Infirmary (#7841)
Echoing and austere, blank stone walls are vaulted high to overshadow the row of white-curtained cots along the back wall. Ancient metal gleams steel-bright in the form of sinks and examination table, lit relentlessly by bright glows and reflecting the colours of bottles and jars shelved above. Padlocked cabinets hide the more dangerous drugs and implements, whilst healer paraphenalia litters one solid oak table with sweetly-fragranced herbs and tattered scrolls. A small hearth contains a fire usually banked low, several cauldrons set ready nearby to for heating water. A dark staircase twists up from one corner to the dragonhealer's lair; one low door leads into the lower caverns, another to weyrhealers' quarters. Barn-sized doors open inwards with creak of hinges from the ground weyr.
Comfortable on top of a cupboard are Caerulus, Risidan, Hermes, Enjolras, Fluker, Kidda, Klee, Mercury, Jupiter, and Temper.
You see examination area and Candidate Physicals Board here.
You notice Marina asleep here.
Khena is here.
Obvious exits:
Ground Weyrs --- Inner Caverns --- Healers' Quarters

Khena (#20839)
Eyes, grayish-green, look out from under long arched brows, darker than the shock-white blonde hair sitting on top of her head. Ragged and uneven ends cut short, bears witness that she doesn't put much interest in personal appearance. A bend in her long, narrow nose, tells of a long forgotten break, and adding to that is a two-inch scar on her right cheek, giving her a face of someone who's lived a hard life. High angular cheekbones and a strong square chin adds to the impression of masculinity, while the arched brows makes her retain some femininity in an otherwise harsh face. Shoulders and upper arms are hardened from long hours of training and work, as is thigh and -calf muscles, while hands and long fingers are callused and scarred. Along her flat abdomen is a five-inch scar, one of many on her body, but the one most predominant. Breasts are small and rounded, almost invisible when she's wearing baggy or heavy clothing, making her look all the more masculine, her height of almost six feet doing nothing to diminish that impression. Slightly tanned face and hands, from hours spent outside, complete the image of a woman easily mistaken for a man.
Scintillating in colors ranging from deep mahogany to an almost bronze gleam, the color of Khena's jacket can't be pinpointed to just one. Khaki at one cuff, klah-shaded at the other, while the collar is dyed such a dark umber it's almost black. Tufts of the fleece-lining shows at cuffs and collar, revealing its color to be moss-green, matching the jacket's browns to perfection. Thick, lithe leather clings to her legs, trousers dyed a deep sepia with a hint of mahogany, a color matching the hide of her lifemate perfectly. Stitched along the seem is a row of x's, the thread the exact same moss-green as the lining of the jacket. A color repeated in the cords tying off her knee-high black boots, which fit her lower legs and feet flawlessly.
Twisting together in a single loop around Khena's left shoulder is the two colors of High Reaches Weyr. Black and blue. Midnight's colors, which extends into a long tail, dangling from the top of the knot. Intertwined with the dark colors of the Weyr is a dazzling silver thread, adding a spark of light to the knot. Completing the knot of a High Reaches Wingrider, is a mahogany thread, indicating the color of her lifemate, and the badge of Mudslide Wing.
She is awake and looks alert.
Khena is 25 Turns, 4 months, and 6 days old.
Khena has no apparent threadscoring.

Elehu (#19619)
Elehu has grown into womanhood with quite a bit of success. She has curves in most of the right places, though her body is still a bit on the thin side and heartily built, a stubbornness of physicality to match the resolute bedrock of her character. Her skin glows faintly of golden bronze, the visage of a wanderer. Her rich brown, shoulder-length hair contains streaks of reddish gold, bleached by the sun, that seem to make her hazel-brown eyes shine with an inner fire. Her hands are small, but her fingers are slender and nimble, well built for her walk of life.
Downy soft cream glides lazily down Elehu's arms to the wrists where wispy green ribbons tie the fabric tight, satin frills flowing out further in cuffs like thin, hazy clouds. The blouse's wide collar opens delicately to reveal a simple snowy necklace of silver, the buttons falling in small droplets of frost to the dark evergreen of her skirt, which tumbles leisurely over her slim hips. Freely evading any definite shape, the cloth flows deftly to her calves, a forest's shadow beneath the snowy drifts above, thin stockings of white completing the impression to end at her ever-present, sturdy, slender, soft brown weyrhide boots. Color and sensibility all rolled into one.
A soft cord of the deepest purple winds itself around a similar cord of bright white in a single loop. Small strands of icy blue and shadowy black are intertwined intricately, a long tail of all four colors hanging from the knot, signifying that Elehu is a Healer Journeyman posted at High Reaches Weyr.
She is awake and looks alert.
Elehu is 22 Turns, 1 month, and 25 days old.

