shy, she is still curious! "An sure.. One of 'em sounds about right." There is a pause. "Your.. new round here an't you?" Yes Rissa, state the obvious.

"Well, you see," says Kale as he straightens up, giving his back a stretch, "I figure you can never be too careful. How'm I to know the two of you aren't the type to chop a fella's hand off for now showing the proper respect? There are people out there like that. Hand choppers who'll boil a lad's head in tar if he misspeaks." He kneels as he opens up the bag, pulling out two shoes to turn over and scrutinize, eyeing a slight marking on the bottom. "Either that or my mother's been telling all us fearful lies all our lives." He snickers as he stands again, runnershoes in hand. "New, yus. Name's Kale. And in this basket you're speakin' of, is there food?"

At Idrissa's question to the boy, Soriana grins and gives the other girl a nudge. Rissa, paying attention to peoples! Who'd'a'thunk it. At Kale's answer, she just laughs. "Only boiling tar? The way the old auntie with the beaky nose talks, they get dipped in agenothree and basted over dragonfire. I'm Soriana," she introduces herself back, then folds her arms over her chest. "Well, yes, food. But! I brought it for Idrissa, so it's up to /her/ if /you/ get any." She gives him a playfully stern look, then addresses the other girl. "Noticed y'didn't show at lunch. Brought some meatrolls and fruit. No cheesebuns, though; they went fast today."

Idrissa blinks at the nudge and lowers her head slightly as she goes back to brushing the runner that is before her. Seems it dawned on her what she was doing! "Me pa always told me and my brother that they would take us out in the ocean and let these great large beasts with huge teeth get us." Have to love growing up near a beach, and a fisherman as a father. A soft smile is offered to Soriana. "Ya, I got busy here at the stables. Just figured I'd make it to dinner and try to get somethin' then." She looks over to Kale, a friendly smile seen for a moment and she nods. "I'm Idrissa, nice to meet you Kale." At the talk of the basket she ohs and for a moment there is a thought. "Well.. If Kale is hungrey I don't mind sharing it." She is nice like that!

It seems as if womenfolk of all types are just filled with stories to keep their young children holding just the right amount of fear to force them to do good! Sneaky creatures, womenfolk. Kale laughs as both of the girls tell their own versions of their family's "be good or else!" stories, and he moves momentarily to hang the two metal shoes he holds on nails that have been half pounded into the wall near each of the stalls. "Likewise Idrissa, and same to you, Soriana. Now, one thing to know about me," he speaks as he works on hanging up the runnershoes in their proper place, checking the markings on each one to make sure they go to the correct beast, "is I'm always hungry. An endless stomach, I have. I'll eat a person out've house and home, beware." A grin is flashed to the both of them. "And…did you seay…meatrolls?" One can almost see the drool.

Well, of course Kale is hungry. When are teenaged boys not hungry? Really. Even Soriana knows that. They're as bad as baby firelizards! Stomachs hooked up to the neverending blackness of between. She shakes her head 'sadly' at Idrissa giving away the food, then grins. "I did, in fact," she says to the boy. "Prob'ly not even stale." Sori gives the runner a pat on the shoulder, then goes over to sit on the edge of the haybale and open up the basket. She offers one of those meatrolls over to Kale. It is not in the slightest stale, though it /has/ gone cold. "So where're you from?"

Idrissa has always been one to give to others what they might need, especially food! Perhaps that is one reason she is so thin, that an she is forever missing meals while she works. Its a surprize she is growing at all. A soft grin is offeredto Sori and she nods to Kale. "That I know, my brother is a little older then you. Always eating everything in sight." She tsks softly at the thought and with another brush across the runner's fur she sets the brush down and rubs her hands off against her pants. No reason to was one's hands, she's use to eating dirt by now.

Woop! Food means breaktime! Despite that he hasn't put away even half of the items in the bag, Kale abandons it to instead follow Soriana. He grasps the handle of a bucket on the way and carries it with him. Upon pausing, he turns it over and sits on the upturned bottom, resting his elbows upon his thighs and letting his hands droop between his knees. The offered meatroll is taken with a nod of thanks, though it's held out to Idrissa. It /is/ her food afterall, and apparently his lessons of mannerisms have sunk in! Wouldn't his mother be proud? "You've a brother, eh? I bet I've you beat. I have five of 'em." He shakes his head before looking to Soriana to answer her. "Black Rock Hold, a land of plenty. And you two?"

