This log ICly takes place immediately after Special Delivery.

Xanadu Weyr - Weyrleaders' Office
Office and retreat, this is the domain of Xanadu's Weyrleaders. The door is in the eastern wall, quite close to the southern end while the northern wall is dominated by big, expansive windows, framed by sumptuous deep blue drapes edged with a brilliant gold braid and tied back with a thick rope of braided gold and blue cord. In between, the eastern wall is covered floor to ceiling with shelves that house all sorts of records, manuals and supplies that are used on a day-to-day basis. The southern wall has the Weyrleader's desk — plain fellis wood, well polished and masculine. From behind his desk, the Weyrleader can look straight through the windows and out onto the main airspace of Xanadu. The western wall is where the Weyrwoman's desk resides: a lovely piece of furniture made of warm cherry wood. From her seat, a glance sideways gives her an equally good prospect out the window. There are a few other seats, some comfortably arranged around a low round table for small, informal meetings while there also some that can be drawn up to one of the desks.
On the south side of the door, the space is occupied by a low oblong table where refreshments can be set without someone needing to intrude. There is also an 'incoming' tray where incoming correspondence or similar items can be left.
As is customary for early afternoons, Niva is settle in the office, neither D'son nor Vivian returned from lunch or duties that took them elsewhere, and as the Weyrwoman absently goes through the built up paperwork, the door is left open for those who have business with the Senior. Leaning back in her chair, she seems to be in a pleasant mood as she reads, marking pages here and there with little clips.
Stalking down the hall from the Weyrsecond and Jr Weyrwomans' Office is a very downcast Cenlia, the girl gulping as she lifts her head to look through the open doorway. Shoulders squared, the gardener girl knocks quietly on the door, despite it being open, and with a nod to the senior weyrwoman she says hesitantly, "Ma'am?"
Niva absently waves the source of the voice in, before she's marking the last page, settling the pile of papers down on a semi-unoccupied portion of her desk, finally turning to look at Cenlia. She blinks for a moment, looking the young teenager over, taking the time to try and pull a name from memory. A wave of her hand, and she invites her in again, before finally speaking up. "Apprentice Cenlia.." Niva begins, offering a chair. "You.. look as if your best friend just died." She remarks at her mood, getting to her feet to close the door.
Cenlia looks as if she's stepping into her own funeral, face unusually pale as she enters the office. Another nervous gulp, and Cenlia holds out the letters Thea gave her, mumbling, "Weyrwoman Thea sent me t' see you." The gardener girl chews on her lower lip, eyes dropping floorward, and shoulders hunching a little at the remark about how she looks. She doesn't reply, though, looking even more worried, if anything. As the girl takes a seat, a tiny gold firelizard firelizard peeks out from under the her hair for a moment, the hatchling peering at Niva and then sneaking back under the loose runnertail.
Niva leans against the door for a moment, arching an eyebrow at Cenlia's nervous words, turning as if she's going to look down the hallway, but instead the letters are taken as they are offered. "And what happened to make her send you here?" The Weyrwoman as curiously, returning to her own seat, and settling down. At least, for Cenlia's sake, she's trying to make herself seem unimposing, the letters resting unread in her lap, apparently not really of interest, at least for now.
There's a long pause, the gardener girl worrying her bottom lip before finally taking a cautious glance at Niva. Cenlia's shoulders relax a little and she swallows and mumbles, "M' da sent a letter… found X'hil's jacket in his chicken coop…" There's the slightest blush, Cen grimacing and blurting out, "But we ain't done nothin' wrong!" Apparently unaware of what her words might imply, Cenlia almost whines, "An' now he's gone and Thea's sendin' me back home." But she catches herself before she goes off babbling. Clamping her mouth shut, she stares fixedly back at the floor.
Niva's mouth opens and closes at Cenlia's explanation, as if she were about to ask about *how* X'hil's jacket ended up in the chicken coop, but then thought better of what answer that question might bring. As Cenlia rambles a little bit, Niva listens, shaking her head a little bit. "Apprentice.." And then, a bit more kindly for the girl who's younger than her own second daughter. "Cenlia. We won't send you away." Niva slowly stands, one hand resting on Cenlia's shoulder as the girl stares at the floor. "Though, perhaps a nice letter and something special would be appreciated, when you send X'hil's jacket to him."
