
Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
A massive cavern in its own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as have walls hung with numerous tapestries that provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt. The stone is carefully leveled but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area is the one near the Kitchens, where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. It's plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr, instead feeding people in shifts as they come off duty. On occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are borrowed from all the other areas.
There's also a big fireplace set into the western wall, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.
Exits lead off in all directions, the largest an archway to the northeast that leads outside. Near it there's an alcove with hooks for coats and shelves for muddy boots. A tunnel to the east goes to the infirmary, and a set of stairs just a little south of that lead up to the offices and administration area. To the south, a long and sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs. The kitchen is off to the southwest, while the residents' quarters are reached by tunnels going west, deeper into the cliff.
Kera comes from the hot springs, wet hair dripping down her back as he makes her way into the cavern. Her over stuffed satchel dangles from her hand by the strap as she makes her way to the food lines. Shuffling forward, she dips her head and murmurs quietly to the people in line around her til a plate is offered. Freeing her hands by slinging the strap over her shoulder and neck, Kera accepts the plate and starts adding a few things to it before turning her attention towards finding a seat.
Sydney walks into the living cavern. There might be a slight wobble to his step, but by all accounts he appears to be more or less sober. If that situation is agreeable to Sydney is anyone's guess. He turns his head from side to side to see just what is happening in this cavern. It appears that food is being served. Which is worth his attention because you can't survive solely on liquid refreshment. Not that he hasn't given it his best effort. He moves slowly across the cavern toward the line that everyone else seems to be forming to grab some grub.
Kera scans the nearest tables, all full, and starts sidling around to the other side of the cavern. Passing a few people in line, she does a doubletake when she notices the drunken Harper. Pausing a couple of paces away from the non to clean looking man, she gives a polite dip of her head. "Hello again." She wiggles her fingers to the man, if he even spots her, and meanders over to an empty seat that opens at a nearby table.
A look of surprise crosses Sydney's face as the young woman greets him and then walks away. A vague memory stirs in his otherwise addled mind. He does remember a woman, though can't quite recall the details. That can be an absolutely wonderful thing sometimes, and other times can cause problems beyond comprehension. He goes through the line and gathers up some of the food and then makes his way toward the table where Kera sits and plunks himself down on a seat, just regarding her. If life is something of a mystery women are a greater one still, "It seems that we may have met." he says with a certain practiced grace in his voice. Yes. He has done this a lot. Fishing for information? Perhaps.
Kera plonks down her plate and glass, leaning forward for an appreciative sniff before taking up her fork and starting to stabbing at the grilled fish. A few bites vanish from her plate when the Harper takes a seat across the table. When he seems to be watching her, she simply gives a cheery smile and polite nod. His question gets a very slight shrug as she finishes her bite before speaking up "Sorta, in a manner of speaking. I was jogging along the beach the other day when you arrived."
Sydney can at the very least intuit that there interaction was positive at least in the most general sense, "Ahhh." he responds. He does have some vague memory of arriving in Xanadu. At least that is where he thinks he is. But the greater mystery is, who is this young woman sitting opposite of him and what sort of interaction did they have? He takes a brief moment to poke at some of the same fish that graces his own plate. It honestly doesn't look that great, but food is food so he takes a bit on his fork and puts it in his mouth, chews and swallows and then considers how to proceed with the young lady. After all what she said could really mean anything? He pours through what little memory he has and does remember seeing her indoors. And since the only other place that he's been, that he remembers anyway, is the tavern he suspects she was there, and yet they met on the beach. Did she come with him to the tavern? "You are well I trust?"
Appearing from the direction of the residential areas is Innes, who appears to be in the final stages of a conversation with a slightly younger woman. What's the Junior up to? Well, that much is anyone's guess, but she does appear to be taking notes quite diligently upon her clipboard. Then with a smile and light pat on the back, the young goldrider sends her companion on her way. She stays lurking in the doorway (kindly blocking traffic) as she notes down a few more things, before she sets off into the caverns. Spotting the back of Kera's head, she approaches, making a shushing motion to Sydney as she creeps up and then slams her clipboard down on the table near the greenrider loudly. "Hello," she greets cheerfully as she takes an empty seat. "And who're you?" This to Sydney, of course.
