Handle with Care [open]

[Cait]

|3078.12.23| Late Morning | Weyr Valley Entrance

When the Poulin women got it in their mind to bake, Elysif was convinced that there was nothing that would stop them. It was just one of the many reasons she was so grateful that her late husband's family hadn't even thought twice about accepting her into the fold. She wasn't as able in the kitchen as a proper Poulin it would seem and she wasn't nearly as energetic or outgoing, but they never held it against her and simply encouraged her to keep trying. She burned half of what she was trying to cook and could never seem to get the portions right, but the animals never seemed to mind and so at least her disasters didn't go to waste. So with a brightness and determination, it would seem, to feed all the men in the valley, or at the very least the ones who shared a relation, Sif was swept up in a baking and cooking marathon that lasted an entire day and ended with at least a dozen or more baskets filled with various goodies. Hidden in the bottom of each were even a few biscuits that, while a little flat and edging towards "too dark" on the bottom, weren't nearly as awful as what she normally came up with. She'd almost gotten the ratios right that time!

Even though she was convinced that her in-laws had only allowed such inferior cooking to be included was keep her from feeling excluded, she didn't mind. She was just glad she'd made something that a human could tolerate enough to eat. However, after the long day of baking, the planning began. Strategy and logistics were involved and it began to sound like a battle strategy. By the end of it, it was decided that Sif would deliver the basket meant for R'vor and she was grateful for it. A cousin to Vortil, he had been more like a brother to her husband. She's enjoyed his company as well and was glad for a chance to see him again. Being near him brought back happy memories and she would always welcome those, no matter how much time passed.

So, just before dawn the following morning, Elysif donned a simple and sturdy dress, a winter cloak and her walking boots. With her hair braided and pinned atop her head, she pulled the hood up and with the basket hanging from the crook of her arm, the pies and rolls and other treats tucked safely inside along with her questionable looking biscuits, she checked to make sure that the sealed crocks of preserves wouldn't jostle or break and began her journey. It wasn't a particularly arduous journey, she doubted she would've been allowed to travel alone if they'd thought it would be. Sure, Pern was at war and more specifically Rainbow Mists was the target of hostility, but what were the chances that she would come to harm while so close to the Weyr?

Shrugging as if to answer her own question, Sif carried on, careful not to swing the basket though she was tempted to. The day turned bright and clear as the sun peeked over the horizon, stealing the chill from the air. Smiling, Sif slipped her hood off and carried on, following the road that lead into the Weyr. There would be guards, of course, but she doubted they would pay her too much mind. She was just a girl from the valley with a basket of goodies for a friend. Of course with everything that had happened at the Weyr in the past several turns, she wouldn't be surprised if they were overly cautious in which case she wondered if she might have trouble getting in to see R'vor. A crease appeared between her brows and her steady gait slowed as she peered ahead at the split in the cliffs.

After only a brief hesitation, Sif decided that she wouldn't know either way until she arrived and so it would be better to arrive sooner than later. She would not dawdle with indecision, it would only waste the day. If she was turned away she would find another way to get the basket on her arm to R'vor. She was resourceful enough to at least do that. Mind made up her pace increased and before long she was nearing the gate that led from the road into the Weyr. As she had expected, guards were placed at the gap and they stopped her, eyeing her basket. "I brought a care package for a friend from his family. R'vor Poulin?"

"What's in the basket?" One of the guards, his voice gruff, stepped toward her, clearly attempting to be intimidating. Used to working with animals, she saw the tactic for what it was, a means to make her uneasy. Despite the fact that she seemed almost delicate in demeanor, Sif didn't spook easily.

"Baked goods and preserves from his mother and aunt. They asked me to bring the treats to him." She lifted the lid of the basket just enough to show off the contents, wrapped in cloths to keep them from drying out as much as possible. The guard stepped closer and moved a hand to poke around in the basket only to draw it back with a yelp when the lid was snapped shut on his fingers. Sif smiled placidly, the vision of innocence. "I don't want them to dry out. Now may I pass?"

One of the other guards snickered behind the first and there was an impromptu glaring battle before the first guard turned back to her, clearly miffed and folded his arms across his chest. Sif managed to contain herself enough to keep from rolling her eyes but a sigh escaped her. Three. Two.

