The following is a log of roleplay from PernMUSH . The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on pernMUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.

10/11/02



Inner Cavern

This huge cavern lies within the bowels of Telgar Weyr. The ceiling above, somewhat darkened, seems to be black in the dim light of the glows. Under this blackness, it's almost a hive. A large part of this cavern is a place where the lower cavern work is done: washing, making, remaking - endless chatter and noise concentrated around islands of bright glowlight. People come and go from several tunnels to the east and west, adding to general movement. There are several more secluded places with a table and few chairs, used by more idle folk for gaming or chat.

In the southwestern part of the cavern, a small opening in the dark seems to be overlooked by everyone, and quite unused.

From here there is a large entrance into the Living Cavern, the center of activity of the Weyr. There are also smaller entrances leading off into the weyrfolk quarters, the tunnel to the steam baths, candidate barracks, and a corridor leading to the Nursery.

Makran steps out of the living cavern, glancing around him and walking slowly, clicking a few of his knuckles. He moves in the direction of the candidate barracks, but not over the most direct route. He's doing his poor attempt at whistling one of those nifty new Harper tunes.

Cheni quirks an eyebrow as she quietly rocks a sleeping toddler who is sprawled all over her lap. She speaks softly. "What tune are you butchering?"

Makran grins at Cheni and changes his direction to walk closer to her, stopping in front of her. "Ah, just one of them new Harper ones..." He says, "How're you, today?" He asks. "Assisting the nannies..." He murmurs, glancing at the toddler then grinning again.

Cheni chuckles. "What was the first guess?" She arranges the little boy's legs into an easier position for her to hold and freezes as he whimpers in his sleep. She rocks him slowly until he drifts off again, looking about as comfortable as she would be rocking a tunnelsnake. "The nanny said she'd be back to pick him up but I think she's off kissing that new baker assistant."

Makran grins at Cheni and nods, "Yeh," he says, "So, how've you been?" He asks, "Still just as desperate to get back to Boll?"

Cheni shakes her head. "I've got commitments there. If I don't impress, I have to go back, that was the agreement. I could only stay if I impressed, and I've known that all along. What about you?"

Makran lifts an eyebrow, "Stead-fast commitments in one so young, huh?" He teases, grinning. "I think I'll stay, I may go back to Boll for a visit, but I really don't want to spend the rest of my life there if I don't have too...this seems like as good a time as any to leave." He says.

Cheni shrugs. "I don't have much choice, my family lives there and if I don't go back, if I don't impress, then life will be harder for them there. A promise is a promise. Lord Braddle only let me go with that promise." She shifts the child again; awkwardly holding him like one would hold a sack of tubers. "So what chores did you have today?"

Makran nods slowly, "Shame, I was really hoping we could have a lasting friendship even if we don't impress." He says, grinning. "Serving food...at least it's in the warmth." He says, grinning.

Cheni rolls her eyes at Makran. "Uh-huh. And lasting friendship? Don't you think we'd have to establish one first?" She shakes her head and laughs. "Honestly?"

Makran laughs as well, "We get along, don't we?" He says, "And we're not /always/ at each others throats, so that's quite close to friendship where I come from." He says, grinning.

Ryklin comes out of the Candidate Barracks.

Cheni snorts. "Well, I'm not sure about that." She eyes Makran evenly. "It takes me a while before I am able to trust people after they make suggestions like you did." Finally, she hands the sleeping child over to the nanny, who comes in with a slightly dazed, well kissed and mussy look about face. Once the child is out of her care, she sighs in utter relief. "Remind me, not to have children until I'm too old to have them."

Ryklin comes out on the tail end of the conversation. "That sounds like a plan to me." he comments drolly. "Having fun everyone?" is the wry comment that follows.

Makran nods, grinning, "I will, if we know each other, then." He says, looking over at Ryklin, "Hi," he says, "How's it going?" He asks.

Cheni shakes her skirts out and tucks her feet under her, still giving Makran a wary look. as Ryklin comes along she sighs and speaks with an edge of reserve in tone and expression. "My chores are done for the day. Last child down for their nap."

