Xanadu Weyr – Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
It's early morning at Xanadu, the day promises to be a warm one with nearly a dead calm that does nothing to stir the air. The lake's surface, glass-like in the stillness is only broken by the ripples caused by Seryth as she wallows in the shallows. Thea, dressed in old shirt and shorts, stands in waist-deep water, a brush in one hand, giving the gold a scrubbing. She's got her back to the beach, singing softly, the tune hauntingly sad the words unclear. Might as well be in another language…
Moria is a new face at the Weyr. In fact, she's just arrived, and looks a bit dazzled by her new surroundings. She walks slowly down the path from the clearing, gaze flicking from point to point along the beach, and evnetually alighting on Thea and Seryth in the lake. A soft 'oh' escapes her as she takes in the sight, and she stops several yards from the pair, watching the pair with wide eyes.
Keziah comes down from the meadow, with bits of straw and hay still attached to various places around. Course, when you're sweeping and cleaning up in the stables, what does one expect. She seems to be lost in her thoughts, daydreaming really, and luckily for her, she's so used to the path to the beach that she really doesn't need to pay attention and just keeps her footing. Kezi as well takes note of Thea and the Gold, but it's the tune that catches her attention as she tilts her head a little to listen to it. Pursing her lips she tries to catch the words and then just shakes her head somewhat and looks around, taking note of who's out and about, or maybe who's not.
Seryth lifts her head, curving her neck around to see who's coming and going. These things interest her. It creates a bit of a wave, causing Thea to wobble in place as she scrubs. Her song breaks off and she sighs, craning her neck up at the dragon's head, "Can't you be still…?" There's water dripping from the young queen's jaw and it plops in her eye. "Ack!" She rubs at it with the back of the hand holding the brush and then, since she is paused in the washing, she's turning to glance at the beach to see what Seryth is looking at. Though the song was sad, the Rider isn't. A warm smile lights her face as she spies Moria and she calls across the water that separates them, "Oh, hello! New-come to Xanadu?" And there is Keziah further up the beach. Thea waves with her brush in that direction as well.
Moria is so absorbed in watching the pair in the water that she doesn's notice Keziah at first. That doesn't last, though. Startled by the regard of the gold and Thea's question, she blushes and looks away, caught staring. "Ah, yes, weyrwoman…." She pauses, not sure who she is addressing. "I just arrived from Landing." Disconcerted by the joint regard of dragon and rider, she glances at Keziah finally, blinking rapidly as she realizes she isn't the only other person on the beach.
Keziah has her eyes on the gold, a bit of a smirk on her face. "Not one to stay still, is she. Least you're on the ground this time." she notes after she moves in closer, returning the wave. Course, she is then watching Moria "'Ello. Landin' huh? Been a fair bit since I've been out that way. How goes things?" she asks as she stretches a little. "Ya wouldn't happen to know anything 'bout a pair of matched geldin's I'd delivered that way oh bout half a turn or so ago?"
With the lack of pleasant enough days lately, Rogawani seems to be among those drawn down towards the beech, his boots making little soft sounds in the sand as he moves. Over one shoulder, the candidate has a familiar looking white robe thrown. In his hands, however, is a basket full of other mending, probably stuck with that loathesome chore today. He seems nearly oblivious to the others, except for when a flash of gold in the water catches his eye and the boy turns to scan for the rider. He pauses, head-tilted slightly as he looks at Thea, and then the others in turn, but in the end he heads in the Weyrwoman's direction. "G'day, Thea." He greets, although his voice is kept oddly low, as if not wanting to interrupt her.
Thea notices the girl's unease and calls, "Welcome, then… ah?" She's not sure who she's talking to, either. "I'm Thea and this," her brush gestures to the dripping dragon behind her, "Is Seryth." Her eyes lift back further up the beach to Keziah again and she's laughing softly in reply, "Apparently not. Sitting still isn't her thing." On the ground. This for some reason has the weyrwoman yet more amused. "And not on a fish." There's a sudden croon from Seryth and Thea, turns to give Rogawani a wave with that brush, "Hey there." It's a cheery greeting, markedly contrasted from her singing. The robe is eyed, "Found yourself one did you?"
