The Dragonriders of PernŽ is a trademark, Registered U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, of Anne McCaffrey. This is a recorded session, generated by Harper's Tale MOO on Tuesday, November 9th, 1999, for the benefit of members unable to attend. Logged by Pyrene.
Egg Discussions
[Anely, Khayet and I had all applied for this clutch and this RP was
largely borne out of our nerves to see if we'd been Searched.]
Galleries
Row upon row of stone benching rises above the Hatching Grounds, seats for those who come to watch the incredible experience that is a hatching. Each individual seat is embellished with a worn cushion, the only concession to comfort in a place that traps heat, holding it within so that those who watch are inflicted with its intensity, though on a milder level than those who must stand and face the dragonets. The expanse of sand that is the hatching grounds spreads out in front of the benches, a huge stage for a spectacular show.
Type 'help here' for info on how to view objects on the sands.
Settled along stone are Litza, Eldi, Lava, Schuyler, Marya, Mallorn, Zory, Toccata, Hobbes , Iwatabem, and Tremayne.
Obvious exits:
Dragon Ledges Bowl
Anely comes up the stairs.
Anely
Long strands of ebon flow down in straight lifeless blades from the top of this girl's head. Covering her pale ice blue eyes, but not covering them well enough that you can't see them. Her height can't even be considered normal at only 5'2", she looks like more of a kid then a teenager. Arms and legs are rather lanky and thin, and her face is narrow and nearly expressionless except when she's ecstatic a smile will actually curl those pale rose lips.
Loose raven pants drape to the floor lifelessly, only moving slightly as Anely allows motion to take place. Her shirt, or rather small cloth, dangles around her chest to cover her 'private' body parts. A long cape like garment runs from her shoulders down to feet, it's only there to hide her arms in miles of emerald jet-black material. Her shoes are makeshift sandals, which are hidden under her ebon pants, are not at all glamorous or even fancy, just some leather with a few black straps sprouting from them. Around her neck flows a black, rather thick, strip of leather, tied there by a knot on the back of her neck. Two other bands, smaller in size and width adorn her wrists. And where is Namir sitting? Of course! On his favorite place on top of Anely's poor unsuspecting head. Cute little fellow though! Just like little Astin! Dangling in a ebon sling at Anely's waist is Knight. On Anely's other shoulder a little blue hatchling sits peacefully. That must be little Astin!
Flowing down from her shoulder is a double corded knot in a single loop, the two cords stained one in blue and one in black dye, denoting her as a High Reaches Weyr Guard.
Anely is 18 Turns and 20 days old.
Khayet comes up the stairs.
Khayet
Still on the short and thin side, he manages to make 5' 7 1/4'' in bare feet. But he's broadening somewhat, as mass is added to the muscle he already posses. Khayet looks like a young man close to his turns, his face having caught his age, growing more angular as he continues to mature. His shy disposition generally doesn't help in the social arena, but it hasn't been hurting of late either. Dark aubourn hair sits atop his head in gentle waves. Frequently it hangs in his eyes, the very tips of the front curling around his chin, reaching just to beneath his shoulder blades. Usually, one can find it pulled back and braided with a bit of deep purple leather to hold it. From under a rather heavy set of eyelashes, eyes that are dark blue-grey like the sea right before a storm glide about, twinkling with a silent
curriosity. The hint of sleepless nights are evidant in umber circles that perpetually haunt his eyes. A sprinkling of sienna freckles dot his face, in contrast with the pale whitish pink of his skin. Desp
ite all this, he holds himself with a silent dignity. His soft, broughe-accented voice has finally settled into a rich baritone.
A heavy tunic of a blued grey with a high, mandrin collar and cuffed sleeves sits under a wool jerkin the colour of
klah. This heavy cotton trews are slightly faded, one knee patched, but of origonally simmular colour to his jerkin. His long, slender feet are cased in fawn coloured ankle boots of new construction. Frequently he carries his sweater, it's origin being the same as his, Mev Cavern Seahold buy the pattern of knots woven into it's front. On his left wrist is a simple, thin bracelet maked of
knoted, natural coloured hemp rope. Two lines of beads go down the center, one line
burgeondy, the other harper blue. Along with this, a pair of silver hoops now adorn his ear.
