Who

M'noq, F'kan

What

With F'kan just dropping off some reports for his sand-bound Wingleader, two brownriders get into a discussion about various things and M'noq leaves F'kan with a lot to think about.

When

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

Where

Hatching Sands/Galleries, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 17 Jun 2018 04:00

 

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"Where do you think you're headed next?"


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Hatching Sands

The Sands are surprisingly soft to the feet and to the eyes: rich grains of gold commingle with the ground basalt-black that mark the shores of Azov's Sea. The whorls of lighter color pattern into the sands, larger-grained and often settling at the top, as golden driftwood against dark shores. … but the moaning from above sounds like the chorus of the damned, lessening the natural beauty here below.


Well, at least autumn means the Sands aren't crushingly hot. I mean, they're still sweltering, but not so bad that it seems like you're going to pass out without a drink of water. Zymuraith is napping, and Ravaith is left with guard duty, scanning the galleries and the entrances, just in case some candidate decides to slip in and gawk at the eggs. For his part, M'noq is sitting in a chair at the edge of the sands near the galleries, knitting. Yup, with needles and yarn.

Because he's not brave enough to risk the ire of the clutchparents, when F'kan is tasked by Th'res to bring some reports to M'noq he does so by the galleries. And look, there is his Wingleader so conveniently sitting nearby. With the reports under one arm, the brownrider makes his way dow to the very bottom row as he calls out, "Well at least your being productive with your time confined to the sands sir," he remarks good-naturedly, ticking off a salute before he holds up the reports. "I was tasked to bring these to you, I think Th'res said they were sweep schedules or something."

Ravaith gives a low rumble as he spots F'kan arriving. Whether that is a greeting of a familiar face or a warning not to get too close isn't exactly clear. M'noq looks up, though, and smiles at the man. "Ah, thank you. I'm sure they're fine, though. Th'res does an excellent job keeping up with sweeps." He takes the reports and sets them aside. He smiles a bit wryly, gesturing to the knitting. "I suppose it's a way of keeping busy. When I was a candidate Turns ago, I used to sit in the galleries and knit. Something about being here again makes me feel like doing it again."

"Ok,' F'kan answers with a shrug and tosses them on the nearby bench, his job was to deliver them, not make sure he actually read them, so as far as he was concerned, mission accomplished. But the brownrider feels like lingering as he flops down onto the bench, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "I sometimes wish I had more time as a candidate, I was only Searched a couple days before the Hatching, so there wasn't much waiting around, it was all kind of a whirlwind." His words are softly wistful as his bright blue eyes calmly sweep over the eggs.

M'noq hums at this and nods, glancing back towards the eggs before looking back to F'kan. "It works out that way sometimes, doesn't it? I understand you've been spending quite a bit of time with the candidates lately, though. Do you like it? Helping them settle in?" He doesn't seem to mind the reports being tossed aside. They'll get read eventually, and for now M'noq is grateful for a bit of company.

"Quav's the one rounding them up," F'kan says with a lopsided grin as he shoves a hand through his shock of sandy blond hair, "I'm just along for the ride really. But it's fun, they all got these big eyed looks of hope and wonder when you hand over that white knot, it's kinda nice to be a part of." His broad shoulders offer a shrug easily as he gets comfortable.

M'noq nods, smiling a bit at the memory. "That's true, they do get that look, don't they? And it takes you right back to that time when someone plucked you out of your everyday life and pushed you out onto the sands. At least, it does me. It's good that Quaverilth has that kind of talent, though. Ravaith never Searched that many, though he was always quite certain when he did. Some dragons are more inclined to it than others. Maybe you'll get a certain sense for it, too."

"Yeah it certainly does," F'kan admits easily, "Quaverilth's always been the wise one, oh and patient…well with limits of course." With a self-conscious chuckle and a rub at the back of his neck he chuckles, "I have to keep track of all his picks for him too, he wants to be able to watch them on the day." Shaking his head a bit at his lifemate's antics, he bobs his head in Ravaith's direction, "He seems to be taking his duties seriously. Is this his first time siring a clutch?" he asks conversationally.

M'noq glances over to Ravaith and nods. "I never thought he was all that interested in chasing a gold, though once she began glowing, he was certainly set on the idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the time we were spending with Amani and Zymuraith, before. He wasn't keen on chasing any greens in particular until we were spending time with K'vvan and Nadeeth." He drops the names casually, not dwelling on the memory. "Quaverilth may have his chance to sire a clutch yet. Browns can certainly be in the mix."

