Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level
Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separating from the sands themselves by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher then the previous, and they are broken up into sections by 3 sets of staircases. Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony looms overhead, darkening some of the seats, providing a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.
When one looks over the railing, the oddly hued sand below can be seen easily, the circle-shaped area of the sands spread out to the far walls, the sand itself a unique mixture of red and white grains.
Late fall has brought cool breezes and rains… outside. In here, it's the same dry heat it always is when there's a clutch on the sands. Luraoth's inspecting her eggs, going from one to the next to gently turn them, nuzzle along the shells and consider just how they're doing. Perhaps she talks to the burgeoning minds within; if the candidates make contact, surely their mother can as well, but if she does, these conversations are private ones. Up in the stands, where the air is still hot but at least the surfaces aren't scorching, there's Soriana. She sits on one of the benches, a clipboard with some paperwork resting against her lap. It's half-done, but for the moment, it's just sitting there, as is the pen in her other hand. As is Soriana, for that matter, vaguely staring across the sands as her thoughts drift.
"Hello Soriana," a warm voice says from below. Walking slowly out onto the observation deck proper is So'l, who promptly takes a seat not too far away from the goldrider. "Doing well?" he asks, offering a smile before looking out onto the sands. There Sharuth has made his way down, returning from the feeding grounds and ready to resume helpful watch over the eggs. The doting mother that is Luraoth is considered with affection and pride, the bronze's mind reaching out to greet with the smell of wintry pine and the scurrying of small creatures in the snow. « You care for them well, » Sharuth notes, moving to settle into his customary spot — where he has the most visibility of the stands and the surrounding approaches to the sands.
Soriana's eyes resume that 'being focused' thing at the sound of a voice - first at the wall across the sands, then turning to actually look at, y'know, the one who spoke. "Hey. Hello," she says, and sits up, glancing down to her clipboard as if to reminder herself what's even on it, then setting it aside with her pen on top. "Doing fine." She smiles. "Just trying to figure out who else needs to know that the candidates are off on a trip and won't be doing chores this seven." She shrugs slightly, then tilts her head in question. "What about you?" Down on the sands, Luraoth spares a glance for Sharuth, a quiet rumble of greeting. Her thoughts are warm like these sands, dusky-orange swirls that turn to brilliant gold when they shine on the snow. « They are my children. »
"Ah yes, the famed trips of Candidacy," So'l chuckles, thoughts drifting back to his own experiences almost a turn ago now. "I heard they're down in the muck right now. Things are going well, I hope?" As for how /he's/ doing, well… "It's been a long couple of days. There was an avalanche back at Fort Hold. A bad one, too. Buried much of the hold proper," he explains. "We've been digging people out and salvaging what we can. Things are pretty much under control now, though, so I'm back," he shrugs, his eyes once again flicking to the warm sands as Sharuth whuffles at Luraoth in agreement. « And a fine mother you are already, » the bronze adds, allowing the gold's light to melt some of the snows and uncover some greenery.
Soriana glances up across and out the small windows in here, and hehs. Given the weather? "Yeah, they're roughing it. Firehead Hold." At least as far as she knows. There… may have been a few miscommunications, somewhere along the line, but surely everything's fine. After all, they haven't heard any reports of things going wrong, and those holders said they'd keep an eye on the candidates! … "Tiny place. Good people, though." So yes. Soriana's pretty sure things are going well, and also, she's thoroughly distracted by So'l's answer to how things are. "Oh!" She listens, expression serious, and nods. "Hopefully there won't be another one. I've heard they can cascade." Soriana frowns, thinking about it. "Fort Hold… are Harper's and Healer's affected?" Luraoth's attention drifts to her rider, then back to give this egg a final nudge and move on to the next. The warmth and glow of her thoughts to Sharuth is joined by a quiver of sleigh-bells. « Already? » The brightness coalesces into points, eleven of them, and darts away to illuminate eleven egg-shells and show in outline the growing shapes of the dragons within. « They are here. When else is there? »
"I've never been," So'l says, referring of course to Firehead. "But glad to hear they're getting out of the weyr and learning about other people, other places," the bronzerider nods. When conversation turns back to the avalanche, So'l says, "The harper and healer halls weren't touched, though refugees from the hold are holed up in them temporarily. At least until the dragons dig out more of the buildings," he nods slowly. "There were some casualties…good people, but some didn't evacuate when the warnings came. Thought they'd be alright." But of course, that didn't turn out to be the case. Sharuth, meanwhile, stretches out for a moment and yawns — the heat and a large meal making him a little sleepy, but his resolve to stand watch still resolute. « Not all mothers are so doting before hatching. I am glad you are, » the bronze clarifies.
