Candidates Chatter
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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.


It's growing later in the evening, most people long having eaten their suppers and retired to relax before bed. some, however, are still out and about, braving the bitter cold of a clear winter's night, the stars and points of light around the Weyr glittering like diamonds off the ice and snow. Rubbing tired, wear hands to keep them warm, Felandre picks his way across the bowl as he makes his way back towards the barracks. He looks dishelved, weary and dark and thoughtful of eye.

Meira is sitting outside, though it looks like she'd rather not be. She's all bundled up in thick woolen clothes, adding to her already kind of plump figure. She's running her hands together and breathing on them, trying to keep warm. "Where the sharding shard is he?" she's muttering, glancing around the clearing. She spots Felandre, and calls out, "Hey! Have you seen Trian?" she asks, inquiring about a fellow candidate. "He was supposed to meet me, after he got out of there." is added in a mutter, with a glance to the infirmary.

"Huh?" Fel mutters as he raises up his eyes from the ground, wary of slipping. "Oh, uh… I'm not sure, they kept me pretty busy, I barely got a chance to pay attention to what I was doing. Sorry. Better be careful waiting around for people, though… s'what got the other girl in trouble." He murmurs as he diverts his course towards Meira, shivering even under his thick coat.

Alaye is making her way across the clearing from the direction of the barracks, walking slowly across the cold ground, hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. Every now and then she rubs her arms to warm them in the frigid air, though she carefully holds on to the two apples she carries in her hand. After all, it had been forever since she had paid Blue Rain a visit. She simply had to bring the stallion a treat. Suddenly she hears voices calling up ahead, and spots two fellow candidates. This reassures the girl a little, especially since one of their own had disappeared so recently…

Meira huddles up against the wall, searching for a nook or cranny that's mostly out of the weather. Without luck. She's shivering herself, can't help it. "I'd rather wait inside, but I said I'd be here… /Why/ did I say I'd be here?" she asks herself, shaking her head. Meira shakes herself, or maybe that's just a stronger wave of shivering, and looks up at Felandre. "The other girl was fine though, wasn't she?" she points out, blinking slightly as she notices Alaye out fo the corner of her eye. "Hey, have you seen Trian?" she calls, maybe he snuck out? Alaye's pair of apples are given a rather more curious glance, and she asks, "Hungry?"

Wordlessly, Felandre removes the fur-lined leather jacket he wears and offers it out to the shivering Meira. "Spur of the moment? I think she's alright, I didn't see her. I don't think she was in any real danger, though, but I guess we'll find out later." As another is addressed, Felandre looks up to spy Alaye and dips his head in greeting. "Always nice to have dragons able to deliver fruit, even when it's not growing around here. I can't eat my porridge in the morning without it."

Keziah slips on outside, her jacket across her arm just incase she gets a little too cold, but it is nice to get out of the warmth. Least it's not stifling like the last two places she was visiting was like. A glance is given the others as she pauses to pop her shoulders and back a bit and then she wanders over that way. "Whats up guys?"

Alaye is just coming within earshot of the other candidates when she turns her head at Meira's call. "Trian?" she answers. "No, I'm afraid not, sorry. I haven't seen him in a while." For a moment the girl seems confused at Meira's last question, but then she looks down at the apples and laughs a little. "Oh, no, these are for Blue Rain, my runner. I haven't been able to visit him often. Busy, busy."

Meira blushes slightly at the offer of the jacket, or maybe that's her cheeks flushed with the cold. "Uh, don't you need that?" she asks, rubbing her hands together still to keep them warm. "I hope she's alright." she says, with a frown. As for fruit and porridge, Meira smiles slightly. "I prefer herbs in my own. And, I'll admit, a healthy dose of sweetener." Perhaps even an unhealthy dose. Meira turns her question to Keziah, "Has /anyone/ seen Trian?" though she's not particularly optimistic at this moment. As for runners, "Ah, I've been assigned to groom runners twice this week already. I don't know that I miss /that/ part of hold life." But she's not exactly complaining.

"Ah, heya Keziah." Felandre returns to the next candidate to arrive. "Eh, not much, think we're all just braving the cold. "Oh, no, go ahead, Meira. You look colder than I am." Felandre replies with a grin, still holding out the coat. "He's gotta be around here somewhere. I'd send one of my firelizards, but, they aren't very well trained yet."