Upon his left shoulder wears a single knot of twisted Harper Blue and White. Silvered ribbon ties it together, to show his posting to a secondary Hall. The tassels of blue and white thud against him silently as he moves about his
buisness, showing that he is a seniour apprentice. The badge if Ista Hold beneath on his arm show which secondary hall he's posted to.
Khayet is 18 Turns, 10 months, and 13 days old.
Pyrene is curled up in the front row of seats, yawning and murmuring random things to the lizards in her lap, both of whom are peering with fascination at the dragon eggs. Hearin Anely enter, she turns her head and smiles tiredly, "Hello... Couldn't sleep either?"
Scuff scuff scuff... Shuffle shuffle shuffle. Anely's feet tread nosily upon the sand ridden surface of the stairs as she makes her way to her traditional spot. Soft azure eyes flicker, slowly widening as the voice of another is heard... ahhh it's Pyrene! A pale hand rises to rub at her one of those pale optics for a few moments, "Huh? Sleep? What's that?" She should know better the guard doesn't get /enough/ of that thing called sleep... she works grave yard remember? ^.^
Khayet wasn't -really- following the guard, honest! Here on harper businuess as usual, he's actually come here with Aife's goading. He'd do just about anything for that woman, usually to get her to quit lovingly pick on him. He stays near the caverns entrance, certian he really shouldn't be here, that he's just got no place.....well, just one look won't -kill- him, will it?
Pyrene snorts faintly at Anely's reply and then blinks at Khayet in genuine surprise. "I don't even want to know why /you're/ here at this time. Should have known that the galleries would be crowded even in the middle of the night come clutching time..." She pauses, casting a fond eye out over the eggs, "It's a lovely clutch though, isn't it?" Pyrene always thinks High Reaches clutches are lovely, of course.
Khayet blinks. "Oh, the time...right, tis midmorn in Ista....Aife said I should come have a glance...before going back....." You'd think the black of the night would be a hint to the lad. But like the guard, he doesn't sleep much either.
In all honesty Anely is rather miffed about the eggs. Don't get her wrong, she thinks they're the most beautiful things, but now everyone decides that they have to see them and Anely gets /no/ private time in the galleries anymore, which disappoints her greatly! Slowly her head turns to cast a small gaze to Khayet and the orbs that look about to succumb to the heavy wait called sleep that lays upon them. Sleeep...... Must have sleeeeeep!
Khayet yawns for Anely, bloody empathy...."Would you like a mug of klah?" He can't but help ask.
Pyrene wrinkles her nose. "I always forget that Ista's on silly time..." She leans forward, resting her elbows on the rail, the firelizards hopping out of her lap to continue their study of Chayath's clutch--although Tremayne is already affecting a blase air towards it. "Now's the best time to see them, Khay," she assures the harper. "Less people are here and Chayath's asleep..." She chuckles softly at Anely, "You look beat... Oh, this is Khayet... was a candidate here once upon a while... now he harper's all over the place. Khayet, this is Anely our insomniac guard..."
Insomniac by job! Not by choice mind you! Anely rubs her eyes a bit and lets a yawn finally escape her quivering lips... yup, she faught hard to keep that down, and lost rather horribly. "Hmm? Klah? That would be nice right about now... but I don't think it's the best idea." The young lady changes her mind like nothing! Oi! Crazy girl! "I've seen him before actually Pyrene..." Comes her quiet reply to the nanny.
Khayet smiles, "We've met before......I wouldn't say harper all over the place....More like My Master's Messenger Boy......With Ista's expansions, I find myself being sent about.....especially here.....As you wish, ma'am...." Uh oh, there's taht overly polite streak.....
Pyrene shrugs, "Well, I can't keep track of who knows who, y'know. Don't suppose you've got any redfruit juice on you Khayet?" Is he a harper or a walking refreshment bar? One can but ask... "And sit down Anely, you're making /me/ feel tired now..." Never mind the fact that she looks exhausted anyway.
Khayet grins, "Not as such, but I can fetch-to....." He looks to Anely, "Some juice for you as well, Anely?" Though he does frequently immitate a drudge.....he's an apprentice still, after all.
