Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Beach
With a gentler slope to the water from the main beach and the way it is cut in like a cove, this is the most sheltered spot for bathing. The sand is the same white hue, there are just as many — or perhaps more — scattered shells. From here, one has a beautiful view across the lake, a scene more often tranquil than not.
Even baby dragons that do nothing but eat and sleep need a little down time to play and stretch their rapidly-growing muscles, so with that in mind, the AWLMs have herded the dragonets and weyrlings outside into the grounds and weyrling beach to romp. Twelve days has seen amazing growth already, but they're still tiny compared to Seryth, who has wandered, along with her rider to have their first real peek at the babies since they hatched. The pair of them remain at the edge of the compound, careful not to overstep their bounds while the young ones skitter about. Though the young queen isn't their dam, they fascinate her and she gives voice to this with a series of musical trills. Sounds like draconic for, 'Aww, they're so cuuuute'. Thea, meanwhile watches with a fond smile of remembrance. It really hasn't been all that long for her.
Frustrated with having just oiled the baby Turlath only to have the whole group brought outside to romp in the sand and water to wash it all OFF, E'on's tired, but staving off his grumpiness and irritation as best he can. Still, Turlath lingers by E'on's plopped position on the sand, head tilted, oiled ancient bronze a very dark shine in the paler sand. "Oh, go on then," E'on says with a chuckle, swatting Turlath's shoulder a little, who lingers a little longer, apologetic, then finally trots through the sand towards the water, a shuffle more than a walk, tail up, as if trying to not look quite as awkward as some of the others, though his growing young body is not exactly made for grace: but at least he doesn't fall over or get tangled in his own limbs.
Uirath was just about at the head of the pack on the way down, the overeager blue darting past his siblings with barely contained alacrity - leaving Quila to hasten after him with admonitions offered, somewhat unconvincingly. She ends up depositing herself in the sand next to E'on, allowig her dragon to satisfy his energetic impulses, flashing in and out of the surf with seemingly no end to the movement. Quila shakes her head. "Exhausted just watchin' him," she says. The gold dragon is, obviously, highly noticeable. Q shields her eyes against the sun, squinting her way, and eventually raises a hand in greeting towards the queen and the rider that presumably accompanies her.
It's almost comical, all the angst and frustration on the part of the weyrlings, but Thea manages not to laugh, though her smile does widen a bit as dragon babies dart everywhere with anxious weyrlings in their wake. Just who is getting the exercise here? Seryth, for her part remains rooted, a sort of dragon-barrier that will help contain the babies to this beach so they don't spill out onto the main beach. She does extend her neck, snaking her head just above the sand to have a closer look, her mind reaching out with cool mist redolent of cedars and fresh mountain snow, « Hello Little Ones! Life is good and to be alive, is too, is it not? » Thea, meanwhile returns that wave of Quila's, leaving Seryth-the-dragon-fence to stride close to where she sits with E'on. "They're looking… energetic," she offers by way of greeting.
"They'd better, all they do is sleep, eat, and poop," E'on observes to Thea, with the edge of a tired grumpiness to it, but it's not heavy. He's not in a /bad/ mood, just not at his most shining sterling version of himself due to the tiredness. Still, he smiles anyway. "Think he'll tire himself out?" E'on asks of Quila in welcome, moving a hand to pat her shoulder companionably once, noticing her exhaustion, the same as his own, of course. Turlath orients to the queen in clear interest, tail swaying up and back and forth with a curiosity. Turlath's mind voice is a low churning ember-dotted smoke, thick. « The sun is great! » the baby Bronze observes happily, sloshing around in the shallows just to squish the sand in his toes.
Quila nods slowly, rubbing a hand over her face as E'on makes that concise list of what their lives have consisted of lately. When that hand falls away, though, there's a quirk of a smile there, a long suffering sort of affection. "Look forward to 'em bein' able to butcher their own meat," she says to Thea, simultaneously gesturing for her to make herself comfortable, if she should choose. "Afternoon, weyrwoman." That hand patting her shoulder is reached for, and given a brief squeeze of answering companionship - then she makes herself even more comfortable, sinking down to lay back, propped up on her elbows with her legs bent in front of her. "Shells, it's nice to be out o' the barracks." Uirath responds to the gold's comment less with a coherent comment, and more just a sense of joy, full of bass notes and rumbles, sheer energy in his mind. « Alive, alive, alive! » he seems to reply, pouncing errant sun sparkles in the water.
