Koi Pond
The dirt path worn smooth by the passage of many feet weaves in and out of tall, shady trees before coming to an abrupt halt at the edge of a sheer cliff. The steep rock face falls nearly a dragonslength before disappearing below the surface of the small pond tucked at its base where it continues down, making it safe for the daring of heart to attempt the jump. Trees line the cliff top, which dips and rises to offer views from various heights, and several ropeshave been tied to high branches for any who want to swing out over the sparkling water. A narrow path leads down one side of the cliff to a small rocky beach, and the opposite hillside boasts what could be a smooth, steep path, save that it leads directly to a drop-off several feet above the water. Above the path is a bucket attached to a convenient tree by a pulley - all the necessary ingredients of a mud-slide. The wind often whistles through the small valley formed by the hillside and cliff-face to join the laughter of the pond's visitors in ringing across the water's surface.
It is a winter afternoon. The fog has cleared, finally, and the sky turned bright and blue, dotted with clouds. A southerly wind stirs, and the day begins to feel downright pleasant.
Aaron is here.

Linora leaves the dusty archives behind and makes her way up the worn path to the pond, guided by habit more than by actually looking where she's going, her chin lifted to feel the sun on her face and the breeze in her hair. All in all, a pretty nice day to sit and watch fish swim.

Aaron looks up from where he's sitting on the edge of the pond, legs out in front of him, kinda leaned back, watching the horizon. "Heya, Lin." His voice is somber, as if he's waiting for something to appear.

Linora blinks as her name is called, turning to give Aaron a smile which fades a bit at his expression. "Hey, Aaron." She turns herself to look at the horizon but quickly turns back, seeing nothing. "What's up?" She makes her way over to a largish rock at the water's edge, not far from Aaron, and settles herself down.

Aaron sighs. "Unfortunatly, nothing. I've been waiting for some kind of message from Kal, and it has yet to appear. It's like she's toally gone from the face of the planet, you know? Sharding dragonriders..."

Linora ohs. "Well... she's prolly busy and stuff." Tierza certainly had been very explicit in her description of the various duties the candidates had assigned to them. And it didn't sound like much fun, but whatever. She leans back on her hands with a thoughtful expression. "Didja try sending somethin' ta her?"

Aaron snorts. "Yeah, I tried, Kimber here wouldn't go, and Allanon couldn't find her. I don't have the marks to send a runner, and it's kinda impossible for me to go myself. Hey, you're a women... What would you do in here situation?"

Linora blinks. "In her... situation?" In the first place, nobody's /ever/ referred to Lin as a woman before. And she can't help thinking there's some critical information she's just... missing. Kal got Searched. What else would she do but whatever she was told to do, until she got a chance to stand?

Aaron sighs. So not /everyone/ knew about it. "Kal and I were... Attached, when she got Searched. And now I've not heard from her since. I just don't know what to do..."

Linora's eyes widen a bit, just a bit, before she quickly turns to look into the pond. "Oh... " Now she gets it. She chews her lip, looking at the fish and hugging her knees to her chest. Funny for /her/ to be giving advice, since she seems to be the most clueless appy in the entire Craft... at least where matters of the heart are concerned. But she'd at least /been/ to the Weyr recently. "I know they keep the Candidates real busy and stuff... an' goin' away's not the same as forgetting." At least, she seriously hopes it's not. She's really putting a lot of faith in the truth of that statement.

Aaron snorts. "You know what they say... Out of site, out of mind." Lin isn't really that clueless. She just doesn't know what she knows.

Linora doesn't say anything for a long moment, not really liking the implications of that statement. Staring at the fish. And thinking. At length she turns to look at him. "Well... is she outta your mind?" Ought to work both ways, right?

Aaron looks over to Lin, and sighs. "No, she's not. But then, I'm not the one that's been searched, taken to the weyr, and given an infinite amount of things to do and learn, you know? I mean, I just don't know what I'd do in her situation, so how can I even think about what /she's/ doing, how she's reacting? I know that she wants to be a dragonrider, so very badly, but you know what that means, right?"

Linora tilts her head thoughtfully, then nods. "Yeah... she'll hafta stay at the Weyr." She leans back on her hands and looks into the pond again, not knowing what else to say. How can she possibly give Aaron advice when she doesn't know the answers herself?

Aaron sighs, and goes back to watching the fish. "No only that, but when her dragon rises..."

Linora blinks, a little flush creeping up under her tan. "Oh." The fish are looking more and more interesting by the moment. "Well... um... maybe she'll Impress a blue? Or a brown?" Thinking of Cayl, and Ali.

Aaron chuckles. "And then, the dragon will want a green or a gold. And we're right back where we started."

Linora has really exhausted her knowledge of Weyr affairs. This... um... topic... hadn't been one she'd discussed in her brief associations with riders. She picks at a crack in the rock she's sitting on. "Oh." Eloquent, no?

Aaron sighs. Well. "You understand what I'm getting at? When her dragon rises, or responds to another dragon rising, she'll have to go along with the dragon's will..."

Linora chews on her lip. And nods. And stares at the fish. Yeah, that problem is sounding worse than hers... even though both are at a vague distant point in the future. "So... um... " She picks at that crack some more, hard enough to break a fingernail. "Guess she'll prolly change and stuff." These are obviously questions to which poor Lin hasn't given a lot of thought.

Aaron sighs, and looks over towards the rock, having heard something pop. "Yeah, you're right. But, who knows if she'll Impress or not? Um... You're bleeding..."

Linora looks down at her hand in vague surprise, then shrugs. "Not a lot." She dips her hand in the pond to rinse it off. "You'd prolly feel better ifya talked to her or something. Carise took me t'the Weyr a couple sevendays ago... maybe she'd take you?"

Aaron thinks about this for a while, then nods. "Yeah, I suppose I should try to get out there... Do me a lot of good to see her for a bit, just check up on her." He nods to himself, and watches the fish for a while. "Hey, thanks for listening to me all this time..."

Linora grins. "Sure." Easier to listen to someone else's problems, actually... takes her mind off her own. It was that whole giving advice thing that had her flustered. She notices him staring at the fish now and nods. "I think it helps t'watch the fish swim." It's relaxing, or something.

Aaron smiles, and stands, walks over, and picks you up in a big hug. "Look, you ever need anything..."

Linora blinks to find herself quite far off the ground suddenly, a surprised giggle escaping her. "Okay."

Aaron chuckles, and sets you back down on your feet. "You know, I think I'll go have a talk with Carise now... Thanks again."

Linora nods, still a little surprised. "Sure. Um... good luck and stuff."

Aaron snuggles the Lin again, then walks off, a smiles on his face, and two chittering little Flizzen on is shoulders.