Ryklin grins jovially at Makran. "Not too bad Mak, not too bad. Did you folks enjoy the bread today?" he says, grinning with boyish charm, and casting a glance sideways at Cheni and back to Makran. If he's noticed that look of her's he's certainly not commenting on it.

Makran smiles at Cheni then shrugs, looking over at Ryklin and glancing around for a few moments. He grins at Ryklin, "Nah, didn't have any...too busy giving it too other people." He says, "I managed some klah and a redfruit, but that's about it." He smiles at Cheni again.

I'sai appears from the passageway leading to from the Weyr Entrance.

I'sai calls back over his shoulder, even as he heads deeper into the caverns, "And if they get after you for it, you let me know!"

It's Ryklin's turn now to get the wary look and Cheni asks slowly. "Why? Did you do something to the bread I should know about? Haven't had lunch yet, worked through helping feed and bed the toddlers in the nursery." She shakes her head. “Enough to put anyone off their food. Kids are messy things." She looks up from the rocking chair as she hears I'sai enter and smiles a vague greeting.

Ryklin chuckles. "Nothing of the sort. Am actually quite proud of it.” he notes

Makran grins at Ryklin, "Then I'm glad I didn't have any," he says, looking up at I'sai and nodding to the rider, "Hi, I's - err - sir." He says. Then looks at Cheni, "Yeh, they are...aren't they." He comments.

I'sai, once he's straightened 'round, "...What? Oh, hello," and changes course to wander over to his candidate and the others. "Afternoon. Staying warm enough, I hope."

Odytte walks in from outside the room.

Odytte strides through distractedly, shuffling through a myriad of hides as she does so. Looking up, she offers the group a smile before continuing on her way.

Odytte walks through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.

Cheni grins. "Well enough." With her feet tucked up under her woolen skirts and a shawl around her shoulders, Cheni is overdressed, perhaps, to most but to her, just fine. "Why are you proud of it, Ryklin? It didn't burn?" She looks a little wistful. "I've been permanently reassigned from kitchen duties for the course of candidacy. Seems that I'm more of a hindrance than much else in there. Oh well, the storerooms are clean at least when I'm around."

Makran grins at I'sai, "How d'you suggest we do that?" He asks, smirking, "I never knew there was such a thing as warm here." He murmurs to Ryklin. He nods to Odytte as she passes. He grins at Cheni, "If we ever need roast charcoal, we'll ask you?" He teases.

I'sai deadpans, "Wear a shawl like her," thumbing Cheni's way. "Storerooms, you say? And what chores have the other two've you been given?"

Cheni giggles. "Or a long skirt, you can wear trous under them for extra warmth and no one knows. I had nanny duty actually today, I'sai, last kid down for his nap and I'm finished for the day. I think they give us that chore to make us girls keep a clear head at even the most outrageous flirt."

Ryklin laughs good-naturedly at Cheni's ribbing. "No, actually it turned out pretty good. Which is /more/ than I expected at any rate." he smiles. "Afternoon sir." is noted to the bronzerider.

Makran grins and nods, "We should all follow Cheni's glorious example," he says, glancing at her to make sure she's not too angry with him. After a moments pause, "I was serving food."

"Heard from R'tran recently?" I'sai thinks to ask before adding, "Harder to wear skirts under trous, I'd guess. Hope the chore serves what you're guessing is its purpose, and do boys get it these days, come to that? Food-serving sounds much more tidy, as long as L'cher doesn't trip you."

Ryklin shakes his head. "No, nothing too recent. "And he smirks lightly. "What, keeping us out of trouble and too preoccupied to worry about other things."

Cheni wrinkles her brow. "R'tran, no, afraid the name doesn't sound familiar." Sensing a story, she smiles. "Interesting person? And food serving? Depends on who is carrying things. L'cher, well, the least said about -him- the better." She sticks a tongue out at Makran. "Brat." Ryklin's comment is met with rolled eyes. "Uh-huh, well trouble follows some of us no matter how busy we are."

Makran grins at Cheni, then nods to I'sai. "Yeh, as long as people don't trip you food serving's fine." He says. "A lot better than breaking firestone."