"We don't have you on the list of visitors or expected traders." The guard seemed pleased with himself for finding a way to delay her.

"You haven't even asked my name, how do you know if I'm on the list or not?" Sif tilted her head, still maintaining a rather neutral expression though the faintest of creases appeared between her brows.

Again the guard behind the one she was speaking to snorted and another snickered which only seemed to rile the man she dealt with further. At the very least the tips of his ears had gone a telling shade of pink. While it was all very amusing, she would rather they stop adding to the problem. Briefly she let her gaze stray from the man she was talking to to take in his compatriots. They were an interesting mix and match group though she didn't have long to contemplate as the larger of the three commandeered her attention again.

"Well what's your name then?"

"My name is Elysif Poulin. R'vor is my cousin." Well, once removed anyway.

"Nope. Not on the list."

"Hmmm, I see. And how does one get their name added to this mysterious list of yours?" She'd play along for now. It was still morning; she would have plenty of time to visit with R'vor and return home. Of course she underestimated the stubbornness of a male's pricked ego. Then again, her patience was not something to be underestimated either.

"You have to be invited or have arrangements made with the leadership. You have to be cleared and vetted...and your goods inspected for...poison."

Sif lifted a brow at the last bit and stared at the man. So he was irritated that his friends had laughed at his expense and perhaps hungry? Well had he been a bit more amiable she might have been inclined to share a treat or two. Since he seemed intent on being a pain, however, and hindering her journey, Sif settled in, prepared to stand exactly where she was. When dealing with an unruly beast, you did not yield. You held your ground and remained calm. Either they would back down or submit. Humans weren't all that different from beasts; men especially she'd noticed.

"I'll wait." She said simply with a faint smile.

The guard seemed a bit baffled and stared at her as though she were some strange creature that had crawled out of the forest. "For what?"

His only reply was a shrug as Sif stood there, basket on the crook of her arm and shoulders squared. She fixed her eyes on a point past the man's shoulder and settled in to wait. Either he would let her in or someone else would come along to put an end to his antics. Surely this wasn't how he greeted actual visitors to the Weyr? If there was to be a Hatching, there would be visitors and they would no doubt be arriving soon. This was why she preferred the company of beasts to man. What was the point of harassing a young woman just trying to visit a friend?

[Shoki]

R’le was whistling a tune as he walked. He had throwng knives with him today, he was going to do a little practice. He was not, of course, playing hooky. Anyone who suggested such a thing was just silly. He was a model Jr Weyrleader. He snorted a laugh at the very thought. That was certainly not why he was wandering by himself for the moment, to not advertise his presence with Quiorith. Contrary to popular belief he didn’t hate V’lan. He was pretty sure V’lan didn’t hate him. But the pair hated each other’s styles of leadership. If one could call what R’le did leadership.

So he was heading out of the Weyr sans Quiorith, who would meet him on the other side. Well that was the plan anyway. When he came to the exit he found people… standing around? Hmm.

“Have I missed the announcement for a staring contest? How could I have missed such a thing, I’ll have to ask a match with whichever of ya win.” R’le laughed, no doubt catching attention from the guards now. He slid over, pausing to toss some hair out of his eyes. He should really get a haircut, but he kept putting it off. He was starting to like it long.

“So anybody wanna tell me what’s going on here? As thrilling as standing around is.”

[Cait]

With her gaze fixed over the guard’s shoulder Elysif was the first to become aware of the approaching figure, well before his whistling could be heard. Briefly she wondered if he might be a trader but discarded the notion; he was a man walking alone, not encumbered by a wagon or any others. Perhaps a visitor then? One on this oaf’s ridiculous list. Whoever he was, no doubt he was allowed to come and go as he pleased from the Weyr having been invited, vetted and whatever he’d brought with him thoroughly searched. She still wasn’t entirely convinced that that was the protocol for visitors such as herself. It was one thing to be cautious and quite another to harass perfectly harmless individuals out of boredom.

