This Hall rises in two open levels. High above the structure's center, a broad-beamed ceiling supports the slate-shingled roof. Carved wood from four massive trees provide pillars that are both functional and decorative. Bounding the entire open chamber is an upper tier with wide stairs affording access from the lower level.
The lower tier is arranged in grand style. Various tapestries adorn the lower walls, and tables, benches, and chairs are placed all about, allowing the entire Weyr's population to gather here. Built into the west wall, a large stone hearth houses a small fire that warms klah and some foods. Across the room, between the eastern pair of pillars, a large table stands laden with pitchers of juice and trays of food. Sitting next to the table are two casks of wine; one marked red, and stamped with a badge indicating it is from the vineyards of the North's Benden Hold, and the other, white with markings indicating origin in the newly-favored regions of the South upriver from the Paradise holding. Above the hearth is a large plaque upon which the symbol of Monaco Weyr, a particolored field of blue above white featuring a leaping dolphin, is emblazoned.
Elfarran is sitting at a table, drinking a large glass of juice and with a large bowl of stew and some bread and cheese on a plate next to her, obviously a late supper.
Kasmira has a tired look on her face as she comes in, rubbing her hands against her clothing. "Evening, Elfarren. Anything good left?"
Elfarran looks up and smiles, "Good evening, and the stew is pretty good. I'm sure there is other stuff, but I didn't look."
Kasmira pushes back errant strands of hair. "That does sound good. Shells, what a day."
Elfarran looks curious, "Oh? What happened?" Perhaps her day was quiet.
Kasmira shakes her head. "My day to help with the littles. THey decided I was a tree." She ladles some stew into a bowl. "All day."
Elfarran giggles merrily, "I'm sorry. I guess things are easier when they don't feel good. That's how I usually see them." She takes a bite of stew.
Kasmira notes, "I'm not so good with children, unfortunately."
Elfarran smiles as she chews and swallows, "There is a knack for it, I think, just like with anything else."
Kasmira sits down, setting her supper in front of her. "I'm still better with a needle. DO you have that particular knack?"
Elfarran shakes her head, "Unfortunately, no. I can stitch up wounds, but nothing wearable or pretty." She chuckles, "I don't have a knack with little ones, I just have years of practice."
Elfarran is sitting at the table eating a late supper, a bowl of stew, some bread and cheese, and a big glass of juice. She seems to be talking to Kasmira, when she looks up and waves, "Good evening."
Kasmira has her own stew and bread, tears the bread into pieces. "At least they will never decide you are a tree."
Looking worn out and just plain exhausted behind those fogged over goggles, S'renn pushes past the doorway of the weyrhall, his steps slow and easy, yet something pushes him faster into the hall than he would like, a large brown snout. "Hey! How many times have I told you, you just can't fit through these doors!" the young rider says as he turns about, and begins to push back at the muzzle, which eventually disappears back into the commons, "You have to remember that your not as small as you used to be, Onareth." A shrug rolls over the lad's shoulders, before he turns about again, to aim a little smile at the two young woman, "Good evening Elfarran, Kasmira."
Elfarran smiles, "True, more like a shrub." she giggles as she looks at the door, "Hello to you as well, Onareth."
Kasmira smiles, spooning up more stew. "Evening, S'renn, Onareth."
A low rumble, light yet loud enough to be heard through the doors, comes from the other side of the commons once S'renn's eyes slip back into the focus they had lost for the moment. "He said thank you, and good evening," S'renn chuckles lightly after translating it for the two, as bare hands work at pouring out a mug of klah. "He often forgets out large he is," says the young rider while he makes his way towards the table occupied by Elf and Kasmira and waves his free hand at an open chair, "Mind if I sit?"
Kasmira says "Oh, please. Plenty of chairs."
Elfarran shakes her head, "Please, join us."
Nodding, S'renn lowers himself down into the same chair he had gestured at, followed by a gentle sigh. "Much better... So.." his lips turn up slightly in a grin, "Did I interrupt anything?"
Kasmira peers at her stew. "I think you interrupted the meat's nap?"
Elfarran blinks at Kasmira, then shakes her head, "I don't think so. Just talking of children and plants."S'renn's eyes yet again fall out of focus, and once they return, he begins to laugh, lightly, "Onareth's jealous, because he thinks that your talking about flowers when you say plants." Head shaking slightly, the young rider then brings his mug up to his lips, blows on it a couple of times, yet then puts it back down on the table, "Yick, too hot.."
