Fort Weyr - Living Caverns
This cavern, having been created by bubbles in the volcanic flow of this extinct volcano, has a breathtaking ceiling — a vast dome that arches high above the heads of the weyrfolk that scurry around beneath it. A hollow echo can be heard from loud enough noises, and the chatterings of various firelizards are consequently multiplied into a chaotic babble. All in all, the living cavern is a loud place.
Tables are scattered around the room, apparently in no particular order. Over to one side near the kitchens, two medium sized serving tables are constantly spread with snacks, klah, and other goodies. The tables look worn, yet perfectly fitted to the atmosphere of the caverns. In the 'corners' of the cavern, smaller two and four place tables are set up for more private talks or just a less chaotic atmosphere in which to eat.
Despite the early morning hatching .o0 (3 am?!), Anique is up with the rising of the sun regardless. She's enjoyed the breakfast feast so really there's little reason to be here in the living caverns. Here she is though for it's warm and cozy on the couch she's curled up on with a computer in her lap. It must not be a nice computer however based on the scowl she's giving it.
Yay! It's time for a diplomatic visit! Xanadu's leaders are coming here to Fort because Kayeth's eggs have hatched, but perhaps more importantly (at least to Soriana), she gets to come here because Luraoth's eggs have also hatched. The baby dragons have found their lifemates and been ushered off into the care of the weyrlingmaster, and now… it's time for diplomacy. They could have come to the hatching when it happened, but… no. Even with the time difference, that was far too early… or they were busy… or something. Anyway, they're here now! Dragons, gold and bronze, arrive in the Fortian skies. Proper greetings are made to the watchdragon, Luraoth's thoughts warm, and then the dragons land in the bowl and their riders clamber down. They'll visit on the heights (or maybe, in Luraoth's case, try to get a peek at the hatchlings) while their riders go to visit in the caverns. "…to bet they're still asleep?" Soriana is saying to Ka'el as they enter, grinning to him and then taking a look around.
With Luraoth, Kanekith lands upon Fortian grounds after a rumbled greeting to the watchdragons and any other Fortian dragon that may be nearby. Unlike Luraoth, his interest lies not with the hatchlings as they take off again once their riders are grounded. Ka'el is absolutely positive his lifemate will behave himself. He's a model visitor! And thus Ka'el enters the caverns with little worries about his bronze and mind on the new Weyrlings of Fort, however many there may be. They'll soon find out! He laughs as he arrives with Xanadu's senior, shaking his head. "No bet needed. I can guarantee they're still asleep if their hatching was as early as the dragons rumored. I'd be dead to the world. Maybe we should've come later."
Anique's own green is off on the heights sunning herself. Typriaeth will pull her attention away from any activity below her to bugle a welcome to the out of weyr dragons coming to visit. The conversation between Ka'el and Soriana pull her scowling expression into a more pleasant expression of welcome. "Ka'el?" she starts to stand which nearly topples her computer to the floor. Muttering a curse she quickly catches it. "Fort's Duties to Xanadu." is stated as soon as the computer is safe in her hands again.
"Later we've got that meeting with the computercraft," Soriana says with a shake of her head. "The one about tube… ray… something." She'll remember when she sees the agenda, honest! Or if she doesn't, she'll get someone to explain it to her until she does. "I'm sure we'll find someone." So… she takes a look around the caverns, in quest of that someone. Let's see… that's a pile of pillows vaguely shaped like a person, that's a firelizard, that's a weird shadow… a-ha! That looks like an actual person. One who knows Ka'el, even! Soriana glances to her Weyrleader, then back to Anique as the greenrider continues. "Xanadu's duties to Fort," she replies, and smiles warmly. "And our congratulations to her queens."
"…I thought they said they'd be serving tubers…" murmurs Ka'el, who sounds very disappointed. A meeting with fried tubers is always better than a meeting without! He's obviously misheard. Tube ray something or anothers probably aren't as tasty. Or edible at all, for that matter! He exhales a dismissive sigh. "I suppose sticking around Fort for a bit is out of the question," he remarks as he looks around the cavern, pausing as he hears his name. Brows lift, then a grin breaks as he spies Anique. "Angel!" he greets with a wave of his hand. "Hey!" He heads towards her and envelops her and her computer in a hug of greeting. "Xanadu's duties, and good to see you again! It's been far too long."
