Xanadu Weyr - Garden
An arch woven from the tendrils of a willow tree stretches overhead lightly creeping with ivy as one steps in from the meadow into this sanctuary of green. Cool gray flagstone carefully spaced enables a soft velvety moss to thrive within the cracks, and creates a single wide pathway that fluidly breaks off into two paths of stone once free of the natural arbor. It is a wonder this place, and meticulously tended from the way it seems not a single leaf is out of place. On either side of the main path expansive grassy patches are trimmed short and edged behind with natural tan colored stone selectively chosen to stack just right. Beyond these are a line of fine puffed shrubberies in vibrant green intermingled with flowering bushes of brilliant pinks varying in hue from the very light to the very dark, which causes the occasional snowy white blossoms of other scattered here and there without worry to simply pop out of the scenery.
Directly in the center of the garden is another wall of intricately stacked stone, this of muted grays, creating what from the air would prove to be a perfect circle. It's been set high for safety, but not so much as one would not be able to lean over it to admire what lies beyond, either standing or sitting at the smattering of benches whose backs are set every four feet along it. Flush to the ground inside it's protective stone outcropping, is an enormous twenty foot wide fish pond. Within one can glean the metallic glint of playful goldfish, the unhurried cruise of fat koi, and even a frog or three among pale yellow and white flowering water lilies and their thick green pads.
The trees surrounding the entire garden were planted to give the impression that they had always been here, not only lending to a rustic look, but also eluding to the beauty that can be found among the wilds if only one might just look for it. Species vary from the ordinary Birch and Pine, but the flaming red capsules of the Indian Shot to the robust orange spokes of the Firewheel tree suggest the spice of the exotic. The two paths leading away from the entrance have come full circle, wrapping around to meet each other on the other side, yet still continue on to the far left and right. One path leads off deeper into the surrounding woods, while the other wider; cheerily decorated with brightly colored slabs of painted stones.
X'hil wanders over to the garden, glancing around furtively. No-one saw him in the /meadow/ at least… He's already got his gloves off, shoved in a pocket, and he's tugging his jacket off as he walks. Or rather, sneaks. And then he'll just walk out of the garden and say 'I was here all night, honest!' … or something. Right. He looks around the garden, though he can't really see too far in, there might be someone, or someones, 'hiding' in the back. With the amount of time X'hil's spent in the gardens lately, expecting him to turn up here is actually fairly likely.
Thea stalks across the garden with her crossbow in hand. The thing is loaded and her finger is on the trigger. As she moves, she steps a bit gingerly although her gait is improving, she's still favoring one leg. She eyes every bush and peeks behind every tree. Seryth is relaxing in the Meadow and warbles a greeting to one of the dragons. Thea's concentration is broken and she glances towards the garden's entrance. "Oh, X'hil, been looking for ya." He's wearing his jacket? She frowns.
Cenlia is not here. No indeedy. But her flits are, the little bronze is guarding a sandy patch beneath a shrubbery and perhaps might be easily missed - that is, until he hisses. Loudly. At the two riders. The little flit is guarding a 'nest' of round pebbles and growling menacingly at the feet he sees. Cenlia's other flits are in the trees, and come swooping down to fly around the area and chitter happy greetings. But where's the gardener…? Well, she's much further back in the garden with Eledri. The two are mostly blocked by greenery, but it might be possible to see that they are wrestling a… shrubbery? It seems they're re-planting. At the commotion her flits cause, Cenlia acks and looks around, muttering, "It better not have come back!" But Eledri shoves his way out of the vegetation and peers at the riders, saying, "Oh, hello," Cenlia follows after him, muttering, "Shardin' thorns," and then sees Thea and X'hil and points immediately at the bronzer, with a, "You!" She does't seem to have anything more to add to that, so she turns to Thea, "Hey."
X'hil is at least not wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday, beyond the jacket that never ever leaves his side, that is. The benefit of keeping his weyr at Ierne meant he had a ready supply of clothes there. He grimaces briefly as he notices Thea, and shrugs his half-off jacket back on in one swift movement. Nothing for it but to pretend he /meant/ to be wearing it. Right. The little brooding bronze is noted with a scowl when the bronze starts hissing, X'hil's own brown Meredith hissing right back. The bronzerider carefully takes a step backwards, enough to stop his brown from hissing, though Meredith continues to growl. X'hil does his best to look confused and innocent at Cenlia's 'You!', with an almost meek, "Me?" in response, before nodding to Eledri. "Er, hi." Help?
Thea blinks at the loud hiss, "Oh, you again. No basket this time?" At least he's not dragging it anywhere. Stirring bush-like noises draw her attention and the crossbow comes up slightly, but she doesn't aim. Not yet, because she can't see what's making the noise. As Cenlia steps out, Thea lowers the weapon and nods, squinting behind Cenlia at the bush warily. She turns her head to look at X'hil in time to catch the grimace. Hrm. Her eyes narrow and she eyes the Weyrsecond with a bit of suspicion. "Have a nice trip? Seryth, move away from Kinseth just a bit, Dear."
Cenlia and Eledri move out of the shrubbery, leaving re-planted bush to fend for itself. Eledri eyes Thea's crossbow warily, and Cenlia eyes her flits, the four calming down and settling on a nearby bush. See? She's been training them good and proper! They miight have even been keeping watch. For something. Cenlia eyes X'hil curiously, "Where'd you run off to? Went back to yer weyr and you still weren't back. And one of my spades is missing again. Might want to check the blankets in the loft another time." But then she spies Thea's crossbow and grins, "Coulda used that earlier - had sometrouble in here." The gardener girl indicates the shrubbery, and one broken tree branch nearby.
