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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 15, 2009 23:14:55 GMT -5
Yimian had wandered down to the dining cavern just after sunset.
She wasn't all that hungry, after a day spent on paperwork and surveying. However, being a foster-mother meant that skipping meals became somewhat chancy. Micidry was with her, tonight, after "their" afternoon nap. T'mil had had duties that took him out of the Weyr for a bit.
She carried her foster-daughter, when the toddler became tired,cradling Micidry against her shoulder. The little girl closed her dark eyes trustingly, and dozed off.
It had been a long day for them both. Yimian had been doing an unofficial exploration of the caves that would form the new Weyr's sites. The infirmary would need to be close enough to the Bowl, to allow injured riders or dragons to reach it, even if they couldn't fly. Ground level would be preferable, she'd noted.
She'd jotted down a few ideas or questions to ask the Weyrwoman, that among them.
The rest of the day had been spent on the outdoors, cataloguing the local plant life. Numbweed, redwort, and a number of other useful plants were present. So were some species she didn't recognize at all. She'd have to try to take samples and examine them more closely, in the event any were poisonous. But that was for tomorrow.
She found an empty table and sat. One of the drudges brought her over a plate. Yimian gave him a brilliant smile. The smell of klah and hot food was making her stomach rumble.
Micidry lifted her head, giggling. "Momma's loud."
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Post by Luna on Jul 16, 2009 11:15:11 GMT -5
Luna walked into the lower caverns, her hand just barely covering a huge yawn. She'd finally gotten around to some paperwork and had ended up falling asleep after. When she woke up, her stomach was growling and she found it to be mid afternoon of the next day. It'd be a few more hours, practically sun down, before she would make it to the kitchens. That's what she got for staying up so late. Making a better routine for getting daily chores done was definitely on her list of things to do. Speaking of things to do she spotted her new Weyr Healer already.
After finding some food and asking a drudge for some klah she made her way over to the woman. "Hello, I'm Luna. Mind if I sit with you two?" She gave a soft smile to the girl, even though the kid's back was turned. She wasn't sure if it was because of Raineth's clutch or the fact that she actually noticed the children, but they were cuter nowadays. It was hard to focus on one kid when you saw dozens of weyrbrats within minutes of each other.
I'd say it's because you want hatchlings of your own.
That's nonsense, I have a Weyr to take care of and even if I did get a hat...kid I would have to let it be fostered. It's what dragon riders do
Not all dragon riders. That one you saw earlier doesn't look like she'll let her hatchling go anytime soon even if she does Impress.
Luna let it go. She was arguing more about why she shouldn't get a child rather than that she didn't. She just felt this way from Raineth dealing with her clutch she decided. She'd get enough motherly satisfaction from watching the little dragonets make their way to their bonded. With a healer to watch over the Hatching, it'd make things even better. Luna knew how to patch things up, but this woman would be trained and would help assure Luna that if a mauling happened, things would be fine.
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 16, 2009 20:41:27 GMT -5
She laughed softly at Micidry's comment. "Not the only one, I think," she teased gently. She glanced at the plate. There was milk, and some soft cereal, as well as vegetables and meat.
The whole got an approving nod from her.
Glimpsing someone out of the corner of her eye, Yimian turned her head. She offered a warm smile to the Weyrwoman.
Luna's demeanor suggested that it had been a long day for the Weyr's leader, as well.
"Of course, please do," she replied. Micidry looked around, hearing voices, and waved enthusiastically. "'Lo," she greeted the newcomer. She slipped off Yimian's lap, sitting on the bench next to her. She had a resemblance to her foster-mother, similar coloring, though her eyes were a soft brown instead of the green that was Yimian's.
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Post by Luna on Jul 17, 2009 16:24:36 GMT -5
Luna sat down with a sigh. "Hello," she smiled to the toddler, "And what's your name?" She was fairly sure she knew Yimian's name but didn't remember the toddler's, that or the Weyr that transferred her didn't think her important enough to name in the papers. She thanked a drudge as the woman brought her a fresh cup from the kitchens and then returned to work. Considering the late hour most of the tables were being cleaned up, but a few were always left available to those who worked late night. Just like the pot that was always left simmering with a broth, soup, or sort of potluck at all times of the day for those who couldn't make the normal meal times.
Finding the klah a little too hot she focussed on her meal. After a few candlemarks, enough to take the edge off her hunger, she glanced at Yimian, "So, how are you finding things here?"
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 19, 2009 15:54:04 GMT -5
"I'm Micidry." The little girl pointed to Yimian. "That's Momma."
She beamed at Luna, holding out a hand across the table, in imitation of adults.