Amusement flashes in her gaze as the lack of tubers are lamented briefly. She has enough time to acknowledge Soriana's greeting before she's wrapped in a hug computer and all. Laughing she returns it taking pains not to poke him too hard in the back with the computer. "It's been forever! What brings the pair of you out this way to the coldness of Fort?"
Anything's edible if you try hard enough, but tube rays… are probably crunchy in the broken glass way, not the fried food way. Soriana looks thoughtful for a moment, because maybe she misheard? But… "Why would computercrafters…" serve tubers? Well, except to bribe people to come to the meeting, but given that she was planning to go without… maybe not. So she gives a slow shake of her head, one that slows further as she looks around. Fort's got nice caverns. Staying a while… "Depends on the bit." Is it a zero or one? Oh wait, no, it's not computer time yet. At least… not for Soriana! She glances down to Anique's as she follows Ka'el in that direction, then smiles back up to the greenrider's face, standing near as the two (apparent) friends greet each other. She laughs. "Hot sands! We heard Kayeth's clutch hatched, and mean to offer some congratulations to-" a glance around quiet caverns "-whoever's up to hear them." Eventually they'll get some to the actual weyrleaders of Fort, but worst case, there's always council meetings for that.
Ka'el releases Anique from his bearhug, careful to not jostle that computer and be the cause for its fall! He nods in agreement as Soriana answers. "News has made its way to Xanadu's shores. We bring our congratulations to Fort and her newest hatchlings and Weyrlings. I don't envy the hour that it was rumored to have happened, though," he says with a light wrinkle of his nose. "Hatchlings never are considerate in that way, are they? Is it true that it all was started in the middle of the night?"
"I've a theory that the hatch around the same time when they were clutched." Anique mentions casually. Setting the laptop down on the table she asks. "Would either of you like something to drink? Eat? The eggs did indeed hatch early in the morning which bodes well for a class of weyrlings who enjoy early mornings." she predicts.
Soriana smiles as she considers on Anique's theory. "It's as good a guess as any." She shrugs, then adds, "Well, I wouldn't mind some klah." When would she ever? The mention of a class that enjoys early mornings makes her laugh. "In that case, I hope they all enjoy the early. It would be terrible to be the one weyrling in the class who wants to sleep in…" Soriana shakes her head. "Poor guy." Who may or may not exist!
"Huh. I've never thought of that," muses Ka'el. "I'll have to pay attention to Xanadu's next clutch, if I can remember to when the time comes again for one of the queens to rise. You may be on to something, Anique!" He'll make a mental note, even though mental notes are usually forgotten if they don't turn into written notes at some point! The mentioning of food and drink has him turning towards the serving line, and his stomach makes an unintended rumble. "Mm. Apparently my stomach has its own agenda. Toast sounds good, though I can get it myself, no worries. And the klah, as well. Meanwhile, you could tell us all of the interesting details of the hatching! Were there any surprises? No injuries, I hope?"
Anique bobs her head. "So far i've not thought to do much research on hatch times compared to clutch times." remarks Anique. As Soriana says she wouldn't mind klah she's moving over to pour the Xanadu Weyrwoman a mug. "I can grab you one as well, Ka'el?" she offers despite his stating that he can get it himself. "The hatching was a huge success." naturally. "No injures though thankfully." is tosses over her shoulder on her way towards where the klah pots are. Two mugs are grabbed and poured into. "I think I was the one weyrling in the class who wanted to sleep in but Typriaeth usually had other intentions."
"There's plenty of records at the Dragonhealers' Annex, if you were to want more information," Soriana offers, and she drifts over toward klah with Anique. She could - oh, but she can also accept a mug from the greenrider. "Thank you." Fingers curl around it to enjoy the warm. "I'm glad things went well," she says of the hatching. Not that they usually don't, but… still. They could have gone wrong! And if so, the dragons would almost certainly have made note of it. Anique's comment about her dragon makes Soriana laugh. "Oh, that's definitely a part of weyrlinghood. The dragons adjusting to being out of the egg and the humans adjusting to being with a dragon." Her smile turns fond. "I'm not sure anyone's actually ready for the big day. Really… how could they be?"
