An Informative Meeting

Participants:

Gaelene.jpg Nenienne.jpg Yaron.jpg-NPC, Doran-NPC

Date: 27 April 2011
Location: Landing: Main Square
Synopsis: Neni tracks down Yaron as she was instructed by Max. Gaelene tags along and makes a revelation of her own.
Rating: PG-13
Logger: Nenienne

Landing is surrounded on three sides by water and stone, but there is ample room between her buildings for a wing of dragons to land easily. To the north, the land becomes sandy and leads out into the open seas, where dolphins play. To the west, the Black River flows from the Southern Mountains into the sea. The Eastern Barrier Range winds across the southern side of the complex. One of the closest peaks is the Two-Faced Mountain—the volcano that buried the place in lava and ash thousands of Turns ago.

The complex itself contains four parts: the famous AIVAS Complex, containing the Automated Intelligence Voice Activated System, classrooms and conference center; the Archives, which houses all the information gained from the computers and all the contributing Halls; the Dining Hall, where the residents of Landing eat; and the Barracks, the cluster of buildings where they sleep. At certain times of the day, the solar panels on the tops of the various buildings reflect down into the square, making the dragons' ability to land without visual cues nearly invaluable.


Today is one of the days Neni is set to take classes in Landing, at 8am sharp. Fifteen minutes before Escaeth appears from *between* with L'han and the journeyman Smith, who is looking rather the paler. Escaeth lands and Neni slides down, politely thanking both dragon and rider, and then stands there to get her bearings.

Gaelene notices the dropoff and runs over to Neni. "Hello, journeyman! *Between* still getting to you?"

Yaron, on his way from the dining hall to the blacksmith's workshop makes note of the green's arrival with a bare flicker of interest, his pale blue gaze landing next on the woman that alights and the child that goes running up to her and then he turns back to his conversation with the big fellow at his side. "Don't care what his excuse is. I want him down at the gym and back in training by tomorrow's end."

Nenienne makes a wry face at Gaelene. "Mind not broadcasting that to all of Landing, Gael?" she asks, though more with affection than asperity. She looks around to see who might have overheard, and her expression becomes grim as she sees the two large men. It's fleeting, though, as they don't quite match up the two she's been avoiding.

Gaelene giggles and says, not quite unrepentingly, "I'm sorry, Journeyman." She also looks around when Neni does, her gaze curious rather than suspicious at the attention the two men get.

Doran, the giant usually seen standing guard outside of Indira's office, gives a grunt to what Yaron says and then casts an amused look Nenienne's way. "I'm not joking, Doran!" Yaron notes in somewhat terse tones, a hand rubbing over his bald head in the beginning of frustration. "Oh no, not you, her," the big man says with a jut of chin the journeywoman's way, drawing Yaron's focus back onto woman and child with a cocked brow.

Nenienne is not very good with faces, which is why it takes her so long to register *why* Doran looks familiar. When she finally recognizes him she nods a polite greeting, and at the same point notices something about his companion. Heading over to the pair, she looks up briefly at Yaron, then asks, again politely, "Pardon, but are you Yaron?"

Gaelene is still in curious child mode, and trots over when she sees where Neni headed. For once she doesn't interject as the introductions are being made, perhaps because she has only heard Yaron referred to, not talked to him before.

Doran's arms fold across his broad chest as Nenienne approaches and Yaron's set to his hips, faint amusement sparking his pale eyes for he well knows who she is. Which doesn't mean to say that he won't toy with the woman for a bit first, "Depends whose doin' the askin', miss." His attention then does a sideways skitter and lands on Gaelene, the child put under the kind of close study that would have most diving for the cover of their mother's skirts.

Nenienne is completely serious, unaware of or not acknowledging any levity which might be occurring. "I'm Neni, a journeyman Smith posted to Eastern. The Beastmaster there directed me to seek Yaron out."

Gaelene is rather fearless, and doesn't so much as quail under the gaze. She does, however, stay uncharacteristically silent as the adults talk, and does not pull out her pick-up-sticks as she usually has by this time.

As Nenienne takes his question seriously and introduces herself, so Yaron's amusement deepens, the corners of his eyes crinkling in further show though his mouth betrays nothing in the way of a smile. "Max sent you?" a look sent Doran's way only to find that the gentle giant has hunkered down and is trying to engage Gaelene by silently offering her a redfruit that's suddenly appeared in one of his large paws.

