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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:01 pm
Mutely, Okassis shook his head. He didn't know if it made him particularly strange or not - he knew that some folk regarded Hatchings as prime entertainment, the sort that gets talked about for months, but he just hadn't grown up in a place that allowed that sort of idolization.
"Sounds hectic. Queen eggs are supposed to be huge, right? Do you think there's going to be one in this coming clutch?" he asked, resuming his personal challenge of cutting an intact peel off his tuber. Quarter of the way through, it was looking good....
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:13 pm
"Oh they're massive! So much bigger than the other ones!" She set her knife down to mime out the Queen egg she had seen at the last Hatching. "It's the only egg that you can tell for sure what it is. All of the others you have to guess on. Most of the Candidates take bets to see if they can guess correctly." They seemed to like exchanging their marks in dark corners though, something that was extremely irking to Nandeli. She had all those corners reserved for forbidden lovers, not betting Weyrfolk!
"You'll get a chance to see them at the Touching though," she continued, resuming her work. "That's where all the Candidates get to go and touch the eggs. If there's a Queen then all the girls will get to touch it, but the boys are free to touch any other egg. I don't think they'll be another Queen in this clutch since there was one in the last though. Two Weyrling Queens might be a bit much for the Weyr."
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:33 pm
"Betting? Really, now?" Something lit up in Okassis's eye. Any time there was money exchanged, it was a Trader's business to know about it - and anytime he knew about it, of course, it was his business to find some way to get a slice....
That was for another day, though. Okassis was too far behind on the affairs of dragons and Hatchings to sort out where he could get profit. But he had some time to dig up information later, and anyone that thought Bitrans were shrewd hadn't taken up a bet against Okassis!
"I hear they're pretty big dragons, too," he commented idly, "must take a lot to support them." Thinking of all the meat he'd helped cut up with Tiaet, he emphasized, "A lot a lot, huh? Where's the Weyr get the money to keep up - or is it all tithes?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:08 pm
Nandeli nodded her head enthusiastically. "Oh for sure! You can usually find the group of them in the dining hall, all crowded around one person and taking bets on what colour an egg will be. Look for them right after the Touching, though some might even be starting now." She paused, and then lowered her voice. "Word around the Lower Caverns is that there's a secret hole that lets you get a peek at the eggs, but it's strictly hush-hush. If the Queens found out you'd be in big trouble." Okassis seemed like a trustworthy fellow, so she didn't feel bad telling him about the hole. Besides, it was fairly common knowledge among the long-time Candidates. He'd find out sooner or later.
"They'll certainly be bigger than you first expect, but you sort of get used to them. See them out and about all the time here." She nodded again in answer to both of his questions. "Lots of animals come in for the older dragons, that's for sure. And it is pretty much all tithes. Can't grow very much here, being made of rock and all, plus riders don't have time for anything but their dragons. That's why there so many people who work in the Lower Caverns." At this she gestured to the other members of the circle. "We got to make sure the riders have what they need so that they can protect us, right?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:24 pm
If the Queens found out....
Okassis thought of the dragon who had brought him to the Weyr. "Just a little thing," the rider had told him when he'd been caught gawking at the green, "compared to some of them out there. More fight in her than any other dragon in the Weyr, but you should see the size of those golds! In fact, you probably will!"
"Ah, well, I don't think I need to push my luck," Okassis chuckled. Smart heads were the ones that stayed attached to their shoulders, and to risk aggravating a dragon - particularly one that demanded enormous respect! - didn't seem like the way he wanted to start off his stay at the Weyr.
When the talk turned to tithing, though, his relaxed smile faded a bit. "Now, I'm not one to stir up trouble -" well, that was a blatant lie, but he didn't need to let Nandeli know that just yet, "- but don't you ever worry that some folk aren't going to want to keep paying for dragons, when there's no Threadfall to keep their tongues from waggling?" He waved a hand around, gesturing to the Weyr in general. "You're in the know, so tell me what you think. We've got all this, maybe as much manpower right here as in a small Hold already. Don't you think we can do better with it, take some more burden onto the Weyr and away from the rest?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:45 pm
"There's already been talk of stuff like that, Holders not wanting to pay their tithes. But I tell you this." She pointed a tuber at him for emphasis. "If Thread was to fall tomorrow, would you rather that half the dragonriders had to stay back here because dragon or rider wasn't fit to fight Thread? Or would you want all the wings full so that the most ground could be covered? Ista Weyr protects both this island and Igen Hold, you know, and I'd hate to be the one who has to say 'sorry, we can't protect you today, we don't have enough able dragonriders. You're just going to have let the Thread eat all your crops and kill your beasts.'"