I'sai nods Ryklin's way, "His brother. And a bit of both, anti-trouble and preoccupied and all. ...If you don't like firestone much - have a _favorite_ chore? Any of you." He glances back across the cavern, then speculates, "At least, I'm hoping you won't get into trouble, jawing with me and all."

Ryklin grins. "He was talking to me Cheni - R'tran is my brother." he offers in explanation, with a grin.

Ryklin smiles wryly. "Nothing that I'm going to admit to - I figured they always take you off your favourite, and give you something you really despise more, don't you?" he asks candidly.

I'sai hitches a shoulder, "Maybe, but it's not as if I'm coordinator this round, so if nobody overhears..."

Makran grins again, then shakes his head, "A favourite chore...not really." He says, shrugging, "I can do some better that others, but they all take the same amount of time to do, roughly...just some are less easy than others."

Cheni pinkens slightly. "Oh, sorry, I haven't met him, is he at Telgar? And as far as favourite chore? They are all the same, work is work. As long as it gets done well that's about it. Never have really found a chore I absolutely love doing, when you get right down to it." She chuckles as Makran speaks almost the same thing. "I've not been in trouble at all here." A smirk crosses her lips. "Almost, but not actually -in- trouble."

Ryklin laughs. "Well, I was always partial to stable duty." he notes daring the others to challenge him on that score. "So you got stuck with the littles again today aye Cheni?"

"Didn't get caught, or so we're supposed to think," I'sai surmises after nodding to the three in turn after their stories. "Didn't mind stables much myself."

Makran grins, "Neither have I," he adds, "Thankfully." He looks at I'sai again, "So, did you say you'll be helping Ursa with the weyrlings, I'sai?" He asks, grinning. "Or is my memory fading prematurely?"

"Looks like it, looks like it," I'sai confirms. "Provided Zai gets back in time," he pats his acting Wingleader's knot, "And she's still agreeing the way she was before she left. I'm hoping all that balmy Nerat beach time will have put her in a good mood, not a bad one over having to come back in winter."

Cheni shrugs. "Well, getting caught and getting in trouble don't always coincide, do they now." She lets the rocker go back and forth slowly with a push of her foot, which she tucks back under her. "And yeah, Ryklin. Nanny duty. It took me a long time to get the last kid to sleep. How was I to know that letting them have extra pudding at lunch would make them all spinning in circles in there?" She sighs. "Balmy ... beach. How lovely."

Makran grins at I'sai and nods, then looks at Cheni. "You never knew that?" He asks sarcastically, "How shocking, Cheni..." He glances around again, scratching his head.

I'sai muses, pale eyes thoughtful, "There's usually a half-decent overlap... practice'll help, though, 'proof in the pudding' if you'll pardon the pun." He hesitates, glancing over to the infirmary. "At least the eggs're good and hard. Shouldn't be much longer. You touched 'em?"

Cheni scowls at Makran, her brow furrowing as she begins to bristle. With a huff, she makes sure the lad knows she is ignoring him by sniffing and turning so she can't see him fully. Something I'sai says catches her ear. "Practise?"

Ryklin chuckles, watching the two younger candidates momentarily, then brings his attention back to the question at hand. "Aye, once or twice. Can't say as it'll help, but who knows aye?"

Makran smiles at Cheni and then nods to I'sai, "Yeh, I have..." He says, "They feel... different from what I'd expected." He says, shrugging. "But then, I'd never expected to be here in the first place..."

"More experience with the littles, is all," Is says. "And with the other people caring for them, come to that, so they know you well enough to not want you to have to learn the hard way, eh? ...And those eggs, how'd they feel?" To Ryklin, "Any different than Igen's? I wouldn't _think_ so, but y'never know..."

Cheni nods backing up the other candidates. "Twice now, rather something. As far as children goes? I am hoping to put that off for many a turn from now. Not exactly the maternal type, I guess. I hear you have a slew of children, I'sai, do you see them very often?"

Ryklin gets an inscrutable look on his face before he replies. "What, you mean other than the fact that you walked from the oven into the furnace at Igen, Telgar's sands feel liquite comfortable in comparison." he jokes.