Sit? Down? She thought she'd just stand here for a bit longer. And she doesn't even reply to her friend as her gaze once again lands upon /the/ egg... that egg that seems to have captured more then just her recent attention span. That lovely Cruelly Intentioned Cliodhna Egg! Cerulean eyes glitter and she savagely tears away the link between the egg and her eyes. "Huh?" Comes the rather late reply, but hey! She /did/ reply! Slowly she slinks into the 'chair' not far from her, the one her bottom always seems to be in when she's up here.
Pyrene gives Khayet a hopeful look, "Could you?" She's utterly shameless when it comes to finding people to wait on her. She follows Anely's gaze to the sands and stretches contentedly. "Ever seen dragon eggs before Anely?" Her own gaze is happily roving among them, picking out favourites and shying away from ones that she thinks will contain blues. "Life's going to get insane around here soon enough... moreso than usual. They've already started Searching people." And none of them are brats, worse luck.
Khayet nods somewhat absently, and glances back out over them, lost in a sea of his own thoughts. Or is that fears? To be searched, or not to be searched, both he's afraid of.
"Juice? Um... sure..." She replies offlandishly and pushes back one of the stray onyx tendrils from her face. Annoying thing that hair is! Always in her face, or tickling her cheek, or getting in her mouth! "No no... these have to be the first I've seen Py... first I've seen..." She trails off as her attention is nabbed once more. SOS! Anely is going down! Yeah, as she rises and nearly topples over the edge. ACK!
Khayet moves far more swiftly than would normally seem possible for him, sprinting towards Anely, arms out to catch, steady or help up as the case my be. "Are you alright....?"
Pyrene, having never been Searched in her life, is comfortably free of such concerns and accustomed enough to affairs to feel little enough bitterness nowadays. "Anely... are you alright? They're not /that/ impressive!" One hand reaches out to steady her friend, quipping wryly, "I suppose we should be glad that it's a smaller clutch than some."
Anely's head shakes a bit as she tries fruitlessly to clear the clouds that seem to have formed from her mind and body. "Thanks Khayet..." She murmurs softly, a blush rising to her cheeks as she pushes away from the edge and seats herself rather hardly, upon her favorite stone place once more. "They're impressive if you've never seen them before... if you were never /allowed/ to see them before!" Bitterness lines her words quiet well before she can push it away and clear her throat. Bitterness? What bitterness? None here!
Pyrene withdraws her hand seeing Khayet has things under control and casts a swift, curious glance at the other girl. "They're impressive if you've seen countless clutches before too..." she murmurs. "When weren't you allowed to see dragon eggs?"
"I was never allowed to see dragons, or dragon eggs, or firelizards, or /anything/ when I was growing up Pyrene. Haven't you heard this from me before? About my parents-" Anely pauses and lets her eyes slowly close to a slit, "my parents that wouldn't let us--my siblings and I--to have /anything/ to do with dragons or dragonkind. It would only get us hurt." She lets the teetering string of ebon slowly fall back into her face. Stupid parents and their stupid ideas and rules!
Khayet looks conscerned, big shock there. "No problem...perhaps you should get some sleep....?" Though the bitterness gets him like a rabbit-punch. Ok, so getting the juice is going to wait a bit....
Pyrene grimaces faintly at Anely's words. "You've mentioned it, yes... But then, many people go their whole lives without seeing a dragon-clutch." Her mouth twitches in a rueful grin. "You're away from your parents now, Anely... mine were never too keen on weyrs either. Course they weren't too bright..." Like parent, like daughter? "Firelizards were OK--of course, we had a lot of wild ones around us, living on the coast as we did." She strokes the pair currently in attendance fondly and, just to show that she does have some tact, doesn't pester Khayet about the juice.
Khayet says, "I'm the only one in nine generations to see a clutch in my family....Not much help I know...."
Frightening thing is, he's geek enough to actually know how to prove that too.
"At least you saw and had firelizards... when a traveler would come into our cothold our parents would lock us inside the house and make sure the visitor didn't let us near his 'useless pets'--As mother called them. We saw them, and that's what sparked this love for dragonkind inside of me and Ley." Anely pauses and smiles faintly as she rubs one of her slender fingers down the sleeping bronze's head. The 'twin' blues receive a sweet look in compensation for the bronze's special attention. "I know my mother saw a clutch... she said something about my Aunt standing and getting her heart broken 'cause she didn't impress. And my father... well I'm not sure why he hates dragonriders so much, but I heard rumors from my older brother why..." Her eyes momentarily glaze over before she shakes the look away and forces a smile, "Where's that juice?" A change of subjects, a ploy? Hopefully it will work!
