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 Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:32 pm
Julian steps away from the blue dragon after his rider lowers Julian to the weyrbowl. He watches the dragon take off then turn around to take in his surroundings. His first impression was its big. There was a lake, feeding pens for the dragons, ledges, and grassy areas. As he turned he saw the weyrs and blinked at how many. Yeah he was acting like a tourist but it was very new to him. Besides he wasn't exactly sure where or to whom he needed to speak to. Certainly not the Weyrleaders, Oh no, they'd be too busy for the likes of me.
He starts a scuffling walk in no particular direction. Maybe if I act like I'm going somewhere I wont get into trouble. Still looking around his nose catches a scent. Dinner. His feet automatically turn in the direction of the lower caverns. If you weren't fast enough at the tanner hall you could miss out completely or only be left with scraps.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:43 pm
Soril walked hurriedly down the stairs, wiping his hands on a cloth rag as he did so. The smell of dinner was enough to prod him out of the weyr he had been visiting, checking on a dragon who had been minorly injured in a training exercise. It wasn't anything to worry about, but that was never a reason to neglect the visit. Still, he wanted dinner badly, his stomach rumbling in agreement. But he still had to cut across the bowl! He groaned and stuffed the towel in his pocket, relenting that the oil would remain on his hands for the rest of the evening.
As he stepped out into the bowl under the dwindling evening light, he noticed a single passenger get off of a blue dragon. As he moved closer to the ground entry to the main caverns, he noticed that the male passenger looked a bit confused. Younger, and a bit short, too... He took note as he approached. The boy was headed toward the main caverns as well, and Soril figured he'd likely get lost, if he was a new arrival.
"Oi, hello!" he called out to him, quickening his pace, careful not to step on any rocks, aware that we was wearing his soft shoes.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:32 pm
Julian jumps and turns towards the call. Seeing a young man coming towards him he stops and waits for the other to catch up. "Um... Hello. I'm Julian, and I was... I mean I just arrived." He looks at the young man and notes the outfit; couldn't see any shoulder knots, but maybe it was just the light. While Julian may be use to the smells of a tannery Soril may not. There wasn't exactly a lot of time to bathe before coming. Come to think of it, I didn't even get a chance to pack. I hope my master sends my stuff soon.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:38 pm
Soril stopped once he reached the boy, instantly assaulted by the unmistakable smell of a tannery. Well, I know where he came from, that's for sure. "Welcome to High Reaches Weyr then," he replied, his smile warm and welcoming. "You're newly searched, I assume?" The conclusion wasn't difficult to reach, seeing as he had the same look on his face that Soril had had when he first arrived at the Weyr, and he had arrived on dragonback.
Looking him over more closely, he quickly noticed the knot on his shoulder. Senior Apprentice. Would've probably gotten his Journeyman knot soon, had he not been brought here. Shame, though I don't know anything about his tanning skills.
"I'm Soril. I was searched a few turns back, though I also work as a dragonhealer alongside my Candidacy." A breeze carried with it the smell of dinner, and his stomach responded accordingly. "Let's walk and talk... I'm hungry!"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:37 pm
"Yeah I am. The dragon just brought me here as a matter of fact. I suppose the smell of dinner sent him scrambling and he left me here." Julian smiles and doesn't seemed upset by being abandoned. "Nice to meet you. Oh, a dragonhealer? Must be hard, their so big!" He catches the smell and grins back at Soril, "Sounds great. If dinner here is anything like back at the tannery then we don't want to be late. And it really smells good."
I really hope it comes soon. He tugs on his shirt, rather embarrassed to be meeting Soril and a whole bunch of other new people like he was. Julian walks beside him, letting Soril direct him to the correct place. "So, how often do you actually have to work on dragons?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:49 pm
"Dinner here is better than it ever was in Healer Hall," he admitted, but shrugged. "But it's about on par with any Hold I've eaten at. I think they share recipes, really..." He chuckled, then shrugged at the comment about dragons and healing.
"There's something much more personal about working with dragons, than there is with people. I could have easily just stayed a Journeyman healer and moved on with life, but it wouldn't be nearly as exciting or interesting. As for how often... not so much, really. Not with Thread not in the skies." He shivered slightly at the thought. Though he had never seen a threadscore on a dragon, there were very descriptive illustrations in their teaching texts, since treating a threadscore was one of the most important skills for a dragonhealer. "But they do get injured during training sometimes, and all hatchlings are checked up on and they grow. If I don't Impress this clutch, I'm likely going to be very busy." As he talked, he led the newcomer out of the waning light and into the softly lit tunnels of the main caverns. The contained smell of dinner was inoculating, and his mouth was beginning to water.
Finally, they arrived at the bustling main hall, which was filling with people of all different dress and profession, with more than enough food to feed them all. Some left with platters in hand, but most were crowded around tables and carrying conversations over their meals.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:17 pm
Julian nods, "I could see where it makes sense, sharing recipes I mean. Who wants to eat the same thing turn after turn?" He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Just the ingredients vary sometimes, or how their cooked."
He looks at his new found friend and blinks. "I hadn't really considered that point. Hardly ever did I deal with the live animal, only its skin. Never did much like skinning either. But once its off, I'm alright." He hoped Soril wouldn't be offended as he followed towards the main hall. It's louder in here than I thought it'd be. The masters really kept the tone in the hall quiet.
His eyes dart around quickly taking note weather one must get one's own food or if its served. "You must have a lot of cooks to serve this many." Thoughts of making off with a sweet during the day was getting dimmer and dimmer. "After you please."
