Of Weyrs and Miners

[jack]

Braelyn held in a sigh. He'd been here for nearly a month, and still hadn't seen hide nor hair of his son or daughter. It wasn't unusual, knowing how busy B'rak was and how much trouble Lei-Lei probably encountered in transferring, but it was minorly depressing nonetheless.

The man gave a strange expression a bit too much like a pout and stuffed his hands deep into his pockets, continuing to shuffle his way down a worn path. He didn't exactly know where he was heading, but that was alright. Exploring was something that the Masterminer did best. Well..aside from digging. He was insanely good at digging.

A smug smirk replaced his pout as he turned, glancing around thoughtfully. It truly was a pretty place, this Dalibor Weyr, but paled in comparison to his Hall. His lovely home was filled with glimmering gems and intricate stonecraft, with barely a scrap of wood throughout. But...for the time he would be here, he didn't mind the greenery and the more nest-like feel of the Weyr.

Nevertheless, the beauty of the Weyr itself could not soothe the loneliness—and innate boredom—of a man used to being in constant motion. Where before he was used to hoisting a pick-ax and—to the amusement of his Masters and the surprise of the student—delve into showing an Apprentice the proper way to dig out a sapphire without touching the stone itself, he was now wandering aimlessly around, having no chore nor activity to keep him entertained for long.

Sure, the weyrfolk were interesting enough and Braelyn had become quite fond of a few of the cooks and their lively personalities, but there was little for a Masterminer to do here. Were he a Masterharper he had no doubt he’d be sore of throat within a moment, but he wasn’t. Not that he’d want to be, for that matter! Braelyn was a man of the mines, and loved every second of it. Sure, a Harper could sing a lovely tune, but they would never be blessed with hearing the sweet sweet sound precious metal made when the ax struck it at last, or the sound of gems rattling together in a wherry-hide sack. For now and for ever, Braelyn knew he’d gotten the better end of the Master-this and Master-that stick.

But…unfortunately, that didn’t solve his boredom. So here he was, booted feet shuffling along this random trail, lazily drifting about this busy Weyr without a care in the world. He gave another sigh, and directed his gaze to the sky, absently watching as a large Bronze sailed past, heading towards the Lake. Yep…lonely place for a miner.

[4horseshowgirl4]

Mine?

There was no response.

Mine. The Blue dragon said again, stretching his neck to gently whuff His's hair. The figure stretched out on the cot didn't move.

Mine! Oveth said again, more assertively this time, and he shoved the lump sprawled on the sheets roughly with his nose. The figure toppled out of the bed, landing with a muffled thud on the stone floor of the weyr. Mine, you're awake! Oveth said, perfectly delighted.

B'nyur grunted, struggling to his feet. He had that intangible but unmistakeable air of one that was roused from sleep when he shouldn't've been. {Yes, Oveth?} the Dragonhealer said with a forced patience. Don't get him wrong, he loved the Blue, but sometimes he wished that the dragon knew his own strength sometimes. It's late! We need to go! Oveth said urgently.

B'nyur didn't reply for a few moments. He stumbled over to the small mirror, combing through his tousled hair with his fingers to try and tame it. He'd been up all night last night with a firelizard with several nasty cuts. The drudge to whom he was bonded had been slightly hysterical from a combination of fear for her firelizard's life and flightlust (B'nyur had coaxed the fact that her firelizard had got its injuries while chasing a wild Red who apparently wasn't too happy that a mere Black was chasing her), and B'nyur hadn't been able to leave the infirmary until nearly dawn. He'd needed a nap not much later.

{Where do we need to go, Oveth?} B'nyur finally asked, pulling a shirt over his slightly perspiring chest. By Faranth, it was warm today! We need to plant herbs! We won't have enough if a dragon gets hurt badly! Oveth's eyes were whirling a frantic yellow. B'nyur placed a soothing hand on his nose. Oveth's genuine concern for the other dragons was admirable, but the situation wasn't as bad as Oveth made it out to be.

{Fine, let's go.} B'nyur said, swinging onto Oveth's back. Tired though he was, the wind whipping through his hair as the Blue took off revived him like nothing could. {Dirt} was all B'nyur said to his dragon, who understood. The stone of the Weyr was hardly suited to growing anything. It wasn't long before the two had found a nice open, mountain valley that was uninhabited. Oveth landed, and B'nyur checked the quality of the soil. It was dark and lush, perfect for growing anything.

