Another Search.

Cress is flopped in a chair, reading and looking concentrated. His lips are moving slightly as his eyes move across the lines of the book.

Linora makes her way in from the hallway, a large book hugged against her chest. A quick look around the Vault later, she grins and drops into a comfy chair. "Hey, Cress... Beyla." She opens the book on her lap and makes herself reasonably comfortable.

Beyla seems to be making an intense inspection of the ends of her hair as she enters from the female appy quarters, flopping on a chair with a soft 'huff', she mutters, "Split ends. I knew it." Oh, wait... she heard her name. "Oh... hi Linora."

Cress blinks, looking up to see Linora. Smiling he just looks at her for a while, then tilts his head. "Hiya, Lin," he says, eyes sparkling slightly, then nods to Beyla, before turning back to Linora. "Been busy?"

Linora looks up from her book to give Cress a wide smile. "Kinda," she admits. "I got a little behind last night on my work and stuff, on accounta the Search." Like that's an ordinary, everyday occurrence. Oh, well. She turns to look at Beyla with a bemused expression. "Somethin' wrong with your hair?" She flips the book closed on her lap, sticking a thumb between the pages to hold her place.

Beyla still seems to be glowering at the less than perfect ends of her hair. Too bad Pern doesn't have any leave-in conditioner. "I'm going to have to get this stuff cut again." *pout* She doesn't like going for haircuts. At Linora's question, she holds out the end of one of the ringlets of her hair. TOugh, considering it's still attached to her hair. "Look. Look!! Split ends!" Making a sort of tutting noise, she sits back in her chair.

Cress doesn't much care about split ends, but stares at Linora. "Search? What search." As if he didn't have an idea. After all, he /had/ heard the gossip about the clutching at Ista Weyr.

Beyla
Almost haphazard tangles of short thick red ringlets fall about Beyla's head, cut shorter from her younger more girlish appearance of long curls falling down her back like a molten flow. Her new look gives her a slightly frizzy appearance. They frame a pale skinned face, betraying her origins from colder climates, that no amount of Istan sun can seem to tan out of her. Matching that paleness are blue-grey eyes, almost granite-like in their appearance. She is not particularly tall, having to look up to most people, and, is quite rounded, the natural result of her love of food.
A mid-length skirt, made of loosely woven flax, and coloured a tie-dyed pink and white, comes down to a few inches below Beyla's knees, meeting the level where her calf-length wherhide boots, dyed a dark grey-blue, end. The skirt has a small slit at the back, a few inches in length. Her top half is covered by a loose off-white blouse, with a sharp v-neck and without sleeve, ideal for Ista's tropical climate. A worn and well-used small leather bag is slung across her body, filled with miscellaneous bits and pieces that have been deemed too important to leave lying around, and are carried around constantly.
On Beyla's shoulder consisting of two cords, one red and one silver, twisted into a single loop, denotes her as a Starcraft Apprentice.
Beyla is 18 Turns and 15 days old.

Spray> Aztereth swaggers with an awkward half-grace in from the Hold Field.
Spray> Larisseth waddle-plops in from the Hold Field.
Spray> Char slips from Aztereth's reedy neck, assisted by an extended limb into a gentle glide to the ground and landing with a light thump.
Spray> Elle swings a leg over Larisseth's neck, sliding swiftly to the ground with a *swish*.
Spray> Ivrylth scampers cutely in from the Hold Field.
Spray> Orbit slides down Ivrylth's side with a bit of help from a lime hued forlimb.


Idoru glides to the Main Hall Balcony.

Spray> Elle saunters with the best of 'em to the StarCraft Hall.

Linora takes a good look at Beyla's hair, but can't really tell from split ends all the way across the room. "I could cut 'em off for you," she offers helpfully. After all, she'd cut Cress's hair. Then she looks back at Cress. "Oh, a coupla dragonriders came yesterday, an' took Tierza and Tstar off for Search." She grins. "Boy, were they s'prised."

Spray> Orbit hops, skips and jumps cheerfully to the StarCraft Hall.
Spray> Char sighs, shifting Syli to her hip as she gazes up at the facade of the Star Hall. "Didn't think I'd be returning here for a while." The child applauds, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Beyla has disconnected.
Beyla falls asleep.

Spray> Char moves with slow, deliberate strides, a slight limp marring their fluidity, to the StarCraft Hall.

Char moves with slow, deliberate strides, a slight limp marring their fluidity, in from the Main Hall Balcony.

Orbit hops, skips and jumps cheerfully in from the Main Hall Balcony.

Char
Somewhat heavy brows, dark and ominous, hover over eyes the troubled blue of a stormy day at sea -- the roiling blue-grey of tossed waves and cloud-filled skies. Her hair falls to midback in a thick braid of ruddy brown, highlighted throughout with a brilliant red. Subtle curls brush the sun-darkened skin of high cheekbones, a few uneven tendrils carressing a stubborn chin as they cling to her slender face. The attenuated ridge of a turned down nose draws the eye to the rounded tip and beyond to full lips curved down in a perpetual frown of thought. Her bearing is neither proud nor self-effacing, but thoughtful, a quick wit hiding behind her sometimes quiet demeanor. Tall for a woman, her slender form is an odd mixture of grace and gangliness, fine-tuned musculature defining long arms and legs in lissome lines formed in years of swimming.
The pale hue of fawn-colored leathers carresses boyish curves in subtle enhancement. Well-worked leather conforms in a comfortable fit to long legs and narrow hips, disappearing into heavy boots of the same neutral shade. Loose sleeves bloom from the shoulders of a pale azure poet's blouse in an airy sisal to be cuffed at the wrist in a light frill. The neckline drops to reveal the single dark pearl dangling in the hollow of her throat, a treasure of forgotten memories locked within the swirling blues and greys. A strange crown of sienna hue perches on Char's head, his tail twined about her braid, is Anarchy.
Orange and black entwine in dual harmonic cords, forming a double loop with dangling tassle, a pristine thread of blue clashing in brilliant contrast against them. The added shimmer of silver indicates the position of assistant weyrling master, in whole, making the bearer an Assistant Weyrlingmaster of Ista Weyr.
She is wearing a silver chain bracelet with the Dolphincraft Associate charms.
Char is 28 Turns, 7 months, and 5 days old.

Orbit
Violet and lime mark sharp contrast in the curls that crown Orb's head, corkscrewing wildly to down to fall just above her slim shoulders; untamed, reddish tendrils reveal the original colour of her hair as they frame her features. An otherwise pale complexion is at odds with a generous spatter of cinnamon freckles that mars her face, dusting across her cheeks and nose. Large chocolate brown eyes are framed by lush auburn lashes, a laughing smile showing her to be as bouncy and cheerful as ever. For all her slightness, burgeoning womanhood is beginning to make its subtle marks in her appearance from slight curves to the new grace in her movements.
Lighthearted and sporty--no regality resides in /this/ bead-fringed set of leathers. Trousers contain a somewhat lurid shade of puce-laced blue, crackles of ivory glass hung from knee height, and around the ankle's cuff...though, fortunately, boots are plain black, relief to the eyes. Beneath an all-encompassing jacket dyed pure navy and fringed with noisy orange beads is a tighter shirt that dips into a teasing 'v' and claims only whiteness in the end.
Twisted cords loop over Orbit's shoulder, colored in simple hues of bright pumpkin orange and pitch black. Woven smoothly through the knot is a brightly lime ribbon, carefully embroidered in violet with a delicate pattern.
She is wearing a silver chain bracelet with the Dolphincraft Associate charms.
Orbit is 19 Turns, 11 months, and 1 day old.