"You're too kind," retorts Ka'el to Anique, nodding at the offer of klah. He himself goes to snag some toast to butter. And while he's at it, he piles on a bit of bacon on his plate. Enough to share. (or for him to eat himself, nomnom!) "How many eggs were part of this clutch?" he asks, looking over to the Fortian rider. "With Luraoth having been on the sands as well, I'm afraid we hadn't much chance to gather too much information about Fort's clutch until now." With his plate in tow, he moves to claim them a table. There are so many to choose from, with how empty the Caverns are! And so he snags the nearest one he comes across, setting the plate down. "Good to know nothing too out of sorts happened. I remember…oh, I can't recall whose, but some hatching I went to turns upon turns ago. The lights went out. No power at all! We could barely see anything, and what few emergency lights there were had the hatchlings all looking like mottled, grey blobs. Now that was an interesting hatching."
Typriaeth's call found the Senior queen dozing in her weyr while Nyalle did hidework, thus missing the arrival of the Xanadu leadership. Rising from her slumber she extends her thoughts of welcome to bronze and gold, offering them all the hospitality Fort has to offer while Nyalle hurries to the Living Caverns. Once inside she smoothes the skirts of her summer dress and smiles. "Fort's duties to Xanadu and her queens, to what do we owe this honor?" she offers, approaching and then dipping into a low curtsey. Seeing Anique serving them, the goldrider smiles widely at the greenrider.
Once klah mugs are passed to the pair ( none for Anique for once), she trails behind Ka'el as he seeks out a seat. To Soriana she merely nods with a quick smile. "No matter what it is nearly impossible to prepare completely for that day. Especially when it happens at 3 in the morning." when wits are muddled with sleep and the heat of the sand creeps at ya. "9 eggs totally I believe. Quite a beautiful clutch and such a mix of colors as well!" as Ka’el recalls a lights out hatching she nods her head. "Oh yes! I recall hearing about that hatching. At Eastern…Monaco Bay?" whatever their name is now. She's not sat down yet when she hears Nyalle calling out her greeting. Instantly she salutes. It's completely ingrained by now.
"Can hardly make the dragons wait," Soriana says with a laugh, nodding vaguely about whichever Weyr it was. "I'm sure they could see just fine." If not the poor candidates! Monster dragons, roaming in the darkness. "It's a good thing, too." Dragons recognize their humans, and Soriana - when she looks up and sees her - recognizes Nyalle. "And Xanadu's duties to Fort and hers." Soriana doesn't curtsey, but she does salute with a crispness that V'dim would find appropriate, accompanying it with a smile as she continues from formal to less-so. "Why, we're here to congratulate you on your hatching. I'm sorry we couldn't be there to see for ourselves!" There were other things. Okay, mostly only one thing.
"I think I went a little overboard on the breakfast meat…" Ka'el notes to no one in particular as he eyes his plate, which moments before didn't look so .. engorged with food. "So. I've a small mountain of bacon if anyone would like to share," he invites with a crooked grin, taking the klah from Anique with a look of thanks. He's about to sit down when Nyalle arrives, and he politely dips his head to her before offering a proper salute. "Xanadu's duties, and congratulations," he offers to the Senior, a smile accompanying his words. His eyes slide to Soriana as she explains in more detail the purpose of their visit, and he nods in confirmation. "Celebrating working lights and a lack of accidents," he says with a light chuckle. "Nine hatchlings, you said?" spoken to Anique. "That's a good number. I like odd numbers. They can be lucky."
Nyalle returns Anique's salute with with one of her own, and another warm smile. "Thank you, wingrider," she murmurs. A drudge is nodded to, and like Anique's salute it's engrained what the drudge hastens off to fix for the Senior. "Would you mind if I joined you?" Nyalle asks politely before she pulls out a chair and settles into it, gesturing for Anique to join them as well if she wishes. Her smile is warm for Soriana, inclining her head to the woman who is actually very close to her own age. She smiles to the Weyrleader as well, offering another small curtsey for them both. "Thank you! I'm so pleased you both could make it now. Hopefully some of the Weyrlings will be out and about so you could perhaps meet a few. I know one of them is from Xanadu. It was a beautiful clutch and I am so pleased that there was a gold and /three/ bronzes." The young goldrider is quietly proud, looking down at her hands before looking up once more to smile. "I can't imagine not having light for a hatching. Were there many injuries do you know?"
