The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. This is a log of roleplay on PernMUSH, available online by permission of Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern novels, and recorded by A.S. Korra'ti (piper@murkworks.net), player of Mehlani of Telgar Weyr on PernMUSH. This log may be distributed freely as long as this header remains intact. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Log Date: 5/10/98 Log Cast: (People) Kerlyn, Ptodek, Krista, Asher, Neala (NPC), Maylia, Arallia, Sandar, Mehlani, Krista, Orione (NPC), Berylle, Kindre, Ro, Kailia, D'ton, Xella (NPC), Chet (NPC), Keller (NPC), Stimson (NPC), Gwyndelone (Dragons) Tierth (Firelizards) Ptodek's firelizard, Mehlani's fair Log Intro: Much to her and Aurian's distress, Mehlani and her friend have fallen victim to a prankster who has decided to work their hair into horrible snarls and tangles while they slept. This has resulted in the Candidates at large being forced to have haircuts, since none of them have come forward yet to admit doing the deed. Those in charge of supervising the Candidates are less than pleased at this behavior being exhibited by the youngsters that have been Searched, and today, the boys and girls gathered to Stand for the upcoming Hatching haven't yet managed to change this opinion either... ---------- Your location's current time: 17:34 on day 1, month 11, Turn 22, of the Tenth Pass. It is a autumn afternoon. You walk north. Central Bowl(#298RL$) Contents: Sandar Ro Krista Maylia(#15669PJce) Asher(#15147PAJc) Arallia Ptodek(#7019PJce) Berylle Kailia Kindre D'ton Kerlyn Kyoteth Obvious exits: Weyrling Barracks Southern Bowl Lake Shore Hatching Cavern Feeding Grounds Runner Pasture Weyr Entrance Kerlyn's lips press together, but she strides back up to the front of the crowd of candidates. "Alright, get to your feet. For your infomation, that was quite possibley the most pathetic display of togetherness and fitness I have ever had the privilidge to witness. Do any of you have any idea at all why we just went through that exercise?" Ptodek mumbles resentfully, "Cause someone put a bug in my shirt!" Krista finishes her push-ups and stands at attention, looking over to Kerlyn. Asher stands up, catching Berylle by the back of her collar. He hauls her to her feet wordlessly. Ptodek gets to his feet slowly. Neala does about one pushup for about every three the others do. When the others get to fifteen, she flops down, breathing hard. Maylia grins to D'ton, heading in his direction. Once there, she mutters, still grinning, "Remind you of anything? First few days after the Hatching?" Arallia flops to the ground on the fifteenth one and lays in the dirt for a second, before rising slowly. Sandar hops up at Kerlyn's command, but doesn't answer her question. He has no idea why he just did that, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mehlani comes hastening up from the southern half of the bowl, finally excused from the errands she's been running all afternoon, and she calls out tentatively, "Weyrlingmaster...? I was... um... told to report to you...?" She halts, glancing around at the other Candidates, looking decidedly nervous. A dragon lands, shooing off a bunch of layabouts who are in his way. Krista says "I think she means that we aren't working as a team. We're fighting and being big fat jerks." Ptodek scowls. "*I'm* not!" he protests. Orione groans, the sound muffled as her face is now planted in the cold, wet, ground. Lungs heaving to get air in, she finally rises to her knees, eyes rolling in the direction of the feeding grounds. Ro looks at you for a moment. Arallia rubs at her arms, that are now feeling like jelly and glances up at the Weyrlingmaster then the others. Berylle looks at Asher, "I coulda gotten up by myself, I'm not a sack of tubers." Berylle dusts her front off. Asher looks resentful, letting go of Berylle's shirt collar. He gives Ptodek a look. they wouldn't've done those push-ups if he hadn't been such a sissy and shouted about a little crawlie. Asher blinks at Berylle. "Oh," he says. Kerlyn's hands est on her hips, "Because someone put a bug in your shirt?" she echoes, continuing her tirade before acknowledging Mehlani. "Because you haven't the faintest conception of how to work together at a team. You undercut each other, pull pranks on each other, talk about each other behind each other's back, and just generally act like a collection of spoiled children." by this point, her voice has raised to a practiced bellow. "And you're standing here in front of me doing it right now, no less." Ptodek glares at Asher wordlessly, and the firelizard on his shoulder hisses. Berylle winces at Kerlyn's shouting. "Sorry ma'am." Sandar looks down and scuffs at the dirt in front of his boot. In the Feeding Grounds, Tierth soars over the herds in the field, before dipping her wings to dive. A cloud of dust rises, accompanied by the bawling of a herdbeast which is abruptly cut short. Ptodek echoes Berylle's apology. "I'm sorry, too," he says, actually sounding sort of sincere. Kindre remains quiet, simply nodding to each point made by the Weyrlingmaster. Her expression blatantly betrays her complete agreement with Kerlyn. Asher folds his arms over his chest noiselessly and tries not to look at Ptodek. It's too easy to