Makran grins at Ryklin then nods to Cheni, "Ah, I think I'll just get some more klah, won't be long." He says, smiling, stepping off to walk the long way through to the living cavern.

I'sai can't help but laugh, and tease Ryklin, "So you're saying it's not that you got used to it at Igen?" He nods after Makran, adding a quick, "Good luck. - And, aye, I try to see them when I can, Cheni. Luckily, they're all here but one, so -that's- easy enough. Not as if Myk and I could raise 'em ourselves, anyway."

Ryklin chuckles. "Of course not, I think I'll be joining you in that Mak. I'm parched, just talking about Igen kinda does that." he nods and makes his excuses politely strolling off towards the living cavern as well.

Cheni shakes her head and chuckles. "I find mothers are usually rather attached to their children too, do dragons have trouble giving up their young?" She looks nervously in the direction of the sands after watching the two lads wander off.

I'sai tilts his head, "Depends. Rinath still keeps track of hers, more or less, I think - I haven't seen a queen yet who stepped on her eggs to break their shells that much sooner."

Cheni shifts in her chair, cocooning herself deeper in the shawl. "Well, I just wish the eggs would hatch so we can all go on with our lives, whatever lives they will be. And I hope the Dam and Sire aren't too upset at those who impress, taking the hatchlings away from them." Sighing again, she pouts. "I just want this over with."

"Nor have I seen the dam - or sire - step on a _candidate_ to get them out of the way," I'sai says with a glint of a smile. "Well. It'll be over soon enough, so if you're lucky, your face won't stick that way. Don't get nervous, now. The most it can do is change your life forever."

Lanisa nibbles on a what seems likely to have been a cookie, once, as she wanders through from the living caverns. It takes her a moment to really pay attention to who is there and lets out a happy squeal of discovery, all but bounding over towards I'sai, "Found you!"

Lanisa is looking to be, as individual and energetic a 8 turn old, as ever. Her hair is fine and strawberry blonde, with curls that rest against her neck and stick out at wild angles after she has been playing. Beneath those curls are innocent looking blue eyes circled with turquoise, and between them is a slightly upturned little nose. Lanisa is wearing a sunny yellow shirt under a sky blue jumper, which is spotted with embroidered little suns and flowers. The outfit that covers her lanky frame, like her matching blue shoes, was surely clean not to long ago, but already shows signs of her daily adventures, in the form of a few dusty smudges.

Cheni rolls her eyes. "Oh sure, make a girl feel better." She rocks the chair harder. "I was at Ista, when the hatching was there a while back and I watched the candidates, some of them were little idiots, not watching what was going on, lost in their own little world. I plan on not being one that lands in the infirmary at least." She startles from her comfortable spot at the child's voice carries. Looking over her shoulder, she realizes it's not one of her former charges breaking loose from the nursery; she heaves a little sigh of relief.

"You do that, Cheni, you - " I'sai turns abruptly, then, "Lani!" and crouches, holding his arms out, despite the decided risk of crumbs.

Lanisa squeals again, quite happily, and leaps forward in blind expectation of being caught, crumbs and all. "Daddy you were hiding!" Then peering around she chirps a cheerful "Hi" to Cheni.

Cheni eyes father and daughter with quiet amusement. "Hello there." More comfortable with older children, she smiles more openly to the tyke. "Good thing he's got fast reflexes."

"Hiding from -you-," I'sai teases, threatening to turn the girl upside down - eight Turns or no, she's still less weighty than a sack of firestone. "Do you remember Cheni? One of the candidates, she's seen to the younger littles now and again? Anyway, we'd best get going if we're to meet Taliena in time; let's shortcut through the infirmary, with the crackdust and all it's pretty empty."

Lanisa giggles and clings to I'sai, not in fear at all, but in an attempt to keep Cheni in sight a moment longer, "We're going for an adventure."

Cheni hears her name being called by a voice that is overcome by secretive giggles and she stands, ready to head in to the barracks. "I've seen you around, Lani, nice tot see you. And have fun on your adventure. At least you don't have to pull your Da up on his dragon."





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