There's a rustling noise from around the edges of the garden near the meadow, as though something is moving around nearby…
X'hil scowls. He just … scowls. "You honestly think I'd, I'd… /Shards/!" he honestly can't think of anything to say. It really doesn't look like he's slept at all, despite wearing fresh clothes, and he definitely seems antsier than usual. /Something/ is bothering him, clearly. But that may just be the stress of trying to sneak back undetected. He takes a moment to do a mental regroup, and goes right back at it. "Kinseth is more important to me than, than… than my own mother." Wait, bad example. "Than my own /life/!" X'hil finishes, crossing his arms across his chest and standing there, defiantly. Right. He smirks a little at Cenlia's innocent suggestion to go looking in the loft again, then scowls for no obvious reason. "I'll take a look up there later, let you know if the spade turns up." he mutters. At least he knows where the 'nest' is now. "Really need to chain that blue down. I've trained my other two, but he's … resisting." Bad firelizard, bad. He doesn't really notice the rustling noise, putting it down to wind or the like, but he does seem slightly more jumpy all of a sudden. Meanwhile, over in the meadow, Kinseth shuffles into a rather large barn, either because he was ordered to, or because he really feels he probably should. Ah, Kinseth, ever the responsible one, unlike his occasionally hot-tempered rider. 'He was such a nice boy…'
More rustling? Thea looks, but for now spies nothing. She replies grimly to Cenlia as she scans the bushes, "I heard. It's why I dragged myself to my Weyr and back with this-" she hefts the crossbow idly. "I'm also paying a visit to the infirmary to take care of that idiot ram once and for all. Those Herders are taking their sweet time getting here," she grits. Her gaze returns to X'hil and she casually tosses out, "I've heard talk that since no dragons have died, folks are willing to chance some germs." Oh, she's noticing his discomfiture, all right. "With at least two gals looking all over the Weyr and -not- finding you, I am wondering about you." She waits, toe tapping just a bit.
The rustling stops….only to be surplanted by muffled cursing in what is undeniably Shellie's voice! "Arrrgh! Get away you sharding thing!" Sounds like Sheepzilla is chasing the healer again, and soon enough, she bursts into the garden, the damn beast close behind!
The gardener girl raises an eyebrow a bit at X'hil mentioning his mother, but neither she not Eledri comments. At X'hil's comment about chaining the flit, Cenlia at least manages to look partway sympathetic. As if she can complain - her own midnight-blue Rogue is sitting not far off, trying to snatch a pebble from the growly bronze. Cenlia says, "Was the same ovine from the infirmary. Was… Chasin' Journeywoman Shellie." Cenlia grimaces, "Had us all treed, 'til Eled tried to wrestle its backside and then the dragon scared it off." Eledri blushes and mutters, "I was /trying/ to inject it with fellis." Cenlia grins at him, then just turns to watch X'hil and Thea. She looks momentarily confused. Did she just get X'hil in trouble? Um. Whoops? But no time to worry about that now! The moment Shellie appears Cenlia goes, "Ack!" and heads straight up a tree! Eledri follows, somewhat slower due to his sprained wrist. "Lookout!" Cenlia calls as she scrambles higher.
X'hil snorts, and shakes his head. "The Weyr's a large place, I've been here nearly four months, didn't even run into my own mother until yesterday." Right. Though, he has a point, the Weyr is a large place. Though his 'I meant to wear the jacket' ploy is backfiring on this pleasantly warm summer's day. Or maybe it's the strain of coming up with new excuses. But for whatever reason, he's beginning to sweat a little. He looks even /less/ comfortable when sheepzilla is mentioned, suddenly looking around as if it might pounce at any moment… Well, it might? And then there's Shellie's voice, soon followed by Shellie, /and/ the ram in question. X'hil nearly jumps up a tree, he's so startled. What /is/ it with sheep and confined spaces? Kinseth's already shown that he can't fit in the garden, though he is rather on the large size, even for a bronze.
Thea doesn't have time to answer X'hil. She drops on one knee aims and fires her crossbow at the ram. Alas, she doesn't anticipate the spasming muscles in her left fanny as she does this and it throws her aim off just a bit. The arrow strikes one of the ram's curling horns and deflects, zipping straight up into the sky. You know what they say: What goes up must come down. Well the arrow begins it's return trip to earth. Thea meanwhile, is stuck on one knee. There's no way she can leap to her feet, much less run or climb a tree. She just watches the ram come thundering on. "Oh shells," is about all she can say. It looks like either Shellie is going to get tromped on or Thea is going to take a hit head on.
Shellie is running for one of the trees as well. Unfortunately, this time she doesn't make it. She manages to trip over an exposed root, then falls flat on her face. And talk about wrong place, wrong time. The ram can't, and doesn't even try, to stop, and tramples over the healer, hard. Right about the same time, it goes from bad to worse, as Thea's bolt does come down, and embeds itself into Shellie's right shoulder!
