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The Sky Is Falling!


Date:  April 6, 2000
Place:  Telgar Weyr Southern Bowl
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:  I think I crept out of an idle period for this event,
run by Maylia:  a meteor hits Pern, and the folk of Weyr, Craft, and
Hold scarcely know what to make of it.  Has the sun gone out?  Will 
the world die?  Is the sky itself falling around them?  This was a 
great time, and some great RP. :)  I still wish there'd likely been
enough metal in the meteorite for Kassi to hunt it down and have a 
knife made out of it, though! ;)

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The Log:

Public announcement: Maylia announces "It's that time! While the night
might be quiet now over Benden, Woodcraft, Bitra, Smithcraft, and Telgar,
things will soon change. In /about/ five minutes, a meteor will streak
across the skies to hit Pern! If you'd like to RP around this, head on over
to one of those places - it'll be emitted in the sky, so make sure you're
outside in a room that can hear the sky."

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.

<*> Lysseth springs from the ground, the air from her wings churning up
dust as she takes to the skies.

You spring from Lysseth's ledge with one downsweep of your wings, soaring
into the sky above the Northern Bowl.

You fly downwards towards the bowl.

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.

Neliea smiles and keeps one hand placed on her daughter's hair, looking
towards Narilia with a nod. "We haven't met formally, have we," she asks,
Iriana eyeing the scarf curiously. "Is this like Xylath's big one, mama,"
she asks, one hand reaching for the tassle slowly.

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

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

A'ser quietly lets the little A'serette-in-training take his scarf, and
then rocks back on his haunches, elbows on his knees, and smiles in a
lopsided way.

Kassima slips down from her perch on high, her green warbling greetings;
she, after a quick knuckling at one sleepy green eye, waving them. "Busy
night," she observes with some surprise. "Is there some sort of Candidate
event again, that the gossips failed t'be telling me of?"

Shilarra walks here from the north.

Takar comes out with a group of other Candidates, himself with a few stakes
and some rope. "Ma'am," he addresses Kassima, "I'm going to be marking off
a little area where we'll be digging to fill the bowl."

Ryialla carefully clambers down Pliarth, mindful of that bundle in a
carrysack that is strapped to the front of her chest: as she comes closer,
the bundle resolves itself into a pale-haired and blue-eyed baby, who lets
out a big smile as Ryi boops her on the nose.

Tania walks out of the living cavern, looking a bit perplexed at the number
of people. "They're following me, I know they have to be following.." she
murmers, and shakes her head over to Kassima. "None that I know off...
ahh.." she looks over at Takar. "That's why everyone's out here, then? How
/did/ that hole get there, anyway? Anyone know?"

As the bowl begins to fill, Narilia's eyes dance around, greeting everyone
who comes in, though most probably don't seem to notice. She waits,
watching, wondering why the bowl is suddenly so full.

Shilarra blinks at all the people, then scans them with a look of purpose.

Terryll walks out after Tirdan, wrinkling her nose and shivering as soon as
the cold air hits her, despite being all bundled up. "Yuck." she mutters.
She nods politely to the Riders and any others.

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

Kassima flinches and corrects, immediately and firmly, "Kassima! Never,
ever ma'am... Faranth's sake; I should get that embroidered on a shirt. Or
wear a sign." Eyeing the Bowl, she steps a pace back towards her dragon.
"Sounds like a plan, if'n--you'll pardon me for saying--nay one I'd care
t'be undertaking. Isn't as though they've nay tried t'be filling it
a'fore." She folds her arms against the cold, considering the Candidates
and the hole in thoughtful turn.

Iriana happens to be holding onto a blue stuffed dragon, like her mommy's
as Neliea chuckles quietly. "It's a smaller version of it, flitter," she
murmurs as she watches the girl bundle herself up into the cloth, more like
a small coat given her size. Keeping one arm about her tiny shoulders, the
bluerider comes to one knee as she fondly ruffles her hair. A'serette in
training hm? He should try babysitting her sometime as she looks towards
the candidates filing out. "Did we miss something, Ash?"

Takar enlists Terryll, Tirdan, and Tania fairly quickly, handing them each
a stake. "I marked the corners with Xs, can you guys drive these in there?"
He then notices he has only one hammer, which he offers first to Tania. He
nods respectfully to Kassima.

Tirdan looks at Terryll and smiles, "Cold?" He himself shivers against the
cold.

Aisling pads out of the cavern, clutching her coat tightly around her. SHe
peers at the hole then at Kassima, 'If they have tried before...why is it
still there?'

Your location's current time: 22:37 on day 21, month 2, Turn 31, of the
Tenth Pass. It is a winter evening.

Terryll nods to Tirdan. "Very. Sharding weather. The desert is -so- much
nicer." she grumbles.

A'ser flops back on the ground, bracing his palms on the bowl's floor.
"Miss what?" he wanders absently. The cold, though it should bother him,
isn't. Lizard-child, that's what he is. He waves a hand back and forth in
the air at Kassima, smiling a little, and then drops that hand back to the
bowl floor. He's kind of hung up on Iriana. She's cute, and tiny, and needs
a scarf of her own, so she can start out early.

Tirdan grins and nods, "Aye, but it gets cold there at night, too, sometimes."

Ryialla turns, and finally gets around to noticing the rather large group
of people there. "Erm. Heyla, everyone..." She looks a little puzzled -
until she spots the candidates. "Oh. Taking a try at filling the bowl?" She
smiles. "Good."

Narilia smiles, then turns and makes her way back into the living cavern.
OOC: Time to go y'all...take care!

Tania takes the stake, and then the hammer, with a confused expression. She
looks at Takar, the hole, back to Takar.. and ah, understands! "Sure!" she
approaches the hole catiously, glancing back to Kassima as she does. "How
deep is it?"

Kassima's shoulders lift, stirring the black cloak with its rich red
embroidery that she wears against the cold. "Nay certain," she confesses.
"'Lex said 'twouldn't fill. The dirt's weight made it sink and made the
hole deeper, mayhaps? Such things aren't m'specialty." A'ser is indeed
noticed, and waved back to, albeit with some wariness. "I'd been planning
on breaking 'stone for a bit m'self, but in this crowd, I don't think
'twould do."