Soriana nods about the Halls. "Every spare hallway probably has a refugee," she says. "Fort Hold's a big place." She frowns thoughtfully, though she's hardly an expert on it - or anywhere in the northern continent. Still, she's been there for gathers and diplomacy. The fact of casualties makes her nod soberly, but then her lips purse. "But avalanche warnings last for months, don't they? I've seen on Galaxy's map, they mark mountain-peaks orange or red and just leave them like that. It's not like a storm where you see it coming. Besides, where would they have gone?" Fort's a big place. "At least the hold is mostly rock." Even if it's not entirely so, sprawled out since the passes. Luraoth inspects her eggs with eyes and muzzle as her thoughts reveal them in a different light. « Have you known many? » she asks, curious.
« No, » comes the bronze's reply. « But So'l tells me that not all mothers are the same. Are they close? » Sharuth asks, peering at the eggs with curiosity as he watches Luraoth tenderly care for them. So'l, meanwhile, nods to Soriana in regards to avalanche warnings. "They do, yes, but this wasn't a mountain that is known for avalanches. Kayeth rose a couple of months ago and one of her chasers crashed into the mountain. Some are saying this is why the avalanche happened…that it set the stage, so to speak. But I'm not sure," So'l shakes his head. As for the refugees, well… "Some stayed in their homes even when the snow was actively /falling/ down the mountain. Didn't think it would reach them, I guess. But they could have gone to the square with the rest, to be evacuated." But they didn't. And some of them died for it. "When do the Candidates return?" the bronzerider asks.
« Not yet. » If they were, the candidates wouldn't have been sent so far away! But there's no risk yet that Luraoth will start humming. For now, she considers on what the bronze has said. « Seryth is not the same, » she acknowledges with an image of the senior gold, « but she also cares. As I do. » Not that she wants the other queen anywhere near these sands right now! Soriana leans back on her bench, stretching her feet out as she nods to So'l. "Heard about that," she says of the crashed chaser. Dragonhealer gossip! About the avalanche… "Or gotten caught in transit and not been found 'til spring." She frowns, shakes her head. "There's a lot of people." Hard to evacuate, is what she's thinking. Especially during the rapid crisis-response of a fast-moving avalanche. Speaking of evacuations… the candidates would probably like one, wouldn't they? Oh well. "Few more days. We want to give them a good sense of what cothold life is like. Appreciation and respect, that sort of thing. Besides, it's too cold for camping."
« It shows, » Sharuth beams, happy over this fact. He'll settle in quietly, then, letting Luraoth tend to the eggs without further distraction from him. He's around, though, should she want anything of him. Perhaps she'd like to order out? The bronze would be happy to deliver. Up on the observation deck, So'l is nodding once again. "It /is/ a lot of people. We're lucky more weren't harmed." And as for those Candidates, well… "Good thinking on getting them out there. If any of them end up going into Search and Rescue, understanding the plights of cotholds can be especially useful." Speaking from experience, of course. Looking down onto the sands, he gives Sharuth a wave before turning back to Soriana. "I've got some reports to file. Should probably get to it, I suppose," he says. "It was nice talking for a little while," So'l nods.
Once Luraoth finishes checking over her eggs, she's likely to think takeout a very good idea, if Sharuth's up for bringing her some back. Eating is a good thing, even if her mind's more occupied by her eggs. Soriana's mind is, temporarily, occupied by that avalanche, and she nods to So'l. "Always a bright side." One corner of her mouth quirks up, and then she nods about the candidates. "Should be an educational experience for sure. Search and Rescue, Transport, Administration… it's useful for all of them." Maybe not Crafter. Other than that, though? Useful. She glances to the sands, then back to So'l. "Okay. Have fun with those!" Because paperwork, ever so fun… and she waves to him before picking up her own again. Now then, where was she?