Xanadu Weyr - Meadow
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.
Thump. Shhh. Thump. Shhh. The strange sound comes first, the path towards the weyr nearly hidden by the rolling grasses of the meadow. Thump. Shh. The sound comes again, and finally Rogawani's shaggy head comes into view. His arms are loaded down with a big basket of clothing, and a rolling cart of additional laundry is dragged along behind him. There are clouds in the sky today, but not dark enough to harald rain, the brisk breeze seems good for drying. The boy mutters to himself, and drags the cart off the path into an area of lower grasses between two trees. Dropping the rope of the cart, and setting the basket atop it, he unrolls a rope from his waist and starts to loop it like a lasso.
Keziah comes from the direction of one of the corrals, dust covering her clothes and her cheeks a little red from the workout and perhaps the wind. At the sound she pauses and looks around. Then in comes Ro. She eyes the boy and then the load and chuckles "Well, they've certainly wasted no time in loading down you all with chores." she remarks as he heads his way. "Looks like you've quite the haul."
It isn't just a rumour! R'sul has been spotted around the weyr, right here in fact. Hesketh backwings to a landing over near the costal end of the meadow, letting a tired looking R'sul slip down from his back before settling down with a very large yawn.
With a slip knot tied into the rope, Rogawani swings it lightly to test the weight before giving it a toss towards one of the mid-level branches of the tree. The rope falls short of it's mark. Luckily, Keziah's distraction allows him time to real the rope back in. "Yeah, laundry today for me." He chuckles a little, motioning towards the stack. "Keep an eye out though. I heard Morlanol got assigned to runner duty." On his second throw, the rope catches the branch, and Ro' walks towards the other tree, leaving some slack behind him. Then, with an easy toss, he throws the other end of the rope up over a thicker branch of the second tree, and pulls it taught into a makeshift clothes line.
Keziah blinks "Morl, runner duty?" she closes her eyes and shakes her head a bit "Well, I'll make sure he doesn't go near that Eastern stallion we had shipped in yesterday." she murmurs as she watches him with the line. There's a glance upwards as a dragon comes in and she tracks it as it lands. "Hey, that looks like Hesketh out there." she notes as she turns her attention back to Ro. "Been awhile since they've been around."
R'sul's absence is definitely over, though it would appear that he's still semi-avoiding people at least. As he starts to wander up towards the weyr proper he takes a rather long route, trying to keep away from the people he passes but ultimately ending up moving right towards Ro and Keziah. There's a pause, a slight shift in his feet, but his manners haven't deserted him, "Good… um…" glance at the sky, judge time, "Day. Happy industrious candidates, I see. Good."
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Rogawani chuckles to himself, and then nods his head as he walks over to the basket, drawing out a tunic and snapping it in the air before reaching up to hook it on the line. The poor boy is turning domestic. "Try to make sure he doesn't go near the marked paddock either. I don't think he needs another run in with that herder's wild stock." His face is momentarily blocked from view. "Hesketh?" He asks, and then lifts an arm to move the shirt out of the way. "Oh, g'day R'sul." The boy greets, offering a small smile. "I try my best, but washing skivvies really isn't my strongest skill."
Keziah nods "True, though I don't think he's stupid enough to go near them again." she notes and then turns her attention to R'sul "It's good to see you again." she remarks and then shakes her head "One industrious candidate." she notes with a smirk as she looks at the laundry "He's the only one here with chores forced upon him." she remarks and then snickers a bit at the skivvies "Ahh, but underwear can tell you so much about a person." A glance back at R'sul "How have you been doing?"
"Oh… um… right." R'sul blinks a little, "I'm good. Good. We're… good." Which likely means not. "Been busy, you know. Running all over the place and doing things to keep you candidates busy, and finding more to join in, though that last trip didn't find anyone." And that statement there would be an outright lie that he isn't good enough to make seem convincing.
