Xanadu Weyr - Garden

An arch woven from the tendrils of a willow tree stretches overhead lightly creeping with ivy as one steps in from the meadow into this sanctuary of green. Cool gray flagstone carefully spaced enables a soft velvety moss to thrive within the cracks, and creates a single wide pathway that fluidly breaks off into two paths of stone once free of the natural arbor. It is a wonder this place, and meticulously tended from the way it seems not a single leaf is out of place. On either side of the main path expansive grassy patches are trimmed short and edged behind with natural tan colored stone selectively chosen to stack just right. Beyond these are a line of fine puffed shrubberies in vibrant green intermingled with flowering bushes of brilliant pinks varying in hue from the very light to the very dark, which causes the occasional snowy white blossoms of other scattered here and there without worry to simply pop out of the scenery.
Directly in the center of the garden is another wall of intricately stacked stone, this of muted grays, creating what from the air would prove to be a perfect circle. It's been set high for safety, but not so much as one would not be able to lean over it to admire what lies beyond, either standing or sitting at the smattering of benches whose backs are set every four feet along it. Flush to the ground inside it's protective stone outcropping, is an enormous twenty foot wide fish pond. Within one can glean the metallic glint of playful goldfish, the unhurried cruise of fat koi, and even a frog or three among pale yellow and white flowering water lilies and their thick green pads.
The trees surrounding the entire garden were planted to give the impression that they had always been here, not only lending to a rustic look, but also eluding to the beauty that can be found among the wilds if only one might just look for it. Species vary from the ordinary Birch and Pine, but the flaming red capsules of the Indian Shot to the robust orange spokes of the Firewheel tree suggest the spice of the exotic. The two paths leading away from the entrance have come full circle, wrapping around to meet each other on the other side, yet still continue on to the far left and right. One path leads off deeper into the surrounding woods, while the other wider; cheerily decorated with brightly colored slabs of painted stones.
It still comes as a surprise to many that the young brownrider M'nol seems to make frequent visits to the garden even though he has acquired a new romantic interest after the gardener girl. Today a light breeze kicks up the smell of freshly tilled soil as M'nol sits, staring more off into space than anything else, idly twirling a stalk of grass between his fingers. For the moment Faraeth is no where to be found, but anyone who knows Morl well knows that the brown can't be too far away.
Brownriders seem to be attracted to the gardens around this time of the year, as F'yr is definitely a familiar face around these parts during breaks when she didn't want to spend it in the main areas. Aka crowded areas. "There's a nice shady spot over there," she says over her shoulder towards a grumpy dark form that sulks nearby. But Zaruath gets the message, crawling off with a grumbly draconic pout as Fy gets to wander without her shadow. She almost walks by M'nol before pausing, tilting her head over to the other brownrider. "Break time or rest day?" she asks him with a little smirk.
M'nol shrugs a little, "Bit of both, really." Then he glances up and notices who he's talking to, "Oh, hi, F'yr. Long time no see. I've been stuck doing a lot of sweeps lately." He watches Zaruath wander towards the shade and asks, quietly, "How's he healing?"
"How can it be both?" F'yr asks, honestly curious as she lifts both her brows to him. But then she stucks her hands into her pockets and rocks slowly back on her feet. "Yeah, hi as well. Hasn't been /too/ long…" Though she's remembering jacket-gnawing and other things that make her look away for a moment. "I'll be glad to take those sweeps off your hands, if you want. I ain't really been able to convince 'em to put me on Search and Rescue yet, though Zaru's all better." She lies, just a little, about that. The brown still strained in the skies for an extended period of time. "Though he's got a scratch on his tail healing. It ain't that bad."
M'nol quirks an eyebrow up at F'yr, "How'd he scratch his tail? Though it's good to know he's airborn again." The jacket gnawing isn't forgotten… just suppressed, "I like search and rescue. Made the right choice, I think. I wouldn't mind some company on the solo sweeps."
F'yr toes the ground for a moment before folding herself down near the other brownrider, happy to get off her feet. "Keziah's Alosynth went up, and Zaruath ain't really the nicest dragon in the skies. Neither are most others." She rolls her eyes at that but has to rub her arms at the uncomfortable memory. "Can I? Join you that is… Maybe you can hint to your Wingleader that we're both ready to join up for patrolling and the like 'stead of tossing boxes from Weyr to Weyr. We're going to die from boredom at this rate."
M'nol nods, patting the bench next to him, "Of course. I'd love the company and it'd let you guys prove that you can handle the longer flight times." He blushes slightly, "Alo went up? Faraeth'll be sad he missed it. But yeah, I'll put a good word in for you next time I see him. No one who nearly died fighting a fire should be forced to pull transit.
F'yr eyes the bench next to him for a moment before deciding that, yeah, it might be more comfortable than the ground, and makes her way over to that. Her face does brighten up considerably, though, when M'nol agrees. "Really? Then you can count us in! Zaruath'll be glad to get up in the skies again." More lies. Her own dragon is probably grumbling darkly at the idea. She clears her throat and looks away, a little pink as well. "Yeah, she did. Some bluerider caught, the one that scratched up Zaru." She snorts and then beams over at him. "Exactly! Thanks, I'd really appreciate that."
M'nol sighs, "That's too bad. Don't think it's fair when dragons claw their way to winning. Not that fair really filters in to a mating flight, I suppose…" He stares off into the distance, vaguely at Zaruath, but not directly, "Why doesn't he want to fly? His whole body screams it. Never heard of a dragon afraid to fly before."
