--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sand Trek


Date:  September 8, 2008
Place:  Heart of the Desert
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:  The Search-and-Rescue campout Z'nal and Ayana ran back
when inspired this event somewhat.  I wanted things that felt very 
*Igen*, that you couldn't do in Candidacy just anywhere.  Camping in 
the desert counts!  Kassima leads the Candidates out into the sands 
for one night spent away from civilization, J'on and A'deth on hand as 
riders to help, and contrary perhaps to expectations everyone makes it
through the night alive. ;)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Log:

The trek was a long one, and the only thing that saved it from being brutal
was the abundant supply of waterskins shared whenever someone mentioned
thirst. The few pauses for rest here and there barely helped. Past towering
blocks of sandstone they've gone, clusters of dying scrub, even a thick
clump of blackened twigs clawing out of the ground--the remnants of
something hit by lightning in the storms. The air itself tastes baked here
with a thick underlay of dust. Still, there've been moments of beauty on
this path... little desert pools have reflected blue back into heaven, and
although they are austere the towering crags of rock hold stark majesty.

Now they've reached the campsite. It's no different than other spots
they've seen, but the thick logs laid out for the fire and the rolls of
tents waiting to be pitched rather give it away; bundles of food sit neatly
stacked, and many pots and pans, all clean. Everything's set in the lee of
a high cliff face and its shadow grants relief from the sinking sun. A few
yards away, a small and pretty pool glints with light. Two dragons and
their riders sit watch over the place to protect food, water, and
everything else from any wild animals that might care to wander by.

One tent among the rest is already put together: a double, and in case
anyone gets any ideas Kassima's planted a stick in the dirt beside it and
tied a scrap of cloth with a big green K painted on it to the end as a banner.

Kassima's walked beside her lifemate all this way to show solidarity with
the Candidates--or because she's an idiot, take your pick--but not
completely bereft of sense, she: she's brought along a walking stick almost
as tall as she is, and by now it's serving her in good stead. The long
walk's drawn the limp out in her right leg. She wraps both hands around it
and leans in, once she's reached the camp's perimiter. "Here 'tis, and if'n
you'd all like t'rest awhile a'fore you see t'your tents and we start work
on dinner, I can't sharding blame you."


Kassima:
	Kassima is a woman gifted magnanimously by genetics: one would likely
guess her to be younger than is true thanks in part to high cheekbones and
a brow lines have not touched, and metabolism and height have both dealt a
good hand in her slender 5'10" build. Her fine-boned features are framed by
a long black river braided and confined, allowed free only in the forelock;
there, it threatens to dangle into canted eyes the color of emeralds in
shadow. A shrewd glint lightens these even when amusement does not, and the
well-shaped brows above lend eloquence through their mobility.
	Kassi borrowed the nomad robes she wears, but they've been quickly
adjusted to her measurements to keep her from tripping over the hem. The
billowing sleeves cover her past her wristbones. All the soft cloth is cut
loose, giving air room to circulate beneath, and a high cowl protects her
somewhat from any airborne sand. Black and only slightly worn, they possess
a certain desert chic accentuated by the tasseled scarlet sash she's chosen.
	It would all look far more dignified if she'd give up the sunhat, mind you.


The long hike tot he campsite leaves many of the candidate winded and
sweaty, and Desdinova is no exception. Breathing heavily and with a damp
sheen on her brow, she looks relieved when they finally arrive. Kassima's
offer of resting before the work begins is met with a grateful smile, and
she drops uncerimoniously into a sit. "That was harder than I expected."
She admits.

J'on is lounging on Linneth, waiting for the crew. He spots them coming
well in advance of their arrival, but he waits to stand and greet them
until they're close. "Water's over there," and he points. "Get some as soon
as you can. Even if you drank this whole way."

A'deth'd started on foot with the rest. But at least halfway through the
trek, he'd retreated to Jaelith's back when his own limp -- and dragging
left side -- became too difficult to manage. Now, he slides down Jaelith's
side, and looks on silently as Kassima speaks, only his eyes visible
through the cloak and cowl over his desert attire. He stands very still,
only the breeze rustling his clothes.

Auste's not one likely to admit to being spent - but even she, after the
long sandy pilgrimage, collaspes to a log, black robe billowing around
about her feet. She pulls back a sleeve, extending one hand and gently
unfurls her fingers, revealing a small passenger along for the ride; a
scuttling little beetle that takes this opportunity at freedom to scarper
up along her wrist before carefully flicked and prodded back into her palm.
But despite this distraction, at Desdinova's words the slim redhead glances
up and nods her curt agreement.

J'on says "Kassi, A'deth, if you need anything... let me know." Under his
breath, he mutters "Crazy, the both of you..."

Tannusen has little to say about the trip, apparently. He either refills
his waterskin or takes a new one from the camp stash, and then follows
Auste's example by sitting down onto a log. "Well," he finally does comment
with tired cheerfulness, once his voice isn't so full of sand, "/walking/
it was certainly novel."