Settling into a seat once the Weyrwoman gestures Anique shakes her head at Ka'el's invite of breakfast bacon. "No thanks I'm still full from the feast after the hatching." she falls silent to merely listen to the chatter of other hatchings with no lights and is curious to learn if there were injuries at the dark hatching.
"We should be asking you that," Soriana says with a smile and an expansive gesture to Nyalle and table both. It's her Weyr, after all! Soriana's just a guest here. Her eyes flick to Anique, then Ka'el, and she takes a seat for herself and her mug of klah. She listens to Nyalle, nodding here and there as she smiles. "You and Kayeth must be very proud," she says. "I do hope we can meet some of the weyrlings, but…" she laughs. "I know how it is, right after impressing! They have more important things to do." She glances over to Ka'el and his mound of meat again and adds teasingly, "But if one does happen to come by…" They'll be ready! And until then, she snags a half-piece of toast and a bit of bacon to go on top of it, turning her attention back to Nyalle as she assembles it. "I've always sort of wondered if the search dragons change what they're looking for because of which queen is on the sands. It would explain why some people get searched for distant Weyrs but not their own." As for that lightless hatching… she shrugs. If she ever knew, she doesn't remember.
Ka'el finally does settle down into his chair now that all of the proper greetings have been made, and he snags a buttered piece of toast for himself, layering a few slices of bacon atop it. The breakfast of champions! "It's always fun to see the Weyrlings the hours after impression," he notes with a faint smirk. "The weariness in their eyes. The shock and awe. The 'am I dreaming?' haze that still lingers over them." He smirks nostalgically before taking a bite of his breakfast to chew, mulling over the conversation before swallowing it down. "One of your candidates was one of our residents?" he says to Nyalle, brows lifting a bit. "I hadn't realized that a search dragon made it to our shores," he says curiously. "As for Eastern's …ah, Monaco Bay's hatching, I couldn't imagine there not being injuries, if only just minor ones. But to be honest, I don't remember. It was a while ago. Before even I impressed, I believe."
Nyalle smiles over at Anique, pausing when the drudge returns with a small wooden tray, upon which is a little tea service. Nyalle pours hot water into the tea cup and adds the metal tea strainer, already filled by the kitchens with one of her favored blends. Covering it with the saucer, she leaves it to steep and smiles again. "But you are guests!" And thus, have the run of the weyr - as is only proper! Guests are royalty in Fort. "We are very proud, yes." There is a moment of quiet consideration for Soriana's theory. "That's very interesting, I've never considered that. Possible, then, especially when you see children passed up time and again and then suddenly Searched for a different queen. Very interesting idea! What do you think, Anique? Do you think Typriaeth changes what she is looking for?" Looking back at Ka'el, the goldrider smiles. "Especially with a hatching so early in the morning. And yeah, ah…Cyrus. C'rus, now. He impressed a blue." She glances at Anique for confirmation on that. Right?
Anique grins back towards Nyalle, a lot more comfortable around the gold rider these days since Anique remembers to salute and look proper and all that. Her attention shifts to each person as the conversation flows, her interest complete in this subject. "Typriaeth Searched out Amethyst actually." she can't keep out completely the pride in her voice as her green being the one to search the newest Gold weyrling. "She was actually, the only one she Searched because as she said 'she was all she needed to find.'" now her shoulder lifts in a shrug as she absently reaches for a piece of bacon. After all who can resist bacon when it's right there? "However her only answer for me." she continues after a brief moment to confer with the sun-soaking green "Is that she simply knows what to do when the time is right." not too helpful of answer perhaps. "Cyrus..Oh yes. That mind healer. Yes, I saw he got a blue. And that young one. Skyler. A blue as well too. He's a good kid."
