Xanadu Weyr - Forest
This broad path that leads from the Main Clearing into the forest has been designed in such a manner so as to be not only wide enough for wagons to travel through, but also providing ample space for dragons. The path appears only worn in the center though, as the main traffic which finds itself moving through this area is that of the two-legged kind. Grass lines the path and creeps all the way up to the bases of the trees that rise upward in their aged magnificence, gargantuan limbs casting often welcome shade that frequently envelopes the entire path.
The path winds its way leisurely through the trees and a number of less traveled paths branch away. One to the west leads to the Weyrling Field while one headed further northwards leads to the river and numerous popular spots. (see +view) Northeastwards, the path straightens out to join the coastal road that leads out of Xanadu while east leads down towards the beach and the Caspian Lake. A few flowers sprout up and speckle the brown and green area with their little faces of bright saffron and cheeky rose, and the general atmosphere and scent of the path is one of freshness and wild abandon.
Autumn is a season of colors. ka-el's personal favorite, for at home it's a busy time of harvesting and liveliness. Neighbors helping neighbors, family coming from far and wide, and of course random gatherings and random parties. It's the only time of year that he finds himself a little homesick. And, finding it easier to mull over his homesick thoughts alone, after his duties and a quick meal, he's taken to the woods this late afternoon. He's treed himself. That is..he's climbed a tree and sits on a thick branch with his back against the trunk and his notebook pressed against his thigh. He's reading a note within it. Alloy, the young bronze firelizard, looks particularly content and is sprawled on the branch as well, eyeing something far off.
Wakua has come out to enjoy the forest and she has her little green whom she finally named Bria in a sling that she wears around her neck and one arm. She rocks the firelizard as she just finished feeding bathing and oiling her. She walks around just enjoying the woods.
Chitter raaar! Someone's here! Alloy's attention is turned downward to the newest arrival. He knows his clutchmate is nearby, and he stands up with a shake, claws digging into the rough bark below, causing a bit to flake off. Then he sits tall, wings spread. Look at me and how amazing I am! his stance seems to say. Kale's eyes flit to the alert looking bronze, brow arching. "Don't jump off, y'can /barely/ glide," he muses before looking down himself, spying a familiar redhead. He blinks once, quiet for a moment before he allows a leg to swing down a bit and he closes his notebook. "I've been half lookin' for you," he remarks from above. "Good day."
Wakua blinks as she hears the chitter raar and she looks up, "Oh hello Kale, how are you and Alloy doing? I finally named my firelizard I'm calling her Bria. Oh you have? Am I in trouble?"
"If you were in real trouble, I'd do more than just half look for ya," remarks Kale with a vague smirk as he half rolls the notebook and stuffs it in a side pocket of his trousers. He begins to climb down from the tree, Alloy now leaping to his shoulder. With only one branch below him, he's left to jump the rest of the way, landing at a crouch. He stands and brushes himself off a little. "Bria? S'a good name," he says in reply, smiling a little at the pouched lizard. "And we're doin' fine, thanks. Gonna head over to Tsenik's in a while to see about his new firelizard oil he's makin'. Have you heard?"
Wakua watches Kale come down, "Well that's good to know. So what were you looking for me for?" She wonders and she shakes her head, "No not yet. I've been busy doing some studying for a test I have coming up on the basics of the forge."
"Ah, well I only learned of it the other day at Ista's Turnover gather," remarks Kale, shoulders hunching a bit as Alloy runs from one to the other, apparently trying to get every view of the newcomer. "Scored a flight over. Was wicked fun an' over too fast. Anyhow," he waves a hand dismissively then gestures for her to join him. "C'mon, let's walk. S'a nice day, an' my favorite part've it too. Haven't had a chance to jus'…be in a while." His hands clasp loosely behind his back as he begins to walk down the trail, ambling his way towards answering her question. "Wakua. How long have you been apprenticing here?"
Wakua smiles, "How was that? I didn't have a chance to go. Maybe I'll get to go next time." She continues to walk with Kale and she hmms softly, "Oh over a turn now. I came here when I was 12, but I've been working with my grandfather since I was old enough to swing a hammer. Why do you ask?"
"I remember you tellin' me somethin' about workin' with your grandfather.." Kale says, nodding as he looks over at her. "Then, you must like it then? This whole smithing thing. Y'said you wanted to specialize in ornate pieces, right? Like, decor? Art? Jewelry, even? With the friendship y'have with Selra now, makin' pieces of jewelry would benefit the both've ya." He smirks a little, head slightly angling to one side. Why does he ask? "Jus' curious. I like gettin' to know people."
Wakua smiles, "I love it enough to get a tattoo on my body about it." She nods, "Yah I want to do ornate pieces. Like metal cups and bowls and stuff like that, but the ones that are really well done like you see at the Lord and Ladies tables." She smiles, "So are you really going to get into fireworks?"
"Maybe. Who knows til it happens," replies Kale. "Explosives is a lot of mixing and weighing and calculatin'. A lot've math, an' I don't really care for that part've it. I just like the end." He grins and brings his hands together, then pulls them apart while making an explosion sound, "Kaboom!" He smirks, arms lowering again. "I still think metalwork is my thing. I like weaponry, though now I'm learnin' clockwork and it's not so bad. Not as exciting, though." He idly kicks at a pebble, causing Alloy to perk. "I was half lookin' for you, Wakua, because I was angry. But now that I've had time to think've it, now I'm just worried."
Wakua hmms, "Yah I didn't think about that that you have to do another laugh." She smiles, "I like the end too. Weaponry would be good especially with those renegades around." She hmms, "Why were you angry and now why are you worried? It's sweet that you are worried about me."