Kasmira looks confused."He's jealous of flowers?"
Elfarran giggles merrily, "Tell him that it was an in joke. Kasmira was having adventures with children." She looks at S'renn, "So, Larenn, ever plant him a garden?"
S'renn turns his grin upon Kasmira, his laughter subsiding down to just a gentle chuckle, "You must have forgotten, Onareth is obsessed with flowers.. Right now hes probably searching around the Commons for his favorites." An eyebrow then arches upon the young riders face, followed by a shaking of his head, "Nope.. Not yet.. I haven't had much of enough time to do it.. Maybe I could get those new Candidates to help out," he muses, hand rubbing at his chin.
Elfarran laughs a little, "I told you I'd help, if you just tell me where you want, or Onareth, wants things planted."
Kasmira laughs. "Flowers. Shards. How have you been otherwise, S'renn?"
"Oh not half bad, tired with having to push around these Candidates, but good otherwise, What about the two of you?" S'renn asks, before another low rumble sounds out from behind the weyrhall doors, causing the young rider to turn about in his chair to glance back over there, "What?... Oh.. Hmm.. He wants to know if you could help out right now, Elf," his eyes then roll, and he mutters, "Silly brown.."
Elfarran hrrrms softly, "Well, in the morning. Its not a good idea to try and plant in the dark."
S'renn chuckles lightly after a short sip from his mug, "You try telling him that."
Elfarran lifts up her voice a bit, so it will carry out to the dragon outside, "It is going to have to wait until the morning, Onareth. Its too dark to plant flowers."
X'dros ambles in from the western landing field outside.
"I didn't mean literally Elf, since ones dragon can only understand their rider," S'renn says with a gentle chuckle, "Yet he says that he still wants to plant a couple... The brat." Still chuckling, the young rider begins to pull himself to his feet, mug in hand. He glances at the doors for a moment, then down at the two young ladies, "I'm going to have to go and attempt at explaining it to him.. You two seem to know a bit about flowers, care to help? Since I'm not too sure as to why they can't be planted at night."
Elfarran blinks slowly, "Well, a good reason is that its too dark to see _what_ you're planting." She takes a big bite of her stew, pausing to chew and swallow, "And besides, its late."
"Evening!" X'dros calls out cheerfully, his voice kept hushed in deference to the hour. "What's too late? Flowers? Never too late for flowers!"
"Oh, hey! Good evening X'dros!" S'renn calls out towards the bronzerider, before letting a sly grin form upon his face, attention on Elfarran, "See? And a bronzerider said that." He interrupts his sentence with a light chuckle, "Actually, that's close to what Onareth was telling me."
Kasmira shakes her head, spoon scraping the bottom of the bowl. "I know absolutely nothing about flowers - except that they smell good and are pretty. Oh, and they grow in the ground." She looks up at the greeting, answers a bit more shyly, "Evening."
Elfarran blinks slowly, looking back towards the door, "Good evening, sir." She looks down at her mostly empty bowl, then back up at S'renn, quirking an eyebrow at the grin.
X'dros makes his way through the tables and chairs to join the others. "S'renn, Elfarran, Kasmira," he greets you each in turn. "Why's Onareth going on about flowers, S'renn? Has he insulted some green, and needs to make up for it?"
S'renn continues to stand beside the table which the rest have settled down at, and leans over slightly against a chair. "I don't think he has," the younger rider says with a slow shake of his head, "But then again, Onareth has always loved flowers ever since we were weyrlings." A shrug rolls over his shoulders slightly, before he takes another quick sip from the cooling liquid in his mug. "How have you been X'dros?" he then inquires, quickly, ignoring the arched eyebrow for now, "Haven't seen you around lately."
Elfarran smiles and finishes off her bread and cheese, before sipping her juice. "I was just about to ask the same."
X'dros says "I remember Onareth and his flowers. How has /he/ been?" He quirks a corner of his mouth upward as Kasmira heads to the balcony, then shrugs at the others. "We've both been well, Cedeth and I. He's sulking about not being able to snuggle with Ezerayth, but Doloveth and Zabrenevath are quickly changing his mind."
Elfarran giggles merrily, "I'm glad of that, at least. A sulking dragon can't be a good thing." She pushes her bowl out of the way and holds the juice glass in both hands.
