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A Sweet Celebration


Date:  January 8, 1999
Places:  Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern, Southern Bowl, and Skyspace;
Shipfish Island's Skyspace and Fine Sand Beach
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  This is another of my rare logs where Kay rather than 
Kassi is the protagonist (the explanation for that can be found in the
note for 'Meeting Fehuth'--this is actually the first of those logs
chronologically, but it's the second one I edited).  Kassi does make a
very brief appearance in the beginning, but after that, it's all Kay as
the young demon-spawn hitches a ride to the celebration taking place on
Shipfish Island.  I normally would have gone as Kassi, but she was 
pregnant and couldn't; perhaps it's as well, though, for this is 
definitely my favorite of the few kidlet-scenes I've done, and I
enjoyed the RP so much that I really wanted to post it. :)

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The Log:

You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.

Silen grins at Syrali, and heads outside.

Richenda heads to the bowl as well, mumbling, "I hope someone'll take me..."

Richenda walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kaylira sprints into the room pell-mell, throwing herself at her mother's 
leg for a quick hug. "To the Bowl with you, demonling," Kassi laughs, giving 
the girl's backside a swat. "Go on!" Kay beams at the room in general, waves 
a cookie-laden hand, and follows directions.

Bronwynn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Silen comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Meli climbs smoothly up Juliath's extended foreleg and settles herself 
between the neck ridges, as the green gives a welcome rumble from deep in 
her throat.

Richenda, glancing behind her, holds out her free hand to Kaylira. "Coming, 
love?"

Syrali comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan twines a hand tightly around the straps in 
front of him before leaning far over and extending a hand to those on the 
ground as his lifemate thoughtfully proffers a foreleg.

Kaylira screeches to a halt just outside the Bowl, and carefully tucks her 
cookie away before beaming at Richenda. "Aye, Auntie Fish. Mum said there'd 
be a ride for me?"

Astride Juliath, Meli says "Up here, Kay, w'me, ok?"

Richenda looks around at the dragons and then queries, "All right...shall I 
wait here, or...?"

Syrali's attempts to hang back from the general crowd probably don't do 
terribly well, given she's got an arm looped through Silen's. "Which one do 
we go with?" she whispers to him, voice raised over the more-than-murmur.

Silen shrugs. "Whoever has room?"

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan says, "For those going to the party at Shipfish, just 
pick your dragon. You've got 'Juliath' and 'Ularrith'. :)"

Myklan comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "That's tonite!?"

Rillanon glances at Bronwynn, "Who shall we go with?" She is pretty excited.

Nraith backwings for a landing.

Kaylira tugs at Richenda's sleeve with her newly-free hand. "Come with us, 
Auntie Fish! Aunt Meli will give us both a ride, won't you, Aunt Meli?" 
She's so cute when she implores, isn't she?

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Or Nraith!!!"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali plays Kassima. "Hurry those little bronze buns, 'Lex."

Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan tugs one Candidate to a spot behind him before 
reaching down to the next one as the first Candidate straps himself in.

Astride Juliath, Meli checks the extra straps, then calls down again. 
"Kaylira, I'll set y'right behind me, an' then we'll have Richenda b'hind 
you if you like, an' then Jul c'n probably handle one or two more."

High atop Nraith, A'lex says "Sorry I'm late..."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima idles in this connection, but can be reached in her 
much more nefarious Kaylira-form. ;)

Richenda raises her gaze to Nraith as he arrives, and with a sigh she asks 
Meli, "Please let us ride with you, because A'lex flies like a demented 
Seacrafter."

Bronwynn steps towards Ularrith, "Can Rill and I ride with you?"

Astride Juliath, Meli nods, grinning, former Seacrafter drudge that she is.

Syrali squints at Nraith's landing, nose wrinkling up against the backwind. 
"Maybe him," she suggests to Silen, starting that way. "Come on!"

Rillanon bounces up with Bronwynn, their arms still linked.

Kaylira beams again, and tucks Dagonth into the sling she wears to hold him 
before grabbing for the straps. "Thankee, Aunt Meli! Heya, Aunt Jul! Thankee 
for the ride also!"

High atop Nraith, A'lex sticks his tongue out at Richenda.

Juliath swings her head around to look you over with a curious glance. At a 
silent word from Meli, she extends a foreleg and lets you scramble up to her 
lower neck ridges.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan twists his gloves hand in a sort of waving 
gesture as he leans down a touch further, extending his arm towards 
Bronwynn. "Certainly. Come on up."

>>>> Silen nods, and follows Syrali. "Sounds good to me..."

>>>> Richenda queries of Kaylira, "Need a boost, love...oh, guess not." And 
she joyously sticks her tongue out at A'lex.

>>>> High atop Nraith, A'lex says "Anyone who needs a lift, climb aboard, 
we've got all our passenger straps with us."

>>>> Silen says "Want me to boost you up?"

>>>> Rillanon climbs up onto Ularrith's back, using his foreleg as a step.

>>>> Syrali pauses long enough to get a good look at Nraith, then back at 
Silen. "I can manage." And she does, if with a bit of scrabbling.

Telgar Weyr> Ro says, "Woo woo, a ride with 'lexibabe."

"S'too bad Tam's got tha' cold," Meli comments to her 'niece'. "You'll jus' 
have t'have twice as much fun f'him. Y'ready, Richenda ma'am?"

>>>> Syrali steps up onto Nraith's foreleg and grabs ahold of riding straps, 
hauling herself up the great Bronze neck.

>>>> Myklan waits quietly while the dragons are loaded...then looks for the 
one with the fewest passengers.

Richenda scrambles up Juliath's foreleg to settle herself between the lower 
neck ridges behind you.

>>>> Silen waits until Syrali's up, then scrambles up himself.

>>>> Above, Xylath flies over from the north end of the bowl.

>>>> Silen grabs ahold of Nraith's riding straps and hauls himself up the 
great Bronze neck.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali gets snagged for dinner, RL. Finally. No more 
gurglestomach. Feel free to 'drop' Syr off, 'Lex. ;) Thanks for the ride.

>>>> Xylath backwings for a landing.

>>>> Neliea nimbly climbs down from Xylath's neckridges, pausing to gently 
brush a hand along her lifemate's muzzle as he turns a large light blue 
muzzle to his lifemate, wuffling her hair gently in return.

>>>> Neliea walks up the pitted ledge and disappears into M'hryn's weyr.

>>>> Bronwynn vaults up onto Ularrith's back, as the dragon rumbles softly.

>>>> Astride Nraith, Silen waves over to Neliea and Xylath, then straps 
himself in.

Kaylira calls down to Richenda, "Mum taught me to climb all by m'self, 
Auntie Fish!" And oh, isn't she proud. "Will you thank Aunt Jul for me, Aunt 
Meli?" she asks with obediant politeness. Someone has clearly been drilled 
in more than just strap-climbing. "I can tell him all about it, sure."

>>>> Astride Nraith, A'lex nods to Silen, "You know how to Strap yourself in?"

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Rillanon looks at Bronwynn excitedly, "I still 
can't get used to this. Its soo fun!"

>>>> Astride Nraith, A'lex grins, "Good."

Meli smiles. "I will, Kay. Calling down, she adds 'S'room for another. 
Anyone else?"

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, A'lex smiles asks the same of Syrali.

>>>> Astride Nraith, Silen smiles at A'lex. "I've done it enough times, sir."

>>>> High atop Nraith, A'lex nods.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan quickly passes back the passenger straps 
and belts and points out what goes through where as he looks around for 
anymore passengers milling about on the ground.

>>>> Ro comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex thinks Ro is lost...

>>>> High atop Nraith, A'lex waves Ro up, "Come on, we don't have all day!"

Telgar Weyr> Ro isn't used to waking up in the infirmary.

>>>> Ro grabs ahold of Nraith's riding straps and hauls herself up the great 
Bronze neck.

>>>> High atop Nraith, Silen smiles at Ro. "Hi!"

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan asks, "Do we have everyone?"

Meli says "Ev'ryone buckled in an' snug?"

>>>> Nraith looks back at those strapping themselves in.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Bronwynn grins as she settles herself with a 
grin. Nodding enthusiastically, "I know, I know." She takes the straps and 
follows M'rgan's instruction, "Am I strapped in tight enough?" she ask, 
tugging on the staps experimentally.

>>>> Astride Nraith, Ro picks her way up carefully, favoring her hands as 
much as possible. "Hi Silen."

Kaylira asks Richenda eagerly, hugging her stuffed toy tight, "Will there be 
sweets at this party thing, Aunt Fish? Think so, Aunt Meli!"

>>>> High atop Nraith, A'lex says "You need a hand, Ro?"

>>>> From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, Silen says "How are your hands?"

Richenda waves to Meli and tucks her cane somewhere safe, then closes her 
eyes. "Bloody shards and shells...oh, that is, yes, dearie, there will be 
sweets."

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Rillanon follows Bronwynn's example and straps 
herself in. "I think thats right."

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Whoa, major deja vu. :b"

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan clips the straps to his flight belt before 
twisting around to check on the Candidates'. His hands and fingers move 
quickly but with the precision of turns of experience as he checks all of 
the buckles and tugs on the straps. "Good job. You're all strapped in just 
fine."

Kaylira gives a puzzled frown. "Could swear it means something different 
when Mum says it," she mumbles. "Sweets are good, though. I'll even share 
some with you if'n you want."

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, Ro gets herself into the straps, not too much of an 
invalid "I think I've got it, thanks A'lex." and then to Silen "They aren't 
bad, really. The healer just wanted to be careful."

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, Silen nods to Ro. "Good. Just let me know if you 
need anything, all right?"

>>>> Myklan waits quietly at Juliath's side, for the hand up.

Myklan scrambles up Juliath's foreleg to settle himself between the lower 
neck ridges behind you.

