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Herdbeast Man Was Here


Date:  August 24, 2008
Place:  Igen Weyr's Living Cavern
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:  The flood of Candidates into the Weyr having slowed 
somewhat, and the Barracks no longer echoingly empty, Kassima finds 
chances to get to know them better... like when they study grease 
stains with her.  Good times.  She learns a little more about Hector,
and runs into that young woman she met in the Store Rooms again.

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The Log:

Hector ambles out from the inner caverns.

The tapestries on the Living Cavern walls are always there; that's probably
why, ordinarily, they don't have people clustered around them to stare in
awe. On this particular afternoon however one of them has attracted three
gawkers. Kassima's the leftmost, easily identified by the long braid
dangling down her back, and the others wear Candidate knots. After a minute
or two they have to leave to get back to mopping the floor in one case,
kitchen work in the other--but Kassi lingers in apparent fascination.

Hector is one of those Candidates going here and there, attending to
whatever chores that's pointed to. He comes in from the kitchen, carrying a
large pot of tubers. Apparently he is supposed to be peeling them, though
he doesn't appear to be very motivated to get started. That dish may be a
little late for supper tonight. He pauses when he sees the folks gawking at
tapestries, and he goes to gawk himself, stopping near the rider. "Is
something happening?" he asks, looking from the tapestry to the rider and
back again.

Kassima's glance catches sight of the pot of tubers first, and she
reflexively makes a face. "Nay exactly. One of the Candidates asked me
what's going on in this tapestry, and methinks 'tis the first Fall Igen
fought of the last Pass, although it could be the Pass a'fore that or the
Pass a'fore that, for all I'm sure--but look at that smudge in the sky,
doesn't it look like a man riding a herdbeast t'you?" She points at what's
either a greasemark or a badly-illustrated cloud, more likely the former
given the quality of the rest of the artwork. "There are the horns, and the
man's got his arms sticking out for some reason."

Hector frowns a little, staring at the tapestry. He had never given it more
than a passing glance himself, so when the details are pointed out, they
make him think. "Did people ride herdbeasts in the sky way back when? I
don't ever remember hearing a story about that. Maybe one of those lost
legends?" He tilts his head slightly, as if by looking at it from a
different angle, he will get a better handle on what's happening. "Do any
of the other tapestries anywhere in the Weyr have a man riding a herdbeast?"

"Nay, nay, 'tis definitely nay part of the original design. A sign the
tapestry needs cleaning again, if'n aught. But it does add a certain...
something." Yeah, an element of lunacy. Kassima likewise tips her head to
look at the smudge from a new perspective and admits, "Merven thought it
looked more like two wherries dancing a waltz--that's nonsense, though,
look at it, one of 'em would have t'have three legs! And where's its head?
Faranth only knows what's on all the tapestries down in Stores; riders'
private belongings get sent there, y'ken, if'n there's nay anyone t'claim
'em."

Hector hums, thinking of all those tapestries moldering down in the Stores.
Maybe most of them are down there because they're horribly ugly or have
weird firelizard-chewed holes in them or something, but there might be a
few that are interesting. "Maybe if someone went through all the tapestries
down there, they might find a few more with the flying herdbeast and the
guy. It might turn out to be a common motif or something." More likely,
others would have weird stains that could look like pictures of practically
anything.

Kassima makes an amused sound. "Unless someone's been taking greasy fingers
to tapestries deliberately, marking 'em all with Herdbeast Man, I doubt
it." She pauses to picture that. "But it almost makes me want t'go check.
Later, mayhaps. I didn't find enough of what 'twas looking for the other
day." One last look at the fateful tapestry, and she steps back and turns
to walk towards a table with a gesture inviting Hector to join her if he
wishes. "How's Candidacy treating you so far?"

Hector chuckles, imagining a great Herdbeast Man conspiracy, where someone
was going back through tapestries and "altering history" by drawing him in
with greasy fingers. It still made him curious to see what he might find on
other tapestries, though. "Candidacy? Oh, well, it's fine. I guess."
Holding the tuber pot with one hand, he scratches his head thoughtfully.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's a big mistake, though. The others, I could see
a dragon wanting them." Himself... well, he leaves it unspoken but obvious.

Kassima pulls out a chair for herself, nudges another out with her foot for
Hector. "Many of 'em probably think the same thing. 'You all, aye, but why
*me*?' A'course, some of you won't Impress, there are already more of you
than eggs down there, but 'tis nay mistake. There's something about you
whether or nay you see or understand it."