Kale slows his walk now, stopping so that he can turn and face her. "I was angry because I was, or rather have been hearin' things. I wanted to know how long you've been smithin' and how you felt about this craft because I wanted to know if you are truly serious about it or not. I figure, from what you've said, that you are. Trust me, I wouldn't be talkin' to you now if you were just apprenticing to waste time." He pauses briefly, the expression on his face searching. "I’ve been hearin’ things and..don’t really like what I’ve heard. You an’ Tsenik? Or you and someone… All that true?"
Wakua hmms, "Of course I'm serious about smithing. I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't." She ohs and rolls her eyes a little bit. "Is that what this is about? I asked him and he said no. It's not that big a deal Kale. At lest it's not to me. If you wanna go to the journeyman and tell about it that's fine, but it was off duty and what I do than I thought was my own business. I've seen the healer and talked about contraception, I'm not going to get pregnant and stop having to be a smith."
Kale raises a hand, eyes half closing. "Stop bein' defensive an' just /listen/ to me for once, eh?" he says, brows lifting as his eyes reopen. "/Trust/ me, the more I hear about," he makes a gesture at her with his hands, one that gestures to her whole self, "/that/ side of you, the less I really want to know. But don't you see that there lies the problem? The fact that I know at all?" A slow breath is exhaled as he extends an arm, allowing Alloy to scamper down it and glide off to the ground, disappearing to chase after some creepy crawly. "The fact that I heard it indirectly, and the fact that it's beginning to reflect badly upon our knot is what angered me and is what has me talking to you today. I don' care what you do, who y'do it with, how many times y'do it or with how many.." he wrinkles his nose a bit, though presses on, "and if you insist on travelin' that road, though I'd recommend you not, /as/ an apprentice y'need to learn the word discretion. I mean, goin' about without clothes all've a sudden? An' now this? From what I've heard, an' trust me..it's been much, you’re bein’ branded an idiot and harlot by some, though they're using much more colorful words."
Wakua looks at Kale and she's very obviously hurt by his words, although she is trying to hold it in. "Well maybe some people should just mind their own business than worrying about that I do. Thank you for telling me Kale. I hope you enjoy your walk." She turns sharply away from him and she starts back towards the clearing. She walks away from him and sets a determined pace.
"Wakua.." Kale exhales a breath at her initial words, but as she turns from him his brows perk. One step is all it takes for him to start forward, an arm reaching out to grasp at her upper arm, holding onto her securely, though with a pressure that's not meant to cause injury. "No. You don't get to walk away. /You/ brought this on yourself, Wakua. Common sense should've told you that sayin' .. eh, offerin' somethin' like that to Tsenik would not be a good idea. But, there's no changin' the past, is there? So all you can do now is think about how you'll handle the aftermath. I'll tell ya now. Datsun, Tsenik, an’ whoever else? They likely don't think too highly of ya right now, an' I can't really blame 'em for feelin' as they do." He pauses, loosening his grip a smidgen. "I'm only sayin' this to you because I'm your friend, Wakua, an' we share the same knot. If I didn't care, I'd let it go on an' let things land where they may an’ say not a word of it. But, the side that you've shown them? You haven't shown to me, an' I'm glad for it because all I've seen is a smither who works an' studies hard and is good at what she does. /That's/ what the journeymen need to hear an' what people should be spreading about you."
Wakua feels her arm grabbed and she narrows her eyes as now she is angry, "Datsun and Tsenik huh? Maybe they should keep their big mouths shut. They said no and I was gonna let it go. I didn't say anything about them to anyone. They wanna spread news about it like that." Her hands ball up into fists. "You can tell them Kale that they better steer clear of me Kale because if I see one of them I'm going to flatten them. And don't even start to lecture me about this. If I was a boy it wouldn't be any big deal but because I'm a girl I get labeled all these things because I show an interest in a boy or two. And don't say it's not otherwise Kale cause you know it is. Please let me go I want to be by myself."
"It's not the fact that you have an interest in 'em, Wakua, I'm sure you know that. It's /how/ you let your interest be known. Again, I wasn't there, but I've heard enough to put the pieces together. /Anyone/ goin' around just'..askin' for it like that to people would be labeled somethin', boy or girl. Manwhore, I think…is what it is for us…" Maybe. He's no expert. Kale's brow furrow as he watches her, though eventually his hand falls from her, head shaking. "Go. Be angry. S'always the first response to bad stuff anyway. I already told you I was pissed at you an' this whole thing at first, but I'm not here pummelin' you." His hands re-clasp behind his back. "Jus' when you're done being angry, sit an' think for a while. You're a good person, an' we belong a good knot. No need to do anything further that'd cause anyone to think otherwise about either."
Wakua takes a deep breath, "Maybe I went about it the wrong way in showing my interest, but they didn't have to go blabbing it all over. I might be wrong about how I went about it, but they were wrong about blabbing it. They were big jerks about it. Is there anything else you need to tell me Kale or can I go now?"
Kale shakes his head. "I didn't hear it from them directly. Who knows how these things start. S'why they're called rumors and word of mouth, I suppose. Jus' let things die down. Leave them be. They'll leave you be. And, granted nothin' else happens before then, all this'll be history." He offers a smile, slight, yet visible. "That's my advice, Wakua. If you have any trouble, let me know, huh? We smithers … we have to look out for one another."
Wakua nods, "Well thanks for looking out for me. If you don't mind I wanna be alone."
Kale bobs his head once. "M'not holdin' ya back, love," he says, holding up both of his hands as proof. He smiles again, this one a little more convincing and encouraging. "I'll see ya in the dorms, eh? Don't spend too much time alone. Lonely thoughts are…lonesome. Good eve to you, an' to you too, Bria," he says as his arms lower, eyes flitting to her firelizard holding pouch. Speaking of firelizards…where did /his/ run off to? Sigh!