Iesath> S'tev trots along the path to the cottage, sweating a bit and pulling off his gloves and helmet to reduce the clothing-induced heat. "Good evening, Iesath. Have you seen my cute little Aurevi around anywhere?"

Iesath> Iesath's head, in case it hasn't been noticed, is snaking towards one of the windows towards the cottage, wherein an awful racket is sounding--someone is not, evidently, all that happy. The green raises her head, turning to regard S'tev with a whirling gaze, her tail flicking towards the cottage. Enter at your own risk?

Iesath> S'tev decides to pay his respects to the dragon first, walking over and reaching up to scratch an eyeridge. "Maybe I should go in and see if I can help out, hmm? So you can get back to napping out here?" He chuckles softly, smiling at the dragon.

Iesath> Iesath diligently lowers her head further--that eyeridge scratching is *awful* good -- a low warble emitted from within, as if in agreement. Napping is always good. Racket is not.

Iesath> S'tev gives Iesath a pleasant scritching, then pats her on the snout and heads off into the house to see what he can do.

Iesath> S'tev steps into Auralia's cottage.

S'tev opens the door, entering Auralia's cottage.

And yes, it's chaos: Aurevi's screams are not befitting someone of her small stature, and Auralia's haphazard jiggling is perhaps even less so. "Shut up!" She yelps, not yet noticing S'tev in her attempts to soothe the crying babe.

"Aura!" S'tev cries out in alarm, possibly at the jiggling and only compounded by the choice wording. He darts across the room quickly and reaches down to free Aurevi from her mother's clutches. "What's going on in here?"

Aurevi goes willingly, as much as one can when their face is red, they're bawling, and not really paying attention to anything. Auralia is more abashed, regarding first her offspring, with some reluctance, and then S'tev. "She won't stop. Constantly. Whateveri I try to do."

S'tev cradles his newest daughter in his arms, tapping her back gently. He sits down on the bed near Auralia, a rather concerned look on his face. "Have you taken her to the healers yet? I hope there's nothing wrong." He coos softly at the crying baby, looking down at her. "Now what's wrong, dear?"

Auralia wraps her arms about herself, somewhat reflectively, her gaze returning to her daughter--who is slowly being soothed into submission and sleepiness--with almost an expression of jealousy. "She never shuts up for me, why does she for you?" That's not fair--maybe. "The healers say she's fine. It's normal." She doesn't believe them.

S'tev gently strokes Revi's cheeck with the back of his finger, wiping away little baby tears. "Aura, shaking and yelling at people won't calm them down." He speaks softly, slowly, perhaps attempting to sooth both females. "It's worse with babies. They're like little hatchling dragons. Lots of tender love and affection, no confusing emotions. Hmm?" He smiles and looks back up at the newfound mother.

"You know," begins Auralia, almost conversationally, as she moves to sink into a seat upon the bed, a short distance from S'tev, "That's quite depressing, that at your age you know more about brats than I, at mine. It's been way too long since I've had anything to do with them." A numb nod is given, as she adds, "I know, I know. I'm tired."

S'tev chuckles softly and glances over at Auralia. "Well, I've had a young pair in my weyr for over a month now, so Catt'n'I are slowly picking up on lots of tricks of the trade. I got a few lessons with Kit too, though Kiara had him mostly to herself. Here," he holds the soothed daughter back to Auralia. "You try."

Auralia wrinkles her nose, admitting, "I do feel sorry for the pair of you. Feel lucky that you're over there, and not here, else you'd have a third to care for." A wry smile twitches upon her lips, as she reaches out to gather her offspring into her arms, more gently, letting the dark-headed child rest against her shoulder.

S'tev continues to speak slowly, rythmically, as he smiles, watching Aura with their daughter. "You have to be slow, and calm, and soft, and gentle with her, especially when she's crying and you're trying to calm her down. Even then, it might not work, but you just have to keep being calm for a long while and things settle down eventually. It's hard work."

"So I see," comments Aura wryly, head nodding as she attempts to rock as told--gently, soothingly, although Aurevi is fairly soothed as it is. "I'm going to need a fostermother, and soon."

