Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.
A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.
Exits lead off in all directions, a big archway the largest and that leading outside. Shallow stairs to the west lead to the offices and administration area while tunnels to the east lead to the infirmary, kitchen and resident's quarters. Southwards, a sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs and southwest is a wide tunnel, carefully roped off to avoid accidents.
Arkoss regards Vivian thoughtfully. "Does that mean anything in Weyrs?" he asks conversationally. "In Holds, if you're of the Blood it matters, but I thought Weyrs weren't an heirarchy."
R'miel ignores Vivian's meaningful glares, pretending not to notice them. She'll have to deal with the arm or risk getting his cooties by touching him. "I know who you are, bubblie. How's your mom doing?" He chuckles a bit to Arkoss. "Well, it doesn't mean anything in determining who will get the top positions. But it does mean she can go crying to mommmy if we do something she doesn't like, which is just as scary."
Crinkling his nose somewhat, Delenn eyes Ryski as the pair come in from the direction of the stables. Though, the nanny seems to be keeping his distance for obvious reasons. "You really do need a bath little brother." he remarks before turning a bit green as another plume of odor wafts his way offending the always clean and nicely dressed of the two. Holding a hand up and over his own nose, he gestures to a basin for washing and insistently herds the twelve turn old in that direction.
Vivian sighs and shakes her head. "No it doesn't." She replies to Arkoss. "But Mom might geld him like a runner for perving over her precious eldest daughter." She says with very precise acidic tones before she moves to knock his arm off the back of the chair.
"That's not /scary./" It's Ryski that interjects into the conversation. Uninvited, of course, but that's the way things usually go with him. The boy is..dirty. Dirty, and he smells a bit like animals and other things one might come across when dealing with such beasts. He doesn't seem to mind it, however, strolling easily through the caverns on the heels of his older brother, Delenn. Although he pauses when he speaks, eyeing the three conversing with a slightly raised brow. He blinks at being nudged though, glancing up at Delenn with a huff. "I do /not/ need a bath! I got things to do later and it'd be dumb to take /two/ baths." Though he does grudgingly move toward where he might get at least his /hands/ clean.
R'miel stands after Vivian knocks his arm off the chair. He laughs. "Perving? Aw, now that hurt my feelings. I was just
being friendly. I'm in this unfamilair weyr all by myself, I just want to make some friends…" He leans over to give
Vivian puppy-dog eyes over his glasses, but doesn't stya long enough for a slap. He laughs a bit at Ryski. "You haven't
heard, have you? The weyrwoman is pregnant. And /that/ makes any woman scary. Trust me." He nods to Delenn. "Unfortunately I have duties I should attend to. Ierne's duties to you all. Goodbye, bubblie. Hope I get to talk to you again soon." He blows Vivian a kiss, then makes his way outof the cavern.
Arkoss raises his eyebrows at R'miel when he leaves, then looks around, seemingly surrounded by kids and their watchers.
"Ah. Hello." he says for lack of anything else to say.
Vivian rolls her eyes at him. "I'm sure you could find someone more your own age somewhere in the drudges quarters." She
returns her attention to her food, pretending to blithely ignore R'miel now, though she's obviously still watching as the
shudder that flips through her at the blown kiss.
Delenn stares at young Vivian and her usually interesting way of putting things, even stops to do so, but after a moment
he just shakes his head and continues on his way. A momentary flicker of attention spared Arkoss, "Xanadu duties to Igen."
he supplies to the stablehand, but a second later he's giving a nod in return to the departing R'miel. "Oh my," he mutters,
blinking to himsekf. He eyes Ryski however, making sure that his brother is indeed washing his hands thoroughly.
"Bronzeriders." Another shake of the head for that too.
Ryski rolls his eyes a little when R'miel actually speaks at him, still scrubbing his hands off. "Or you're just a /wimp/."
After all, /he's/ never really been around pregnant women before. They can't be that bad..right? Once at least those hands
are clean, he makes a face at Delenn, showing them to his brother for inspection. "Look, they're /clean/ already. Can I eat
now? ..And why the heck is he calling her a bubblie? Isn't that kinda..gross? I mean, she's not goopy and sticky. ..Well
she might be. Girl and all.."