"Faranth, I'd be glad if he caught a green, let alone a gold, at this point," F'kan admits good-naturedly before rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, "He was keen on Zymuraith though, it was a couple of rough days getting him through until the memory started to fade." A good-natured shrug accompanies his words as he looks like he just remembered something, "So there's this wildling, who's a candidate actually, and he said his clan look favorably on us riders, see us for the good we do. And that maybe he can introduce some of us to his father sometime if we bring something to trade."

"Well, you were limited for a bit, there," M'noq says, musing. "I'm sure more opportunities will come along. Greens rise every day." Like, literally. "Sometimes it's just a matter of opportunity." He considers as the wildling is mentioned. "Ah, well, that might be interesting. Would be worth mentioning to Va'os and the rest of the Weyrleadership. Perhaps something to move on while this fellow is a candidate, since otherwise he'll either be going home disappointed or he'll be so wrapped up in being a weyrling and raising a growing dragon, he won't have much time to assist you."

"I thought you might like that little tidbit," F'kan adds with a smile as he cants his head to one side, "You can't miss the guy, he's as tall, if not taller, than our own Weyrsecond and just as built. Helped me scrub Quav after Fall one day. He's a little quiet, but he warmed up to me once I told him my girlfriend is also a wildling," Did F'kan fail to mention that previously? Ooops.

"Ah, well, watch out for those wildling girls," M'noq says with some amusement. "My first weyrmate was a wildling, too." That's all he'll say about that, though there may be rumors still floating around about the two old flames. He looks thoughtfully at the other brownrider. "I think you've matured quite a bit since we first met. Where do you think you're headed next?"

"Not girls, just one," And the smile on F'kan's face says that he is perfectly content with that particular singular wildling, but he does look surprised to hear M'noq had one as a weyrmate, filing away that tidbit of information for another time. As to his next question, the brownrider gets a bit of a vacant stare as he's being asked to think…about the future no less, "Well that's nice to hear from you, I think so as well to be honest. And next? I figured just more of the same, fighting thread, doing wing stuff, keeping my head down. You know, the usual."

M'noq hums at this and nods. "Certainly, that's an option. Nothing wrong with it. And I hate to lose my best riders to other ladders, but you seem to be doing well with learning new things, and it may be that Search suits you. Perhaps that isn't a job that will always occupy you, though, so perhaps you might want to think about other things. What comes next."

"Oh I am tops at learning, just ask anyone from both my weyrlinghoods," F'kan pokes fun easily at himself now before he really considers the question being put to him, "Searching has been great, but yeah, it's not all the time. As to what's next…" he hesitates a little bit and ducks his head just a little, "I haven't thought about it much to be honest." But the furrow of his brow might indicate that he's thinking about it now, the wheels obviously turning behind bright blue eyes.

M'noq takes a few stiches of his knitting, which had been sitting forgotten in his lap all this time. "Well, it might be something to consider. It's something I kept asking Th'res about, too. It's easy enough to settle into a comfortable spot where you know the job and you're good at it. And sometimes that's the best thing. But sometimes you need to look ahead to other things. Your experience as a weyrling might be valuable, applied to other things, is all I'm saying."

"Yeah..I guess it is something to consider," F'kan will drawl absently as he rubs at the rough stubble on his chin, "Th'res is tops at what he does though. Great guy in many ways," he adds a glowing review for the blueriding Wingsecond. "But you may have a point…about my experiences as a weyrling…" If he's not careful, he'll have smoke coming out of his ears for how hard the cogs are turning in the brownrider's noggin. "Thanks sir, you've given me some food for thought." Pushing himself to his feet with a groan, he stretches his neck with a few loud pops. "Now unless you need me for anything else, I'm going to go seek out some wildling company for myself." he adds with a roguish grin, but he has the decency to wait to be dismissed.

M'noq gives a soft laugh and shakes his head. "Not at all. Thank you for the bit of company, and I hope you give all that some thought. I really want the best for my wingriders, even if it means they try for other things." Perhaps that isn't a sentament shared by all wingleaders, but it's one that M'noq feels strongly for himself. "See you at drills tomorrow." If he can pry Ravaith off the Sands for a couple of candlemarks.

With one final smart salute, F'kan flashes a bright smile in M'noq's direction, "You have a great evening sir, and see you at drills." Before he heads off in the direction of the bowl, his mind so much more full than he's used to.

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