Hot and sweaty and a long hike outside.... Kaveshun was packed and ready
for it almost immediately, happy to be getting outdoors for a longer period
of time. Manly, of course. Though by the end of the trip, he was hunched
over, panting, and having drained plenty of water. "An' here I almost
expected we was goin' ta be marched ta our deaths out here." He wipes a
hand through his sweaty brow, staring out towards the others. "Shardin'
hot..." Still with packs on back, he heads for the water first.

Kassima nods wholehearted agreement--with J'on, with the Candidates?
"There're extra barrels of it in with the food, in case, but that pool
should be safe. At least, I'm nay dead yet after testing it. We should
probably hobble on over that way." She sticks her ground until she's caught
her breath. "Thankee, J'on... did you see any trouble?" The robes she wears
are a near match for those she scrounged for the Candidates, and A'deth's,
although she's belted hers with red. She makes herself uncurl one hand to
hook up the end of the sash and swipe it across her brow.

Once her breath has been caught and her composure regained, Desdinova
stands back up to walk over to where J'on indicated. "Water sounds very
nice." She says, maneuvering to get herself some. She glances back at the
others, "Aust? Bring you a cup?"

J'on dips cloths in water and passes them out. "Here... put these on the
back of your necks. They're not cold, but they're cooler than the air." To
Kassima, he says "No trouble, but the spot was well-chosen. Here. You need
one of these too."

IGEN-> Celane says, "How's the hike?"

Auste glances up from her little companion-beetle at her name, nudging the
heavy cowl of her robe further back away from her head and neck, perhaps
seeking a cooler breath of air - something J'on's offering brings, with
delight. "Sure." To Desdinova, with an almost-smile and a bob of her head,
and then, suddenly wrenching about to wrinkle her nose up at Kassima:
"What're we doing for tents?"

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Just started, come join!"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Not long started! You're welcome to join if you like,
just assume Celane was here all along. I can page you the sceneset if you
need it. :)"

IGEN-> Desdinova's flat as a pancake today though. I think I need steroids
for my RP skills. x.x

IGEN-> Celane says, "Hmm. How do I get there? XD"

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "tp from any igen room"

Celane wanders in, curiosity driving her to find something more interesting
here.

IGEN-> Auste says, "Type 'TP- aawwh, too slow."

IGEN-> Celane says, "Ooh. Fancy."

IGEN-> Desdinova loves the tp room. :)

IGEN-> R'din says, "And I annouce you woman and tp room."

Tannu also takes a cloth and does as suggested, tucking it underneath his
braid, and a spare one for Erynion, who looks more like a melted lump of
lizard peeking out of his robes than anything. Wordlessly, he pours some of
his waterskin into his palm for the little bronze to lap up.

Two cups are filled, and Desdinova moves back over to where Auste sits on
the log, offering one out to her. "That's a good question!" She says to
her, looking over at where the budles of tents are laid out. "I've never
put one up, is it hard?" She wonders. She looks back to Kassima, waiting
for the answer to Auste's question.

There are indeed clay mugs for water set among the pots, pans, and plates.
Once Kassi's accepted a neckcloth with a grin of wry thanks and tugged her
cowl down to lay it across her nape, cool and dripping, she finds the
fortitude to go and claim one. "I can't take the credit," she admits of the
spot. "Imlari brought me out t'see it when I bounced the idea off her. Two
options, Auste--either everyone pitches their own, or if'n anyone's got
particular skill with it, they can pitch, or help pitch, and get out of
seeing t'dinner." She shifts her grip on her walking stick and starts for
the pool, but pauses by A'deth. "Should I bring you some too," she teases,
"desert Lord?"

IGEN-> Kassima is probably going to bounce around a little in pose order to
answer questions and facilitate generally, please forgive. :)

IGEN-> Desdinova thinks that makes sense. Pose order in huge scenes tends
to be a bit more fluid anyway, especially if you are the organiser/focal
point. :)

A'deth finally bestirs himself, sliding one of those wet cloths under his
cowl, which he lowers to drape loosely around his neck. The hood, he leaves
on to keep his brains from being scrambled. "I used to be a trader, for
Faranth's sake." His voice is as dry as most people's throats by now. "A
little walk should be nothing." Of course, little is relative. For a
dragon, sure. For humans? Killer. And to Kassi, he adds, "No, thank you,
Mistress of the Sands. It's too hot to eat." His color is not particularly
good, but he doesn't seem inclined to keel over just yet.

Celane has been here the whole time, for once (miraculously!) staying
fairly quiet, wide eyes taking everything in. Finally, once she's had her
fill of taking in this place they've stopped, she plops down onto a log as
well, offering, "I've never pitched a tent before. But I'd like to learn how!"

The young redhead accepts the cup, curling the fingers of her free hand
about the rim of it and lifting it to her lips. To Desdinova, Auste offers
the scuttling little beetle up for her inspection, peering over the edge of
her drink to take in the other candidate's reaction, though beyond her for
a moment her eyes linger on A'deth. Once she's finally drawn her draught,
she shakes her head. "I've maybe - once. When I was young." Younger than
she is now, surely.

J'on surveys the crowd, checking for any who seem particularly ill-off. He
has half an eye on A'deth, but he's here and there pressing water and cool
cloths on some of the less endurance-oriented.

