Southern Bowl - Ista Weyr(#69RJ$)
     Spread out along the larger end of the caldera, this end of the bowl is significantly larger than that which lies just beyond the small inlet of two feet of craggy mountains that creep down to form an incomplete partition. The walls of the ancient volcano, long-since slumbering inactive, spread upward with sheer cliffaces that reach into the sky, their outlines reminiscent of four pointed fingers and a thumb. Activity bustles in this area at nearly all hours of the day with dragons or people coming and going throughout the bowl on various errands.
     Tucked into the southernmost wall are the living caverns, the gaping tunnel that leads within illuminated by the glowbaskets set within; just beside this is a larger entrance that leads to the dragon infirmary. The Hatching grounds are found in this area, with a tunnel a ground level just large enough to allow passage for an egg-heavy Queen and a larger, gaping entrance in the side of the mountain for draconic spectators to enter. Numerous weyrs dot the mountainside and the ground in this area, some darkened and some illuminated from within.
Obvious exits:
Infirmary  Caverns Tunnel  Ground Weyrs  Hatching Grounds  Northern Bowl
                             +lhelp is available.

Didarath heads over from the ground weyrs.
Didarath lumbers out of the ground weyrs, evidently intent on a snooze in the bowl. He pauses, though, brought up abruptly by the sight of someone else in his patch of sun. *snort*

Kassandra heads over from the ground weyrs.
Kassandra pads out, shortly after her large lifemate, who is now apparently put out. "What now?" she sighs, every ounce of her tone proclaiming longsuffering.

Tahayari loiters outside the caverns in an area of the bowl that's relatively unpopulated: perfect for someone as shy as he. He enjoys the sun -- something of a rarity during the recent streak of wintery weather --, leaning against the bowl's stone wall with hands tucked into the pockets of his light jacket. The arriving dragon is regarded warily; the holdbred teen still harbors caution, evidently, even after living in the Weyr. Kassandra is spied, too, and Yari offers a brief smile a greeting: "Hi."

Didarath pokes his muzzle closer to the holder boy who has the temerity to be in -his- spot. Okay, so it isn't his spot, in actuality--but he has apparently arbitrarily decided that Tahayari's spot is -his- spot, and acts accordingly, snorting again. *snort* Kassandra just rolls her eyes at her lifemate, before nodding politely at the other person in the bowl. "Hi."

Tahayari's wariness certainly doesn't abate any when he's got a big blue snorting at him. He begins to scoot a bit to one side -- the side closer to the caverns, in case he needs to bolt for the door. He speaks up once more after nervously clearing his throat, questioning, "He's your dragon, right? Is he...is he going to eat me or something?"

Kassandra lets out a snort that's akin to the one her dragon voiced a bit earlier, a slight smirk curving her rosy lips. "No, he's not going to eat you, Yari. You're too small, and you've not got enough meat on your bones. Sorry to disappoint you." Didarath has stopped looking miffed, and is now examining the hem of Tahayari's tunic with a great deal of interest.

Valin heads over from the far end of the bowl.

Tahayari emits a little squeak of some sort that was probably meant to be a cry for help that went astray when Didarath started poking at his clothing. Valin is spied and thrown a desperate look, but, once again, he doesn't manage to get any words out. Just another squeak. The edging for the cavern is abandoned as he figures out that people can't outrun dragons, and Yari stands quite still, hoping the blue will lose interest if he doesn't move.

Idly rubbing at a shoulder with a light grimace -- yet whistling at the same time, off-keyly -- Valin trundles along, heavy boots rhythmically hitting the dusty bowl floor. Thud thud thud thud.

Kassandra turns slightly at the sound of that thud thud thud thud, and grins, tossing off a wave. "Heya, Valin," she says cheerfully, before planting her hands on her hips and eyeing her dragon, who blissfully goes about peering at that hemline. "Didarath, since when do you give a wherry's tailfeathers about clothing?"

The steadily trundling Valin kinda-sorta grunts a greeting distractedly, as he peers curiously and confusedly between Tahayari and Didarath. He cocks his head, catching the fellow's look, but isn't quite sure what's going on. Kass' comments to the dragon don't enlighten Val much, for he wonders, "Didarath wants a shirt? Jays, that's a shardin' lotta fabric. Wunner if it'd take all apprentices at Weaver Crafthall t'make it. Wunner how much it'd /cost/..."