Keeping her expression neutral she saw the moment when the short guard noticed that someone was approaching and nudged the thin guard. Perhaps the man was someone they knew? In any case, when the man drew closer, the short guard cleared his throat, trying to get the oaf’s attention. Arms still folded, the guard blocking her path scowled and looked over his shoulder even as the man slowed at the sight of a big, burly guard staring down a rather average looking young woman with a basket. Based on the way the guards responded to the presence of the newcomer, Sif surmised that he wasn’t likely a visitor, but rather a denizen of the Weyr. Perhaps one of rank if the squaring of shoulders was anything to go by.

Whatever she might have expected him to say, it certainly hadn’t been to request a match with the winner of their little stare-off. Blinking, she finally shifted her gaze from the far off spot she had been focusing on and took in the appearance of the man who had joined them. He was tall with longish black hair and brown eyes that seemed to reflect his laughter. While she was no expert on human behavior as it was far too complex, she reasoned that if the eyes reflected the action, it typically meant a person was genuine. He was lean but not nearly as thin as the third guard who now looked between the oaf and the newcomer. Did she explain the situation or did she let the oaf try and explain it. Again that faint smile curled her lips as she turned her gaze to the oaf guard, letting the basket slip down her arm until she was clasping the handle in front of her. The vision of docile innocence.

Taking the bait, the man unfolded his arms and turned so that he was facing the newcomer with his side to Elysif. Interested to see how he planned to justify his refusal to let her pass and the man’s reaction to said excuse, Sif remained silent yet attentive. “She says she’s here to visit her cousin but she’s not on the list of scheduled visitors. An’ she won’t let me inspect her basket. I was holding her here while one of my comrades goes to verify the information.” The oaf’s narrowed gaze cut over to short and thin who didn’t seem to get his implication. Leaning to the side so that she could be seen around her detainer, Sif executed a rather spectacular stage whisper.

“I believe that is the cue for one of you to scurry off to validate his claim.” Straightening again she smiled and resumed her position of standing with hands clasped around the basket she held in front of her. Turning her attention to the newcomer and completely ignoring the flush on the oaf’s face, she smiled once more, her placid and steady smile. “My name is Elysif Poulin and I’m here to see R’vor Poulin. I’ve brought him treats from his mother and aunt. There’s nothing more dangerous in there than my slightly over baked biscuits.”

[Shoki]

The grin formed on R’le’s face as natural as breathing. “’Course not, I sure don’t like anyone rooting through my stuff either.” He didn’t make a habit of running through check points though. Well, usually. Scratch that. His eyes shifted to the ‘suspect’ as she spoke. His face got brighter.

“Ah, that was your name. Nice to meet ‘cha, I’m R’le.” He’d heard of her. In vague terms, but he’d heard something about it. After all he did try to keep up to the latest news. He leaned to the guards. “Don’t bother; I can clear this up faster than you can.” His eyes shifted up a bit when he reached out.

Quiorith, can you talk to Iridith real quick? Just ask him if he was expecting his in law.

[smear: B0C4DE]Okay…She is expected, he said his rider will be a bit delayed.[/smear: 87CEEB]

“That’s what I figured. She’s fine to come in, R’vor might be a bit though. I can take ya to him though, or where he will be rather.”

[smear: B0C4DE]Aww…[/smear: 87CEEB]

You can follow us. I think this will draw more attention than sneaking out did. Might as well go whole hog.

[smear: B0C4DE]Okay![/smear: 87CEEB]

[Cait]

Sif was a bit startled when the newcomer seemed to know her by name. Blinking, she peered up at him and tried to remember if she’d met him before or perhaps if R’vor had mentioned him. R’le. The name was familiar but unfortunately she was far more inclined to remember the name of a runnerbeast or canine she’d met once than a human she’d met half a dozen times. Still she wasn’t lacking in manners and smiled as he introduced himself. At the very least she could recognize that he was a dragonrider and as such deserved respect. Bobbing a small curtsy she bowed her head in deference. “It is nice to meet you as well.”

Straightening, Elysif noticed the way his gaze lifted to the sky and she blinked, discretely tipping her chin up so she could scan the sky as well. Was his dragon up there? She didn’t see anything but then dragons could fly very high. It did beg the question though, as to why a man who could fly was walking. It wasn’t her place to question him; perhaps he just liked the exercise. She could understand that. Well so much for her visit being a surprise. Still it was better than being forced to stand outside the weyr until the contents of her basket became stale.

