| Who | Aaron, Regina, Erikkhan, Sara,Realilina, Taya, Nathanael |
|---|---|
| What | A Treasure Hunt |
| Where | The Smith Hall In Southern |
ROOM NAME
ROOM DESC
It was a relatively quiet day in the Smith Wing at southern, until a certain Istan Harper came to town. Drudges were gathered up, colleagues and friends too, and noise was birthed. The sounds of digging and talking and rubble moving can be heard. Erikk can be found studying the wall the excavation is taking place on. He seems distracted at the moment, giving brisk orders to a drudge or two on how to open the sealed hidey holes in the walls. A look of excitement is plastered on his face. The first painting found is on display in the room. (Look Hatching Mini Painting)
Aaron has sallied forth from his office for the occasion, not so much to direct as to observe. Familiar faces are given a smile and a wave, with a few hugs and handclasps. He's really just here to watch, since the painting and the hidey holes /were/ found by his newest apprentice. Most of the debris from the collapsed ceiling has been cleared away, and the space away from the area where the paintings were discovered smells suspiciously of agenothree, like someone was clearing away centuries of spinner webs and tunnelsnake dens by the most expedient means. ;)
Regina is busy digging at one of the holes in the wall. She'd been the one to find the first painting, and she'd been working hard at the wall since, unburying several sets of four hundred turn old art supplies and records and journals. All are neatly layed out on one of the LARGE tables she'd had brought in for the artifacts.
Sara is dressed to excavate, having chosen to do away with the dresses she usualy wears. She has found herself a place right in the middle of the bussle, chatting activly with a drudge as they pick carefully at the wall, tapping to listen for areas behind the wall where there is that particular 'thunk' tells them that there is emptyness… or treasure, beyond.
What else is an old rider to do when faced with the challenge of digging up the journeyman project of young Harper? Why, there's nothing to do but to show up and offer all the assistance she can, and so this is what Taya does. She works with careful, yet somewhat quiet, diligence, digging at a hole, taking care so as to not disturb anything that she should find.
Erikkhan finishes sending out orders, and then he's striding along the wall. He stops at Sara first, observing the work she is doing. He gives her a pleasant smile. "Exhilerating isn't it?" He grabs a brush and a digging tool and begins to work on his own section of the wall. He notices a drudge struggling to remove a small vase from a hole in the wall. "Careful there, not need to rush. be gentle." And then he's focused on the wall again.
Aaron isn't really much of a one for… delicate work, but hey, why not give it a shot. He moves over to the drudge working with the vase, and with a quiet word, sets it back inside the hole. A pick is produced, and there's shortly a significantly larger hole, which the vase passes through with ease. He takes it over to the display table and sets it down, then goes back to the hole to see what else might be found…
Sara flashes a grin at Erikkhan, but he is gone much before she can even begin to reply. Aaron's work gets a slight laugh as she pauses in her exploration just a moment, and she teases, "You know, a pick isn't /usually/ what one would think of using for 400 year old work." A dull thunk comes from her work-partners small hammer and Sara reorients herself on the wall. The pair quickly begin to hammer their way into the rock, moving oh so slowly to make sure they harm nothing that might be hidden behind the wall.
Regina continues to dig at her portion of wall for now. She's just starting a new hole, so she'll be busy for a while.
Taya chuckles softly upon hearing Sara's comment. "Generally a pick is not what one would use for 400 turn old artifacts," she states, before grimacing. "Bah! I call things created just mere turns ago artifacts," she feigns the crotchity old lady act for a few minutes before a smile stretches across her face.
Erikkhan seems to be focused on what he's doing. But he's soon looking around to see how everyone is doing. He sees Aaron helping the formerly mentioned drudge extract the vase. Sara and her partner are digging away,, as is Regina, time to see what Taya is up to! He abandons his hole and walks over. "How's it going over here?"
Aaron looks around at the comments, grinning softly. "What, it's just a wall. It's not like I've never used one of these before. Oh, hey, I found something!" Reaching into the hole, he pulls out "Winter is Music", or at least the remnants thereof. "Ooooh, Erikk, time's not been kind to this one." He carries it over to the table and lays it out, peering at it.
Slowly the hole that Sara and friend are working on is growing, and yes, it does look like there is a good sized cavity behind the rock. "I'm going to go see what Aaron found, be right back." The friend nods as Sara picks herself up and wisks over to the painting. To say time has not been kind is an understatement, and she stares at the painting for along moment before it clicks. "Shells! Erikk! That's the one you gave /me/!" She reaches out to almost touch the picture and pulls back, eyes staring at the scene. "How did it /ever/ get down here? I just assumed it was destroyed with… well, those bells!" She points to the bells in the picture.
Taya flashes a grin towards Erikkhan. "Making headway, Harper," she gives still smiling as she works away. she keeps her attention on her job, though focuses enough on the Harper so as not to neglect him. "I suspect you're rather excited at the prospect of finding some more of your paintings," she suggests before her attention is taken by the Smith. "Best go see what he found, Lad, another one of your lovely peices, hopefully not too ravaged by time," she tilts her head, eyes on the item that Aaron found. She momentarily returns to her work before her attention is drawn by Sara, and Taya finds it necessary to go and take a look. "Well, it look sas though it was a rather lovely scene, I'm sorry it's not been as well preserved as it should have been," the rider frowms as her eyes examine the painting, though she keeps distance enough for the painter, the paintee and the finder to thoroughly examine it. She lingers only a few minutes before she's back at her own hole, the finding of another painting seeming to invigorate her further as her speed increases.
