--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through Adversity To the Stars
Date: October 15, 2008
Places: Igen's Weyrling Training Field; Starcraft Hall's Skyspace,
River Meadow, Courtyard, and Dawn Sisters Tavern
Game: PernMUSH
Copyright Info: The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kassi's Note: Kassima has a glance through a farviewer in mind, but
it ends up being a bar that interests the Weyrlings most when she and
A'deth take them to Starcraft Hall on their first visit outside the
Weyr. She probably should have expected that. ;)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Log:
As Kassima's postures go when a class starts to gather, this one is formal.
Unusual, too: she's brought a small table out from somewhere, and the lumpy
shapes of leather jackets are piled on it as neatly as it may be; a little
stack of something else too, but what it is isn't obvious. She keeps her
arms folded and waits for all ready for this lesson to assemble.
A'deth just looks on in silence, near Kassima but out of the way.
Luscinth walks out of the barracks with her head high, maw down, and tongue
lolling out in a huuge yawn. K'avu was joining her, though his jaw snaps
close audibly as he comes forward towards the weyrlingmasters, snapping off
his best stiff salute, which still looks sloppy, before standing at
attention. "Ya think the nap coulda been longer," he mumbles quietly to the
side to his lifemate as she takes a seat next to him.
H'sen assembles with the others, giving a smart salute to Kassima and
A'deth as he and Lekath take their places. Both teenboy and dragon are
looking taller and more mature these days, though in the case of the
former, he doesn't always act like it. When he thinks the Weyrlingmaster
isn't looking, he tries to catch T'nnusen's attention by waving or kicking
little rocks in the other boy's direction.
T'nnusen and Dustenyth arrive with the rest of the group, and both sketch
off salutes that look almost identical despite the obvious differences!
"Faranth's femur, K'avu. I'm supposed t'let you lot out of the Weyr when
you're still saluting like that? Tighten it up. Use H'sen as an example, he
has a good one." Kassima returns all the salutes, all the same, and turns
to that little table to pick up the stack of whatevers-they-are. "You are
getting out of the Weyr today. That's the lesson: long flight, a straight
flight out t'Starsmith Hall and back as soon as your dragons have rested.
First, though, I've two things for all of you. One, if'n you don't have a
flight jacket, you'll need one for this. Raise your hand and 'twill give
you one from the table. The other--" The Weyrlingmaster turns the stack in
her hand until they can see that the topmost item, and ostensibly all
behind it, is a lozenge-shaped Wing badge. Maybe they've seen that pattern
before. It's one of the two Kassi wears herself. "This is the sigil of
Mirage Wing, *your* Wing, riders. When we get home, you're t'sew this on
the shoulder of your jacket and wear it with pride. You've come far enough,
now, that while you wouldn't be ready t'join the fighting ranks yet, you
*are* an Igen Wing, and deserve recognition as such."
A'deth just chuckles softly at Dustenyth, and shakes his head, and salutes
to all of them; on his coat is a Mirage patch, too.
K'avu gives Kassima a sheepish grin. "Yes, ma'am," he calls back to her,
tilting his head towards H'sen. No saluting there by now. Shrugging, he
turns his attention back to the front and to the teachers. There's a
whuffle from his lifemate as she leans down, stretching her neck closer in
the direction of the table. "Yah, not me," he says and then raises his
hand. But his amber eyes are on the patch now, standing up straighter.
"Patches!" Well, that definitely made the boy wake up.
Lekath seems to puff up even more at the Weyrlingmaster's praise to H'sen
than the boy does, probably because the latter is too distracted for the
moment that he doesn't notice. The bronze snorts softly, and then H'sen
straightens up and pays more attention. "How about that, Lekath? We'll
finally get to go on a long flight like you've wanted to all this time? Er,
no, I don't know if we'll be going by the ocean this time. I'm sure another
time." He leans in to try to get a better look at the badge Kassima holds
up. "We must be moving ahead if we're getting badges too." Fortunately, he
already picked up some hand-me-down leathers from the Stores, so he doesn't
have to worry about getting others.
