Red Handed (open)

[HG]

Cupith was indeed growing older but her size was lacking in many ways. Because of this, it was almost certain she would not be able to last long during Threadfall. There was no reason why this should keep them from helping their wingmates. Worried about the upcoming interviews, she agreed to train in dragon healing.

Her first patient...Bronze Zorometh. No pressure there or anything. The young blonde was reexaminging the dragon's wound. He seemed to be healing perfectly. Though whether he should remain grounded or not was a decision for the Master Dragon Healer to make.

Vaylee's opinion might be ready in her mind but she feared making a mistake and being called stupid for it. She had never been the brightest person around. Clearly looks were not everything. (Although it would have been great for her if they were. ) When asked for her opinion she spoke clearly, in front of Wingleader D'seus and the Master Dragon Healer. "He is healing well however in order to keep from tearing the wound back open I would recommend another two sevendays of being grounded." The Master then looked over the Bronze and said, "I think young lady, you were overly anxious to give the Wingleader what he would rather hear. The dragon is healing well but he'll need to be grounded longer than that."

Great. "We'll need to check up with him in a couple of sevendays then." She said, hoping that was the right answer. Apparently both men were in agreement. Vaylee rebandaged the dragon's side which took the better part of a candlemark. She never thought about how small Cupith was until she saw the larger dragons at the Weyr. She was increasingly concerned that her green had not risen to mate yet. Maybe Cupith would be late maturing because of her size. If that was the case would they be kept back in Weyrling Training. She hoped not. What would people say? Oh no, that just would not do.

Leaving the dragon infirmary, she went to the lake. Her hands were now stained with the redwort and though she loathed the stuff she was glad to be useful. Vaylee was going to make it her mission to find a way to get redwort off of her hands though. It was no good walking around with red hands. The lake was beautiful even if the air outside was stiffling. How humid could it be? She felt her light blue dress cling to her body from sweat and she grimaced. Now she would have to get in the water to cool off.

]The water is quite nice. The sun is nice too. Why don't you like it? "If it was not sooo hot, it would be lovely." The green took that answer for a good one and went back to dunking herself in the water. Vaylee placed her feet daintily in the water, one after the other. The water was cold compared to the air. Shuddering slightly as she walked in up to her knees. "Not sure I want to go any further."We could sun."Now this is a real predicament. Its too hot to sun, the water is too cold to swim in. I think perhaps there is no solution."

[parallel]

Jared was taking a walk in the hot sun to distract himself from worries about failing at impression. There was a clutch due soon, Gold Aeriath had flown and he was here to stand before her in the hopes of becoming a dragonrider. But he was so nervous. He needed space to breath, away from the other hopefuls who all seemed much more confident than he was. He directed himself towards the lake, thinking that maybe he would sit n the edge and dip his feet in the water to cool himself down. As he walked he heard chirruping above his head and when he looked there was a fair of fire lizards zooming across the sky, their colours glimmering brightly in the sunlight. He wondered if he managed to impress what colour would choose him. He didn't feel destined for a bronze at any rate, they had so much responsibility and were natural leaders, He didn't feel like a leader right now. But if he wasn't going to aim that high where could he aim?

Before he had been brought to the weyr he had trained as a Healer. He'd been very good at his craft and dearly loved helping those who needed him. Perhaps he could continue his studying here? Looking out across the water he saw a green swimming happily and looking back towards her rider closer to the shore. Jared looked too and saw a young woman standing in the shallows. He still didn't know very many of the riders here, but he wanted to. He enjoyed a sense a community in his life and what better way to start than to introduce himself. Moving closer to where they stood he called out to them so as not to sneak up on anything private. "Hello there! My name is a Jared, I'm a new candidate. Your green looks very beautiful."

[HG]

The voice of the young man turned her attention from her little green a moment. Had she seen him before? Her eyes scanned the youth coming up from behind where they were in the water. Vaylee was always an outgoing and relatively friendly person. The approach of the young man did not surprise her as it would other people. Mostly because she was used to the attention from others at the Weyr.

Turning around completely she waited for him to get closer. "Thank you, Jared." She flashed him her usual white smile. With the pride of a rider for her dragon, she went on to say, "Cupith is the smallest green at the Weyr, full grown. I'm her rider, Vaylee." The blonde wondered how long the Candidate had been at the Weyr for she did not remember having seen him before at all. He had a boyish face and he was smaller than she, but she doubted he was much younger than herself for one could see stubble growing on his face. Lovely eyes that most women would want. She herself had beautiful blue eyes so there was no envy on her end, only admiration. For she always liked beautiful things.

"How long have you been a Candidate?" She decided to ask finally because she really ought to know the majority of the Candidates at the Weyr, since a good bit of them were Weyrbred. Lately it seemed to her that A'lez and D'seus were in agreement to look for Candidates outside of the Weyr. New blood was something they were always in need of. He must come from a cothold nearby if he was not from here which would explain why they had not met.