Kera scoops up a few flakes of fish that did are too small to be speared with her fork. Nodding gently over her plate "I'm well. Had to run an extra candlemark to work off that herdbeast burger." Flakes and fork both go flying upwards when Innes slams her clipboard down suddenly, and noisily, which startled the greenrider. Looking around suddenly, her eyes narrow on the queenrider and she mutters. "Shard it Nessi! Don't do that!" Frowning at the woman, she huffs and bends down to peer under the table to find where her fork clattered off too.
Who are you? Isn't that the question of the hour. He remembers his name of course, "My name is Sydney. It is a pleasure to meet you, and a pleasure to see you again as well." he says to the young lady he had been speaking to before the other young lady arrived. The story is slowly coming together. They met on the beach, she went with him to the tavern, had a heardbeast burger, and then who knows. He nods slowly in agreement with Kera's comment and feels the needs to say something at least somewhat reassuring, "You seem perfectly fit."
Innes offers her friend a mischievous grin along with an eyebrow waggle. "Do what? I didn't do anything." Why, she positively reeks of innocence. She leans over to assist in the search of Kera's fork, which seems to have fallen fairly close to her. "It's right here," she points out, lifting her feet up so the greenrider can see. She just… leaves it there. "Well met, Sydney," she greets with about as much formality as she ever manages to muster. "I'm Innes." She doesn't mention rank, but the knot on her shoulder can do that for her. And then with a grin, she adds, "If you want to flirt with Kera, you're going to have to do a bit better than calling her fit."
Kera pauses in her forky search to give an extra concentrated glare at her friend before resuming her hunt. Reaching up she gently plucks the bits of fish that landed in her just washed hair. Mockingly, she threatens to fling them at Innes silently before dropping them on the table by her plate. Eyeing Innes warily, she crouches under the table, reaching for the fork. Getting it in hand, she stays as she is a moment longer contemplating a 'innocent' little jab at the other woman's leg. She refrains though, but her friend's words startle her again and she tries sitting up a bit too quickly, only to smack her head against the table. Wincing, she manages to sit up, hand rubbing her head over enthusiastically. Her gaze darts from Innes to the Harper, who is know known as Sydney, then to her friend again. "What nonsense are you going on about now Nessi?"
Sydney can clearly see the dynamic between these two. Innes is a troublemaker who seems dead set on embarrassing her friend. And since Sydney always did rather like the underdog in any situation he can't help but offer Kera a bit of help should she wish to take it, "My dear lady…" he says to Innes just as formally as she introduced herself, "I only ever flirt with one thing…a glass of ale. And as for this young lady sitting here." he head tilts toward Kera, "She is so far beyond my league that in a million turns I wouldn't dare to even dream of flirting with her. A young dashing gentleman will undoubtedly sweep her off her feet one day." Harpers can certainly lay it on just a bit think sometimes, "However…" he adds pausing for effect, "What are you doing this evening?" he asks Innes. If he is being serious or joking it's fairly difficult to tell. He just politely ignores Kera's rather ungraceful konk of her head on table.
Embarrassing Keras is what Inneses do best! That, and finding amusement in their discomfort, which is apparently what Innes is doing at the moment. She laughs loudly as the greenrider fishes her meal from her hair, and then even more loudly when she smacks her head on the table. "It's not nonsense, he's calling you fit," she defends with a cheeky grin. Sydney's statement is met with an arched brow. "I think she's already been swept, though I'm not sure I'd call him dashing." She turns her head to give Kera a smug look before Sydney steals her focus again. Is he flirting with her? The goldrider honestly can't tell, and after a moment her bemused expression is punctuated by a laugh. "I'm spending my time with a very large, very judgmental dragon. And yourself?"
