Xanadu Weyr - Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
Shellie is laying out on a large blanket at the moment, reading what looks to be a healercraft journal as she absorbs the sunlight. Her little blue firelizard is curled up next to her, sleeping.
Fiara makes her down from the Weyr proper, towel folded over arm, dressed for swimming with a very large shirt over the top. The harper pauses as she reaches the beach, shading her eyes against the sun and then moves steadily down towards the water, footsteps light on the sand.
Shellie looks up, and sets her book aside, then sits up and stretches. Seeing the new arrival, she smiles, and speaks. "Hello
Fiara looks like she might walk on by for a moment, until Shellie addresses her directly and the harper comes to a halt, smiles cheerily. "Hello there. Good day for relaxing and reading a book!"
Shellie shrugs, nodding. "It is, although I do get tired of reading about work, honestly. Care to join me?
"Mm, I guess that can get tiresome." Fiara regards the rider for a moment, then nods, shakes her towel out to spread beside the other woman's. "Thank you. I'm Fiara by the by, harper. Posted oh … a month and a half back? About that."
Shellie grins. "Shellie, rider of Green Rieselth, and Healer Senior Journeyman. Welcome to Xanadu, by the way." She grins, and offers her hand. "How are you settling in so far?"
Fiara takes Shellie's hand to shake with a firm grip then kicks her sandals off, settling down onto the towel, legs folded beneath her. "Well met, Shellie. Regards to your green," Fia notes with a polite nod. "Thank you. So far so good. The kids seem to be pretty up on their lessons so no problems there. Went off with the expedition the other day to take a look at that boat. That was both odd and exciting all at once."
Shellie nods, and frowns. "What happened? I was stuck in the infirmary, and couldn't go on that, but I was with the team that checked out the cave about four days before it.
"Mostly just found some things," Fiara answers, stretching arms up over her head, then leaning back on her elbows, legs crossed in front of her. "What looked like a rider's badge, a beast that was in some trouble. Some bits of paper. Looked like there'd been a dragon there."
Shellie frowns. "Ok, that worries me. What would a Rider be doing with these people?"
Fiara's shoulders shift upward. "I don't know, it was all pretty weird. A big storm broke out while we were there and we had to leave. The place was … spooky."
Shellie nods. "That's how the cave was too. I really don't know how to describe it otherwise.
Fiara rolls her shoulders, looking a little discomfited. "Anyway, I hope it all amounts to something. Helps figure things out. Those kids you know, poor things."
Shellie nods. "I know…" She gets a haunted expression on her face at the mention of the children.
Fiara just sighs softly and looks up at the sky. "It's hard to think that there are people like that out ther ein the world."
Shellie nods. "I know… And as a mother, it scares me." She shakes her head then looks at you. "Do you have any children, Fiara?"
"Oh, Faranth, no. I didn't walk the tables all that long ago," Fiara says with a little laugh. "And well, I'd need to have a fellow you know. But I'm not in any hurry to have kids." There's a sympathetic look though for the rider. "How many children do you have?"
Shellie smiles. "Two, both daughters. One six turns old, the other just about two." She sighs, and lays back. "As pretty as you are, I'm sure you could have any man you want."
"Oh just little ones," Fiara says with a warm smile. "Your older daughter must be in my classes, actually. What's her name?" Fia, laughs though at that last remark. "Thank you. That's not really how I usually think of it though. Flirting can be a bit of fun, but I'm not really looking for all comers, if you know what I mean."
Shellie nods. "I do. And my oldest is Caellie."
"Oh yes, she quite takes after you!" Fiara exclaims, casting a closer look Shellie's way. "It's a lot of children to get to know, but I'm finding I quite like it here at the Weyr. And of course the weather here is much nicer than Tillek."
Shellie giggles. "So's the wine." She grins. "I love the warmth, honestly, even though we're going into winter at the moment. I don't think I could ever imagine being posted to Tillek or High Reaches. My Weyrmate's neice impressed at the reaches, after growing up here. Needless to say, she's moved back down south since."
"Mm, I grew up at Paradise River so even Fort was a shock when I went to the Hall to train," Fiara says with a little chuckle. "Tillek was … very cold. I actually asked to be posted back south and here I am!" And a laugh for the wine remark too. "The beer at the tavern is good."
Shellie nods. "I was actually used to the cold myself, coming from Keroon originally. And yes it is, but I've always been a wine drinker, and then only in extreme moderation." She grins. "Can't do surgery when you're drunk out of your wits, after all. Besides, I have other vices that I prefer."
"Isn't it more temperate at Keroon? I've only been there a few times and never in winter," Fiara explains. "And noo, drunk not a good idea. For anyone really." That brings out a smile and Fia laughs. "Doesn't everyone have some kind of vice?"
Shellie nods, giggling. "Yeah. Of course, riding green definitely encourages mine." She can't help wiggling saucily.
Fiara's brows lift a little and then she laughs. "Oh that sort of vice. Well I suppose that's fairly common in a Weyr." She doesn't seem fazed, but neither does she seem particularly interested.
Shellie giggles and settles back down on the blanket, not bothered by the lack of interest. She's well used to it. "Anyway, everyone has their fun in their own way. And life isn't all just duty and mating flights." She grins. "What do you do for fun, Fiara? Hobbies and the like?"
