Finding Klah & Order in the Mess

[Eisu]

D'tas stepped out onto the unfamiliar weyr ledge that he had claimed the night before. Dragons were already coming and going as the sun barely started to peek above the horizon. With dragons, riders and weyrfolk coming from every Weyr around Pern, it was only expected to be a mess.

A bronze head snaked out of the weyr's entrance to take in the movement of the Weyr. It seems the most traffic is headed toward the Hall. A pause and shift in the air let D'tas know the dragon was smelling the air around them as he lifted his gaze to follow another dragon arriving. I will stay here. I do not wish them to think MY ledge is available.

D'tas could not help to laugh as he patted his bronze's neck with a heavy thump. Just don't pick a fight until I get back. The rider knew his dragons temper, but with all of the traffic distracted in finding their places and orders at the newly opened Weyr he didn't think too many hand time to bother his dragon.

Making his way toward the WeyrHall, he had two objectives in mind. Finding a cup of Klah and finding the Gold from Fort Weyr to see if the wings had been assigned or if she knew what numbers we were expecting from each Weyr.

[Hrsegrl]

Quinn was speaking with the Headwoman just outside the Weyrhall. The other woman was speaking quickly about how it was hard to get anything done around here it was in such a state of dissarray. Despite the Headwoman's complaints, Quinn noted there was quite a lot getting done. "I wouldn't worry too much, seems to me like most of this is just the hustle and bustle of moving. Give it a few candlemarks and things will have calmed considerably. Now if you will excuse me..." Quinn smiled and turned away. She had come down here for a little snack and some klah when the Headwoman had caught up with her. Duty was not so bad until someone had to go and be pessimistic about everything.

Instead of waiting for a free drudge to bring her some klah, she snuck into the kitchens and asked the drudges where the freshest brew was. "Ahh, many thanks. I know its going to be a long day but tomorrow will be so much better." She poured herself a mug and then a few for the women in there, who still seemed a bit groggy. "I have to go back to my own duties, mind if I grab a roll on the way out?" The women shook their heads, smiling back at the amiable woman.

She was paying close attention to not spilling her klah which was very important. No one would thank her for spilling hot klah on them today. Quinn was almost out of the Hall when she nearly lost her mug. As she was exiting someone was coming in. She had all but walked into the tall man with an obvious dragonrider build.

"A thousand apologies sir, I was trying so hard not to spill my klah I think I may not have been watching the corners as I was going. Just glad I did not actually spill any. You see, I had to sneak into the kitchens for klah this fresh and it isn't eay to get away with that, when theres drudges gaurding it for those who are worthy, like other drudges." She grinned, like a Weyrbrat that had just stolen a bubbly pie.

[Eisu]

D'tas had barely seen the women round the corner in time to stop himself. Reaching out a hand to steady the hot Klah as the two came to a sudden stop, he couldn't help but consider helping himself to the Klah that was nearly spilled on him. Deciding that would probably be a bad way to start relations within the new Weyr, he let go of the mug once he was sure she was not going to dump it on him.

Listening to her apologize and give her explanation, he couldn't help but smile. He could tell already she was a good hearted individual, how couldn't she be with such a grin on her face? Giving her a short bark of a laugh, he patted her on her head before offering out his hand to shake.

"Ha! It's quite alright little lady, I was not sure where to begin for a cup of Klah in this mess, but you seem to be the perfect solution. My name's D'tas. Now you said that fine smelling Klah of yours was hiding away in the kitchen? Wonderful, I will begin there. Now perhaps you could also point me toward either the new Weyrwoman of Igen or toward the new Headwoman?"

Looking up and over her, he scanned the area, figuring he would spot two women together giving out order in the middle of the seemingly chaos.

[Hrsegrl]

Quinn was relieved the tall man was not angry. Tempers seemed to be short when people were under more stress than usual. She tried to keep herself from reacting negatively. People responded better to rewards for good than discipline for the bad. He introduced himself and immediately she thought she had heard the name mentioned before. "Yes but be sure your nice to the women back there, they've been working double time this morning. It is a pleasure to have met you D'tas."

Then she had to giggle. He was looking for her the person who nearly ran into him. She thought it amusing but wasn't sure of his own personality to know if he would too. "You are looking at her sir. I'm Aquinnsie of Gold Tarasaith but I insist everyone call me Quinn. Its what Tarasaith calls me." Quinn realized she must look a mess. Although her dress was a fine material a wealthy crafter's wife or the weyrmate of a Bronze or brownrider would be seen in something similar.