Takar catches Tania quickly. "This way," he points to her right. "The
hole's already marked off...I'm marking an area where we can dig up a
little fill for it. Should've made that more clear."

Above, All seems peaceful at the Weyr. Light pools near the living caverns
entrance at one end of the bowl, and the hatching caverns at the other.
Starlight shimmers in the lake, blown into gentle waves by the chill wind.
Amongst dark shadows of individual weyrs in the rocky faces of the bowl
jewels of dragon eyes on ledges can be seen, and occasionally a weyr's
tunnel is bright with unsheilded glows. On the eastern rim, the watchdragon
fans his wings wide, lifting his voice in a trumpet of suprise, outlined
against a rising glow in the sky.

Terryll peers at the stake in her hands, then towards Takar, "What do you
want me to do?" Another nods to Tirdan, a small smile accompanyinhg it.
"But not -this- cold."

TGArea=> Maylia grins - if I'm going too fast/too slow, someone lemme know? :)

A'ser mutters absently, "Look, the sun came back early. That's nice. Now it
won't be cold..."

Dragon> Kvasith bespoke Telgar dragons with << Something is wrong!? >>

TGArea=> J'lyn says, "So far so good."

Tirdan shakes his head, "No, probably not." He looks up at the watchrider
and hums, "I wish I could draw /that/'

Tania chuckles at Takar. "I knew that, I just wanted to look at the hole.."
she trails off, though, and looks in the direction of the trumpet. "What on
Pern...?"

Above, As dragons raise the alarm passed to them by watchriders, the bowl
becomes bathed in an eerie brilliance. Just visible for a breath, arching
higher than dragons fly over the bowl, a ball of fire painfully bright
tears through the night sky, without so much as a sound. But only
heartbeats later, as the light has faded to the darkness of night again, a
booming crash shakes everything to the core.

Yasinth sits up and back on her haunches, rearing her head back in equal
curiousity...but no fear. Never fear. Not silvery, mean Yasinth. She
growls, nostrils flaring.

Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Lorieth rumbles. << Agreed. >>

Neliea doesn't really forsee Iriana keeping the scarf, since her lifemate
has one just as...colorful in their weyr. But the little girl is amused
enough as she looks towards who A'ser was waving to. Beaming, a child-sized
hand waves towards Kassima in greeting as she keeps a tighter hold on her
'miniture Xylath'. Can she clash any more than this? Above her, Xylath
turns his head towards the sky as the sky lights up.

Takar grins to Terryll, running a hand through his hair. "Actually, you
don't really need to do it. It's my project, I'll take care of it." He
forgets the coversation, looking up as his eyes narrow.

Telgar Weyr> Lanryi waves, "Hiya Telgar."

J'lyn looks up. "What in the name of Faranth's golden arse was -that-?!?"

Above, As the reverberations of the sonic boom die down, dragons wheel to
the floor of the bowl, their riders gawking upwards at the trail of light
that paints the sky. The mysterious cloud simply hangs, wisps curling from
its edges as the wind high aloft disturb it. Silence returns, only to be
shattered yet again by a second thunderclap.

Terryll blinks, turning her attention to where everyone seems to be
looking. Absently to Tirdan, she murmurs, "I could probably draw it." Then
all attention is focused on watching the sky.

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

The watchdragon's trumpet is responded to by a rearing up in alarm from
Lysseth; the green's eyes take on a cast of alarmed yellow, and she bugles
back, probably demanding to know the matter. "What in the bloody blue
blazes?" Kassi asks, nearly drowned out by her dragon--and then, of course,
there's the crash and the shake, and she staggers backwards to impact
against the green's less mutable bulk.

Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Kvasith is clearly spooked. << What has
happened? >> He is holding his rider.

Yasinth immediately howls, fanning her wings wide. She's bugling -at- the
boom, the shaking. Something wicked has fallen from the sky and shakes her
weyr? Unacceptable!

TGArea=> Maylia GAHS! Lan, emitting at bitra, was in the courtyard.
Grumblemutter.

Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Kvasith's rider is actually clutching his
straps on the ground hard

Tirdan steps back in suprise and to gain his balance again. He frowns,
"What the..?"

Pliarth cranes her head up, looking intently at the sky, and raises an
alarm - causing Ryi to look over sharply (and automatically covering
Ysaira's head with her arm. Ysaira's too busy gnawing on something and
drooling to pay much attention. Teething, you know. Very important thing,
that. "Faranth's golden teats! I..." And then, there's shaking, and
Ryialla's eyes are as wide as they can go. Pliarth actually rears back on
her hind legs and /bugles/ at the sky.

Aisling just stands there, jaw agape...then before a Vytol finds its way
in. She looks rather terrified as she notes the reaction of the dragons.

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

A'ser puts a hand to his belly. "Oh, my! I am hungrier than I thought!"

Aurian walks here from the north.

Tania stumbles a bit at the sudden boom and shake, and drops the hammer and
stake, letting out a little, almost too soft, eep. "What is going on..?"
her voice sounds a bit shaky, edging on panic. Slowly she reaches towards
her boots..

Kvasith lumbers here from the north.

Ysaira drops her teething ring, and starts wailing as loud as she can -
scared.

Yasinth snarls an alarmed something at Kvasith, still sitting high and back
on her haunches, nose towards the sky.

Shilarra gasps, staggering sideways and staring first at the ground, then
back at the sky with alarm.

Aurian shakes her head as she walks with Kvasith. The dragon crooning
towards his rider, his eyes all awhirl.

Kassima remains half-braced against Lysseth, watering eyes squinting at the
bright path the... the thing left in its wake, at least in afterimages.
"Me*thinks* I know what that may have been," she offers, cautious and
slightly shaken. "But I'm nay certain."

Above, The vapor trail high in the night sky persists, resisting the
dissipating winds. As weyrfolk and riders pour into the bowl, their faces
turned upwards to view what remains of the spectacle, the air crackles,
beginning to smell sulferous. Without warning, as suddenly as the fireball
had passed overhead, the ground gives a shuddering heave. People sway,
startled, as a muffled roar accompanies the earthshake.

J'lyn staggers slightly as the ground decides to move all by itself. "Okay,
I don't find this funny anymore."