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:28 pm
Soril led the way into the hall, nodded and smiling to some he knew just in passing, and stopping to say hello to others, as he moved to a pair of open spots at a food-laden table. They had missed the serving, so had to gather their own food on plates at the end of the table. Once people start filtering in, it's impossible for drudges to keep up with serving... This is easier, I'm sure, especially trying to keep up with keeping the tables well-stocked.
He began gathering his food, and gestured for the boy to do the same. Note to self: I haven't caught his name yet... That will have to wait until we sit down though!
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:42 pm
He gives a hesitant wave to those Soril greets to be polite. Julian was certainly familiar with this and had no problem diving in and heaping a plate. He took a little bit of everything he didn't know just to try it. Some things looking similar got more put on.
Once satisfied that his plate was full enough he turns to look for a couple of seats. Shards, I hate being so short. He eyes Soril's height and politely waits for him to finish getting what he wants. He's more knowledgeable where we should sit. I don't see anything that remotely resembles order in here.... Well except the high table, or what I can see of it.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:46 pm
Soril noticed that his companion was finished getting food, so he led him to a pair of seats at a table a bit out of the way and far to the side. The dragonriders were seated closest to the high table, and in the center of the big room, but they were sitting among other Candidates, most of them younger than Soril, and most of whom he wasn't too familiar with - not on a very personal basis.
"So, what's your name then? And your story? Anything interesting?" His voice had changed to soft and welcoming to relatively blunt and straight forward, though it was not cold, especially since it was asked over heaping plates of food and freshly-poured, steaming mugs of klah.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:52 pm
Julian settles himself in the seat and starts to tuck in. He blinks when Soril starts talking. Quickly he clears his mouth, "Name's Julian." Could have sworn I said that before.. oh well. "Not much of a story, and I aint no harper. Mostly working at the Tanner's Hall since I was a kid. Visit home when I can. I'm gonna supply my family with lots of nice leathers." He grins, proud of himself and pauses to take a bite to eat. No sense in letting it get cold. The klah is good here. "So how long you been here? What's it like at a hatching?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:07 pm
Soril nodded as he listened. "Julian - you did say that before, didn't you? My apologies..." He took a moment to eat some, letting his short little tale sink in. After washing it down with a gulp of klah, he nodded. "So your parents weren't tanners then, I assume. Do you plan on getting your Journeyman knot, even if you Impress?"
He took another swig of klah and another bite of roast wherry, grateful for the bold taste of it to rid his senses of the smell-taste of oil and numbweed. "I've been here for three turns," he replied, sipping his klah more casually now. "Hatchings are very exciting, but very... official... at the same time. The queens don't have much of a humor for the occasion - nor does anyone. But it brings the Weyr into high spirits, usually."
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:12 am
"S'alright," Julian answers quickly. "Uh, no their not." He scratches the back of his head uneasily. How would Soril feel about a lowly family like his? Would he feel that Julian was getting above himself in trying to impress a dragon?
He carefully considers Soril's question about his Journeyman knot before answering. I can be a Journeyman AND a dragonrider? I didn't think someone could do both. Isn't dragon raising full time work just like tanning or farming is? "Well, I suppose it more depends on a coupla things. First, does a Weyr need a tanner? Second, how can I be here and at the Tanner's Hall? I'd suppose someone would have to be sent up to finish training me, and I doubt my master would be willing to come." He watches Soril eating for a moment then asks, "What about you? Will you still be a dragonhealer if you impress?"
Eating several more bites Julian glances at his companion. "Not sure how it can be exciting and official at the same time. I'd think the queen would be happy. Her babies would be hatching healthy and picking riders. Though, Ma's mentioned something about a mothering instinct so maybe she don't want 'em to hatch. Guess I'll just have to wait and see this for myself."
Something occurs in his mind that causes him to blink. "Say Soril, would you know where I'm to be sleeping tonight or who I need to talk to about it?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:38 am
Soril simply nodded in response to Julian's answer about his family, then shrugged as he continued. "If you wanted to do it once your dragon was grown enough to move you there and back, it might be possible... But tanning is a tougher one to learn in a Weyr, I guess." The dragonhealer hadn't really considered that, since healing was pretty easy to teach on the go, and dragonhealing was difficult to teach anywhere but in a weyr... "Well, I would be to be own dragon, but probably not as a profession. It would end up being too time consuming, I think."
As the conversation continued to that of the hatching, Soril found that his description wasn't very good. "Yeah, it's one of those things that you just have to experience... It can't really be compared to anything else, as far as I know."
Soril finished off his piece of roast wherry as Julian asked his next question. He paused in his chewing and thought about it for a moment, a bit confused. "Huh," he said, then swallowed. "There's kind of a general sleeping quarters for the candidates, near the weyrbrats. We'll find you a bed there, I guess! Usually Searched Candidates come in a group so they're shown from there... but that should work, I guess. Then when we get assigned to our daily tasks and things, you can talk to the supervisor-of-the-day."
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:33 pm
Julian wipes his plate clean and considers going back for seconds or waiting for dessert. "Urm. Yeah, it'd take a long time for him to grow hu? Well if I don't impress this time then I'll go and get my journeyman knots while waiting for the next clutch. Seems like to me a weyr could use a journeyman tanner." He hopes briefly if he impressed that the dragon wouldn't mind tanning if he chose to continue doing that. At least occasionally.
"Right, guess I can bunk there. I am a candidate after all." He chuckles, "I'll speak to the supervisor tomorrow if he don't throw me out first before I can explain." Julian says it jokingly. He was no stranger to chores and he really couldn't say he was surprised to find that they had them here too.
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