High Reaches Weyr - North Bowl
The bowl is a mix of bare patches of darkly hued stone and grittier bits of dust and pebbles that are slowly evening out the bowl floor. This area of the bowl seems slightly higher on average. A larger shadowed archway cuts strikingly into the dark stone of the bowl wall to the northwest, the entrance to the hatching grounds. Those new pairs coming from such grounds do not have far to go to get to the barracks. The barracks are two large rectangular stone buildings. Slate roofing tiles angle steeply down from the junction of the barracks with the bowl wall, and overhang enough to offer some protection for anyone peeking out of the large doorways from the weather outside. The doorways are not nearly as big as the archway to the hatching grounds, but are passable by fully grown beasts none the less. Wooden doors are covered by a thin sheet of copper which roll open and closed as needed. Designs which may have at one time adorned these doors are faded both by weather and by the dents and scratches of overeager younglings.
Ed'ard is huddled up in an overwhelming amount of winter clothing and still looks half frozen as he troops along through the bowl. Barely lifting his head now and then to adjust course, he is fighting the wind to head toward somewhere north of here.
He's not alone in braving the cold and winds. It's probably not the best of days or times to be venturing out, but Eodarin seems to be building herself quite the record of wandering when the weather is less than pleasant. Not that she has far to go. Just a breather — as rare as such a chance comes by during training. Maybe her head is spinning from all her lessons or the strength exercises (or both). Orayth is not with her, which means the young gold is likely curled up and sleeping in the warmth of the barracks. Bundled up against the cold, she'll catch sight of what she assumes is a familiar form and risks calling out: "Ed'ard?"
Ed'ard barely hears his name above the wind, but he does turn, blinking into the sudden cold as he lifts his head to look around. A faint frown before he offers a very slight smile to Eodarin. "And what has you braving this weather again? I'm going to decide you like it or something. Must want to be frozen." He shakes his head, stuffing his gloved hands down into pockets on his coat.
P'wyn has shoved himself into the lee of a section of bowl just out of the wind so he's easily overlooked. Enolth seems to not mind the cold much, laying in a cleared area with piles of snow around him. Pen pulls his jacket tighter about him and sprints over the brown's side who opens a space below his wing for P'wyn to huddle against his body.
"Not really?" Eodarin counters back with a smirk and she'll lift a gloved hand up to push down the scarf she has wrapped around her neck and most of her face. Bad enough with the wind, she doesn't need her voice further muffled! She'll take a few steps closer to Ed'ard, to at least shrink the gap between them and avoid a shouting match. "I've terrible luck when I feel the need to wander? Truth is, Orayth's asleep and I can't sleep and I felt like moving and so… here I am." Moving. Kind of? Distracted as she is, she hasn't spotted P'wyn lurking in the bowl as well. "What's got you out here too?" She asks Ed'ard with a curious look.
Ed'ard moves to pull his hat lower on his head as the wind continues. "Well, I have some dispatches for Sazey. So I'm hoping she's somewhere in her weyr, as she is not in any of the other parts of the weyr that I've looked. And Xaeth is so grumpy right now, Dnocesth won't even try to talk to her." A glance at Eodarin. "I'd make myself scarce around the senior if I were you. Not one, but two new juniors has her in a slightly perturbed state of mind." A pause as he notices the weyrlingmaster. "Not that you heard that from me, of course.
P'wyn is well aware of the other two but he doesn't seem too inclined to join them in the cutting wind. Instead he motions Ed'ard who's facing his direction over to the semi shelter of the brown's wing. "He's right you know." he addes good-naturedly. "It's bound to be a bit tense around here for a while." The weyrlingmaster winks at Ed, before continuing. "And here we just got over K'llian's mess and the visiting queens."
Eodarin frowns at Ed'ard and is about to say something brash, probably along the lines of how she isn't afraid of Sazey (lies). Those words remain silent however when she overhears P'wyn and then she'll spy the Weyrlingmaster, or at least Enolth. She looks between the two of them, puzzled but intrigued. "Wasn't planning on crossing her path…" she mutters. Not yet. It'll be unavoidable at some point, won't it? "… and do I want to know?" About K'llian's mess and the visiting queens — or will that come up in history class?
