Xanadu Weyr - Meadow
A large, slightly rolling meadow is set high enough above the riverbank on both sides to avoid suffering from flooding, healthy ground cover and grass spreading out from either side of the dividing river. Scattered amongst the meadow are a variety of buildings, each with a narrow path leading up to it from a main, winding road. Some are set under a few trees, while others sit by themselves.
Stables and a smithy are settled on their own plots, while trees border the western edge of the meadow, and a faint outline of a fence can be seen to the north.
Leona is heading from the direction of the forest, a basket on one arm, and a green firelizard held rather awkwardly in her other hand. "Well, look, Lakareth insisted. I don't want to do this /any/ more than you do, but Milo quite likes you." Her toddler son. Poor poor firelizard. She's obviously not /chatting/ with the firelizard, more talking at it like one might talk at a feline or a canine. "I'm taking you to see if a dragonhealer can help, and that's final… If I can only find the annex." It'd be near the hatching grounds, right? Seems logical.
There is a high-pitched yelp, then the sound of rumbling hooves just before M'nol comes careening into the clearing just ahead of a running herdbeast. He's a little too panicked at the moment to really notice anything else.
A fluttered looking rider comes walking down the path from his Weyr towards the clearing. Tall and handsome, in riding leathers, looking fresh from a flight, R'soe should be happy, refreshed. Instead he has an awkward, confused look on his face, a jerk to his gait, and well, guilty nervousness in his eyes. Could it have to do with the wriggling blond haired blue eyed baby he's carrying, in a very non-parental way. As if one might carry a sack of flour. His eyes clearly say 'help!'
F'yr is sitting out in the meadow, apparently being off for the day from whatever work she can pick up around Pern. With her brown curled behind her, his tail protectively twitching in front of her, it was easy to miss a lot of the day's events. Except for running herdbeasts. Zaruath's neck jerks up, face turning in that direction, and he gives a very amused rumble. More like a hahah.. brownrider going to get trampled, sort of way. Which is probably why Fy jumps up to her feet, wide-eyed, before smacking her lifemate on the side."M'nol!" she calls out to get his attention, arms waving. Babies are last on her mind.
Cenlia is just emerging from a certain rider''s weyrbarn at the edge of the meadow, the gardener girl laughing and telling B'miel, "Nah, them rumcakes was alright. Just need t' lay off on the sweetening. Can feel my teeth falling out just /thinkin'/ 'bout them." B'miel, who is still inside, waves a farwell and says something in reply, but the gardener is already stepping out the door, although when she sees that herbeast and M'nol, she looks as if she'd rather head /back/ inside. Indeed, she begins to back toward the weyrbarn again and that still-open doorway. "Shards, ya gotta dragon!," she calls helpfully to Mole, "Get him to eat it!" And speaking of dragons, there's a F'yr and her brown. Cen raises an arm in perhaps some sort of greeting, before she notices Leona and R'soe with a… baby? Ack! "Watch out!" she calls to the bluerider, perhaps unnecessarily. It's not like stampeding herdbeast is hard to /miss/.
Leona's firelizard takes advantage of the woman's distraction to wriggle free, and disappears between almost immediately, but Leo is too busy staring at M'nol and the herdbeast to notice /quite/ yet. "Okaaay…" Notice how she does not in any way shape or form offer assistance? Ahem. Besides, F'yr seems to be dealing with that, maybe, and Cenlia even made a suggestion! That appears to be good enough for Leona, after all, she doesn't even /know/ M'nol. After a moment she shakes her head, and then notices the green's absence with a scowl. It's then, when she turns her attention to the surroundings, in case the green is still present, that her eyes fall on R'soe. The recently transferred brownrider tilts her head at the poor man and smirks. "New father?" she guesses. Oh, like /she's/ any better with kids, and she's had /three/ of them.
M'nol yelps again as the herdbeast manages to get close enough to take a bite out of the back of his britches. It is then, and not before, of course, that Faraeth appears from /between/ and neatly plucks up the beast. The glower M'nol turns on his dragon implies that he'd probably been calling for a while, but Faraeth looks non-plussed by the encounter as he partakes of his meal. He takes a few deep breaths before glancing around and noticing his surroundings. Quietly he murmurs, "How'd I get all the way out here?" before he adds more loudly, "F'yr, Cen… uh… blue and brown riders I don't know…"
R'soe shrieks like no other shriek at the sudden flurry of activity. Encroaching herdbeast, the shout of warning from Cenlia, and his jittery mood cause him to snap. He lifts the baby high up in the air, anticipating herdbeast stampede, twiling around with similar yalps of distress at potential imaginary dangers, and all the while the baby above his head is cooing and giggling. Then dragon appears whoosh! The result of this is that R'soe looses his balance and falls over onto his back, and the baby neatly and safely lands on his stomach, still laughing. "Urgle. H-has anybody here lost a baby?" he asks in a dizzy and dazed voice.
