Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
Asher has been trying in all manner of ways over the past week to get his handler in troubel. At the moment the large canine is running through the meadow dragging along a saddle blanket from the looks of it. "Asher!!" Rissa calls out after the canine, that has long legs and is ever so quick. After attempting to catch Asher, Rissa fainlly gives up after stumbling and kissing ground for about the third time and lays within the grasses eyeing the sky while her canine continues to run around causing frogs and the like to scatter.
Nowadays, Kale can hardly ever be found looking clean. Long days in the forges make for sooty clothes, sweat-dripped hair, and the constant aroma of fire that hugs him like a winter's coat. Along with his lack of cleanliness, he new constant companion is his notebook, which besides having been used for party planning, is where he's written notes upon notes upon notes for a variety of smithy things. Currently, he's studying it as he exits the forges for a breath of fresh air, chewing on the last of his jerky that he stored away. He's heading towards the clearing as his attention is caught by a bark, and he glances up to see Asher dashing about with a blanket. A brow is lifted and his eyes search. Where there's Asher, there's Idrissa not far off. And aha! He directs his walk towards the sprawled girl, still gnawing when he's clse. "..Trouble?"
From the crafter caverns come a pair of journeyman techcrafters. One is Jethaniel, the other a short, round woman with graying hair. They're having an animated conversation, fragments of which carry beyond. Oh, excited techies. "-the circuit configuration is-" goes Jethaniel, and "-assess the situation properly-" goes the woman. There's a bit about schematics where they're both gesticulating and almost shouting at each other - while still walking rapidly across the clearing, not looking at anything but each other. "-very fine theory, but in practice-" Jethaniel is exclaiming when a certain canine runs past. The canine, per se, is not actually the problem. It's the saddle blanket. Actually, to be precise, it's the combination of them; for Jethaniel steps down on the blanket, and Asher starts to tug the blanket, and Jethaniel's foot goes out from under him as his arms flail out. Ah. This might be bad.
Idrissa peers up at Kale and blinks as she pushes herself up so she is sitting and brushes herself off in the process. "Yes well.. Asher has gotten into some sugar or something I think. His been hyper as can be the past few days." A faint sigh escapes her and she lets her arms drop upon her lap. "Where you been hidding?" Asher goes indeed give the blanket a great tug and then skitters back as he finds there is a leg attached to it? When did THAT happen? The canine tilts his large head and is actually there near Jethaniel so if he falls his going to go sprawling across the canine in the process. Rissa blinks and looks over. "Great.. There he goes agian.." She hops up and is making her way towards Jeth and Asher. "Are you alright?" Is questioned with a worried tone, even more so as she catches sight whom it is. At least it isn't a wingleader this time.
Trouble. Kale called it. A hyperactive Asher can't be good for anyone, Asher included. He's just about to offer his services as dog wrangler, but then, the situation resolves itself. Er … sort of. He only is aware of Jethaniel once the journeyman goes crashing down. He winces, as if feeling the impact of it himself, then shuts his notebook closed with a snap and stuffs it away in his back pocket as he trails behind Isdrissa. "On a scale of one to ten, I give that fall about a seven," he says with a fathom of a smirk, offering a hand to the fallen. "T'was alright. Fair. Nothing spectacular. No gushing blood or broken bones, eh?.
Really, it's quite a fascinating lesson in applied forces. The way Jethaniel is teetering brings light to the wonders of bipedal locomotion. Such a delicate balancing act, and yet - as with so many things - easy to ignore until it becomes interrupted. How many equilibriums are there, unconsidered until they are broken? How much improved might the world be with a better appreciation of such things? Ah, but such is human nature; that which works is ignored. The squeaky wheel, as it were, gets the grease. Such is human nature, but this is a flaw. In a precarious situation, it is best to take action before the disaster occurs.
However.
