A Bronzerider Comes to Visit

Xanadu Weyr - Wanderin' Wherry Tavern

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It is often whispered in the crowds that converge here, that a certain Weyrleader was asked what he wanted in the remodeling of the pub that was not so long ago given a refreshing. He muttered back over the rim of his ever-present mug, "I don't care what you do with the place, just so long as there is plenty of ale." With that in mind, cask after cask of ale lines the walls of the tavern, the remodeler's idea of a jest. As they age, the casks bring a real rustic atmosphere to the pub, along with the deeply wooden flavor that seems to be the theme throughout.
The lighting is dim, as it should be in all good pubs, and the tables and chairs are plentiful. A long mahogany bar, intricately carved with runner beasts, stands vigilant duty at the head of the bar, lined with stools for those patrons that seek the bartender's company.


The less…erm responsible ones have long since converged on the tavern, numbers growing more and more as the sun had vanished from the horizon. Those who want a clear head for the next day's duties are long since up to their private weyrs. Whether for just a good drink, to find a nights companion, to gamble, socialize or do some business - the crowd is about average with many here for their own reasons. N'kor's scruffy red mop is in the crowd tonight, already having pitched his flying leather's over the back of the chair to get comfortable as he sloshes down another good drink, howling at some joke a fellow at the bar cracked - having earned even a grin from the barkeep himself. There seems to be a general good spirit in the tavern, no bar brawls yet, and limited if not hushed conversation about the presence of those children from the caves.

After returning from that strange, strange investigation, Satoris had some time to spend on his actual duties. With the bad weather and the oncoming night, there was little way for him to get back to examining the cave that opened. Instead, he began drafting up proposals and reports to send back to the Mining Hall at Crom. With everything done and visions of bed still long distant, the Journeyman has decided to follow the others and convene upon the Tavern. He steps in and angles his way towards the bar; settling heavily into a seat.

The man sitting next to N'kor claps him on the shoulder, muttering, "You'll nevaaaar-*hiccup* — get the — *hiccup* — bed that one. Sh — " the rest of it is lost as the man stumbles, bringing about another roaring laugh from N'kor as he slips off his stool and goes down to help the fellow up. N'kor steadies the other, "Rufus, my old mate, I think you've lost your touch. Time to get off with ya. Get. Oi, Lilly, get this man out of here, will ya? Needs a good pot of klah too." Rufus nearly takes out Satoris as this apparent 'Lily' woman (stout as she was thick) comes over to stoop underneath Rufus, practically carrying him out as the man continues to hiccup and threaten to vomit. Once gone though, N'kor with a wide grin on his face, turns to Satoris, clapping him on the shoulder (if Satoris can't evade it), "Hope he didn't clip you. He's a good man." The rider climbs back onto his stool, looking over at Satoris once more, noticing the other take a heavy seat, "Troubles eh? Good place to wash them down. What's your poison? A drink on me, to forgive my friend back there."

Fortunately, Satoris is a big man adnd even as he gets bumped into, he weathers it well. He glances at N'kor, blinking a few times. Perhaps surprised at the sudden familiarity the rider takes. He clears his throat a bit, "Just a strange day, perhaps. I drink a good dark ale." He manages somewhat a smile, in the fashion of one that doesn't smile often. "Thanks."

Ysa is proddy! And there she's… in the tavern? The goldrider was actually having a hard time quitting the bottle after a week-long binge drinking. Horrible times, they were, but the blushing goldie was back late that night for a fix. "B-beldar," she calls out timidly, flushed in the face from embarrassment as she glances towards the rowdy crowd. "Just an ale for me, please," she asks of the tender, slipping into a seat at the bar.

"It's the least I can do," he also adds in a low aside for Satoris, "it's not that it costs me anything either. Always get a night of booze from a good trade — " he nods back toward his flying leathers with the vintner knot dangling precariously from it. He stretches up in his bar stool to snag the attention of the barkeep, ordering himself another drink as well as the miner beside him, "Dark. Aye. The stuff from Nabol is alright, better from — yeah — " he grins as the barkeep puts a hand over something that might equal to a guinness on earth. Though, barkeep and rider turn their attention to Ysa as she flops up and takes a seat. N'kor laughs good naturedly, "Ysa! It's been a while. You look like you're having yourself a good time already." The said barkeep orders up for Satoris and Ysa first, knowing that N'kor's still got a good half a drink left. A look to Satoris, "I'm N'kor by the way — " hand extended for a good strong shake.

A glance to the knot and Satoris nods knowingly. "Always been a fan of your Craft, sir." He grins somewhat, nodding in a pleased fashion to order the same that N'kor is drinking. He certainly approves, yes. He looks past the bronzerider to Ysa as she sits down, tipping his head in a nod. "Weyrwoman." When N'kor offers his hand, Satoris accepts it. His own grip is strong and calloused. "Satoris, Journeyman Miner. I see you're not from Xanadu?" Likely from the glance at the knot, he also saw the badge.

