
Xanadu Weyr - Shore of Lake Caspian
The cliffs that run along the shore come and go, various weyrs nestled along the tops of them or dug into the walls, but eventually they recede enough to expose a beach. The white sand echoes the rise and fall of the cliffs with a multitude of sandy dunes, endlessly creating tiny valleys that are constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of dragons. The dunes smooth out as the gentle slope approaches the edge of the deep blue water. The sand darkens, and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect.
The beach narrows to the southwest, leaving a path barely wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sands are the same white, the waters the same blue, but they're calmer and more tranquil, more protected from the winds that ruffle Lake Caspian and the currents that tug beneath the surface.
Rough, wide stairs lead up to the meadow above and the road that runs along the top of the cliffs, passing through the fields and heading for the river mouth that can be just barely seen from here. The largest of the staircases up the cliff is located near the docks that jut out onto the peaceful blue waters.
Around the lake there's sure to be several dragons at any given time. Sunning on both cliffs or beach depending on their personal preferences. Bathing in the relative shallows or simply flying overhead. Siebith is one of those flying while D'had sits on the sand a the cove, hands behind him leaning back as he props himself up to watch his lifemate. Of course Siebith's flying isn't just coming or going like so many normally are. No, he's showing off.
D'had isn't the only one watching Siebith show off. A short ways down the beach, a gold who is entirely too massive to pull off such stunts seems to be watching the blue avidly, with perhaps just a touch of wistful envy in her gaze. As though summoned by her dragon's temptation to pull off stunts no gold her size should, Esiae makes her way to the beach, stopping to pat Sonyxaeth's flank before her gaze twitches over to D'had. He can probably see or hear her coming his way, quiet laughter proceeding the junior. "He's making her so jealous," Esi says as she draws near, her gaze lingering back to her dragon, who has resumed peering up at Siebith. "I give her about ten seconds before she tries to get up there and join him." The idea seems to amuse her greatly.
D'had's quiet chuckle joins Esiae's laughter as she nears. "Just don't tell him that," he replies, "It'll only make it worse." In the skies above the lake the blue twists and turns, doubling back, almost in a way chasing his tail. "Sure he wouldn't mind that," he says of the gold joining the blue. "Fly circles around her likely but…" he shrugs.
"Got a bit of pride in him, does he?," Esiae jokes when D'had tells her she shouldn't tell Siebith that, eyes scrunching up a bit as she, too, peers skywards. "He is quite acrobatic. I suppose he deserves it, if he is." Prideful, she means. Lips purse as though debating letting her dragon even try, but evidently, Sony gets the okay. The gold is off in a flash, back paws leaving deep gouges in the sand as she throws herself into the air. "Most likely," is said of the blue flying circles around her gold, "but she likes to try. Ain't no trees too close by for her to destroy, so I guess it couldn't hurt." Plus, now Siebith doesn't have to chase his own tail - he can chase hers as she purposefully cuts across his path, timing it so she clears out of his way without injury, but it's still a taunt. She can't get too acrobatic, but it doesn't mean she can't show off, too!
"Don't know if I'd say pride," D'had replies. "Plenty of confidence though. He's always tryin' to come up with some new trick." Nodding for her commentary on her queen, "Yeah, wouldn't want to damage anything." A secondary nod goes to the sand beside him, "Plenty of room if you wanna sit." Siebith however speeds up at the at the addition of a playmate in the air, swooping to dive beneath the gold as their paths cross before soaring up on the other side.
Esiae chuckles for that, chin dipping in a nod of understanding. "I see. That's not too bad then. Confidence is a good thing, especially in your line of work, I'd imagine," she says. "Kinda hard to fly out in the face of danger without it." Taking his invitation to sit, the goldrider drops to the sand, arms looping loosely around her knees. "Guessing it was him that made you decide on S&R?" Sonyxaeth is greatly amused by Siebith's antics, lightning flickering between her mind and his, the thunder that follows sounding an awful lot like laughter. Flipping, the gold arches downwards in a steep, spiraling drop before leveling out, snorting as if to encourage Siebith to show off a little too. Surely bursts of speed aren't all he can do!