S'tev frowns a bit, but nods. "Yeah, I suppose so. Hopefully you'll hold on to her until she's no longer breast feeding? It's an important bonding time with a newborn daughter, afterall." He chuckles softly, unbuttoning his new winter jacket.

Auralia nods, admitting, "I suppose I have to. The healers say that it's much more healthy." Her stance however shows that she's not so enthusiastic. "It's hard to work, though, with her around. Not that I resent her," she adds quickly. "Oh! I haven't even offered you a drink or anything. Do you want something?"

S'tev laughs lightly. "Actually, I'll just help myself, wouldn't want to wake Revi again, would we?" He stands up and winks, then pulls off his heavy jacket, leaving it in a rumpled pile with his gloves and helmet near the doorway. "Phew, it's hot up here," he comments, flapping his shirt a bit. "Freezing cold and snowing when I left Honshu."

Auralia shifts Aurevi slightly, admitting, "That'd probably *not* be a sensible move. Once she's been woken, she doesn't sleep again." Auralia has learnt this through experience, no doubt about it. "And you're surprised about this? It's always warm up here."

S'tev chuckles as he serves himself a glass of juice. "Nah, just caught offguard. I was thrilled to finally get my new winter outfit from the tanners that I didn't think twice about wearing it all the way up here?" He turns back to Auralia and shrugs, juice held out to one side. "It's nice though, isn't it?"

Auralia cocks her head to the side, an appraising, if unskilled, glance given up and down S'tev's new clothing. "Nice," she finally decides, hesitating a moment before adding, "Not that I'm a connes-thingy of clothes. Mine," she gives an indication of her head to her leathers, "Were given to me at graduation, believe it or not. That's...seven turns ago? I'm surprised they're not completely worn out." They're just almost there.

S'tev laughs lightly. "Well, these ones I don't want to use for flying all that much. I've got another pair for those. From grad, like yours." He glances at Auralia's flight leathers. "Maybe you could get a new set of leathers though... Anyways." He returns to the bed, sitting down and leaning forward, elbows on his knees with his juice held before him. "So aside from all this baby stuff, how are you doing? Back in the Wyersecond routine? How's Iesath enjoying being a mommy - of sorts."

"Understandably. They'd go black." Like Aura's: they're really looking the worse for wear, especially with spit-up ranging down the shoulder, evidently as yet unnoticed. Shifting Aurevi again, Aura sets her down in the cradle on the floor. "Maybe. But after having to buy things for Aurevi, I hate to spend my marks. Frankly, I always hate spending marks." A wink, before she adds, "I'm doing okay. Still grounded; they don't want any new mothers going back to all that stuff right away. But I'm getting there. Iesath is--eh, she's pretty proud of herself, I admit."

S'tev grins, "Yeah, I want these white ones to stay white! Good for showy wear if I have fly in parade or something silly. But they're really comfortable, and the feline fur is just so soft!" He beams happily, fingering the lining that tufts out above his belt. "Anyways, I hope you didn't have to spend too much? Catt'n'I were pretty hard pressed to get everything together for the twins, we've rather few marks between us."

Auralia laughs, as she smoothes a thin blanket over Aurevi's sleeping form, rocking the cradle with her foot as she returns to the bed, a sigh of relief escaping before she can halt it. "I can imagine. Good for Honshu--Faranth, is it really winter again? Time flies." She gives a rueful grin, noting, "I've had more than seven turns of riderhood to save, and I've never spent much. More like eight, come to think of it. It wasn't too bad. It'd be harder for the two of you, I s'pose, being younger."

S'tev nods, "Ham's not quite three turns yet. Two of those turns spent as a weyrling, so I havn't had much time to save at all. And as soon as I get a mark, it seems to vanish from my hands! Spending it on someone or another. A gift for Kiara, a gift for Kit, I'm still waiting to get /you/ a gift and I'll have a hard time scraping the marks together for it." He sighs and drinks from his juice. "Maybe I should just sell all my kids?" soft chuckle for that one.