Of course, neither slow-minded dragon nor sleep-fogged 'Rider had thought about how they were going to transport this stuff back to the Weyr. They pondered the problem for a moment before B'nyur decided that they weren't going to be able to do anything without some sort of bags and digging equipment, so he vaulted back onto Oveth's broad back, and the pair winked /between/ back to Dalibor.

Oveth was gliding over the Bowl when the dragon spotted a lonely man. {Who's that, Oveth?} B'nyur said, slipping slightly as the Blue turned quickly to make another pass over the stranger. He's the new Masterminer! Oveth said, his superior vision recognizing the knots, even though they were still several yards above his head. Oveth landed quickly, hitting the ground with his usual rough jolting.

"Hello! I'm B'nyur, and this is Oveth," B'nyur said, striding up to the Masterminer-- he recognized the knots now-- and offering a large, callused hand. "Could you help me with something? How would I transport a large amount of dirt from a moutain valley to that little nook on the rim?" B'nyur asked, gesturing to an area of about half an acre a few yards down from the very peak of the rim on the south side of the bowl that he had picked out for his garden.

He hoped that his forwardness wouldn't deter the Masterminer, but he didn't feel like exchanging small talk at the moment. He wanted to know if the man could help him.

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[jack]

Braelyn paused when a shadow began to circle, a brow arching as he shifted to watch the shape before letting his gaze slide upwards, and linger on the dragon. The dragon's lovely blue coat told him he didn't know the rider, but that could certainly be changed and--as the pair sailed down--apparently would be.

He let a cheerful smile spread onto his lips as the dragon landed--not the most graceful of landers, was he?--and moved to meet the rider half way, taking his hand and giving it a good strong shake. "Braelyn." He replied quickly, not bothering to say his title--it was plain enough as it was. "Pleasure to meet you, B'nyur. And you too, Oveth." The Masterminer shifted, inclining his head towards the Blue, before putting his hands on his hips, tilting his head as he listened to the man's brisk plea.

"That would depend on what kind of dirt you're moving, and for what." He replied just as briskly, happy to be back in his element, "If its for construction you can pack it in as tightly as you want in a sack of some kind and just dump it on over. If its for Hatching sands you'll need to treat it a bit differently to keep it constantly hot--sand takes too long to warm up once its chilled." He blinked, giving the other a quick look over before nodding, "But you look like you need planting dirt, don't you?"

He gave a laugh and nodded again, glancing curiously over at the previously mentioned knook, "You can probably manage to carry it in a sack, but don't pack it tightly or it'll clump. Last thing you want in good seed-dirt is clumps."

[4horseshowgirl4]

B'nyur was pleased but hardly surprised at the strength behind the Masterminer's handshake. A Miner's work was arduous physical labor, and it only made sense that one who called himself a master of such an art would have the ability to cope with the difficulty. B'nyur let his own posture relax as Braelyn's tightened. It was a subtle manuevering, letting the Miner know that he was the one in charge, the one with the authority on the subject. The Healer was content to listen to his words for a minute and also reluctant to do anything to possibly anger the man, whom B'nyur didn't know well and who, as well, had just arrived a while ago and didn't know anyone yet.

Still, it appeared that the Miner was a man of good humor. It was evident why he was a master: he was clearly happiest around mining, or as close as he could get to it. However, it puzzled B'nyur as to why Braelyn was at Dalibor of all places. It wasn't like the Weyr had a mine, or if it did, B'nyur hadn't heard of one. Perhaps it would have a firestone mine if there was one in this mountain, but there wouldn't be construction on that right now! Many of the weyrs were still being built!

Well, whatever the reason, B'nyur had to harken Braelyn's words. "Unfortunately," B'nyur said at the end of the Miner's spiel. "I don't have much sacking, only some smaller bags for herbs and such. Do you have sacks and shovels I could borrow?" B'nyur's tone was pleasant and friendly. There was no rush in building the garden as of yet, despite what Oveth had deduced, and B'nyur would not be snappy or impatient as a rule. That did not get one far with wounded, anxious dragons and their even more anxious 'Riders.

