Gathering Hall
The room seems to loom as you enter, though the warmth within easily overcomes that feeling. It's huge, easily taking up a good third of the hall, and offering room for most people to sit and chat. The heat of the great hearth on the far wall spreads throughout, the merry crackling adding a peaceful undertone to the usually occupied room, heard even above the murmer of voices. Tables are all but littered about, pulled into and out of place by friends at a regular basis. Several more permanent tables and benches are settled along the far edge, an ever-full klah pot and several trays of various and sundry snacks almost always set out for the hungry and bored. The walls are decorated, tapestries denoting every part of Pern society strung about. Along the wall above the kitchen, in particular, is the pride and joy of the weavers: a string of dragons flying Threadfall. The vibrant flames and metallic hues of the dragons seem to glow as the flickering firelight strikes them. Above everything runs a long overhang, people passing to and fro, passing overhead of the figures and gatherings below. A handful of glowbaskets light the upper ends, the rest of the mainroom light brightly with candles and decorative lighting.
Various scents assult your nose as you walk in here. The rich smell of foods from the kitchen. The fire's smoke and heat. The sweet odors of various pipeweeds from the gossipers surrounding the hearthside table. The aromatic baskets do little here, except add their own faint undertones.
Clinging to a high beam are BloodBrother, Silvire, Randle, Occopello, Topaz, Etherie, Athravan, Azurite, and Bardic Belling.
You see Fireworks Tapestry, Bonehead, Red and white sweet stick cane, Sad gingerbreadman, and Olivia here.
From the balcony above, Dennia peers over the railing and doesn't seem to see Erakkin. Thinking she's alone, she wheeeeee's down the railing backside first. Dennia oofs as she lands and laughs, turning as she straightens her skirts. "Oops."
Dennia
Set against her fair complexion, zetetic dark brown eyes look out at the world from beneath dark black lashes that match the long, thick, wavy hair falling down her back to her waist, accentuating the roundness at her hips and her slim waist. Dennia's long legs support her short stature and give her an air of grace as she walks. Her small hands seem strong and capable, though not too worn from harsh work.
Dennia wears a light cotton camisol and short, high cut pants, both dyed a light lavender Dennia seems to be wearing a ring. This ring is no ordinary ring, as it appears at first glance. It is a ring that is made up of two firelizards, one queen, a gold, and the other a silver firelizard. The two are holding each other with talon and tail. The eyes of the firelizards are made out of brilliant rubies for the queen, and sparkling blue diamonds for the silver.
Dennia is 25 Turns, 7 months, and 16 days old.
Erakkin doesn't even notice Dennia come down in an untradional way as he's fully intent on keeping his hatchling quiet and full of food.
Dennia takes in Erakkin's stance and occupation and oh's "When did you get that?" she asks, stepping closer.
Erakkin's eyes narrow as he looks up at Dennia, then down at the brown again. "'bout a month 'go..." he mumble stuffing another piece of raw wherry down its throat. "Nottin' but trouble, 'e is!"
Dennia aw's and makes motions very carefully to scritch under the brown chin. "He's adorable. What did you name him?" she asks, switching to baby talk, her voice higher and words 'cute'.
"Attila," he says, looking strangely at Dennia, pulling away from her as far as he can get in the chair, just as the lizard snatches at her finger. "'e's a bit agressive...."
Dennia aw's, unperturbed as she pulls back slowly. "He's just still hungry. Have the kitchen staff been keeping scraps for you?"
Erakkin shakes his head. "Ah been finding stuff meself," he notes, giving Attila another scrap of meat, the brown devoring it in an instant, then creels for more. "'e does that all night.."
Dennia tks and rolls her eyes "Erakkin, silly. Just ask in the kitchen and they'll fill a scrap bowl for you. They know what to do."
Erakkin squints, as if in the sunlight, though not telling her /where/ he'd been finding scraps for his young lizard. "Ah'll be alright." So what if he likes to deal with things himself? Just let him, eh.