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, A'lex smiles at Silen's politeness.

Richenda beams at Myklan and settles herself again, closing her eyes.

Myklan settles in, trying not to squish Kaylira too much...

>>>> From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, Ro nods with a bemused smile "I'll be 
sure to do that, thank you."

Meli scans the group a moment, watching until it seems that everyone is 
settled and buckled. Raising a fist aloft, she pauses a moment, then gives 
the traditional pump signal to rise.

>>>> Nraith takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry 
him aloft.

>>>> Above, Nraith rises up from the bowl.

You spring into the air and catch the thermals rising from the bowl floor to 
carry you aloft.

>>>> Nraith snorts, happy to be aloft.

>>>> Ularrith rises up from the bowl.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Bronwynn nods silently and holds onto Rilla.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Rillanon oohs in delight, holding on tight

>>>> Astride Nraith, A'lex says "Hang on... he flies like he's a Green when 
he knows we're going to shipfish. Unfortunately, his body doesn't respond 
like one."

>>>> Astride Nraith, Silen winces slightly. "Oh boy," he says, and tightens 
his grip.

>>>> Juliath pauses a moment in the lower air, then with a few strong 
strokes climbs to the clearer space above.

Richenda's eyes close all the more tightly. This woman, it seems, doesn't 
like flying all -that- much.

>>>> Juliath disappears into Between.

Between
You gasp as the icy black nothingness of Between surrounds you! You hear 
nothing, see nothing, and feel nothing. The trip takes five heartbeats...
Black...
Blacker...
Blackest!

You suddenly emerge...

>>>> Juliath emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

>>>> Nraith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

>>>> Ularrith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, A'lex says "Did we all make it?"

Myklan hands onto the straps, but seems nonplussed with the entire affair. 
He even manages to pretend that *between* doesn't scare him witless.

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, Silen lets out a lungful of cold Telgar air, and 
takes in the warm Shipfish air. "I'm still here, sir."

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Rillanon ahhs in relief, "Phew."

>>>> Astride Nraith, Ro laughs "Well, I'm still here, anyhow."

Meli lets out a soft laugh. "Nice not t'be headin' to a Fall this time."

>>>> Ularrith bugles as he comes out of *between*. He drops his shoulder, 
curving down towards the beach far below.

Kaylira, quite the opposite, clearly delights in flying--even the trip 
*between*, unnatural child that she is. "Wheee! Ohhh... *look*!" Yes, she's 
realized that there's an island below her.

Myklan giggles, and reaches to tickle-poke Kaylira (lives dangerously don't 
we?) "Didn't even loose you between!"

You spiral down towards the strip of sand facing the bay.

"Whee? Faranth's gilded ovaries. Whee?" Richenda lets out a groan and 
watches the island come closer, further murmuring to herself about flights.

>>>> Ularrith dives down from above, and sends up a flurry of sand when he 
touches down.

>>>> Nraith dives down from above, and sends up a flurry of sand when he 
touches down.

>>>> Juliath lands rapidly, her small size making for speed and tight 
spirals. With barely a *whump*, she lands on the sand.

Kaylira yelps with laughter at the poke, and pries one hand from Dagonth to 
reach back and return it. "Couldn't! Aunt Jul knows better'n that, silly!"

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan lifts a hand to protect his face as 
Ularrith lands. But the brown dragon carefully stalls his wings at the last 
second and only stirs up a little of the sand.

>>>> Nraith slides a bit in the sand, the overzealous wherryhead.

>>>> From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, Silen yikes and hangs on tight.

"Allll right!" Meli yells out over the noise. "Ev'ryone out, but don' wander 
off too far! We'll set some folks up t'gatherin' wood for th'fire, an' such, 
'fore we go for a swim."

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Bronwynn sighs, "All done. My, it's warm here." 
She starts to pry at the straps, but her excited fingers are practically 
useless as she struggle to get free.

Myklan laughs, and refrains from getting into a ticklefest with Kaylira...yet.

>>>> Astride Nraith, A'lex says "Careful ya big lump!"

>>>> From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, A'lex says "Be careful getting down, 
folks."

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Rillanon gazes around, "Isn't it beautiful! Oh, I 
want to come back here again and again." She tugs at her straps, undoing 
them as well as she can.

>>>> Seated atop Nraith, Silen waits to be sure Nraith is done before 
venturing to unstrap.

>>>> Nraith sighs and settles down into the sand.

Richenda isn't getting down yet. No, she is not. She's up on the dragon, and 
there she is staying.

>>>> High atop Nraith, Ro scritches Nraith, a scarcely concealed smile on 
her lips, while no one is watching.

>>>> Juliath carefully furls her wings, settling closer to the ground and 
shifting one foreleg to assist in passenger removal.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan strokes the neckridge in front of him for 
a moment as he murmurs congratulations to his lifemate. Only when that is 
done does he release his own straps and turn around to check on his 
passengers. "Can you get it?"

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Having succeeded in unstrapping herself, she 
manages to make her way down. "Thank you, M'rgan."

>>>> Rillanon climbs down Ularrith's side to the ground, as the dragon 
warbles a greeting.

>>>> Silen lowers himself back to the ground using Nraith's riding straps.

>>>> Silen says "Want me to catch you, Ro?"

Kaylira then nods, vigorously enough to make her curls bounce, to Richenda. 
"Whee, Auntie Fish, 'cause 'tis *fun* t'be flying with Aunt Jul! She's nay 
as fast as Lyss, mayhaps, but she's awful close." Myklan is favored with a 
considering look, but she too accepts a truce... temporarily. "Can you help 
me, Aunt Meli? I can't find the buckle." Probably because Dagonth is in the 
way.

Telgar Weyr> Trilana says, "Where'd everyone go?"

>>>> Rillanon runs around, the first to get down, "Coming Bronwynn?" She asks.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda says, "Shipfish...you'll need a ride. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Trilana says, "Everyone's left, haven't they."

Telgar Weyr> K'ti says, "Poof... they've gone to Shipfish. I've gotta dragon 
if you need it.""

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, Bronwynn shakes her head, but just then manages 
to undo the strap, "I've got it," she grins.

Meli gives a nod even as she's twisting about to help Kay out of the straps. 
"Y'survive ok, Richenda?"

Myklan undoes his belt and reaches to help Kaylira before he realizes Meli's 
doing it too...then decides to get off the dragon instead.

Myklan slides down to Juliath's extended foreleg with some help from the 
straps, then makes the short jump to the ground.

"I'm perfectly well, thank you, Meli, Kaylira, thank you," sniffles Richenda 
as she stays precisely where she is.

>>>> Ularrith lifts his great, white-flecked head and twists it around, 
watching closely as one person after another scrambles down his straps. As 
each person steps onto the sand he whuffgrunts in satisfaction, glad to be 
free of the burden.

>>>> Syrali climbs down from Nraith's neck using his riding straps. Nraith 
watches her carefully the whole time.

>>>> Nraith dropped Syrali.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda says, "Gosh, Syrali. *Boom*."

>>>> Rillanon comes up to Ularrith's great wedgeshaped face and says, "Thank 
you, Ularrith. Thank you very much."

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "She's not here... :) Nraith was being a little 
uncareful."

Meli nods again, not entirely convinced. "There y'go, love," she asides to 
Kaylira. "Hmm, y'want me t'go down first an' help you tha' way, or help you 
f'up here, Riche?"

Kaylira grins at Meli, dutifully chiming, "Thankee, Aunt Meli," as she 
twists about to dismount. But before she does, she shifts Dagonth to her 
other arm and tugs at Richenda's sleeve. "C'mon, Auntie Fish. There're 
*sweets* down there somewhere."

Telgar Weyr> Richenda grins.

>>>> From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, Ro blushes deeply, nearly squeaking 
"Catch me?" Something about that just seems to be having an effect.

Richenda pauses. "Ah...I can slide down myself, I expect. My leg's not all 
that bad." Does she sound doubtful? Yes, she does.

>>>> Myklan looks around to see if he can lend a hand somehwere, stretching 
his filling-out torso as he does so. The warmth apparently agrees with him.

>>>> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan chuckles just a bit as he sees Rillanon 
and he gives his lifemate's neck a mild thumping. "Don't expect a your 
welcome back, Rillanon," he calls down to her. "The lump's not much for 
people."

>>>> Astride Nraith, A'lex starts unbuckling himself as he chuckles at Ro.

>>>> Myklan turns back as he hears that, and moves closer to the green 
again, offering a hand up to the retired Headwoman.

>>>> Silen grins. "Well, steady you, maybe. I imagine you've gotten down 
from dragons a few times before."

"Why don' I jus' stand below, jus' in case," Meli replies, moving down herself.

Kaylira accepts this with a child's trust, and bounces down to the ground, 
Lucki popping out of *between* just in time to swoop after her.

Meli slips smoothly down from Juliath's neck to her foreleg and to the 
ground, giving her a gentle caress.

You slide down to Juliath's extended foreleg with some help from the straps, 
then make the short jump to the ground.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti says, "Oh gah, sorry.. work pulled me off for a bit."

Rillanon shrugs, "Thats all right, I thought I should at least make the 
effort." She turns and walks over to the rest of the people on the beach.

From betwixt Nraith's neckridges, Ro unbuckles herself and gives Nraith one 
more scritch before sliding down. In the end she does end up needing a 
little help, as she is unable to use the straps to steady herself as much as 
she would like. At least she doesn't collide with Silen as he aids her, though.

Between Juliath's lower neck ridges, Richenda coughs, closes her eyes, holds 
onto her cane, and slides down.

Richenda slides down to Juliath's extended foreleg with some help from the 
straps, then makes the short jump to the ground.

Ro lowers herself back to the ground using Nraith's riding straps.

Bronwynn clambers down Ularrith's side to the ground, the dragon's sparkling 
eyes watching closely.

