
Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
J'vry enters from the Hatching arena, and then moves to his great bronze, and offloads some leathercraft things in nets from the dragon.
J'vry looks around for someone to help him."You there. Will you find one of the women around here, or a leather crafter? I've brought things from Ista the leather craft needs here…"
Aradir, the only other one here, is staying away from the puddle of pink mud that was made earlier. He's still doing his mending - and poking his fingers every other time the needle goes through the fabric! - when he hears J'vry's voice. He looks up as he puts the needle through the fabric again and…. "Ouch!" He gives a bit of a growl and mutters under his breath, "Handle fingers mashed clock gears. Yes. Fingers, needle? No." He puts the mending away, and walks over to J'vry, giving a respectful bow. "I'm sorry…" he begins. He speaks slowly. "I don't know…where the leather crafters are. Is there…anything I can do…to help…?" he offers.
J'vry adds,"T'maz is my brother, youngest of all my sisters and brothers. We both impressed here… though I have moved to Ista,some years ago."
Aradir nods. "I can do that," he notes. "Just…take into to the kitchen, is all?" he inquires. "Where to put it afterwards?" he asks, nearing the man a bit. He listens to the bronzerider's statement, and nods. "Only child, me," he notes. "I…moved here…a short time ago…when S'ya's green thought…that I would be a good candidate. Wanted a lock of my hair, for some reason…."
J'vry smiles at the younger man."Don't worry. My brother'll take care of it. I often leave things in the kitchen and some leather crafter apprentice will see it and take it to their master, or get some help getting it away. My former master is still here at the Weyr, and often has an apprentice or three on the punishment details in the kitchens… Mostly the prankish sorts after they're caught."
Aradir nods. "I understand. Should I…start carrying these things…into the kitchen?" he inquires. "They look heavy." He looks at the things, and tilts his head. "What all is in here?"
J'vry tilts his head and hands the boy some of the lighter bags."Dried dyes and needles for sewing up leather things." He takes some of the heavier things himself after pulling from one of the nets he'd had dropped on the ground from Leoth.
Aradir makes a face when he hears the word 'dyed'. He points to the pink mud, drawing J'vry's attention to it, and notes, "Dyes did that. Neferennu and Thea tripped…over a box, and spilled…a huge vat of used dye…." He starts helping J'vry unload things as he replies, "Now we have pink dragon, half-pink Neferennu, and pink-polkadotted Thea."
J'vry also adds."There are also some leathers for boots and other things Master Tenaj makes…" A large net still attached by one loop on Leoth has a large roll of leather hides." I see… Pink dragon… that would have to be Adinaeth?" He chuckles."Adinaeth was craving pinkness when I was a weyrling." He laughs."I once had to go up to his and his rider's weyr, and saw how pink it was."
Aradir nods. "I think…it was Adinaeth," he notes. "Was a brown. Actually jumped INTO the area of splash." Giving a roll of his eyes, he notes, "Ugly color…now we have an ugly-colored dragon. Eugh."
J'vry smiles."His rider will have a fit I know…She doesn't like it when he gets all pink. It'll wear off."
"I just hope it doesn't…reflect badly on 'Rennu and Thea," Aradir replies. "Was an accident, and…I wouldn't want them to get in trouble over an accident…." He frowns a bit. "Suppose I should have helped them…but didn't see the box in time to move it, or call out a warning…."
J'vry nods his head."It'll wear off them too. If they get a bath really quick, they'll get most of the dye off fast… Some soaps work better when the water is hotter…Don't worry, you can blame it on me…Master Tenaj also likes doing flying gear for babies, and some mothers just want pink leather for the girls when they're babies…"
Aradir blinks. "How…could it be blamed on you?" he inquires. The bronzerider wasn't there when the incident occurred, and perhaps only caught the tail end of it. And once again, Aradir blinks. "Flying gear…for babies?" he inquires. "Why would…a baby need flying gear?"
J'vry nods."The women I had children with… Master Denna for one, she had leathers in different colors for her children when she'd had a green rider bring her children to Ista…After we broke up…" He sighs, but continues."She was my weyrmate when we were at Western for a while, and we still keep in touch."
"Oh, I see…" Aradir notes. He pauses a moment. "Do you…mind if I ask you a rather…personal question?" He looks to the dragon with J'vry; it seems he's addressing this inquiry for permission to them both.
J'vry looks at the boy."I don't mind, ask away." Leoth croons in agreement, and his eyes whirl as he moves to look at the young man as well."By the way, I'm J'vry and this is Leoth. We Impressed here several Turns ago…What is your question?"
"Aradir," he notes, putting a hand to his chest. Again he looks from J'vry to Leoth, and then back again. "What…was it like? To Impress. Went to an egg-touching, and…and…." He pauses, then shakes his head. "Can't describe."