Oh, he'd sounded like a bit of a snob, hadn't he? "Sorry, forgot to mention that I'm a Dragonhealer. I'm but a Journeyman, but I'm the only Healer here, so I guess I'm in charge until someone more qualified comes. We're building a garden up on that ridge for herbs, as the Western Continent doesn't have very many healing herbs growing naturally." He thought that explanation would suffice, though Braelyn had already correctly guessed their purpose for the soil.

As he waited for Braelyn to respond, B'nyur thought with a reluctant mind about how much work this garden was going to entail with just him and Oveth, who was likely to be more a hindrance than anything. Perhaps, he pondered, he could persuade O'sho to let him have a few Candidates a few times a sevenday to help him with the garden. There were quite a few now here, weren't there, in response to Kalith's upcoming flight? Surely O'sho would spare a few and let them substitute their normal chores to help him a little bit.

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[jack]

"That's to be expected, I suppose." Braelyn replied with a solemn nod, unsurprised to find that there wasn't much in the way of unused sacking--although there was probably a good deal being used for various things about the Weyr--and quickly gave a chuckle, smiling subtly. "I'm afraid I don't carry spades and sacks everywhere with me, but I'm sure there are more than enough lurking around back at the Minecraft Hall."He shifted, glancing at Oveth. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem for you to get there, and so long as I send a message with you at the least, I'm sure they can quickly gather whatever you need from the stores."

"Nothing wrong with a Journeyman." He said, honestly, "I don't know exactly how the Healer Hall decides who walks the tables, but those who walk them at my Hall are certainly suitable for leading a Hall successfully for as long as it takes for a Master to be available." He winked, grinning broadly, "But nevertheless, you seem well able to care for your charges--I have yet to see a dragon in ill health since my arrival, and believe me, I've been looking at a lot of dragons." He gave a hearty laugh, "Speaking of which, I don't suppose you've met a fellow named B'rak, have you? He's paired with a runt of a Bronze. Shoth, I believe."

He gave a sheepish grin, "He's my boy, you see, and I'm afraid that the old 'parent radar seems to have work out. Haven't been able to catch him for more than a moment at a time, and off he sneaks."

"But that's not interesting to you," The miner quickly added, waving the issue off absently, "You need those sacks. I assume you've found some good soil, from the sound of it? Very good. Well, whenever is convenient for you, I can write you up something quick or lead you around there myself--there are lads up even at the wee hours of the morning at the Hall." He chuckled, "With all the Whers running around now, it shouldn't surprise me, but it'll always be a fright to find six or more Wherhandlers in the Dining Hall at midnight. Got used to finding Lei-Lei down there in the dark, but a dozen glowing eyes is a bit much for me."

[4horseshowgirl4]

"You're giving me entirely too much credit, Braelyn," B'nyur chuckled with a friendly smile. "There haven't been any wing drills, any Flights, or any Hatchings yet. I would certainly hope that all of the dragons look good at the moment! To be honest, I haven't had any patients yet, thank Faranth, and all I've been doing is attending a few scraped up firelizards and setting up the infirmary. I would hope that any senior Apprentice could do so much!" B'nyur laughed again, clapping Oveth on the shoulder affectionately.

"No, I don't think we have a 'Rider here of that name," B'nyur replied, a bit more seriously. "This is a pretty small Weyr, so while it's entirely possible that I just haven't run into the fellow or that he arrived just a day or so ago, most of us know everyone else who's here at the moment. 'Sfar as I know, the only Bronze here is Daidoroth, ridden by the Candidatemaster O'sho." B'nyur paused to wipe his brow with a small scrap of cloth. Shells, it was as hot as the Hatching Sands here! He longed to be back in the cool shade of the infirmary, or, better yet, letting the cool breezes of the high skies ease the fierceness of Rukbat.

"Oh, no, I'm interested in all who Ride for Dalibor. I have to make sure they're all healthy, after all! Kalith and Fajra would be pleased to know if another King arrived here, we all would. It's not going to be much of a Flight-- Kalith's is coming up soon, if you didn't know-- with only one Bronze, a Purple, and a Brown. The more competition, the better Flight it's going to be." B'nyur decided that he had rambled on enough, but he didn't know how much about dragons Braelyn knew. If he had a Bronzerider son, he had to know a bit. Either way, B'nyur himself would be quite excited for the arrival of a second Bronze. Dalibor was only a few Turns away from the theoried Threadfall, and it needed more than one poorly filled wing if it was going to defend all of the Western Continent. A large clutch would be just the thing that the young Weyr needed to kickstart it.