Erikkhan nods at Taya. "I am." When his attention is brought to the ravaged painting on the table, he walks over. A sad look crosses his face momentarily. "Aye, it does seem to be the one I gave you." He picks it up and examines it thouroughly. "I won't be able to restore this…" He looks at Sara when she comments on how it got here. "It seems the remaining harpers did something to preserve some of the works of our time." He waves at the other artifacts that were found. "Perhaps they found this in your old rooms and moved it with the rest."
Regina keeps at it. The tap tap tap of her pick a constant noise in the room.
Aaron lets the two Harper's look the painting over, not really knowing much about the whole process, other then Erikk's pronouncement that it's beyond his abilities to salvage. Looking at the cubby where everything's been found, he notices that it's getting a bit clogged with Debris. "I wonder if any of the other Weyrs have similar stashes. Might be worth sending notes out to the Weyrleaders…" the big man opines, grabbing a shovel and starting to load a handy wheelbarrow with refuse.
Sara is walking slowly down memory lane as she stares at the picture. "I'm glad they did /something/. I just assumed from the wreckage of the hall that it was a total loss." She reaches out to touch the painting again, then pulls it back. "It's perfect how it is right now." Her voice is firm and she turns away to go back to her cubbyhole and begins digging again. The dust is enough to clear up any stray water that might have begun to gather at the edge of her eyes.
Taya chinks away at her cubbyhole, her usual fair of firelizards at the top of the room, under instructions to offer no assistance unless requested. The quartet listens quite well, though there's the odd adominishment from the little gold as one of her companions moves to flit towards the recently found painting, all sort of curiosity evident in the fair. Taya pays them little heed as her hole steadily increases in size. "I'm glad that your painting was found, Madam Harper," the elder woman offers in a quiet tone.
Realilina is just in time to see "Winter is Music" set atop the table and examined. "I hope I'm not too fashionably late," she says in way of greeting with a wry grin, offering Erikkhan and Sara nods and a small wave to the others. She pulls up the legs of the ill-fitting pants she brought for this excursion, brushing the sand stirred when her ride landed off of an old tunic stained with paint. "The pants I originally was going to wear we're so keen on staying on. I had to rummage through the stores to find something. What's that, there?" She stopped next to Erikkhan, looking at the remnants of the painting, then glancing over where the mini painting rests. "Well, at least we've found something! I'm surprised with even how good of shape /this/ one is," she said cheerfully, nodding towards the tattered one.
Erikkhan sighs and smiles at Sara. "I could always paint you another copy. I remember this one quite well." He sets the tattered painting down and sighs. When Lina enters he smiles. "Lina darling! Of course not! We're really just getting started. Come on in." He returns to his spot on the wall and begins hammering away at the stone.
Aaron has taken himself off to the side, scooping up debris and getting them out of the way….
A greatful look is thrown to the older rider, "Thanks." Friend and Sara are enlarging their cubby hole, and rubble rains down on the pair as the hole suddenly breaks wide open, exposing a rather large hold. Inside are several more old time objects, knife, bowl and way in the back a large square cloth covered THING. "Erikk! I think we found another." Carefully the pair reach into the hole and naviage the painting out into the light and together carry it to a clear section of table.
Erikkhan sighs and smiles at Sara. "I could always paint you another copy. I remember this one quite well." He sets the tattered painting down and sighs. When Lina enters he smiles. "Lina darling! Of course not! We're really just getting started. Come on in." He returns to his spot on the wall and begins hammering away at the stone. (re for lina)
Taya smiles slightly. "Ahh, see, he'll even paint you a new one, though it may never have the same feeling as the old one, I fear trying to mount the old one when it cannot be restored would only result in it's further degredation," she offers with a shrug as she continues to work her way through her hole, another person having joined in the excavation of this particular locale. Her companion, of course, quickly departs to see what painting Sara's found, pickaxe still in her not yet dusty hands, Taya continues her work, stirring up more dust as she goes.
Realilina nods at Erikk and gets to work, pulling her long hair back in a quick runner tail before grabbing an extra pickaxe. She puts her ear to a free area along the wall and taps on it with her free hand, listening to see if she can find any hollow spots. She spares a glance when the next painting is possibly uncovered, trying to see if she recognizes it.
Erikkhan gives up on the hole he's working on and hands it over to a drudge. He might as well just supervize and examine. He walks over to the table and sees the giant cloth/skin wrapped square. "Well, lets have a look then eh?" He stares as they place the painting on the table, waiting to see what emerges.
The knots on the cloth covering the canvas are brittle with age, so Sara and friend don't even bother trying to untie them. Instead they break the individual strands and pull the cover free of the painting to reveal the rotted wood, but otherwise intact painting.
