Thank Faranth for small blessings: the last few days have been simply beautiful in the desert Weyr since the last sandstorm has scoured everything raw. The rhythmic music of a hammer rings out across the fringes of the caravan grounds. One of the wagons has been relocated some distance away from its brethren and sistern. Next to the snug and sturdy wagon, a small portable forge populated by a lone smith who alternates between pumping the bellows and working the metal on his anvil with measured strokes.

It's like a breath of fresh air to be able to wander as you please. Though perhaps not as freely as she might like… Selaine will take what she can get. Especially now that she's allowed to leave the barracks for longer periods of time. It also gives her a chance to explore, something she was not able to do since her Candidacy had taken away much of her free time. Stolling into the Caravan Grounds, bright blue eyes gaze about with curiosity. Her feet lead her to the sounds of the hammer, where a young man is working away by himself. Fascinated, she watches him work without so much as a peep.

And work he does, for some time before looking up to see that he has an audience. Bright teeth flash in a smile made brighter for the grime covering his face. Crowsfeet crinkle, webbing clean from runnels of sweat, fanning merrily from twinkling eyes. A breeze flirts past the wagon, fluttering mussed hair and the young smith breathes deep a lungful of fresh air, before turning back to the wandering weyrling, "Evening, Miss." Eager eyes take in the knot and the uniform, peering around, craning a bit to look beyond the slim girl, "Where's your 'mate?"

Eager eyes watch every moment the smith makes, watching his arms as they move deftly about. Selaine hardly notices how much time goes by before said smith finally looks up at her. There's a small blush at the sudden smile. "Oh! Good evening." she replies, composing herself. "She's asleep, currently." there's a shy smile. "I apologize if I'm bothering you… I'll be on my way if you'd prefer."

The smile is modulated only slightly at news that the dragonet wasn't nearby and Finn's gaze drops, considering the tong-held metal before him. He rests his hammer in its cradle and moves to the bellows, holding the cooling orange metal in the forge while he fires the flames with pumps on a vaned leather contraption. "Asleep, huh? Do they sleep a lot?" Like kittens. Or babies. His eyebrows go up at her worry she's interrupting, "Not at all, I could use the company," he looks up again, a brief flick of eyes that move quickly back down to the metal held in the blazing forge mouth. "I'm Finn," he tosses his head to indicate the direction of the wagons some distance off, "Of the Reika. What brings you out this way?"

When he says she's not being a bother, Selaine's expression brightens considerably. "Oh, right. I'm Selaine, a weyrling, as you've noticed." she replies, grinning now. "And yes, they sleep lots." she adds. "And I was just exploring. I haven't been over this way yet since I've arrived at the weyr so I wanted to look around." Selaine tells him, coming just a little bit closer.

"Well met, Selaine!" Finn bellows while working the bellows, "Who's your mate?" Because it's always gonna come around to the dragons with Finn. His eyes dip down to an imagined line on the ground that he'll stop Selaine at if she gets too close. It's not the safest work to be standing near. But Selain's not down wind, so Finn is not too concerned. "Ah! What's the best thing you've seen today?" He grins brightly at the girl before turning his gaze down to examine the metal in the fire and nodding, satisfied, at the hot orange-yellow color. He brings it back out to the anvil and wipes his brow with the crook of his elbow. He exhales a bit, breath puffing out his cheeks before he catches up his hammer again and with a series of ringing strikes, begins shaping it again.

"Green Akitith." Selaine replies, voice a little louder since he's hammering away. She stops at a decent distance, making sure not to get too close. "Probably one of the smallest ones right now but she's a beautiful shade of green. I'm sure she'd be delighted to meet you sometime when she's not sleeping!" the young girl comments, chuckling softly. "Best thing today is your forge here!" she tells him, grinning widely. "I haven't been around much but still, you're amazing." the girl adds, watching his every movement.

"Akitith Akitith Akitith." Finn repeats the name testing it, brow lightly furrowed. He nods, decisive, "I like it. Rolls off the tongue," he pauses, shifting his feet as he puts the unfinished piece down to readjust the tongs and stretch his hand. "I'd love to meet her!" A thought occurs to him, "Say! When you all make straps, come by! My sister is the best leatherworker hearabouts and I can make the findings. It'd be an honor." He grimaces good-naturedly down at the piece on his anvil, "Just as soon as I get this lot done." Hand stretched and free, he waves Selaine's praise off, "Come on. You didn't go through the Bazaar, did you?" Tongs taken back up, he flips the piece and begins hammering again.

If her lips would go any further outwards, they probably would, as Selaine is grinning quite ridiculously as Finn repeats her lifemate's name, though she laughs softly. At his suggestion, she claps her hands excitedly. "Really?! Wow, that'd be great!" she exclaims, "We've already started picking out straps they had prepared for us … but I'm sure looking at what your sister has would be very helpful! And she can probably teach us more about the leather." The young girl nods excitedly. "I did.. but I've been there before." she tells him, "This is totally different."