Cress' eyes widens as no less than /three/ strangers comes into the Vault. His eyes searches Linora, a questioning look in them. "Morning," he mumbles, looking back up at the three strangers.

"Now where did you lose it, Elle?" Char asks, peering at the floor, Syli on one hip. When she doesn't receive a reply at first, she looks around. "Elle? Shards and shells, /now/ where's she gone off to?"

Orbit is here.. wherever here is, having followed Elle on this wild wherry chase. "Kay. Get your stuff Elle, then lets go get some klah..." So Orblet isn't a morning person?

Linora sees the look on Cress's face first, then turns to see who he's talking to. "Oh... hey, Char." She gets to her feet, leaving her book on the chair. She looks from the bluerider to her companion and back, quizzically. "Didja forget something yesterday?" They haven't lost Elle again, have they? What was it with the greenrider and StarCrafters??

The housekeeper arrives to cart Beyla off to bed.

Orbit peers around the room, finally noticing that Elle didn't follow her in and heaving a big sigh. "Where did that shardin' greenrider get to.." is muttered under her breath. We'll just conviently not notice the brilliantly lime green ribbon braided into her own knot. "She's the one who dragged us here because she lost.." A pause. "... something and she couldn't live without it."

Elle saunters with the best of 'em in from the Main Hall Balcony.

Cress scrambles to his feet, following Linora's example, then turns to stare at her again. "You know them?" he whispers to her, his voice colored with surprise, as he tears his eyes away from her to look at the.. riders?

Keris wanders casually in from the Main Hall Balcony.

Elle wanders into the room on hands and knees, her nose nearly to the floor. With eyes squinting she looks under this table and that, scuttling her way about. "They've gotta be around her somewhere. So help me if some 'brat stole them. Sticky fingers just begging to take 'em. Eat them up with narry a thought as to who they rightly belong to." *grumblegrumble*

Orbit eyes Elle, arms crossed over her chest. Former bratling becoming an adult? Nah. Whine is started, "Elllllle! Just hurry up and fiiiiiiind them already..." Orblet is the master of turning a one sylable word into five sylables. Honest. "I want some klllllllah."

Keris strolls into the room and barely missing tripping over someone on their hands and knees. "Hey! What're you lazy app....." Ohhh, not apprentices. Hehe. His mistake. "Ehm. Hello. Can I help... you?" Blink, blink.

Char sighs, rubbing her forehead with the heel of her hand. "You two are worse than my daughter," she mutters, shifting said child on her hip as the little girl delightfully dozes in her mother's arms. "Elle, they're probably long gone by now. It shouldn't be difficult for you to get more."

Linora backs up a couple of steps, surprised to see the missing greenrider /crawling/ into the Vault. Shells, this place is nuts lately! She's even more surprised to see her mentor strolling in.... but for once she's not bold enough to /ask/ what's going on, staring dumbly around the room with big eyes.

Elle shudders down to the tips of her booted toes at Orbit's whining. "Remind me to introduce you to Sylvan some time. You and he would get along fine. Same age and all." Yes, the boy is a proud 9 turns. Hands reach over to lift up the cover of a chair, lowering her cheek to the floor to peer underneath. "I /want/ my candy. Its mine." Coming up with nothing, she tossesher head back, allowing for a clear view at Char, "And whose fault is that?"

Cress swallows hard, suddenly being surrounded by riders /and/ a jman. Standing rooted to the floor, he can't speak, but just stares. Mostly at the rider crawling around on the floor looking for some unspecified item, or items.

And who's more scary, three riders or a Jman? Huh. Keris, almost managing to look as much like a scared apprentice as the rest of 'em, decides that leaning against a wall and looking on top of things is the best way out. Yup. Eyebrows arch, and eyes flicker 'tween the 'riders and the Starcrafters. Weird.

Orbit finally notices the appearence of a Jman and beams up at him with her most fetching smile. Well.. the most fetching smile she can manage whilst still half asleep and suffering from klah deprevation. "/She/," is said accusingly, pointing at Elle, "lost her candy and had to drag half the weyr out of bed to come find it." Not that Orbit is doing much looking..

"Candy?" Linora's surprised enough to speak right up now. "I never seen any candy in here." Cookies, maybe... no, that was in the archives. But she'd been pretty sure Orph was making that up. She crouches down to look closely at Elle. "You sure you left it /here/?"

Char sighs. "She seems to think she lost it here while we were trying to get that stuff for Annalysa, yesterday." She doesn't mention the cider, hoping that the greenrider had forgotten it. "You haven't seen any sweetsticks lying about, have you?" Bluerider does the intelligent thing--she asks.

Cress certainly hasn't seen any candy, but his eyes automaticly falls to the ground searching the floor, trying to spot the missing candy. Not seeing any, though, he looks back up to get a good look at the riders. Not every day you saw riders. And where there were riders, dragons wouldn't be far away, would they?

Keris sends Orbit his most charming smile in return - even though it's easy to see the Journeyman debating whether to call for the mindhealers or not. "I see, I see. No cider? I thought you came here for the cider." Poor, clueless Keris. "Can I offer something else to eat, though, or perhaps to drink?" No-one must be allowed to say that the StarCraft Hall doesn't know how to treat dragon riders. Huff.

Elle continues to move about on her hands and knees, this time shuffling to a new place, peering here and there. "Yes, candy. My sweetsticks." Head turns and the rider blinks, once more coming face to face with Linora, "Well, 'm not sure exactly... They were in my pocket when I came last night. And when I got home last night, they weren't there. With all the beating around I was getting by /Char/ last night," another scathing glance to her fellow rider, "I'm not surprised I might have lost them around here."

Orbit simply glows at the offer of a drink, moving toward Keris with the singlemindedness of the addicted. Smile simply blossems across her face, "You have.. klah, don't you? I didn't get any klah this morning..."

Char scowls as she notes the interaction between Orbit and Keris. "Orb, stop flirting for once in your life and put your mind to the task at hand," she scolds the greenrider before glaring at the journeyman for mentioning cider. "And, Elle, I told you that I would be perfectly happy to purchase more of those sharding things for you."

Linora gets to her feet with a bit of a shrug. "Maybe," she says doubtfully. "I haven't seen 'em, though." She looks up at Orbit helpfully. "There'd be klah in the dining hall," she suggests. Since the pot here is empty like usual. Not that she cares much.

"Why, of course we have klah!" Keris declares, feigning shock at the very thought of not having klah. Tsk. He survives on klah. It's needed. "/Linora/, be a dear and fetch some klah and food for the 'riders, would you?" His mentee is eyed - just try saying no. Hehe. "Maybe the candy could be... replaced?" journeyman suggests hesitantly - you never know with greenriders and their sweetsticks. Ahem. Wincing a little under Char's glare, though, he sends her a would-be apologetic smile. Sorry? Eep.

Spray blinks in from ::between:: in a flash of silvery blue.