"You must be proud, a Bronzerider son and a Wherhandler daughter. Never had any children, myself," B'nyur said, about to add 'Oveth never caught anyone for me,' but recalled that Crafthall manners were more like those of the Holds than those of the Weyrs, and decided that that statement might be somewhat offensive to Braelyn.

"Would you like to come with us?" B'nyur invited, gesturing to Oveth. He knew that it would be far easier to get the supplies they needed if they had a well-known Master taking them where they needed to go. "I must say that I'm not entirely sure where the Minehall is, anyway. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated." B'nyur waited for his answer, knowing that he'd have to go fetch his riding straps if the Masterminer agreed to come.

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[jack]

Braelyn gave a soft laugh, "That woudl be a sign you're doing things right, Healer." He rumbled with a broad grin, "Bad things only seem to happen when crafters are least prepared." He winked, "By my theory, so long as you're always ready for chaos, chaos will be too frightened to come around." He crossed his arms over his chest with a nod, "Tis a value I've lived by for years, and so far its worked fairly well. Not that it might not completely fall from under me any day now."

"Hm. Sneaky boy." The miner replied, absently rubbing his stubbled chin as he frowned, "I believe I have seen O'sho, actually." He added, still frowning, "If he's the only Bronze rider, then yes--I believe I've seen him a couple times dashing about. Nevertheless, it is a bit of a disappointment that you haven't met my boy." He shrugged, "Ah well. I'll find him eventually." A lop-sided grin spread onto his face and he returned his hands to his hips, laughing, "Perhaps if I can get catch him for more than a wing-beat I'll drag him off to meet you. Although, by that time if he's popped up you'll probably already know him. From his letters, it seems that Shoth is quite the troublemaker."

The masterminer gave a sheepish chuckle, shaking his head slightly, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I highly doubt Shoth would give much competition. From my experiences with him, he seems very much a runt. I have my doubts about how he'd fare in a Flight, although B'rak seems to believe he can do just about anything." He gave a subtle frown, "He's fast for a Bronze, though. That's for sure. But I don't know too much about dragon Flights--isn't it more important for a dragon with endurance, rather than speed?"

Again he waved the subject off, shaking his head, "Ah, I ramble. I' afraid I do ramble about my boy and his beast. Such an odd mix, I suppose." He shrugged, and smiled, "Ay. I'm as proud as a father can be. Who wouldn't be? B'rak's happy as a clam with his brat of a partner--and what a brat he is--Lei-Lei's doing well, and even my youngest boy is excelling in his studies." He gave a proud smile, glancing off as though invisioning is three children.

"I'm a lucky man, B'nyur. Lucky to have such a wonderful family and a sturdy craft." He grinned and looked back at B'nyur, "But it isn't for everyone, my good man. Children are little bundles of joy, but they come bundled up with plenty more. My wife 'bout skinned me when she caught me letting Lei-Lei play in the mines, and they've all three caused enough chaos to nearly dismantle the whole Hall at one point or another."

He chuckled and shook his head, smiling fondly, "Little Lei-Lei will be coming here eventually. She's a Healer as well, just became a Journeyman." He glanced over at B'nyur, "Although she isn't a Dragonhealer, I'm happy to know that you'll be her colleague. Nice to know there are friendly folk about." He gave a serious nod, then laughed again, "But children and trouble aside!"

He nodded, still sporting his grin, "Sure, sure. I don't have much to do around here as I wait for my children to pop up; I'd be more than happy to help you out as much as I can." He gave a wink and a chuckle, "I won't lie that I'm no gardener, but when it comes to dirt and the like, I'm your man."

[4horseshowgirl4]

"Well," B'nyur said thoughtfully, wiping at his brow again. The exhilaration of flight a few moments before had worked him up and left him feeling even hotter when he'd come back to Pern. "That depends. For Queen Flights, usually endurance is the most important, but for most other colors, speed is vital, too. See, rising females like males that show off for them. Simply keeping up with them over a long distance is worthless unless the dragon has enough agility to also catch her attention with tricks in the air." B'nyur chuckled slightly. "I should know. Oveth's not big and strong enough to chase anything bigger than a Green or a Pink, but he's never caught one of those either because he's not speedy or agile enough to convince the females that he's worthy of their attention."