Soriana smiles to Nyalle. "Of you." It's mild in tone, and she leaves it at that. The point is that they're all sitting here, some of them with breakfast, and having this conversation. She nibbles on the toast and bacon, nodding as she listens to the talk of being dazed (it's okay, she has klah for that) and people being searched. Anique's response from Typriaeth makes Soriana grin. "A very dragon sort of answer." She's kind of used to those by now. Soriana lifts her mug of klah to have a sip, then pauses midway through as Nyalle explains just who that Xanadu impression way. Her eyebrows lift, mug still lifted. Cyrus. Cyrus the - she glances to Anique - mind healer. Really. …if Soriana's actually been drinking this whole time, she must be very thirsty, but her throat hasn't been moving. She just hasn't thought to bring the mug down yet. Oh wait, maybe she should. So she starts to, and that's when Anique adds the part about the other blue impression, and there's a moment of startlement before Soriana blinks. "Uh." She shakes her head. Come on pieces, fall back together. She lowers the mug, slow and careful. "…I wouldn't exactly say he was… from… Xanadu."
"Kanekith has only searched one person.." says Ka'el thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair a bit. "Which in and of itself is surprising as he's really only ever been concerned with matters concerning himself or me. But, he was adamant about her, yet hasn't shown any interest in searching anyone since." It's a thought-provoking sort of subject, and an interesting one! He lowers his half bacon sandwich to sip at his klah, eyes shifting from gold rider, to gold rider, to green as words flow, nodding here and there. After a swallow, he's back to his sandwich! Or rather, he was going to get back to that, but at some point things come to a sudden pause, and his shifting eyes stay instead of one person. Nyalle is watched with faintly lifted brows, apparently waiting for the punchline. Still waiting for it! It's coming, isn't it? A blink turns his attention to Soriana, and her spoken words animate him again with a harsh chuckle. "Not at all." And back to Nyalle and Anique. "Excuse what could be considered rude, but .. you're joking, yes?"
Nyalle smiles widely at Anique. "Did she? Well you both must be very proud of that! Just Searched one…and the gold." She giggles softly. "How delightful. Search is such a mystery to me. It's an interesting theory to ponder." Then the Xanadu Weyrleaders are…acting rather strangely. She glances at Anique. Help? Is she missing something? "C'rus. I believe he said he was…perhaps not born and raised in Xanadu, but I thought I'd heard he had been there for a while. Cyrus. Mindehealer. I'm sure I have records…" She blinks at Ka'el, confused. "Why would I joke about an impression?"
Anique casts a curious sideways glance towards the Fort Weyrwoman with her own 'help' expression too so it seems that Nyalle is perhaps on her own? Clearing her throat she simply nods a confirmation. "Aye. I heard he was from over there at Xanadu." but maybe she heard wrong? "Bit strange but…well I've not really known many healers of the mind. Just the normal ones of broken bones and babies and such." as Nyalle expresses her confusion Anique can only give the two out of Weyr riders a sympathetic look that says, yes, Nyalle is serious. She would never joke about an Impression. "Well..yeah. I mean it wouldn't be nice to joke about an impression that didn't really happen. So.." she blinks, unsure. "He Impressed to a handsome blue. Well…Typriaeth thought him quite handsome if a bit young still."
No, it certainly wouldn't be nice to joke about something like this. Then again… Soriana looks again between Nyalle and Anique as they explain the lack of punchline. Her lips twitch at the bit about the records, but she keeps them shut until the Fortians finish explaining. Uh-huh. So. …handsome? That's… okay. Right then. Soriana takes a breath, and when she speaks, her tone is matter of fact and level. "He was posted to Xanadu. We removed him because he threatened our Weyrsecond after her dragon won a flight." Like she's just reading from an incident report. She even smiles, just a tiny bit. It doesn't reach anywhere near her eyes. "He acted in premeditated fashion and was unrepentant." No joke, and apparently… neither is his impression.