Tannu headtilts a little at the patch, and nods at H'sen's words. "It's
progress, at least," he agrees simply, finally kicking one of the little
rocks back now that he's not busy saluting and trying not to laugh at
Dustenyth doing likewise. He also has leathers -- and H'sen's likely to
recognize the pants at least.
"Weyrlingmaster," Kassima reminds K'avu. "*Never* ma'am!" She turns to face
A'deth, and holds out the hand with the patches in it to him. "Will you
pass these around? And a jacket for K'avu," which she hooks from the
supply--a good big one that might be over-roomy on the young man in fact,
but at least it's in good repair. Not stained with pink, either. One of
those in the pile has paint splatters all down its sleeve, so it could be
worse. "Mount up and get into standard V formation when you've got your
supplies, Weyrlings. This is going t'be a lot like a very long flight
drill, but more scenic than going around Igen over and over. Methinks
you're going t'like it."
A'deth collects the various items, and moves to dispense them with grand
flourishes. "I think they look rather haphazardly dashing," he drawls
cheerfully. "For representatives, they'll do. Victims of fashion, but
they'll do."
Kassima sighs, "If'n only I'd worn m'jacket with the tunnelsnake coils on
the sleeves, we'd be perfect," and mounts up, directing Lysseth into place
at the head of the V-to-be.
You place one hand on Lysseth's neck and she warbles down at you fondly.
You grin and scratch her eyeridges once before climbing up onto her lower
neckridges, using the riding straps and Lysseth's thoughtfully offered
foreleg.
<*> "Yes, ma'--" K'avu's mouth snaps again, and he bites his lip as if
thinking of the right word before getting it out. "Weyrlingmaster." Habits
die hard and all that. He shifts on his feet as he watches A'deth
depositing their things, holding his arm out for the jacket and a hand for
the patch. "Shells, this thing gonna be good ta fly with?" He purses his
lips at the jacket but shrugs it on, none the less, and shoves the patch
into his pocket. "C'mon, Lus! Time ta show off yer moves." He chuckles as
the green eagerly leans down and he swings up without much effort. Little
dragons are just the best like that!
<*> K'avu mounts Luscinth.
*> H'sen accepts one of the patches from A'deth in turn, grinning. "It's
like we're getting closer and closer to being real riders." He notices from
a kicked rock that he finally got Tannu's attention, and he grins at the
other boy. Only then does he notice that the blonde is wearing the half of
the "matching pants" with the flower on one cheek. He tries to stifle a
laugh but doesn't quite manage.
<*> H'sen climbs up Lekath's forelimb to reach the riding straps,
scrambling to the bronze dragon's neckridges with a helpful nudge.
<*> T'nnusen takes his new patch from A'deth and affects a pout. "I'll have
you know that I look fabulous. I'd even say /earring/ fabulous. Have you
seen the back of these?" And he gives a slow spin, just in case A'deth
hasn't noticed the rose stamped back there, on his way to Dustenyth's
straps. And then up he goes!
<*> T'nnusen mounts Dustenyth.
<*> A'deth just snorts softly, and heads for his own dragon, clambering up
quickly enough.
<*> A'deth clambers up onto Jaelith's neckridges with the assistance of the
green dragon's riding-straps.
Kassima suggests with a straight face, "Mayhaps, when we're up to *between*
in training, 'twill take you all t'Minecraft or Smithcraft. Matching Mirage
earrings for everybody, aye?" No ulterior motives here! She wants to go
look at jewelry for the *Weyrlings*. Sure she does. She watches as she ever
does to be sure the Weyrlings get into proper formation, and once they're
there... it's the same signal they've been given many times now, in all the
drills: to fly. It's only knowing they're *going somewhere* that may make
it exciting.
<*> Lysseth springs from the ground, the air from her wings churning up
dust as she takes to the skies.