"Hope so." Rogawani clips the other arm of the shirt up, and then goes to claim another armfull of laundry to hang. He shoots a wry, smirking look towards Keziah, "You know, there's some things i just don't want to know about a person." He waggles what looks suspiciously like a thong, which is tossed back onto the pile. As he steps back towards the line, he watches R'sul curiously. "You need to lie better, R'sul." He comments, not one to pull punches even among riders. However, he doesn't seem to question it further.
Keziah hmms a little as she eyes R'sul, but she doesn't press. It's an obvious lie. "Well, either way, its good to see you around again." she notes though there's a smirk at Ro "But think of the blackmail material." she murmurs as she eyes the laundry "And it's amazing what colorful things some guys will wear as well."
R'sul's eyes narrow at Ro, jaw clenching as he bites back something that he would possibly regret when he wasn't tired. Instead he turns to Keziah, "Least…" he pauses, dismissing the thought and moving on to something else. "Don't suppose you've seen Fiara around? Supposed to be meeting her for lunch but I think I'm late."
Rogawani is oblivious to the eye-narrowing, his own eyes are set towards the clothes thrown over his arm, managing to draw out a pair of trousers which are clipped up onto the line. "Welcome back." The boy does chime in after Keziah, sociable enough and not realizing that he may have hit a nerve. The next things to go up on the line are some socks, so his vision isn't obscured. "Fiara?" He glances towards the stablemaster and then back again before shaking his head. "Haven't seen her, but I've been busy with this since just after dawn."
Keziah shakes her head a little "No, I've not seen her." she remarks after a moment of thinking "Course, I've been busy schooling some runners so haven't had much oppportunity for looking around. " she pauses thoughfully and then looks back at R'sul "And umm, just when was this lunch supposed to be?" she asks after a moment as she absently fixs the hem on the trousers hanging up, it was slightly folded over.
R'sul umms himself, not entirely sure which day it is let alone when lunch was supposed to be. "I should… um… yeah." He glances between the road to the cottage and the road to the weyr, weyr wins. He takes a few steps away, turnign back to add. "And I expect you to be wearing your proper knot next time I see you Keziah." Poor Ro is in the bad books, and rather rudely ignored.
"Thanks." Rogawani shoots an appreciative look towards Keziah, offering her a smile for the help. Another shirt is added to the growing length of airing clothes. The boy does pause then, looking over towards R'sul with that same curiousity, but nothing more than that in his eyes. "If I see her, I'll let her know you were looking for her." He offers easily enough, and reaches for the thong, which is cliped up to the line quickly without touching it too much.
Keziah frowns a little as she watches R'sul looking quite concerned. "You need any assistance?" she asks after a moment as she watches him walk away. She then blinks "What do you mean proper? I've a full right to this Journeymans knot. Though it's only really been a short while and such. I'm not an apprentice anymore." she notes and then hides a smirk as she watches Ro put up the thongs. "It's not going to bite you."
R'sul blinks, confused. "Candidates wear white knots, not their old craft ones. Or have they not told you to move in yet?" A little pause, long enough for that to sink in perhaps, "Knew it." He shakes his head, muttering something about a 'kid'. "Help him do the laundry then go see Hisolda." No time for complaints, he's turning and walking off again.
"I don't know, it might." Rogawani replies with an amused tone to his voice, but he still keeps well clear of the offending pair of undergarments as he hangs more clothes onto the line. "Have you ever been locked in a dark room with one?" He asks, almost challengingly, but then lets it slide as his eyes scan over to R'sul again, his head tilting in a puzzled way. "Um, Hisolda's still not back yet." The boy says in a quieter tone, perhaps not wanting to start anything further with the bronzerider. Then, his eyes look at Keziah, one eyebrow perking upward as he tries to catch her reaction.
Keziah looks blandly at R'sul "No, no one has told me anything." she remarks and frowns a little "Are you sure you're okay, and who said I was a candidate?' she asks curiously "I mean, I wouldn't think they'd miss out on an opportunity to get some torture in." she notes. A look at Ro "Well, no. But I don't think it'd bite me."
Ro's words cause a little stutter in R'sul's steps, one poor stone on the recieving end of a very sharp kick. "Fine I'll tell Vivian to change your status." Apparently there's a lot he doesn't know yet. "I say." Is his intial reply to Keziah, followed by, "You did it last time, do it this time as well."