S'renn just can't help but let his boyish chuckle slip away from his lips, the corners of his lips becoming perked up in a grin, "Golds have a way of doing that don't they? Ah well, its good to see you again, and in such good spirits." A quick glance back at the doorway is allowed at the mention of Onareth, before with a shrug he returns his attention back to the pair, shoulders shrugging, "Still afraid of his shadow it seems, and right now being quite the pushy dragon."
X'dros says "Onareth? Pushy?" Eyebrows both skitter upwards before lowering again. "Perhaps it'd be best to humor him - he so seldom is stubborn about anything." As he pushes himself away from the table he adds in an undertone to Elfarran, "Now if this were Cedeth, I wouldn't go out. He's got enough stubborn that he doesn't need encouragement."
"Well, perhaps its because he's afraid people will forget to plant his garden for him." Elfarran smiles a bit, with a nod to X'dros.
S'renn bobs his head slightly in a nod at Elfarran's direction, "She's probably right, yet hes been pushy ever since the clutching, not all the time, just when I'm someplace he can't get to and there are other people around." Yet again his shoulders roll in a shrug, which is interrupted half-way by another one of Onareth's low rumbles, coming from outside the doorway. "Oh why didn't you just say that in the first place?" It would seem like he is talking to the serving trays on the far wall, but others would probably know better. Jaded-silver eyes fall upon the apprentice healer, followed by his head nudging towards the door, "I think my dragon wants your opinion on something, since you seem to know things about flowers."
Elfarran nods slowly, smiling a bit, "I hope this is somewhere well-lit, then." she gets to her feet with a nod to X'dros, "If you'll excuse me?"
X'dros nods equitably and makes no move to get to his feet. "Of course," he drawls, hand flapping in lazy lassaiz-faire. "Watch out, though - Onareth can go on for /hours/."
Elfarran chuckles softly, "I'm sure he can. If only I could hear him directly." She grins impishly, "Ah well."
S'renn begins to make his way over towards the doorway, yet stops right near the threshold, and arches an eyebrow slightly at X'dros, though his lips are curved up in a grin. "Why do you think I'm always off in a daze?" He chuckles lightly, hand gesturing towards the Commons, "Ladies first Elfarran."
Elfarran smiles, waves to X'dros and makes her way out the door.
You amble southwards to the wide green commons outside.
This green is the hub of activity at the Weyr. The area extends along the base of a cavern-pocked cliff which rises southeast to northwest from here. The grubbed soil has been allowed to grow to a trampled turf, but hard stone walks bound it on all sides.
Weyrfolk and support staff move occasionally from the elevated, slate-topped infirmary complex that bridges the river on the eastern edge of the green to the open multiple decks of the sprawling, two-tiered Weyrhall to the north.
South and west of here, the cliff face looms high, with a wide opening leading into the Hatching cavern and a cut-stone path rising to several weyrs housing the Weyr's leaders. Emerging from the hatching opening, an oft-trod path skirts the cliff to an opening a bit to the west.
More directly west are more caverns and finally the swath widens in the northwest into the landing field used by visitors to the Weyr.
S'renn ambles in from the main hall of the weyr.
When the two come out onto the Commons, Onareth lifts his head up from upon his paws, eyes whirling slowly with the tranquil colors of blue added with a tint of purple. He regards rider and healer for a moment with those eyes before extending his neck out as far as it may go, making his muzzle come as close to Elfarran as he can get it. Wuffle, snort, sniff..hmm...
X'dros ambles in from the main hall of the weyr.
Elfarran smiles and holds still, "So, what did you need my opinion on, Onareth?" She tries not to giggle as she lets the dragon whuffle at her, making her curls dance a bit.
S'renn emits a low yawn while slender legs bring him over to his dragons side, mug still in hand, and tilts his head slightly upwards, looking at his dragons muzzle. "He... Hmm.. Wants to ask which flower you like the most?.." The lad relays, sounding almost unsure of himself, then begins to rub his free hand against the dragon's hide, "But Onareth, I could have asked her that back in the weyrhall, you didn't have to dr....Oooh.. really?" A shrug plays over S'renn's shoulders, before he glances at Elfarran, "Yeah, that's what he wanted to ask. Which flower is your favorite in that patch over there," he points out a patch containing several yellow, red, and blue flowers with the hand which holds his mug, one a little farther away, where there isn't any stone.
