Fort Weyr - Living Caverns
This cavern, having been created by bubbles in the volcanic flow of this extinct volcano, has a breathtaking ceiling — a vast dome that arches high above the heads of the weyrfolk that scurry around beneath it. A hollow echo can be heard from loud enough noises, and the chatterings of various firelizards are consequently multiplied into a chaotic babble. All in all, the living cavern is a loud place.
Tables are scattered around the room, apparently in no particular order. Over to one side near the kitchens, two medium sized serving tables are constantly spread with snacks, klah, and other goodies. The tables look worn, yet perfectly fitted to the atmosphere of the caverns. In the 'corners' of the cavern, smaller two and four place tables are set up for more private talks or just a less chaotic atmosphere in which to eat.
Talmar is sitting at a table, with a flat disc of wet clay in front of him, a bucket of water on the floor beside him on one side, and a bucket of clay on the other. He alternates between grabbing some clay from the one bucket, and dipping his hands in the other. He's adding the bits of clay to the disc of clay in front of him, around the rim. He puts a bit on, wets his hands, then smooths the clay out, then reaches for another bit of clay.
There's movement at the entrance from the debts of the Weyr. Lunetta, not seen for a few days now, stands in the doorway, her eyes fixed upon the sunlight which filters in from the bowl outside. Her gaze sweeps the room and settles upon Talmar at work. Her left hands tries to seek into her bag and give a sheet some flavour but her right hand holds the bag shut and the other hand settles down after a moment. Can't use up all her paper in the first month.
Talmar occasionally looks up from his work, although he is too busy really to acknowledge much of the world around him. He does tend to notice if someone is looking at him, like Lunetta is. He waves her over with one very wet, very clay-covered hand. For the moment though, he doesn't say anything, focusing on his clay.
Lunetta gives a nod of greeting but doesn't move for several more moments before finally making her way over to the serving table and looking over the leftovers. Choosing a bit of boiled oats and a few meatrolls she makes her way over to sit a few feet from the young man and his messy passtime. She looks at him for several moments then shrugs and begins to eat slowly despite the fact that this is the first time she's went in search of anything since bolting from the cavern that evening a few says before.
Talmar looks up again a moment later, and grins at Lunetta. "Hi." he says quite simply, before pulling another bit of clay out of the bucket and continuing his work. He says then, "Betcha wonder what I'm makin'." in a tone that is mildly teasing. He only wants to be asked, so that he can boast about it.
Lunetta blinks. "My mind wasn't really on that subject, no." She replies without much of a pause, but then she seems to grasp the change of track for her train of thought. "Jars of some sort? Or bowls?"
Talmar nods, proudly. "Great big jars." he says. "Huge." Well, actually more like 'half an elbow deep and twice as wide.' But still… "It's my first commission." he adds, beaming. "I've done stuff before, but that was stuff I was told to do by Master Jopier. This one, I was asked to do by a rider. I'm making three oil pots, for his dragon's oil. This is the third, the other two are in the clay cooking thing." He means the kiln.
There's slightly more than mild shiver which runs down the young woman's spine at the boy says 'his dragon's oil' and Lunetta looks to boy over, picking slightly at her meatrolls. "How long have you lived here?"
Talmar grins, "All my life! My favourite time of year is winter, I love to play in the snow, and make the snow look like stuff." make snow sculptures, basically. "It's so much fun! That's why my parents thought I'd like to be apprenticed to Master Jopier. And I do! I'm making lots of stuff, and meeting lots of people. It's so much fun." he talks and talks and talks, and kind of fast, too.
Lunetta's eyes widen at the boy's reply. "How do you stand it?" She asks. Her tone makes it clear that she's not asking about his art, no matter how messy that might be. She hunts tunnelsnakes afterall, and that can get much messier and stinky.
Talmar seems a bit confused. "Stand what? This place is great. I've been here all my life." he frowns slightly, trying to figure out what Lunetta means. "The weather is great, but lots of new people complain about it. I don't get that." he shrugs, "I like what I do for a craft, it's so much fun I can hardly believe it's s'posed to be work."
Lunetta opens her mouth then closes it carefully. Then, with a gentle deliberation she pulls out a fresh sheet and a charcoal. Her eyes close then and her eyes flit beneath the closed lids. Her skin flushes beneath the pealing burns before she finally opens her eyes. Without saying a word her left hand begins to move over the sheet. At first it appears that she's causing the bit of burned wood to shake, but the uneven lines soon take the shape of a rockface. That which is directly accross from the living cavern's entrance to the bowl. The cracks in the rock are sharply contrasted and those familiar with the Weyr might recongnize that the scene is lit by the light of the moons.
Talmar frowns, leans forwards, to have a look. "Oooh, that's cool." he says in a hushed voice, his pottery actually forgotten for a moment which is a miracle in itself.
Lunetta's hand continues to move even as she continues to draw, but her eyes return quickly to supervise the work, something that rarely happens while the sketches those about the cavern. She had begun at the top of the cliff face and as the lower portions of the sheet become filled, there are Dragon ledges which appear. Nothing lies within them at the moment, but she seems to be moving quickly over them each time one much be drawn, as if not wanting to think about it much. Soon the cliff face with the openings of personal weyrs is complete and, once more beginning at the top she continues to draw much more slowly now, stopping several times to stop her hand from shaking.