"Want to join in the slave labor with the rest of us?" The ex-messenger asks, leaving his voice light as he smiles lightly towards Keziah. Rogawani's eyes look away now, intent more on what he's doing than worrying about what might be troubling the mind of the bronzerider. Even so, he does keep his ears trained to see if the stablemaster accepts the offer. "Hrm. This is one of mine." He mutters to himself, pulling out a dusty tan tunic and throwing it up onto the line before running a hand down it almost whistfully.
There's a frown and then a pursing of her lips. Keziah's silent "Well, actually, it's been a few turns since I've stood." she notes quietly. Least not since she had her side opened by the feline. She then gives herself a bit of a shake "Well, why not. I suppose one should get back up on the runner." she notes and then peers at Ro "Oh darn, I was hoping it was undies."
R'sul gives a little wave, dismissing her protests, then turns and heads off once more. This time there's no stopping him, not even the little stumble that happens at one point. Just got to hope he's awake/sober enough to actually tell someone when he gets to the weyr.
Rogawani's eyes shoot back to the retreating rider, his face showing confusion before his eyse sweep to Keziah again, barking a laugh. "Didn't really give you a chance to decide did he?" The boy asks, and then shakes his head, rubbing at the back of his neck with a sheepish expression on his face. "Better than D'had, he seemed to want to talk me out of it." Letting his hand slip away from the tunic, Ro' shakes his head and then gives a small, boyish wink towards Keziah. "If you really want to see me in my undies, I can oblige."
Keziah hmms a little "No, he didn't. But then, I don't think he's all with it. " she murmurs and just shrugs "No biggie I guess. Make a break from having to order people around and get ordered again." she murmurs and she eyes Ro and then slaps her palm onto her forehead. "No. Not really. But thank you." She snorts.
"Wonder what happened to him." Rogawani comments off-handedly, his voice showing the first tinge of concern. However, that momentary lapse in his good mood doesn't last very long, sweeping up a few more pieces of clothing to hang on the line. He looks over one shoulder and outright laughs at Keziah's reaction. "Figured as much, but the look on your face was priceless." He chuckles without abandon, seeming quite happy with where he is at the moment. "I was teasing anyways." He admits, and adds a row of five or six pairs of socks to the drying line. "So you're going to join us then? Pretty good group if I say so. Other than my half-brother, that is. I'm still hoping Avaeth kicks him off the sands."
Keziah just shakes her head "I dunno what it is with you kids." she notes with a smirk. There's a glance back towards the Weyr. "I'm not really sure. But." she forwns somwhat and then nods "Yeah, I guess I am. I can't imagine what it'd do to him if I decided not too. For the sake of his sanity and all. I think things are just a little scewed for him."
"Kids?" Rogawani snorts a little bit and stands up a bit taller. He is quite a bit taller than the more diminuative stablemaster. "I'm almost sixteen." Apparently his 'manly' pride has been hurt by the comment, and he puffs his chest out a bit, trying his best to seem mature. "Don't you have to be like… fourty before you start calling the rest of us kids?" He mutters, but amusement shows in the curve of his smile, and the small shake of his head that hides part of his expression while tossing more laundry up. The basket is empty now, leaving only the cart underneath.
Keziah just laughs brightly as she helps him with the laundry "Nope, anyone under 18 is still a kid in my book." she remarks with a smirk. She eyes him a little as he stands taller. "Height has nothing to do with it either." she adds "unless you go with the smaller they are the older. I mean grandma I swear is half my height." Okay, not really, but she's little.
"Bah." Rogawani replies, a mock scowl on his face. "I'm more mature than Rhasmir and he's twenty-three." He lifts his chin, as if about to argue further, but then just sighs and waves it off. "Fine, think whatever you want. Just don't call me a 'kid' to my face, okay?" He seems more serious now, looking at her with intent eyes. "I've been working as a messenger for two turns now. I had to earn a reputation of being responsible, and grown-up, and it's -hard- when you're as small as I am. So please." He asks, lifting his eyebrows with a sincere expression. "At least -try- to treat me like an adult."