"Get in a tree!" Cenlia calls down to those still on the ground. She mutters to Eled who finally gets up on a branch beside her, "Hope they can climb, an' don't you dare-" but whatever she was going to say to her brother gets silenced by the ram trampling Shellie. And the bolt coming down. "Shards," Cenlia mutters, and then has to grab ahold of Eledri as he tries to get back down to the ground to help the healer, "Eled you brandy-head!" The two wrestle for a moment, and then, there is a SNAP and both go tumbling to the ground with a cry, the tree branch they were on tumbling after them. Cenlia's flits shriek and take to the air, trying to alternately divebomb the ram without getting near its horns or pull Cenlia and Eledri to their feet. The gardener and her brother, though, don't move, although Eledri does groan softly. Of course, they're now on the ground too.
X'hil stares at the ram, then glances back to the clearing, with a contemplative expression. But, finally, he decides to stop being such a wuss, and actually /do/ something. He tugs off his jacket, rolls up his sleeeves, and waves the jacket in front of a large and sturdy tree-trunk, hoping to catch sheepzilla's eye. Right. He glances sharply away though when he hears a branch cracking, looking over at Cenlia. And, okay, Eledri too. "A-are you okay?" he asks, clearly concerned.
Thea gasps as the ram not only runs the healer over, but her own arrow hits the girl. "Shards!" She can't get up without help, so she grabs another arrow. She's about to load the crossbow, but thinks the better of it - Shellie is lying in her line of fire. As the ram comes on, Thea just freezes. The unloaded weapon is all she has and she lifts it club-fashion. She's fairly oblivious to branch-cracking and since she's staring at the oncoming ram, she doesn't see X'hil's jacket waving. That is, until the end of the branch that used to be Cenlia and Eledri's perch conks her on the noggin on the way down. The Junior just bites the dust and is still. Hopefully of no interest to the ram.
Shellie groans in pain, and doesn't look like she's going to be much use either. As the ram moves off of her, he looks around for another target. Cenlia and Eledri are spotted, and since they're on the ground and moving, they're fair game. A loud bleat, and he charges towards the gardener girl and her brother!
An 'uugh' can be heard, as Eledri rolls on his side clumsily attempts to shove his sister off him. He blearily gets to his knees, still groaning. The young man looks thoroughly dazed, and is holding his bandaged wrist close to his chest. He spies the ram, and his eyes go wide. Frantically he tries to get to his feet and drag his sister out of the way. Cenlia doesn't move.
The four flits shriek and attempt to aide Eledri, only getting in the way and likely giving Cenlia scratches all over her arms and shoulders as the little claws futily grab her clothing and the little wings beat furiously. The bronze flit, though, has had enough - he dives at the ram, gabbing hold of the woolly back and shrieking like something possessed. He can't get through the thick fluff, but he can make one hell of a noise!
X'hil blinks a little as the ram completely ignores him, and stands up a little straighter, perhaps slightly less afraid. "What, my jacket not good enough for you?" he taunts the ram, then frowns as Eledri makes a noise, looking that way. The jacket is dropped, and he runs to Cenlia's side, attempting to help Eledri move Cenlia out of harm's way, even through the cloud of firelizards.
There's no groaning coming from Thea. She's one with the ground at the moment. Her crossbow and arrows are scattered all around her, should anyone decide to take them up. But if she awakens with an arrow in her, there will the h— to pay.
The ram narrowly misses X'hil as he runs in, then turns, getting ready to charge again. A loud bleat, and here he comes, this time aiming at the rider. Unfortunately, as X'hil and Eledri move Cenlia, Sheepzilla's trajectory for this charge takes him right over the injured healer. As he tramples her again, Shellie screams in pain!
Eledri looks up at Shellie's scream, the young man's face pale, "Oh shards…" The computercrafter isn't doing much good for his sister, since he can only drag her with one hand, so he leaves her for X'hil to drag (Cenlia's not that heavy, but here's hoping X'hil isn't too out of shape, eh?) and dives behind the bronzer, going for Thea's crossbow and bolts! He grabs them and clumsily loads them, the fingers of his bandaged hands spasming in pain - unfortunately, the crossbow mis-fires before he actually loads it properly, and instead of shooting at the sheep, the bolt flies towards the bronzer and the gardener! Eledri gives a statled cry, dropping the crossbow in surprise, and, well, Eledri's on his knees, and so the bolt is coming in low…
X'hil doesn't even think, he just goes for the gardener first. If there's time, he'll rescue Shellie, and then maybe Thea. He suspects the goldrider was not totally fooled by his web of lies, so she's a little /lower/ on the list. Cough. When Eledri moves away, leaving X'hil to do all the work, the man bends over to pick Cenlia up and carry her, over his shoulder. The arrow hitting his butt is /quite/ startling, and he stands up abruptly, eye twitching as he tries to fight the pain long enough to move the gardener to safety. He makes it two, maybe three steps before he has to put her down again, and he just has to /hope/ it was far enough, as he can't seem to to much more than howl in pain right now.
Thea is blissfully unaware of all of this. Ramzilla's travels haven't brought him a-stomping over her prone body yet. Too bad she misses the sight of X'hil recieving his own injection of sorts. The Junior is still unconscious and Seryth is roaring from the Meadow. That ought to bring help running. You'd think the young gold would get used to her Rider being whacked unconscious by now.
Seryth isn't the only dragon roaring. A higher pitched, and very frantic bugle sounds, and anyone who can see the meadow may note that, among the crowds drawn by the screaming dragons is Rieselth. The green's eyes whirl blood red, and she's charging for the gardens. Sure, they're probably too small for her, but this time it's not stopping her. Shellie's groans have stopped, as she seems to have passed out from the pain…
T'maz enters looking to see what's going on in the Gardens due to all the noise."Whatinell is going on in here?" He was summoned by Dementh telling him to get to the gardens to help out.
