Xanadu Weyr - Weyrsecond and Jr Weyrwomans' Office
Office or study? Perhaps this room is a little of both. It is spacious and airy with the big windows opposite the door looking northwards, a perfect aspect when one is this far south. Those windows are framed by dark forest green drapes, soft ribbons and braid in dark, rich gold sewn along the edges to give them a sumptuous look. The back wall is covered by shelves that hold a variety of things - mostly records and reference material as well as writing tools and sheets of hide and paper. Tapestries, including several lovely scenes of the terrain around Xanadu Weyr, cover the rest of the wall-space while a soft, plain off-white rug hides the stone floor. A small, low table sits by the door and usually has some refreshment set out on it.
Several broad desks are arranged around the room, each one set so someone sitting at it doesn't look directly at any of the others. Small screens can be set up on each desk to give a little more privacy and each has one comfortable chair that goes with it. So far, it looks like one desk has a permanent claimant. There are also several other chairs, which can be used by visitors.
Low, two feet wide and about four feet long, this simple wicker table is set to the right of the door. Its location is such that can be replenished without disturbing anyone in the room. It usually has some fresh klah, water and fruit juice on it with appropriate mugs and glasses. Often, there is also a plate or two of snacks and when requested, a meal tray can be left here.
With most of the Weyrling classes now finished, weyrwoman training - at least for one weyrling - now begins. With this in mind, a schedule of sorts has been sent to Briana. In the afternoons, when the rest of Sahazyth's clutchmates are resting from morning drills and exercises, her fellow weyrlings busy memorizing wing formations and learning about the various tasks and duties each wing offers, she is assigned to the offices to learn the tasks and duties of the Junior Weyroman. First day of the new schedule and it is just about an hour after lunch. Where normally the other Juniors and the Weyrsecond who shares the office with them would be here. But today they are off on other tasks, the Junior's office is quiet, empty save for Thea, who awaits Briana's arrival with a few folders under one arm. She's standing near the huge masculine-looking desk, a tiny smile of reminiscence on her lips while her finger idly traces patterns in a light dust coating the surface. She tsking under her breath - most likely about the thing needing to be wiped clean. It looks like she's drawing a picture of a… cupcake?
There is still a bit a divide in the class though at least no more fights or confrontations. The betting still going hot on when she will turn on the weyr or not. Briana has remained focused on her classes and has been doing well despite a few odd bits here and there. Sahazyth requesting the others to hunt for her, which Zhaoth seemed quite content to oblige and for several lessons Sahazyth had refused to fly. Both has since been overcome. Briana arrives in the office on time, her hair still damp from a bath before lunch. Seems she had a messy morning with Sahazyth, oh for the days when she can between! There is a curious look about the office before her golden eyes focus upon the Weyrwoman and she gives a salute. "Reporting as requested Ma'am."
Having received the reports from V'dim and from her conversations with N'shen, the Weyrwoman is well aware of how things are going with the Weyrlings, although for the most part she has not interfered, choosing to allow the capable V'dim handle things and nature to take it's course with the various idiosyncrasies of each dragon. They will eventually grow up, after all. The voice from the door, draws Thea from her reverie, she turns towards the door while lifting her hand to eye her fingertip critically. Pale green meets gold as her focus shifts past her dust-covered digit and she smiles quietly. "Good afternoon, Briana. How fares Sahazyth today?" She pauses to hear the answer, then gestures to the office in general, her tone light, "So this is the Junior Weyrwomen's office. Your home away from home, you could say. You'll be seeing enough of it to be, anyway." There's the barest hint of wry amusement as she says that. "There are quite a few empty desks to choose from as we only have one other Junior at the moment. You've met Sianne?" She sounds doubtful about this, but doesn't linger over that. Instead, "Go ahead and pick one." She'll just wait, calmly shifting to half-sit on the edge of D'had's desk.
