Who

Renalde Tuli

What

Despite objections to the cold, Tuli cannot object to some time in the Mirror Hall.

When

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

Where

SBH- Mirror Hall

OOC Date

 

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Mirror Hall

Shadows dance and flicker from the stolen light of those who dare brave past the risky turbulence of the ice stream: stolen light, bouncing and reflecting at odd angles in this strange, winding way. Surrounding the path in surreality, sheets of translucent ice tower at every angle as the stream dives under the glacier proper and out of sight. The effect is having one's reflection constantly tossed back from all directions, a dizzyingly discombobulating phenomenon. Curves hide where this passageway leads, though a strange, far-off light seems to promise more room if only one continues to move forward. Careful of the step, here ice reigns supreme and only the most fleet footed walk without the devilish ice seeking to cause footfalls to stumble.

It is the forty-sixth day of Winter and 5 degrees. It's cold and dark out.


Timor: moon5.jpg
Belior: moon6.jpg


It's really damn cold out. On the other hand, it's less cold here than it was Between, which is where Elicheritath - newly cleared by the healers for light duties - just was. And by extension of Elicheritath, Tuli and Renalde. While the queen settles outside into whatever sunbathing the icy wastes will afford her, rider and passenger hustle indoors. Tuli is complaining, even as they do so: "Tits, couldn't we have founded a hold somewhere temperate?"

Hopefully Tuli won't question Renalde's sanity after this, as they are not about to go anywhere warmer than the outside. But damn it, he's been showing around and now that his leg is fully healed he's going to do it right. Which is why they've now made the slow trek out here through the snow to this particular frozen wasteland. "Just a few steps more." His voice is reasonable, though he taps very carefully on the ice with his cane, the exposed metal tip digging into the ice for traction, "I am sure you will find this fascinating." And cold, because it is cold. At the curve into what has begun to be called the Mirror Hall Renalde pauses, then shifts aside. "You may go first."

Tuli is already questioning Renalde's sanity: you can see it in her face. She must be terrible at poker. "Ugh. I'm wearing a half dozen dead animals and I'm still about ready to shiver out of my own skin." Cooooold. But she's gone this far, and so she will oblige Renalde by stepping forth. She might shoot him a dark look in the passing, but that's her own business. The grouchiness dissolves in an instant, once she sees the interior. "Oh!"

Don't look back just now, Renalde has a very satisfied smirk on his face when that 'oh' comes out of the weyrwoman's lips. He's proud of his particular retreat, even if his last trip here didn't end so well. Which is why he's entering very very slowly and testing the ice. Tuli shouldn't have to carry him out of here (she probably couldn't…). "Every angle is slightly different. Look up."

Never underestimate Tuli's ability to manhandle heavy objects around when the mood suits her. "Shit, this is beautiful." Disdain has altogether melted away. She steps further in with careful (rough-soled) feet, gazing up with wide eyes at the ceiling. "Ha!" A hand lifts: she waves at her distorted reflections, and grins a rare grin at the distorted waves back. The young woman glances back over her shoulder. "Is this natural? Or mostly natural, anyway?"

Renalde does take more than a little bit of delight in seeing others happy. "All natural. The best we can determine, the stream once ran through here and carved these from the glacier itself. Our bet is on volcanic activity. Touch them," he's going to encourage this while he takes a last pace forward to put his hand against the ice. It doesn't melt under his gloved fingers. Just smoothness, like wavy glass.

"Carved them? Like a canyon?" And that's the only geology fact she probably knows. A chance to get her paws all over this particular spectacle? Renalde doesn't have to ask twice. "Beautiful," the woman exclaims, again, as she runs insulated fingers over the gleaming ice. "Never thought a bunch of ice could look like this. We should hold a Weyr party in here, or -" A pause, and Tuli glances over at him again, brows furrowed. "Or would that damage the caves? All those feet moving around."

"Not here, but," Renalde leaves his hand trailing along the side of the wall as he carefully makes his way up. The light in his hands makes rainbows flicker though the ice, his own reflection peering out from many angles. "if you continue up this widens into a cavern even your Elicheritath could stretch out in. The way is treacherous though." A hint of wry breaks into Renalde's even tone, "my last foray into these halls ended with my leg broken."