Eelan dashes out, blinking, as the earthquake begins. He yelps and throws
himself to the ground. Oh Dear!

Takar widens his stance as the earth shakes, maintaining his balance. He
makes a few steps towards the Hole, which immediately gives a low groan,
throwing up a cloud of dust and the sounds of sliding rocks.

Aurian grabs out latching against Kvasith again. The pregnant woman isn't
steady on her feat anyways this isn't helping.

Terryll starts, stumbling, and almost knocks into Tirdan. "What in
Faranth's name is going on!?" she demands a bit waspishly, hoping to find
-someone- who knows the answer. She does -not- like surprises like this.

A'ser leaps to his feet at all at once, coatless, gloveless, and
goggleless. The ground makes a little bouncing doll of him as he scampers
towards Yasinth. But he looks like a cat on the edge of a water barrel,
spreading his fingers out and dancing over the bouncing rocks. Then he's up
the green's side, scrambling to her shoulder, while he calls, "I think I'll
look at this from elsewhere--as the ground does not want me here anymore.
Do you think it's alive? I hope it's the sun! I'll keep it for Telgar."
Yasinth snarls as she crouches and leaps--upward.

A'ser vaults up to Yasinth's back, with the aid of a green tail or foreleg.

Yasinth takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry her
aloft.

Shilarra starts scanning the growing crowd with growing urgency, then
hurries North.

Neliea moves to collect Iriana into her arms, leaning to one side as Xylath
adds a quiet warblecroon to everyone's concern as both rider and daughter
look upwards, Only for a moment as a soothing hand smooths the girl's hair
as the questions start. "Mama, what was that," she asks quietly, wide-eyed
as the bluerider looks upwards towards the other riders in an attempt to
figure that out as well. Oh, and she's just sitting crosslegged on the
ground now as well.

Shilarra walks north.

Telgar Weyr> Maylia gahs. Done! :)

Lanryi rushes out of the living caverns at the booming and commotion, "What
in the name of the First Egg was that?" she excalaims her footing wobbling
and shaking with earthshake.

Tirdan staggers once more and looses his footing. He falls on his rear and
huffs a little at the unexpected rush of air.

Telgar Weyr> A'ser applauds! ^_^

Ryialla sways, bringing her other hand up in an effort to calm the now
entirely panicked baby girl, and mumbles, "Shh..shh..It's okay." Ryi's face
clearly says she doesn't believe that though. Not one lick. Pliarth lands
on all four legs, and swivels her head to check on her rider.

Aurian peeks up from where she is against Kvasith, "Not thread."

Aisling reaches out to steady herself, legs moving as her knees bend to
assist her balance. She blinks at the dragon, then peers down at Tirdan,
'Are you alright?'

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Cool"

Lysseth wraps her wings firmly around her rider as this new shake begins,
probably to Kassi's startlement, and *roars* her ruby-eyed rage at the
ground, at the sky. How dare it nearly knock over her lifemate like that?
"Lysseth," Kassi's voice can be heard to call, muffled, "will you please
*shut up*?"

Telgar Weyr> Takar says, "Yay, fun :) Again!"

Tania drops to her knees, caught off-balance in her half-knealing position.
The knife she'd been reaching for tumbles out of the boot, and she sprawls
her hands in front of her, trying to keep -on- the ground now that she's
there. Shaking, she just sends a wide-eyed stare all around where she can
see, at loss for words.

Telgar Weyr> A'ser says, "Rock me again, Maylia."

Ijimeru flits out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Eelan turns his face upwards as a dragon leaps up, and tries to regain his
footing. All but impossible for the distinctly graceless Eelan.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "That Maylia, she can make the whole *Weyr*
move. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Maylia giggles at a'ser and kassi :)

Telgar Weyr> J'lyn woos! You go, baby!

Telgar Weyr> Maylia comes down to RP now that I don't have to be in the
same room as my alt, controlling her FLs. :)

Telgar Weyr> Tania /laughs/ at A'ser, then Kassima, and yay May! :)

Above, Yasinth flies up and out of the bowl.

Above, Yasinth flies out over Telgar and disappears over the rim of the bowl.

Takar makes his way to the edge of the Hole. "Hey...it's bigger!" he
notices, a little bit of despair in his voice. Indeed, a small pocket has
sunk in at the bottom of the depression, though it hardly accounts for much.

Ijimeru settles on Eelan's shoulders, trilling in distress and clutching at
the blue ribbons in the man's hair.

Tierth backwings for a landing.

Ryialla pulls Ysaira from the carrier, and cradles her close. "Shh,
loveling. The nasty shaking's stopped." She hopes. "Shh. Shh.." Ysaira is
still wailing fit to beat a harper quartet.

Tania rolls over to a sitting position, idly looking around for her dropped
knife. With a -blink-, she stares at Takar. "The whole world just tried to
drop into that whole, and you're worried that it's a little -bigger-?!"

Eelan wonders if it's safe to get up. Just in case, he sits right where he
is on the ground. After all, the first fall he took hurt, why would he want
another?

Terryll plants her feet firmly on the ground, and her hands on her hips.
"Well? Does anyone know what is going on?" Screaming baby is ignored for
now. She wants answers.

From astride Tierth, "What in..." whatever Maylia uses instead of the
customary 'shells and shards' is much longer, but muffled as she unwinds
her scarf. "Was that?" She asks, eyes quite wide.

Aurian rests back against Kvasith. Her hand on her stomach. She reaches up
to rub her eyes with her free hand. "Bigger'n'thread." Seeems the
wingleader is a woman of many words tonight.

Takar sighs to Tania. "But it's bigger," he repeats. "I have to fill more
of it."

Kassima manages with some difficulty to free herself from the wrappings of
Lysseth's wings, muttering insults at her still-hissing beast. "Shut up,
shut up, shut *up*. Aye, I love you too, I know you mean well, but you're
probably scaring the children." The green receives a clout on the shoulder
once her rider's free. "Methinks 'tis something m'cousin Triene explained
t'me a long time agone... but I'm nay certain."

Tirdan gets to his feet and dusts his bottom off, "Shards and shells and
all manner of sharp things. I just /washed these pants."

