Starfall Weyr - Lower Caverns

[stardragon]

ALL Dining Hall and Lower Caverns RP takes place here.

[stardragon]

(3/6/breakfast)

Weyrwoman Mirinda was already seated at the head table when the new weyrlings began to trickle in. They were directed to thier new table by the Weyrlingmaster as they entered, and instructed to have a seat quickly so that toasts could be gotten out of the way and food served.

As the smell of roast wherry began to fill the air, it was easy enough for Teren to follow her nose to the feast. Finding herself a seat at the end of one of the long benches nearest the fire and within good range of where she thought the bard would be sitting. Feasts, she had heard, were always accompanied with bardic music and songs of the dragons' heroic deeds and lessons. She kept an eye on the Weyrwoman, ready to follow cues. She had never been to a great big feast before; her ma and pa and the rest of her family were only holderkin, in one of the large holds. They had rarely been inside the hold itself, and never on a special occasion. She licked her lips and grinned. Zirbeth wasn't the only one with a voracious appetite! She caught sight of a young woman her age, pouring wine. Her eyes widened. Never had she tasted wine, as expensive as it was. Juice, once, when they were trading goods, and once a bit of watered down ale that her father had, but nothing else. Nothing as fancy. Apparently, weyrlife was a fine life. She settled herself more comfortably on the bench and watched the others drift in, sharing the same hungry expressions as they eyed the fresh sliced bread with clay jars of sweet jam.

Banira took a seat near Teren, licking her lips as she stared at the food. Her stomach growled and she blushed the slightest bit but she wasn't to embarrassed as she could here other stomachs rumbling as well. Turning to Teren, she grinned. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it," she said, referring to the hatching.

Teren nodded in response to Banira's question, an infatuated grin spreading across her face. "Wasn't it, though?" she sighed, dreamlike. "I never thought I'd get this far, much less actually have gotten Zirbeth..." She grinned shyly at the other girl. "My name's Teren, by the way," she said, and offered her hand. "I impressed with the blue dragon, his name is Zirbeth. You got a green dragon?" Her eyes danced with excitement. "Did you know much about dragons before this? I never did, only a few songs that I heard from the bards. I had to learn everything from watching everyone else!"

"Banira," Banira introduced herself, shaking Teren's hand. "I've been to a couple hatchings before this one," she explained. She grinned. "It was worth the wait for Wyshriath."

Teren grinned and then withdrew her hand to fiddle with her eating utensils. She was hungry! "Don't they eat a lot?" she said, refering to their dragons, sounding proud. "I can't wait to learn to fly... I bet they'll be great. Wonder what wing we'll end up in..." she bit her lip, as she realized she was getting carried away. She looked sheepishly at Banira. "Guess I been dreaming of this a while," she admitted. "You, too, right?" Her eyes darted around the room, looking to see when food would be served and when the famous music would begin.

"Yeah," Banira said wistfully. "Think of the adventure! Not like healing or farming at all, real life-risking adventure!" She sighed deeply. "I never thought I'd actually impress..."

Marissa hurried to the new barricks, where she found a new dress laying out on her new bed with a note from her parents giving her their congratulations. She grinned and pulled it on, then attached her new rank knots, brushed out her hair (which had indeed dried almost entirely on the sands), and, after deciding to leave her hair down loose, she followed the others down to the dining cavern. Everything smelled delicious... Her mouth watered. Without having had any breakfast, she was even hungrier than usual, so she quickly sat down with the others.

T'llen finally disengaged himself from Naureth and hurried to the barracks to wash up and change for the feast. That didn't take him long and he made his way to the dinning hall. Glancing around he located the weyrling table and made his way over, finding a seat across and to the left from Teren.

Adara brought her gaze away from the little green dragonet before her and onto the crowds moving for the feast. She apologized to her dragon Lamorth, telling her she must go eat. {OK mine come back to Lamorth} The dragonet chirped {Don't eat to much you'll get bloat mine}. Adara laughed all the way up to the weyr she quelled her laughter as she entered a hallway. Adara looked down at her plain ceremonial gown it was sweat soaked she raced back to the barracks to change into a simple flowing dress she then rushed off to the hall.

A sudden wave of overwhelming nerves washed over Adara there were so many people! She had been to enveloped in the hatching to notice the people around her. She had felt, and still did, as if she was in a dream from which she could wake at any moment and perhaps her precious Lamorth was a mere figure of her imagination. She remembered her impression her Lamorth scolding her for hiding behind another candidate her vocal chuckle snatched her back into reality. Adara began to scratch her hands that were itching with nerves. Adara walked to a table and after briefly looking around, took her seat. The table was occupied by several candidates she had seen at the hatching the first of which was the girl she suspected was called Teren, who had impressed the blue. Adara sat quietly nerves restricting her vocals.