At his further comments she shrugged her shoulders, and then shook her head. "Naw, I think you're missing something. Dragonriders can only care for their dragons. They don't even have enough time to raise their own children. My father was a rider and I'm lucky if I even see him on my birthing day. All of this," she gestured to the caverns around them, speaking about the entire Lower Caverns, "Is to make sure that the riders are well taken care of. Would you have us not only care for the riders but also attempt to start taking on Hold duties as well?" Nandeli laughed at this. "It's like to see you try to convince any of the other workers that we should take the burden off the Holds. Holds are there to provide for the riders. If they want the protection, they'll pay their tithes."
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:10 pm
Okassis listened with care as Nandeli spoke, nodding his head at times, frowning thoughtfully at others. There couldn't be any argument that he wasn't engaged with the girl's observations, and when she'd finished her piece, he mulled over them for a few seconds more before speaking.
"I agree; the duty of the Weyrs has to be to be ready for Thread," he began. "But maybe it's because they're a world apart from the Holds, that it worries me. When folk don't understand each other, it causes trouble; and there's nobody who doesn't suffer if the Weyrs and Holds aren't working together like they ought. And maybe the Weyrs do need to be a bit more like Holds, at least enough to carry some of their own weight. There's opportunities around here, you know, that just aren't getting used."
The peel came off, complete; dangling it a moment with a silly grin, Okassis tossed it into the scraps, cut up the tuber, and started the next one.
"Of course, it's a slippery slope. If the Weyrs show that they can provide anything for itself, the Holds probably won't want to give a mark unless they're getting a clear service - which they won't see much off, without a Pass. Gets messy fast, doesn't it?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:11 pm
Okassis brought up a good point, and Nandeli was silent for a moment. Indeed, what with the fight at the recent Gather, Holdfolk and Weyrfolk were on totally different ends of the spectrum. Both were resentful towards the other, and that only made for trouble. "I'm not sure how we could get them to reconnect though. I mean, what would we do, send riders to visit the Holds? Seems sort of demeaning for them, don't you think?" Nan had been brought up in an atmosphere that exalted dragons, so it was hard to see them doing anything else other than fighting Thread. That's what they were supposed to be for, after all.
"What kind of opportunities do you think aren't being used?" She was curious about what he thought on that matter. Sometimes you could forget about the talents in your own home, not to mention take them for granted. Okassis would be looking at things with fresh eyes. Perhaps he had seen something that she had not.
"Yeah, I agree with you there," she added at his final comments. "Weyr may be able to do some things like Crafts, but we can't do everything. Once word got out that the Weyr was doing some stuff the Holds would definitely just make them do everything and not pay for protection. System has always seemed pretty good to me, even though it has his flaws. It's worked though, so we can't really complain."
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:59 pm
"It works until it breaks, and then everyone's in a lot of pain," Okassis answered somberly. "Doesn't take a lot to know that these things ought to be addressed before they become a real trouble, you know? Unless you think that the system never has to change, of course." From his tight smile and venomous drawl, it was clear that he wasn't among those conservative souls.
"You'd probably have some good input on this, actually, so here's what I'm thinking. Dragons mostly busy themselves with training, so that they'll be ready from day one when a Pass comes, correct? But there are methods of training which could be put to use as labor in the Holds," Okassis proposed. "I don't know, but just what I've seen as a Trader, I know there's always needs at far-off Holds. It can be a long time between chances at supplies for some of them."
"But let's say that dragons that are just training with going between put those efforts to use by shifting goods from one place to another, quicker than any caravan could hope--- FARDLES!" This last exclamation was punctuated with a shaking of his hand and a sucking at his finger; so wrapped up in his intent babbling, Okassis had lost track of where his knife was, and managed to slice open his index finger at the base. For someone that claimed to be light-fingered, that was just embarrassing!
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:03 pm
Nandeli simply shrugged. "I don't really know how they can be addressed. Once Thread falls, nobody can really grumble about how useless dragonriders are and the dragonriders are too busy to pick fights with Holders. I assume it happens like this every time we're waiting for Thread to fall again. I'm not sure what kind of system could be worked out that would make both the Weyrs and the Holds happy, that's all." She definitely liked the way her life was now, and didn't exactly fancy the idea of having more work shoved onto the Weyr's plate. They were already almost constantly working as it was.
"Carrying supplies would definitely be a good idea, and could help for training," she agreed with a small nod. "I'm pretty sure they do a lot of that already though. Short trips between when the dragons are still learning, carrying passengers and cargo. You do have to remember that they have a mind of their own, and not every dragon is going to want to play burdenbeast just to appease some humans. I've heard some of the green can get very fussy about what their riders ask them to do."
She had paused to take a breath when Okassis's exclamation startled her. "Oh! Did you cut your finger? Here, let me see it." Nandeli pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and tied it neatly around the wound. "Do you want to see the Healers? If not, someone's bound to have numbweed in their rooms. We could have a look in the candidate quarters?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:15 pm
"Shards no," Okassis answered, his face a bit tight but forcing a weak grin all the same, "I've got a feeling the Healers're a mite tired of my face already." An understatement if there ever was one; while he wasn't necessarily opposed to people learning his name, he preferred that it be for good reasons - like his roguish charm, good looks, sparkling personality or admirable masculinity, etc. Because he was a clumsy trouble-maker? No, no, that wouldn't do at all!
