Smiths Invade Igen Weyr

Annik - Saturday, December 07, 2002

----------------------------------------------------

 

 

Annik goes IC and sets the scene of dinner winding down...

 

Annik downs her last sip of klah and looks thoughtfully at the empty mug. "I'm really not in the mood to go back to my office or sit around tonight," she comments, mostly to herself.

 

Desh has pulled his slate back out, and is adding notations. A mug of klah, barely touched, cools on the table in front of him.

 

Pollux sits alone at a table, poring over some hides.

 

Annik slams her hand down on the table as an idea strikes her. She looks up at those who have remained. "I know, let's go somewhere!"

 

Desh starts, looking up from his slate. "Go somewhere, Annik?"

 

Annik nods at Desh, an odd sort of glimmer showing in her blue eyes. "Sure. We ought to get out of the hall more often. Spread awareness of Smithcraft, if you will."

 

Desh's eyebrows lift. "Ah. I see. Where are we spreading ourselves, then?"

 

Pollux blinks at the conversation. "Me too?" He squeaks.

 

Desh nods to Pollux. "Apparently."

 

Annik shrugs and slides her mug back and forth across the table as she think. "Oh, I don't know. Where's a good place to go? Do you have any ideas, Pollux?"

 

Pollux ponders. "Well... I would say... Igen." He shrugs.

 

"Ah! I enjoy Igen. Very sandy. Very hot, too," Desh mutters.

 

Annik nods and stands. "Sure, I haven't been there in awhile. Let's head over to the Weyr and say hello to the Igenites. I'll go find the watchrider. Anyone who wants to come can meet me in the meadow." With that, she heads towards the door.

 

You swing open the heavy metal door leading to the meadow. You hear a click as the door shuts behind you.

 

Main Meadow(#700RJ)

 

Obvious exits:

Work Hall  Dining Hall  Business Hall  Residence Hall  Journeyman Hall  Apprentice Dorm  Lower Meadow 

 

Pollux emerges from the dining hall.

Pollux has arrived.

 

Desh emerges from the dining hall.

Desh has arrived.

 

Desh tucks his slate into an apron pocket. "Why not say hello?"

 

Pollux hurries in after the other two. "Well, never been to Igen..." He says with a shrug and a grin.

 

Annik stands next to the watchrider and his brown dragon. "All aboard," she says with a grin and climbs atop the dragon.

 

Desh heads over to the dragon, doing a decent job of mounting up. "Thank you both," he tells the rider.

 

Pollux peeks up at the older persons, mounting in a quite clumsy fashion.

 

Annik grips the straps as the dragon lifts off.

 

Igen Weyr Center Bowl(#802RJe)

You are standing in the middle of the Igen Weyr Bowl. The views are certainly spectacular. The dark volcanic peaks of the caldera which houses the Weyr rise up all around, weather beaten yet still firm, except at the northeasternmost section of the bowl, where the sheer cliffs that surround you break, leaving a jagged and imposing pass. At different times of the day these peaks cast long shadows across the bowl. Light glints off the lake to the northwest, and the heat makes the air seem to shimmer over the flat ground.

The lake lies to the northwest, and to the northeast you can see a large training field, and beyond it, the Hatching Grounds and the weyrling barracks. Southeastwards lies the main entrance to the inner sections of the Weyr. A grazing ground lies to the southwest.

Obvious exits:

LakeShore  Main Entrance Field  Weyrling Training Field  Feeding Grounds 

 

Desh has arrived.

 

Pollux has arrived.

 

Annik takes a deep breath as the brown dragon emerges from between and makes a smooth landing. "Here we are," she says as she dismounts and looks around.

 

Desh nods, checking back on Pollux again before clambering down and murmuring, "Thank you," to the brown. Then he looks about and says, "Didn't think I'd be back here so soon."

 

Annik looks at Desh and shrugs. "It's been at least half a turn, hasn't it?"

 

Rani walks over from the field to the southeast.

Rani has arrived.

 

"Probably," Desh murmurs.

 

Pollux grins and looks around, taking in the area.

 

Rani smiles and stops, apparently on her way someplace else. "Oh, hello."

 

Desh nods to Rani, then looks to Annik.

 

Annik smiles as she notices the young woman nearby. "Good evening," she greets. "We're from the Smithcraft, and we thought we'd come for a visit."

 

Rani smiles. "It's a great time for it. My name is Rani, I'm an apprentice baker here, but right now I'm a candidate. Our duties to the Craft!"

 

Rani adds, "Craft/Master/" to her last statement.