Hector sets the tuber pot nearby on the table and takes the offered seat.
"True enough. All of us can count, and I don't think anyone is completely
sure there's a dragon out there for them. Still, I wonder what it will be
like the day after the Hatching, for the ones who don't Impress. It'll be
back to their Holds or the lower caverns, all the regular tasks." He isn't
sure whether he should be comforted by that or not.

"Nay anyone has t'leave Igen unless 'tis their wish," Kassima says, shaking
her head. "Once you've Stood as a Candidate, you're Weyrfolk if'n you want
t'be. It might be business as usual for those who stay or go. Then again,
you've been through something; Candidacy and Hatchings can change people,
and sometimes they decide they don't want the regular tasks anymore, but a
new Craft--a new life--and there could be another chance with another clutch."

Hector nods, though there's an uncertainty to his posture. "I'm not at all
sure if I would have any ideas about what I would do next, if it isn't
going back to my old job as a stablehand. But then again, if it was good
enough for me before, it should be good enough for me again." He takes a
deep breath and tries a confident smile. "How about you? Did you Impress
your first time out? What did you do before your dragon found you?"

Kassima's return smile has too much sympathy for the confidence to have
fooled her. "I did," she says, answering his last questions first, "and
a'fore I did, 'twas a Holder's daughter, wandering around looking for a
vocation. I didn't know whether I wanted t'be a Guard or a Baker or a
Harper--probably one of those. M'parents let me go travelling while I
figured it out. I ended up at Ruatha t'stay with some distant cousins, and
Chaeth found me there... I wondered what I'd do too. I thought I'd probably
stay on at Benden in some way. M'cousin Stood with me; she didn't Impress,
went back t'Healer Hall, but then Lysseth Searched her for Benden's next
clutch and she found her Lilith. Did you like being a stablehand?"

IGEN-> R'din cackles.

Hector listens to the story, hearing some of his own story in Kassima's. He
certainly doesn't have a vocation yet. At her question, he shrugs. "It's
what I know how to do. It's a job that needs doing. I don't mind it so
much." Which isn't to say he's so happy to be doing it. "I miss working
with runnerbeasts more, truthfully. I don't think I can go back to Keroon
just yet, though, and certainly not after not Impressing at this Hatching.
I don't need one more reason for my father to call me a failure."

IGEN-> R'din says, "Riders now once again outnumber Candies. *nod*"


Hector:
He is a young man in his teens, tall for his age and apparently going
through an awkward, gawky phase. His hair is dark brown, not quite black,
tousled and falling into his eyes. His face is tanned from being outside a
fair bit, rather than from his general complexion, though that seems to
make his bright blue eyes stand out all the more. His features are not
quite regular, keeping him from being considered handsome, but his
expression shows honesty, at least. 
 
 He wears a simple but well-fitting blue tunic, stil new enough to show its
tailor's skill. It is airy and light-weight in construction, in deference
to Igen's heat. Over the tunic is an open vest in a similar color but
darker hue, with scarlet and black trim in a bold, geometric pattern. His
trousers are loose and charcoal gray in color. He has left his usual boots
behind to wear sandals today. Are those firelizard chewmarks on his white
candidate knot or are you imagining things?


IGEN-> Hector says, "Worried that we're going to stage a revolt? :)"

IGEN-> R'din says, "Nah. Kassi will beat you all back with one hand tied
behind her back. ;)"

IGEN-> Tannusen snerks

"What're your hobbies?" Kassima wants to know. "What d'you enjoy doing and
do for the joy of it? You could look into being a Herder, if'n you really
like runnerbeasts. Their Craftsecond's a runner specialist. You could work
in our stables here. You could do something completely different. And nay
Impressing *wouldn't* make you a failure." Her voice is firm on that; the
tone almost dares him to doubt it. "You're young t'qualify as any sort of
failure yet, besides."

IGEN-> Kassima says, "I'd say 'I can tackle them single-handed!' but that
isn't the appropriate Python sketch to quote when we're talking Candidates.
;)"

IGEN-> A'deth leers.

IGEN-> Lanisa grins And why go to that much trouble when a well placed
knife or two would be so much more poignant ;)

IGEN-> Kassima adds to her to-do list: install grail-shaped beacon over weyr.

IGEN-> Lanisa hehe!

"Hobbies?" Hector echoes. "I dunno. My father never approved of hobbies,
unless they were productive. I like knitting well enough." It seems he's
still living in his family's shadow, even after several months apart from
them. "I suppose... I could look into Crafting. Though I don't know if they
would think I was all that good. My father certainly had plenty of critical
things to say about anything I did with the runners." His lips then twisted
into a wry smile. "How old does someone have to be before they can qualify
as a failure?"

IGEN-> Tannusen says, "Enough glows and rope would work, wouldn't it? ;P"

Salitra ambles out from the inner caverns.