J'vry hmms as he pauses in checking his list of things he pulled from a pocket as the boy asks his question."It's like…nothing you can describe… The voice you hear in the egg that liked you best, is like your own… The egg cracks open and there he or she is… and looking for you… Leoth was one of the last to crack open and came right to me…"
Aradir listens to J'vry's description of Impression. "Feels like something was there all the time, then?" he notes. "Like…piece of…" He pauses, realizing he's slipping back into his old speech patterns. "It feels like…a piece of yourself that…comes back? A piece you…didn't know was missing…but is back again?"
J'vry hmms, and then nods."That sounds about right…"
Aradir nods. "Was strange at the egg-touching," he notes. "Wind and Rain. Two different eggs. I was…a little scared…but at the same time, it was…exhilarating."
J'vry nods."Some may say they like you…but then they change their mind… It's hard to say which egg will get under your skin and then hatch out to your friend…I had touched a bunch of the other eggs including Leoth, and when he was hatched most all the other hatchlings had chosen their friends…"
Aradir nods. "So…egg-touching does assist in the Impressing?" he inquires. "Thought so. Almost seemed like the dragons inside…were already…." Here he pauses, looking for the word. "…Cognizant of their surroundings, and touching the egg was…a way to let them see the outside world. Through you."
J'vry nods and laughs."That is true… They want to see the world and perhaps taste test the minds of the future riders, that they can see if it suits them."
"One of the candidates said…that she didn't know…if the baby dragons had…minds? Yet," Aradir notes. "That maybe…they weren't aware of things yet. Though…I would have to ask…how the experiences we had…were possible if they weren't."
J'vry hmms and nods."They do have minds. Some of them are funny to watch when they're learning to do stuff, or want to see things for themselves." He tilts his head and thinks a moment, and then describes one of the first times Leoth wanted to taste one of the desserts."
Aradir listens, chuckling slightly at the story. He looks to Leoth. "I'm not laughing at you," he assures the dragon. "But it's funny." A smile.
Leothrumbles at the boy and then presents his head to the lad."He wants you to scratch just over his left eye, All dragons love attentions even from Candidates."
Aradir nods and raises a hand to do as the dragon bids - little scritchie just above Leoth's left eye. His touch is slightly hesitant, but the feel of a dragon's hide under his hands is enough to relax him. The scritchie begins hesitantly, but Aradir soon grows more confident. "Like that?" he inquires.
J'vry steps closer and watches."Yes. Do it right on top of the eye ridge… Sometimes riders miss getting spots like that with oil."He says, giving an informal lesson."If you feel patchy hide, you'll have to slather oil on it…" He gets Leoth to extend a leg and goes up to get a bag from a higher up spot on the neck ridges and comes back down quickly."Let me know if you feel it and I'll show you how to oil him there."
Aradir very carefully feels around atop the eye ridge, and feels a slightly rough spot. "Ah. Yes, I think so," he notes. He'd washed dragons a couple times, and is getting better at distinguishing it when he feels it.
J'vry pulls a rag out of a pouch at his waist and then proffers it and a container of oil."Well felt young man, Leoth asks that you oil it for us, please." Leoth's eyes whirl looking curious at the boy for a moment, a shade of green edged with whatever passes for curiousity in dragon eyes.
Aradir takes the rag and oil from J'vry. Now this he's familiar with. True, clock oil and dragon hide oil are vastly different…but it is oil. He knows the viscosity, and knows how much to use to cover a certain portion of space. So it is that the puts some of the oil on the rag, and then reaches up once again, to find that patchy spot. He is careful to keep both the rag and the oil out of Leoth's eyes. A clockmaker's hands are likely pretty nimble, too, as Leoth might note as Aradir oils the patchy spot carefully.
Leoth croons with delight as the oil is slathered."If you don't Impress here, I might kidnap you just to oil Leoth once in a while. He says you have a good touch." As he turns around a couple Tanners have spotted J'vry and his almost forgotten load. One comes to get some stuff and the other goes and gets more apprentices to help get the load away from the dragon. J'vry talks to them briefly and then a little blue firelizard appears. He lands on J'vry's shoulder and chirples happily."Excuse me one and all I think I've a date in the kitchens… Denna's probably got something new for me to try…"
Aradir seems pleased that Leoth enjoys the treatment. "Ah. I'm glad," he notes. "I guess…working with clocks and tiny gears helps." He chuckles. When he is finished with the oiling, he folds the cloth and offers them to J'vry again. "Pleased to help," he admits, with a smile. He nods as J'vry mentions his 'date' in the kitchen, and chuckles. "See you later," he offers, with a wave.
J'vry takes the rag and oil back and slips them back in the bag before securing them to one of Leoth's flying straps."Thank you once again…Good day to you." He then strides off as the blue firelizard starts pulling him more urgently toward the kitchens.