Taya ditches her hole, again, and eyes the painting. "Ayla!" she squeeks in delight. Despite the age of the painting, she'd know that face any day. Taya then looks around and has the graciousness to blush. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle anyone," she mumbles before returning to her cubby. Though she still looks embarressed, a bright smile rests upon her features, clearly thrilled with the find.
Erikk's eyes widen as the blonde and her feirce dragon are revieled. A pained look crosses Erikk's face as it dawns on him just what painting this is. The painting is in almost pristine condition. The edges are feint and the frame is destroyed, but it's there. "That was my cousin Ayla and her dragon Jhakkarath." His voice is a little choked as he says this. He moves around the table, examining every aspect of the piece. "The frame is destroyed, but I can restore this one. You should put it with the other good painting." He points to the Hatching painting and the waiting painting stands standing around it. "On one of those stands there." He jumps when Taya exclaims about the subject in the painting. "Oh yes, I had forgotten that Ayla and you were good friends Taya." He looks sad again. "I miss her…" The brownrider had /not/ come forward with the rest.
"At least you have something to remember her by. I'm sure she'd be happy you found it," Realilina replied gently. Even with only being in this time period for several days, she was starting to acutely feel some of the losses. Finding a prospective spot, she put all of her athleticism (that is, all of none) into swinging the pickaxe in a way where she won't hurt herself. She manages to do it fairly well and proceeds to hammer away at the rock.
Aaron had gone outside with the wheelbarrow, and returns just in time to see the next painting revealed. He takes a look, then steps back as the drudges move it under Erikk's orders. Alright, yeah, he's feeling just a /little/ out of place here, but only a wee bit. "I'm amazed that any of these have lasted this long period, never mind still being recognizable…" He goes back into the cubby, avoiding swinging pickaxes, and starts to work on another obvious patch on the wall…
Sara brushes of her hands as dust covers them, wiping them on the gray of her shirt before giving her harper friend a hug from the side. "I'm glad this one seems in good condition." She stands there for a moment, giving comfort then goes back to assist her friend in clearing out the old things from inside the revealed hole.
Taya smiles towards Erikk. "I don't doubt that your cousin did her best to help keep everyone safe, Harper. She was a credit to riders," the woman states with a firm nod. "She is well missed, have no fear there. But we must remember what a wonderful person she was, happy memories," the elder gives. "Besides, I doubt she'd want us wheeping over her not jumping forward. Who knows how many lives she saved just by staying put," Tay nods with this, never stopping her work during her diatribe. A few moments of silence and the woman and her workmate drop their pickaxes. "We've found another one!" she declares as she reaches into the cubby and carefully pulls something out. It's wrapped in an oiled skin, this could bode well.
Regina hits an empty pocket in the wall and begins removing things. A sculpture of a dragon, a book of harper songs, two rotting wooden jewelry boxes (most likely filled with pretties) and several sealed clay jars.
Erikkhan is greatful for the comfort from Sara, but a winning smile is sent Taya's way. "Ayla never could stand being left out of the heroics." He laughs. "I hope she and her children made it somewhere safe." He sighs and then is completely distracted from depressing thoughts when Taya's exclamation hits him. He goes, without getting in the way, and looks over shoulders. Paintings are first priority, but he's curious about what else might be in the cubby hole as well.
Nathanael totters into the room, a picture of perfect consentration. He is carrying a rather too large for a twelve year old tray piled high with sliced fruits. There are many adults that Nathanael doesn't know, but he sees one adult he knows. "Mister Smith!" He calls out, voice still high with his age, "Them what was in t' kichen said t' bring 's here, you know where I'ma supose to put 'er?"
Realilina is chiselling away, still not deep enough to hit the hollow she heard. She firmly nods her assent at Taya's words, though her ears and eyes perk up as she sees the painting. "That one looks like it was well protected!" She places her tool to the ground and dances over her too-long pant legs to examine the new find. "Who would like to do the honors?" (re)
Taya grins at Erikkhan. "I bet they did, you'll find her descendants around somewhere, I'm sure," she gives with a soft smile as she eyes the currently wrapped painting. Which great care she removes the oiled skin. "Ooh, a Harper Hall painting," she declares as she examines it, before stepping aside, letting the harper's to it, of course. (re)
Nathanael is directed in the general direction of food and grins up at the smith, pucking up a piece of fruit for himself. "Thanke sir!" His attention wanders, to the newly discovered painting and his body follows suit. There are strange adults around so the seacrafter apprentice nods respectfully to each of them, "sir, ma'am, ma'am, ma'am," The painting is LOOKED at, and then the adults. "'s that some of ya'll?" His gaze drifts back and forth again, "If'n y' pardon me askin."
Erikkhan moves in and takes a look. The young faces of himself, Realilina, Sara, Sadaiya and Zaelara stare back at him. His eyes sparkle and his lips split into a grin. He looks at Sara and Realilina with good humor. "I can't even remember being this young. Those days feel like an eon ago, the jump forward aside…." he looks at Nathanael and smiles. "Aye, some of us here."
Her name has Sara abandoning the smith apprentice and finding her way over to the group surrounding the new painting. Lina and Erikkhan both get arms over their shoulders as she looks at the familiar, though much younger faces in the painting. "It's like a walk down memory lane." The small seacrafter gets a smile.