Meli reaches out her hands to slow Richenda's descent, helping to deposit 
her safely at Juliath's side.

Silen makes sure Ro is safely down, then steps back. "There y'go," he says, 
then calls, "Thanks, Nraith!"

Astride Nraith, A'lex watches to be sure Ro doesn't kill herself, or Silen, 
then hops down from Nraith's neck without using the straps.

A'lex slides down Nraith's riding straps and lands carefully beside him. 
Nraith rumbles quietly as A'lex pats his side in thanks.

Richenda thuds to a stop and mumbles, "Thank you, child," to Meli before 
patting Juliath. "Good...ah...yes, good dragon."

A'lex grins, "I've not been here in at least a turn..."

Myklan grins at Richenda, reaching out a hand to help steady her.

Richenda sets up a table and places all sorts of deserts on it.

Richenda looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

M'rgan hops down Ularrith's side to the ground, using his straps as handholds.

Richenda looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Kaylira remarks, ever observant, "'Tis *warm* here." Frowning in thought, 
she jogs over to a rather large boulder and very carefully sets Dagonth down 
beside it. "You won't get wet here, Dagonth. Watch m'jacket for me?" The 
hapless stuffed toy has no real choice but to comply, and Kay returns to 
Juliath and the others sans the leather accessory. "Aunt Jul's nice, aye. 
Nickie likes her."

Silen says "Kaylira, can he watch my riding jacket too?"

"You, you, you, an' you," Meli points. "Firewood patrol." Some others are 
pointed to assist the former headwoman with the picnic, while others are set 
to assisting in dragon strap removal and various other tasks. Finally, she 
calls out "F'those o'you who need t'change, y'can use th'shelter."

M'rgan remains exactly where he landed and by the wide leather straps that 
circle his lifemate's neck. As Ularrith rumbles with impatience and shivers 
the ridges down his back, the man immediately reaches for the first of the 
buckles on the straps, opening it. "Just give me a minute or two, lump. All 
right?"

Kaylira bobbles her head to Silen. "Bet he can! He's good at stuff like 
that. Better'n Lucki, even."

Silen grins. "Thanks!" He sets the jacket down, then goes to collect firewood.

Rillanon turns to Bronwynn, "Do you need to change? I've gotta out on my 
bathing suit."

Bronwynn shakes her head, "I'm wearing mine," she grins. Taking a step 
towards M'rgan she asks, "Need any help before we scamper off?"

Rillanon gets the suit out of the bag she carries, and says, "Alright. I'll 
get changed, just wait here."

Rillanon steps into the stone shelter.

M'rgan points to the second strap as he hears Bronwynn. "If you could help 
me with that one, this'll go much faster. Just don't let it get in the sand. 
It makes the lump itch."

Kaylira considers a moment, then peels off shoes and socks to let them join 
the pile of Dagonth-guarded apparel. "Lots of people here. We're going 
swimming?" This is asked of no one in particular; a general query.

From the shelter, Rillanon glances around, throwing of her clothes at the 
same time. The minute they are off, the suit is on, and then a wrap around 
skirt as well. Once dressed, she comes out again, putting her clothes in a 
tidy pile.

Rillanon steps out from the stone shelter.

"Yes, love," Meli replies to Kay. "But no swimmin' by y'self. You keep w'the 
others, an' not too deep, right?"

A'lex strips down to his breeches and lays himself down in the sun.

Rillanon looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Richenda is stripping down not a whit: no sense in scaring the fish.

Silen comes back with an armload of firewood, sets it down, and strips down 
to his swimming trunks.

Bronwynn grins and reaches up to work on the straps, "Alright, I'll be 
careful," she giggles. She gives 'the lump' another affectionate pat, "We 
wouldn't want you to itch now would we? Then poor M'rgan would have to 
listen to your complaining."

Kaylira indulges in a momentary pout, but nods. "If'n you say so, Aunt Meli. 
Foster-Mum's been teaching me t'swim, though. She says I'm getting really 
good at it!"

Rillanon rejoins Bronwynn, helping her with the straps. Her suit is blue, 
and the skirt red.

Richenda finds a rock on which she may perch and lets out a long sigh, 
closing her eyes as the warmth surrounds her and lulls her into a sense of 
comfort.

Syrali's not stripping any more than Richenda, but for another reason 
entirely. She gives the water a suspicious glance, then retreats further in 
from the shoreline to investigate the less damp areas of the island.

Meli slips beneath Juliath's wing briefly, emerging with her hides in hand, 
dressed in her bandeau top and wrap skirt. "Much better. An' yeh, I know 
y've been learning, Kay. Tam too. Both doin' well, I've heard."

Ularrith's rumble only deepens and he twists his head back around, to stare 
out longingly at the ocean waters.

Telgar Weyr> Leigh finally gets online. Hi, everybody. :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Heya. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Rei says, "hi"

Telgar Weyr> Leigh wants to be where you all are!

Telgar Weyr> K'ti will come back for you in a moment Leigh?

Telgar Weyr> Leigh beams. "Thanks!"

Ro says in Silen and A'lex's general direction "What shall we do now?"

A'lex says "I plan on lying here and getting warm for a bit... all the way 
to the core."

M'rgan slips the straps over his shoulder and loops them over his arm as he 
starts to pull them off of his lifemate's neck. As the dragon's hide is 
well-oiled there's barely a scratching sound as they slither off.

Silen says "I was gonna swim a little...maybe build a sand hold."

Meli grins. "I guess y'can go explore, or swim, if y'like, but don' get lost."

A'lex grins, "Ooooh, sand hold!! Let me know when, and I'll give ya a hand."

Jaralth dives down from above, and sends up a flurry of sand when he touches 
down.

Ro nods "Me too. Are they hard to make?"

Meli looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Silen says "I will! No, not really. Well, they can be. It depends on how big 
you make 'em."

Astride Jaralth, K'ti says "well.. first we land, then y'can slide down 
Jaralth's shoulder. He's used to it'n the sand's soft."

Myklan settles down into the sand after making a small, lonesome trail off 
by himself. He digs into his pocket and produces a tiny, re-crafted 
knifeblade and grabs a bit of driftwood.

Melitakes some baklava from the dessert table.

Kaylira noddles agreement, grey graze stealing wistfully towards the ocean 
also. "I'm better'n Khari at it. Foster-Mum won't let her go very far in 
'tall." She considers once again, pondering, pondering, until 'sand hold' 
reaches her ears and she perks up. "Oh! Can we build a sand Weyr, too?"

Syrali pokes along around the trees, kicking at stones half-buried in the 
sand, sometimes pausing to worry out one or two of the deeper ones. She 
glances over, catching part of Silen's suggestion, and starts wandering back 
that way. She pauses by the tables to strip out of her sweater, before 
making the rest of the way over, hands buried in her breeches pockets.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti would stay down here, but they'er shutting the pooters 
down at 7 at work. Maintenance purposes

Astride Jaralth, Trilana smiles again, leaning back and reaching down to 
scritch Jaralth's shoulder in thanks. "Thank you, Jaralth. And K'ti," she 
adds, smiling cheerily as she slides off.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali ewws. Condolences.

Trilana slides down Jaralth's foreleg to land on the ground below.

Telgar Weyr> Silen grumbles and swears and has to give someone else the 
line. Have fun with the sand hold...

Jaralth warbles as he's scritched. The warble turns into one of those 'do we 
have to' whines that any kid could fashion in a pinch. Leave? Noooooo... 
warm! Okay... *sigh* leave.

Meli collects a sweet, nibbling at it as she scrunches her toes into the 
sand. "Swim first, or build first?"

"There *is* food and drink, you know," Richenda carols from her rock, the 
one she has claimed in every way but by carving her name upon it. "If you 
don't want Ofira gnawing your heads off, you'd best not let it go to waste."

Astride Jaralth, K'ti waves and doesn't bother to nudge her dragon.

Jaralth launches up up into the sea air, and soars high above the island.

Trilana smiles up at K'ti. "I thank you," she says again before reluctantly, 
or not-so-reluctantly, turning to face her friends.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali ulps. Bye, Sil!

Kaylira eyes Meli's sweet longingly, and turns her eyes to the table. They 
widen, and she gasps, her expression turning into the beatific one of a 
child who has seen utopia. "Eat first?" she pleads.

Rillanon looks at the food hungrily, but smiles and waves to Trilana first. 
But she is very interested in the food.

Ro nods thoughtfully as she seats herself carefully on the sand. To her 
credit not using her hands does _not_ cause her to tip over during the 
maneuver.

Telgar Weyr> Silen says, "Assume I'm still here, I guess. See you guys..."

Syrali looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Trilana gives Rillanon a cheerful wave. So she was noticed. And there's 
food. And fashionably late.

Telgar Weyr> Ro snugs "Bye K'ti."

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira zhaisnugs the departing.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti smoochies a Ro of course :)

Telgar Weyr> Ursa bearsnugs herself some partying telgarites.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali oofs. Bears on picnic?

Telgar Weyr> Syrali hmms. How's that go? Picnic time for teddy bears...

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Ursa is gonna steal some pic-a-nic baskets"

Meli grins. "Sure, 'lira. But then y'have t'wait awhile before swimmin'." 
She settles herself into the sand, leaning back on her elbows with ankles 
crossed, watching the activity.

Telgar Weyr> Meli's uncle's singing group put out a 45 of Teddy Bear's 
Picnic some years back.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Hey there Mister Weyrleader sir, wa do you got in 
that pic-a-nic basket?"

Telgar Weyr> K'ti sings, "If you go down to the woods today, you better go 
in disguise. If you go down to the woods todday you're in for a big 
surprise. Today's the day the teddybears have their picnic..."

Trilana slides towards the food, poking Syrali in the side. "What's best?"

