The Happy Harper
You find yourself in the well-lit Happy Harper. It seems to be perhaps one of the most cared for items of the hold. The walls have deep-red wood panelling, and glow baskets placed at a very regular interval. There are about six tables for eight and four booths in the corners. All the tables and chairs seem to be of a very nice quality and very well taken care of. Serving also as the center of social interaction at Gar hold, it is usually where one looks to find anyone.
On the perch are Etoile, Shift, Rebellion, Ribbon, Mother, What in the Name of Faranth is That?, Arthur, Etereo, Bright, Espero, Uvico, Darken, and Emeril.
You see Dartboard, Chess Set, Firelizard Feeding Tray, Rainbow Food Platter, Vase with Roses, and Bubblies here.
Aryahlae and Maershala are here.

Maershala
This young lady has short curly black hair, softly framing her face. She's got piercing brown eyes, than can either be soft and gentle with people she cares about or grow cold as ice if she's crossed. Her skin is fairly dark complected, complimenting her hair and eyes. Her face is more beautiful than average, lips usually curving into a smile. She's no freckles, for her skin is the wrong color to show uneven pigmentation. Maershala is taller than average for a woman, her growth complete as she tops a little over two meters, slim and graceful. She walks with an unconscious serenity which draws people's attention to her person.
Maershala wears a soft flowing wine-colored dress of the finest cotton batiste which swirls from her waist and touches her ankles. The sleeves are short, as befitting the climate where she resides. Slippers the color of wine grace her feet. A bracelet with a tiny ruby can always be found around her left wrist, and a matching necklace resides on her neck. Perched on Maershala's shoulder is Kienan.
Maershala is 26 Turns, 11 months, and 15 days old.

Emeril hears Maershala's question and flitters down to her like he owns the place. He chirrups her the menu and reccomends his favorites like she should understand him.

Maershala doesn't understand him, but she smiles offering an idle finger to give him a little scritch if he wants. "Well, I guess it's orangefruit juice for me still." she says to nobody but the firelizard in particular. Turning to face the room, she smiles at people."Hello." she offers.

Cress goes to the bar and orders a mug of klah. Waiting for it to come, he secures a handfull of meatpieces for the two lizards who're with him at the moment. Nodding to the two here, he's not sure he knows any of them.

Maershala offers a name, because she's new to the hold and doesn't know very many people here. "I'm Maershala, former Steward of Ista Hold." She doesn't say anything more about her former position, but just gives the occupants a nod.

Emeril cheeps a hello.

Cress nods to the woman as he goes to sit at a table. "Well met, Maershala. I'm Cress, StarCraft Apprentice," he says, putting his mug down on the table and taking a seat.

Maershala grins over at Cress "Well met Cress. How long have you been apprenticed to the starcraft?" She is as usual, curious about the people around her.

Cress tilts his head, while thinking that over. Then his eyes grows a little wider as he comes up with the answer "almost a Turn now," he says, sounding surprised at the answer himself. "Seems like it hasn't even been 6 months..."

You notice Emeril looking at you.

Emeril chirrups loudly telling her who he his and about his humanpet.

Dixie> Images from Emeril suggest: << Dixie can you make your humanpet tell the other person that so she can understand it? >>

Cress looks up at the chirruping lizard, remembering that he's met it before. "The loud one there is Emeril," he says grinning at the brown. He looks to Rikaeli." He motions to his shoulders where a green and a brown are slumbering, "these two are mine, Dixie and Idoru."

Emeril cheeps proudly. Yup Rikaeli's my humanpet, all mine.

Maershala chuckles at Emeril. "Hey, come over and I'll give you a couple pieces of this meatroll I happened to filch from the plate on the bar and then perhaps we can get better acquainted." Nodding to Cress, she smiles. "Time sure does fly, I was at Ista Hold, a little more than three turns before we came here." She looks at the two firelizards on Cress's shoulders and smiles. "Very pretty."

Emeril perks up immediately at the mention of meatroll. He perches on her empty shoulder and chirps happily.