IGEN-> J'on isn't hung up on pose order.

IGEN-> R'din notices in huge scenes, it breaks up into smaller groups.

IGEN-> Tannusen only gets hung up on it when it's butchered in smaller
scenes a few too many times in the same sitting and for no apparent reason. :P

IGEN-> Tannusen says, "Big scenes? Pfft. :P"

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Big scenes, if you follow it too closely you end up
posing once every half hour, which is tedious. :)"

Tannusen watches A'deth for a moment as well, but then goes back to fussing
over the half-melted Erynion, who drinks down another palm full of water
and then ducks back under the candidate's borrowed finery. "You've camped
before?" he asks of Auste, perking up a little at that comment. "Or... what
do you mean, 'maybe'?"

"Slept in the paddocks a few times as a girl, but that's about it."
Desdinova replies. She glances to the bundles, then towards the pots, and
then back to Kassima. "But I've done plenty of cooking, so if anyone wants
to not be helping with the food, I'm happy to balance that out by not
helping with the tents. What do you plan for us to be cooking, greenrider?"
She asks of Kassima.

Hearing the word 'cooking,' Celane is up and offering again. "Oh, cook!
That's something I actually /do/ know how to do. Des, maybe we could share
most of the cooking?" She proposes, calling across to the fellow candidate.
She's spent a moment or two panting, catching her breath from the long
hike, but now she seems settled once again, and focuses on sprucing up her
appearance however she can-- brushing off dirt from her clothes, pulling
back her tangled hair.

"For drinking. Hot food can wait 'til nightfall," Kassima says. A touch to
A'deth's shoulder and she joins those still getting water at the pond,
filling her mug full with care to avoid any water insects, splashing more
on her face and letting it drip down past her cowl. A rider she is, and
stamina she has. In the grand scheme of things she still hasn't been that
long an Igenite. "We'll all fumble through tents together, then, and 'twill
help any who want t'dare m'help. There's a reason I did mine *without* you
all looking on t'be making fun of me," Kassi freely confesses, drifting
back A'dethwards and offering her water to share. "Erynion can swim in the
pool, Tannusen, if'n he wants, he won't foul the water any more than
Lysseth's muzzle," which the dragon is indeed dipping in to drink now that
she's satisfied her fool rider won't die of heat stroke. "I brought out a
few things with some help. If'n anyone's desperate for food, there's salted
meat, bread, cheese, some apples and vegetables you can gnaw on now. For
cooking, sausages, tubers, that meat, onions and garlic, a kettle of soup
made this morning... I figured we deserved t'nay get *too* rustic."

"When I was little-like. Visiting my pa in Boll, went camping." Auste's
tone is one of admittance, as though a secret to be shared, though her
attention's quick-drawn away by that mention of food. Bending down, she
deposits her drained cup, and then beside that her beetle-buddy, and
wanders towards that promised salted meat. "Yeah?" She's poking around in
packs in search for the gnawables, and it's not quite clear who that single
prompting word is directed to. "I'll tent," is finally offered, once
something edible is located and then retreated with back to her previous seat.

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Beef jerky, savior of orally fixated carnivores
everywhere. :)"

IGEN-> Auste looooves beef jerky.

IGEN-> Desdinova does, too. ^.^

A tired kyuuu emits from inside Tannusen's robe at the suggestion, making
the blond look down. "You could just wade in at the edge," he offers, and
gives Auste a nod. "I'll help pitch as well if it's all the same to
everyone," he adds politely, getting up to deposit his well-melted lizard
at the edge of the pool.

Desdinova grins brightly to Celane, following Auste over to look over her
shoulder. The rummaging of the other candidate lets her observe first hand
what is available. "Well, the garlic and onions are a good start to
anything. A bit of meat, and some of the veg, and we're all set. Though pan
frying on a fire is always interesting." When Auste finds the salted meat,
she is quick to snatch a piece for herself. "Maybe roast the apples in the
fire for dessert, Ce?"

A'deth jerks a thumb back at Jaelith, who lurks behind him. "I brought a
basket of fruit from the oasis: orangefruit, greenfruit -- well, those
berries, anyway -- and others. Some of the little edible flowers, it's not
a proper camping trip without flowers to eat. And wine." Said large basket
is strapped to her side, though tightly covered. And then he sits down
quite abruptly on Jaelith's foreleg. "Water would be lovely, please," he
adds to Kassima, with a little smile. "It might be good for everyone to go
soak themselves after dark." He doesn't seem to notice the looks he's
given, or does he? His faint smile is a little wry.

Kassima nods first to Auste, then to Tannusen, both times with gratitude.
"One of you show Celane how 'tis done?" she suggests. "'Twill assist with
the cooking m'self. Anyone who doesn't cook *or* pitch had best be prepared
t'be entertaining us with songs or stories or somesuch tonight, I'm warning
you now! We'll start the fire when the sun sets too." It hasn't yet, though
it's low enough in the sky that their cliff casts a very long shadow.
"Things get cold at night out here, so don't think I'm insane for all the
blankets." A'deth's roster of goodies--well, they delight her more than
what she packed herself, whether because she didn't expect them or she
prefers oasis fruit to salted herdbeast and tunnelsnake. She informs him,
"You are the wind beneath m'wings," passing the mug down to him still
almost full. "Nay a bad idea, either."