M'rgan finishes twining the straps into large loops as he watches his 
lifemate lumberwaddle into the water, the dragon's feet sending up huge 
splashes. "Thanks, Bronwynn. I'll take care of the rest of it."

Bronwynn grins at M'rgan and then to Rillanon, "Wanna go explore? or would 
you rather eat first?"

Richenda gives out a large groan and heaves herself to her feet to approach 
the table of food, which is situated near the vast kettles of steaming 
shellfish. Her intent, plainly, is to serve as something akin to hostess. 
Once a Headwoman...

Syrali ignores the sweets for the time being, waving off Trilana with a 
shrug. "I don't eat too much of it. Fruit's always good, though, and 
cookies. Rest... depends." That said, she pokes her way down the shore, 
picking a spot where the sand is well-packed down and just slightly damp to 
plunk herself, belt knife already slipped out of its sheath. "Hmm-mm..."

Rillanon looks at the food and then decides, "Explore. YOu can't explore on 
a full stomach." She is still bouncing.

Oh, woe! Oh, dolor! Oh, the horror of a child who's been told she can't have 
it both ways! Kaylira seems quite crestfallen for several moments... until 
she seems to register that swimming isn't a popular activity yet anyway. 
"Food, then." Hopefully, oh, so hopefully, she implores of Richenda, "Can I 
have some of *everything*?"

"Fruit. yes, fruit," Tril decides, grabbing a big redfruit and biting into 
it. "Good."

Richenda's eyebrow arches. "Start with the seafood, my dear."

A'lex closes his eyes and smiles up into the sun.

Rillanon looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Trilana bites into her redfruit again and peers at Richenda. "Me?"

Bronwynn thinks, glancing about, "How about that way?" she asks Rilla, 
pointing to the shady, overgrown path.

Rillanon nods, "Great! Lets go." She glances back for a minute and then 
waves to everyone, heading down the path.

Rillanon strides towards the small path which disappears west into the trees.

Ro looks thoughtful for a while before she picks up a handful of warm sand 
and mischieviously trickles it onto A'lex's chest.

Kaylira is perhaps, just perhaps, deliberately obtuse here. "Seafood? Sweets 
come from the sea?"

Bronwynn walks towards the small path which disappears west into the trees.

Syrali hunches, and starts with a line. Long, wavy, and meandering, it 
eventually curves around into a circle, tiny dibbits of sand plowed up by 
the tip of her knife lining the sides of the shallow groove. Tongue caught 
between her teeth, frowning, she scrapes them away and sits back to consider 
the extremely ragged 'circle' -- more like a cooked tuber smushed under a 
dragon's foot.

A'lex open one eye, glancing up at whomever is not only sanding him, but 
blocking his sun, "I can have Nraith sit on you, you know."

"Like scallops," Richenda confirms, indicating a bowl of the treats 
nearby...along with molten butter. "They're sweet."

Meli mmmms to herself, before levering back to her feet. "Shellfish. Wha' a 
treat!" She quickly starts to fill a plate with the steaming food.

M'rgan glances around him for a few seconds until he spots an absolutely 
perfect boulder. The rock is both flat and wide and far enough away that the 
water shouldn't touch it. The man marches over there and deposits the straps 
atop it. Only then does he comment, "I think I'm going to go for a swim," 
and proceed to add all of his clothes to the pile. Without a bit of shame 
the man pads across the beach and into the water, joining his lifemate in a 
swim.

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Gah, now I'm really hungry."

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan waves to everyone. Have a good night.

Trilana gives up, sitting down on the sand and frowning as sand gets in her 
sandals. "Oh, I hate that."

Telgar Weyr> Leigh shares her tuna fish sandwich with Meli. It's on homemade 
bread.

Telgar Weyr> Bronwynn says, "See ya M'rgan!"

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira says, "Ditto. :P :) Oh, you're leaving, Mart? *Snugs, 
if so.*"

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Oh, sure, strip naked and then disconnect. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Rillanon waves to M'rgan :)

Telgar Weyr> Leigh <-- Philistine.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti wishes everyone a good night= time to disappear from work.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Ninight. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Trilana huggles.

Kaylira doesn't look entirely trusting of this, but scoots over to the bowl 
all the same. "Never had *those* a'fore. They don't look sweet." A longing 
glance is cast towards the baklava, cakes, and other treats. So close, and 
yet so far!

Ro chuckles "He wouldn't do that, A'lex. He knows if he did I'd stop 
scritching him."

Trilana wiggles a finger down towards her sandals and pulls them off 
irritably, tossing them backwards. She'll find 'em later.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's not hungry, but wouldn't pass up shellfish. 
Particularly shrimp.

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan always strips nekkid before disconnecting. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Kassima will remember to note that next time you get disconned 
in the LC, Mart. ;)

A'lex says "True... he's a sucker for a woman that knows her way around a 
headknob."

Ro chuckles and leaves the bronzerider be, wandering over to pay attention 
to his better half.

A'lex chuckles, "I *WILL* get you back, Ro..."

Richenda taps the table. "All right, Kaylira, m'dear, eat a few things here 
first, then sweets. Rules are rules."

His better half. Fortunate she didn't say that out loud, Tril thinks. But 
she says nothing, rising and walking along the water, toe digging slightly 
into the soft sand as she wanders aimlessly.

Kaylira's lower lip juts out, but she does comply, finding herself a plate 
and a pair of tongs that are rather unwieldy in her small hands--both of 
which she tries to use to operate the things. "I'm gonna get you, little 
fishie," she sings tunelessly to herself as she works.

Syrali flicks out a few divots in the circle she's drawn, ponders that for a 
bit, then starts scratching in another few awkward shapes attatched to the 
original. She pauses at one point, knife stuck in the sand, to glance out at 
the swimming folk with a faintly annoyed frown.

Trilana turns towards Syrali, catching the end of the frown. "Hello to you, 
too."

Ro laughs and says over her shoulder "You'd have to catch me first, 'lex. In 
fact, about the worst thing you probably could do is get yourself hurt so I 
had one more dragon to wash."

A'lex Chuckles. "Watch me."

Richenda smiles warmly at Kaylira, then, letting go an expansive sigh, finds 
a seat for herself. "I'm watching you...!" she warns the child, then 
massages her leg as she is wont to do.

Syrali blinks in on Trilana. "Huh? Heya..." she says, sounding confused. 
"What's wrong?"

Ro lifts an eyebrow and replies "That shouldn't be to hard." There is just 
something about her smile as she says it. Meanwhile, she perches by Nraith, 
scritching him as she watches his lifemate.

"That was quite a glare," Tril replies, entirely cheerful, tracing lines in 
the sand with that toe.

"I can be good," Kaylira objects, wounded. "But someday, when I'm a 
brownrider, I'm going to eat all the sweets I want. Why d'you do that to 
your leg, Aunt Fish?" She plunks down onto the sand gracelessly with a 
platter of various strange seafood things, some of which have shells, much 
to her consternation when presented with the task of trying to *eat* it.

Meli works on her supper, somehow managing to keep most of the sand from the 
scallops and other shellfish as she resettles herself.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex apologises for idle... I'm trying to shove dinner down my 
maw.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "That um sounds attractive"

"Because it feels better when I do. Just pry open the shell and pluck out 
the meat and dunk it in that red sauce," Richenda suggests.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda says, "Doesn't she object?"

Telgar Weyr> A'lex nods.

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "RICHENDA."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali giggles at Rich.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian snugs a Richenda.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda says, "It's been a long week."

Kaylira sticks out her tongue in concentration, pulling and tugging at the 
stubborn shell. Eventually, it flies apart. Literally. She's left holding 
the meat-carrying bit, but the other half goes sailing off Faranth knows 
where. "*Neat*!" she exclaims, thrilled. The meat is snatched and tasted 
almost as an afterthought. "Tastes... weird. Nay bad, but... weird."

Telgar Weyr> Meli grins, then apologizes to the shipfishers. Just remembered 
I need to call the 'rents tonight, sorry to leave you short another dragon.

A firelizard has the rest. No problems, none at all. Zoom, zip, and it's gone.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda Awwwwws! and hugs the woogababe.

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira snugs an Aunt Meli!

Telgar Weyr> Myklan says, "No problems. We'll just all ride Nraith back."

Telgar Weyr> Richenda says, "Not me. A'lex flies like a demented Seacrafter."

"It was not a glare," Syrali protests. "I was just... watching." She glares 
at the toe, though. "You're ruining the lines of my sand Weyr."

Telgar Weyr> Meli resembles that remark. :b Ok, just assume we're here 
trying not to sunburn!

Kaylira scrambles to gather some of the sauce onto her plate, making, on the 
whole, a mess of said plate. Dinner is going to be an interesting affair. 
"Sand Weyr?" she wonders, looking about to see who said that.

Trilana eeees and squinches up her toes. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!" And then she 
leaps into the water so as to get away from it.

Rillanon walks through the trees, emerging at the end of the overgrown path.

Bronwynn strides through the trees, emerging at the end of the overgrown path.

Bronwynn looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

A'lex stretched and rolls over, so as not to burn his frontside.

Rillanon says to Bronwynn quietly, "Shall we go to the Shale Beach after 
this?" She, too, looks at the dessert table.

Ro whispers to Nraith. Let A'lex worry.

Trilana turns and smiles at Rilla and Bronwynn. "Hi, guys."

Kaylira, receiving no answer, picks up her plate and wanders on over to 
where 'Lex is roasting himself. "Want some strange fish things in red stuff, 
Uncle 'Lex?" she offers, quite politely. Never mind that she's probably just 
trying to get her plate cleaned--and refilled with dessert--faster.

A'lex looks up, "Does your mother like to eat it?"

Rillanon smiles, "Hey Trilana." She takes a ripe redfruit, letting the juice 
run down her fingers and all down her face.

