Western Meet n' Greet

Western Weyr - Eastern Bowl
The eastern end of the crater that forms the Weyr. The cliffs rise to the east, north and south of you, small openings in the face are individual weyrs of dragons and their riders. To the north is the large ledge and cave mouth of the Queen's weyr, with a wide ramp and stairs made by skilled stone masons providing access to the bowl floor. To the east is the Weyrling training area and the barracks, where young riders and dragons learn to work together. You can easily detect the weyr kitchen cavern entrance to the south, thanks to the aromas of fine western cooking.


Taking stock of her new home — that's definitely what Enka is doing right now, hands planted on her hips, as she turns in a semi-circle away from the stairway of the Weyrleaders' complex towards the semi-dozing bulk of her ungainly queen. Miraneith's plump tail lies curled over her haunches, the dragon blinking sleepily as she cranes her short neck upwards, absent gaze resting on the rim of the Bowl. There's a huffing sound from the dragon, a sound much like a well-satisfied sigh. "Well of course you're happy," Enka chides her lifemate, "you like bein' able to sleep during the day. That's no different from before, is it?" Miraneith gives another huff, this one rather sharper than the first, and Enka's hands drop from her hips, the young woman moving towards the chubby-tailed dragon as Miraneith lowers her head; a gentle hand lifted to caress the short muzzle of the queen. "We'll make do, best we can. /Someone/ has to do it." Why not her?

There's a flash of green above the bowl - not unusual in and of itself. It's not even abnormal to see a green dragon gliding in for a landing into the bowl itself, dust puffing up around Zusamenth's feet as she backwings to land somewhere between the Weyrleaders' complex and the eastern end of the bowl where the entrance to the Weyrling training feeld can be found. Slipping from her beast's back, Liandyn lightly slaps her shoulder, wrinkling her nose. "Yes, I know there's no water here. Deal." Whuffling, the dragon gives her rider a sour look, then twists her neck, staring at Miraneith. Curious, the greenrider turns, tilting her head to the side. "Huh, yeah. That's the new one, I think. Hey, where - " Cutting off, the girl watches in astonishment as her lifemate begins to slink towards the new senior gold, rumbling softly.

Faint voices and sounds of drills can be heard in the distant Weyrling training field - the figures of Weyrlings making their laps around the field and assistants making sure the laps are carried out perfectly. Dust rises in the wake of the pounding feet and, off tot he side, a smaller gathering of young riders seems to disperse as some class or another is dismissed. A stocky figure detaches from the group then, short footsteps taking him closer and closer towards the bowl with his own little dust trail rising behind him. Not to mention, there's the bulk of a bronze trailing in his wake, his movements fluid and graceful where his rider's are less so. It's not long before the figure can be discerned to be Ae'gus, his red-gold hair just as messy as usual and his face still clean-shaven - not a moustache in sight. For the moment, though, he seems to be ocmpletely engrossed in conversation with his dragon, head cocked to one side as he walks. It might be the reason he has to skid to a stop as Zusamenth crosses his path on the way to the new Senior gold, a little cloud of dirt rising up at his sudden stop. And where that green is - her rider can't be far behind. "Lia," Ae'gus greets with a happy smile spreading over his face, picking up his pace to head towards her. "And greetin' to you, Weyrwoman," he adds in a more formal way to Enka on his way past, offering her a bit of a dip of his head as he passes. Halinith, his bronze, rumbles a greeting to both green and gold.

"Hullo," Enka's greeting to Ae'gus is a quick bob of her chin, a somewhat wry smile offered as the goldrider steps away from Miraneith's side, the queen's attention turned towards the sky, that were they capable of it, her eyes would be wide and bright at that brief flutter of green. But then, Zusamenth's slink and rumbling catches the dragon's attention, and that short neck swings sideways, very nearly bowling Enka over. There's a playfully teasing swat, "Watch it Mir, you tryin' to knock me down," and Enka too is glancing at the approaching green, although without the sharp-eyed stare that Miraneith seems to be gracing her with. There's a sudden interested croon of a sorts from the dragon, a greeting, as it were, given to bronze and green alike. "I think I've met you before," Enka remarks to the red-headed man. "Couple of Turns back, right?" Of course, that was hardly the time to go on a meet-and-greet, but the goldrider's willing to let it slide.