X'dros, despite his words, ambles out after you two a few moments later. He drops Onareth and his 'mate a nod if they notice him, but stays for the most part silent.
Elfarran smiles a bit, trying not to quirk an eyebrow at her friend's slightly odd behavior. Instead she looks into one of the large blue eyes near her, and points towards the blue flowers, "Of those? I like lavender the best. Its very useful, and it smells sweet, even without as flamboyant a bloom as some."
Onareth watches Elfarran's finger as she points down towards the lavender, and gives out an amused type of snort, before returning back to his wuffling.
X'dros says "Cedeth isn't much of one for flowers - except where they concern females. Lavender's a sleep aid as well, isn't it, Elfarran?"
"He says that he likes those too, but he can't make up his mind whether to have those, or the red ones," S'renn says with a light chuckle, and after shooting a grin back at X'dros, the young brownrider settles his mug down upon the ground, clears his throat, and folds both bare hands together behind his back. "Now, he wants me to ask you something else," he starts off, laughter fading away, his face attempting to seem serious, though for this lad, its difficult, "Onareth here believes that you would make an excellent rider, so..." he hesitates for a moment, possibly searching for the correct wording, but he just shrugs, and continues on, "Elfarran, would you be willing to stand as a Candidate for Rievoth's clutch?" Onareth decides to add along a gentle rumble, almost as if agreeing with his riders words.
"Among other things, yes. It is almost a first aid package all by itself. And we can put all diff..." Elfarran blinks slowly, looking startled for a moment, then nods slowly, "That would explain the wuffling and sniffing." She blinks again, then nods, "If you are sure, Onareth. I mean....well..." Yes, once past analysis, she loses it.
X'dros lets out a short, delighted, "Hah! Congratulations, Elfarran - and you have a good nose, Onareth," he adds to the brown. "Not just for flowers, it seems."
Onareth only continues his wuffling, though now adds in an attempt at nudging Elfarran lightly with his snout. Hey, cm'mon, tell me already. Snort, wuffle sniff.
Elfarran giggles, turning pink, before taking a deep breath and trying (and failing) to become dignified, "I would be honoured to stand for Rievoth's clutch." She reaches out and touches the brown's muzzle lightly, "And thank you, sir." This last directed at X'dros.
"I told you he was pushy when I was around other people, people he thought would be good riders," S'renn speaks up with a gentle chuckle, inadvertently loosing his serious expression with a grin. "Onareth says thank you as well X'dros," The lad translates, watching at Onareth allows Elfarran to touch his muzzle, then adds in to the healer, "He likes his eyeridges scratched, if you remember."
Elfarran reaches out and up, and a bit more up and scritches lightly at Onareth's eyeridges, "I remember. I also remember when it wasn't quite as much of a stretch to reach."
X'dros chuckles and opens his mouth to say something, but his eyes flick up toward the cliffs. "...What? Fine." He lifts his hand in farewell, turning for the landing field. "Congratulations again, Elfarran - don't forget to tell Briana you've stolen one of her dragonhealers, S'renn!"
Elfarran erks softly and goes back to the heels of her feet with a thump, "I hope that's alright?" She looks at X'dros worriedly.
S'renn stares off into space for a moment, before bringing his palm up to whack at his forehead, "Great, she's going to get me for that," he says, yet teasingly, and chuckles as he waves off at X'dros, "I'll be sure to." Onareth emits a light rumble back at the bronzerider, before letting his head droop closer to the ground, eyelids closing slightly in pleasure.
X'dros's back has nothing more to say on the matter as it disappears into the dark.
Elfarran's eyes follow the departing bronzerider for a moment, before looking back, "Oh well, I'm sure it will be okay. It doesn't mean I can't help if there is an emergency, I don't think." She grins a bit, "So, where is my new knot?"
After a quick clearing of his throat in the attempts to capture Elfarran's attention, S'renn allows a gentle smile to make its way upon his lips. "Now then, I'm going to let Onareth go sun bathe back at the beach," he hesitates for a moment, finger tapping at his temple, "I have it somewhere... Go get your stuff, and I'll meet you back here with it, okay?
Elfarran nods and smiles, stretching up to give Onareth a peck on the tip of his muzzle, then scampering towards the cotholds to pack up her things.
Elfarran comes back a bit later, half-dragging a wherhide satchel and followed by a rather large canine that romps behind, around, in front and behind again. "Okay, I think this is everything."
