You walk over to White Sands Beach.

Temari smiles, sitting down on the sand, "What story was this?"

Trust Auralia, to walk in on something that's gonna confuse her: "Story? What story? Stories're good." She's walking along the sands, still a fair way off, but she's always had good hearing.

Aithne laughs as she sits up to make talking easier. "A long long time ago, Alianne started to tell us the story of the Lost Lady. Something happened and she was going to tell us the end later, but she never got around to it."

T'las nods along as Nymath curls up near Fae and Araneth. "Yeah, I can't even remember how it started..."

Temari giggles, "So it's a story that noone can remember the start of, and noone knows the end of?" she replies.

Auralia comments, drily, as she approaches, "That doesn't seem like a lot of good. G'devening, too, by the way."

"We were out stargazing, and you could see the Lost Lady in the sky." Aithne offers quietly. "Alianne asked us if we knew how it got its name."

Auralia ahs, and sits, digging her toes into the sand, "That sounds like fun. So now you're trying to figure out how the story went?"

Aithne nods her head quickly. "Exactly. All we need to do is find someone who knows the story of the Lost Lady."

Temari nods, then adds, "Or someone who could make up another one."

"Well, I'm not the least bit creative, so don't ask me," Auralia announces, smoothing the sand on her feet, "Really, you just need to ask Alianne, again, I suppose."

T'las grins at that. "Aye we would, but she isn't here right now though. And I personally know I won't remember to ask her later, unless someone reminds me to."

Auralia shrugs her shoulders eloquently, "Then why don't you tell another story?"

Kayjay wades out of the lake, wrapping the towel around her. She grabs another for her hair and waves as she spots Auralia and Temari on the beach. "Hello there."

Temari oohs, "Just the person!" she says as she sees Kayjay. "Kayjay, we need someone to tell a story to us!"

Auralia raises a hand towards Kayjay, "Didn't see you splashing out there." Ooh, is she accusing? It's not as if she was looking. "But hey, anyway."

Kayjay blinks as she gently cups one ear to get water out of it. "What? Did you say something, Temari?"

Aithne nods her head as she calls over. "Please, Kayjay...a story?"

T'las just sits and listens.

Temari nods towards Aithne, "Please.. a story?" she echos.

Auralia snickers, "Please Aunty Kayjay?"

Kayjay looks from girl to girl and squeaks. "Me? Tell a story? What sort of story?"

Auralia wrinkles her nose curiously, "Not sure. Just a story."

Temari nods, "Any story, one you know, or you could make up one. You're good at stories."

Kayjay shakes her head. "Who told you that I was good at stories?"

Aithne nods as she settles back against Araneth, "Oh..please, Kayjay? It doesn't have to be a long one."

Kayjay thinks hard. Smell the smoke. "Story, story.story. "

Temari shrugs, "Well.. you are, aren't you?" she replies to Kayjay's question.

Kayjay ponders. 'Umm, lets see. You all know why I don't drink klah anymore. Right? So I can't tell you that one."

"I don't," offers Auralia, "but if everyone else has, then don't worry about it."

"Me neither." Aithne adds, "I don't think."

<Southern Weyr> Kayjay says, "Auralia,actually is one reason WHY KJ doesn't drink klah."

T'las shakes his head. "I haven't either..."

<Southern Weyr> Auralia eeks!

Temari shrugs, "I'm happy to hear stories any number of times." She grins, "And I won't give away the ending either."

Kayjay grins. "Alright then..." She settles her self in the sand, reaching for her shirt which she pulls over her head. Popping her arms through, she readjusts the towel covering her hair and looks around. "If you are sure now..."

Auralia curls up her legs, listening attentively as she leans back on her arms. "I'm all ears. I want to hear this."

Aithne nods her head quickly, "Please" She asks, snuggles down against Araneth.

T'las leans back on his hands like AUralia.