"Girls aren't so bad." Arkoss smiles with a slight hint of condescension. Aww, little boys always think girls are icky.
"I don't think he meant it literally." he nods politely at Delenn, however. "Igen's duties to Xanadu." he doesn't stammer
that this time.
A light blush dusts the cheeks of the young nanny at Ryski's words, resting his slim fingers on the boy's shoulders and
giving them a light squeeze. "Nevermind that. Go eat." he redirects, releasing his hold and directing a pointless
questioning look in the direction the Ierne bronzerider departed. A sigh soon follows, though he turns his back on the
goings on as he makes his way to the serving table to procure a salad and a mug of hot tea. He'll just leave his opinions
to himself.
Vivian's life just seems to be getting better and better as children enter, and a smelly boy one included at that. With a
barely supressed sigh she hunches up a bit in her chair and takes another bite of something from her plate. "I could say
the same about boys." She replies to Arkoss. "Though I don't really like lying." She adds under her breath with only a
trace of acid dripping from the tone.
Ryski snorts faintly, and simply takes off for the serving tables, filling up a plate rather heavily with food. Hey, he's
hungry. He even manages to put a few greens on the plate, even though he gives Delenn a baleful look while doing so. He
does come back, however, shoving the plate down on a table while looking around. "Well if he didn't mean it, then it's
stupid."
With a cane at his side, the Masterhealer of Pern walks into the Caverns of Xanadu with a touch of a limp to his step.
He is as neatly dressed as always for his visits despite the trips between to and fro. He is perhaps a more frequent
visitor of Xanadu and Ista , lucky apprentices, due to family ties. Having already checked on his sister in the infirmary
he makes his way to the cavern to make up for the meal he missed coming down here, heading toward's the kitchen. An
unapposing man, not too tall, fairly delicate in build, but the Knot on his shoulder declares his title.
"He used it as a pet name, I think." Arkoss explains to Ryski, then looks over at Vivian somewhat questioningly. "Right?"
Arkoss doesn't even know these people. However, he notices Kristhalis and the man's knot, and his eyes go somewhat wide. MasterHealer?! Wow, he's really seeing the sights of Pern!
A smile is made and measured for Ryski, or at least at the boy's effort of trying to placate his older brother's insistence
of nutrition. Delenn moves to take a seat beside his much younger sibling, pale eyes peeking out and over the others
gathered inside the cavern before quietly spearing a fingerroot slice with his fork. Quietly he lifts it to his mouth, and
plucks it from the tines with but his lips and then very slowly begins to chew. Picking up his tea, he lifts the cup to
his mouth just in time for the Masterhealer of Pern to arrive. A glance is spared the man, but nothing more, swallowing
the warming liquid a few sips and then replacing it's container to the table.
Vivian mutters something more unladylike under her breath as she spies the healer craftmaster and hurridly gets to her feet
after glancing around and seeing no one else of rank. She straightens her dress out a bit unneccessarily before she skips
merrily over to him. "Xanadu's greetings to you." She greets him with all the charm the youngster can muster. "Has anyone
seen you yet?" She asks him.
Ryski just watches the..transformation of Vivian, and makes a face, and gagging motion with his own fork. Delenn gets a
brief glance however, just to make sure he won't be getting scolded for such things, before shoveling food right into his
mouth to chew on. It helps him not say things that could get him in trouble, after all. Arkoss' explanation, however, is
met with a blank gaze from the boy. The concept of pet names is, apparently, foreign to the preteen.
As Vivian comes up to offer to help Kristhalis nods to the woman, "If you would not mind carrying my platter so I can get something to drink, I would be much obliged." is asked in a gentle baritone voice. He lifts his cane slightly in a 'if I
didn't have this I could do it myself' gesture. He then pours himself something to drink, hooking the cane on the edge of
the table as he does so. That achieved he takes his cane and follows Vivian to whereever he should lead her to sit. No
presumptions of rank. Though he does pause in front of the healer apprentice, "Lessons going well apprentice Delenn?"
