Playful Dolphins and Pedantic Dragons

Western Weyr - Living Caverns
Here is the center of Weyr life, the living caverns. These two main rooms were man-shaped from smaller caves, and are joined by a carved arch with depictions of dragons in flight and dolphins leaping in swirling waves. One room has many round stone and wooden tables and a stone fire-pit instead of a hearth. Over the round-walled, gas fired pit is a large conical hood made of polished bronze, with reliefs of dragons with their riders flying over ships guided by dolphins. This hood and chimney keeps the room smoke-free. Through the archway is an enormous hall, with long tables and benches, some carved from the rock floor, many crafted of wood. This room is a combination dining and meeting hall, and can seat over 300 comfortably. Above both rooms, angled shafts lined with polished metal bring in sunlight during the day. Electric lights also burn, day and night.

The midday crowd bustles about, the cavern at the height of the lunch rush. Kyldar manages to find a place at a table reasonably away from most of the bustle, taking a seat alone with a plate heaped with chicken and veggies and a couple pieces of bread. She pets the firelizard on her shoulder for a moment and looks out across the busy cavern pensively.

It's a rare day when Jeyinshi is found completely dry and without a towel. Today isn't one of those days. She strides into the caverns, hair damp and an oversize shirt and baggy shorts thrown over a swimsuit. The dolphineer heads directly to the tables, filling two plates and grabbing a cup of redfruit juice. The girl pauses for a second, searching around for an empty seat with the dishes balanced in her hands and on her arm. Finally she spots an empty seat, and her heeled boots click as she makes her way to Kyldar's table. "Sorry to interrupt, but…may I join you?"

Kyldar hands a tidbit of chicken to her little brown Canyon, and looks up at the the new arrival. "Sure," she says, "no problem, have a seat."

Jeyinshi smiles and slips into a chair, settling down the plates before offering a hand to the other woman. "Sorry about this. Thanks for letting me sit. And cute flit. I'm Jeyinshi by the way, Journeyman Dolphineer."

Kyldar swallows the mouthful of bread that she's chewing before speaking, and says, "Good to meet you. Kyldar, Harper and rider of green Sinaspelth." She looks over her tablemate's wet appearance. "You look like you were out with your dolphin just now, I take it? Or just a day at the beach?"

Jeyinshi scoops a forkful of mashed tubers into her mouth and chews for a few seconds before swallowing and nodding. "Out with my dolphin. He's a younger one so I've been training him pretty hard. Both of us needed a break for food though. But harper, eh? That's nice. My voice is pretty worthless at singing, though I can click and squeak pretty well." Jey smirks a bit at her own assessment of her voice and then takes a sip of juice.

Kyldar nods and chuckles sympathetically at the remarks. "Bah," she bahs. "If you can talk, you can sing, or so goes the saying. On the other hand I don't know clicking and squeaking and such. One doesn't need any of that to talk to a dragon. On the other other hand it can be an almost heroic task to get their little cousins to listen." There's a plaintive cheep from the lizard on her shoulder. "Yes, I'm talking about you," she says to the critter. "So, what's been on your training agenda anyway?" she says, returning her attention to the dolphineer.

The dolphineer grins before nodding at the flit. "That's definitely true. Unfortunately, I don't have that type of luxury with Haesungie." She spears a few veggies for continuing on. "Gotta get him familiar with more of the human speech. I'm trying to train him for search and rescue, so I'm also working on speed and how to handle rescues. Cause its different when a person's injured, unharmed, half conscious, or completely unconscious." A small chuckle escapes her lips, "The most trouble I have is with making him slow down. All he wants to do is play and he treats the exercises like a race or a game sometimes."

Kyldar quirks an eyebrow. "Search and rescue? That's been my specialty as a rider since — well pretty much since I graduated from weyrlinghood. I went right into Archipelago wing. I can't believe it's been seven turns already — where does the time go? Anyway, I know how it is when they're injured and suchlike." She pauses to eat some chicken and veggies, and chases with a gulp of juice. "With Sinasapelth the main problem is that she's so, well, can a dragon be called 'pedantic' or 'persnickety'? 'Cos that's how she rolls. Everything has to be by the book."

"Yeah? Maybe if you've got free time one day you can come talk to Sungie a bit. Sometimes he learns better when its coming from a different source. Though, he'd probably insist that you play instead of work." Jeyin chuckles softly before resting her elbows on the table, "I've been telling pretty much everyone this, but if you ever need a vacation or just feel like playing, head on down to the lagoon. Sungie and I'd love to have you. Enka is supposed to be coming down sometime as well as Lissi and the kids. Orlaithe too." She raises an eyebrow at Kyldar's assessment of her lifemate and smiles, "I understand what you mean. Dad's dolphin was like that. Sometimes it was great, sometimes….well, not so much."

Kyldar nods a bit. "I think I'll take you up on that sometime. The invitation, that is." She takes a few quick bites of her meal, and sighs. "Anyway, Sina wants me for something, I should get to see what she wants." She stands up and curtseys. "But it was good to make your acquaintance.

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