Cress nods, "and young," he chuckles. "And too lazy to get their own food. I've another brown, but thankfully he's learned to get his own food by now." He smiles as the lizard comes to the woman for food. "So you're from Ista? Then you didn't have to come far, eh?"

Maershala looks at Cress's flitbabies and also Emeril. "I've a few.... mostly I keep them in my rooms, but not always. I've got Kienan with me.... He used to be my spy out in the corridor near my office. He'd give me impressions of what was going on out there whan I was busy. Course, now, that's no longer needed and he's gracing my shoulder at the moment."

Kienan
Sweet in eye and in looks, this little lizard is the epitome of cute. Wings are of leafy look, glittery with dew and deep blue as if frozen by frost. Delicate patterns of lace and gauze wind along thin wingsails in icy white, sliding over deep blue wingspars that lead eventually down to a wirey, thin body, tiny, yet holding the strength of the cold, unyielding. His tail is one like the wind, never still, and his neck leads to a shadowy, fine head, eyes bright with an inner fire, burning hot with pure emotion, showing the passion of possibilities.
Kienan is 4 Turns, 7 months, and 2 days old.
Kienan is awake and seems alert.

Cress looks at the lizard on her shoulder, then nods, "he's certainly pretty," he says. "How many d'you have?" He hadn't overhead the use of the plural.

Maershala shrugs and grins. "Actually, I have five of the little buggers. Actually, they're quite well behaved and since I have a couple of daughters who're inclined to wander, I've on set on each of them. They make very good nannies."

Phew, five of them, Cress thinks. He's got enough trouble just keeping track of his three, "how do you manage to take care of them all? I've enough trouble just trying to oil them... Every time I oil one, the other two wants to be oiled aswell."

Maershala shrugs and then grins. "Well, they're reasonably polite and if they're really hungry? They go fish for food. Oiling is just a pleasant evening's entertainment, when I'm watching and playing with the kids." she says. "My whole routine is likely to change now, what with moving away from what was home. Where'd you come from before heading here to Gar and the starcraft?"

Cress shrugs, "didn't really come from /any/where. More like /every/where," he grins. "My family are traders, so we were on the road most of the time. Up north..."

Maershala nods.... then asks. "On the mainland? Keroon to Tillek and so on?"

Cress nods, "yeah, that's right. We also came to 'Reaches and Crom from time to time. Even Benden at one time," he says. But the Benden trip had been to visit some of his father's family.

Maershala nods and then grins. "I spent time up at Paradise as an assistant headwoman before going to Ista Hold.... it's been interesting. Such a pleasant place to live. Paradise."

"Paradise," Cress repeats. "No, never went there. In fact we never left the mainland, so I'd never been to Ista before I joined the StarCraft."

Maershala nods and then smiles. "What do you think of the area, then? A turn you say... "

Cress chuckles, "Warm.. Hot, in fact," he says grinning. "I still haven't gotten used to winter without snow... Otherwise I like it fine. Very friendly people here." And he might just be thinking of one certain person, because his eyes unfocus and his smile broadens.

Diena walks delicately in in from the Gar Hold Entry Hall.

Diena walks in absently and plops herself at a table, rubbing her head.

Maershala looks over at then door and chuckles. "Hello, I'm Maershala" she introduces as someone she doesn't know walks into the room. "I appreciate a winter without snow. After Paradise, it's even a little cool here at times."

Emeril suddenly disappears ::between::!

Dart blinks in from ::between::!

Diena smiles through her reddened eyes at her beloved dart as she sips her redfruit juice.

Cress raises an eyebrow, "you're saying there's a place where it's hotter than here," he says surprised.

Diena sips her juice and looks around the room.

Maershala chuckles. "Well, yes. Paradise and also, places in Southern can get quite hot, Much hotter than here."

Cress frowns, wondering how it could possibly be any hotter than here. "I like the north a lot better," he says wrinkling his nose, "at least you can tell when the seasons change.."

Maershala chuckles at Cress. "Well, I'd say this climate is good for grape growing and such, what with the Vinters located her and so on. I wouldnt' mind visiting Keroon and maybe even Tillek, but only in the summer."