"I told you he just wants to eat me," comes Tahayari's rather frightened comment. "Dragons /always/ sniff and snort and stuff at their prey before gobbling them down. That's what my sister always said." Those stories meant to scare bad little children to bed have managed to resurface, and he eyes Didarath with increasing alarm.

Kassandra snorts yet again at Tahayari's frightened comments. "No, they don't. They just squash it flat, or skewer it, or shred its stomach, or something like that." Reassuring, isn't she? Valin gets a wrinkled-up nose. "No, Val. He doesn't -want- a shirt. He seems to like the way the hem's done on Yari's here."

Dalar comes out of the narrow tunnel from the living caverns.
Kelbiba comes out of the narrow tunnel from the living caverns.

Dalar walks on out, head down, eyes on the ground. He stops and falls back against a wall, shoulders absorbing the impact. He stays leaned like that, arms crossed in front of him.

"That," Yari, forgetting his fear for a moment, states with disgust, "is just gross." His attention swoops to the inspected hem, and he adds helpfully, "Some Weaver made it. We got a good batch of shirts from him. Maybe you and your dragon should go visit the Hall. I'm sure I can remember the name if I think hard enough. But...but...I'd really appreciate it if he --" The blue's name escapes Tahayari. "-- y'know, backed off a bit?" He pauses to eye the emerging people with a mixture of terror at his predicament, nervousness at being the center of attention, and hope that they'll distract the blue long enough for him to flee.

Lenala comes out of the narrow tunnel from the living caverns.

"Oh, uh... alright," Valin says. "Why would 'e like any'uns shirt?" He shakes his head, not really expecting an answer. The stablehand slides his hands into his pockets, and tilts his head the other way to watch Didarath. "Y'know, your kind c'n be downright scary."

Lenala slips out of the cavern, yawning behind her hand.

Kelbiba walks out of the cavern looking about.

Didarath takes one eye off Tahayari long enough to snort profoundly at Valin, blowing warm air in his direction. That's all he does, before turning the full force of his rainbow regard back to Tahayari. Kassandra, for her part, just shrugs helplessly. "He says he doesn't want to. He likes it there. And his name is Didarath."

Dalar lifts his head and blinks. "Didn't know there were so many people about," he mutters, then smiles to everyone. "'Lo all."

Lenala smiles at Dalar, and heads over to him. "How're you?" she asks.

Valin snorts /right/ back at Didarath, which, while amusing, isn't horribly effective.

Tahayari directs his plea to Kassandra, questioning, "Well, maybe you could get him to move long enough so /I/ can move out of his way. I've got...er, things to do. Cavern-things. I'll probably get in trouble if I don't show up. He wouldn't want that, would he?" He attempts what's meant to be a charming smile; it turns out rather quavery, brimming with trepidation. "Oh. Of course. Didarath. I always knew his name." Lie, lie.

*THUMP* Didarath's tail thuds to the ground, between Tahayari and the Caverns entrance, in a not-so-subtle message: You ain't goin' anywhere, boy. Whirling eyes are fixed firmly on the young Igenite, and a soft whuffle escapes his cobalt-ribboned muzzle. Kassandra just...sighs. "Didarath, will you shardin' well get to the point already? What is -up- with you?"

Dalar blinks at the sudden, slightly aggresive actions of the dragon. "Yeesh...poor guy," he mutters, gaze settling on Tahayari.

Kelbiba nods. "Yah."

Lenala nods. "I almost feel bad for him."

Valin glances over to nod over to those who are newly arrived, then just.... blinks at Didarath. "Now that's downright mean... e's jus' a boy." Arching his eyebrows, the stablehand looks to Kass as though expecting her to stop this.

Asixier heads over from the far end of the bowl.

Tahayari jumps -- flinches -- at the thudding tail, and squirms around under the dragon's gaze. He's sent back to the squeaking phase, terrified past words and probably close to tears. But, knowing Yari, it doesn't take much to send him running for the farthest reaches of the Weyr. With that option out, the shy teen turns another mute appeal to Didarath's rider, along with one simple request: "Help!"
Well, maybe it wasn't so muted. After all, Tahayari did manage to get a single word out.