Hey, the boy does have manners! Soriana grins a bit at that, pulling out another couple meatrolls… so Kale can have one for himself, and so she can have one. She may have had lunch, but that doesn't mean she can't nibble. "Sure beats me… I don't have any siblings. Well, maybe some halfs at Ierne Weyrhold, I dunno." She shrugs. "I'm from near there, anyway. A little cothold with more runners than people."

Idrissa peers at Kale as he offers her the meatroll, for a moment she actually seem unsure about taking it but she soon lifts a hand to grasp hold of the roll. A smile offers to Kale and she nods to him. "Thanks.." She offers softly and takes a bite from said roll, she didn't know how hungrey she was until catching a sniff of the food. "Five brothers?.. Yup you totally have me beat there." She grins at this and nods to what Soriana says. "I'm from Ierne, just a colthold outside of it really. Lived near the beach for a time as my father was a fisherman."

"None?" gawks Kale to Soriana, brows shooting up. "I've never met anyone who had no siblings. Well," he pauses there, dark brows faintly pushing towards one another in thoughts. "Maybe I've. If that's the case, then I didn't think to ask if they had brothers or sisters. But I can't imagine bein' alone. Not having to share anything. Not listening to someone shoutin' or screamin' or arguin' all the time. It seems…/wonderful/." He admits before he takes a bite of his food. Cold or not, he seems to enjoy it. To Idrissa as she speaks of where she's from, he nods. "Never been to the beach. Had no reason. We were all about the land, land, land." Another bite. "So now the question is what finds ya here in Xanadu? Why'd you come?"

Soriana laughs to Kale. "Yeah, I guess. It got kinda lonely sometimes, when my mom was busy and I didn't have anyone to talk to." A shrug, and a nibble of her meatroll. "The beach here's nice… y'can go watch the dragons bathing sometime." She grins, and at his next question, spreads her hands. "They needed runners here… well, and then I think Seryth must have liked Yumeth, because it wasn't just runners going but my mom coming with them. So… me, I just came along for the ride."

Idrissa sits herself down upon a haybale. "It being all quiet isn't as wonderful as you think." She smirks at the thought. "Can get sorta lonely." There is a pause and she nods to what Soriana says. "As much trouble my brother got me into I still miss him at times." Her gaze settles on Kale curiously. "Never been to a beach?.. Well your gona have to go to this one for sure!" Everyone should go to the beach, there fun after all. A soft ah escapes her. "Well.. I sorta followed along with the runners. I grew up in a colthold that raised 'em, an when I found out Soriana and her mother was comming with runners I came." She smiles. "I'm an apprentice Beastcraft now too so its nice to still be around the runners and getting to work with them and learn more."

"Oh, so the two've you knew each other already," says Kale, pointing from one girl to the other with what's left of his meatroll. "That is good. To come to a place new but still have somebody ya know with you. Makes it less hard, huh?" He polishes off the rest of his meatroll, making quick work of the chewing and swallowing. "How's the ride been so far?" he asks of Soriana as he brushes his hand against the side of his trousers. "And Idrissa, I couldn' imagine bein' lonely. Even now, away from my brothers, it's …. like nothing I ever could've imagined. I guess I do miss them…a bit…at times, but I'm not complaiing." He looks to the nearest runner. "Apprentice?" He appears interested. "How long have ya been and, if you don't mind me askin', what do you do?"

Soriana sets down the basket in easy reach of the others, still nibbling her meatroll. She leans back, stretching, and grins. "S'got a good pace, but no sense for the trail ahead," she answers Kale. "Might well be lost, but it's gotten there with a lovely gait." Well, that's sort of an answer. Vaguely. For a clearer one, she adds, "It's been good, mostly."

Idrissa makes short work of the meatroll she had, it is soon gone and she is poking about in the basket finding a piece of fruit and then goes about taking a bite from it to hopfuly stop the grumble that is faintly heard in her stomach, darn thing. At the question from Kale she nods with a smile and ahs while glancing back towards the runners. "Well, at the moment lots of tending to, cleaning, mucking stalls and the like. Been taken lessons and learning things on healing too." She thinks for a moment and glances to Soriana. "How long we been here? Cause that's how long I've been an apprentice really."