Going up to the meal table, Salitra takes a plate of Seafood Boil, a
Herdbeast Rollup, and some ginger applesauce. Looking around the room, she
goes to a table and sets the food down, going back for some klah.

Salitra nods to Kassima and Hector.

Sitting down at a table, Salitra asks Kassima, "How is the sketching going?"

Kassima spreads her hands. "How d'you know your father was right? Mayhaps
he was; mayhaps you've nay talent with 'em, but if'n that's what you *like*
a second opinion couldn't hurt a'fore you give up on it. Knitting, you
could look into Weaver. You could also try out new hobbies while you're
here. Inasmuch as you've got time." She starts counting ideas on her
fingers: "You could ask the Harper t'let you try out an instrument,
methinks Tannusen's learning pipes from him--you could cook--shells, half
the chores we have you doing put you somewhere t'watch people at work and
see if'n it interests you. You can naturally qualify early as a failure
if'n you murder or force yourself on someone, regardless of age. Barring
doing something you can never make up for, you're only a certain failure
when there's nay chance left of success. So... an hour a'fore he dies might
be soon enough t'call a man a failure. Mayhaps."

Kassima glances over to Salitra then, and wiggles her fingers in a
greeting. "Heyla again. Sketching?"

Salitra says "yes, the sketch with the firelizard asleep in the empty bowl."

Salitra takes a drink from her klah

Hector thinks about that for a while. It's a lot for a young man his age to
take in. He looks about to reply, when one of the cooks stalks up behind
him and whacks him on the head with a wooden spoon, shrieking at him about
tubers. Stammering out an apology, he grabs the pot of unpeeled tubers and
gets up from the chair. "Sorry, ma'am! Thank you for the advice. Maybe we
can talk again later?" He runs off, chased by the cook.

"Mayhaps you're thinking of someone else?" Kassima offers, blinking twice.
"I don't sketch unless 'tis stick figure illustrations of annoying
Wingmates dying in pools of lava. I leave that t'my daughter Khari or
A'deth since they aren't terrible at it."

Hector wanders into the Weyr's kitchens.

Kassima blinks even more at the cook: "Hey! Nay hitting the Candidates!
Faranth's legs on a plate--a'course, Hector, but don't call me that!
*Shells*, missed him."

Thinking for a minute, Salitra replies, "No, I thought I saw you yesterday
here, eating lunch and sketching. Or at least a guest that I was playing at
the time."

Though I could be mistaken

Salitra says "Hector's a candidate?"

Kassima agrees, "I'm thinking it must be so. It certes wasn't me. Aye,
Hector--that young man--was Searched by Daianth the other day."

Salitra says "Oh. I didn't know there was Search going on."

Taking a bite out of her applesauce, Salitra explains, "I just got my
resident knot today, so I'm a little slow on learning things.

Kassima bobs her head. "For Lhiannonth and Jaireth's clutch, aye, out on
the Grounds now. The dragons still bring in one or two a day, but I'd
warrant we're near a full group. Where are you from originally?"

"I'm from a farm in the north. I came by trite train." Salitra replies,
humming soft tune.

"Long way t'be coming," Kassima observes. "Is Igen suiting you so far?"

Nodding slightly, she replies, "Yes, everyone is friendly, and I know where
mostly everything is."

"The funny thing is, I found Pretty Lady in here about 2 hours ago."
Salitra says, laughing to herself, starting to cough as she took a drink of
klah.

Recovering herself, Salitra turns red with embarrassment.

A smile flashes to life on Kassi's face at that. "I've found the Igenites
t'be friendly, too. You're in good shape if'n you're able t'find things so
quickly; Weyrs can be confusing--" She pauses. "Pretty Lady. What, A'zric's
fire-lizard?"

"Yes, I didn't know who's firelizard it was. Someone must of brought her
down here or something."

Kassima hitches a shoulder. "She probably flew down on her own, begging
scraps off the cooks or Faranth knows what. The Cavern's nigh always full
of fire-lizards."

Laughing, Salitra fingers her necklace, a habit of hers.

Salitra starts to eat her Seafood Boil.

Looking into the kitchen, Salitra says to Kassima, "Be right back..."

Salitra wanders into the Weyr's kitchens.

Salitra comes out from the spicy-scented kitchen.

Salitra sits back at the table and finishes eating.

Kassima pushes her chair back from the table. "I should get going. Check up
on a Candidate or two, make sure they aren't throwing sand at each other
again. You'd think 'twould be too sharding hot... anyway, g'dafternoon t'you!"

Laughing, Salitra nodded, afraid to speak, less she makes a fool of herself

Salitra walks out to the Bowl.

You walk out into the Bowl.