Welcome to Gaia! ::

A rest day, at long last. R'than woke up late, well late for him at any rate, and took his time over a bath. Nevertheless, he arrived at breakfast when the hall was still full, full of people discussing loudly how they were going to spend their day. R'than took porridge and fruit juice, politely refusing a couple of offers of activity for the day. All the plans being made sounded terribly action packed and alcohol fueled; not his idea of how to spend a rest day at all. He just hoped they didn't get so drunk they made fools of themselves. Long experience told R'than that this was a futile hope; most people these days didn't care to drink in a restrained manner. Ha. 'These days' it had been no different in his youth; people in general just loved to drink and behave in an unseemly manner. Slightly depressing as it might be, it was the way of the world.

Breakfast eaten, he wandered into the kitchen and acquired a couple of meat rolls, some fruit, and a skin of water for his lunch. He added these things to his bag, which already had a blanket and a towel in it, before heading out into the bowl. Garith was waiting for him, riding straps held in one forepaw. It was the work of a few moments to get them on and to mount, and then for the brown to launch himself into the air. The blessedly cool wind of speed ruffled his short hair and tugged at his clothes, bringing a smile to the grey-haired rider's lips. Sun, sand, and maybe a splash in the surf. It would be a good day.

Before long, Garith was circling down towards the beach. As they descended, movement caught the brown's attention, and he gave his rider a mental nudge to share his vision. Humm, a girl was already down there. They could move on somewhere else... but he quite liked the idea of company. If it turned out to be awkward they could always leave. Garith replied with a mental shrug; he planned to spend most of the day sleeping on the sand, so whatever R'than felt like was fine by him. Moments later, the brown touched down on the beach, having been careful not to stir up too much sand, and dipped his shoulder to allow his rider to dismount.

"Good morning," R'than called to the black-haired young woman, "I hope you don't mind if we share this stretch of beach with you. I'm R'than, and this is Garith."

Garith turned calm green eyes down onto the girl, and rumbled softly in greeting. He wanted to get on with dozing soon, but polite introductions had to come first.

Garith gave another deep rumble, and bowed his head slightly to the young female. Introductions complete, he waited only for R'than to remove his riding straps before turning and pacing up the beach to where the sand was hottest and driest. Selecting a sun sun-drenched spot, the powerfully built dragon lowered himself to the ground and curled up comfortably to sleep. No noise of people or other dragons, no duties to see to later, nothing at all to worry him. It only took him a few moments to fall into a peaceful doze.

R'than watched his lifemate with a faint smile for a moment or two before remembering that he was still holding the harness. Swinging his bag of his shoulder, he added the straps to the contents before closing it and setting it down in the sand.

"Weiwin," he said, smiling and nodding as he tried to commit the young woman's name and face to memory. "Ah, yes," he chuckled as she went on, "candidacy. I gather it's even less enjoyable than usual with the overcrowding issues we're having." Having to share their already tiny alcoves, the problem with lice, how packed the lessons they took must be... And of course the big issue, so much competition for hatchlings. "Must be a relief to get away for a day," R'than commented with a shake of his head, suddenly feeling quite glad that he only had to share his weyr with one person. True it was one of the smallest weyrs, but he was far luckier than the young people currently hoping to find lifemates on the hatching sands.

If he had heard her thoughts, he would have agreed heartily. In his youth Garith had been a most handsome dragon, and he still was today but with a distinguished air that suited his dignified nature very well indeed. Both he and his dragon had really been born at least thirty turns old internally, youth had looked a little awkward on them. Still smiling to himself as he recalled what a clumsy hatching his dragon had been, he eased himself to the wet sand beside Weiwin and stretched his feet out towards the gently lapping waves.

"I've lived on this island all my life," he said with a chuckle as the young woman posed her question. "Countless turns ago, I was searched from a cothold on the west coast and came here to the Weyr. I was... twelve turns old then, a long time ago as I say." So long ago now, he could hardly recall the life he had led in that tiny community. He remembered his parents' resentment though, of the rider for taking him rather than for him leaving.

