Meet And Greet

Participants:

Ahnika.jpg Avander.jpg Harson.jpg Jhath Vanielle.jpg

Date: 12/24/10
Location: EW: Lakeshore
Synopsis: On a late morning a chance encounter allows Harson and Avander to meet Vanielle and Ahnika (and Jhath). Introductions are made, and as the conversation continues, Ahnika and Avander find they have a similar work ethic.
Rating: PG-13
Logger: Ahnika


It is a balmy late summer morning after a night of summer storms on this, one of Ahnika’s few rest days. Point in fact, as a weyrling, she technically gets no rest days, since her green dragonet still needs caring for no matter what day of the seven it is. However, at eight and a half months, tall and stocky Jhath is able to hunt for herself, so that takes at least one of the usual weyrling chores off Ahni’s list. Bathing and oiling is still very much a requirement for this fast-and-fiercely growing green, however. So it is that the green weyrling pair trudge up the pebbly-sandy beach from the shallow waters where Ahni had been bathing and oiling Jhath. The redheaded weyrling is soaked to the bone, though it matters little in her swim kit, and smudged and smeared with oil, and a little out of breath, while the towering green dragonet beside her shines glossy and brilliant in the late morning sun. They return to a gathering of boulders with flat-tops that have been situated around the lakeshore for use as benches, and there Ahni sets down her dragon-bathing and oiling supplies and grabs a towel from her satchel.

Harson is braving the threat of being caught out in another storm to explore the length of beaches around the lake. Wearing a hat to keep out the sun from his face the young man picks his way between this rock and that, keeping close to the shore and in particular the tall grasses and lillies that are growing up along the banks. He carries a pack over one shoulder and an open basket in his arms. Now and then he stops and crouch down and pick the purple and pink flowers. The basket is halfway full of various flowers and reeds so far. He's been keeping an eye on the dragon and weyrling, the washing and what-not during his slow exploration of the shoreline. Once he's close enough he offers a shy little wave, but seems uncertain if he should intrude.

Avander happens to have his own free day going on, free of the Lower Caverns and working in the area. Of course, now he doesn't know what to do with himself, and so he decided to wander the Bowl, get to know the layout of the new Weyr. He wanders by the Lakeshore, pausing to see what dragons and riders might be out, but doesn't necessarily going out of his way to greet everyone. However, he does offer a smile and nod to Ahnika and her dragon a nod and a smile as he passed by, like the others.

Out for a walk it seems, though in her arms are baskets full of sheets and and stops as she notices the young green dragon. "Well…" she says making her way towards them. Vanielle is slow as she walks, though as she proceeds forewards a loose sheet, sends her and her laundry spawling. "SHARDS!"

Taking her time drying off, Ahnika mutely shakes her head a little at, apparently, nothing, which means some unvoiced dialogue is in the happening, more than likely. Her grey eyes scan the lakeshore as she drapes the towel over her head before settling on the rock while Jhath curls up around it in what anyone with any military know-how might think as being a little fortifying, as one might prepare to defend against some incursion, putting her eyes and teeth in the most vulnerable spot, Ahni’s blindspot, so to speak. As Ahni catches the wave from Harson, however, she gives him a friendly wave back, chuckling softly, “Her bugle is worse than her bite,” in reassurance, and then another wave to Avander as she notices his greeting. It is Vanielle’s exclamation that draws her attention next, however, as she blinks to the other young woman and gets up from her rock to move in her direction, “Are you okay?”

Harson flashes a nervous smile to Ahnika and glances at the dragon, "Huh?" Apparently it's not the dragon he's worried about. Blushing he bobs his head but doesn't respond back to the weyrling. He's about to go back to flower-hunting when he spots Vanielle and her tumble. "Oh…g-gosh, careful there." Hesitating a moment to see if she needs help getting back up he sets his basket to the side and goes to help her at least fetch the spilled linen.

Avander turns as he hears the woman shouting and frowns, moving toward Vanielle's direction as well. "Do you need some help?" he asks as he goes over, offering to help the young woman up to her feet, forget the other clothing for right now, but getting her up onto her feet seems important, and making sure she is okay. "Not hurt are you?"