F'yr's waving arms stop. The brownrider was safe now at least. "See? You missed a snack, and that brown was able to catch that 'beast just fine. Worthless excuse for a dragon." All said in quite possibly a loving tone. Maybe. She kicks lightly at Zaruath who merely grunts before glaring off in Faraeth's direction. He would have been able to handle it! Then again, his entertainment is now gone. His head thumps back heavily to the ground, but this dragon has been just oozing this pleased mood all day long, tail tip twitching close to Fy. "Hey," she calls back to M'nol. "You okay?" And then Cenlia gets a glance, and then a stare with her brows hiked up and a grin spready slowly. Did she pick up on the word cakes? But R'soe catches her attention at last, which is only to stare at the bluerider.
Cenlia just watches the herbeast take a bite at Morl's butt, the gardener girl letting out a snort of laughter, and then at least trying not to snicker at him. The lovely meal over there has Cenlia wrinkling her nose; not the most pleasant thing to see after munching on rumcakes, but eh. "Shards, thought /I/ was the only one that had it bad with them animals," she tells M'nol, grinning at the guy and then heading over toward F'yr with a proper, "Hey," in greeting. R'soe gets a raised eyebrow, the gardener asking, "Y'alright over there?" and then blinking, "/Lost/ a baby?" Cue head-scratching. Cenlia's firelizards are currently nowhere to be seen, although three of them soon make their entrance, or rather, exit from B'miel's weyrbarn, trilling happily as they flutter toward Cenlia, gold Bliss and midnight-blue Rogua perching on her shoulders to peer at all the people, while bronze Charmer spots somebody new! He flutters over to land near Leona, since R'soe sems occupied, and croons. Croon crooon. Cenlia gives her flit a look and steps over to retrieve him with a, "Hi," for Leona and an, "Oy, stop that," for Charmer.
See? Leona wasn't needed at all! She tips her head briefly at M'nol, and then Cenlia. "Leona. Recent transfer from Ista." Though, not /directly/. She's been roaming since the Istan hatching, she only just today settled here, in Xanadu. "I, ah, I'm looking to set up a brewery. Tanner's Friend? Heard of it?" Get the /important/ introduction out of the way first, and then the rest: "Lakareth's around here somewhere…" Probably the beach, his leg doesn't bother him as much when he's swimming. R'soe gets a good long look, and then Leona takes a step /awaaay/ from the man with the mysterious baby. "Not it!" she blurts out. Sometimes she acts her age, or older, and sometimes it's hard to believe she's not /twelve/.
M'nol blinks, glancing around, bloody brown maw, despondent twitchy brown, Charmer, brewer, Cen, baby… wait… baby!?!!? Not totally recovered yet, he backs away from R'soe, "Nope. Not mine. Phy and I are blissfully baby-free… I…" He glances over his shoulder, just now realizing that his butt is a bit breezier than he'd like, then blushes a deep red, "I… think I need some fresh pants…" He blinks twice, then glances at poor Cen who has the honor of being behind him, "Umm… am I bleeding?"
R'soe sits up, holding the baby now awkwardly in his hands. "I returned to my Weyr a few minutes ago with Siya and found a baby here. Maybe somebody misplaced him? I think its a him, Siya says its a him," he blushes, embarassed, and then gets up. "I hope I find the parents soon. I know nothing about little ones," he admits, then smiles. "Though, he is rather cute, isn't he?" The baby proceeds to blow spit bubbles, and giggles.
Zaruath makes a whuffling sound towards Cenlia as she approaching, almost sounding /friendly/ for once in his life, besides the times it is directed to a green dragon he fancies. Fy makes sure to give him one more poke before stepping over his tail and closer to the gardener girl, looking just a tad put off by her dragon's friendliness. "Didn't bring some cakes out with you, did you? I think they're gonna be needed." Sweets are Fy's booze. She tilts her head to study Leona some, her face wrinkling just a little at the vaguely familiar brownrider. "Weyrmating?" is all she asks of her with a roll of her eyes. And then she takes a nice big step closer to Cenlia, making sure to use the girl as a shield. "It ain't mine either or anyone's /I/ know! Just drop it off with the nannies and be rid of it before it causes problems." Or he pawns it off on one of them! M'nol's rear end is also given a look, and Fy can't help the little snort of laughter at him.