The scene in the garden is… pretty awful. Cenlia is unconscious, and X'hil is nearby howling in pain with a crossbow bolt in his butt. Eledri is by an unconscious Thea, apparently attempting to learn how to use a crossbow and those scattered bolts REAL fast. Shellie is on the ground with a bolt in her shoulder and looks trampled… and sheepzills is on the rampage!
Cenlia's eyes flutter when she hears the howling bronzer, "Nwuzzaht?" She blinks, not quite seeing X'hil, but not quite seeing the ovine either. There also dragons roaring? "Gnaah?" is all she gets out before she has to close her eyes with a grimace and a groan. Eledri meanwhile is scrabbling at the grossbow again, this time pointed at the sheep. He cries a frantic, "How do you work this thing!?" before getting a bolt off. Unfortunately, his aim is o better this time around, and the bolt neatly skewers a tree. The bronze flit that had been trying claw the ram's wool out gives up as the bolt flies past and instead joins the three other flits in attempting (unsuccessfully) to drag Cenlia out of harm's way, shrieking at the top of their little firelizard lungs.
Thea just lies there on the ground with a large, broken branch near her head. There's no movement or noise coming from the Junior, but at least there's no blood oozing from anywhere, either. She may need transportation out of here when all is said and done.
X'hil is still sort of howling, but he's added hopping around and trying to grab at the arrow. But he can't quiiite reach it. Still, he's jumping aorund like his arse is on fire. "Get it out, get it ooout!" he cries, though he does manage to make it over to Eledri, /snatching/ the crossbow right out of the man's hands, or trying to. There's a struggle, and a shot is fired, though it's not clear by who. It zooooms across the garden, and X'hil watches in horror as it pierces his precious jacket, pinning it to the tree. "NOOO!" he cries out, falling dramatically to his knees, though he did manage to get the crossbow, at least.
All right, enough of this. To heck with the gardens being too small, Rieselth has decided to put an end to this. She takes to the air, and literally dives into the garden, head lunging out, and grabbing the ram. As always a dainty hunter, she makes the kill quick and bloodless, grasping at the base of the neck, and snapping the spine.
T'maz turns to the howling X'hil and Eledri."You there! Take him to the healers, and send a team of healers here now, for the Weyrwoman, Shellie and her over there.." He points at the firelizards, and yells,"STOP That!" Like that would really work on screeching lizards.
Cenlia gleeps or something. She makes a noise. There, she's alive at least. Eledri feels bad enough already, though X'hil's sudden crossbow grabbage took the computercrafter by surprise. When X'hil falls to his knees, Eledri looks even more guilty. The yelling rider doesn't help either. Eledri runs over to his sister, ignoring everything else. He spied a diving dragon and all… Eledri belatedly ducks over his sister, trying to shield the girl from, well, whatever. When nothing horrible happens and he finds himself still alive and whole, he blinks and looks a bit startled. It's at this moment that Cenlia comes to, and remembers the ovine. She flails and thrashes and whaps the young man a good one on the nose. Eledri yelps, and it's only then that the flits quiet and Cenlia sits up dazedly. Eledri groans, rubbing his nose and his side. Cenlia holds her heads and the flits croon and attach themselves to her shoulders. Right… healers? Eledri just collapses against the tree trunk, closing his eyes, muttering a, "Gimmie a moment, sir." He's probably not going anywhere under his own power anytime soon.
X'hil ignores T'maz, getting slowly up and then walking in a daze, a painful daze, to the tree with the jacket stuck to it. He pauses a moment, steeling himself against the pain of the arrow in his butt, then /jerks/ the arrow out of the tree, picking up and cradling the jacket as if it were an infant. "I'll fix you up, good as ever." he murmurs. He's lost it. He's bonkers. He's delirious with pain. Actually, that last one is pretty likely. He just sort of stands there. He'd probably sit down, but, arrow in the butt.
Shellie groans, starting to come to. She's very pale, and losing blood from the wound in her shoulder, particularly since the head of the crossbow bolt is still in it. Unfortunately, the shaft was broken off when she was trampled the second time. If anyone feels, she's cold and clammy, and has almost certainly gone into shock.
T'maz moves over to Shellie and feels her face. He puts his jacket around her."Hang on Shellie…" He looks worried at her but smiles to reassure her."I'll get my lizards to get some healers for you… and everyone here…" He then quickly writes "Help, Gardens, Now please!!! " a few times and hands the little messages to the firelizards and imagines the healers he remembers working in the Infirmary. A glance over at X'hil."Lie down- I'm sending for healers… and someone will eventually fix you…"
Cenlia is now on her knees, still holding her head and groaning, but seeing Eledri collapse against the tree trunk, the girl soon follows, leaning back beside her brother and muttering a weary, "Where's the ovine?" She peers over at X'hil, blinking and squinting, mumbling a near-incoherent, "There's an arrow stuck in yer butt…" That might be a question. Then again, her head is pounding, so she just closes her eyes and waits for the healers.