Vanielle looks up from spilled laundry. "I am good, Ahn!" she calls out. She kneels and sets to work picking up her laundry. "I am good!" she says "At least this was dirty… laundry so it just means It needs to be cleaner."

Ahnika can be rather clueless at times and this is one of them, “Jhath,” she explains to Harson’s nervous smile with a nod of her head to her big green girl. “She’s a brilliant tactician,” pride evident in Ahni’s voice, “So she often tries to look more intimidating than she feels.” And even though Jhath very likely can hear her lifemate, she remains lounging and sunning herself around the boulder, merely cracking an eye open in the direction of the commotion when Vanielle loses her laundry. As Avander is helping Vanielle get to her feet, and Vanielle says she is okay, Ahnika begins to help Harson gather up the dirty laundry, “Just when you thought it was safe to go do your laundry, eh?” she grins.

Oh, thank goodness for the other lad helping the girl up, Harson doesn't appear to be too eager to jump in there. Clothing though, that's safe enough. Keeping his eyes downcast he offers over a few items he picked up. The introduction earns Ahnika a little more direct eye contact from the big lad and a little smile, "G-good to know. I'm Harson. You're Jhath's r-rider then?"

Avander bends down to help gather up the laundry as well. "At least it was dirty, indeed. A shame if it was actually clean and it spilled. There is a good place out here along the lake that makes it good to wash on the nicer days?" he asks curiously, straightening once everything is gathered up. "I'm Avander, just moved here from Southern Weyr about a week ago." Of course, the introduction is also raised so that the others in the immediate area can hear, at least.

Setting the articles of clothing and sheets and such that Ahnika gathers back into Vanielle’s basket, the weyrling offiers Vanielle a warm smile while giving her a quick once over to make sure that she is, in fact, fine. Then she turns that friendly smile back on to Harson, “Pleasure, Harson. New to Eastern?” She considers a moment and then answers, “Yes, well, not able to ride her just yet,” Ahni muses, looking over to Jhath, “but soon. Maybe another month or two.” Or three or four. Eager much? You bet. Then she turns back to Harson, “I’m Ahnika,” before her grey eyes slide to Avander with his own introduction, “Pleasure, too, Avander. Welcome to Eastern.” A hand gesturing at herself and she says again, “Ahnika.” And then a gesture to Vanielle, “And this is Vanielle … unless of course you three have already met.” She looks over the lakeshore consideringly a moment and says, “I suppose one could do it out in the lake if they wanted to or if there was something wrong with the Laundry Cavern,” in answer to Avander’s question.

Harson drops the clothes into the basket and briskly dusts off his hands. Lifting a hand towards Avander he greets the other lad with a much easier smile, "Nice to meet you. How are things at Southern?" He goes to pick up his own basket and explains, "I'm from the w-weaverhall." Vanielle gets a wave too before he adjusts his pack as well. "Um…usually not so many people out here."

Avander shakes his head at the question of meeting the others, "I am still meeting a lot of the people here at the Weyr, but of course, it is always work first." He nods at Ahnika's introduction as well as the comment on the Laundry Cavern, "Well, on good days, it could be pleasant to wash out here I would imagine." He smiles and takes Harson's hand and shakes it in greeting. "Southern goes well last I heard. Things were full enough there, I figured I'd come and help the new Weyr."

Looking between Harson and Avander a moment as the two speak, Ahnika nods once and then smiles a little brightly for Harson, “Weaver? You’re a weaver? Oh! They finally sent us weavers!” She gives a little clap and a bounce of her legs, “No wonder I haven’t seen you before! I bet as soon as word got around that we had weavers, you guys had your hands full of commissions!” Then there is a chuckle for Avander and a glance skyward, “Just keep a watch out for some of the playful green and blue dragons, or you might find yourself trying to do laundry amidst a tidal wave.” Then a nod to them both, “Well met, both of you. I’m so glad Eastern has your help.” She’s not exactly sure what Avander does, but she is a positive enough person to assume he is being helpful in some capacity. "If either of you need any help sorting anything out as you get settled, feel free to come find me. Have you been to the Headwoman yet?"

