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Huffing slightly, Ray hangs the harness on its stand, and begins removing the extra straps. Once it's back to its normal configuration, she puts the straps in her spare parts box and leaves her Weyr to go find something to eat. She could just yell down the shaft, but she really owed it to the Headwoman to tell her in person about what'd been going on at Fort, and to explain the whole Weyrwoman situation...

As she passes Wrath, who is being very meticulous about her talons, Ray says somewhat wistfully, "You know, you could have been a brown. I'd love you just as much if you were a brown. Because then I wouldn't have to be Weyrwoman, if Beriadi doesn't come back. And I could just fight thread and have fun."

Wrath snorts. You would have been bored silly. I'm so much more exciting than any brown could possibly be.

Ray smiles weakly. "I suppose you're right. Exciting certainly is a word for it." She pats Wrath's nose and heads down the stairs, heading for the Lower Caverns.

"Well, I like you too little sister," Kya says, scratching Preyasith's eyeridge again. "And someday when you grow up, I'm sure you'll be even faster than Nakoreth... but don't tell him I said that."

I heard that! Let's see how you like flying up to the weyr by yourself tonight! Kya winces.

I'm sorry Nakoreth. You know I was just teasing.

So was I. Kya hears Nakoreth's laughing sound in his head. Preyasith, I'm making fun of K'makin because he was making fun of me. We like to tease each other. I will take him up to the weyr tonight, I was just making him worry a little bit.

"Okay, see you later." Kya watches the two head off. "Today has been... a very strange day," he says to himself. He can't remember where he was going. Maybe the Lower Caverns? He turns to head that way... but in the distance he can see Ray scurrying toward the cavern entrance.

No.

A bath would be nice. I want my back scrubbed. And a nice oiling. Wrath is sleepy; she doesn't want to talk.

Aww, sorry fella, I know how much you've missed talking to her. Maybe when she wakes up?

I doubt she'd be much interested in gossip when she wakes up. Silly of you to forget that, Nakoreth sounds amused as he glides down from the heights where he'd been sunning.

You can tell?

Of course I can. She's my friend, I can... sense it now. Like the bronzes. But she needs to sleep first. The brown lands on the shore and wades into the water.

Kya removes his shirt and boots, then follows his friend. Well, you do know that you're not allowed to chase her this time, right?

I heard that, yes, Nakoreth sounds evasive, and Kya opens his mouth for a retort, only to find it filled with water from a deliberate splash as the brown shifts in the water. As he's coughing, Nakoreth continues. I only had a chance last time because Wrath went for distance instead of height. I can not beat bronzes in height, and now that she knows more, she won't make the same mistakes again. She is my friend. Her feelings would be hurt if I didn't chase her. My shoulder itches.

Aruging with a dragon's logic was impossible. Kya grabbed a handful of sand and rubbed it into Nakoreth's hide. Tomorrow, he'd just spend the day away from the Weyr. Trade duties with someone who had an all-day sweepride or something. Nakoreth was absent-minded enough to forget about Wrath's rising until it was too late. He'd talk to Ray in a few days and see if they were still friends...

The brown crooned as the itchy spot was scratched.

Wrath grumbles irritably as Arizath's question jolts her out of her doze. If he'd been close enough, she'd have bitten him. You're only two turns. Maturity is at three. You stay in the Weyrling wing until the Weyrlingmaster says otherwise. She blocks him off from bothering her again, and attempts to slip back into the nice happy doze she'd been enjoying.

Arizath didn't reply even if it hadn't been cut off he wouldn't have bothered her further

Looks like you're stuck in the barracks with the others until Wrath's says other wise

"Like hell i am. i won't spend one more night in that cramped cave. i'll bunk with you on the ledge"

Arizath gave a small draconic chuckle at his riders defiance. it was still early morning and not much was happening. T'thia pulled old notes from a satchel and glanced over them unable to concentrate on her studies she leaned back against Arizath's sun warmed body and drifted into sleep.

Ray lets out a deep sigh when she senses that Wrath has finally slipped into a regular sleep.

"She's asleep eh?" Shadill winks. "Now maybe you'll actually pay attention."

Ray groans.

The meeting seems to have already taken forever. Ray detests meetings. But Headwoman Shadill wasn't really all that bad, really a friendly sort of person who got things done. The overall impression Ray got from what she had heard was that the Weyr had not suffered a complete lack of management while the Weyrwoman was away.

And thinking of the Weyrwoman just made Ray wince. Shadill had seemed completely unruffled that Beriadi had vanished. "Wrath can bespeak Netesath, find out for sure what Beriadi has in mind," was all the deplorably efficient woman had said on the subject. The notion hadn't occured to Ray. Of course, that detail would have to wait until after... another thing Ray was trying to avoid bringing to mind.

"One thing of note," Shadill comments. "That young man, K'makin? He did a lot of work with the green Weyrlings while you and their riders were away. If you do end up having to stop being Weyrlingmaster, I think he'd be a good replacement. Several of the little greens absolutely adored him; I saw one of them, little Fifth, climbing all over that fellow's brown, for all the world like he was a giant toy." She grins.

Ray snorts. "Kya would kill me if I made him Weyrlingmaster." She raises an eyebrow. "I like the idea though, I'll definitely keep it in mind. Is there anything else that needs my attention today?"

The Headwoman frowns. "Not really. But you should check in on the bronzeriders; their dragons will likely have told them already, but you should look them over anyhow, it's good for morale."

"Do I have to?"

"No, but it's still a good idea." A tiny line appears between Shadill's eyebrows, which from her slight experience of the woman, is a sign of disapproval. Ray sighs.

"I'll sit at the Wingleader table, most of the bronzeriders at least stop by there when they get their dinner, so I should see them," Ray finally says, somewhat grudgingly.

"Good. We need a good flight, and we need the morale." Shadill gathers a few wherhide scraps that she'd been using as notes as Ray stands.

"I guess I'll see you later," Ray says, her stomach turning little flip-flops. The Headwoman's office is just off the kitchens, so as she passes through, she snags a few fresh breadrolls and a few slices of roasted wherry. She debates asking for wine... but decides a hangover is the last thing she wants to deal with tomorrow on top of everything else. Klah instead.

It's still early enough that the Wingleader's table is empty. Ray sits down on the bench, facing the room, and nibbles halfheartedly at a breadroll. A good joke or two to liven up the place would be nice.

Ray raises an eyebrow. "Oh yes. Thrilled." Her sarcasm could etch steel. She sighs, and adds in a friendlier tone, "Hello Tikal, I am Rayi, Gold Wrath's rider. I suppose you were recently Searched?"

Very recently, if she didn't know this was the "Wingleader's Table," but oh well. It wasn't like only Wingleaders were allowed to sit here, after all, Ray was! Though she really should talk to those Searchriders... they were supposed to start bringing them in after the mating flight... but well, sometimes Riders would snag likely Candidates when they found them.

Ray tries very hard not to say something needlessly rude. It wouldn't do to scare off the youngster.