[stardragon]

Mirinda waited until all the new weyrlings were seated, or nearly so, and then stood nodding to the harper playing soft background music for a crescendo of sound to garner attention.

Within seconds everyone was seated and watching the Weyrwoman expectantly. "Welcome friends and families to StarFall Weyr. As you all are aware we're here to celebrate Esanith's clutch hatching and our new weyrling class!" There was a cheer from the seated crowd.

"Now since it's so very early and I imagine everyone is as hungry as I am, I'll keep this short." Miri added to appreciative murmurs. "A toast them." She lifted her glass. "To our new weyrling class. May you all train hard, live well and fight Thread with all your hearts." She exclaimed and everyone sipped, mostly juice but a few were already dipping into the spirits.

Teren smiled warmly at the boy who joined them-she knew his name started with a T? But she had been so awe-struck after meeting Zirbeth that she hadn't even thought to ask him name. And as a girl slipped into the seat by her as well, she slid over to make more space. She tried to place the girl in her memory, recalling vaguely that the girl had been the last one on the sands, and last one off, though she had seen her feeding a green dragon after Zirbeth had gone to sleep. She leaned over and was about to whisper to the girl when the Weyrwoman stood and began to talk. Hastily, she straightened up, and cheered at the short speech. Afterwards, she took a sip of the wine- it was sharp, but sweet and rather fuzzy tasting. It took a few more sips before she decided she liked it. Setting the glass back down, she turned back to the new girl. "I'm Teren," she said. "I have the blue dragon Zirbeth. What's your name?" She reached for a piece of hot bread on a passing tray, and then grinned at the boy as she started to take big bites of the warm crust. "And that goes for you, what's your name? You had one of the surprise twin dragonets, didn't you?" She took another sip of the wine, and sighed happily, her eyes sparkling as she watched the others.

Adara looked up as a voice whispered in her ear. She looked to the girl next to her "Hello Teren i am Adara i impressed a green her name is Lamorth." Adara stopped scratching at her itching hands and looked around the table the atmosphere of unwelcoming had faded and she felt a little better. Adara looked to the boy Teren had talked to staring at him with slight wonder. She was glad so far that this conversation hadn't strayed into the subject of parentage, as she hated to recall hers.

Marissa poured herself some juice, then took a redfruit and a sweet roll before starting to eat. She couldn't stop smiling, as she was so happy to have Impressed.

She carefully probed the section of her mind she'd "felt" her little dragonet in and smiled as she could tell the gold was still asleep. Having a dragon was a wonderful feeling, and she thought she'd never been so happy her entire life.

She glanced over at another table, and smiled at her parents, who saw her looking and waved to her proudly. She gave them a little wave in return, then continued eating, listening in on the coversation at the table of the newly Impressed Weyrlings.

T'llen grinned and cheered the short toast. Taking a sip of his drink he turned to glance around the dinning hall. Hearing himself addressed he turned back around. Grinning at Teren, "I'm T'llen." Nodding, "Yes, I Impressed one of the twins, brown Naureth." Seeing that the girl next to Teren looked rather nervous he smiled at her, hoping to make her more at ease.

Adara listened as the boy or T'llen as she now knew him answered Teren's questions. He looked at her and smiled she felt the atmosphere around her lighten and she allowed a smile to penetrate her emotionless mask. She looked around again and saw her mother. She appeared to be in a rather heated argument with a harper.
Adara sighed and shook her head. 'Why must my mother be such a control freak?' Adara thought.
Adara then noticed that people were eating so she reached forward and grabbed herself a piece of fruit. Taking a hearty bite from it, hoping she wouldn't be labeled as unladylike.

The Headwoman bustled over to the table holding the newest weyrling class. "Congratulations my childlings!" She exclaimed. "I'm so very sorry we had to pull you all in so last minute that you didn't even get proper time to know each other. The next Candidate class will not be so disoriented I assure you all." She added with a knowing nod. "All this silliness about Thread not returning when it's been clearly seen." She said then shaking her head in reprovement of that attitude held by so many.

"Now has anyone any special food requests? It's your night younglings and likely the last chance you'll get at such a request before your Graduation. So speak now or forever hold your peace." She added with a grin for them all, the kitchens had been hard at work for candlemarks now cooking up just about every kind of food and sweet possible with the supplies they had.

Adara looked up at the adult who approached. She heard her ask if the weyrlings had any food requests and she thought for a second 'Do they have any fruit bread?' she noticed they did and shook her head. 'I do have a request though... why does my mum have to be singing tonight?' Adara thought.

Teren looked up and grinned, licking her lips. "Any seasoned roast wherry?" she said, hopefully. Roast meat was rare on the farming hold she'd come from, as were the better spices and seasonings. She sipped at the wine again, blissfully, and took another bite of hot buttered bread. She knew now how her dragonet had felt, eating that first meal! This food was a whole new experience and she relished it.