You wing cautiously up into the Bowl.
You leap into the sky.
You swoop higher up in the Bowl sky.
You soar higher and higher into the sky, far above the Igen desert.
You wing your way towards the sea, circling briefly above Igen Hold before
slowly descending downwards towards the StarCraft Hall, a short distance away.
<*> Dustenyth slowly wings downwards from the sky high above.
<*> Jaelith slowly wings downwards from the sky high above.
<*> Lekath slowly wings downwards from the sky high above.
<*> Luscinth slowly wings downwards from the sky high above.
<*> Starcraft Hall is a reasonable choice of destination for this first
real outing, because it lies between Igen Weyr and Igen Hold--not so far
from home as the latter, or as Benden either. Far enough still that the
trip holds delights. The desert with all its upreaching rocks gives way to
mountains as they arrow south, and avoiding them means climbing so high
that the air becomes crisp, chill, the riding leathers they wear a genuine
necessity. It is not a matter of minutes to reach the place in the Central
Range where Starcraft lies. It's hours, and by the time the Hall and the
glittering river are in sight the skies around them have shaded into
purple, deepening moment by moment into the still of dusk. "Almost there!"
Kassima calls at last.
<*> Luscinth was forced to cut down in anything fancy, besides flying
straight behind the other weyrlings in the V-formation, and yet she was
still looking quite exhausted. Even with all the training, long flights
wears this young green out. She was gliding high with the others when K'avu
looks over the shoulder, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Finally!" he says
loud enough to probably be heard among the rest of the wing, or those
closest. Luscinth gives a tired rumble, flapping when she needs to as she
follows the lead.
<*> Lekath moves his wings with seeming effortlessness, intent on staying
within formation while enjoying the feeling of the wind around him. H'sen
leans close to the bronze, clinging to the straps even while being buckled
in, as he is far too facinated with looking at the ground speeding by below
him.
<*> Seated atop Dustenyth, Dustenyth is in much the same situation as
Luscinth, his slightly bigger size at this age made mostly moot by his
position further up in the windstream. T'nnusen just murmurs his
encouragement into the wind, eyes scanning the ground beneath from such a
unique view as this.
<*> A few beats more... the round Hall and its observatory turn from a
child's miniature, to an adult's small-scale model, to something believable
as a place where humans work, and Lysseth angles her wings to lead them
down to a landing field rich in all the flowers and grasses of spring.
You glide down to a landing in the river meadow.
You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles,
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.
Jaelith flies down from above.
Luscinth flies down from above.
Lekath flies down from above.
Dustenyth flies down from above.
H'sen unbuckles from Lekath's riding straps and swings down to the ground.
K'avu slides down Luscinth's side to the ground.
T'nnusen slides down Dustenyth's side to the ground.
A'deth takes hold of Jaelith's riding straps and slithers down her side to
the ground.
Luscinth makes a relieved groan as she settles on the ground, followed by
her lifemate that slips off stiffly and whines loudly. "Didn't think it'd
be /that/ long dragonback," K'avu grumbles, rubbing at his thighs for a
moment before stretching his back. Luscinth was doing something similar,
though she barely stretches her wings before they just slump to the ground
in defeat. She'll lay here for a moment, catch her breath...
H'sen slides down from Lekath's neck, pulling at his leather trousers for a
moment. "I thought these leathers were supposed to /prevent/ chafing," he
complaints. Well, it was a long flight. Lekath, on the other hand, does not
seem bothered by the long flight, but his size favors stamina over agility.
"You and I seem to be regressing," T'nnusen chuckles softly, patting
Dustenyth's shoulder as he climbs down the tired dragonet's straps.
"Halfway to the Hold as this is." The black-blue rumbles tiredly in
response, at least out loud, and his human goes through the routine checks
on his wings; legs, talons...
Jaelith flips her wings neatly shut as she settles down, comfortably
unwinded. "That," A'deth remarks, "Is why we've been having you practice
with short flights and all that tedious flapping about in the Bowl."
