Liberty! [Row/open]

[Kisha-Ra]

O’dan heaved a huge sigh of relief as he made his way outside. He was free of that sharding, festering, baking hot, pox rotted torture chamber known as the kitchens. If he saw so much as one more dirty pot he was going to… well he couldn’t actually think of anything but whatever it was he was going to do would be very loud and possibly quite violent. Kitchen work wouldn’t be so bad if he had any kind of ability to cook but since any pot watched by O’dan would turn out burnt or otherwise inedible he got chopping, scrubbing, and sweeping. No wonder he was glad to escape.

Reaching ground level the greenrider found some shade and slumped down against a thick tree trunk with boneless grace, turning his head so that the early evening breeze ruffled through his hair, cooling him pleasantly. Hrrrm maybe he should do something about his hair, grow or cut? Cutting would probably be better, he’d ask Emerith later. Strange that she still hadn’t had a Flight yet, not that he’d have wanted her to mate during the recent chaos, but he examined her closely every day and there was no sign of a glow. Emerith had been good-natured at first however yesterday she’d pointedly told O’dan to mind his own business and hassle Troublemaker instead. What was the salamandyr getting up to anyway? Probably O’dan would have a pile of other people’s stuff to return when he got back to his weyr.

O’dan realised that his thoughts were wandering, and that he was probably obsessed with his dragon’s mating. He also felt Emerith’s silent annoyance at his thoughts and sent her an apologetic thought. He should forget it and worry about what Trouble was doing. Or something.

[Rowana]

G'tor hummed pleasantly to himself. It was good to be outside again. Ever since he had been declared healthy enough to work they had set him to working in the infirmary. It figures, just when he was free of the place he ended up stuck there anyway for much of the day. At least the pain in his stomach was subsiding and Ruskeath had stopped pestering him like a mother hen. Star, however, was still perched on his shoulder demanded food nearly every five minutes. She was still of the opinion that half the weyr owed their lives, and their food, to her.

"Seems I'm not the only one happy for a break," G'tor commented as he approached O'dan's tree. He searched his memory for the young rider's name. "O'dan, isn't it?" He settled down against a nearby tree, placing himself nearly opposite to the other man. "Mind if I join you for a bit?" He breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to be off his feet. He laid a hand on the injury on his belly as it throbbed briefly. Seemed like he was going to feel this one for a while yet.

[Kisha-Ra]

Someone humming made O’dan look up. He vaguely recognised the man, more by his white salamandyr than anything else. They were still pretty distinctive. He nodded at the comment. ‘I still haven’t decided what the sight of another dirty pot is going to do to me but I know it’s going to be bad.’ He joked and sat up a little straighter, trying to pay the right amount of attention to the wingsecond without actually moving too far.

‘Yes, it’s O’dan, and no, I don’t mind. I’m afraid I just can’t remember your name, I know it’s Ruskeath’s rider but…’ O’dan spread his hand in a helpless gesture, a slight flush creeping up his face. ‘I seem to have a better memory for dragons than humans.’ After admitting that O’dan looked around and cast for another subject. ‘What work did you end up with to make so happy to sit down then?’ He inquired idly. ‘Not that everything isn’t equally tiring at the moment but I really thought I’d seen the back of the kitchens when Emerith and I graduated.’

[Rowana]

G'tor shrugged dismissively. "Ruskeath is probably more memorable than me anyway," he admitted. "It's G'tor." Star poked her head out briefly to send O'dan her trademark picture of the night sky, followed by her usual demand for food. G'tor chuckled. "And this is Star. Don't mind her. I think she's gotten more bold since the attack." Star used to just hide in his shirt, but now she seemed to be more fearless, as if she expected everyone to give into her demands or flee in terror. G'tor hoped she would grow out of it soon. It was probably starting to annoy people.

G'tor leaned lazily against the tree. "Kitchen duty, eh?" he gave a sympathetic eye. "I remember those days." He sighed tiredly. "They've got me in the infirmary. As if I hadn't seen enough of that place already. Cleaning laundry, making beds, cutting bandages." He gave a small laugh. "I haven't done this kind of work in years. I'm surprised I remember how."