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, and noticed Adara was watching the harpers and singers. She leaned over. "D'ya know any of them? Do you like to sing? I like to sing, but I only know a few ditties, and my ma always said I'm better at sewin' than singing." Her eyes sparkled as she added, "I can't even darn a sock!" She giggled and grinned at her friend, and then elbowed T'llen. "Hey, do you sing at all?" She turned to include Marissa. "Or you? Anyone sing?"

She caught sight of a tray of roast wherry, and almost tipped herself on the floor by leaning back in her chair too far. Red faced and flustered, she set her chair upright again, and watched the food longingly. She'd always had a good appetite, even on the hold... hard work makes hungry people and honest appetite, her parents always said.

"Of course there's roast wherry!" The Headwoman exclaimed. She motioned one of the servers with a meat platter over. "There is plain, spiced and really spiced." She added pointing to the three different sections of the large platter. Each type looked subtly different, the color of the spices being the key no doubt.

"Due be careful with the wine younglings." The Headwoman added since there didn't seem to be any real requests for anything not already prepared, "The other pitchers are juice, water and klah." She added as she headed off to the next table.

Adara shuddered, the topic she had been hoping to avoid had come up. 'why me?' she thought. She then turned to Teren and finishing her mouthful said "I know that one" She pointed to one of the females "That's my mum she's the weyrsinger" Adara shuddered again 'don't ask anymore please!' she begged silently.

The Feast proceeded as they always did with everyone eating too much, mostly drinking too much, and overall having fun. But the time everyone was done and the tables had been moved out of the center for dancing and such it was early afternoon.

With a smile for Journeywoman Llana, Mirinda indicated the Harper should begin the music portion of the celebration.

Llana caught a glance from the headwoman and stepping foreword with the harper she introduced the song. It was of valiant deeds and dragonmen. Llana waited for the harper to begin playing and then she broke into song her strong voice ringing across the room.

"When the dragon goes on search
And to the holds of stone,
Bless the ones that leave your hearth
And become the dragons' own.

Browns and blues and nimble greens
Keep you safe those cold betweens!

When the weyrbound find their flight
And to the thread with flame,
Bless the ones who nobly fight
To the dragonweyr's acclaim!

Steadfast bronze and reining queens
Keep you safe those cold betweens!

When the thread falls from the sky
Dragons all to rise again;
Those of faith, watch them that fly
To keep Pern safe: the Dragonmen.

So in that breath of dark unseen
Keep you safe those cold betweens!"

As Llana drew to a close she brought her hands down to her sides and stood smiling for a few moments as applause ran across the floor. Then, picking up her own guitar she began to play another tune.

Teren smiled, hearing the lyrics, and feeling the last strains of the ballad's music wash over her. Mouth slightly agape, she caught herself staring dreamily and envisioning herself and Zirbeth rising in the air on strong upstrokes, flying their way up and to hold their position with the rest of the wing to fight the Thread. Blushing, she looked around and noted she wasn't the only young weyrling caught up in the dream. Turned to Adara, she motioned the girl close and said, with an air of dreaminess still in her voice, "That song was beautiful.. did she write the music?" She knew the chords of the refrain would be in her mind all day, and wondered, belatedly, if her little blue dragonet would like the song. A silly grin found its way across her face as she thought of Zirbeth.

Startled out of her reverie by a change of music, Teren sat up in her chair, flexing her shoulders to loosen up. She guessed this was the part of the feast where they began dancing. She felt a little sluggish, she thought to herself sheepishly, after eating so much spiced roast wherry. Now she understood why Zirbeth was sleeping so soundly after consuming so much meat. Again came that silly grin to her face as she resigned herself to idea that she needed the exercise. She stretched first one shoulder, and then the next as she watched the room, having no idea how much like a farm girl she looked- completely unrefined- and yet completely comfortable and at ease with herself and her surrounds.

Teren sighed. Even if she DID need to dance off the amount of bread, wherry, potatoes, and wine she'd taken at the meal, she wasn't sure if anyone would ask her to dance. And that said-she tilted her head to the side, her eyes taking on a thoughtful expression- she wasn't sure if she even knew how to dance that well. She couldn't remember dancing at the last gathers... only watching.

Adara clicked out of her dream in which she and Lamorth had been soaring through the sky shining silver threads falling from the sky above them and crimson flames bouncing forth from Lamorth's jaws. When Teren spoke to her. "I don't know, i haven't talked to my mother for a while... i haven't heard that one before" Adara felt she could relax some with any luck the song had taken away the topic of parentage. Speaking of her mother was easy but her father was another story, her father was a hard topic for two reasons, His rather untalented mistake that caused him to leave the world and his death was just difficult to talk about.


(OOC Back to the Lake & Weyr Bowl to continue)