D'had chuckles, "Somethin' like that," he agrees easily. "Thinks we can do anything though. One time tried to fly straight from Telgar to Nerat," he offers. How that went he doesn't say. A shrug follows for the question of the wing they're part of. "Suppose he had a hand in it," so to speak. "Three weyrs, been doin' it over twenty-five turns just is what it is now I guess." Siebith certainly can do more than just speed and as she eggs him on the ocean crashes around her thunder. The blue pumps his wings, gaining sky as it were, rising higher and higher before dipping into a triple loop followed by a barrel roll. He then catches the current, twisting back around to rejoin the gold.
He might not offer the information, but Esiae just has to ask, brows lifted high over a somewhat disbelieving smile. "Telgar to Nerat, really? Didn't think blues really had that kind of staying power. How'd that go for you?" Ah, Esi. Ever the Harper, eager for a good story. "Makes sense, though. If you're good at it, why do something else?," the goldrider says with a shrug. "I think that's what I would've wanted to do, if Sony hadn't prematurely sealed our fates by bein' gold." Brown eyes flick up to the sky, where Sonyxaeth trumpets her approval. « Oh, very good!, » the gold trills, finally speaking when Siebith rejoins her. She's no stranger to loops nor barrel rolls, but the transition was impressive. Even she knows better than to try it, instead encouraging him onwards as she settles for a less-impressive series of spirals.
"They don't." D'had replies dryly. "Not usually." As for how it went, "Oh, we made it to Nerat alright. Just not in one trip," he concludes with a chuckle. "Yeah?" the question follows her remark that she'd have liked to fly S&R if the chance had been there. "Well anytime you want to pretend at it…" he hints casing a sidelong glance her way. Siebith warbles his enjoyment, pleased to have her sharing the airspace and even more so for an encouraging audience to his show. Lazily he circles, catching the currents to lift him higher and higher and higher.
Esiae grins for the bluerider's dry response, eyes lit up with humor. "But Siebith thought he could do it, didn't he?," she guesses, laughing quietly once D'had reveals they didn't make it in one trip after all. "I was gonna say, that's one heck of a journey. Did you make it far the first day, anyways?" Out of sheer stubbornness or willpower or something. His hint has her raising her eyebrows though, the goldrider scooting her legs around so she can face him better. "You'd teach us, you mean?" She's… way too excited by the prospect, really. Sonyxaeth, meanwhile, follows Siebith upwards, but at a much lazier pace, catching thermals in slow circles like a bird of prey might. There must be a reason he's striving so high, after all, and she wants to be paying attention in case it's something amazing that she'll want to try later. Cough.
Siebith thought he could do it? Oh yes says D'had's expression. "He's still certain we could make a trip from Half Moon to Monaco, but that time somewhere past Igen," he replies for her question. Her excitement in the matter of S&R is somewhat unexpected however and a look turns her way. "Sure," he agrees. "Maybe not all of it, but some things wouldn't hurt for ya to know. 'Sides, never know when I might need mouth to mouth," he adds with a wink and a lopsided grin of amusement. Why does Siebith strive so high? The higher he gets the more room there is to play, the more speed he can gain. Could he go higher? Sure! But apparently for now its high enough as he turns tail and dives, tucking his wings for optimum spin and velocity as he spirals through the air.
Esiae snickers at his expression, knowing that look all too well. "Oof, that one's all ocean, too. No real landing place unless you purposefully go outta your way to hit an island," she says with a wince for the trip from Half Moon to Monaco. "Igen's over half-way there, though, shells. Still pretty impressive, for a dragon of his size." Seeming to catch D'had's surprise, the goldrider almost manages to look abashed for her excitement. Almost. "Yeah, no, I get that. I wouldn't have the time off to learn all of it anyways, but the important stuff—" Like mouth to mouth? The goldrider issues a sharp, surprised laugh for his wink, one brow lifting as she appraises him. "True. It'd be quite a shame for you to drown," she jokes right back, head shaking with amusement and a lingering chuckle. Though room to play is logic Sonyxaeth could certainly get behind, she seems pleased to see that, for now at least, she was right. The gold croons when Siebith drops in a dive. Though she is not nearly as high, Sony twists to spiral in tandem, her sheer bulk making up for whatever she might lack in streamlining. And now it's a game of chicken. Who's gonna pull up first?