X'hil snaps. He just … snaps. He had already had a rough couple of days, and the current situation is not improving that any. "I CAN'T lie down! There is an ARROW in my BACK!" Riiight. Back. Suuure. Or maybe it's more of an 'upper leg' position. Cough. Butt. As to where the ovine is, he doesn't mince words, still in a rather foul mood. "Dragon ate it." is all he'll say. The only dragon here though, the only one that'll fit, is Shellie's green. His eye starts that twitching thing again when Cenlia mentions just /where/ the arrow is, and he nearly snarls at the girl, though ultimately he has to agree. "YES, and it is QUITE PAINFUL, ACTUALLY." Also, bleeding.
Shellie groans, and nods weakly, as Rieselth backwings to a landing in the meadow. Fortunately, someone had the sense to run and get healers even as T'maz was writing his note, and a small army of them runs into the gardens, carrying litters. The most senior, a Journeyman, surveys everyone, and runs first for Shellie, while another Journeyman sees to X'hil. A third, a pretty woman with blonde hair, checks on Thea, and makes sure she's at least stable, before going to look at the youngsters.
T'maz stays by Shellie."Looks like you'll be on restricted duty for a while I think Shellie…I'm definitely going to get some lamb for everyone in the next couple days for a meal for the infirmary, since Rieselth ate that sharding ram…"
Cenlia winces at the loudness and tries to nod, winces again, then just mutters a weak, "Should lay on yer stomach, then." Is she even thinking clearly? Probably not, and her headache's not letting up either. But at least there are healers, and Cenlia and her brother let themselves be carted off to the infirmary without so much as a whimper in protest. Okay, maybe Eledri whimpers a bit, that cracked rib not doing any better from Cenlia's flailing earlier. Cenlia does groan at the mention of lamb, "Better not be roasted, had enough roasted ovine chasin'…" Wha? She trails off, not unconscious, but she does look like she's going to be sick.
X'hil calms down only /slightly/ when the healer comes to attend to him. The man's face goes a little pale at the idea of lamb for dinner, though that may just be the blood-loss talking. He mumbles near incoherently, "They don't like it when you eat their children. Revenge, revenge, they whisper in the fields late at night, revenge." /Someone/ needs his head seeing to, apparently. The man grimaces a little at Cenlia's suggestion to lay on his stomach, looking more than a little ill.
The senior healer frowns, and motions for two apprentices, her face lined with concern. "Get her to the infirmary now, and get her a transfusion. She's AB positive, I believe, two units to start, and find Journeyman Witstan. He's the best surgeon we've got with her out of commission." The younger, blonde Journeywoman looks up. "We've got a concussion and some broken ribs here. She needs to go to the infirmary, Stat." As for the third healer, he can't help smirking, as he moves to work on de-arrowing X'hil's butt. "Nice one there, Weyrsecond.
Xanadu Weyr - Infirmary Where they, and their children, and their children's children RPed … for three months.
The infirmary here is intended for human care. It is spotless and smells of disinfectant, cots are lined up against one wall, a curtain can be pulled to give some privacy to the occupants of the cots if they so desire. A cabinet stands off against another wall, instruments and medications stored against when they will be needed. A couple of curtained off beds are used for examinations of patients and the treatment of minor injuries which won't require long term care. A desk with chair is just off of the doorway for the healer to sit and catch up on record keeping after a long days work.
T'maz follows Shellie and the people caring for her into the Infirmary."Is there anything I can do other than stay out of the way?" He moves to sit at the top left side of the cot Shellie has been placed on. One hand smooths at Shellie's hair."The nannies are going to keep the girls unless you want me to take them for a while Shellie…" He glances around at the others getting cared for as well.
X'hil continues his odd mumbling, "Ever choke on a sheep bone? They meant it, they did. They /made/ it happen. That's how they /kill/." He breaks off suddenly and /squeals/ as the healer de-arrows his butt, swiftly turning around to /glare/ at the healer, on reflex. He limps along to the infirmary, 'injured' jacket slung carefully over one arm, and refusing any kind of assistance. "I can WALK just fine." he snaps, though he's one of the last to the infirmary, just before the healer who is carrying Thea. His crazy sheep mumblings have stopped at least, the shock of the arrow being removed seems to have snapped him out of … whatever that was.
Cenlia's eyes fly open when the bronzer squeals. And then there's an odd choking sound. Is she trying not to snicker? Maybe… then again, her face is awfully drawn and the girl doesn't quite make it to the infirmary before being ill. Luckily, her brother's nearby, and she manages to puke all over his shoes. Eledri gives her a sour look, probably half-suspecting she meant to do that. But one look at her face and he's on his feet, trying to assist her. The healers, though, let him know in no uncertain terms that broken ribs are not something they'll let him carry someone with. So Eledri and Cenlia get to the infirmary, the shoes getting left behind at the door. Cenlia groans, squinching her eyes shut.
At last, the healers do get everyone, including Thea, into the infirmary. Shellie isn't put in the main area, but instead is immediately bustled off to the small surgical suite that, ironically, adjoins the office that the offending ovine so recently occupied. A new arrival, a tall, sandy haired man in teal scrubs, runs in, and follows her into the surgery, talking to the other healers in a low voice…
As they're taking Shellie into the surgery, Shellie's two older girls, accompanied by one of the nannies, a petite woman with dark brown hair, run in, and towards the surgical waiting area. The nanny carries Shellie's youngest, and shares the concerned look of both of the older girls.
T'maz moves toward the girls and gives them big hugs."She's gonna be alright girls, got to think positive." He looks toward the surgery.
