All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

18-10-01: Explorations
Relian whistles, while he walks from Lower Caverns to Living Caverns, running his fingers through tawny-toffee hued, wooly locks, drawing...

Relian whistles, while he walks from Lower Caverns to Living Caverns, running his fingers through tawny-toffee hued, wooly locks, drawing them away from his eyes as he does so. He hesitates by the kitchen, eventually disappearing within, returning moments later with a single slice of bread, and a slice of cheese. Seat is gathered, coincidentaly near to Celira's; "Hey," he offers, cheerfully.

Taylias sweeps in from the South Caverns.

Relian whistles, while he walks from Lower Caverns to Living Caverns, running his fingers through tawny-toffee hued, wooly locks, drawing them away from his eyes as he does so. He hesitates by the kitchen, eventually disappearing within, returning moments later with a single slice of bread, and a slice of cheese. Seat is gathered, coincidentaly near to Celira's; "Hey," he offers, cheerfully. [Repose for Taylias]

And slinking not too far behind Relian...is Taylias! What is his gaze on? Well...he's not telling. Nope! Teehee! A grin though slides across his expression before he grabs a meatroll and a mug of klah, cheerfully peering towards both Relian and Celira. "Hello!"

Celira looks up from her scroll, stylus paused in midthought. "Hi! Relian, is it?" Nodding cheerfully, she glances over at Taylias. "I haven't seen you around...m'name's Celira. You?" She briefly looks back to her scroll and scratches out a word, before turning back to Taylias with a smile.

Zaphyr blinks in from ::between::, a flurry of white wings and watercolor streaked blue hide.

"Relian, yes," agrees the young man bearing that name, his bread and cheese held gingerly between his fingers, and given surrepticious glances. "Hello to you, also--Taylias, wasn't it?" With relish, he takes a bite of his snack, chewing reflectively.

Zaphyr eyes everyone from above as he soars to the Bowl.

Zaphyr blinks in from ::between::, a flurry of white wings and watercolor streaked blue hide.

Taylias whirls, tossing the long runnertail of raven hair over his shoulder as he moves towards the table, nodding with a faint wink at Relina. "Aye, I am Taylias, and," He looks at Celira. "I am indeed new around here."

Setting her stylus down and rolling up her scroll, she grabs her mug of klah. "Well met, Taylias! How long have you been at the Weyr?" Casually, Celira brushes a few stray threads of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear.

Relian returns Taylias' wink with one of his own, knawing another bite from his bread with further relish. This puts him in a position in which words are more or less impossible, or, at least, improper, so he simply nods and smiles, grinning towards the other two like a lunatic.

"A few days is all, actually." Taylias replies, sinking into a chair comfortably with a little nibble to his meatroll. "And so far I find the place quite agreeable."

Celira relishes the hot, steaming klah from her mug. "Good to hear. I've been here not even a Turn m'self. And Relian's been here....how long?" She turns her icy blue gaze upon the young man.

Relian grins broadly, swallowing his mouthful, and, politely, placing his bread down upon the table. "Since the beginning of spring. A month and a half, a little more, I suppose. So we're all new-ish, then."

Taylias grins mischeviously. "And being new is a wonderful thing, I think. Get to meet so many new people." Flutter. "And many of them oh so very handsome!"

Arching an eyebrow, Celira simply lets a faint smile trickle across her face. "Indeed." Sitting up abruptly, her smile breaks into a grin. "I assume you both are attendin' the Gather at the Hold, yes?" Ooo..her fav topic!

"Handsome?" repeats Relian, raising an eyebrow. "Handsome, or beautiful, or both?" His gaze returns to Celira, a mournful, half baked smile upon his face. "I am. I've been pushed into taking someone, too."

Taylias chuckles, smirking faintly to himself. "Oh I won't deny the girls I've met so far around here are quite beautiful." A smile is directed at Celira. "However I'm more interested in looking at the guys. And of course I'll be going to the Gather!"

