Xanadu Weyr - Garden
An arch woven from the tendrils of a willow tree stretches overhead lightly creeping with ivy as one steps in from the meadow into this sanctuary of green. Cool gray flagstone carefully spaced enables a soft velvety moss to thrive within the cracks, and creates a single wide pathway that fluidly breaks off into two paths of stone once free of the natural arbor. It is a wonder this place, and meticulously tended from the way it seems not a single leaf is out of place. On either side of the main path expansive grassy patches are trimmed short and edged behind with natural tan colored stone selectively chosen to stack just right. Beyond these are a line of fine puffed shrubberies in vibrant green intermingled with flowering bushes of brilliant pinks varying in hue from the very light to the very dark, which causes the occasional snowy white blossoms of other scattered here and there without worry to simply pop out of the scenery.
Directly in the center of the garden is another wall of intricately stacked stone, this of muted grays, creating what from the air would prove to be a perfect circle. It's been set high for safety, but not so much as one would not be able to lean over it to admire what lies beyond, either standing or sitting at the smattering of benches whose backs are set every four feet along it. Flush to the ground inside it's protective stone outcropping, is an enormous twenty to the ground inside it's protective stone outcropping, is an enormous twenty foot wide fish pond. Within one can glean the metallic glint of playful goldfish, the unhurried cruise of fat koi, and even a frog or three among pale yellow and white flowering water lilies and their thick green pads.
The trees surrounding the entire garden were planted to give the impression that they had always been here, not only lending to a rustic look, but also eluding to the beauty that can be found among the wilds if only one might just look for it. Species vary from the ordinary Birch and Pine, but the flaming red capsules of the Indian Shot to the robust orange spokes of the Firewheel tree suggest the spice of the exotic. The two paths leading away from the entrance have come full circle, wrapping around to meet each other on the other side, yet still continue on to the far left and right. One path leads off deeper into the surrounding woods, while the other wider; cheerily decorated with brightly colored slabs of painted stones.
It's a cool and fairly windy afternoon in the Xanadu gardens. The sound of quietly chittering firelizards carries over the wind in the leaves. There're four - yes four - of the little creatures, all hatchlings, sitting on a bench. Two blues, one midnight dark and the other sky-bright, a brown, and a goldeny bronze. They appear to be watching the goings-on in the shrubbery. The gardener girl is headfirst in one particularly large bush, rustling around and grumbling about "eaten leaves" and "shardin' thiefs."
The bronzer was having a walk out, just enjoying the fresh air and the weather, and all the things that make a walk out worthy. He stops when he sees all the lizards and then Cenlia head in a bush.
The bronze flit is first to notice the bronzer, and gives a tiny warble. Rogue and Mizzle, the blues, join in, and the brown growls grumpily. The noise gets Cenlia's attention, and she gets her head out of the shrubbery, leaves and twigs sticking in her hair. "Oh, hello!"
K'vin smiles softly and leans on a tree, watching Cenlia. "Looking for something?" He asks gently. "Maybe I can help you searching?" He asks softly, watching the lizard.
The bronze flit, seeing somebody is looking his way, gets up and waggles his rump cheekily, and moseys over to the edge of the bench, crooning for attention. The little brown 'lizard gives a disgusted snort and curls up to snooze. Cenlia nods to K'vin, running a hand through her hair to dislodge bits of plantmatter, "Something's been munchin' on the plants," and she frowns back at the offending shrubbery. Indeed, there do seem to be quite a few bare spots and even stripped bark. And it's not just in one spot. Something's definitely been taking bites out of that shrub. Big bites.
K'vin nods his head and carefully kneels down to look at the plants, measuring with his fingers carefully and hmming softly to himself. "I think there's something like a sheep on the loose." He says after a time.
Cenlia blinks at K'vin, "What'd it be doing in the garden?" Munching on the plants, obviously. Clearly she hadn't considered something larger than a bug, hence her rummaging around in the shrubbery. However, she looks around, her frown deepening, "How'd it get in-" and she stops, because from somewhere further in the garden there is low 'baa' sound. Even the flits peer around. Where'd that come from?
K'vin turns his head to the sound and nods his head. "Here's the guilty one." He says softly. "Come, let's see." He says with a smile. "It's either a sheep or something else but I'd bet on an ovine."
Cenlia nods, brow furrowed, and takes a step, and then there's another 'baa' and she turns to follow the sound, muttering, "Shardin' ovine, how'd it get in here?" And why hadn't she heard it before? The sounds are getting louder as she heads off the path and between the shrubs. There's more 'baa baaa'-ing coming from further in the garden, and Cenlia follows it. Her flits chitter irritably at being left behind, but the gardener girl ignores them. There's a rustling sound, too, like someone shaking the branches.
K'vin smiles softly. "Looks like that thing is having fun eating stuff in there." He stops beside the branches and slowly parts them, letting Cenlia watch what's there.
There is a sheep. A big, wooly sheep. It 'baaa's loudly as the humans approach, and sets to thrashing about when the branches are parted. The reason for its sudden loudness quickly becomes apparent, as the animal appears to be wedged between the trunks of two thick shrubs. 'Baa!' it goes, and yet, despite being trapped, it's still munching away on the nearest leaves. Cenlia stares at it and makes a face, "I ain't gettin' in trouble for this," she grumbles at the ovine, "An' quit eating the plants!" The animal looks totally unimpressed with her demand, and sets about thrashing and 'baa'ing all over again.
K'vin chuckles softly. "Maybe we should help it get away from this." He offers, approaching the trapped animal slowly and cautiously. "Do you have something that we can tie around its neck?"
Cenlia shakes her head, still glaring at the sheep, "Only got garden tools," and then she thinks a moment and says, "But maybe there's some rope in the storage cavern. Saw a bunch when I stowed the tuber ale." At K'vin's approach, the sheep baaas and digs its hooves into the ground, trying unsuccessfully to run away, but bruising the roots of the two shrubs on either side. Cenlia winces as she sees the damage being done to the plants, and with frown she mutters, "I'll go get it," and jogs off.