Kera eventually stops glaring at Innes, and even stops rubbing her head, which had a bit of a sting to it for a few seconds. Looking between the two, not buying into the queenrider's innocent act at all, but now isn't the time to point it out. Brow lifting to the Harper whens he gives a half headshake that has her gaze resettling on Innes briefly "Saying one is fit isn't really flirting. Particularly if it's true." Kera does peer back across the table, head tipping politely towards Sydney. "Hard not to be in shape when you've a dragonmate to keep up with. And nice to meet you officially Harper Sydney." She doesn't mention how he never actually introduced himself in their prior meeting. Though Innes's mention of her already being swept brings her up short, she can sense an insult in there somewhere, she just can't pinpoint it. When the Harper turns his wordsmithing to the Junior, grins and murmurs something about another fork before rising and going to get one. "Stay outta my plate Nessi." Looking to Sydney, she gestures for him to keep a sharp eye on the woman before she steps away.
"That seems a remarkable coincidence. I was just saying to myself this afternoon 'Sydney. You haven't spent near enough time with large judgmental dragons.' And since I am a harper who specializes in the law judgmental is sort of right up my ally." he replies smoothly to Innes, "I can usually managed a favorable judgment." he says to the gold rider with a smile. He wink is sent Kera's way, "You are very right my good woman. It is mearly a statement of fact." He will file that little fact away in the back of his mind that the young woman is taken. You never know when things like that will be useful to know later on. If he isn't too drunk to remember of course. Innes comment though does seem to be a bit of a low blow, "Nonsense. I'm sure that such a refined lady has excellent taste."
Innes shrugs lightly, brushing off Kera's comments about what does and doesn't constitute flirting. Really, no one could call the goldrider an expert on it, considering how infrequently she employs the technique. "If it's not true, it's just a lie, and most of us won't fall for that." She taps her fingers one by one across the tabletop, arching a brow as Kera reminds her of Sydney's Harper status, which apparently already slipped her mind. That's interesting. "You've never met a Kairoikyriath before, Harper," she answers with a smug smile. "You'll have more luck teaching a man to grow wings of his own than changing her mind about something." As soon as Kera is far enough away as not to be able to turn back immediately, Innes grabs her plate and slides it to the other side of her, away from the greenrider's seat. That's… technically not ignoring what Kera said. She arches a brow at Sydney's comment regarding her friend's taste, replying, "Look at her taste in friends. She has a taste for insanity, not refinement. She could do better than most of us."
Kera returns a moment or so later with a clean fork grasped in securely in hand. Plopping back down, she eyes the empty table, rubbing hand hand briefly over the still warm spot her used to be. Looking back Innes with a huff, she reaches across in front of her friend, over the clipboard and grabs her plate without so much as an apology for her rude table manners. Eyeing Innes, a hint of a smirk slips over her features at her friend's typical behavior. Catching back up on the conversation, her head nod agreeably over Kairo's stubbornness while she takes a few bites from her plate. It takes her a moment to realize that Innes is sorta being insulting again. "Hey! HEEEY, you're insulting yourself too ya know." Though it's probably a certain mindhealer turned weyrling that is in Innes thoughts. "You're certainly in a mood this evening." Chuckling across the table to Sydney "You should hear her arguing with Kairo. Though you only get one half of the argument, it's still quite a show when she gets all worked up."
"Don't deceive yourself too much my dear lady. Men and women love to be deceived…and deceive themselves often, and seem to enjoy it." he says, "I believe you might have one thing turned around. Kairoikyriath has never met me." he says with a soft chuckle, "Everyone can be persuaded with the right amount of effort, even the most stubborn." he says eyeing Innes, "I'm afraid I do not know any of her friends, so I really don't have much of a basis to judge." When Kera comes back with her new fork he offers her a gentle smile, "Don't fear my good woman. She has not swayed my opinion. I'm certain that those you choose as suitor and friends are of fine caliber." When Kera goes on to explain the arguments he nods his head, no stranger to those, "Perhaps Innes here just needs a lesson in how to argue properly. I'd be happy to provide one." he says looking back to her.
"I know I'm insulting myself," Innes answers simply, looking to Kera with a pleasant smile. "That was the point." The other woman's reach is completely ignored, as acknowledging it would be acknowledging that she did anything in the first place. The plate moved there on its own! The mention of her arguments with Kairoikyriath is met with a shrug. Two stubborn minds do not a peaceful home make, but it is what it is. Sydney, however, earns a sharp look with a narrowed gaze. "I've been arguing my entire life, Harper. I'll never need a lesson in it."