Moria looks back and forth between Keziah, Thea, and the newly arived Rogawani, apparently a bit on the shy side. "Ah, I really wouldn't know," she says to Keziah, blushing again. "I don't deal with runners much. I'm a glasscrafter," she adds by way of explantion. And finally, she has a name for someone. "Moriana, ma'am," she answers Thea, ducking her head in a nod of greeting and respect. "Thank you for the welcome." The further remarks by Thea draw her gaze to each candidate in turn and she fidgets a bit. "Ah, fish?" she asks, puzzled by the comment.
Keziah ahhs a little and shrugs "No worries." she states pleasantly enough. "Names Keziah, beastcrafter by trade and lately assistant stablemaster here till R'sul decided I should get off my tail and go look at some eggs." she states and then she grins brightly "Aye, a fishie fell right on it with a nice splat. Poor Sat, he tried to catch her, but wasn't quick 'nough." She waves to Ro "What? No greeting for me? Sniff, sniff." she states by way of greeting. She's obviously real put out. Not.
Rogawani's eyes roll a little bit, setting the basket of mending work down before he tosses the white robe on top of the pile. "I see you every day, Keziah." The boy smirks, but just to rub the whole mess in further, he draws a hand to his chest and elaborately bows. "Greetings of Xanadu to you dear Keziah. May your runners never poop on the wrong side of the fence." A bit over the top, perhaps, but the boy just stands up strait again, and folds his arms across his chest. However, for the glasscrafter, he offers a boyish smile. "Hey there. I'm Rogawani. Ex-messenger, up until I got stuck on the sands. Now I'm an over-glorified seamstress." He flops down onto a rock, pulling the basket to him before looking up at Thea. "Yeah, found one. Needs some work, though."
"No Ma'am, just Thea, thanks." It's said with a breezy laugh to the newly-arrived Moria, then the girl's question draws a small grin, "I landed on a fish last time I fell off of Seryth." She gives the dragon a fond thump, adding, "Well, it was more like a slide than a fall." There's a shrug to that. Rogawani's over-done greeting to Keziah is enough to set her to snickering before she nods, "Good then you're all set for the hatching, hmm?" In spite of the light words, her eyes watch him keenly for his response before sliding back to Keziah, "Getting yourself ready for the dance?" Her eyes take on a wicked light and she tilts her head subtly towards Rogawani.
Moria's expression rapidly transitions through suprise at the casual attitudes of the candidates regarding their candidacy to bemusement as they snipe at each other to confusion at their somewhat glib exchanges with what she has been taught to regard as an authority figure to be honored - namely, Thea. she is obviously feeling out of place as she takes a few steps back, the better to look at everyone at once. "Oh," she says faintly at Keziah's 'fish' explanation, but then understanding dawns as Thea elaborates. "Oh!" And she actually smiles slightly. And then the word 'dance' catches her attention. "Dance?" She really can't manage more intelligble queries today.
Keziah blinks at Ro and then she just bursts out laughing. "Somedays, I really could like you alot." she states with a snicker "That I could." A glance for Thea and then a grin "Yeah, I've had me dress airin' out an all. Mother will be real pleased to know that I'll be puttin' it to use and all. I swear, she's given up all hope on me in those areas." A glance for Ro "You got good gather clothes right? Cause it just wouldn't be right to show up in any old dregs and all, and well as I told Satoris, plenty of people with skills to outfit him. Be interestin' to see how he looks in somethin' aside from his usual getup." she turns her attention to Moria "Oh yes, a dance. Sorta a teach us Candi's proper manners and all and how to behave and such." she states.
"I try." Is Rogawani's response, giving another of those odd mock-bows of his as he reaches for the robe still sitting in the basket, throwing it over his legs as he fishes out a patch of similarly plain white material. "What what?" It's his turn to seem surprised as he glances towards Keziah first, then Moria, and then Thea last. "What's this about a dance?" He asks, looking as if someone had left him completely out of the loop. Keziah'x explination has him looking briefly worried, "So, just when is this particular torture supposed to be?" There's no answer to the question on if he has nice gather clothes or not.