Kayjay smirks at Auralia and has a strange expression on her face. "I am sure you might find it interesting." She takes a deep breath. "Happened in the first months of weyrlinghood. I was the queen of worriers. Every noise Suriath made in his sleep, I would jump up, afraid he was hurt or afraid or something."

Auralia raises a brow, looking oh-so-curious. "I might?" But she says it softly, not wanting, apparently, to interupt the brownrider. Her head nods slowly, her murmured words: "I remember."

Kayjay sighs. "Well, one night, I just -couldn't- sleep, no matter what I tried to do. I ended up coming into the weyrhall and sat there, drinking a mug of klah." She looks around the group. "You wouldn't believe it, but I used to drink a -lot- of klah back then, Never had a mug out of my hands."

Auralia evidently remembers that, too. "Uh-huh."

Aithne glances over at Auralia before her attention moves back to Kayjay.

Temari grins, "I believe it," she adds in.

Kayjay sighs. "So there I was, sitting quietly, with a worried look on my face because Suriath was sleeping too soundly and he twitched in his sleep and what must -that- mean.. when a certain greenrider popped into the hall." She doesn't look in Auralia's direction. "They asked me why I was awake at that hour and I said I couldn't sleep.. worried about Suriath, and worried about what would happen if I screwed up as a weyrling.."

Auralia peers. And peers some more. "Pretty green? Yellow fingerprint kind of shading?" Oh dear.

Aithne is trying not to giggle as she glances between the two.

Temari does giggle, then puts her hand over her mouth to stop herself and waits for Kayjay to continue the story.

Kayjay doesn't look at Auralia. Nope, not looking at a certain greenrider. She chuckles lightly. "Well, this certain greenrider told me that I should be worried about real things, not imaginary noises or twitches my dragon might make in his sleep. And proceeded to tell me about Threadfall and a bit about Flights and threw in a bit about *betweening* incorrectly."

T'las smiles faintly, amused by the story, and looks over to Auralia every now and then.

Auralia mutters to herself.

Kayjay and then another rider came in, and backed this up. I must have looked a bit pasty and pale and they warned me not to worry Suriath about all this.. that it wouldn't be good for him to be upset. Now I wonder if they did that to cover their butts so my lifemate didn't tattle to Ceruth who would tell N'all.. but... " She coughs slightly. "I am sure they had the BEST of intentions."

<Southern Weyr> Kayjay says, "hehehehehehes"

Auralia blinks. Her eyebrows raise. She looks about to exclaim at something, and then stops. She mutters to herself, "I... That'd..." She pauses, head going up, "Oh?"

You sense "Auralia blinks. Her eyebrows raise. She looks about to exclaim at something, and then stops. "I never. I wouldn't do something silly like that. That'd be mean." She pauses, head going up, "Oh?""

T'las chuckles.

Temari smiles, looking from Auralia to Kayjay, then back to Auralia again.

Kayjay gets her comb out and pauses to stroke through her hair. She glances up, making sure she still has an audience. "Well. I tried to go to sleep that night, but had terrible nightmares of seeing Suriath dissolve in front of me in flames, seeing myself betweening us into a solid rock, all sorts of things." She pauses. "Suriath woke up and tried to comfort me. Thinking back to the advice given, nnot to upset Suriath, I decided the only thing I could do was to stay awake and NOT dream. I could control my thoughts during the day.. but not at night."

Auralia shakes her head, "A rider, especially a Southern rider, would never let suggest something like that." That's her story, and she's sticking to it. And talking through the story, too. Oh well.

<Southern Weyr> Kayjay says, "Get Kinoa and Auralia and a VERY impressionable KJ and what do you get?"

<Southern Weyr> Auralia says, "Trouble ;)"

<Southern Weyr> T'las get Kinoa and what do you get, preiod.

Temari looks at Auralia and shakes her head slightly. She was there at the time after all.