“That is very kind of you R’le. I admit I haven’t been to the Weyr often enough to know where I’m going.” In truth she had maybe been to the Weyr once and that had been in the company of Vortil’s mother. But she’d been too awed by what she’d seen around her to pay attention to where they had been going. She was still a bit baffled that she was known to anyone but R’vor at the Weyr. “Do you like sweet rolls?”

She lifted the lid of the basket and rummaged through it until she pulled out a little braided bun that was golden brown and shiny across the top. “Don’t worry, R’vor’s mom made it, they taste delightful.” She could practically feel the oaf glaring at her as she moved around him to offer the treat to R’le but the man wisely said nothing. Was she being petty? Maybe a little, but good behavior deserved rewarding and bad behavior did not.

[Shoki]

“Ack, no none of that.” He put up his hands when she curtsied. “I’m sorry but I just can’t take that sorta thing. Always been more harper then fancy dragon man. I don’t care what anybody says I gotta take I just don’t like the formal stuff.” Lucky he usually talked with enough people that he was well known for not liking that stuff. Still, every once in a blue moon…

“No problem at all. You’ll give me a good excuse to postpone practice.” She grinned then motioned for her to follow him to the Weyr. He stopped when she mentioned food.

“Sure do! Hey these look great. I’ll have to just taste test one. You know, to make sure they are ready for R’vor.” She gave the wide grin of a man who was blatantly lying for comedy’s sake and accepted the roll. It did look quite good. He took a bite and beamed. “They are good. You’ll have to send back my approval to the baker.” He motioned again back toward the Weyr, roll held in his mouth while he gestured.

Suddenly a gust from the sky knocked the roll free and R’le barely caught it as Quiorith passed overhead. R’le looked relieved and then wry. That Cloud. Quiorith landed neatly ahead of them and waited for them to get closer. R’le trotted ahead, taking another bite before talking.

“Ya almost made me lose this! Bad Cloud.” He gave Quiorith a play punch. Quiorith himself rumbled a bit. R’le grinned and turned back to Elysif. “Hey Elysif, this is my dragon, Quiorith. The best Cloudy day friend a man could ask for, when he’s not trying to knock you flat with wind.” Quiorith, as usual, didn’t talk to those humans who were not R’le, but nodded his head by way of greeting. He then observed the other human intently as they started again.

[Cait]

“Well, better to err on the side of manners.” Sif shrugged and followed after R’le as he began to lead her toward the Weyr. She didn’t even spare a glance for the guards who had held her up, instead tying to place where she’d heard of this man. She was quite certain that at the very least she had heard of him if not met him in passing. After a time, however, she decided that it didn’t particularly matter. It was far more entertaining watching him try one of R’vor’s mother’s sweet rolls for the first time. Sif would never dare attempt to make something like that; at least not anytime soon. It had taken her a full turn and more to figure out how to make remotely edible biscuits, anything more complex was beyond her grasp. She was just glad that he enjoyed the treat.

Her small smile grew slightly as she opened her mouth to agree to pass along the compliment when a sudden gust of wind whipped her cloak around her, the cords that tied it smacking her in the face, the little metal cap on the end of one of the strings grazing her eye and causing it to instantly water as her dress was plastered to the backs of her legs. Wincing, her hand darting up to her eye to rub at it, Sif felt the ground vibrate beneath her feet and opened her eyes, blinking away the moisture in her left eye to find that a piece of the sky had settled on the ground before them. Remaining where she was, she watched R’le approach the dragon and scold him in a rather amusing fashion. Despite the sting in her eye she wasn’t overly upset about the dramatic entrance, even if her pinned up braid looked a little less than neat now.

As R’le turned back to her, Elysif approached with a smile, taking in the Cloud’s markings and quite amazed with how very much he did look like a cloudy sky. “It’s very nice to meet you Quiorith.” She doubted seeing dragons so close would ever get old. Certainly she would enjoy her visit to the Weyr. Catching up to R’le, Elysif made sure to keep pace with him as they continued on toward the Weyr proper. Still, from time to time her gaze strayed from the scenery to the dragon that followed along behind them. She was sure there was a meat pie in the basket...did dragons like meat pies? Probably not but she felt a little rude offering a treat to rider but not dragon. If she wasn’t careful, the care package would have nothing left but her unfortunate biscuits.