glare. Insted, he stares at Sandar's boots too. Kerlyn waves Mehlani over to join the crowd of candidates being yelled at. "Look at yourselves-- it's *pathetic*. How you think you're ever going to be able to watch each other's back in fall, assuming you impress and make it that far without being killed, is beyond me! " Ro glances at Mehlani, whom she has worked well with in the past. A little of the fog seems to be lifting from her brain. She does, however, murmur "Bug?" Sandar, well skilled as he is at keeping his mouth shut when it should most probably remain shut... well, keeps his mouth shut. Good lad. Mehlani bites her lip, turns white, and scurries silently to the place to which the Weyrlingmaster directs her. Her fair has followed her up from the southern half of the bowl, but none of them are on her shoulder -- just keeping in her vicinity, eyes whirling mutedly. Arki and Holl are in the lead, and the pale-hided green, unsurprisingly, gives off a low hiss at the general sight before her. Kailia stands in the back, nodding. Wait until Richenda hears about what's going on while she's at Benden. Arallia ducks her head at the Weyrlingmaster's bellowing and basically just stares at the ground, staying rather quiet as well. The terrified crawlie, most terribly abused, makes it's panicky way over the ground, heading right for Ptodek's nice boots and the shadow it sees there. A nice place to hide... Orione finally rises to her feet, arms hanging limply by her sides. HEr attention is nowhere near the weyrlingmaster. Kerlyn takes a few deep breaths. "So, what we're going to do now, is work on your teamwork skills, in the hope of creating some. That, " she points to the pile of firestone sacks near the large wooden wall, "Is a pile of firestone sacks." just in case they couldn't tell. "Behind it is something we refer to as teh six foot wall. Your goal is to get one sack per person over the wall. Not around it, over it. One sack per candidate, and all the candidates. I don't care how you do it, but you may begin when ready." Ptodek, alerted by one of the other candidates, notices the crawly on the ground by his boot. Discreetly he leans down to pick it up, and trots over to release it at a safe distance from the group, so that it doesn't get stepped on, promptly rejoining the other candidates immediately. Sandar looks over at the sacks, and the wall, and grimaces. That's a tall wall. And those are big sacks. Asher turns to regard the wall. He doesn't look happy. But he is calculating. "Berylle....get on my shoulders...." In the Feeding Grounds, Tierth devours her catch right where she caught it, too hungry to drag it off anywhere. Bawling herdbeasts leave -plenty- of room around the dragon, but the herd begins to calm down a bit. Ptodek frowns. "They look heavy. Can she lift 'em?" he asks thoughtfully. Krista sighs and heads over to the wall, "Well, we'd better get to work. I would guess we should work together.: Kindre bobs her head once again as Kerlyn speaks. Her arms are still crossed on her chest and they remain there even as she steps back a few paces to allow a better view of the wall. "It's not an easy task," she offers quietly, "you should likely get a plan together between you all." The feeding Tierth draws her attention for a moment before her eyes are again on the candidates. Ro stares at the sacks for a bit and then the wall. Asher shrugs a little. "If she can't, I can help her. I can't reach by myself." He begins to drift towards the wall. Arallia also looks over and grimaces, her arms aren't one of the strongest pairs. She trots toward the wall and peers up at it, "Maybe have Sandar on Asher's shoulders instead and we can hand them up." Asher looks to Arallia. "Can YOU lift them?" Orione just stares at the sacks. She can hardly lift one, let alone move it. "It - it - it's tall." she comments about the Wall. Ptodek wanders over, and hefts a sack experimentally. He can't quite lift it alone. "I don't know. They're awfully heavy," he says doubtfully. Someone might get hurt." Sandar wanders over to examine the front and back of the wall. He stands there, examining the sacks, then hrms. "Well," he says after a moment, "this is supposed to help us work together, with dragons, during a fall, in the case that any of us should Impress. So," he continues, "we might just get some dragons to help us. I'm sure we could bribe a dragon or two to toss 'em over the wall for us." He scratches his chin. "That's teamwork, no?" Ptodek says "Yeah, but what would we bribe a dragon with?" Krista says "I don't think just two people can lift those, and whith her on your shoulders holding a sack you can just topple over."" Firestone sacks -- and from the look of them, fairly full, too. Mehlani nibbles for a moment at her lower lip, her arms' muscles remembering having to sling the hammer to break a lot of that 'stone even though she hasn't had to do it for a few days now. As the Candidates start tentatively offering their ideas, the girl in the hat drifts nearer to Ro, almost instinctively. Ptodek grins. "Hey! I got an idea!" Sandar ducks goodnaturedly at Ptodek's exclamation of an idea, but he's listening. Arallia shakes her head, "I meant a few of us together lifting it.." She frowns, "But then how do we get them over the wall?" She grins over at