Kaylira peers down at the plate. "The red stuff isn't *chutney*, Uncle 
'Lex," she chides.

Trilana realizes she's got a dripping redfruit in her hand and grimaces. 
Sticky.

Nraith eyes Ro, and somehow manages to look conspiring.

Bronwynn distractedly nods to Rilla, but swings about when she hears 
Trilana, "Oh Heya Trilana." She laughs at Rilla's messy eating, "You 
porcine," she jokes.

A'lex says "But does your mother eat whatever it *IS*..."

Kaylira gives a small shrug. "I dunno. Maybe she would, but she's nay 
*here*, so I can't share it with her."

Rillanon giggles, trying to wipe the juice off with her hands, but just 
making a bigger mess. "Whoops."

A'lex rolls back over, "You'll have to clean the plate yourself, dear. I'm 
not hungry. Sorry. Try Richenda."

Trilana snorts and drops the rest of the stickyredfruit into her mouth, 
placing her hands into the lake to wash them of the juices.

Kaylira frowns at the bronzerider, quite piqued. "Then why'd you ask whether 
Mum eats it?" she wants to know. "Auntie Fish won't help me. She's the one 
who said I had t'be eating 'em in the first place."

Kvasith descends down from above, and sends up a flurry of sand when he 
touches down.

A'lex laughs, "Cause if it's something SHE likes, I probably won't."

Kvasith rumbles a greeting to the other dragons as he lands.

Richenda raises an eyebrow at A'lex. It's a visual warning shot across the bow.

A'lex raises an eyebrow at Richenda, "WHAT? Kassima had odd tastes!"

Aurian slides off Kvasith after unfastening her riding straps. She lands 
neatly on her feet this time.

Ro nods, chiming in her agreement "As someone who hunted fresh tunnelsnake 
for her, I agree."

Aurian pushes up her goggles, "How goes the event?"

"Mum does *nay* have odd tastes!" Kaylira immediately retorts, then takes a 
moment to think about this. "Okay, so the cabbage with frosting on it was 
kinda weird. But this food isn't bad-weird, 'tis just weird-weird."

Syrali flips a stone over into the middle of her design, frowning fiercely 
at it. "Maybe if I..."

A'lex chuckles.

Richenda mmms. "KASSIMA has odd tastes? This from a bronzerider?"

Aurian chuckles as she wanders with a couple skins of fruit juices, "Now 
now, the Chutney thing is ODD."

A'lex snorts, "Yes... what have I ever eaten that made YOUR stomach turn?"

"How about the pickles with whipped cream?" Syrali asks, giving up on the 
mangled Weyr-design for now. Not that it looks like a Weyr. "And the mashed 
wherry?"

Richenda opens her mouth, then hmms again. "Good point, lad."

Telgar Weyr> Rillanon sighs and better go. Have a good time, all!

Kaylira sits down on the sand to sullenly pick at her shellfish, getting red 
sauce all over her hands. "Mum says 'tis *good* t'be odd. 'Sides, all that's 
the *spawn's* fault."

A'lex makes a "So there" face at Richenda.

Trilana ees. "Pickles with /what/?"

Richenda sticks her tongue out at A'lex. What's the use of being grown up if 
you can't misbehave?

Syrali nods multiple times. "Pickles with whipped cream," she repeats. "She 
liked that idea."

A'lex grins back.

Aurian chuckles softly and drops into the sand.

Aurian looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Ro says "She asked me if I'd make herb bread with chutney on it."

Richenda coughs. "What? What was that, Ro?"

Trilana shudders. "That's... silly."

"But fat people have t'be eating weird stuff," Kaylira seems honor-bound to 
point out. And then her gaze drops to the plate. "Does that mean eating 
weird stuff makes you fat?"

Aurian snickers, "She loves her chutney." She glances to Kaylira, "Dependes 
on how wierd it is..what do you have there?"

Richenda and her plumpish self give another cough.

Kaylira eyes the plate. "Fish in shells and red stuff." She scoops it up, 
and solemnly walks back to Richenda. "Auntie Fish, I can't eat this. I don't 
want t'spawn."

Telgar Weyr> Ro snerks at Kaylira "Good one!"

Aurian laughs, "Eating that won't make you spawn. You should ask your mother 
about that."

Telgar Weyr> A'lex erks... Something's definatley wrong with my heat... I 
gotta go for a bit...

Bronwynn catched Aurian's last comment and giggles before muching a cookie.

Trilana sighs and finds a seat, smiling cheerfully at everyone as she grabs 
a sweet. Yum.

Syrali tosses another rock into her sand-sketching and heaves herself to her 
feet, kicking the awkward drawing into obliteration before wandering up 
toward the food. "Seafood's good stuff."

"All right, Kaylira, you at least tried. Have a few sweets," Richenda sighs, 
caving in. Again. As always.

Aurian glances back over her shoulder, "Where does one find some of the 
shellfish.." Yes she's a brave brownrider. Nyah.

"But 'tis weird food, and only spawning people eat weird food," Kaylira 
argues. "Mum probably *would* like it. Thankee, Auntie Fish! Can we take 
some back to her?" She looks all too relieved to hear that she won't have to 
eat the rest of the food... until Aurian speaks, commandeering her attention 
as only a brownrider can. "Brownriders eat the weird shell things, Aunt Auri?"

Syrali spears a scallop with one of the provided splinters, dips it in the 
'red sauce' and dangles it toward Kaylira. "Did you try it?" she asks, 
wide-eyed and innocent. "I eat 'em."

Aurian nods to Kaylira, "Yup, its not the oddest thing to eat you know. Not 
like you were eating crawlers or Vtols. Or there is always that raw fish 
dish that they make at Boll." She stands to go hunt down the shellfish in 
the red sauce.

Myklan wittles quietly at his bit of driftwood, making the rough shape of an 
abstractly stretched runner. He looks up, to smile at the conversation.

Kaylira gives the dangling scallop a thoroughly dubious look. "Well... nay 
*those*... I tried some of these." She points to a red-stuff-soaked clam. 
"And I pulled it apart, and the other part flew away, and 'twas kinda slimy 
inside."

Aurian chuckles, "You have to toss it back quickly."

Syrali jiggles it a little. "Scallops are delicious," she promises, reaching 
for another with her free hand, as she turns the first to keep the sauce 
from dripping all off. "Try it."

Telgar Weyr> Richenda has need to idle for a bit, she fears.

Kaylira very gingerly pinches the scallop between her fingers, drawing it 
off the fork and taking a bite. Munch. Munch. Swallow. Brighten. "That 
wasn't slimy or weird!" she announces for the benefit of the beach at large.

Aurian serves herself a portion of the shellfish, she sits down with one of 
her skins of juice. She carefully works on the bivalves but clearly enjoying 
herself.

Syrali grins. "Told you so," she says, uncharacteristically impish, and 
flips the fork around to offer the handle. "Have some more. I always liked 
them at home," she adds, spearing one with the new fork she's picked up. 
"They're sweet."

Kaylira grasps the fork firmly and dutifully attacks the plate. Rule one of 
getting young children to eat: the food is more appetizing if it's on 
someone *else's* plate. Kaylira, klepto that she is, hasn't quite outgrown 
this rule yet. "Want some of m'slimy shell things?" she offers in return, 
all politesse.

Trilana comes out of her reverie, standing up suddenly to grab another 
redfruit.

"I'll stick to the scallops, thanks," Syrali says, dipping one in sauce 
before popping it in her mouth. "Slimy's not my favorite. Fish is good, 
though."

Kaylira admits, gingerly attempting to eat another of the shellfish--a 
spiderclaw, it looks like--"I like fish okay. Sweets are *better*, but 
Auntie Fish wants me to eat this stuff first. Will you help me build a sand 
Weyr later?"

"Shellfish are wonderful," Tril offers innocently.

Syrali scrapes a fish filet onto her plate, nodding. "Sure, kiddo, if you 
want. I'm not real good at it, though."

Richenda blinks out of her drowse and mumbles, "It's time to head back, for 
me, at least. You children have fun, hmmm?"

Kaylira asks Trilana around a mouthful of shellfish, "And you'll help, won't 
you?" Without waiting for an answer, she yells over to Myklan, "And you? 
Mayhaps you can make some sand-ovines and porcines and runners and stuff for 
the Beasthold? Oh, Auntie Fish, d'you *have* to?"

"I'm half-asleep, and besides, Rennick's awaiting me," Richenda notes, 
holding out her arms for Kaylira. "Now come give me a hug and kiss before I 
go."

Trilana nods cheerfully. "Of course I will," she tells Kaylira and then 
smiles at Richenda almost shyly.

"Night, ma'am," Syrali calls toward Richenda, looking not the least bit 
sleepy yet, herself. That nap must've done it.

Richenda smiles maternally at the others, then waves, finds some amenable 
rider, and catches a ride back to Telgar.

Aurian wavesto Richenda, "Good night."

Telgar Weyr> Richenda is at least going to idle a while, so she'll logoff 
for a bit. :)

Kaylira sets down her plate and scrubs sauce-smeared hands off on her 
breeches before running to Richenda, throwing her arms about the woman's 
neck and presenting her with a kiss on the cheek. "Thankee, Auntie Fish, and 
g'night!"

Keron carefully moves his over, and slips to the ground with Kvasith's 
foreleg steadying them.

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira zhaisnugs the Richefish. :)

Keron looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Aurian chews contentedly, she sighs happily.

Richenda laughs, hugging and kissing the child back, then departs.

Kerontakes some baklava from the dessert table.

Keron devoures the Baklava. "My one true love, the only dessert for me. 
Baklava.."

Myklan finally gets up, and dusts his backside off, making his way down to 
the table.

Myklan wrinkles his nose, "I think it's a little sweet...."

Myklan looks over the dessert table, deciding which treat to try first.