Kassima caresses Lysseth's neck on her way down. Lyss isn't bothered by the
long trip, or doesn't show it if she is. She settles on her haunches in the
soft, springy grass, flowers just barely visible as lighter glints around
her claws and feet. "Welcome to the Hall." Kassima absolutely beams at the
Weyrlings. "You're going t'need a rest a'fore we go back... in the dark,
but that won't matter to your lifemates. I'm giving *them* the morning off
tomorrow, so don't fash that. You kept formation wonderfully well!" She
schools her face to keep from looking too amused by the troubles with
pants. "'Twill nay say it ever gets so much better you'll come away from
six hours of sweeps without a numb rear end; at least numb's better than
chafed. Check your lifemates, everyone."
K'avu finishes his stretches and rubs pretty fast. Enough that he can move
his legs comfortably as he returns towards Luscinth. "Faranth," he grunts
to her, glancing towards the weyrlingmasters. "I hope they give ya a long
time ta get back inta shape." Luscinth was more happy to just sprawl out,
but was forced to move so that her rider can squeeze under her wings, and
check her over. He leans against her neck at the end, grumpling inaudibly
for her now. "No break fer out legs?" he calls out towards Kassima with a
smirk, then adds after a thought: "Weyrlingmaster."
H'sen checks over Lekath's talons, feet, legs, and wings, silently quizzing
the dragon about any sensations he might be feeling. "Don't pretend to be
less tired than you actually are," he scolds the bronze. "How am I going to
know if we need to take it easy unless you tell me?" Everything seems to be
fine, though, so H'sen can't push the point too hard. "Six hours of
sweeps?" he echoes after hearing the Weyrlingmaster. "I wonder if I should
start bringing a pillow to sit on."
T'nnusen makes an amused little sound, either at the others or at something
Dusty said, it's hard to tell, as the dragonet finally lays down in a
controlled sort of semi-sprawl. And he leans against Dusty's shoulder in
turn, since as has been said before, riding on runnerback is /not/
preparation for sticking to a dragon, especially for that long!
"Your legs should recover after a night's sleep. At the least, you can sort
and stack 'stone--nay legs required." Kassima chuckles softly, and a little
wickedly. "Though 'twas thinking more of pen-and-hidework review while your
lifemates rest. Is everyone ready t'wander a little? I thought we'd stop at
the Dawn Sisters for *nonalcoholic* refreshers," does she dart a
particularly amused glance at A'deth there? Yes. "But the Courtyard first
of all t'see something a bit special."
Lekath sprawls out on the ground, giving himself a good stretch before
settling himself for a little nap. H'sen pats the dragon's shoulder, as if
needing to reassure himself that the bronze will be all right while he's
gone. "Something to drink sounds good," he says.
A'deth rolls his eyes at Kassima. "Juice, she wants me to drink juice.
Shall I get a bib, too?" But instead of sounding sarcastic, he just sounds
amused.
Erynion bursts out of *between*, trilling musically and swooping down to
land on T'nnusen's shoulder. There might be /peppers/ in there! "Sure,"
Tannu responds, "at least it's walking and sitting on something that isn't
moving." And he gives Dustenyth another pat on the shoulder, and reaches up
to scritch the firelizard using /him/ as a stool. If Laralyn shows up at
this moment, he'll run out of hands!
Kassima assures her weyrmate while her eyes dance, "You'd turn a bib into
the height of fashion. This way," and she leads them over the bridge,
crossing the river.
You walk over the bridge, crossing the river to get to the main hall.
You walk under the archway and into the main hall.
You walk under the open archway to the northeast and into the courtyard.
H'sen walks in from under the open archway to the southwest.
T'nnusen walks in from under the open archway to the northwest.
A'deth walks in from under the open archway to the southwest.