Harson looks surprised at the reaction to his craft status and quickly adds, "I am j-just an apprentice though. I hope to be walking the tables very soon though." He lifts his chin proudly for a moment. "S-still, if you need anything…." His voice drifts off and he looks down at his basket, "Shards, I…ah, I should get back to this. Nice meeting you."

Avander chuckles at the reaction, "Weavers must have been in great need around here," he offers to the greenrider, then looks to her young dragon. "Your dragon is very lovely, nice coloring, and looks large for someone so young. Not flying yet you said?" he asks as he moves a bit closer to Jhath, but not enough to hopefully intrude on the young dragon's personal space.

“Oh! That’s wonderful! I wish you the best of luck at the tables,” Ahnika continues, seeming cheered by Harson, “You know my foster da, he’s a Weaver too. I’m from the po-dunk-back-end of Fort’s sweep though, so you probably haven’t heard of him.” She doesn’t seem embarrassed by the fact though. “If I need anything,” she nods in agreement to Harson, “I will be sure to come find you.” And she waves to him as he wanders off, presumably to collect more lilies and such. Nodding, Ahni turns to Avander, “Oh yes, most basic darning and such we do ourselves of course, but up until now if anyone needed anything fancy, you had to go to Landing for a weaver.” She chuckles a little, now finally blushing, “I guess it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but somehow having weavers here, well, I dunno. It kind of makes me feel like the northern sorts are finally taking Eastern a little more seriously, treating us like a proper Weyr should be,” instead of the redheaded step-child? Or something. Her attention turns back to Jhath as he brings her up and it is with his last question that the green uncoils from around the boulder and straightens, stretching her limbs a moment before issuing a challenging bugle that is much more obnoxiously loud than necessary. Ahni, of course, is used to it by now, so doesn’t cover her ears. Instead, she smiles wistfully at Jhath. “Thank you,” stated to Avander on Jhath’s camo-colored hide, “I think so too.” Even though she’s biased, of course. And then she sighs and looks around, still smiling a little, “Go on,” back to Jhath, speaking aloud so as not to be rude to Avander, “You can show him, Nobleheart. Just be careful.” And then to Avander she says, “Jhath’s flying.” Well, gliding, really, “I’m just not riding.” Beat pause, “Yet.” And with that, Jhath pads over to a slightly better vantage point along the lakeshore, unfurls her glorious smoke-covered wingsails, and starts running. She lifts off a few meters away and glides with ease and the sense that she’s been practicing a lot, and toward the end, when it looks like she is going to end up in the drink, she flaps her wings once and then twice and it carries her over the corner of lake, and onto a safe landing on the otherside. “Very good, Nobleheart,” Ahni says aloud, pride evident.

Avander smiles a bit as he listens about the limitations that the Weyr has been going through. "Most likely the typical thing when a Weyr is starting out, but by the time I came around, Southern was fairly well established, end of the Oldtimer regime. My parents grew up in High Reaches before moving down with the Oldtimers, too young to really know better at the time." He quietly watches as the young green takes flight and lands across the lake from them. "Yes, she is lovely. Will make a beautiful fighting dragon once she really grows into her wings… Sorry, used to love watching the dragons at Southern work when I was still in the creche."

Taking the towel from off her damp hair, Ahni twists it a bit and settles it behind her neck as she watches Jhath trot her way back over to them. She’s confident that she won’t accidentally land on them if she had flown across instead, but Ahni apparently advised her against it. Better safe than sorry. So, by silver-taloned feet the tall and stocky green comes while Ahni looks to Avander, “High Reaches?” She looks intrigued at that, “Weyr or Hold?” And she’ll pause a moment before nodding and adding, “Yeah, and in the Weaverhall’s defense, they probably realized that in the beginning of a Weyr, folks are more interested in making sure we have proper food and shelter and facilities before we start looking to commission new Gather clothes or such the like luxuries. Chuckling, Ahnika can’t help but respond to his last with, “She’s already a beautiful fighting dragon if you ask me, just not fighting Thread yet,” so what is she fighting? Ahni’s not telling. Not yet anyway. It could have something to do with the pencil thing scar running along the outside of her arm and the other one over her chest, with such a thing really only being visible because the young woman is in her swim kit. As Jhath arrives, she bends her head down a little to encourage a headknob rub from her bonded, and Ahni only happily complies, adding, “I’ve never been to Southern Weyr.” Though she’s met Southern riders since being here, of course. It is the Southern Riders who are protecting their currently under-winged Eastern Weyr right now. “Is it much different from Eastern?”