Keziah blinks a moment and then nods "Sure, I'll not call you a kid to your face." she notes and then adds "I'll try not to refer to you as a kid either." There's silence for a while as she watches him and then she goes back to hanging laundry. After a bit "So, how have you been enjoying candidacy?" she asks as a way to change the subject.
"Thanks." Rogawani shoots back, his face showing a troubled expression before softening once more into a characteristic smile. "Not so much to enjoy just yet." He replies easily enough, letting the previous conversation roll off his shoulders. "Moved my things into the barracks, and then got assigned to laundry duty this morning." He shrugs, grabbing up an armfull that seems to leave behind only a few odd pieces still clinging to the cart. "Not appreciating having to share quarters with my half-brother, but everyone else is nice enough." Running out of laundry clips, he throws a few things randomly over the line just to get them up.
Keziah nods "Well sharing quarters with siblings can be a pain. But, I'll tell you this. It's best if you learn to live with it. I mean, if the both of you Impress, that's all the more time you'll have to be working and living with him. Best to learn how to get along together now."
Rogawani stops in his tracks, looking over at Keziah as if she had said something particularly amusing. "You haven't met Donakan yet. I think you'll change your mind." He says with a hint of amusement in his voice. "There's two girls already lined up who want to push him in runner dung or worse." The mental image flashes behind his eyes, lighting his smile a bit more. "As for impressing… well that's a crapshoot." He tosses the last pair of pants up onto the line, and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know that I belong as a candidate. I haven't even had a dragon sniff at me in the past four years. Donakan… well he's got worse chances than me." He snorts, and then checks the cart for anything leftover. "He only got searched because his mom couldn't stand seeing him upset. So she conned his father into asking him to stand. It's stupid."
Keziah shakes her head "I've been in with many a one you couldn't stand. And have been happy to see leave candidacy." she notes and then shrugs "It's anyones guess. Some people you would never Impress, do." she murmurs. There's no resentment just resignation about it. She's been through it enough to know. "And anyways weyr ki… weyr people can just stand anyways, don't always need a dragon to sniff you out."
"Pride." Rogawani says, as if that were the explination for it. He places up a last sock onto the line, and then leans against the nearest tree, folding his arms as he watches the wind catch the clothes and whip them outward. "I don't know, to be honest. Sure, it's possible some dragon might find him suitable someday, but I'm his brother." He thumbs towards his chest, and shakes his head from side to side. "I can say with certainty that he's got a lot of growing up to do before there's room in his head for anyone but himself."
Keziah chuckles "Maturity has nothing to do with who a dragon likes. Just a like mind or personality from what I've seen." she shrugs "Still, you could be right and all. Only the dragons will know.' she remarks as she looks back towards the stables "Hopefully things won't get too disorganized." she murmurs, "Still it's not like there's not a lot of well-trained people to take my place. Yina should be able to pick up the slack just fine."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Rogawani seems to give up trying to convince Keziah of anything. "Who knows." He dismisses the conversation easily enough, reaching up to hook his hands on the top of the line, stretching his arms out. "It's funny though. A stablemaster, a stablehand, a messenger who spends half his life in the stables, and two gardeners. Wonder if the dragons like that down-to-earth smell on their candidates this go 'round."
Keziah hmms a little "Well, there are worse combinations." she notes with a grin "But should make for some very interesting smells intermixing with everything." she notes as she leans her back up against a tree and then slides to the ground "Should be very interesting indeed. Course it'll be interesting falling into that routine again. As I've siad, it's been a few turns. Not since sometime before Mirai showed up."
Rogawani's head tilts slightly, that same curious expression showing on his face. "How many times have you stood before?" He asks, his voice showing some genuine interest. "Me, Tali, Cenlia, Morl, we're all first-timers." One hand releases the rope and scratches at the side of his head, perhaps trying to find some connection that isn't really there. "Mirai?" He scrunches his face a little bit, and then nods. "Your daughter, right?"