Kaylira wanders back to the table, and ponders her plate. "Have I eaten 
enough for dessert yet?" she appeals of the Candidates, now Authorities to 
her given their rather greater ages.

Myklan wrinkles his nose at Kaylira, "What've you eaten already, kiltrat?" 
His voice teases a little.

"Far as /I/ care," Syrali says, nose wrinkling in unconscious mimicry of 
Myklan's. "Most of it's too sweet."

Kaylira sets her small hands on her hips and protests, "I'm nay a kilt! 
Ivrihn's a kilt! I've eaten the slimy shell things, and the... 
whatchamacallum things that Syrali had, and something that had a lot of 
legs...."

Keron looks at the other people. "How can you not like Baklava. It's a 
Benden speciality. My being from Benden doesn't make me biased or anything. 
It's just the best."

Kerontakes some baklava from the dessert table.

Syrali chuckles. "Scallops and spiderclaws," she clarifies for Myklan. "She 
actually likes scallops. Kid's got sense."

Trilana gives up this food talk, leaning back on the sand, not caring that 
it's in her hair, humming softly to herself.

Aurian takes another bites out of the shellfish, mmm.

"Well, a'*course*," Kaylira agrees. Modest, she ain't. "I'm gonna be a 
brownrider, and brownriders have got t'have sense, unless mayhaps they're 
Aunt Martina and his Secret Dendity. I can have the sweets now, though?" 
Let's not forget the important part of this conversation.

"Oh, are you?" Syrali waves vaguely toward the sweets, wandering that way 
herself. "Maybe a cookie... so you want to be a brownrider? Not green, or 
blue?"

Myklan wrinkles his nose a bit more at Keron and grins, "I was born there..I 
know."

Myklan reaches up, and cuts a slice of pie...and offers it to Kaylira, 
"How's this?"

Telgar Weyr> Ro has to go. RL calls.

Ro curls up in Nraith's shadow, falling asleep.

Keron grins at Myklan. "'Tis also the best hold, with the best dessert, oh 
and lets not forget the best wine, although I don't drink it." He gets 
somemore baklava and savours each bite.

Myklan grins a bit, "I meant the Weyr..."

Aurian chews idly, she peers at Keron.

Kaylira relinquishes her plate to Lucki gladly, snatching up another for 
desserts. "Ooh, thankee, Mykkie! Can I have some of the cake, too? And the 
yellow rectangles? 'Twas born at Benden too," she belatedly notes, puffing 
up with pride despite the fact that she can't *possibly* remember Benden at 
all. "Nay, I'm going t'ride brown. Like Aunt Auri and Uncle Mart. Greens are 
all right, and blue's better'n gold anyway, but brown's best of all."

Myklan grins some, "You eat the pie FIRST!...then you can have my share of 
cake."

Syrali nods, obviously amused and trying to hide it. "Don't you have to 
be... y'know... picked out for it, or something?"

Kaylira beams at Myklan. "You make sense, ovine boy. For a boy-type, you're 
nay so very bad." High praise indeed, coming from this one, and she sets to 
devouring pie with all speed--avoiding a mess this time. She'd not want to 
miss a single crumb. "Aye," she agrees with Syrali after swallowing a bite. 
"But Mum's a rider and Da's a rider, so I'll prolly be a rider, and there's 
nay reason I can't have brown if'n I'm perfect for brown, which I am. 
Brownriders have t'be strong and brave and fearless, and laugh in the face 
of having their underpants burned by Uncle Kiat."

"Underpants burned?" Syrali asks, startled into a blunt question. "By... 
Uncle Kiat?"

Myklan chokes almost, on his bite of redfruit, and stares at the younger 
caverns brat.

Aurian sighs at Kaylira, "Must we continue to discuss that."

Myklan apparently missed it, "Why'd he burn underpants?"

"Uncle Kiat!" Kaylira crows in triumphant confirmation, pleased to get to 
tell this story. "'Tis a *fun* story, Aunt Auri. See, Mum told me that Uncle 
Kiat was real mad at the Leader, I don't know why, and gathered up all his 
underpants and threw 'em in a bonfire. They burned and burned, and the 
Leader didn't find out until morning. Then there's something about frilly 
underpants with pink lace on 'em, but I didn't pay much attention to that."

Bronwynn, who has all but fallen asleep on the sand, open's one eye and 
glances at Aurian, waiting for her reply.

Aurian hmmphs, "Its been a turn at least."

Syrali giggles, chokes on a scallop, and whirls away to stifle a fit of 
coughing.

Myklan wrinkles his nose, then ohs, "He was mad cuz M'hryn's Talibenth got 
Herath, I bet."

Trilana blinks. "Not /this/ again."

Myklan is a bit slow on the uptake though...."M'hryn had pink frilly 
underpants?" The youth goes pink to the ears.

Aurian sighs, "K'ti gave them to him. And no he doesn't wear them."

Myklan is still pink, "He had pink frilly underpants?"

Aurian rubs her temples, "He gave them away."

Kaylira beams broadly at her audience. "Uh-huh. Oh, that's it, Mykkie! He 
thought Aunt Kin liked the Leader and was angry, but that doesn't explain... 
oh, Aunt K'ti. *That* explains frilly underpants. Did he give 'em to Aunt 
Lirra? She likes painting underpants."

Syrali's still coughing. Ostensibly coughing, anyway."

Aurian shakes her head, "no he didn't."

Telgar Weyr> Myklan just notes for the record that pink frilly underpants 
are the bane of young teen boys. Totally forbidden territory there ;)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "What a line to log onto."

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Ain't it keen."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali boots her keyboard. Hey, they don't do much for tomboy 
teen girls, either. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Myklan heehees.

Telgar Weyr> Trilana snorts and grins.

Aurian mutters, "and they weren't pink. They were sisal. Kassima had the 
pink lace."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali does a real quick idle to fetch coffee.

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira snugs her Aunt Lys. I'm telling everyone the burning 
underpants story. :)

Keron grins and stuffs another bite of baklava in his mouth. When he 
finishes he tries to speak but laughs instead. "I've heard that one before. 
What is such a big deal about him having pink, frilly, underwear? If he 
likes them that's his personal choice."

Myklan glances at Aurian and rubs his face a little. Kassima in pink frilly 
lacy underwear is just utterly verboten to his mind.

Aurian glares at Keron, "He doesn't like them. They were a surprise gift."

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Oh, um...joy. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa winks.

Kaylira notes primly to Aurian, "Mum only wore the pink lace 'cause you 
*paid* her. She hates that stuff. When I'm Leader, nay anybody's gonna make 
me wear pink lace."

Trilana shakes her head, amused and detached from this conversation.

Aurian grins at Kaylira, "And yer mum looked so lovely too."

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Kaylira, you frighten me. :)"

Keron grins again. "I know he didn't." He looks at Kaylira. "Kassima will do 
anything is the price is right." (To coin a phrase.)

Telgar Weyr> Neliea belatedly hugs Lys and any other incomming people. :)

Kaylira snorts a denial of this. "Mum looked *silly*. Even sillier than she 
looks now. And she promised me and Khari that she'd never, ever, ever make 
us wear pink lace, ever." Just in case there was doubt of this. Finishing 
off the last bite of pie, she holds up her plate. "Can I have that cake now, 
Mykkie? Maybe we can work on the sand Weyr while eating? Bet we can make a 
really good one, all of us."

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira grins at Lys. That's the whole point of being 
evil-spawn! :)

Trilana reaches over and grabs a cookie. "I think pink lace is silly," she 
offers through a mouthful.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa smooochies

Myklan chuckles and quietly cuts Kaylira a slightly smaller piece of cake, 
handing it over.

Keron grabs some more baklava. "I wonder id I should stop eating this stuff. 
Nah." He starts to eat again.

Syrali must've had some eye trouble, too, because she's wiping hers when she 
finally turns back to fetch herself a couple of cookies. "Sand Weyr. That'll 
work, sure..."

Aurian finishes her meal, she leans back in the sand and sighs contentedly.

Keron says "You could make the hatching sands easy, but they weyrs would be 
a challenge."

"You're right," Kaylira informs Trilana, nodding a thanks for the cake and 
plunking down to demolish it at a slightly slower speed. "'Tis really silly. 
Think we can make dragons for the sand Weyr? And people? And animals and 
stuff? How 'bout Uncle Pie--could we make an Uncle Pie?"

"I'm always right," Tril replies cheerily, leaning forward. "Can you imagine 
trying to make sky-high weyrs?" she asks. About the Sand of course.

"Maybe." Syrali sounds ever so confident; doesn't she always? "Last time I 
tried to make a runner, it looked like a canine. Who's Uncle Pie?"

Kaylira sets her fork down long enough to make a gesture with her hands to 
suggest that whoever Uncle Pie is, he's rather rotund. "*You* know. Uncle 
Pie. Big man in the Living Cavern, with the moustache? Always making animal 
noises at Mum?"

Myklan wrinkles his nose, quietly.

Trilana raises an eyebrow. "Pie...Pierron?"

Syrali mouths, "Animal noises?" then brightens, glancing over at Trilana. 
"Oh, /him/. I dunno, I can't even do runners..."

"A runner noise? Or a sand runner?" Tril wonders.

Kaylira noddles to Trilana. "That's the one! Uncle Pie. And yeah, he's 
always grunting like a porcine at Mum. She hates it. Don't know why he does 
it. I worry 'bout him sometimes. So can we get started, can we, can we?"

"Sand runner." Syrali grins at Kaylira, shrugs, and starts down toward where 
she was semi-sketching by knifepoint earlier. "Come on, then, kiddo."

Myklan grins, and then dusts himself off...he looks around to see if any of 
the riders seem to be heading back home at the moment.

Trilana giggles. "Oh, well I can't do that either, Syr."