Vivian doesn't quite jump to attention but she is quick to obey, she's fourteen the fact she's not panicking right now is
probably all down to her over inflated sense of self importance. "Of course I can, I'm Vivian, The weyrwomans daughter, I
work for the weyrleader and his second." She introduces herself, "Are you here to see any of them or just visiting?" She
checks as she takes the platter in her hands. Of course as soon as the Healer master turns to Delenn she steps out of
earshot and hisses at one of the drudges to, "Clean a good table quickly, like now!" Before the sereneness reappears and
she steps back to the elbow of the healer to wait patiently.
Discreetly, Delenn glances to Ryski and shakes his head. No, not appropriate. Though he does frown just slightly at how
Vivian is acting, he might make note to mention it to her mother, but there was probably no point. "Just let her feel
important, Ryski. No harm in it." he murmurs warmly, poising his fork for another bite. He really just tries to focus on
what's going on there at his table rather then anywhere else. In mid chew, Delenn almost chokes. Why does the Masterhealer
of Pern know his name? Slowly the nanny's eyes lift from his plate to meet the equally pale blue cousins to his own green,
forcing himself to swallow. While it was true that it was getting precariously close to his time to take his finals and
progress in the ranks, he wasn't aware that Kristhalis knew who he was. Unfortunately, he was aware of the burning of
his cheeks, though there really wasn't much he could do about it right then. "Yes, sir." he replies softly, his tenor
much less commanding than the older man's baritone, and sadly lacking in volume presently.
Ryski makes a face after a bit, tapping his fork against his plate. He waits a little bit, maybe at least /trying/ to hold
that mouth of his in check, before finally, he just blurts..quite loudly in fact. "Nobody /cares/." Oh yes, it's directed
at Vivian, quite vehemently, in fact, almost hissing the words once the girl who isn't all /that/ much older than himself
states her parentage. Yet again. He shakes his head then, taking a peek at Delenn as his brother seems to get a bit
flustered, brows lifting slightly. Then? Well then he takes it upon himself to elaborate for the older man, peering right
at the Masterhealer. "They're /fine/. But he's always busy now. I don't much like it."
"Ah of course, you do have a bit of your mother's look about you. I remember when you were just a babe." Ah but he was just
a Journeyman then, doing the rounds with a Masterhealer of the time. He nods to the introduction, hardly any reason to give
his own, it is already quite evident that she knows who he is. Something that even know bemuses him. His attention shifts
back to the Apprentice and he nods his head, looking over the young man thoughtfully. Another flustered apprentice, job
well done. Well it would be if that was his intent. He hooks the cane on his juice carrying arm and leans over and pats
the young man's shoulder slightly, "Well I have heard good reports so far Apprentice, keep up the good work." He can not
help but smile at at Ryski's response, "My little sister used to complain when I was in my books as well, I know it can
be hard for those that wish our time." He says sympathetically.
Vivian just glares at Ryski from the safety of where the Master Healer can't see her actions, she's quick enough to go back
to sheer pleasantness at a moments notice if need be though, turns of practice in that particular act being one of two
sisters vying for attention from thier real parents. She goes to fuss at the preparations for the table, leaving the
platter there and instructions for the drudge to wait on the master before she comes back to lay a hand gently on the
healers elbow. "I have a nice table prepared over here for you." She explains to him pointedly, course it was the drudge
who did all the work but she ordered it so she's not above claiming all the credit. "I'll leave someone on hand to see to
your needs." She tells him.
Delenn just shows that one can go from brilliant red to quite pale in a matter of moments. It was a good thing that the
nanny was already seated, for he might of very well fainted given his brother's ability to speak his mind without much
concern as to how it may affect those around him. Eyes widening, he turns to open his mouth to say something akin to a
scolding for speaking to the Masterhealer, but finds the man's hand patting his shoulder. Just in time to get flustered
again, his cheeks burning scarlet. "Yes, sir." he repeats, kicking himself for being so glib at a time like this. Not
when there was a hundred far more witty things that could have been spoken instead. He would have to leave such eloquence,
feigned or no, to Vivian. Still, once he and Ryski aren't the focus of Kristhalis' attention, he frowns at Ryski. "I
haven't been ignoring you have I?"
