Xanadu Weyr - Textiles Workshop
A large portion of the Craft Complex has been given to Textile production, and the space has been carefully laid out for the most efficiency. A variety of looms are set up in one section of the room, and a large metal vat sits nearby to dye the wovens as they are finished. A large oven is present to dry the material, a pair of rollers on each side allowing it to be slowly passed through the heat.
Thea is standing near one of the looms, nearby one of the Weavers who is watching the machines run. Thea also idly watches one of the machines, walking from one to the other. Now and then she touches the fabric emerging from the loom, muttering to herself. She leans forward, tucking her hair behind one ear as she does so and gives a close-up stare at one of the samples.
While the workshop at Xanadu weaves, dyes, and finishes their own fabrics, even they choose to import the threads and warps from outside sources to save on time and space. As such, these things need to be delivered, and Marte seems to be on that duty today, as the brownrider is hauling in the heavy spools, one at a time and depositing them in storage. As the last one is left, she's pausing to watch the process with a certain detachment.
Thea shakes her head, tsking to herself as she straightens up, although there's nothing visibly wrong with the weave. She jots down something on the clipboard she's carrying. As she turns, she notices Marte's entrance and heads in that direction. "Hello, may I take a look at those spools?" She indicates the storage room door with a tilt of her head.
"'course. Just came in from Hannista Hold. Though, if'n there's anything wrong with them, they can shardin' well pick them up." Marte mutters a bit, apparently rather annoyed about having to haul the heavy things to and fro. Pushing the door open, and waving Thea in, she gives her a small smile, even as she's leaning against it to watch the inspection.
Thea chuckles softly at Marte's comment. "As well they ought. and compensate you for your time hauling poor merchandise to boot." She slips past the the woman and stoops to trace a finger along one of the threads. "Hmm, nice." Her tone is non-committal, neither pleased nor displeased. She touches a few more spools before rising and looking at the tops of the spools nearest her. "Doesn't say what the origin of the fiber is, though. D'you have a receipt?" All curiosity in her voice.
"Hisolda took it, soon as I landed. I think the woman's afraid that I'd lose it before it made its way to her." The poor headwoman, having to put up with Marte constantly. "She seemed to think it was the right stuff, at least. I just am here ta to and fro it." Shaking her head, the brownrider leans back against the door, folding her arms over her chest, regarding the young woman for a moment, even as she's been examining the spools.
Thea can't help but grin knowingly at the mention of Hisolda's name. She eases past the woman back out to the workroom. "I'll have to ask her, then. She might be in a mood to indulge my curiousity." Dryly she adds, "She knows about my father." There's a roll of her eyes then, accompanied by a shrug of her shoulders. She waves a hand at the busily clacking looms. "He'd have a fit if he saw those."
Marte glances once more at the materials in the store room, before stepping after Thea, pulling the door closed behind her. "She seemed to be in a decent enough mood, at least." The brownrider adds, before shaking her head, and glancing at the looms. "Why's that? Not one of those that swears technology is going to kill us all, I hope?" Marte looks surprised, resting a finger on the roller as the fabric is wrapped up.
Thea snorts softly as she answers that question. "He's not… quite that bad, no." She gives a slight shake of her head to emphasize that. "He's of the opinion that one - the hand-looming gives the fabrics more of a… unique look and add character and two - it keeps folks out of trouble since it takes so much more time to finish a product." She smiles wryly, which might indicate either her mind is of either ken. She tilts her head to regard Marte, "I apologise, should've said this sooner. I'm Thea from Coldstone Hold. New to Xanadu these past few sevendays. Headwoman's Assistant."
"At least he's smart 'nuff not to admit it. Plenty of them out towards Honshu who would tell you that we brought the ice storm and the tremor's about on ourselves, by using unnatural means to do things." Marte rolls her eyes, betraying her attitude on the matter. "Marte, brown Vwayath's." And she offers the teenager a hand. "Coldstone, hm? That explains a lot then."
Thea shakes the woman's outstretched hand briefly, commenting formally, "Well-met, Marte, Rider of Brown Vwayath." Then she's adding a slightly scornful laugh at such philosophy that Honshu appears to espouse. "Oh, Thadan never held to that absurdity. He lived through many a cold winter there above High Reaches. 'Cold comes in cycles', he'd say. " Her eyes dance as she comments, "Fact is, he was delighted with the ice storm and colder spells. Sold more wool that way."
"I could do without the ice - hard to get moving, when its icy. Rather have the snow, even if we're not that lucky more than once a turn." If 2 inches of snow is enough. "You settling in alright then?" Marte asks curiously, meandering towards the next loom, trying to seem as if she's just being polite.
Thea smiles outright at that and quips, "That's true, ice can be rather difficult to move about. One man's boon can be another man's bane." She fingers one of the fabric samples, speculatively. "What one could do with Thadan's soft wool on one of these looms." She raises her head to answer Marte. "Oh yes. Hisolda's kept me busy, but I prefer it that way." She pauses, "And it's a nice change from the mountains here by the lake."
"I'm sure they'd be willing to attempt it, if you managed to convince Hisolda its a good idea." Marte comments, turning back to look over Thea again. "I assume you've had enough time, though, to see the eggs on the Sands?" The brownrider stops touching all the fabrics after getting a rather dirty look from the monitoring weaver.