X'hil groans as he flops forward onto a cot, and a curtain is drawn around it. There's a brief "Ow. Ooh. Ow." chorus, followed by quiet for a few minutes. By the time the curtain is thrown open again, the man is in a patient's gown, laying on his stomach, with a bandaged rear. And possibly stitches. He tries to get comfortable in that odd position, finally sighing. "Numbweed is the greatest invention. /EVER/." A young blonde woman appears in the doorway then, eyes wide. Her hand flies to her mouth as she spots the bronzerider, though it's unclear whether she's shocked, or hiding a snicker. She goes to his side, and he groans. "/Griselda/." he mutters, clearly recognising the woman. She seems to be about his age, maybe a little younger.
Cenlia is seen to, though she's not as badly off as her brother. Eledri manages to stay awake long enough to ensure his sister isn't dying, and then faints as the healers tend to his cracked rib. Cenlia stops groaning as it is explained to her that she is being prescribed rest. And maybe a painkiller. She looks grumpy about it though, muttering, "If I start collectin' rocks and making a nest, somebody better klonk me again." Her four flits, seeing she's okay, curl around her pillow and keep watch. Even the bronze appears to be silent, although the little thing keeps shooting anxious looks out the door.
T'maz talks quietly to Mareena and the girls, and scoops one of the girls up into his arms…The nanny says something too low for the others in the room to hear, and T'maz says barely audibly."Let's go…"
X'hil looks away from Griselda, probably not wanting her to see him like this. But she frowns. "I've been /trying/ to find you ever since I heard you were in Xanadu. /Four months/. Not a word, not a visit?" she asks, hands on hips. "Not even for your children?" … X'hil takes a moment to process this, his eye doing that twitching thing again. "Hey, uh, someone? Cenlia? Am I hallucinating?" he asks, desperately. "I haven't even /seen/ Izzy in three turns." he mutters. She's not here. Nope. Hallucination.
Cenlia is kind of busy holding her head and trying not to be sick again, but she does peer over when she hears her name. She squints. Is that X'hil's bandaged butt? It takes her a moment. There's a long pause. There might even be a snerk. Then she says, "If y'are, ye've got yer brains're in the wrong place." It comes out kind of garbled, but should be clear enough to be understood. And then the girl blinks, possibly realizing why he might be asking about hallucinating. Cenlia thinks about this briefly, and there's a slightly lopsided grin as the girl says, "She definitely said 'children'. Guess you can't foster me after all." And Cenlia rubs her head, adding in a surprised, "Thea must really be mad at you to go and shoot you in the ass." She's so articulate with a concussion, isn't she?
X'hil snorts at Cenlia, retorting, "It was /your/ brother that had the crossbow, not Thea. Talk to /him/." Er, when he comes to, that is. And then he just…. stares at Griselda. "I. Children. You. What." he says, apparently very confused. Griselda rolls her eyes, and pulls up a chair. "About nine months after you disappeared." Ah, so they were conceived while his dragon was chasing his mother's. "I had Grahil and Grahilda." She says, tilting her head at X'hil's bug-eyed stare. "Thought you'd react that way. Congratulations, /dad/." she smirks. X'hil strokes his pierced jacket idly, and frowns. "I. You. I. Two babies. How do I get two babies?" he rambles, blinking. Oh, he knows all right. "Wow."
Cenlia stares a moment at X'hil, "Eled?" As if she can't believe her brother could handle a crossbow. But one look at the bronzer's bandaged butt and it's obvious Eled couldn't handle the crossbow. Cenlia eyes her brother warily, possibly wondering what else he did while she was out. Then she hears the rest of what the woman says, and when X'hil asks about the 'how' part there is a very definite snerking noise coming from the direction of Cen's cot.
X'hil holds the jacket up, for some reason or other. It reminds him of his father, or of who his father /might/ be, though he's never told anyone that. Right now, his father 'might' have been shot in the back, by the looks of the jacket. Finally, he sighs. "I, I want to /be there/. For them. For you. In," there's a slight hesitation before he finishes, "whatever capacity." Cough. Griselda smirks at the last, and decides to have a bit of fun with it. "Well, I think I'd /quite/ like for them to have a little brother or sister or three." she teases, and X'hil promptly faints. Griselda snorts, muttering "Lightweight!" and scooting the chair over nearer Cenlia. "So. Hi. What're you in for?" she asks, apparently not ready to leave just yet.
Cenlia's still snickering when X'hil faints, and she peers over, asking, "He okay?" She's grinning though, and says, "Definitely a lightweight. Can't even hold three shots of tuber ale." Oh, she is never going to let him live that down, is she? At least, not until he gets drunk again. "I bonked my head on something," Cenlia says cheerfully, the painkillers apparently having gone to work, and then she rememebrs she has some manners at least and adds an introduction, "I'm Cenlia."
Griselda snickers, and shakes her head at Cenlia's question of X'hil's wellbeing. "Ah, he'll be fine." Then there's a pause, and a short bark of laughter. "Just /three/? Shards, that's not the boy I remember. He's gone soft!" she smirks. "Tell you what, when you guys get out of here, I'll take you drinking!" she offers, with enthusiasm. Never mind that Cenlia's only fourteen. And /this/ is the mother of X'hil's children. What a world. "Oh. I'm Griselda, but you can call me Izzy." she introduces herself.