Any retort Kera had ready get stuck in her throat when Innes seems to agree with her. Snapping her mouth shut, she simply eyes her friend skeptically, making a noncommittal sound as she scoops a few loose fishy bits from her plate. Gaze flicks from one to the other, juice being mostly drained from her glass as she listens. A nod shops agrees with Sydney though and peers back to Innes with a smirk "Don't be so quick to turn down his assistance, he's a Law Harper.." A quick look to the man to make sure she isn't mistaken, then back to her friend "You admit to excelling at arguing, but what about finding solutions? He may be able to offer suggestions to keep you out of future trouble, or to mediate between you and your stubborn dragonmate." Ginning, she winks to her friend and scrapes the last of her meal from the plate with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I have to report for duty shortly, and too many things to do before that." Rising from her char, and gathering her dirty dishes, she wiggles her fingers to Innes and Sydney "See ya later Nessi. Nice to see you again Harper Sydney. You both enjoy the rest of the evening." Then the greenhealer is scurrying off to to finish other tasks.
Sydney remains undaunted, sharp looks and narrow gazes cause him no worry in the least. A harper must be cool under personal pressure, "You clearly have been arguing your whole life, but it seems there are a few arguments you have yet to win." he responds, pointing out the obvious, "I would be happy to assist you in achieving the victory you no doubt so richly deserve. You do like to win do you not?" he asks. He strongly suspects that the answer to that question is yes given all that he has seen from her in this rather brief but colorful interaction. Kera seems to be thinking along the same lines, "Bravo my good woman. You think like a harper already." he says. As she leaves he rises from the table, "Have a pleasant shift and clear skies to you my good woman." he says watching her go. After she's some distance away he sits back down regarding the other. He reaches down and takes another bite of the fish that he has been neglecting since the conversation started.
"I don't need help," Innes answers with a roll of her eyes. Like rider, like dragon. It's almost laughable how alike the two are… but laughing at them probably wouldn't end well. "I know where she'll bend and where she won't, and how to distract her until she forgets whatever it is that she's on about." The goldrider's arms are crossed, and the glance she gives both greenrider and harper is unimpressed. "I'm the Jr. Weyrwoman. I win when I need to win." She doesn't smile as Kera departs, although she does offer a grudging wave and a call of farewell. Much like Kairoikyriath, Innes doesn't appreciate being questioned when it comes to her capabilities. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly, Harper. You don't know nearly enough for that."
"Oh probably not, but thats never stopped me before, and I think its terribly unlikely that it will stop me now." he says to the grumbly goldrider, "You strike me as a lady who likes to have a good time and doesn't have all that many opportunities to do so." Surely with all the duties involved in being the Jr. Weyrwoman of a large weyr like this would be rather oppressive at times, "Which is why you feel the need to play little games with your friends." he says referencing the brief interaction he saw between her and Kera, "You are smart, confident, and I'd guess efficent in your own way." he adds.
Innes' posture shifts almost immediately, her arms relaxing as she senses the topic has moved on. "I don't just enjoy seeing others flounder?" she questions with a smirk. Her expression is otherwise impassive; the narrowed eyes and hard expression of before has vanished. "I may be some of those things. But you could call any halfwit smart and they'd agree, and anyone willing to take to the skies has some kind of confidence." Her brows arch in a light challenge. "Assumptions such as those won't tell you much. You've tossed me in with half the Weyr and not even gotten it right."
Two can play at this game, "Maybe you do enjoy watching others flounder, and perhaps I've floundered on purpose to give you something to enjoy." he shoots right back to her. He takes another bite of his fish and regards the rider opposite with no small amount of amusement, "And I trust that you will no doubt greatly relish and enjoy telling me what I got wrong, though in the process I'll learn more about you than I did before, so I suppose thats the trade off."
"That would be a waste of your time, then," Innes returns smoothly. "You don't have the temperament I prefer in flounderers." Without the indignant huffing, it's hardly worth it. She cocks her head, eyeing him up and down as much as she can from their seated positions. His amusement receives an enigmatic smile as she says blandly, "I'm afraid your trust in that has been misplaced." She lifts her shoulders in a slight, relaxed shrug.
