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.
Flaim makes a happy trill!
Diekhara scritches Flaim's little head
Flaim pulls a cookie out of his pocket to offer Diekhara. If the cookie is broken open your fortune reads, "A mysterious person will soon enter your life". Beneath it in smaller script, "Peking Noodle Co."
Diekhara cracks open the cooking, then grins at the fortune inside, chuckling some, then eats the oddly tasteless bits of cookie and waits for a 'mysterious' person.
T'burk comes in and looks around the room. "Anybody seen a big red Bronze Firelizard? Hey, dude…where's my firelizard?"
Diekhara glances up from sitting beside Flaim and points, "What? this one?"
T'burk says "Yeah! That's the one!" He comes over and used both arms to scoop up the firelizard who warbles and smiles happily. "You been a good boy, Flaim?"
Diekhara nods, half-smiling, "He hasn't filched a single scrap. He seems sad, though…"
T'burk says "Sad?" he looks down at his firelizard…who licks his chin. "Why you sad, buddy? Huh?""
Flaim wraps his tail around T'urk's arm.
Diekhara settles back into her chair, leaning down to tie her boots, "They say the little things reflect their owners."
T'burk looks down at Flaim. "Well, I'm happy. Why you not happy?" The firelizard goes limp in T'burk's arms, suddenly like he's turned to Jelly. His tail drops limp, his head drops limp and hangs down…so does a wing. T'burk poke the big flit tin the belly who suddenly squeeks! Then Flaim pulls himself up to cling to the WeyrHealer's chest. T'burk laughs! He gets a hug from Flaim. "Naw, he's just bored." He hugs the firelizard back, grinning with his eyes closed.
Diekhara chuckles with some actual mirth this time, "Well, so long as he's not sad, I guess…"
Flaim licks T'burk's ear.
T'burk squeeks! "Stop it!"
Diekhara chuckles, shaking her head some, "What does everyone see in those things?"
T'burk looks at Flaim who looks right back. "Trouble?"
Flaim licks T'burk's nose.
Diekhara half-smirks, "Then why do people fall all over themselves at the chance for one? they're just flying nuisances."
T'burk takes his frielizard over to the serving toable to get a piece of lunch meat for Flaim, who quickly crawls up across T'burk's shoulders and behind the man's neck and reaches out with his forepaws to get it. His eyes whirl happily with a delightful blue shade.
T'burk says "Oh, my neck."
Diekhara stands, moving to grab a sandwich for herself, then nods, "You're… a healer?"
T'burk nods…as best he can. "That I am!" he says with a smile. He flicks fingers at the WeyrHealer knot. "Need some help?"
Diekhara shakes her head, "Naw, I just like to know who and what I'm dealing with. And who to call if I /do/ need a healer."
T'burk says "Well, that would be me. Though I suppose if you need a healer it may nt just be for you but which whom you've had to deal, eh?"
Diekhara nods, "That young friend of yours… Jessamin… she asked me to help her train along with a few others. There's always a risk of scrapes and bruises… or… well, worse, when mew people try to learn combat skills…"
T'burk says "Well, she has my permission. I took lots of scrapes and bruises…nearly drowned once, during a flood. But that was up at Ogren Hold…far from here."
Diekhara nods, half-smirking, half-eating, "I've patched up my fair share of battle dress, but it's always good to know where a real healer is…"
Diekhara nods, "That young friend of yours… Jessamin… she asked me to help her train along with a few others. There's always a risk of scrapes and bruises… or… well, worse, when mew people try to learn combat skills…"
T'burk says "Well, she has my permission. I took lots of scrapes and bruises…nearly drowned once, during a flood. But that was up at Ogren Hold…far from here."
Diekhara nods, half-smirking, half-eating, "I've patched up my fair share of battle dress, but it's always good to know where a real healer is…" (re)
T'burk says "Persanoally," as hs gets a small salad put together, "I think everyone needs to know some first aid. Especially around dragons. Not because the dragons are dangerous, but the dragons and riders are often around where there is some trouble. Some riders still do dangerous jobs."
Diekhara nods, "Where I was taught, anyway, all of the guards had to pass basic first aid. I can bandage a wound, but I wouldn't trust myself to set a bone if there was someone more qualified around."
T'burk says "That is something you probably should leave to a Healer. Care to join me at my table?"
Diekhara nods, following T'burk to a seat, still munching on her sandwich occasionally, "Sure… So… as a healer and knowing how riders and dragons are tied, what would you recommend if someone wants to be trained in an edged weapon?"
T'burk says "One of my sons, a dragonrider, is very good at the sword…or was. What in particualr are you considering? How a rider would handle a sword?"
Diekhara nods, "More specifically how to train them in such. It's not like with non riders where they're only hurting themselves, right?"
T'burk says "Well, riders take a chance in whatever they do. Kill the rider and yo kill the dragon. But dragons will try to protect their riders if at all possible. A rider is going to fight on foot. He doesn't fight mounted. In protecting himself he protects his dragon. So it is best to practice as much as you can and develop your skills as a swordsman whether you are a rider or not."
Diekhara nods, chewing on a bite of sandwich while she organizes her thoughts, "How can I most effectively impress on a rider to not let their dragon interfere during training? The last thing I need is a distraught dragon landing in the middle of the training field and accidentally squishing people."
T'burk says "Well the rider should be able to tell his dragon that he is training. My son learned. He may have felt impulses to attack at times but he had o let his dragon know that he was practicing and that he needed it and it was all right if he didn't always score the point. It depends on the good rapport that rider and dragon establish."
Diekhara nods slowly, "So what you're really saying is that I need to hope they're smart enough to hold their own dragon off if necessary? Good to know…"
T'burk nods. "That's about it."
Diekhara sighs a little, "That's all well and good for the older riders, but some of 'em are barely 14…" She ponders that for a moment, then shrugs, "Cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess."
T'burk says "S'dan learned when he was fairly young."
Diekhara nods, "The young can learn, true… it's best that way, in fact. Just a bigger risk of over-reaction, too. At least I can trust their parents won't be staring over my shoulder."
T'burk gives a slow, almost sagely nod at that. "At least! For some kids that is the best thing, to get them away from their parents! Though, if they are from a rider family, there is usually more patience and understanding…or in some cases the parents have already pushed away the child as not being a necessary part of their lives and the child is free to go their own way, whether for good or ill. I guess that's just they way some people will parent, whther they be a rider or not."
Diekhara's eyes get a brief faraway look, then harden some, "Hold parents could learn from the Weyr's example. Children don't need to be hovered over and controlled…"
T'burk says "Or used."
Diekhara nods solemnly, trying /not/ to think about her own childhood, "I should go…" She glances towards the door, "I have to get some practice in tonight still." She stands quickly, nodding to T'burk, "It was nice talking to you."
T'burk smiles. "Nice talking to you, too, Diankhara! Feel free to come to me for anything, any time!"