Fort Weyr - Southwest Bowl

The dominant feature of the southern end of the bowl is the blue lake that fills the entire southern tip and the rockslide that tumbles down into its far side. It has been many, many, turns since the slide took place, but it still stands uncleared to this day. Occasionally, smaller pebbles tumble down to splash into the waters of the lake below, but the mass seems mostly stable. Sturdy fences mark the feeding pens that the dragons may choose their meals from, located against the west face. The beasthold here is minor, small cramped buildings, used mostly to maintain the herds which feed the dragons. The major beasthold is located out in the forests, just outside the Weyr. There's a sign which warns "that beasts in this location are fair game to the dragons" and that any domestic pleasure stock should be kept in the major beasthold location.

The other feature that does not go unnoticed in this bowl is the large cavernous archway. There seems to be cobble stone laid down near the archway, which causes a clatter when the wagons and trading caravans arrive. Indeed, it seems that there's a tunnel out of the bowl here, wide enough for two trader caverns to fit through and possibly a small blue dragon. To the opposite end, the great bowl stretches away far, leading to some very interesting locations.


High noon, the hour of lunch. Also, the busiest time for the Weyr as the day is in full swing. While many go in, a few go out. Dtirae is one of those who appears to be going out. She is easy to spot with her raven hair in a knotted braid, barefooted as she walks through the bowl with a purpose. In a skirt and a decent shirt, at least, but still rather unkempt despite that. Her golden lifemate flies above, settling on a ledge ledge where she watches her rider. "I'm not putting on shoes." Is the woman's soft grumble as she attempts to flee from the noise of the Weyr. At least she's carrying her boots with her, along with some hides that would indicate maybe she's going to attempt to work outside. Maybe.

Jaicoureth glides down from his ledge into the southern bowl with C'rus upon his back. It is a busy time of day and its time to try to grab some lunch. First for the human part of the pair and then for the dragon part. C'rus dismounts quickly and gives his lifemate a pat on the leg, "You remember not to go to the pens right? Just hunt wild things. Wherries are probably the safest." Since the whole disease thing is spreading. C'rus wears his non weryling clothes. Simple dark pants with boots, a dark vest with a white shirt underneath. He goes sans jacket today since the weather is growing a bit nicer, «I'm aware. I'll hunt safely. No fear of that.» He may forget things on occasion but this blue has a good memory and what memory he lacks himself he makes up for in using his riders. «When will we see Moncerath again?» he asks and his rider replies, "Very soon. Maybe later today if you want to go." The dragon bobs his head agreeably, «Good because I have plans.» C'rus blinks and looks up to his lifemate, "What do you mean you have plans…" he says trailing off as he watches an unfamiliar gold sail by. A visitor from another weyr? He knows all the golds from Xanadu so it isn't one of them. Maybe Monaco or Half Moon or some other far flung place. He searches out the rider of this dragon and spots her soon enough and offers her a polite salute, "Greetings weyrwoman."

Dtirae pauses in her path at the salute. Grey eyes blink once and then a smile comes to settle on the lips of the woman. The salute is returned, though she is clearly out of practice with the gesture. "Wingrider." She greets easily, before her brows furrow just a touch and she considers her shoulder. And then, towards Zuvaleyuth. Curiosity settles into her features and her stance shifts from one ready to flee, to lingering. "May I ask your name? You're… Either one of the Weyrlings or… Transferred?"

C'rus hates the formality but puts up with it because it seems to keep the peace and its a small enough thing really, "I'm C'rus and this…" he says motioning to the blue, "…is my lifemate Jaicoureth." Jaicoureth bobs his head as he tends to do in meeting new people. He'd be pleased enough to say hello himself if he hadn't been told so many times that it was rude and sometimes painful, "He wishes to tell you he likes your boots." Seriously what is with his dragon and shoes. All C'rus can do is shake his head slightly, "I'm not really sure what you'd call me at the moment. As of a few days ago I graduated but I'm not yet tapped into a wing. I guess you could say I'm inbetween at the moment."