"Heh, she'd love that." 360 degrees of spider. SPIDER ALL AROUND YOU. Still idly stroking the smooth wall, the goldrider shoots Renalde a look of bemused pity. "Oh. Right. Ice." Right. Of course. Hesitantly, she says: "I don't know if we can spare the people for a non-important project, but… if we did get some workcrews here, would it be possible to make it a safer route?" Her mouth twitches. "In the heat of the summer, these caverns would be incredibly popular…"

If Renalde as any less composed he would look aghast at the thought of a dragon pushing herself into the hole here. But no, not a flicker of changed expression. "It is on my list. I am going to suggest to the holder that perhaps a regular Ice Festival would be in order. When winter first turns into spring."

"That would be great." Tuli glances up at the ceiling, and more specifically her face up on the ceiling. She pulls a face, for the hell of it. It's like she's two and just figured out how mirrors work. "We sometimes had festivals like that at High Reaches, in Oldtime," the young woman continues, looking thoughtful. And, faintly, wistful. "Skating and a bonfire and all that. An ice sculpture contest." More wistful: "I once set the food tables on fire. By accident."

"I would hope you would endeavor to not set anything on fire at the festival." Renalde's tone manages to be light, and he is smiling at the woman for her remembrances. "Perhaps we can bring some of those happy memories here my dear. Having never arranged such a party your advice would be invaluable."

"No promises," says Tuli, cheerfully. She gives Renalde an amused look, but nods amicably enough. "You could talk to any of us Old Reachians - but I'd be more than happy to help figure out what to do with it." She looks thoughtful, tapping lightly on the icy wall with gloved fingers. "Just how big are some of these caverns, anyway? Any of them big enough for skating, say?"

Could Renalde really ask for anything more from Southern's goldriders? He levels a look at the woman, one eyebrow raising slightly. "There is just this one, and then the larger one further along. Perhaps there are a few caves more beyond what has been explored. There are many secrets which the Ice Fields have yet to yield forth." It's why he loves it so much up here. It's untamed. "As for skating, there is a pond, though it is not smooth."

"Then we must look into how to smooth out a pond immediately." Tuli looks terribly cheerful at the thought. Then again, it's probably not going to be her doing the real work. (Or maybe it will be; she doesn't shy from physical labor.) "Pity there's no way to get one indoors… as it were. People would go in for that. All the fun, none of the inconvenience. Aside from getting out here, anyway." She dismisses this last concern, as perhaps she might, equipped with teleporting personal transport. "But a pond would be good enough." The woman glances around again, and favors Renalde with a slight smile. "I know people will mostly come here for practical reasons - but there's no reason we shouldn't have fun, too."

"As you wish. At the moment we remain under the gies of the weyr." A slight smile, that's totally an invitation for the goldrider to make stuff happen if she wants. "We prefer to keep our indoors warmer. Tell me, have you visited our spring yet?"

"Um, briefly. When this," her broad gesture suggests she means 'the hold', not 'this exact place', "was still first being poked around at." Renalde may have even heard of the one time Tuli visited the spring. It involved roughhousing, and flasks being thrown at people. The goldrider strides (carefully) across the ice, expression cheerful. "I never have gotten a proper tour, though." A pause, and a guilty look at the cane, before she amends: "Although if your leg isn't up for it…"

Somehow that particular episode has managed to escape from Renalde's knowledge. Probably something about candidates deciding to NOT tell the person known to have a stick up his butt and a tendency for punishments involving MORE WORK that someone said they could break the rules. "I am at your disposal this evening my dear." He steps away from the wall towards the woman and offers her his arm. She might catch a flash of that metal tip on the cane, Renalde has every intention of being careful.

Wise candidates. "Wonderful!" Tuli's quicksilver smile lingers for a few moments, before she politely takes the proffered arm. If it's maybe a little so she can make sure he stays upright, that's her own business. "I haven't been down to see it since… well, since the candidates were here, and even then only briefly. I didn't like to leave Eli, after all. But I've been hearing the whole place is a beaut -" And the privilege of being a goldrider? You totally rank having a headman be your tour guide.

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