IGEN-> Kassima says, "There's 'snake jerky too. In case anyone's feeling
adventurous. ;)"

"Mmm! Sounds like a good desert to me," Celane agrees. "Do we happen to
have brought sweetener, and a little cream? We could..." she trails off,
sighing wistfully, realizing, "We didn't, did we?" And then she laughs,
nodding vigorously in response to Desdinova's words. "Right. Meat,
vegetables. If we start the meat soon, we could do something slow-roasted.
Build a pit? Although that might be too much work." At the mention of
pitching tents, she jumps up, ready to help. "What can I do?"

IGEN-> Chaton says, "what did I miss?"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "We're out on the campout, Chaton! 'Tp' from an Igen
room if you'd like to join, just RP you've been here the whole time. :)"

Chaton wanders in, curiosity driving him to find something more interesting
here.

Chaton steps outside of one of the tents and plops down on a convinent....
sand dune? He yawns and adjusts a hat on his head so that it's shade falls
into his eyes. He looks around to see who's about.

"No, hon, I somehow think cream is unlikely, though sweetener might not be,
since it travels pretty well." Desdinova grins at Ce, then motions at
Kassima, "No fire till dusk, so slow roasting is out. I like the challenge,
anyway. Gives me a chance to prove that pot of stew I burned myself with
way back when was a fluke, and I really can cook."

Auste sinks her teeth into her strip of jerky, tearing it off with a swift
wrench of her head. She chews thoughtfully before awknolwedging Kassima's
nod with one of her own, and leaning over towards Tannusen. "You, me, then,
eh? Y'any good with -" Whatever word was intended to follow, (perhaps
'poles'?) is broken off - for whatever reason - and she shoves the last bit
of her jerky into her mouth before standing, brushing her hands off and
wiping at her robe. "Where's the stuff?"

Kassima shakes her head to Celane. "Nay cream, 'twould sour in a minute.
There's nay much sweetener but I'm thinking there's a little jar--and salt,
pepper, a little basil." This is what happens when a hobbyist cook packs
your camping supplies. "If'n we want stew or aught, should probably start
soaking the salted meats now and they'll be ready when we've got a fire.
Does anyone *want* something made with tunnelsnake? It might be good with
garlic!" Sure. Right. She points to the unmade tents scattered around camp
in a rough circle: "Poles and rope are under the cloth. Be careful with
those pegs." At the moment she's standing near Jaelith and A'deth, leaning
on a tall walking stick.

"I'm /very/ good with them," Tannusen purrs back, tired amusement rolling
off him in waves. Poles? Ropes? Pegs? Yes. At the pool, Erynion chirrs and
splashes a bit, finally getting the energy to do more than just float at
the surface like a leaf. "I assume that's the tents over there," he adds,
nodding to the rolls of canvas and whatnot before smiling at Celane, "You
don't have to do both, you know," he adds to the other young dragonhealer,
"We wouldn't want one of the cooks to be too distracted."

IGEN-> Tannusen whats. Like I could resist when it's handed to me. :P

IGEN-> Desdinova says nothing.

IGEN-> Auste grins.

IGEN-> Tannusen's ICly bi, but our class seems to be lacking in other boys
along said lines. Makes the littlest innuendo from me seem so much worse,
suddenly. :3

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Beware the tent pegs, my son. You know what they do
to men on Pern... err, wait. ;)"

IGEN-> A'deth laughs.

IGEN-> Desdinova snickers. Exactly.

IGEN-> Iesia dies.

IGEN-> Celane knew there'd be a tent peg joke sooner or later XD

Chaton finds a place to insert himself into the conversation. "Did I hear
something about soup?" he asks, mieandering over. "My mum taught me to make
a good soup with whatever's handy." he offers, background free of charge.
He crouches down beside Auste, or near her at least- keeping within his
comfort zone socially-, and wrinkles his nose. "What kind of meats do we
have for soup? You can do good things with a bit of heardbeast and some
salt and pepper..."

IGEN-> Desdinova was really trying to resist. :)

Celane watches as the tent-things are gathered and brought out, glancing
between them and the sacks filled with food. "/Hmm-mmm,/" she deliberates,
drawing out the sound. "I suppose I'd rather cook. But I'm curious about
this tent business. Maybe I can watch and learn, while I begin soaking the
meat?" And there! It's decided. As for tunnelsnake, that's an easy
decision. "I think anything made with tunnelsnake would need /far/ more
spices than we brought with us." Like all that Pern's got.

IGEN-> Celane gives Des a gold star for resisting ;)

IGEN-> Desdinova is getting very good at it. I've been positively well
behaved as Des. :)

"Right." Is that a bit of an eyeroll of the girl's grey-blue eyes? To the
tastiness of tunnelsnake? To Tannusen's reply? Regardless, Auste glances
down at Chaton and tips her head. "You soupin'? I'm tentin'." With a jerk
of her thumb to indicate that he might not get too comfy, as she's moving
away. And she does begin to do so, tromping her way to the nearest pile of
canvas and poles and rope and what-have-you, though she remains within her
friend's sight. Careful with the pegs? The girl kicks at one poking out
from under the unmade tent, but bends to pull at the heavy fabric, drawing
it up to reveal the clattering tent poles below.