Realilina almost squeaks as she gets a good look at the painting. "We were so cute!" she exclaimed, and then after a pause, joked, "What happened?" She fingers trail just above the canvas, knowing better than to touch it. "I miss Zaelara," she says wistfully, with a deep breath and a sigh. Another one that stayed behind. Looking over at the Smith boy, she nods, "Indeed it is. Back when we were apprentices like you! Thanks for the snacks, by the way. Your name is…?"
After a moment of reminiscing, it's back to work with Realilina, slipping away from her apprentice buddies to diggy-diggy-hole and all that.
"Nathanael ma'am!" The kid's gaze turns to the work, peering at everyone who is hard. "Do ya'll need sum 'elp?" He looks curiously at all of the little things people seem to be pulling from the rubble. "i' looks like some real interestin' stuff."
Erikkhan laughs and meanders over to the food and samples some of it. Hopefully it makes Sara happy that he's eating, what with her worrying over him like a mother dragon sometimes. He scans the items on the table while he munches, examining other types of artifacts. "We'd love some help Nathanael."
Taya chuckles softly as she acquires some food. She makes quick work of it before nodding towarsd Nathanael. "Aye, Lad, the artist of at least a few of these paintings is in this very room," she offers to the boy before moving on to join her workmate on another hole, having now emptied the one that the previous found painting was in. Addressing Realilina she laughs. "I believe the several hundred turn forward jump might have something to do with it," she gives with a wink and shake of her head.
Regina having emptied her cubby hole, and being thouroughly exhausted from working, Regina gets some food and starts cataloging the miscelaneous items that have been found.
Sara winks at the little apprentice and slides back to the wall, hooking up with a new partner to shift though rubble. Erikkhan eating does cause a faint smile to come to her lips, but she hides it a touch.
"'n ya'll just found 'em! 400 years 's awful old." The apprentice sounds faintly disbelieving, and he follows the old dragonrider to pick up a tool nearby and begin taptaptaping at the wall, the perfect picture of industry. "'m I doin' 's right ma'am?"
Realilina says, "Well met, Nathanael," Realilina inclines her head, though she also groans at Taya's words, "Does that mean I'm four-hundred and thirty seven turns old now? I'm older than Veldara!" In a small lapse of decorum and pretense, she pauses to stick her tongue out at Nathanael. "'Awful old', my arse…" she mumbles under her breath. Their hole in the wall widened gradually under, by standing on her toes, she was able to peek inside. "I think we may have something in here!" She goes back to work with more zeal, wondering what prize will be uncovered next."
Taya flashes a smile at the lad before nodding. "That you are. Maybe there's another painting behind where you're working," she offers in a bright fashion. "And the names Taya, nobody's called me Ma'am in 400 turns," she winks before grinning. "If you're four hundred and thirty seven than I'm four hundred and fifty seven," she declares, cringing. "Let's just say we're all OLD…"
Erikkhan laughs at the chatter about all of their ages, and doubly so when Realilina makes the comment about his mother. "Hey now Lina, she was my mum after all!" He says teasingly. He's soon over helping Lina dig out her cubby in the wall. "There /does/ seem to be something here."
Sara is off, digging, working, all that stuff. A few trinkets are found here and there, and Sara's most recent drudge friend carries them over to the Smith apprentice for tagging and bagging.
Regina accepts the items from Sara's workmate and adds them to her inspection list. She's cataloguing clay jars at the moment.
"Ya think I might?" There is excitement in Nathanael's voice as he swings his just-a-bit-too-big hammer at the wall, creating a spiderline of cracks with each BANG. "Are you sure 'bout that ma'am? M' pa said he'd kick m' off the boat if'n I didn' give proper respect." There's a hint of worry there in his face, though maybe it is just focus on getting the hammer in the right place each time for best rock-crackishness.
Realilina stops mid-swing to smirk at Erikk, innocently batting her eyelashes, "What, don't like the idea of me being older than your mom?" She laughs, and with one last whack to the wall, is able to insert her arm into the hole and pull at the thin remaining stone. Some rubble clatters to the floor and her free hand covers her mouth and nose as a cloud of dust puffs up, which she still manages to inhale as she laughs at Nathanael's comment—or at least tries to, when she starts a small coughing fit. "Well, kid, we're not on a boat right now, so I don't see how we could throw you off it. I suppose we could try if you REALLY want us to," she winks at him.
Taya nods. "You just might. We don't know what's behind these walls, we just have to find a place and start chipping till it hollows out. If it's empty we move on, if there's something in it, we make sure the Harper's get to see it," she offers with a firm nod of her head as she continues to work on her slowly enlarging hole. "Your pa's a good man, Lad. But I bet if you told your pa that I said it was okay, he wouldn't mind one bit," is declared as she continues to work, before chuckling. "We're all older than everyone's mom's, well, sort of… anyone who's children came forward as well aren't older than their mom's…" she trails off, before out right laughing at Realilina's comment to Nathanael.
Nathanael is all sorts of serious as he continues pounding at the wall. "If'n you say so ma… Taya." He looks slightly confused at why all the adults are laughing at what the older harper had said. "M' pa is serious 'bout bein respectful." His hammer seems to be making a dent finly and breaks through the wall revealing a small hole. He focuses on making it bigger. A smell waifts out and he wrinkles his nose. "What's /that/?"