Ryski does blink for a moment at the response to his statement, looking a tad surprised. Then? He grins. Quite widely,
too, shifting about in his chair with a self-satisfied look. His brother gets a glance then, tilting his head at Delenn
before his shoulders lift, shrugging. "No." And yet..Delenn is always busy? Well..he can contradict himself if he wants!
He does, however, look again at Kristhalis, and then Vivian, poking at a bit of food with his fork. "Ya know, he could
sit /here/. If he doesn't wanna go sit all by himself and eat all /alone./"
Arkoss decided that now was a /good/ time to observe the goings on of a Weyr when no riders were present. He's got food,
so he munches and watches.
Kristhalis looks back to Vivian then to the table prepared for him. Yes one of those lonely little tables oh so nicely
catered for. All the service he could want. If he wanted it. Craftmasters are people too! "Thank you miss, your honour
to the Healercraft is well noted and appreciated." He says gently to the woman. "But it is not often I have a chance to
sit with apprentices in the craft and I wish to savour this opportunity. Your courtesy will be passed on to your mother."
He then uses his cane to pull out a chair where he is standing and slowly sits down in it, doing his best to mask the
pain of such an action. Diplomacy in action. Poor Apprentice, but he does try to take these opportunities when he can to
show them that Masters are not evil apprenticing eating monsters.
Vivian looks aghast at the very of thought of someone as important as the Master Healer of ALL OF PERN sitting with what
she considers to be somewhere lower on the social ladder than a wherry that's got a few whatever it is that wherries might
be missing, never mind the smelly child who probably rates lower than a trundlebug in her opinion. "But, but." Is about
all she manages to splutter in indignation before very clearly put out she summons the courage to dip a very polite
curtsey, she waves a hand urgently at the drudge waiting at the healers table so he can bring over the platter of food
for him. There's a few moments of clear confusion on the drudges face before he brings the platter over and makes a quick
escape before Viv can collar him for anything else which leaves her free to smile charmingly at Kristhalis. "If you need
anything I'm sure your apprentice and his lacky can fetch it for you." She says as politely as she can muster before she
dips a deep curtsey and flees as quickly as etiquette allows her to find one of the grown ups.
Perplexed, Delenn eyes the boy beside him before he sighs softly. There were just some things that can not be explained,
the the workings of a little boy's mind might just be one of them. While the Masterhealer is busy dealing with Vivian,
the apprentice takes this precious time to nibble on his small salad, a few things tossed into it for protein but it was
mostly greens. One might notice the utter lack of actual meat from his plate, and the way he decidedly does not look at
Ryski when the boy shovels the stuff from his own plate into his mouth. Distracted by his own thoughts, it's only when
Kristhalis is seated across from the brothers that he looks up and blinks once. Wait, what? Peeking over his shoulder at
the table prepared for the older man, he glances back at him. Again flustered, Delenn fidgets. He does visibly wince at
what the young daughter of the Weyrwoman says, brows furrowing as he proceeds to rearrange the contents of his plate
with his fork. Still, he keeps his mouth shut.
Ryski growls a little under his breath, before his voice bellows out. "I'm not a /lackey/!" Well yes, he is a /loud/ boy,
however. He hunkers down in his chair a bit, however, tongue working a bit of food out from where it's gotten caught
between teeth. Then, his gaze flickers toward his brother, a quick nudge with his foot given to the older boy, head
jerking in Kristhalis' direction. Yo! Conversation!
Arkoss eyes Vivian askance. "Er, is she always like this?" he asks Delenn. "I wonder if she realizes that with all her
throwing about the fact that she's the Weyrwoman's daughter that what she does reflects on /her/."
Yes Kristhalis as foiled many attempts to place him at important tables. Only place he can't get away with it is at Healer
hall itself. Headwoman always prattling on about the proper order of things and knowing your place. Nonsense, but
considering his mother was a headwoman, he is hardly going to tell his own off. They are persistant nagging women when
they want to be. Kristhalis nods to Vivian politely, "I am sure they will capable of attending to my needs should I have
any." He assures her and shakes his head slightly, but makes no comment save just to bring his juice to his lips and
taking a long sip. His gaze shifts to Ryski for a moment, "Ah have you thought on a craft yet young man?" He starts
conversationally before extending his now free hand across the table to him, "Kris.." he offers in exchange for the name
of lad himself before looking over to Delenn, "Have you always wanted to work with children? Your report says you are
nanny as well? Sounds like you do keep yourself quite busy." Just making conversation with what little he has gleaned from
the files. His pale gaze shifts to Arkoss for a moment, "It can oft be harder for children of Leaders to find their place
in the world." He offers diplomatically.