Ka'el sets his food back down onto his plate. Nobody is joking here, which … has the edges of his mouth gently down turning. He remains quiet, listening first to both Nyalle and Anique, then keeping quiet for his Senior to speak first while he himself nods merely once in confirmation. And still after, he's quiet, eyes taking on a thoughtfully stormy look as he contemplates the wooden surface of their table. "His opinions on dragon-riding, spoken as adamantly as they were, makes it difficult for me to fathom the idea of him accepting a Candidate's knot," he says, looking to Nyalle. "Hence my shock at his Impression, which I hope you can forgive. I also hope, for his lifemate's sake, that Impression changes his viewpoints on what it is and what it means to be a rider mindlinked to a dragon, else I can't imagine it being a happy pairing for either dragon or human." Hopefully that dragon knows what its doing!
Nyalle's eyes widen and she looks startled. And she looks at Anique again. Then back to Soriana. "Goodness," she whispers, a hand pressing against her throat. "Threatened?" She looks to Ka'el, nodding her head slightly. "I know he had some concerns about the knot, but Th'ero and D'ani spoke with him about those concerns, and he chose to keep it. He could have left at any time." She looks between the Xanadu Weyrleaders, and nods. "Forgiven, of course. I…will have to speak with Th'ero about this, and then…" She trails off into silence, staring thoughtfully across the Caverns. Whatever her next plans are, they're not vocalized.
"Of course the dragons know the minds of their chosen…" Anique's quick reply is blurted out before even her own Sr. Weyroman can response to the pair. Casting a quick sideways look then back to Ka'el and Soriana, Anique shifts uncomfortably as she takes in their description of the mind healer turned weyrling. "Well I know he's some strong views on riders…" she starts to speak again only to trail off once more to listen to Nyalle. Nodding firmly at Nyalle's words she says towards Soriana and Ka'el both. "The dragons are not wrong when they choose. Perhaps over time he's changed since that unfortunate incident with your Weyrsecond. I hope she wasn't hurt?" she asks politely before finally taking a bite of the until now forgotten bacon in her hand.
Soriana nods confirmation to Nyalle's question, and also agreement to Ka'el's… lack of understanding. "People do change," she says to the Fortians - or maybe just herself. She doesn't sound all that convinced, but then… who is she to argue with the evidence of someone who seems to have become an entirely new person? "We can make the incident reports available to you if you wish." More information might help? Or it might just make things more difficult. Soriana gives Anique a small smile. "The dragons seek compatible minds." It's not quite arguing, but it's not quite agreeing either. "Our Weyrsecond was not injured." Her eyes go to Nyalle. "The mindlink often takes guidance to understand. Some times… more than others." She's not quite giving advice, but her eyes linger for a moment before she smiles. "Regardless, the impressions are made," and can't be changed, "and we wish Fort and your new weyrlings the best."
Ka'el gives his head a brief little shake, as if to forcefully shift his thoughts, or to shift a few thoughts out of his mind entirely, and offers Nyalle an encouraging smile. "Fort has a very capable senior queen. If anything was amiss or were to become amiss, I'm confident your lifemate would be able to handle the situation with the ease and grace that comes with her reputation." He looks to Anique, and his lips quirk. "I hope so. But in any case, as Soriana said, we've come to wish you all the best, not burden you with worry." He grasps at his mug of klah and lifts it gently in toast. "To your Weyrlings, Hatchlings, and Queens! And with nine hatchlings and their partners to wrangle, endless amounts of patience and the fewest of headaches to your Weyrlingmaster and assistants!" he says, tone light and jestful.
Nyalle turns to look at Anique when the greenrider blurts things out, but the Senior just nods her head in silent agreement. "I would like to see them, please. I would appreciate it very much," Nyalle says softly to Soriana. She finally removes the saucer from over her tea cup and takes a small sip. "Our Weyrlingmaster is very skilled. Still. It is good to know in advance who might struggle. Thank you." She inclines her head to Ka'el, a touch of color upon her cheeks. "Kayeth is very adept at maintaining control in the weyr." She lifts her tea cup and very gently toasts. "Thank you," she says again, but she's clearly still distracted.
Anique casts a sheepish look towards Nyalle but holds her tongue on the subject of the new weyrling. "I believe it's a larger class than mine was." she notes conversationally. "Oh yes M'icha is very skilled." there is agreement on that! She keeps up the chatter perhaps to cover Nyalle's distractedness. "What of your latest batch of weyrlings then?" she asks. "I did hear right that you've had some recently?" she's not sure though cause she's been fairly busy here at Fort. "I should visit again. It's been since…well since your graduation Ka'el."