“Weyr," Avander answers as he watches the green dragon. "Been weyrfolk for as far as we can go back. And true, that does make sense, food and shelter before the nice clothes. Don't want to get them ruined when you need something to wear while you work…" He smiles softly at the idea. Mentioning of the fighting, he does look over and glances at the young rider and sees those scars, but he doesn't say anything, not quite yet at least. "Southern is mostly different in weather and layout. It's a lot more tropical being along the coast, and it's more of small ground access weyrs then a mountain Weyr like this and the ones in the North. Different attitude I guess. Still get the fair share of people with too much time on their hands coming by trying to find some wild firelizard clutches, but not as much as I guess when they were first found."

“Weyr,” Ahnika repeats, musing silently as she continues to rub Jhath’s headknobs a little more before the green dragonet settles onto the beach right there, resuming her enjoyment of the summer sun, and the company, by all appearances. Ahni, herself, chooses to sort of lean on and settle against one of Jhath’s legs, giving her damp hair another little tousle with the towel, “Wonder if Headwoman Indira knows of your folks then. She and her son Max were at High Reaches Weyr for a good long while.” She pauses and explains, “Max is the Beast Manager here.” Might as well let the new person know all the ins and outs of the Eastern resident network. “Ground access weyrs, really?” Ahnika looks intrigued, her toweling coming to a momentary pause before she continues and then stops altogether. Jhath rumbles a little and Ahni grins at her, and then explains to Avander, “She says that the ground access weyrs sound like they would be harder to defend against miscreants and rogues.” Then to Jhath, but aloud so as not to be rude, she says, “Good point, Nobleheart, but you forget there are rogues among the wings, too, you know.” She says it with good humor, however. A jest of some kind. Ahni then nods a little about people with too much time on their hands, pulling the towel off entirely and settling it in her lap, “Sounds like the Headwoman there probably has her hands full. Or is it a matter of there being too much staff and not enough work to do?” Her question is put with genuine interest, as if the topic is something that intrigues the weyrling for some reason.

Avander shrugs at the mention of the Headwoman might knowing his parents. "She might, but I have yet to be able to find her, though I have a few leads oas to where to go." He watches the green and smiles at the mention of rogues. "If people go into the weyrs, then there are more issues than that. But no, it's not usually the weyrfolk that go looking, visiting crafters, traders, holder folk, people that are in the area and seem to think they might be lucky and find a clutch. You hear of one every now and then, but not very often, perhaps once a Turn."

Ahnika just stares at Avander a moment, her grey eyes expressing incredulousness, and then she sighs and shakes her head, “You’ve been here a seven already and no one’s shown you where the Headwoman’s office is? I’m sorry, Avander. On behalf of all of Eastern’s residents, I’m sorry. That’s just … shells.” She stands up, Jhath rumbling a little behind her, but Ahnika just continues, “Come on, I’ll show you her office. Hopefully she’ll be in, too, and I can introduce you to her.” She moves the few steps back to the boulder she was at before and gathers up the rest of her dragon-bathing trappings, slinging the satchel over her shoulder, “Isn’t that weird? I’ve heard that too. The firelizards just aren’t reproducing like they used to. Some of the weyrbrats here,” she coughs, blushing a little, “I mean … no offense or anything, but some of the older children here, they try and get out of the weyr and go running around the river on their own, looking for clutches. I haven’t heard any getting found yet, though.”

Avander shakes his head and gives yet another shrug, "I have been keeping busy though, helping out in the kitchens, serving and such. And I know where her office is, I just never found her there, or where she could be found in the Caverns. There is no need to ruin your relaxation with your dragon and such," he gives a shy smile at disturbing the rider with what appears to be some free time.