Erikkhan is not expecting the dust fall and inhales a bit, he coughs loudly and steps back to get some clear air. He tries hard to catch his breath, but every time he takes a deep breath he starts coughing. He's fine people, really, just give him a moment.
Realilina's concern for Erikkhan's wellbeing seems to be waylaid by her hand touching the unmistakable texture of canvas. "Don't die!" she scolds as she, with the help of a drudge, scrapes the remainders of the rubble away so the painting is accessible. Miraculously, despite the front only being covered by a thin cloth, it seems to be in almost good condition. Enlisting help once again, she's able to carry it over the the table and set it carefully down. The wood is warped and damaged, which is unfortunate, but as she uncovers the painting itself, she goes on enthusastically, "It's the party at Reaches! Is that me on stage? Remember, when the greenhouse opened? I never thought I'd see this again!"
Taya coughs slightly. "That, Lad, is musty, possibly four hundred turn old air that's been sealed in there. It is not a sweet smell," she offers before eyeing Erikkhan. "You going to survive there, Harper?" she questions before returning her attention to the little dent of a hole that she's working on. One of her fair (the blue one) flitters down to between her hole and Nathanael's, chittering at both rider and apprentice. Then the squack of the gold is heard, possibly telling the blue to return to his place, he doesn't listen. When Realilina pulls out another painting Taya stops to clap slightly. "This is turning out to be quite the excavation, you painted all of these, right Harper Erikkhan?" she enquires with an upraised brow.
Sara looks up when Erikkhan begins coughing, and drifts from her work to go pour a cup of juice to deliver to the harper-man. "It is good that this place has good air flow, or the bad air would get to all of us soon enough."
The finding of the painting only increases Nathanael's desire to find something of his own, but the hole he opens up is empty but for tatters of old papers that are so warn with age to be unreadable. He wrinkles his nose again then goes to begin hitting his hammer randomly another few feet away, and closer to the old rider.
Erikkhan takes the juice gracioulsy/ "Thanks." He says with a croak. "I think I'll survive." Holding a hank to his face to keep the dust out, he comes over to inspect the painting. When he hears Taya's inquery, he smiles. "That I did. Most of these were from my journeyman project. I'm amazed that someone took the time to try and preserve them." He looks the painting over and smiles. "Be delicate with this one guys, the painting is fragile, but I think I may be able to restore it."
Realilina beams at Erikkhan, "Erikkhan is quite the artist! Maybe that's why all the Harper girls went crazy, back in the day?" she teased, blowing gently over the surface of the painting and seeing if she could get any of the dust off. "I can't believe we're finding all these. I'm really surprised. I wonder if any more of my flutes made it through? I managed to bring most of them with me, but they're much more portable than paintings!"
Taya quirks a brow. "Aye, you've survived four hundred turns to unearth your own paintings, no need to keel over on us now, Lad," the rider gives with a light hearted chuckle as she eyes the young seacraft boy. "No luck in that one, huh?" she questions as her blue flies into the musty hole that Nathanael just opened up, before flying back out, do firelizards cough? This one appears to be. "Helpful bugger, huh, you'd think he could fly in there before you rummage around… see if there's anything in there and help us out a bit," she rolls her eyes before chuckling softly. "I kind of want to do some more excavating to see if there's more to be found."
Sara glances at the painting- it's not one she is familiar with. "None of my larger instruments managed the time," Sara says a bit sadly to 'Lina. "Master Alesa, Vezre and I found the smashed bits in what was left of the shop." More sad voice there and Sara drifts away from the bunch to her hole to continue working.
"Y' think they would?" Nathanael pauses just a moment to watch the blue firelizard pop into the hole and out again. "M' Trib ain't that big, mayhap he'd be able to see aught!" The boy brushes off his dust covered fingers and lets out a loud whistle. A few seconds pause and a young bronze firelizard swoops into the area to flit around the boy's head. "'come 'er!" The firelizard ignores the boy though, and instead chirps happily at the blue as if to get the 411 on all the dusty humans walking around.
Erikkhan sees that the painting gets put with the others and finishes his juice. Throat still a little raw, he looks around and goes back to the tables, analyzing and inspecting things with Regina. He doesn't want to be running every time something is found. So he'll stay here, and wait anxiously on future finds.
Realilina tilts her head at Erikkhan, inquiring, "Dust still bugging you? Do you need me to grab you something?" Her brow is slightly furrowed and there may be a bit of guilt there for placing the painting as a higher priority. She glances over to her hole, where a drudge is pulling out some little pots. They're brought over for inspection, and 'Lina removes one of the tops. A single whiff and there's no question about it. Her nose wrinkles and she exhales sharply, as if trying to get the smell out. "The turpentine still smells just as bad as it did 400 years ago," she comments, placing the little paint pots on the table. "Are these yours, Erikk?"
Obsidian chirrups in response, possibly giving the new bronze arrival the details of what's going on. Though he's quickly brought to order by the gold firelizard up above. She runs a tight ship, she does. "They might, well, I know Obsidian wants to," Taya offers, motioning to the curious little blue. She continues on her work, widening her hole to the point that she can see there is indeed something inside. She works harder at widening it enough before she pulls out her most recent find. With delicate hands she inspects the image before a gleeful smile alights her face. "Faranth," she mutters, before taking the painting to Erikkhan, handling it as though it's the most previous thing since her own granddaughters birth.