Eelan glances around and in a quiet little voice asks, "W..w..wha
happened...?"

Tania slaps her hand to her forehead, shaking her head slowly. "Yeah, if
that lurch had been any stronger, that thing would have filled in
alright.." she trails off and turns to Kassima, waiting for her explaination.

Aisling pads closer to Kassi, she seems to possess a clue or two. "What did
she say?'

Neliea looks towards Kvasith and Aurian, almost heading towards them while
keeping ahold on a curious Iriana who finally starts to echo Xylath's worry
in different ways. Scared? Well from the wide eyes and hold on the stuffed
toy, she is as the bluerider picks up her daughter and crosses towards her
lifemate. "You don't like it either, hm," she murmurs to him, the blue
warbling quietly as he looks towards the sky again.

Kvasith warbles and his rider closes her eyes tightly. "Its in the
mountains.. Yasinth and Ash are looking at it... its far out there... way
out there.."

Takar gathers up all his stakes aand the hammer as well, though he waits
with the group.

Menina walks here from the north.

J'lyn looks around. "I'm going to go make sure my weyr is still in one
piece after that.

Lanryi peers at Takar and Tirdan each in turn for a moment before she
explodes herself, "Shells! All of Pern is about to be destroyed and you are
worring about your pants and a whole."

Kassima squints up at the sky again, at whatever remaining trail may be
seen in it, then lowers her eyes back to the Bowl and the people. "Well,"
she begins, "Trie's one of the Craftseconds for the Starcraft, y'know, and
when Benden was having its Celestial Ball a few Turns back, they had these
things flying through the sky. A lot *smaller*, but they looked similar,
and she called 'em 'meteors.' She said they're chunks of rock from out in
space that sometimes fall down t'Pern. I remember, because I thought being
drubbed by one would be a remarkable way t'die."

Maylia slides to the ground, giving Tierth a parting caress and a tender
smile.

Eelan gulps and wishes he had something to hang onto. Meeeee.

Tirdan raises an eyebrow, "If it was, I think it would've by now." He looks
toward the fire that fell to Pern, "It hasn't done anything in a while, so
I'll be concerned with my pants right now."

Terryll, grumbling, folds her arms across her chest, and listens to Kassima.

Takar looks to Kassima with interest. "A Starcrafter, you say? Are there
any around here? Maybe they'd know something about it."

Tierth watches after Maylia, protectively, eyes whirling with concern. The
Weyrlingmaster listens closely to Kassima, as she heads that way. "As if
Thread isn't bad enough," she frowns, "We've got a chunk of rock falling?
And that was fire, not rock!"

Telgar Weyr> Maylia says, "Any riders wanna volunteer to go get a
starcrafter, just lemme know :) Our liason, Garnell, is a-waiting."

Alenia walks here from the north.

Aisling looks confusedly into the sky before nodding.

Telgar Weyr> Maylia says, "If no rider wants to, May can :) But thought I'd
hand off some of the fun to others :)"

Aurian blinks, "A'ser thinks the sun is dead..." She flicks her gaze to
Kassima, "Well why from Faranth's very shards, didn't they warn us about
this.. You would think a Starcrafter would have seen something about this."

Telgar Weyr> Neliea ooohs and thinks she would stay, but needs look into
sleep, she thinks. :)

"Telgar's got one posted," Kassi allows, brow furrowing as she thinks. "But
I don't often see him, so I can't be recalling the name. Mayhaps Starcraft
saw it, too? You'd *think* so, big as 'twas--I've nary a clue what caused
the fire, May! Trie could be telling, and mayhaps she told me, but I've
forgotten it if'n so. The other ones were bright and fiery too, but they
looked much... well, further away." She can only shrug hopelessly at Auri.
"You'd have t'be asking one of them."

Neliea leans over to carefully pick up Iriana

Tania's head seems to be spinning now, trying to listen to everyone at
once. Finally she focuses in on the one making sense.. that is, those
trying to figure out /what/ that ball of fire was.

J'lyn lands on Lorieth's Ledge.

Above, From the Telgar Star Stones, L'klal's burnished bronze Pteynth rears
on hind legs and bugles a greeting to green Yasinth and her rider, A'ser,
welcoming them home.

Aurian rests her hand on her stomach. "All that time they spend staring at
the skies... they could have had the harpers send out a drumming."

Eelan just sits here, in the dirt and snow and listens, while he tries to
convince himself that it's all o-kay.

Ryialla finally manages to get the baby calmed down, and says testily,
"Well, why doesn't someone go /fetch/ a Starcrafter then? Tell us what's
going on here." She looks at Kassi, whether slighlty narrow-eyed. "Whether
it be one of those meteors and an earthshake or if Pern is indeed coming to
an end. In fact, if someone'll take Ysaira, /I'll/ go."

Takar shrugs. "Hmmm. That's a good idea," he agrees.

Eelan gulps. Pern coming to an end...?

Tirdan nods, convinced now his pants are alright, "Aye. I can look after
her, if you want?"

Aurian reaches over to Ryialla, "I'll take her... I'd go my self." But its
obvious she's not in the condition to go between right now.

Kassima refutes immediately, "Pern isn't coming to an end. We'd all be dead
if'n 'twere, and this doesn't look like *between* t'me." She glances around
quickly. "Nay, *between* doesn't have stone walls or holes in it. I can be
taking her if'n you wish, Ryi, or... May, mayhaps you should? 'Twould be
good practice."

Telgar Weyr> Tirdan snorts and shakes his head. Pern blows up in a firey
boom, Tirdan says, "You ruined my shirt!"

Aisling puts as much space between her and Ryialla as possible, lest she be
the recipient of a baby. She eyewidens at Tirdan's offer "Insane."

Yasinth backwings for a landing.

Terryll, sensible girl that she is, snorts. "I highly -doubt- Pern is
coming to an end." A few grumbled, very discriptive curses follow that
statement, but she keeps them to herself.

Eelan wails, "Don't even joke about Pern coming to an end! It's not funny!"

Maylia folds her arms, in an effort to keep them from wrapping around
herself. "Rock doesn't burn." She states, staunchly. "Except firestone, and
that's differnt." Okay, so she's forgetting about crom coal. She favours
Kassi with a startled look. "Me?" is sqeaked. "Let Aurian."