Khena slips in from the ground weyrs, looking over her shoulder making sure none of the injured riders there see her. Moving slowly through the infirmary, she glances around, obviously looking for someone. "Hey, Ele," she says as the Healer comes into view. "Been a while since I've seen you... Are you busy?"

Elehu is more than just a little distracted as she first sweeps in, hair rather windblown and out of place, boots rather travel-stained, clothes that look like they might have been slept in once or twice. It doesn't take long though before she halts midstep and gives Khena a quick smile, waving to her for a brief moment. "Busy? Actually, no. I just got back from a trip north about an hour ago, so I'm just putting things back where they should be," she adds, grinning. "So, what's up?" Okay, someone has been a bit slow in the gossip area.

"Oh, right... " So if the Healer had been out of the Weyr, she likely hadn't heard the rumours. Hesistating somewhat, the brownrider, shuffles her feet, looking at the floor as she attempts to get to the point. "Well, you see.. Mneoth was in a mating flight.. And Zylpheth too," Khena begins, lifting a hand to scratch the back of her head as she looks up at Elehu, her eyes still not making contact with the other's, though. "Well, you see... Khor was in my weyr at the time..." Need she say more?

Elehu nods slowly, eyes just a wee bit blank for a long moment as she idly starts to smooth her hair back to something resembling normal, tucking it behind her ears. Perhaps she's been out in the sun too long, but it takes yet another moment after that before she actually forms a reply. "Right... well, flights do happen."

Khena grimaces, her fingers moving in nervous motions by her thighs. "Mneoth caught, and.... Well, I'm late," she says, deciding to change tactics and be straight. "The flight was..." Looking down and counting on her fingers, the brownrider's lips move along with the counting in her head, "the flight was about three sevendays ago... I shoulda had the bleeds two sevendays ago..." Looking at Elehu with something like confusion in her eyes, she takes a deep breath, before continuing. "D'you think maybe... I could be pregnant?"

Elehu's eyes grow just a fraction wider for a second as she ponders that, which takes just a little longer than normal. Perhaps klah should be included in Healer first aid kits. "Pregnant," she echos quietly. "Well, that does happen from time to time when a man and woman sleep together, so if you weren't taking the green contraceptive every month..." She just trails off and shrugs a little, hands spread to either side in a rather helpless fashion. "Yes, it would be possible. Though... sometimes worrying about something like that can do funny things to a woman."

Well, of course Khena wasn't taking the green stuff! What reason would she have to? Although, now she was perfectly aware of that reason. "Right, well, I guess I have been worrying... I mean, even Mneoth's been talking about babies ever since Skylark mentioned it..." Cutting herself off the brownrider takes a deep breath. "Maybe I should just go between.. Just to make sure?" After all, this rider swor never to become pregnant, never to have children.

Kariel appears from the healers' quarters.
Kariel waves a hand as he strides through, ducking his head a bit. "Just passing through..." Byebye.
Kariel wrenches open the double doors that lead outside.

Elehu crosses her arms for a moment and bites her lower lip gently as she struggles with that tiny voice in her head whispering the Healer Mantra, "Do No Harm." But eventually she takes a quick breath and nods once, if reluctantly. "Yes, between. That would take care of that, wouldn't it now?" she says in a quiet voice. "There are always options, but for a rider I know going between is a common one... In fact, most riders never become pregnant, especially if they don't ride gold, because they go between so often." Ah yes, the justification part.

Khena looks up at the Healer with surprise written across her face. She'd not expected Elehu to actually /agree/ with her on that point. "Yeah, well, nine months is a long time to be out of the wing, y'know..." Nine months without training, without duties or Falls. "I can't just... Do nothing for nine months?" Is she trying to convince herself or the healer of the justification of going between. Eyes glazing over, she stands still for a moment, listening to what her lifemate has to say. A look of anger flits over her face as she returns to the infirmary. "/He/ still wants a baby!"

"Well, it's not as if you'd do absolutely nothing," Elehu quickly replies, grinning at Khena again. "I mean, for quite a while you could still do /some/ duties. I doubt S'nor will give you up that easily," she adds, a tiny smirk curving her lips. "And after that, you'll be carrying around that extra weight which is no small burden, despite the small size. And that's still before it's born... Quite a bit of work, in any case. And even more after that." Forgive her a moment as the road-weary Healer gets herself back on track. Tangents can be so distracting. "The father?" she suddenly asks, startled. "Well... a natural reaction I suppose, though you could always inform him he's not the one carrying the child," she pipes up, not quite catching on to the glazed eyes.

