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.

8/31/02

08:01 PM

Bitra Hold Great Hall

This is the Great Hall of Bitra Hold, a vast cavern serving as living, meeting and dining area, in short, the general focal point of Hold activity. Drudges provide food and drink for staff and holders mingle , conducting business or haggling over goods and services. A trader or three usually sits nearby, drinking wine and avoiding would-be hustlers. The noise would likely be deafening if not for the open, high ceiling area of the cavern through which the noise diffuses. Light, too, filters from above through the tall, thin, shuttered windows.

A ledge has been cut halfway up the western wall; this balcony overlooks the hall and a pair of doors leads to the Hold's inner chamber. From time to time, chitters and chirps can be heard from the ledge over the main doors to the courtyard, across the hall from the balcony on the east wall. The furnishings are sturdy and well maintained, mostly large hardwood tables and cushioned chairs, but are not without their indications of heavy use and wear. A collection of smaller tapestries line the walls with a single, large 'tapestry' hanging beneath the balcony, its intricate patterns drawing the eye. (Use +detail tapestry to see more!)

An archway leads north into the busy kitchen; beside it, in the northwest corner, steps lead up to the balcony. Bitra's chronic gamblers have claimed the southwest corner of the room as their own, and thick red curtains section it off from the rest of the great hall; from time to time the curtains part and bystanders can see fortunes being made or lost within. The upper floors of the hold can be reached via the stairs to the south.

Contents:

Makran

Makran is sitting at a table near the doors to the Courtyard, sipping a mug of warm klah quietly. He notices Cheni enter and watches her for a few moments, "Good Evening," He says. .

Cheni swiftly walks, almost a half run, if all be told, across the entrance doorway. She shouts, in an agrevated tone of voice. "Stunning!" Her expression becomes cross as she again shouts. "Stunning!" When the lad greets her, she bobs her head and says, "Braddle Hold's duties to..." She stops as she notices no knot and chuckles. "I'm Cheni."

Makran's lips curve in amusement, "Bitra's duties to Braddle Hold." He says, "Whereever that is," he adds after a moments thought. He stands and holds out his left hand, placing the klah mug on the table infront of him. "I'm Makran."

Cheni distracted by something or someone, only bobs her head as she hurriedly looks about the room again. Over her shoulder, she calls back. "Well met, Makran, I'm looking for someone, you didn't see her fly on through, did you now?" Her gaze goes down one end of the cavern to the other.

Makran shakes his head, "Nothing has flown through this cavern apart from the ocaisional firelizard," he says. "Two browns and a blue, I believe." He adds, moving to sit back down.

Cheni rolls her eyes as a tiny green firelizard, chittering merrily, pops from *between* onto her shoulder. "Meet Stunning." She chuckles as she turns again, and reaches out her hand to shake Makran's. "And meet one naughty little girl, Stunning, I mean, usually I am rather well behaved."

Makran smiles, shaking your hand gently and nodding, "Now it makes sense..." He says, scratching the back of his neck. He nods again, "Sure you are," he says. "I've got a little green aswell - though I haven't decided on a name yet..."

Cheni chuckles wryly. "Honestly, I am, you can even ask my Lord Holder, but he's outside, right now, rather busy in a bartering session." She slips her hand away with a smile. "I've noticed that Stunning's name is rather startling to some who haven't met her but what is done is done and she likes her name and won't listen to anything else." As she talks, her eyes scan the cavern, taking it all in, then her attention returns full on. "And are you from this area?"

Makran nods slowly, pretending interest. He, too, glances around the Great Hall, then looks back at Cheni, grinning. "Yeh, my parents are cotholders just outside the main hold. I came here about a turn back to try and make some marks so I could have passage to the MineCraft - I wanted to be an apprentice - but I just stayed here..." He grins again, realising he's putting a lot of useless information into the answer.

Cheni flushes slightly as she realizes Makran isn't all that interested and bites her lower lip. "I see, umm, well, being an apprentice would be interesting, I suppose. Minecraft? Dark, I hear in the mines." She scritches Stunning's eyeridge, absentmindedly, perhaps drawing a little comfort from her tiny friend. "I from Braddle, but I said that, that's by South Boll Hold, a couple candlemark's runner ride away." Clearing her throat a little nervously, she asks. "Do you suppose I could get a mug of water?"

Makran nods slowly, smiling for a moment. "They have glows down there, don't they?" He says, more like a statement than a question. He glances around, "I don't think anyone would object, no." He says, grinning, "Help yourself. I would, but it's my night off."

Cheni blinks, startled, and nods again. "Well, yes, I suppose they would, have glows." She quirks a brow at the last comment, thins her lips and trudges down to get a mug of water from a beverage table. When she comes back, she tone is not quite as friendly. "At my hold, we offer water, even when it's our days off." She drawls, the corners of her lips curling up to a sarcastic grin. "We tend to find fainting guests bothersome." Taking a sip of the water, she places the mug on the table. "So what do you do around here when you are on duty?"