Nenienne nods in reply, then, again all business, notes, "I only have about ten minutes until class. I might have to seek you out afterwards."

The redfruit gets Gael's attention, and she accepts it with a smile and a bright, "Thank you!" Then she ponders. "I don't know your name, though."

"No, wait," Yaron is quick to try and stay Nenienne's departure, "I'm sorry, I was just having a bit of fun with you." And then brows draw toward each other lending his visage and even harder cast, "Was there something you needed to speak to me about?" this as he starts to move away from Doran and the child thus affording the journeywoman the privacy to speak should she so wish to.

"You're welcome," Doran says with a smile, his gravely voiced deliberately held in a manner so as not to startle the child. "My name's Doran. What's yours?"

Nenienne says, "Yes." She moves off with the bald man, then says in a low voice, "I was approached by two men looking for Kaskan. They claimed to be friends of his, and wanted to know if I had seen him. I seriously doubt they were friends, especially once they tried to bribe me."

Gaelene says, "Hello, Doran. I'm Gaelene, but you can call me Gael." Recognizing an easy mark, she asks innocently, "Would you like to see my pick-up-sticks?" She's already pulling the box out of her pocket. She's also straining to listen to what Neni has to say, and when she does manage to overhear the important part, she pipes up, "They talked to me too. They said they were friends and wanted to say "Hello" to Kaskan and Lord Jhorn." Her voice takes on the disapproval of a child with manners pounded into her head, "Except they didn't say "Lord" like they should have."

Yaron's frown deepens, his hand lifting to once again rub over his bald pate and then setting to his hip, pale eyed gaze set intent upon Nenienne. "Aye, Max told me about 'em. Would you be able to point 'em out to me if you see 'em around here again?"

"Gael," Doran repeats the name, "a pretty name for a pretty little girl." And then he gives a chuckle and a nod as the child is already pulling out a box from her pocket, "Sure, let's see 'em." He having no idea what pick-up sticks are. However when she mentions having spoken to the two looking for the Bollian guard his brows go up and he exchanges a troubled look with Yaron. "Gael, if you see those two again, you're to turn around and head in the opposite direction, ya hear me?" gravelled tone deepened with concern for the girl's safety.

Nenienne hmmms. "I believe so. They rather stick out — red hair, one with a beard. I think they may be cousins or something; they sort of resemble each other. They're both larger than the average student here," said with a straight face, but perhaps betraying that the Smith does have a sense of humor, "And they could use a bath. Or six."

Gaelene opens her box happily, showing off the brightly-colored plastic sticks. Each stick is a solid color, either blue, green, red, or yellow, and they're all the same length and width. At Doran's warning she blinks, then asks curiously, "Why?"

The description Nenienne gives is taken in and committed to memory and then Yaron gives a snort of amusement to them being bigger than the students, "You ever seen the kid from Southern Hold way that works in the kitchens?" A rough laugh is next for them needing a bath, "You've just described half the men down at the docks." And while the older, stern looking man might be a blacksmith and somewhat rough looking around the edges, he's certainly no stranger to personal hygiene himself.

When Gaelene reveals the sticks, Doran puts out a big paw and then a chunky finger gives them a brief, almost cautious poke. "What ya supposed to do with 'em?" interest colouring both tone and gaze as he lifts his attention back up to the girl. As to her question, brows pinch toward each other and he utters a rueful sigh, "Because they're not very nice men, sweetheart." There being enough evidence from the reports being received for this assumption to be made. "You go get Yaron over there, or your parents if you see 'em again, yeah?"

Nenienne nods unsmilingly about the kitchen worker, though her eyes show some measure of amusement. When he mentions the bit about dockworkers, she says, "You'll forgive me if I avoid the docks, then. I'm not eager to meet up with those two again if it can be helped. Especially not alone." She glances pointedly at Gaelene as she says this, then adds, "You should do what he says, Gael," reinforcing Doran's warning.

Gaelene looks at the chubby fingers and takes pity on the poor man. Instead of challenging him to a game, she says, "You drop them on the ground, then try to pick out the ones that are your color without moving any of the others. Little kids are better at it than adults, or I'd ask you to play." She becomes more serious at Doran's words, musing, "That was a pretty big knife the quiet one was using on his runner's hooves." And when Neni finally chimes in, she nods and promises, "I will."