"But its the principle. They are mine and I want them back." Elle, with principles? Whoa. More like a spoiled kid. Rider shuffles around this chair and that, crawling past Char's legs and edging closer to Keris. Head cocks upward to reguard him, "Replaced? Pah." And then back to hands-and-knees searching.

Orbit hrmphs a bit and shoots a glare over at Char, "I'm not /flirting/. I'm getting klah." A pause. "There's a difference." Ok, fine, she's flirting to get klah, there's no law against that.

Linora doesn't need to be told twice, wordlessly slipping out of the Vault and disappearing into the hall.

Char shifts the dead weight of her daughter, yet again, the child stirring from sleep with the movement from one hip to the other. She reaches out to throw her arms around her mother's neck. "Momma," she says softly, groggily. Char sighs. "Elle, you wouldn't know a principle if it bit you... and you /know/ you're not going to find those sweetsticks."

As if Keris would protest to flirting either - tsk. Don't you know anything? "And klah you'll get. Those who want," he adds in a wry tone, peering nervously at Elle as if she was a sullen canine crawling around the floor, just waiting to jump up and bite his.... erm, fingers. Ouch. "Uh, don't replace them, then," journeyman babbles on, "though maybe an apprentice found 'em." And then chances are they're probably already digested.

Ashlyn moves quietly, on little feet, in from the Female Apprentice Quarters.

Libby strides in from the Female Apprentice Quarters.

Cress blinks. Once, twice, thrice, as Linora abandons him here alone with riders and Jman. His eyes move from one to the other in an almost continuous motion, not really wanting to miss anything, but definately not going to interrupt by saying anything either.

Orbit squeaks. Loudly. And moves toward Ashlyn, "Did she drag you out of bed too?" is questioned loudly as she shoots a glare at Elle. "Oh! You're wearing the hair ribbons, are those helping to keep your hair out of the way? I thought they might.." Then Orblet pauses to eye Ashlyn a bit, "Why are you dressed like /that/?"

Ashlyn strides out the room, bag bouncing over her shoulder as she walks, making a bee-line directly towards the chair in the rear of the room. "I was sitting *here*, with my book on the table and my notebook in my lap. I closed my notebook, and obviously put it in my bag, because it's still there.." Starrie pauses mid-stride and stares back in Orbit's direction, a slightly confused look on her face. "I've been awake since dawn." Fingers reach up and touch the ribbons laced into her braid and she grins and shrugs, "They're doing the job, really helping."

Elle awards Keris a wry, if not snide, grin. She rolls her eyes and crawls away from him, deliberatly turning her back and rear to the guy. Scrabbling forward, she next finds herself behind a chair, "I've searched the main hallway, the staircase, and that hall out there... if they aren't in here then some 'brat stole them. And there will be Thread to pay." With hair tumbling about her face, cheek is pressed to the floor once more, peeking under this and that.

Libby can't help but blink as she walks out of the dorm. People. And they don't look very appy-ish either. Smiling, though her face still looks a little blank, Libby heads for the chair Ashlyn mentioned indicates, eyeing it with her head tilted slightly. "Check down the sides?" Lib eventually offers.

Linora comes back in, a bit out of breath since she ran most of the way, a large basket over her arm and a large pot in her free hand. Oh... more people. "Um... hey, Lib." She edges into the crowded room and sets her burden on a low table, then looks over at Keris. "I didn't know what they wanted, so there's a little of everything." Bread, meatrolls, stickybuns... whatever she could grab. "There's some mugs in there, too." She hopes there's enough, because she decidedly does /not/ feel like making that run again...

Keris' jaw drops as he spots Ashlyn. He knows her, of course, but she never looks like that during classes. And, naturally, the clueless one confuses her with... "Ali! What're you doing here?? Did you sleep here? In the dorms?" If you ever wanted to see a starstruck expression, just looks at his face this instant. Uh oh - that means the brown monster must be here too. As Elle turns around, though, the 'crafter finds a moment to leer shamelessly at her rear - hey, he's a guy! Can't help it - before turning back to looking confused again. "Oh, thank you, Linora. Just put it over there." A random table is waved at. "Hi, Libby." Confusion is clear.

Orbit tilts her head to the side, eyes wide. "You've been up since dawn? Oh you poor thing.. was it your morning?" Morning to do watch, that is. "I hate it when it's my morning.." Orb pauses, rather confused, "But.. if it was your morning, why are you here?"

Char sighs and plucks some bread from the selection and a little bit of meat. Wrapping the bread about the meat, she frowns down at Elle's scrambling form. "Well, whenever you're ready to go, I'll be outside waiting," she says and then turns towards the door, offering a bit of the soft interior bread to her daughter.

Char moves with slow, deliberate strides, a slight limp marring their fluidity, to the Main Hall Balcony.

Ashlyn gives Libby a nod before giving Keris a blank stare. "I know you haven't seen her in a while, but has it really be so long that you can't tell the difference between us anymore, Keris?" she hisses, not exactly pleasant toward the man, regardless of the fact that he's one of her teachers. Orbit is studied quietly, Ash's gaze flickering toward the knot on her shoulder before realization sits in. Hand is extended politely, "You must be confusing me with my sister. I'm Ash."

Elle grips the back of said chair, peeking her head up from behind the backrest, a couple of dust-bunnies decorating her tossled hair. Libby is accorded a completely unamused glare, "/You/ can search the sides..." Then comes the blank stare, "What sides? What on Pern are you talking about?" A quirky grin as she hefts herself back to her high-heeled boots. "Thats it. They aren't here. Only place left is the courtyard... after that, we search through the kids and apprentice's things. The thieves."

Beyla walks with a distinct bounce in her step in from the Female Apprentice Quarters.

Ashlyn
Whisps trip forward, barely brushing in wide, dark eyes, almost cinnamon in hue, which are thickly framed with ebony lashes. Pert nose is centered between a pair of always rosy cheeks, complimented by carmine lips. Sable locks are tightly plaited together, complete with red and silver ribbons, into a french braid style that ends several fingerwidths past her shoulders. Her height has finally peaked, leaving her at just over 5', 5'1 to be exact, but the gentle curves that flow across her form detract from her smallness, showing that she is, in fact, leaving her childhood behind.
Honey brown clads this young woman from neck to ankles, in a simple modest dress. Strongly woven in light golden brown, with darker sienna brown embroidery on the long sleeves that reach down to hug her wrists. The thread designs are those of creeping vines with little pointed leaves and tiny half opened flowers. The neckline is along her collarbone, the skirt sweeping to her ankles. This dress was made for riding, the skirt being artfully stitched to appear whole, though actually being divided for easy mobility and riding, the material is solid and durable.
Ashlyn is 19 Turns, 2 months, and 2 days old.

Libby wiggles a few fingers at Linora, then extended the greeting to Keris. "Hey there." Conversation gets a slightly raised eyebrow, but as Lib seems to have walked into the middle of something, she doesn't give it too much thought, attention turned to finding Ashlyn's book. "Is your name in it? People are always picking up my things by mistake..." At Elle's words, the hint of a blush appears on Libby's face. "Uh.. um.. sorry?" Apprentice just does as she told, and starts to hunt down the side of the chair.

"Hey, wait now," Keris starts protesting towards Elle, "my apprentices aren't thieves." Said with a pout rather than a frown, the journeyman then glares at Ashlyn. "Oh. Ashlyn.... why are you dressed like Ali?!" he hisses back just as regardless of anything, "and what happened to your /hair/?!"