"I believe I've heard your name before, You are from High Reaches? They told me you'd be here early." She smiled, "The Headwoman is busy and a bit preoccupied with what may be going wrong. I'm headed to to the meeting room, if you'd like to join me. After you've had a chance to get some klah of course."

[Eisu]

"I will be sure to mind my manners." he said, giving her a wink. That wink was quickly reopened into a look of surprise that the woman before him was, in fact, the new Weyrwoman of Igen. Ah, I am very glad I did not take her Klah now. That would have been a worse start than I had even considered. Running a hand through his hair, he gave a softer laugh.

"Ah what luck I have today. Not only do I learn where the best Klah to be had is hiding, but I also find the Weyrwoman herself to be the one telling me." After her question of his origin, he nodded. "Yes, I'm from Delta Wing of High Reaches Weyr. I'll tell you what, the weather is quite different from back home. How are you and your gold fairing in this heat?"

At this point he made a face, "My bronze Toranth is already in love with the sun, I'm afraid. I hope he does not think he will be allowed to grow lazy in preference of sunning himself." I resent that. You know fair well I'm the best looking dragon in Pern. The sun should be allowed to enjoy my good looks as well. You are a mystery to me.

"I would love to join you, that seems like a wonderful place to start. Where is this meeting room so I can find you after I sniff out my Klah? Oh, and have you heard if any of the other bronzes have made it in yet?" He supposed the simplest answer would have been to ask his dragon, perched on his ledge as he was, but it offered him the chance at conversation with the new Weyrwoman. If things were to be run smoothly in the Weyr he needed to know more about this woman's character as well as the bronzers. He couldn't help but be pleased with the results thus far though.

[Hrsegrl]

She watched his reaction with interest. Quinn always liked to see what people were thinking from the expressions on their faces, still Bronzeriders were often harder to read than most. "Ah. Your Bronze is wise to take advantage of the sun on a day where the dragons have a day off of drills and Threadfall. Tarasaith has been out on her ledge since the sun came up this morning, I was hard pressed to get her off of it long enough to give her a good bath and oiling. She wanted to look her best on her first day as Senior Queen."

Quinn hoped the Bronzerider was used to talking with the Senior Queen where he was from. Speaking truthfully and openly was a good policy to have between the Bronzeriders and herself. "The weather is warmer than Fort but I'm originally from Southern Boll where it can be quite hot too. All the dragons I've encountered thus far love the heat. I'll expect you Wingleaders to keep them on their toes though." She grinned.

"I can wait for you and show you the way if you like or Tarasaith can send your Bronze the images. I confess I'm not great at giving directions in new places." Quinn preferred company to being alone most of the time anyway. In her experience, most Goldriders were quite the opposite of herself. She was laid back and fun loving, thinking of the positive more than the negative. The Goldriders she had encountered, especially Senior's were quiet, demanding and thought of the negative before they thought of the positive. Quinn felt her way of thinking would make Igen into a different Weyr.

[Eisu]

Oh! I should have asked for a bath and oiling too! We will do that today won't we? D'tas rolled his eyes at his dragon, realizing after the fact that it probably looked like he was rolling his eyes at the Goldrider. Realizing it might have been alright, he decided to add words to the motion. "Ah, the glory of vain dragons. My bronze is already complaining that he did not have the foresight to require a bath before Klah as well." Holding his hands up hopelessly, he shrugged.

D'tas took the moment to give the goldrider a longer look than he had while catching her Klah. She was average height for a woman, but of course that put her several inches shorter than himself. Full curves hinted not only womanhood but more than likely motherhood too. Brown hair cut shorter than seen on most women told him she was at least semi practical in these times. He couldn't help but find himself approving thus far.

"Oh yes, you can be sure we will keep them on their toes and wingtips." Looking across again to the kitchens where the Klah was said to be hiding, he patted her shoulder. "I'll take you up on the guide offer, give me just a moment to grab some Klah."

With that he made quick work of dodging his way across the Hall and slipping into the kitchen. Instantly there was a pause in the commotion before a cook let out a shriek and started waving her towel at him. "Out! Out! Out! I will not have riders stealing the bubblies before they are even out of the oven!" D'tas couldn't help but laugh, side stepping past the towel and grabbing the woman about the waist. Spinning her around in quick succession, he picked her up and planted her on her own counter, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Silence my dear, I'm not out for your bubblies, I simply want some fresh Klah." Before she could find her tongue and slide off the counter, he spun back around, grabbed a mug and filled it.

"Sharding Forsaken Dragonriders ---" D'tas did not hear the rest that the woman yelled at him, but he was pleased already with the aroma of the freshly brewed Klah. Sipping it, he knew that Quinn had in fact been telling the truth of the drudges kept the best for themselves. Well, he would be sure to become a frequent visitor to the kitchen ladies. Next time he'll have to come with flowers and repair the damage he did. Oh well, he would have time for it later.