And along comes another weyrling, bundled against the cold and wind. Shailaja picks her way along, shoulders hunched and face all but buried in a scarf. She glances back from time to time with a slight knit to her brow, but she otherwise seems intent on just getting -out- for a bit. It's an odd thing, really; her movements speak of one conflicted between hastening back and soldiering forward. She slows when she spots others in the bowl, though she doesn't seem to recognize anyone immediately - even if she -should-.
Ed'ard looks about to answer before he shakes his head a bit. "Well, we all just try to cater to Sazey, life is much easier that way if you do. Besides, she does lead the weyr, so it's not like it isn't something that we shouldn't be doing." He inclines his head to P'wyn. "But, as just a wingrider, I am mostly out of the loop, except for the obvious things. P'wyn here can tell you what more you need to know in your lessons. Safer too, if I don't let my mouth run away with me."
P'wyn chuckles softly to that. Even after just a month, it's clear that his personality with Ed'ard is decidedly different from that presented in the classroom, so to speak. "So I have to be out watching the comings and goings of the children. What brings you out in this weather?" he asks of the bluerider. Eodarin's question is curiously unanswered. Time will tell if it's covered in lessons.
Eodarin will find another time to pry more out of either one of them, though knowing her, she'll try Ed'ard first before cornering P'wyn. Truthfully, she'll probably end up forgetting about it all once it's back to focusing on Orayth and training. "Doesn't seem fair," she grouses, careful to keep her muttering under her breath. She gives one final glance between both riders before looking away and out of habit back towards the barracks… only to spot another kindred spirit! No longer the lone weyrling, she'll lift a gloved hand and wave to Shailaja. Over here?
Shailaja might also seem ready to pack it in - so soon?! - until that gloved hand is waved and the owner of it is sussed out. Her grin is positively comical - and that's even with the scarf covering most of her face. She doesn't precisely jog over to Eodarin, but walks toward her with purpose and, of course, a laugh that might be good-natured and might be a little nervous, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong or something. "Hey, hey," is her muffled greeting, along with a wiggle of gloved fingers. Salutes follow for P'wyn and Ed'ard, along with another grin. To Eodarin: "Is she sleeping, too?"
Ed'ard shrugs his shoulders before glancing at P'wyn. "Well, haven't you learned by now, life isn't fair? I've been a poor teacher if not." He pauses. "Or, as usual, an absent one. But never mind that. Life isn't fair." A quick glance to both of the weyrlings. "If they aren't sleeping, what would you two be doing out here?" An aside back to brownrider. "Weyrlings these days. Always sneaking away from their dragons."
P'wyn snorts. He leans back against the brown's side as Enolth lowers his wing a little more. "It's been an interesting month to be sure. I think we'll do some shoveling exercises tomorrow." He seems serious enough but those who know him might recognize the twinkle in his eyes as he speaks. "I like how they always go on about fairness as well. Were it fair, there'd have been fewer bodies to ferry home after that last hatching."
Eodarin's frown returns, bordering on a scowl and this time it's directed at both Ed'ard and P'wyn. "I know that life isn't always fair. Was just saying it's not fair we have to tiptoe about." Part of her understands, really! The rest of her is just naive, slightly rebellious youth. There's a grimace for the mention of shovelling and she'll even go as far as to roll one shoulder. Ugh. Shailaja join in and she'll echo that grin. "Yeah. She always settles well after exercises. She's resting too?" There's a snort given to Ed'ard. "I'm not sneaking! Orayth wouldn't let me even if I tried if she were awake. She'd want to be out here too, which I don't mind but I came out here for… fresh air." Yeah right.