"Ae'gus." Liandyn's attention is stolen from the puzzling behavior of her green, who is now circling Miraneith at a safe distance, her whirling blue eyes fixed upon the gold as she sidles around her, inspecting her closely, still giving off that soft rumble. She reaches a hand briefly towards the Weyrlingmaster, before her glance slides to Enka, and she retracts it instead, settling for a smile of welcome for the bronzerider, and a slightly stiffer, more polite nod for the new goldrider. "Weyrwoman." Falling silent, the newly graduated rider instead tucks her hands into the pockets of her shorts and steps to the side of Halinith's rider - a potentially comic sight, for those not used to seeing the short bronzerider and inches taller greenrider together in one place. Her blue eyes flicker between Weyrwoman and Weyrlingmaster, a faint line of confused curiosity creasing her otherwise smooth brow.

Ae'gus slides to a stop next to Liandyn, smile spreading even further as he looks up at her. Height difference or no, it doesn't stop him from reaching out to touch her lightly on the arm, "Y'doin' alright? I was jes about t'go find you." Not that he has much time to say much else, as it's Enka that catches his attention. A bit sheepishly, he hunches his shoulders a bit, lifting one of them in a vague shrug, "Mighta been back at Ista once a turn or so back. I think it was when yer dragon there rose for th' first time. Hal couldn't help himself." Rubbing at the back of his neck, he adds in a low, rumbling tone, "No offense, but I'm glad he didn't win. I woulda been more late fer m'class than I even was already." Halinith lopes to a stop nearby, crouching down in one languid movement. For the moment, he doesn't seem inclined to move any closer. Instead, he observes from a distance, head cocked to one side in interest.

Alas for such encumbrances as short necks, for it's with some difficulty that Miraneith tries her best to track the movement of the circling green, an attempt that becomes more difficult given her perched position, and the fact that the dragon cannot swivel her head about in a three-hundred-sixty-degree direction. She settles for lifting her head, chin tilted just so as she peers towards Zusamenth with gently whirling eyes. "She's wonderin'," Enka remarks to Liandyn, "what your green's doin'?" Of course, it's easier for the gold to ask the green herself, but at least this route gives Enka a chance to talk. "I'm Enka, still tryin' to get used t'bein' a Weyrwoman." With a capital w, of course. "Don't mind anyone callin' me that. Never did hold much for ceremony." But then, she's still rather young to boot. Ae'gus gets a nod and a cheeky grin. "Oh aye, that was the time. Awk… ward." There's some droll humor in the way the young woman drawls out that last word. "Didn't think we actually got to /meet/ if you get my meanin'." No time for introductions, then.

A'ven can be seen taking the stairs from the Weyrleader's complex two at a time. He seems to be in a very good mood, though clearly he's had a rough time of it today. Fatigue shows around his eyes and in the set of his head, the "Hello." that he offers everyone is certainly vibrant enough though. When he hears Enka's comment about ceremony, he smiles. That they have in common. A'ven's always appreciated a plain manner and direct approach. The man stops to give his dragon a pat before slipping close enough to the group really talk comfortably.

That crease clears as Ae'gus inadvertantly answers her confusion, and Liandyn reaches up, pressing her hand lightly to the fingers resting on her arm. "We were coming for you. You do get around," she murmurs wryly to the bronzerider, though Enka's words draw her attention almost immediately, that crease reappearing as she stares at the goldrider for a long moment. "What - my Zusa? She's inspecting." Indeed, Zusamenth seems quite interested in sniffing at the gold, peering at every inch of the other dragon as she continues her circling, indifferent to Miraneith's difficulty. A slight smile curves the greenrider's lips. "She has a curious nature." In every sense of the word. "I'm Liandyn, and that's my Zusamenth, and, hey, look, that's a Weyrleader," she adds, nodding in A'ven's direction.

Ae'gus clears his throat slightly and absently runs a hand through his hair, trying to flatten what would be several wayward red-gold strands "Ah. No. I don't think y'were even in your right mind when we met, eh? I'm Ae'gus, by th' by. Weyrlingmaster extraordinaire." Spreading his arms wide, he manages a faint grin as he indicates himself before settling his hands back into his pockets, "It's always hard t'get used to th' new titles. Took me a while t'get used t'bein' called Weyrlingmaster, for sure." Perhaps in a subconscious gesture, he shuffles a tad closer to Liandyn, turning his attention to her with a warm smile, "Funny, that. I thought y'might want to go eat together or somethin'. Th' barracks can get tirin' after a while. And th' assistants can handle it all." He hesitates, pausing to glance away from the greenrider to eye the distant training field with a frown, "I hope anyhow." His shift of gaze allows him to notice A'ven, who gets a wave of greeting. Halinith rumbles, too, frm his position nearby.