Gossip is as gossip does. "Oh? Do tell, if you don't mind!" Celira's eyes twinkle in the glowlight as she lays her gaze upon Relian. A casual handflip is tossed Taylias' way, coy look sneaking from her eyes. "Now how did I figure you would turn into my competition?" Smirk.

Relian is going to flush now - no offense to anyone. His cheeks slightly pink, he gives a rueful smile to Taylias, "Oh, I see!" Tilting his head into a nod, he remarks, in response to Celira, "Serafa insisted on a deal. She'd search for the relative I'm seraching for, and try and help me, and I'd take her to the gather." His enthusiasm is catching. Really.

Taylias grins at Celira, laughing a bit. "Oh I hardly think I will be much of a competitor against you, with your looks." Yes. Flatter everyone. Beam.

Now it's /Celira's/ turn to blush, slightly. "Nah..not me." Idly fiddling with the silver streak of hair, she glances at Relian from the corner of her eye, smirking. "Mmm...and I'm sure takin' Serafa to the Gather's a chore." Sly wink.

"Well," begins Relian, honestly, "She's kinda clingy." And he doesn't know what to do with her, evidently. "You're not ugly, Celira," he adds, still honest - too honest for his own good - "I bet you're plenty competition."

Celira laughs, shaking her head, then face is buried in the mug as she takes a sip. "You boys are such flatterers...you're sure to have yer pick of any girl.." topaz eyes wink at Taylias "..or guy, in the Weyr!" Raising her mug, she takes another draught.

"But of course," agrees Relian with a wink, and a grin -- and yes, that almost ever present blush. "Although not the girls. I think I've got enough trouble with that. Do you dance, Celira?"

Celira looks over at Relian, a slight smile upon her lips. "Why of course, Relian. No proper weyr lady would not know how to dance." Wink. "And, my mum's a Harper back at Ruatha, so I had to be good at the arts, you see." Grabbing a sweetroll, she leans back into her chair, grin still upon her face. "Do you?"

Relian gifts Celira with a grin, explaining, "I'm a holder myself, remember. And you did say that you dance, I remember now. Will you save one dance for me, at the gather? I think Serafa will begrudge me that much."

Celira flutters her eyelashes, a hint of teasing flickering in her eyes. "Why of course, I would be honored." Grinning, she takes another nibble at her roll, then focuses her eyes once more upon him. "Speaking of holds, have you found any new word of your...uncle, is it?"

Relian winks, leaning back within his chair in what might be a flirtacious pose -- but probably isn't. "Oh, good. I'll look forward to that." He picks up his bread again, the slice of loaf abandoned onto the table, taking a bite. Between chews, he shakes his head. "Nothing. I think he just disappeared."

Celira furrows her brow, a tiny crease forming there. "Interesting. I haven't come across anythin' m'self." Eyes get a glazed look for a moment as she focuses on a thought. Blinking back to Relian, she nods. "I know what it's like, though. I never knew m'da...he could be either a Ruathan noble or a stablehand, for all I know."

Relian nods, admitting, "You did mention that. And yes - it's *hard*, to try and find anything about people, even with Harper records. It's just too easy to change a name, or change a direction, or who knows what."

Celira gets an idea. "Can I ask you a favor?" Her eyes get a bit of a damsel-in-distress look about them. "If you do find your uncle, would you be willin' to use your talents and assist me in findin' my da?" Sweetroll is forgotten upon the table as she looks hopefully at him. "Or else, teach me how I'd go about it?"

"Sure," agrees Relian, before hearing the request in fun, affable in his acceptance of the request. "Oh, I'd be happy to. In fact, I really would. It *will* have to wait, I guess, until I've finished mine, since I get be here and in Ruatha, but--I'd really like to help."

Celira could practically kiss him at that moment. Finally, she might find out who her da is!! "Oh, /thank/ you, thank you beyond words." A bright smile matches the sudden light in her eyes. "You don't know how much that means to me. Oh.." and she flips her hand casually at him "..no worries about when. You take yer time with yer uncle first."