Impressive? "It was exhausting," D'had replies with a chuckle. "But fun." All the same. Her laugher only fuels his grin. "Don't think I can," he adds in response to the idea of drowning. "Ocean's tried twice already," though the comment brings a cloud that he shakes off quickly enough. "Glad you think so." At least he's worth keeping around, huh? Between blue and gold, D'had's bet is on the gold ducking out first.
"Well, yeah. Bet it was freakin' cold, too, wind constantly blowing on ya and stuff, and all those mountains in between, but - yeah, fun," she concludes, eyes dancing. "Plus, who else do you know that can say they've done that?" The goldrider only rolls her eyes and snickers harder for his grin, but the noise is quick to fade when D'had's expression clouds over. "Shells, twice?" It's not a real question, more of an expression of sympathy, the goldrider not poking and prodding for more information for once. "That's rough. Still, I'll be there to save ya if it tries again?," she drawls with a wink of her own, aiming to cheer him back up. Clearly, she does think so! As for their dragons, it's a good thing they weren't actually betting, because D'had would win. Knowing her own limits, Sonyxaeth has to twist out of the dive first to keep from hitting the water, wings snapping wide to catch herself and shift her momentum forwards instead of down, but in her mind she's laughing, having enjoyed the thrill nonetheless.
D'had shivers at the thought, "That too. Thanks for reminding me," dry humor that. "None," he shrugs, "Least not as I know." So maybe it is something he could brag about. Bragging isn't really his style though. That's all Siebith! A second shrug follows, "Dangers of the sea an' all that?" He's not dwelling on it at least. That grin sneaking back up, "Could practice now," he teases. While Sonyxaeth might pull up first Siebith still waits until the last possible second to unfurl his wings and catch himself, pulling up just in time to glide across the surface of the water.
"You're welcome," Esiae chirps pleasantly, eyes glittering for his dry humor. "As I thought. Not that bragging rights should be the sole reason to do things, but they're certainly a happy side effect," she says, expressing her own personal philosophy on the matter. "And… yeah. No. I get it. A fickle mistress, the sea," she says as though she really does know, respect coloring her tone. "Still. Twice." She seems all too happy to move on as well, that eyebrow of hers sneaaaking back up towards her hairline as she angles a Look over at D'had. "What would you even do if I said yes?," she drawls with a chuckle, likely suspecting she's calling him on a bluff or something of the sort. Having expected Siebith to hold off, Sonyxaeth glides along the surface of the water at a sedate pace, her own forepaws dipping into the lake with a streak of water. When the blue manages to break out of the dive at the very last second, the gold issues a trumpet of amusement, perhaps just a little impressed.
Nodding is agreement with it all D'had lets out a slow breath. A smirk creeping back to his lips at the look she sends him next. "Try me and find out?" he suggests, shifting to move his arms from behind him and instead cross them back behind his head as he leans back to lie on the sand. Siebith is pleased with the approval from the gold, rumbling his appreciation as he glides back in the direction of the beach.