"Exactly. And what fun would life be if it was /just/ duty?" Fiara's eyes widen just a little at SHellie, but it's good humored. "Well sometimes the nice thing about being a harper is that work and hobby are the same. I make music, try to write some. Sing for the fun of it, not just to teach. And I like poking around. I've been exploring the weyr a little."
Shellie nods. "It's a lot of fun to explore. Me, unfortunately, as fufilling as I find the craft, I have to do something else as well." She can't help giggling. "Usually, that ends up being reading, but again, I find myself working.
"I like to read too," Fiara nods agreement. "Lots of good books out there. I found the garden the other day, and the Weyrleader. He's quite the bookish sort it seems."
Shellie nods, and shrugs. "I've not had many dealings with R'sul, actually. Although I tend to try and avoid Bronzeriders, honestly. Too many of them are more interested in getting into bed with a lovely woman." This from a woman who's one of L'ton's many lovers, and who's weyrmate is the younger brother of the infamous J'vry?!
"The color of the dragon doesn't seem to matter much," Fiara says with a little lift of her shoulders. "Some riders are like that, just like some harpers are. I know some very … forward harpers," the journeyman continues with a laugh. "I suppose my vice is that I like good food too. Nothing quite like trying out a new dish, or getting a plate of horribly fattening snacks."
Shellie laughs, and nods. "Then you've definitely come to the right weyr. We've got more Bakercrafters at Xanadu than you can shake a stick at. And some of the best, too. Master Denna, for example. And of course my own T'maz."
Fiara pats her stomach lightly. "I'll have to be careful then, not go overboard!" The harper looks out towards the water, gaze going distant. "It really is nice to be down where it's warmer again. And it's not so far from my family. Easy enough to go visit."
Shellie nods. "At least you have family. My parents died in the dreamplague, almost twenty turns back
Fiara looks back over at the rider with a sad look to her face. "Oh — I'm so sorry," she says gently. "And … well yes. Quite a large family. Fishers and shipbuilders at the hold."
Shellie shakes her head. "It's all right. I know they would have been proud of me." She smiles. "And a large family is a wonderful thing. I see T'maz with his brothers and sisters, and cousins, and all the other relatives, and it's amazing to see how happy he is.
"Ahh, well," Fiara says with polite carefulness. "And T'maz is a baker and … a weyrmate?" Also queried carefully, Fia clearly not /all/ that up on Weyr ways yet.
Shellie giggles. "He's my….well, we've been together so long that we may as well be Handfasted, although as Riders we can't. It's an open relationship, of course. That's just a necessity, especially when both partners are riders."
"Ahh, so just a casual but somewhat committed arrangement," Fiara nods, face showing understanding. "And yes, I don't expect to be performing many weddings here," she says with a chuckle. "Though perhaps some of the caverns-folk," the harper adds with a little lift of her shoulders.
Shellie giggles. "Well, that's the thing about a weyr. Even the relationships among the Cavernfolk tend to be more casual than in hold or hall. I adjusted fairly quickly after moving to a weyr, but then again, I'd always had a tendancy towards it anyway.
"Mm. The master talked me through that before I came, but said that sometimes people still opt for it," Fiara says with a little laugh. "It's definitely different to come from a place like Tillek where there's someone getting married practically every week."
Shellie giggles. "Sounds interesting, but I'd rather stay at a weyr, honestly. I don't think I have the mindset to ever live in a hold, at least not anymore.
"I only posted to Tillek for two turns. That was almost straight out of being an apprentice. I hope to stay at Xanadu for quite some time. You know, make connections and really get to know the place. It's up to the Masterharper though whether or not I wind up posted elsewhere eventually."
Shellie nods. "I know. At least, being a Rider, it's pretty much a given that I'll be posted to a Weyr. And as a Senior Journeyman, I do have quite a bit of say, of course."
"Mm, I'd just like to call somewhere home for a while," Fiara says thoughtfully after a moment. "More than just a few turns. And not the Hall."
Shellie nods in agreement, and shifts position. "Well, hopefully you can call Xanadu home, dear. We're a wonderful place to live."
"I do hope so," Fiara agrees with a warm smile and stretches her toes out towards the sun. "So, are there any spots around the Weyr that you recommend finding?"
Shellie thinks for a moment. "Well, the forest is always a nice place to walk in. There's even a little ampitheater off the main trail there."
"Yes, I've actually been down to the theater, but not through the whole forest yet," Fiara explains. "This is the first time I've really come to the beach for more than a moment."
Shellie nods. "I love it down here, honestly. Nice and warm most of the year. The dragons enjoy splashing around both in the lake and the ocean." She can't help giggling. "And it's a great place to boy and girl watch as well."
"Well, sure, no one really wears much on the beach," Fiara says with a merry chuckle, though her knees draw up towards her chest and she rests her chin atop them. "I think I'm going to go for a dip actually, it's getting hot under the sun."
Shellie nods. "Well, have fun. I have to go on duty anyway, so I need to get back to my weyr, and change." She grins. "It was nice meeting you, Fiara.
"Thanks, see you around, Shellie," Fiara says with a little wave as she drops her shirt onto her towel and walks down to the water for that swim."