Relian nods his head seriously, although there's a glint in his eyes which suggests that he's delighted by Celira's response. "I think I can imagine, at least to some level. It would please me almost as much as you, to find out, I think."

Suddenly shy a bit, Celira looks down into the dark pool of klah resting within the mug. Glancing back up, she nods. "Y'know, I meant to ask. Where exactly /is/ Black...River?...Hold?"

It's laughter that escapes from Relian's lips, although he promptly takes upon a contrite expression, admitting, "Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. I don't know why I did. Black Rock River is down south, around the coastline from Southern Hold and Weyr. A fair way around, at that."

Celira's eyes get that far-off look again as she imagines the Hold's locale. "Ohh...gotcha." Smiling again, she nods. "Never been to the Southern continent m'self." Thoughtfully, she tilts her head to the side, a strand of silver falling across her eyes. "Never been any further south than Ruatha, really." Grin.

"It's hot, it's tropical, and it's sunny," Aurelian adds, with a wry grin. "Sounds a lot like here, huh?" Still grinning, leaning backwards in his chair, relaxed, he adds, "You do need to come down and visit at some point, then. It's a beautiful place, the Southern Continent, or what I know of it."

"Consider the invite accepted." Celira chuckles softly, then raises her mug towards him. "And you, my handsome friend, should come with me up to Ruatha sometime. My mum has a wonderful voice, and would be delighted to sing for one of my friends." Still smiling, she empties the mug, setting it on the table with a tick.

Relian polishes off his sandwhich with a thoughtful consideration, agreeing, "I will most certainly come and visit your Hold when I have the chance. I'd be delighted -- Ista Hold is the only Northern Hold I've ever seen, and it isn't *really* that Northern, I don't think."

Celira chokes amusedly. "I don't think I've ever heard Ista considered to be Northern!" Regaining her composure, her lazy smile returns to her lips, eyes wide. Tilting her head sideways slightly, she curiously asks "Hmm..you've never seen snow, have you?"

Relian grins ruefully, admitting, "For me, it's North. A long way north from where I'm from." Nodding his head, he remarks, "I'll make sure never to refer to it as such again, though, because it'd probably be bad for my health." Tossing his hair to one side, his hands flicking the crumbs upon the table about absently, he admits, "I haven't, no."

"You'd like it, I think." Celi fiddles with her stylus absently. "Cold white fluffy stuff...frozen water, actually." Giggling, she winks at him. "Makes for great tossing at one another, too." Getting a thought, she nods to him. "Have you had a chance to see much of the Weyr?"

Relian admits, "It sounds pretty odd, to me. We get ice -- rarely, but occasionally -- and I've seen ice often enough at gathers, but *snow*. It's softer, isn't it? It would have to be, I suppose." He twists his lips into a broad grin, noting, "We'll have to visit Ruatha in winter, so that I can lob one at you, then. -- the Weyr? I've seen some of it, anyway. The important bits."

"Oh ho, handsome one! I think I'd get ya in a snowball fight." Celi winks rather impishly, then nods. "Ahhh, but have you seen the gorgeous waterfall out at the edge of the bowl?" Tucking her stylus into her sack, she nods. "It's a great hangout of mine. I like to do some of my writing there."

Relian sticks out his tongue in a burst of childish amusement, commenting, "You probably would, but I'd get you, anyway. Somehow." He winks in amusement, adding, his eyebrows raising, "Waterfall? No, I haven't, I admit. I didn't even know that there was one."

Celira nods as she rises from her chair. "Why then, you haven't seen /all/ the important parts, not by my book anyways." Tucking the sack on her shoulder, she waves at him to join her. "Join me, if you like. It's too nice out to be stuck indoors all day." Yet another grin flits across her lips as she begins to walk towards the exit.

"It sounds nice," agrees the holder boy, shifting to his feet. "I'll come, if only to find this other important place - why hasn't anyone else told me about it, dare I ask?"