Cenlia grins broadly at the idea of going drinking, and giggles a bit at the nickname. "So he's got kids?" the girl asks, snickering a bit more. "Better tie him down before he wakes up. He's good at runnin' off." And then she adds after a moment, "Sir Kinseth's the best getaway dragon on Pern." She rubs her head again, eyeing her brother briefly, mumbling, "Hope Eled didn't shoot anybody else. Am gonna be in enough trouble after all this. Thea'll find a way."
Izzy smirks, glancing out to the clearing idly. "Surprised Kinseth hasn't come barrelling in here yet. Well, he wouldn't fit, but you know what I mean." The bronze is still hiding out in the barn, trying to keep out of trouble. He is keeping a very close mental watch on his rider, though. If the man were in actual danger, the dragon would come. It's just a bit of blood-loss and a flesh wound though, hardly life-threatening. "But yeah, two kids. A boy and a girl, Grahil and Grahilda, twins. They're two turns and nine months old." she notes, with a certain element of pride. They're her kids too, naturally.
"Shards, he musta been Eled's age when ya had 'em. He been gone that long?" apparently, Cenlia has her brain on again, because she winces and mutters, "I'd've klonked him a good one if it was me." Then she adds, jerking a finger over at her brother, "Eled's got one he pretends he dun't know about." As if on cue, Eledri groans, stirring and rubbing a hand over his eyes. Cenlia lowers her voice and mutters, "Gonna be some show when he gets back home."
"Yeah, pretty much. /Something/ spooked him pretty bad that night, he … he just /thanked/ me, and disappeared." Griselda murmurs, still finding that fairly confusing. "Course, I went to see his mother the next day, and figured out /why/. But still. BAM! Out of there! No forwarding address. Gone." she snorts. "He's always been good about checking with greenriders after flights, but I don't suppose he even thought of me as, well, female. Beyond the obvious, er, impregnation, and similar… Yeah." So they'd been going at it a while, then. It's not like her to be so coy, she may be wondering just how much Cenlia knows about the subject. "/Pretends/? Shards, that poor girl." She's been there, yep. Although, X'hil genuinely did not know.
Cenlia snerks and nods, saying, "He ran into his ma again just yesterday," it was yesterday, wasn't it? Cenlia's still a bit fuzzy from that hit on the head. She smirks, though, "Was outta here like a flaming ovine." Yes, she did just say that. "Didn't get back later, either. Me and Eled went and checked his weyr, since his flit's been stealin' my spades. Showed up in the garden just now, though," and the girl frowns a bit, "Dunno what all that was about. Hope I didn't get him in trouble with Thea." And then Cenlia sits up slowly and looks around. Finally spotting the unconscious goldrider, the gardener girl frowns, "I really musta got klonked. Everybody was fine last I knew…" But then the girl shrugs and glances over at her still-woozy brother before continuing her gossiping, "The girl he knocked up is gonna be less happy when she finds out why he got kicked ouuta Landing. One day, she just ran screamin' into Sunny's and then had the babe right there." Cenlia makes a face, "And Eled was gone off to Landing by then, but I know for a fact he was the one tumbling-" But the girl is cut off by a very sharp, "Shut /up/ Cenlia!" Eledri removes the handfromover his face and glares at her. Hard. Cenlia shrinks back down in her cot, mumbling, "Sorry." Sorry? Bwuh?
X'hil mumbles something about harpers? What? Well, he seems to be coming to at least, kind of. Unfortunately, it was Eledri's voice that did it, so he misses the entire gossip bit. And Griselda certainly isn't going to repeat it, but she does frown at Eledri. "Shame on you! /Shame/!" she says, with a death-stare. Shame. "I, I had to look after two squalling babies, all on my own, because their /father/ was too scared to show his face at Xanadu, and I had /no/ idea how to reach him." she tells the man, unaware that X'hil is now staring at her in shock, having heard every word. "You have /no/ idea what that's like. My own father near disowned me." she continues, getting a touch emotional now. X'hil reaches out to pat her on the shoulder, since he can't really reach for a hug or anything, but it only makes her jump. "Oh, X'hil, you're …" she'd make a snappy retort here, but she honestly can't think of one. "…fine. You're fine. That's … good." Yes.
At the sudden death-stare he gets, Eledri starts blushing furiously, and then pales quickly, looking horribly guilty and horribly upset. Cenlia, curiously enough, is wearing a near-identical expression. Eledri actually scowls a bit at his sister once Izzy starts speaking to X'hil. Then, Eledri just turns his back on everyone, shifting in his cot and burying his face in his pillow. Cenlia groans and eyes her brother guiltily, biting her lip. She's going to pay for this later. That, or beat him up again. But since Eled is now conscious and ignoring her, she peers distractedly over at X'hil.
X'hil is still kind of staring at Griselda. Finally, he manages a hoarse, "I didn't know." But he feels just as guilty as if he had acted that way on purpose. The woman sighs, and shakes her head. "It's… You know now… I. I should go. I left them with Isabet, but she has a shift starting soon." X'hil's foster mother knows? At X'hil's confused expression, Izzy shakes her head. "She doesn't know they're yours. Suspects, though. She knows we were close." Also, their names are kind of a giveaway… "I… I didn't want anyone else to know, not before you did." she finishes. X'hil frowns, and says, "I'll… Anything you need… I'm here." And he means it. Griselda smiles a little, pecks him on the cheek, and is on her way, leaving a dazed and blushing bronzerider to peer curiously over at Cenlia. "What did I miss?" he asks, with a frown, not /really/ expecting much of an answer from the look on the gardener's face.