Miraneith chuffs softly, her plump heavy tail thumping along the ground for a moment as the queen does her best to turn herself into a draconic contortionist, short neck quirked backwards over her shoulder, but by then she's darting a look in the other direction. "Just don't go and wrench your neck up, Mir," Enka warns. "Aint gonna get much sympathy from me." Especially not if the goldrider's the one who has to sweet talk a dragonhealer into massaging the kinks out of the dragon's muscles. "Mir's tryin' to inspect back. Looky two, aint they?" Indeed, the gold's managed to get herself into a position where she can at least track the green's movements without having to do double-takes each and every time. "Nice t'meetcha Liandyn." A pause then, and a wry smirk for Ae'gus. "Sure wasn't. Too much goin' on what with Mir risin' and all. But at least I know your name now." A'ven's arrival is greeted with a smile, a wave and a nod. "Seems like a gatherin' almost. Weyrleader," she nods. Well, so much for not standing on ceremony, right?

A'ven twists his shoulders just a little so that he can eye the curious and 'inspecting' dragon. "You would think since they're telepathic they might be able to satisfy mutual curiosity with just a few questions, rather than all of that." He chuckles a little, "Ae'gus…", he says with a bit of a sly tone, "I do believe that was a romantic invitation of a sort.", he glances at Liandyn too, holding up his hands, "Could be wrong, could be wrong but…always encouraging to see the start of something new." He clears his throat, "Well, yes, lots of new things happening.", he comments as he greets the Weyrwoman with an easy smile and says to her, "How are you settling in? You look pretty comfortable to me… that's a good sign. I haven't heard any screaming yet, and no running for the exits." He becomes a little more serious. "Could be a storm coming in in the next few days.", he says lightly.. "Nothing too serious but you might want to make sure things you want to keep are tied down." "Might not come at all… weather is a tricky business."

"I hope it was," Liandyn murumurs to A'ven, eyes sparkling as she leans towards Ae'gus, pulling one hand from her pocket to slide her arm through Ae'gus', blue eyes wide and extremely innocent - you know, the kind of look no greenrider would ever really wear? "Well. Let's just say, my Zusa likes to keep her thoughts to herself until she knows what she's dealing with." Snorting softly, the green finally circles around to the front of the gold and stares at her for a moment, then stretches forth her neck, muzzle extended as though to butt up against the other dragon's. "Hmm. A storm, you say?" Her gaze lights up, fingers tightening briefly on the Weyrlingmaster's arm before she relaxes her grip, lowering her eyes slightly. "Could be interesting." Breaking off that particular conversation, she turns her attention back to the Weyrwoman. "It's nice to meet you, Enka. I hope you're finding Western to your liking. It's an… interesting place."

"You ought'ta count yourself lucky," Enka remarks, her voice just short of teasing as she glances in A'ven's direction. "Just cause you 'aint heard me screamin' don't mean it 'aint happenin'," Still, her grin is cheeky enough and there's a sparkle in her eyes, so maybe the goldrider's just speaking in metaphors. "Honestly, I'm doin' grand. Settled right in, Mir's already started wanderin' around of a night. She says she likes her ledge too. Nice place t'sleep in the sun durin' the day." Her brows raise slightly. "A storm? What is the weather like here? I know Ista had some severe storms off and on. Tropical places do seem to get hit pretty bad sometimes, but at least it's not as bad as a blizzard. Can you imagine being snowed in half the winter? Never ever wanna live in the 'Reaches, that's for sure." Miraneith for her part puffs out her breath, pressing her muzzle closer towards that of the smaller green — just a little innocent hello, nothing more. "Sure is interestin'," Enka agrees with Liandyn. "Mighty nice havin' the lagoon so easily accessible from the bowl. No plateau to scramble up and down here."

A'ven smiles as Liandyn confirms his romantic suspicions, and perhaps Ae'gus' too. He nods. "Close ties keep us all together.", he comments, encouraging the couple obliquely. "Oh, yes… we get storms here now and then too, although this one is certainly not as serious as some.. good to be prepared though. Might shave my head just so my hair doesn't get mussed.", he quips. "No I think you're right, I think we have it easier, on the whole.. when it comes to weather, than say, Reaches, or even Fort."