Soriana nods to Nyalle. "Of course." A half-moment's thought, where Luraoth's mind extends back to Xanadu to twine around another's… "I'll send them up." There's someone in Quasar who wouldn't mind taking a jaunt to deliver some copies (after first making them), and so… they'll be on Nyalle's desk soon enough. She smiles for the skill of the weyrlingmaster - or at least the report of it. "Of course. I've seen the results of his training in many a Fort rider." Including Anique, for that matter, and Soriana smiles to her as well, nodding. Her cup of klah is lifted to Ka'el's toast, though she tosses him a brief (and somewhat troubled) look as she drinks, before looking back to Anique. "Oh, yes. That's the other reason I'm here - celebrating the fact that Luraoth's no longer on the sands." Her smile warms. "Our weyrlings are doing well. There's a pair of greens that are just about twins - different eggs, of course, but I'm not sure even V'dim can tell them apart consistently."
Ka'el drinks from his klah mug after the toast, brows faintly lifting and dropping as his gaze meets Soriana's momentarily. The mug is lowered, bacon toast is bit into again as thoughts turn to Xanadu's weyrlings. He smiles. "To be a Weyrlingmaster takes a .. special sort of person. I don't know if I've the patience in me to do it turn after turn. So far so good. They're young still, of course, but no interesting calamities to speak of just yet. They've done well since hatching. Perhaps, later on down the Weyrling calendar, yours and ours can meet and compare experiences. It's always good to get to know the riders of another Weyr and have friends in far places. .. Even if those friends refuse to visit for turns upon turns!" he says in mock-offense to Anique. "I'll be near ninety by the time you make your way to Xanadu. Too old and senile to even know who you are."
Nyalle takes a moment to gather herself, and when she returns her focus to the conversation she is smiling once again. "Thank you," she says to Xanadu's Senior with a slight nod of her head and a smile. "Congratulations on your own hatching as well, if belated. Isn't it funny how it's often the greens that end up looking alike? It's not like there aren't enough shades of that color around…" Puzzled, the Senior rises to her feet. "I think that is a wonderful idea. Perhaps yours can come here when they are able to between? And then ours will return the favor when they reach that point in their training. I'm always a fan of letting young dragonriders mix and mingle. We even have a ball room…" She trails off, distracted for a moment, before refocusing. "If you'll all excuse me. Please, make yourselves at home, as well as your lifemates, and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask. Anique." Ooh, she used a name instead of a rank. High praise indeed, as the Senior's farewell to the greenrider. Dipping her head politely to all of them, she takes her leave and heads up the stairs to the kitchens.
Surprise registers on Anique's expression at the farewell from the Sr. Weyrwoman. "Interesting." she murmurs more to herself than the visiting riders. "That's a great idea of the weyrlings visiting. I imagine yours will be going between before ours. Good practice for 'em." she's a bit more relaxed and less formal with the weyrwoman gone now. Leaning back in her seat she casts a crooked smile towards Ka'el. "My apologies…I didn't realize you had visited Fort Weyr much more often than my travels take me to Xanadu." she teases right back.
Weyrlinghood is never boring, but they can at least hope it's only interesting for the weyrlings themselves instead of the entire Weyr. "Thank you," Soriana says to those congratulations from Nyalle. Apparently (at least this time around) their clutches were as close as their ages! "…there's enough greens around, too." The most common color of dragons… which doesn't explain why the similar ones end up in clutches and wings together, but maybe it's genetics. Or luck, which is something else weyrlings need. Soriana smiles at the discussion of bringing those classes to visit each other, nodding. "I'm not sure if they actually remember coordinates better if they spend some time in the place, but it certainly doesn't hurt. We'll arrange something, when the time comes!" Right now, the weyrlings are more focused on learning feeding and oiling. Soriana's neither surprised nor offended to see Nyalle go, smiling to the Senior and nodding. "Thank you." Not that she has any plans to take advantage of more than Fort's fine klah! She watches the Weyrwoman's departure a moment, thoughtful, before returning her attention to Ka'el and Anique… and just as importantly, the rest of her bacon on toast.