 

Pollux grins up to Rani. "A candidate? Really?"

 

Rani gets a tad self-conscious, blushing a little. "Yeah. But I was only Searched yesterday, so I'm still getting used to it!"

 

Annik grins at Rani. "Well met, Rani. My name is Annik." She gestures to the two young men. "These are a couple of my apprentices, Desh and Pollux."

 

"Congratulations, then," Desh tells Rani, quite solemnly. "And good evening to you."

 

Rani nods. "Pleased to meet all of you." She can't help but grin at Dash. "So serious! Don't you ever have any fun?"

 

Pollux grins to look at Desh as well.

 

Alecky comes over from the beach.

Alecky has arrived.

 

Annik chuckles and glances at Desh, but doesn't comment.

 

Alecky walks into the bowl from the lake shore with a bronze firelizard buzzing around his head.

 

Alecky quiets the lizard and coaxes it onto his forearm, peering intently into it's little face as if asking it a question.

 

Desh pauses, blinking. "I have fun. Really."

 

Rani grins. "Would you like to see the eggs?"

 

Pollux snickers, then peers over to Alecky, curiously.

 

Tag cheeps and looks toward the entrance, while Alecky sighs, and turns his attention to the conversation in the middle of the bowl.

 

Annik nods towards Alecky as she sees him and bites her lower lip at Desh's reply. "Oh, certainly. That would be great, Rani."

 

Desh nods to Alecky as well, then blinks. "See the eggs? Really?"

 

Pollux's face lights up and he leans forward eagerly. "Really??"

 

Rani grins to Dash. "Thought that would get you. Yes, see the eggs. But you can only see them from the galleries, you know."

 

Desh nods, still blinking. "I'd hardly complain."

 

Alecky hasn't seen the eggs yet either, and would happily join any venture into the hatching grounds.

 

Annik nods at Rani. "I think we'll all agree that the galleries are fair enough."

 

Pollux nods. "To the galleries!" He quips happily.

 

Desh's lips quirk up slightly at the corners.

 

Rani grins to Alacky. "You comnig?"

 

Alecky says "Yeah!"

 

Rani grins. "Follow me!"

 

Alecky wanders towards the field to the northeast.

Alecky has left.

 

You wander towards the field to the northeast.

 

Igen Weyr Weyrling Training Field

 

Contents:

Alecky

Obvious exits:

Stables  Igen Weyr Pass  Weyrling Barracks  Hatching Grounds  Center of Bowl  Lake Shore  Main Entrance 

 

Desh wanders in from the center of the bowl.

Desh has arrived.

 

Rani wanders in from the center of the bowl.

Rani has arrived.

 

Pollux wanders in from the center of the bowl.

Pollux has arrived.

 

You head in through the tunnel and climb up onto the Stands.

Igen Weyr Hatching Galleries(#228RJa$)

These observation bleachers, hewn from the sandstone which surrounds the entire cavern, span the length of the western wall of the Igen Weyr Hatching Grounds. The cavern is of a tremendous size, stretching something like ten dragonlengths up to its apex, and having a diameter of roughly twenty dragonlengths. The walls and roof are of rough stone, with long spires of lime hanging down. Just out from the bleachers, an opening gapes to the sky overhead, providing light and air for the dome.

There are stairs at one end leading out towards the Bowl. One may simply 'look sands' to see the objects on the sands. To look at a specific item on the sands you can '+observe <item>'. To look at the mound of slowly hardening eggs, just type '+eggs'. To look at a particular egg, type '+eggs <num>' where <num> is the number in front of that egg. Just to get an egg name and the credits, use '+eggs credit <num>'.

Obvious exits:

SAnds  Bowl 

 

Desh climbs into the stands.

Desh has arrived.

 

Rani climbs into the stands.

Rani has arrived.

 

Alecky climbs into the stands.

Alecky has arrived.

 

Pollux climbs into the stands.

Pollux has arrived.

 

Desh's step slows. "It's so... huge."

 

Rani is a little surprised. "Have you never been to a weyr before?"

 

Pollux looks about in awe. "Is this bigger than the 'Reaches??" He asks, mostly to himself.

 

Alecky grins at Desh, and peers toward the 26 shiny, hardening eggs on the sands.

 

Desh nods. "Yes. This one, actually - I was posted here briefly. I never came in here, though."

 

Annik follows the group in and smiles as she glances out at the sands. "I've been in here a few times."

 

Rani grins. "People always find time to come up here and oogle the eggs," she says.