Kale leans forward a little to eye the contents within the basket. Mmm..fruit! Despite the gleam in his eye, he does not take one. Can't mooch too much off of people he just met, now can he? He'll save that for his second run in, if their paths indeed cross again. "Bein' lost isn't all bad. I've had grand times durin' times I was lost back at home." His hand raises to scratch at the side of his head a little. "Don' stay that way too long though. You always gotta know where you're goin'." Hearing Idrissa speak of her apprenticeship, he quiets and listens, looking more and more interested in what she has to say about it. As the answer of how long apparently lies in Soriana, his eyes pingpong back to her.

Soriana laughs to Kale, and nods. "Y'can find all sorts of neat things… just so long as the wild felines don't eat you." She grins, then it fades slightly. "Mmh. S'pose it's good to have directions, too. Just hafta figure 'em out." With that, she's quiet for a bit, until Idrissa directs a question to her. "Hmm. 'Bout eight months?"

Idrissa nods while she munches on another bite of the fruit an a curious glance offered to Kale at the talk of getting lost. She grins slightly. "Ya, what Soriana says. It can be fun, find new things, go on new adventures an so forth." She offers happly at the thought. There is a pause before she goes on. "So I've been an apprentice close to eight months I think. Took a bit seting stuff up when I got here an so forth. Since then I've been here working at the stables and the runners, an whatever animal they need a hand with." She would rather work with runners but she'll work with just about any of the herdbeasts as well.

Wild felines? "Eh yeah…I can see how that could ruin a bit of sport.." Kale muses, nose wrinkling up a little. His eyes are drawn back to his forgotten bag now as the span of months Idriss has been apprenticing is revealed. Eight months. Hm. Maybe by then he'll actually get down and dirty with /his/ apprenticeship! Helping out with the shoes is grand and all, but it'd be even grander if he could do some of the alterations himself! Ah, his time will come, he hopes. "And it seems like you like it," he notes as he stands, righting the buchet after brushing off the seat of his trousers. "Well good luck to ya with what you do. I won't tell either of you what I'm here for 'n how I came to be here. It'll make us have to meet again," he quips, grinning. "I've to finish up here and then head back before I'm missed. Take care, will ya."

"Gonna try and keep secrets, huh?" asks Soriana, and grins. Oh, she'll figure it out, sooner or later. She has her ways! …aka a tendency to listen to gossip and a firelizard that flitters around and looks at various things, interesting or not. "Well… I guess I'll be seeing you, if that plan of yours works. Otherwise, it'll just have to stay a mystery forever. Lost in between." She waves. "Take care!"

Idrissa smiles to Kale and watches him mess around with the runner shoes a bit. "Aye! I do like it loads. I don't mind the cleaning an getting dirty an so forth. I get to work with some lovely animals in the process." Total tom-boy, of course she doesn't have a problem getting dirty. She hums and glancs to the basket taking out another piece of fruit and offers it to Kale before he leaves. "I bet you missed lunch to, so go on an take it. Have a good day!" She actually spoke to someone, new an it was more then a mere greeting.

"Just think of the grand story that'd make, eh?" replies Kale, his grin widening. "The tale of the boy that never was! Was I real, or a hallucination? A spirit, mayhaps?" He lifts his hands and wiggles his finger in an apparent display of looking like a mysterious…uh, apparition, one could assume. And, oh hey some more food! At the offer of the fruit, Kale heads over to Idrissa and plucks it from her, giving her a thankful smile. "Your generosity will be returned, I promise. Thanks!" He dips his head to the both of them before plucking his bag from the ground and heading off to the further stalls to finish hanging the runner's shoes and, when done, heading out the door.

Soriana reaches out to poke Kale and verify his existence, but… nooooo! He steps away! Now she'll never know. At least not without effort. Or meeting him another time. She grins, and waves again as he actually heads away down the stalls and out the door. She looks after him a bit, then turns to Idrissa with a slight tilt of her head. Time to shamelessly discuss the new boy behind his back!
Idrissa smiles an waves after Kale. "Well that is true.. But as you just took that apple from me I'm betting you real." She offers with an amused tone. once he is at the othe end of the stalls and soon gone she tilts her head and glances back to Soriana. "I.. Like him better then Mikal." This said with an amused tone.

Soriana laughs to Idrissa! "That's not hard!" she replies. "I mean, seriously." She stretches, rising from the haybale, and glances after him to make sure he's out of hearing range. Yep, there he goes, ducking out the door. "I do like him, though," she muses. "He's funny."