Khayet says, "Failing on the sands is heartbreaking.....but one recovers eventually......It sounds as though, while mistakenly, they were trying to protect you and your siblings....."
Pyrene shrugs, "I didn't Impress a lizard until I came here... we only had a couple of Impressed ones around my hold." She smiles out over the clutch. "Still, Anely... whatever they may have thought about it... you're seeing dragon eggs now. And you'll probably see 'em hatch too." She glances over towards Khayet, eyes sympathetic. "Still, you got Searched... most people never even have that."
Khayet seems to have recovered, as he grins slightly, "First in nine generations....and I was the only harper in that lot too....and the first searched...."
"Searched... what an honor..." The words are said before they can be muffled by the rather late hand that clamps over her lips. Anely truly didn't mean to say that aloud! "I got my quartet when I moved here of course, and Leya has ended up with a pair herself. And that alone compensates for the move away from my family and few friends." She pauses and looks to Khayet, grinning lopsidedly, "You're lucky to have been searched! I'd give anything for a dragon to see me as anything but a quiet, useless, guard..." And it's not like Ane's met many dragons either! To be exact she's met /one/ dragon... when she /first/ moved to High Reaches. She's met tons of riders, but not their beautiful mounts! Oh wait! She's met two! She forgot about her friend Kita and her sturdy brown, Djarreth!
Pyrene casts her mind back with Khayet... "You were, weren't you? I remember that clutch, it was the double one. Ugh, your lot were pains as candidates!" She winks drolly at the harper. "The brats still have those bells and ribbons..." She casts an absent smile at Anely's words, but doesn't comment on them.
Khayet nods, "It was..." he says softly. The a short, bit of a chuckle, "I don't think they saw me...I think they kidnapped me for my voice...."
Khayet says, "Aye, well....I did my best to not be...then again Aife did her best to keep me busy once she realized I've a legibile script....."
Finally the guard's eyes close for several moments before a quick sudden, rather frightening jerk sends the lady back into awake land. Yaaaaaaaaawn! Anely blinks a few times and rubs her eyes, staring at Pyrene, and then at Khayet, totally cluelessly... darn this graveyard schedule!
Pyrene snorts faintly at Khayet's words. "I wish they'd pick more people for their voices then. You should hear some of the riders sing... Especially after one of their midnight Benden raids..." She gives an exaggerated wince, and doesn't bring up the fact that her own voice isn't exactly on the melodious side. "And don't worry Khay... you were one of the quieter ones, as I recall." She glances out at Chayath and chuckles softly. "Seems strange to think it, doesn't it? Back then Shaela was standing and now, there's Chayath with her own brood." A soft chuckle for Anely... "If you've got night shifts, you should try taking at least a nap in the day, you know," she teases.
Nod nod... That's the only way the sleepy girl can respond as she rises and teeters off... "Sorry... didn't realize it had cought up to me so quickly! It's rather rude of me..." Anely mutters as she nearly falls down the entering stairs... ouch!
Khayet winces, he's got perfect pitch, poor lad. "I remember....just the evenings....ach...." He looks out to the sleeping gold, rather fondly considering he'd never ever be able to impress one of her ilk. "I knew she'd impress the gold....T'sin a bronze....Adora a brown....Tai a green.....
Anely goes home.
Pyrene waves after Anely, and returns to egg-gazing. "I think T'sin on bronze was definitely asking for trouble..." she muses as if they had had anything to do with it. "He's already got /her/ pregnant." And one hand points in despair to Yiddae. "I wasn't expecting Shae for gold... seems odd. I remember when we were weyrbrats together... she's the same age as me, you know." She pauses thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly asks, "Ever wonder if you'll get Searched again?"
"And I knew I'd walk off the sands with out a lifemate....." He finnishes the thought and winces, wondering if he should offer to help her find her cot....? Then again, he's not wishing to get his face slapped, and hasn't had the best of luck with not being missunderstood by women in the past few days...."Aye....Telgar didn't even wait for me to get used to being in Ista again before they came calling.....Then Igen a few months later....Fort.....They just.....didn't feel right...."