Thea nods at both comments, "We've discussed it, it's one of the reasons she hired me. I've yet to convince my Da that he's got to let me have some raw fiber." Another roll of her eyes is added to illustrate the futility of that. At Matre's mention of the eggs, Thea hesitates, then nods, almost reluctantly. "Whole Cavern workforce lit out to see it. I went also. It was…" she pauses searching for the right words and settles for, "Interesting."
"Interesting enough that you might want to get a closer look at them?" Marte asks, the image of innocence as she finds safe place to lean against, to avoid having any fingers or clothing taken off by a running machine. "Or, was it not that sort of interesting?"
Thea looks aghast. "A… closer look?" Oh, that wouldn't be proper! At least… from what the Teaching Ballads say." She coughs softly then, "Uh," she squirms a bit, clearly uncomfortable showing her ignorance. "I felt like we were invading their privacy." She shrugs, ruefully adding a half-smile. "First time viewing a Clutching. Though the rest assured me it was actually expected for folks to be there." She glances at the staff nearby as if to be certain they're not listening in. "Weren't close enough to High Reaches to visit the Weyr, as if Thadan would let us off from work."
"Well, as a candidate, you would have the opportunity to get to see them closer… and Touch them." Marte suggests after a moment, trying to hide the grin on her face. "Perfectly normal, though, I promise. Better to watch that then the flight, though, I must say." Marte teases the girl, before nodding. "I understand, though."
Thea's mouth hangs open. Doesn't she look sophisticated? "I, a wha— a c-candidate?" Several emotions flit across her face as she blinks a few times. She totally misses the comment about flights. Marte is given a wary look. "Are you trying to pull my leg?" Another glance 'round the room and a short glare is given one of the nearest workers.
"Well, there are eighteen eggs out there, and my money would be on that youngest gold going up soon enough as well. We need to offer them as large of a pool as possible, just in case." Marte shrugs a bit, before smiling. "If you're willing, of course. You'd still spend half your day in here, though.. I reckon Hisolda won't part with your skills, and she's in charge of assigning duties."
Thea pulls at her lower lip with the tip of three fingers as she takes in what Marte says. Mulling aloud, she comments absently, "I've never heard of one refusing the honor of Search. Not in any of the Ballads. Not in any conversation, either." Apparently she's been too busy working to socialize in her brief time at the Weyr. There's a long pause while she just absorbs this turn of events. "I can't say I've never though of this," she confides to the woman, "It's just that…" she blushes slightly, "y'know it was a kid's daydream that I outgrew." She caps that with a look of apology at Marte's Rider's knot.
"Its your right, one way or the other." Marte tells Thea with a grin, chuckling softly as she's attempting to figure out what to do, seeming to weigh both sides of it. "Most of us do outgrow it.. I was past twenty two when Vwayath found me.. Almost didn't accept the Search, though now I'm glad I did… Wouldn't change it for the world. Ain't like there's much to lose."
Thea listens, tilting her head to one side. "There's much to lose, if…" Here she doesn't finish, as the ending of that statement is just to awful to say to a Rider. She calmly adds, "I wouldn't think of a refusal. Duty to our Weyr was paramount to Coldstone Hold's tenet." Her face is still a mix of emotions, uncertainty predominant. But that may be simply because this situation is new to her. She eyes Marte with questioning eyes.
"There are plenty of riders who still practice their craft, if that's what worries you." Marte tries to reassure the teen, inclining her head towards the door. "If you change your mind, you can always step down, we won't tie you into place, I promise." The brownrider smiles at Thea, encouragingly. "If you're willing, I'll show you to the barracks."
Thea glances around the craftroom briefly. She gives a dry laugh. "Trust me, continuing in a craft I hadn't the pleasure of choosing is the last of my worries." She smirks quickly, adding, "And Search— tis the only thing that Thadan won't object to." Still she looks hesitant, but nods to Marte. "I am willing, lead on." She masters her facial expression enough to smile a little and adds quietly, "Thank you for asking me."
"Congratulations, then Thea." Marte beams at the teen, before moving to push the door open, a slight bow given to her. The textiles craftroom is given one more look over, before Thea's words are further acknowledged. "Well, if'n anything, it tends to make parents proud. Makes them think they're just as special, too."
Thea steps out of the open door, giving Marte a quizzical look as she passes the woman. "Thanks, I think?" There's a bit of a laugh about the woman's other comment. "Well, Thadan already thinks he's special, perhaps moreso than others do. This'll annoy him, but he'll never let on." She waits for the other woman to show her where to go.
"You're welcome.." Marte almost chirps with a wink, shaking her head at the talk of Thadan, before she's pointing across the way towards the Hatching Arena, and the candidate barracks within.
Xanadu Weyr - Candidate Barracks(#7528RA)
A long, low ceiling room opens off the entrance hall to the arena, one wall slightly curved as it is set against the outer wall of the arena itself. Cots are set evenly the length of the room, in two rows, each with its own small press at the foot, for personal belongings. Wide windows are spaced along the outside wall, letting sunlight in, while other lights are available for the night time hours.
Marte pauses just inside the entrance to the barracks, waving her hand down the rows. "Not too many taken yet, with Kilaueth's eggs not that much harder than Ellamariseth's. Find a spot that you like. Hisolda'll be assigning chores daily, and no alcohol or sex."
Thea peers down the rows, bemusement still plastered all over her face as she listens to Marte at the same time. "Not much a chance of that happening. No privacy." There's still a bit of wit left in her, although she's still looking as if she's been blindsided. "I'll just need to get some of my things from Resident's Quarters, unless there's anything else?"