Kayjay sighs. "I kept awake for 5 days, drinking huge volumes of klah. Pots upon pots. I started to see things, because of lack of sleep." She chuckles. "Now, I laugh, then... well that is another story." She shrugs. "Since that point, I have never been able to even stand the smell of klah no matter drink it. And after Suriath figured out what I was doing and told Breidith who told Ceruth who told N'all, I was sent to the healers who told me I almost burned out the lining of my tummy and was chewed out royally. I was also told to direct questions to N'all or my appointed mentor only..."

Auralia doesn't blush. NONONONONO. "Wasn't...fault..." It's a wonder she was ever made a mentor again.

Aithne winces, "Burned out the lining in your tummy?"

Kayjay nods. "After three days of 30 mugs of klah, you stop eating much. And klah on an empty stomach is not a good idea." She chuckles. "I was such a worry wherry back then." Not that she isn't a worry wherry now, but that is another story.

Auralia awws, "Poor Kayjay. At least you know better now than to trust greenriders." Hang on a moment...She stops, and she almost pales. "Well, some silly greenriders, anyway."

T'las snickers at Auralia's reactin.

Temari giggles again, "Some greenriders you can trust," she agrees.

Kayjay doesn't look at Auralia, nope, doesn't look. "-Some- silly greenriders who liked to tease silly little fourteen turn old brownriders.. yes I would keep away from."

Aithne finally covers her mouth as she tries not to giggle.

"-I- think," Auralia states, not unkindly, "That some greenriders don't want to gloss over the nasty facts of life, and thus were actually doing you a favour. Besides," she sits up straighter, "You've learnt from your mistake, haven't you? You'll never do that again!"

T'las grins. "And some should just stay away from weyrlings -totally-..." he mutters.

Temari giggles again at T'las' comment, then says, "Not being able to drink klah again isn't very good though, be better for.. uh.. whoever those greeriders were not to have made Kayjay worried in the first place."

Aithne hrms and nods her head slowly, 'Not drinking Klah is a good thing, I suppose."

Kayjay shrugs. "For being such a worry wherry who already had enough fears about weyrlinghood and what was yet to come... it didn't quite look helpful. To others, perhaps it would have been appropriate."

T'las coughs into his hand. "Hmm, yes, somethings don't look too useful when you first hear about them..."

Auralia mms, "Maybe. I dunno. I doubt it, though."

Perhaps Aithne made herself too comfortable, for her eyes have slip closed and her breathing regular.

Kayjay shrugs. "So that is my story. Not too exciting, not from seeing the sleeping Aithne over there."

Temari grins at Aithne, then back at Kayjay, "Maybe your story managed to remove all her worries from her, so she was able to relax?" she suggests.

T'las looks over at Aithne and chuckles. "Nah Kayjay, it was good. Nice to know I'm not the only harassed by greenriders afterall..." he says with a sly smile.

"Who on Pern harasses you, T'las? I thought it was only bronzeriders like K'tor and N'all." Auralia's curious, and adds towards Kayjay, "Nah, it was good. Interesting to hear."

Kayjay finishes combing her long hair and quickly braids it.

T'las quirks an eyebrow at Auralia. "Kinoa for one," he starts, and stops.

Kayjay shrugs. "Older siblings, that is what they are there for, to harass you. I should know, I got five older brothers."

Auralia nods, satisfied. That, apparently, explains everything. "Oh, of course. I can understand that." She grins towards Kayjay, "And I, I've only got the one, and I haven't seen her in turns, as you know, but she was much the same."

Temari grins, "And I've two younger siblings, so it's my duty to haress them, or was whilst I lived at the hold anyway."

T'las chuckles at Temari. "Just don't become Kinoa on me, or I'll have Nymath stop you again." Nymath rumbles from his spot near Fae, his eyes glowing in the dark.

Temari shakes her head, "I'm myself, I've no intention of becoming Kinoa." She grins, "I don't think anyone would bet me 5 marks to not chase men for a half turn."