Kaylira scoops up her cake plate and fork and obediantly tags after Syrali. 
"Near the water's got the best sand," she informs, matter-of-fact. "'Cause 
the wet stuff sticks. Bet we could make it *really* high. Think 'twould be 
big enough for Dagonth to live in?" Imploringly, "Ovine-boy, you're gonna 
help too, aren't you?"

Myklan smiles at Kaylira, and says, "Actually, I think I'm gonna go back to 
the Weyr...and .... finish chores or something."

Keron piles sand up and tries to form it into something. "I can make piles 
real well. I'll try to help but I'm no master at this."

Syrali inquries, "Dagonth?" then, "Oh, that stuffed dragon of yours? 
Maybe... that'd take an awful lot of sand, though. That'd take ages to 
build, unless a bunch of us worked."

Kaylira objects, "But that's *boring*." Sigh. "Okay, then, Mykkie. Thankee 
for the sweets. But you'd better help *next* time, or else."

Myklan grins and kneels down to offer Kaylira his hand formally, "I promise."

Kaylira solemnly covers his hand with her smaller, rather sand-dusted and 
sticky one. "Heard and witnessed. Whatever that means. Tell Aunt Klah hi?" 
Even as she asks this, she seats herself in the sand, beginning to gather 
the stuff to herself to help. "Mayhaps we can't make it that big, but we can 
make it pretty big. Just have t'be making sand dragons too!"

Myklan chuckles, and picks himself up, dusting off and catching a ride with 
one of M'kla's former wingmates.

Aurian tilts her head, "Why not make it big enough for firelizards. We did 
that back at fort."

Syrali chuckles. "Sure." She starts shoving sand aroung obligingly, kneeling 
for better leverage. "So who's Aunt Klah? You call /everybody/ Aunt and Uncle?"

"I've only got the one 'lizard to live there," Kay remarks dubiously, 
peering at Lucki, who's perched safely far away from the ruckus. "But then 
Dagonth could probably live there too, and that'd be good." Scraping the 
sand together into a somewhat sloppy wall, then working to smooth it, she 
answers shrewdly, "Nay *everybody*. Nay Mum or Da or Foster-Mum, or Lyss or 
Nickie, or Tam or Khari or Mela, or Mykkie or you. But lots of people, aye. 
Mum's friends and their dragons. Aunt Klah's M'kla--she makes klah, see?"

Dazan pokes his head around Syr's neck to cheep inquiringly. "Yes, I /was/ 
thinking of you," the girl murmurs, scooping him down. "Well, Daz can live 
there too."

Kaylira pauses for another bite of cake before resuming work on her wall, 
scooting about on her knees in the sand. "We can't make *weyrs* big enough 
for the 'lizards, though, can we? That'd be awful big."

Aurian watches quietly.

Keron piles up more sand and works on a part of it, shaping it with his 
hands. "I'm gonna make a weyr for my 2 'lizards, but I don't think it'll be 
big enough." He shrugs his shoulders and continues working.

Syrali hmms. "Not very easily," she admits, scooping out a hole in the 
ground about the size of her fist. "Maybe if the weyrs were the wrong size 
for the rest of the sand Weyr?"

"If'n they were on the *ground*," Kaylira offers, rocking back to consider. 
"Nay in the air. Couldn't do *that*." More wall is built, sagging, but still 
standing. Barely. "Aunt Auri," she calls over, imperious, "we need more help!"

Keron consentrates on the sand mound that is slowly looking like a molded 
pile of sand. "Maybe we can skip the Weyr and make a single weyr, much eaiser.

Aurian glances up from her place in the sand, "Do we?"

Syrali nods slowly, busy shaping a cavern in the sand. Sure, it goes /down/ 
instead of up, but you can't have things perfect all the time. "Maybe that'd 
work."

Kaylira points to the rough beginnings of the sand Weyr. "Doesn't look like 
a Weyr yet," she answers Aurian. "Could make a weyr, but there'd just be 
walls and a dent in the sand for a couch. 'Less we made furniture?"

Aurian chuckles, "I thought you wanted to make a miniature Telgar or Benden."

Keron grins. "Too hard." He continues to gather sand and mold.

Kaylira agrees sourly, "I *want* to. But 'tis hard. Telgar, I mean; I know 
Mum likes Benden best, but I don't know it well enough t'be making it. A 
real Weyr wouldn't be too hard, if'n 'twere small, but if'n 'tis t'be big...."

Aurian grins, "So use your imagination."

Kaylira frowns at this. "But the weyrs for the 'lizards... I guess mayhaps, 
if'n 'twere on the ground and didn't have a ceiling? Could do that?"

Kaylira doesn't wait for much of an answer; instead, she polishes off the 
last of her cake, nudges the plate aside, and starts to gather up a rather 
*large* pile of sand somewhat off to the side. She's not even trying to 
shape it; she's just making a huge sand-lump.

Syrali flicks sand out of the way and starts tracing lines with her knife 
tip again. Detail work seems to be her thing. "Daz, you like it?" The blue 
just peers down and chirps curiously.

Once Kaylira's gotten her sand lump large enough, she gets to her feet, 
surveys it a moment... and then steps into the middle. Squish. Sand spreads 
outwards, moreso as she plants a second foot beside the first, and starts to 
stomp about in the middle of the sand-pile to flatten out a central section. 
Squatting, she scoops up the displaced sand, molding it back up closer to 
her legs. The result isn't exactly pretty, but when she very carefully steps 
out of the sand-ring, she looks satisfied. "See, Lucki? That's big enough 
for you. Kinda. Needs a couch, though." The long-suffering 'lizard is picked 
up and set into the sand hollow, ostensibly so that Kay can get a feel for 
his size. "Kinda small, but the couch can be big enough, maybe... how's 
this, Syrali?"

Aurian grins as she watches the child and candidate.

Syrali yelps aloud as the top collapses in on her 'weyr'. "Oh, shells."

Kaylira looks up from digging out the 'couch' for her unenthused-seeming 
'lizard. One wonders whether the poor creature knew what he was in for when 
he Impressed to Kay. "Ceilings are too hard. 'Sides, they might attract 
strange women."

Keron looks over at the collapsed ceiling. "I try not to go to far in or it 
falls." He digs out a part of his now firm base to make the weyr.

Kaylira finally seems content with her very rough 'weyr'... well, sort of. 
Humming to herself, she pokes a small hand through a wall carefully, 
carefully... making an entrance. "Nay really big enough, Lucki, but since 
there's nay ceiling it doesn't really matter. Now there's got t'be a bed and 
a chair and some boxes and a knife rack... how d'you make a knife rack?"

Telgar Weyr> Myklan hees. Lucky you. *snugs all, specially Alyssa, and runs 
off to be good and attend to RL for a bit*

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa hugs back!

Telgar Weyr> Neliea snugs Myklan. :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snugsa Myk. Night!

Telgar Weyr> Myklan ohs. I'll prolly be back...just gotta like...do my 
laundry before I go on shift again :P Outta scrubs.

Keron piles up more sand to be used. "This is good sand for building." He 
gets a piece of baklava and finishes it off before starting again.

Aurian yawns.

Syrali grumbles, stands, and pads off into the trees. She comes back a few 
minutes later clutching a handful of twigs, which she brandishes toward the 
rest of you. "Here. These'll prop things up." Grinning a bit, kind of shyly, 
she adds, "I studied a little architecture as part of apprentice lessons."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima zhaisnugs a Myklan. :)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa is tired tired tired. Bedtime, kids.

Keron takes a few sturdy sticks. "Ooh, nice. He builds a frame and supports 
his weyr with sticks. "I hope they hold."

Telgar Weyr> Leigh tucks in Alyssa and then Adonithswoons.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Lys. :)"

Kaylira peers at the twigs a moment, perhaps not sure what to do with them, 
though she takes them readily enough. Then... inspiration strikes. "Oh! Can 
make the door big enough" She flops onto her stomach near the 'entrance', 
and begins to poke with the twigs, trying to make a workable 'doorframe'. 
Really, the whole thing is only vaguely weyr-shaped, but what do you expect 
of a six-Turn-old?

Telgar Weyr> Kaylira smooches her Aunt Lys. :)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Awww. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "You can even borrow my bear, but only till you're 
breathing right again."

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa grabs the bear and runs. Night!!!

"Can try." Syrali's hard at it already, half the pile filched for herself as 
she starts bracing the inner walls of a scooped-out cavern.

Keron takes a few good twigs and places them in the sand at random points 
for slight support. He then get's on his belly and carves out the actual 
weyr through the entrance he made and braced, always adding good sticks and 
twigs to make sure the inside doesn't cave in.

Kaylira doesn't take half as much care, but she appears to be having a 
blissful good time anyway. She sketches out a rough 'ledge' shape with the 
end of a twig, then solemnly places half a clamshell on said ledge, and 
sticks the twig deep into the sand beside it. "That's the rider," she 
explains. "That's the oil bin, for the dragon, see?"

Syrali leans over to study the child's work. "That's awful good." And it 
/is/, to the less than artistic Smith. "Big bin. Lots of oil."

"I like to make lasting structures." He walks off and gathers more studry 
sticks and twigs, putting a couple by Kaylira ans Syrali, but keeping most 
of the good ones.

Aurian chuckles as she watches.

Kaylira nods, pleased. "Uh-huh. 'Cause the rider's got lots of 'lizards who 
need oil too, like Mum does." Scootching back, she rummages around on the 
beach until she finds a few smallish rocks of the right general shape. The 
largest, a flattish one, is set against one wall of the 'weyr'. "There's the 
bed for the rider... and here's a chair." A squarish rock is placed near the 
bed. "And the boxes for guests." Small pebbles are scattered about, near bed 
and chair. "And the big rock for perching on." That's a tall, craggy stone, 
set end-side up. Doesn't look much like furniture, but to a child's 
imagination, perhaps....