“Oh,” Ahnika says, smiling somewhat apologetically, “Yeah, she has a very hands-on approach to her duties, so she’s not as often found in her office as other Headwomen are, I imagine.” Rubbing a hand fondly over a shiny, freshly oiled wing ridge folded at the dragon’s side, “Jhath and I … we find unusual things relaxing.” She chuckles and moves her hand back to her lap, leaning against her green once more, but with the satchel at her feet now. “Including helping new people learn their way around the Weyr.” She grins at him.

Avander smiles as he listens and nods, "I have been learning my way, it's mostly the Caverns themselves that take a while to explore and understand where they go, and where you'll end up after all." He looks around the Bowl a bit for a bit, then to the lake. "Your dragon seems an interesting personality. You mentioned how she's ready for a fight, though, if I may comment, you seem to have been through a few of your own."

Some of her grin slips as Avander talks of exploring the caverns. “Just … be careful,” Ahnika says, “Especially at night. Not all the caverns have been laid out with glowbaskets. And well … you never know who or what you might stumble on.” As Ahni swallows visibly with her words, Jhath issues another discontented growl, punctuated with a snort of defiance. Sighing a little, Ahni shifts to give her green another comforting stroke, then she smiles, “She is. We’re a lot alike actually.” She glances at the scar on her chest a moment and then offers a somewhat sheepish look to Avander, “You ever do something that at the time seemed like the right thing to do, but afterward … you realize it was rather foolish?”

Avander gives a nod as he listens to the warnings, "I am rather careful, as best as I can be at least. There are dangers in the caves, no matter where you are, tunnelsnakes and some Wherries that venture in…" He looks at her again about doing the right thing. "Not necessarily, but there are stories of people doing it. May I ask what it was in your case?"

Digging at a little itch on her head near her temple, Ahnika ponders something a moment – or else she is having some internal dialogue with Jhath – and then asks, “No one’s told you about … what happened? Um, they found a body down in the tunnels several months ago. We still don’t know who killed him,” pause, “or her.” Or her? Yes, that’s how bad the body was mutilated. “One thing’s for sure, it wasn’t a tunnelsnake or a wherry. So, yeah, stick to being careful, Avander.” Jhath curls her tail around to settle in front of Ahnika in an unconscious protective gesture with the unpleasant discussion, while Ahni makes a little waving gesture over the second topic, “It wasn’t anything. Just me trying to help someone who probably didn’t need my help as much as I thought.” And that seems to be as far as she’ll go on that subject for now. Perhaps if she gets to know Avander a little more, she might be willing to share more. “What about you? What were you hoping to be doing here at Eastern?”

Avander listens to the warnings of the body that was found and shudders at the thought, "I had not heard of that, a body found… With that then I will be sure to be careful, and not cross the wrong people." He falls silent about Ahnika's story about helping where she didn't necessarily need to. "Should all try to do what is right, the world may be better. As for coming to Eastern, help out the new Weyr, perhaps do better than I was doing back at Southern, more opportunities…"

“They thought the person might have been involved in the two eggs that …” Ahnika swallows again, looking like she’s tasted something vile, “Well, you know.” Surely he knows about the two eggs being destroyed from the last clutch, Ahni reasons. Not hearing about a mysterious body is one thing, but the destruction of the eggs made news all over the whole planet. Exhaling a breath while Jhath’s tail cuddles in closer to Ahni, the redheaded weyrling continues, smiling a little and starting to get back some color, “You sound a lot like I was when I left my cothold to come here, looking for more opportunities, a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Avander nods, "I heard about that… and if they were, well they got what was coming to them, didn't they?" he asks a bit. He looks over to the green, "Yeah, I probably do, but then, you actually succeeded didn't you? You Impressed a green, and soon you'll be among the fighting wings of a new Weyr, protecting the land like all the other dragonriders, and all the ones before you, right?"