Telgar Weyr> Tania oys. :)

Yasinth lands well away from most of the crowd, and hunches her shoulders.
After a few practice rents torn into the bowl floor, she slinks her way
over to the noisy people.

Neliea continues to listen as best as she can, picking up Iriana carefully
as Xylath holds out forearm. She does catch the latter snipit of the
conversation, and so does her daughter. Not that it does anything for
either, the younger of the pair becoming more scared as she hears the
babble about Pern coming to an end. Reassuring her and climbing upwards,
it's just a challenge to do that.

"We'd all be dead if'n 'twere," Kassi repeats, sounding entirely too
cheerful for such a statement. "It could be firestone? She didn't say what
*kind* of rock these 'meteors' are made from. Just that they're rock."

Neliea easily climbs up Xylath's back with the help of a forearm as she
takes hold of the straps, settling down between his neckridges.

Tania turns away from the babbling people as she spots a returning Yasinth.
"What'd ya find?!" she calls out, getting to her feet.

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

Takar sighs and turns back to his job. "Well, I'd better get to work on this."

Atop Yasinth, A'ser is whacking his hand uselessly against Yasinth's
shoulder, and being ignored. "She won't go back!" he hollars, his fingers
red from the cold. He aught to be wearing a jacket. "I know where the sun
died, and she won't let me go get it! We can maybe still fix it!"

Ryialla flicks a glance between Aurian and Maylia, speculatively. Since
Aurian /did/ volunteer, however, she hands a rather wide-eyed Ysaira,
carrysack and teething ring to Aurian. "She's starting to teeth, so if she
starts crying, give her the ring." Goggles are tugged onto her face and she
startsto fasten her jacket. "I'll go fetch someone and bring them back here
as soon as I can."

Tania's jaw goes slack. "The sun died?!" she must /really/ be confused if
she's believing this story of A'ser's.

Eelan wails again and picks himself up off the ground. "You're not allowed,
A'ser!" Glom! He's hugging the green dragon now.

Aurian snaps to A'ser, "Dismount now. The sun didn't die, we are all alive
and Pern isn't going to end." She scoops up the baby and nods, "Aye I can
hand'e a teether."

Kassima covers her eyes briefly with her hands. "The sun," she insists,
"did nay die. Haven't you ever seen the star charts? The sun's ruddy big.
Bigger'n *that* thing. 'Twasn't the sun, we're nay all going t'freeze
t'death, there *will* be a dawn, Pern isn't coming to an end, and... uh,
what Aurian said."

Aisling is still under the assumption that dragonriders know all..and if
one said that the sun died, then the sun is most assuredly quite dead. "If
Pern was destroyed...I am sure we would have noticed it."

Maylia eyes the teething infant with much trepidation, and keeps those arms
folded across herself. "Tania," she turns on the lecturing tone. "The sun
set *hours* ago. It didn't die. That was a ... " green eyes go to Kassima
again, requesting the word. "Whatever it was, the ground doesn't usually
shake when the sun sets! and it's not noisy!"

Terryll growls some uncomplimentary comments under her breath about A'ser,
moving back to get out of the way of any people. Soon she's nicely hidden
in the background, where she can wait until someone who actually -knows-
what happened arrives.

Ryialla tugs on her gloves, and jogs over to Pliarth, grabbing onto the
straps and valuting onto her dragon: not quite as smoothly as she did
pre-baby, but decently enough. And then, the green rises rather abruptly,
heading up and out of the bowl.

Ryialla climbs up Pliarth's extended foreleg, giving her an affectionate
scritch as she settles between her neck ridges.

Pliarth takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry her
aloft.

"Meteor," Kassi supplies. "Fiery rock falling from the sky, if'n I'm
remembering what Trie said aright. Must've hit with one shard of a whallop,
t'be causing a shake like *that*."

Atop Yasinth, A'ser would very much like to disobey Aurian and go and fetch
that sun--but Aurian's a whole lot scarier than the sun dying. He glares,
nose and ears red, and flings himself down off of Yasinth's shoulders. Once
he hits the ground, he leaps up again and points towards the sky. "The sun
isn't all that big, Kassi, cos I've seen it lots and it's only yay wide!"
He makes a circle with his arms. "And that was the same size and just as
bright and everything! You're -daft-." He huffs, angrier at his inability
to go and do what he wants to.

"But, Ma'am" Aisling points out to Maylia.."Wouldn't it shake or do
something if it died?"

Tania looks from Maylia to Kassima to A'ser, clearly confused. Finally, "I
think I'll assume it didn't die.. much safer that way..."

Kassima turns her droll green gaze on A'ser. "On the star charts, the sun's
much, much, much bigger than Pern. If'n the sun hit us, Pern likely *would*
come to an end and we'd all be crisped in fiery death. But we're *nay*. So
'twasn't the sun."

Eelan makes a small frightened noise in the back of his throat. This talk
is scaring him.

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

Atop Yasinth, A'ser snaps, "Ooo, well the star charts've never been up so
high, 'n I have! What d'they know?"

Maylia's frown deepens, as she thinks. Hard. "Starcrafters tell us - you
wait, whoever Ryialla brings back'll say so - that the sun's a long ways
away. It *can't* crash into the ground." Somewhere, she looses her
authoratative voice just a touch, and sounds more like she's asking a
question. And, a nod gets tossed in Kassi's direction.

Aurian bounces the baby lightly. She speaks to A'ser in a clipped voice,
"Calm down now."

Terryll hmphs quietly to herself. "At least she seems to know what she's
talking about." she mutters, attention directed towards Kassima.

Tirdan waits halfway patiently. He still fiddles with the seat of his
pants, as if he just can't believe he's cleaned them all the way.

Aisling begins to relax...offering A'ser an accusatorial glance before she
turns her attention back to Kassi.

A'ser deflates like a popped bladder. Bleh. He flops back against Yasinth's
side and just mooshes there. That he's listening to Aurian never occurs to
him.

Kassima closes her eyes briefly, and mutters to Maylia, "D'you ever get the
feeling that the lad's gone mad?" Opening them again, she agrees, "The sun
has t'be far away, t'look as small as it does given how big the charts show
it. Triene never mentioned t'me any worries that the sun would fall to
Pern, and if'n it could, you'd think the Starcrafters would be panicking
constantly."

