Xanadu Weyr - Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
Meira has constructed a spit over hot coals, and has a nicely roasted wherry turning slowly on it, while she is in fact kneeling in the sand and checking on the wrapped sweet tubers that are cooking in the coals. There is a table nearby with salads, fruit juice, and a bottle of wine, as well as spaces for the sweet tubers once they're done.
Having been dropped off in Xanadu by none other than Y'tan, and Honrith, Western's Bronze Weyrleader, and husband, Cordelia makes her way across the beach with all the hustle and bustle an aging woman has. In her arms, she carries a pie box, followed by an apprentice who sticks as close as he can, juggling a large jar of apple cider, spiced rum, and some meat rolls. You always bring 'something' to the table, even when invited. "Meira! It is wonderful to see you again!" She croons out to the other apprentice, sniffing the air happily. "My, that smells delicious. Here, I brought you a bubbly pie out of appreciation."
Meira jumps up immediately, glancing over at Cordelia and the other apprentice. "Oh, hi!" she says, flushing slightly. She runs over to help take something, anything, to the table. "Thank you, thank you! I'm so glad you could come." she manages a smile, though it comes out slightly stressed. She's fairly easy-going most of the time, but she's not exactly calm at the moment. "I, ah, hope you enjoy what I've prepared here today." she adds, before rushing back over to check on the wherry and sweet tubers. "Ah, just about done, good." she says to herself, as she pokes at the coals.
"With all the wild rumors the Aunties has been spreading about your cooking, I'm sure I am in for a pleasant surprise. I brought my appetite with me." Cordelia says, handing her over the pie, leaving the apprentice to continue juggling his things. Pledge hazing! He never should have chosen the Pie Nazi as his mentor. Settling herself down at the table with a bit of classy flourish, she clears her throat a bit. "You picked a wonderful place for a nice picnic. I always enjoyed Xanadu's beaches."
Meira blushes at that, and nods. "I just thought that it'd be nicer out than in." she says, with just a hint of modesty. "I have several dishes prepared, for a picnic, if you will." She grabs a pair of tongs and starts pulling the sweet tubers from the fire, placing them on an empty serving platter on the table. "I, ah, have several things, wait, I said that already, didn't I? Ah-heh." She moves back to the spit to get the wherry, moving that to the table also. "For a main course, pieces of spiced and roasted wherry, and baked sweet tubers," and she takes of the wrapping with a flourish, "still in their jackets."
Settling herself into place, Cordelia 'waves off' the young apprentice who practically has become a second shadow to her after he puts down the pie, and cider onto the table. Off with you! "Wonderful, wonderful. I am really enjoying the color scheme here, and everything smells delicious. I can not wait to dig in." She says, giving her fingers a bit of a flex, and crack, then starts to serve herself up on a plate. "So, Meira. Have you thought about coming to Western for a short period of time and training under me?" She asks curiously with a bit of lilt in her warm voice.
Meira smiles slightly at the compliments on her colour scheme, giving the table a brief look over to make sure everything is still as it should be. Satisfied, she turns to Cordelia, thoughtfully. "Well, I've been at Xanadu for the last four turns now, and I grew up near here." she nods, looking around as if taking in the Weyr around her. "But I joined the craft to learn new things, things that I would never have learned back home. Not that I'd have needed to, I guess, but it's good to know it anyway." she's rambling again. Finally she says, "I would like that, I think. More knowledge is always a good thing."
Popping in a mouthful of wherry, Cordelia chews thoughtfully to herself as she uses her fork to navigate through the tubers, and a bit of salad. "Mm." She says, swallowing quickly. "Good then. It has been awhile since I have had the chance to steal someone away home to Western, and teach someone a few things." As she eats, she scribbles a few notes down on a pad of paper as she goes, mostly in abbreviations.
Meira is quite curious, so she peeks at the paper briefly, before realising what she's doing and blushing, then busying herself with general arrangements on the table, nothing particularly urgent. "Mhm, would I have to leave right away?" she asks, frowning slightly. Well, the Weyr could do without her, as at the moment she's still just an apprentice, but perhaps she doesn't want to leave the Weyr right away. "I, ah, have a … friend. I should spend some time with him, before I go." A 'friend'? Really?
"Oh, you mean a boyfriend? Take all the time you want. I'm not planning on going anywhere, anytime soon." Cordelia says as she continues to eat through her meal, while working out a few more notes, much in the way of symbols, letters, and funky doodles. Possibly she'd be the only one who can really read her 'code'. "So, Meira. What do you want to do with yourself in life?"