"Anyway, to actually answer your question..." R'than looked up at the sky thoughtfully for a moment before giving a soft chuckle. "It was less crowded for one, much less crowded, and the mood of the place was much less... urgent. Back then the Thread still looked a long long time away, but we're all anticipating it's arrive any turns or even month now. Other than that though things were much the same; the candidate master was unreasonable and hard-headed, some of the candidates formed cliques and jostled for position, certain boys were sure they'd Impress a bronze especially sons of bronze riders..." R'than rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to think back through the turns to Ista, and his life, as they had been. "Not Impressing was as upsetting then as it is now," he went on after a moment. "I was just about twelve when I arrived here as I say, and it was the week before my seventeenth birthing day when Garith found me... Have you stood for many hatchings yet Weiwin?"

((Hope you don't mind, but I couldn't resist making the connection. I'll edit it out if you want))

The simple sounding of his voice was putting her at ease, and she nodded as she listened. For a dragonrider he was approachable, in fact he was the first dragonman she had spoken to at any length. On that note, she felt like she could ask him a million and one questions, though she was trying not to be a nuisance. “No, I haven’t stood for many Hatchings.” R’than certainly was perceptive. In the worst case scenario, if she never ended up Impressing and went back home, she would do so with the utmost respect for Fort Weyr, dragonmen, and Weyrfolk alike.

The impending threat of Thread helped explain the overcrowding of the Weyrs – she’d heard that Ista wasn’t the only place with such an issue, it just happened to be about the most overpopulated Weyr. Thread could also help explain the higher outturn of eggs from Queens, however, Weiwin did not quite understand how Thread Fall managed to faithfully spur egg laying quantities on as it did, or, so she’d read in records. Maybe it was all in the mind…s. “So… Ista Weyr wasn’t as plagued by overcrowding when Thread Fall seemed far off?” It was an absentminded thought turned utterance. She really did find the topic interesting, though, and wouldn’t have minded discussing it at greater length with R’than, but the man in the loincloth and the beautiful Blue next to him caused her concentration to falter. The pair seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, then, again, Weiwin hadn’t really been paying attention to much aside from the water and R’than.

Certainly she was struck by the attractiveness of A’ras, but that didn’t quite explain the strained look on her face. The girl was convinced that she had seen the newcomer before and for the intervening seconds it took for her to recall the familiarity her mouth pursed.

“Excellent day to enjoy the beach” and before her breath could close around that statement she said, “I know you from somewhere.” She deflected his wolfish mien, cutting right down to the quick. Her logic had deterred her from fawning over the rider’s good looks: she had a lowly station at the Weyr and was one of many young things prancing about; thus, she made no pretense about what someone like him ultimately thought about someone like her. With all of this in mind, it bothered her that she knew his face. Her eyes drifted to the Blue, R’than, and then back to A’ras as if any one of them knew the answer. Then it all connected in her mind. Her mother was an artist, and shard it there was a small painting of A’ras amongst her hides. Yes, that was it.

“My mother has made you into artwork.” She finally smiled. They must have met at a Gather or some such. “You must have made quite the impression; there are even a few drawings of a blue dragon that bear a striking resemblance to this one.” At that she gave a small bow to Cavaruth.

A'ras paused for a moment considering her words and looking at her carefully in return trying to envision Weiwin's mother "An artist...mm...let see.. ah...Fort Hold, at a Gather a few turns back? I think she was having...mm..a bit of artist's block." He smiled thoughtfully, "She asked me if I had the time for her hands to work out their kinks. Yes, I remember that." A reflection of the past echoed in his head remembering the woman's inspired gaze wandering his flesh when he leaned up against Cav's side. Although he didn't...make a move he was rather tempted; her eyes caressing his form while drawing was quite exhillerating to say the least. He chuckled just a little, "Your mother has a very good eye for detail and is an exceptional figure artist. I would have purchased the piece but, she wanted to keep it to help her sell other commissions. Does she fare well in her works today? I've not been back to Fort Hold in a few seasons."

Cavaruth cocked his head and glancing towards the brown. "Yes, a very good day, indeed...Garith." Cav then stretched out his wings and then reset them into place, sitting himself on the sands while A'ras was chatting. The big blue hadn't a real opinion of the brown but the dragon was a bit older than himself and there wasn't any reason not to continue the conversation, "The beach is far quieter than the Weyr as of late. A'ras finds this comforting at times so we are here often. Yourself? Are you here to get away from it all?"