Cress tilts his head, looking at the woman, "you mean you've never seen snow?" Not the first southerner he's met who's never seen the beautiful white stuff.

Maershala shrugs and grins. "Well, perhaps. Maybe in my dreams as a child I saw snow. I can't really remember."

Cress leans back grinning. "It's beautiful," he muses. "When it covers everything and it's white all around you. Nothing like it! And the smell. The smell is really special, clean, fresh. Nothing like the smell down here.."

Maershala nods and chuckles. "Specially during harvest?" she asks. "I'll have to take a vacation to Tillek in the wintertime then. Just to see."

Cress nods in agreement with that. "Yeah, good idea. There's nothing like a landscape covered in snow," he says, picturing it in his mind.

Maershala nods and then smiles. "Now that I don't have crushing responsibilities, maybe I can take the family to visit during the winter. I'll need to find a seacaptain to talk to sometime. Book passage for us all."

Cress shrugs, "I wouldn't know about that," he says apologetically. "I just jumped on the first ship going here when I came down."

Maershala nods. "Didja work your way over?" she asks. Draw out his whole lifestory before she's done, she will.

Cress grins, nodding, "yeah, more or less." Lets just keep out that he was seasick most of the way, so he didn't get all that much work done.

Maershala chuckles. "You don't sound so positive of that. Now, we came to Ista via runnerback and wagon. Didn't want to bother the watchrider or a passing dragonrider. We're not

"I've never even been near a dragon till I got down here," Cress says. "Then one day, not long ago in fact, there was one in the courtyard. Got so close as to touch him." He smiles a the memory comes back to him. Clearly, as it wasn't that long ago.

Maershala chuckles. "Pretty creatures aren't they? And if they deign to talk to you. What an experience."

Cress' eyes widen. "They've talked to you?" Now that was far from anything he could even imagine.

Maershala nods. "Once, when a dragon abducted my daughter from Ista."

"A dragon abducted your daughter," Cress can't quite believe that. "Why'd it do that?"

Maershala shrugs. "I never quite understood. Something to do with cookies, I believe."

"Cookies?" Cress repeat. "You did get her back didn't you?" He sure hopes so. He's never heard of a dragon doing anything against people's will.

Alexander walks in from the Gar Hold Entry Hall.

Maershala nodnods and then sighs. "Took awhile, and it upset my youngest daughter to no end, but yes, we finally go her back from Ista Weyr."

Diena walks delicately in to the Entry Hall.

Cress nods slowly "I could imagine. Though the dragon I met here seemed rather nice. He let us get close even though his lifemate wasn't with him."

Dart suddenly disappears ::between::!

Linora walks softly in from the Gar Hold Entry Hall.

Darken suddenly disappears ::between::!

Cress' head comes up as he sees Linora come in out of the corner of his eye. "Lin!" Almost yelling as he greets her. "Where've you been?"

Linora stops in the doorway, not having expected to see anyone she knew really, just coming in for something to eat... she just woke up, after all. See the dazed look? Finally her eyes find Cress and she smiles. "Hi, Cress... um... I was sleeping?" Didn't Cress sleep days anymore? She's confused...

Maershala nods as she belatedly answers Cress, her thoughts on the dragon and her daughter. "Yes, they usually are. Quite a few dragornriders visit Ista Hold. They're not all that uncommon there and you can get quite close to most of them... if you're not in awe, or at least so much awe you stay far away." She sees someone called Lin come into the Mug and offers her smile. "Hello, there." She does look like she's been asleep. "I"m Maershala."

Cress gives Linora a crooked smile. Right, sleeping. Something he ought to be doing right around now. "Sleep well?"

Linora starts to answer Cress, then looks toward the other voice and swallows hard as she recognizes Ista's Hold Steward... and wonders what she'd be doing at Gar? She returns the greeting as appropriately as she can manage; shells, she's just not used to being around important people... and slips into a chair near Cress, her eyes kinda big, uncharacteristically silent.

Alexander goes home.