Meira shrugs slightly, glancing to the food on the table. "I suppose I'd like to settle down and have a family, most of all. I grew up in a big family, I'd like to have one of my own some day. But I do love cooking, as well. I really don't know exactly which order to put those in, though." she frowns slightly, and shakes her head. "But I like the craft, I love to cook, and that I can do already." She nods very slightly at the boyfriend comment, "Well, kind of. I helped him out when he was a candidate in the kitchens." She looks a bit starstruck at that, that she was able to help someone who'd been /searched/. Despite four turns of Weyr living, she's still a hold girl at heart. "We're… close." she admits with a blush, though not quite boyfriend and girlfriend, yet.
"Well, boyfriends and dragons tend to put a career on hold, Meria." Cordelia says, waving a fork in her direction, which has a piece of meat stuck to the end of it. "But, its not impossible to balance the two. When Y'tan impressed, and I was left on the sands… oh… fourty-three times in a row, I just concentrated more and more on my craft, and when it dawned on me that I was not going to find my life mate, and with Y'tan being too busy to realize I'm alive for a good twenty years of our marriage, I just gave my all into my work." She pops the meat into her mouth, chewing. "But, you have potential, Journeyman." She says slyly, lobbing a knot in her direction.
Meira blushes, and nods. "I, ah, oh!" she stops suddenly, and grabs for the knot. "Oh!" she is quite shocked, although mostly happy. "Ah, thank you! I won't disappoint." she says, fingering the knot as if it might disappear at any second. It may 'just' be journeyman, but a promotion is a promotion, and this would be Meira's first. She focuses on Cordelia's words, and frowns slightly. "Oh, that doesn't sound like fun." The Y'tan-being-too-busy thing. "That must have been hard, not impressing, so many times?" she asks, frowning slightly in thought. "My, ah, friend, he only stood once, and was left standing. I've been trying to convince him to pick a craft, but he wants to try again, and again, and again…" she frowns, worried about her 'friend'.
"Well, let him choose his own path. You get searched for a reason. There's a good chance a life mate is out there for him. I really hoped I could have found mine. At one point.. I thought I did. Two of us girls left were on the sands. Me and Daiyu.." She says the name with a bitter taste in her mouth. "This young woman who always had an eye for Y'tan. When the gold approached me, I could feel my heart thunder in my chest… right up until it shoved me to the side and chose /her/." She says, then straightens up with a cough, and a clear of her throat. "Anyways, we make our own destiny, Meira. Don't let doubt rule you. You have a lot of potential to be a wonderful chef if you apply yourself, and I am more than willing to mold you towards perfection if gaven the chance. If you need to balance out your life with love, and craft, I am willing to accomodate."
Meira nods slowly, glancing to the new knot in her hands. "I… I think I need some time to think about it." she says, shaking her head slightly. "I should at least let my friend know. Maybe he'll find his lifemate, one day, but if he doesn't? Will it be too late for him to join a craft?" Meira asks, then shakes her head, "Nevermind, I don't think I want to know the answer to that." she says finally, hand closing around her new knot. "Ah, thank you again, I will give thought to going to Western. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity." she says, with a nod.
"It is never too late to join a craft. It may just take a bit longer to become a master in it." Cordelia says with a smile on her face, having finished up her plate during the conversation. "Your meal was wonderful, and I look forward to having many more with you." She says as she rises off the bench, placing the plate neatly to one side after running a napkin along it. There is a twinkle in her eye as she says. "Speaking of heading home. I need to go myself. Enjoy the pie." She says with a wide grin. "My son, Alvaren.. now A'ven.. bronze rider of Glyith in Eastern, made it. He won the pie baking contest last turn you know.. and he was twelve." There is a bit of pride in her voice as she snaps her fingers, causing her apprentice to barrel over with the pie.
Meira blinks at the pie, then says, "It's never too early either, by the looks of it." with a small smile. "I hope to reach a decision soon." she adds, as she takes the pie from the apprentice, and eyes it. "It looks like a good pie. Smells good too." she nods, "Pass my compliments on to the baker." she sighs softly, "I hope one day I have children half as talented."
"Well, Alvaren and I've only had each other for turns after C'ale, and Soriya both impressed." Cordelia says with a smile, then starts ambling back towards the waiting Bronze Honrith in the distance, who is probably agitated from being away from Y'tan for too long. "Take care, and let me know soon, before I snatch up another wide eye'd young girl to teach." She hints over her shoulder. "Good-night!"
Meira nods, responding with a simple, "Good night!" before getting to work tidying up that area of the beach, clearing away the spit and such. She's a lot less stressed than she was before, even if she does still have a lot to think about. She's actually humming now, humming a happy tune as she works, her journeyman knot stashed in her apron pocket until she can find time to attach it properly to her shoulder.