IGEN-> Chaton says, "Did I just see "auste" and "friend" in the same
paragraph? Wow. She must be loosing her edge."

IGEN-> Auste says, "I've been away for a bit! I need to get back into my
groove!"

IGEN-> A'deth <3 Auste.

IGEN-> Auste <333!

"Salted herdbeast and tunnelsnake," Kassima tells Chaton, "and another soup
or stew'd be welcome. I asked the cooks t'make up a kettle of soup we just
need t'heat, in case all else fails--'tis a fancy tomato with herbs,
methinks. And there's sausage. Garlic sausage," she mutters more to
herself, mind turned to food ideas. "As well as with cheese... toasted
bread and cheese... onions in with the sausage too. And edible flowers."
This is a happy, happy greenrider. It's still not *quite* nightfall, but
the sky's rapidly becoming dusky and she stoops to try and steal a lengthy
kiss from A'deth while no one's looking. After all, it has to last her all
while she works on the fire.

Tannu's humor is apparently a stubborn brand tonight, because it doesn't
fade in the least even as he starts helping set things up. "I've never set
up this type," he does comment, however, to Auste. "We usually just roped
something together over stuff like those lightning-struck trees back there,
or we had these flexible poles that arched," and he traces a big arch with
one hand while untangling something or other with the other, "and dug deep
into the sand to stay there. The tents were smaller though, too, when we
did them that way. Had to crawl in and barely any room to sit up."

Chaton wrinkles his nose. "Tunnelsnake?" he asks questioningly. "I may be
able to do something with it..." he lapses off into thought for a few
moments. "Perhaps if I had some pepper, some salt, and some mint leaves...
mint can bring out the subtle flavours of some meats..." he mumbles under
his breath, though loud enough for Kassima to share his observations. "And
a few spices for taste... but nothing fancy." he summs up. He shrugs.
"It'll be easier to chew than that bit with the cards and lockets the other
night."

Auste merely grunts in reply to Tannusen, lifting the rough canvas high
above her head and then dropping it to her waist with a little kick at it.
"Barely remember putting one up. I must've been - six, seven." Shrug.
"But..." This thought shifts into action as she tosses (as best she can)
the fabric over her shoulder, bends to pick through the poles and finally
props one, two up in what might appear to be a skeleton frame for a tent.
"Two more - uh, over there." She points, presumably directing Tannu.

Kassima shakes her head, her braid slithering against the back of her black
robes. "I didn't bring any mint, or many spices, so 'twas thinking garlic
for it mostly or just a straightforward roast over the fire on
skewers--huh, we could make some sort of kabob like at the storm-watching.
I've got vegetables in the bags." Snake-kabobs! She's rather too pleased by
the notion, and hums to herself as she fishes a little pebble of firestone
out of her beltpouch. How does Kassima start fires? She feeds 'stone to one
of her many fire-lizards and waits for digestion to do the work. They're
used to this sort of thing, and green Zhailene obediantly swoops over the
logs a few times with her mouth gaping open. Waiting... waiting... there!
The tinder catches. A fire this size will probably take awhile to build,
but it's off to a promising start. "It looked as if'n 'twere bothered by
something Beli said."

IGEN-> Kassima will have to name an FL Bic one of these days.

IGEN-> Tannusen XD

Chaton giggles at the fire-lizard-fire-starter. "Kabobs would be fine. Have
to watch it or it'd get tough." he says, watching the fire build. "Should I
start preparing the vegtables?" he asks, almost as eager to get started as
Kassima. "Bothered? Not at all." he says. "Just guesswork and stabs in the
dark." he says, shaking his head. "She could have gotten that bit from
anywhere. And she was vauge to the point of obscurity."

"Ah," Tannu does as directed without issue, tilting his head to one side.
This may just end in tears, as some might say, but the first one's bound to
be a learning experience before they move on to the rest! Erynion wanders
over, dripping merrily everywhere, and of course has to help by setting
sharp little teeth on a rope and tugging it out of its bundle. Tug, tug,
tug, he won't be defeated by you, evil rope!

"Certes. Actually, could you bring me--I'd like the sausage, the garlic,
the tubers, the blocks of cheese and the bread, and the peppers for
certain." Kassi pokes at the fire, encouraging it to spread. To a second
Candidate she further lists, "Skewers, a pot, a big skillet, and some
forks? 'Twill look into A'deth's basket m'self, after cooking, he brought
some wonderful supplies. All grown in the desert." Periodically she throws
glances to the Tent Battle Royale, but since they've got it as much in hand
as she ever would.... "There's probably guesswork involved. I hope she's
wrong about m'prediction, too. Who wants t'get sick?"

"Wait." A moment of thought, as Auste juggles both poles and canvas and
then glances speculatively down at helpful little Erynion. "Um." Wobbly
bambu rod tips forward to bang into the other one, and the girl grunts and
drops the whole lot of it onto the sand again. "Hang on. Gotta think about
this." Which, apparently, involves plunking herself down in the gainy ol'
sand and glaring at the pile of tent.