Khena stares blankly at Elehu as she rattles off the disadvantages (in the brownrider's eyes) of pregnancy. As the father is mentioned, she blinks, wondering where that had come from. Shaking her head, she manages to find a grin, "no, not Khor.. As far as I know, anyway... Mneoth! Skylark put it into his head that a baby is a good idea," she explains. Grimaces, she waves a hand in dismission. "I just don't think having a baby is for me... I don't even /like/ children, for Faranth's sake!"

Elehu nods slowly as she tucks an uncooperative strand of hair back behind her ear again. "But we don't know for sure you're pregnant anyway," she comments as a shade of confusion enters. "I mean, maybe you're upset about nothing. It /is/ possible, and what's Mneoth going to do, refuse to go between?" The Healer gives a tiny laugh and shrugs, really much too slow on the uptake today. "Or if you want to be sure you're pregnant, just take it easy for another month or so and you'll know for sure."

"A month," Khena mutters, looking none too happy about taking it 'easy' for such a long time, only to be certain. "I have't even told Khor yet... I mean, I'm probably not even gonna keep it... If I am..." Stopping midsentense, the brownrider slumps down on the nearest stool with a sigh. "I think Mneoth has a bigger influence on me, than I would have thought," she mutters, looking up at Elehu. "I'm not sure I really /want/ to go between."

"Well, he /is/ your lifemate," Elehu replies to Khena as she turns somewhat serious again. "Really though, it's up to you. I can only give so much advice, but I'm sure you'll know what to do when the time comes. A difficult decision, nonetheless." She glances away for a moment and frowns, biting that lip again. "My advice for now though, really... until you're sure, don't do anything rash. Regrets are never fun to live with."

Khena nods slowly, sitting for a moment without saying a word. "I s'pose you're right... I'll ask S'nor to be excused from Fall for a while," she says, rubbing her belly for several seconds before realizing what she's doing, then stops, looking up to give Elehu a crooked grin. "I guess it won't be so bad, doing the local sweeps." Rolling her shoulder, she stands, taking a few steps closer to the Healer. "Thanks for the talk, Ele.. " Looking the other up and down, she tilts her head to one side, "I won't keep you anymore. Looks like you could do with a bath.."

Elehu all but beams for a moment. Problem solved, if only for another month or so. "Well... I /am/ a Healer, I should act like it now and then," she teases lightly, shoulders hunching in a small shrug. "But yeah, it's all I can do, I'm afraid. I'm far from a midwife." And then she gives a tiny start and glances down at herself. "A bath? Shard it all, is it really that bad?" she mutters, giving a light sigh at the end. "Right... well, thanks for the note." She waits a second or two before smiling softly at Khena. "And you could probably do with a little relaxing yourself. I know it's easier to say than to do, but do try not to worry too much, all right?"

"Relaxing..? Yeah, you're right," Khena says, glancing toward the inner caverns, suddenly feeling the tensed muscles of her shoulders. "I s'pose I could do with a trip to the baths myself." Infected by the Healer's smile, the brownrider's own becomes broader. "I'm really glad that we're able to talk again, Ele," she says, turning slightly serious again, though the smile doesn't disappear. "I've missed talking with you..."

Elehu gives a light laugh and nods slowly, yet again trying to do something about disobedient hair. "Yes, the baths are good for a number of things, cleanliness and relaxation being among them," the Healer quips, voice somewhat amused. "Well, things do happen," she replies then in answer to Khena's second comment. "I wish I could help more, but really, I don't often deal with children until they're well out of the womb."

Khena chuckles, her eyes glittering as she turn to move to the inner caverns. "Well, if I /am/ pregnant, it will be some time before that happens," she notes, picking up on the other's mood, slipping out the door without waiting for an answer.

Khena slips through the door to the inner caverns.

Wafts of sweet-mint follow you out of the infirmary.
Inner Caverns (#7484)

Khena slips down the steps, into the steam of the Weyr-baths.

If nowhere else in the Reaches, the baths always promise to be warm...
Baths (#7764)
Steam enshrouds, a misty curtain that veils the room. Pools abound, water constantly swirling, warm and inviting; soapsand waits on nearby ledges for easy access. Racks of clothes stand by the door, freshly washed clothing hang from some, and bundles of yet to be washed clothes fill mutliple baskets beneath. Large cupboard doors open to reveal multitude of fresh, soft towels, and plenty of bathing items -- sponges, pumice stones, and back scrubbers.
Ducking steamclouds are Oceanus, Elena, Parekis, Neely, and Shriek.
You see Endymion here.
Khena is here.
Obvious exits:
Caverns

Elehu chatters on blithely about how quickly children grow up once they /are/ out of the womb as the two make their way to the baths. She snatches up a couple towels for herself and continues on towards one of the benches. "But, since we don't know about any of that just yet... how are you aside from this flight business?"