Pyrene blinks in sleepy confusion, "You got Searched by all those Weyrs? Or you got posted there?" she shakes her head, and looks curiously at him. "There's no reason you shouldn't Impress, y'know. Who knows what will happen? Just take heart that you've been Searched. Shows you've got the potential."
Khayet says, "They wanted me, but I declined.....I knew I wouldn't impress and it was too soon to take that heartbreak again. Besides, I had a journeyman's project to finnish....and my exams to fail.....Aye, though by the same token, is there any reason why I should impress over anyone else? I'm a twin, so who knows if it's true potential, or just that bond I have with my twin? Right now, I can't honestly say I'd turn down being searched for High Reaches again, I like it here....."
Pyrene frowns thoughtfully. "Believe it or not... I think the dragons /do/ have some idea of what they're doing. I admit I had my doubts when they Searched Aaliyah, but she Impressed. If they Searched you, then you probably could Impress, it's as simple as that. Especially if you've been Searched by that many weyrs..." And she can't help the tinge of jealousy in her voice there. Life's just unfair, she knew it.
Khayet shrugs, putting a hand gently on your shoulder. "And it's possible I'll never be searched again.....It's also possible I've reached my limmits in my craft....Maybe I'm not ment to impress.....what's the saying, ever a candidate, never a rider? The chance honoured me more than I have words for....if it never comes again, I'll still have had an interesting life. Maybe you'll get searched this go 'round....." Life is unfair, but he's known that for a long time now.
Pyrene glances up at him and laughs softly. "Me? I've been here near 6 turns now... I think that if I was going to get Searched, it would have happened, don't you? I'm evidently just not the rider type." She grimaces fleetingly and then grins, "Of course, with some of the riders around here, that's a compliment in it's own way, y'know."
Khayet shrugs, "Perhaps....I was in Ista for...three and a half turns before I was searched....search riders from Fort visited Mev before I was in Ista....they never had interest in me before that night Nuff and R'sli asked me to sing for their dragons.....Well, other than Alee's blue, but that's because Alee's like a sister to me....." He chuckles, "I still have bits of that song Salea and C'lan requested of me about D'renn....."
Pyrene cocks her head in sudden interest, "A song about D'renn?" Eyes light up in a truly wicked gleam... "How come I never heard about this? What was it?" Any fuel against a bluerider is always welcome.
Khayet says, "Because I have yet to finnish it, I've only come across him....shards, four or five times, even durring my candidacy! That and I was supposed to write it with Sapphira, and otu scheduals are far to conflicting for us to be able to finnish it...I should sometime on my own though...."
Pyrene isn't letting him get away with it that easily. "C'mon," she coaxes, drawing her knees up under her chin as she turns in her seat to look at him properly. "What've you got so far? Just tell me a few lines... please?" The look on her face is the classic weyrbrat 'just one more cookie' expression.
Khayet chuckles, "Ach you would have to ask, wouldn't you?" It's likely a good thing he preferes men, since he's such a sucker for girlie eyes, and much to the nannies displeasure, he can't resist it when Avenlea gives him the very same look. "I think there was part of it that went...." He sings, rather than speaks, "Is he a boy, or is he a man, no one can tell, not even he can....."
Pyrene throws back her head and laughs with utter disregard for the sleeping riders and dragons below. "Oh dear, that's too apt, y'know..." Eyes dance wickedly as she mutters the line to herself, memorising it. "You'll have to be sure to tell me the rest of it when you're finished. Maybe I'll bribe a Searchrider to pick you up to give you greater research opportunity. Not that bribes ever seem to work of course... I've not yet found the right price for somebody to move Kolen from the nurseries to the candidate barracks."
Khayet chuckles, "Oh? Maybe they don't thing there's a price enough to deal with (him?) that directly?
Pyrene wrinkles her nose, "Did you ever get stuck looking after Kolen during candidacy? He's incorrigible! Trouble is, he's afraid of dragons somehow... he'd probably turn /down/ a chance to stand if he was Searched. Pest. But you're right though... it'd take more than I have to persuade anybody to Search him."
Khayet shakes his head, "No, Aife preferes to torture me in person....I swear she delights in making me blush....." Who doesn't? "Now that's something new to me....a weyrbrat afraid of dragons....I didn't think it possible...."