Briana looks about the room again as Thea rises, taking in various aspects of the interior. As the woman questions her, she quickly turns her attention to Thea and nods, "She is doing well. I think her growing is slowing down. I haven't had to oil her quite so much. Her last measurement was fourty one metres." The girl replies with a little note of pride in her voice. "Alosynth finally found a way to get her to hunt properly…So don't have to wait for Zhaoth anymore." Her lips quirk at that with a touch of amusement and embaressment both. At the question about Sianne she shakes her head, "No ma'am, I don't think so." Then she is asked to choose a desk and her eyes blink , "A desk for me?" She asks in surprise before she looks around the room, evaluating each desk that does not look in use. Finally she chooses the one on the far wall from the door, one facing the door. "Can I use this one?" She says as she crosses the room toward it.
There's an indulgent smile for that obvious pride in Briana's voice at her lifemate's growth and Thea notes, "When I saw her this morning I thought she was looking well indeed. You're taking good care of her." The praise is given firmly and sincerely, although there's no comment other than a nod of approval about the hunting. No surprise though - it's quite likely that the Weyrwoman has managed to observe feeding times now and then without being spotted. "Sianne's been off on duties to Igen quite a bit, but she's back now, so you'll be working with her here." She doesn't elaborate further, apparently she'll let Briana form her own opinion regarding the other junior. Amusement ripples her voice at the question, and she affirms, "Your very own. Can't have you working on the floor, can we?" She's silent for a time while the younger girl makes her choice, her answer a casual, "Of course. That one was mine," her hand waves towards a smaller, ornate and obviously empty desk closer to the door and Weyrsecond's massive desk.
As Thea confirms her choice Briana sets her fingers upon its surface, much like she did during the egg touchings. That look of wonder and uncertainty upon her features. She walks the perimeter of the desk before standing in front of the seat and looking to the door and then the other desks as the Weyrwoman points them out. "This is perfect…" Old habits perhaps die hard with the child of a renegade. Never turn your back to a door. "Will she be teaching me as well?" Briana asks as she tentatively settles into the seat behind the desk. "So I will come here every day?" She adds to her questions as she finally looks up again. "I have been reading the journal…was he a renegade?"
Thea remains half-perched on the edge of the Weyrsecond's desk while Briana inspects her new desk, her small grin growing slowly at the girl's comments. When she sits, the Weyrwoman rises smoothly and strides towards the back of the room, snagging a chair on the way to haul behind her. This she situates in front of Briana's desk and settles in gracefully, the folders placed before her. Green eyes flicker towards Sianne's empty desk and back, one dark brow raising slightly. "She will, yes. Sianne will go over the paperwork with you. And you'll be shadowing her when Sahazyth can fly you. Ocelara will teach you the Caverns management and D'son and I will have you assist us with the hold visits." She's in the process of flipping open the first folder when the Weyrling asks her final question. Her eyes lift to meet Briana's, her gaze hazy as she considers. "No," she says finally, softly, "He was… more of a free-thinker and fairly skeptical of Pern's leaders and their ability to… lead. He saw their failures all too clearly, I'm afraid."
Briana is about to rise up from her seat even as Thea brings a chair over to sit across from her and settles back down instead. Her gaze flickers down to the files then back up to Thea's face as she explains things. "Sahazyth is flying better each day, just…working on the landings." Of all the faults people might find with her upbringing, at least the girl is literate, so much so that she was teaching Ers'lan to read during candidacy. "I am happy to help with whatever paperwork I can. Still getting understandings of things though." She glances over to Sianne's desk then back to the Weyrwoman, "So what does she think of me? Just so I know…" She leans forward to look over the folder before looking up at the answer to her question, "Is that why you didn't trust him?"