Erikkhan Erikkhan takes the painting, shaking his head at Lina. "I'm fine thanks. I'll be ok." He smiles at her and then looks down at the painting. "Shards and shells… look at that! It's none other than Taya herself….And Oty too." He laughs and then seriously begins inspecting the painting. "I think I can restore this. With time and care." He looks at how Taya is reacting to to the painting. "Would you like to have it when I'm done?"
"Trib! Get here!" Nathanael's voice is about as firm as it can be, coming from someone who just looks that adorable. The young bronze chirps once more at the blue then lands on Nathanael's shoulder to chirp annoyed at the boy. /WHAT/. Nathanel is about to tell the firelizard to try to go into the hole when he is distracted by the discovery of the dragonrider. Curiosity diverts him and he tries to get a look at the painting. "What's that ma'am?"
"Is that you, Taya?" Lina inquires, glancing from the woman to the painting and back again. "It looks like you were meant to find it!" She spaces for a moment, presumably on some philosophical retir about wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.
If Pern had Christmas, this would be what Taya as a kid would look like on Christmas morning. "Shards, I thought I'd seen the last of this, I'd left it in my weyr when we left Ista. Someone must have thought to move it. Maybe your cousin, Harper. Or perhaps Harpers went through everything and saved what they thought they should?" she questions, clapping her hands lightly as she not quite hovers. "Harper, if your willing to part with it again, it will have a safe home in my new weyr. "It's a painting Harper Erikkhan did of myself and my dragon, and my fair," she offers towards Nathanael and Lina, answering both of their questions.
Sara has been working in the background silently. She is starting to get tired, and the dust is begining to bother her throat. One last bang on the wall shatters it, bringind down piles of rubble to tumble onto the Harper who has turned rather inattentive. "SHARDS!" Sara yells as a rock hits her in the head, leaving a long shallow gash which begins to bleed.
Erikkhan beams at Taya. "Of course Taya! I wouldn't dream of keeping it from you. It is yours after all." He chuckles and smiles at Lina. "A lot of people commissioned paintings from me." The sound of falling rock and Sara's swear has Erikk's head snapping up in reaction. He darts over and tries to help her out of the mess. "You ok?" The hank that's in his hand is brought to her head where the bleeding has started. "You should be more careful Sara." His eyes are wide and full of worry for his friend.
"'s cool ma'am!" Nathanael seems to have forgotten the whole call-by-name instruction. The loud sound of rocks falling scares the samll bronze from his shoulder who leaps into the air in fright. Nathanel jumps too, looking over to see where the older harper is semi-covered in fallen rubble.
Realilina is fast on Erikk's heels over to Sara, ripping a piece of her old tunic off and pushing Erikk's hand out of the way to apply pressure to the cut on her former-mentee's head. She takes a deep breath, quickly mumbling a "sorry" to Erikkhan. "Does anything else hurt?" she asked. She held up a hand, pointing her index finger, "Can you follow my finger with your eyes?"
Sara reaches up to hold the cloth on her face, blinking as the dust settles around her, rubble piles up at her feet. "It's okay, I'm fine, just… Hey!" Her eyes focus away from Realilina onto the hole her unadvised wall tumble has cleared out. "There's another one!" She kicks at the rubble to clear her boots, covered in dust down from head to toe. She reaches in to lift out the Faided Gold Painting. One hand continues to hold the cloth which is quickly getting soaked with blood.
Erikkhan takes the painting from Sara and smiles. "Good find there dear, but let someone patch up your head before we look at this one, eh?" He sets the painting on one of the stands and walks away, they could all examine it together, after they were sure Sara was ok.
Taya cringes as she eyes Sara. "Ouch, you ok?" she questions. "Do you need a healer," the rider enquires, not even giving the harper time to answer the first question before asking the second. She takes a moment to glance at the most recent find, but she's a little more focused on the harper.
Nathanael sees that the adults have it all taken care of, and turns his attention back to his firelizard who is flying erraticly aruond. "TRIB, Git DOWN 'ER!" The firelizard dives and Nathanael turns his head to the hole he'd made in the wall, and whispers to the firelizard, who chirps with confusion.
Sara feels the warm blood as the cloth is quickly soaked. "I'm fine, just, ow?" She shrugs and steps away from the rubble. "Does anyone have something cleaner I can put on this? Aw, crap." Looking down at her shirt she sees spots of red. Does anyone know how /hard/ it can be to get blood out of a garment?
Realilina isn't entirely convinced of Sara's wellness, and tries to catch her on the shoulder so she can get her to hold still. 'How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand' and all that jazz. "Nathanael, can you grab me a glow, please? And YOU," she looks pointedly at Sara and dryly retorts, "will go sit down. I doubt anyone wants to have to scrape you off the ground." She lets go of her to pull over a chair and attempts to forcibly seat her "mentee" if she won't seat herself. "Also, that's cleaner than I looks. I did wash it," is her sheepish response.