Thea hunkers down beside the pair of weyrlings, a kind smile for the fatigue they both display. "At least they run out of juice fast at this age," she consoles while craning her neck to watch Turlath go by. She has an appreciative murmur for his color, before scanning for the next closest hatchling, finds Uriath and studies his hide with an assessing eye, nodding approval. Back to the pair beside her, "Absolutely, the two biggest milestones were when they could hunt and go Between. Some things get a lot easier after that. But for now you're wise to sleep when they sleep." Seryth is well pleased with the replies she gets, lowers her head to the water dipping her muzzle enough to blow bubbles at the dragonets. Her gentle rains fall musically on a still pond, « Yes, it's good. And there is much to see and do beyond this place. You will see. »
E'on grins briefly, "So by the time we're really efficient and skilled at chopping meat into tiny bites, we won't need to anymore," E'on says ruefully, amused. He stays sitting up, though mostly to just not get TOO much sand on himself; there isn't much time allotted to self hygiene. "What does Seryth think of them?" E'on wonders of Thea, thoughtfully curious. Turlath watches the bubbles, going still in the sandy shallows of the water, and then sloshes over to inspect them closer, opening a flapping his wings once, surprised as the bubbles drift away due to the fanning, and looks at his own wings. Oh. «We'll fly all over!» Turlath assures Seryth agreeably, but not in any hurry about it. A strange little assured child, but not impatient. Instead, he attempts to mimic her bubbling, but ends up with just sneezing.
Quila gives a low laugh, slowly digging her feet into the sand - she isn't much concerned about getting clean after, choosing to relish this blissful moment of respite from the barracks. "Can't say as chopping meat is somethin' I ever cared to get good at in the first place, so don't mind much that there's an end point," she says with a note of amusement. She catches E'on's question to Thea and turns her attention that way, waiting with interest to hear what the fully grown queen thinks of this new batch of babies running amuck. Uirath is momentarily distracted from his dashing and darting by the sound of Seryth's voice, warming to the rain in her mind. This /he/ tries to mimic, but it comes out still with crashes and clangs overlying it, and he soon abandons it to turn and run down the beach as far as he can. « I want to see it all, » he declares loudly, eagerly.
E'on's comment about chopping earns a snicker from the Junior, "Ironic, isn't it?" She absently reaches for a handful of sand, allowing it to trickle through her fingers as she watches the little ones explore, her eyes seek the golden form by the water's edge. After a moment she answers, "She says they are full of wonder and have no worries at all. She likes that they are so 'in the moment'." With a light laugh, she adds, "Those are her words." Seryth lifts her head to watch Turlath, then shows him a new trick, her muzzle lowers again, but instead of blowing air, she merely rumbles, the vibration causing the surface of the water to dance with droplets that seem to have a life of their own. Her rains are a rainbow of caught sunshine as she promises, « You will. When you are bigger, you will see it all. » The last of Thea's sand falls from her fingers and she brushes her hands together, freeing the grains from her skin as she asks them, "So with them in your head, you're doing alright? It can take some getting used to."
E'on laughs softly, "Yeah… I'd agree with her," he says, watching the romping dragons—- slanting a look as the eager blue goes bolting off down futher from them, briefly thankful for the more quiet bronze, due mostly to how tired he himself is. "I think the sunshine and water's good for them," he adds, relaxing back slowly, easing tension stress out of his own body, and relaxing some vigilence. Turlath watches this new trick raptly, tilting his head, tail sending up a brief small sheet of water as he lashes it. And ends up blowing about …two small bubbles with a snort in the water. « Yay! » He turns his head promptly, looking back to E'on with a clear expression that he's asking if E'on was looking. "I saw!" E'on agrees, with a relaxed soft laugh. Cheered, the bronze goes to find another sibling to blow a bubble at.
Quila chuckles, nodding slow agreement to the gold's interpretation of the baby dragons. "He is at that," she murmurs of her Uirath. In the moment, that is. He's tearing down the beach and back again, making a wide jagged arc that will lead him eventually back into the water. E'on's comment earns a tired smile. "I think so too. He loves it. He's… there's no word to describe the sense of freedom." She digs her own fingers into the sand, drawing in the warmth and sunlight - the outdoors is good for the weyrlings too, truth be told. At Thea's question, Q drags her ever watchful eye away from the blue to look at her, eyebrows slightly raised. "Alright?" She considers. "All right. Yes. It's an adjustment, it's… it's crowded upstairs," she adds, pressing a now sandy finger against her temple. "But getting used to it."
"Me too" Thea says simply while regaining her feet slowly. Her expression softens as she eyes the acitivity, a half-smile curves her lips and she murmurs, "So many memories here." There's a nod of understanding for Quila's answer. "I found it… expanding to accommodate her. But it's different for everyone." Seryth has lifted her head to watch Uriath run, a warble of approval for his speed, then chuckle-croons encouragement to Turlath, withdraws her neck and turns her attention towards her rider, a mental nudge that draws the junior's attention, "Alright, alright, I'm coming. Get your rest," she notes giving E'on and Quila a keen look, perhaps a needless reminder since the pair are relaxed on the sands already. "They'll be flying before you know it." And with that she heads off with a warm smile and a casual, "See ya later."