No need to explain to A'ven that the begining of the courtship has long since passed - indeed, perhaps a bit before it technically should have begun. Liandyn bats her wide eyes the Weyrleader, then offers him a toothy grin. "I like storms," she mentions idly. "And I admit, I can't wait to see one from my ledge. Which, by the way, has the best view of the lagoon." Zusamenth flicks her tail idly and bumps her muzzle to Miraneith's, a simple greeting before the green turns and moves away, slinking to Halinith's side and leaning towards the bronze with a soft chuff. Her rider rolls her eyes, sniffing delicately. "So you say," she mutters under her breath in her lifemate's direction, before raising her voice. "I found it a bit of a shock from Boll - but then, the Weyr is a world away from any crafthall, even if the climate is relatively similar. Still, I can't imagine what it would be like to deal with snow like that." Shiver.

Enka's sideways smiling glance at greenrider and bronzerider is certainly one of amusement, however vague. It doesn't do, afterall, to tease, especially with romance in a budding stage. If romance it is. "Nearly froze my toes off on a trip to Fort," Enka declares in response to A'ven's remark regarding Fort. "How can a place function when half the Turn the ground is white and it's cold? I'd rather sunshine and too much warmth. Least then it makes goin' for a swim worth it." The woman pauses, glancing towards Miraneith who's settled back, satisfied in her greeting to green Zusamenth, her gaze settled upon green and bronze alike. "I'm Weyr-bred," Enka remarks casually to the greenrider. "Istan-bred, so livin' at a Crafthall and a Hold were a bit more of a shock for me than bein' in the thick of things at a Weyr. Probably much the same feelin' for you, only reversed." A'ven gets a studious glance then, Enka regarding him thoughtfully. "Shavin' your head might be a bit too much," she remarks. "Least you could just a wear a cap, right?" A pause. "So what happens when there is a storm here?"

Liandyn catches sight of Enka's glance and cocks one eyebrow, her own lips twitching as she pulls away from the Weyrlingmaster, tucking her hands in her pockets and toeing the ground thoughtfully. "I've never really seen snow," she remarks thoughtfully. "I mean, not like - more than a dusting, really." Pursing her lips into a pout, she turns her gaze down at the small dust puffs her kicking has stirred up. "Not that I'm missing much, I suppose. I prefer a climate where I can wear comfortable clothing." Blue eyes flicker up, thoughtfully studying the goldrider. "Hold-bred myself," she admits, "and a crafter before I was Searched. Still, I think I've adjusted okay." Quickly, so quickly, she flicks a glance at the bronzerider at her side, then away again. "Mostly."

Ae'gus blinks once, eyes suddenly focusing back to the present. It would seem he had lost track of the conversation, having been conversing silently with his dragon. "Ah, shells," he says in a disappointed tone, glancing sidelong at Liandyn, "Seems th' assistants can't handle somethin'. I'll have to go settle it. I'll meet y'for dinner later?" Rather than waiting for a reply, though, he gives her hand a quick squeeze and also leans in for a quick kiss. Then, with one last smile to those gathered, he hurrise off towards the Weyrling barracks as fast as he can go on much shorter legs. Halinith opens his muzzle wide in a yawn and, with one final rumble towards those gathered, lopes off to follow his rider at a steady pace.

"You haven't?" Enka's tone takes on a faintly incredulous, surprised look. "You ought to go see snow that's piled so thick on the ground you could hardly walk in it." Her lips twitch into a wry smile. "Least then, you can say you've seen it once, and never wanna go see it again." It's sound advice, perhaps. "I agree though," her nod is a quick gesture of agreement. "I like wearin' clothes that are light, comfortable and make me look like a girl rather than some roly poly two-legged ovine or somethin'." She does have a way with words, the goldrider does. "You are happy, right?" Enka does ask this, her gaze on Liandyn for a moment. "It's a different life, but you sound like you've managed to fit right in. It's all I've known, myself. All I ever wanted. Mir just makes it better." There's a tilt of head then. "What craft? I'm a Baker m'self. Didn't join till after I graduated though."

