Ship Watching
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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.


Her father always told her the best fishing is done in the rain. Maybe that's why Kera is nearly waist deep in the water holding onto a old fishing rod she borrowed. Her attention is towards the deeper water, to a little bit of cork that's bobbing with the water flows to be more exact. She doesn't seem at all bothered by the light drizzle as, though she does occassionally reach up and swipe at her eyes.

If the best fishing is done in the rain, why was the catch so awful back at that survival camp on the island? It rained buckets! Maybe those words of fishing wisdom aren't that simple… or maybe the then-candidates were just lacking in technique. Soriana comes in along the beach, pausing to look out at the water. Hmm. Pretty empty-looking, if you don't count the bobbing cork. She frowns briefly, then continues along toward Kera and offers a smile. "Any nibbles?"

Kera blinks the water from her eyes as she tries to keep the little floaty in sight. Every so often she reels the line in slightly before keeping the rod still. The questioning voice draws her attention towards the shore, spotting Soriana. Offering the Weyrling a grin and wave, Kera shakes her head. "Not a one, unless ya count whatever was trying to get a taste of my toes earlier." Glancing back towards the water. "I'm starting to think my dad doesn't really fish as much as he makes out." Giving up the task, she starts reeling the line in as she walks backwards towards the shore. "How are you and yours doing today?"

"Only counts if your toes are in a trap." Soriana grins. "But I think that's a more live sort of bait than they usually use." She stays on the shore, where the only getting wet she's going to do is from the drizzle, and glances out over the water again before returning her gaze to Kera. "We're good. How about you, other than not very popular with the fish?"

Kera finishes reeling up the line and secures the hook. Glancing towards the clearing sky she frowns "I blame the fact that the clouds are all going away." Shrugging, she doesn't seem that broken up over it. "I guess I won't be inviting them to dinner then." Referring to the fish of coarse. "I'm well. Got a note from Natalya. She had good news, you probably already heard though being one of the weyrfolk."

Soriana glances up at the sky, and hmms. "Maybe the wind will pick up." Or shift directions, or whatever it's supposed to be doing. She shrugs slightly, then looks back to Kera. Good news from… "Oh! Yes." Soriana smiles. "I was there at the hatching and saw her impress." And told N'talya's former journeyman and dolphin about it, though maybe the gossip didn't spread much from there. News is a funny thing. "So, yeah, she's at Ista now with her new lifemate."

Kera plants the butt of the pole in the sand when she gets closer to Soriana. "I really should send her a note back soon." Chewing on her bottom lip a moment, she considers the weyrling in front of her. "Do you think she'll move back here eventually?" Her gaze drifts back towards the warming water. "Didn't she have a dolphin partner here?"

Soriana shrugs a little. "I don't know. Lots of times, weyrlings stay at the weyr they impressed at." Soriana glances along the shore to the weyrling barracks here. "Of course, a lot of them don't have another weyr to go back to, either. So it's sort of hard to say. N'talya did have Echo here, yes, but I suppose the dolphin could move too?" Not that she knows all that much about dolphins, but. "Ista's got good water. I'm sure there are pods there."

Kera nods after thinking about what Soriana says. "I guess it could, if it knew it needed to… I think that's where she said her friend was, so maybe she'll like things there." Her shoulders lift and drop as she shrugs off the topic and the sun starts breaking through the dwindling clouds. Noticing Soriana glancing off down the beach, gestures that way with her fingers with a chuckle. "Sorry, here I am chatting your ears off and you probably had business to get to."

Soriana gives her head a bit of a shake. "Not if the ship I'm supposed to be meeting doesn't show up, I don't." Not unless she goes back and starts doing some of the other stuff she's supposed to be taking care of, but.. details. "I suppose the weather might have them delayed… but I'll give them a few minutes before I go looking for any reports to file." Because if she went looking, she'd find them, and then she'd have to fill them out. Soriana's head tilts questioningly as she returns to… "Friend? What friend is that?"

OH! On the lookout for a ship. Well that she can do. Glancing along the horizon, she doesn't see anything right now so turns her attention back to Soriana with a curious frown and uncertain shrug to the other girl's question. "I'm not really sure. I only got to have a few chats with her before she left. But during one, she did mention a friend that was ther. I think she said he was here then moved there." The frowns a bit and stares off into the water absentmindedly before shaking out of her thoughts. "I don't remember more than that. She didn't seem in a good mood that day so I didn't push."

Missing ships! Or at least delayed ones. Soriana doesn't seem overly concerned by it, though a small frown does tug at her mouth. "Are you sure it was Ista, and not Ierne?" she asks, then gives her head a little shake and puts a smile on. "Not that she doesn't have friends there now, I'm sure. Whether she did when she left or not."

Kera reaches up to scratch her head as she squint towards the water, scanning one way then the other. "Hmm, maybe, it could have been Ierne she said. But like I mentioned, she seemed a little down that day so I didn't really push her over it." Lifting her hand and pointing to a distant point on the horizon. "Is that it?" Blinking a couple of times, she shifts her feet and props/leans herself on her planted fishing pole.

Soriana hmms, and nods. She does her best to chase the frown away, but it still seems to linger despite the fact that, regardless of which place, it's far away and there's nothing she can do about it. And. Yet. The glimpse of a spot that might be a ship is a welcome distraction, and she takes another step toward the water to peer at it. "Huh. Might be." She hehs. "Hard to tell, this far out, but…" she'll keep an eye on it! "Does seem to be coming this way."

Kera keeps her attention mainly on the slowly growing shape on the waterline. Glancing to Soriana again "Are you waiting for a friend?" A moment passes and she grins a little "Sometimes I have to come get shipments from the Hall. For restocking harder to get herbs and things like that. Gets a little boring waiting near the docks for the ships huh?"

"Nah," Soriana says. "I'm just here to get some transport records." But, hey, she's doing it on her own this time instead of having a watcher! Or at least… a visible watcher. Somebody somewhere will probably get a report. Or make gossip. As for the dullness of the job, well… "At least it seems to be turning into a nice day on the beach." She shrugs, then grins. "Even if I'm not exactly lounging."

Kera ahs softly to herself and nods in an absentminded way. Flicking a curious gaze to Soriana a few times the apprentice disturbs the silence yet again. "Is that a hobby of yours? Looking through current or past records I mean." Since the sun is getting brighter and drying the sand, Kera crouches then plops onto her backside, resting elbows on her knees.

Soriana's gaze leaves the approaching ship with a blink, and settles on Kera. Okay, another blink. And… a laugh. "Maybe if they were the right records, but… no. This is for the official-type records." Because, hey, why not send the person with the youngest, spryest limbs running around on errands?

Kera nods at the correction and chuckles. Glancing down the beach and back to Soriana. "I think this is the first time I've seen you near water without your dragonmate." The apprentice snorts a bit in good humor "Even when it was snowing she was out here with ya." Another look is given to either side of the beach again. "Is it because it was drizzling earlier?"

"Hmm?" Soriana says, then shakes her head. "Luraoth doesn't mind rain. She's just busy elsewhere, today." She smiles. "Out by the forest keeping an eye on things." Supervisory dragon! Soriana glances back to the water, and hmms. "Looks like it's getting close. I'd better be there to meet it." Otherwise the sailors might end up in the tavern and then she'll never get the records! She smiles to Kera. "I'll seeya later."

Kera waves to the departing rider. "Nice chatting with you Soriana." wiggling her fingers towards the weyrling, Kera takes up her borrowed fishing rod and heads back to the Weyr.


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