[Shoki]

R’le was generally pleased at anyone who seemed to like Quiorith so she hummed and started off again in a pleasant mood. In fact, as he turned to strike up conversation, it looked like she was stealing peeks at his bonded. R’le chuckled. That was okay with him. He gave a glance back himself and noticed that Quiorith was staring, not at him, but at Elysif. Huh.

Got something you would like to share with the rest of the class? Quiorith didn’t stop staring, but he could talk as easy as breathing with R’le regardless of what he was concentrating on.

[smear: B0C4DE]Who is she?[/smear: 87CEEB]

R’vor’s relative. Sorta. Why?

[smear: B0C4DE]I like her. I think she would be good.[/smear: 87CEEB]

“Ah.” R’le stopped. It would probably be okay, well no harm in asking. “Hey, you like dragons, right? Well I guess I should ask if you are interested in dragons, more like.” Quiorith sat once R’le stopped, watching the humans talk while his tail swished to and fro.

[Cait]

After several furtive glances at the cloud dragon, Elysif noticed that each time she looked at him he was looking at her. At first she thought it was just a coincidence or maybe a trick of the eye; it was sometimes hard to tell where a dragon was looking. However, after the third glance when the dragon’s head was still angled just so and his swirling eyes didn’t seem to stray, Elysif flushed lightly and quickly looked ahead of her. Quiorith wasn’t the only one to catch her in the act either if R’le’s chuckle was any indication. Worried that she might have offended one or both of them with her gawking, she twisted her hands on the basket handle.

R’le said nothing. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Deciding to simply keep walking forward and hope that she hadn’t somehow upset the pair. They seemed to know R’vor and the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass the man. This was typically why she preferred the company of animals; they didn’t get offended by silly things and it was usually much easier to discern when you’d bothered them. There was silence for a short while before R’le stopped abruptly. Taking another two steps before she realized it, Sif turned around and tilted her head, a few wispy bits of hair fluttering around her face.

“Do I like…?” She was a little confused his line of questioning but he already seemed to realize that it was a bit of an odd question and attempted to clarify. Unfortunately it didn’t clarify much of anything for her and she shifted the basket back to the crook of her arm. “I find them interesting if that’s what you mean?” Really she had no idea what had prompted this question...unless he was just trying to make conversation and was using her earlier actions to do so. She had been nearly staring afterall. “I was just admiring Quiorith’s coloring, I hope he wasn’t offended. I’ve only seen a select few dragons up close and none of them resemble yours.”

[Shoki]

R’le listened, his expression displaying something between interest and eagerness. She was acting a bit shy, but not so much that she seemed to dislike conversation. Maybe that was part of why Quiorith liked her. Well, he wouldn’t ask Quiorith, the Cloud’s decisions were certain once mentioned. Even if the ‘how’ would remain enigmatic.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Quiorith can be a bit shy, but he likes to be appreciated.” He grinned back at the Cloud, whose eyes whirled pleasant colors. “He’s a Cloud, and usually they keep to the sky they blend into so neatly. That’s probably why you haven’t seen his like before.” He felt the urge to be up there too, doing daredevil tricks with the best of them. However, he had a bit of work to manage first.

“That wasn’t why I asked though. See, Quiorith thinks ya would be a good candidate. So I wanted to know what you thought about it.” He rested on an easy grin, with that piece said. Quiorith nodded once, content with R’le speaking for him.

[Cait]

"Mmm, an apt name." Sif smiled and peered up at the dragon with his blue, white and grey coloration. He certainly looked like he had been clipped out of the sky as though it were a length of cloth. Though she'd never been coaxed into the sky, she could imagine that a dragon would feel far more comfortable in the air than on the ground given how they were built. Then of course, why had wings if you weren't going to use them. "I hope he's not uncomfortable for my sake if he prefers the open sky."

Looking back to R'le, Elysif peered at him with large brown eyes, an earnest expression creasing her brow. While dragons could not be classified in the same family as the animals she usually dealt with, there was enough of the familiar that she would prefer Quiorith to be comfortable just as she would a runnerbeast or caprine. It was a bit strange to tend a herd that was meant for slaughter, but such was the way of life. At least they would be happy and healthy while they awaited death. If she happened to collect a favorite or two along the way, that was her prerogative. She would accept the inevitable loss.

