Last caravan of the turn [Open: Fort Weyr folk/ riders]

News had reached Lance's ears that the Caravan had indeed arrived. Well that was a spot of good luck. They were early which meant she would be able to meet her cousin Mayheul, whom she had not seen since they were children. S'dric had been rather excited for them all to see eachother.

Lance had kept to her leathers, prefering them over her leisurely wear. Better to be prepared for anything. Her unruly black curls were pulled back in a long thick braid. Green eyes scanned everything as they approached the beautiful wagons and colorful people.

This would keep her mind off of some of the events that had recently transpired. Walking toward the bonfire in the center, she could not only see the lively folk that were about but also hear them. The instrument that was being played was quite lovely. She may actually prefer it to some of the Harper's songs but she had no affinity for music, simply enjoyed listening to it. Maybe the man who played would play one or two songs at the Masquerade.

After their heart to heart, she figured being around happy people would be good for both herself and S'dric. Nudging her cousin as they approached the wagons, she said, "So which one is Mayheul?" Surely he remembered.

S'dric couldn't help his smile as they walked together, he and Lance. He'd gotten word a few days before that Mahyeul was indeed on his way with the last tithing caravan of the Turn.

If she'd'a spoken her thoughts aloud, S'dric would have been busy agreeing with her; It would be nice to have them all together again. Though, as Lance asked which person amoungst the many might be their cousin, S'dric wondered... if he really did remember what Mahyeul's appearance was like. The Brownrider craned his neck, seeming to search quite intently for any sign of who may or may not fit what few descriptions he'd known of he man before, or perhaps simply to gauge who din't seem to quite fit in with the Trader's bunch, but obviously wasn't weyrfolk. 

It was a long moment before S'dric slowly led them wandering toward the outskirts of the 'party', where a lone figure with long black hair was seated.  At first, he thought that perhaps it was a girl, but the person's posture was a give away; and he didn't seem to dress in the likeness of the typical Weyrperson -not at Fort Weyr anyway.

It was their good fortune then, that Mahyeul happened to be turning back around at that time, to give another searching glance behind him. 

---

The young man had been waiting for a pair just like these two, so he assumed Lance and S'dric were the cousins he'd been on the lookout for. So, turning himself aside, to straddle the log and face them more fully, Mahyeul let a boyish grin grow across his soft, youthful features, causing his dark eyes to narrow and close into delighted half-moons of gleeful expression. "Might you be Lance and S'dric?"

Oh good grief! S'dric didn't remember either. When the youth found them instead, she checked herself from saying something rude. She was pretty sure their cousin wasn't a girl but he certainly looked like one. Maybe he was like some of those men who were effeminate? She had to wonder and she was a little uncomfortable with it but then she was at the Weyr now. She had to get used to unusual things. No doubt he got the girl comment a lot. It might just be that he took good care of himself and he looked more effeminate because of genetics... obviously not from their side of the family.

"Sorry, you took me by surprise. I'm Lance." She said in acknowledgment. "I was asking S'dric if he remembered what you looked like. I honestly had no idea."

Lance was about as friendly as she could manage. Even if she was often lacking in social graces. She had at least thought to be nice and not say anything rude. Later though Raidenth would hear about all of this. At least the dragon would understand why the situation was humorous.

"Guilty as charged." Lance said, "I generally go by Lance here though. It just has more of a dragonrider feel. The guys get to shorten their names..." She explained. "I'll have to introduce you to the reason for our delay, later."

Raidenth was a demanding green, to put things mildly. Not that she was much different from her rider. In fact, Lance looked less like the cousins but they looked more similar in features. Gosh, her brother looked like a giant compared to them. Even she was taller than Mahyeul and just an inch shorter than S'dric.

"Welcome to Fort Weyr." She said, attempting at being as amicable as her cousin was.

"Are you hungry?" she asked because she was starved. "Maybe we can grab a meal and you can tell us about your journey."

Mahyeul seemed not to mind the tardiness, if he'd even noticed. He seemed not to, being that he only continued to smile, speaking nothing of it. 

As Lance went on to welcome him, his eyes turned upon her, noting that she was indeed slightly taller than him -quite tall for a woman. "Thank you. And I'll have to remember that. Do many other women shorten their names, as well?" 