Sydney takes another bite of the fish, which is not nearly half as good as the conversation has been so far this evening, "Now who is making presuppositions about what they know." the harper says, reaching into his pocket and taking out a little flask which he promptly opens and takes a quick drink of before placing it back into his pocket. An alcoholic has to keep things going after all, fun conversation or no, "Thats a real shame. A missed opportunity as it were."
Watching Sydney eat his fish is a good reminder of the fact that Innes hasn't eaten. As usual, she's been busy working (or simply busy forgetting), and she didn't manage to snag anything off of Kera's plate before the other girl left. Ah, well. "I'm not doing anything of the kind. Your floundering is too calm. I won't have it." She waves said floundering away dismissively with one hand. Spotting a nearby drudge, she flags the girl down to request a drink of her own. And then, "I don't know about that. I'm sure that you, in your infinite wisdom, will know why this didn't turn out how you'd expected."
"I suspect, my dear lady, that there are many things that you simply do not put up with as you have said." he can't help but continue in his amusement. Verbal sparring with an intelligent partner is fun after all, and this is certainly more fun than pouring over legal documents, "It is true, that my wisdom is infinite. A fact that has been attested too by so many and now a goldrider of Xanadu." he lifts his fork in gesture as if he was toasting and then puts the fish in his mouth and replaces the fork on hsi place, "It is difficult to say something didn't turn out as expected when I went in with no expectations at all. I suppose one could say that any outcome is fair game then."
"I might argue that I put up with a great number of things, considering how many I'm not so fond of." Whether or not that's true is likely nothing more than a guess at this point, since Innes' expression doesn't give much away. While teasing her friends is an enjoyable pursuit, this is much more her style. "A goldrider of Xanadu, but not the goldrider of Xanadu," she points out, before being momentarily distracted by the drudge bringing her a mug of ale. When she has thanked the woman, her gaze turns back to Sydney. "You won't find I hold much sway anywhere but here." And even that much is questionable. "You had your trust in what I'd do. You say that's not an expectation? Seems like a waste of words, then."
"Words a cheap and easily wasted." the harper says, "In the end they mean largely nothing, what ends up being important is the peoples reaction to those words. They are a means to an end and nothing more." He takes the flask back out of his pocket. If the lady is going to drink so will he, "I suspect hat if you truly wanted to you could find a way to make some of those things you didn't like go away." He brings the flask to his lips and downs another gulp of whatever he has in there, "Do you aspire to hold more sway than you do?"
Innes shrugs at that, careless in her attitude. "You could say that about most things, if you wanted," she points out, looking at him over the rim of her mug. "But words have more meaning than that." Such as the name that bound her here for the foreseeable future. "I probably could," she agrees. A long drink is taken from the mug, before she sets it down and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "I have no use for sway. Where does it get me?"
"I suppose that some words do, but by and large most don't." he says taking another drink out of his flask. There is that pleasant feeling that he had been lacking for the last few candlemarks as the alcohol begins to work its way into his system, "Sway gets you nowhere, and fairly quickly. It is constraining in the extreme. I've seen masters that work their whole lives to get where they are only to be stuck at the hall doing nothing of consequence. It's far better to keep sway at bay as long as you can." Though a more serious question is called to his mind, "If you have no use for having sway. What do you have a use for?"
Innes toys with the handle of her mug, allowing the subject of words to slide. She has her opinions on that matter, but they're personal opinions. So her attention instead falls to his remarks on sway, which have her lips twisting into a smirk. "And who'd want to be stuck in a hall doing nothing of consequence?" There's a certain amount of derision to her words, like the very thought is offensive. "Soriana makes a fine Weyrwoman. They'll never need my sway." There will be others to take the helm by the time Innes next has a chance, with any luck. The mug is raised to her lips again, though she takes a much more moderate sip this time. "I have use for a dragon. Luckily, I've got one of those."
"I would be happy to introduce you to several individuals who fit that description perfectly." he says in response to her very valid question, taking a moment to take another quick draft from the flask. The world alright seems just that much better for having done so, "Then congratulations on finding a position that is both prestigious and largely without worry." he says raising his flask to her, "In that case what else do you have use for?" A certain relaxation settles into his features, certainly being drunk is far more his natural state than being sober, and he is working in that general direction and will most certainly finish the job before the evening is out.
