Xanadu Weyr - Deep Forest
The wooded areas closer to Xanadu Weyr represent a compromise between man and mother nature, but to the west, no such arrangements have been made. The deep woods between the Weyr and the mountains are less traveled, the wider paths fit for man and beast less present. The noises of mankind are barely audible here, brief ghosts on the wind, and the quiet thrum of forest life presses in on all sides. The snapping of a twig, a bird's cry, the low cadence of insects; all of these things seem louder. Closer. The deeper you move into the trees, the more it becomes obvious that you are passing through nature only at her allowance.
The cover of trees is more severe in this area of the wood and only occasional shafts of sunlight lance down through the canopy, the sky visible in brief patches. A rough path has been blazed to the east, back towards the Weyr, and west, towards the mountains. It does not appear to be a heavily frequented path, but the few who have chosen to pass through this area appear to use it more than other avenues available. Only the very foolish or the very experienced would ever wander far from the path.
Step, step, crack of a stick, step, step. "Y'know, nature ain't really one of my things." Aqueepoli comments, staring back at Kiley once or two, keeping his voice hushed to not disturb any animals that may be about, ready to jump out of the forest and tear Pol's throat open. Hey, it could happen. "Then 'gain, I ain't really have many 'things'." He air-quotes at that word. He stops for a second, stares up at the tree tops. "How long we been walkin' now?" The area around him looks more and more unfamiliar. "Can't say I've been this deep in here, yet. Thinkin' maybe I took us on a wrong turn or something?" It's fully possible, he does not have a good judge of direction. Another stick is stepped on, once Aqueepoli is on the move once more. It gets kicked to the side and out of his way.
Kiley is following behind Aqueepoli, idly observing as they walk and seemingly uncaring if the boy leads them somewhere.. As long as they make it back. "it isn't mine, either." But she still agreed. Her tone is hushed to match the holder' boys as her arms fold across her chest. "Well, maybe you should… Find some things?" A teasing smile is given in his direction before her gaze travels upwards, thoughtful. "About fifteen minutes? Maybe a little longer." Her gaze drops and turns back to Pol, "maybe you did. We could always turn back, but.. Going forward isn't entirely horrible, either. Just watch your step." And when he begins again, the woman follows dutifully behind.
"I dun know… I've been a bit into this forest, never this far. Usually stop when it gets darker." Which it is, alas. The tree tops getting more and more filled with every step Aqueepoli takes further into the forest. "I jus' done want to get lost, not sure I could live off of the forest floor. I mean, wha'cha gonna eat? Pine cones?" Bleh! Pol shakes his head, ridding himself of the phantom taste of a pine cone. "Meh. Hobbies are a whoooole lotta effort, y'know? Like yer crafty-stuff. Seems like a butt load of work." He's so charming. "Oh! Oh! I like nappin'! Is nappin' a hobby? If'n nappin' could be a job, I'd totally be there." Aaah, in a perfect world, perhaps. The candidate stops again, hands going on his hips. "I swear it, Kiley. I think we're lost or something. None of this looks familiar at all. Jus' a lot of trees, an' I can't even hear the Weyr n'more." Oh no. A situation! Never good. Cue mild hysterics as the holder (if there was such thing as a city boy, it'd be Aqueepoli) looks around frantically. "I dun even know which we can came from anymore!"
"Well, it is getting darker." Kiley muses thoughtfully, following along behind the holder boy and keeping her front forward and not once turning so to change in which direction her back faces. "There are berries, but.. It is winter." The woman notes, quite unhelpfully at that. Could it be that she's enjoying watching the boy squirm? "Well, being a crafter is a job.. Not a hobby. Hobbies are easy.. Some people collect leaves. Some collect.. Flowers? Some collect… Shells?" The woman offers a rather thoughtful smile before she laughs, "napping is, sadly, not a job. But there are easy things. Like being a busboy, you pick up the dishes left behind and bring them into the kitchens to be cleaned. All done." However, when he declares they are lost, she stops and points oh so helpfully over her shoulder. "We came from that way." Not accounting any turns, however. "If we just stop and walk straight, we could figure it out. We mark where we've been before with a mark in a tree.. Maybe the letters A and K, then when we come across that spot again, we try a different direction."
Perched on a rock, Pyriel sits within a small clearing, with a handful of pebbles just beyond where Kiley and Aqueepoli are at present. They were headed in his general direction though, so as long as they didn't deviate from their current path, they would run across him eventually. Wrapped up in enough layers to keep his thin frame warm, he has a beautifully knitted hat of gray and white pulled down over his head and ears. The length of his hair flattened against his neck and the edges an mere inch from his shoulders. He wears some knitted gloves as well as a scarf wrapped snuggly around his neck to match the hat, likely all made by the same person, the ends of that scarf obscured in the way it was tucked inside the front of his puffy powder blue jacket. He's tossing those pebbles, or trying to, into the hollow of a fallen tree several feet away. Every time he misses, which is quite often, he curses softly under his breath.
