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 Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:31 am
It was the opening of day three in Telgar Weyr. Verianne woke at dawn with the rest of the Candidates, and could have wept at the soreness in her back and shoulders. Even more important than breakfast, it would seem, was getting to the healer for some numbweed, if they would be willing to spare some to dull the ache in her muscles. She managed to stumble from her bed and pull on her clothing for the day.
Red hair was almost matted from the scrubbing she'd given it the night before. How she had made to back to the Candidate barracks she couldn't remember, perhaps some kind soul had taken pity on her. She could remember relaxing in the hot springs, but how she had gotten back was a bit of a mystery. Still, she was grateful for the help. She ran her fingers through her hair; no, the finger brushing would not be enough. Slipping out of the clothing she'd worn to the Springs, she pulled on a pair of gray pants and a short-sleeved pale blue top. Black boots that went up high enough she could tuck the end of the pants into them, and a sash that matched her bright reddish-gold hair finished the ensemble.
Serviceable, and stylish. Not something she would wear if it had not been for the fact that her chores for the day were laundry before lunch and mending after that. She stamped her feet, making sure they were secure in the rough black leather, then grabbed a hair-tie that matched her top. A rough wooden brush was dragged through her hair, she rubbed a clean cloth over her pale, sleep-stained face, and the morning ablutions were done. She moved out of her room, nodding to other Candidates she saw, and broke from the stream to head for the Healer.
Numbweed was hard won. It was only the fact she was visibly exhausted that won the precious ointment for her. Strong hands rubbed it over her small back while she hissed at the smell and the touch; the relief was almost instantaneous. Breakfast was almost shoveled directly to a hungry stomach, and the dehydrated girl drank all the water and klah she could hold.
A kind soul pointed her to the laundry area, where she walked into a room full of steam, the sound of water and scrubbing. Hanging clothing and a starchy smell that reminded her of home. They pointed her to an area, set her up with a pile of dirty belongings, and she got started on her task. Sand and water, rubbing clothing carefully. She knew the worn parts in the cloth and leather almost instinctively, finally in a place she knew. She was silent as she worked, but after a few minutes of adjusting to everything, her eyes began to wander and observe.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:24 am
Another day, another chore. Usually she sighed a little when she got washing duty, so much contact with soap and hot water tended to make her hands crack, but today she was in too good a mood to even blink at the assignment. Layla made her way down to the laundry room smiling to herself, playing the Touching over and over inside her mind, wondering what the hatching might be like...
Usually nerves followed such wondering, a lot of nerves, but last night she had dreamed about her dragon. Shells were cracking all around, dragons of different colours stalked the sands... and then Hers spoke to her. It could have been a male voice or female voice; she didn't recall pitch or tone. She didn't recall anything about her dragon really; not colour, not size, not personality... All she could remember was a feeling of warmth, of being loved completely.
It was silly to get your hopes up based on a dream, she acknowledged to herself as she stepped into the steaming room and tied back her hair with a simple leather thong, but she couldn't help it. It had been perfect, completely perfect which was unusual for her dreams; usually they turned at least a little unpleasant if they were strong enough for her to recall on waking but this one had been flawless. She only hoped that it was a sign of things to come.
Still smiling to herself, she took a place beside a red-headed girl at one of the large washtubs, and grabbed a bag of garments from the pile. Another glance at the girl beside her nudged a memory of the touching; she had been there, she must be a candidate... but Layla didn't recall seeing her before that. Might as well try to make friends, they might be riders together before long!
"Hi there," she smiled as she pulled out a shirt and dunked it into the hot water. "You're a candidate, right? I remember you from the Touching but I don't think I've seen you around before that. My name's Layla, nice to meet you!"
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:44 am
The heat of the air was something familiar to her, the steam of the laundry area helping her sink into a rhythm all-too familiar to her. Hands worked over the laundry as skillfully as those of any girl her age, no more and no less. Her eyes were open, perhaps, but her mind was not on the task in front of her, no; it was full of thoughts of colors and fabrics, and neat little stitches.
When the other girl sat down next to her and spoke to her, it came as a surprise; she almost jumped and her eyes blinked at the other almost owlishly before she gave a small smile. She... might remember the other girl from the Touching, but her mind was in such a whirl that frankly she didn't know if she had or not. "I was there. I, uhh, might have seen you too. My name is Veri. Verianne, actually, but..." she looked back down at the clothing, scrubbing the sheet harder. "I just came here a couple days ago."
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:00 am
"Oh, well, welcome to Telgar then!" Layla grinned, grabbing some soap and beginning to work up a good lather. "If you need help finding anything, just let me know and I'd be glad to help," she went on, "I know what a maze the Weyr can be." The number of times she herself had managed to get turned around down in the lesser used passageways was quite amazing, and she'd grown up here! It was a wonder hold born candidates managed at all really.
"Oh, and if there's anything else you want to ask, just about life here or whatever I'll be happy to answer too," Layla nodded firmly. "It doesn't matter if you think it's silly, and that everyone here will know it because... Well, maybe they would know it, but you couldn't be expected to, right?" She'd probably rambled on a bit much there, but she was still in too good a mood to worry about looking silly. She was being friendly, and if Veri wasn't interested in that then it was no huge loss to her; at least she would know she'd tried to help out.