Honestly, Mahyeul wasn't very familiar with why Riders had to shorten their names. Though if men did it, it made sense that a woman could, too. At least, there would be no real reason not to? Anyway, he posed the question for conversation's sake.

"I would certainly join you both for a meal. I can't say I've ever had Weyr food, and from what I hear, Fort Weyr's cooks are quite famous." 




S'dric smiled at that, thinking they might give their cousin a bit of a tour around the Weyr while they were at it -but perhaps after they all filled their stomachs. "The best cooks on Pern. Follow me. Lance and I could give you the grand tour, after we eat, if you're not too tired. I bet travel -as far as you've come- is grueling by any way other than dragonback. Next time you're going to have to warn us, and we'll just come collect you ourselves."

"Not all female riders. A few that have really long names will shorten them. Mostly just male riders have an honorific." Lance said with a shrug. The sooner he learned she wasn't most women, the better. At least for his sake, she would try to refrain from becoming a little too hot headed.

"The kitchen is almost as fine as Fort Hold's but yes the cooks are exemplary."

She jabbed S'dric with her elbow, "We can't just flit around picking people up..." Pausing, "Besides, I bet its more adventurous to travel by caravan. No doubt you have a lot of stories to tell us."

What Lance had said was true, but that didn't mean that S'dric's being a Wingsecond didn't come with its privileges. He could probably work something out to fulfill the offer, as long as it wasn't a too-common occurrence. The Brownrider didn't argue though. 




As they started walking from the general area of the caravan, moving into the inner corridors of the Weyr, Mahyeul could feel curious eyes upon him -no doubt, due to the way in which he was dressed. Not quite local attire. 

"Ah, perhaps you overestimate the excitement that goes on. You'd be surprised how uneventful the span in between Holds can become. There's little to occupy yourself with on nights where half of your company are drooling dreybeasts. And there's no promise of talented cooks out there." The guardsman was all grins again.

"Closer to the outskirts of the Holds though, things liven up a bit. Ran into a couple of suspicious looking fellows outside a minor hold in Igen, but nothing became of it. And all the time I spent at the holds on the way here, was spent primarily doing drudgework enough to earn me passage with the next caravan or ship heading to Fort Sea Hold." Though it wasn't the most pleasant to most people, Mahyeul didn't seem to mind his time spent that way. Menial chores had never bothered him quite like they usually bothered other people.

Humbly, he admitted, "I guess a man with my particular set of skills -or lack thereof- isn't able to do much else outside his Hold. So, drudgery it is." At that, Mahyeul laughed.

((OOC: Just because I'd still like to see it played out!))

Emberlynn had never actually been this close to a Weyr before.  Life before the death of her parents had made her curious, but she'd been content with the lot fate had given her.  The time she'd spent traveling, searching for a place her siblings could call home, had made her hungry to see more of Pern, even as it provided ample opportunity.

But at Fort Sea Hold, she'd heard tales of Fort Weyr, had seen a few dragons, and had heard of their greatness.  Now that she was finally here, close enough to see one in person, to maybe even get the chance to touch one, it was almost overwhelming.

In a good way, though, of course.  And there was nothing but a wide grin on her face, unguarded and not an act by any means, as she watched the hustle and bustle going on around her.

High overhead, a blue raced by.  A couple of levels up, a brown landed on his ledge and knelt to let his rider dismount.  A couple of greens were sunning themselves by the weyr lake.

And then, of course, there were the metallics.  A glittering bronze sat on watch high on the weyr rim, sillhouetted in the sunlight for a moment before he launched and spiraled down to the bowl.  And a great glowing gold stretched her wings from her ledge before settling back down.

Plus, there were so many people.  New people, with new tales to tell.  New stories she'd love to hear if she had the time.

But they would have to wait.  For her goal this day wasn't to find herself a place here.  No, it was to find herself a ride to the Holdless settlement she'd been told of, a settlement where her siblings were supposed to be staying.

Of course, Jungi probably thought she'd be moving on with him.  But draconic travel would be instantaneous, far faster than horses and walking.  If she could convince a dragon rider to take her to the settlement, she'd be far more likely to still find her siblings there.  If she hadn't already taken too much time in getting this far.