Makran sighs, taking up his mug of klah, "Well, Bitra should be more like Braddle, then, I guess." He says, "Here, we relax on the few days off we get and enjoy ourselves - what a misorganised hold." He says in a sarcastic tone, grinning. "I tidy this Hall, serve food, clean tables..."

Cheni quirks a brow, looking at the younger teen with growing dislike. "Hospitality is hospitality, no matter if you are on duty or not. And Braddle is extremely well run thank you very much, we are prospering, you can tell that by just looking at the size of the Lord Holder of Braddle." Kaelyn enters the room and unbuttons her jacket. She pulls out some hides

Makran nods slowly, sipping his klah. He glances around the hall, "Yes, I believe I've heard of wagers on how large he really is...maybe you'd like to settle them?" He asks, grinning slightly. "There're people in the Games Room who'll give you wine and anything." He adds.

Kaelyn nods politely to those in the room

Cheni settles just bit, still eying the young lad with suspicion and vague dislike. "He's large enough, enough it took three residents and the weyrling to pull him up on the dragon." Spotting Kaelyn, she nods, not sure the rider could see her in the crowd.

Kaelyn smiles a little to Cheni and continues to look around

Makran sees Kaelyn walk into the room and quickly focusses his eyes on her knot to determine where she hails from. "Bitra's duties to... High Reaches and her queens." He says, smiling, glancing at Cheni and shrugging. "I think I won the bet, then." He murmers, more to himself than to the others.

Kaelyn nods to Makran in return. "Reaches duties to Bitra and her queens."

Rhakier comes in the large eastern doors from the courtyard.

Kaelyn steps aside to allow Rhakier enter the room and nods politely.

Cheni adds. "And Braddle Hold's duties to the 'Reaches and your Queens, I'm .." She eyes Makran, and changes her mind on what she was going to say. "I'm here, waiting on my Lord Holder to finish his business before our return back to the Boll area." Looking out towards the entrance, she sighs.

Rhakier enters the room, sweating heavily. He had just delivred a runner from Keroon, and was hungry. He saw three poepple talking and stopped.

Makran raises an eyebrow at Kaelyn, then shrugs. grinning slightly. He glances at Cheni again then smiles at Kaelyn, "May I help you?" He asks. "I'm Makran..." He glances at a few of the other kitchen boys around.

Cheni notes the entry of Rhakier with a distracted smile and a nod, looking on, beyond the Keroon lad to the courtyard. "I do wish he'd hurry, I seem to have developed a bad taste in my mouth." She leaves the mug on the table and walks more toward Kaelyn. At Makran's offer to help the rider, she shoots Makran a -how could you be so rude- sort of glance.

Rhakier walks over to Makran and hold his tan hand out. "Hi, I'm Rhakier, from Keroon. I was just delivering some runners."

Makran looks at Rhakier, tilting his head slightly, "Good for you..." He says, taking the hand and shaking it. "I'm Makran." He repeats.

Kaelyn nods to Cheni

Kaelyn looks back to Makran. "I'm just looking for one of the dragon healers here. I have some notes on a concotion that our healers used last week after fall that they might be interested in."

Rhakier says ""I was justoing to get something to eat, would you three like to come with me? I'd like some company, It's rather lonely out on the dusty trail." He nods to Kaelyn"

Kaelyn looks finally at Cheni. "Do you know your way around. Oh I"m sorry." the rider extends her hand. "I'm Kaelyn, blue rider of Nepenth"

Makran nods to Kaelyn, "Well, the Dragon Healer - like most anyone - will probably be either winning or losing their money..." He says, smiling and nodding to Kaelyn then looking at Rhakier, "You came on yout own from Keroon?" He asks, suprised.

Cheni blinks, rather stunned by Rhakier's suggestion and shakes her head, politely. "No thank you." She demures. "I should stay near the entrance so I can keep an eye out for my Lord Holder, he does need a little help." Laughing, she admits. "I'm afraid not, I'm Cheni, by the way, and I'm not from this way, South Boll area, Braddle." She extends her hand and shakes Kaelyn's firmly before releasing it. "Well met, Kaelyn, and my regards to your lifemate?" She giggles to herself, an inner joke perhaps..

Rhakier looks at Makran, "Yes, I did. It was hard but I've been living in in Southern most of my life, so it was kind of easy."

Kaelyn watches Cheni for a moment and then smiles. "Well met Cheni. I hope your Lord Holder doesn't keep you waiting long." The rider begins to step away.

Makran nods to Rhakier, then looks around, taking a sip from his klah mug. He glances at Cheni, then back at the Stable Hand, "Sorry, I'm not really hungry."

Rhakier shrugs. "That's okay, it's just wonderful to be around people again. It's lonely with two runners accompanying you. I wish I coulld have brought my canine, Roko, along."

A little lost now that Kaelyn has gone, she settles on the edge of a seat at a table further away from Makran. As Rhakier speaks, she nods, listening, honestly interested but a growing smile creeps up her face. "And I am always trying to find a minutes peace and quiet by myself, I guess we all think the other people live better than us, at times."