Orbit takes a moment to blink a bit. Processing time of new information is down since she hasn't had her mug of morning klah. Finally she blushes just a tad and extends her hand to shake Ashlyn's. "Oh.. well.. of course. Ali had mentioned that you live here once or twice. It's just the hair.. it confused me."

Beyla blinks up at the mention of hair, reflexively reaching up a hand to touch her less than controlled locks before realising all the people in the room. Um... she's just going to sit over here in the corner and hide. And eavesdrop. Ignore the little redheaded thing as she slinks to the corner and sits down.

Cress is more than confused. All the talk going on around him, and riders striding into the Vault without warning, looking for.. Candy? has made him dizzy and lightheaded. Moving backwards, he's more or less lucky to plop into a chair as he practically falls back. Staring around at the activity he hears the word 'thieves'. Hey, he might be from a traderfamily, but he sure wasn't a thief!

"Yeah, it's on the cover," Ash mumbles Libby-wards as she shakes Orbit's hand. Keris is offered a glare and hands go to her hips, "I didn't know there were rules about how I dressed or did my hair. Ali and I were visiting, and I liked the way her hair looked and she offered to fix it that way for me, she said that a friend at the weyr helps fix her hair. I didn't realize it would cause such confusion." With a huff, she turns on her heel and heads toward said-chair. Had anyone waited, they'd see that, though she may look like her sister, she definitely doesn't *act* like her.

Elle moves from around the chair, giving Ashytn a double take, but leaving it at that. Keris, although, is scowled to, "Then lets prove it. We will all go down to your courtyard and check to see if my 'sticks are down there. One dozen white and red swirly-striped sweetsticks tied with a green bow, knocked from my pocket when I was assaulted by Char." By 'we... all', that would naturally mean everyone in the room. Her dark, raised eyebrows emphasize this point.

Linora looks up from her kneeling position by the basket and the table. Ali's here? Oh, no. She said she was Ash. Elle's angry, Lib's busy, Cress is staring dumbly at the 'riders, Keris is... well, Keris. She sidles over near Beyla, figuring that's a safe place to be. After all, she only has a slightly better idea of what's going on... "Hey, Beyla," she mumbles, perching on a nearby seat.... until she hears Elle's words and sees the significant stare which obviously includes her. And stands up again. Mmnnkay.

Orbit raises a hand slightly, looking rather pleased, "You like the way I do Ali's hair?" is questioned, as she moves closer to the person who looks and sounds so much like the rider she's adopted as a little sister. "Really?"

Keris waves a dismissive hand at Ashlyn. Brat. "Fine! Fine," he adds, a tad less offended, and sends Elle a leery-kinda grin. "We'll all go down," pointed look goes to the apprentices, "and see if we can find your candy. Come along, apprentices!" With that, the journeyman marches out.

Keris wanders casually to the Main Hall Balcony.

"Maybe it's under the chair?" Libby offers, voice toned down at Ashlyn's sudden bout of rage. "Hey Beyla." Is said almost without Lib realising as she ducks down to check if the book is in the location she suggested. "I don't see it..."

Beyla is just looking vaguely puzzled at all the things about hair and candy. People are peculiar sometimes. And far be it from her to ignore an instruction to follow the crowd to see what on Pern is going on.
Beyla nods and smiles to Libby and Linora, as she stands, tugging on her top subconsciously as she does so.

Linora hurries out after Keris, not about to disobey a direct ... well, order.

StarCraft Courtyard
Where the hills of Gar meet the softer plains of the valley, rock slowly turns to gravel, dust and earth, leaving a large natural courtyard tucked against the walls of the hall. A low wall marks a boundary for the courtyard, rock and earth's battle for domination kept outside of it. Strong doors set in the hill wall, provide a new way to get into the hall, long windows letting light into the otherwise quite dark hall. They look out upon a grassy valley, filled with water, vineyards and herdbeast. Trails formed by the feet of human wind around rocks and trees, trailing off into the wilderness.
It is an autumn midmorning.
Stretched out on the low wall are Venusnv and Azrael.
Blue Aztereth, green Larisseth, and green Ivrylth are here.
Char and Keris are here.

Beyla walks with a distinct bounce in her step in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Idoru glides in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Spray> Ashlyn cocks her head to the side at the apparent order. Attitude may be shot Keris-ward, but she knows better than to be rude to 'riders, so Elle will be obeyed. "You fix it for her?" the question is asked of Orbit, her voice becoming much friendlier and she smiles, "I really do, it's nice, and functional." Shrug is offered Libby-wards as well as a grin, "I guess I'll have to find it later, but thanks for your help."

Elle saunters with the best of 'em in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Beyla scurries out of the hall, blinking in the sunlight, and comes to stand next to Linora, nudging the girl gently with an elbow. "What's going on?" is asked sotto voce. It must be an improvement on what she knows: nothing.

Cress moves slowly in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Orbit hops, skips and jumps cheerfully in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Libby strides in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

Ashlyn moves quietly, on little feet, in from the StarCraft Main Hall.

"Elle lost her candy." Or something. Linora's still a little confused herself. "I think we're s'posedta look for it." She looks around blankly.

Elle is immediatly delegating. "/You/", a gesture to Linora, "take the left. /You/," this time a wave to Belya, "Go look by where Larisseth is, make sure she isn't sitting on them." That would be nasty. A glance to Libby, "Try around where Ivrylth is... and /you/," this time she points at Cress," try around the doors." There, that should work.

Orbit beams over at Ashlyn, "I'm glad you like it too. Ali was looking for a way to be a rider and still look like a girl.." Orblet pauses as grand idea pops into her head. You can almost see the lightbulb light up, if Pern had lightbulbs, that is. "You should come to the weyr with me for a day.. see your sister and all that. You can meet P'kar too. Met him yet?"

Looking around the doors would suit Cress fine, though his eyes keep wandering to the three dragons in the courtyard. But being by the doors would give him something to hang on to, as his knees were still shaking. He wasn't really used to such commotion around the Hall.

"Candy?" Must be the day for losing things... Libby shrugs slightly to herself. Trying to find candy can't be any harder than trying to find a book. Lib does pause when she's told to look around a dragon though. "Okay..." She replies to Elle, just a little hesitant, and then heads in Ivrylth's direction. "Good day..." Is the slightly mummbled offering Lib offers the dragon. She's a lot bigger than a firelizard...

Linora obediently sets off to the left, working her way along the low wall without much hope of finding anything. Couryard looks same as usual to her. Nothing unusual lying around...

Beyla blinks. She got hauled outside to look for candy? Ah well, beats taking classes. And she's not the sort of person who ignores orders. Do as the Big People say. Or rather the people with Big Dragons. Hurrying over to the indicated dragon, she slowly starts to walk around the green dragon. "Um... excuse me... Larisseth? Could you please lift your tail so I can check for Elle's candy?" After all, she wouldn't be able to, or dare to, try and lift a tail on her own.

"I can't blame her, really," Ash replies as she bounces down the steps into the courtyard, "she's never been one for tight clothes and pants because she said they'd make her look like a boy. But that must mean you're the one she talks about all the time. Orbit, that's who I'm forever hearing about." Without a direct order to search for the missing candy, she just wanders slowly, watching the ground now and then just in case, "That would be nice, to go for a visit, I mean. I'd gone with her to bring some things to her weyr a few days back, but couldn't really stay so I didn't get a chance to meet people."