Keziah thinks about it a moment "This will make my seventh time out on the sands" she states finally. "Didn't really think I'd be going back out on it after the last time though." she notes and then shrugs "Won't really hurt anything, and it'll be sorta like a vacation and then back to the stables I'm sure. And yes, Mirai's me daughter. She's a little over three now."
"Seven." Rogawani says the word slowly, his voice having an almost awed tone. "Well, I can understand why you'd think about not going back." The wonder of being a first-timer standing on the sands ebbs a bit as realization dawns on him. Some people stand over and over, and never impress. "Probably best to think about it that way, a vacation." He nods, and then glances towards the stables, almost longingly. "I just feel like I'm losing time, though. I haven't been working in my job long enough to be irreplacable."
Keziah shakes her head "It's not because I've stood so much. Really." she notes quietly "Still, messengers are always needed. Not everyone can run quite like a messenger." she notes "I certainly can't. I can walk a good long while, but to do it quicker and at a good even pace. Not so much."
"How come, then?" The boy asks, letting both of his arms come down now, but avoiding the temptation of sliding down into a sitting position. The last thing he needs is someone coming along and accusing him of not doing his assigned chore. "Well, I can run decently, but mostly I'm just good with a runner. Endurance rider." He thumbs at himself again, and then laughs. "Da always said I had a hard rear end and… err." He seems about to say something else, and then cuts himself off. "Well, he said that's why I'm good at my job."
Keziah is silent "It's because of my last candidacy. One a survival trip. Had my side opened up by one of the spotted felines that attacked our group." she notes "Was still able to make it to the sands, but after that it just seemed better to not stand." She does then chuckle at him. "Yeah, you need to be made of steel practically to last. I can ride and all. But I tend to prefer to be on my feet."
A wince makes its way on to Rogawani's face, and his eyes show a lingering bit of concern. "Yeesh." He mutters, and shakes his head, rubbing at the back of his neck the way he tends to do when not sure what to say. "Guess if that happened to me, I'd think twice, too." His nose twitches, and remains troubled until she speaks again. Looking up, the worry fades away, and a small smile replaces it. "Well, we've all got to have a talent. At least I'm hard-arsed rather than hard-headed." He tries to make a bit of a joke, and then starts to walk along the length of the rope, checking a few pieces of clothing here and there.
Keziah rubs her head a little "I dunno, ain't nothin' wrong with bein' hard headed and all." she remarks with a smirk "Though I suppose it has it's disadvantages and all. I scare off most men." There's a pause and then a light groan. "Shards." she mutters a little under her breath.
Rogawani's low chuckle can be heard even as a gust of wind picks up, seemingly amused that she'd caught on to that part of what he'd said. "Almost dry." He says to himself, and then stops suddenly, catching the sound of her low curse. "What's wrong?" The boy asks, looking at Keziah once again, but this time his hands are pre-occupied, reaching up to pluck down the already dry socks as he goes.
Keziah just shakes her head and gives a wry smile "Oh nothing, other than passing up on a chance that I won't have the liberty to take up again for a while. My loss." she notes and shakes her head some as she gets up and starts checking the clothes from the other end and picking of the dry ones and starting to fold.
"Oh." Rogawani pauses, and then seems puzzled, flicking through the few things restricted to candidates and then muttering again. "Oh." This one has more of a sound of realization to it, and thus he lets it trail off and chooses not to follow his mind down that little corridor. "Thanks again for the help, by the way. They're going to have me domesticated by the end of this." He continues to pluck down smaller items, socks, underwear, etc. "I still have no idea what doing laundry has to do with being a dragonrider."
Keziah chuckles as she watches the realization hit. "It's not doing the laundry itself. It's learning to follow orders, it's learning to be part of a team." she remarks "Have you ever watched the werlings train?" she asks with a tilt of her head "It's easier to learn now how to obey then it is when you've a young dragon that wants to explore."