Khena hangs up her heavy jacket on a peg just inside the door, turning to follow Elehu. Sitting on a bench she pulls off her boots, glancing now and then at the other. "Well, y'know, this whole thing has been kind of a strain. P'rru's mad at me, he's asked me to stay away from Lark, and I haven't even /seen/ Khor since it happened." Having just mentioned the core of her group of friends, it's obvious that she's not happy about recent events. Not mention that Kh'ryn dragon had broadcast the news to the entire High Reaches population of dragons, so there wasn't a rider in the Weyr who didn't know what had happened.

Pia is but a blurr in the steam, moving quietly in from the caverns.

Khena takes off her knot.

With her bath-sheet tossed casually over one shoulder and a clean change of clothes tucked under an arm, Pia pauses at the door to the baths, peering into all the steam-filled corners. Evidently satisfied with what she sees -- or doesn't see -- she gives a satisfied little nod and tramps in, shedding clothes as she goes.

Elehu is rather slow and distracted about her own bath time preparations as she glances at Khena out of the corner of her eye. "Um... well, it was a flight, right? And well..." The Healer frowns a little and just continues in silence for a long moment before moving towards the nearest pool and slipping into it. She doesn't spot Pia just yet as she quickly dunks her head and generally goes about getting comfortable. Not that this is a hard thing at this point.

Pia (#19393)
Her form is slender self-importance, a svelte self of pride and bronzed skin. Cast upon her oval, sun-blushed face is a set of insidiously charming features -- rather appealing at least 'til she opens her mouth. Her pale green eyes, wide set against the urbane arch of her nose, suggest a depth of character denied by the soft pouty curve of her lips. Dramatically shortened gold kissed russet hair caps her head with bouncy curls, feathering her face from cheekbones to delicate jawline.
Delicate pale creamy sisal slides into a swishy sundress, thin straps arching over angular shoulders and lifting the bodice in a fairly fetching manner. Skirt flows to knee-length, hem edged with hand-made lace interwoven with a pink ribbon. A thin sweater of some soft wool is tossed casually around her shoulders, the arms looped neatly in a loose arrangement. Recently shortened russet curls are swept off of her face with a creamy woven ribbon, though a few stray tendrils escape to twine around her ears. Blue slithers up and down her arms, rarely still, never calm. Bronze glowers from her shoulder, tail tip twitching endlessly. Perched on Pia's shoulder is Lunr.
A delicate gold metal firelizard earcuff clings to Pia's ear. A rich wine ribbon runs gleefully along the silver chain at her throat, from which dangles two sparkling charms: a vintner wineskin and a miniature markpiece.
She is awake and looks alert.
Pia is 22 Turns and 10 days old.

"Well, yeah, but... The thing is..." Interrupted by Pia's entrance Khena hesitastes, using the pause as an excuse to slip into the steaming water, giving the vintner a slight nod. "The thing is," she continues, leaning against the bath's side, "Khor's been seeing a lot of Lark lately.... And she's not a rider, y'know." Though she /is/ the daughter of a rider.

Leaving a trail of clothing behind her, Pia pauses at the water's edge to slither out of her last garment and then into the pool. "Good day, ladies," she offers pleasantly. How odd.

Elehu peeks over at Pia as the journeywoman enters the pool. "And a good day to you, Pia," she offers with a likewise pleasant smile. "My what a busy place this is today. Just the other day..." But the Healer cuts her distracted thought short and glances at Khena again, nodding. "Right, but my point was that you and Kh'ryn are riders. And I'm sure Skylark, and even P'rru, are emotionally attached in one way or another, but really, what on all of Pern are you supposed to do, wrap metal around your midsections and hope you don't get frostbite between?" There really was goign to be a point there at one time.

Pia eavesdrops shamelessly from the center of the pool, her gently moving arms setting ripples free. "Interesting theory, Elehu," she says dryly. "I think it might do a number of people at this weyr a world of good."

Khena just stares at the healer, not knowing what to say to such a comment. "I just wish it had never happened," she mutters. For more reasons than one! Closing her eyes and dipping her head beneath the surface of the water, she shuts out the world for a few moments. Coming back up, she looks from one to the other, keeping quiet and not wanting to be the one to explain to the vintner what had happened.