[parallel]

Jared walked right up to the edge of the lake, admiring both the mint coloured green swimming and her fair blonde rider standing before him. He stopped, inclining his head to her, nervous as he was he wouldn't dream of forgetting his manners because he respected dragonriders greatly, and replied,"The smallest green? It clearly has done nothing to diminish her spirit! She looks very beautiful indeed. I'm pleased to meet you Vaylee. I'm a new candidate here, very new actually, I've only just arrived."

His nerves were only just being held at bay by his need to appear more well adjusted than he really was. If he was completely honest he wasn't at all used to being around such large creatures and was pretty terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing at any given moment. He was very aware of the privilege that had been bestowed upon him and he intended to act with proper respect towards those who lived here and were accepting him.

"I come from a small cothold not too far from here, nowhere very important," he said, feeling he should explain himself a little, "I was an apprentice healer too."

[HG]

Vaylee smiled warmly at the young man, "That new?" She spoke without taking the time to monitor the surprise in her voice. The greenrider had always been good with other people, especially men. To say she was flattered by the young man's assessment of her dragon would be true. She was. What would a dragonrider take pride in more than their own dragon?

"Ahh then this must be a little overwhelming for you. You needn't worry though. Everyone at the Weyr treats Candidates as future dragonriders. Most of your time will be taken up with lessons and chores. In the meantime though if you want a guide, I would be more than happy to show you around and familiarize you with places you'll need to go. There are probably other Candidates arriving too. The Weyrleaders like to get some new blood in when they can." She explained why more outside Candidates would be arriving.

"If you have time, I used to work in the infirmary and could get you settled there to continue your apprenticeship." Being a woman she had not been formally apprenticed. Until now. The Weyrwoman had given her the title with the job she was doing on top of being a dragonrider. Why she was chosen, she would always question. There was no going back now though. She had made a decision.

[parallel]

Jared's cheeks grew a little hot, "Yes, that new unfortunately. I would be honoured to have you as a guide, this place is a little daunting." Shaking his head a little he tried again, "Ok, it's more than a little daunting, it's very daunting! If I'm honest, I really am nervous about it all, it's so new."

He hoped she didn't mind him confiding in her like this, he started to feel awkward. "But I'm trying to learn as much as I can as soon as I can. I don't want to disappoint anyone." Thinking about the other candidates that had arrived he resolved to get to know them better, they might be weyrlings together soon and he hadn't had the chance to introduce himself yet.

Hopefully.

To give himself something to do he looked out over the lake again and watched the green swim. When Vaylee mentioned the possibility of continuing his apprenticeship he blinked, stunned. "You could? I thought I would have to choose between Impression and becoming a Healer. Well actually, I thought the hatching day would decide that for me," he said solemnly.
His mind now reeled with the prospect of continuing to study healing. He always felt at home helping others, calm under pressure and above all, needed when he was healing. His heart raced with the news that this part of him could keep growing. Very glad he had decided to take a walk today he beamed at Vaylee, "Thank you so much."

[HG]

A new person to take under her wing, so to speak, was always fun for the vivacious woman. "I would not worry so, Jared. You are going to fit in just fine. Besides, I'll make sure you know plenty before you have Candidate lessons. Cupith says she would love to help to." Cupith was coming closer to shore now that she knew there was a new person to greet. She might not bespeak him directly but she was glad to come closer so he could get a better idea of what she looked like.

"Perhaps that was the way it had been when we lived in the North and had plenty of crafters at our disposal. Now though, people need to multi-task. If you impress to a smaller dragon it would be easier for you to continue your studies. Greens and blues never last an entire fall so you would come back and heal people who had been injured during Fall. It actually makes sense for you to do both. Even if you impress to a larger dragon you can still heal after a Fall and in the times inbetween."

She was going to be doing something similair with dragon healing. "I've only recently started dragon healing, I was working in the infirmary before impressing to Cupith. I just came out from working on Zorometh, hence the red hands. Nothing seems to ever completely take the stain out from the redwort." Vaylee frowned in disapproval. She cared quite a bit about how she looked.

"Where would you like to start? I can take you wherever you want to go. " Vaylee looked at the young man and waited. Cupith made the comment to her that she was going to sun. There were some nice looking males over to the northwest sunning. So much flirting to do, so little time. The green was a menace. Vaylee's face reflected the warm, unconditional love she had for the green.

[parallel]

"Besides, I'll make sure you know plenty before you have Candidate lessons. Cupith says she would love to help to."

Jared beamed. The green was swimming towards them now and with a light heart he thanked each of them in turn. He could ride and heal. He knew of course that it would be alot of work, but so long as he could keep his passion alive he wouldn't mind.

Her words on the size of dragons reminded him that soon he might really be partnered with one of his own. He hadn't given much thought to what colour they would be.. He thought perhaps he would like a brown.. Or a blue..? Looking at Cupith he admired her sleek appearance and thought then that a green would be wonderful too! The only dragon he could not imagine impressing was a bronze. He really didn't feel like management material.

He smiled kindly at her and her red hands,"They don't take away from you, trust me." Shaking himself a little, he looked out across the lake again. "Hmm... where would you suggest?"

