====January 3rd, 2014
====Eollyn, Zalara, K'vvan
====Pleasant evening walks turn somewhat confrontational.

Kitchen Courtyard
The domestic space of the kitchen courtyard is small, dusty, slightly over-grown, and practical. The focal point of the stone courtyard is a large well found directly in the middle. Turns have worn the once angled bricks to soft, crumbling curves about the lip, and a bucket always slightly damp is tied, secure, and ready to use at the side. Though a broom has swept here since last you passed through, it would appear the wind-borne dust has merely been heaped under the cobble-cracking shrubs of a stubborn environment that grow ever upward. A few benches are scattered around, but the feel is not comfort, for this small slice of sky and wind are saved for a kitchen staff always on the move.

Though autumn brings with it cooler weather, when the coolness of evening comes it is still a relief from the heat of Igen. Relief from the heat often means that people frequent the outdoors a touch more than they might have - even in this ever-cooling season. Eollyn is no different; although perhaps what IS different is that she is at the Weyr tonight, instead of down in the Bazaar. To those that know her, the pregnant Vintner's presence here is an anomoly, given her location is somewhere other than the Infirmary for a checkup. There is no purpose to her steps tonight, giving her the appearance; although perhaps illusory; of mere meandering. As she wanders, a hand rests upon her belly protectively, as if she suspects danger lurking in the shadows.

Zalara comes in laughing and chasing her firelizards as they play a game of chasing and grabbing at a thin short multi-colored rope. The two firelizards are chasing after Zalara who's got the rope and it teasing them as she pulls it through the air. They snap and fly around her trying to catch it.

The laughter of the child as she enters the courtyard catches Eollyn's attention, and the woman pauses for a few long moments to watch. A small smile crosses her face, and she tilts her head to the side a little, though her hand remains protectively where it is. Eollyn was already a bit of a mother hen before pregnancy, and with her apprentices, she's even more of one now. Though Zalara is not one of hers, she's still a child, and an apprentice, and Eollyn can't help but to feel a soft spot for the girl. "What on Pern are you teasing them with?" Her question is laced with hints of amusement, eyes crinkling slightly with a hidden smile.

Zalara whirls the rope around and she tosses it up in the air for the firelizards to catch the rope. "I'm just playing a game of chase with them. This way they can practice their chasing skills so I won't have to always feed them. They are pretty good at it." She hmms, "Oh I found this and was told I could have it. It's extra left over rope that they use in Thread practice to simulate Thread."

Eollyn smiles again, relaxing perhaps a hair with the child's playfulness with her 'lizards. "Seems like a very responsible idea. They'll be useful for ground sweeps during Threadfall, when you're…" She trails off, not wanting to insult the girl. "How old are you?" Pregnancy's definitely muddling with her mind, if she's forgetting about things like that. "My name's Eollyn, Vintner Journeyman." An additional query atop her other one.

Zalara nods, "I've heard others talking about training their firelizards. I'd like to do that, but I'll be on grounds crews helping too. I'm almost 13. It's nice to meet you. My name's Zalara, Apprentice Smith." She salutes before she grabs the rope from the firelizards as they start to tug of war at it, "Careful you'll break it."

Out of the kitchen walks a dragon rider, one who isn't particularly paying attention to where he is going. Upon his shoulder rests a bag, full of something. Only at the last second does he realize he is about to walk into someone and stops dead in his tracks, just inches from the pregnant vintner journeyman. Um. K'vvan clears his throat. "Journeyman Eollyn. You… look well."

Eollyn is part professional, part mother hen, and still five parts pissed at K'vvan (although some would probably argue that her pissed off-ness is really because she's just protective and mother-hen-ish). For a long moment, she doesn't even look at the greenrider, choosing to answer Zalara first. "I'm sure by the time it comes to that, they'll be wonderful at it." Her hand shifts, as if to protect her baby from the Big Bad K'vvan, and she levels a look that's not quite friendly, and not quite a glare at the man. "Wingsecond K'vvan." Her voice is almost arctic. Almost.

Zalara smiles and nods, "I sure hope so, but I don't want to lose them to Thread." She freezes as she hears the icy tone that the Journeywoman speaks to the Wingsecond. She backs up a bit and moves behind Eollyn a little bit so she's out of the line of fire. She does salute to the Wingsecond like a polite apprentice should.