As Ae'gus abruptly disappears, Liandyn's face falls, lips curving into their natural pout, and Zusamenth snorts loudly, hissing as Halinith abandons her. "Oh hush," the greenrider sulks at the dragon. "You just like him because he's there." Beast and rider meet eyes for a brief moment, with the latter breaking contact first with an exasperated sigh. "You just remember, you wanted to invite him too." Turning her back on the dragon, the girl instead focuses on Enka - as she is, after all, the last one left of their previous little gathering. "Happy? Yes," she says, smile sliding towards sly. "Yes, I'm very happy. My Zusa makes sure of that - even if she drives me out of my mind half the time." Or at least, every six months or so. "And, well - yes. There's Ae'gus." Again, that sly smile, before it shifts to something more cheerful. "Weaver. I'm debating whether to continue with my studies."

There's a quirk of lips again, Enka watching the greenrider for a moment, and then a slight turn of her head as she regards the green. "They do so have their opinions," she remarks, nodding towards Miraneith who's settled herself, plump and pudgy tail resting against splayed hindlegs. "Doesn't change a whit as they get older. She's made plenty of remarks to me." There's a sudden huff from the gold, a muttered sound of grumbling. "As she does now." A pause, the goldrider looking thoughtful. "It's good to be happy," Enka comments, "as long as you have the right reasons. Weyrlife suits plenty of folks. We make do as we always have." There's a secondary pause. "Oh. A Weaver, I'd think you might as well continue. Best you could do is make Journeyman, but even then, you've the skills to barter for extra marks if you need them. I always figured I liked eatin' sweets, it was only a natural step for me to learn how to make 'em and join the craft."

"Well." Here Liandyn hesitates, briefly, and Zusamenth rumbles again, flipping her tail over her muzzle and watching her rider with quietly whirling blue eyes. "We'll see, about continuing my studies, that is. I'm hoping to take up with my design mentor again, as I don't feel my original duties in the craft are, ah - appropriate anymore. And we'll see how hard L'ton rides me. I have a feeling he'll work me to the quick for the sheer amusement of it." Despite what some might consider harsh words for her Wingleader, her expression is filled with amusement, lips quirking in a cheerful grin. "My Zusa, she has opinions by the length," the greenrider confides, ignoring the indignant huff from behind her, "but I wouldn't change her for anything. We're a pair, we two. Together."

Miraneith gives a sleepy blink then, the gold's jaws gaping into a hefty yawn. "And there she goes," Enka remarks, flapping a hand at the dragon in a soothing gesture. "Takes her like that it does. Nappin' on and off durin' the day. Makes her all the more for roamin' around at night. Ever since she was a tiny hatchling." There's a rueful shake of her ash-brown head. "You'd better go back to the ledge." she informs the gold, watching as Miraneith begins to move, the dragon dipping her short neck in farewell greeting to the green, and she's off, scuttling towards the ledges, her rider hollering after her. "And keep your tail up!" There's a grunt from the dragon, the heavy appendage lifted, briefly, before a leap and a flutter, she's settled on her ledge for a nap. "Forgot about that," Enka remarks, turning away from her lifemate to watch Liandyn. "Bakin's easy for me to do, since lots of it is at night or between paperwork, but you've regular duties too." Her head tilts then, a hand stroking her chin thoughtfully. "L'ton, huh? Name sounds familiar."

"Archipelago's Wingleader," Liandyn says absently, her attention stolen by the green, who no longer looks so indolent. "No doubt you've heard of him, as he's sired half the children on Pern - no doubt you've seen him, as his Dhonzayth likes to show up where he's least expected." Usually right out of left field. "He's not so bad. I'm very fond of him - in a 'he's no Ae'gus' kind of way. I'm sorry," she says abruptly. "We have to go." Zusamenth pulls herself to her feet in one smooth motion, slinking up to dip a shoulder to her rider. "Duty calls." Blue eyes focus sharply on the Weyrwoman, and the greenrider hesitates, one hand on the riding straps. "Welcome to Western, Weyrwoman. I have a feeling you'll find it quite the experience."

Enka's chuckle is rather droll. "Ah, Dhonzayth. Now there's a name that's shown up a time or two in Ista's records. Hatched there, though I was still a weyrbrat in Telgar's lower caverns, so I wouldn't have remembered 'im." There's a rising of her brows at the greenrider's continued explanation. "My, the man does get around, doesn't he?" A pause then, and a nod. "Off you go then, never let it be said I kept anyone from their duties." She might well have said more, but shrugs and shakes her head. "Thanks for the welcome. It will be … interestin'." A hand lifts then, shading her eyes against the eventual departure of the green.

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