Kassima heads directly for the large, fat farviewer sitting in the
Courtyard. Someone's left an open glowbasket on the ground nearby, so that
not all is pitch, even as the last sun fades. "I sent word ahead we'd be
coming," she murmurs to A'deth. More audibly, "Have any of you ever looked
through a farviewer a'fore?"
Beca's Compound Altazimuth Farviewer:
A largish looking metal tube that has quite a bit of width for a farviewer.
It is fatter than any other farviewer you have seen, and is covered
protectively in a tanned wherry hide. Upon the leather hide that is
protecting the farviewer you see the stamp of the Starsmith Hall branded
onto it, the eight pointed star visible against the light colored hide.
There is a small viewfinder that looks almost like a miniature farviewer
upon the side of it, but the eyepiece is placed at the end of the 'viewer.
This farviewer rests sturdily upon a tripod. A 'plaque' is attached to one
of the legs of the mount. It looks very well cared for.
A'deth nods sagely to Kassima. "Clever of you... It's a shame we can't see
that most inconvenient of enemies," he murmurs back. "To truly show them
what we fight against."
H'sen looks at the strange setup of equipment in the center of the
courtyard, but he can't particularly make sense of them. "Farviewer? I
guess it shows things far away? The stars?" he guesses. That isn't such a
great leap, considering they're at Starcraft Hall.
Tannu, trailing along with, shakes his head. "I haven't," he says, "I
stayed with the merchants when I was here, and it's not novel to them since
they come through here every time."
"Aye. There are times when you can see the Star through one of these,
but... farviewers are prohibitively expensive and farviewers like *this*,
nay anyone outside the Craft owns." Kassima shifts to stand beside the
'viewer. "I asked that it be set up t'show the a constellation called the
Cry of Brekke--if'n you'd like t'take a look and see."
A'deth doesn't step forward; he, once again, gives the others room. He has
his cane again, having stashed it in its carrycase on Jaelith's straps, and
leans on it.
[Editor's Note: This was the text available for the constellation.]
---
*
* * . .
.
. . @ .
.
. *
..
This constellation evokes the image of the auguished Brekke as she
broadcasts her cry of return to Canth and F'nor trapped on the Red Star.
The brightest star on the right hand side of the constellation forms the
head of Brekke. It eternally pulsates her quintessentially human cry -
"Don't leave me alone!" Brekke's outstretched arms grasp for the Red Star
represented by the balefully winking star behind her right hand. The
cluster of stars on the left hand side represent Brekke's gown buffeted by
chaos as the dragons and riders suffer with Canth and F'nor battling the
hellish conditions of the Red Star - the same conditions found in Brekke's
heart as she is threatened by being torn asunder from both her dragon
soulmate and her beloved.
---
H'sen leans in a little skeptically and peers through the farviewer. He
doesn't know much about constellations, so when he looks at the one the
thing is set up to show, he doesn't really see how the little cluster of
stars symbolizes something so abstract as "the cry of Brekke." "Um... very
interesting," he says, deciding to stay on the safe side.
Tannu takes a turn, with much the same result. "Looks more like, ah... I
have no idea."
A'deth, when the view's clear, does move forward to look. "Well," he
remarks when /he/ straightens up, "You've got to think of how crazy a man's
mind can get when all he does is stare at shiny round things in the sky."
Kassima slants a look mingling entertainment and rue to A'deth. "Well...
if'n stars fascinated everyone we couldn't fit in here for the crush of
people there'd be. I still want t'be a constellation someday, m'self. Who
wouldn't?" She indulges in a look when the Weyrlings and A'deth have all
had their turn. "Too much farviewer use," she murmurs while her eye is
glued to the lens. "Detrimental t'your health. ...All right, we'll head to
the drinks next."
You walk under the southwestern archway and into the corridor.
You walk through the open doorway and into the tavern.
H'sen walks in from the hallway.
T'nnusen walks in from the hallway.
A'deth walks in from the hallway.