Sandar, hearing his dragon idea, then peers at Ptodek, "What's your idea?" Asher shrugs a little. "What's that, Crawlie?" he asks, looking to Ptodek. D'ton wanders quietly around the edge of the crowd to stand next to Kindre. Ptodek ignores Asher's taunt. "There's a bunch of sacks there," he says. "More than there are of us!" Ptodek grins. "So we pile 'em up just so.. and then we can climb up!" Maylia follows her clutchmate, watching the candidates as she slowly walks, arms folded over her chest. Ptodek says "Two people on the pile to hand the sacks up, and two people on the wall to drop 'em down!" Ro looks at the wall again, and the sacks. Finally she picks one up, and, for lack of a better description, powerlifts it over her head while she is standing next to the wall and from there just lets it fall over the wall. Arallia giggles at Ptodek's idea and gestures toward the wall, "And then just pull 'em over, right?" Asher blinks and begins to count candidates. "Are there enough extra?" Sandar hmms thoughtfully. "That," he notes, "is not a bad idea at all. Though it'll mean more sack moving in all, it might be easier in the long run." Kerlyn joins Kindre and D'ton, watching the activity with a small frown. "Well, what do you think?" Orione simply hangs back, but at least her attention is now focussed on the sacks rather than on the dragons around. Kerlyn cups her hands around her mouth and bellows over the discussion of the canddiates, "No external help, and they'd better be whole on the other side, not split and spilt." "I think your class worked better together," Kindre murmurs to Maylia and D'ton quietly, "though mayhaps this will prove me wrong." Looking toward Kerlyn, she lifts a single shoulder in a tiny half-shrug. "I think this is a great idea, to be true. Might bring out the leaders of the group..." She ends up smiling. Berylle says "Maybe we can form a ramp from people." Sandar nudges Asher. "C'mon, let's get a few laid down here," he says, grabbing a nearby sack. "If it doesn't work, we can always slug Ptodek. As a team," he adds. Though the glint in his eye shows he's joking. Ptodek hmms. "That's a good idea, Berylle, but still someone might get hurt." Berylle says "Like stand on each other's backs, then carry it over." Berylle says "Not if we have a wide enough base." Asher simply says, "Let's try it first, and than we'll see." He picks up a sack too. "Why us? Let's let the girls hit him. As a team." Ptodek says "I think definitely we need to use something besides ourselves for a stool." Berylle says "You just don't wanna be on the bottom." Ptodek raises an eyebrow. "I don't want YOU to get 50 pounds of firestone on your head." Mehlani mutters to Ro, "... don't... can lift one... myself, yet...." You whisper "I don't... think I can lift one of those by myself, yet...." to Ro. Krista says "More of a pyramid than just pairs will work better and we can have an assembly line." Berylle says "Oh, a little rock never hurt nobody. Well, wait, maybe I guess it has. Mine cave ins and all that." Arallia looks over at Berylle and then grabs a sack, "I agree with Ptodek, we'd hurt our backs that way. Come oon lets get some over to the wall." She tries to pull one, but it's a touch too heavy, "Someone want to help me, please?" Sandar nods to Berylle, now holding a sack. "There's an idea," he agrees, "but I don't think I'd want to be on the bottom of that pyramid." He takes a look at the wall. "Hey," he says, "how 'bout this. We could empty the sacks over there," he points, "and use those bags to fill these sacks we have to move up only a half or a third full. Then we could just toss 'em over... and refill 'em on the other side. That's less dangerous, and Faranth knows we're all getting good 'n quick at bagging firestone." From behind Asher, Xella pipes up, "Could we just put people on top, and folks on each side and hand them over the wall that way?" Ptodek gets a good hold on Arallia's sack and helps her drag it into position at the base of the wall. Ro murmurs to Mehlani "S'okay. I can." Asher drops the sack next to the wall and backs up. Running room attained, he sprints foreward and pulls himself over the wall, managing an uncomfortalbe perch atop it. Looking down at the others, he grins at Xella. "So hand 'em up t' me already!" Mehlani hesitantly slips towards Arallia, but pauses uncertainly when Ptodek beats her to it. Instead, then, she glances back anxiously at Ro. Arallia trots back over and smiles at Mehlani, as she grabs another sack and tugs a bit, "Want to help me, Mehlani? It's kind of too heavy for me." Ptodek looks up at Asher. "Did that sack get over okay?" he asks. Berylle says "Remember, everyone, bend your knees when lifting rocks, don't just bend over, or else you'll hurt your backs." Berylle goes ACK at herself. "Oh no. I sound just like my Da talking to apprentice miners." This seems to be a distressing thought for her. Xella glances around a moment, then picks up a bag with a huff. The drudge from Igen then single-handedly lifts the bag onto her back. "Well, someone take it," she exclaims, "And don't just drop it on the other side!" Asher looks over the other side. "Define 'OK'..." Kerlyn's head shakes as she watches the activity. "Well, a few of them seem to have the basic idea, but I count at least 3 different groups