Yimian chuckled. "Micidry is my fosterling, my brother T'mil's firstborn," she explained, smiling tenderly down at her. She poured out a small cup for the girl, before taking anything for herself.
She regarded the few others in the cavern with them, assessing
thoughtfully. While she was technically off duty, the fact was that some habits became ingrained. She almost always kept an eye on
people in her general vicinity.
"Very different," she answered quietly. "The others here are in good spirits, hopeful. I haven't had any major problems brought to my attention so far. And you?"
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Post by Luna on Jul 20, 2009 22:32:00 GMT -5
Luna smiled at Micidry and solemnly shook her hand like a proper adult. "Nice to meet you, Micidry." Finding the klah less than piping hot now she took a sip while glancing over the mug rim, listening to Yimian. "I think things are going well, but occasionally a person can make themselves see only what they want to see. I badly want to see this Weyr filled with healthy dragons and their riders." She, too, glanced around at the people in the cavern. While the healer looked for any potential health problems, Luna looked for bustling activity of an active Weyr. Of the people yet to come.
She let out a soft sigh before returning her mind and eyes to Yimian, "How exactly is it different? In a good way I hope?" Luna popped a small fruit into her mouth, a good thing about being based in the South, always a good supply of fresh fruit. Now if she could have picked a spot a little less hot it would have been perfect. Although it was either stick with the heat throughout the Turn or suffer through the cold seasons.
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 20, 2009 23:22:57 GMT -5
Micidry giggled. "T'ank you. You too." She subsided into quiet as Yimian motioned to her plate,
distracting her. Given half a chance, the child was a talkative handful, and Yimian wanted her to settle down, not get wound up again. They were all in need of some rest.
Yimian paused, to answer that question, wording it more deliberately. "Good, certainly. Less..." she searched for the right phrasing. "Benden had been overcrowded. More than that,
I think they needed the new Weyrs badly, and not only to ease overpopulation. Dragons or humans don't thrive in static, unchanging ways of life, or places. It weakens them over time.
The environment, too. I think we'll all have some adapting to do." She ran a hand through her
short, dark hair, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead.
Taking a sip of the hot drink, she set it aside, pondering Luna's remarks. "I'd be more concerned about your 'seeing only what you want to see' if you never considered the possibility," she said casually. "Everyone does that sometime. If I may ask, how does Raineth feel about the new Weyr? Do you think she and the other dragons will be at ease here?"
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Post by Luna on Jul 22, 2009 22:19:30 GMT -5
Luna gave a smile at the mention of Raineth, "She loves it here. She and I looked through many acres of land before finding this spot. Believe me, if she didn't think this spot was a good one, we wouldn't be here." She chuckled at the thought. "In fact, she was rather set on this location. I have to admit it's nice here. It's a little trek from other people, though, with a dragon that's hardly a problem. I just wonder how the Holds will grow, I've only found a few very small ones nearby, although they are grateful for me being here. Even without Thread dragons are useful. I'm sure we'll work out some sort of arrangement so everyone .."
She glanced up at Yimian, "I'm sure you didn't want to hear all that. I get to rambling sometimes, I'm sorry." Slightly embarrassed to have spoke so much she focused on her plate for a little while, enjoying the warm air. While almost unbearably hot during the day, the night turned into a pleasant warmth that slowly soaked into your bones and left you feeling a little sleepy and oddly refreshed. Oh yes, she was sure she'd picked the right spot. She quirked a grin to Yimian, "At least I know one thing. Those dragons will have no problems getting their sunning done.
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 22, 2009 23:11:17 GMT -5
"Count me in for being very glad that Thread isn't falling now," Yimian replied, shivering. She'd read old Records about what the
Passes were like. Heroic stories were all very well, but Threadfall from the point of view of those who had to tend survivors? That tended to put a different slant on the matter; especially when one's closest family were weyrbred or dragonriders.
She took a few bites of food, determined to get her own attention off that particular subject.
She hugged Micidry, one-armed, around the shoulders, then relaxed and made herself smile. "If the Holders need transport north, the riders here definitely have an advantage. Or if any of them want to explore the unclaimed regions." Small Holds wouldn't necessarily remain so, after all.
"Which reminds me that I meant to discuss doing a field survey of our own with you," she added, slightly more formal. "Check what's growing nearby other than numbweed and redwort...Our stores are well enough stocked now, but it's always good to have extra within reach. Or to know where to go for it. "
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Post by Luna on Jul 24, 2009 9:27:56 GMT -5
Luna nodded, "That'd make sense. I wouldn't mind getting a clearer idea of whats back there either. We should probably take another pair of riders too. It wouldn't only speed it up, but someone other than me or you would know where they were so if we we're both busy you could still get what you need."