"Want anything to drink, Lin," Cress says seeing those big eyes, and becoming a little worried by her silence.

Linora blinks and looks back at Cress. "Oh... um... sure." She gives him a smile. "Juice?" As if he'd forget.

Cress waves down a passing drudge and gets him to fetch some juice for Linora. "What's wrong," he whispers to her as he leans toward her. He's starting to worry that he might have done something to upset her.

Linora catches the worried look in Cress's eyes and shakes her head, smiling to try to reassure him. She glances at Maershala quickly, then back at Cress.

Cress stifles a yawn, but tries to cover it with his mug. Glancing up as the drudge comes back with Linora's juice, he says, "it's for her," and nods toward the girl next to him.

Linora takes the juice with a nod to the drudge, then takes a long drink, half draining the mug before she sets it down again. Looking up at Cress again, she recognizes that sleepy look. And grins. She kicks him under the table, lightly. "Forget to sleep again?"

Maershala sees the looks and decides she's outta her league here. "Good night you two... " And with a little sigh, she smiles ... a bit sadly, then leaves the room for the guest room upstairs.

Maershala walks gracefully to the Entry Hall.

Cress bites his lower lip, "I didn't forget," he says and blushes slightly, "I've just been busy..."

Linora catches the blush and gives him a long look, wondering exactly what 'busy' means... and whether she should ask. She could give him a break, but.... "Busy with what?"

"My project," he says, attempting to stifle another yawn, but fails and feels his eyes are suddenly very hard to keep open.

Linora's eyes soften and she gives her friend a gentle nudge. "Why don'tcha get some sleep? I'll walk you back?"

"Would'ya..?" He really is tired, even if won't admit it. He stands draining the rest of the klah, which hadn't helped much, and puts the mug on a passing drudge's tray.

Linora stands too. Poor Cress, he's really more out of it than usual. He's working too hard.... at the Harper? Hm... well, nevermind. She takes his arm and smiles up at him.

Cress smiles at Linora and walks with her to the exit. Can't wait to get some sleep, he thinks.

The Vault
No more than a hideaway amidst the gothic grandeur of the StarHall, this cozy lounge is a place of laughter if not greatness, warmth if not splendour. The close stone walls are insulated with tapestries of all shapes and sizes, most a little worn, several faded and a good many depicting scenes from childhood stories. The mismatched chairs and sofas are in a similar state, rescued from cellars and rubbish-heaps but perhaps more softer and more comfortable for that, scattered in a rouch circle on a hardwood floor. A low round table in the centre of the room holds cards, discarded hides, mugs, and a pot that holds klah as long as someone remembers to fill it. The one window at the back wall lets light and air into the warm, cozy room.
Scattered troughout the rooms are numerous glowbaskets. Thin hides, that would be transparant if they weren't coloured in light shades of red green and blue cast a colourfull and happy athmostphere troughout the room. Small bells and sticks, hung near the window, create soft, eerie yet comfortablly soft sounds,
On the perch are Pingouin, Teremi, Kataxia, Aftiel, Rygel, Tas, Bartleby, Ryann, Stryke, Kamikaze, Wintermute, and Dart.
You see Sweet Root plant, Kaelli, and Tuvock here.

Linora walks softly in from the Main Hall Balcony.

Cress is led in by Linora.

Dart suddenly disappears ::between::!

Cress smiles down at Linora as they reach the Vault. "Thanks for coming back with me," he says, and hesitates a moment, then gives her a hug.

Linora hesitates only briefly before hugging back, loving the feeling of Cress's arms around her, even for just a few seconds. "Sure." What else should she say? Prolly nothing...

Cress squeezes a little before letting go of her again. Just a slight redness cover his cheeks as he looks down at her. "Well, I'll see you later..." He moves to the door of the dorm, then turns and comes back to her giving her one more hug, before returning to the dorm's door.

Linora swallows and nods, giving Cress a wave as she backs to the door to the main hall balcony, her eyes shining.

Cress smiles as he finally gets himself together enough to take his eyes of her and go to the dorm.