Celira shrugs rather nonchalantly, still smiling. "Why, you haven't asked the right folks, that's all." She nudges him gently in the side with her elbow. "C'mon, it's just a short walk."

[Travel Spam Deleted]

Celira grins at Relian, eyes reflecting the blue of the lake. "This here's the lake...if you walk out on the branch.." and she points towards the rickety old branch "...you can look down over the waterfall." Dropping her sack, she heads in that direction. "C'mon..the view's great!"

Relian follows, although with slightly more trepidation, edging across the branch; "It does look like it'd be nice - reminds me of the river at home. We used to spend *hours* exploring. I had a little hideout, too."

Celira slips around to the far side of the gnarled or tree and scrambles up it.

A step here, and hop there, mind the branches!! And Voila. Escape.

Celira climbs along the branch, wavering for a bit, arms flailing. "Whooooaaa...slippery there...careful!" Grinning back at Relian, she points out over beyond the Weyr, to the sea. "Isn't it lovely?" Her eyes sparkle with wonderment, then close as she inhales the sea air.

"Oh, wow," is Relian's only comment, as he stares out over the view. "That *is* incredible." He holds on tight nonetheless, adding, "It's a long way to fall. I guess you'd have to hope you fell into the water, huh?"

Reopening her eyes, Celi nods, a rather dreamy look in her eyes. "Isn't it?" Grinning, she looks back at him and nods, looking down. "It is a bit of a ways...whoa!!" She grabs onto Relian's arm just as she begins to wobble a bit, then releases it quickly, blushing. "Err...sorry 'bout that. Bit clumsy, I am." Grin.

Relian grabs Celira as he grabs him, holding tight -- "Egads, careful, Celira! If you fall, I'll--" he blushes, letting go. "No problem. Just don't do it again, eh? You'll send me plummeting, too."

Celira grins over at him, her blush slowwwly fading. "mmm...yeah. I'll try not to." Eyes twinkle mischievously for a moment. "But wait, you mean you didn't /want/ to dive off the branch? Aww...it'll be /fun/." She gets a look of mock horror, then breaks into a fit of giggles, heading toward the ladder. "C'mon, let's head back to solid ground, yes?"

Celira climbs down into the pool.

You shimmy down the branch, back into the pool.

Zaphyr soars in, twittering at his humanpet. Landing on her shoudler, he eyes Relian for a moment.

Celira calls to Zaphyr, who floats over on the breeze and settles on her shoulder, slipping his tail around her neck gently.

Relian shimmies down after Celira, hasty, but over careful. "I think I'm glad that I'm not scared of heights," he notes, glancing at the firelizard. "That's--er, you told me his name, once, didn't you? Zaph, was it?"

"Yep, that's him. Warn ya, he'll bug you for food." Celi grins, scritching Zaph's eyeridges. Sure enough, Zaphyr blinks once at Relian, then cheeps. "Aye, now Zaph, behave yourself. I just fed ya earlier!" Shaking her head, she settles herself on the sand. "Ahhh..this is the life. I'm enjoyin' it now, before I join a craft and have /no/ time for myself!"

Relian nods his head into an affirmative, "Zaph, then," as he asks, "You're thinking on joining a craft, then? I admit, I like it here, too. I have a few chores, but, otherwise, plenty of time for my research and the like."

Celira leans back onto her elbows, gold highlights in her hair sparkling with sunshine. "Yep. Most likely the Harpers, to follow my mum's footsteps, so to speak." Squinting up at Relian through the bright sun, she frowns. "Not sure about the singing bit, though. I have a tough time in front of large crowds."

"Harpers," repeats Relian, considering, as he moves to sit, watching the water thoughtfully. "I considered becoming a harper myself, y'know. Because of my interest in history, and that kind of thing. -- they don't *all* have to sing, do they? I don't think I could handle that, either."

Celira glances out over the water. "Not sure. BUtttt..." and she reaches into her sack pulling out a scroll. "Would you like to hear my very first attempt at composing?" Chuckling, she waves it at him. "But you have to /promise/ you won't laugh!"