Thea has no idea what's going on in Moria's head, all she sees is the odd expressions flitting across Moria's face and her backing up. One dark brow raises slightly, but she doesn't comment except to say, "Mmhm, dance. Candidates'll be learning how." She nods in accord with Keziah's explanation, her green eyes doing a dance of their own as she awaits Rogawani's reaction. And she is not disappointed. She gives him a wide, slow smile. "Soon." Oh, she's enjoying this! Her head turns then as her arm continues her scrubbing, although it moves more slowly than before and it's a thoughtful tone in the sound of her next words, "You both feel like you're ready for the hatching and the possibility of big changes?" Curious glances to them from the corner of her eyes.
Moria regards Keziah for a long moment when she gives the reason for the dance, then shakes her head slightly. Well, I hope you have a good time, she offers, glancing between the candidates. Her eyes take on a bit of twinkle when Rogawani indicates his lack of awareness of this event, and her lips twitch into a small smile. I'm sure you will have plenty of time to get ready. Whether she means the dance or the hatching is unclear. And then she's blushing once more as her stomach growls audibly. Oh, excuse me. I skipped breakfast to get ready this morning, and it's lunch time there now, she explains hurriedly, backing toward the clearing path. I should really go get a bite to eat…. She trails off, dipping nods to everyone. A pleasure to meet you all and thank you for your welcome, Thea, she says as she continues to move off.
Keziah can't help but love Ro's reaction as well. So amusing. She waves to Moria "Tis great meetin' ya and all. The food her be real good." she grins "Course, some of us will need dancin' partners. Maybe you'll get to partner? ANd hopefully, they don't step on your toes." she chuckles softly and then nods to Thea "Aye, pretty ready fer the hatchin'." Course she makes no mention on big changes, or either that it's because her attention is back on Ro "So, ya got proper clothes to wear and all?" she asks again.
"Soon." Rogawani repeats Thea's word with a bit of a groan to his voice, waggling the patch of cloth in his hand before setting it over the rip in his candidate robe. "You really are intent on torturing us to death." He mutters, and just shakes his head at the two of them. "Makes me feel bad for any girl who gets partnered up with Donakan, though." He trails off, scrounging in the pile of clothes for the bobbin of thread and a needle. When the question comes back to his clothes, however, the boy lifts an eyebrow. "Suppose so. Depends on what you consider 'proper', though. Messenger, remember?" He thumbs towards himself. "It's not as if anyone has ever really required me to get all handsome for an event." His eyes drift back towards Thea, and he shrugs. "Once this is fixed, I'm set for the hatching. Not sure I'd say ready, though."
Thea lifts a hand, giving Moria a casual wave as she leaves, then wades ashore to stand dripping on the sand. One arm gestures Seryth out to deeper water. The queen gives a happy chuff and complies to rinse and play. She nods to Keziah, "Glad to hear it." Then it's back to Rogawani and she's chuckling with the other girl as his response to the clothes question. "Well, it's well-meant torture," she explains striving for a reasoning tone as she eyes that casual shrug. "Ready for change is a hard thing to achieve sometimes." As her own words, an expression of pain crosses her face, fleetingly and she swallows suddenly, turning away. A forced gaiety laces the tone of her next words, "Get something nice ready. See you two." And she strides off to see to something or other.
Keziah watches as Thea heads off and then glances back over at Ro. "You mean you never wanted to dress up for a gather?" she asks, course, who's she to talk. She never did either. Course, she has a mother that she hopes she might. "Jessa might be able to help out and such. She's good with a needle." she notes with a grin "And there's always that other fabric we didn't take out and all."
"Well meant torture is still torture." Rogawani grumbles, threading the needle and sending it neatly through the fabric of his robe. He's gotten a little better at mending since becoming a candidate, but it seems unlikely anyone will really be picking on that skill when he's out on the sands. Biting at the corner of his mouth, the boy puts in a few stitches before he glances up towards Keziah. "I've got some clothes I could wear." He answers, perhaps trying not to drag anyone else into this mess. "Besides, I'm not sure I'd look good in metallic fabrics." He tugs at the collar of his loose tunic, smirking slightly. "Just didn't see much of a reason to get all dressed up, even for gathers. Not as if anyone was looking. That's for riders and rankers and the like. I think most folks would just be surprised to see me out of working gear."