"Well met C'rus, and Jaicoureth." Dtirae extends a nod to both, grinning at the blue for the bob of his head. "It's a pleasure." A glance towards the boots in her hand, she lifts them just a fraction to examine them a bit better. "Does it? They're quite old… And dirty." Grey eyes lift and meet the blue once more. "Thank you, regardless." Attention is drawn back towards the bluerider and she hums. "Well, that would make you a bluerider… However, I'll simply call you C'rus."

Jaicoureth just loves meeting new people and new dragons. There is always something interesting about them to discover and making friends is amazing. When she accepts the compliments gives a little flutter of his wings and steps away to get a running start and is soon off into the air to go find something for himself for lunch. C'rus watches him, he'll have to ask him about his 'plans' later. He turns his full attention back to the weyrwoman, "That works for me." C'rus replies to her comment about just calling him by his name, "Which weyr are you visiting from?" he asks, mildly curious at least to gather more information.

Dtirae chuckles softly as she watches Jaicoureth depart, grey eyes following for a short period before attention settles back onto the man before her. "Hm. Good question. What Weyr am I visiting from?" She asks, before grinning with a touch of mischief. "What Weyr do you think I'm from?"

"No idea. There are pleanty that I haven't visited yet so if I had to hazard a guess you could be one of the juniors from Monaco or Half Moon. Maybe Ista." is the thought that C'rus conveys, "I've met or at least seen all the goldriders from Xanadu and I've also met or seen at least in passing all the golds from here at Fort." Not that he massively cares, but its a good idea to keep a mental picture of who fits in where.

"Hmm. Nope. Much too far away." Dtirae continues to grin, a touch more amused than before. "Ah. Well, it seems you may have been slacking in your lessons about the Weyr then. Not that I can blame you. History was my worst subject. All those names, and places. And events. Luckily, one usually doesn't need to retain all that information unless you decide to go for Wingleader or higher." The woman offers a rather nonchalant shrug, but, still offers no answer.

C'rus had told Th'ero in one of his very first meetings that he sucked at politics. And the ex-weyrling, more aware of politics now than he was, still really could care less. If something doesn't directly affect his life in some way it doesn't matter much. Weyr politics are mostly incomprehensible and hold politics are only slightly more understandable, "I suppose I'd have to actually know your name to have any hope of remembering where you were from if I learned it." When she mentions going for a wingleader position he just laughs, "I think its safe to say that will never happen. The weyrleader would have to be mad to put me in that position, and I'd be just as crazy for saying yes. I'll most likely just go back to practicing healing."

"You're right. I didn't give you my name, so it would be hard for you to guess based on that alone." Dtirae still, however, does not seem inclined to answer. "Oh? Have you butted heads with him as well?" Curiosity is, again, piqued but quickly dismissed. "Healers are needed. So, if that's what you enjoy then, there's no reason why you shouldn't."

Your average person would probably be feeling irritated at this point in the conversation. If C'rus is in anyway irritated he doesn't show it. As far as he is concerned if she doesn't want to give her name thats just fine with him. Everyone has their reasons, "With him personally…no. I don't think you could say that I have. I like Th'ero well enough. I think he's a good guy." Probably the only weyrleader that C'rus has any respect for whatsoever. Besides even if he had he would probably not speak ill of his weyrleader to some random goldrider, "Can't very well dislike someone who rides my lifemates father. Sort of family now it a weird weyrish way…" Anyway before he gets too off track, "They are indeed. I'm sure I'll do some healing no matter what. Worked to hard to get all that knowledge into my brain to let it go to waste now."

"Well, that's good, at least. He's a good man, means well. A little stubborn, but, who isn't." Dtirae offers idly about the man. If she was expecting him to speak poorly of the man? She does not give any indication. There's a chuckle for his description of the family ties. "Yes. I suppose you could say it's a sort of family. Though, the connections do blur." There's a wrinkle of her nose at some thought, but it is quickly dismissed. "Well, good for you. I could never have done a craft. I was a hunter before I Impressed. Impressing gold shot that down. Good for you that you're continuing it."

