Who

Hannah, Nathanael

What

Hannah encounters Nathanael on a visit to the Ice Fields, which ensures that talks of adventures must happen.

When

It is evening of the first day of the second month of the second turn of the 12th pass.

Where

The Atrium, Ice Fields, Southern Mountain Area

OOC Date 18 Jun 2014 07:00

 

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The Atrium

This space is grandiose in more ways than one: huge and lofty, there are mezzanines far above, and stairs to get to them… and beyond, to the rooftop of the hold itself. A fountain commands this vast space, gorgeous and tiered, warm water running through it and a pyramid of black pebbles next to it.


Timor: moon8.jpg
Belior: moon8.jpg

-- On Pern --
It is 8:51 PM where you are.
It is evening of the first day of the second month of the second turn of the 12th pass.
In Igen:
It is the thirty-first day of Winter and 34 degrees. It is a clear night.
In Southern:
It is the thirty-first day of Summer and 99 degrees. The night is clear and humid.
In Southern Mountains:
It is the thirty-first day of Summer and 21 degrees. It's cold and dark out.




In the hour between sunset and true evening, where temperatures plummet, Hannah has found herself standing in front of the beautiful, tiered fountain of the Hold's atrium. Slowly, she slips out of the fluffy coat that bundled her tiny frame and steps closer, the reserve that has clung to her since the flight slipping to show a glimmer of true delight in her green eyes. Setting aside the coat on some bench or flat service somewhere, the former junior, now senior slips forward, tugging her gloves off to dip chilled fingers into the fountain's water. She's dressed a bit austerely, with a high-necked gown of dark green, almost black, sisal material. Around her neck, she wears a glimmer of a gold necklace with a gold dragon in flight. The changes are there since the flight: the loss of some of the youthful innocence, buried under the mantle of responsibility.

"Ma'am!" Nathanael's light tenor reaches out as he trots into the atrium from the stairs which spiral upwards into the rock and out of sight. He's tugging at his own coat as he hits the landing. An abrupt thought hits her, and he manages to pull off one of his gloves to actually salute the newly minted Weyrwoman. "How be ye ma'am?"

A voice pulls her thoughts from a fountain that's better used as a wishing well, Hannah's eyes turning to find Nathanael trots up in her direction. Her smile is soft when he salutes her, the aloof reserve bleeding away a little for the young seacrafter, especially since she has to look up at him. "You grew," she comments, remembering the last time she saw him. Returning his salute, she answers, "I'm well. Visiting the hold for the first time since…" Well, her flight.

Nathanael isn't quite bouncing, but there is a particular lightness to his step as he comes closer. He leans right over the side of the well, looking downwards into it. "'m jus' a li'l… hope ye dono' mind." While his voice has a hint of contrition in it, the bright smile on his lips doesn't at all. "Ye been able t' see much've it?" He waves vaguely in the general direction of everywhere.

"Why on Faranth would I mind? Children should grow, it's the way of things. You can't be little forever," Hannah comments quietly, though perhaps a nostalgic tinge for how he's taller than she is now. By more than just a smudge. Two inches. As in, more than one. "Not that much. I've seen some of the glacier," although that pulls a look of consternation from the woman before she buries it. "I was there when we discovered the hot springs and now this place. And the courtyard." She leans over and touches the water, wiggling her fingers. "This fountain needs fish." Casting a look at Nathanael, she brow-lifts. "A Candidate. That's a weighty responsibility. Congratulations." Nate, why he really is growing up.

"'s 'ard bein' small." Nathanael has had fifteen years of it, and well, by everyone else's standards he still is. He turns towards the fountain again, and sits down on the side where he can dip his hand into the water and cause ripples. He casts his glance to the water. "'s different ma'am. Not like bein' an apprentice. But… 's nice t' be home. E'en here 'n 'e Ice Fields. 's nice t' be home."

"It is hard being small," Hannah agrees, commiserating as a woman who's almost twenty-seven turns and who's been stuck being small her whole life. It's in the tilted smile that curves one corner of her mouth. Delicately, she perches on the edge of the fountain, and tucks the skirt around her knees. The dark color combined with the paleness of complexion and hair lend an air of steely fragility. "I'm glad. Candidacy is not easy per se, but it's safer than being on a ship." Or so she thinks. "How do you like it here in the Hold?" She doesn't even touch on the reasons why the Candidates are sequestered.

