The Tannery

Nestled in a distant corner of the bazaar, you might be able to overlook the turn that leads you to the heart of the tanners quarters, but anybody with a working nose can't miss it completely. Vats of various odiferous compounds and hides in all stages of preparation dominate this open aired courtyard. Despite the smells, business must be done and various crafters can always be seen going about their daily duties.

It kind of stinks here, and the Weyrlingmaster has apparently come prepared; while she never dresses in standard Igen fare, she has a veil over her face now, covering her nose and mouth. Anyone who doesn't know her might think that that, along with the flowing skirt and neat blouse, might be a nod to local fashion. Anyone who does would realize she's saturated it with something absorbent that's carrying its own scent in order to avoid the scent of tannery. She's also in the midst of a discussion with an annoyed looking tanner journeyman, who is saying, "No, that's a third of our stock, you really can't have that much." Vosji makes an actual 'tsk' sound and shakes her head. "Please, don't make me take it to the weyrwomen. I require that much, that's what's enough for the current class considering the sizes of their dragons."

It's not like Doji is any stranger to the more astringent smells that can be found about the weyr, but even the experience of emptying literally hundreds of bedpans in the past has not fully prepared her for the smell of the tanners on a warm, but thankfully not too warm day. The brownrider coughs as she steps into the tannery and her eyes begin to water, but she still tries to hold it together and wordlessly takes a place in like. There's a blink as she recognizes the voice arguing with the journeyman and while the clothing might not compute in her head, the reason for all that leather does. "It's not like she's making an order for a single person. It's an order for thirty weyrlings plus more for the weyrlingmasters for demoing… and you should have been preparing for this for months." It's not like Rajakhelath didn't given them all plenty of warning.

Tanneries are definitely grosser than piles of bedpans. Even piles of full, mildly diseased bedpans can't battle this scent; Vosji likely wouldn't have had a strong enough stomach for bedpans either, but this is ridiculous. And yet she is exposed to it regulary enough!And … never gets used to it. Doji's feedback has the tanner looking even more frustrated, but he makes a huffing sound, throws up his hands and mutters, "I'll be back," and stalks off toward … wherever the tanners keep their records. Behind her nose shield, Vosji is smiling brightly; the gleam in her eyes translates, at least. "Hello, Doji, thank you for the backup," she says, amused. "It's always nice when someone else delivers the final criticizing blow like that. Means they hate me a little less."

Doji gives a nod as the tanner concedes and heads of, and then promptly wrinkles her nose. Not that it helps much with the smell, but it's more reflexive than anything. "It's not like you were asking for something they didn't know was coming. You're just asking him to do his job." She gives a bit of a shrug. "That you even have to ask is the real shame. It's not like the tanners don't know how quickly after a Hatching you'll be needing to make straps." And plus, there have been all those countless bovines slain for hungry weyrling bellies.

"It happens. This is not the first time. Do you know if the Weyrtanner's changed since your class graduated?" Not that Doji has any reason to know that, but Vosji thinks she might just because she knows things. Otherwise known as because she's kind of a nerd, but one of Vosji's favorite nerds. "Since I feel like this was something we had fewer problems with before." It takes her a momen of silent contemplation, looking off after the tanner who has stepped away and trying to think about things other than that it smells bad here and then remembers to ask, "And what actually brings you by, since I'm sure it wasn't joining me in being annoyed."

"No, It's still Daeven, I think," Doji scrunches up her face even more. Maybe it's the miasma of lye and other caustic nastiness makes her doubt her thoughts. "Although I could see the tanners getting a bit overwhelmed with how much hide is needed for a double clutch at once…" Even if crankiness is catching in the tannery today, she can at least give a benefit of the doubt for that. As for what brings her in, the brownrider unfolds a hide with a rough sketch on it. "Another large order that's probably not going to make the tanners happy, although nowhere near as large as your's. Trying to rig up a better way to move seriously injured dragons from the yard into ground weyrs."

"Oh, yay, they'll be so delighted to get us both at once," Vosji chirps cynically. "You'd think that what with all weyrling dragons eat they'd be pleased we were essentially paying back the supply, but maybe even with them pounding back many herdbeasts a day, it isn't quite balanced. But I can imagine double clutches are frustrating. This one isn't even that big as far as a single clutch ges, so." She bites the edge of her lip, thinking. "A dragon lift of some kind? Are you putting wheels on it, or having it carried by other dragons? Or … both?" Since it isn't as if a bronze on a wheeled stretcher mechanism could really be moved by people.