Kassima calls to the room in general, "Igen's duties t'Starcraft and her
Masters!" and makes for the mid-sized table near the fireplace. The
Weyrlings get a meaningful glance: *behave*, it says. A few curious looks
are thrown their way, but the biggest knot of people here is busy arguing
over some thorny mathematical concept, and doesn't appear to notice
anything around them that isn't a formula.
H'sen hasn't ever been anywhere like this before, so he finds it all
extremely interesting. He wanders around gawking at all of the interesting
stuff around the place before he joins the others at the chosen table.
Sometimes that includes staring at the people, but he doesn't seem to
notice that some of the Crafters stare back. "All right, wine for everyone,
right?" Right... let's see how much he can get away with.
A'deth considers a table, but with a peculiar look in his eyes: A'deth in a
tavern is an A'deth up to no good.
T'nnusen eyes the arguing group with interest -- what /are/ they on
about? -- but trails along with the rest of his own group instead of
lingering too long.
"Wrong. I said nonalcoholic, I meant nonalcoholic. Juice, klah, or milk,
take your pick." Kassima pulls out a chair and settles into it, sighing
under her breath, and for just a second her tiredness is visible too. A
slightly frazzled-looking young woman detaches herself from the arguing
table and hovers at the edge of theirs. Waiting for orders? "Grape juice,"
the Weyrlingmaster says, and the serving girl bobs her head and turns her
expectant look on the rest.
H'sen sighs a little. Not that he ever drank before he was Searched, but he
has gotten a little older since then, and now simply having the
restrictions bothers him. "Whatever, grape juice too, I guess." He sounds a
little disappointed, but it isn't a point he'll argue.
"Only some few more months, lad," A'deth says to H'sen. "Your dragon won't
understand if you get drunk, or even just drink a little too much, and you
have to help him help you get home." Evidently, he's resigned himself to
being responsible.
"Klah please," Tannu smiles at the frazzled waitress, taking a seat and
then glancing at the group of arguers again. Hm. And he asks of whoever,
"Are they talking in the same language as us?"
Kassima inclines her head to A'deth. "Get dead drunk and your dragon could
think you're just dead. Y'know what he'd do then." She may like to drink
herself, but there's no point to an argument with Kassi on this rule. "Kind
of... I've heard m'son say words like that when he's muttering about math.
I don't understand it but I assume 'tis sane and sensible--t'somebody."
H'sen wrinkles his nose. "No one says 'get dead drunk'. Can't a person have
a little to drink and then stop before getting out of control?" He slumps
in his chair, trying to stretch out his sore muscles. "You've been here
before, haven't you, Tannu? Ever try talking to these people about the
stars and all?"
"Advanced mathematics, something about the moving of celestial spheres, I
guess, I /think/... I had a, ah, friend who went on and on about that kind
of thing when his mouth would've been better occupied by, well. Light
moved, he said; when I asked him if it danced, too, he... well. I slept on
the couch." And A'deth orders himself a virgin cocktail of various fruity
things.
"I just stayed with the merchants, I was worried about being left behind,"
T'nnusen answers with a chuckle, folding his hands on the table in front of
him, and A'deth's explanation earns a laugh. Erynion trills plaintively,
and Tannu adds before the waitress can flee, "And a pepper for Erynion?"
The little bronze gives her his best big moist eyes from atop Tannu's
shoulder. Pllleeaaase?
"Nay if'n he's a Weyrling," Kassima says. The involuntary grin crossing her
face when she hears A'deth's order doesn't change the note of finality.
"Doesn't sound that bad a question t'me. You look at the stars, they seem
t'go 'round and 'round even if'n 'tis Pern Turning, and what's that if'n
'tisn't dancing? I don't know much about it. M'cousin was Craftsecond here
upon a time, but all I asked her about was meteors, once, which is how I
figured out how I want t'die."
H'sen decides not to weigh in on the idea of dancing stars, but he is a
little interested in A'deth's story. "Did you ever clear things up with
your friend with the moving light and dancing stars? Maybe he just didn't
understand that you were interested in talking about other things." So to
speak.