"When he was still a weyrling." Maylia answers Kassi, keeping her voice
low. "Now I don't just wonder." Her head cants upwards, towards the sky
where the glowing trail slowly is dissipating. "Where's Pliarth! Shouldnt'
they be back by now?" Impatient?

A'ser just mutters, "They're loonely. Who listens to them anyway."

Tania breaths a sigh of reliefe. "That makes sense.." she says, and her
wandering eyes catch a glimps of Tirdan. "They're clean."

A pale faced Eelan sidles over to the muttering A'ser and makes a small
noise and just hugs. Too much craziness!

Lanryi has more or less calmed herself and is watching the folks trying to
find out what's happening. Then she says to nobody in general, just
thinking outloud, "Who's to say that this isn't the begining of the end of
Pern? I mean, yesterday you would have said that everything was just fine
too, but a giant burning rock just fell on us."

Tirdan looks up from his cleaning to Tania, "Oh? Oh, I'm sorry. Thanks." He
blushes and crosses his arms over his chest, "Would've hated to have them
ruined"

Telgar Weyr> Maylia ACKS.Laundry. Idle a few.

Aurian bounces the baby lightly as she glances to Maylia, "They'll be back.
I'm sure the starcrafters are mostly confused at the moment."

Tania rolls her eyes. "A little dirt never hurt anything.." she murmers,
and turns her eyes to the sky, looking for a dragon to return with answers.

As it seems that the Rider who went to fetch a starcrafter isn't going to
show up in the next few moments, Terryll turns to make her way into the
living cavern, muttering about at least being warm and drawing the strange
occurance. After all, someone should document it.

A'ser gets mooshed by Eelan...and then, all at once, he perks. "Hey! I'll
bet the paint on my weyr's wall is all dry now! Anyone wanna go see the
mural? C'mon, Eelan! You can see if I did it right. I have lots of glows,
so we don't need the silly sun anyway!"

Tirdan shakes his head, "No, but with that one inspection, I'm scared /not/
to have clean things all the time."

"A giant burning rock didn't just fall on *us*," Kassi corrects calmly.
Useful trick, that acquired Wingleader talent for staying cool under
pressure. "It fell some distance away from us. Telgar's intact. We're all
alive. We felt the ground shake, but the Weyr didn't fall about our heads,
and the hole didn't swallow us. 'Twould daresay we *are* just fine, though
a Starcrafter will be able t'say more." A squint is tossed A'ser-wards.
"Methinks I fear your mural. It likely has ferrets in scarves on it."

Eelan pipes up, a bit tremulously, "Only one scarf. And no sharp underthings."

Telgar Weyr> Tirdan would assume that mural has /both/

Aisling winces before commenting, 'Wouldn't sharp underthings, hurt?'

Kassima agrees dryly, "'Twould think so. 'Tis why, whatever A'ser might
say, I don't *possess* any."

Eelan shrugs and mooshes A'ser still more, trembling a bit. Who needed the
sun? They did! "Dragons don't wear underthings. It... it.. it's a nice
mural. Really."

Lanryi makes a little face at Aisling's comment and mutters, "Just thinking
about A'ser and sharp underthings hurts."

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

Tania quirks a brow towards Kassima. "Sharp underthings...?"

Aisling nods in agreement to Lanryi, then shudders slightly.

Jade flits out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Tirdan looks over at Lanryi startled, "Why are you thinking about A'ser in
sharp underthings?" He doesn't even look at A'ser. Nope, that would produce
a picture he /doesn't/ want in his head.

Kassima flicks a finger towards A'ser. "*He* spreads all sorts of rumors
about my wearing sharp, glittery underthings. For the record, I do *nay*,
and never have."

A'ser just scowls at Kassi, who is trying to make everyone think that the
sun is still alive when it isn't. "Maybe they're a'lex's sharp underthings
and she was borrowing them. Nya."

A'ser vaults up to Yasinth's back, with the aid of a green tail or foreleg.

Tania shakes her head slowly. "I don't think I even want to /try/ and think
about what sharp underthings would look like.."

Tirdan shakes his head in agreement, "Nor do I"

Eelan suddenly lost the person he was mooshing. Meep. "But the mural
doesn't have any sharp things in it."

"It's not my fault, He brought it up," Lanryi says to Tirdan pointing an
accusing finger at Eelan, "I didn't want to think about it."

"*Good*," replies Kassi, rather fervently.

Eelan blinks wide eyes at the accusing finger. "But I was just saying what
was in my mural!"

Atop Yasinth, A'ser reaches down and grabs a handful of Eelan, dragging him
bodily up Yasinth's side. Lanryi gets a dark, green-eyed scowl. "You're
daft too! Leave Eelan be!"

Aisling just shudders a couple more times. "I wish that starcrafter would
get here."

Tirdan shudders, "Neither did I. Shards, that's /not/ a mental picture I
wanted"

And Eelan's getting dragged up Yasinth's side. He scrambles a bit, to seat
himself.

Eelan vaults up to Yasinth's back, with the aid of a green tail or foreleg.

"I didn't do anything to him!" Lanryi calls out to the scowling greenrider.

Atop Yasinth, Eelan murmurs, "But I was only saying what was in my mural..."

Tania turns quickly away from Eelan and A'ser, and grins at Tirdan. "Don't
think about it too hard.. no picture then." to Lanryi she giggles and
shrugs. "He's, you kknow.." she makes a circle around her ear with her finger.

Tierth rumblewhuffles over her rider, lifting stray strands of hair from
her braid. "They're on their way." She mutters. "Taking sharding long
enough. You'd think starcrafters'd be flinging themselves a-dragonback on
hearing about a meat-e-or." The word is carefully ennunciated.

Atop Yasinth, Eelan catches that finger and its motion and gasps and calls
out, "He is not!"

Tirdan shakes his head and hits his forhead with the heal of his palm. He
stands straighter and sighs, "I think it's o-" he cuts off as his gaze
catches a clance of A'ser, and he groans again, "No, it's not out yet."