doing their own thing." Chet, the lad from South Boll, is quick behind Asher, clambering up the wall. "C'mon, someone heft up a sack to us!" He calls, then jokes. "Y'know, we could tear down the Wall, and just walk the sacks over?" Mehlani brightens, ever so slightly, at Arallia's overture. She gives the other girl a silent bob of her head, and moves to offer her aid, gripping the other side of the sack in her slender hands. Ptodek hmms. "It busted open?" Berylle goes over to help Xella, and helps her hand it up to Asher. Berylle says "We need someone on the other side. Asher, pull me up." Berylle sticks her hand up to Asher. Sandar heads over to the other side to help with the "make sure it doesn't split" crowd. He laughs at Chet's idea. "Better'n some ideas I've heard," he agrees. Ptodek shouts, "Wait! Everybody stop." Asher snags the corner of the bag with one hand and Berylle's paw with the other. "Alleyoop!" he says, jerking her up. Ro asks lani and Arallia "Want some help?" Xella beams at Berylle, and says, "We can make a team of three if you catch 'em on the other side." Arallia pulls the bag over with the help of Mehlani and then looks at everyone, "Why don't we have a set group of people dragging the sacks over and the others lifting them?" Kindre nods slowly to Kerlyn's words as she watches the collected group of candidates attempt the task at hand. Chet's suggestion does draw a small chuckle from her before she offers, "Mayhaps they'll pull together at some point...I hope." Berylle seems to have not considered that she could just walk around it. She scrambles up to the top then tumbles over the wall to the other side, landing in a heap, but no worse for wear, really. Ptodek sighs in frustration. "Look! we still aren't working together. Which is what *they* want us to do." He jerks a thumb toward the watching riders. Krista moves over by Mehlani and Arallia to help dragging. Asher laughs down at Berylle. "That was graceful." Ptodek says "Berylle! What are you guys gonna *do* over there? let the sacks fall on you?" Berylle yells "HEY careful!" as she rolls to the side just in time to avoid a sack of firestone that crashes to the ground next to her. Asher shrugs at Ptodek. "I could hand them to her. Gently." Ptodek sprints around the wall, grabbing Berylle by the wrist. "Are you all right?" Berylle calls over, "If someone else comes over to help me, we can put our arms together and catch the sacks, and set 'em down." Berylle pulls her hand away from from Ptodek, "Of course I'm fine! Sheesh, quit worrying about me and worry about the sacks. C'mon, help me catch the next one from Asher." Mehlani glances at Ptodek as the lad calls out his point, but it would seem that the lass isn't quite brave enough to offer any commentary, not in this huge a group. She glances at Krista and Arallia and Ro instead, perhaps to take a cue from them. Asher waves his hands at the girls. "We're getting lonely up here, dears. Firestone, if you please." Sandar nods. "I'm here," he tells Berylle, having walked over some moments before. "But, we'd have to have someone warn us they're coming over. Hey, Ro, you might sit on the wall and tell us what's going on on each side. That way you could sorta tell us when we're gonna get stuff dropped over here." Kerlyn nods slowly, her voice slow enough that it shouldn't carry to the candidates, "Its not entirely their fault- most of the non-weyrbred haven't ever needed to be relieant on their mates before. " Without missing a beat she bellows across at teh candidates, "I said over, not around. That goes for bodies as well as sacks!" Arallia points at Mehlani, Krista, herself and Ro, "How about we pull the sacks over.." And she glances at the others, finally shouting to try and be heard, "And Sandar and Ptodek hoist them up and Beyrlle and the others catching them?" Ptodek kicks some of the firestone into a crude pile at the bottom of the wall. "I'm gonna have to rebag this stuff, too," he mutters. Keller, still on the ground infront of the wall, grabs a sack with the help of another lad. He might not have the concept of serving food down pat, but he's got the idea of this excercise. The two of them get set to send the bag up to Asher and Chet. Asher kicks his legs once in impaitence and then leans down, him taking one side and Chet the other. "Coming at you, my dears," he says, lowering it down the other side. Berylle looks at the three other candidates who are here (Sandar, Ptodek, and some NPC). "Okay, put our arms together and just catch 'em as they come over and let 'em down carefully. Sacks of rock aren't _that_ hard to deal with." Sandar nods to Berylle. "Yeah," he agrees. "Though someone's gotta sit up there on the wall and tell us when sacks are gonna drop." Maylia shifts her weight to one leg, still watching them. "They seem to be pulling together a bit, now," she comments softly. Ptodek sighs. "She just said we can't do it this way," he grumbles. Berylle and the others grab the sack of rocks and somewhat clumsily lower it to the ground. Mehlani might not be brave enough to talk much, but she does bob her behatted head to Arallia, apparently quite willing to give aid wherever requested. Her fair keeps its distance, but nine whirling pairs of eyes keep watching 'Lani intently. Asher shouts, "Catch!" loudly, realeasing