"Cross my heart," promises Relian with a wry grin, nodding his head towards Celira. "I'd honestly love to hear it, I really would." He leans back, pulling off his shoes to let them dangle over towards the water, sun catching upon his tawny, golden brown hair.

Glancing coyly at him, blue eyes competing with the blue lake, she coughs slightly, then opens the scroll.

Celira unrolls a scroll that she is carrying, clears her throat, and states:

"High above Pern on wings, rides a pair..
No looking back, a golden tail in the empty air,
Across the clouds she sees her shadow fly
Out of the corner of her watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow their hearts right through the roof of the night
There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended 'neath the clear sky, A state of bliss
Can't keep their eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just a Pern-bound misfit, I."

Celira rolls up the scroll, and puts it away.

Relian applauds softly, as his toes dip into the water beneath. "That's really good, Celira. How'd you manage to write that? I," he admits, more quietly, "Couldn't write anything like that, for anything. I'm not good at writing."

Reaching around, Celi tucks the scroll back into her sack, then turns her eyes thoughtfully upon Relian. "I didn't think so either. But.." and she pauses, seemingly lost in thought for a moment "...I had to just let it.../flow/...outta me. If I thought too much, I couldn't write well." Toeing the sand with her feet, she looks up at him, lips curved slightly. "Trust me. If /I/ can write, so can you."

Relian shakes his head, commenting, "Not everyone can. I mean, one of my sisters is pretty good with words, but the others, when they tried, were really hopeless. They're really competitive, my sisters. Anyway," he grins ruefully, splashing his feet through the water, "Not everyone has every gift, so I think yours must be pretty special."

Celira makes a face, playfully kicking some water in Relian's direction. "Am not special." Yet another splash is sent towards him. "Just a simple hold-bred girl." Uh huh...what was that prank she pulled when she was little? "Who...happens to get into a prank or two. Or I used to, anyways." Impishly grinning, she sends yet another trickle of drops in his direction.

Relian sends water right back, playfully, commenting, "Are, too! We're all special. *I'm* special because I'm Relian, youngest son of the Holder of Black Rock River, historian, and - general blushing idiot. You're special because you have a mother that adores you, a gift at writing, and a personality that makes a person blush, just 'cause. And a prankster, all the more specialness." Another wave of water is returned.

Celira ducks slightly as a wave of water attacks. Giggling, she sticks her tongue out at him yet again. "Oh...I make you blush, do I?" Eyebrows waggle amusedly, whilst her lips maintain that ever-present grin. "Oh just you wait till ya get to know me better...you haven't /seen/ blush, southern boy!" Yet another spray of water is sent in his direction.

"*Everyone* makes me blush," complains Relian, with a good natured wink. "Perish the thought, Celira. You'll have me turning purple, and everyone will think you're absolutely killing me, somehow." Water sprays back, with more force; he's looking pretty wet himself.

"Hey!!" Her hair, at this point, is becoming somewhat soaked, as is the rest of her. Glaring at him good-naturedly, she gets a mock-serious look upon her face as she pulls back her hair. "Hmm..you in purple..." Blue eyes give Relian the once-over, before she nods. "I think the color would fit you quite well." Try as she might, she can't keep a straight face, and breaks into a giggle fit.

Relian retorts with another splash, heedless of the getting-wet aspect, snorting, "In purple? My dear, my person taste and style has been affronted. Purple!" He's dying of laughter himself, his face turning red by the sheer virtue of this fact -- so much so that he nearly topples over into the pool, and clings on to save himself instead.

Celira struggles poorly to regain her composure, then makes an 'oh' face as Relian nearly falls into the pool. "Whoa...careful! I know it's warm out, but we don't need to go swimming...yet!" Giggling still, she wraps her arms around his waist to pull him back from the edge. Faranth, hope she's strong enough..else they'll /both/ be going for a swim!

Relian attempts to pull himself back up the bank, thankfully grinning at Celira for her support. "Eep. I guess *I'm* the clumsy one yet - unless you want me to pull you in with me? I don't see why we have to wait for 'yet'!" Still, he doesn't halt his attempts to climb up the bank, puffing.