"A candidate?" Pulled from her musing, Sif looked between rider and dragon and then back again. The cloud thought that she would make a good candidate? Now? She was twenty-three. How old were candidates? It had never really occurred to her to even consider such a path in life and Sif said as much. "It's not something that I've ever thought about. R'vor never mentioned Iridith thinking such a thing before."

[Shoki]

R’le chuckled. “Believe me, Quiorith will get his fair share of time in the sky. He doesn’t mind coming down from time to time to hang out with me.” Quiorith seemed amused and walked a bit closer, extending one wing to poke his rider with. R’le brushed it away with a grin.

The woman’s surprise was understandable. The cloudrider observed, keeping up his same mood. He wasn’t in a rush here, neither was Quiorith. After all, she could say no and he would say no more about it. When she presented her statements, R’le nodded. They were fair to say.

“Well you can take however long you like to think about it. As for Iridith, you’ll have to ask R’vor on that. I don’t remember if Iridith searches much, but I know that Quiorith’s choices tend to be… sporadic. Plus I don’t search much nowadays but that’s its own problem.” Searching was weird. He did not try and look too deep into it. Quiorith said she was the choice, R’le trusted him completely. “Maybe he thought you would say no for one reason or another. He probably knows you a bit better then Quiorith, since we all just met.” He shrugged. “Still, I trust Quiorith on this. You would be good. Plus I’m sure he’s happy to help out Archith by getting a few more candidates.” Though he’d probably be happier if it was another one of the clutched Quiorith himself had sired, but that was beside the point.

[Cait]

"Yes I suppose you may be right about R'vor, I'll have to ask him later if he had any idea." She supposed that he had a good reason for not telling her, and that was assuming he even knew at all. Did all dragons have a knack or just certain ones?

"Is it a rare trait, being able to judge a person's aptitude for candidacy?" She looked up at Quiorith, brown eyes softening at the way rider and dragon interacted. There were times that she pondered the bond between rider and dragon but never in relation to herself. Would she even want such an intimate bond with another being? Given it was war time, did she have the right to decline. She would have to discuss this with R'vor, he knew better the ways of the Weyr.

[Shoki]

“Not really. I’ll admit, it’s more common among smaller colors usually, so I guess certain colors are rare to have it. Still, Blues are pretty popular searchers, and there’s always a good Blue around.” R’le liked his Cloud best, but he felt like Clouds were similar to Blues a little bit. Or maybe it was just Quiorith. While he was musing he felt like he was about to be attacked. He reached for the bag on his hip. A Flame firelizard suddenly appeared and latched onto his back.

“Yikes! Burn, careful!” He turned his head and pulled out a piece of sap from his bag. Before his shirt could be nibbled on, he offered the sap to the firelizard, who started chewing on it. “Firelizards.” R’le chuckled.

“Do you have any pets Elysif? Burn here is my only one and he’s a handful at the best of times.” Burn’s head rested on R’le’s shoulder, peering out as he chewed. Quiorith watched, amused, but keeping his wings to himself now. Burn tended to be a little haphazard with his affection, and claws still hurt.

[Cait]

While contemplating his relation of searching aptitude to the size and color of a dragon, Elysif missed R'le tensing and reaching for the pouch at his hip. However when a bright flash of color appeared, she would've been hard pressed not to notice that. Blinking and drawing her head back slightly in surprise, Sif frowned slightly as the creature dropped down and landed on the rider's back. She'd seen firelizards around, of course, but had never had one of her own. They seemed to be quite the handful. Certainly not beyond her abilities but she'd never seen the need when others had them readily available for delivering messages and keeping an eye on the herds. They sure were cute though, especially the precocious ones.

"No, no pets. I have been helping with the herds. Sometimes I get a little too attached to some of the calves." It was rather difficult for her to remember that the herds were primarily raised and kept in good health so that the dragons could feed. It was a hard thing to help though, getting attached to animals that you spent so much time with. "He reminds me of Idrith, your little fellow there. Maybe a little more mouthy."