Looming Dragons (Sand Duties Explained)!

Galleries
The Galleries consist of a multitude of rows, cut into the rock of this vast cavern. The heat here is stiffling any time of year, but the breeze coming in through the open roof high above makes it bareable. Sheltered from the coast's weather, this cavern looks out into it but rarely experiances any of it. Stairs lead down to the Commons Cavern, from one side, while at the back of the galleries there is a passage way leading out to the treetop dwellings. Far to the other side of the galleries are several stairs leading up to the multitude of ledges where the dragons and riders view the hatching.
The cavern has gained the added illumination of daylight, filtering down from above, but from this angle, the majority of the light still comes from the multitude of papercovered electric lanterns that cast their cheerful warm colors on the galleries and the rest of the cavern. Springtime has arrived on Eastern Weyr, the flowers budding with wild abandon and all about new growth of the jungle seems to be the theme both in the animal and plant kingdoms.


A tender spring sky with a drift of white clouds can be just glimpsed through the top of the cavern. It is relatively dark here, chirascuro shadows dimming the galleries where the light from the few glow baskets doesn't reach. A lone candidate sits in the shadows. Despite the nearly high dry heat she sits with her arms around her knees tucked up to her chin, her green linen skirt wrapped around her neat ankles. Lone, though, is a misnomer, Merida stays with her almost constantly these days, her green head is inserted into the woman's freshly washed hair that springs in auburn curls around her contemplative face. The candidate keenly watches the queen and her mate who seem content with her presence as she waits for the Weyr Leader to instruct her in the delicate care of the pair.

Some people hate being stuck on the sands - Oh, it is so restrictive. Oh its so hot. Oh its so boring - but after turns, it seems that perhaps S'u relishes the escape from the office that it may provide. While it isn't Tzettenvonth and Isanath on the Sands, the clutch papers still have their own duties to attend to, and so it is the Weyrleader that is wandering into the galleries, pausing as his eyes adjust, before moving to a lower row near the railing to the sands, casually motioning the figure further up to meander down.

The sands is where all the action is. Well. What all the chatter is about and where a good amount of attention is being paid. Roriandor has taken a bit of his freetime to slip into the galleries and peer down into the sands as well. Not too many eggs. But hopefully enough. His own firelizard is perched upon shoulder, with forepaws upon his head to get a better view down into the sands as well. Oh. Cinnitha. What does he get to watch today?

The candidate had been waiting and rises immediately to clamber down the tall seats carved into the rock, skirt pooling on each tier as she makes the long step. "Good morning, sir," she wishes him as Merida chirps her greeting. "How do they seem to you?"

She raises her eyebrows and looks in Roriandor's direction acknowledging his presence, and then makes a little motion with her fingers inviting him to join them.

Leaning lightly on the railing, hands on either side, S'u spares a glance over his shoulder at the eight eggs upon the sands, before glancing back at Cinn with an easy smile. "I think they'll be fine. And as far as I know, I haven't heard any report of candidates fleeing the sands in terror, so probably better than some of the other clutches." Is that a joke? Who knows. Either way, the weyrleader is following Cinn's lead, a little nod of his head encouraging the other candidate to join them as well.

"I wasn't paying attention to the other candidates during our first Touching but once or twice I thought I heard some definite no's echoing over the sands. Can't be sure though." She joins him at the rails, hands lightly grasping it as she stands erectly looking down into the sands. "It is such a fretful time for the parents," she observes softly.

Well. An egg or two down there had shaken Roriandor enough to contemplate it. Maybe he is made of sterner stuff. He'll move from his position over the railing to head over to where the two of them are gathering to discuss. "There was an evocative bit of imagery here or there…But nothing too bad yet." A dip of his head for Cinnitha when he gets to the grouping. "Nothing too worrisome then?"

"A few turns back, we had a candidate from Xanadu transfer to stand for Isanath's eggs - I thought we would never get her on the Sands, she was so.. unnerved." S'u elaborates a bit, before shaking his head. "They -are- half Fuerioth, though, and I am not sure there is a bronze on Pern that can completely temper that. But even then, nothing worrisome." A soft chuckle and he lets the candidates contemplate the eggs for a moment, before asking. "Have either of you had sands duty, yet?"
"No, sir. This will be my first." the healer candidate responds then takes a more careful look at Fuerioth.

"I have not, sir. I do believe it is coming up very soon." Roriandor slips his hands behind his back to clasp lightly. "I have been doing the more common chores. And exercising."

Fingers tap idly on the railing, and he motions for them to settle in, giving them a moment before beginning. "Right, I am sure you will both be glad to know that it is pretty simple, and you don't actually need to get too close to Fuerioth, or Elenth, though the former is probably the one more likely to cause issues." A pause to orient himself, and he continues. "Generally, you can find the clutch parents here, but sometimes they'll be on the platform, but you can sneak around there from the corner." A hand absently waves in that direction.

Meanwhile, it seems that a name is a summons, because there is a bit of movement on the sands - or was there?