Kayjay chuckles. "Being youngest in a large family, it is rather nice to have people older than me actually listen to and respect what I have to say." She giggles. "Still startles me."

T'las grins and shakes his head. "I doubt any of my siblings would listen to me..."

Auralia giggles, "You never know, Temari. I doubt Kin was like that when she was a weyrling, you know." She nods towards Kayjay, grinning, "I can imagine. I wasn't the youngest, and yet I'm still always surprised when people respect me."

Kayjay sighs. "Still get startled when I get saluted by a rider older than my grandfather."

T'las chuckles. "Gee, my and Temari don't have that problem right now..."

"Not yet," says Auralia, not quite mysticly.

Temari grins, "Not for a while. It's still a few months until we even graduate, when noone has less rank than us, then if we ever get any command it still won't be for turns after that."

Auralia waves her hands about, "Candidates!" she emits, triumphantly, "There's candidates. You rank 'em. Use the power."

Kayjay laughs out loud at that one and scrambles to her feet. "On that note, before I freeze out here, I am heading to my cottage."

Auralia scoffs, quietly, "You can't freeze out here," but she says it quietly, and misses Kayjay completely.

Temari giggles, "I think if N'all saw us ordering candidates around we'd suddenly find we had even less rank than they do," she replies to Auralia.

Kayjay laughs out loud at that one and scrambles to her feet. "On that note, before I freeze out here, I am heading to my cottage."

Temari giggles, "I think if N'all saw us ordering candidates around we'd suddenly find we had even less rank than they do," she replies to Auralia. <repose>

Kayjay hmms. "True enough.. but you won't be under his watchful eye for ever. And contrary to rumours. He cannot follow you around forever." With that, she waves and heads off the beach.

Kayjay strides over to the lakeside meadow.

"Maybe," Auralia agrees, watching T'las and Kayjay go. "I suppose it's quite possible."

Temari nods, then grins, "We had this idea that we should all go around looking absolutely exhausted and despairing whenever we saw a candidate, make them really worry about becoming a weyrling."

Auralia giggles, digging into the sand with her fingers, "And are you going to do it? I think we should all give it a try...mm-hmm."

Temari giggles, "It would be fun. The other thing we wanted to do is try and persuade some of the more gullible ones that they had to make their robes from their bedsheets, since that was the best supply of white material around."

Auralia laughs, rocking back and forth, "Ooh, that's a classic. Wish we'd thought to do that, when I was a 'ling. I wanna see what they look like in -those-. Maybe they'd all fall off during the hatching?"

Temari grins, "We'd have to tell them that /all/ the sheet had to be used, so they'd have all this material trailing out behind them as they walked."

Auralia rubs the sand off her hands, nodding quickly, "Hee. Yes, I want to see that."

Temari giggles again and suggests, "We could then make bets on who would be the last candidate not to trip over their own or someone else's robe."

Auralia bursts into giggles (again), "Yes! And we'd tell 'em that the first one who did would get fed to Tiarnath and Hannenth."

Temari grins at Auralia, then puts on an innocent expression, "And who was it said greenriders were evil, when we clearly care so much that we even help the candidates out."

Auralia's own features are schooled into a similar expression, "Oh, indeed. Such wonderful members of society are we, teaching the riders of the future."

Temari nods and adds seriously, "We're kind, thoughtful, chaste, polite.." She sighs deeply, "People just don't understand us."

Auralia nods quietly, "Indeed. I think we're the most misunderstood group on all of Pern."

Temari nods, then says thoughtfully, "Maybe they should hold a meeting to work out how people can be nicer to poor misunderstood greenriders. Have a sevenday when people have to see to our every needs."

Auralia raises a brow, all the more interested, "Like greenrider sevenday? Or even just day? Ooh."

Temari nods, "Well a sevenday would be good, but maybe just a day if people think that's too long. We could be, oh, have wine and good food served to us, handsome riders to do anything we'd want them to..." Temari carefully crosses off 'chaste' from her previous list.. "It could be a wonderful idea!"