"Wha' way? That way? We turned a lot, didn't we? I can't remember!" Aqueepoli's antics really aren't getting much better. The lad is now rushing, more or less, around a tree, trying to search for moss. "Kiley, Kiley. It's a /tree/!" He points to the one he's walking around. "An' dun they say some noise 'bout moss growing on the… something something… something side of a tree? So. Here's the moss!" Pol stops directly in front of it, turns around, and points in the same direction moss is pointing. "That means the Weyr is… THAT WAY. YES. WE'RE SAVED!" He saved them! Success. But his feet don't start marching at all. Instead, he sees a small clearing and a blob in the clearing. Yay for sharp eyes. The blob, of course, being Pyriel. "Py!" The holder candidate, motions over to Kiley, while waggling his other free finger feriously at the other guy. "We're /saved/ again! Pyriel's all savvy an' stuff. He'll find the way home. Or! OR. We spend the night out here and huddle for warmth and eat pine cones." As much as he hated them earlier, Pol's hysterics allow him to see the glory of pine cones now as food.
"As long as you remember what direction we turned we just turn opposite. If we went right? Then we go left and so on…" Kiley smiles thoughtfully as Aqueepoli goes rushing forwards, and she follows him with a look of amusement crossing her face. "Yes. That /is/ a tree." Amusement grows even thicker in her voice as she steps closer to the other. There is no comment about the moss, merely shrugging until he points out the direction of the Weyr and the woman laughs. Though she quickly stifles it with her hand and then smiles at the other candidate. Pyriel is found by the other and she follows quickly, spotting the harper candidate and waving a greeting. "Hello Pyriel. You wouldn't happen to know the way back? Pol is starting to freak out."
Pyriel jumps when he hears a loud voice from behind him and he twists at his middle, dropping the pebbles from his hands. "Wha?" he blinks, eyes darting between the two other candidates. "Yer kiddin' right?" he asks, shoulders sinking and he sighs, pushing himself off the rock he was using as a seat and brushes his butt off idly. Shaking his head, he wanders over towards the pair, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. "How could ya possibly be lost? Ya just head straight that way," the harper jerks his chin in the direction they had come. "And ya come out into the clearing." A pause and he eyes Aqueepoli a bit dubiously. "I ain't sleepin' out here, no freakin' way. Who knows what kinda crap is wanderin' around lookin' for food." He scrunches up in his coat, by hunching his shoulders. "Things that ya can't punch in the face before they eat ya alive I wager." This was purely for Pol's benefit of course, considering earlier talk about decking charging dragonets. He smirks a bit at Kiley, "Pol? Freak out? No!" he muses with a chuckle.
"/Hey/! Aqueepoli stops his movements, turning towards Kiley and frowning. "I am /not/ freakin' out. I'm… I'm making lots of noise, to… ensure… we're found." Yeeees. That makes perfect sense. The candidate ships a panicked look around him once more. "Yah, yah. All ya say makes sense, in theory. But I have it on good authority, tha' girls have no sense of direction. An' ya always get lost. Or… or was that guys?" Two thoughts at one time in Aqueepoli's mind forces the lad to stop, think it all out, before continuing. Seems the last thought was ditched instead for the encroaching energy bubbling up inside. Luckily, Pyriel's appearance seems to have centered the other male, if only for a moment. "Py! Are ya… are ya SURE it's just straight that way? I coulda' sworn we took a wrong turn…" He's rushing forward now, not looking where his feet are being planted. So when a very stealthy root seems to APPEARS out of no where, causing Aqueepoli to catch it on his toes, the candidate is thrown bodily forward. Heels go up, head goes down, the world inverts itself. A loud "OOOF!" is released from Pol's mouth as his side connects with the forest floor. All silence from over here, as eyes flitter open and the dust settles. The candidate stares straight forward, into an animal-sized hole in the bottom of the tree where the roots meet the ground. "Wha'…?" He asks out, forgetting about everything else and scooting ever forward. "Guys, c'mere, I think there's something in here." His hand goes in with much hesitation as he feels around.