"What craft is your youngest studying? Is he training to be a Miner, too?" B'nyur knew that such abilities usually ran in the family, and such physical traits such as Braelyn's apparent strength passed onto his children would allow them to easily follow in his footsteps. It wasn't hard to imagine Braelyn as a Dragonrider, either. He certainly fit the mold, but somehow B'nyur knew that the man would never be happy away from his craft. "Besides, a dragon and 'Rider pairing is never an odd mix. The dragons are too smart when they're choosing their lifemates. My theory is that Oveth chose me because I don't need him to be the biggest or the strongest to help me heal dragons, but the kindest, and he's good at that."

"Oh, no, it'll be nice to have a real Healer around. I apprenticed on regular Healing for a while, but I'm essentially worthless if anything serious comes up. I guess it's just lucky that no people at least have gotten sick or injured here yet. A wher around might keep people from trying to steal fellis in the middle of the night, too!" B'nyur said, smiling. He would be glad to have another Healer around-- the infirmary was cold and lonely with no patients and no coworkers.

"Thank you," B'nyur said, nodding to Braelyn. Then, he vaulted onto Oveth's back, and the Blue took off swiftly, his muscles still nicely warmed from the first flight. The journey from the Bowl to their weyr was a quick one, and it only took a few seconds for B'nyur to expertly harness Oveth with the well-oiled riding straps. He noticed with slight disdain that the humid weather had caused the riding straps to be spotted with the mold that loved to spring up overnight. B'nyur sighed, wiping it off with a wet cloth. He would give it a thorough cleaning tonight.

Harnessed, Oveth and B'nyur sprang off of the ledge, landing roughly again next to Braelyn. "Have you been adragonback many times before?" B'nyur asked as Oveth kneeled down for the Miner to more easily mount. "See that loop of leather there? Stick your foot into it and swing up. Oveth's shorter than he looks."

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[jack]

The miner gave a soft chuckle and nodded, glancing again to the skies, "I can understand that sentiment, I suppose. Women are fickle creatures, they are." He rolled his eyes, thinking of his proud wife at home, "It makes sense that dragonesses would be the same." He shifted, turning fulling to B'nyur, and let his eyes wander to Oveth. "Shoth's certainly agile, but I still wouldn't bet money on him." He gave a wink, and tilted his head, "And I'm sure your beauty will catch one one day. Perhaps he just hasn't found the one for him to catch, hm?"

"Yes," Braelyn agreed with a smile, "He's hoping to follow me, but he's such a thin lad. Looks just like his mother." He gave a soft laugh, "Very lean and willowy. But he's stronger than he looks...so who knows. He might surprise me, but I'm predicting a change in his mind soon." He gave a wink, "He tries to hide it, but he loves to help the cooks. Of course, you didn't hear that from me."

He gave the other a soft look, a brow arching, and gave a faint laugh, "Yes, well, they may be perfectly matched, but until you meet that undersized, wherry-brained, proud hunk of dragonflesh you won't be able to understand why they're an odd pair." He chuckled, "Not that I disapprove of him or anything. He's just...a handful. But I must say," He put a hand to his chin, smirking thoughtfully, "He has been good for B'rak. Nothing brings a fellow out of their shell like a tiny dragonet intent on taking over a Weyr."

Braelyn cracked a grin, looking strangely devious, "You say that now." He chirped in a surprisingly light voice, "But we'll see if you say that when she arrives." He gave a proud grin and crossed his arms over his chest, "My two oldest are handfuls, both of them." He winked, "But she'll do good work, I guarantee. And Leisk'll make a good guard...so long as Lei-Lei isn't cohorting her into some crazy scheme." Again he waved it off, shaking his head, "Ah..I exaggerate. She'll be fine."

The masterminer inclined his head with a grin at the other's thanks, waving a hand absently as the man flew off. He'd be back momentarily, and for now... He stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave his surroundings a good look-over, taking special notice of the skies. He would have sworn he saw a glint of Bronze in the distance...but it could've been his imagination. And even if it wasn't, it was probably as B'nyur said--O'sho. He frowned and set his mind to hunting down that rascal soon.