That thought in mind, she grabbed what she could to help in the unloading, hoping to run into a rider that might offer his services as she put the crate in its designated pile.

She listened to Mayheul's account of what happened and how tedious it was to get here in actuality. "My friend, Tasha, her family are Traders, it might be something to talk to her about. Maybe she can find a way for you to travel without such work if need be, in the future. Not that we are trying to get rid of you at the moment." She smiled.

"You just got here and we want you to at least try some of the cooking." Maybe he would be a good judge since he wasn't here all the time. "And I'm sure we can introduce you to some of the other riders." Maybe some girls if he was that lucky. He probably would be.

There were plenty of single people at the weyr who were not afraid of short-term dalliances.

"I was wondering if I might be able to remain here for a while. Perhaps over the winter? I could visit with your friend about a return trip to Telgar, come Spring perhaps. Depending on how long the Weyr is willing to put up with me." Grateful that Lance knew someone he might be able to travel with, he also wondered at either Rider's lack of an offer to transport him themselves, seeing as that would be most expedient. However, he didn't know if there might be some restrictions on how frequently or who they were allowed to transport, so he didn't question it further. He would trust Lance and S'dric.

Features painted into an expression of quiet enthusiasm then , Mahyeul was glad of the offer for a good meal. It had been a while since he'd had a meal as fine as the famed Fort Weyr cooks would serve. In fact, he might never have had food as good, if rumours about Fort's cooks in general, were to be believed. In that light, he especially looked forward sitting down to dinner with them.

"I'm sure eating just one meal here will be a treat, if rumours about Fort's cooks are to be believed."

N'KAI

Having been busy at wing practice and additional chores himself, up to that point, N'kai had just overheard that the Caravan that arrived that day was the last caravan that would be passing through the region until the snows melted in the spring. The Bluerider had gone to collect a few garments that he and other friends amoungst the crafters he frequently entertained had pieced together. The garments were folded neatly and then brought with him to where the wagons of tradesmen and their goods had been parked.

The ambiance was light and festive seeing as there was excitement buzzing around about not only the caravan, but the Masquerade coming up in just a few days. He suspected that the next morning would be quite busy here, with the traders, as it would be the last chance for the people of the weyr to make their trades or their purchases from outside Fort Weyr until the next turn.

There were a few weyrfolk people about the bonfire even now, mulling about and conversing, listening to the Harper who strummed his instrument in upbeat song, but N'kai looked about the crowd for someone with the gray shoulder knots of a Trader, moving in that direction. There, beside on of the wagons, he waited to visit with the man until he'd finished with another trade.

"Good sir, do you have a moment now, to take a look at these four dresses? They were made by the hand of Junior Journeyman weavers here at the Weyr, like myself, and if possible, would like to see what marks we could get for them."

The Trader met N'kai's eyes, seeing that he still wore his riding leathers, so it was obvious why he had not progressed in the Weavercraft, and gauging the Bluerider to be an honest sort, reached to take the first of the garments from the pile to begin his appraisal. "Alright. Let me see what you've got, then."

Ember wasn't one to shirk hard work, nor was she one to forget to repay debts she owed, even when she'd already paid for her passage.  The members of the caravan had shared their space, their food, and their stories with her, and she owed them something in return.  So despite her anxiousness, she continued to help organize goods for display and set up the booths.  A few minutes more wouldn't hurt, not when a dragon could both be at the settlement in mere moments, and see traveling humans from high in the sky, just in case her siblings had already chosen to leave.

Of course, those few moments turned into candlemarks as she got caught up in discussing some of the goods with those that made them.  Lovely dresses, sparkly, dangly jewelry, boots of some of the softest hide she'd ever felt.  Things that caught her eye even as she knew she had no need for such luxuries.  Whoever purchased them would be lucky indeed, for they were clearly acquiring some finely made goods.

If she'd had the funds, she would have bought something for her sister and her brother.  But as it was, she needed to save what she had to pay whichever dragonrider was willing to take her to the settlement.  She hoped no bribes would be necessary to convince them she'd really had their well-being in mind when she left.  And still did to this day.  She'd sent them money and goods along the way, after all, so surely they would recognize that she had indeed tried.