F'yr tilts her head to M'nol, giving him a look and a snicker. "Well, Zaru ain't one to hold back either. Not sure if I remember if he caught that nasty little blue, too. I sure hope he did." She lifts her legs off the ground to curl onto the bench under her before leaning back completely to stare up at the skies for a moment. "I like to fly, and… well, Zaruath likes flying at night definitely. But he'd prefer sticking down on the ground in the shadows. Took the Weyrlingmaster threatening us to have the queens push him off the starstones before he actually /did/ fly the first time."
M'nol follows F'yr's gaze up to the stars, "Never heard about anything like that happening before. Zaruath must be really special." yup, special. certainly not weird. "Maybe he just needs the right kind of wingmate."
"He is /very/ special," says F'yr with a fond smile to her face, glancing briefly down towards her lifemate. And the way she says it is, of course, not a bad special. "The right kind of wingmate? Unless it's Tejath, he'd likely not be encouraged to do much. But he /does/ fly very good. And he's all better. And we'll be back to doing what dragonriders should do best, helping people and all." Though Fy really is in it for the thrill.
M'nol nods, "I think Faraeth's happy so long as there's a girl dragon around. He hates solo flights, though, says they get lonely even with me along." He glances back at Zaruath more pointedly, "Poor guy. He needs thread to fight. Ro said Nyunath was the same way… felt out of sorts knowing he'd never face thread."
F'yr snorts lightly. "Any female? Zaru ain't really fond of /all/ of 'em, just a few. Especially Tejath. And actually he kinda has watched Alosynth a lot lately, but that's probably cause he ain't really around Ista that much anymore." Fy lolls her head back some more than rolls it to the side, grinning a little at the thought of Threadfall. "Shells, /we/ need Thread to fight. All of us riders. Can you imagine that?" There's an awed look on her face as she stares back up to the stars, closing her eyes then and taking in a deep breath.
M'nol nods slowly, "Farry just likes all the girls near as I can tell. He's not picky. Makes me uncomfortable sometimes, though." He stares up at the sky, speaking softly, "Yeah… as much as I love Faraeth it always feels like there's something missing. Like my life didn't really change all that much. I'm still trying to help people. Ro's still delivering packages… now there's just another voice in our heads."
F'yr gives a little shudder. "I think I'd throw myself off the starstones if Zaru was like that. Chasing every single girl, no matter who it was." She frowns deeply to herself for a moment, before she smirks again, finally looking back to the younger brownrider. "You were a miner 'fore, weren't you? Like Mom. Rocks and all that? How is dragonriding /not/ that big of a change? 'Course, making deliveries is pretty much the same no matter what you are." That makes Fy roll her eyes, being stuck in that position.
M'nol chuckles, "The only time that was absolutely horrid was when Kelioth rose. The thought of waking up next to Vivian… bwuh!" He shudders slightly, "But for the most part it's been interesting if not embarrassing. I'm glad I have Phy to help… I think he's chased less tail since she's been back." He sighs softly, "I was a miner before, but one of the most important specialities for a miner is search and rescue." He chuckles, "Only difference is now I'm doing it above ground and I have my own room."
F'yr rolls her head down to the ground to scowl at a spot in the dirt. "Zaru wouldn't go anywhere near the hussy's dragon even if she's the last green left on Pern. Thank Faranth for that." She shakes her head with a little snort at the other brownie. "He ain't chasing for the /both/ of you, you mean. Just himself." She listens to him before bobbing her head. "Good point. Mom's more into the wandering out into the mountains and mapping, looking for new places to mine. She always took me out with her when I was little." She lifts a hand to tap her shoulder, though, where her knot would normally be tied around her jacket. "With a big giant dragon. I still think that's a big life change."
M'nol blushes and nods, "She sounds… fascinating… and yeah, Faraeth is easily the best thing that ever happened to me, but in the end he's just him. There was a time when being a rider meant something more… meant a whole different level of dedication… different morals, different goals, but now… at least that's how the harper back home told it… that being a rider had a meaning in an' of itself an' now we just…" he flaps his hands futilely, "ride…"
F'yr opens her mouth to respond but then snaps it shut. She falls very quiet, thoughtful, as she lets that sink in. "I never thought of it like that, really. But… we still /help/ Pern, even if it ain't really that wide scale." Fy untangles her legs from under herself with a painful sigh this time around, shaking her head free of those thoughts. "We'll find our meaning and all that. Gotta just enjoy life for now, you know?" She then skips up to her feet. "But how 'bout we start small… You talk to that silly Wingleader for me and we'll meet up for patrols. You'll let me know when your next one is?"
M'nol nods, grinning a little, "I've got a sweep tomorrow evening. Should work out well for Zaruath's proclivities. And I'll talk to D'had whenever I see him next. Don't see as there's a reason to ground you anymore."
F'yr bounces a little on her feet in place at that. "Tomorrow! That's perfect," she says with a giggle. "Good for Zaru, though I prefer mornings. We'll definitely hunt you down and keep you company!" Though likely Zaruath really doesn't like this plan at all. Lots of grumpy brown tomorrow. "Thanks 'gain, M'nol. There ain't, but it's easier having someone in the Wing to help give 'em a good nudge in the right direction." And after that bit of excitement, Fy raises her hand to him. "Should be heading back now 'fore Zaru gets too angry. See you tomorrow!" With that she turns on her heels to head out, a bit of a skip to her steps now.
M'nol raises his hand in farewell, "See ya, F'yr." He still couldn't bring himself to call her Fy… it just sounded wrong, "I'll make sure that Faraeth reminds Zaruath tomorrow."