"That will take time; it's a big Weyr after all and there's a lot to learn," Thea seeks to sound encouraging. "We all share the dreaded paperwork." Her nose wrinkles and from the way she says that, it's obvious she'd rather be out and about rather than stuck closeted in the office herself. "He-" her thumb jerks over her shoulder at the vacant Weyrsecond's desk, "-will leave things until the last minute if you let him, so be creative if you have to." She actually smirks as that's said before her shoulders lift in a quick shrug. "She… hasn't said. I don't think she even knows about your past, since she hasn't been around." Her eyes dance a challenge to the younger girl, lips curving into a mischievous grin, "You can ask her when she comes in?" Her fingers are planted on that file, twisting the thing so Briana can read it - on it is a list of main Weyr areas: Infirmary, Kitchens, Store Rooms, Lower Caverns, Hot Springs, Laundry, Guest Weyrs, Greenhouse, Gardens, Docks and the names of supervisors under each category. "Your first task will be to get to know these people and what they do run their areas-" Her voice trails off and a blank look settles on her face momentarily before it clears with a grin, her answer given a touch sheepishly, "Oh! I forgot about that. I thought he might be at first."
"Yeah…seems I find out how much more there is every day. It's good, it's distracting." Briana says with a smile and does not seem overly put off by the thought of paperwork. At least the paperwork won't stare when she isn't looking or make bets. Paperwork is safe. She glances over to D'had's desk and nods slowly, "Change the due dates?" She asks with a benign expression upon her face. There is a nod about Sianne, "Ok, rather not bring it up if it ain't an issue. I am a rider, not a renegade." She says as if it were a mantra. She leans forward on her elbows to read out the areaas, "Ocelara was nice.." She says to show at least she doesn't worry about that. "Shelley remembers when I lived here as a kid…" She says looking over the list, "Denna is my craftmaster…" She starts before looking up quickly at Thea, "I still get to do my craft, right? I mean after…when I got a chance?" She asks suddenly before nodding to the last, "Did y'all repair the hidden path in the hatching grounds?"
"Tell me about it!" The Weyrwoman mutters, having braced both elbows on the desk after sliding that file over to the other girl. Both hands are massaging her temples. Yes, indeed. She's finding new 'more' every day. "Oh that's brilliant!" She lifts her head to give a chortle at Briana's comment, "By all means, give him earlier deadlines if you can get away with it! Faranth knows cupcakes didn't work." Smirksmirksmirk. As for her craft, "If you can find the time, you're welcome to continue in it. With Niva, Mianyi and Zevida all retiring within the last turn, we've been a little short-handed around here." As for the journal and the man who wrote it, "Hmm. He was closed-lipped when I asked him where he was from. Rather than name a place when I asked, he described somewhere that sounded like a Renegade hideout we'd discovered. Turns out he was from Black Rock Hold instead. We were all on edge those days." She chuckles to herself, then shakes her head. "The tunnel is still there. Locked, but I can show it to you sometime if you'd like."
Briana seems to relax over the course of the conversation. Some of the bright girl she was known as, not just the uncertain young woman she had become. "Had to be quick with ideas back..there. I will see what I can think of." Her lips twitch with a half smile. "Alright, I understand. I suppose I mostly joined the craft to feel useful and earn my keep…reckon I will be doing plenty of that." She says with a look down at the folder again, looking over the name of everyone she has to talk to. There is a deep breath as she steels herself for that. "No, I don't want to see it yet." Briana says quickly when she looks up to Thea. "You were all right to be concerned. After what I have been reading and what others have told me…I think there are some things I don't want to know until I am a full Junior. Just in case. I want Sahazyth …I don't want to be in a position where she can be used against me. "
Thea has propped her chin in the palm of one hand, idly observing the Weyrling as she talks. "I can imagine you did," is all she says of her past Renegade experience. Casually she notes, "When you're stuck on the sands with a broody lifemate there'll be time aplenty for coming up with new recipes or re-working old ones. I work on my craft when I'm not doing paperwork during those times." She's silent while Briana scans that list, the second one ready to slide over her way, but she hesitates when the girl speaks. A quizzical smile quirk her lips, "It's… not a secret, really. And it doesn't lead anywhere. It dead ends underneath the grounds. It's a service tunnel." She doesn't press, however, merely listens to the rest of the Weyrling's comments, her expression sobers with her last words. Gravely she notes, "I think there's something you should know now, Briana. Be right back." And with that she's up and striding out the door, back within a few moments from her office with a small metal box, which is opened and placed on the desk before the girl. Inside are badges and knots from Xanadu Weyr and nearby holds.