Grinning, Ahnika follows his look to Jhath, but says to him, “You make it sound so glamorous. I think I succeeded even before I Impressed. I was about to be knotted junior headwoman, in fact,” well maybe by a couple hours difference, “but E’ro Searched me first.” There’s a pause and then Ahnika strokes Jhath’s tail, “And then Jhath found me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never regret Impressing. It was the single most significant day of my life. But just don’t think about being a dragonrider as the only way to contribute, to be a part of something bigger and bettering the world. The Headwoman and junior headwomen and stewards and laundresses and cooks and all the way down to the drudges are all important to the running of things here. There are other ways to being successful.”

Avander smiles a bit, "I know, and I plan on working in the store caverns, as I did in Southern, it is what I know, but hope to perhaps make the Steward's staff in time. But that will take time, and I am young. And what are riders without the weyrfolk to tend to the food and the laundry and the klah? A bunch of people who wouldn't know how to properly care for themselves," he smirks a bit, "But then, someone must tend to the forces while you protect our planet, and tend to your dragons."

Ahnika nods and smiles, “Good. I’m sure they need the help down there. I did some inventorying in the store caverns as a candidate. There’s a lot more to it than most people realize, I think.” Then another nod, where other riders might actually get their feathers ruffled, “Yes, as I understand it, riders are too tired to do much but eat and sleep between sweeps and drills when in the thick of a Fall.” She wouldn’t know personally, yet, of course, “Unfortunately, even with a full flight of wings, some Thread gets through, and that’s where the ground crews come in, too. So, yeah, support staff and ground crews are critical.” Not to mention the first aid crew and Healercraft. And Jhath, apparently paying attention, whuffs her agreement without lifting her head from the sand, which causes some of the drier clumps to stir with her breath.

Avander offers Jhath a smile at the apparently agreement from the green. "Indeed. And I was intending to train to help with the ground crews around the Weyr as well. I'm old enough now to go out there with the others, and strong enough to handle one of the flamethrowers." He nods though, "Everyone has their role here, and we must all do our best at it, right?"

Arching her brows a little, looking both pleased and impressed, Ahnika smiles at him, “Oh good. I think you’ll get on well here with an attitude like that, Avander … very similar to my own. And that attitude will go far with the Headwoman.” She nods again, apparently being thick enough in with the Headwoman to be able to say so with authority. “She likes people who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, more so if they are efficient about it, too.”

"My father taught me that," Avander smiles a bit, "How I should always keep up the work, work hard and I will be rewarded, though it will take a while to get that recognition. But should still work, regardless of what is going on."

“Your father sounds like a smart guy,” Ahnika comments with a grin, “And it will probably get recognized sooner here than some other, more established Weyrs.” There’s a glance at Jhath and then Ahni bends to pick up her satchel, “Those other Weyrs have been around long enough to have legacies to tap, but not here. Not yet. So, we’re hurting for good people like you.” She slings the satchel up over her shoulder and straightens as Jhath gets to her feet and stretches out a little behind Ahni. “So, I think you’re going to get noticed sooner rather than later.” Jhath bugles loudly in polite farewell, not seeming to always get the fact that she’s got a good set of lungs on her compared to most. Ahni follows it with a smile, “I need to get back to the barracks to help a couple of the other weyrlings with something.” Apparently the summons came in by way of dragon mindspeak, since no one came to get Ahni personally. “It was really nice meeting you, though. I look forward to seeing you around, Avander. Hopefully next time it will be with an Eastern knot on your shoulder, though.” She grins and winks.

Avander smiles and gives a nod, straightening a bit, and dusting himself off. "I hope so as well. A pleasure Ahnika, and you too Jhath. Hope to see you both around for a long time here at the Weyr. Clear skies to you both, and a good day."

With another wave of her hand, Ahni says, “Definitely,” to one or more of those things Avander said. She doesn’t specify. Ahnika turns and starts to walk away, and in usual fashion for these two, Jhath falls into step beside her, marshaled and regimented nearly like a couple of soldiers off to training, except of course for the huge physical differences, and the fact that Jhath has a MUCH bigger stride and is forced to go slower. The pair walk off to the Eastern Bowl together, quiet with their communication as they go.



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