Rather than be amused at Nenienne's words on avoiding the docks Yaron's eyes narrow slightly, "You reckon they've come up from the docks?" Trying to pinpoint a location where the two might be found. Picking up on the journeywoman's unease he forces a smile into place, though really it looks more like a grimace, "They ever bother you again, or you need anything, you come bang on my door. Day or night." Not an invitation he hands out to many given the work he carries out for Max or the type of company he tends to keep at night.

"Drop 'em, just to pick 'em up again?" Doran gives that some thought and then gives a nod of head, "Maybe we can play next time I'm down here, or maybe if you visit the Weyr?" leaving the matter in Gael's hands. Something about what she says next has the gentle giant stiffening, "They had runners? Think you could tell me what the runners looked like?"

Nenienne shakes her head. "I was in the dining hall when I met them. I just figured they might hang out there if that's where they would blend better. I haven't seen them since, so it may be that they've moved on." Thinking out loud, she says, "Though probably not. They seemed too intent on finding out his whereabouts. Luckily, they didn't ask about the Weyr." Then she realizes what she was doing and adds hastily, "But that's neither here nor there, I suppose."

Gaelene says, "All right!" as she puts away the box of sticks. When Doran asks about the runners she screws up her face in concentration, then says, "I don't remember. I think they were probably brown, like most runners."

Where Nenienne shakes her head, Yaron gives a nod of his, yet more information being filed away and one can be sure he'll be sending word down to the docks to be on the lookout for the two. "Don't," he quickly gives on the heels of her external musing, "say anything about the Weyr to 'em if you seem 'em again. In fact if you have to, act dumb or fake having lost your voice to a cold or somethin', yeah? And then come and get me. I'm down here for the next few months at least." Unless something comes up that has either Max or Indira recalling him to the Weyr that is.

Probably brown like most runners…Doran tries hard not to show his frustration in the small smile and nod of head he gives to Gaelene's answer. "Do you remember if the runner had metal on his hooves when the man used his knife on 'em?" for even such a small thing would go a ways to separating the mounts out from the others.

Nenienne shakes her head. "I didn't even tell them that I recognized Kaskan — I said their description was too vague, and referred them to the guards. And after they left I told one of the guards in the AIVAS chamber, though I don't know if it reached Guard Captain Thayet."

Gaelene thinks about it for a few more minutes, then shakes her head. "Just that he was using a knife to pick stones out." Then, perhaps sensing Doran's disappointment, she says, "I'm sorry. If I see them again should I look at their runners before telling Yaron or my parents?"

The captain of the guard's name coming up puts a strangely shaped smirk to Yaron's lips but he says nothing of it, simply giving a non-committal grunt. "Clever girl," that to Nenienne stating that she'd been vague and had given the two men nothing to go on. Right then an apprentice comes running from the direction of the Smithy his face smudged with black soot and his clothes looking no better. "Yaron! They need you down the Smithy, Gryl's gone done and burned he'self somethin' real bad. They took him to the healers but the order for the Weyr's backin' up." That all coming out in a spew of words without the youth taking a breath in between.

Doran's mouth twists to one side in a lopsided smile and he gives a firm shake of head, "Naw, you rather turn tail and head the shards away from 'em, yeah?" And then his head jerks up when the Smithcraft apprentice comes running, a quiet oath not suitable for ears of the young muttered under his breath.

Nenienne winces as she hears about the accident, one hand involuntarily clutching her other arm briefly. "And I need to be going to class. Thank you for your time, Yaron. I will come directly if I see the two around again."

Gaelene nods as seriously as only a child can. "Run away. I can do that really good." By the time she finishes the sentence she's grinning impishly.

Yaron's brows furrow down into a frown that creases deep across his forehead at the apprentice's words. With a grim nod to Nenienne, "Any time, miss, and you be sure to do that." And then throwing an apologetic look the journeywoman's way, he takes off at a jog behind the lad, Doran close on his heels once the gentle giant had sent a departing wink in response to the child's impish grin.

Left alone in the courtyard, Gaelene heads over toward the AIVAS complex in hopes of getting to play on the terminals there.


Doran and Yaron were NPCed by Max.


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