Coming back to the queenrider, he smiled and held up his mug with a wink. "I am ready when you are mi'lady."

[Hrsegrl]

She nodded, understanding his predicament. "Sometimes I wonder if male dragons are more vain than they wish to let on. Its expected of Golds and greens to act that way but when a Bronze does people are often suprised. Although, as I tell Candidates, the personality of a dragon has little to do with the color of its hide." Quinn loved dragons above all else on Pern, even her own children. She could talk about them all day but seeing as he was in need of some klah she held her tongue till he had time to come back.

While waiting a greenrider came up to her and was speaking quickly and loudly until she told the woman to calm down and speak slowly. "I see. I suggest that you get a third, neutral party and have a contest. Winner gets the weyr, loser has to move. Perhaps a footrace or a swim? It would be better not to wear your dragons out." The greenrider nodded, but it wasn't what she had wanted to here. The Goldrider was not dumb enough to choose one person over another. That would get her into more trouble than she was willing to deal with today.

The greenrider was leaving when D'tas approached. With a sigh Quinn said, " People are already arguing over weyrs. If they would listen to their dragons they would be better off." She shook her head and then sipped some klah. "Alright then. Follow me." She was going to have a long day, she could feel that already. Thankfully the Headwoman was already doing enough worrying for the both of them. Quinn took a deep breath and kept herself relaxed. Stress was only going to make things worse.

"I hope that none of the riders are going to try to take the larger weyrs for the junior Golds and Bronzes. Then I'll have to get Tarasaith involved. She won't enjoy that at all." Quinn was headed in the direction of her own Weyr because the meeting room was not far from there. She turned left into the room then. "Here we are." She sat down at the head of the table, which she had claimed as her seat. "Now what is it you need to know?"

[Eisu]

Following the gold rider, D'tas watched the green rider leave in the other direction thoughtfully. Things seemed a disordered mess, but all would be straightened out soon enough. Facing forward once again, he found himself lead into a long room with a good sized table in the middle and more than a dozen chairs surrounding it. How empty would that table be in the coming months without the number of dragons a Weyr should be boasting for a large number of wings - not two…

The movement of the queen rider sitting down at the head of the table brought D'tas back from his reverie and he took the seat closest to her; not out of need or placement but simply to make the large room not feel so empty by simply focusing on the task at hand. Taking a good draw from his Klah, he let his hand rub the back of his neck as he brought the questions he meant to ask her to the front of his mind once again.

"I'm afraid the information I was given when assigned to Igen was lacking at best, though nonexistent seems a better term for it. I know that a gold rider, you, and three bronzes were to be sent. Beyond that I know nothing of the numbers we are to be expecting of each color or from which Weyr. I know nothing of the histories of these riders or of their skills. I was hoping there might at least be lists of what we can be expecting from each Weyr - or even better if those riders who were coming have already been sorted into rough wings."

"Things can be smoothed out in the coming months, but we need a rough outline now in order to start anywhere. I was hoping the council who decided on this adventure to revive Igen had shared more light with you on their plans."

D'tas was rather ashamed to admit his limited knowledge in the current order of the Weyr, but in order to remedy it he had to first admit the problem. He knew he would be more than capable to handle his wing as well as the Weyr, but information was still the strongest tool available and by the egg he needed something to work off of.

[Hrsegrl]

The Gold rider was not given all that much information herself. At least nothing too specific. "Well, I can't say I know all of the specifics. A few riders from each Weyr are being supplied. About fifty riders including myself. You will have a wing of twenty four. Each wing will have twelve greens, seven or eight blues, three browns and one or two bronzes. The wings will be even in the end. The other brownrider is coming as Weyrlingmaster. He has a lot of experience, I'm told, so that should be good."

He obviously thought she had not already thought of these things. Of course she had rough lists but they were not all here yet and a few of them may have been changed. "As the riders arrive, they will be seeking you out as their Wingleader. If you want a proper list that would be the way to do it. " She could not tell them the riders histories since she herself did not know. "I cannot say for certain who is coming but Tarasaith and I will make sure everyone goes to their proper wing. If you want to know about your riders you are going to have to talk with them. I was not permitted to know much at all about those who are coming. I did not even know which Bronzeriders were being sent."