Ysa expected to see rowdy people at the bar this late, but she did not expect to see the old Xanaduian bronzerider. "N-n'kor?" she squeaks out, already ducking her head after hearing her name. After a moment she offers him a shy smile. "I… I think you're the one having the good time 'nough f-for both of us. It's… been awhile." Yes, the goldrider is stuttering, and her red face had more to do with embarrassment than drink, as the barkeep hands her the first one of the night. She takes a tentative sip, eyes on Satoris now. "H-how has the search been going s-so far, Satoris? The… cave, was it? Earthquake?" There's a bit of the old goldrider in her eyes as she looks back to the bronzer. "A-and your wine?"

"Hah!" N'kor starts with a toothy grin, "Pretty easy to be when you got this stuff," he hoists his mug and downs a little more of the dark ale, pausing after to add, "Unless of course your a woman of a man whose gone sour." The barkeep chuckles knowingly and N'kor shares a wink with him as his refills comes just then. During the handshake, N'kor nods, "Satoris is it. Good of you to have a drink up here with my lot." He certainly sounds like he's had a few, but not in a bad way - as if it loosened him up and made him more out going. The last of the miner's questions gets a smirk, "My dragon is. He hatched here," a beat before he adds, "Though I'm from all over. I like to experience… variety. Better that way too, to keep good business connections open." This is when he glances to Ysa, "That would be me," considering her shy attitude with some confusion, not that he lingers much on it, chuckling easily enough, "You may be right. Though you should get in on it while the gettings good." He encourages her, "Add a little more blush to you, then you'll be getting on well enough." He lets Ysa speak to Satoris before he answers her last, "Doing more of the fire and search and rescue thing. News of what happened recently made me come down. Hopefully it won't put anyone out if I stay a few nights?" Though, it looks as if business doesn't suit him as he goes back to the drink, hiding the frown.

"If it weren't for us going on that investigation, I was going to begin delving into the cave today. Had all my equipment, too." Which explains why Satoris showed up to the camp site in a harness. "Hopefully the earthquakes are finished. There doesn't seem to be anymore aftershocks due…" He shrugs and thanks the bartender as his is served and takes a long drink before listening to N'kor. He nods to the bronzerider. "I… can understand that. I'd never left Crom and the Mining Hall before being assigned here, so it's all a bit strange to me."

Ysa giggles behind her mug at the bronzerider, watching him curiously for a moment before blushing darkly again at his comment. "T-this is the only one 'm having tonight. P-promise." She raises her mug to him with a shy smile, which is then turned towards the miner. "T-today? Already?" she asks in surprise, staring at him. "Isn't it… d-dangerous, going in when you're not sure if the earthquakes are done?" At least the thought alone had gotten rid of most of her blushing. She looks between the two men before taking a long gulp of ale, as if to cool her down, as that blush was rising again. "I… I can understand the willing to travel everywhere. I have," she notes with a smile. "Since before Ella hatched, too."

It wasn't the sort of conversation to keep N'kor in the good chipper mood, in fact the earthquakes, the cave, and those children were down right depressing to speak of. So he pretended not to hear most of it, sticking to the topics he could relate with a healthy grin still showing. "I've been on the road most of my life," he says matter-of-factly, "and it's strange for me, to be in one place for too long." He glances back now at Ysa, his brows lifting as he sips from his mug, watching her watch him. "What are you giggling at?" He says with a coy grin on his face, teasing tone to go with it, "No no no. Don't promise that. Not in the presence of a vintner! That's… an insult to only have one." He smirks at her, trying to edge himself just a little closer - she was acting differently from what he remembered, and he actually liked it. "I just haven't a thing to tie me down yet," he notes at her last comment, "s'why it's easy enough for me to keep going." Then he considers the miner, as if not to be rude, "Shouldn't you give it a few sevendays before mining? Aftershocks can last more than a day or two, can't they?"

"It's been a few days since the last aftershock," Satoris explains to them both. He takes another drink of the ale, shaking his head at N'kor. "It's long from ready to be mined. I'm just beginning to explore and document it, so that I can find out if it /can/ be mined. It takes time. The entrance is solid enough at the moment that I can at least begin taking samples and sending them back to the Hall." He considers a moment, glancing back and forth to them. "Archy's wher hasn't found any instabilities, so I figure thus far we're doing pretty good. I just hate to sit idle."

"It… it isn't /that/ bad," Ysa tells the bronzer with a slight lift of her shoulders. "Settling… B-but 'm older than ya." This makes her face fall a bit, and her mug tip back a bit further the next time as she gulps some down. Old goldrider, woe is her! She sighs as the mug drops back to the table, blinking her eyes back to him before she blushes up to the tips of her ears, if they can be seen. "N-nothing!" she squeaks out. "G-giggling at nothing." She doesn't answer about the promise, though, turning her attention swiftly to the miner in case the blush swallows her up whole and makes her explode. "I-I hope that you'll be all safe down there. Keep safe, for me?" Big eyes to Sat. "I-I've had 'bout 'nough excitement with K-Kefai" Squeak "an' his gang to… to think they'll be trouble and d-deaths here at home."