"Just decide on the day and I'll send out a summons to the riders. It'd be best to do it in the morning before the heat of the day really sets in." She looked at her plate, idly moving the food around on her plate, "Just don't go too far from any of us, alright? We're in the Southern Continent now and you're a very important person and I'd hate to lose you to some wild feline or something." It felt odd telling someone older than her that, but she really couldn't afford to lose her only Weyrhealer. What would she do down her without someone to watch for fevers, or fix burns/cuts? She looked the woman over, judging her slightly, the woman seemed collected and in her profession, making rash decisions meant death so she doubted the woman would be prone to run off. But assumptions sometimes ended up making others pay the price.
She sighed, "Back to other things. I would like you to take on an extra duty." She leaned back and tucked her hair behind her ears, "Most of us come from the Northern continent and it's really tame when you compare it to here. So in the effort to decrease your patients I would love it if you'd agree to teach a short class about the poisonous plant life, safety precautions and the like. I'm just the WW, I make rules all the time, but you're the healer. People tend to listen to a healer, at least the ones still alive do." She chuckled a little bit. "After you advise those already here, it'd just be a matter of adding it on to the Candidate classes we have going."
(( I'll leave it to you to set up the exploration thread for plants. And if Yimian accepts the extra job it can be a sort of thing she does behind the scenes, you don't really have to write it up unless you like. I imagine it'd be hard as you don't really have a bunch of plants to show off. ))
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 24, 2009 15:59:04 GMT -5
Yimian smiled wryly in acknowledgment. "True enough. I'd thought of seeing if any of the weyrfolk or Candidates we have, might want to apprentice with me, also, if any of them seem suitable. But everyone should know the basics." She paused at "everyone," giving Luna a pointed look, her smile undiminished. "I'll get that set up tomorrow, then--class schedule, I mean," she clarified. "I'd thought within the next sevenday or so, get it out of the way before the Hatching, for surveying work. "
The "just the Weyrwoman" remark gave her pause for a second. She considered, but decided against a direct response. It wasn't easy to assume a leadership position unexpectedly. That Luna might be feeling overwhelmed wasn't surprising. Still, Luna was young, but she already had taken the initiative,both in founding the Weyr,and thinking of what her people needed. Yimian had met high-ranking riders who had long since settled into positions, making no extra effort beyond the minimum. Some were only a few turns older than Luna was at present.
Experience would help. So would backing up her decisions, and more effective than chatter, she suspected. Particularly out here, and in the middle of dinner.
"How are you, yourself, feeling?" she inquired, casually, as she took a bite of her food.
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Post by Luna on Jul 29, 2009 22:58:59 GMT -5
Luna nodded, "I'll be sure to look through transfers and see if anyone lists an interest in healing. After all, one person can only do so much. I can't have you over worked." Luna was completely unaware of the irony of her being the one saying something like that, but we'll chalk that up to her being smart.
"Me?" She looked slightly taken aback about the question. Most asked how she and Raineth were doing. No one ever asked how Luna the person was. It was a little odd to hear after two years of not thinking about it. She was Luna of Gold Raineth. "Ummm," she grappled for a moment to find an answer. Being the blunt person she was, it didn't occur to her to lie to the other woman. "Fine, I guess. Raineth says the clutch is doing well. Candidates are pouring in and riders are appearing." She frowned noticing that wasn't really what the woman had asked, but shrugged it off. Right now Luna was just an extension of the Weyr so it was hard to think of the true answer. "I'm dedicated myself to the Weyr. It feels good to watch it grow, I'm happy." She smiled at Yimian, "That's all you can ask for, really."
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Post by yankeegeek on Jul 30, 2009 7:55:04 GMT -5
"I'd appreciate that," Yimian said, meaning every word of it. "Despite what some people believe, Healers have actually never learned how to be in more than two places at once.
And it's rather expected of me to teach, that's one of the responsibilities inherent in Master-rank. Not that I wouldn't anyway," she added. The teaching and occasional research were aspects of her job that she took satisfaction in, too.
She ate a few more bites, listening quietly to Luna's answer. While it might technically not be what she'd asked, she trusted the woman to let her know if there was anything that truly needed a Healer's attention. Morale was of importance, too. She
smiled. "Good to hear, and you're right."
Micidry had dozed off. Yimian set down her fork, reaching to stroke the child's hair.
"Luna, excuse me," she said in a low voice. "I think I'd better take her up to our weyr."
One of the drudges, seeing them, came over and offered politely to put Yimian's meal in a basket for her to take with her. The offer was accepted gratefully, and with every bit as much politeness as she would have shown someone of higher rank.
She'd done her share of kitchen chores as a weyrbrat; she knew just how much work the Lower Caverns folk did.
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