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:20 pm
It was almost surreal. At Weavercraft Hall no one had been so friendly to her. Everyone there had known Verianne as being almost anti-social, and had seemed to have given up on her. She'd expected this same thing to somehow follow her to the Weyr. Yet this girl approached her friendly-like. Naturally there was no way the other Candidates would have known her reputation.
Still, the expression on her Verianne's was something bewildered as she looked at the other girl before giving her a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind Layla." she nodded her head, looking back down at the washing. "I... I come from Weavercraft Hall. If you ever, umm... need help with mending?" why was she saying this?! "I can help you out. I'm very quick."
She couldn't believe the girl had so easily made her say something so... sociable. What on earth had possessed her to do it? "And thank you for the offer. If I think of anything I'll ask you." Did she have any questions now? She chewed on her lip thoughtfully.
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:39 pm
Well, this was a good start; she'd got an offer of help in return! That was always more encouraging than people just nodding, gave the impression that they might be open to friendship. Made them seem like a nice person right off too, which helped, she was always worried that she'd start talking to a new person and they'd seem okay but then suddenly they'd turn out to be horrible... Of course, Veri might still turn out to be horrible, but the kind offer was encouraging all the same.
"Thanks!" Layla flashed the other girl a grin. "I'm not that brilliant at mending to be honest; I can do a basic seam more or less, but even that I manage to mess up if I'm not focusing, and I can never get the stitching to match so the garment ends up pulling oddly or something like that."
Not for the first time, Layla thought that it must be nice to have a craft. At least of Veri didn't ever manage to Impress she had prospects ahead of her. For her, if she didn't become a rider, it was a life as a lower caverns worker. Alright in the end of course, but not the most interesting job in the world to have.
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:52 pm
"....." She caught herself smiling back. "Well, if you need help, let me know." she said simply, almost shyly. "What about you, Layla? How long have you been here at the Weyr?" she brushed a wisp of bangs from her eyes. "I haven't been here long, but it seems very... busy."
An understatement, and not the right word at all. Stressful, tiring, or different would have been much more apt. Perhaps the word unusual? Finishing the item she was working on, she dunked it back in the water to rinse it and frowned about, trying to figure out where it was supposed to be put. Did they have a bag for wet clothing? A line where it should be hung to dry? "...Where do I put this, Layla?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 4:15 am
"Clean clothes go up on the lines over there," Layla indicated them, some way off to the left. "Generally I leave things on the side of the tub until I've finished a bagful though," she went on, "it makes it easier to keep things together, as each bag of clothes has come from one person. Riders tend to get a bit grumpy if they end up with somebody else's shirt and no socks! Honestly I think it would be easier if everyone had to put name tags inside their clothes, but I can't see it being a popular idea somehow." After all, why should mighty riders have to label their clothes just so that silly girls didn't muddle them up? She respected all riders deep down of course - they were riders! - but sometimes the more egotistical ones wore even on her.
"How long I've been here though," she grinned at Veri, "born and bred. My mother was a lower caverns worker of some kind, and my father a rider. No idea who either of them actually were, I was raised by the creche until I was twelve, when I was put with a foster mother. I lived with her until I became a candidate... and I guess I'll go back if I don't Impress." She loved her mother of course but... but she wanted to Impress. Desperately. Her mother wanted it for her too, but the hard-working woman's hopes were very specific. Gold. She hadn't even considered that her daughter might Impress a fighting dragon, because it wasn't what good girls did. Good luck dear, I do hope the queen looks to you, but if not you will always have a place here. What if she Impressed a blue? She didn't think her mother would hate her for it but... but she might be disappointed.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:40 pm
Ah. She hadn't known that bit of information. Hanging the piece of clothing over the edge of the tub, she pulled out the next piece of clothing. "Thanks." Veri gave Layla a nod and a grateful, small smile. She never would have guessed that Riders couldn't label their clothing, or have some sort of identification system.
Verianne blinked at the other girl though, when Layla told her that she had lived here since childhood. She couldn't imagine it. The life seemed so bland for the actual workers in the Weyr. The Riders seemed to be slightly more pampered if they wished to be... But Weyr life, and Candidate life, had seemed so sterile so far. So colorless.
She ahdn't been here for anything important yet. Perhaps Verianne just didn't see the color that lit the lives of the Workers. Someday, perhaps she would understand. Or perhaps someday she would return to the life she had come from. Would she Impress? Could she Impress? "So you just... return to your life in the Weyr? It is that... well, I guess it wouldn't be 'easy,' would it. But it is just as though nothing happened?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:16 am
Layla sighed slightly and worked away at a stubborn grease stain on the shirt. "If I don't Impress? Yes, I suppose I will," she nodded and gave a slight shrug. "It's... well it's an alright life. You can do what you like on your downtime, I've got friends to chat to, to make chores less dull. That's one reason I've always sort of wished I had a craft though, even if you don't Impress you'll do something with your life, you'll have challenges more interesting than trying to get a stain out of a shirt. Still," Layla shrugged again and gave a little grin, "even if I don't Impress in this clutch, maybe I will another time. I don't think I'd actually stand if there was no gold egg, not with how much females with fighting dragons are frowned on, but I'll be in the stands, hoping until I get to old to Impress."
The prospect of a life as a lower caverns worker really did make her sigh internally. Was it arrogant, presumptuous to want more? Surely it was natural, almost everyone in the world wanted more than they had, would change their life a bit if they had the chance. That was what humans were, that was why they were different from common beasts. They could imagine a better life, imagine it and strive for it.
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