Dennia sits across from the apprentice and makes welcoming cooing noises at the wee small fire lizard. "They do grow fast," she sighs, remembering. "He is adorable, but that's a harsh name for so cute a creature, isn't it?" she asks, smiling even if Erakiin is in another foul mood.
Cute? Not exactly a word Rakki would use for such a creature. More like 'pest' or 'annoying'. "It's 'is name," he states matter-of-factly, a note in his voice spelling out that it was an unchangable fact.
Dennia rests her elbows on the table to make a shelf of her hands for her chin. "You just need some more sleep," she smiles at Erakkin. "He'll slack off from his eatting after a while. Mine did." She turns her attention to the brown again, her voice taking on the tone of a mother to a baby, "Won't you you cute thing?" she asks, keeping her hands away from the feeding mouth.
Erakkin winces at that word. Cute! "'e's a flyin' belly's what 'e is," he mumbles, giving Attila the last wherry he's got left. "No more, you greedy li'l creature!" He looks back up at Dennia, a look of disgust on his face. Cute! Hah!
Dennia doesn't lose her smile, but her eyes show some sympathy, though if for the fire lizard or the human isn't clear. "If you aren't nice to him, he'll leave," she pouts slightly.
Erakkin hrmfs. Not that he'd mind at all if the lizard left. That way he'd get some sleep at night! Though probably it could be helpfull at times. "N'er mind," he mumbles, leaving the lizard in his lap, now that it seems to be slumbering again.
Dennia watches the whiring eyes slow and then close. "There, now you should sleep, too," she says softly, finally looking up at Erakkin, "Unless you have classes or chores?"
"Sleep?" Rakki says, a questioning look on his face. "'Tis the middle of the day.." He'd never slept in the middle of the day, not even when he'd been sick. Couldn't. No matter how tired he was.
Dennia starts "But..." and then just sighs. "You'll learn," she mutters and then stands and heads to the klah pots, bringing back two well sweetened mugs of klah, whether Erakkin wants one or not. "I"m not an enemy, you know," she say as she puts a mug in front of him.
Not an enemy. Yeah, alright, Rakki thinks, then spots a mug of klah in front of him, looking back up at her, a rather confused look on his face. Not as if anybody'd ever done anything nice for him, on their own accord. At least, not somebody who was not family. "Thanks..." he says hesitantly.
Dennia shrugs with one shoulder and drinks from her own mug. "You need to relax or you'll be worn out before you make senior apprentice, you know," she says softly, leaning back in her chair, and from the looks of it, probably putting her tootsies up on the chair next to her. "The masters and journeymen will work you until they're tired, and they're a strong lot.
"Relax," Rakki mumbles, as if he didn't know the meaning of the word. "Ah been workin' hard all me life!" As much of his life as he could remember anyways. His father and brothers put great honor in working hard, and he'd more or less adobted the filosophy, since he'd not had much choise in the matter.
Dennia chuckles and sighs with a grin. "Oh, you'll make a wonderful master," she chides, "Just like the rest of 'em."
Erakkin frowns, wondering just what the rest of 'em where like. "Oh?" is his only response as he finally picks up the mug offered to him earlier to take a drink. "Ah'd have to take some classes first.."
Dennia looks at Erakkin over the rim of her mug, eyes teasing. "And clean out a hundred forges and make a thousand nails."
Erakkin nods slowly, having heard about the cleaning of forges, hoping to avoid that chore for as long a time as possible. Reminded him too much of the mines. "Aye," he mumbles taking a large swig of klah, emptying half the mug in that one drink.
Dennia watches the scowling apprentice and starts to stand. "I think I might have worn out my welcome," she says, losing her smile.
Erakkin shrugs, not caring whether or not he had company for drinking a mug of klah. Or feeding a firelizard. Who /wasn't/ cute! He looks up at her, giving her a long look before taking another drink of klah.
Dennia looks as if she has been defeated, or is at the least dejected. "I suppose I can find something to do in the garden," she sighs and takes her mug and her slowly darkening mood toward the kitchen.
Dennia walks to the Kitchen.