Keziah ponders and nods "Well, I can understand that. Just as I can understand the fact that iffen ya Impress, you'll be even more a representative of the Weyr. Can't make us al look bad. I mean, say for instance you Impress a bronze, and a Lady of a hold wants to dance. Ifeen ya don't know how to behave, could be bad fer relations and all."
Letting his eyes stray back down to his work, Rogawani seems to be paying special care in making the stitches on his robe as close to perfect as he can manage. However, that's not much better than what a novice could manage on a good day. He's nearly halfway through one side of the patch before looking up again. "Kez, you don't have to give me the spheel." He groans a little bit, flipping the hem over and checking that the thread came through right on the other side. "I understand how being a rider makes you a representative of the weyr. I get it. It's been drilled in to us enough these past seven-days. I just don't think subjecting you girls to broken toes is the way to go about it." A smirk shows on his face, shrugging his shoulders a little bit.
Keziah grins and shrugs "No, no guarantees, but I think it'd be fun to see everyone tryin' anyways." she notes with a gleam in her eyes. "Sides, there's ways of protectin ones feet and all." she adds with an oh so sweet smile and then she's looking thoughtful as she turns to look out across the water. She's silent for a little and then she turns to watch his work, moving over to plop down nearby. "Course, there's no guarantees you won't either." she finally states.
"Don't know." The boy admits, not about to get his hopes up at this point. Still, Rogawani manages a little smile as he starts on the next line of stitches, which don't end up being quite as strait as the first. "Never said I'd be the one breaking toes, but can you imagine that big guy from Telgar?" He winces to himself, looking up when she plops down nearby. "I wouldn't have guessed you to be much of the dancing type, though. Why're you so excited about it?" He asks, picking at a bad stitch with the edge of the needle.
Keziah shudders a bit in thought at the the bigger fellas and then grins "Why? As I said, it'll be fun to watch. Including thoughs at that are really good at dancin'. But yeah, I ain't been much of one fer dancin' meself, but I'd do it just to watch the others." she states "Course, Thea was saying something about us choosin' our own partners and all, else ones will be foisted off on us. She urged Satoris to go ask Zevida and all."
"Yeah, I'd wager he'd ask her rather than one of the other candidates." Rogawani finishes picking at the stitch and re-threads the needle, managing to only poke himself in the finger once. "Have to admit that I'm not much for dancing either, but… hopefully I'm fair enough at it not to make a right fool of myself." He gives a small bark of laughter, and starts on the third side of the small white patch, glancing over towards the ex-stablemaster. "So, who're you thinking of asking, then?" He asks, not seeming all that interested in the whole matter. "Better to pick someone than end up getting stuck with my kid brother, or something." He teases.
Keziah hmms a little and shrugs "Dunno really. But I think I'd rather get stuck with your brother than that little brat Fortinos. Least your brother hasn't tried to poison me." A pause and then a grin and then she adds "Yet." She hmms a little and purses her lip. Obviously, she really hadn't thought that far, or either that she's been trying to finangle a feasble way to just watch and not dance.
"Fortinos… hrm." Rogawani's face takes on a bit of a wry sort of expression, glancing over at the older candidate with a bemused expression on his face. "Tali and I were hoping to get laundry duty… and just not wash the soap out of his clothes. Would be sort of ironic, don't you think?" He shares that little bit of a plan, knowing that there is certainly no love there between Keziah and the candidate who'd tried to poison half the weyr. "We wouldn't mind a little help. Whichever of us gets laundry duty next?" He asks, finishing off the patch and then holding up the robe to check exactly what it might look like when worn. "I'll probably ask Tali. If she'd go with me, that is." He shares, and then folds the robe up, setting it over the side of the basket to start on the rest of the work.
