Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Grounds
Cradled in a cup shaped bite out of the mountain, this wide, grassy flat has become home for Xanadu's weyrling dragons. It's set surprisingly high above the level of the beach, visible from the eastern side of the grounds where a long path snakes its way down the hill to the sand dunes below. All other sides to the grounds are bordered by the hard granite cliffs, two entrances clearly visible. One is merely human sized and leads deep into the mountain, to the Caverns. The other is broad and high, the entrance to the Weyrling Barracks.
With the hatching and its feast now a sevenday behind, So'l and Sharuth's stay as temporary residents of Xanadu has come to an end. With all loose ends of their stay finally tied, the great bronze circles overhead, slowly coming down to land in the clearing, laden down with various bags and boxes strapped securely to his body. Touching down, Sharuth folds his wings against his sides and lowers, allowing his rider to slide down and lead him in the direction of the Weyrling Barracks. Their goal? To say goodbye to those lifepairs hanging about before heading back to Fort Weyr. Smiling, So'l looks about the area, seeing who's awake already this morning versus those who — like their newly hatched dragons — are sleeping even still.
Just because someone is standing, doesn't mean ya can assume they are awake. Kera is there, a couple of paces behind Moncerath, even though she's just standing there looking more than a little tired as she blinks a bit, tryin to get her eyes to adjust properly. "If this gonna be a normal thing.." The green wanting to be up way too early she means. Kera scrubs at her eyes and yawns widely, not bothering to hide it, afterall, whose around to see how many teeth she has?
Sleeping would be nice, quite frankly, but Innes doesn't have that luxury. Kairoikyriath was up with the dawn, which means her new rider was up as well, stumbling over herself while trying to feed her ravenous companion. Then there was bathing and oiling to be done, and… suffice it to say, the morning feels quite long already and Innes still hasn't gotten a proper meal in her. And now Kairoikyriath wants to go exploring! So here they are, wandering out onto the grounds, Kairo bounding ahead of her rider. The little gold trips and stumbles, and Innes rushes up quickly to help her out. "Yes, I'm sure that was purposeful," she consoles with a barely hidden smirk. "Hello there, Kera's teeth." And who's that? "Has Sharuth come to make sure all his children are in one piece?"
Indeed he has! Well, some of them anyway. Not many are apparently awake at the moment! And Sharuth isn't keen to wake them just to say goodbye. There will be many visits from this particular clutchdaddy in the coming months; it's not like it's forever. Spotting Kera and Innes, So'l grins and offers a hearty wave, leading the bronze towards them. With a bugle, Sharuth greets the two young women before his thoughts reach out to his children. « You wake early! Many still sleep, » the bronze observes, his mindvoice the frosty forests of Fort and the smell of pine. As the touch brushes against Kairoikyriath and Moncerath, they would see a special clearing in that forested dreamscape — one reserved only for a few, but where they now are welcome. « More room here than the shell, yes? » he asks, amusement rumbling from him with low whuffles. So'l, meanwhile, comes into range and says, "Good morning! Up and around, I see. Your choice or /theirs/?" he smirks, chucking his thumbs at the green and gold. He then offers them both a bow of the head before smiling at Kera and Innes. "Just here for a very quick goodbye. We're heading back to Fort, but wanted to make sure everyone was settling in alright."