"Ships be safe! Jus'… gotta be knowin' when ye need t' no' be goin' out." Nathanael isn't about to touch the reason why the candidates are up here with a ten foot pole. Instead he nods, allowing his blond hair to flop over his yes. "I'm lovin' it 'ere Ma'am. 's a place like I ain't ne'er seen afore. 'e ice… 's somethin' special. E'en 'e hotsprings be somethin' what I ain't seen afore. Can I be tellin' ye somethin' ma'am?" He glances around, like someone else might be watching.

Hannah lets Nate's words wash over her, taking the young man's — no longer a child, what happened? — enthusiasm into her own heart. "The ice is incredible," she agrees, shuttering a glance back out to the cold of the courtyard. "I want to explore more," she murmurs, almost to herself. Shhh. Didn't hear that. "Of course you can tell me." Curiosity filters into the emerald green eyes that hold more than a hint of feral otherness now, a shift from before, marking her as different. Indelibly different. Yet, still that streak of goodness winds through, showing in the softening of features. "What's up?"

Nathanael's eyes are for the hold, and all the possibilities that it has within it. "E'en if'n I don't be impressin, 'm gonna keep lookin f'r places like this. Where people ain't suppose t' be, 'n I'm gonna be there anyway." Childish enthusiasm? Possibly. But it's a dream that has been growing in the teen, and only getting larger as his horizons broaden.

"An explorer's heart," Hannah answers with an indulgent smile. Though only a decade or so older, by rank and life experience the gulf between them feels more, etched in her almost nostalgic expression. "If you don't Impress, you'll be able to sail to all the reaches of the world. If you do impress, you'll be able to fly there." Which, by the sparkle in green eyes, is much, much more fun! "But promise me something?"

Nathanael's feet don't quite reach the floor, and he looks younger than he actually is, especially in his heart when he kicks them gently against the stone. "Aye. Figure… 's a good dream t' be havin." Her question draws his gaze upwards, and he reaches up to brush that hair out of his eyes again. "I'd be promisin' ye anythin' ma'am."

If Nathanael's feet don't touch the ground, Hannah is screwed given that she's not wearing Donatien's creations at the moment. "It's a lovely dream to be having. To see the world? Nothing is better than that." Especially when one is weighed down by duty. She's not donned a Senior Weyrwoman's knot yet — but it's coming. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, yeah? I'm beginning to learn the," her husky voice is woven of midnight and ruefulness, "value of being careful." A quirky smile is tilted his direction. "I'd hate to have you fall into a hole in the ice before you've yet to see all the corners of Pern!"

All the joys of being short? Sadly, duty isn't something Nathanael understands. Responsibility? Yes. Especially that which is owed to family and friends. But that weight is one which he probably won't feel for turns yet. Her warning gets a smile out of the teenager. "Ma'am… I ain't got no intention've gettin' hurt. Got stuff t' be doin 'n seein'. Already plannin' on explorin' 'e glacier, got rope, spikes, warm drinks 'n suff t' be keepin' safe." He hesitates for just a second, then reaches out to wrap his arms around the weyrwoman and hugs gently. He doesn't know this womanlike Bailey. "Got people what'd be sad if'n I was gettin' hurt. That'd be no good."

Hannah is resigned to being short, even if it does have the (sometimes) unwanted effect of everyone thinking you're puny. "Well now," she laughs, "That's the truth, there. You've got too much to be doing to be spending time getting hurt." His hesitation almost brings a brow-raise but then he's giving her a hug and gosh, who can really *not* melt at that? The goldrider's expression softens, much more reminiscent of a woman without the weight of the weyr on her shoulders. Gently do her hands pat his back, returning his hug tightly. "You'd have a whole weyr being sad, so you be careful and if you're going out on that glacier, you'd better be taking some supervision. At least while you're a Candidate," she cautions, giving him a warning look. "Preferably after, too, but you've been chosen to Stand for these eggs. If you get hurt, that's possibly risking a young dragonet's life." Hey, Hannah can play a little dirty to keep a boy safe, right?