Ivrylth slowly lifts her head to whuffle at Libby, peering toward her with a slight amount of curiosity, tail swishing back and forth while she considers options.

Elle drops her hands to her hips as she watches the people move about, looking for her lost candy. Surveying the group, she just stands there in the midst of it all. Watching, not looking. It is so much easier this way. A flutter of grey out of the conrer of her eye causes the rider to lift her hand up and brush away one of a couple of dust-bunnies that attatched themselves to her hair. Cute.

Orbit gives a quick beam, "Oh, she's mentioned me? Yup, I'm Orbit.." a pause, "Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier." As thoughts cross her mind, visible expression crosses her face and mischeif seems chiefly on her thoughts at the moment. "Oh.. then you must come back to the weyr with me. You really should get a chance to spend some time with your sister, and you should meet P'kar.."

Larisseth swings her neck around to reguard the little one. Head cants this way and that, as if contemplating the request. A wuffle of blown air is sent Beyla-wards as the green slowly drags her tail away and to the side, scraping along the ground.

Libby freezes /exactly/ where she is when Ivrylth moves, chuckling slightly nervously at the whuffly greeting she gets. "I got told to look for candy here, if you don't mind too much...?" Just about making her words a question, Libby's eyes are more of less fixed on the moving tail. She doesn't want to get in the way of that...

Linora has made her way along the wall nearly to the opening that leads off into the field with no success. With a bit of a sigh she heads back the way she came, this time feeling into the spaces between the stones of the wall. Just in case. Ewwwwww...

Beyla automatically tucks the hair ruffled by the blown air behind her head, muttering a nervous thanks to Larisseth with a similarly nervy giggle and checking for candy in the now not-occupied-by-tail space and moving around to the other side. Hmm... well if it's not around her... maybe it's under her. Rather than ask the green to move again, she crouches, to try and see underneath the green.

Ivrylth shoves her nose forward, toward Libby, rising up from her sleeping position to snuffle at the Starcrafter. Snuffle snuffle wuffle. So she sounds like a dragon with a cold, currently. Head is cocked to the side as she eyes, then scoots forward just a bit.

Ashlyn bobs her head and smiles, she can be charming and nice to people she *likes*, you see. "You're one of the few people she does talk about, you and... yes, P'kar. It would be nice to get away from here for a few days, but I'd have to get permission, of course." A glance is shot Keris-wards and she shrugs. No love lost *there*.

Char shakes her head as she watches the farce of activity before her. Aztereth, however, brightens noticably at the exit of others. His tail begins to switch with curiosity as his gaze lingers on first one, then the other of the starcrafters. Syli, now out of her mother's arms, bends down to watch the tail, giggling.

Orbit considers this, permission, yes. Of course. Yet another brilliant smile is flashed over toward Keris, "Keris.." His name /is/ Keris, right? "You wouldn't mind if I brought Ashlyn to the weyr for a day to visit, would you..?"

Uh-oh. She moved. Libby takes a little step back as Ivrylth moves towards her, deciding to try and keep the distance between them rather than move in closer. She still has to try and look for the candy, however, so the apprentice goes up on her tip-toes and cranes her neck to try and get a good look around where the green is.

Cress is not sure whether he's happy or sad, not being close to the dragons, being all the way over by the door, peering at the flagstones, while once in a while stealing a glance at the three beasts. Going more or less in circles in front of the doors, he still haven't seen anything that even resembles candy.

Having made her way all along the wall twice, Linora's still coming up empty. She chews her lip nervously, looking over at Elle. "You sure it'd be here? Maybe it got dropped between or something?" Then it'd be gone for good, of course. But at least they wouldn't have to look for it anymore.

Larisseth continues to watch Beyla, allowing her head to drop to the couryard's flooring, neck flopping down as well. Body shifts, back arching to give nothing more than maybe a couple of handspans 'tween her rotund belly and the ground.

Ivrylth scoots forward again, one lone forlimb reaching out to slowly attempt a bat at Libby, as her tail swishes mischeiviously. She scoots forward again, whuffling at the 'crafter.

Keris eyes Orbit with a sullen expression. "No, of course not." Just steal more StarCrafters. Please. "I'm sure it'd do her good to be around her," cough NICER cough, "sister a little."

Ashlyn lets Orbit deal with Keris while she attempts to help locate the sweetsticks. "Ooh! There they are!" she calls out enthusiastically, moving toward something on the ground, but when she reaches it and realizes it's a child's toy, she shakes her head. "Nope, not them."

Aztereth eyes the two greens in the courtyard, a hint of dismay swirling in diluted threads of yellow through the blue-green of his orbs. Char frowns, urging her daughter away from the tail getting ever wilder. "Syli, come away from there, please?" She regards the other riders with amusement-tinged annoyance. "Orb?" She gestures at the green with the mischievous look to her.

A couple of handspans? That means Beyla's going to have to get closer to the courtyard floor. Kneeling down and then leaning further over to try and peer under Larisseth, a sudden realisation comes over her. "Oh no! My clothes." They're getting all dusty! Oops. She wasn't meant to say that out loud, she goes back to almost lying on the courtyard floor, trying to see if there's any candy. Please. No one sit on her while she's like this. Squished-Beyla is not pretty.

Elle scowls and not much headway is happening. More like an organized chaos. Scowling all the more heavier as time passes, hands finallly lift from her hips to get thrown in the air, "Okay, thats it. They aren't here. We've searched this place inside and out." Just live with it, girlie. Some kidlet ate them all as soon as they were found. "Lets go."

Libby jumps backwards as she spots a dragonic limb headed in her direction, only to end up tumbling into a heap on the flagstones. Hard to keep your balance when you're on your toes. Apprentice then scuttles backwards on her butt when Ivrylth continues to advance. "Keris!" Is eventually squealed. Journeypeople are supposed to be able to sort things out, right?

Syli continues to eye something of interest near Aztereth's tail. Pulling herself from her mother's loosening grasp while the bluerider is occupied with worrying over the actions of the other dragons, the little girl approaches the tail and bends, placing one chubby hand against the back of the dragon's hind leg.

Beyla sighs from where she's lying on the floor. She got all the way down here and now they're not going to search? Shards. Clambering to her feet with a sort of huffing noise (needs to get a bit fitter, maybe?), she starts to scurry away from the BigThings, read: dragons, brushing at the dirt on her clothes.

Ivrylth takes the oppertunity to gently place a forefoot atop Libby, holding her there, pinned to the courtyard. Orbit, finally realizes what her dragon is up to, and sighs, attention distracted from Ashlyn and Keris for the moment. "Oh Ivry, must you? /Now/? I'm busy.." is muttered, before she steps up to Libby. "I think Ivrylth would like for you to come back to the weyr with us..."

Larisseth arches up a touch more. But that is all this green is going to do today. Neck slinks about to watch Beyla peeking under her tummy, enough so that Larisseth and peek underneath also. Breath pours over Beyla and then the air is sucked back in through the green's nostrils. In response, the green croons.