Shailaja is canny. Usually. There's a flash of real fear at the idea of shoveling exercises and she's quick to look away from both P'wyn and Ed'ard. The bluerider's not given a response, but she's probably just a little distracted. Her gaze flicks from the elder riders to her fellow weyrling, who earns a nod and a laughed, "Yeah, yeah. She gets so worn out, trying to do the exercises as well as all the others. She's just…" the artist trails off, leaving 'uncoordinated' unsaid for now. It's fairly obvious, though; of the weyrlings, Ruebalith is probably the most awkward of the lot. "Anyway. I needed the fresh air too, you know? I don't know if it's one of the dragons or one of the other weyrlings, but -someone- is a bit smelly." Her nose wrinkles a bit. "I can't be out long anyway, you know? She'll be waking up soon, I think."
Ed'ard mmhmms softly, before laughing. "Oh, they have so much to learn, about how difficult life can be." He glances slightly concerned at both weyrlings. "Just, try to avoid her for a bit. She always does calm down, but what she does in a temper. Well, that's why Shakti was visiting and suddenly Ista acquired a new junior." He glances at P'wyn before looking back and offers this. "But I don't think she usually comes around when the weyrlings are this young? You've probably more to fear from O'mohe wanting to see the news ones and size them up."
P'wyn's lips purse in thought. "If you two need more fresh air, I haven't been doing my job properly. I'll need to work on that." With this omenous statement, he turns his attention back to his contemporary..of sorts. "No, she'll likely avoid them as long as she can to be honest. And as for O'mohe, he's usually more interested in the bronzes at first. A 'knowing' look accompanies this statment. "We're good at deflecting him away. With luck, they'll be well grown and hopefully ready to handle the boys about the time he really gets forceful about it." Now he turns to the young ladies. "And you'll both be ready, hmm?" Though it's a question it sounds more like a statement.
"I don't plan on getting either of them on my back," Eodarin assures both riders again and for that she's being honest! She knows better than to push with the Weyrwoman or Weyrleader… though there may come a day. Turning back to her friend and fellow goldrider and weyrling, Eodarin beams. "She'll get the hang of it. They're still young, you know?" She snickers, eyes flickering with mischief. "Heh, I think I know who…" Wait, what? P'wyn's statement drags her attention back to him and she'll dart a look between the Weyrlingmaster and Ed'ard. Chin up, she'll nod and for all purposes and image appears confident. "Of course!" Does she mean herself or is this including Shailaja too?
Shailaja winces a little at the mention of Shakti and she scuffs a toe in the snow, as if that's far more interesting. Or safer. Definitely safer. She huffs out a plume of condensation and chews her lower lip for a little bit. There's a bit of a nod at Eodarin's reassurances, but the girl's smile - masked as it is - seems much more muted than before. "I hope so. She's just so… so bony, you know?" And that's despite how much the weyrling gold eats. She's a living stomach made of awkwardness. Her gaze lifts and slides to P'wyn again, while her mouth pulls the other direction. Eodarin is the confident one here; Shai's confident only in her -hope-. "I, oh. I hope so, sir." The rest of the conversation will just go over her head or past her; in either case, she seems to be hit with a fresh round of her earlier quasi-nervousness.
Ed'ard huffs out a sigh, before he nods once to everyone. "Well, I had best get these dispatches up to our fearless leader, before she does have my head. "I am certain I will see all of you around. And, Eo. Do take care of yourself." With that, the bluerider is striding off in towards the senior queen's weyr, with his best confident walk.
P'wyn's face softens for the nervous Shailaja. "Don't worry, Shailaja. I've not yet lost a weyrling dragon to lack of food. And they almost all out grow the clumsies. In fact, larger dragons seem to suffer from it more. They just grow too fast." But now Ed'ard is leaving so he offers a head nod. "Take care, Ed. Keep warm." To the weyrlings, he adds, "You two should probably be getting back soon. Your golds are going to wake any time now."
Eodarin casts a side glance to Shailaja when her confidence seems to wane and tries to give her a reassuring smile. She'll leave the rest to P'wyn, while she gives her farewell to Ed'ard with only the faintest of nose wrinkles for the nickname he uses on her. "You know I always do." she answers but smiles all the same. As for the recommendation that they head back, she'll cast a look over her shoulder and pause as if listening… It's almost as though Orayth received a cue. "Yeah, more like right now!" she mutters, already taking a few backwards steps as she hastily excuses herself. No one will mind if she just half-jogs back, right?