Kera jerks her head around, sending a litle frown Innes way before she sticks her tongue out at her friend very briefly. Very mature that. Moncerath bounces clumsily on her dainty paws, then has to get her balance back when a wing extends too far out threatens to tip her over. "Mornin to you as well Innes…Kairo." The bugling draws her attention around to the large bronze and rider approaching. Kera gives a little headdip to the approaching a pair, then seems perplexed a moment as if tryn to remember something she was supposed to do. Oh yea. A hurried slaute is given, though she really just smacks herself in the eye. Moncerath stop her fidgeting, head canted at Sharuth « We hide while they sleep. » Kera chuckles at something and reches down to help steady the ungainly green. "She likes to play hide and seek sir…G'morn to you both." Moncerath tries to charge up to her clutchsire, but ends up dipping her muzzle in the sand, which Kera is quick to drop down and help her. "I'm used to drifting work shifts, but normally I can sleep between them." A little smirk given as she brushes sand away from her dragonmate's muzzle. Nodding to So'l "Safe trip to Fort Sir." « We hide, you come find? Was easy to find in shell. Find better hide spot now. »
Having recovered from her near tumble - and relatively certain that no one saw her purposeful misstep - Kairoikyriath bounds foward, sliding to a step next to Moncerath. But she's not there for long. There's something just over there, on the ground, and she wants to see it. The strange growing thing receives a thorough inspection before her head shoots up and her whirling eyes focus on Sharuth. « There's so much to see! » Her mindvoice is chaotic, whirling and twisting about in an excited flurry of greens and yellows, with flashes of images of things she has yet to view for herself. But she will! Innes is careful to keep close to the exploring gold, almost afraid Kairo will make a run for it if given half a chance. "Hers, all hers," she calls to So'l with a wry grin. "She's not going to take well to having to stay on the weyrling grounds for now." The gold shoots a look at her rider over her shoulder, and then glances to the other dragons in attendance. « We have things to do. We can't stay here! »
"Sir?" So'l laughs, /entirely/ not ready for that, "Let's stick with just So'l? Far more comfortable," the bronzerider smiles warmly. As Moncerath comes bounding and then tipping, Sharuth's head lowers as his eyes spy whether or not she's injured herself. No? Good! Even so, he'll gently nudge the green with affection as she returns to a righted position. « I will be happy to play sometime, though today we must fly on quickly to Fort. Practice your hiding! I look forward to the finding, » Sharuth rumbles back warmly. And then Kairo is bounding forward, her attention chaotically shifting focus as her clutchsire practically shakes with his amusement. « Much to see, many places to go. But first, you must grow strong and sure. Eat well, sleep a lot. There is much time to explore and I hope to show you amazing places when you can fly, » the bronze offers. "I imagine not," So'l chuckles, watching Kairo with a smirk and understanding all too well the task these weyrlings face in spurring patience in their dragons. "Sharuth was /constantly/ trying to leave the weyrling bowl at Fort. Wanted to see and do everything /right away/. But if you explain why you have to wait — why it's dangerous not to," the rider's voice takes a more serious tone, "eventually they'll understand. Hopefully," he chuckles, smiling again. Looking around, So'l says, "Well, looks like no one else is coming out and we've got to get going. Please feel free to bespeak us at any time," he nods, moving to climb back atop Sharuth. "I mean that," So'l smiles, settling into the saddle.
Kera grins as Moncerath stretches her head to peer at the large bronze, the weyrling reaching ove ro brace her dragonmate when it's obvious Moncerath just might tip over again at this rate. « Yesyes. I will find hide spot. » Kera just seems amused and still a bit dazed at recent events. Coaxing her dragonmate to settle a bit, Kera starts trying to flick sand off the just oiled hide, which turns out to be a pointless task, while listening to the bronzer explain Sharuth's early exploits, and his cautionary advice. Nodding to herself as she gives his words thought, she snaps out of her mental circles as Moncerath warbles to her clutchsire. « You show us good hiding posts then? » Kera laughs outright over that and shakes her head "We can play in a bit Moncerath. I already told you. Find the spots around the Weyr first." Waving to the departing rider, she looks to Innes and watches Kairoikyriath before gesturing "I think you've got some sand clinging to ya Kairo,…just there, over your shoulder." Yawning a bit more, she looks to Innes "Have you had breakfast yet?"
« I'm strong enough already, » Kairoikyriath insists, the whirling vortex of her thoughts taking on a slightly orange hue in her instant annoyance. « There's so much to see now. » Patience? Who knows if she'll ever learn that virtue. If she doesn't see it now, she just might miss it forever. "I hope so," Innes answers with a sigh, daring to glance away from Kairoikyriath for a moment to address So'l. "I think introducing the concept of 'danger' is going to be difficult in the first place. But thanks." Seeing as he turned down Kera's 'sir', the salute Innes gives is a fairly casual one. "Don't be a stranger. And I'm sure we'll be out to see you at Fort as soon as we're cleared for between." Her gaze goes back to searching out her gold companion, and her eyes widen in dismay as she realizes that Kairoikyriath is most of the way to the weyrling beach already. Innes swears loudly and takes off, waving at Kera as she rushes past. "Breakfast will have to wait. I'll see you later, Kera!" And then she's jogging after the gold - who seems to have done a good job of finding her legs for the moment - hollering, "Just the beach, Kairo! You're not going any further than the beach or so help me…"