"And Iesath's nine--closer to ten. Incredible." Exactly what is incredible, the greenrider doesn't say, as her foot is removed from the edge of the cradle, Aurevi's sleeping form restful in silence. "Aww, poor you. Hey--no need for a present. Not for me, nor for Aurevi. It's not necessary." She nods her head firmly, adding, "Well, there's always that option. I'm sure there are some out there who'd be happy to skip the pregnancy and labour--by the way, I still have to fulfill my promise to kill you--and still get the child. Although I'm not sure why." She winks; she's joking, mostly.

S'tev grins, "Hey, if you killed me, who'd look after Hammy! You wouldn't do something nasty to the cute little brown guy, would ya?" Big puppy-eyes are turned impoloringly to Auralia.

Auralia hesitates, attempting to look entirely serious. "Well. I suppose I shouldn't punish *him* for what you did. Although--" she trails off, and then, laughing, adds, "if Hammy hadn't been there, Kelsyth might've been, and I wouldn've have had to go through labour at all!" She winks, laughing more loudly, although a glance at the cradle has her shut up again.

S'tev chuckles, "Well, I suppose that could have always happened. But I can't have been the first male rider who's dragon caught Iesath? And it was the first time you became pregant."

Auralia grins, shifting back on the bed, her bare feet stretching off the end. "Y'never know. And no, you certainly weren't. Then again, nor were you the first one to get me pregnant. I miscarried," purposely, or not, "several times, previously."

S'tev frowns a bit. "Oh, I see. But Aurevi came through allright..." He turns his attention over to the cradle, perhaps so he won't have to look at Aura. "I wonder if she'll ever have brothers or sisters on her mother's side."

"Because I knew, before it was too late. I'd never known, in the other times," offers Aura, without hesitation: neither her stance nor her voice have changed at the admission, signalling her lack of negative emotion. "She might. I rather doubt it, though. I don't intend to have any more, intentionally."

S'tev tears his eyes from the cradle and looks back to Aura. "What if it happens again, and you know in time. Would you still go between? Avoid another baby?"

Auralia's expression is unreadable, and she slides further back on the bed, as if thinking, her gaze moving towards Aurevi. "I don't know."

"It could happen again," S'tev offers, moving back on the bed towards Auralia. "Might not even require a flight, who knows. A decision I'm glad I'll never have to make." He chuckles, a bit forced, trying to lighten the mood. "Ah, well, Aurevi's more than enough, right?"

Auralia nods, blond hair flopping about her ears, "That's true. Perfectly easy." Her nose wrinkles slightly, as she comments, "Men! Get out of those decisions so easily, you do." She winks, following the mood lightening trend, "She is. Definitely enough."

S'tev grins and flops back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and folding his hands losely over his tummy. "I'll have to bring Kit over for a visit sometime, to see his youngest half-sister. Or, youngest for now. At this rate, he'll be a grandfather and still have more children on the way!"

Auralia brings her legs up, crossing them so that she can lean against the wall more comfortably. "You will. And bring Kiara, for that matter--although I suppose I can go back and visit, now. You wouldn't believe how limiting it is, not being able to go *between*. I'd never realised." She laughs, adding, "How long does Leo have, still? Hey--you started young enough for it to be possible. Poor kid."

S'tev groans. "Well, my dad wasn't any better. Y'know B'gron? Our old Weyrleader? He's older than me by more than six turns... but get this, I'm his /uncle/. But yeah, going between can't be much fun. Catt was at wits end the final while there, and she had to carry around two of them! I'm not sure when Leo's due. Maybe in two or three months still?"

Auralia raises her eyebrows, admitting, "That's excessive. I know B'gron. Insulted him, back when he was Weyrleader." She smiles almost fondly, adding, "I guess that makes him Aurevi's cousin? Or something like that. Weird." She nods rapidly, then considers, "Y'don't even know how long she's got? My goodness! Horrible father." A wink.

S'tev laughs, "Yep! Cousins! She's got Telsia and her brothers and sisters for cousins too. And she's got Taranian for an aunt, and Leah too. And who knows who else." He laughs and shrugs. "Just too many people in my family. I just dug up some more records for filing away about the new weyrlings we just impressed at Honshu? Two of /them/ are distant family members too!"