Talmar watches still, frowning when Lunetta stops because of her shaking hand. "Are you okay?" he asks with uncharacteristic perception. Something is very clearly not okay if even Tal noticed it.
Lunetta's nod doesn't have much conviction but she continues filling out the image. In most of the opening pairs of circles appear sometimes two per opening, at times the slight highlight of a muzzle in the shadows. Dragons, one might realise. The barest glimpse of glowing eyes in the shadows. The final image she turns towards the lad does have a certain eerie quality to it. Monsters in the shadows and the things of nightmares. "How do you stand that." She offers again, though it isn't much of a question as she nods towards the image.
Talmar frowns at the picture, still not sure what Lunetta means. "The bowl wall? The weyrs?" he guesses, completely lost. "I don't get it. But I don't fear anything, the dragons always protect the Weyr." he doesn't realise that it's the dragons that seem to bother Lunetta so much.
Lunetta shivers again and reaches for her drawing after tucking the charcoal away in one of the outer pouches. "Never mind." When she speaks her voice is low, sounds younger. "It's not important."
Talmar thinks it is important, but he remembers the clay pot he's making, and gets back to that. Mustn't let the clay dry out before it's done, that would be a waste of clay. "Are you sure?" he does ask Lunetta, although he is no longer looking at her but at his clay pot.
Lunetta nods. "I won't be here more than another sevenday or so." She replies, still picking at her meatroll as the image is put away without looking at it. Despite her dislike of the drawing she takes the same care with it as with any of her others as it slips out of sight.
Talmar nods absently. "Really? Where are you going next?" he asks, mildly curious. He's only been out of Fort once during winter, and there wasn't any snow where he went, so he didn't like it.
Lunetta shakes her head. "I'm not sure, but that's all I can afford here." She shrugs. "And there are too many…" She shrugs. "Well, people for one. Everything else for another."
Talmar glances at Lunetta's bag briefly, then refocuses on his pottery. "Can't you get some work? Maybe with a craft?" he asks, nodding at his pottery. "Surely there's something you like doing? Something for money? This is a great place, probably the best place on Pern." not that he's biased or anything. "And there's always room for more."
Lunetta laughs softly, but the noise is mildly bitter. "Trust me. No Craft will admit an Apprentice who's never even been given the basic Harper Teachings."
Talmar shrugs slightly, "Well, can't you get a harper to teach you now?" he asks, honestly not seeing the problem here.
Lunetta regards the boy evenly. "Must have been nice. Growing up where you get whatever you want, no problems." There's traces of venum in her tone though she is trying to keep her temper under control, after all, it's not like her younger siblings didn't annoy he at times.
Talmar just doesn't pick up on the venom, not at all. "Yeah, I guess." he says, happily. However, he does ask, "You didn't?" Meanwhile, the pot he's making is coming along quite nicely.
Lunetta narrows her eyes at the boy and his pile of mud. "No. Not everyone grows up getting everything they wanted."
Talmar can't ignore that, nope. But, "Oh" is all he says. The rim of the pot has now gotten high enough that he has to be careful or it might collapse in on itself. One hand remains on the inside wall at all times, to hold it up as he adds more clay to it.
Lunetta snorts softly, her anger draining from her. It's not the boy's fault after all. "Oh indeed." She replies evenly, pushing what's left of her food away. She doesn't really have an appetite lately. Not since she'd first glimpsed that scene. She does have a strong urge to run but that can be taken care of with work.
Talmar glances down at Lunetta's plate. "You gonna eat that?" surely he's not going to eat it with his clay-covered hands? Then again, anything is possible.
Lunetta shakes her head. "No. I'm not feeling well I suppose."
Talmar plunges his hands into the bucket of water, and scrubs most of the clay off. The remaining clay is wiped off onto his pants leg. "You should go to a healer then." he suggests, meaning well. "You sure you don't want it?"
"I'm sure." Lunetta replies evenly. "And even if I did feel that badly I couldn't afford one." She states this with no sense of shyness, it's a matter of fact for her. "I've lived this long after all."
Talmar frowns slightly, but is again lost for words. "Oh… That's not good. You should eat." he says, although he does take the leftovers. After all, Lunetta said she didn't want any.
Lunetta shakes her head. "I've gone longer without." She assures him getting to her feet. Don't on my account, just keep your mind on your task."
Talmar shrugs, and digs in. Food is food. Through a mouthful of it, he manages to get out "Okay… If you say so."
Lunetta nods and gets to her feet. "I'm going to wander the caverns for a while." By which she means the tunnels. She nods to the lad and turns to go before pausing. "I'm Lunetta by the way." She offers.
Talmar nods, "I'm Talmar, apprentice potter." he says, then adds "Thanks for the food, Lunetta."
Lunetta nods and turns to go, her bag bouncing against her thigh with each step, her expression thoughtful and preoccupied.
