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.
B'relle sits on the sand her legs streached out in front of her leaning back on her elbows watching as Gwynaleth walks towards the lake to have a swim. Next to her rests a few large rags and a huge bucket of oil.
Raenth cranes back his head to rumble impressively. Weyrlings. "Yes, Raenth. Be nice to them." The bronze gives a short huff at this. Why wouldn't he be? He lowers his head back into the warm sand. Ah, the pleasures of sunbathing. T'eo himself is wading among the shallow water, pants rolled up to his knees and boots off. now and again he plunges a hand into the cool blue and extracts a shiney thing. Or a lump of sand… whichever.
Xhonovith was having fun in the lake, jumping about here and there. He sees T'eo, and bounds over, sending splashes towards the poor man. "Xhono, watch it, don't do that!" S'sev says, wincing slightly as he runs along the shore parallel to the excited blue.
Gwynaleth splashes into the water. Although she's being careful, a fair amount of water is sent T'eo's direction, nothing compared to Xhono's deluge, but still a significant amount. "Gwyna! Be careful. That's the Weyrleader! Besides if it weren't for him, or rather Raenth, I'd be in Fort sewing rather than on the beach with you dearheart." B'relle stands as she speaks, greeting the Weyrleader respectfully. "Hello Weyrleader, Raenth. It is nice to see you again. I do want to thank you for giving me this chance."
Blink. Blink. T'eo reaches up and wipes some of the brine from his face before peers up at the blue responsible. "Hey there, Xhono. Watch where ya splash." He says good naturedly before giving the little blue a pat on his muzzle. "Bouncy one you have here, Sev." Water now hits him from the other side. "Erk!" He looks at his clothes, nicely soaked. Raenth rumbles in short spurts, what might be a dragon laugh. "Just you wait, bronzy, till I sail again. Then we'll see who looks like a drowned wherry." He pauses then… "No… A green wherry. You got lots of algae last time." He looks to B'relle and gives a dripping half grin as Raenth huffs and snuffs a greeting in her direction, as if to remind of his participence. "Hello there, Bry- er, B'relle No need for thanks. If you thank anyone it's Raenth."
S'sev grins at T'eo a little. "Yeah, he gets easily excited…he wanted you to go play with him." he says with a grin. "I can't keep him anywhere for longer than five minutes, he's always out and about." Xhonovith stays still long enough for the pat, before he's off again, probably splashing poor T'eo again as the young blue bounds over to Gwynaleth, deliberately splashing the green playfully before jumping away and heading down the beach. S'sev looks a little dismayed, and runs after him. "Xhonovith, come back!" he says, and they're halfway out of sight before the blue reluctantly turns around, much to S'sev's relief. When they're back with the other two, S'sev looks at T'eo quizzically. "How will you take your dragon with you when you go sailing? He looks /way/ too big to fit on any boat." he says, boggling a little at the large bronze. At the mention of search, S'sev grins. "Kysli was the one who got me….even though she /did/ say she was gonna take me to Landing." Suuulk. Every geek's dream, shattered. "But that's ok, when Xhonovith's big enough we're gonna go /ALL/ over Pern and see everything!" S'sev says excitedly. "I've never been outside Xanadu, and Xhonovith wants to see the world too." That settles it.
B'relle smiles sweetly. "The thank you was for you both." She explains as she nods at the bronze before turning to S'sev. "Hey I gotta ask you. Was it Xhono I heard trumpeting during initial flights the other day?" She blushes suddenly, but looks fondly at Gwynaleth, who is suddenly swimming alongside her Xhono, "She's such a dear. I can scarecely imagine what I would have done if I hadn't impressed." B'relle's eyes lose focus briefly, followed almost immediately by the little green turning around. "Kysli's nice. I helped her a bit when I was a candidate, she helped me to relax, when I was nervous."
Indeed, as the blue bounds off, T'eo has to take the time to wipe off a bit more water from his swarthy face. "Nah. He'd break boats. He gets to swim, or well float mostly, along side or in the wake. Gets barnacles and algae all over him." He smirks as Raenth clicks his throat indignantly. "But he gets a decent selection of fish. I don't see why he complains." It's undignified, that's why. "Oh I think you make a very handsome copper whale, Rae. I'm sure Branwynth and Kilauth would think so too." Huff! T'eo laughs as the bronze wriggles about in the sand to face away from him. The 'Leader looks fondly after the green and blue. "Yeah. Kysli actually searched me for my first standing. I managed to catch an angel fish for her brown a while back so he could see it. Unfortunatly the poor things up and died before we got back. I'll have to take a skiff out and get a new one, maybe have the bronzen-boat help Bergeath swim out to see them." Huff.
S'sev looks a bit confused. "What are barnacles?" he asks. Must be some kind of water thing. "So Kysli searched /you/ too?" he asks, with wide eyes. "Wow." Musta been a long time ago, T'eo's like…old and stuff. Well not really, but to a 14 turn old, yes.
B'relle smirks slightly at the bronze. Then she giggles As she steps back from the water and sits back down in teh sand. in much the same position as before. "Gwyna says that she wishes her could have tried landing on the water the first time, her wing still hurts." Shakes her head slowly. "It doesn't have to have been that long ago. He's still young enough to stand, if he hadn't already impressed." Then she glares playfully at the younger Weyrling. "In fact he's not much older than, me so if he's old I must be too." Her tone is teasing, but without any trace of flirtatiousness.
T'eo heads out of the water towards where they are on the beach. Maybe he'll take some time to dry off. "Barnacles. They're these little white shell-bumps with holes in the center where the little animal lives. When water covers them they open a trap door sorta thing and reach out to grab food. You see 'em a lot on whales, sides of boats, and on pier or dock supports that are submerged. Sometimes rocks." He laughs softly at the boy. "Yeah. She searched me. Three turns ago? I impressed Raenth a turn later. It's been a while." Looks at the greenie. "I take it sha had a hard landing?"
S'sev just shrugs. "Well you're both a lot older than me, so that makes you older." he says with a shrug, and Xhonovith paces up to him, soaking wet. S'sev grins, and hugs the blue. "No, we'll never be old." Hah.
B'relle nods. "She tipped her wing in her first landing. Caught it in the dirt and wrenched it pretty good. It'll be okay, but it's still bothering her a bit." She smiles patronizingly at S'sev. "Old and older have very different meanings and you said old." Her eyes slip out of focus a minute, and then she gets up and gathers her cleaning items. Gwynaleth paddles back to the shallows. "Sorry guys, Gwynaleth says it's time for her to be washed, and she's gotten big enough I haven't breath for cleaning her and talking." With that sucinct she farewell she walks over to the shallows and begins scrubbing soapsand against the green's shoulder.
T'eo winces at the idea. "That's sure not fun. Well, nothing like some good ole hydrotherapy for it, eh?" The bronze finally seems to be willing to look at T'eo as his lifts his shining copper head. "Erp… okay. Apparently I'm needed in the caverns." He tries to shake off as much sand and water as he can before crawling up upon Raenth's back. "I'll see you both around. Keep up the good work."