Auralia regards S'tev, then turns her gaze to the sleeping child near her feet. "The poor kid is going to drown in family--Faranth!" She winks again, shifting her position upon the bed slightly. "Your family really was prolific, much like mine."

S'tev shrugs. "Yep. And it looks like I inherited all their tendancies. Maybe you did too?" He winks at Auralia. "I think I'll have to take a vacation to Southern next winter. Bring Catt'n'the kids for a few months, stay warm for once." He sighs happily and looks around the cottage. "So different than living in a cave."

"Maybe," agrees Auralia, although without certainty. "That would be nice--we certainly wouldn't mind having you around the weyr, and our guest cottages *are* nice." The Weyrsecond pauses, then adds, "Yes. So I discovered, last winter. I far prefer my cozy cottage."

S'tev chuckles. "Heey, an idea! They've been doing so many exchanges recently: first the weyrsecond now the weyrwoman. Why not a whole wing-exchange?"

Auralia cocks her head to the side, considering. "Well, it's certainly something to think about. Could be good." She nods her head, rapidly, adding, "My only question is--why do we keep doing these things in *winter*? Poor Aithne."

S'tev chuckles, "Beacuse Honshuites want a chance to escape it? I havn't had a chance to meet Aithne yet. Is she nice? I wonder if the Weyrwoman exchange will end up being quite as interesting as the Weyrsecond..."

"I assure you, it won't involve a flight, anyway," winks Aura, before she adds, "Oh, Aithne's really nice. You'll like her, I think. And what, may I ask, was so *incredibly* interesting out the weyrsecond exchange?"

S'tev offers Aura a teasingly exasperated look. "You /have/ to ask? Why, the Weyrsecond, of course! And no, it can't involve flights, Ham doesn't chase golds." He offers a little shrug, clearly not an important matter anymore. "Greens, well, he's still all for those of course!"

Auralia sticks out her tongue cheerfully, crossing her hands within her lap. "Of course. My mistake." She nods, adding, "Well, I meant more that Araneth will not be flying at all. Lucky you, though, not having to worry about flights. Gold flights, that is."

S'tev says "Blueriders don't have to worry about goldflights either," S'tev points out. "And Ham's smaller than some blues out there. And I do suppose golds don't rise outside their home Weyrs? Unlike greens." Wink. "A shame, think of the interesting friend she might have made.""

Auralia nods her head; "True. Nor us greenriders. Oh--I suppose they *could*, golds, Araneth just got off the sands, though, luckily. What about Auranath--no chance there?" That *would* be interesting. "Oh, indeed. Lucky weyr. Lucky Aithne, for that matter."

S'tev chuckles, "I wouldn't know, Auranath's rather old and doesn't rise all that often anymore. Especially not with Sylaith and Uileath to keep our sands full of eggs. I wonder when Iesath will go up again?"

Auralia gives another nod of her head, agreeing, "Two young golds is plenty. I often think we've too many at Southern--one clutch hatches, and we've a nother on the sands." A roll of her eyes, as she adds, "And I'm ungrounded just in time to be stuck Searching." She pauses, shrugs, counting on her fingers, "Soon, if my count is right."

S'tev laughs, "Stuck searching? Don't enjoy it, I suppose? I got a chance to fly searchrider for the first time in our latest clutch. Two of my three candidates impressed! Not bad, eh? A bronze and a green." He nods, apparently pleased with his dragon's choices. "And you'll have to send word if Iesath starts acting proddy, I'll definately have to hang around for that!"

"Effort," explains Aura, shrugging her shoulders, whilst keeping her voice low. "It's not so bad, just takes time, when I'd like to be getting home to things." Like Aurevi. "Oh, congratulate him, for me. A good total. Iesath's not bad herself, over the turns." Her eyes roll again, as she offers, "Come back in two sevendays, if she's not put off by Aurevi. She's as regular as the moon."

"I'll come visit Aurevi every few days," S'tev thinks out loud. "And visit daily to make sure her proddy-affected mother isn't doing strange things to her." He cocks an eyebrow at Auralia.

Auralia sticks out her tongue with some amusement. "Maybe I'll decide that she's Iesath's rider, and try and get her to search me." The possibilities are endless.

