Something to Talk About (OPEN)

[lastthoughts]

((I don't know where the Headwoman would beeeeeee. So I picked here. Annika doesn't actually have to meet her per se, any passersby are fine... Intro post! ))


The late corn was beautiful, and high on the ridge apple blossoms nodded lazily. The smell of plants and dirt rose with the drying morning damp. Above, strong bodies twisted through the clear sky.

Life was good today, Annika reminded herself. She tossed another sack of fresh corncobs onto a small cart and wiped her face with a rag. One of her young charges grunted and followed suit. She reached over to clap him on the shoulder before he plodded back out to where the others were hard at work.

Everything was under control. She made herself leave them to it.

Her long legs took her up the paths of the mountainside, past the cool-weather crops. There, the trail spilled over a ridge and down into the Weyr Bowl. It fell sharply along an elaborate system of pumps rising from the lake—rarely used since the irrigation ponds had been finished in the mid-upper terraces. Was that really so long ago now? No, a few years at most. She checked the pipes as she scrambled down down down to the nearest door into the Weyr.

The sun was beating down on her long before she reached it.

It would probably have been easier to be on time had she set a legitimate appointment. Likely her decision ‘now was a good time’ would not mean much. She hurried anyway.

It was only when she had reached the door to the Headwoman’s chambers that she realized she was a complete mess, had no idea where the woman might actually be, and had neglected to stop and pick up the ledgers she’d so painstakingly re-tabulated the night before.

Maybe, she admitted, grandfather’s passing was affecting her after all.

[hrsegrl]

((hope you don't mind me throwing another crafter at you ))

Shard it all. He threw away another salve that was obviously bad. When had journeymen decided that it was below them to double check the store room? He grumbled in anoyance as his apprentices continued to learn what the difference was between good and bad for each and every product.

"Don't tell me we are out of numbweed too." He scratched his head and wrote again. this room was a disaster. They needed everything it seemed. He had to prepare for the Hatchings and their subsequent Weyrling Turns. Also with Aliath being so young she should clutch every turn.

There was no time for lazy bones around here. Evaluating every single thing took him a half the morning. After which, his apprentices were sent to wash out the containers. Wasting good materials was not something he was keen on doing. One thing he did not like doing was meeting with the Headwoman. As a Master he understood responsibility but her job was far worse and he would much rather not have to burden her with this.

Unfortunately, some of these things were needed immediately in case of an accident. The rest he could wait a few sevendays for. No procrastination for him. He must meet with the Headwoman today.

With a sigh he walked steadily to the offce of the Headwoman only to find a blonde woman in her place. "Excuse me, have you seen the Headwoman? I'm Master Phaedon and theres been a situation with my store room that needs to be remedied." He sort of rambled to explain why he had arrived without appointment. It was only then that he saw the chaos around the room. She was probably very busy then.

[lastthoughts]

((Perfect!))


Annika let her new title roll around in her mouth for a second before letting it drop with a pretty, lopsided grin and a convivial nod.

"I'm Master Annika," she said, "looks like she's out at the moment."

She tapped a finger along the side of her nose thoughtfully and looked around the room again, her facile mind spinning through a series of faces. There! She looked back at her handsome compatriot.

"The Dragonhealer?" she nodded without waiting for his response. "I'm almost embarrassed it's taken me so long to meet you. I came down here to finalize my taking up Master Erik's position as Master Farmer here. You probably know me by my handwriting, truth be told. I've just recently finished merging his tally system with my own." She stopped herself, a wave of something between nausea and vertigo rippling up from her toes to her forehead. Was she rambling? First egg. When was the last time she'd eaten?

A hand run through her unruly yellow hair settled her somewhat; this was not the ideal time for her to look overwhelmed. Or be overwhelmed, for that matter. What had he said, his storeroom?

"Are there any shortages that I could look into for you?"

Business business business. Focus focus focus.

Thank goodness the Headwoman wasn't there. She would have slapped Annika upside the head.

[hrsegrl]

Phaedon tried not to appear shocked at the woman's title. He had never met a woman who had made it to master status, in any craft. He hoped that she did not take offense to the following silence. Phaedon did remember hearing about Master Erik but he had not heard that his replacement was a woman. Taking in a deep breath he smiled.