Cenlia's head jerks up at the 'Apprentice', the girl swallowing, and then looking more than a little surprised at Niva's assurance that she she won't be sent away. There's a gulp, the girl looking rather embarrassed at the hand on her shoulder, and nodding a startled, "Y- yes ma'am." There's another pause, the girl's face torn between extreme relief and worry, as she finally asks almost meekly, "X'hil ain't in trouble, is he ma'am?"
"X'hil?" Niva actually laughs softly, shaking her head as she returns to her seat. "Not with me. Though, if there's any truth to the rumors, with his mom, maybe. Though, Cenlia.. This isn't the first time he's run from her, and here. I think that bronzerider's been on more transfer requests on my desk than anyone else." Niva comments, glancing back at Cenlia then. "I also can't speak for *your* father." And a little bit of a smirk lingers on the Weyrwoman's face. "We lost a good Weyrsecond, and Ista gained a better Weyrleader than they deserve, if his bronze manages to prove himself."
The weyrwoman laughing has all the tension draining from the girl, Cenlia even managing a little grin when the bronzer's mother is mentioned. The gardener nods, then goes a little pinker, stammering, "M' da ain't mad about the jacket." Eyebrows rise slightly in surprise as she hears the senior weyrwoman actually praising X'hil, the girl nodding again. But then Cenlia bites her lip, looking back to the floor, "'S my fault he left…" and she looks back up, pleadingly, "S- Sir Kinseth /told/ me not to let him have any booze, an' then I let X'hil take m' tuber ale." Yes, this entire situation comes down to /booze/. "An'.. an' Thea was goin' on 'bout me not trusting her, an' all, but I dunno what she /means/!" The girl's lip actually trembles, but she clamps her mouth shut again.
"Cenlia.. X'hil's a grown man. He can make his choices… Alcohol or *not*, he was the one that fought, and he's the one that left. He made the decision, not you.." Niva tries to reassure Cenlia, voice just a little firm. "Did you tell *Thea* why you were worried?" Niva asks softly, tilting her head to regard the gardener. "Because, for all that she's a goldrider, Cenlia, she's barely an adult herself. She might be afraid you're mad at her, if you don't explain." Niva's hand rests on the table next to her, as she tilts her head. "I have a daughter your age. Had another one. I've learned how you think, Thea, for all she means well, has time yet to grow."
Cenlia nods at Niva's reassurance, the firm voice making her lift her head on instinct. She's heard that same tone from her own ma, so it has a similar affect coming from someone else in authority. The gardener girl bites her lip, looking suddenly sheepish as she admits, "Was afraid she'd go after him with a crossbow again," although the rest of what the weyrwoman says has the gardener girl nodding, and looking embarrassd. There's a quiet, "Guess I shoulda told her straight out…" and a slightly pained expression, Cenlia perhaps regretting her earlier stubbornness, having made an ovine of a situation out of practically nothing. Nodding again, Cenlia says a little guiltily, "M' sorry for the trouble, ma'am."
Niva's gaze lingers on Cenlia for another moment, shaking her head at that rather sheepish look. "Perhaps, you owe her an explanation as well?" Niva suggestions with a tilt of her head, and then a firm shake of her head. "Do, however, try to stay out of *actual* trouble, Apprentice.." Niva says in a tone that betrays at least a small amount of amusement. "I think, if nothing else, Thea deserves a few sevendays without trying to piece the Weyr's pieces back together."
Cenlia nods slowly, saying, "Will go see her," though the slight grimace indicates that isn't something the girl's particularly looking forward to. And then she gulps and inclines her head to Niva, "I will, ma'am. I promise," about the staying out of trouble. Whether the gardener girl manages to actually do that, remains to be seen, of course. And the grin finally reaching the girl's eyes, Cenlia nods, with another, "Yes ma'am."
"Take klah. And.. cupcakes." Niva comments absently, at Cenlia's hesitance. "Everyone likes cupcakes." As Cenlia actually smiles, Niv nods, a smile of her own in return before moving to open the door, offering Cenlia her escape. "Just remember, Cenlia, your friend has had to grow up lot faster, but that doesn't mean she's not still your friend." The Weyrwoman lets that advice linger, even as she steals a glance down the hall.
Cenlia can't keep the soft giggle from escaping when klah and cupcakes are suggested, nodding a, "Will do," and rising from her seat to head out the door. At the advice, the gardener girl chews her lip, nodding and saying a quiet, but sincere, "Thanks, ma'am," as she departs. And there's no small amount of relief in her expression either, as she escapes down the hall. Whew!