Cenlia's eyes light up like nobody's business, the girl grinning from ear to ear at Leona, "Tanner's Friend? 'S good stuff, that." X'hil's fault entirely that she knows this. "'M Cenlia," the gardener girl bobs her own head in a return greeting, "Nice t' meet'cha." Yeah, she's not looking at Morl, although the girl does start snickering and moving a way from him, "Should get to the infirmary. Bet you could catch something from gettin' bit." Snicker snicker. To F'yr, Cenlia shakes her head, "Nah, though B'miel's got another batch baking. Gonna have brandycakes in a couple hours." She beams, and she'll even tilther head in greeting to Zaruath since he's whuffled at her, but she's not gettingany closer to him. Cen's apparently a shield now. R'soe gets raises eyebrows, "Sombody droppeda kid off in yer weyr? Shards, mebbe 's from a flight?" Hey, she's been living in Xanadu long enough to know how those things work, in theory. "Yeah, the nannies," the girl echoes F'yr's suggeston, adding, "Dunno 'bout cute." She wrinkles her nose. Alright, maybe it /is/ cute. But Cenlia's not about to admit that.
Leona blinks a little at F'yr. Is that question directed at /her/? /Weyrmating/? "…not exactly." What does /that/ mean? "A weyr with a ledge would be too dangerous for Milo, so I got myself a ground weyr. Fact that it's here is just … convenient." Yep. Convenient. And that's all she seems like saying on the matter, or at least, the matter of her /personal/ life. "Besides, it's nice to finally get out from under the Temperance League, set up a /proper/ brewery. Might make a 'light' version, Tanner's Delight or something, maybe see how different fruits ferment." She's just /itching/ to experiment. M'nol is finally eyed. "Perhaps you /should/ get to a healer?" she suggests, with a frown. Is that… concern in her expression? Nah, probably just indigestion. She is /very/ carefully avoiding R'soe and /that baby/. Yep.
M'nol blinks again, looking around, "Healer? It's just a bit of lost cloth… right?" He glances at Faraeth, then at the unwilling spectators, then at the baby. He swallows loudly, then nods, "Maybe I should see a healer after all… I'll yeah…" He nods to his friends, "F'yr, Cen…" Then he's off to the clearing, just to make sure it's nothing to serious.
R'soe breaths a little easier. "Right, nannies," he says. "Good idea." But he looks at the baby now, a strange light in his eyes. "A flight? You think he might be mine?" He jerks his head to the side a little and then gets a very annoyed look. "Siya says he has my eyes." The man says in annoyance. "And curls." He tosses his curls back. As a result the baby giggles again. He watched the bitten rider walk of with slight concern and vague confusion.
missing section due to brief d/c, feel free to fill in
Cenlia wrinkles her nose, "Shards, 'm glad I weren't sent to Ista when I was shipped off from home. Even if it is fun 't sneak booze." There's another grin for Leona, Cenlia saying, "My Uncle Cern's got an orchard back in Southern Boll. Got uncles that make brandy - Sunny Orchard's - an' wine up in Fort Hold. Got some here if ya ever wanna try some." R'soe gets a curious look, "Lost 'an found? Dun suppose ya came across a pair of fancy underpants. Guy's shorts. My brown flit, Trouble, think he up an' stole 'em back in Ista, but I dunno where he left 'em." There's a smirk, though. It's definitely not any sort of kindness that's going to have her returning the poor guy's clothing, no. She's totally planning revenge. There's a sidelong glance at Fy; a look that plainly says yes, /that/ guy's underpants. At the mention of not having much planned, Cenlia grins at F'yr, "Should see if there's any place t' set up a party. Could have a right proper beach party sometime." And another nod of agreement about the nannies, "They'd prolly know better how to take care of a kid." It's what Cen would do; she's with the other two women there - totally not the maternal sort.
Leona suggests, with a snort, "Call it baby, /it/ won't know the difference. I still call my kid 'the boy', and he's a weyrling now." So, at least twelve. But he /does/ have another name, probably at his father's insistence. She does smirk again at F'yr's suggestion, though. "Yyyep, I've got the day free, I'll watch you watch the kid." Watch, not help. No, she'll probably be more along the lines of maddeningly unhelpful. At the party suggestion, her eyes light up. "Hey, I've got a ready keg of Tanner's Friend in my weyr, just /waiting/ to be tapped." It's more of a suggestion than her barging in and inviting herself. No, really, it /is/.