Kassandra stares fixedly at her dragon for a very long moment, apparently locked in a silent conversation with the blue, who occasionally snorts disdainfully. Finally: "Why in Faranth's name didn't you -say- so, you idiot dragon? Great shells, you've been sitting here scaring the poor fellow out of his wits!" With a roll of her eyes, she turns to Tahayari, and smiles, albeit sympathetically. "My dragon here, who can't ever say anything straight out, would like to know if you would Stand for one of the clutches out on the Sands right now?"

Asixier walks in with an empty basket. After delivering what seems to have been laundry from the smell the candidate carries. He walks around the group of people and dragon and sits down against the wall near the entrance to the Living caverns. A sigh is taken as he gets a break.

Dalar grins brightly then, nodding in satisfaction. "Now that's more like it. He's sure got a weird way of Searching people."

Kelbiba grins hearing kassandra.

Lenala nods to Dalar. "I guess he doesn't want to make it too easy..."

Valin grimaces, but his shoulders also relax a little, as Kassandra explains it all. "Faranth, m'Search wasn't nearly so scary..."

Lenala hears Valin, and calls out, "Mine was worse..."

Kelbiba nods to Lenala. "It doesn't seem as though hes too nice on searchs." Looks to Valin. "Mine wasn't that bad."

"Mine," states Lena, "was by Faemirth. Who wasn't the scary part."

Valin rolls his eyes expressively at mention of Faemirth -- not for dislike of the dragon, however.

Lenala grins over at Valin. "She get you too?"

Kelbiba says "The dragon that searched me was Aiareth."

Another squeak comes from Tahayari's vicinity before he asks, disbelieving, "You mean he doesn't want to eat me?" A pause; he thinks some more. "Will he eat me if I say no?" And then, more to himself than to anyone else, he adds, "Why would I want to Stand? What if a little dragon - one of the ones that hatches - decided to eat me?" Yes, he's heard all the horror stories that circulate throughout the Holds.

Kassandra holds up one finger toward Tahayari for a moment, before delivering a glare in the direction of the chattering bystanders. "I beg to inform you that my dragon is neither scary nor weird," she states unequivocally, before turning back to the Igenite. "No, he doesn't want to eat you; no, he won't eat you if you say no; and no, a little dragon on the Sands won't eat you."

"Oh no, thank /Faranth/ no," Valin says, with a vehement snort. "Prolly wouldn't've Stood last time around if /she/ had Searched me..." he trails off to eye Tahayari again. "Y'know, dragons don' eat people... I work in them feedin' grounds. They eat herdbeasts an' wherries. Oh, an' the new-hatched dragons eat lots'n lotsa cut-up bloody raw meat. I choose the herdbeasts for that. Only the best. Then I slaughter 'em an' help in the kitchens a bit..."

Lenala grins at Valin. "She said she'd box my ears if I didn't say yes. Which I was gonna do anyway, but..."

Asixier adds seriously. "But if you don't listen to instructor's a dragonet can rip you in half, because of stupidity." maybe he is trying to scare Tahayari or maybe he is telling the truth, but the grin on his face doesn't help at all.

Dalar looks from Yari to Didarath, wide grin still plastered to his face.

Tahayari mimics Didarath unintentionally upon hearing the rider's first statement: he snorts. With another cautious glance towards the blue -- the blue who's a lot bigger than he, the blue that could squish him flat should he choose to -- the holderboy eventually answers the original question. "Well...I don't know." He never professed to like dragons all that much. And he certainly doesn't trust Kassandra when she says that this one won't eat him if he refuses. And so, after much deliberation, he reluctantly accepts. "I guess so." But no one ever said he was happy about it.

Valin nods to Lenala, then frowns over at Asixier, brow furrowed. "Aye. That means you too. Y'c'd get hurt real good. An' dragons don' like th' malicious, methinks... g'luck."

Kassandra nods once, evidently well-pleased. Didarath, who is evidently -extremely- pleased with himself, removes the tail-made barrier to the caverns, and curls up in a sunny patch, instantly oblivious. "Good on you. Come with me, then?" Without waiting to see if he's following, she turns on one heel and heads for the caverns.
Kassandra heads into the long tunnel to disappear into the lower caverns.
You head through the narrow tunnel and into the bustling living caverns.