Nathanael pulls back from the hug to look upwards at the weyrwoman. There's a rather uncommon hint of serious in those blue eyes, a glimpse at what he hides under inexhaustible good cheer and never ending energy. "I'd ne'er be riskin' no babies' life ma'am. Not e'er. Especially not one what's Ma'am Yules Desmeth's 'n Ma'am Bailey's Khalyssrielth. Got rope 'n safety stuff, 'n 'm gonna be havin' as many people comin' as wants t' be comin'. I ain't stepped foot int' 'e jungle since I was comin' bacck."

"Good." Hannah slowly nods her head and as Nathanael is serious, so is she. Letting him see the senior weyrwoman that lurks inside, in the fullness of green eyed gaze. "You've a good head on your shoulders, Nathanael. I think you've got a solid plan." With that benediction given, another slip of a smile is turned towards Nate, a more removed woman than before, but still one threaded with goodness. "The jungle," perhaps a tone of secret giving added to husky voice, "is a fascinating place, isn't it?"

Nathanael slides down from the edge of the fountain and stands up. His boots meet the ground with a resounding click. There he turns to share that smile with Hannah. "It ain't 'e sea, but there be somethin' special 'bout it. Ain't sure what, 'n mayhap… ye know, we ain't meant t' be knowin'. 'cuz then it'd not be as special. And 'e special ain't goin' away, e'en if'n I ain't allowed there no more. But… ye could be goin' ma'am." His gaze turns serious again as he turns. "Ye'd be safe, right? 'cuz… Ain't none've us'd be wantin' ye hurt neither ma'am."

"Isn't a glacier nothing but a sea frozen on the land?" Hannah turns 'round on the sea crafter with a grin that surpasses the reserve. "Perhaps you'll find ancient, frozen fishes, eh?" Brows tick upwards, before she turns her attention to the fountain and once again trails her fingers in the waters. "If you find bright fishes, maybe they'll get put in here to flash their shimmery scales where the water falls." Turning to Nathanael, she nods her head slowly, "I'm always safe. Especially now. You be good, now." Pitched low, carrying import.

"Ye're talkin' deep ma'am. All I be known 's that it's ice. Bigger'n me, 'n with a hole what is lookin' t' be explored." He pulls his glove back on, already feeling some of the chill from where he had dipped his hands into the water. "'m glad t' be talkin' with ye Ma'am. If'n ye e'er be needin' somethin' what I can be givin'…. jus' be lettin' me know?"

Gently flicking the water from her fingers, Hannah returns the gloves to her hands after drying her fingers off. Slowly, she stands as the quiet little interlude is slowly coming to a close. "Of course. With all this snow, you Candidates should play with ice sculptures for Bailey. Carve a little Khalyssrielth?" Does she tease, perhaps. Although, as with all things, the softness resides to reserve as she takes in the surroundings of the Hold. "I wonder what it will feel like when it's teeming with people," is halfway wondered, though she drops her eyes to Nate and says, "I will. Now, I'd best be exploring and you'd best get on with planning your adventuring. You tell me what you find, okay?" Maybe she yearns for stories of the adventure.

Nathanael's eyes fairly light up at that suggestion. "That be awesome ma'am! Mayhap we can be gettin' some've 'e glacier t' be makin' 'er! I'll be writin' ye a letter m'self. Or ye can be findin' me when ye ain't busy, 'n I'll be tellin' ye e'erythin' ma'am." It's a promise made. He actually salutes one last time before he's running towards the inwards of the hold, probably to tell the other candidates this most-awesome idea.

Hannah chuckles at his enthusiasm, endearing as the young man is, it sparks within her that restless, adventurous spirit of her own. Returning his salute, she nods her head and then before he's well and truly gone, she turns and makes her way across the atrium to the courtyard. Dhiammarath possibly awaits, or perhaps she's been infected by the sea crafter's enthusiasm herself. Either way, she slips away as quietly as she arrived.
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