Tubers! {Weyrling Chores; OPEN}

[topaz]

C'vin sliced away at the hunk of meat in front of him, listening as the other two Weyrlings talked. He was at least halfway through the slab now and had set himself at a good pace. Maybe five more minutes and he would be done with his chores for the day. The thought made him feel giddy, which alerted Mallowth. Yes, hurry up now. Once you're done you can come out and sun with us! It'll be like a party. The blue dragons voice rang cheerily in his rider's mind, making C'vin smile. I'm going as fast as I can Mal. You don't want me to cut myself do you? No, but hurry up anyway.

Without lifting his eyes from his task, C'vin nodded at Ke'rin's last statement. "Yeah, I rather like it here. I don't think I'd do too well living in a Hold really. Here, there's just always something to do, and someone new to talk to." He shoved aside his latest made cubes and lobbed off another chunk from the slab to work on. "I would think I'd get board without so much activity around me. But I don't know, I've never been to a Hold, except maybe for a Gather. But those are always bustling with people just like a Weyr." He shrugged. "Maybe me and Mallowth will visit one once we can fly." I'd like that. C'vin smiled, sending loving feelings to his dear dragon, who replied with a mental croon.

- - -

Mallowth's hide was nearly dry now. The top of it anyway. Carefully rolling over, the blue turned onto his back, wriggled his way into a sun spot, and let the warm sun bake the rest of his hide. His eyes closed, and the end of his tail twitched back and forth, happily. Oh yes. Lovely things indeed. He replied lazily to Jaymith's comment. The blue hatchling's head curved around on the dock in Oquith's direction, upside down. Whirling blue eyes opened a fraction, and peered at the blurred green shape that was Oquith. Mallowth's happiness rumbled deep in his chest, like a feline's purr. He then cocked his head slightly to look at Jaymith and Lamb, waiting for the pair to come sit with them and sun.

You should get me one of those little cousins Mine. They are so tiny and cute. He crooned to His as the blue's gaze swept over sweet little Lamb. Oh yeah? Yes. I want one of my own. You know they bond to humans right? Not dragons? The Weyrling teased. Yes, but it will like me more. Like Lamb here likes her brother Jaymith. She is so sweet. He crooned affectionately to His. C'vin chuckled softly. Well I'll try my best Mal. It isn't like everyone can just have one of them. I have to find the clutch of a female somewhere in the Weyr, and be there when they Hatch. Well make sure you do that. The blue said matter-of-factly, as if it was an easy thing to accomplish. C'vin rolled his eyes. Alright Mal.

[Avu]

Oh, little ones were simply amusing. Had she been like this when she was newly Hatched, too? Like the bronze, so pleased by looking good and being well-oiled? Or like the little blue, rolling over - ? No, she decided, after taking a quick peek through Hers' memories; he had yet to learn how to adequately block her out, and while Oquith respected the rules and took care not to accidentally violate them by looking into things that had occured to Hers - though he had told her about them - she was pleased by the openness, the ease, between them. The young green crooned softly in response to Jaymith's comment on his hide, amused and pleased that he was happy with His. So many Bondeds did not pamper their dragons as they ought - at least, there was a devastatingly small number of dragons in the river and the ocean whenever Tr'esn took Oquith to get her bath just after high noon.

It is good that Yours takes care of your hide. He does a lovely job, she informed Jaymith solemnly, tilting her head slightly to admire the glowing bronze hatchling's hide. Oquith was, frankly, too kind not to pay a compliment to anybody looking for it, and besides, it was true - and surely the little bronze's ego could be inflated? So many of the older bronzes were said to have legendary egos; this little one had to match them, didn't he? Yes, yes of course he did. She glanced at the little fire lizard, crooning softly at the green as well. And he oils you as well, little sister? You look beautiful, too. Such a brilliant green color, and small for her species, just like Oquith was! (It amused and slightly embarrassed her that the bronze was so large; while she was larger than he now, undoubtedly she would have been dwarfed by him had they been the same age.)