Above, From the Telgar Star Stones, L'klal's burnished bronze Pteynth rears
on hind legs and bugles a greeting to green Pliarth and her rider, Ryialla,
welcoming them home.

Aurian continues to play with the baby. She glances up, "Oh thank faranth."

Kassima offers, tilting her head, "They might be running all about their
own Hall, looking for charts, looking through farviewers... oh, *there*
they are."

Maylia shuffles closer to Aurian, peering alternately at the infant, and up
into the sky as Pliarth makes her way down. "Wonder if the starcrafter'll
know anything more than us. I mean, he or she didn't /see/ it."

Atop Yasinth, A'ser just laughs at Tania, sharply, and slaps a hand against
his knee. "Yah," he just says. He winks at her, grinning, and the green
gathers herself beneath him, wings spreading.

Yasinth takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry her
aloft.

Tania just grins up at Eelan, then winks at A'ser, and spots the returning
dragon. "Yay! Know we'l know if the sun has died.. you might want to stay,
A'ser! ... err, nevermind."

Kassima offers, "If'n all else is failing, one of the dragons could put the
image in his head? I could probably connive Lysseth into it if'n I had
to--though," she adds, rather wry, "Lyss is markedly unenthusiastic about
the idea." Indeed, the green is grumbling, nearly growling. Her charcoaled
wings still curl half around her rider as though to shelter her.

Pliarth backwings for a landing.

Garnell clambers down Pliarth's riding straps to her leg and slides to the
ground.

Atop Pliarth, Ryialla slides down off of Pliarth, now that she's delivered
the Starcrafter - and immediately makes her way over to Aurian.

Ryialla quickly slides down Pliarth's foreleg and jumps to the ground. She
turns to pet Pliarth's muzzle and grins as she gets soundly whuffled.

Garnell drops down to the Bowl floor, peeking quickly to check his
instruments, then smiling a thanks to Pliarth. "Evening, all..Starcraft's
duties," he begins in greeting.

Maylia turns her gaze to Tierth, who snorts, still agitated. "Tierth's the
same. Aren't many dragons who'd do that, I'd wager. The *sun*," she turns
towards Tania. "hasn't *died*. Look at the moons, they'd not still be
shining if'n the sun'd gone out. Just ask him." An arm gestures towards
where Ryialla and a passenger dismount from Pliarth.

Garnell is settling into his 30s. He has a large frame, solid with muscle
from Turns of hard work. His face and arms are weathered and well-tanned,
as are his long legs. Garnell has a solid jaw, supporting a face lined from
frequent smiles and laughter, with kind, twinkling green eyes, the color of
a cut twig. His brown hair, touched by the sun, sticks out wildly over his
forehead and big ears. Garnell wears a a pair of long, though light, pants,
and a flax shirt, dark blue. The 32 Turns, 4 months, and 14 days old
Starsmith is rarely idle, except when caught pondering an absent-minded
notion.

Aisling brigtens as she looks towards Garnell, He should have all the answers.

Kassima dips her head in greeting to the dismounting man from where she
stands near her dusky green dragon, her lifemate's wings curling about her
as though to protect. "Duties to Starmount and her Masters, and welcome."
In an aside to Maylia, "Lysseth's only bespoken others twice, and then in
times of great distress. Wouldn't surprise me if'n she never does it again."

Aurian bounces the little lightly. She passes the babe to Ryialla with out
a question.

Pliarth rumbles, and settles in. Unlike normal, she does not immediately
settle in for her usual nap, but instead watches the scene with whirling
eyes that are only a tiny touch red-tinged.

Tirdan steps back from the starcrafter, listening to what he has to say.

Tania smiles at Maylia. "Just got to make -sure-, you know.." eagar eyes
turn to glance at the starcrafter. "Duties." she mutters, and quiets to
listen attentivly.

Aisling glances around at the dragons, looking a bit more worried now, 'Why
are they all so upset?'

Ryialla takes Ysaira gratefully, smiling with rather more warmth than is
her usual wont. "Thank you so much, Aurian. I hope she was good for you."
She bends her head, and says to the baby, "Were you good for Aurian, 'Saira?"

Maylia echoes others, calling, "Duties to the starcraft." Her steps take
her towards the Crafter, with her grassy Tierth following behind. "Did
Ryialla tell what happened?" she asks of him.

Lanryi wrinkles her nose and frowns muttering to the starcrafter, "I think
we can ignore the formalities tonight if you will just be so kind as to
tell us what's going on."

Aurian grins, "She was quite good." She glances towrds the crafter with a
narrow gaze.

Tania turns to send Lanryi a lopsided grin.. a half attempt at a reasuring
smile, before turning back to the starcrafter.

"All this shaking about, and the startlement," is Kassi's answer to
Aisling. "Lysseth doesn't like either one. And that she's such an
overprotective beast isn't helping."

Garnell gestures vaguely at the trail, still visible in the sky. "I'm
Journeyman Garnell, and I'll try to help you all sort this out. What you've
seen appears to be a meteor, a meteorite if it has hit the ground, which it
apparently has, if there were tremors. It has nothing to do with sun," he
assures them, though he then mumbles something to himself about forces and
orbits.

Kassima introduces herself as, "Kassima, green Lysseth's rider," with an
incline of her head in acknowledgment of him. "Well met, Journeyman." She
manages to refrain, fortunately, from any told-you-sos. "Will there be any
more tremors or the like?" she asks instead. "Or other odd occurances?"

Maylia introduces herself, once she's close enough to do so. "I'm Maylia,
Weyrlingmaster, and Tierth's rider." Tierth swings her chin just over the
woman's head, eyeing the journeyman. "Kassi suggested it might've been a
meteor," the word is pronounced carefully. "See?" Is tossed over her
shoulder towards those who suggested it was the sun. She's not as good as
her mentor at avoiding I Told You Sos. Unfortunately, A'ser's not there to
hear.

Ryialla looks up from where she's doting on the baby - who's now got her
teething ring back in her mouth and is gnawing and drooling happily. "I
gave a brief overview, Maylia."

Aurian calls lightly, "All the time you all spend staring at the stars, and
there was no warning?"

Aisling ohs to Kassi, then considers the starcrafter as if hanging onto
each word.