"Trian?" she asks with a tilt of her head "Don't think so." she murmurs and then grins "Cold? It's pleasant out. Should try Reaches in the middle of winter." she notes and then adds with a bright grin, "This is positively balmy." A smile to Felandre "Hey there." She glances over at Alaye "A runner? Sweet. I've not been able to save up any marks for one. Course most I had went for little treats and all for the goats I'd take care of and all. I kinda miss them.""

Alaye turns her head at Keziah's arrival and waves. "Hello. Yeah, Blue, I was lucky to get him. He's an ex-racer, and a beautiful blue roan." She pauses to pull the collar of her jacket tighter around her neck. "Reaches? I've never been there, but it must get terribly cold…" As for finding Trian, Alaye tries to think of the last time she may have seen him. "Maybe he had to take care of a last errand or something."

Meira glances to her own firelizards, well, those that she can see. "Kawoosh is fairly trained, but perhaps a little /too/ smart. He's refusing to leave the barracks, because of the cold. Chappa isn't quite there yet, and Ishta only hatched two weeks ago." she rolls her eyes. Though she does accept Felandre's jacket, gratefully. "Thanks… Sure you don't need it?" Too late, she's got it on now, and she's not likely to take it off again without a fight. "Mmm, pre-warmed." she murmurs, though she does shiver at the thought of even colder weather. "It's /freezing/!" she complains, to Keziah. Alaye's theory about Trian seems to placate the candidate, as she stops asking about him. Mostly because she's already asked everyone.

Felandre chuckles faintly at mention of the Reaches, shaking his head to Meira and gesturing her to take the coat with a smile, "Oh, those mountains get horridly cold. I dunno how they keep from freezing every year right into their weyrs. So, a roan? Nice color. I had to take care of the caravan's horses all the time, though I never had one myself. We only had two riding mares just for important deliveries or messages, the rest of them were all big work horses… not comfortable to ride on at all."

Keziah bahs a bit "It ain't freezing." she states and shakes her head a bit "You've not felt cold yet." she states "Heck, it can get real cold on the slopes and all, specially when the wind blows. Course the canines and the goats can be real warm when it gets too cold." she says thoughtfully. "Some of the riders say there dragons will help block the worst of the cold from blowing in and one is real proud of the one that's heated by the heat from the livin' caverns and all."

Alaye starts to shuffle her feet a little to stop her shivering, quietly listening to her fellows as they talk. "I've worked around runners all my life. My father used to race them when I was little," she says to Felandre. With all the talk of the runners, though, Alaye suddenly looks up curiously. "Has anyone heard anything new about that girl, by the way?" She glances at everyone in turn to see if they had an answer.

Meira wraps the coat tightly around herself, beaming at Felandre. Looks like someone's made a friend for life here. "I don't think I want to visit the Reaches. Not if it gets colder than this." She frowns slightly, and shakes her head. Nope, no colder than this, she's not going anywhere colder. "I can't imagine it." Okay. The cold seems to be getting to her, slightly. "We only had work runners back home." she says, "Didn't have much use for racers, nor the marks really."

Keziah grins "Yeah, iffen you don't like the cold, might not be a bad idea. First winter's the worst though. After that it gets easier." she states. "That first spring afterwards though. Goodness you start sweating before it's even truely warmed up it seems sometimes." She glances over at Alaye "You ever race any?"

Alaye blinks, but it seems no one had learned anything about the girl who had vanished. Shrugging, she turns to answer Keziah. "Me? Nah, unfortunately. My father only raced them when I was very little before he retired. Though I would have loved to ride in a race." The young stablehand deposits the two apples into her pocket so she can rub her hands together. She probably should have worn gloves … but then again she had expected this to be a quick trip. Not that she minded chatting with other candidates. "Anything else going on, guys?" she asks suddenly.

Meira shakes her head at Keziah, "Too too cold." she says simply, frowning at the infirmary briefly. "I wish I lived somewhere warm, sometimes. But, this is where I live. Can't imagine anywhere else." she states, shaking her head slowly. She doesn't seem particularly interested in racing, mostly indicated by her not saying anything while the race chatter is going on. As for anything else going on? "It's /freezing/, that's what's going on. Also, have you seen the announcement on the noticeboard in the barracks yet?" About the mandatory survival camp.