 

Alecky says "I came in here when Chayil was cleaning out the eggshells from last hatching. She wanted to make models out of them or something." Alecky turns to Desh "Would you know if eggshells could be melted down or something?""

 

Desh looks down at Alecky, shaking his head. "Oh, no. I wouldn't think so. They would just burn."

 

Annik creases her brow at the mention of melting eggshells. "Now there's a thought."

 

Pollux ponders to himself, unfortunately for him aloud. "Eggshell... clean... ring..."

 

Alecky turns to Pollux "We were thinking model dragons actually, but rings wouldn't be a bad idea either."

 

Desh looks back out over the eggs, nodding. "I believe I've seen rings with egg fragments in them."

 

Annik nods at Desh. "Yeah, we've made rings with shell fragments before. Many times, I believe."

 

Desh's lips quirk slightly at the corners. "I wouldn't mind making one sometime, should they be commissioned again."

 

Alecky nods, considering this information, then turns back to watch Keturath brooding over her eggs.

 

Rani suddenly grins. "Oh, what a great idea! Would any of you know how much a ring like that would be?"

 

Pollux blinks and shakes his head. "Huh? Rings?" A slight frown. "I was thinking aloud again?"

 

Rani is reassuring. "Actually it was Dash and Alecky that made mention of them."

 

Desh nods to Pollux. "Quite. Price... hmmmn. Two marks, Annik? Taking into account the rarity of dragon shells and how angry people would be if we made a mistake? Three?"

 

Annik looks over at Rani. "It would depend on the complexity of the ring. Two for something simple, and close to four for something really extravagant."

 

Rani's face falls. "Oh."

 

Alecky looks thoughtfully at Annik and asks "Would that be if the buyer provided the shells or if you had to get them yourselves?"

 

"Oh dear. Shell retrieval. That sounds difficult. Well, maybe not for fire lizard hatchings... Hmmn. I wonder if we could pick up commissions there?" Desh muses.

 

Alecky says "I think that Chayil kept the eggs she was cleaning out in a sack in her Weyr..."

 

Alecky says "Perhaps she would sell them, if she didn't throw them away...?"

 

Annik smiles at Rani. "That's just our default price, though. One thing to remember is that prices can always be bargained." She glances at Alecky. "Generally the buyer provides the shell, since it's a lot more difficult for a Smith to do that."

 

Desh winces faintly. "I'm not sure anyone would *sell* dragon shells."

 

Rani ahs. "Well, I'd need a lot of rings. They'd be for the Candidates, all of them. However many there are, and I don't have /those/ kind of marks." She is unhappy. "It would have made such a great candidacy gift too. . . "

 

"Maybe something smaller, then," Desh says quietly.

 

Alecky agrees with Rani "It is a fair bit of money, but then again, it's a fair bit of work on your part, isn't it?" he glances toward the Smiths. "It's hot in here. I'm for a swim in the lake once we're finished."

 

Annik grins at Rani. "Well, anything for that number of people is going to be costly. And usually shell rings are more of an Impression or graduation gift."

 

Desh pushes up his sleeves, looking back to the eggs.

 

Rani has to grin at Alecky. "Hot? But it's autumn, and it's nighttime! You should be here at the height of summer in the daytime."

 

"Try working a forge. I was trying to do it in the daytime for the first few days," Desh remarks.

 

Alecky says defensively "Yeah, well, I came from Fort, you know!"

 

Annik shakes her head. "I can deal with a forge's heat in Telgar, but here would be a bit too much for me."

 

Rani grins. "We cook at night and at dawn, to avoid most of the heat.

 

Desh nods to Rani. "Oven's nearly as bad, I'd say."

 

Tag, who had remained silent through all of this on Alecky's shoulder suddenly gives out a cheep.

 

Alecky says "And Tag wants to go home now anyway. I'm going for a swim, and then bed. Goodnight all of you, craftmaster, sirs."

 

Alecky nods and heads outside to the bowl.

 

Alecky heads out to the Bowl.

Alecky has left.

 

Annik waves to Alecky as he leaves.

 

Desh also waves a bit.

 

Annik looks at Rani curiously. "So, you were just Searched yesterday? Where are you from?"

 

Rani smiles. "Originally?"

 

Desh's eyebrows shift slightly upward. "You've lived in that many places?"

 

Annik nods and shrugs. "Sure. And/or recently."

 

Pollux continues to gaze out at the expanse quietly.