Sometimes, this is not possible. In that case, one must simply accept that disasters happen, and work to both fix the damage and ensure that the problematic situation does not occur. Preventative maintenence is just as important as repair, if not more so. At the very least, it can ensure that when problems do arise… they are limited in scope. Such as now; Jethaniel has indeed fallen, but there are no broken bones, nor blood. The canine - despite being the proximate cause of his locomotive failure - has also provided a cushion to mitigate things, while not suffering inordinate damage in the process. All is more or less well, though Jethaniel blinks with perplexity for several moments as he thinks all this through.
His companion scowls at the two youngsters, her gaze settling on Kale as the closest of the two. "Is this your canine?" she asks.
Jethaniel, after completing his consideration, takes the offered hand from Kale, and commences re-initialization of his upright operating format. All parts seem to be functional. Good. "Ah. Thank you," he says, even as the woman beside him continues to glare with an expression that says Someone ought to do Something.
Idrissa frowns as she watches what happens, this is not good.. not at all. "I'm so sorry.. He doesn't normally do this.." She sputters out making a grab for Asher's collar once Jethaniel is helped up to his feet. Asher is caught with ease, and makes no move to do anything worse then what has already been one. Her bright gaze flicks to the woman with Jeth and she shakes her head to the question that is asked of Kale. "No.. No his mine.. I'm sorry truely.." She says again, just about falling over her words to try and show an prove how sorry she is. Asher just peers up at all the people, his tail thumping as if he did something 'good'.. Up until the look Idrissa sents to the canine, wich makes Asher lay down and swallow while sitting stock still. As if that would make him disappear..
Kale grips Jethaniel's hand and pulls back to help him back up to his feet. There! All is well and the journeyman can continue on his merry journey! Well … perhaps after someone gets chewed out a bit. Not /him/, of course. He had nothing to do with this. He's justan innocent bystander! Granted, Jethaniel himself doesn't seem too irritated (yet) but his roundish companion, on the other hand… Her question is considered now, and he shakes his head just as Idrissa answers for himself. "Aye, he's hers, but neither one've them meant anything by it, honest. Asher's a good'un at heart," he offers, giving the cowering dog a pat on the head. He looks to Jethaniel now, as he's the one who did get knocked down. "Anything we can do for ya to show we're truly sorry? Do you need anything mended? Polished? Un-dented or otherwise brought back to newness?"
The woman transfers the majority of that stern gaze from Kale to Idrissa. "In the future, I would advise you to keep him under better control. This is a not the place for such wild behavior. There are people on important business, and dragons coming and going!" And from the amount of attention these two were paying, a dragon could have crushed them before they even noticed the looming shadow. "There is no place for carelessness. If you cannot learn that lesson-"
"Marya, enough," says Jethaniel with a raised hand. "Accidents do happen." He looks over to Idrissa, and smiles slightly before turning his attention back to Kale as he speaks. "Ah. I believe everything is still in working order." A quick self-patdown, as if to assure himself of that fact, and he nods. He looks to Idrissa again, and adds in a kindly tone, "Do try not to let it happen again."
As soon as Marya start in Asher is not the only one that is cowering. Idrissa shifts nervously, her fingers gripping tightly at the canine's collar while her gaze rests firmly upon the ground. "Yes ma'am, your right ma'am…of course.." She swallows a moment and peers up at Marya and Jethaniel once the woman has been stopped. "Yes sir, i'll do my best to make sure it will never happen again.." Asher is rather quiet and still while the 'talk' goes back an forth between the people that are deep in the conversation.
What? No tasks to be done? Nothing that needs to be fixed or tampered with or forged or taken apart? Drat!
Kale can feel his sudden idea of getting a personal project to immerse himself in even /further/ spiraling down the drain. No matter. Other opportunities will arise! He remains quiet as the woman, Marya, lays into Idrissa, and his eyes shift her way to watch until Jethaniel intervenes. "Obedience," he says, looking to Marya now. "Obedience lessons. That's what he's in need of, an' we'll be sure he gets them so he doesn't take to runnin' around again with the masterful plan in his canine head to go trippin' up unsuspectin' folks of importance," he says with such genuine care and apology that he couldn't possibly be impertinent.