"More times than I'd like," He replied as he greeted the pair and walked forwards, mounting with considerable ease, "For a fellow in charge of big holes in the ground, I find myself in the air more often than underground these days." He rolled his eyes and faked a solemn sigh, only to grin and laugh, "Not that I mind too much. Wonderful creatures, dragons. Not my kind of job, but I don't mind peeking into the lives of Dragonriders once in a while."

[4horseshowgirl4]

B'nyur gave Braelyn a moment to get himself strapped in, if he needed to. If the man had flown as much as he'd said, then he shouldn't have much trouble staying secure on Oveth's broad back, but B'nyur knew for some the sheer height above the ground made it necessary for some to strap themselves in for their own peace of mind, no matter how balanced they were. It was also harder when one wasn't bonded to the dragon one was flying, B'nyur knew. He himself never quite trusted another dragon, even a more capable flyer, so much as Oveth.

Oveth took two ponderous steps forward before leaping into the air, massive wings beating laboriously to gain the first few feet off of the ground. B'nyur, used to the movement, leaned forward effortlessly, moving with his dragon as one and not being jolted a centimeter out of his seat just behind the dragon's neck. In no time at all, the powerful wings had lifted them high above the Bowl. Several lazy thermals brought them higher, and, soon, Oveth was able to glide forward easily, putting some distance between them and the Weyr before /between/ing.

"If you don't mind me asking," B'nyur began, rubbing the base of Oveth's neck as he said this, "Why are you at Dalibor, anyway? Take no offense at this, but you don't seem like the type of man to just leave his craft to watch some dragons or take a prolonged vacation, and you're nowhere near too old to work. Is it to stay with your children? Is it to try and find a firestone mine at Dalibor?" B'nyur was curious. He turned his head around to catch Braelyn's words before the wind snatched them away.

As they flew, B'nyur took a moment to simply relish the utter peace he felt at the moment. Oveth's well-muscled, stocky body underneath him felt so solid that it seemed impossible that B'nyur could fall. The much-anticipated breezes picked through B'nyur's sweaty hair, cooling him. It felt immeasurably good. Oveth's mind was linked tightly with his, and the Blue shared his same thoughts of perfect contentment. If they could, surely they would fly like this all day.

This pure happiness made B'nyur think about how he could never give up his work. There was no way he could just leave his love, dragons and healing, and just go to, say, a Hold and live there for an indefinite amount of time. The man sitting behind him was a Master at his craft, which made B'nyur even more bewildered. The man had already shown his love of his work, so what on Pern could separate him from that? We will never be separated, Mine! Oveth assured B'nyur, the dragon's mind caressing B'nyur's. {Not even in death, Oveth. We will go together, always!}

B'nyur sighed peacefully before turning back to Braelyn. "If you wouldn't mind, Masterminer, could you put a clear picture of the Minehall into your head until we come out from /between/? You see, neither Oveth nor I have ever been there, and Oveth needs coordinates unless you want to fly all day and all night." B'nyur was back to business, his personal moment over. Oveth tuned in to Braelyn's mind instead, though he would have preferred to stay with His's. B'nyur patted the dragon again. One thing about Oveth that was strange was that the dragon didn't mind entering the minds of others as much as other dragons did. The Blue had no qualms with talking to others directly.

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[jack]

The man didn't hesitate to adjust his position, steadying himself until he was sure that he had a secure grip. He was fearless for the most part, but falling to his death wasn't in his to-do-list. Oveth lifted off and Braelyn grunted, arching a brow in an amused manner at the bumpy ride. B'nyur hadn't lied or exaggerated--the lovely Blue certainly wasn't as agile as they came. But he seemed to have a lot of heart, and the bond between the pair was admirable at the least. They truly got along.

The masterminer gave a hearty laugh at the question, grinning, "No offense, no offense at all." He replied quickly, chuckling, "You're completely right--I'm a man suited for few things aside from my craft." He grinned, pleased by the other's observation, "And you're right on both parts. I came primarily to see my two--I haven't seen either in person in many turns and, quite frankly, I've missed them horribly. But aside from them, I have been interested in the possibility of a firestone mine. If there is so much as a shred of one, I need to know as soon as possible so I can get Masters and Journeymen out here to get it started. There's a lot of construction going on as well, so while the mine and B'rak and Lei-Lei are more than enough to bring me here, I'll admit I'm...a bit worried as well."