"Yes?" Keris gives Libby a blink stare - he's dead scared of the monsters!! "Ehm. You're not afraid of her, are you? She's not dangerous." Says he who's cowering behind one of the riders. "And look, she just wants you to go back with... her." Hey! They're taking all the gir... ahem, apprentices. Bad riders.

It's hard enough to keep your dignity whilst sprawled out on the ground, so Libby's not about to admit to being scared. "I think I'm okay now." She replies, under her breath, to the journeyman, her attention more taken by what Orbit just said. "She would? I'd have to go and do my chores first..." That's if the green ever lets her up, which Libby is seriously doubting at the moment...

Ashlyn snorts in a rather unlady-like manner and shoots a look in Keris' direction, "Libby, *everyone* knows that Keris is afraid of dragons. Don't expect him to protect you." Coughing softly, she tries to cover her words by giving the journeyman an *almost* polite smile.

Elle steps from her position in the middle of the courtyard, fastening the catches of her riding jacket before her. Clomping footfalls continue over to Larisseth's head, patting a hand on the top. Gaze trains to Beyla, quering, but not speaking. Elle's eyebrows come down as she glances at the green, then to Beyla, and back again. "Well, I suppose we are supposed to be doing that too... This keeps up and they are going to ban us from the Starcraft." She looks to Starcraft-apprentice that was peeking under Lari's tummy, "Whats your name, girl?"

Beyla sighs, picking up her head from the ground and starting to clamber to her feet, huffing slightly, before squeaking slightly. A dragon's breathing on her, then crooning? Is that a hint she should wash more? Uh... maybe she doesn't want to know the answer to that. Getting to her feet and started to edge away, she brushes at the dirt on her clothes. All this dirtiness and no candy to show for all their searching. Darn.

Linora pipes up helpfully. "That's Beyla." How'd she get in the middle of a Search again?? She looks from Libby on the ground, to the dragon pinning her, to Beyla... and grins.

Cress is rooted to the ground again, having forgotten all about searching for any candy, as he looks at the scene displayed in front of him. "What's going on?" he mumbles to no-one in particular, as his eyes move from dragon to dragon and then to all the people gathered here.

Orbit looks up at Ivrylth for a moment, then back down at pinned Libby. "Uhm.. she says now." She pauses a moment as yet another lightbulb brightens. "She wants you to stand for the clutch hardening on the sands at Ista Weyr." A pause as greenrider shoots her dragon a LOOK. "She says you smell good.." is finally passed on in a mutter.

Beyla picks a tiny little stone out one of the folds of her top, tugging on the edge to try and straighten it out. Dear dear. First split ends, then a less than pristine top. What is Pern coming to? Blinking at Elle, she freezes, then looks at Linora as she supplies her name. "Um... yes. Beyla. I'm Beyla." She will not refer to Elle as Miss-Rider-Lady and curtsey. Nope. No matter how nervous she is.

At the child's touch, the blue's tail stops flailing. Aztereth turns his regard to the child bending in the dusty courtyard and he croons. While he points out the child's interest to his lifemate, his form remains rigid and, once Char has taken note of the child with something in her hand, the blue turns towards the interesting Starcrafters and edges in closer.

"Good. Beyla... nice round name for a candidate." Elle blinks as Larisseth butts her muzzle into the rider's leg. "Oh. Larisseth here finds that you smell wonderful. So wonderful that she want you... actually to take you to Ista Weyr and stand on the sands as a candidate for impression for the current clutch of eggs that are out there." Rider cants her head to the side, "Do you think you can do that?"

"Stand?" Libby blinks a few times. There's not way she can get up at the moment... Then it clicks. Ack! "You mean stand with eggs and dragons and candidates?" At that the girl stops blinking and just stares at the green for a moment. "I guess so?" The part about her smelling nice doesn't really register...

Ashlyn watches as two of her fellow 'crafters are taken, just as her sister was a few turns back. "Wow, that's quite an honor, Libby. Congratulations!" Feet shuffle on the courtyard ground as she waits to see what happens next, pulling her bag closer to her shoulder.

Beyla suddenly stops fidgeting. And moving. Actually, its rather dubious as to whether she's breathing. After several moments of utter paralysis, Beyla blinks, looking utterly bewildered. "S.. stand?" Well, she may be wanting to sit down right at this second. "Stand?" Alright, this /is/ taking a little while to get through her skull, better say something coherent. "I... think I can do that." Her voice seems to have increased in pitch with her shock.

Aztereth shoves his muzzle at Libby, being just on /that/ side of Ivrylth. He croons, his eyes swirling cool blues and merry greens. Char, however, is preoccupied with what her daughter offers up to her with a bright, innocent smile, the child neglecting to mention those already shoved into a pocket. "Elle?" the bluerider takes the objects from her daughter's hand and dusts them off on her leathers. "Is this what you're looking for?"

Elle seems to think Beyla is taking this well. When Elle was asked, she was hysterical at the time, not to mentioned covered in dragon slobber. At least Lari only breathed on Beyla. "Well, good. Excelent, in fact, 'cause Larisseth, here, probably wouldn't take no for an answer. She tends to get a bit possessive of her searchees."

Libby flinches only slightly as another dragon takes a look at her. She really never thought she was all that interesting, but clearly she was wrong... Ashlyn gets a slightly-better-than-weak smile, Lib trying not to fidget where she is on the ground. "Thanks..."

Larisseth continues this breathing thing, as she exhales little mists carouse about Beyla's form, wetting her down just the slightest. Not only dirty, she is now damp? Elle hears her name, peeking over Larisseth's lowered neck to spy Char and Syli, "Hrm..." Eyes open as large as marks, "Oh.... Oh!"

Wait. Beyla's leaving, too? Linora's definitely got mixed feelings about this. Of course she's happy for her friend, but... She shoots a quick look at Cress... at least /he/ wasn't Searched. Nothing at the Hall but work, if /all/ her friends leave! Then her attention is caught by Char and her little girl. Beam. Looks like candy to her...

Cress hasn't really figured out what's going on yet. Only that the dragons apparently were going to take away two of the other starries. So this is what happens when dragon Search, eh? He'd never personally seen it, or experienced it, so he's just standing there blinking, and staring from dragons to the starries who're leaving.

Beyla laces her hands together, in an attempt to hide the fact that they're shaking in shock, looking down at her skirt. Well... if it's damp, it'll be easier to clean. "Possessive? Really? Well... far be it for me to object to a dragon." Beyla's law of the universe: if it's bigger than you. Don't argue with it.

Char strolls towards the greenrider, her lifemate eyed warily, the sweetsticks, short a few, held out at arms' length. "I do believe this is what you lost, though I'm surprised Syli managed to find them, covered in dust as they were."

Ash squirms just a little, excited for the searchees, and just pulls her bag a little closer to her, making sure it's still there. After all, it carries her most prized possessions, right? Most of them, anyway. She'll be joining the others in the trip to the weyr, but for a completely different reason, so at least she doesn't need to be nervous.

Elle winces as she catches sight of the stick, dirty and dusty and plainly not palatable. Hesitant fingers reach for the sticks, face still squinched up in disgust. "Shells..." she breathes slowly. Gingerly, she takes the sticks, eyeing them with a touch of hope. Can they be salvaged? Not likely.