Taking her leave from one of the older women who was trying to get her to take a bracelet in return for having moved heavy crates filled with bolts of fabric and woolen yarn, Emberlynn finally took time to look around at the weyrfolk who'd woven in among the wagons and booths.  She was sure a few of the faces were new, different from the ones she'd just spent several days with.  But none were clearly recognizable as riders.  She saw few shoulders knots, and no one who appeared to be dressed in flying leathers.

Perhaps the majority of the riders were still out performing their wing drills, or whatever it was they did each day.  Surely they would start arriving soon to take a peek at what the traders were offering?  They had to know the train had arrived, given how quickly news could travel with dragons.

Of course, she was once again distracted when the harpers who travelled with the traders began to set up a fire pit and claim their place on the grounds.  It wouldn't be long before they'd attracted attention, so perhaps remaining with them would bring her the best chance of speaking with the right dragonrider.  Or so she could hope.

>>>>>>>>>

Indeed, it wasn't long at all before the harpers drew some notice.  But if those that gathered around were dragonriders, the Weyr was starting them out early.  Children, with a crecheworker or two among them, or perhaps a parent or grandparent, had heard of the caravan and come to see what stories the harpers had to tell.  Not many, but that didn't mean much, as it was early yet.  And the harpers were happy to entertain whatever audience they had.  Especially when a couple of them knew she, herself, had a voice that would draw more to listen if they chose music over stories.

The harpers, of course, were quick to capitalize on that fact, even before the children had been appeased.  Ember had listened to several of the young ones in turn, encouraging them to talk about the upcoming masquerade she'd heard referenced by adult and child alike.  The event sounded like a lot of fun, and the young barmaid was a bit sad she was bound to miss it no matter what sort of passage she found to the settlement-- the caravan was moving on before the event, and with any luck, she would be with her siblings before then once she found a willing dragonrider.

Pushing her disappointment aside, Emberlynn funneled her energy into choosing the child who seemed to need a bit more encouragement than the others to join in the singing once the harpers strummed their guitars on a familiar teaching tune.  It didn't take much to have the little boy tentatively smiling instead of hanging back from the rest of the group, and she hoped he'd stay that way even after the night was over.  If nothing else, she'd given him a bright moment to enjoy and look back on when whatever troubled him returned to his mind.  Such troubled eyes in one so young reminded her of her siblings, and she hoped she wouldn't see shadows even darker than his in their gazes once she saw them again.

Of course, there was nothing she could do to change the past, and so it would be her duty to help them move on to better lives.  The sooner she acquired passage to the settlement, the sooner she could make good on that promise to herself.  But the little boy with the sad eyes didn't want her to leave, and she found she didn't have the heart to deny him-- not when a few more moments would make little difference…

Lance didn't offer to transport people in general. As much because she would need permission as that it made her concerned that maybe somehow something would go wrong. She couldn't trust that things would go as they should. Seeing as he wanted to stay a while, they would have time to discuss what they thought would be best later on.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem so long as you are willing to contribute to the work load." Lance nodded, then laughed. "Oh well you are in for a treat, even if we only get Hold leftovers. Their leftovers aren't so bad."

Continuing to walk through the growing throng of people, she didn't think much about the Harpers who were playing. The music was nice but she wasn't going to stop in her tracks necessarily. Unless her cousins wanted to purchase something here.

S'dric and Mahyeul


"I'm sure that won't be a problem so long as you are willing to contribute to the work load."

Mahyeul smiled at that, but had expected as much. He wouldn't have anticipated remaining at the Weyr for very long without contributing in some way.

Listening to the rest of what Lance had to say, he wondered if the holders about Fort were reluctant to tithe at all? Left overs? Well, one could see it that way. Of course, having spent his life at the Hold, never having viewed the world from the perspective of a Weyr, he really had no idea what kind of stance they held on varying Holds in support of them. Thus, he commented not.


As they continued on their way to the great hall, where dining tables and food were arranged, S'dric and Mahyeul both seemed oblivious to anything else Caravan related. Leaving it behind them, they carved a path through the crowds for the three of them, heading straight for where meals were being served.

Once they'd arrived there, Mahyeul's grin grew twice its size, glad that they'd come. Impressed by the size of the Hall, he remarked, "This is larger than the Hold's main hall at Balan."