Keziah just smiles "Sounds like a plan." she notes and then hmms. "Course, I wonder…" she's silent for a bit "There's a few plants.. even dried create up quite the rash. It's the oils in them. Pretty hard sometimes to get outta clothing. Forget what it is though." she murmurs and then gives a nod as she changes subjects. "You and Tali would be cute together." she notes with a grin and then ponders "Think Morl will try his luck in asking Cenlia?" she asks.
Plucking up a shirt from the pile, Rogawani tosses it over his leg before stroking at his chin, pondering the suggestion. "Might be worth a shot, but maybe just in his socks or something." He ticks his finger as if noting something important. "We're pretty close to the hatching, wouldn't want to get into too much trouble, and the soap is just… uncomfortable." He shrugs, seeming all too easy-going when it comes to ways of torturing the other candidate who had inflicted such pain on a few of the female candidates he likes. "Hrm." He looks over the shirt, and finds a small rip that's easily mendable. "Not sure. He did have the guts to get her that shovel set. He might be brave enough to ask her."
Keziah is just vindictive, at least in thought, though not always in action. She just likes to think "Well, yeah. Probably be best, after all, could happen to anyone." she notes with a shrug and then grins "He did do that, didn't he. Well. I wish him the best of luck with that."
"Well, what's the worst that could happen?" Rogawani chuckles with amusement, threading the needle again as he looks over his shoulder at Keziah. "He gets threatened with a shovel, maybe? Cenlia wouldn't ruin her chance in candidacy either, especially after that mess Eledri tried to start." The boy's eyes shift, as if remembering the conflict near the start of the candidate cycle. As he starts on his stitches, Ro' seems quite content with the ex-stablemaster's company. "You could probably ask Ruzel, he did say he liked your freckles, right?" Apparently the ex-messenger has a long memory.
Keziah grins at the image. "She might chase him though." she notes "Could be quite the sight. I suppose I could." she shrugs some. She looks up at the sky. "Though I'm not sure likin' freckles means he'd wanna get paired with me an all. Was likely more a challenge to paint." course, there was more in that converstation they had that night then just freckles. "But that's besides the point." she then hmmphs "Now why should it be me havin to ask though?" she asks with a grin "They should be fallin' over themselves to ask me." Rhiiiight.
Rogawani barely contains a laugh at the mental image of Cenlia chasing the poor miner down with a shovel. "That truly would be a sight." He agrees, finishing the quick mending on the shirt before tossing it back onto the pile. He grabs up a pair of trousers, looking them over without much success at finding where the damage might be. "Do you see any rips on these?" He asks, offering them to her as his eyebrows draw together. His expression never darkens into anything serious, and the corner of his mouth quirks slightly. "Is that the way it goes, then? I thought you girls were supposed to be all modern. I'd expect such a thing out of Vivian, but you?" He snorts, and goes to pluck up a sock from the pile.
Keziah checks over the trousers as she answers "What? I can't want a guy to fawn over me?" Course, considering how often she tends to turn tail the other way, obviously not. "The seam here in the inseam is starting to give way. Might make things a little too well ventilated." she notes as she hands them back.
"Like I said, just never thought of you really as the type." Rogawani raises an eyebrow, looking at her as if trying to read if she is joking or not. Giving up on that task, though, he sets the sock down and takes the pair of trousers back form her. "Mmm, ventilation." He chuckles, and turns the pair inside-out, and digs for some thicker thread to work through a better seam binding. "Probably not so much a good idea." He chuckles and starts in on a rough stitch, trying to do the repair with the least amount of concentration. "You could always wait, see if anyone will start fawning. Then again, you may end up paired with Fortinos for your troubles." He winks towards her, chuckling to himself.
Keziah wrinkles her nose at the thought of getting stuck with the little idiot. "I'd rather his friend, even if he is short." And she's one to talk… "Course the two are joined at the hip. I swear." she shakes her head and then ponders "So, what type to you think I am then?" she asks curiously.