He gave a subtle frown, "These rocks are solid enough, but with new constructions, there's no telling when you might hit a tunnel or, Faranth forbid, a main structure while digging in stores and the like deeper in. Its fairly simple for a Master to see the differences in the stone which are more or less common for random pockets, but still. I want to make sure I check out all the tunnels and stores while I'm here as well."

He winked and grinned, glancing out at his surroundings as the rider seemed to zone out peacefully. But he snapped back to attention as the man spoke again and he gave a sound of agreement, his mind filled with the great site of that gorgeous Hall, built into the side of a mountain that was filled with tunnels.

Great hallways with arched doorways echoed in his thoughts, the stark differences of different kinds of stone gleaming as he smiled, obviously missing his often cold-appearing Hall. Many people found it over-worked and distracting, chilly to the touch and foreboding as well. But to him it was Home, a gleaming paradise of hand-crafted stone, every inch of it filled with memories of the thousands of miners whose pale hands ran over it, sculpting that which they had dug up.

It was a lovely place, his home which none could manage to keep clean for more than a day at a time, and he was filled with a pang of loneliness as he was struck with the image of his lovely wife as well, humming in her sweet voice as she strung glass and stone beads for a necklace. Home.

[4horseshowgirl4]

"Wow," B'nyur said, quite taken by surprise at mention of that last piece of information. He had not even thought about that-- he just assumed that the stone structure was safe and invulnerable to any such trivials such as poor construction. Now that he thought about it, the thought seemed quite naive, but it was not in most people's natures to worry about such things. Suddenly, he felt a wave of gratitude towards Braelyn. His expertise would help ensure that no one got hurt in an accident that could have been prevented. B'nyur felt odd: a mix of fear and a warmth of safety at the same time. He was fearful simply because such a horrendous thought that the Weyr could come crashing down had never occurred to him, and safe because, well, Braelyn was here.

"Prepare for /between/," B'nyur said, as he felt a slight stiffening of Oveth's body and mind. The dragon was unique in that way, as well, that it always took him a bit more effort to go /between/ than other dragons. The Dragonhealer assumed it was because Oveth's mind was a bit slower-running than those of other dragons, so it would make sense that his telepathic abilities would be, too. Still, B'nyur appreciated the sort of warning it gave him. It was quite unnerving, really, to ride other dragons that /between/ed with so little effort that they gave you no warning. Suddenly you were forcibly dragged through the cold, airless world. With Oveth, he had a moment to collect himself, and move with his dragon through /between/, rather than just following him, unprepared.

And, suddenly, they were /between/. B'nyur sat calmly on Oveth's back, trusting the dragon to have got the right coordinates from the Masterminer. The lack of any warmth or air was suffocating and overbearing, as always, but B'nyur had long since found that neither seemed so bad if he concentrated on the heat and life radiating from the body underneath him. He didn't try to touch Oveth's mind for reassurance: the Blue needed to concentrate.

And, with another slight strain from the dragon, they were back on Pern, but in a new, strange location. A magnificient stone settlement rose in front of them. Its fine architecture set it apart from the coarsely-made Weyrs, but, from a distance, it might be mistaken for one. Oveth pumped his wings several times, keeping himself from plummeting to the ground after emerging from /between/. Then, the Blue let himself sink lower slightly, aiming for the front lawn of the structure. Then, backwinging heavily, Oveth slowed himself down, approaching the ground as slowly as he could.

"Hold on, Masterminer!" B'nyur shouted teasingly, gripping one of the riding straps himself. Oveth thudded to the ground, making even B'nyur bounce to the side from the massive jolt. "Oveth!" he chided good-naturedly the dragon, as the landing had been sloppy even for the Blue. I'm sorry! The building is beautiful... I got distracted! B'nyur chuckled before sliding off of the dragon's back gracefully.

"Oveth and I would like to say that this place is grand. Absolutely exquisite," B'nyur said, freely admiring the place. "Did you help to build it?"

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[jack]

Braelyn nodded and then they were between, his mind still set on his stone home as he frowned. No one liked the feeling of that chilling cold, and he was no exception. Went far deeper than bones, it did, and could fill even a miner filled with the heat of the forges freeze.