S'tev bursts out laughing. "I just hope nothing bad or overly embarrasing happens to her. She can't even defend herself! I'll definately have to hang around a lot in coming days..." He chuckles and shakes his head a bit, sitting up and pulling off his boots so he can sit cross-legged against the wall next to Auralia. "I have to protect my children from their rampaging mothers, hmm?"

Auralia giggles, although she keeps the sound low--a careful glance going towards Aurevi, just to ensure that the newborn is still asleep. "Eh, but she's too young to be embarrassed, isn't she?" Then, a sage nod, as she sighs, "It's a very sad thing, these rampaging mothers. That's what happens, when you sire children on greenriders."

S'tev shrugs, the very essence of innocence. "I havn't had the chance to sire them with anyone else! I must lack even the most little bit of charm because the only way I ever seem to convince a girl I'm any nice is when Hamunth's got her green in his clutches!"

Auralia snorts cheerfully, commenting, "You only convinced Catrina to Weyrmate you, because of Hamunth catching, er, her green?" She winks, adding, "You've a ways to go yet, in the methods of snaring attentions, not that you really need 'em."

S'tev laughs, "Okay, well, I suppose Catt's special. We really hit it off after Drei's first flight. Things have only improved since then." He shakes his head quickly, "and it's not at all like she's not good enough or that I'd want to leave her for anyone else."

Auralia fiddles at a hole in the knee of her breeches, admitting, "I'm glad to hear that you've one exception. I'd hate for your weyrmating to have been built on a single fact, and not mutual like." She winks, before adding, "It's such a romantic thing, really. Getting together after a flight, having been weyrlings together...'

S'tev chuckles, "It was kind of unusual. I barely knew her when we were weyrlings until her dragon rose, then... bam! Love at first sight?" He shrugs, then glances over to Aura. "Anyone you've ever fancied?"

Dryly, Aura comments, "Sweet." She shrugs, adding, "I've had my share of admirers and conquests--I've a reputation for chasing men that've caught my eye, and most of them end up scared of me. And yes, I've had plenty of relationships, but never anything formal, nor lasting. Which is my preference, really."

S'tev ahhs softly and turns his attention back to the cradle. "I like my lasting relationship, but I can see it being nice to stay single too."

Auralia runs a hand through her hair, nodding, "There's benefits to both."

"I sometimes wonder if maybe I should have stayed single." S'tev comments idly. "How different things would be if I did."

Auralia raises her eyes, focusing her attention upon S'tev. "Oh? I suppose they would be. You might not have the twins, for example. You might have ended up having less formal relationships with various people."

S'tev says "I wonder who with?" S'tev ponders, then glances out toward Auralia, a teasting twinkle to his eye. "You?""

Auralia's lips twitch, as she comments, "You never know." She adds, however, "Although you're far too young for me--and long distance relationships never work." She, again, winks, expression musing.

S'tev chuckles, "That's true. You've got, what, a good eight turns on me? Didn't stop us that one night though..." a glance is offered Aurevi. "But yeah, it's quite a distance to travel."

"You're seventeen? And I'm fairly newly twenty-five. Eight turns, yes." Her own glance moves towards the baby, as she admits, "True. Then again, not much would've stopped us, that night."

S'tev smiles happily. "I've much about being a rider to be thankful for! Not the least being the dragon that makes it all happen."

Auralia agrees, her eyes half closing as she holds back a yawn. "As do I. I could never imagine my life without Iesath--or being anywhere but where I am."

S'tev sighs and crawls off the bed, pulling his boots on. "I ought to be heading back to Honshu. You'll be allright with Aurevi?"

Auralia shifts awake--poor thing is falling asleep where she is. "Oh! Yes, that's probably a good idea. Sleep is good." Especially with Aurevi asleep. "I'll be fine, I'm sure."

S'tev reaches out across the bed to give Aura a big hug. "You take care now, I'll drop in and check on ya soon!"

Auralia leans into the hug, agreeing, "And we'll be over to visit, eventually. You take care, too."

S'tev stops to offer Aurevi a tiny kiss on her little forehead, then picks up his new outfit on the way out. "G'nite!" he whispers out, then dissapears into the clearing.