Makran glances between Rhakier and Cheni, smiling at them both but saying nothing, going back to his klah.

Rhakier looks at Cheni, undrstanding. "So, are you a trader, or what do you do for your Lord Holder?"

Cheni shakes her head quickly, her eyes widening at the very thought. "A trader?" He might as well have called her a tunnel snake by her expression. "No, no, I'm a helper, I do many things, help in the kitchens, the grounds .." She eyes Makran, remembers his response earlier, and clamps her mouth shut and taps the table top with two fingers. Crossing and uncrossing her legs, she sighs wistfully as she looks out towards the courtyard before looking back to Rhakier. "So, how was the trip over, to Bitra, I mean, and you mentioned you had a canine?"

Makran just stays quiet, glancing between the two visitors while drinking his klah and draining the mug.

Rhakier sighs, a fatigued expression on his face, being careful no to offend Cheni once more. "well, it was pretty good. No Thread. It was quite hot and . I have one gray canine, two years. His name is Roko."

Cheni gestures down towards the serving tables after giving Makran a self righteous little sniff. "Rhakier, down that way there is some klah, juices, water, ale, I suppose? If you'd like some, I helped myself, Makran here, seems to be on his day off." Sniff! Turning in her chair she shakes her head. "I'd never be out in the open for that long. But I suppose you are used to it?" She taps her fingers again, to a inner beat of a song that is in her head. "Canine? Well, they are good for outdoors."

Makran smiles at Cheni, "Yeh. There's also a little wine in the skin over there..." He says, glaring at Cheni. "I don't think she understands the concept of a day off."

Rhakier nods, getting up. "I us to to explore when I was in Southern. " He turns to Makran, "I think I'll justklah."

Cheni glares right back, sitting straighter on her chair as she looks across the tables at Makran. "And I don't think -he- understands the concept of hospitality." She snorts. "Except if it's a rider! What's wrong with us?" She gestures to Rhakier and herself. "Are we drudges or exilers?" Her eyes widen at Rhakier's words. "You went exploring, in the jungles, by yourself?"

Makran grins at Cheni, "Heh, I won't get yelled at for not offering you, a resident from an unknown hold, if you'd like some water - while I would if anyone found out I wasn't offering it to a rider."

Rhakier smiled cleverly. "Well, I actually went with the Master Harper there, toexplore and cartograph."

Oh-oh. Cheni rises to her feet and walks slowly and deliberately over to the young man. "I am from -Braddle- Hold, thank you ever so much." Her eyes narrow and her jaw juts out just a tad. "And I never yelled at you, if you want to hear yelling, just keep it up buster and you'll hear me yell." A good thing for Makran, perhaps, shakier's wild claims stop the girl in her tracks and she blinks, and then breaks into a belly "You did what? With who? And who are you, Lord Holder of Southern?"

Makran grins, reaching a hand up to his face and then scratching his upper lip. After a moment, just to mock her, he cringes and put the hand between their faces to block it out. "I didn't say /you'd/ yell at me..."

Cheni scowls. "Don't try to addle my brain, Makran and do you always treat people with this degree of rudeness. Let me guess." She holds her own hand up, to possibly forestall him interupting. "I bet you don't make a lot of tips around here, what with your inate charm and all."

Rhakier cringes, grimapose cringes, grimacing. 'no, I'm son of a Harpermaster, Rakia, and and a Sr. Journeyman Besat Healer at Southern. The Harper Master was my mother. She was a Master stationed at Southern. Known for her mapmaking. Do hurt me before I can get home, of the BeastMaster'll skin me alive!!"

Makran grins, "Fine." He says, moving accross the hall and pouring himself some more klah. "Why would I want tips? It's not as if I'd be allowed to keep them." He says.

Rhakier's tone rather befuddles Cheni, and she regards the lad for a moment or two. "But why would I hurt you? You aren't rude, even though your story seems a bit far fetched, and all, I'm sure your a likeable lad, and all, friendly, polite, and I'm sure -you- would offer a guest a mug of water, if I were to visit you." She snorts at Makran again. "For the betterment and progress of your hold, you .." She keeps her insult to herself.

Rhakier stands up straight again. "Well, you were almost yelling at MMakran, then you turned on me. It kinda scared me a bit. You probably dont have problems with renegades. That yelling face of yours is mean looking!! Wow!"

Cheni settles back in her seat and looks between Rhakier and Makron and smiles innocently, even though her cheeks pinken. "I didn't turn on you, I was merely paying attention to what you were saying is all." A voice out in the courtyard draws her attention. "I think that's the Lord Holder."

Makran grins, nodding. "Excuse me, I think I'll go away from the noise. You're voice is giving me a slight headache, Cheni." He says, nodding to Rhakier, "Nice speaking with you."

Cheni pouts at Makran. "It was a -pleasure- speaking to you too, Makran, I'll be sure to tell your Steward of your wonderful welcome to your home." She nods to Rhakier and heads out.

*** Disconnected from PernMUSH ***

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