Fort Weyr - Lake Shore

This lake shares many features common to mountain lakes — a brilliant blue jewel nestled amongst the rocks. The waters are crystal clear, and the north shore slopes gently before abruptly falling away into the depths. The water itself is usually chilly — invigorating is the term the residents use.

This lake does have one significant differentiating feature, however. The south shore of the lake is a tumbled mass of rubble, rock and earth of an ancient rockslide smoothed only by the elements in the intervening years. This rubble, as well as the rather sheer east and west faces, makes for the north shore to be the only one easily accessible.


The day has just begun to show over Fort's high walls, the light sparkling on the far side of the lake, there a bronze lays on the beach while R'oc is oiling the beasts skin. Nasheth has his head curled around to look at the weyrleader as he works, the bronzer side glances him and laughs. "You know….if you weren't so picky I could be relaxing and not oiling you up right now." THere is a slight rumble and a huff that blows the sand about. The bronzer is in his best swim trunks, no shirt being worn, the clouds give a few moments between the bright rays. "No….you know I don't mind…I'm oiling you ain't I?" The man chuckles.

Flavia comes in from the direction of the southern bowl, a stout stick across her shoulders with a bucket hanging from each end. From the ease that she carts them they're probably still empty, even if this is a usual sort of chore. She's humming to herself at this point, a little song about the last runner races and who won if someone were close enough to hear. The lake seems to be her destination and she trods in that direction, quite awake for such an early morning.

Pralius' appearance is that of a man who hasn't slept well for several days. His usually crisp shirt is untucked and he has a generally miskempt air about him. His stride, however, is purposeful as he approaches R'oc and the lake, "R'oc?" He strides up to the WeyrLeader with a certain familiarity of long friendship, "Can I ask you a favor?" He pauses, then, watching as Flavia starts to approach, then leans towards R'oc, "Who's that? She looks familiar."

The weyrleader smiles the bronze lifts his head and looks towards Pralius as he approaches. «Ooh play man!» R'oc laughs at the inside joke, but he slaps some oil on and reaching down to the bag pulling out a cloth to wipe off his hands. Then when the young healer arrives he laughs, watching his look. "Well it seem that you have a child." The large bulky man laughs before turning towards the familiar girl, he licks his lips and eyes her a second wondering. "She does look familiar….I played pool with her the other day……Flavia….yep that was her name." The bronzer looks at PRalius and says. "Why you know her?" He turns and then smiles in her direction. "Good morning Flavia!"

Flavia intent upon her chore doesn't notice the arrival of Pralius, but the sound of her own name has her head coming. The song dies on her lips to be quickly replaced with a grin and a kind of akward wave. Hard to wave with a pair of buckets across your shoulders. "Good morning Weyrleader!" she turns directions, approaching them more directly rather than heading towards her usual watering spot. She nods towards Pralius, though its mostly a polite thing. "Rare to see so many up and out here this early."

Pralius raises one brow at R'oc and chuckles, "That I do. The favor, however, is for my mate and I. We desperately need some fresh fruit." He returns Flavia's nod, "You play pool? You should play with Ely some time, then. She's always looking for fun opponents." He glances back at R'oc and shakes his head, "No… she just looks… familiar, I guess. It happens."

This young woman stands at an average height of about 5'4" inches, and while she may appear to be on the scrawny side there is a solidness to her muscles from years of hard work. Pale blonde hair hangs in thick waves to just above her waist when left down, the color something similar to straw that has been left out in the sun. Muddy brown eyes are wide spaced in a face of harsh angles and pale skin. A thick line of scar tissue runs from the left side of her nose to the edge of her hairline, a break in what is already irregular features.

Her clothing is simple, a pair of weyrhide trousers that have seen better days and a shirt of a light brown. Everything a regular kind of color that allows for working with animals with minimal stains.