Candidate Barracks - Ista Weyr(#121RAJ$)
     Natural stone pillars rise from the smooth floor to the high ceiling in this large cavern, its space easily enough to accommodate more than a hundred cots and presses with them. Spaced along even rows and broken up every ten or so by a square table with chairs surrounding it, these cots are almost always neatly made - no doubt for fear of a surprise inspection - with their presses shut at the foot of them. Laundry bins and choreboards fill the recesses, as do a few more personal items left here and there by those who currently inhabit the barracks.
     There's a home-spun quality to these barracks, as if those who live here have taken a liking to their environment. Or perhaps it's just that the decorations - hung on the walls by means of lively tapestries - are cheerful and contented, meant to brighten the hearts of those who have most likely been taken from their comfortable beds and instilled in these noisier barracks.
Contents:
Kassandra
Brian

Kassandra comes into the barracks, before turning on one heel to regard the new Candidate who is (hopefully) trailing in her wake. "Grab yourself a cot that looks unoccupied," she directs.

Tahayari trails behind, yes, but does so with considerable reluctance. Casting a quick, nervous glance around the barracks at the sight of -- horror of horrors -- new faces, he does as told and finds a cot that's set against one of the walls, the first he comes across.

Goran has connected.

Kassandra nods once, firmly. "Righto. There's a knot for you." Deft fingers flip a white strand to Tahayari's cot, the loop landing just to the right of him. "Pin that there thing on. And get used to all the people. There'll only be more of 'em."

Goran comes in, looking decidely grubby and smelling even more so, stopping as he sees Kass and Tahayari, a grin already forming. "Looks like Didarath found another one he wanted t'keep?" is his greeting question.

Tahayari pulls a face, first at the knot and then at the mention of additional people. "Do I have to wear it?" He manages to keep most of the whine out of his tone when asking the question. Most of it. Pivoting to peer towards Goran, he nods mournfully and informs, "He woulda eaten me if I'd said no."

Kassandra looks stern--well, inasmuch as an eighteen-Turn-old girl can look stern, that is. "Yes, you have to. It's to let everyone else know that you're a Candidate. And Didarath wouldn't've eaten you...and yes, Goran." She wrinkles up her nose before going onward. "Now, there's some rules you need to follow as a Candidate."

Brian sighs as he walks into the room, a weary look on his face. "Do you /know/ how horrible the weyrbrats are?" She plops down on his cot with a dramatic sigh.
Goran chuckles, moving to his bed, although not sitting down on it. He stinks too much. "He wouldn't have eaten you.." is agreed with. "He tried t'put me in a box t'take out when he wanted scritching."

With a sigh, Tahayari obediently picks up the dreaded knot and turns it over in his hands. Stubbornly, he insists, "He would've. And I wasn't about to get eaten. Or risk it." He glances towards Kassandra, then, and just prompts, "Oh?"

Kassandra rolls her eyes. "Drop that," she suggests. "He wasn't going to eat you." That said, she goes onward. "Now, you've got to follow some rules, like I said. First off, you've got to do your chores." She fixes the Lord Holder's son with a gimlet eye. "And I personally won't hear any whining about them. I did them, and if I can, you can."

Tahayari says nothing more about the possibility of being eaten, although his state of mind certainly hasn't changed, and moves on to protest feebly, "I always do my chores."

Goran gives Brian a commiserating look "I'd rather have t'brats than spend every day muckin out the runner sh....stalls." Is murmured, given Yari another of those grins. "Rules, man. Y'didn't expect them t'let you off without making sure y'do exactly what they want?" Goran certainly is talkative and opinionated today, isn't he?

Brian chuckles halfhartedly as he lays out on his cot. "I know what you mean.. I used to do that quite a lot, back home."

Kassandra spares an amused glance for Goran, before going on. "Now, as a Candidate, you're required to listen and respect everyone in the Weyr, as really the Candidates are at the lowest rung of the ladder. You're also forbidden to drink wine, have any sort of romantic attachments, or leave without a rider's escort."