"Alright, go for it," is Esiae's automatic reply, flippant and with no small amount of arrogance, though she's going to stay right up here for now, thank you very much. Sonyxaeth, meanwhile, follows Siebith towards the shore, but at least for her, it's time to come to a landing. Paws outstretched, she comes to a splash landing in the shallows, shaking herself and sloshing a minute in the cool waters before traipsing up to shore to drop into a contented pile of gold dragon. « Thank you for indulging me, Siebith. That was enjoyable. »
"Alright then," D'had replies. If she wants to learn well far be it from him not to indulge her. Its not like what he's agreed on is dangerous or anything. "One of us is going to have to be the practice dummy though," he notes. Not that he's calling either of them such. Siebith too comes in for a landing, prancing up onto the beach from the water before stretching and flopping down beside the gold. It would seem, for now, he might have worn himself out. Maybe. « Thank you for flying with me. »
"Oh. Uh." Riiight, someone actually has to be the dummy. That actually gives Esiae a moment of pause, chicanery derailed as brows twitch downwards somewhat as she thinks. "Is it easier to demonstrate, or be demonstrated upon the first time?," she asks, brown eyes slanting over to D'had, since he'll be the one telling her what to do regardless. Sonyxaeth cracks one whirling eye when Siebith flops on the beach beside her, but she seems pleased, a low rumble echoing up from the depths of her chest. « Anytime. »
D'had chuckles. "Could go either way," he's not terribly picky about that. Really it could work either way. "Might be easier to explain while showing though," he offers, sending a glance her way while she decides.
Esiae darts a playfully needly glance his way for that initially unhelpful answer, lips twitched off to one side. "'Course it could go either way, I wanted to know which was easier," she drawls, tone amused, though she does dip her chin in a nod when he says it'd be easier to show her than the other way around. "Guess I'll be the dummy then," she says with a chuckle, flopping gracelessly onto her back, hands dropped to her sides to patiently await instruction.
D'had pushes himself back to sitting as she flops back, then shifts to his knees to move over beside the woman's head. "Pretty easy really," he comments, "Just gotta think through the steps. Make sure there's nothin' blockin, if there is try to get it out." That step he won't demonstrate, pretty straight forward that. "Then, open the airway," the next step is explained as he reaches one hand to rest his palm on her forehead, fore and middle finger of the other hand pressing lightly beneath her chin. While his hands may be rough with the turns of hard work and callouses on them his touch is gentle. "Close the nose so air doesn't escape," that's likely the most awkward part if she's trying to watch given it means his hand is in her face. "And blow," he concludes leaning in close. Of course since she doesn't actually require mouth to mouth he releases her nose and presses a short kiss to her lips instead.
Esiae listens patiently, as D'had moves closer, eyes on his face for a moment until his hands move to touch her forehead and chin. Then they flick up and down, noting their placement by glance and touch before nodding. Blockage, airway, got it. She squints a little when his hand moves into her line of vision, but bless her heart, she still tries to watch, which likely explains the slight twitch-up of a smirk that flicks across her lips just before he kisses her. The goldrider's chest quakes a bit with what might be laughter, but she doesn't dissuade him; if anything, she tilts her chin up to return the pressure just a bit before he pulls back. "Shells, if only I'd been taught what mouth-to-mouth was sooner," she drawls, eyes dancing smugly up at him. "I've been rescuin' people for turns and didn't even know. I deserve a medal."
D'had does not need encouragement! He does pull back though his lips may well have lingered longer than he'd originally intended when he finds her pressing back. The hand on her chin moves back to the sand though its opposite her from him and he still leans over the younger woman. "That so?" he teases, a grin pulling at his lips as a brow twitches upward. "Maybe shoulda had you teach me then?" Of course he's soon enough back to the lesson adding, "Just wanna watch the chest, make sure the air is goin' in. Two breaths at a time's good. If they don't start up again on their own, repeat it all over."
Esiae doesn't seem to mind his continued leaning, though she does carefully extract her arms so she can rest her head in her hands, lips still quirked up in a smirk. "Yep, I'm a regular hero, apparently." The goldrider laughs quietly for the implication that perhaps she should have been giving the lesson, enjoying the humor. "Should've!," she jokes right back, but when D'had returns to the lesson she tunes in, nodding when he explains how many breaths should be administered. "Gotcha. When do you determine whether or not CPR needs to be administered?," the asks seriously, brows twitching down ever so slightly. "Is there a set time frame, or is that more judgment-based?"
"Check for a pulse," D'had replies as to the question of determining to give CPR. "Here," he notes, lifting that hand from across her again to find the pulse point on the side of her neck letting his fingers linger for a moment. "If you can't feel it then you need to," he explains, leaning back to again sit beside her. "Not really a set time. Healers usually take over by then anyway."