Char wipes her hands on her trous, glad to be rid of the filthy sweets. "Shells, indeed. You dragged us all the way over here for a bunch of dirty sweetsticks." With a sigh, she turns towards Libby and wonders, "So, who needs a ride?"

Larisseth warbles in agreement with her lifemate about possessiveness. Keeping an eye well upon Beyla. Elle, with sweetsticks in hand, moves back t'wards the newly searched crafter, "I'll give you some time to run up and gather a few things, let your superiors know where you are off to."

Linora sits down on the low wall, feeling an odd sense of deja vu as she watches the dragons in the courtyard. Didn't she /just/ do this?

Libby wiggles her way out of the dragonic grip she was on, managing to stand up without wobbling too much, and dusting herself down as best she can. At least she's in a little bit better condition than the sweetsticks... Finding herself alone apart from a wedge-shaped head before her, Lib turns to look somehwhat pleadingly at Char. "Me?"

Char nods, not in the mood for chuckling, though there is some mild amusement in her expression at Libby's predicament. "Very well, then. Get whatever you need, and I'll wait here for you. I'm sure Aztereth won't leave without you." This said, she looks around for her daughter. "Az, where's Syli?"

"Things? Oh! Things." Beyla bobs her head, virtually bouncing on the balls of her feet, shock being replaced by a surge of hyperactivity. "Ooh.. yes. Things. Clothes... hairbrush. Must have hairbrush. Get them now?" The ability to form complete sentences seems to have been lost to her.

Elle bobs her head to Beyla, even though her eyes are upon the sad, sad remains of her sweetsticks, "That would be best." *pout*

Things? It takes a moment of blinking before Libby realises that she's going to need to take stuff with her if she's gonna be staying at the weyr. "I'll be quick..." Apprentice mutters, turning as she speaks to dash off in the direction of the hall. "C'mon, Beyla!" Is called over her shoulder once she's crossed the courtyard.

Ashlyn lifts her hand slightly after glancing around for Orbit and finding that she's disappeared, "I could use a ride, if you don't mind. It'll just take a moment to get my things for my stay, since I'll only be visiting a day or two."

Beyla hears Libby's call and jogs a few stride to catch up with the other, pausing beside Linora briefly. "I can't believe this..." is hurried whispered to her friend before she scurries onwards, lost in a little world of her own for the moment.

Ashlyn scampers up into the hall and disappears behind its doors. Only a few moments pass before she bounces back into the courtyard, bag slightly more bulging than it was before and a jacket draped over her arm, gloves peeking out of the pockets. Less packing for her trip than for the others since she can just borrow what she needs from her sister when she gets there.

"I should hope so," Char replies to the retreating apprentice and then frowns when she sees her daughter's features peeking around Aztereth's tail. "What's that you've got in your mouth?" she asks, gesturing at the bulge causing the girl's cheek to protrude. "Syli.. what're you eating?" She storms over after the child and scowls when the girl runs. "Syli.."

Syli
Midnight lashes, long and full, brush lightly against the rose tint of pudgy cheeks, framing the slight tilt to large, expressive pools of storm-shadowed seas, deep-set in a round face. The narrow line of bowed lips is set off by a flat jaw-line and rounded, impish chin, dimples forming cavernous shadows against her bronzen skin. The lines of a diminutive nose, broad and well-rounded, leads to the gentle arch of full brows, a covering of dark hair curling against the dome of her head.
A long form, and slender, fleshed out by mother's nourishment, no longer bears the signs of a too-early birth. A buttercream shirt, long-sleeved and large to allow for growth, is bunched beneath the dark chestnut of a one-piece curduroy overalls. Miniature boots of a chocolate shade, adorn her feet, providing protection and warmth.
Syli is 2 Turns and 6 days old.

Libby follows Ashlyn out, but takes a little longer to return. When she does, there's a back pack slung over one shoulder, and shoulder bag hanging loosely at her other side. "I think I have everything..." Apprentive announces, slightly out of breath, as she strides back over to the riders and dragons.

Beyla isn't that far behind Libby as she returns, but obvious her packing needs took her a bit longer. Or maybe it was just fastening the bag, which is obviously bulging with clothes just stuffed inside haphazardly, as well as several other essentials, one or two of which, like hair brushes and clips, are poking out of little side pockets. She's definitely listing with its bulk. Not that it's heavy, just badly packed.

Elle smirks as she tucks her soiled stick into a pouch along Lari's straps. Dirty fingers push along the hem of her jacket to rid themselves of the dust and whatnot. But she does note the loosness of the ribbon. A quick count comes up short of a dozen, the original number. Shrugging her shoulders, she comes about as she hears footsteps, noting Beyla's reappearance and her pack. "Uh, let me just secure that... hopefully."

Syli runs around in front of Aztereth and over to Elle, wrapping an arm about the greenrider's leg and peering out at her mother, sweetstick protruding from between her lips. "Syli, that thing is dirty.. give it to momma." The child shakes her head emphatically and then smiles up at Elle, mischief dancing in her eyes. Char glares at the other rider. "This is all your fault, you know."

Ashlyn gives Libby a grin, "If you don't, let me know before Ali brings me back tomorrow, and I'll send it for you, alright?" Pack is adjusted so she can pull on her thin jacket over her arms. Not as warm as the 'rider's jackets, but it'll keep her slightly more comfortable that she'd be without it.

Beyla blinks at her pack. Well, a girl who's feeling so hyper she couldn't tell you which was was up can't really be expected to fold properly. Can she? "Uh... thanks." she holds out the bag, trying not to visibly show that it's not the easiest thing to hold. And failing, naturally.

Libby bites her lip as she watchs Syli run rings around the adults, then turns to smile at Ashlyn. "I'll try and remember... Thank you..." She blinks a bit, but she's not gonna cry. Lib's just kinda stunned at the moment.

Elle glances down at the kidlet and then across to Char, her doused mood suddenly enlivened at Char's problem. "I've made it my life's work to cause the sweet endulgance of our next generation. Sugar-tooth and all." Yes, the greenrider is finally beaming. Sliping from Syli's grip, the wobbles towards Larisseth with Beyla's pack in hand. "You won't mind if we loose a couple of things in between, do you?" Not listening for an answer, she attempts to fasten the pack to the dragon's straps. "Hopefully, that should hold."

Beyla pouts slightly, looking at the bag. But aaaalll her things are essential. Even the socks with the ferrets stiched on them. *ahem* "Well... no... as long as its not my hairbrush." That would just be the end of things. She has enough problems with her hair as it is without adequate grooming tools.

Char sighs, taking the girl by the hand and lifting her into her arms. She places a firm grip on the end of the sweetstick and tugs. "Give," she orders and, with a pout, Syli lets it go. "Don't look at me like that," Char grumbles at her daughter and then sighs, regarding the remaining two Starcrafters in need of a lift. "All right, whoever's riding with me, give me your things."

Elle chuckles faintly, "I'll let you borrow some of my stuff, if we loose anything." Beyla is given a quick look over, "Have you ridden on a dragon before? Been between?"

Libby offers her two bags in Char's direction, seeing as how Orbit went someplace. "I think I am?" She's not assuming anything. This isn't a joke, and she knows it, but some small part of her insists that it must be. Ashlyn gets a quick glance. She got rider kin...