Exercising gets a sideways glance at Roriandor from Cinnitha but she doesn't comment, storing that question away for barracks time. Merida tells me that she will stay here in the gallery while we work; her hand reaches to touch the little green, murmuring, "Thank you."

Her gray eyes widen slightly at S'u's assessment of Fuerioth's temperament. "I will be as cautious as I can of her." She tilts her head to the side, mouth pressed into a thoughtful line as she contemplates the Queen, "She is wildly beautiful."

A sideways glance earns a quick wink from Roriandor, he is on it today. That lovelorn blue upon his shoulder croons quietly towards Merida, which just earns him a shushing fingertip from Rori. "I will follow Cinnitha's lead."

"It is really simple - while on sands duty, you'll be the legs for the clutch parents - Running errands, picking up messages and delivering them, making sure there is always at least water for them - unless there is something else they need. We expect you to remain here.." And S'u motions to the galleries, "While you are waiting - you might have hours without doing anything, but some days you may be particularly busy, it just.. depends." S'u shrugs a little, frowning to himself as he contemplates what else to add.

Elenth, though.. Suddenly he is there behind S'u, looming and dropping his head down to stare more closely at the trio - and rather interrupting the view of the eggs and the sands.

Other Riders have commented on Cinnitha's ease around the dragons, certainly the great bronze, Aedeluth, that had approved her had made her feel easy and welcome around him. She takes a step backwards when Elenth's head appeared near them but something in the dragon's eyes helps her recover and she dips her head to the bronze in greeting. "So there will be two of us on duty, sir?"

"A runner basically." Roriandor is quick to nod his understanding of that sort of duty. Occupy yourself until they occupy your time. A dipped shoulder towards Elenth at his arrival. "I can't imagine a duty being this close to the eggs to be boring." His blue leaps at Cinnitha's step away, to land on her opposite shoulder to croon more towards Merida.

Is he being watched? S'u turns slowly to peer at the looming bronze, sighing softly and waving a hand. "Hey, enough." He mutters, leaning on the railing to stare at him. But for now the bronze continues to loom - making sure the directions are correct, maybe? - and S'u rolls his eyes as he turns back to the candidates. "A runner, basically." He agrees with Rori, nodding, before inclining his head at Cinni. "Generally - sometimes there may be one, but it depends. Scheduling is.. someone else's thing." Thank Faranth. "Do either of you have other questions?" And he shifts, even as he spares Elenth another brief glance.

A conversation starts between the two firelizards like two diners at table craning their heads around a silent third. Holding quite still with the double weight on her shoulders, a smile slips over Cinnitha's serious face that widens into a grin. The atmosphere of watchful assessment seems to lighten as the green and blue chirp companionably to each other and then to the bronze. "A runner, indeed. Water, messages, cleaning if needed, I imagine. They will tell us directly?" she asks with a rising lilt in her voice and another nod at the bronze. Her mouth parts in a faint awed smile at the thought.

Oh. Right. How will they know? Roriandor's head snaps back over towards Dragon and Dragon Rider. "Will they talk to our firelizards, and the firelizards will tell us? That'd almost be worrying. This blue is /constantly/ distracted for some reason." For some reason. Cosmos needs Merida's attention at the moment. And most moments. "It sounds an interesting duty though.

Elenth, at least for now, is done with his looming and slinking back - as much as a giant bronze dragon can - to where he was to loom over the eggs instead. With the shadow - who isn't even his! - finally gone, S'u's shoulders relax slightly. "If you've noticed, sound carries quite well. -Usually- they'll just call for you, though if you hear a lot of curses, that may be a sign too." Clearing his throat a bit, he glances towards the platform. "Sometimes they'll just wave at you. It is fine if you are doing something else - reading, what have you - but you just need to be aware. The last thing you want is for Fuerioth to decide you aren't responding to Reya quickly enough."

"Curses, sir?" she asks, baffled.

"Oh. That sounds like a very bad thing. To displease a dragon." Roriandor nods a bit at that. "I'd probably just bring some iron to toy with or something." He'll glance back down into the hatching sands, eggs and their parents all content. For the moment. "The riders might be here to help communicate?"

"There will always be -someone- here, generally it will be the clutch parents, but sometimes it will be myself or Ali, if there is something the other have to take care of. It.. depends on the dragon, how much they let their riders leave." S'u offers a bit hesitantly, before laughing softly at Cinni's question. "Lets.. Let's just say sometimes unexpected things happen, and having someone there to help to help with the mess without having to ask them.." He shrugs. "I mean, it happens."

"We will do our best sir!" The two firelizards chirp in unison reinforcing her statement. "It's a great honor. Thank you for meeting us here to explain the duties."

And with that, the Weyrleader is nodding at the candidates, glancing around as a human figure appears on the platform on the sands. With a raised hand in that direction, he pushes off the railing. "Of course - Good luck, just relax and stay calm. Generally they don't bite." A waggle of fingers and he is headed off to do some sort of weyrleadery thing, surely.


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