In the short time that Elfarran had gone, it would appear that S'renn had gone, gotten himself another mug of klah, taken off his goggles which had been on the entire time, and also had grabbed one of those obvious, Candidate knots, which is hanging from his jacket pocket. Pulling the mug away from his face, S'renn grins slightly at the humorous sight of such a large canine with his short friend, "Good thing I sent Onareth off... He would have been afraid of your pup," he says while pushing himself away from the wall, "Good, now, lets get you situated, then I'll give you the knot." Of course he would be a tease, his own friend is a Candidate now. Still grinning, he heads off towards the barracks, pace set a little quicker than before.
These two structures feature open central rooms with triple tiers of bunks lining the walls. They are joined by a small tiled deck that bridges a narrow canal. They are filling with small numbers of candidates. The men are taking the structure on the east, females are settling into the bunks in the building nearest the commons.
Elfarran follows behind, before finding an unclaimed bunk, near the door, and setting down her bundle with a relieved sigh, "Riverchaser has grown well, and is luckily only a bit afraid of dragons, instead of panicking." She grins and reaches down to scritch the canine's ears, as Riverchaser settles down and woofs.
"Gahmar, Kelik, I saw you throwing things at Starset, now quit it before I have to do something about it," S'renn calls out towards the two boys attempting to hit a little brown firelizard with their pillows, and grins, as the brown settles down upon his shoulder, head rubbing against the lad's cheek. "Well, unlike Nastasia, I'll let you have canines in here, just keep him in check all right? This is a small space for quite a few people."
Elfarran nods and smiles, "Yes, sir. She'll behave." she glances at the two boys herself, and lifts her voice just a little, "Though, she might attack anyone who messes with her, or my things." She turns back and winks at S'renn, "And she spends alot of time out and about, anyway."
"Hey, what did I tell you about calling me 'sir' back when I Impressed?" S'renn says in quite a serious tone as he comes up before the cot that Elfarran has chosen, yet breaks into a smile, "Don't do it, okay? Reminds me of my father." The lad glances back towards the two boys for a moment, before dragging the knot out from his pocket, and offers it over to the newly Search Candidate, "Oh they probably won't mess with her, they just like to pick on things smaller than them, and with those teeth... They will probably leave her alone. Now then.." He emits a low sigh, and settles himself down upon an unoccupied bunk closest to Elfarran, hands in his lap, "You remember the rules, right? No pranks, no relationships, no sex, no killing, and no leaving the Weyr.."
Elfarran smiles and nods, "I remember, S'renn." she blushes a little, "Noone to have a relationship with, anyway, so that's safe enough." She takes the knot and removes her current one somberly, settling the new one into place solemnly, "And I don't kill anything, except maybe bugs."
L'tral ambles in from the wide green commons outside.
Lathen ambles in from the wide green commons outside.
For the most part, the Candidate barracks have been cleared out, other then a few Candidates Searched earlier in the day and one brownrider, S'renn, whom is in the process of adding a name to the chore board, while a little brown firelizard is perched backwards upon his shoulder, keeping a watchful eye over everything happening behind his human.
Elfarran is perched on the edge of her cot, brushing out a canine that is sitting there looking infinately patient.
L'tral says "Well, Lathen, this will be your new home until the eggs hatch, welcome home! You can find a cot that's not being used, and on the boy's side, mind you! I doubt that S'renn here will put up with any schennanigans with the girls." L'tral clears his throat, sounding all official. "There's a press at the end of each to bunk that you can use for your things, and you'll want to get to know S'renn here."
Elfarran looks up and waves, giving her friend a reprieve, "Oh, hello there."
Lathen follows L'tral, and as the rider speaks, his cheeks go red. "Yes, si- Lute. Thank you." And to S'renn, he nods courteously. "Sir."
S'renn pulls his eyes away from the chore board at the sound of his name, and turns about on his heel, causing much fuss from the brown upon his shoulder. "Oh, bringing another Candidate for me Lute? " the young brownrider inquires with a light chuckle, charcoal stick being tossed up and down in his hand, "Please, don't call me 'sir', just S'renn all right, Candidate? And what'll be your name? I'll assign you to a chore group."
Elfarran smiles cheerfully, "Most of the riders here don't like being called sir. I'm Elfarran, well met."
Lathen states promptly, "Lathen."