Smiling is Finn's favorite thing. Well. His fourth favorite thing. "You'll have to ask Onari, but if she has time, I'm sure she'd be happy to give you some pointers." He grins down as he works, hammering away at the slim metal taking shape before him. He nods over towards the wagon, "'S a water barrel there, if you're thirsty."

"Sounds great! I'll definitely be sure to let the others know. I'm sure they'd appreciate it." Selaine adds, eyes still following his movements. At his nod, she looks over at the wagon. "Oh! Ok. I'm not thirsty right now, but thank you." She bobs her head gratefully. Peering over at what he's hammering, she asks, "What're you making?"

Finn nods. Done deal! He pauses, rolling shoulders back to stretch and taking another deep breath, Woo. Hot. "This?" He holds the piece up, the orange-yellow has faded to a luminous orange, "This will be a throwing knife." his lips twitch slightly, brow furrowing with a brief shadow. He nods over to a workspace nearby where several cooled knives are spread out, gleaming dully. "More finished ones there."

Fascinated, Selaine peeeeers over at his unfinished work. And then to the pointed workspace with more knives. "You made all of these?" she asks, amazed as she inches closer to the workspace but keeping a safe distance between herself and his hammering.

Finn catches the cautious creeping. "It's safe over there," he indicates the workspace. "Just keep clear of this," he defines an area around the anvil and forge with a sweep of scruffy chin. "And keep an eye on the wind, you don't want a face full of ash or sparks," he hefts the hammer, showing Selaine the corded musculature of his forearm, marred with numerous little shiny scars. "Don't wanna be able to play connect-the-dots," he raises the a single brow, smiling lopsided.

Selaine nods her acknowledgement. "Will do!" and keeps well away from the area he's defined. She gets close to the knives, inspecting them cautiously before looking up again. The hammer lifting is noticed and observed by the younger girl, eyes tracing the small scars. She returns his grin in agreement, "No, we definitely don't." A soft giggle escapes her. Then she asks, "Do you have other family here other then your sister?"

The knives are sinister looking things, long and lean with smooth, flat blades and curiously notched tangs that will, with more finishing, become the handles. Finn looks at her as she peers, smiling to himself. He slouches back at her question, eyes going skyward as if counting, "Lots of family. The Reika ARE my family." Wagon after wagon of cousins and uncles and aunties and elders aplenty. "My father Forin is the Wagonmaster. My brother Kalfor, another smith. Ma is an animal handler." He resumes hammering the piece, piercing, musical clanks ringing out. "What about you? What does your family think about you Impressing? You know, a girl and all on a fighting dragon?"

Selaine peers closely but does not touch. She knows better, of course she does. She's listening all the while though, as Finn lists off his family members. "That must be nice." she comments, thinking of her own small family. There's a slight purse of her lips when he asks about her family though she tries to keep expression light. "They're holders so you can only imagine what they think… " she starts to say, "I haven't told them yet, though… " she confesses, observing the knives even more closely. "They were hoping to marry me off to some random person. I don't think that will ever happen, though." Selaine tries to keep her voice light, laughing softly.

"It is!" Finn agrees. "And the rest of the caravan is like even more family, but not blood. I bet your clutchmates are like that." He nods, knowing what a holder family would indeed think and whistles low at her confession, turning a concerned look at her. "Wait, they're not here?" Because surely if they were they'd know that she'd Impressed. "What do they think you're up to?" He blinks rapidly, trying to process keeping something so huge and so… amazing from the people dearest to him. He looks down at her, "Aw, well," he tips his head, "Riders don't tend to marry, no." He smiles sadly, "You wanna practice tellin' 'em?" He pitches his voice to a falsetto, "Selaine! Dear! You're so thin!"

The young weyrling can't help but be a bit envious of Finn as he talks about the rest of his caravan. It was definitely something new she was learning during her stay, about the caravans and the traders. She shakes her head at his question. "They're over at Igen Hold, so not far but…" her voice trails off for a second and she shrugs. "Studying the culture… or something?" she answers, chuckling softly before laughing heartily at his attempt to mimic someone's mother. "No..I don't.. think that … would work." Selaine breathes out in between laughter. Her mother definitely didn't sound like that.

"The culture," he sits back, resting weight on his heels, slung in a loose slouch, hammering paused momentarily. "Huh. There's a lot to study." Hammering resumes. Ah, the smiles, there she is. Finn grins, happy that his attempt to make her laugh found purchase. "Onari's the one to talk to, really. She's smart about stuff like that," he rolls a single shoulder, "You know, dimplomacy. If you can stay for dinner, she'll be around."

Once her laughter has subsided, Selaine's grin returns and she looks back over at Finn, grateful for his clever maneuver out a touchy subject. "I'd love to meet your sister. I'm sure I can learn just as much from you, though." she adds, smiling. "You don't mind if I stick around? It's really interesting, watching you work." Whatever he says, she either sticks around and keeps talking, and/or eventually makes her way back to the barracks before her lifemate wakes up, demanding for her.