Chaton nods. "How can she know that you're gonna get sick? I mean... nobody
knows when they're gonna get sick. You could get sick from eating the
'snake kabobs." he says, truely. He shrugs and goes off to fetch the things
she's asked for, and after a few moments, comes back with the lot of it.
"Here you are." he says, laying it out on a towel so it wouldn't get
sand-bogged. "If I can do anything else..."

A'deth seems quite content to stuporvise from his perch on Jaelith's leg.
"The desert," he opines, "Should have more beaches. I don't think we'll
find spiderclaws in the pond." The tentmaking makes him chuckle softly,
though he shouldn't laugh-- is he helping? No. The jerk.

Tannusen sighs, setting down whatever he's doing to reach over and scoop up
Erynion one-handed under the belly. The firelizard immediately drops the
rope and turns big moist eyes upon his human. He was just fighting it for
his honor! "You're usually much more calm than this," Tannu comments to the
miniature bronze, and deposits him away from the rope and gives him a nudge
back A'deth's way. He head-tilts at Auste for a moment, and then picks up
an edge of the canvas, looking for slots; tabs, holes, anything!

Auste too reaches out for the other side of the fabric, running her fingers
along it, peering under the hem, shrugging. "Maybe that's what the rope's
for?" Said dubiously, as she drags at the coil of rope Erynion was so
valiantly attacking, with a little finger-wiggle at the bronze. "Why don't
we just huck the whole lot over a big dead tree and peg down the corners?
You said you've done that before, yeah? Would work, wouldn't it?" If you
wanted your tent centerpiece to be a bloody old tree trunk.

Kassima beams as the various supplies are delivered--it's true dusk now,
soon to be dark, but that's all right with the fire growing bright and hot
indeed. "A'course! Would you work up a stew for us? And these tubers, I
thought mayhaps they should be roasted, or done with garlic, something.
There's plenty of work t'go around if'n we're t'have a proper desert
campout feast." The greenrider sets to work on the dishes she's planned.
Sausages in the skillet! Garlic, crushed, its skin dropped to a little pile
on the sand for cleaning later, and that goes in too! There are already
rocks set near the fire for cooking purposes, and while that heats she
slices cheese and peppers. She's familiar enough with cooking to be
reasonably efficient with these simple dishes. "You could always try," she
calls to A'deth, "come up all soaked... if'n you're going t'sit and watch
us you should tell us a story."

Chaton shrugs. "I suppose." he says, and grabs a pot out of a pack and
fills it up with water, humming to himself. He takes a bit of salt and adds
it to the water and sits it on a rock to boil, while he makes himself busy
cutting heardbeast for the stew.

A'deth holds an arm out for Erynion to perch upon, and calls back to
Kassima, "Would some songs do? None of the stories I've to tell are fit for
candidate consumption!"

"Because all the dead trees are that way," Tannusen points back the way
they'd come, "and there's not enough of them to make many tents. Oh, and
we'd have to move all of this," and he gestures about. But his free hand
finds a slit in the canvas finally, and he ah-has. "They're hidden under
this seam," he shows it to Auste. "I assume the poles go through the slits,
and the rope must be for the -- ah, anchoring pegs?" Erynion lands on
A'deth's arm and climbs on up to his shoulder, chirring cheerfully enough.

Sniff. Logic. How dare he. But Auste obligingly seeks out that seam with
narrowed eyes for the dusk and nimble fingers, and when understanding
finally does clue in she scrambles to her feet to shake out her end of the
canvas from grains of sand, reclaim one of her tent poles and begin the
labourious process of lacing it through the slits. "You start that end,
I'll start this?" As though she hasn't already begun. And, to add a bit of
haste to her actions, all that food prep is beginning to attract her
attention - every so often, she cranes her neck /thattaway/ and observes
the delicious preparations.

Kassima directs a few Candidates willing to help cook but not so
knowledgeable, and soon there are good smells coming from the area of the
campfire as this dish and that dish gets underway. Kassi herself
concentrates mostly on three sausage dishes; in another skillet someone's
brought her she's grilling them straight, while she slices peppers into a
pot for sausage-and-peppers. "Songs would be lovely," with a grin thrown to
A'deth. "So long as they're more fit! How's it going?" she raises her voice
to call over to Team Tent.

Chaton wrinkles his nose and he soon has savoury chunks of heardbeast, some
spices, a couple of stolen pepers (taken while Kassima was otherwise
averted from them) and a thickening broth going. He adds a dash of pepper
to taste and sits back a couple of feet to stare into the pot. Apparently
he's never heard the old adage: 'a watched pot never boils.'

A'deth, be-Erynioned, wobbles to his feet and then hauls himself up Jaelith
to take down baskets and packs. Several of these, he eventually brings over
to Kassima-- the fruit basket, the wineskins, first aid supplies-- does he
intend to dump the numbweed into the broth? Doesn't look like it, because
after a light brush of his fingers against her cheek, he heads back for
Jaelith. One of the packs is actually a case, and from it he pulls a gitar.
And begins to tune it. "Requests? I'm no Harper, don't expect a symphony.
Or opera."