T'nnusen put an elbow on the table and rests his chin in his palm, watching
the arguers. "They're very worked up about it, whatever it is."
"Last I heard," A'deth sighs mournfully, "He got his Master's knot and then
wandered down some corridor, muttering about 'fractals', and was never seen
again. And-- Kassima's right, lad. Alcohol dulls the mind, take it from a
man who loves it almost as much as he loves love-- never a good thing to
inflict on a young dragon, even if you chafe. You'll have freedom enough
soon enough to do much of what you please."
Kassima muses, "Does that corridor regularly eat Starcrafters, I
wonder...." The serving woman reappers with a tray of drinks. Two grape
juices, a mug of klah, and one very, very fruity drink are distributed;
Kassima eyes A'deth's cocktail almost covetously.
H'sen scratches his head. "He wandered down some corridor and was never
seen again? He has to be somewhere. Maybe you could ask around and find
him." H'sen seems to be missing the point. "Is that your only interesting
encounter with a Starcrafter, then?"
There's a pepper on the tray too. The girl sets it on the table, rather
than trying to feed it to a fire-lizard herself.
The golden bronze 'lizard hops off Tannu's shoulder with a happy trill and
starts nomming away at the pepper, and his keeper beams up at the serving
girl accordingly, toying with his klah mug once he has it. "If light moves,
maybe it carried him off with it," he comments of the conversation.
A'deth shrugs a shoulder. "There's always something interesting that they
might have to teach, if you've time to wrap your mind around such things...
but I never had the time. Too much flesh to carve, or Thread to fight. Some
of them want to get a better view on the, ah," and he points heavenward
lest mention of the Red Star frighten off the lizard, "That, some way to
tell what's up there, so that Thread can be fought there... it was tried
before, Brekke's lover, F'nor, if you remember the story, who failed and
almost died. Aside from that, our Ancestors were said to come here from
elsewhere... how did that happen? What knowledge did we lose? If they could
come here, could we not go elsewhere, to a place free from Thread? But all
of those ideas begin and end with numbers, I'm told, numbers so large that
a man can spend his whole life trying to encompass them all in his own
mind, walk down those corridors, and never find his way back out of there.
Out of the light."
Kassima smiles faintly, listening--content to listen and without any
comment to offer that could improve on what A'deth says. She settles more
in her chair and sips slowly at her grape juice.
H'sen scratches his head again, not making much sense of all the talk about
numbers and corridors. "Ah, I see. Well, maybe you'll find him again
someday." No one could be permanently swallowed by numbers, could they?
That would just be creepy.
T'nnusen just shakes his head, and reaches out to pinch the other end of
the pepper Erynion is going to town on, dragging it -- and him! -- a few
inches before sharp little teeth sever it. Awww, he's playing with his
lizard's food!
IGEN-> H'sen says, "G'nite all!"
IGEN-> Iesia says, "Night"
IGEN-> Kassima says, "Zhai, H'sen!"
A'deth just chuckles quietly at H'sen. "He left me for a formula. There's
no going back, man."
Kassima quirks an eyebrow at A'deth, a question as faintly amused as her
smile, one she won't speak aloud. "I may go and stare at the stars some
more," she decides. "Knowing I can count on A'deth t'keep you t'your
manners--tell your dragons t'tell Lyss when they're ready t'leave, if'n
'twill. We can meet in the meadow then."
Tannu eyes the rest of the table, and nods politely at Kassima's
announcement, wiggling the rest of the pepper for Erynion to chase after
like a feline.
A'deth smiles quietly up at Kassima, only warmth in his gaze, and no
regrets for long-gone starsmiths. "Say hello to the stars for me," is all
that he says.
Kassima hesitates, but neglects formal posture enough to reach a hand and
brush fingers against A'deth's cheek. Question answered; she smiles a
little wider for him, nods to the Weyrlings, and departs with an assurance
over her shoulder, "Aye, 'twill."