C'rus is intimately aquainted with the whole stubborness thing, "Oh yes. We are all stubborn in our own ways I suppose." C'rus perhaps more than some, and his dragon too but in a completely different fashion. He catches the little wrinkle of her nose and chuckles, "I don't like it much either sometimes, but I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to get out there and hunt if you wished. I don't believe anyone would stop you. I know of at least one goldrider who is continuing her craft, or at least she intends too."

Dtirae laughs softly, "oh. I.. Well, hunting is a little different than a craft. Hunting, you could be out for days. I still set up traps in the forest, which isn't the same." The goldrider considers him with a thoughtful tilt of her head. "I was also stubborn in trying to take on everything with little time to myself. Foolishly, I admit. It's a long story."

"I suppose if your lifemate enjoys it then it shouldn't matter. Don't they always say that your lifemate is your highest priority? If your lifemate were to enjoy hunting and it just happened to take a few days…then so be it." Ahhh priorites. C'rus smiles to her, "We have to be ok with being human. Can't do everything and shouldn't really." Does he pity those who ride golds? Yes he does, "Every story is a long one. Never met a person who had a short story."

"She doesn't. She rather despises hunting, especially spending days on it. But, she'll indulge me occasionally." Dtirae shakes her head, though, in the end. "A Weyrwoman spending days from the Weyr, without time away being approved is… Not really the wisest of things." Shoulders roll in an idle shrug. "That is true. We are human, and there is only so much we can do." Then, she smiles and frees a hand by tucking her boots under her arm. The freehand lifts to push a stray hair from her face. "Well, long story short… I'm Dtirae and she," a gesture to her lifemate, "is Zuvaleyuth."

Now that is a name he recognizes! He'd heard the stories of course. You can't be around Fort for as long as he has and not have heard the rumors and the whispers. Some of which were probably blown completely out of proportion. Still if even half of them are true! It's not often that C'rus geeks out over meeting someone, but this woman is deserving. She bucked a whole system and that is deserving of praise, "It is such and honor to meet you." he says with a goofy grin on his face, "What you did was inspirational and took such a huge amount of guts. What can I say….I'm a huge fan."

And the reaction is certainly not something she was expecting. The shock on her face is certainly a dead giveaway to that. "Oh. Well. I can't say I was expecting it to be an honor to meet me." There's even a flush that comes to her cheeks, embarrassment clear there. The goofy grin is met with a soft laugh. "I can't say I was expecting a fan, either. Thank you?"

"You are very welcome." C'rus replies quickly. You tend to be more accomodating when you are in the presence of greatness, "And it most certainly is an honor. I mean seriously what you did has nearly become legend…" he continues, "…you are amazing. I'm not one to hand out praise lightly but seriously you are amazing." The poor dragonrider is very nearly gushing at this point, "You took a system and turned it on its head and walked away from power because it was the right thing to do. That's something to be appreciated." Of course the story is also told in other ways, but this is the version that resonated with C'rus the most.

"Wait, legend?" Dtirae questions as the flattery continues. Certainly not what she was expecting today. Cheeks are coloring a little more while she brushes another strand from her face, giving the man a rather skeptical look. "What have you heard? Though, I can only imagine how many variations of the story there is…"

"At least to me." C'rus says with a chuckle, "Just the basics I suppose. You left. You had all the power and you walked away from it. Thats something else. No one does that. You broke the system and it probably needed a bit of breaking." C'rus has never been comfortable with 'the way things are' and anyone who has challenged the system in almost any way has got at least some of his admiration, "Sure it probably wasn't glamourous or graceful but those moments seldom are. You did something that made a difference. You stood on principle when the world was against you and called you crazy. Things like that matter…" At least they do to C'rus. Very much.