IGEN-> Chaton says, "Damn. Wish I knew more Pern tunes. All I can think of
is "Uncle Tom's Cabbn by Warrant.""

IGEN-> A'deth snickers.

IGEN-> Chaton says, "What? That song is brilliant! That and "Cherry Pie""

IGEN-> R'din says, "No Kum-Bay-Ah?"

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "On top of spaghetti..."

Tannusen doesn't comment on the fortunetelling talk of before, or much of
anything at all given the circumstances, though he nods at Auste -- and
again to let her reply to Kassima. "Anything that isn't a love song," the
blond mumbles beneath his breath. Louder, he adds in a much cheerier tone,
"Maybe we should have brought your grand-nephew along as well, A'deth."

IGEN-> Chaton says, "All covered in cheese."

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "I lost my poor meatball..."

IGEN-> Kassima says, "When somebody sneezed."

IGEN-> Desdinova learned all the best songs in Girl Scouts. :)

Auste's industrious labours pause only for a moment as she observes with
almost clinical interest A'deth's trek up and down Jaelith (and then up and
down again), and finally purses her lips at that gitar before calling out,
"The less fit ones!" Because those are bound to be the more interesting
ones, right? And back at it she goes, finally propping up her end of the
tent and balling one fist to her hip as she observes her handiwork.
"Going." She replies, half-heartedly, to Kassima, leaning out and about the
tent to peer over at Tannu.

IGEN-> Kassima always thinks of the teacher-killing version she probably
learned from her cousin back in grade school. :P :)

"Smells good," Kassi comments to Chaton. She dumps a fresh bunch of chopped
sausage into the pepper pot and... fardles, the robes are borrowed and she
shouldn't wipe her hands off on them. Where'd she put that kerchief?
Finding it in the billowing black takes some hunting. She locates it,
however, in time to touch a clean hand to A'deth's gentle fingers.
"Numbweed later," she offers softly. "Thankee, beloved." To see him then
pull out a gitar for whatever reason raises a smile as soft as the words;
she doesn't hear Tannusen, but might not mind right now if she did.
"Something catchy, something playful, something about Candidates being
eaten alive by carnivorous herdbeast corpses from the Feeding Grounds--"

IGEN-> Desdinova giggles. That one doesn't seem knot appropriate though. :)

"Thanks." he offers weakly. He was never any good at accepting compliments,
and he was glad that the night was suffecient to hide his blush. "My mum
taught me." Explination? He stares at the soup and stirrs it frequently to
keep it from burning and sticking. "Wow... or you could play something
about how the candidates were cooking out in the wilderness and didn't end
up dying of dehydration or heat sickness."

"That child's more apt to screech than to sing," A'deth sniffs
dismissively. "And his repertoire's full of the usual adolescent love and
angst. Not that I'm not surrounded by adolescents, but someone really needs
to sit him down with a proper songbook. Anyway, I'll have to do." And he
hollers back to Auste, "And no less fit ones! I can't sing about breasts
like arching sand dunes and fig-like n... I can't sing that to you! It'd be
obscene. You'll get nightmares. I'll get nightmares." And, gitar tuned, he
essays a line to make sure it's all in working order. "The sun is a mass of
incandescent gas..."

Tannusen blinks back at Auste inquisitively, his hands at work without him
necessarily watching them. Nimble enough fingers for dragonhealing,
flute-playing, staff-handling, and mild sleight-of-hand, he's not
particularly botching his side! "The others should be a lot faster," he
comments helpfully to the redhead, "now that we've figured out what to do."
This one's almost done, in fact! "That's all he sang when he was here,"
Tannu agrees with A'deth, "like I wasn't angsty en-- ah." Best to remember
who all one is around!

IGEN-> Chaton says, "Goodnight, Igen"

Well, get on with it! Not that she's all that terribly adept with managing
that last pole, arching across the whole thing to keep the tent alive and
well, and but Auste does fight and bend it into half-submission, presently
offering the other end to Tannusen's side to finish, and nods, "Sure."
A'deth earns a baring of teeth and a wordless, raised-voice grumble: no
fun, old man! "Only fig-like breasts around here are -" Again, a tactful
silence as she bites her lip and instead fixes her gaze on the
soup-in-progress. And sausages. And peppers. And... Mmm.

Kassima chokes, and hard, at what A'deth yells, or maybe at the idea he
knows songs like that. It doesn't matter much what, either one has her
hunting in the basket for a wineskin and leaving her place by the fire long
enough to fetch a cup to go with it. "Arching *sand dunes*." Muttered under
her breath. "--You with the tents can take a break and come and eat soon,
if'n you want?" No comment on angst at all; she draws her feet up under her
robe and listens, prodding the sausages and toasting slabs of bread with a
fork whenever they seem to need it. "...I am so nay asking whose are
fig-like, Auste. So nay asking."

A'deth nods sagely, and launches into a song.

"Eyes are wide, smiles are hidden
for in this land we are forbidden.
We shiver and shake as we look around
our minds play tricks, we hear a strange sound.