Never one to resist a challenge, Celira arches one eyebrow, mockingly. "Oh really? Well then!" Without further ado, she pulls both of them back into the water with a rampant *splash*. Well, when in Ista, do as the Istans do!

Relian sinks like a stone before he manages to get a grip on the situation, and pull himself up into a more comfortable, breathing friendly position. "Evil woman!"

Celira simply grins, then dives underwater, reappearing a few feet from Relian. "Well, you asked...I obliged!" She lets herself float lazily along, then glances at rather slyly out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, you were lookin' a little warm there...thought you might need a coolin' off." Smirk.

Relian snorts, using both hands to splash Celira in retort. "Warm? Oh, sure, you say that *now*, now that there's no way for me to offer proof that that was false." He's grinning, though, splashing about with the enjoyment of a young child.

Celira sputters a bit, sitting up, though her eyes twinkle with mischief. "False indeed! You were blushing redder than a glass of Benden wine, my friend." With that, she dives once more underwater, swimming...somewhere....but where? Ooo...she's in a spriteful mood, she is!

Relian snorts, but to empty air, and glances about him, tredding water as he attempts to discern Celira's position. "Um--"

"GOTCHA!!" Celira pops up behind Relian and grabs him from behind, tickling him relentlessly. "Who's the fairest of them all? Hmmm?" Grinning wickedly, she continues to tickle with her nimble fingers.

"You, you!" laughs Relian, wiggling away from her grasp as best as he can. "I think. You're awful, and evil, did you know that?"

Celira swims up to a treading position herself, and mock pouts at him. "Aww...I'm not evil, am I?" Pretending to look sad and hurt, she begins to swim towards the shore. A quick, coy glance /is/ stolen over her shoulder though, to check if he's taking the bait.

Relian mock pouts in retort, swinging about, and chasing after her, laughing. "Hardly -- of course you are." Talk about confusing statements. "Fine then, just walk away. See if I care."

Celira makes her way onto the shore, and peels off her rather soggy tunic, revealing.....a tank-top underneath! Ha, what did ya think you'd see? Talking loudly enough for Relian to hear, she sighs as she begins to comb out her hair. "Oh poor little me....all alone, no one to talk to, no one to laugh with..." The mock look is almost lost to another fit of laughter, but she manages to keep a straight face. Somewhat.

Relian might be disappointed, but he doesn't show it, instead moving to peel off his own tunic, revealing nothing but bare skin beneath. "Aww, poor dear," he comments in return, snickering. "Lonely little evil woman. Such a shame."

Celira manages to maintain the sorry look only for a moment longer, before she breaks out into full laughter. "I am evil, aren't I?" Her eyes sparkle with amusement, then she manages a full-blown feline-call at Relian. "Well now.../someone's/ goin' to be breakin' many a weyrgirl's heart!" Rather wicked wink is tossed in Relian's direction.

"Yes," responds Relian with a rapidity that is almost laughable, although he's grinning broadly. With a wink, the young man strikes a pose, still waist-deep in water, waggling his chest about with some inability to hold in his laughter. "You better believe it. They're all going to fall about my feet in a swoon." Pause. "And I'm going to blush myself to a deep dark hole." Another wink.

Amused snort. Celira wags her comb at him. "And I'm going to have to come and dig you out of that dark hole, aren't I? Because I, of course, am wicked, and clever, and evil...and will not be wooed by /your/ charms, Sir Relian!" Eyes widen with feigned defiance, then, in opposite fashion, she blows a kiss at him. "Of course, I /can/ look, however!" Smirk.

Relian catches the kiss, apparently, with his fingers, and holds it above his face, watching it. Yes, we all know he's a little wacked. He grins in response to Celira, and places the kiss very firmly upon his cheek. "No, I suppose you won't be. Never mind!" And, with that, he ducks back under the water, and swims away. Rude, awfully so.