"No, I'm not naming him after you Siya," says R'soe, looking annoyed. "Maybe Jessal. Or how aout Garveld. Or…" Then the air suddenly fills with a squeaking sound. Its a rather cute harmless sound. Its clear that the baby is making this sound, almost like bird chirps. Oh. But these aren't happy sounds. Baby is unhappy! "Oh dear! Okay, uh, somebody, baby, what is it you want?" This is people's chance to laugh at the R'soe attempting to be a mommy. "Oh, Siyamath suggests I go see about some milk in the kitchens," says the flustered rider, as the squeaking noises descend into something that sounds more like a baby's cry. "All right, all right little baby, all right, time for num nums. Yes, num nums, just hold on." And he exits much in the same way he left, awkwardly holding the crying baby like its a sack of flour, and ambling a bit dazedly towards the eating caverns.
"There's a lost and found here?" asks F'yr, surprised by this idea before she grins wickedly over at Cenlia. "I bet it'd make a nice flag." There's one silly idea, but she bobs her head as she makes sure to share a 'Revenge, soon' look. Weyrling or not. She snorts about the idea of a party, but her face still does light up. "Can't ever have too many of those, can you Cen? S'always a right proper party if there's a nice big fire involved! And maybe if we keep all our clothes on too." And Fy definitely is amused by R'soe, being the first to laugh at his sudden baby-problem. "Good luck with that!" she calls after him before looking to the others. "A mark that he doesn't last a sevenday. Very strange rider. I think babies being dropped around place seems to be common, ain't it?" The brownrider shakes her head, still giggling.
M'nol reenters the meadow, still blushing, but at least wearing new pants. He seems to wince slightly when he walks and says nothing until he reaches Faraeth. Then he sort of half-smile, "I'm back… they said it'd be fine…"
Cenlia grins hugely, "Should get another party going," and her eyes sparkle all over again at the mention of a keg. "Could bring it out to the beach?" Cen suggests to Leona. There's a glance back at B'miel's weyrbarn and then the gardener girl adds, "Betcha we could get some brandycakes fresh outta the oven in a little bit." She watches R'soe run off to the kitchens with a snerk, telling F'yr, "Betcha a mark he dun't last the /day/." She's had good luck with betting thus far; she has marks to spare. A nod then, "Yeah, big bonfire on the beach." And then she laughs, "Ain't no fun gettin' naked without some good lookin' guys around. Dun't see R'zel or Siggy nowheres." And she does look around. Spotting M'nol instead, the gardener wrinkles her nose, "Yeah, /definitely/ keepin' clothes on." Snicker.
F'yr bobs her head at Cenlia. "Ain't any good if there's nothing sweet to eat," she says about parties, chuckling. She flicks a finger towain the direction that R'soe left to. "He'll manage a day… and then when it's cry all night long, he'll give it up by the second. Or think it was just broken that one night." With a chuckle she rolls a shoulder back. "And there ain't gonna be any more good looking guys, unfortunately— hey M'nol— until Sig gets out of weyrlinghood and we can go throw big parties in Ista instead." Now she glances to M'nol again with a smirk. "Butt all in one piece I take it?"But she's wandering back towards her lifemate now. "Better get the oil out before this one grumbles real bad. Yeah, yeah, I'm going Zaru. Catch you later!" she says, waving back to Cenlia and the others as she leads Zaruath back to their barn.
Cenlia is practically beaming, telling F'yr and Leona, "'M gonna se if B'miel's got anything that'll bake faster. Rumcakes dun't take so long, different recipe." And she waves, scooting off back to the greenrider's weyrbarn with a, "Will come find you guys later!" And with that she jogs inside, likely to go pester B'miel some more. And probably to invite him to come party.
Leona snorts slightly, and watches as R'soe wanders off. The herdbeast is taken care of, that baby is taken care of, and all that leaves… "Sharding /firelizard/." she mutters, glancing down at the basket, before shrugging. "Suppose I should at least do something with /these/ duds." she mutters, and glances around. "I'll, uh, I'll have Lakareth keep an eye out, he's down at the beach. I can bring along that keg in a bit, should get read of these first." she mutters, heading off to find the dragonhealers' annex.