But as always, the trip between was a short one, and the Masterminer gave a sigh of relief when the world came back into focus, only to replace that sigh with a soft grunt of surprise when the smooth landing he'd expected, changed into a bumpy ride even worse than the first time he'd seen Oveth.

Laughing cheerfully he slid from the dragon's neck, hands on his knees as he shook his head, "Bout gave me a heart attack, Oveth." He teased, grinning as he straightened, brushing himself off, "But you certainly got us here, which is more than what I couldn't done by myself." Winking playfully at the Blue he turned to his rider, offering a hand should the other want a help down--although he knew the man was more than capable, it was a habit developed from pulling children down from everything from trees to rooftops and even an upside-down boat once.

"Thank you, thank you." He rumbled with a pleased hum, "I whole-heartedly agree--as far as I'm concerned, it is the most beautiful Hall there is." Smirking smugly he put his hands on his hips, turning to observe his lovely home, only to look ver his shoulder at the rider, "Yes, actually." He grinned, "Every master and Masterminer to ever walk these halls have had a hand in it. Of course, the base structure was done years ago, but it was the plan of its architect that everyone past him were to detail it. The inside is nearly finished."

He crossed his arms behind his back and began to walk, pausing to glance over his shoulder, "If Oveth could wait here, that would be ideal, however, the doors to the main hall are ridiculously large, and if he would prefer to be somewhere a tad bit warmer, he's welcome to shove in there." The man gave a hearty laugh, "I'm sure my more proper Masters would throw a fit, but they throw a fit over just about anything these days." He winked.

"Now, let's get your sacks, shall we?"

[4horseshowgirl4]

When Braelyn said that, it just about gave Oveth a heart attack. He wasn't good at sensing the ills of humans-- like B'nyur, the dragon learned to specialize in taking care of his own kin-- but wasn't a heart attack serious? What if Braelyn died, and it was all Oveth's fault! Oh, B'nyur didn't have herbs with him! What were they going to do? What were they going to do?! Oveth's thoughts weren't actually structured enough to be formed into words, but his anxiety and the general gist of what was running through his mind still hit B'nyur like a freight train.

{Oveth!} B'nyur shouted in his head to cut off the Blue's frantic thoughts. {Braelyn was joking! He's not actually suffering from anything!} Promise? Oveth asked in his childlike way, his eyes not quite fading from yellow back to their usual contented dark green. {Would I lie to you, Oveth, about something like this? Yes, of course I promise.} With that, Oveth was calm again. B'nyur only shook his head in slight disbelief at the effect such innocent words had on such a supposedly fierce, mighty dragon.

With that, B'nyur slid expertly off of the Blue's side. He nodded at Braelyn in thanks but did not accept the help. It was a bit prideful, he knew, but it would be a sad day for Pern when a Dragonrider of many Turns could not even slide off of his own small Blue by himself. He let Braelyn lead the way, though. Both men wanted to retain their own pride in their work, and Braelyn was the Miner here, who should be showing the Healer his Hall, not the other way around.

"Yes, yes, it is one of the most beautiful I've yet seen. Only the Harperhall has a chance of rivaling its beauty," B'nyur said, smiling wryly at the plainness of his own Hall. Decorations were all fine and good in some areas of the massive building, but, in others, they made the place too difficult to keep free of dirt and grime, which was a horror in a place that depended on its sterility. Still, the Healerhall had its own way of showing off, and it prided itself on how many ill patients it cured, which was as formidable a feat (or more so, as B'nyur thought, but he was more than a bit biased towards his own Hall) than the intricate carvings and detail of this Hall.

"Oh, no, it's plenty warm out here!" B'nyur said, chuckling at the thought of Oveth trying to cram himself into the Minerhall. "No, no, he can wait outside, don't you worry." B'nyur turned back to the Blue for a moment. Oveth had something resembling separation anxiety. He liked to be able to see B'nyur wherever he was. The dragon was rather paranoid that B'nyur would leave and never come back, or that something terrible would happen while Oveth wasn't around to protect him.

{Oveth. Go look for herbs in that forest over there. I won't be but half a candlemark at most.} B'nyur said firmly, leaving no doubt in the Blue's mind that His would be back. Remember, Mine, we have to have enough sacking and shovels for that whole garden! Oveth quipped as a goodbye.

B'nyur turned back to Braelyn. "Lead the way, Master Miner."

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