Kiley is all smiles as Pyriel points out the way back, nodding along thoughtfully but saying nothing on that or the sleeping outside comments. The talk about Pol freaking out, however, draws a wide grin from the woman and she shrugs. Though the holder boy is turning on her and her smile fades and she merely nods along with his claims his loud noise is to ensure their safe return. "Right." She agrees, but does not add in her own assessment about the sense of direction. Silence continues as she looks between the two and then Pol is rushing forward. Obligingly, she makes to follow after the holder but comes to pause when he trips and then there's a gasp following. "Are you okay, Pol?" Serious, now she moves forward to assist him. At least until he's calling them over and sticking his hand into the hole. "Wait! What if there's an animal in there and it bites you?" Well, too late his hand is already in it. To his side she rushes and she peeks in curiously.
The harper candidate crosses his arms over his chest and raises a brow at Aqueepoli and his adamant denial of being freaked out. Especially the explanation for those loud noises. Yeah, he's so not buying it. Nope. "Pol, man…" he starts and then just deflates, as if deciding it just wasn't worth arguing with the brick wall that was the holder lad, releasing a long suffering sigh. He jumps again at his name being used, but he snaps to attention regardless. "Yeah?" he asks, and then bobs his head several times to the question. "Yeah I'm sure, been wanderin' around in here for almost a turn when I can the chance, know my way around pretty well by now." When Pol comes rushing towards him, Pyriel blinks, eyes widening and he unconsciously takes a wide step to the side, which was probably the wise thing, considering that Pol's foot catches and he topples over onto his face. The blond winces despite himself but in the next breath he rushes over to the side of his friend. "Faranth! Ya okay Aqueepoli?" he asks, suddenly flooded with concern, which is easily reflected upon his face as he leans over as if to help the holder up. But then Pol is scooting past him towards that hole. "Ah yeah…dude that looks like some animal's den, dun put yer han…." But it's too late and the harper straightens, shaking his head at Kiley. "Ya know, sometimes I wonder how the shipfish he made it to sixteen." he groans, slapping one of his gloved hands against his forehead.
"No, no. I saw something in here, not sure wha' though. Looks all blob-ish." Aqueepoli drags his legs up underneath him, his right hand still in the hole. His tongue sticks out the side of his mouth, concentrating on whatever his fingers are grabbing. "I knocked it deeper… hold on… hold on." Their concerns are heard, and Pol gives a snort. "Bah, there ain't no animal in here, if'n there was, I'm sure it woulda bit my hand by now an' I'd be screa—AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Suddenly jumping, the holder SNATCHES his hand back, out of the hole. But! Not alone. As his right fist is held up in the air, a small sized stuffed animal is in his clutches. "Aaah, sorry 'bout that, thought I felt something rub up against my hand an'… heeeeey." The stuffed animal is brought down and towards his face. "It's a… it's a… ovine?" Sure enough. A stuffed pig. All smooshy and dirty from being shoved in the animal den. "Feels all lumpy an' kinda hard in places." Giving it a good squeeze with his fingers, a singular mark pops through a hole in the seam… and falls to the ground. Aqueepoli just stares at it. "No… no way." The pig is flipped over, and the loose seams on the bottom are pulled apart. Inside amongst the stuffing… are marks. A large amount of marks of different denominations and craft and hold stamped. "/Shards/! We're RICH!" Which is better than being SAVED!
Kiley looks to Pyriel and shrugs at the question, "I have no idea…" The woman sighs softly as she looks back to the holder with his hand in the hole, making a face as he reaches further into the hole. "Aqueepoli…" The woman starts, softer and her tone full of concern. And then there's the screaming and the woman covers her eyes, in fear of the scene that may come to be. A bloody bloody scene.. but then he's stops screaming and her hands drop away form her eyes to give the boy a bewildered look, though it drops into confusion at the sight of a stuffed ovine. "What…? Why would it be out here?" But then the boy is squeezing it and a mark pops out. She opens her mouth and then shuts it again as he flips it open and pulls it apart. More marks are revealed and the woman's jaw drops. "W-We.. Put it back! What if the person who hid it comes back? Put it back!"
"Yeah, I'm sure ya saw something in there man, it's called the reason ya lost yer fingers. Get outta there." Pyriel insists, taking a step back warily. He looks to Kiley when she replies to his statement about Pol's baffling continued survival, and he worries his bottom lip with his teeth before his attention returns to the holder. "Pol, for real, dun mess with…" And he's cut off by that loud exclamation that he probably should have been prepared for, given the situation. Eyes wide, and fear already creeping in upon his features. As Aqueepoli pulls out the stuffed ovine instead of five bloody stumps, a hand flies to Py's chest and he glares at both the toy and the other boy. "Ships and shells man! Ya scared the crap outta me!" he admits, pale and breathing heavier for the rush of adrenaline that was now probably happily pumping through his system thanks to his buddy over there. When the mark drops out, he eyes it, narrowing his gaze to slits, "Kiley's right man, ya should put it back…" he nods, eyes settling on the woman. "Or maybe bring it to the Weyrwoman or Headwoman? That way if someone wants to claim it they can just get it back from them?" He shrugs, seeming rather torn between those two options. "Ya definately should not keep it. It ain't yours."