Garnell follows the arc of the trail. "We'll want to visit the impact site,
if we can find it. Unless that was stronger than I think, I seriously doubt
there will be any more earthshakes. The trail will likely remain for a
while, but it'll be gone by morning. I don't expect much else, though you
may want to keep watch for fires."

Tania looks relieved.. and perhaps a tiny bit disappointed? at hearing the
starcrafter's words. She nods slowly, through slightly narrowed eyes. He
-could- be lying or hiding all of the truth to keep a panic from happening,
you know.. but still, better to think that /is/ all it is.

Tirdan breaths a small sigh of relief. He holds his head up and murmurs
something about knowing the world wasnt' ending. He shoves his hands in his
pockets and tries very hard not to let anything else escape his lips.

Garnell replies to Aurian, "These events are hard to predict. We can hardly
see any of these rocks when they're in space, and by the time they've
entered the atmosphere, it's too late. One such as this is almost
impossible to predict, since it's not during the typical meteor showers."

"A'ser found it, so it must be findable. It headed north... nay much
besides ice and more ice up there; is there aught t'*be* catching fire?"
Kassi directs the question to everyone as much as to Garnell. To the
Starcrafter, then: "What kind of rock is it, if'n it can burn like that?"

Maylia speaks up again, her eyes lifting to the trail arching overhead.
"But, if it's a rock, why in Faranth's name was it burning? Was almost as
bright as day here, I'd say." She asks.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima snickers. May! GOMH! ;)

Telgar Weyr> Maylia hmmms - A'ser didn't find it, just went up a ways :)
We'll find it on the weekend - and i'll page Garnell so he knows :)

Telgar Weyr> Maylia grins at Kassi :) May's dwelling on this burning rock
thing.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Well, Kassi *thinks* A'ser found it. ;) Feel
free to correct, by all means. She has trouble understanding A'ser-speak. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Maylia laughs, and okays :)

Telgar Weyr> Tirdan can understand /why/

Telgar Weyr> Tania giggles.

Aurian grumbles, "Faranth... if they can predict thread big rocks from the
sky should be Easy."

Telgar Weyr> A'ser whaps Tirdan upside the head quietly.

Lanryi crosses her arms with a bit of a scowl still apparent and says to
the starcrafter, "So there won't be anymore of these meteors or meteoretts
or whatever they're called?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Meteorettes! I like that! I get a mental image
of meteors with legs doing the Rockettes dance."

Telgar Weyr> Tirdan ows!

"Find it?" Maylia manages to keep her voice from squeaking. "A rock from
space, and you want to find it? At least it *was* burning, and we know
there wasn't any thread on it." A frown creeps across her face, and she the
braid hanging over her collar twitches, as she shakes her head. "I don't
think A'ser found it, Kassi. He wasn't wearing a riding jacket. Even
Yasinth wouldn't have carried him far like that."

Telgar Weyr> Terryll winces.

Aurian nods, "He spotted the burning area from above the bowl."

Garnell nods quickly at the riders' concerns. "Imagine you jumped from high
above a lake, and when you hit the water, your belly was flat to it. It
would hurt pretty bad, and leave a mark, right? This is a similar
situation. The rock is travelling through space very quickly, and when it
hits the air, it gets hot. Depending on the composition, it may have
actually caught fire, though more likely you just saw some heated air that
appeared like fire. We will probably be able to smell it when we get close."

"Smell it," Kassi repeats. "That should be... interesting. All right, I can
be believing that. Trie likely tried t'be telling me when I asked about
that meteor shower, but I didn't mark it as of import." She bobs her head
to assent to Maylia's point. "You're likely right. With all his talk about
knowing where the sun died and whatnay, I *thought* he was saying he knew,
but...." Her shrug is helpless. A'ser. Go figure.

Maylia's nose wrinkles, remembering the scent that wafted down. "It'd hurt,
alright. So it was burning because it was going fast, in air?" The concept
sounds a little bizarre, apparently but her perplexed expression fades
after a moment. "S'why thread glows a bit, in those pre-dawn Falls?"

Aurian chuckles, "He wanted to go find it." She rubs at her stomach a bit.

Ryialla listens quietly, one brow popped upwards. She bounces Ysaira a
little, but doesn't actually pepper poor Garnell with more questions.

Telgar Weyr> Tania acks and has to go! This was great, May! Night peeps! :)

Telgar Weyr> Maylia's gotta go, too. *hugs*

Garnell nods once again. "Exactly, ah, Maylia did you say? Anyhow, we can
look for it in the morning, or whenever someone is free. I'd like to talk
to this A'ser, later. I think I'm going to make some measurements of the
trail now. Any more questions?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima is also outta here. Gotta get home for the weekend in
the morning. :)

Telgar Weyr> Neliea grins and heads out too.

Telgar Weyr> Aisling should probably do the same...getting sleepy.

Telgar Weyr> I'sai waves to you leaving people, have a good evening. :)

Telgar Weyr> Tania might as well say this on the knot: On the count of
three, everyone poof! :)

Kassima shakes her head, already backing towards her lifemate's neck. "Nay
right now, Journeyman, but thankee most kindly. I should make sure 'Maeva
and the children are all right, though I'm certain she'd have sent one of
the 'lizards if'n they needed me. Clear skies and g'night, all."

Telgar Weyr> Tirdan grins and runs too. Okie.

Telgar Weyr> Leya grins, "I'm not leaving."

Telgar Weyr> Lanryi should go too, but she will feel guilt at leaving the
starcrafter alone

Tierth rumbles, swinging her head to gaze across the bowl. In the dark
distance, motion can be seen near the barracks. "I'd best go." Maylia says.
"Journeyman, thanks for comming quickly. I'd better get back to the
Weyrlings, and try to explain."

Tirdan nods to himself and walks toward the barracks once more, murmuring
about needing to do laundry again.

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

Tania shakes her head slowly, reassured, then quietly excuses herself.

Telgar Weyr> Ryialla isn't going.

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

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

Garnell nods understandingly. "That's fine. Goodnight, everyone," he says
as people file off, himself setting up a farviewer to take measurements.

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.

<*> Lysseth spreads her wings to their full extent, bringing them down with
a rush of wind as she leaps nimbly into the air.

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