Auralia nods sagely, "We could have plum wine." This, of course, is the ultimate idea, "I do like the way you think, Temari. I'll gather support, see if we can wrangle it."

Temari nods encouragingly, "Plum wine.. and other wines too." Preferably non-sickly ones. "We could get half the riders to agree to this with no trouble" The green half. "We could then all persuade the other people, it'd be easy!"

<Southern Weyr> Temari could begin to feel very sorry for non-greenriders if Auralia takes her seriously :)

<Southern Weyr> Auralia, too. Oh dear.

"Definately! Ooh, I can't wait. Shall we do it next sevenday? Or perhaps after you're graduated. It's not fair if you can't drink and all that." Auralia's getting all...excited.

<Southern Weyr> D'thyn says, "Oh? What are you letting the Weyrlings fill your head with, Auralia?"

<Southern Weyr> Auralia says, "Global Greenrider day!"

Temari grins cheerfully back at Auralia, "After we graduate, no point having wine and men around if all I can do is look at them."

<Southern Weyr> D'thyn laughs.

Auralia busily counts on her fingers, "Hmm. About two-three months is it? Wonderful: we can have it in spring, or early summer. The best time. Maybe even a gather along with it."

Temari oohs, "A gather too, excellent idea! Call it 'Greenrider Gather'. Or maybe 'Gather for the Gorgeous Greenriders'. The rest of winter should give us plenty of time to organise everything and get our persuading done."

Auralia sits up straighter still, nodding her head, "Ooh, yes. I like those names." She glances about, "I really need hide to write all this stuff down. But I think we'll manage. Just wait 'til Fae glows, and 'sath glows, and we can get anyone we want on our side."

<Southern Weyr> Temari laughs at Auralia's suggestion.. now that is a very, very scary thought!

<Southern Weyr> Auralia says, "Oh yeah ;)"

Temari looks a little bit less delighted at the thought of Fae glowing. "Humm," she replies, then smiles again, "We should write things down anyway, and get suggestions from the other greenriders too, I'm sure they'll have good ideas for this gather."

<Southern Weyr> Temari nods, true though, if both Fae and Iesath were glowing I don't think anyone would refuse us anything.. unless they could run fast of course..

Auralia keeps on beaming. Iesath glowing doesn't appear to phase her much, anyway. "We should. I'll pass the word around, and try and get it through to the other weyrs, too. We'll be on our way in no time."

<Southern Weyr> Auralia snickers. Uh-huh. We should try it, sometime ;)

<Southern Weyr> Temari humms, now there's a good idea ;)

Temari beams back and nods, "Of course, the more greenriders the better." She pauses, then adds, "They will have to bring their own men though. Tell them they'll have to bring at least one for each greenrider, and all must be handsome and charming."

Auralia agrees, with a grin, "Not necessarily young, but definately personable, handsome, charming, witty..." a perfect man, in other words. "And everyone else -- especially the bronzeriders -- will have to do all the work."

Temari smiles happily, "That sounds perfect. It'll be good for bronzeriders to work, we can watch them.. when we're not paying attention to all the admirers sitting by our feet looking at us adoringly." Someone might be getting a little carried away with ideas here.

Auralia would be another someone, as she sighs dreamily. "Ahh, wouldn't it be lovely? Won't it be lovely? Sitting on the beach." Like she is now. "With my legs stretched out." Like they are now. "Having good conversation. "Like she is now. "Ahhh."

Temari nods, and stares off dreamily into the distance for a while, then stretches out her arms and smiles at Auralia again, "I think it's time I found my cot and had some sleep and good dreams." She pushes herself to her feet, "Good night, and hope you have sweet dreams too."

Auralia looks up, smiling herself, "Oh, okay. Sweet dreams to you, definately. I suppose I might as well do the same."

Temari walks toward the lakeside meadow.