"Oh well then, oh do you need fresh fruit….well then why so desperate a need?" The weyrleader teases the young healer before he turns to Flavia and says. "She's not bad at it either, and good morning." Though her last comment has him grinning towards Pralius. "Early…why it's so late I'm wondering if your not over sleeping." The bronzer laughs before he turns to Pralius. "And what exactly do you want, what kind of fruit?" His large hand moves up to his long locks sliding them behind his ear, to keep them out of his eyes.

Flavia says "Oh, yeaaah I play pool but not well, sometimes I get lucky though." this towards R'oc's comment about playing well. Then there's the mention of Ely and she winces slightly "Probably not a good idea, last time I played with her we were on a team and I sunk the eight-ball. Haven't seen her since I booked it out of there." there's amusement lurking there, but still angry Ely. At the mention of her looking familar she shrugs "Probably know one of my parents, they're around the Weyr." says a child stamped with her parents looks and often gets the 'you're familar' comment. "That reminds me, I can take out a runner for gathering when I have time. Just things that are in season around here but it might help."

Pralius nods, "That's possible, Flavia. I see a lot of faces in the infirmary." His lack of billiards knowledge becomes painfully clear when he asks, "Don't you win by sinking the eight-ball, though?" After a moment, he shrugs, "The Weyr can use anything fresh… but Wyn and I need orangefruit… for the baby. He'll get sick if he doesn't get enough vitamin C."

Gazing up at the sky, Joan gives a silent thanks at the change of weather. He finished all of his assignments rather early today and after a long day at the smith shop, Joan was in serious need of a cool down. Hearing the sound of water splashing and of people talking further ahead, Joan sprints to the lake shore to see R'oc, Pralius, an unfamiliar woman, and a great bronze dragon all standing on the beach shore. "Well good afternoon everyone, seems i'm not the only one in the mood for a swim." He says with slight laugh.

The bronze tilts his head and moves close to the young woman, giant whirling eyelooking at her. "Don't mind him he's just memorizing your face so he remembers you." The weyrleader smiles then turns to Pralius. "Well then guess I can't have that child of yours get sick, I'll make sure to get you the oranefruit until the talks are over. Everything will be back to normal soon, don't worry we'll have all the good fruit you can eat." The bronze croons softly before the new arrival approaches quickly startling the concentrated dragon a bit, a low rumble comes almost warningly towards Joan. "Easy Nash, he's okay he didn't mean to."

Flavia holds still as she's looked over by the bronze, being weyrbred she's used to the occasional odd request. "Sure." she gestures at the scar on her face, her most noticable feature "Easy to pick out in a crowd." there's still humor, as if whatever happened she's long come to terms with the disfigurement. A shake of her head at Pralius "Oh no, not until its time to sink the eight-ball and it totally wasn't." she shifts on her feet and chuckles "Oh I'm sure you've seen the one who fathered me in the infirmary a time or two, K'rius just isn't that careful most days. My mother Fioni is rarely there I'd imagine though." Joanethen's arrival earns a nod and smile "Good time for gathering water, have to get some more in for all those thirsty runners."

Moving cautiously down the path, Joan walks up to the group. Keeping one eye on the great bronze dragon, he turns his attention to the trio. "Oh, hey R'oc and Pralius. It's good to see you again." Turning to the woman, he adds in "Hello there, don't think i've seen you around her before. The names Joanethen." he sticks his arm out to shake the womans hand. "So what's going on here? I'm rather surprised to see so many people at the lake today."

Pralius starts to nod, murmuring a quiet, "Thanks, R'oc" When Flavia's words stop him cold. He blinks slowly a few times, almost owlishly at her, then glances back at R'oc, then over at Joanethen, offering a mute wave before his eyes settle back on Flavia, "I'm sorry… I must have misheard you… who's your father?