Shrugging his shoulders, Okassis examined the wrapped injury. "It's not that bad, at least-" even if it was already doing its best to bleed through the handkerchief, scorch it! "- but if you know somebody," he smiled thinly, "I wouldn't say no to getting a bit of numbweed."
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:43 pm
"The Healers? Tire of such a handsome face? Never!" But Nandeli was not oblivious to the needs of a man's pride. She knew very well that going to the Healers for cutting your finger while peeling tubers wasn't quite like going there because you'd fought off a Watchwher. If he had a reputation to preserve – which she was sure he did – then of course he wouldn't want to go. It looked like they were making a trip to get some numbweed!
"Well, come on then! Let's be quick before the cooks notice!' She reached out to grab his arm, intent on pulling him to his feet. Whether he was ready or not she was already making her way through the kitchens, taking one peek at the cooks before trotting past them. Nan beckoned Okassis to follow her, eager to get out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. Getting caught shirking duties was a serious offence, and while she could tell them she was escorting Okassis out they probably wouldn't let her go. They'd send somebody boring instead. The key to success in this mission would be to get out of the kitchen unseen.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:04 pm
Rising to his feet, Okassis followed immediately after Nandeli, moving through the cavern as nonchalantly as if he were on his way to get a drink of water. He didn't think twice about abandoning his station. It wasn't that he didn't care if people thought he was lazy - quite the opposite, he was proud of his ability to put his shoulder to the wheel! But kitchen duties were so... pitiful. He could hardly believe that the few more tubers he peeled with the rest of the group would really make a difference in whether someone went hungry in the Weyr tonight or not, so it didn't really matter if he needed to take off so that he wasn't bleeding all over everyone's dinner, did it?
Fortunately, it seemed to him that all the cooks were too busy with cooking to take notice of the errant tuber-peelers. It was only because Nandeli was hurrying that he bothered to pick up his pace at all, worrying over his finger the entire way.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:56 pm
With the kitchen escape a success, she led him down a series of passageways and finally stopped at a very recognizable entranceway. It was the entrance to the candidates quarters, if he had been shown them, with a wall dividing the boys' and girls' sections. "Now, wait here. And if anybody asks, you're waiting for your brother." Nan had a talent for picking up on gossip, but that talent worked in reverse as well. If anyone saw her disappear into the girl's portion of the candidate's quarters while Okassis waited outside they would be all over it in a heartbeat. Faranth, she would have been all over it too if she hadn't been involved! Thus, in order to save his reputation and prevent her from agreeing with any kind of speculation about the two of them, she had to tell him what to say.
The Nose disappeared down the hallway and counting curtains until she reached the room she was looking for. Of course it wasn't hers, but she knew whose stuff was in there. Gamoira lived in this one, and she knew for a fact that the girl had in her possession a jar of numbweed. No doubt she used it a lot. That girl looked like she could go running through a solid wall and come out in better shape than the wall. But Mo wouldn't mind if she borrowed a little. More accurately, the girl wouldn't notice.
Jar in hand, she trotted back to Okassis and held out her hand for him to place his finger. "It shouldn't be too deep, but the numbweed will make it feel better, anyhow." She undid the handkerchief and dipped it in the numbweed. Not having much time to wash her hands afterwards, she didn't want to get any of the salve on her. Peeling tubers with numb fingers wasn't the smartest idea. Using the end of her handkerchief she wiped the numbweed on his cut and then re-tied the makeshift bandage.
"There. Well, now you have two choices. You can come back to the kitchen and keep peeling, or you can always go see if one of the crafters needs help. Smiths might need help fixing some of the shutters. It would give you a good excuse for your finger. Better you cut it diving out of the way of loose shutters than peeling tubers." She grinned.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:28 pm
Okassis did just as he told while he waiting for her to return, parroting her excuse only once to a pair of girls that disappeared into the quarters. "Shards, I owe you one, Nose," Okassis told her gratefully as she wrapped up the cut again.
Chatty she might be, he decided, but Nandeli was far, far from the unscrupulous gossiper he might have taken her for. It wasn't even so much that she offered him an easy out from looking like a wherry-brained klutz - which, he nodded adamantly, he was certainly planning on taking - but for her to have gone so far out of her way to see after him? Maybe he could have handled it himself, sure, but he just didn't know this Weyr like she did. He would have made that dreaded trip to the Healers', or else just gritted his teeth and gone on with the pain - not a much better prospect!
"Guess I'd better get to the Smiths if I want to convince anybody. But hey, let me know if I can make it up to you sometime," he told her. He didn't really know if there was much he could do for her, but Okassis was certainly willing to make the offer!
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