Pyrene flicks a hand in disdain. "His father's a greenrider, so you'd think--actually, knowing his father, that could be the reason." She winks at him, greenriders, eh? "You get a few who get nervous cause the dragons are /so/ big... particularly those new to the weyr, shells, I was like that myself to start with... but usually the kids couldn't care less about dragons. I've seen toddlers run right underneath them before...."
Khayet says, "There was this lad who had no idea he could get squished by dragons....three or four turns old I think....Senilin, I think, no fear at all, I thought he was going to be a little stain in the snow a few times.....gave me heart seiziures...."
Pyrene chuckles and nods. "I've got used to it now, but it's always a little un-nerving. Especially since it'll be /me/ who gets blamed for it and not the dragon." And Pyrene's privately convinced that some dragons would squash a brat just to spite her.
Khayet shakes his head, "I don't know if I ever would.....Good thing I'll never be a father...." He chuckles despite that it actually pains him.
Pyrene tips her head in surprise, "You'll never be a father? Why?" Tact, heh. Discretion, heh. A nanny needs not these things.
Khayet looks at you shocked, like you don't already know? "Last I checked women tend to need to be involved in that...."
Pyrene ahhs, and nods blushing slightly, "Sorry, I forgot about that..." she shrugs, living where she does, sexuality rarely seems to be an indication of potential parenthood. "Still, that doesn't mean it will /never/ happen... although I recommend you stick to keeping things as they are, kids are over-rated. I'm never having any myself." She pauses, a new thought infiltrating her sleep-deprived mind, "Mind you, you could always foster a child... There's a few here who'd benefit from Ista's climate..." Drat, she already told him about Kolen, didn't she?
Khayet chuckles. "It would be a very rare thing indeed....for the child to be of my blood.....I'd have to be a journeyman for that...and....well, I failed my exam, so who knows if I'll ever get annother one? It's very likely I'll never make journeyman....." And he's perfectly serious.
Pyrene regards him for a moment, trying to dredge up what precious little she knows about crafts. "Well, you can't be an apprentice forever... And I find it hard to believe that they'll refuse to let you have children /ever/..."
On the sands, Chayath yawns and stretches as her lids open to reveal her faceted eyes. One quick sweep around the sands shows her all is well.
Khayet says, "Actually, I can be....Fas is nearing thirty...but then, I think he enjoys being an apprentice....The rules are, no apprentice of any age can marry, take a lover or have children....the greatest penelty is being dissmissed from the craft....I dunno what I'd do if I weren't a harper....I've been a harper most of my life...." He looks out to the sands again and smiles, "I hope we didn't wake her....."
Pyrene glances down at Chayath too and winces. "Now we get the baleful eye of the broody mother," she mutters to Khayet, sweeping generalisations as she waves cheerfully to the dragon. "If you're not a harper, then you'll find something else to do." she adds, practically, if unromantically.
Khayet says, "The trouble is, what? I'm alright with animals I suppose, can't remmeber enough about sailing to keep myself afloat, you remember the disaster my attempts at cooking are....that hasn't improved any.....I guess I could be a guard though...."
On the sands, Chayath raises her head and sniffs the air slightly, smelling something wonderful. Then it's gone. A stray smell from the kitchens could set her stomach to rumbling for she is ever so hungry. Glittery eyes again turn on the two humans with mild curiousity, for /they/ are up /there/ and that's okay. For now at least.
Khayet, as he has always done when he has had the honour of being graced by her usually too breif presence, bows deeply at the waiste, folding himself in half.
Pyrene shrugs. "Or a nanny," she teases wickedly. "You always were good with children if I remember correctly." She glances down at Chayath and, with considerably less respect than Khayet but equal affection, calls down a greeting, "We're just admiring the clutch, Chayath. IT's beautiful!"
On the sands, Chayath rumbles a little, more in greeting, then re-settles her bulk for a nap.
Yaaaaaaaawn.
Khayet chuckles, "With half the lasses falling into terrible crushes...." His brown, Kageen suddenly bursts in from between and offers Khay a note. Speaking of rare appearences....Khay takes teh note and reads it. "Ach, I've spoken of Aife too much, she requests my presence...to discuss her burning ears....." he grins and winks. "I'll try to say good bye before heading back to Ista this time.....It's been good talking with you Pyrene..."