At one point, the needle gets a bit stuck, and Rogawani has to put some effort to get it through the thick trouser material. He grunts once, and then manages to pull it through. "Short… hah." He rolls his eyes a little bit. "I swear, most of the girls around here are short. I'm not too tall myself, but at least I'm growing." He starts in on the next stitch, and shrugs his shoulders non-commitally. "Well, I always figured you for a girl of her own mind, you know? The type who if she liked a guy, would just go up and tell him." He finishes off the stitching along the seam of the trousers, giving them a good tug to test the messy threading, but it seems to hold. "Not that I couldn't be wrong."
Keziah grins "I'm not short, I'm just vertically challanged." she states with a grin and then shrugs with one shoulder "I guess I do have a mind of me own and all. No denying that. But well, guess I've never been much one for goin up an tellin guy. Tried that once. Didn't work out so well. Course, I suppose that really wasn't so much his fault or mine, though I was fair nervous, and one really shouldn't be askin' things like that while muckin manure and such. Though if that one rider hadn't landed his dragon so close by and well. Lets just say, the guy had other things on his mind, since he'd gotten covered in manure and such. And then well another guy, I tried and all, but I may as well not have exhisted and such." A shrug "Seems more trouble than it's worth really I suppose."
Rogawani laughs outright at the 'vertically challenged' part. "If you say so." He shakes his head, although the smile on his face shows that he's still quite amused. "I don't mind girls being short, it doens't bother me." Afterall, the girl he's interested in isn't much taller than Keziah herself. As he starts to mend the sock, the boy listens to her tales of romance woe, doing his best not to laugh at the part about the poor guy ending up covered in manure. "You know, Kez. I'd hazard to say you have some of the worst luck of anyone I've ever met. Not that it's your fault, but… you never know. Maybe it's due for a turn."
Keziah chuckles "Yeah, luck seems to have an interest in me, and generally not for my own amusement. Least he didn't get covered in blood, not like. Oh Shards, what was her name Alara I think it was." she shakes her head. "Or food. I've covered a Weyrleader in it before. Now that was embarrasing. Be nice to have it turn, well for the better. Least most of my luck isn't too terribly painful. Could be worse. I mean. I didn't end up with needlethorn in my butt like Arkoss. Or well K'oss. Nor a hand flattenin' tender parts."
This time, Rogawnai can't help but laughing, shaking his head from side to side as he tosses the sock back down on to the bottom of the pile. A quick scan of the basket has him muttering, "Well, at least that's done." The bobbin of thread, with the needle tied into it, are tossed back ontop, with his candidate robe arranged above that. "Seems like most of your bad luck effects others at least." He doesn't comment about her incident with the felines, knowing how badly that tends to turn out whenever it gets brought up. "Maybe I should edge away slowly?" He teases, scootching his butt a bit away from her. "But seriously, I should get these back. I'm supposed to help out my Da with some runners once I'm free." He reaches down to pluck up the basket, standing up as he does so.
Keziah chuckles brightly "Yay, ye've been warned." she notes with a twinkle in her eye. And likely a good idea to not mention felines. That is still a sore point. As old scars can be. "Runners eh? I need to weed some of mine I'm thinkin' Course, been lookin' for new blood as well, but at the moment that's not goin' so well. No traveling without an escort kinda puts a damper on that."
"No kidding." Rogawani holds the basket in front of him, looking down towards Keziah with a half-smile. "It's odd for me to be cooped up in the weyr for so long. I'm so used to being able to come and go." He sighs a little bit, admitting this much, but then shrugs his shoulders. "It's a sacrifice for it, I guess." He seems thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe talk to Rhasmir. I'm sure he'd be able to see about getting you some new blood. He's a trader 'n all." Although he hasn't seen his trader friend, he's still counting on the man for a few things. "If you'll be out in the stables, I'll see you there in a bit." He nods, and then turns to walk off towards the weyr, his mending-burden in tow.
Keziah nods "Yeah. I miss gettin' out. But then I've gotten a little used to not going out quite so much. But I could if I needed too." she hmms a little "Yeah, I've talked with him a bit, though nothing definate, I should talk with him again when I can catch him" she notes as she stretches "I'll likely be back there later. Need to check on me mares and all."