[HG]

Vaylee was more than happy to introduce new people to the world she grew up in. Proud as she was of the Weyr, she was even more proud of her own place inside of it. The blonde had a well known and respected reputation in the lower caverns and among the weyrlings. The older riders might not know of her and her twin sister but they would become aware when the girls were finally in wings. She was also quite vain and he had just fed into her vanity.

“Thank you, Jared.” She said with a smile. Some things never changed. Even after being mauled by Rhiannoth at the hatching, she imagined herself still one of the most beautiful women in the Weyr. Her twin being almost identical to her made it hard to call herself the most beautiful woman. Most of this was in her head, there were plenty of beautiful women at the Weyr.

Thinking over the young man’s question she came up with the most logical solution and without the help of her little green dragon. “Why don’t we begin at the Candidate Barracks and then I can show you to the Dining Hall followed by the Infirmary. Those are the places you’ll need to know the most.” Her mind had shifted to what needed to be done next. “The Barracks is this way.” She added, walking in the direction she had gestured.

[parallel]

The Barracks first, good place to start. Why hadn't he thought of that? Nerves, that's why. But hopefully soon he would have them under control. That way he could talk to pretty girls without going all formal and awkward on them.

Smiling genuinely, but a little nervously, he stepped back and allowed Vaylee to lead the way. The Infirmary would also be a useful place to go to if he was planning to continue his studies. He hoped it was near enough to where he'd be sleeping as he tended to take refuge in learning.

His stomach rumbled slightly. And the Dining Hall would definitely be appreciated by his gut right about now.

[HG]

Jared was a good follower, and by that she meant he was not much of a decision maker. So Vaylee pegged him for a color that was not Bronze. Bronzeriders oozed confidence and had no trouble making decisions on the spot. Maybe she should start getting her Candidate bets in early? Better to talk it over with Zaylee before hand. Smiling with a certain benevolence often known to people who are taking care of a younger person, like a brother or sister, she began to walk and explain things along the way.

"Since we are at the Lake, you are in what is known as the Weyrbowl. This is the area outside of the Weyr. The Candidate and Weyrling Barracks are both here in the Bowl. The Candidate Barracks is to the right, so its best if we continue this way." She added. When they arrived at the Barracks she indicated that one side was for males the other for females. "The office is where you will find the Candidate Master some of the time. After all, he's a dragonrider too and won't be available at all hours."

"Tomorrow you might need to check in with him. He should be around in the morning. You can let him know I've gotten you settled at the Infirmary. Should save him the trouble of going there himself." Vaylee paused. "Are you getting overwhelmed at all?" She wanted to be sure he was keeping up. Maybe after he had some food he'd be a little more comfortable. This was his home now even if it did take getting used to.

[parallel]

As Vaylee took charge and lead him through the weyr he began to feel more comfortable. It was good to have someone explaining things at last. The rider who'd brought him here had been nice, but not very informative when it came to Jared's nervous questions. He listened carefully when she told him about the candidate master and that he should check in with them the next day.

"Who is the candidate master?", he inquired. He didn't want to make the mistake of not knowing such an important rider, especially as he'd be under his supervision until the hatching.

Jared's stomach rumbled again. a little embarrassed he apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm not overwhelmed, I'm very glad you're helping me! It's just that... well... I haven't eaten since breakfast and.." His voice trailed off a little.

Lifting his head he asked, "Would you mind if I grabbed something to eat before we continue?"

He hoped that didn't sound rude.

[HG]

Jared was curious about the Candidate Barracks , particularly the Candidate Master. “The person who held the position of Candidate Master changed with the new Leadership of the Weyr. I’m actually not really sure who is in charge of you now. However, the person is sure to be a rider and would not have been chosen if they did not have the knowledge and skill to teach you what you need to know before the Hatching. The young woman smiled in understanding. Thin though she may be, going through Weyrling training had provided ample opportunity for her to feel hunger like he was now feeling.

“Food will be our next stop then, I promise.” Vaylee took him back through the main area of the Barracks, past the Candidate Master’s office and onto the grounds called the Weyr Bowl, where they had originated the tour. “Plenty to do out here but the most important thing is that the Bowl is where Dragons land and take off for drills. So if you want to see some dragons you really want to hang out nearby.” She offered, knowing that all Candidates had an awe and wonder for dragons. Even as a rider, she was amazed constantly by her own little green beauty.

“Walking this way is the shortest path between the Barracks and the Entrance to the Weyr proper, including the Dining Hall, Lower Caverns, Rider’s weyrs, Headwoman’s Office and the Infirmary to name a few places of importance. Upon entering we’ll want to head to your left. This brings you directly to the Dining Hall.” As she spoke, Vaylee entered the Weyr and then the Dining Hall, which was crowded as usual. The noise alone would be telling enough that this was a place where a lot of things happened.

“So what you are going to do is grab a tray, take whatever you want to eat and find a place to sit. There are tables designated for Wings, Candidates and general folk. The only table you would get in trouble for sitting at would be the Head Table over there.” She indicated with her hand. “ That is where the Weyrwoman and other important members of the Weyr sit.” Demonstrating what she meant, Vaylee icked up one of the trays and then began to take things she wanted to eat off of the serving tables. Higher ranked people were served food but there was never enough staff on hand to serve everyone.