"Well I was down here enjoying a good oiling with my friend over here." He motions to the bronzer before he smiles. "Then you all had to come and bother me." The bronzer laughs, obviously joking with them all. "But as I have a request to fullfill I must be off, the bronzer moves to the neck of the beast, while he lowers it for his rider. "But I'll be back soon, so I'm sure I'll see you around. The bronze rumbles and croons to all before lifting off, he looks down and waves. "I'll be there to see your baby soon, fruit in hand!" And off the beast flies off towards the northern skies.

Flavia gestures at the buckets in response to Joan's comment. "Stables is where I'm usually at, I'm Flavia." but Pralius's shock has her arching a brow curiously "K'rius, he's a brownrider been here at the Weyr awhile now, used to visit before that though." she gestures at herself for emphasis. "Why?"

Joan swears under his breath, having just remember he promised to help in the library. "It was nice meeting you Flavia, I hope to see you around sometime. But I forgot I have a promise of my own i have to keep." Saying farewell to the two, Joan makes a mad dash for the Library

Pralius barely notices R'oc's departure, oh poor Nasheth. Pralius will probably hear it from the bronze later, but he's still half-gawping at Flavia, "But… he… and I… and tail-fork… and…" He goes suddenly quiet, shaking his head quickly from side to side, "Are you certain?"

Flavia's eyes narrow, though Joan gets a bit of a parting wave. "As certain as my mother is, I assume she knows who was sharing her bed seventeen turns ago. I've not noticed her flitting from one weyr to the other since I was big enough to know." there's a sarcastic lilt to her tone now. Hands go to her hips and she stares at Pralius "What's it any business of who my father is anyway. He's not a bad sort, when I see him."

Pralius is still more in shock than upset, "Because he's my father, too." There seems like there should be so much more to say, but whatever it might be is lost in the silence that follows such a pronouncement. How long had K'rius… shards, most of the Weyr known and not told either of them?

Flavia pauses there, her mouth opening and then closing a few times before actual words come out. Talk about taking the wind out of someones sails. "I… well, shards." there's more silence as she tries to process this and she finally ends with a lame "I always figured there were others out there, but not that they were here at Fort." as if folks don't get to travel. "Not going to bother asking if you're sure though." then something clicks and she goes from shocked half-articulate silence to squealing in excitement "Wait, you have a baby. That makes me an aunt!! I'm an aunt!"

Pralius nods slowly, "As sure as my mother could be… I was born at Telgar… Weyr. K'rius… gets around a bit, being a rider and all…" It sounds even lamer this time than it did before. He blinks twice, slowly, then nods, "I guess it does. Yes, I have a son, Darius."

Flavia jumps forward, buckets dropped and arms open for a hug "Congratulations! I can't believe this, a sister and an aunt all in the same day!" clearly there's an excitable side to this girl and she's showing it off at the moment. "I wonder if my mother knows, she's going to get a piece of my mind. If it wasn't a waste of good eggs, I'd say we should egg K'rius' weyr sometime for not bothering to pass along the information."

Pralius oofs, stumbling a little under the force of the hug, then nods, "I'd do it if the eggs were available either way, but things are still a little short right now." He frowns slightly, "I will have to rip him a new one, though. How long has he known and not told us?"

Flavia squeezes him again and bounces backwards. "Probably forever, I mean I remember him visiting when I was little. Not often but here or there." a shrug before she glances down at the buckets "Shards, I've got to get this finished. But I'm coming to visit the baby soon, Darius you said? Its a really nice name. I'm in the stables though, runners and all that." she leans down to heft the buckets and the pole between them. "You just never know what surprise waits around the corner. Crazy stuff."

Pralius nods, managing a chuckle, "I didn't know until a couple of turns ago that he was even my father. I'll have to let Wyn know… especially since I doubt you can fly yourself up to our ledge." He smirks slightly, "I love runners, so maybe I'll see you from time to time when I borrow one. Have fun with your work."

Flavia moves to fill the water buckets and then head out but there's a bigger spring to her step now. "This is just great, oh and I'll have to meet Wyn too. I'll find you, don't you worry about that."

'The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967, 2000. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on PernWorld MUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.