Wingsecond K'vvan shifts just slightly under that gaze. But he has been meaning to talk to the woman, so he gathers himself up and puts his hands firmly behind his back. He would almost look like a cute little soldier if Pern had soldiers. "Ma'am, I had hoped to ask if you would rethink not allowing apprentice Mayte to see me. Our misunderstanding in the desert was an unfortunate oversight which I can ssure you will never happen again." And I swear I'll have her back by midnight sir. K'vvan closes his mouth on his practiced words and eyes the apprentice. It really is too bad there is an audience…

K'vvan's words roll off of Eollyn like she's a lake too busy being cold to take notice. Unlike a lake, however, Eollyn takes notice of everything, and snaps her eyebrows together tersely. Zalara's retreat behind her is reacted to almost as if she were her own, but that's merely the mother instinct talking. "I don't see a reason to rescind my decision regarding your presence near my apprentice, Wingsecond." Her words retain their frigidity; eyes remain narrowed on K'vvan like he's a madman with a knife. "I trusted you to keep her safe before; what makes you think I'll freely give you trust concerning her again?" Ten o'clock, kiddo. Audience or not, Eollyn doesn't seem phased by that, at least. Her eyes remain on the dragonrider unblinkingly, although she does divert attention from him long enough to say, "Zalara, go on ahead and keep with what you were doing. It's nothing to worry about." For the apprentice, at least. Because Eollyn bites harder.

Zalara nods a little bit to the Journeywoman as she's not about to get on her bad side, "Sure thing Journeywoman." She takes out the rope to start to tease the firelizards again. They seem happy to play with Zalara ignoring the Wingsecond. She does her best to ignore what's going on too. She knows when to keep her mouth shut and not say anything. She goes off running to get the firelizards to chase after her and the rope.

Well. K'vvan is mildly taken aback by the ice in Eollyn's voice. His eyes glance at the apprentice again, then right back to the journeywoman. If anything his stance becomes even stiffer. "I have no intention of being alone with her at any point. I would be more than willing to make sure there are always others about if…. only I could see her again. She… is very special to me." As in, one of my grand total of three friends and now that I know she doesn't hate me, I would like to see her again. A hint of that unspoken pleading edges into his voice. His eyes catch on the playful firelizards before he yanks them back to Eollyn's face. Please?

There's silence for long moments from the Journeywoman, her eyes a sharper green than normal as she remains intent on the rider's face. "If she comes to any harm, Wingsecond, I will hold you personally responsible." The ice in her voice hasn't relented, but perhaps it's thawing from the inside out, if she's relenting. "If she is going anywhere, at anytime with you, then you must make sure to inform me where, and for how long." Eollyn's stern Journeywoman stance relaxes a little then, because really. Such a stance is hard on a pregnant woman, especially one seven months along. "If she returns with so much as a scratch…" Eollyn lets that threat dangle in the air as her attention turns to Zalara and her firelizards. A small smile slowly crosses her face, and she shakes her head a little, without saying why. Perhaps it is simply seeing that children will still play, despite everything else. Perhaps it gives her hope.

Zalara twirls around with the rope and happily runs around the courtyard. She's careful not to get in anyone's away. Her brown grabs the end of it and jerks it out of her hand. Suddenly it's Zalara that's chasing after her firelizards as they play keep away with the rope. She does occasionally look over at the rider and the journeyman.

"Yes ma'am." K'vvan says smartly. Only then does he let his posture relax just slightly, his arms unfolding from behind him. "I will ensure that nothing harms her whatsoever, she will be as cared for as my lifemate." With Eollyn's attention turned away K'vvan is going to just take this chance to escape. He edges around the woman and girl a playing with lizards, to set his feet out as quickly as possible- just in case Eollyn decides to add additional restrictions on his time with her favorite apprentice.

Eollyn notices the dragonrider slipping off; she merely chooses to not care quite so much as she would have before this conversation. The day's heat and activities (and now this confrontation, too) have taken the edge off of the irritation she might have otherwise felt, in a way she'd previously thought only liquor could. "It was nice meeting you, Apprentice Zalara." The woman says finally, with a small smile, before turning to head off on her slow way back to the Vintner shop. Or wherever wild Eollyn's spend all of their time. And then quietly, just loud enough to say she said it, but not loud enough to draw his attention if he wasn't paying attention, "clear skies, K'vvan." Despite her recent ire with the man, it seems that she at least doesn't bear him long-lasting ill will - except perhaps still where Mayte is concerned.

Zalara smiles as she stops to turn to Eollyn to wave to her, "It was nice to meet you too Journeywoman and you too Wingsecond." She says to be polite and she goes back to chasing after her firelizards, "Come back here you two."