Elehu gives the Vintner a quick, beaming smile. "Well seriously, it would take metal for some ri-..." Right, perhaps now would be a good time for the Healer to hush for a bit. In any case, she goes about gathering a little sweetsand and making soapy little bubbles. This little Healer has had a bit too much sun and too little sleep. "Um..." Always an intelligent comeback.

"Riiiight," drawls Pia, one brow arched high. "No problem, I didn't want to know, anyways." Not _quite_ sulking, the Vintner settles herself comfortably in the warm water. "I'm sure I'll find out one day anyways -- no one can keep a secret around here."

Reaching for a wash cloth, Khena folds it behind her head, leaning against the pool's edge. "Yeah, well, and I s'pose it's just coincidence that they call it 'the green stuff'," she notes rather casually, getting caught up in the trend that seems to be forming.

Pia hides a smile, though not very well. "Undoubtably," she returns serenely.

Elehu grins a little sheepishly at Pia and shrugs as she starts scrubbing at her hair quickly. "It was just something silly I heard a rider joke about once," she offers as a lame explanation. "And... it's called green stuff because it's green. Or at least, that's what I always assumed," she says to Khena, giving the rider a quick wink before she starts rinsing out her hair. "And as for secrets, I'm afraid I'm not quite up to figuring them all out in one day." The healer sighs and slumps against the side of the bath for a moment, glancing longingly at the towels she forgot on the bench before starting to pull herself out of the pool. "I'll just have to finish this bath tomorrow before I head out again."

Pia doesn't bother to hide her smile this time. "Always good to finish what you start."

Khena's eyes flutter open as Elehu moves out of the water. "Leaving already?" she asks, a note of disappointment creeping into her voice. Running her hands through her hair, and rolling her shoulders, she nods to herself. "Well, I guess I've had enough too.. It really was relaxing." Giving Pia a smile, the brownrider follows the Healer out of the pool, almost slipping on a wet patch.

With the whole pool to herself, Pia stretches out, casually regarding the departing duo. "See you later..."

Elehu pauses in the act of climbing the rest of the way out of the pool and grins at Pia, her head tilted rediculously. "You know, my father always said that. I don't think he meant baths, but that's okay." She blinks once, squints at the far wall and simply shrugs before finally hauling herself out and padding towards her towels and clothing. She makes quick work with one towel and leaves it on the bench before wrapping the second around herself and managing to move her folded clothes to one arm. "Right... I'll see you around Pia. And Khena, remember, don't worry. Be happy now." She winks, waves, and pads right on out into the hallway. Lucky for her it's just a short jaunt to her own room. Not that she'd care this particular day.

Pia bemusedly shrugs and reclines back into the warm water.

Khena watches Elehu go while she's toweling herself off and getting dressed, a slight crooked smile on her face. Sitting on a bench to pull on her boots, she faces Pia. "So where've you been? I haven't seen you since...." Tilting her head, the brownrider halflids her eyes, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Well, in a long time."

"Hrm?" asks Pia cleverly, glancing blankly at Khena for the long moment it takes her to comprehend the other girl's words. "Oh, that. Right. I've been working on my senior Journeyman's project, which involves me spending a lot of time at Tillek." Drinking.

Khena nods, lifting one eyebrow, "so you'll be a senior journeyman, then? Won't be long 'fore you're a master, I s'pose?" she says, using a wet towel to (attempt) to squeeze the last drops out of her hair. Throwing it into a basket she get off the bench, stretching her arms over her head. "This heat is really good for relaxing. But once you get into leathers, it's really too hot. I think I'll just go have some...." She /was/ about to say ale, but stops herself. ".. Some juice. I'll see you 'round." Waving to the vintner, she turns and gets out of the steaming heat, fast!

The steam makes you damp, even if you did not bathe, so don't catch cold!
Inner Caverns (#7484)
Ancient caverns unfold in an endless maze of tunnels and stairs, the Weyr's cavities a labyrinth to the uninitiated. Here, trimmed by the last of the stone cutters, arched walls and vaulted ceilings retain the soapy smoothness of well-worn stone, as do the endless tunnel floors kept clear and tidy. Shadows creep and flicker across these glowlit mountain walls, creatures of non-light wending their way east to the main caverns and bowl, or branching out in a web of caves to the Weyr's living spaces.
Shadowed on stone-smooth ledge are Sadist, Twanda, Amobarbital, Nina, Karakia, and Eiri.
You see Melfina here.
Obvious exits:
Living Caverns --- Guests' Quarters --- Hallway --- Dorms --- Candidate Barracks --- Baths --- Brat Cave --- Infirmary --- Stairwell

[End of log]

Log 'stolen' from Elehu's Homepage