"Yeah, I'm sure ya saw something in there man, it's called the reason ya lost yer fingers. Get outta there." Pyriel insists, taking a step back warily. He looks to Kiley when she replies to his statement about Pol's baffling continued survival, and he worries his bottom lip with his teeth before his attention returns to the holder. "Pol, for real, dun mess with…" And he's cut off by that loud exclamation that he probably should have been prepared for, given the situation. Eyes wide, and fear already creeping in upon his features. As Aqueepoli pulls out the stuffed ovine instead of five bloody stumps, a hand flies to Py's chest and he glares at both the toy and the other boy. "Ships and shells man! Ya scared the crap outta me!" he admits, pale and breathing heavier for the rush of adrenaline that was now probably happily pumping through his system thanks to his buddy over there. When the mark drops out, he eyes it, narrowing his gaze to slits, only to widen again when the ovine is shown to contain what might be considered a princely amount of marks. Now he had a look of complete and utter alarm, "Kiley's right man, ya should put it back…" he nods, eyes settling on the woman. "Or maybe bring it to the Weyrwoman or Headwoman? That way if someone wants to claim it they can just get it back from them?" He shrugs, seeming rather torn between those two options. "Ya definitely should't keep it. It ain't yours."
"Seems like more smaller marks, nothing over a two mark pieces," Aqueepoli states, riffling through it. "Put it back? No way! Finder's keepers, s'mine now!" He grins, "Well, not mine. Ours. I'll share with ya all! We'll go four ways, cuz I gotta give Iessrien some too, he's our bro an' all." Pol is always willing to cut his bestest buds in on the pot. "This could really help us, guys, if'n we don't impress. There's lot of candidates and only twelve eggs. We can, we can /travel/! An' afford food. I won't have to go back to work in the stables, or back home. No way am I givin' them up." His eyes never leave the marks, teeth gritting. Both candidates are talking and being sensible, smart about the whole. "But… but GUYS. MARKS!" Pol whines, holding them out, eyes wide and sad. Finally, he relents. Frustrated. Annoyed. "/Fine/! I ain't puttin' them back, I'll hand 'em over to the Weyrwoman or the Headlady, I can… I can agree to tha'. If'n no one claims 'em… maybe they'll give it back, right?" Aqueepoli sends a hopeful look at both Kiley and Pyriel. "An' if they do give 'em back, then maybe… maybe you guys will split it all with me? We can treat ourselves at the next gather." It's the most honest thing to do. Sigh. "Kay, well. I'm gettin' back to the Weyr, looking for Thea, an' getting this in now, before the owner comes back. Might be a renegade's or someone's. Dun wanna run into them types. Y'all can follow or not, but ya should get outta this area, kay?" Pol huddles the little ovine stuffed animal to his chest and starts towards the direction that Pyriel indicated earlier. "See ya back in the barracks, I'll give both the details then on what's up." Shifty-eye, Aqueepoli takes off, towards the Weyr.
Kiley looks at Pyriel with a look of panic as he insists that Pol do the right thing. And then she looks close to running, even more so as the holder goes on about splitting it all up. "I really.. Do not think it is a good idea.. At all. Really.. Just.. Put it back." Panic spreads in her voice and then he's relenting and the woman breathes a sigh of relief. "Maybe they will. If they're not fake.. Or something." And then he's on his way out of the area and she's casting a quick look to Pyriel. "I'm not going to stay around for.. Whoever it is to come back" And she's taking off after Pol in a light jog.
Pyriel frowns deeply at Aqueepoli when he admits his desire to not put the mark filled stuffed animal back into the hole, and instead keep it. "That makes ya a thief, Pol." he says in a disapproving tone. A glance given to Kiley, and he just shakes his head. No, this plan was obviously not one he approved of. "Ugh, ya can just keep what ever ya were planning to give me, I dun want it." he turns then, about to just leave the greedy holder to it. But then Pol relents, and Py stops, glancing over his shoulder at the older boy. "Much better plan." he nods, though he is giving the holder an appraising look, as if he didn't quite believe that the other male candidate was going to give up that easily so quickly. When the mark laden boy dashes off, he too looks to Kiley and another nod is passed, this time to her. "Ya, that and we better make sure he actually does what he says." With that, he's off heading quickly off in the direction that Aqueepoli was headed. "Pol! Wait up, I'll come with ya."