one sack and leaning over the other side to help Chet with the next. Ptodek screeches in pain as the sack lands on his toe. Berylle says "Ptodek, are you okay?" Kailia looks around, "Are you alright Ptodek?" Krista picks up a sack, "I could lift these for a while, there just a bit heavier than my little brother" she says as she lifts the sack up to the people on the wall. Berylle says "I think he hurt his ptoe." Kerlyn repeats her bellow. "You can do whatever you want, as I said before, just so long as nything on the far side of the wall got there by going over, not around. And that goes fo-- CAREFULY, Farnath's egg-- " Ro finally processes "Yeah, Sandy. I can get up on the wall." Asher blinks down at Ptodek, lowering the next sack. "Someone help Crawlie out of the way...I can't hold this here for that long...." Ptodek's face is screwed up and he is very pale, but he doesn't cry. "It hurts," he whimpers. Berylle calls up to Asher, "Just drop it, I'll catch it." Chet leans down with Ahser, finally, some of the group is working in coordination. "Ok, how many've gone over now?" he asks with a drawl characteristic of his home Hold. Ptodek scrambles out of the way with hands and one foot. Kailia nods, Kerlyn, may Ptodek be excused to the infirmy?" Asher has kept count. "Four. Here comes, Berylle." Kindre winces a bit at Ptodek's yelp and nods to Kailia's words. D'ton glances at Kerlyn, and starts strolling towards Ptodek to look him over. Berylle grabs the falling sack and falls to the ground with it, landing on her rear. "Oof." Stimson wanders over to Ptodek, concern in his eyes. "Want to lean on me? I'll help you over." Ptodek nods and tries to grin an apology to the riders. "Sorry." D'ton reaches Ptodek, and leans over him. "Is it your foot or your leg?" he asks. Ptodek says "Just my toe" Asher winks at Berylle, calling out as he leans over to catch hold of the next sack. "S'okay, Crawlie. We'll see you after." He doesn't add anything about how clumsy the boy is, but simply grabs the sack Chet nearly dropped. Arallia starts to nibble on a fingernail and moves back over to the sacks, near Lani. Kerlyn nods briskly, striding over towards the injured candidate. "Someone get him to the healer. If he's fine, he can come back, but they'll decide." She lifts an eyeborw to Ptodek, "And this is your idea of how to get out of duty, it'll catch up with you." Her face is perfectly straight. D'ton says "Just your toe? Get up." Ptodek blinks. "No ma'am" he says steadily. Ptodek leans on Stimson's shoulder. Berylle gets up to her feet, "OwwWWww, I'm gonna have bruises all over my butt tomorrow." D'ton holds out one hand to Ptodek. "Stimson, get back with the others. I'll get this'un over to the Infirmary." Orione grabs a corner of a bag, finally trying to lift one. Krista lifts another sack and holds it up to the top of the wall to be tossed over. Berylle looks over at (some NPC who scaled the wall) and says, "Okay, together on this next sack, 'kay?" The boy nods. Ptodek transfers his grip to D'ton. Ro pauses to check up on Ptodek. Seeing that he is relatively okay, she asks Mehlani and Sandar "Can you give me a boost up onto the wall? Asher whistles at Berylle. "How about you catch this one first?" He drops another sack. Mehlani blows out a soft sigh, then bobs her head hastily and moves to assist Ro, her steps swift, even if her arms aren't that strong. With the bronzerider's help, Ptodek limps away in the direction of the infirmary. Ptodek goes home. Ptodek crawls onto his cot. Ptodek has left. Asher holds out a hand for Ro silently. Berylle and the boy who I haven't named yet both scramble to catch the falling sack, snagging part of it but mostly letting it drop; at least they broke the fall, somewhat, and it's mostly intact. Sandar nods to Ro and helps her over. Arallia reaches down and helps Orione with her sack of stone, and drags it to the others. Ro jumps up, and with a little help from Mehlani and the strength of her arms, pulls herself on top of the wall. Arallia Not an overly tall young woman, Ara stands roughly around five foot five, with ear length mousey brown hair. A few highlights of blond and auburn streaks can be seen peeking out from the brown coloring. Her hair has been shorn up near her ears, and the ends of her hair are a bit uneven, looking as if she either cut it herself or someone with little skill cut her locks. Her eyes are a normal shade of hazel with amber colored chips swimming in them. Her lanky form is clothed in simple clothing, a pair of scuffed up old brown pants and a matching brown top. Equally scuffed up brown boots cover her feet. A small belt circles her waist, with a pouch and her eating knife hanging from the 'hide belt. On her shoulder sits the knot of a Telgar Candidate. Arallia looks to be 16 Turns, 9 months, and 8 days old. Asher and Chet both reach out to steady Ro. Exchanging a glance over her shoulder, both let go, and lean down for the next sack to be handed up. Orione smiles nervously at Arallia for the help. Well, OK, for moving the bag - Orione couldn't lift a V-tol if it was in flight. Berylle calls up, "How many more do we need to do?" Ro gets herself settled on the wall and asks "Okay, now who is going to catch on the far side of the wall?" Asher laughs out loud, than grunts as he and his partner