Happy to have something distracting him again from Kristhalis, Delenn all but leaps to answer Arkoss. "Unfortunately yes,"
he says sadly, shaking his head as he glances towards where the girl had wandered off, though his attention snaps back to
the visitor. "Parental affection was substituted to her by material means, and to compensate she's formed this delusion
that the entire weyr should be grateful to breath the same air." he states rather clinically, setting down his fork
completely then as he reaches for his tea. Perhaps less then diplomatic than what Kristhalis says, but certainly no
less true. Then of course he has to face the Masterhealer himself, long lashes lowered as he peers over the lip of his
cup at the older man, a man old enough to be his father? Hmmm, maybe not. "You know what they say about idle hands,
sir." he says, after swallowing of course. A look is spared to Ryski, admiring the boy, before once more he's forced to
focus on Kris. "I was hoping to apply what I've learned in the craft to child psychology as a speciality, but I would
suppose my report says that as well as my focus on psychiatry." he says softly.
Ryski chews for a while longer, looking at that outstretched hand. Finally, his own juts out, about the only place
currently on the boy that's actually clean. Or mostly clean. "I'm Ryski." He states, quite matter of factly on his name.
Though at the mention of crafts, his face screws up slightly in thought, taking to poking his fork around the remainder
of food left on his plate. "No. I like animals?" Hence the current..barn smell about him. Delenn's analysis of Vivian,
however, gets a completely boggled look from the younger boy, staring at his brother in confusion. "So..she's..a brat?"
Sure sounds that way to Arkoss, but he knows enough not to actually say that out loud now. "I like animals too." he tells
Ryski. "Didn't bother going into a craft though. I figured it was too much work to do the things I know how anyway."
Kristhalis listens quietly at first to the conversation about the young woman, nodding his head to Delenn's 'diagnosis' a
thoughtful look in his gaze. "Aye that is part. She is the daughter of the Weyrwoman, it is a role given to her at birth,
one that she did not ask for. For all that we try to provide normalcy for our children, they will still be compared to
their parents, especially notable ones. Some children cope with it better than others." He says gently on the topic before
going about the business of cutting up his breakfast pie into small bite size bits before forking them into this mouth.
Neat and precise about everything he does. He reaches for his mug of juice to wash down the first mouthfuls when Ryski
puts in his analysis and Kristhalis just about chokes on the juice. He sets down the mug as he regains his composure,
blue eyes watering from nearly drowning and amusement though he really tries hard to keep a neutral expression on his
face. "Have you thought of Beastcraft?" He finally asks.
Delenn hmmm's and takes another sip of his tea, while it's still hot. "Well, yes…" he says to Ryski, decidedly not
checking to see if there was some sort of disapproving look on the Masterhealer's face before he further explains to his
younger sibling. "You see, she feels more than anyone the weight of her mother's shadow, and so she struggles with her
own identity in a world that likely is quick to label her as 'the Weyrwoman's daughter' and chooses to be blind to
whatever else she might be." A sigh, "Seems she's content for now to accept that view of herself, and is more than happy
to display it vehemently to others." Delenn glances at Kristhalis though when the man nearly chokes on his drink, but
when he lives rather than falls out of the chair, he returns to his salad quietly. Of course he looked concerned.
Ryski just stares at his brother, listening intently in an attempt to wrap his mind around the concept, before he just
snorts. "I don't go all stupid 'cuz of /my/ parents." Granted, he's not related to any Weyrleadership that he's aware
of..but still. The questions about craft earn his attention again, however, before he tilts his head, at least appearing
to consider the option. "Haven't thought about it.. Niva made me sheer ovines and stuff. It was fun. One kicked me."