 

Rani smiles. "Well, the only home I remember was Nerat Hold with my nanny. Then when she died and I didn't want to get married to the Lord Holder's son, I had to go somewhere so I hitched a ride with some traders and wound up at the weyr." She looks out over the eggs thoughtfully. "After I'd been there for a bit Dendra told me she'd thought I'd make a good baker, so then I became a baker."

 

Annik ahhs and smiles. "Was Dendra right, then?" she asks with a wink.

 

Rani chuckles a little. "Neither of us thought so when I almost failed my entrance exams! I had to cook something simple and well, it was a mess. But I guess she saw potential or something, and still kept me. She posted me here instead of Benden so she could keep an eye on me!" Then she nods. "I'm learning a skill and having fun, and it's been two Turns, so I must be doing /something/ right!"

 

Pollux grins. "You've had an exciting life!" He remarks.

 

Desh murmurs, "If you still like it, that's very good, yes."

 

Rani arches an eyebrow at Desh. "There speaks somebody who isn't sure he wants to be where he is." But Pollux's comment makes her think. "Exciting? Maybe," she remarks dubiously. "What's yours been like so far?"

 

Annik grins, nodding. "Enjoyment is one of the most important things. I don't know that I had a whole lot of skill when I joined the Smithcraft, but I certainly did enjoy it, and here I am now."

 

Rani grins. "Dendra keeps telling me, they can teach technique to anybody. But you only get good if you want to!"

 

Pollux grins to himself. "Life.... boring." He shrugs, continuing to stare at the eggs and queen.

 

Desh quirks an eyebrow at Rani. "Oh, really?"

 

Rani grins. "Well, surely you weren't born a smith?" Persistancy, thy name is Rani.

 

Annik echoes Desh, but her question is directed at Pollux. "Oh, really?"

 

Desh's eyebrow remains quirked. "I wasn't. I walked from Telgar Hold to Smithcraft and asked to be made an apprentice. And then I worked, and enjoyed that work. I love making hinges, that's how much I love SmithCraft. I love it enough that I would not go if I was Searched, Candidate."

 

Rani isn't sure if he's angry or not, but replies to Desh non-commitally. "Oh, your master must be pleased with your dedication.

 

Pollux looks up, blinking. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Grew up in Tillek, had two bestfriends, one an alcoholic, yet obsessive eight-turn-old and one a ten-turn-old who acted as our nanny. I was ten too." He grins. "Then, a couple uneventful turns later, I went to the hall to be apprenticed. Now, here I am!"

 

Annik beams at Desh. Yes, she is pleased.

 

Annik smiles at Pollux. "But what about your life as a Smith? Do you find that boring?"

 

Desh glances to Annik, then nods. "I believe she is."

 

Pollux nods to Rani. "Seriously. Not really /alcoholic,/ but she did like to drink wine more often than littles should've." He looks over to Annik and grins. "Not in the least! There's always something to do at the hall, and I absolutely love it, cause I'm never bored! Always someone to meet, something to make."

 

Rani smiles. "That's good then. There were some apprentices at the main hall whose hearts just weren't in it, and it showed."

 

Annik beams at Pollux now. Pleased, again.

 

Desh turns to gawk more at the eggs.

 

Rani is curious now. "Master, how long have you been in the craft?"

 

Pollux gawks along with Desh. Eggs. Shiny. Nice.

 

Annik looks upward as she silently calculates. "Let's see, it's been... almost twenty turns now."

 

Rani wows. "All that time in the same place? Wow."

 

Desh inquires, "Were you ever posted at other places?"

 

Annik grins and shakes her head. "I don't look at it that way. I spent a few turns as an apprentice, a few as a journeywoman, a few as Craftsecond, and now a few as Craftmaster, and each rank has different aspects. I was never formally posted, but I did travel a bit during my journeyrank. I still travel now, in fact, for things like gathers, to do research on commissions, visiting other smiths, and things like that."

 

Rani ahs. "so the Hall is kind of your home base?"

 

Annik nods at Rani. "Yes. I do spend most of my time there, but it's also my favorite place to be, so I never mind being there."

 

"Even when it's on fire," Desh adds.

 

Annik smiles wryly. "Yes, even then."

 

Pollux snickers.

 

Rani hrms. "We just had a fire here."

 

Desh nods, murmuring, "Quite unfortunate, really. To have two so close together like that."

 

Annik nods slowly. "Yeah, I remember hearing about that. It was not long after ours."

 

Rani gives Desh a sharp look. "Yes, very. You don't think it was done on purpose?"

 

**disconnected**

 

Rani huffs. "You did not!"

 

You paged Desh and Rani with 'What did I miss?'.

 

Desh's lips quirk up slightly at the corners.