"Ahh, well its a pleasure to meet you Master Annika." Farmers were a good group if you asked him. Not to mention quite necessary for him to get medicines for his healing salves. He grinned in response. Crafters around here didn't take the time to meet eachother so he was not suprised. She seemed a bit nervous. No doubt she needed to talk to the Headwoman about something important which was now not going to happen. Wish there was a way he could keep track of the woman.


The smile on his face vanished as a more serious topic was brought up. "As you know Aliath will be having a clutch soon and we need supplies for the Hatching and afterward Weyrling Training. Young dragons are clumsy and their partnership with their riders is new and tenuous. They will miscommunicate, there will be accidents. I'm in grave need of many different things. In fact I'm tempted to raid the infirmiry for some of their things." He shook his head.

"I do need many plant materials and soon. Let me see if I brought that list with me." He looked through the hidebound journal he carreid, flipping past pages filled with dragon anatomy and physiology along with mental processes and diseases. If anyone looked at it they would think it was the work of many Masters not just Phaedon. "YES!" He grinned wide like a little boy.

"I thought I may have forgotten to write the plant materials seperately. The Headwoman has reminded me several times to write down what was needed into categories so she can distribute them appropriately. Here you are." He tore the page out of the journal and handed it to the blonde woman. The list was filled with names of medicinal plants along with numbweed which was starred.

[lastthoughts]

The deep weakness and weariness were not dissipating, but as Annika's most recent major task had been reviewing the status of her entire craft within the Weyr, they did not stop her remembering relevant facts. After a life of chasing down information, it would take more than a spot of ill health to derail Anni's reasoning when it came to logistics.

"Yes, yes," she slid a finger quickly down the list while she fitted request to stock in her mind. No lack on her end, although they would do well to increase the numbweed crop for the next harvest cycle. She looked back up into his eyes, "It may take a day or so to pull everything together, but we will definitely be able to restock you. I can also make a copy of this for you, if you would like."

Whatever she thought she was up to, it wasn't working. Food, her body said. Sleep. Her stomach grumbled resoundingly in emphasis, the usually comical sound accompanied with another disconcerting wave of unease. But she still had so much to do today...

"I'm sorry," she said, "I really must get myself to a meal."

She felt she should add something more, and would have liked to stay to chat with the Healer (an understandable and interesting sort, she'd found, and this one with an expertise in dragons. Fascinating.) But saying it out loud had only made her more aware of the abuses she'd put her system through in the past few weeks.

"Unless you are heading to the Hall?"

Now that took effort.

[hrsegrl]

He watched nervously as she looked through the list. Phaedon had a lot planned this next week to prepare for the clutching. Having these supplies would certainly help. She seemed very certain that she would have enough. "That would be helpful thank you." His handwriting probably was not the best but he could at least read everything he wrote.

Phaedon was not on his way to the Hall but he did wish to discuss something dear to his heart with the woman. She would hopefully not find him rude. It was a touchy subject for most crafters. "I can certainly accompany you." He said with a smile. Besides she looked tired now that he'd taken the time to scan her face. Luthiel would have noticed straight away. His weyrmate was a force to reckon with, any day.

"I'm sure you've had a lot of work to do getting settled into your new position." Phaedon said as a way of making small talk on the way to the Hall. He did not want to bring up family because he would then ramble on and on about them. There was of course one person he had to bring up and hopefully Annik had some advice.

[lastthoughts]

Annika was glad for the company.

"It has been a bit of a project," she allowed. A smile worked its way onto her face slowly. Her voice regained its vigor as they walked and as she spoke: her mellow vitality peeking out from wherever it had hidden itself. "And that might be an understatement. I don't think one realizes the degree to which a position becomes fitted to someone who holds it for as long as he did. I mean to say, everything has kept on running smoothly, but for the time being it is still as though I'm acting as him, rather than as myself in the role."

As often happened, her ideas untangled themselves as she gave voice to them. She agreed with herself. Add that sense of strangeness to her grief and it was no wonder she was wearing herself out treading water.

Yes. That was what she had been doing. Thank goodness for the comfort of small revelations. And what better first step to finding her feet than taking a moment to speak with someone, not from pressing need, but because it would be nice?

((Meet you in the Hall? ))

[hrsegrl]

(sure... I'll write up a post there later today )