"I'd rather not meet them. I'm sure they're not my type." If her general disdain for the idea didn't get the message across clearly enough, Innes is happy to repeat it aloud. She swirls the ale around in the mug, only ceasing the motion when her activity very nearly causes the liquid to come sloshing over the side. "I wouldn't say it's largely without worry, but at least it's without the worry of being trapped in charge." His question is met with a blank expression, with only the slight arch of one brow to show her consideration of his question. His relaxation (or rather, lack of sobriety) does seem to be helping her to relax, at least a little. "That's all I need. Food, water, and her."
Sydney continues to work on his flask, it is an amazing thing how quickly you may find yourself quite pleasantly intoxicated if you find the right drink to put in such a small container, "You are a woman of simple needs then." he responds, "I can respect that. Myself. All I really need is this." he says holding up his flask, "It is the solution to so things." Apparently his needs are simple as well, "You keep talking about a 'type'. What exactly is yours anyway?"
Innes' ale is working much more slowly, but that may also have something to do with the fact that it's the first she's had all day, and she's downing it rather slowly. "I save my excess for other areas." She arches a brow as he holds up the flask, barely holding back an amused smile. "I've heard the healers aren't too fond of those kinds of simple needs." Not that she's judging, as it's no concern of hers as long as he's not one of Xanadu's crafters. "A type?" She shrugs. "It's just more of those cheap, wasted words, isn't it? Best I can offer is people I can respect."
"To each his or her own I suppose." are the words that slide easily out of his mouth. Everything is so much more simple when staring at the world through the lense of your intoxication, "I suspect that you know as I do that healers don't know even half as much as they would like to let on that they do." Harpers and Healers, both ancient professions and its fair for one to poke a bit at the other, "The good woman who just departed excluded of course." He wouldn't want to offer her insult even vicariously, "And just what sort of people do you respect?" Nope. Not letting her get off the hook that easily.
"When it comes to healing the mind, I wouldn't say they know much at all, but there's a great deal they do know about the rest of us." Innes has plenty of disdain for crafters, particularly healers, but she does have to sense to know when to admit they have a point. "Though I think dragonhealers have the strongest legs to stand on." She takes another drink from her mug, setting it down a bit heavily. Healers are only right until she doesn't want them to be, but dragonhealers know their stuff. Even Kera falls victim to that system. "I respect people I respect," she answers with a snort of amusement. "It's not an exact process, Harper."
Sydney couldn't agree with her more when it comes to the healers of the mind, "Some of them have actually had the gall to inform me that I might have a problem. The insolence…" he says with feigned dismay. In truth he agrees with them, but that doesn't mean he is going to actually do something about it. Why on earth would he want to change his life just because someone told him to do something, "I suppose it isn't." he agrees. He then lifts his flask to find that it is quite empty, "Well…it seems that I have a new problem. Instead of the flask being half empty or half full it is completely gone." He replaces it in his pocket, "I'm afraid I must be off to the tavern." he explains, "Though I must say it was a distinct pleasure to meet you my dear lady, and perhaps we will meet again. I'll be here for a sevenday or so before moving on. Unless I'm summoned back of course. We all have our masters." He gets to his feet and offers her a half bow, "I hope you remain as free as you can and that those problems don't weigh you down overmuch."
Innes laughs, dismissing the thought of his 'problem' with a wave of her hand. Whether or not he has one is no busness of hers, and she's more than happy to take any side which is against a mind-healer. No one can tell her what to think. "Off with you then," she urges, tilting her head in the vague direction of the tavern. Or, at least, whereever she thinks the tavern is from where she's currently sitting. "I've got work to do, anyway." She taps her clipboard once for emphasis, before saying, "It was… a pleasure to meet you too." The latter is stated with a quirk of a smile, and the hint of something less kind which might have left her lips. But she's behaving. "We don't all have our masters, Harper. And you needn't have one if you don't want." The goldrider tilts her head back to drain the rest of her ale from her mug before she offers, "Don't waste your words on me. Enjoy your drink, and may no healers find you at it."