She drank her klah quietly. Today was going to be more draining than she thought. "We are going to be flying Thread with Fort and Ista as of part of their Weyrs until our own numbers are revived. Also I have been informed of the numbers in the Lower Caverns and it is not good enough to run a Weyr. We are going to have to Search. That said, over the next couple weeks watch the dragons and see who might be a good Search dragon. I'm having a meeting on this next week with all the Leaders here and we will then come ot a decision about what has to be done in the immediate future about our low numbers."

Quinn was ready for anything he might say to this but she had already made up her mind on that subject. They would get more people by any means necessary. "The Headwoman has asked me to remind you that Igen traditions should not be ignored. I think it would be wise if we all learned them. The records room is open to you at any time of you want to read about the Weyr." She added. It was not her idea of fun but she was planning on doing just that this evening.

[Eisu]

D’tas nodded to what the gold rider was saying. He should have known hoping for a list of names would be too much to hope for, BUT at least he had an idea of the color make up and overall numbers. Twenty-four dragons was a bit small for a fighting wing, with the wings of the last past recorded to be thirty-two to thirty-six dragons strong. But with the populations of all the Weyrs on Pern so light, it was no surprise that they should be flying short. Even his wing back at High Reaches had only boasted twenty-eight.

Pulling out a cord of thin, lightweight rope, he made several knots in it as he continued to nod to her speaking. It was a form of quick note taking for numbers he had learned from his former Wingsecond that was very handy. A simple knot stood for one, a little more complex knot was five, another for ten and another for twenty-five. Finishing his notes, he joined her in sipping their Klah once more.

“I hope they will be giving us at least two sevendays if not three before flying thread with the other two Weyrs.” he said thoughtfully, more to himself than to the woman before him. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he focused his eyes on the goldrider again with a look of surprise as if he had forgotten completely that she was there. In truth it was more of a surprise that he had said that out loud.

“Sorry, I say that because it’s hard enough to fly with a Weyr – or in this case two different Weyrs – that regular practice with is not exactly possible on a regular basis let alone doing it with twenty-four wing members who do not know each other or each other’s flying style. Flying thread is not something that we can ‘wing’ so to speak.”

Letting out a sigh, he took another drink of Klah as he listened to the mention of low numbers in the Lower Caverns as well as the comment of Igen Tradtions. He didn’t really want to admit to the queen rider before him that he didn’t really give a wherry’s feather about Igen’s Traditions, only that the dragons fly true to form and the hatchlings are born healthy.

The low population of the lower caverns, however, peaked his interest. Putting his Klah down, he looked thoughtful once again. “With the Weyr currently only holding two wings it should not call for the normal numbers looked to for a Weyr to be sustained, but at the same time I can understand their concern, especially with all of the riders foreign to them.”

Pausing again, he refocused on the Weyrwoman. “How are the numbers of our herdbeasts as far as feed animals for the dragons? Once again we do not have as many as any of the other Weyrs, very few in fact, but it is still something to consider with your gold due to rise. With the mixing of blood from different Weyrs it will be hard to tell how large or small the clutch may be, though from the sounds of your queen it should do the Weyr proud.”

“If we have any lack of herdbeasts or fowls, let us look into searching Keroon first. I know they had a good year before threadfall. Perhaps they can afford to help the Weyr get off its feet again. Tithe trains don’t usually run till harvest season, but with the spring births coming in at the Beastcrafters Hall, they will probably be in good moods and more willing to offer a helping hand. I am not above offering payment in the form of good hard labor to see an early Tithe train from Keroon and the Hall there. In fact I would be willing to go down myself to ask such a favor if it is needed. Personnel should be easy to pick up in the process.”

[Hrsegrl]

Apparently the Wingleaders thought she would have no knowledge whatsoever about flying Thread. Quinn's life as a dragonrider might not be as involved with flying thread as theirs but she was not a dimglow about it either. She watched D'tas deal with the information she was giving him. It was a good way to get a feel for his personality which was part of her job too. "I would not have us fly thread any sooner myself. Indeed we have three sevendays to get the wings ready. We fly first with Ista. The exact day will be given us soon." She sipped her klah and thought to herself about the wings.

"You will have people in your wing from Ista who can help you understand how their wings fly and you have me, from Fort who can help you with Fort's style of flying. I think flying with both Weyrs will help Igen find her own style seperate from them without making too many uneccesary mistakes."

Of course the man avoided comment on anything that had to do with the people of the Lower Caverns. It was expected for her to care but the Wingleaders only had to care about the dragonriders and their dragons. "We have plenty of food stocks both for humans and dragons. Keep in mind that we have no Weyrling dragons at the moment and therefore go through much less as far as herdbeasts and wherries are concerned." Quinn was glad that that was settled. They were not short on supplies of any kind really. "Are you attending the Feast tomorrow?"