Since he's been Wingleader, R'zel has become a maker of lists. The one that he's contemplating this afternoon, taking refuge from the winter heat in the depths of the caverns, is a To Do list, inscribed on one of those folding wax tablets that are so much more convenient than a sand-table for portable note-taking. He's seated in one of the nighthearth's armchairs, as far from the hearth-fires as he can get, and he's frowning, perhaps because he's just added more items to his list than he's removed. A mug of klah - not even a place whose winter temperatures run to 97 degrees will separate R'zel from his klah after lunch - is perched precariously on the arm of his chair. There are a few other people about, mostly just passing rather than stopping at the hearth.

This unexpected snap of nice weather means that a trip down from her weyr with her newborn son is easier for Alyna than if it was raining as is seasonal for this time. Wearing a sling of hide and fleece snugly across her front, a most convenient contraption for carrying Adryn a-dragonback, the greenrider is unfastening the ties and revealing the infant with his dark curly hair, thankfully still sleeping. Making her way to the Nighthearth, she spies a familiar face frowning over his work. With a clearing of her throat, her lips spread into a genial grin as she makes her way to the hearth. "Well it's good to see some things never change," she teases gently, and shoots off a casual salute in R'zel's direction should he look up from his hidework. Then she goes about preparing herself a mug of klah…being a new mother, she's finding she can always use a little pick-me-up.

R'zel looks up with a grin. "Thread may come and go, but hidework is eternal?" Gathering up his quarter-full mug, he gets to his feet, leaving the list on his chair, and follows Alyna towards the klah pot. "So this is the little man?" He smiles at what can be seen of the sleeping baby, and speaks quietly so as not to disturb him. "That's an impressive head of hair. How are you all doing?"

"Ain't that the truth," Alyna remarks of R'zel's observation, turning slightly as he comes up to show off her son, a beam of pride in her face. "Yes it is. This is Adryn," she says as she reaches down to delicately, and very carefully, tuck a dark curl behind a tiny ear. "Yeah, surprised me too, how much hair he had when he was born. Takes after his sire though, so the girls of Southern better watch out when he's older," Alyna jests mildly. "We're doing well. Been back in our weyr for a couple sevens. In another month, he should be ready for the nursery so I can get back to my own duties." Taking her mug of klah, she goes to find a chair, setting it down on the small table besides it.

R'zel chuckles at the remark about the baby's future. "Good for him. And you'll be back as soon as that? Well, we'll be glad to have you back when you're ready, but don't come back before you're up to it." He tosses back the rest of his klah, and turns to pour himself a refill: apparently the to-do list is a two-mug problem. "If you want to work yourself in gradually, you could join us for PT for a bit before you start drilling." Not necessarily an easy option in itself, but easier than doing both.

"With my injury and then the pregnancy, I am more than ready to return to my duties, and Haquith is as well," Alyna replies with perhaps a little more fire than she meant to. "Getting in some PT with the wing is a good idea. I'm sure I can schedule things with D'har to accomodate that. I've been doing some light training on my own, mainly whatever I can manage in my weyr when the baby's sleeping, but I definitely need to ramp it up before coming back to drills, that's for sure." There's a determination in the greenrider's words as she carefully takes up her mug to take a slow sip of the hot beverage. "How are things going otherwise? With you? With Ocelot? I'm so out of the loop," she laments mildly.

"As long as you're fit enough after having him," R'zel nods towards the baby, "then join as any time you like. The wing's doing fine. The new riders aren't so new, we've been drilling hard, and Fall has been fairly kind to us recently. We've had a handful of riders in temporary weyrs because of those confounded avians." There's a twinkle in his eye as he continues, "Chegana's been on a mission to eradicate every last one from the Weyr, I think, and don't mention droppings to her unless you want an explosion - but they're moving back soon."

"Whatever. Having him was a piece of cake," Alyna scoffs with a dimissive flick of her free hand, words tinged with sarcasm, "Don't worry. The Healers are on board with my plans, and I'm heeding all of their advice." See? The greenrider has it covered, a mark of her determination to return with as little delay as possible. His next does have her scowling a bit, "Those flying nuissances. Thank Faranth for our dragons and firelizards, who have been working tirelessly to keep the pests at bay. Thankfully they seem to have moved on. I'm definitely with Chegana on that one. At least they get to move back soon. It was soooo good to be able to get back to our weyr after months living in one of the ground weyrs."

"They certainly made a mess. I was lucky," R'zel admits, after a sip from his newly filled mug. "Ardstelle sent me a cleanup crew and - actually, I'm not too sure how they got the little beasts out, but they were only there a couple of nights. Other people had a lot more trouble than I did. Did you see the ones in the Hatching Cavern? It was quite nightmarish when they all took flight. Kind of impressive, though."

"No, I didn't hear they'd been in the Hatching caverns, that must have been some sight to see," Alyna looks a little crestfallen at that, more proof that she's been isolated for far too long. Sipping at her mug thoughtfully for a moment, she takes a moment just to enjoy the silence, punctuated by a satisfied sigh. Her gaze darts back to the bronzerider, considering him for a moment before flitting her blue eyes over at his mound of hidework, "Ya know, I sit up in my weyr most of the day, and this one is thankfully a fantastic napper," she looks lovingly down at the little boys in her arms, "I could take something off your plate if you needed me to. You'd be doing me a favor by giving me something to do with myself, and help me reintergrate back into the wing more smoothly if I'm aware of what's going on."

R'zel turns a speculative look on the greenrider. "Hold on a moment." He returns to his chair and picks up the tablet with his 'to do' list. After scanning it briefly, he says regretfully, "I'm not seeing anything obvious: the next job's checking the reascue kit inventory, and you can't really do that in your weyr. But you were helping with the sweep report summaries before the baby arrived: how about giving Keitrill a hand with those again? Come to think of it, once you can leave Adryn for a bit, flying a sweep or two would be a good way back into things, as well."

Alyna watches eagerly as R'zel ponders her offer, shaking her head sadly when he mentions the rescue kit inventory, knowing that won't work. She does perk up though at his next and nods enthusiastically, "Yeah, that's no problem. I was getting real good at those before I transferred to Puma. And sweeps might just be the thing to get Haquith back into shape as well. Not that I've neglected her or anything, just that all this idleness has been trying for her. It's hard telling her she can't do the one thing she was born to." There's a touch of regret in her voice as she drops her gaze to her son again, her features softening as she reminds herself what the sacrifices her and her lifemate made were for.

R'zel grins at the enthusiastic response. "You can do my half, then. I'll tell Keit to expect you." He bends to pick up the sheets of hide that are piled on the floor by his chair and leafs through them. "It's certainly no problem to put you into the sweep schedule. Would that be in a month's time when he goes in the nursery, or do you want to do the occasional one sooner?" He pulls one sheet out of the pile and leaves it on top.
I don't understand that.

"No problem. It'll be good to feel useful again," Alyna remarks with a grin as she follows the Wingleader with her gaze, craning her neck to peek at the hides he riffling through. "Probably best wait until he can go to the nursery for the duration of a sweep. Haven't managed to find a wet-nurse/nanny for him, but still looking." Ah the joys of being a working mom, so many things need to be figured out. Flicking a gaze at the marked candle, she sighs softly, "He's only going to nap for a another half candlemark or so, I should probably go run the errands I made the trek for." Downing the rest of her now cooled klah, she delicately gets to her feet, fussing at the baby carrier to settle it just so. "I'll send a note to Keitrill and arrange a time to meet her for those reports. Looking forward to wearing the Ocelot knot again soon sir, clear skies." With a parting salute the greenrider makes her way back towards the inner caverns.