Ashlyn holds out her small bag after first checking to be sure the clasp is fastened correctly. "This is all I've got, thanks," she offers as the bag is handed over. "Just a change of clothes for me, that's it."

Beyla stills her energetic bouncing for a few moments, biting her lip. "Ah... umm... no. I mean... I've been around dragons... well... one... when they've visited the hall but...I've never... ah..." The hyperness is quickly being replaced by nervousness. Not hard for her to swing between moods rather quickly, is it?

Linora decides there's no point hanging around the courtyard anymore. And she's hungry. "Seeya Beyla... Libby." She gives each a wave and a little smile. "Good luck and stuff." Then she pushes herself off the low wall and brushes the dust off her trousers.

Spray blinks in from ::between:: in a flash of silvery blue.

Syli is placed between Aztereth's ridges and the things, one at a time, are secured to the dragon's straps. "Is that everything?" she asks of her two passengers. She flashes a quick smile at Linora. "Too bad we can't take you with us."

Elle quirks an eyebrow as she nods to Beyla. "Well, there has to be a first time for everything. Larisseth will help you up. Use her foreleg... sit up there were the straps are and face toward her head. That way you can see where we are going. I'll help give you a boost."

"That's all for me," Ash replies with an agreeing nod, waiting with Libby for Char to get everything ready and give them the ok to mount. "Are you nervous?" she asks in a whisper, Libby-wards, offering an encouraging smile.

"Me?" Linora blinks. Well, the dragons hadn't wanted her. Why should the riders care? She gives the blue a long look before her eyes return to Char. "Um... yeah," she manages to say. Not sure how she feels about that...

"Pretty much everything I even own..." Libby answers, watching her bags being fastened to the straps. It looks quite high up there, at least to Lib... "Just a bit..." Comes the reply to Ashlyn, Libby being rather glad she's riding with her. "I think I'll be okay once I'm up there." As long as she doesn't fall off...

Char chuckles. "Maybe some day." She winks at the crafter and then turns to her mates. "Well, who wants to go up, first?" she asks of her two passengers and then shoots a dark look at the squirming child. "Syli, if you don't stay still, I will leave you behind, next time." This is enough to make the child still.

Beyla bits her lip as she takes a deep breath and steps to the required spot by Larisseth, smiling nervously at both dragon and rider, before accepting any and all assistance to scrabble up, with a few seconds where it looks like she's not going to make it to boot.

Beyla uses Larisseth's politely extended foreleg to mount the petite green, bestriding viridian neck.

Ashlyn gives Libby a shrug and nods toward Aztereth, "Wanna go first?"

Elle chuckles at the bit of scrambling that occurs, with Larisseth rolling from side to side to try to keep Beyla from tumbling off. "Good... Good. Thats it." Not but a breath later, Elle is following after, moving to sit behind Beyla.

"I'll sit in the middle?" That seems about the safest place to be, in Libby's mind at least. Order doesn't really matter to the girl, as long as she feels secure.

Elle uses Larisseth's politely extended foreleg to mount the petite green, bestriding viridian neck.

From Larisseth's neck, Beyla has a perpetual unnerved look about her now as she sits in place. No... she's not going to fall. Falling would hurt, be very undignified, and she's been close enough to the courtyard ground for one day. She looks about her for something to grab onto, but is apprehensive of clutching anything.

From Larisseth's neck, Elle maneuvers about Beyla, making sure the girl is connected quite securely to the dragon's straps. "There... everything is buckled. Go ahead and grip that ridge in front of you. No matter how tight you grip, Larisseth won't mind." Elle makes sure that she is buckled in as well, before rapping the green lightly on the side, then glancing back to Char and her group, "See you at the Weyr."

"Then I guess I'll go first," Ash offers, stepping forward and giving Char a grin. Having had practice with 'lauth before, she manages to scramble up to the blue's foreleg and finally to his neck without much trouble.

Char sighs, and gestures for Ashlyn to mount. "Okay, you go first, Libby second." She offers assistance to the crafter.

Char harrumphs as Ashlyn mounts on her own and then turns towards Libby. "Okay, you next." She offers assistance to the newly Searched candidate.

From Larisseth's neck, Beyla tries not to squeak as she grips onto the neckridge. Alright... we're quite high up here... much higher than she normally gets off the ground. Not that she has a problem with heights. She just has a problem with a lack of safety nets.

With the assistance of a proferred foreleg, Ashlyn ascends the lofty height of Aztereth's neck to settle comfortably twixt sky imbued neckridges.

Libby needs all the assistance she can get, being slightly fearful of where to put hands and feet as she attempts to get to a place she can sit. No looking down for this crafter. She's scared she won't get up if she does... "Thank you." Goes to Char when Lib eventually gets herself settled.

With the assistance of a proferred foreleg, Libby ascends the lofty height of Aztereth's neck to settle comfortably twixt sky imbued neckridges.

Larisseth rises to her feet, body swinging from front to back as first forefeet and then hindfeet take her weight. Head loops around once to glance back at Beyla, crooning a supportive sound. Elle follows that one up, "She says that she will take it slow and carefull... and if you feel sick, be sure to let me know. She can bank to the side to give you a clear throwing up venue."

Yeah... another time... Linora shrugs lightly and turns toward the Hold for a late breakfast... She spares a quick look across the courtyard at Cress, grinning to see that he's staring at the dragons as if he'd never seen one.

From Larisseth's neck, Beyla opens her mouth to start to respond, but apparently thinks the better of it, clamping her jaw shut. She won't be sick. That would just be too embarrassing for words. "Um... I will." is said after several moments.

Cress isn't staring at the dragons, really. He's staring at dragons taking away people he /knew/. To be candidates at a weyr, no less. Feeling eyes upon him, he turns his head to look at Lin, and gives her a crooked smile, and a shrug.

Char waits for the two crafers to get themselves settled before following them up Aztereth's limb to his neckridges. She turns, helping them to get buckled and, making sure that the straps about her daughter are securely fastened, fastens her own and then nods to Elle. "I'll meet you back at the weyr?"

With the assistance of a proferred foreleg, Char ascends the lofty height of Aztereth's neck to settle comfortably twixt sky imbued neckridges.

From Larisseth's neck, Elle chuckles. "I'll give you a heads-up before letting you know we are going between. Its pretty undescribeable. Just hold your breath and try not to panic. It only lasts for a couple of seconds. And before you know it, we will be at the Weyr." She glances to Char, snickering.

From Aztereth's neck, Ashlyn sits quietly from her current perch high above the courtyard, careful not to get in the way while Char goes about making sure they're nice and secure and ready for flight. "Don't worry, they'll get us there safe and undamaged. Ali says that Char was her hardest teacher, but that she's also the best." Assurances are offered to Libby, words spoken somewhat softly.

From Aztereth's neck, Libby nods at Ashlyn's words, trying to make herself feel safe whilst at the same time not wanting to do something wrong. She's never been on a dragon before... Not even Alymath. "It'll be fine. I know it." But that doesn't stop her sounding a little nervous.

From Aztereth's neck, Char laughs at this description of herself, having never heard it from the rider herself. She glances behind her at the two crafters and then warns them. "As Elle, said, I'll let you know when we're about to between so you won't be taken by surprise. Of course, if this is your first time, your /always/ taken by surprise." She has a chuckle to herself and then urges Aztereth to an area from whence they can take off.