Aaron had been called away on Urgent Smith Business, and returns to find… More paintings! And a missing wall! And a bleeding Harper! Shardit, can't leave some people alone for a few hours with sharp things and heavy objects. Walking quickly over to the scene, he watches Lina tending to Sara, and looks at the collapsed wall. Seeing the bloodsoaked rag, he ducks into his quarters, emerging a few minutes later with bandages and compresses. "Here, here… I keep a little kit for emergencies." Not that there could /ever/ be any bleeding in a Smithy, no! A thick compress is handed to Sara to holding over the bleeding, and the rag is taken and, noting it's bloodsoakedness, tossed in a refuse barrow. "Anyone mind telling me what happened?"
Tribute is about to duck into a hole that Nathanael has been trying to coax him into exploring when a VOICE OF AUTHORITY orders him to go get some glows. A large sigh is given, but he's quickly moving out of the room to go fetch like a good apprentice. Darn adults, they /always/ mess up the fun.
Erikkhan looks up in relief as Aaron comes to the rescue with bandages and what not. "The wall collapsed when Sara hit a hollow I think." He looks to Sarah for affirmation. He goes to the table and gets her a glass of juice and brings it back.
Sara has been forced to Sit and Be Administered To, slightly grumpy. "I'm /fine/. It's just a head thing so it'll bleed for a while." Erikk's explination is about right, "I wasn't paying attention and a mishit brought the hole stupid thing down on my head."
Realilina huffs, "It could be serious, though!" Her concern is perhaps a bit of an over-reaction, but what else is new? She clicked her tongue before instructing, "Close your eyes and put your arms out, palms up. Hold them there for a second. Okay, good. Where's that boy with the glow?" Smothered with LOVE! As Sara's head is bandaged up, Realilina nods curtly. "Thank you, ah… You'll have to forgive me, I missed your name?"
Aaron ahhhhs at the explanation, nodding. "I shouldn't have left, there's obviously some structural issues in the area…" He ministers to the headwound as Lina tests Sara's poor brain, looking up for a moment at the quest. "I'm Aaron, Smith Journeyman. Well, I am down here at least." No, there's no bitterness there at all. "Alright, I think that'll do it… Sara, who brought you down here?"
Nathanael ducks back into the room, holding a slightly used glow. "'er Ma'am!" He hands the glow to the harper woman and then trots back to the hole in the wall, and coaxing the little bronze to explore the hole that is just big enough for him to squeeze into. "Dun wanta hit it if'n there ain't nothin' there." He mutters to the firelizard.
Sara sighs and holds out her arms, palms up in front of her, and they shake just a little, the left drifting off to one side. "Seriously, I'm /fine/." There is a touch more grumpyness in her voice at the smoothering. To Aaron she names a random rider, "I'm just tired, it's been a long day, okay?"
Taya crinkles her nose slightly as she watches the goings on. "If you need a ride back, Harper, Otyliath would be happy to oblige," she offers softly. "Unless your ride is still here, but if not," Tay shrugs a bit.
In the background Nathanael has finally convinced the firelizard to slip into the hole to explore. A rustling is heard inside and a puff of bad air is pushed out and the Firelizard reappears chittering. "'e found somethin?" Nathanael doesn't wait and goes back to working on the wall, a drudge coming to help. Quickly they tear down the wall revealing another painting. "Hey! Mister Harper! I found 'un!"
Aaron hmmms softly as he watches Lina's exam, then shoots a glance over at Taya. "I was more worried about her going between with an open head wound, greenrider. How's a vacation at Southern sound to you, Sara?" He looks over his shoulder at Nath, grinning as the kid finds a painting. "Well, be careful with it and get it out here!"
Seeing that Sara is fine, Erikk goes back to examine the painting Sara managed to pull from the rubble. His eyes grow wide at the sight of it. He grabs a stool and sits on it, eyes only for the painting. He hasn't noticed that they found another one. His eyes are for The Faded Gold Painting and the black haired girl in it. After all, anyone who knew Erikk knew that the woman in the ppainting was his first love, and that the painting was his most prized posession.
With the help of some of the BIGGER people around him Nathanael manages to extract the painting from the wall and carries it over to Erikkhan who is currently ignoring them. "Mister? Ain't you gonna look at this 'un?" There is confusion all over Nathanael's face as the Harper completly ignores everyone else in the room.
Taya nods slightly, conceeding to Aaron's knowledge. "Undoubtedly right. If you're in need of anything from home, Harper, let me know," she offers before she moves to Nathanael's side. "I fear our Harper is a bit enamoured by this painting, Lad," she offers, watching the goings on at Nathanael's hole.
"Journeyman, well… prior Journeyman Realilina. Well met." Lina's brow furrows as she watches Sara. "I'm going to grab a healer, okay? Just to make sure everything's alright. Can you make sure she stays put, Aaron? I'd appreciate it." She offers a smile and quickly slips out of the room, trying not to eminate anxiety.
"I'm /fine/." Sara says again, but knows better than to try to rise with Aaron being the one who has been instructed to not let her move. The man is a TREE!. "I'd love to catch a ride if they," She rolls her eyes at the mother-hen pair. "Decide I can. IF not… could to pass a message to A'lory? I told him I'd be back tonight."