drop another sack into Berylle and her friend's arms. "Six more." Arallia says "Berylle and a few others are catching, Mehlani, Krista, Orione and I are dragging the bags over. Then Sandar and..well, Ptodek was helping to hoist them up." Berylle drops the latest sack and shakes her arms out. "I think my arms will hurt more than my rear. Ow." Her partner nods and agrees. Keller and his partner are hoisting sacks up as well. Mehlani turns back to the other girls helping to move the sacks, and, trying to look a little more at ease, holds out an inquiring hand, pointing to a sack near her and Krista. Krista Krista is a tall, skinny beanpole of a girl. She is 16 Turns, 7 months, and 15 days but is very flat chested. Krista is quick to smile and has a confident stance. Krista has high cheek bones that make her dark brown eyes squint up when she smiles and laughs. She has a narrow face that ends in a pointy chin. Layered blonde hair outlines her face and reaches down past her shoulders. She is wearing a blue long sleeved tunic, with the knot of Candidate at Telgar Weyr, dark brown pants and work worn black boots. Xella holds up another sack, balancing it partly with her head. "Make that five more, if you've got this one...Mehlani? Someone?" she asks. Sandar vaults over the wall to help with catching, this time hopping it instead of going around it. He seems to enjoy the jumping. Ro slips down the wall and takes over the handing up for Sandar. Xella's calling her catches her attention, and 'Lani diverts herself to help that Candidate instead, mouthing, "Be right back" to Krista. Asher catches Xella's sack with one hand, nearly tumbling over. A snatch at Asher's shirt from Chet saves him, and he grins, hauling the sack up. "Five more, than." They drop it over the other side. Ro says "I'll hold them up for Asher and Chet if you'll bring them to me" to the candidates remaining on her side of the wall." Arallia tugs at a firestone sack, but it doesn't budge as she's the only one pulling on it. Grimacing as she thinks, . o 0 ( I guess sewing doesn't build up too much muscle. ) Orione chews on her lip, and lends what little help she can to Arallia. D'ton rejoins the other riders shortly after dropping Ptodek off at the Infirmary. "Broken toe, nothing too bad," he tells Kerlyn and Kindre, "Are they almost done yet?" Asher suddenly notices something. "MAYBE," he raises his voice, "Imuna can help Arallia?" he looks over the girl,, brow lifted at her current preoccupation--nail buffing. Krista moves over to help Arallia and Orione with the sack. Ro says calmly to the boys on the wall "Try grabbin' the sacks together, and for goodness sake, be careful. Don't need someone else breakin' themselves." Arallia smiles gratefully at Orione, then Krista and with everyone's help they get the sack to the wall. "Thanks." Asher and Chet both grab hold of the sack Ro's holding up. "Together?" they both echo together, tugging the sack up. Kerlyn nods, still watching with her fists on her hips, "Pretty much. I haven't kept an exact count, but it looks like they're close to done. I doubt it'll make much immediate difference, but with any luck the attitudes in need of adjustment will start adjusting." The physical exertion has begun to bring out a sheen of sweat along Mehlani's brow, and a pink flush to her face, dampening the auburn spikes of hair peeking out from under her hat brim. She bobs her head as Krista has gotten Arallia and Orione covered, and then looks briefly at a loss... before one of the quieter, kinder older girls in the group waves her over to one of the remaining sacks. 'Lani produces a tremulous but earnest smile, and the two of them hoist up the sack and get it over to the wall between them. It takes a bit more effort for the two to lift the thing high enough for the ones on the wall to reach it. Gwyndelone walks in from outside the room. Gwyndelone has arrived. Sandar does seem to be working quite well with the others, the sacks now fluidly flowing over the wall. Of course, the ribbing is still there, and the occasional chuckle or guffaw escapes from the toiling group. Asher suddenly asks, "How many more?" Ro nods to the boys "That's better. See, neither of you lost balance." Chet answering clamly, grunting as one more sack is pulled up. "Three more." Xella replies instantly, "Two." Krista moves over to drag and hoist more sacks with the girls on her side of the wall. Sandar replies, "two and a half." Asher looks at Xella. "Two?" Xella grins impishly up at Chet, "Depending on how you count 'em. I didn't count the one you were holding." Ro takes a moment to slip under the bag Mehlani and the other girl are holding, giving it an extra boost. Gwyndelone edges along the group, trying not to get into anyones way as she exits the galleries and aims her direction across the bowl. Asher is starting to be--/unhappy/ with this exercise. He reaches for the next sack. Arallia moves over to help Krista with the last couple of sacks, saying to Krista, "I think my arms are going to hate me tomorrow." Kindre blinks out of whatever idle conversation Herath apparently found interesting enough to bother her lifemate with. Catching up, she nods to Kerlyn. "I don't believe they've much farther to go," she agrees aloud. Chet smiles once at Xella, hand resting on his leg. "I