We peek outside, what do we see?
some scary shape, what could it be?

It has many arms, a face with a leer--"

And A'deth pauses. "No, not my face." And resumes:

"--And make a sound that causes fear.
Back and forth it moves and sways
inside our tents we need to stay."

Tannu takes the other end and fights with it in turn, and when it's done --
hooray! -- they've gotten their first tent up. Good thing they're not the
only ones working on them. He doesn't say anything during the song,
however, listening intently like he normally does when music is involved.

IGEN-> Naara peers. Am I too late?

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Hey Naara"

Hooray, indeed! That proferred break - and food - is quickly accepted to,
as Auste merrily skips that whole nailing-the-tent-down thing and attends
to loading up a plate of all that camp food. Well earned, after all their
hard work, of course, and, offering a flash of white teeth in the dark to
Kassima, she settles herself cross-legged on a log to tilt her head
thoughtfully at the tail end of A'deth's songbirding.

IGEN-> A'deth says, "No! :3"

IGEN-> Auste says, "The more the merrier!"

Naara wanders in, curiosity driving her to find something more interesting
here.

IGEN-> Kassima waffles to Naara! Nope, come on out if you like to; just RP
you've ICly been here all along. The food's just done, Auste and Tannusen
finished a tent, and A'deth's singing. :)

IGEN-> Naara says, "Singing? Oh my... ;) That's easy enough, Naara's mostly
in the background anyway."

IGEN-> Tannusen is logging, can progresspost :3

IGEN-> A'deth had to do something entertaining while everyone else did all
the work. :o

"So glad you clarified," Kassi says in droll voice, while her grin gives
away her enjoyment all the same. Auste wants food? She's got it! Kassi
helps out, offering with another grin in trade cheese-covered bread, and
pots; together with the sausage trio there are tubers roasted in the garlic
and oil left over after the sausages were cooked in garlic, straightforward
roast tubers, and yes indeed, tunnelsnake kabobs loaded with bright-colored
peppers and onions. She tilts a pot towards Tannusen in invitation to him
also.

A'deth's singing pauses, and eyes the lot of them. "Any guesses as to what
the horrible creature lurking in the darkness that's waiting to devour your
tender little spleens might be, O Industrious Ones?" he inquires cheerfully
of them.

"I think you've already ruled out my guess," Tannu comments with the same
brand of cheer he's had for most of this trip, even as he finishes
hammering down tent pegs and then wanders over to find a plate and food to
put on it.

"I don't even /need/ my spleen," Auste replies around her
mouthful-of-whatever, reaching down to reclaim her cup refilled and taking
a long draw at the water. "And it's probably not very tender." Who even
knows what a spleen does? And if you need it or not? But the question still
has the girl shrugging. "And you'll tell us even if we don't guess, right?"

Kassima finds a plate and puts a kabob onto it, a sausage covered in
cheese, and one in garlic. There are bowls, and she locates two of those
too to fill one with a small measure of Chaton's soup and another with the
reheated fancy tomato. "If'n 'tisn't you," she answers A'deth pertly, "and
it can't be since there's been nay mention of *peppers*--a tree 'tisn't, is
it? But trees don't leer," she says under her breath.

A'deth just snorts softly at Tannusen. And he inclines his head at Auste.
"Of course. The suspense is undoubtedly killing you, I'm sure." And to
Kassima, he points. "You told! ...Don't ask me about trees leering, I
didn't write it. But look at that one over there." And he nods to a
particularly gnarled one, which looks like it's trying to reach toward
whatever hapless tent has been pitched nearby, and the eventual tender
morsels of candicacy within. And then he starts playing the end of the
song: "The morning has come," he sings, we survived the night. What was
this thing that gave such a fright? I peek from my tent, what do I see?
Nothing at all but an ol' creepy tree!"

IGEN-> K'tel waves!

IGEN-> Kassima waffles. :)

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "K'tel!"

IGEN-> K'tel says, "How's the hike going?"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "We're eating, A'deth's singing!"

IGEN-> Auste om nom nom.

IGEN-> K'tel says, "Fun!"

"Trees." Auste scoffs, leaning back on the log and lacing her fingers
behind her head, plate discarded nearby though an occasionally crumb
catches her attention and is picked at. "That's no proper spleen-eater." As
though she were the expert on the subject! But the long hike, and the heat
(waning or no) as well as a good, full meal finally takes its toll on the
girl - she soon falls silent, head nodding even as her eyes half-lid,
though she stoically remains behind until the ashes die down and all
retreat to bed.

"If'n it did kill somebody, we've probably enough vegetables left t'cook up
a spleen." Kassima eyes Auste, as if there were some way to see through
muscle and bone and judge the tastiness of the spleen within. "...You've a
point. I've known a rider or two who'd try and reach into Candidate tents
just like that." The woman's various plates are set temporarily on the
ground. She dishes a moderate serving of sausage and peppers up, rises, and
takes it to A'deth, a reward of sorts for a song well sung. And with the
rustic food, a single edible flower from his basket. "I'm thinking we can
call your share well-paid."

[Editor's Note:  At this point those of us remaining were all zonked,
so the log ends here. :) ]