Syrali studies the layout interestedly. "Looks neat. What about.... um..." 
Frowning, she looks over the bits of 'furniture'. "Wait... boxes? For guests?"

Kaylira nods, quite serious. "Ayep. Mum's got 'em in her weyr. Don't think 
Da does in his, but--see, there's one chair, for the rider, and the rock, 
and visitors can sit on the empty boxes."

Keron looks over at the other weyrs but continues on his own. "Nice."

"Oh, to /sit/ on. I remember those." Syrali shakes her head, grinning. "I 
thought you meant... to sleep in, or something."

Kaylira shakes her head, giggling at that. "Nay! Can't sleep in *boxes*. 
Well, mayhaps Khari could, but riders couldn't." Rocking back on her heels, 
she considers the 'weyr', covering a wide yawn. "Mmph. Looks done t'me. 
Think it needs aught else?"

Syrali considers with every evidence of seriousness, then shakes her head. 
"I can't think of anything. But I've only ever seen your mother's weyr, so I 
don't know if others look different."

Kaylira decides, "Doesn't matter. If'n 'tis good enough for Lyss, 'tis good 
enough for Lucki." Lucki, oddly, seems rather less enthused. Probably 
because he's curled up sound asleep in the sand nearby, earning him a first 
scornful, then exasperated, then finally fond look from Kaylira. "'Lizards 
are *silly* creatures."

Dazan, who's busy digging up sand mites, doesn't even flinch at that, though 
his owner gives him an amused look. "Yeah, they are."

Keron says "My two are back at the barracks lounging around. Lazy but they 
/are/ funny."

Kaylira gives another yawn, showing off the gaps of two missing teeth. 
"Building's tiring," she mutters. "Even Lucki's asleep now."

"It's late," Syrali notes, settling back to sit on her heels. "Maybe we 
ought to get back or something..."

Aurian stands, "Time to wrap this party up folks." She stands.

Syrali nods, scooping Dazan up to the firelizard's startled k-cheep! and 
sets him on her shoulder. "It was fun," she says wistfully, surveying what's 
done of the 'Weyr'. She pokes her toe at her own construction until it 
collapses, first in trickles of sand, then in big lumps. "Lot like home."

Keron stands up and admires his creation. "It's about time to go anyways. 
I'll just leave it up."

Kaylira frowns, but doesn't vocally object. Rather, she just picks up one 
last twig and scrawls in the sand a rather uneven, but legible, 'Kaylira Was 
Here.' Then she sprints over to collect socks, shoes, jacket, and stuffed 
dragon companion. "Aunt Auri, can we take some of the fish-foods back to the 
Weyr for Mum? And desserts, too?" Though those she probably intends at least 
partially for herself.

Aurian nods to Kaylira, "Of course, go ahead and pick out what you want to 
give her."

Kaylira nods and scrambles for the food tray, finding an emptied bowl and 
starting to gather shellfish. "Slimy things and scallops and 
spiderclaws--she'll love those. And I don't know what these are, but they 
look disgusting, so she'll probably like them too...." A second bowl is 
filled with cookies, an abandoned piece of cake, and a few of the citron 
rectangles. "These, Aunt Auri!"

"But will they go to your mother or you?" Syrali mutters, not /quite/ under 
her breath, as she stoops to collect her knife from the sand. She wipes it 
off carefully on her tunic hem, then tucks it away in its sheath, snapping 
the safe-strap around the hilt.

Kaylira replies serenely, "The fish go to Mum. The other stuff prolly goes 
to Khari and me, and Foster-Mum. Mum doesn't like much that's sweet unless 
there's chutney all over it."

Aurian chuckles and takes a satchel down from Kvasith's straps, "Put the 
bowl in here and then hold it on your lap."

Keron walks over to Kvasith and waits for the others to get ready to leave.

Syrali notes, "Chutney is disgusting." She abandons the remains of the 
sand-Weyr and wanders at an angle toward the three of you and Kvasith. "He 
isn't going to start spitting or splashing again, is he?" she asks, mostly 
teasing.

Kaylira picks up the two bowls with a grunt, and very carefully totters them 
to where Auri holds the satchel, slipping them inside. "Mum will like the 
strange-looking food, I know," she declares, all confidence as she runs to 
pick up Dagonth again. "C'mon, Lucki!"

Aurian chuckles, "No Lysseth isn't here to incite him."

Bronwynn wakes up with the movement, "Is it time to go?" she asks, pushing 
herself up into a sitting position, sand stuck to her tunic and face.

Aurian pulls herself up onto Kvasith, carefully. Her fingers grip at the 
straps as she eases herself onto his back.

Keron says "Climb on?"

Keron scrambles quickly up Kvasith's side using the thoughtfully provided 
foreleg and his dark straps.

Kaylira tucks Dagonth under her arm and slings the satchel over her neck, 
then, with some effort, works to climb up the straps.

"Thank Faranth," Syrali says, distinctly relieved, and pulls herself a bit 
awkwardly up astride the brown. "Oops, sorry! Didn't mean to kick you like 
that."

You scramble quickly up Kvasith's side, with the aid of a rather 
thoughtfully offered foreleg and the riding straps.

Syrali scrambles quickly up Kvasith's side, with the aid of his straps and 
the rather thoughtfully provided foreleg.

>>> Kvasith snorts.

>>> Bronwynn stumbles to her feet and staggers towards Kvasith, "Me too?" 
she asks, sleepily brushing the sand away.

Keron secures himself the best he can on the dragon, tring make sure he 
won't fall off.

Kaylira gets the satchel and her toy settled in her lap, once she's wrangled 
straps into place. "Lyss doesn't spit *much*," she notes. "She mostly just 
splashes."

Aurian tilts her head, "Yes you too." She grins. Pulling down her goggles, 
she glances back to check the straps of the folk on her dragon.

Syrali snaps in with -- well, it's not ease, but it's the familiarity of a 
half-dozen times or so a'dragonback. "She spit the other day. Lots."

Kaylira considers this. "Bet another dragon made her do it," she decides, 
shrewd.

Bronwynn scrambles quickly up Kvasith's side, with the aid of his straps and 
the rather thoughtfully provided foreleg.

You launch up up into the sea air, and soars high above the island.

>>> Kvasith stretches his wings quickly catching a thermal dragging him even 
higher.

Syrali hangs on, fingers wound tightly into the straps and eyes squinted 
against the wind.

Kaylira holds tightly to satchel and Dagonth, but for the most part seems 
serene, even sleepy. She really must be tired if she's dozing off a-dragonback.

Aurian calls back, "here we go."

>>> Kvasith disappears into Between.

Between
You gasp as the icy black nothingness of Between surrounds you! You hear 
nothing, see nothing, and feel nothing. The trip takes five heartbeats...
Black...
Blacker...
Blackest!

You suddenly emerge...

>>> Kvasith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

>>> From the North, From the Telgar Star Stones, Kl'loh's brick-brown Yoxath 
rears on hind legs and bugles a greeting to brown Kvasith and his rider, 
Aurian, welcoming them home.

Keron gasps as he emerges from between. "Wow."

You fly downwards towards the southern end of the bowl.

>>> Kvasith spirals down slowly letting the winds guide him down.

Syrali shivers on emergence, unwinding her fingers from the straps to flex 
them. "I hate that," she mutters, probably inaudible against the wind.

You fly downwards towards the ground.

You backwing for a landing on sands of the bowl.

>>> Kvasith lands carefully, so as not to jostle anyone.

Keron carefully moves his over, and slips to the ground with Kvasith's 
foreleg steadying them.

Kaylira loosens her death-grip on satchel and Dagonth a trifle. "I'd best 
take these in to Foster-Mum so she can figure out what t'be doing with 'em. 
Thankee, Aunt Auri. I'll give you your satchel back real soon."

>>> Keron climbs off the brown and thuds softly as he hits the ground. "I 
always enjoy that. Between is.. different though. Always makes it intresting."

Aurian nods, "Anytime Kaylira. Give your sister a squeeze for me."

Syrali fumbles for the straps. "Need a hand down?" she asks of Kaylira, 
already scrambling to slide off. And /slide/ it is -- a slip *thud* as she 
lands on both feet, gracelessly.

Syrali carefully moves her over, and slips to the ground with Kvasith's 
foreleg steadying them.

Kaylira grins at that, and nods. "Will do, Aunt Auri."

You shift over and slide quickly off the brown dragon.

Kaylira then thinks to ask, belatedly--she *is* tired--"Sister Khari, or 
sister Mela? Mela's kinda little t'be squeezing, but I could *try*."

From upon Kvasith, Aurian chuckles, "Khari, don't know Mela."

Kaylira explains, with a yawn, "Mela's Aunt Meli and Da's daughter... she's 
little enough t'still be a pain, but I don't see her *too* much, so 'tis all 
right."

Syrali retreats from the dragons, head half-splitting in a yawn. Stuffing 
her hands in her breeches pockets, she wanders into the caverns.

Syrali walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern.

Bronwynn carefully moves her over, and slips to the ground with Kvasith's 
foreleg steadying them.

Aurian slides off Kvasith after unfastening her riding straps. She lands 
neatly on her feet this time.

Kvasith lumbers up the pitted ledge to M'hryn's weyr and passes through the 
large opening.

Kaylira watches Syrali go, and notes, "I should go, too. Thankee again, Aunt 
Auri, and Aunt Auri's dragon whose name I can't say very well!" She has no 
hands to wave with, so just bobbles her head at them, and then wheels about 
to run for home.

You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.

Syrali pauses just outside the tunnel, glancing back over her shoulder. 
"Oh... went good." She smiles lopsidedly, slumping against the wall with one 
foot out to brace herself. "Lot of fun."

Kaylira sprints through the Cavern, a large satchel and a stuffed dragon 
clutched close to her person. It may be better not to ask what she's up to.

You walk towards the inner cavern.