A'ras smiled over at R'than seeming quite relaxed out in the warm sun and didn't seem one bit offended by the lack of formality, "Good day to you, R'than. Sure, I have some time, thank you for the invitation." he said with a smooth voice then continued with a deeper interest, "Oh? Ancient history? What sort? Of the Weyr or other places?" He shook his head briefly letting the long blonde locks float over his shoulders as he graceful knelt down to the sand and eased into a comfortable seated position; a position that revealed nothing and probably a polite gesture on his part knowing how nervous holders can be about bare flesh.

R'than sighed slightly inside as the young man shook out his hair. What was it with riders and long hair these days? Back in his youth male riders wouldn't even consider hair that went past their jaw. These days it seemed those who kept a practical shot cut were in the minority. Green wingleaders, crowding, and long hair. And flitts, cute as they were the little things seemed to be everywhere these days! It was almost enough to make him want one himself but they looked like a lot of trouble to take care of and he really didn’t think he had the time to spare...

Oh, yes, he'd been thinking disapproving thoughts about A'ras before his mind had wandered off on that happy tangent. He still hadn't forgiven the brash blue rider for his behavior towards their wingleader. He didn't care what colour her dragon was, it could be pink for all he cared, you just didn't talk to your wingleader like that. He still wished she hadn't been given the position. Egh. Why him? Who had decided it was a good idea to put someone as traditional as he was under Pern’s first - and hopefully last - green wingleader?

Weiwin's nudge brought him back to reality, and R'than offered her a lopsided grin. "Yes," he said with a nod, "very ancient history! The queens seem to to be laying more queen eggs of late, too. Of the last four clutches we've had, three have contained a queen egg... That at least I don't think is usual though, I had a bit of a nose through the records and couldn't find anything on the matter. I suppose we've just been very fortunate." If they continued to be so fortunate, riders were going to have to start packing in three to a weyr. There was still talk of the new Weyr, but that was all it was; talk.

He wouldn’t mind seeing her mother again? that was fresh. Her mind sifted through childhood memories and teenaged realizations. Certainly her mother and father had had an interesting relationship over the turns, what with half siblings cropping up as playmates and her mother missing the occasional breakfast – both of them had strayed. Her mother, however, had been very careful about not having any more children. Weiwin was aware that her parents weren’t sexually committed to each other but there was always love enough for their little Weiberry when they were together as a family. So, A’ras was thinking about adding her mother to the list of his conquests? She smiled. “I’m sure that my mother and father would enjoy playing host to you for lunch or dinner.” Breakfast was usually a mess, mother wanting to make their food into artful displays and her father cleaning up after her. In any case, Weiwin would tail that nice arse of his to be sure that he and her mother behaved.

The young Candidate’s thoughts on the Blue rider weren’t completely innocent, but again there was this sense that A’ras wasn’t one to form lasting relationships. Unfortunately, this is what Weiwin wanted for herself down the road and she hadn’t determined whether or not there was something worth fighting for in A’ras. Of course, there was the whole issue of Weiwin Impressing and she was getting ahead of herself with all of these thoughts. She scolded herself.

R’than. She liked him as a man. However, she was unaware of his hide-bound attitude and that might get in the way of a relationship – not that he seemed to be looking for one – with her. The older rider’s personal views wouldn’t keep them from being friendly to one another in a genuine fashion. At least, she reminded herself, for as long as she stayed on at the Weyr. There was this whole idea of a new Weyr being formed and people heading there plus the reoccurring thought of going home after the next Hatching. But the thought of leaving this place was strangely becoming less and less appealing.

She did manage to pick up on the reservations coming from both riders, her eyes casting around their surroundings. Waves were stilling rolling in and the water had leveled out just beyond her perch (i.e. feet). Her back felt warm as did the black frizz that once fell neatly at her shoulder blades. She briefly wondered why none of them had wandered a little deeper into the sea.

“Do you think we could continue shop talk down there?” She grinned. “I think all of these issues will make more sense once I’m cooler.” With that her feet swung forward and she got up and walked into the waters ‘til her shorts got wet.