Aaron gives the female Harper The Eye. "I'm sure we can get a message back to him, if need be, Sara." He's in a fairly easygoing mood, since his friend certainly isn't seeming concussed. "What've you got there, Nath?"
Someone will probably have to shake Erikk out of his reverie. He seems almost mesmerized by the painting in front of him. He barely notices Nathanael and Taya talking. If he doesn't answer, don't be offended. Moving through time had been more of an adjustment for the harper than he'd let on. And as he swims through faded memories, it's hard for him to focus on the present.
Sara reaches out to poke the Harper In Charge. "Mister!" he calls a bit louder. "'e found another one!" He shoves the found painting infront of him too, to break his line of sight. People in charge shouldn't zone out like that.
Nathanael reaches out to poke the Harper In Charge. "Mister!" he calls a bit louder. "'e found another one!" He shoves the found painting infront of him too, to break his line of sight. People in charge shouldn't zone out like that.
Taya chortles softly. "Though you may declare yourself well, let a Healer make the delcaration for you. Until then I suggest we listen to our dear Smith's suggestion. But have no fear, I'll make sure a message is delivered to A'lory so that he's aware. "Our young apprentice here found another painting, see Lad, I was sure you would!" is stated like a preening mother hen.
Erikkhan is brought to the present by a painting of Sara being shoved in front of his face. "What?" He shakes his head and looks at Nath. "Sorry lad, I was lost in memories. What have you got here?" He takes a look at the painting the boy had produced and smiles. Walking up to the injured Sara, he twists it around so that she can see it. "Look here what the young lad found Sara." He smiles at her, this should distract her from all the poking and prodding.
Realilina sweeps in through the doorway, almost tripping on her pants and getting her own concussion. Thankfully, she manages to catch herself on a section of wall that still exists. A few shorts steps behind her is a very crisp Healer wearing a perfectly pressed white coat. Even her bobbed black hair has been primly combed into submission, though her listening tube is thrown around her neck rather haphazardly. The Journeyman Healer and Realilina, however, both have the sense to hold off on poking and prodding Sara for a moment while Erikkhan shows her the painting.
Despite the head wound beginning to throb, Sara claps her hands over her mouth. The painting staring back at her is clearly a much-younger Sara, hair shorter, no lines, and her favorite lute on her hands. She forgets the direction to stay sitting and begins to rise from her seat reaching out for the painting. Sudden dizziness hits though and the harper quickly sits back down, waiting for the world to settle. "Woah."
Aaron is already reaching out, and first to keep Sara in her seat, and then to steady her. "Where's that bloody Hea-" he starts to call out as he turns his head, only to see the poor woman standing there. "Sorry, Healer. Here's your patient," he says, stepping back and out of the way.
The naturally pale Healer turns a bit more so as Sara weeble-wobbles, rushing foward to her side in case she had to catch her. "Don't stand up, dear." Though Sara is obviously older than her, the term of endearment slipped off her lips naturally, as if it was drilled into her bedside manner. "I'm Journeyman Yoko. Can you tell me your name?" Let the questioning BEGIN!
Sara blinks as the world settles back into an even keel. "Ah, Journeyman Sara." She answers the Healer's question quickly, but her eyes are /all/ on the picture of her much younger self.
For fear of her own life, Realilina is slower to get to the Sara-centric gathering. She eyes the painting and then Sara, smiling softly and maybe even a bit sadly. "It's a nice rendition of you. I remember when you made that lute, Sara." 0And also WENT BEHIND MY BACK AND STOLE MY MAN ALA COSETTE little backstabbing apprentice!)
Erikkhan can't help but look concerned when Sara seems unbalanced, but, she answers the healers question, so he sets the worry aside for now. "It seems restorable too." he looks from Sara to the painting and smiles. "You look almost the same." He grins at her, obviously trying to get her to smile. An appriciative smile is also sent Lina's way. "Thanks for getting a healer Lina, that was probably the best idea." Not aware of Lina's inner thoughts, the extremely single Erikk seems to be cheering back up from his little episode with the Gold painting.
The slight Healer resumes the poking and prodding, attempting to shine glows into the eyes of the naughty patient, making her recite lists of words and follow her finger, all that nonsense. After a few minutes of this, she crosses her arms. "I'd like to at least keep you under observation tonight. I'll find a bed for you in the infirmary," Yoko briskly declared, tone brooking no argument.
Sara sighs as the healer pronounces her extended stay in Southern. "I had /hoped/ to be home tonight." she mutters under her breath. "Fine. Aaron, would you walk with me there?" Because she's pretty sure they're not going to let her walk herself there.
Aaron casts his eyes over the newest painting, and watches Yoko examine Sara. At the Healer's pronouncement, and Sara's question, he nods. "Of course I will. You know you didn't need to ask." He offers the diminutive Harper his arm, and the pair sets off for the infirmary.
Erikkhan looks around. all the weak, obvious spots in the wall seem to have been excavated. In total, eight paintings had been saved with only one being damaged beyond repair. A good haul. "Thank you all for coming, but I think its time to quit." He gives them all smiles and begins packing his things and the paintings. The rest he'll leave for the southern Harpers to fight over.