didn't. I guess you're right." Asher slaps the side of Chet's arm. "Stop flirting and help me lift this over," he scolds, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth. "Come on Ro! Two more!" Kerlyn nods, "Once they've got the sacks and themselves over, I think it wouldn't hurt to turn them loose back to whatever Richenda had them assigned to- I don't wnat to cause too much trouble with her schedule." she replies quietly. Slowly, but surely, the work seems to nudge the nervousness out of Mehlani's eyes, steadying her somehow. She and her impromptu partner, once their sack has made it up to the top of the wall, let it go on its way and then turn back to check on the remaining sacks. Krista smiles and nods to Arallia, "I know what you mean, I can feel it already." "True enough," Kindre agrees once again with the Weyrlingmaster. Neala hefts a sack over the wall to Sandar and the others, then eeps. "Ow! I just broke a nail." She stares at her nail for a moment or two, then brushes a tear from her eye. "I've been growing this one for two months," she says sorrowfully. D'ton asks Kerlyn quietly, "Are those sacks heavier than the ones we heft around during Weyrling training?" Asher gives Chet a /look/ because of Neala, and they both roll thier eyes, dropping a sack on the opposite side. Arallia glances over at Neala then grins to Krista, "Me too." She then looks up to the boys on the walls, "Is that all of them?" Asher gestures with his hands. "One more!" Kerlyn's head shakes, "No- they're actually only 3/4 full-- you started throwing at half, but they don't have to do that-- these are the same weight as the ones you started out unloading from the tithe trains though." Ro takes a moment to peer at Neala before heaving up one last sack within the reach of the boys on the wall, apparently given a boost of energy by her annoyance. D'ton nods. "Ah," he says eloquently. Asher catches one end of the sack, Chet the other. They grin at each other, and shove the sack over. "Done!" they both declare, grinning down at the other candidates. Kerlyn frowns just slightly, "You think this was too much?" Gwyndelone exits from the galleries, edgeing around the crowd to stay out of the way of the candidates. Once there, she pauses to watch a minute. Sandar slaps his hands together. "There," he nods. Kindre shakes her head quickly, letting her arms fall from her chest and dig into her jacket pockets. "Not at all," she says to back up the shake of her noggen. "This was a good exercise...especially considering their behavior. If they can't work together now, how would they ever as a Wing?" Maylia raises her eyebrows, and shakes her head at Kerlyn's question. "They did it just fine, once they got themselves together. And the only injury 'cause someone wasn't watching." Asher twists atop the wall and tumbles down, a hand catching Sandar by the shoulder for balance. Ro snorts "Not quite!" at the boys then turns to those on her side of the wall, falling to one knee, the other braced, she calls "Okay everybody, up and over. You can use my knee as a step if you're careful." To Chet and Asher she says "You help them up." Kailia nods, "Just perfect..." Chet leans down to grab arms and hands, pulling the tossers over the wall. D'ton glances around at the sound of conversation, having assumed that Kerlyn was frowning at the Candidates. "Hm?" he asks. Asher blinks at Ro, and than up at Chet. "Am I too hasty?" He reaches up to catch his partner's hand and is immediately yanked up again. "Whatta dunce," he tells himself, vaulting over and landing on the other side. "I'll catch them." Asher grins at Ro as he straightens himself up. "You're quite the energetic lady," he tells her with a cheerful grin, looking up to wait for the first of the rest of the candidates. Arallia moves over to Ro and then looks up at Asher and Chet, "Ready to help me?" Mehlani approaches the wall, pulling in long, slow breaths, trying not to pant if she can help it. Gwyndelone walks south. Gwyndelone has left. Ro waves to Mehlani and Arallia and the rest. She doesn't see Asher's grin, being on the other side of the wall, but does murmur "As energetic as I have to be. I'm ready, Arallia." Asher waves a hand at Mehlani. "You first? Come on, we won't drop you," he tells her. Krista says "Does anyone need help over the wall? I can help." "Well," the goldrider begins, "I suppose that's nearly it. Shall we dismiss them back once they're over the wall, Kerlyn?" Xella says to Mehlani, "I'll go after you. Need a leg up?" Mehlani, by way of reply, merely holds up her slender hands to be taken by those atop the wall, and bobs her head gravely to Xella. This doesn't appear to daunt her -- perhaps since it doesn't involve Conversation. Kerlyn nods absently to Kindre. "I don't suppose anyone would thank me if we don't give them a chance to clean up, eh?" . She takes in another deep breath and hollers across to the group finishing up the last of their task, "Alright- despite the fact that there's no way it should have taken you this long to complete a simple task, I'll give you .. " she pauses to consider, "ten minutes to clean up and change before you report back to your chore stations." it's clear she considers that she's being extremely generous. Sandar nods to Kerlyn, and starts cleaning pronto. Wordlessly, Xella