Survival Camp - Campfire Square
During the day this area is a small clearing that sits just big enough to land four dragons in it, though by night it becomes an inferno where a fire is built up that licks its stray bits of lights to the ground just before the barracks nearby. The two barracks sit across from each other in strong contrast, the leader barracks being a comfortable modern barracks that looks clean and kept in good eminence while the follower barracks has a sharp destitute about it, looking that the ivy and decay is a day away from making the whole thing collapse.
From above the camp a dragon pops in from *Between*, circles and glides to a landing in the clearing. It is Seryth, giving a trill of greeting to those below. Thea kicks a leg across the queen's shoulders and swings down off from her perch on the gold's shoulders, using the straps in a vine-like manner to arch in a semi-circle around the dragon's front. She lands lightly and steps away to see who she can find, "Still alive out here? Not starved yet?" On her hip she has her beltknife and her crossbow is strapped arcoss her back. Alas, there are no bronzers about to shoot at.
Morlanol waves a 'halloooo' to Thea. Two whersports roast on a spit over the fire where Morl's 4 flits watch them with interest. His own belt knife having been much used in the last few days, Morl understands Thea's equipedness. He grins when she lands, his skin having developed a deep tan from the sun, "Yeah, we're still 'live. Dunno what we'd've done withou' th' flits, though. They're goo' li'tle hunters."
Cenlia is not in the immediate vicinity of the camp, though she and the small group who were out looking for edible plants do head back at the sight of the dragon. Returning along the forest path, Cen among them, the group looks oddly somber. Though the gold's arrival has Cen brightening somewhat, the girl waving a, "Hey," to Seryth and Thea. The candidate is looking rather well, all things considered, as she jogs over, a smile on her face.
Thea steps over to the fire, eying the roasting whersports with interest and a little trepidation. "How did you manage to bag those?" She nods to Morlanol, "Glad to see your firelizards are being useful. Uh.. you're really gonna eat those, huh?" Those odd-looking creatures. Cenlia and her group entering camp receive a welcoming smile, "The shovel came in handy I see." Her pale green eyes flicker over Cenlia's face with a silent question - she's noticed something in her expression. "Everything alright?"
Morlanol nods, somewhat trepidiciously, "Yeah, they're no' th' bes', bu' they're food." He pauses to turn the spit, "Some o' th' other flits 'long with Agate 'n' Bloodstone catch 'em, then one o' us wit' a knife kills 'em an' guts 'em. Cen's caugh' an avian th' firs' day here." He glances over, seeing Cen coming, and waves to her, "Any luck with th' herbs? Seasonin' really helps."
Cenlia eyes the whersports a moment with a shrug, "They're not that bad," a small pause, "Well, I've eaten worse, anyways." There's another shrug for Thea's question and a mumbled, "Yeah, fine," although her gaze wanders off back toward the forest trail. At the mention of herbs, her attention snaps back, and a lopsided grin replaces the slight frown that had started to edge its way onto her face. "Yeah, got a bunch -found some mushrooms along there too. Got some of the guys picking 'em, shouldbe back in a little bit," she waves off into the forest. From somewhere in the trees, Charmer gives a trill, and then starts his usual crooning at the newcomers. Apparently there are flits on lookout duty, though how effective they'll be is debatable, as Mizzle and Trouble are already distracted by a game of tag.
Thea sniffs the smoke arising from the… kill. "They don't smell all that bad," she admits, giving the claws a bit of a look. "They must put up quite a fight, no?" She eyes the firelizards sitting still enough to inspect, looking for wounds. There's a bit of puzzlement on her face at Cenlia's answer, but she doesn't press. Instead, she asks, "Did you find the patch of wild tubers over yonder?" She waves towards the dilapidated barracks, "They're behind that."
Morlanol turns the spit a few more times, but shakes his head for Thea, "Didn' even know there were tubers near here, let 'lone wha' t' look fer." He grins at Cen, "Ooooo, mushrooms." He gladly takes anything she offers and slips it into the roasting carcasses before nodding generally, "Yeah, the firs' ones gave Agate quite th' run-roun', bu' he's mos'ly be'ter now, jus' some pulled muscles."
Cenlia tilts her head and then nods, "I'll get the tubers," and rushes off.
Thea nods at Morlanol, "Glad they're ok." Cenlia scampers off, and Thea observes the gardener's haste with a small laugh, "She must be pretty hungry." She waits until her friend is out of earshot, then asks Morlanol, "Do you know what's bothering her?" She flicks a glance towards that trail the girl was eyeing uneasily, then back to the boy. "Anything happen out there?" There's concern plainly written upon her face.
Morlanol shrugs, seasoning the whersports as he does so, "She hasn' sai' much t' me since th' dance an' I haven' been down tha' path, so I dunno." Agate and Bloodstone give a pair of trills to her retreating form, then a similar greeting to Seryth while Tourmaline and Jasper both cower from the queen's large form. He glances after Cen's retreating for himself, thinking, "I think jus' bein' ou' here has been shaky fer her."
Thea settles on a nearby log, stretching her long, leatherclad legs out and crossing her booted ankles. She cants her head to watch Morlanol, "The dance, huh? Hmm. I thought you all did rather well for your first lesson." The emphasis is on the word 'first'. Uh oh. A thoughtful look crosses her face but rather than pursue that topic, she raises an eyebrow, "Shaky? Why?" Seryth crouches to the ground as if to make herself smaller, stretches out her neck slowly and croons gently in a musical, welcoming tone to the frightened firelizards, her eyes whirl slowly in a peaceful blue-green.