N'kor gives a skeptical look to Satoris, but doesn't look to protest what the miner says - after all, Satoris is the one with the journeyman miner knot on him. Instead, he murmurs, "What do you think could be in there? Anything of interest?" Yet, it seems to him that Ysa has stolen the show, as N'kor continues to slide his gaze over toward her, very much leaving his eyes on her for the better part of the conversation. His lips purse at her words, "Oh I don't know. I'd get bored," he admits, "same old thing every day. Where's the fun in that? I figure I'll settle when my bones hurt too much." He grins, "Take tonight for example. Being here gave you a surprise, didn't it? Now imagine if you'd had gotten used to this scruffy old face. You wouldn't be so surprised then to see me, now would ya?" Then a snort as he sees her face fall, "Yer not old and you know it. Still got a girly face on ya." The rest of it makes him laugh, his mouth spreading into that easy-going grin, affectionate not mocking. When she speaks over him to Sat, that's when he goes about finishing off his one mug, moving in on the freshly poured one with an eager glint in his eye.

"Old generally means you've been given record duties and don't get to go out performing intense investigations," Satoris points out, studying Ysa for a time. Perhaps trying to figure out the cause for the sudden change in her demeanor from the first time they properly met. Poor man has never been around a proddy rider. Her request brings him pause, but he dips his head in a nod and offers a salute. Had he a hat, he may even tip it. "My work comes with danger, but I'll do my best to keep safe. For you." The last is added, perhaps, as an afterthought. "I'm not sure what we'll find. Something, I hope. It's what I was sent here to do… Find a mining site, document it, then get a crew in to build the mine." He's settled back, shoulders noticably relaxed, drinking the ale. Not as tight and focused as he often is.

"B-boring? Well… well, not Xanadu, yet," Ysa replies with a stutter and then a giggle, shaking her head. "B-but I /am/ old…er. H-have a b-baby and all, to take care of." When she remembers, and not drinking late at night. Plus the older toddler-turned weyrbrat in the caverns. There's a smile in for Satoris, as she lifts her mug up to him. "T-thanks," she murmurs his way, nodding. "A-and it's always a surprise to see a friendly face 'round, N-n'kor. S-so long as you bring me… something…" She trails off in a blush, just unable to be like her old self. At least just after one mug of ale, which she finishes it off by tossing it back quickly. Proddy Ysa made her twitchy, and a bit more anti-social than normal, only because of her embarrassment and meekness around anothers.

At Satoris' last, N'kor blinks, saying the first thing that comes to mind, "Hope it produces for you then." Slurp. Slurp. A few more chugs taken of the dark ale as he considers Ysa, snickering, "A baby doesn't make you old. Look it S'ya. She must be on her third by now and she's still quite young." The man then straightens a bit at her mention of getting something, "Oh, I think I might have something. Maybe. If you're good." He winks at her, going back to his drink for a quick moment before he seems to become hit by that … peak, rubbing his hand over his forehead before his fingers turn to scratching his beard.

"It… it does make me 'stuck' for a bit," Ysa answers N'kor with a little smile this time, peering down at her mug of ale mournfull. But she promised! "S'ya's… S-she's on her second, now," she says softly, and there's a slight tint to her cheeks. Who knows why, maybe just because baby talk was suddenly making her uncomfortable (like everything else). "I-I'll be good," she says with a giggle to N'kor, blushing all the while. But then her head snaps up and her eyes go wide. "O-oh! S-sorry, N'kor. I… I hope to see ya 'round 'gain, but… but I really should be getting back home." Old, see! She sniffs once and then offers Satoris a smile and a nod. "R-remember what ya promised me." Because she might not. She gets up, gives the two a wave, and then makes her way back out, keeping her promise of one drink.

"Thank you," Satoris says to N'kor, lifting his mug in something of a salute. He then sets to draining it, before Ysa suddenly gets up to leave. "I will. I keep my promises." He does manage that somewhat awkward smile again before watching her go, a slightly quizzical expression upon his face.

"Not really. You could just pawn them off on someone else," he adds in with a bit of dry humour, not enjoying the topic of children so much, though, S'ya, yes, that poor girl was simply sport to the class she graduated from (ie, him). He can't help but look shocked, "Only her second? Are you sure you're talking about the right girl?" He says as an aside to Satoris, "She wanted a go at all the men as soon as her green went proddy. D'len, Y'ki, Ch'tra, and I ran for the hills." He snickers at the memory, not expecting the miner to know his fellow clutchsibs, but all the same. Then Ysa is up without having another drink, "Hey now! You said you'd stay for another! Awww, don't leave, I was just trying to make some moves on you, you know!" He says with another obvious tease, a little more strongly said now that he's got yet another mug of ale in him. "You owe me another drink—" he lifts a finger, pointed at her as she starts to pack up. Though, he says in a less comical voice, "Good to see you again Ysa. Take care of yourself." Then, back to the drinks and the miner beside him, said casually, "You ought to stick around Xanadu. Good people here."


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