What was this? Droughts, lovely? Oquith warbled her amusement at both Jaymith's comment and Mallowth's agreement. She'd said the same thing, had she not? Such a short time ago! And Hers had done a lovely job explaining it, too. She spread her wings slightly to catch the sun, answering both the upside-down blue and the bronze, Oh, yes, I think so, too, but Tr'esnmine says that it means no rain, and we need the rain for water for the river. The ocean is undrinkable, he says; have you seen it? It's beautiful, but the water is rough sometimes and it's extremely salty. She huffed softly to emphasize the dislike of the salty water. But it's very nice to play in, and there are sometimes fish there - little fish.

~*~*~

Tr'esn was happy to simply listen to the other boys' conversation for a while, concentrating on cubing the wherry carefully. It was much more difficult cutting through the meat than it had been slicing through tubers, and Tr'esn was, despite his comfort in the kitchens, looking forward to the midday break. Indeed, his mind had already stretched on, forward, wondering exactly what they'd be doing in Weyrling lessons. The run, as always - and Tr'esn accompanied this thought with a slight grimace at the meat - and what else? Recently they'd made flight straps, and practiced mounting; did that mean they'd be flying soon? Actually flying? A slight thrill of pleasure slid through the small Greenweyrling, and a faint smile curled his lip at the thought. It was a lovely image indeed that was going through his mind - of him, on Oquith, the both of them utterly free and boundless, Pern falling away behind them, and with the ground dropping, fear, shyness, hesitation, all falling away as well.

As he guiltily focused on the conversation between Ke'rin and C'vin, Tr'esn realized with a slight smile that the Blueweyrling was looking forward to flying, too. In a flash of gloom, he thought - Optimistic.... Optimistic - yes, the boy truly was. The war, the uncertainty and the terror, and yet so confidently he could pronounce his intentions to fly to a Hold to look around? Sate a curiosity? Some small part of him envied C'vin for such ease of thought. He already knew there was absolutely no way he could be so sure, so confident. I will protect you. You are Mine and I am Yours, and I won't let anybody hurt you, Oquith vowed softly, lovingly, and Tr'esn responded with a wave of affection. I love you too, Qui.

Holds, however - it was his area of expertise, Tr'esn having grown up as a Drudge in Lighttower, and then being Searched at a Blossom Hold Gather. "It kind of depends," he stated softly to C'vin, "How nice it is, at Holds...Lighttower, where I come from - it's - it's pretty dreary there. Not somewhere that welcomes dragonriders...actually, I'm pretty sure dragons aren't even allowed there." He grimaced slightly. "Meanwhile, Blossom Hold's always great...people always seem so cheerful there, and what with their dolphins and all, I don't know if it's quite possible to hate Blossom. Lighttower, though - it's pretty easy to hate Lighttower." It twinged at his guilt slightly to so easily insult his old Hold, but the instant of his Search, the loyalties had fallen away, and at his Impression, new bonds had formed. Lighttower was his home no longer.

[nightingale]

Jaymith soaked up the green dragon’s admiration like a plant growing in parched desert soil. Weather or not she was just humoring him never even crossed the little bronze’s mind. He knew that he was very handsome after all -how could anyone disagree when he was so strong, deeply-coloured and glowing? Lamb, being immune to her brother's self-assurance, trilled bashfully, a swirl of indigo passing through her eyes in what might have been a blush. Oh, such a very kind green dragon Oquith was...Oh, and of course she was very pretty as well! The little green warbled her sincerity. Yes, such a pretty face and well-groomed hide. Hers must take a very long time oiling her, longer even than Jaymith because she was so very large!

Waddling over to his blue clutchbrother, the little bronze flopped himself down onto the sandy earth and groaned placidly, drawing a surprised chirp from his green passenger as she was nearly jostled from her perch. The river does not need any rain pretty Oquith. He crooned with good-natured laziness, fanning his wings out to gather as much of the sun as possible. River water doesn’t come from rain -it comes from mountains! That’s what Ke'rin-mine says. It starts in the mountains and ends at the ocean and that's why it moves. I think that rain is just for the in-between places.