Goran flushes a bit at mention of romantic attachments..., then resumes getting his clean clothes together for to take a bath and wash away the stench of his day's chores. Brian gets another nod as he goes about his task, half an ear to Kass' list of instructions and Yari's reaction to them. "I'm more used t'taking care of little ones, what with all of my nephews and nieces." is responded after a moment.

There goes Tahayari's plans for escape. Dismayed, he simply nods once at the list of requirements before shooting a curious glance towards Goran. When one blushes as much as Yari does, one gets good at noticing others who blush as well. But, for now, he keeps his lips tightly pressed together, flops onto his cot, and continues to listen.

Kassandra nods again, firmly. "Righto. There's the chore board." She paces over to write Tahayari's name neatly with chalk on the slate board that hangs on the wall of the cavern. "You're in a chore section. Keep your eye on this board. You'll also want to get a move on with regards to your robe--the Hatching can't be -that- far off."

Tahayari resigns himself to silence as he idly plays with the new knot rather than fix it to his shoulder; eyes and attention remain fixed upon the bluerider, of course, as she speaks.

Goran grimaces at mention of robes, having been putting off finding one big enough to fit him...."Y'had t'remind me.." is grumbled, somewhat unGoranistically..when does he ever grumble, after all? as he picks up his clothes and towel and other bathing items. "Are the eggs hardening then, wingleader?" He hasn't had a chance to hit the galleries of late. Too much runner muck.

Kassandra turns from the slate board to nod at Goran. "Of course they are. You didn't think that eggs just sat there and did nothing, did you?" A half-grin quirks up her lips, before she turns to peer at Tahayari again. "You clear? There's a whole passel of rules written on that there board, if you forget." She points in the direction of the rules board, illustratively.

Brian props himself up on his elbows, looking over the various faces. He regards the rule board for a moment before falling back in bed.

Tahayari nods again, replying, "Yeah. I think I've got it -- I'll remember." Of course, he's not one to drink, despite Quirin's prompting, or to pursue a relationship: too proper, too shy. "I'm clear."

Goran pauses in his exiting to bathe, his expression thoughtful and his tone musing. "Well...I never did think about it much at all, actually" He grins. "I forget half the time that there are eggs on the sands, y'know." It doesn't seem to be encompassing his thoughts or his life, at any rate. "Too much t'do, what with all the chores y'drop on us candidates." And using his free time to work on his beloved wood.

Kassandra lifts one skeptical eyebrow at Tahayari, before nodding over at Goran. "They're there, and they're getting harder, believe you me. Don't forget to work on your robe."

"Do we have to make them ourselves?" Tahayari pipes up, curious, and not looking forward to the task of sewing something.

Goran sighs at mention of the robe. "Y'know I can't sew, Kass...er, wingleader." is noted, almost forgetting the formalities in his complaint. "Are there any left from last time, d'you think? The one I had wasn't too badly patched. It might do again.." He looks hopeful at this.

Kassandra shrugs again. "If there isn't one in Stores that fits, you'll have to make 'em yourselves," she says laconically. "If the one from your last time on the Sands is still around, Goran, you can use it. Go talk to Ismaye."

Tahayari persists, "Could I get one commissioned? I don't want to go out on them Sands in some dirty, hol-y, already-worn robe, if there's any other way."

Kassandra instantly shakes her head. "Nope. You find one in Stores, or you make your own. No commissioning the Weavers. You're allowed to get help from your fellow Candidates, or from someone else kind enough to offer, but no commissions."

Tahayari's hopeful face falls; he grumbles quietly, inaudibly at the answer, but nods once in grudging compliance. "Okay." After a moment, he adds on an innocent question: "Why not?"

Goran doesn't have the Marks to pay for a robe at any rate. "Patched and used will do fine, for me. I'll talk t'Ismaye, as y'say, Wingleader." He heads for the door. "I'm off to the baths before I stink up the room too much for sleeping." He doesn't want trouble with the other candidates, after all.
Goran heads out to the southern cavern.

Kassandra simply nods once at Goran, before looking over at Tahayari. "Because most of the Candidates don't have the marks to be commissioning things like that," she says forthrightly.

"Oh." Subdued, Tahayari quickly returns his gaze to the knot in his hands, and fingers the cord while simply saying, "Okay."

Kassandra nods again. "Good, you're set, then. Ask if you've questions." With that, she turns, and heads out, muttering something about mud under her breath.