"Was it fun getting kicked, or shearing the ovine?" Arkoss asks Ryski, amused. He eyes the Masterhealer warily when he
starts to choke, but since Delenn is right there he looks back at the kid.
Yes Kristhalis survives the choking intact. He returns to the eating of his cubed up pie as he listens to the conversation
around him. His gaze shifting up to Delenn as he chews his food. There is a thoughtful look on his face as he listens to
the apprentice, then one of approval, however faint. A nod of his head and he reaches for his juice once more, watching
the young man a moment more before looking back over to Ryski, "Well perhaps you are one of the lucky ones. It is one
reason why some will foster their children to other weyrs or holds, so they are not living quite in their parent's shadow."
He smiles to the young man then to Arkoss, "Well craft is not for everyone, but it can provide some security for the
future."
Salad ingested, Delenn settles his fork down again upon his plate and returns to his tea. He'd missed the look and nod
given to him by the Masterhealer, though he steals a glance of the older man now and then over the rim of his cup. It'd
be easy to misinterpret the apprentice's attention for hero worship, though the keen eye might affiliate it with
appraising. His expression however blossoms into an amused smile, a soft unassuming laughter bubbling up from somewhere
within him. "Oh really?" he asks, eyeing the boy. "So what was my little haircut for then?" A fluttering of lashes and
he hides again behind his cup. Tea is tasty after all.
Ryski blinks for a moment, going rigid as Delenn brings up /that/ incident. Oh yes, Delenn's hair is short now, courtesy
of one angry Ryski and a set of scissors. "That was for you being stupid!" ..Erm..Well, perhaps not. Not quite, anyway.
And certainly not the /actual/ reason. But Ryski just looks irritated now that his brother has brought that up, shoving
the last of his food into his mouth roughly. "It was fun gettin' 'em all together. And..taking all their fluff. L'alie
said it's 'cuz I was being helpful and productive. So it was good."
Arkoss laughs when Delenn mentions Ryski attacking his hair. "Well maybe he was just getting the practice in." practicing
on Delenn to use on the sheep, or practicing on the sheep to use on Delenn? Arkoss nods at Ryski. "I know how to deal with
runners mostly. That's what my hold specializes in, after all."
"I have got a lovely runner at the hall I use to go to the local cotholds, but I can not ride too long or my leg siezes up,
but I do enjoy it while I can." Kristhalis says to Arkoss as he speaks of runners. At the talk of hair cuts he can not help
but grin a little, "You sheered him hey?" He asks with amusement in his gaze. He shakes his head as he brings the juice to
his lips again quietly listening to the conversation. His gaze shifting to the apprentice for a moment, catching the young
man's gaze and meets it. A direct yet gentle gaze on his part as he watches the young man, oh such similar looks from many
an apprentice…or is it?
Older and vastly more cultured than Ryski, Delenn was still the kid's brother, and from the satisfied look on his face,
it's easy to see that his dig accurately struck home. "My mistake then." he says in a singsong voice, his pale eyes
sparkling. Yes indeed, the healer apprentice looks quite satisfied with himself. Perhaps this warranted a bit of
preening, Delenn takes the time to tuck one side of his hair that'd fallen free, behind the accompanying ear. To Arkoss
though, the nanny merely nods and smiles sweetly, taking another sip of his now just warm tea. Delenn manages to keep
the excitement down to a slight startle when Kristhalis mentions a runner, his gaze darting over to the Masterhealer's
and holding there. For a few long moments he says nothing. "I've concocted my own salve for muscle aches, I'd be more
than happy to apply it for you sometime, Master." he replies in a soft, even tone.
The grip on Ryski's fork tightens slightly for a moment. He does sit there, quiet for once as he listens to the
interaction, before he shoves that now empty plate away from himself, tossing the utensil down as well. Delenn is on
the receiving end of the boy's glare, however, as he gets up, pushing away from the table quickly. "I got stuff to do."
And? He goes, without another word, stalking out of the caverns.
Arkoss looks over at the Masterhealer in interest. "Oh? Do you know where the runner came from? Which hold? Pity it's so
far away." not that /that/ means anything on Pern, what with dragonriders a stone's throw away, more or less. When Ryski
stalks off, he wheezes a quiet laugh. "I think you upset his dignity."