Lamb warbled softly, draping her delicate frame across the dragonet's face as she settled down to sun herself. It was so nice and warm by the river. Mmmm...oh very nice...bronze Jaymith did not mind her sitting on top of him? A small, dismissive groan informed her that he did not, and so the tiny green chirped contentedly, shut her eyes and let the heat wash over her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ke'rin wasn't entirely sure how to respond to his fellow weyrlings' dismissal of hold life as boring and dreary. All angles and trials considered, he had never thought that his life back at Selenitas Hold had been anything short of pleasant. Then again, he'd been rather lucky -he had a loving family, steady work and no real problems save for getting himself married before he gew old...well, perhaps it had been a tad dull and predictable at times, but then again, he hadn't know back then what a thrill it was to impress a fighting dragon. His standards for excitement were significantly higher now.
For a moment, he focused his attention on not mutilating another turnip.

"I've never been to Lighttower Hold."

He commented with a measured amount of absent politeness, shoving chopped vegetable to one side of his work area.

"I've visited Blossom a few times -my family and I used to sell clothes and blankets there at gathers. It seemed quite nice...I suppose your Oquith is right though Tr'esn. We're dragonmen now, so it dosen't really matter where we've come from."

[topaz]

((Sorry for such a long wait guys! I kind of died for a little while. >.<'))

Oh yes! Fishes! I love the fishes! Mallowth announced happily, ignoring the more mature part of the conversation. Weather and water levels were trivial things to the playful blue, especially when there were much more exciting topics being passed over. Like the fishes! The silvery little slivers had always managed to elude the young dragon during his baths with C'vin; said baths were quite a workout for the human Weyrling, having to dart about after his frolicking blue all around the shallows. Realizing that there were probably fish just under him in the river water, Mallowth hastily flipped himself over and hung his head off the edge of the dock. Peering into the clear water, the keen eyed dragon quickly spotted a school of tiny, long, yellowish fish. See, I found some! He dropped a paw into the water in a feeble attempt to snare a fish, but the little creatures were far too fast and agile for the comparatively massive hatchling claws. They don't seem to like me very much. I can never get close enough to grab one of them. Skittish itty bitty things, these fishes. He said, snorting his frustration and making even more ripples.

- - -

C'vin listened closely to both boys about their experiences in Holds. Lighttower Hold, C'vin and Mallowth would probably not visit, he decided. He did however remember Blossom Hold's Gathers. He had only been to one or two of them, and only when he was very young, but what he could piece together were strictly happy memories.

C'vin smiled and nodded affirmatively at Ke'rin's last statement, repeating Tr'esn's Oquith. "Exactly. We should all remember where we came from, especially if you have family there, but there's no need to divide Holdfolk and Weyrfolk." The Weyrling said matter-of-factly, as he continued slicing the meat in front of him. He realized he was soon on his last piece, and after speeding happily through the final motions, he collected his work and shoved it into a nearby bucket on the floor. "All done." He murmured, wiping his brow as if sitting on his rump and slicing food was exhausting work. With a slight smirk, C'vin shuffled by Ke'rin and peered around the corner into the next section of the kitchen. "Put it all in the pots now ma?" He asked curiously into the din of bustling drudges and folk. A muffled 'uh huh' was his reply, and the Weyrling returned to his station and took up the bucket of meat bits. Hauling it over to a large, heating cauldron on the opposite side of the room, C'vin gave a huff as he pulled the heavy bucket up swiftly to his chest, and slowly dumped it's contents into the boiling broth. Setting the bucket back down at his station, he took up his basket of sliced tubers this time, and repeated the dumping process.

Seeing that Tr'esn had all of this tuber slices already in the basket again, C'vin took that one next and poured them into the increasingly delicious smelling concoction. He sighed, satisfied and returned to his fellow Weyrlings again. "You guys can do the same when you're finished with that stuff. I'd hate to ask if they've got more for us to do, so I'll just help you guys finish up." He said with a smile. Sitting down at his table he took a half a dozen of turnips from Ke'rin's pile and began slicing them quickly. "You seem to be nearly done Tr'esn. Once these turnips are finished we could probably sneak out of here before they find us more work to do." He said with a grin as he glanced at the Greenweyrling's remaining hunk of, what looked to be, wherry meat.