"Yeah, saw you there a lot. I wonder what Sahazyth will be like then. Heard people talk of proddy riders…all sounds…a little weird." Briana says with a shrug of her shoulders as she draws the first file over to her. "Reckon the sands might be near hot enough to cook on either way." There is some amusement in her tone at that. The words of the Weyrwoman cause her to look up and she nods, "I don't think I would ever …I…well I just want to protect against the possibility until Sahazyth is mature enough to deal with things as well. Last we spoke…well we both agreed it was the last we would see each other without him expecting me to call out the troops and me promising I would." As Thea leaves she looks up in surprise, but after a moment settles to look over the file as she waits for her to return. As she does she looks down at the badges and knots and then up at Thea. "Don't recognize any of em save for Xanadu.."
On her way to the door, "It's hard to say; every queen is different." As for proddy, this draws a pause from the Weyroman and she turns, keeping her face neutral, "It's… an adjustment, that's for sure." She can't quite mask the unease that laces the words, but doesn't go into it right now. Instead she continues her errand and when she is back, re-seats herself, making no comment as to whether Briana would or wouldn't be used against the Weyr. Watching the Weyrling's reaction to the badges, she leans forward to point them out one by one, her forefinger touching each lightly as she names them, "Black Rock Hold, Ressac Sea Hold, Hanista Hold, Rubicon…" Her troubled eyes lift to the other girl. "We found these in the abandoned Renegade stronghold. We've changed them a little since then, but the truth is, we don't know if they'd infiltrated by then or not." So they could be living among them, waiting…
Briana looks over the badges before Thea's words draw her attention quickly up and back down to them, lips parting for a moment. "Sometimes…" Briana starts before biting her lower lip then looking up to Thea. "Sometimes I saw some go out with badges that I didn't recognize, may have been one of these, can't be sure…" She takes a breath, "One of my uncles would go out just to sell Ma's stuff or do trades is all.." She says before looking up to Thea, "I suppose not all went out for stuff like that. We weren't fighters, Ma and I…she was a woodworker and I helped her as I could. I tried to mostly stay out of the way of the fighters." She takes a deep breath, "Did you want me to point out any if I recognized them?"
One of Thea's dark brows lifts as she glances up at the Weyrling. “Was your group even on this continent? I'd doubt they used these if they weren't. Likely the ones around here were a totally different group." She gathers them up, placing them back in the metal box while Briana speaks. "No, no. I didn't expect you to recognize these. I just want you to know that whether Sahazyth is mature or not, the possibility exists that she could face renegades and not be aware of it." Leaning back in her chair, she watches the girl through her lashes, "This find is not known outside of the Weyr's leadership, but I thought you should know of the danger. I hope you will feel confident enough to trust D'son and I should anything out of the ordinary happen. Sahazyth's protection… is important, yes, but she won't necessarily be able to tell what is a threat right off."
"We moved around a bit…we were south when Ista raided our camp. Ma said when she was taken they were on the northern continent. Caves and heavy leafed treas…I couldn't pointed it out if I wanted to Thea. Only time I saw the stars is when me and Ma went to work on the ship." Briana explains with a regretful tone to her voice. "Not everyone who escaped Ista formed up again at the same camp. We reckoned they split up. Didn't see my father after that till I moved back to Ista before candidacy." Briana nods to the lesson given, "I understand, any luck…they won't always know me either." The warning given is met with a nod, "Thank you for telling me…I promise I won't tell anyone."
Thea nods slowly, gravely. "So the possibility is very real that you are already in a position where you may be used against the Weyr. Just… be very careful, Briana. And let us know if anything unusual happens and-" here her gaze locks with the Weyrling's, "If your father ever contacts you I want you to have Sahazyth bespeak Seryth immediately." That warning given, she bends to the next file, a list of all the Weyrleaders, Weyrwomen and Weyrseconds of Pern, passing the afternoon going over the basics of diplomacy and procedure. Safe, but boring.
"I promise I will." Briana says as she looks directly back to the woman before looking down to the next file and onward with the lesson.