"I am afraid I do not know her lineage, she was a gift from Beastcraft when I was knotted for Craftmaster." Perks of the
craft indeed, though sometimes it can be overbearing. "She has a nice gentle gait, not sure I could cope with any spirited
runners after her." Kristhalis speaks of his runner, almost as a rider speaks of a dragon. "I fear I do not get to rider
her as often as I would like, my rank keeps me far too busy for much free time." Though he does make time for his family
when he can. He looks over to Ryski as he rises from the table, "It was a pleasure to meet you young man." He offers
cordially before looking back to Delenn catching the ..look from the young man with a curiously raised brow. Is he reading
it right? Just another gawkeyed apprentice or something else? "Perhaps I should take a look at this salve some time, if
the recipe is sound I can have it credited towards your Journeyman status even if not in your chosen field."
Delenn jumps as Ryski shoves himself away from the table like that, looking to the boy curiously as he lowers the cup from
his own lips. There is flash of confusion as his sibling glares at him, cocking his head to one side and bobbing it once
at what he says. "All right." he says and lets the kid stalk off, calmly collecting the plate left in his wake and
stacking it against his own, after settling the cutlery on the top most. The apprentice's expression is guarded as he smiles
softly at Arkoss. "He's just a confused little boy, he'll grow out of it." he tells the foreign stablehand, his tone
pleasant enough. There is something else to it, something far more complex and personal than simply sibling rivalry. "I'd
be more than happy to show it to you before you return to the hall Master," he returns, leveling his attention back to
Kristhalis. "I've a batch in my rooms."
Arkoss nods at Kristhalis, appearing vaguely disappointed. "Well I don't know /all/ the bloodlines for runners, just the
ones in the Igen area so likely I wouldn't know anyway." he says with some mild self-deprecation.
Kristhalis nods to Delenn, "Tan and I used to fight a lot at that age…we made up and laughed afterwards though. I imagine
it is a stage we all must go through challenging those around us, afraid to lose them to the grown up things." Like crafts,
or relationships. He takes another sip of his juice before nodding to the apprentice, "Then I will be happy to be your test
subject if you find me acceptable." He says with a soft laugh himself, "After awhile salves seem to not work so well,
traveling around pern and betweening do not help either. Oh the days when I was just a journeyman." he says with a mock
sigh before looking over to Arkoss, "I am pretty sure she is of Fortion breeding if my memory serves me right."
Delenn smiles and nods to Kristhalis, standing from his chair then and stepping off to one side before picking up what was
left of the two brother's dishes. Seeing as the Masterhealer had cleaned his own plate, he wordlessly collects it as well
and carries them all over towards the dirty bin. Snagging himself a refill of tea, he wanders back over to his chair and
slips into it once more, again trying to not look too interested in the older man's runner. Instead, he focuses his
attention on Arkoss as he sips his own beverage.
"Fort….nope, don't know anything about those." Arkoss replies, shaking his head. "Other side of the continent." The
foreign stablehand with worldly ambitions shakes his head, then notices that he's the center of attention of both Delenn
and the Masterhealer. "Er." abashed, he stares down at his empty plate.
"Thank you sir…" Kristhalis says to Delenn as he pushes back from the table and draws himself up to a standing position,
"I think I may try to bribe the Weyrlingmaster to see my niece. If you will both excuse me." He says with a conspiratorial
wink to the two men. He grabs his cane from the edge of the table and nods to Delenn, "If you are free later we can talk
over your training?" He suggests as starts to head out.
Delenn blinks and nods as the older man rises, his attention drawn off of Arkoss. "Certainly Master Kristhalis," he
replies, though he is able to at least hide the disappointment that the the Masterhealer is departing. "The Headwoman
knows where to find me." Anywhere. That woman was an encyclopedia of weyr knowledge and even if you didn't want to be
found, she'd know exactly where you were. It was positively frightening.
Arkoss lifts a hand to wave to the MasterHealer, then turns as someone comes in from the kitchen. Ah, a rider. Arkoss
watches him, his brief moment of garrulity abandoning him for now.