Doji gives a resigned sigh as she pinches the bridge of her nose with the inevitable headache coming on. "Maybe it's being around all this smell all day everyday makes them so cranky. How many air breaks do you think tanners get?" Not that it would help much since some smells tend to soak into every surface and these are definitely some of those smells. "Do the herders complain as much?" About the whole, weyrlings need all the supplies, no negotiations. As for her drawing, Doji gives a nod. "It's a lift, sort of. No wheels. More just something an injured dragon can hopefully just plop over onto and then two other dragons can help carry it."

Scrinching up her nose so clearly it can be easily noticed unerneath the scarf, Vosji says, "Yes. I could imagine that. It would certainly make me cranky." It seems like it's kind of already making her cranky, or at least more easily pushed to aggravation than normal. "They likely don't take any unless they think of it - because I'm guessing they're inured to it and have forgotten that the stink could drive anyone mad." It's Pern's equivalent of sick building syndrome, though Vosji doesn't seem to have much pity as she's trying not to gag. "That's quite a mental picture," she says, "but not a bad one. Sounds like it'll work if you can make your foundation very strong, which is of course where the prickly tanners come in."

"Speaking of…" those missing tanners, Doji leans over the counter to try to sneak a peak back into the stock room where the journeyman disappeared. "I think he might either be hiding back there hoping we go away or possibly going to come out with your entire order." All several dozen cows worth of leather of it. "At least mine isn't really an urgent request… as long as we can get the leather within the next month to start working on a prototype." Raktraeth would probably be more than willing to push the deadline out more because guess who is going to be volunteer number one to carry someone on it?

And Vazirynath is likely to be that eager healthy volunteer to ride on it before it's tried on any injured dragons. Iskanzivoth might also line up to help move it, but he'd only be any good carrying greens … "I wouldn't be surprised if he were hiding. I can't imagine him coming out with my whole order — does he expect me to be able to move it myself?" Vosji is going to be so pissed if she gets stuck with a giant cart full of runs of leather and not any help moving it. Not that she suspects Doji wouldn't try, but she needs a bunch of burly guards, not a small brownrider. "That's probably just my payback for being annoying and asking for something reasonable. I'm not going to wait that much longer in this odor … I do want to see that prototype, though, I'm just curious. Iskanzivoth likes that sort of thing. Innovation, design."

Doji might be tall, but it's definitely the lanky sort of tall. Not useful for hide carrying. "You could always threaten to have Iskanzivoth to land outside to help you carry them if he doesn't give you at least a couple apprentices." Because while the blue might be smaller than Raktraeth, he's still a dragon and the bazaarmaster would not be pleased with whatever damage would need to be done to fit his butt in the small courtyard outside. "I'm sure we can arrange for you to see it. Will probably have at least a small crowd." Mostly nerdy dragonhealers, but maybe some other nosy folks in the crowd as well.

Strong as they may be, more help would definitely be needed than these two. Vosji chortles. "Ha. Yes, that's an idea. He's always wanted to have a little look around this area." It would be so much fun! Iskanzivoth is all about helping, after all. "And he'd probably be pretty good at pulling something with his mouth through the passageways and stalls back to the training grounds and the storage sheds. Everyone would love that." The mental image still makes her laugh, though she's shaking her head all the while. "Small crowds attract me more often than not, I have an unfortunate nosy streak even in my old age." Yeah, she's not even 40. But the people she works with make her feel old.

Pretty good is definitely one word for it. Chaos would be another. To-may-to, to-mah-to. "Raktraeth at least isn't too curious…" That Doji knows about. We'll leave all the Dhazkyth-inspired shenanigans out of it. As for the old age comment, Doji just opens her mouth and shuts it before shaking her head and moving on. "I mean, it never hurts to inspect a crowd. NEver know when it might be something worthwile." Even this brownrider is growing more and more curious.