Tourmaline regains her courage before tiny Jasper, stretching her nose out to touch Seryth's with a soft cheep. Jasper chitters at her, no, no, don't touch the monster, it'll eat you! Morl sighs, mostly ignoring the flits for the moment since he knows they're safe with Seryth, "Viv hasn' been out o' her tent in a day fer anythin' bu' usin' th' bushes and grabbin' food. Th' fac' tha' she only has her nigh' gown migh' have somethin' t' do with tha', though. An' Cen," he sighs softly, "Well.. I think some of the nearby stuff's scared her more'n act'lly bein' ou' here. She's go' th' knowledge t' survive, bu' ev'ry once 'n' a while she'll go down a path an' come back lookin' like she jus' walked in on her folks makin' babies…" He trails off, not really certain how to express what he's seen.
Seryth remains completely and utterly still as the firelizard touches her nose, then she settles carefully to the ground and lowers her head to the ground, eyes watching the campfire and those around it. Thea's eyes drift towards Vivian's tent, "Night gown?" This perplexes her, "Surely she brought other clothes? I wouldn't have thought she'd let the lack of clothes keep her tent-bound, though." This is said in a dry-voiced wry tone and expressionless face with no mention of the Vivian running through the Weyr clad in nothing but [[player:D'son]]]'s shirt. Then Morlanol is explaining about Cenlia. The weyrwoman just blinks at his phrasing, "O-ho-kay. I think I'll just let it go at that." She does chuckle and shake her head at the boy before eyeing the fire once more. "Might be able to let that cook and go explore for a bit."
Soft rustling comes from Jessamin's tent; the flap is half-open, allowing a brief view of Jess folding her quilt up and setting it next to her pillow. Flits within chitter softly, crow hopping to the tent's entrance and out into the clearing; they stop dead in their tracks, chittering with mild alarm as they espy Seryth. All is silent within the tent for a minute, before Jessamin herself emerges, in her usual colorful patchwork garb. "Madder? What is it… oh my." She smiles, bowing low to Seryth, and her rider. "Hello, Weyrwoman. Nice of you to drop in on us poor Candidates." Her grin is unrepentant, and her eyes twinkle with mirth and welcome.
Tourmaline gives an excited, chittering trill and, with a few flaps of her wings, lands herself on Seryth's head. Jasper begins to calm, seeing that Tourmaline hasn't been eaten… yet… and stretches his nose out towards Seryth and cheeps softly, food? Morl grins softly, eyeing the fire and the whersports with a chef's eye, "Th' ren'gades took her bag o' clothes 'n' such righ' ou' o' her tent… I think it kinda threw her fer a loop…" He turns the spit again, chuckling at Tourmaline's behavior, then turns to wave to Jess as she emerges, "Nice o' you t' look at th' food, Jess. Thea wants t' go 'splorin', ya in?"
Thea turns at the greeting, her lips quirk at the formal words and with equal humor mingled with mischief, she returns Jessamin's bow. "I try." Again the wry tone. She eyes the nervous firelizards with a bit of irony, "Shells with them living at a Weyr with dragons, you'd think they'd be used to them by now." Morlanol's mention of Renegades has her frowning and she rises quickly, "Renegades?" There's a growl to her words and dark brows lower, "I think we need to get you lot home. But first a look around might be in order." She steps towards the trail, slipping the crossbow off of her back, reaching to fit an arrow into the weapon, drawing it back for firing and holds it at the ready.
Jessamin chuckles softly, waving her hands dismissively. "Don't think they've been this close to a gold, though." She looks down at her little flits, shaking her head. "Come on, you lot… I don't think she'll bite." It takes a few minutes of soft words, musical little trills, and gentle encouragement for her four flits to approach Seryth, their heads low to the ground and wings spread, in their equivalent of a bow.
Morlanol grimaces slightly, "At leas' we think so… they came th' firs' nigh' an' took mos' o' our supplies. I had t' go huntin' fer tha' one," He points to Jasper, who cirrups innocently, "'Fore dawn 'cause th' bag o' scraps I brough' was gone." He stands, shrugging slightly, "I don' min' goin' 'splorin'. Haven' had th' chance t' do much more'n hunt 'n' cook since I been here. 'Pparan'ly I was th' only wha' knew how t' prep wherry." He gives Thea a lopsided grin.
Seryth snorts gently, likely reflecting Thea's attitude for all this formal bowing. For a dragon, that's quite a puff of air exiting her nostrils. Since her head is on the ground, that rush of air has nowhere to go but along the ground towards all those out-spread firelizard wings. Thea has her back turned, but is aware. "Seryth, be nice…" She peeks over her shoulder at Morlanol and nods before turning back towards that trail.
Jessamin stiffens somewhat, glancing at Morlanol with a hurt look. "You're not the only one who knows, you know." She turns and ducks back inside her tent, rustling about as she puts on her shoes. It takes her a few minutes in the low, cloth structure, but she emerges, drawing her shawl about herself as she moves to join Thea and Morl. "I guess some exploring couldn't hurt. Ready when you are."