Marya scowls, but subsides. From the look she's giving Idrissa, and to a lesser extent Kale, she's going to be keeping her eye out for them, and quite possibly finding someone to complain to about their carelessness and reckless behavior. Maybe Kale's not saying anything that she can quite call him on.. this time… but she'll be paying attention, oh yes. She does not appreciate attitude. Canines need obedience lessons, and so do children.
Beside her, Jethaniel nods to Idrissa's assurances, and to Kale's suggestion, but his mind has already gone back to other things. He turns to Marya. "Shall we?" he says, with a wave of his hand. "As I was saying, I want a full diagnostic before I begin disassembling the circuit. I think-" He's lost in tech-talk again, and seems to have entirely forgotten the two teens and the dog as he starts into motion again. Learning from errors? Well, perhaps. He's paying a modicum more attention to the ground in front of him, if not the rest of his surroundings. The two techies continue their discussion, heading across the clearing to the Hatching Arena and disappearing inside.
Idrissa is obedient!.. An well Asher normally is. She is quiet while letting her gaze drift back to the ground, look there's a rock! A faint sigh escapes her while she looks to Asher once Marya and Jethaniel have moved off, she can still feeli Marya's eyes and it makes her quiver. Darn adults. "I'm sorry Kale.." Is offered while she pulls upon Asher's collar, holding onto it tightly while she gathers up the saddle blanket that the canine was playing with. "I don't know what's gotten into Asher, he always listens to me." An lately his been a bouncing canine all over the place, well his not a puppy anymore, more like a teenager in canine form!
Oh that Jethaniel fellow isn't so bad. Kinda odd in his own way, but what techcraft person isn't? Actually, what /crafter/ isn't in reards to their own craft? Kale certainly isn't as attuned to animals as Idrissa is, and he doubts that she'd get excited about learning the properties of iron. Kale watches them go and smirks as he gives a salute to their turned backs. He turns to Idrissa again, shrugging off her words. "Sorry for what?" he asks with vaguely raised brows. "Nothin' happened to /me/, an' plus nobody was hurt. Asher's jus' a canine with too much energy right now. That woman seemed like the type who'd get upset if someone did anythin' that wasn't scheduled or scripted anyway."
Idrissa isn't sure what she is telling Kale sorry for, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Her gaze flicks after Jeth and Marya before she looks back to Kale. "Maybe.." Either way they are both adults so that leaves her worried about what might come from a simple accident like this, especially with that Marya person. She sighs a moment while folding the blanket across Asher's back and eyeing him a moment. "Stay." Is offered with a firm tone, an the dog stays put. "Hey.. Soriana and I was gona take a beach ride at some point.. I have a few runners picked out that would be good for it, an…I was wondering if you'd want to come with us?" She questions while peering at Kale.
Riding on the beach? "Sure," Kale says without really thinking about what he's agreeing to. He's been on the beach with the two girls before, so why would she /wonder/ that he'd want to come intead of /assuming/ such? "I…" he begins, but then stops. Oh wait. Riding on the beach. Runners. Runners that he hasn't truly voiced any joys about riding. One can almost see the dawning on his face. "Well, I'll see if I'm free..whenever it happens. We've all been busy as of late," he says, gesturing to the forge to show who 'we' means. "If I can get away, I will. Thanks," he says as he re-opens his notebook to jot down a note. Presumably about riding the beach.
Idrissa smiles as she hears this, an actual smile! "Really?.." Though she soon pauses as he comes up with the 'depends on if his free'. A soft ah escapes her. "Um.. alright. I..guess everyone's busy anymore." She offers softly. "I guess I should be going, back to the stables an all." Taking hold of Asher's collar she turns and starts heading that'a way. "I'll see you around." Asher trots along at her side.