Dtirae laughs once again, a little more freely at being legend to him, if not a few others. "I suppose I did have all this power, and I did walk away from it. As for breaking a system…" The woman hums, thoughtful in the possibility. Her head tilts just some before she offers a gentle smile. "I doubt it made much of a difference in the end, C'rus. I was… Probably considered crazy. Or a traitor. Some still consider me as such. But, why do they matter?"

C'rus has been called both crazy and a traitor at various points in his life. The first perhaps more than the later, and so he feels something of a kinship with this woman, or at least a kinship to the story that was told, "Sadly systems don't tend to stay broken. They usually pick right back up where they left off and chug along." He thinks long and hard about how he can respond to her last statement, "Probably didn't." he is forced to admit, even if he wishes that it did, "They matter because sometimes doing the right thing even if you have no chance of sucess shows other people that it is possible to stand up and try to make a difference. One persons traitor is another person's hero."

"It's hard to break something that has been in place for… Well, almost forever. They find ways to compensate, and then replace. A Senior position does not stay open for long. The first gold to rise becomes Senior and it continues." And it was how she was handed the position. The smile she wears takes a sadder touch and grey eyes wander. "I would hate to disappoint you. But, I didn't take my actions for a purpose of making a difference. Or standing up to anyone." The saddened smile turns apologetic before she looks to meet his gaze again.

C'rus nods his head in agreement, "Tell me about it…" He too has given it his best shot and found that it didn't make one lick of difference either. At least not yet, "You wouldn't disappoint me. Most moments of greatness don't start off as some sort of noble quest even if they become that later. They start because something happens…something that you can't stand and then before you know it you are swept off your feet by circumstances that are out of control. But in the end what matters is that you stayed the course and stood by your choice. Thats moral courage.”

"Mind, I didn't set out to change things." Dtirae adds after a moment. Change is not something she seeks, for the Weyr, at least. "Again, you make it seem so grand. When it was merely fear. Stress. And the worry of not being able to do what was needed. Being unable to… Cope. I ran away. There was no courage." The woman chews her bottom lip for a moment. "I was fragile."

"But you did. At least for me. And I thank you for it." C'rus says with a smile. After hearing the story when he came to Fort it had brought him some small amount of consolation, "Stress, fear…anger…all of it is sometimes what gives us the kick in the butt we need to make a change for our own good. Regardless of why you did it or the emotions that surrounded it you still did it. I admire that."

Dtirae is baffled, to say the least. The expression of confusion continues to remain almost firmly in place. "You're welcome." Though her tone is less than certain. "I… Suppose. Regardless, it was all selfish. Trying to find myself and… All that." The boots under her arms are hefted a little higher and she shuffles a little, anxious to move again after standing still for so long. "It… I— Thank you. C'rus. I should probably… It's too loud here." The bustle of the Weyr, that is. "I'll be heading out to the forests. Feel free to approach me whenever. I'd be happy to talk more. I'm also in the guest weyrs, temporarily, if you're needing to find me. And there's always Zuvaleyuth." Whether or not her lifemate answers, however, is a different story. Another anxious shuffle and the woman gives a brighter smile.

C'rus should be off to lunch himself, what a happy chance this was, getting to meet someone that he has such admiration for, "Understandable." he gives her a salute. This is a person he can actually enjoy saluting "Clear skies and I'm sure we'll bump into each other again. Our ledge is up there…" he says as he points up ward, "If I'm not around here I'm probably over at Xanadu. At any rate Jaicoureth always knows where to find me. It was wonderful to meet you…I hope the rest of your day is relaxing."

"Clear skies, C'rus. I'm certain we'll be seeing one another again." The salute is, of course, returned before Dtirae looks up to the ledge pointed out. "I've been meaning to visit Xanadu." An idle, brief thought before she's casting another smile in his direction. "Thank you. It was a pleasure. Hopefully yours is eventful." And with that, she is fleeing from the Weyr as quickly as she can manage without full on sprinting.