links her hands and gives Mehlani a boost up. She seems intent on not wasting any more time. Asher grabs Mehlani's lithe hand in one of his own, and Chet takes her other. Together, they drag her up. Ro braces her fellow candidates, letting them use her knee as a step up, until Asher and Chet have pulled the last of them up onto the wall. Kindre chuckles a bit, though muffles the sound with one of her hands. "I think they've likely learned from this experience," she remarks, "at least I hope so." One thing about being as slenderly built as Mehlani is -- the girl's easy to lift. She braces herself for a moment by connecting the soles of her boots to sort of 'walk' herself up and over the wall. Asher puts a hand on Mehlani's back, and helps her slip over the top of the wall. Once he sees that she's been put down succesfully, he calls out, "Next?" Xella is over next, leaving the way clear for Ro. Ro helps Arallia up within reach of Asher and Chet. On the wall's other side, Mehlani jumps down and lands fairly easily, her legs bending for a moment beneath her to take the shock of the landing before she straightens up again, just a trifle unsteadily. Then, belatedly registering Kerlyn's call, she swallows and then makes her way over to the Weyrlingmaster and the other riders, to timidly venture, "I am supposed to be... running errands, ma'am? Do you know of anyone who needs an errand run? I mean... after I go change...?" Asher lowers Arallia on his own carefully, having allready tugged her up and over the top of the wall, while Chet holds his hands out for the next one. Arallia moves up after Xella and boists herself over with Ro and Chet's help, mimicking 'Lani's walking. "Thanks." She says as she hits the ground. Ro seeing no one else, Ro reaches her hands up for the boys to catch. Krista moves over to the wall and lifts herself over the wall with help from the top. Kailia nods, "Well, I certianly hope this helps. I need to get back to stores. Afternoon, all!" Sandar helps to catch some of the Candidates hopping over the wall. Seems to enjoy that sort of job - at least, with the female Candidates. Kerlyn's head shakes after a moment's thought. "Not off-hand, however if no one else does either, you can spend the time helping that little one with the lisp learn her letters.. you read, don't you?" Asher wraps a hand around Ro's wrist, a hand around her arm, and pulls her up level with him. "Hello," he smiles, and helps her down the other side. Kailia disappears down the tunnel that leads out of the Telgar Caldera. Kailia has left. Mehlani bobs her head wordlessly to Kerlyn, as the pink flush begins slowly draining from her face. Ro makes her landing on the far side of the wall, with help, and in turn waits to aid Asher and Chet down. Kerlyn nods crisply, "Excellent. I can't remember her name, but you know who I mean?" "Chonny," says Mehlani, softly. "I'll find her..." Asher grasps the edge of the wall and drops down. He crouches for a moment, and than stands, just as Chet lands beside him. He takes Ro's hand than. "How nice of you to offer to escort me," he smiles to her, walking around the wall. Ro lifts an eyebrow, a lopsided grin appearing "Any time." Kindre's lips alternate between small frowns and smiles as she watches the conclusion of the wall drill. "I think I'll head back to my weyr," she announces to no one in particular. "Kerlyn, this was a great idea. I'm sure Richenda will be proud to hear of it when she returns from Benden," she adds to the Weyrlingmaster before heading toward the southern end of the bowl. Kindre walks south. Kindre has left. Arallia stands straight and starts to rub at her arms, moving back down toward the living cavern, . o 0 ( I'm going to be so sore tomorrow. ) Sandar hrms to himself, then gets back to his dragon washing. Asher twists one of his shoulders with a grimace. "How many more minutes do we have?" he wonders aloud, letting Ro have her own fingers back. "Back to weeds!" he says joyfully. Sandar walks south. Sandar has left. Krista sighs and rubs her shoulders "That wasn't very fun." Mehlani, dismissed, slips quietly off, but exchanges a hesitant smile with the older girl who'd helped her with the sacks. Mehlani's fair begins to take wing as the lot of them notice her movement, and in a swirl of blue and brown and green and bronze wings, trail through the air after her. Arki catches up with the lass and claims her shoulder, as she slips off through the Bowl. You walk south. Southern Bowl(#396RJL$) Contents: Gwyndelone Sandar Obvious exits: Living Cavern Central Bowl Weyrleaders' Complex Outer Infirmary Guest Weyr Records Room Mehlani slips through, trailed by nine fire lizards, and heading tiredly for the living cavern. [And shortly...] You part the curtain and step into the Candidate Barracks. Candidate Barracks(#258RAHJ$) Contents: Neliea Flutterby Tazath Kharty Candidate Supervisor Roster Kerile Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Arallia has arrived. Arallia climbs into Ara's cot. Arallia has left. Kharty heads through the entrance to the inner cavern. Kharty has left. Mehlani slips tiredly into the room, trailed by her fire lizards -- all except pale green Arki, who rides on her shoulder and seems to dare anybody in Mehlani's vicinity to stop her progress to her cot. [End log.]