"I follow orders all the time. Take this here. Deliver this by tomorrow morning. Don't lose this or I'll kill you." Rogawani rattles this off as he walks back to deposit the armload of socks and unmentionables into the cart, a smirk showing on his face. "But I see your point." He pauses, and then raises a hand to rub at the side of his head, "Yeah, I saw them once. Ended up on the receiving end of a tail from a dragon not paying attention." He mutters, and then seems to find amusement in it. "Trying to deliver packages when weyrlings are having their first bathtime… is not a great idea."
Keziah laughs "That's always a fun sight to watch." she smiles as she bends down to pick up a bright pink thong "You dropped something." she states as she offers it to him. Her eyes twinkling. "But there's been rarely a time when a candidate isn't having to end up working with someone, so it works out. How much it helps? I dunno. That's a question for the 'ling masters."
"Fun." Rogawani replies, although it has a sarcastic tone to it. He still rubs at his head at the memory. "Huh?" He turns, just in time to see the stablemaster and the pink thong. "Uh, you keep it." He mumbles and looks away just in time to hide the red that finds it's way onto his cheeks. "It must do some good, I'd expect. Otherwise they would have given up on the practice years ago. Either that or they just enjoy the free slave labor." He muses, "I should get this stuff back soon. I'm sure they've got more for me to do."
Keziah laughs brightly as she tosses the undies into the pile "Pinks not really my color though it's the perfect shade for Adinaeth." she remarks as she eyes it. "Well, I think they like the slave labor bit as well. After all, it's practice for them as well. IF they can't control you as a candidate. Imagine what it would be like with uncontrolled weyrlings and their young dragons."
"Adinaeth?" Rogawani replies, seeming momentarily confused as he tries to connect the dragon name to the images in his head. This attempt falls short, though, as he's not quite able to find the right person in his mind. "Right, but they don't exactly have a choice in who gets bonded, right?" Pulling the last of the clothes down off of the rope, he places them down into the cart, leaving the basket for Keziah's folded items. Flicking out his belt-knife, Ro' reaches up and slices the rope off of one tree branch and then begins to roll it up.
Keziah nods "Yeah, he's a brown with I swear shades of pink and he's a fondness for pink and frilly things." she smirks at a memory "Including making the candi's he's searched out where it." she adds "But no, they don't have a choice and all, but they'll have had the practice of working with you already." she notes.
"That's… one hell of a weird brown, then." Rogawani's eyebrows lift upward, sticking his tongue out at the prospect of a brown dragon liking girly frilly things. "Makes me glad D'had's blue asked me. There's no way in Faranth's wildest dreams that you would ever get me wearing pink." A shiver runs up his spine, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. "Well, I plan on sticking it out. Bad timing for me, as I was about to get my runner paid off and get some measure of freedom from my Da, but…" He shrugs, and then brightens a little. "Well, it's worth a shot." He glances at the basket and cart, and then towards Keziah. "I'm going to head back up to the weyr with these. I'll owe you one when you get some nasty chore you don't want to do." He offers.
Keziah grins "Well, at least you know yer runner will be well cared for, for the time being. Though I'd advise having someone doin' the excercisin' especially if you Impress. You certainly won't get a chance too for ahile after that." she notes and then smiles "I appreciate that. Nasty chores go faster with help." she admits. "I should likely see about settling myself in. Least I hadn't gotten around to getting my own room so it won't be too bad sleeping with everyone in the same cavern."
Reaching down, Rogawani pulls up the basket of clothes, hooking the rope tied to the cart around his other wrist. "Ma and Da work in the stables, the hand-fasted couple of 'hands? I'm sure you know them. They'll take care of him for me while I'm all white-knotted." He lifts one shoulder in a half-shrug, not one to get his hopes up too much, especially knowing how many people get searched and how few ever impress. "I'll see you up at the barracks later then." He inclines his head, not able to do much else with his hands full. "Thanks again, Kez." And with that, Ro' starts trundling back up towards the weyr, with that same sound following. Thump. Shh. Thump. Shh.
Keziah gives a nod "Okay, I know them." she remarks and then watches as he heads back up to the Weyr. Again she turns to look a the stables and shakes her head a little "Well, this was certainly an interesting turn of things." she murmurs and then heads for the Weyr herself.