Esiae automatically tilts her chin upwards to give him better access to her pulse, though she probably doesn't have to. Without asking, one of her own hands lifts from behind her head, fingers carefully seeking the same point on his neck before giving a nod. "Got it. We're technically trained in that," CPR, meaning, "just in case of emergencies, but they don't really cater it towards water rescue. I guess folks figure a general education is enough," she says as though she disagrees. Which, "Thank you."
D'had nods for the technically being trained. "That's good," he replies, "Can use everyone in case of that." Emergencies that is, and in those cases yes, every extra set of hands that don't have to be specifically told what to do helps. "Though if ya think ya need more training could just ask the Weyrleader for it, but, you're welcome."
"Yeah, ain't saying it's a bad thing knowing that, just… feels incomplete, you know? We're basically framed on three sides by water, but I'm only just now learning this. Went to High Reaches to get any kind of training on snow rescues to bring back, which ended up being good considering the blizzards we had last winter, but…" She trails off with a shrug and an agreeing nod. "True, guess I could do that. I'm sure he'd be happy to arrange lessons, come to think of it." Brown eyes twitch over to D'had as she pushes herself back up to a sitting position, grin bright and mischievous. "I'll be sure to let him know I got some of 'em covered, though."
D'had nods slowly as he listens. "Yeah," he agrees easily on the note of blizzards. "Woulda needed that then." Of course he wasn't at Xanadu last winter so he's having to take her word for it. "Well ya need someone to teach 'em I'm sure there's at least a few on Galaxy'd be willing to help." He's already offered after all, certainly there's at least one or two more that would if asked.
"You sure?," is asked of his offer to have Galaxy help out with teaching. "I'd hate to impose, but if a couple of you wouldn't mind, could arrange for a couple structured lessons for interested folks - especially with the candidates," she adds with a conspiratorial glance. He knows as well as she does that the candidates could definitely use a little more experience, too. "Just the basics, yanno? Enough so, if something were to happen to people, they could survive it in one piece." And judging by her tone of voice, she might just be plotting something. That can't be good.
"Hey now," D'had starts holding up a hand before she gets ahead of him. "Said I could, but I ain't Wingleader so can't say bout the rest of 'em. Just that there's likely someone." A nod follows for her mention of the candidates. Yes, them he knows all too well about.
Esiae flicks him a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I'm good at that, getting ahead of myself. I get it right when I actually go about it, though, don't worry. I'm not your Wingleader's favorite person right now, what with the whole rider shadowing thing we cooked up, but maybe he'll indulge another of my eccentricities," she says, emphasizing all of the syllables in the last word with a sort of sardonic relish, as though she'd been called eccentric a few times before by said Wingleader. "But, can't hurt to ask. Worst that happens is he says no and I find another way, right?," she adds cheekily, shifting as though she's making to stand. "I'd better get going, though. We've got a hold visitation tomorrow, and with Innes sands-bound, I get to play the face of the weyr," she says with an imitation her best pageant-level smile, which really isn't half bad, even if it's not terribly her style. "Gotta go brush up on all the people I need to know and their political clout and all that nonsense." Fun, right?
D'had chuckles, nodding. "Right, well can't hardly put it all on you." The rider shadowing that is. Not that he was terribly pleased with the idea when he heard it himself. "But suppose you're right," can't hurt to ask. Her mention of hold visitation earns a snort. He has an idea just how much 'fun' that is. "Good luck."
Esi flicks D'had a look as though to say some people think it's exactly her fault, but she seems to appreciate his saying so nonetheless. "I'll let you know how it goes, at any rate - the Wingleader chat, not the visit," she clarifies, wrinkling her nose with a grin for that snort. "Thanks. I'll need all the luck I can get." Flipping him a little wave, the goldrider saunters back up the beach towards the weyr, turning to walk backwards only long enough to add, "And let me know if you want lessons, yeah?" along with teasing wink before she disappears amongst the dunes.