 

Desh pages to Annik and Rani: Desh 'confessed' to setting the fires.

 

Annik rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Right. Sure, Desh."

 

Desh seems amused. "Of course not. But apparently if you want to set fires and not get caught, you act like me."

 

Rani just shakes her head. "You're going to get in trouble!

 

Desh sighs. "I didn't."

 

Rani pouts a little. "You should, making light of such terrible evnts."

 

Desh rubs his forehead. "This is why I don't often joke."

 

Annik shakes her head again. "No, Desh, trust me, anyone who knows you knows better. There's a difference between acting like Desh and being Desh."

 

Rani gives Annik a look that clearly says, "I don't get it."

 

Desh removes his hand from his forehead. "She means that it is absolutely ludicrous because I am entirely too nice and boring to do such a thing."

 

Annik smiles gently at Rani. "Desh's sense of humor is somewhat of an acquired taste." She glances at Desh and raises an eyebrow. "I never said boring. I guess it's just something about you that makes it seem impossible for your demeanor not to be genuine."

 

Rani looks as though she desperately wants to agree with at least part of Desh's statement, but buttons up and instead looks at him, mirth in her eyes. But when she answers, it is polite. "Oh, I'm sure you're not that bad!" she protests, teasingly.

 

Desh eyes Annik. "I'm not exactly exciting."

 

Rani can't resist. "Well, you certainly have the gift of interesting conversation!"

 

Annik smoothly replies, "Whoever said you needed to be?"

 

Desh considers this for a moment, then nods. "A good point." He blinks at Rani. "I do?"

 

Rani successfully fights off a grin and nods, very seriously. "Oh yes. You haven't noticed how strong a reaction you've been provoking? Of course you have interesting conversation!"

 

Desh eyes Rani again. "Mmmhmm."

 

Annik nods at Desh. "I think she has a point. You are a good conversationalist, in my experience."

 

Rani allows her lips to twitch. "Oh yes."

 

Desh blinks at Annik, corners of his lips quirking again. "Thank you. Er... if you don't mind, I'd like to say hello to a few people I know here?"

 

Annik nods at Desh. "Fine with me."

 

Desh nods to Annik, then to Rani. "Good evening, and good luck with the Hatching." He heads for the exit.

 

Desh heads out to the Bowl.

Desh has left.

 

Rani waves. "Bye!" She turns to Annik. "Was I teasing him too much?"

 

Annik shakes her head. "No, I don't think so. He may seem subdued on the outside, but he has a very strong character."

 

Rani nods. "I like to tease people, but I don't really want to hurt their feelings.

 

Annik grins and nods. "I know how you feel. I tease people all the time, but never to offend them."

 

Rani nods. "So what brings you here now? about a sevenday ago J'on came back with some gorgeous earrings. He said he got them at the Smith Hall." She thinks. "Does this have anything to do wtih Dendra's surprise?"

 

Annik shrugs and shakes her head. "No, we just decided to come visit. We were finishing dinner, and I felt like going somewhere, so we came here."

 

Rani says "How? Oh, never mind. I'll bet you have a dragon stationed up there.""

 

Annik chuckles, giving a slight nod. "Yes, our watchrider gave us a lift."

 

Rani grins. I keep forgetting that now that I'm in a weyr, I can get a ride wherever the dragonriders are going." She pouts a little. "Except for now. They told me that I can't leave the weyr."

 

Annik smiles sympathetically. "Yeah, that's what I've heard happens when you're a candidate. They don't want to lose track of you when the eggs start hatching."

 

Rani traces figures in the dirt. "Yes, but that's not going to happen for such a long time. Surely there's time early in the clutching?"

 

Annik replies, "But what if you left and something happened so you couldn't get back? There may be little chance of that, but I'm sure they don't want to take any chances at all."

 

Rani nods. "I suppose that's true. I never thouught of leaving and not being able to get back. But I went to help with Fort's gather recently and I had to stay overnight because I couldn't get a ride."

 

Annik nods back. "When it's a matter of having candidates for the eggs, I'm sure it's important enough to keep a good eye on all of you."

 

Rani nods. And sighs. "Every day there are new faces here."

 

Annik chuckles quietly. "I would imagine so. Enough people come and go through a Weyr that it would be difficult to keep track of them all. Just keeping track of my crafters is plenty for me."

 

Annik yawns and quickly covers her mouth. "I guess I should go find my apprentices and get them back to the hall. It was nice meeting you, Rani."

 

Rani nods and stands up "The same to you, Master."

 

You head out to the Bowl.