Why not both? Both is good. "Raktraeth might be a little traumatic even to a woven roof, which I think Iskanzivoth has managed. A couple of the stronger ones. I believe he tested it out a bit before putting his whole weight down." And since the owners of that shop haven't come after Vosji screaming, or sent Diem angry letters, they're probably okay … "It so often is something I want to see. Whether it's because of interesting innovation, or because it's six candidates getting into a big fistfight and I would have gotten called down anyway." At which point, Vosji coughs. Not because she's making commentary on the story; it's a genuine hacking gag-cough. The smell is starting to really get to her. "I wish they'd hurry up, which is of course going to make everything slower …"

"Just a smidge," Doji holds out her thumb and finger a tiny bit apart. Raktraeth is definitely a behemoth of a dragon. "You might as well save the headwoman's staff the trouble of tracking you down?" It seems reasonable enough to her. And the hacking is definitely a bit contagious. "If they don't hurry up, I'll probably have to come back another day. I should probably take a bath before heading out on sweeps." Don't want to offend the noses of any holders she might fly across.

"That would be a kindness," Vosji agrees, "And is why I didn't wear my leathers down." So the swingy skirt on a non-formal occasion is explained: it's linen, and it doesn't hold smells quite so easily. Leather holding the smell of freshly tanned leather can be unavoidable depending on the weather. "I'm pretty sure they're just trying to torture me at this point, and see if I manage to run off or throw up before they bring back the status of my order."

Little do they know, that Vosji has minions even if she gives up, not that Doji is suggesting that. The brownrider just gives a nod. "It really does seem like that. Or else there may have been some super serious leather emergency back there." She's not ruling out any possibility. "But I guess today wasn't the day to come after leathers. Maybe you can make an appointment with the weyrtanner? I mean, if you have a class to teach this afternoon?"

Vosji is nodding around her gag, trying to get herself to take a deep breath. Which she's been attempting to avoid, and while the deep breath does help, it's every bit as unpleasant scent-wise as she'd expected. "I've always got something to teach; it seems like teaching lessons to tanners may also have ended up on my list. Not that I have time." Nor would she encourage high-ranking prank wars or anything, but there is a passive-aggressive moment going down here for sure. "I'm sorry my hassle has gummed up the works on your project, though. Maybe I should send Aili back next time, she has a shrill yell. Or Miel if Ivaenth starts glowing." Vosji can escalate this with her minions. A nearby apprentice suddenly looks very concerned. And that journeyman? Oh, look, there he is again, finally, with a — note. Which he hands Vosji. It's an order receipt. "You can come back tomorrow, Weyrlingmaster," he says irritably, and then gives Doji a Look. "And what did you want?" Vosji crosses her arms, looks amused, and apparently isn't saying anything or leaving just yet. Because she wants to see how rude the guy is to Doji.

Doji sadly doesn't have any minions. She is the minion and so it'd a very surprised blink that she gives as the journeyman is back and she ends up getting a chance to place an order. "I need to get four dragonlengths of leather. Preferably sometime in the next two sevens." Doji tacks the last bit on quickly as she looks like she half expects the tanner to snap. And he's probably got all sorts of sharp and pointy tools back there seeing as it is a leatherworking shop.

The poor tanner does look as if he's about to start screaming at first, and when Doji adds the time, he … okay, he relaxes a smidgen. After GLARING at Vosji, since she's still here. Why won't the crazy needy woman go away?! Hasn't she stopped breathing yet? Actually, she's laughing a little as he relaxes, glares, then SIGHs and says, "Yeah, I'll put that in for you" and grumps back off to his office. It's a good thing Vosji hasn't been drinking, because she'd be a mess of giggles. Instead, she's just amused around the edges of her queasiness. "Right, so I'll have to hope he's not here when I come back. Tomorrow. I have a feeling he might take the day off." The rivalries that happen just because Vosji tries to do her job and somebody gets sensitive!

"Okay, and when it's in, can you deliver it to the dragonhealer's yard?" Doji might just be pushing her luck but with another epic eye-roll and sigh combo the tanner acquiesces. And another little order slip is presented and the brownrider slips it into her pocket. "I'm just glad that worked. I don't think my stomach could have stood to come back tomorrow." And it's a good thing the baths aren't too far away. Doji totally wouldn't judge Vosji for sending in Aili or Miel in her stead to fetch the order the next day.

At least the journeyman doesn't yell back 'if you're lucky.' That would have totally figured too. Vosji probably will send someone else, since she will spend the next day breathing from a mug of hot tea. The weyrlings she's working with for the afternoon at least won't have to smell her hair in its current state, because she won't tolerate it either. "Nice try," she tells Doji fondly. "He didn't kill you. He hasn't stabbed either of us. Enjoy your bath, as best you can considering the circumstances," she says a bit enviously, but she's got some other things she has to do before she can purge the Eau de Tannery from her hair and skin. Her escape is back to her office, though soon enough that bath will be hers as well.