N'kai


After negotiating trade over the dresses he'd brought for the group of weavers he associated with, the Bluerider ended up walking away with a little more than a full Mark in profit for them. Not as much as he'd hoped, but for all the expense that had gone into making them, and then to get as much and more in return, was always a good thing. Of course, N'kai always kept his best and favourite creations for himself -or his future muse- but those were stored away in his own Weyr, not to be confused with the crafts ongoing at the social corner they shared with others.

So, the mark they'd made in profit would be split between the weavers who helped make the gowns. He would return to them soon, to divvy up the fraction marks earned, but for now, since the campfire was roaring and the harpers had begun to play a new tune, N'kai went to seat himself near the fire. Stuffing the fraction marks into a pocket of his flight jacket, the Bluerider began to look around him, watching the people who'd gathered.

Taking out his glasses then, the Rider settled them up on the bridge of his nose. Honestly, they didn't make him appear any more studious, though his eyes were quietly seeking signs from behind them; more out of habit than anything. However, there were a lot of non-weyrfolk around, who'd come with the caravan, though it didn't appear as though very many of them were young enough to have been considered in the acceptable age range of candidates.

That thought lived fleetingly in his consciousness, passing with a bit of disappointment.

He had to remind himself that he hadn't really come here to Search anyone. But then again once a Searcher, always a Searcher. Every day was an opportunity to Search someone. The Weyr was always in need of fresh blood.

Emberlynn was singing along with one of her favorite ballads-- one of those used to teach actual history to the children who had gathered, though by then the crowd was no longer primarily composed of the young-- when she happened to look up and catch a rider actually joining the group gathered around the fire.  At least she thought he was a rider, given his clothing.

She was surprised it had taken this long, but then again, riders were busy people.  And it wasn't like she hadn't been enjoying herself.

Excusing herself to the children as the song shifted, the young barmaid stood and made her way around the fire, humming with the change in tune.  She allowed herself to be whirled around by one of the caravan members who knew the dance, though she kept an eye on the rider to make sure he didn't leave.  And to make sure the spaces beside him didn't completely fill before she could acquire one of them.

The steps were quick, the laps around the fire pit numerous.  But Ember subtly shifted her position as the music wound down so that she could ease into place beside the rider as if she were just finding a new place to rest once the song was over.

"Good evening, sir rider," she said with a smile as she caught her breath.  "My greetings to your dragon."  A bluerider, she thought, if she was reading his shoulder knots correctly.  "Have you come to join the dancing?"

While S'dric and the others disappeared into the dining hall for a meal, N'kai watched as some people joined in dancing around the fire as the harper's songs turned into a continuous strum of varied tunes that seemed to run together without end. It made him smile to watch everyone enjoying themselves, though he only saw a couple other Riders from his wing approaching the circle at all.

No, not many riders from his wing -everyone must be eating. As he scanned the crowd though, through the rims of his glasses, the Bluerider found himself returning to gaze upon one figure in particular. Perhaps it shouldn't have been curious to him -she was very pretty, and she was likely one of the few who must have come in with the caravan, who appeared to be of impressible age. But that wasn't the only reason his attention continued to fall on her. There was something else.

When the song she'd been dancing to ended, and Emberlynn came to sidle up beside him, he was a bit surprised, but immediately, without any apparent shame in doing so, stared after her, watching her almost too intently even as she spoke to him. For a long moment, he did not answer her, gazing deeply into her eyes as long as she would let him, as though he'd become lost in them. Well, some poor girl desiring a man's attention might hope for such a dreamy thing, but in N'kai's case, he'd become lost in a concentration that shared what he felt in the presence of this girl, with his dragon.

Hey, Kai. You sense the same thing that I do? Pausing in his thoughts, the Bluerider offered mental imagery and some familiar sensation that he usually got around people who were of the kind of Character that tended to Impress more often than not.

Continuing to focus on reading the energy that surrounded her before engaging her in conversation, he waited for Kaisoth to answer.

Let me find out. The Blue touched on Emberlynn's consciousness long enough to drop his jaw in a toothy, draconic smile from where he was perched a short distance away. Then, taking the attention for himself, the dragon inserted his thoughts into her mind, leaving her greeting and previous question to his Rider unanswered.

It's good to have you join us. Do you plan on staying at the Weyr for long?