Idrissa laughs and nods to Soriana while she moves back to the runner she was working with and offers the mare the rest of the fruit she had. The mare is happy to take it. She chuckles and picks up a brush and works about getting the knots out of the runner's mane. "Aye, he does seem like a funny one. Hope he sticks around."

Soriana trails along the stalls, offering pats and scritches to any of the runners who are interested in that. She nods. "I guess we'll see." She picks up one of the horseshoes Kale hung on a nail, toying with it and peering at the small markings… the small and, to her, extremely cryptic markings. She puts the horseshoe back with a metallic clank. Mmm, mysteries. "He said he's from a hold… so he's probably not here with a dragonrider…."

Idrissa nods at this while she gets a few more knots out of the runner's mane and puts a few strands into a braid to keep it out of the way while she works. "We're have to ask him when his doing about here next time. Other then working with runner's shoes."

"Assuming he'll tell us," says Soriana… though somehow, she has a grin for that prospect instead of a scowl. She muses on idly. "Could be a foster, but most holds don't foster to weyrs, so… maybe an apprentice? Hmm." Of course, most apprentices are sent to the crafthalls, so that doesn't fit either. After some pondering, she shakes her head. "Mm. I dunno!"

Idrissa ponders that and grins. "True.. I bet we could get it out of him with some food." Oh look, they are already planning how to get informantion out of a boy. Good teachings for later perhaps? She nods. "That's an idea.. maybe something to do with the steele cause of the shoes?" A slight shrug soon seen as she continues to work on the runner's mane. "Well, I'm here so maybe his here to try it first or somethin."

Soriana laughs, and nods. "Yeah, but I'm no good with cooking. So then we'd have to bribe someone else, to get the food, to bribe him…." She grins, shaking her head, then tilts it at the other girl's suggestion. "Could be." She nods, then grins. "We'll get the truth from him. One way or another!"

Idrissa pauses at tht and ohs. "You.. Have a point there. I don't cook well either." With all her time tending to the runners this shouldn't be a surprize! She soon chuckles and nods. "Aye! I bet we will."

Soriana grins, trailing her way back along the stalls to Idrissa. "So. Been up to anything else interesting lately?" If they can't have their answers now, they might as well talk about something else, rather than taunting themselves.

Idrissa shakes her head slightly while she looks over the mane once it is all nice and pretty. She smiles at the sight and blinks while the mare gives her head a grat shake and everything she just made perfect is a mess. A sigh escapes her an she soon chuckles before moving over to untie the runner and take her back to her stall. "Not really. I did manage to find out there may be a puppy left and its at the kennel. Thought I would go check on it later, or tomorrow and see about getting it if its still there."

Soriana giggles at the mare. Wild hair is the best hair. "Well, that's good. 'Cause… clearly you aren't spending enough time with animals already, so you gotta have some for after you're done here." She grins, just teasing, and pats the mare on her flank as she's returned to her stall.

Idrissa blinks and chuckles. "Well.. Ya I suppose you have a point there." She shakes her head and lets the mare move on into the stall. The halter is removed and hung up while she closes the stall. "Try and stay clean for a little bit alright?" The runner just snorts at the idea, not seeming to like it, an soon goes about finding some hay to eat. "Sorta what I figured." Rissa grins and glances to Sori. "You able to go take a run to the beach maybe? Think I should get out of the stable for a bit."

Soriana laughs, and nods. Exactly. At the question, she hmms. "You're done with your chores, then?" she says, and nods. "Yeah, I can do that… we can just run by the caverns and give the basket back along the way." She lifts it up, and peers inside. "One last meatroll. Y'want it?"

Idrissa ohs and nods while she goes to get the least meatroll. "Thanks!" Is offered happly, her stomach is at least not very grumbly at the moment. "An sure that's not a problem. As for chores there done for the moment!" She always manages to find something else to do. "I'll come back later and put others out and bring others in and fed 'em an stuffs. But right now, fresh air is needed!" This said while taking a bit of the roll and goes to head towards the door and escape the stables for a short bit at least.

For the moment! …and seize the moment. Soriana grins, and takes the now-empty basket. "Well, c'mon then!" she says, and follows Idrissa outside, under the big blue sky to visit the big blue sea.


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