Keziah blinks a little "This place does get quite warm though I thought." she murmurs "Least K'tai is always saying it's lots warmer here." she notes and then nods "Oh yeah, I saw that. That'll be lots of fun I think. I mean, can't be anyworse than having to climb down a cliff to get to a kid that figured how to get down, but not up again." she states and then shakes her head at Meira "Not really, just getting outta the warmth of the caverns and all to cool off a bit"

Alaye nods. "I think it should be exciting. I've always been drawn to the wilderness. Mind you, I've never found myself in a situation where I'd have to call upon survival skills." Suddenly she glances toward the darkening skies. "I'd best be getting on," she says to the others. "It's getting late. I'll see you all later." With that, she waves and heads on toward the stables, moving at a brisk walk.

Meira shakes her head at Keziah in amazement. "It's cold. Cold /everywhere/. Even in the caverns. Icy cold." Literally. But, she shrugs, glancing to the infirmary once more. "Trian swore that nothing would change after I was searched. Well, mostly." she mutters, randomly. Although, really, not much has changed. Meira nods slightly at the mention of the camp. "Maybe it'll be warm. The notice said to pack /warm/ clothes as well as cold." she's hopeful, she is.

Keziah nods a little "Wonder where they'll be having it?" she asks thoughfully "I certainly hope not Igen. I mean sure the nights get cold and all. But the days." she shudders a little "I'm surprised I didn't melt into a little puddle."

Meira leans back against the wall, shaking her head. "I don't care where it is, so long as it isn't /cold/. It does sound interesting, though. It sounds … mysterious. I bet Trian will enjoy it, at first, and I think I'll enjoy watching him realise how much harder it is than he'd expected." Harder than Meira expects too, probably. It's not like she's ever done that sort of thing before.

Keziah hmms a little "Yeah, it does kinda sound mysterious in a way, doesn't it?" she looks thoughful "Shouldn't be too hard and all though. I mean I'm sure they'll want us to come back in one piece and all and so it shouldn't be too dangerous."

Meira nods slowly. "True. There was the fuss with the candidate who went missing, after all…" she tilts her head, and glances to the infirmary. "I doubt any of us would wind up in there, except as punishment or chore. They need at least some candidates left, to impress." she notes, with a nod to the hatching arena.

Keziah gives a bit of a nod "Yeah, they weren't too thrilled about that." she murmurs softly and shakes her head "She shouldn't have taken off though. I mean, honestly. Just made it worse on the rest of us."

Meira shakes her head, blushing slightly. "Well, I kind of see her point. I've heard a little, here and there. It was about a guy, wasn't it?" she asks, looking once more towards the infirmary, Trian's current last known whereabouts. "I … don't think I'd do the same… But I can understand why she might." she frowns slightly.

Keziah snorts her head abit "No guys worth that." she states and shakes her head "And I mean it's not like we weren't told and all. And if she's really so hot for someone She could forgoe standing and all. But I'd wait myself."

Meira frowns, and declines comment on the worthiness of guys. Trian certainly doesn't seem worth it, though. Definitely not worth declining to stand. "Maybe the girl was cooped up back wherever she came from, somewhere most of Pern might not ever have heard of, and never got a chance to meet anyone, until she got to the Weyr? Maybe she wants to make the best of things while she can, because she'll have to go home eventually? Maybe she wanted to run away with the guy, but couldn't, because everyone expected her to be the good little holder, or crafter, or candidate?" she seems fairly passionate about this issue. Is she talking about the other candidate, or herself?

Keziah bahs a bit "Ain't no need to go home. A Weyr will keep on a candidate iffen they wanna stay." she states. "And well, iffen she wanted to run away with him. She shoulda just said something and then gone off with him. They wouldn't force her to stay iffen she didn't wanna stand. Course, it is a bit of a pain to not be getting to enjoy anyone and all. Least not all Weyrs have that prohibition and all."

Meira chews on her bottom lip, and shakes her head. "I … it's not that big a deal, not for me. I was still an apprentice until about half a turn before I was searched, so, I didn't have time for much, really. It was a nice time while it lasted, I'll admit, but I'm a candidate now." she's blushing fairly vividly, and carefully avoiding referring to anything or anyone specific. This is not exactly her idea of polite conversation. "Some people though… I don't know. I'm sure she thought she had a very good reason."

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