"You didn't miss anything," Eledri snaps, though his voice is muffled by a pillow. Cenlia glances over towards her brother muttering another, "Er, 'm sorry, Eled." The computercrafter ignores her. Cenlia sighs and repeats to X'hil, "Nothin'… important." She does mouth a slightly sheepish, 'you don't wanna know' at the bronzer, though, since Eled isn't looking. And then she glances back to where Thea lies unconsious and looks around a bit before asking, "What'd /I/ miss? And how'd Eled end up shooting you in the rear?" And then she straightens a bit and asks a little worriedly, "Where's journeywoman Shellie? She got…" Cenlia frowns, "Sir Kinseth didn't try to get in the garden again and eat the ovine?" She eyes X'hil a little fearfully, as if afraid of the answer. She still remembers the last ovine mess in the garden.
X'hil frowns a little, but lets it slide. He doesn't want to make a big deal out of … whatever it was. "Er, let's see… You and Eledri fell out of the tree, the … branch broke? I think? Um. It must've hit Thea, because it was on the ground next to her. It was all so crazy. I think Shellie got shot." he frowns, and tries to remember. "I went to help Eledri move you to safety, and he thought it'd be a great idea to get in some crossbow practice. Apparently my rear was a perfect target. Numbweed is /very/ nice by the way, have I mentioned that lately?" He furrows his brow, trying to think if there's anything he missed. "Shellie's green ate the sheep. Shellie wasn't looking so good. I think they took her away to surgery." He was too busy having his arse tended to to really notice much of the infirmary goings on. X'hil adds, in a mournful voice, "And my jacket got /shot/!" holding up the jacket in question.
Cenlia makes a face at the mention of falling out of a tree, mumbling, "Twice in the same day. Shardin' ovine." At the mention of Eledri shooting him and numbweed, Cenlia snickers. And there's a curious, muffled huffing sound from Eledri. He's either snorting pillow down or trying to stifle a laugh. Cenlia grins a but and looks relieved that it wasn't the bronze that ate the ovine, though she does frown and mumble, "Hope she's okay." She eyes X'hil's jacket, "Eled do that too?" And the girl peers closer at X'hil, muttering with frown, "You got shot in the butt /and/ the back?" X'hil did say 'back' earlier, didn't he? Cenlia can't recall seeing any blood, but she wasn't exactly that observant.
X'hil frowns at the jacket, and says honestly, "I don't /know/. I was trying to get the crossbow off of him before he hurt anyone else, and, it went off. Could've been either of us, or just a misfire, or anything." Wait, if he possibly fired it, he can't have been wearing the jacket, right? He coughs a little, and shakes his head. "I, err, was only shot once." he mumbles, with a blush. He was shot in the butt. As the bandage clearly indicates. But yes, yes he did say back earlier. It does seem less important now, to be quibbling over such things.
Cenlia looks momentarily confused, and mumbles a baffled, "Mighta shot yerself in the back..?" before she realizes the jacket was probably not /on/ him at the time. After all, wasn't he holding something when she came to? Maybe? Cenlia blinks and snickers a bit, "Well, 'least you didn't get shot somewhere…" she does pause there, "worse." What could be worse than an arrow in the butt? Maybe an arrow in the spine. Cenlia peers over at Eledri suspiciously, but then turns back to X'hil with a lopsided grin, saying, "Congrats, by the way."
X'hil tilts his head at Cenlia, rolling onto his side slightly, with a grunt. "I, I guess. Won't be able to /sit/ for a week, probably longer." he mutters, but, yes, it could /always/ be worse. The congratulations are noted with a wry twist of his mouth. "Uh. Thanks. I … think. Shards, it's been a rough couple of days. I… I need time. To process things." And heal. Ow. "You, er, you don't think Izzy was /serious/ about more kids, do you?" he asks, suddenly concerned. "It's not that I'd /mind/ the, er, prerequisite activity, but…" he frowns. "It'd be weird. We grew up together. She's like my best and oldest friend." Didn't stop him /before/, and, if he's /entirely/ honest, it won't stop him in future either. /This/ is why he impressed bronze, after all.
Cenlia snerks. Who needs to sit down, really? She grins at him, though, saying with evident amusement, "Mighta been serious. At least she didn't takea swing at you for runnin' off?" and then the girl shakes her head, adding, "There's a shot of tuber ale left in the storage cavern, if ya need it. It's in a box that says 'dried peaches' though I wouldn't try eating those. Taste like dried meat in sweetening." And she makes a face.
X'hil grins at Cenlia's offer of the ale, nodding gratefully. "I… Thanks." he says, drowsily, before mumbling something or other about sheep, and how if he /never/ sees another it'll be too soon, then his head falls to the pillow. Sleeep. Considering he disappeared off to Ierne and then got caught up in a flight, which Kinseth won, leaving the man in an even worse mood, lacking a partner, and returning home just before he turned up in the garden… Well, he really hasn't had a chance to sleep. At all. Hopefully he'll wake up tomorrow and find out it was all a dream… No? Not even a /little/ bit? Maybe a wisp of daydream? Please? Poor man.
Cenlia, seeing the bronzer faint again, snerks a bit more, and then edges over to her brother's cot, poking him in the shoulder and mumbling something at him. Good thing nobody else is close enough to hear - they'd never believe the apology she's making.
X'hil didn't faint, he passed out from manly exhaustion! Or … something.