[Kisha-Ra]

O’dan rolled his eyes at Star and grinned. ‘Sorry Star, I don’t even want to think about food for a while.’ He laughed softy at the white salamandyr. ‘Well there’s an advantage or two I can spot right away to this little lady. She’s not always yelling in your ear, I know Troublemaker never shuts up, so that’s got to be an up side.’ He commented idly. ‘Although I did hear tell the whites can go between, if Trouble could do that I’d end up returning even more stuff that’s not mine.’ He added with a wince at the thought of Troublemaker merrily pilfering and vanishing between

O’dan shrugged carelessly. ‘Life is easier when people take care of all the cooking and cleaning for you, especially for me. I really can’t cook. Still I suppose it’s good our moral fibre to be doing chores again.’ O’dan’s face showed exactly what he thought of the good of his moral fibre. ‘I suppose it gets the place back in order quicker and gives us all something else to think about, I know I need diverting from thinking about Emerith’s Flight before she knocks me off the ledge one morning.’ O’dan groaned and smacked his head. This was what happened when you started talking with something on your mind, it just fell out of your mouth.

‘I didn’t mean to say that. Emerith’s probably not speaking to me any more. She thinks I should shut up and mind my own business but it’s hard because I’m worried about her. And I’m worried I have a full blown obsession now.’ In a moment of weakness everything O’dan was thinking emerged while he mentally kicked himself. Emmy would probably ask Trouble to bite him. Really hard. While he was sleeping.

[Rowana]

Star raised her frill at O'dan briefly. What a useless person! With a huff, she retreated into G'tor's shirt to sulk. G'tor chuckled. "She may not talk, but I'm not sure if I would call her quiet." He reached down to rub Star's head with a finger. "And I've lost count of the number of times she's betweened to the kitchens for a snack. I even had to fish her out of a bubbly pie once! I thought she would be purple for a month." He laughed at the memory. Star had been dyed a lovely shade of lilac for a few days.

"At least it's good to be something useful," he added thoughtfully. After the battle, he had felt woefully inadequate. He should have been able to do more. Doing laundry and cleaning up wasn't much, but at least it helped. If they didn't all pitch in, they were never going to get through this. G'tor was glad of the change of subject.

"Emerith's Rising, eh?" He raised an eye brow and his eyes twinkled knowingly. "First time? It must be nerve wracking." A green rising was a fair bit different from a brown choosing to chase, but at least O'dan could expect a little warning. Ruskeath hardly even showed specific interest in any one female, so it was hard to tell which ones he would chase. "I'm sure she's got everything under control," G'tor tried to assure him. "Dragons tend to know what they're doing with these things."

[Kisha-Ra]

O’dan’s mouth quirked into a smile at the white salamandyr retreating away to sulk, and he laughed at the image of her stained purple by berry juice. ‘Oh dear, I’m sure she looked lovely though.’ At least that was something Troublemaker didn’t do. The brown ‘mandyr hid more than he ever ate.

The greenrider looked down and blushed a little at the knowing look he was getting. See, he’s much smarter than you O’dan. He knows I can look after myself. Emerith’s snide comment was added right on cue. ‘She’s busy telling me how right you are now. Emerith’s well convinced she can look after herself. I am totally nerve wracked though, if I was a nailbiter I’d be down to the bone by now. I don’t know if I’m more worried that she hasn’t Flown yet or what’ll happen when she does.’ O’dan looked down at his hands again as if his fingers were a source of great interest. ‘I just hope I end up with someone… I don’t know, who won’t kick off about their dragon catching mine. I’m sure there are Flights like that but I only ever hear about the opposite.’ Indeed O’dan spent a great deal of time listening to J’on complain about all the time he was forced to spend with Ciara (or as J’on put it: the scariest woman on Pern) by virtue of their salamandyr’s being mates.

[Rowana]

G'tor gave a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it won't be all that bad." G'tor looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I can remember being a nervous wreck when Rusk first started chasing, but you get used to it. And at least your green will only rise every once in a while. Rusk could chase anyone, without warning. He even went after Millieth!" G'tor shook his head. That still surprised him. "I can't speak for others, but I know I wouldn't pressure anyone if my dragon caught theirs. It's more the dragon's choice than ours. Almost doesn't seem fair to us, does it?"