Ka'el rises from his seat as Nyalle does, politely dipping his head to her as she takes her leave. "Good day to you, Weyrwoman, and thank you for your hospitality." Ka'el will most definitely continue to enjoy the bacon! One can never have too much bacon. Yum! He resettles into his seat once the Weyrwoman has left, and playful eyes swing to Anique. "You haven't noticed? I might as well be a resident as often as I fly through. But it isn't a wonder you haven't noticed. I call for you, and always I'm told that you're far too busy to bother with the likes of me. Shunned and disregarded! And I thought we were friends…" He lifts his chin and turns his head from her. He's so offended! Which is probably why he has to fight off a grin. "Perhaps you'll pay more attention to me if our Weyrlings come to visit. It sounds tempting." Who doesn't like a good gather?
Anique looks thoughtful as she taps her fingers along the table before her. "I can't believe i've not noticed a bronze rider coming to seek my attention!" she says with mock astonishment. "Certainly I must plead for your forgiveness." her eyes sparkle brightly with amusement. "So tell me then..what have I missed since I've seen you last?" her eyes flicker to the knot and then away. "I don't believe you had such a fancy knot last time I saw you."
Soriana - being as how she's not the offended one - doesn't even bother to try hiding her amusement at the teasing. She nibbles toast and sips klah for her late breakfast (or maybe early lunch), and smiles between bites… though there are still bits of thoughtful mixed in there. Maybe it's about dragons and why they search people, or maybe it's about weyrlings and how to take them on visits. "…not just the rider, but an entire bronze come looking for attention." Soriana's tone is teasing as she looks to Ka'el, and then her eyes drift down to that fancy knot of his and her mouth tugs sideways into a wry smile. "Time has a way of getting away, doesn't it?"
"I'm not sure if I can find it in my heart to forgive such an … unforgivable act, Anique," says Ka'el. "You've terribly, terribly wronged me, you know. It may take some … time.." He brings a hand to his chest, fisting it above his heart in a woebegone way! His mouth twitches. He's fighting a losing battle against that grin! He glances to his Weyrleader's knot next, a contemplative look touching his amused features. "Huh, did I not? I don't remember, honestly. But… well, I'm Xanadu's Weyrleader," he says with a crooked grin. "I've gladly not run the Wings into the ground since, so I'll take that as a success. I've a son. Skyler," a fond smile at his reference. "..Ten months…" he glances to Soriana for confirmation, "in age and growing faster than I've seen anything grow, other than hatchlings. His mother, who I'm also fortunate enough to call my weyrmate, is Soriana," an equally fond smile to the Senior. "And.. that is a whirlwind summary of me," he laughs. "And yo-..?" He begins to ask, but then pauses, head slightly tilting to one side as if listening to a far-off voice. "I'm being summoned," he says with refocused eyes. "Maybe someday soon we can catch up?" he says as he begins to rise, lightly touching a hand to Soriana's shoulder. "Stay longer, if you wish. Kanekith and I can take care of it."
"We'll catch up soon." she promises. "My two girls should meet your son." she stands as she does. "I'll visit. I promise." she says in all seriousness. "However." she gives an apologetic look to Soriana. "I fear that I am being reminded of duties needed to be complete on time this morning so I should not linger any more this morning sadly. A sleepy day for new mates but for me it's a busy day getting people back home! It was good to visit with you."
Soriana's done with bacon-toast and left with just klah now, which she sips. "Xanadu's doing well," she assures Ka'el as he explains the fact that he's Weyrleader. No failure involved! And Skyler… she grins for that part, nods. "Who knows what he'll be doing by the time we get back to him." Taking over the nursery, probably! Her brows arch at Anique's mention of her own children, intrigued by this possibility, but then… Ka'el is being called away! And so's Anique! Soriana glances between the two of them, then back to her klah mug - yeah, it's just about done, so she reaches up and brushes her fingers to Ka'el's hand. "I've things to do myself." When doesn't she? Anique gets a smile. "It was nice to meet you! I'm sure there will be other chances…" Maybe? "…as duties allow." She grins, gives another glance to where Nyalle departed - how're those copies coming, Luraoth? - before she heads out with Ka'el to see to Xanadu instead of just seeing Fort.