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.

12-05-01: Wherries
Urei is on a sugar streak, one sweetroll already down. Usually the boy would be careful and such, but since...

Urei is on a sugar streak, one sweetroll already down. Usually the boy would be careful and such, but since being Searched he's been none of that. Noddle toward Jestine as he smiles, "Sure, I'm up for something."

Chandelle enters from the Weyr's bowl, outside.

Jestine waves h (Hanneke) over to them and continues. "I don't have anything really bad in mind. Just to show them that we shoudnt' have to do these things not fit for a drudge. Anyone ever rocked a wherry to sleep?"

Hanneke, posture sublime and erect, weaves her way through the caverns, her attention caught briefly by Jestine's wave, allowing her course of direction to change, leading her towards their little group. "Hihi!" is her exuberant greeting, hardly unusual, followed by a dip of her head. "What're you doing?"

Jestine glances up to see Chandelle enter the room adn moves toward the door, motioning to the rest of her felow candidates.

Jestine walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

Karei blinks. "Wherries aren't fun to hunt when there asleep." She doesn't appreciate the revenge, you see. Give her a few hours to ponder it. Or mention her sister and how good she was at it. Or not. Riight. "Hmph. I'll go." And thus, she follows.

Karei walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

Urei walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

Hanneke hesitates, then follows--what else is there to do?

You walk out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

Shabheh walks out of the Living Caverns.

Jestine walks towards the central bowl.

Urei walks towards the central bowl.

You head west, towards the central bowl.

Jestine eyes the flock of domesticated wherries walking around the grounds. With a quick , sudden movement, she grabs one nd holds if (it) firmly in her arms. "You grab 'em, stick their head under its wing, and then rock it back and forth." As she says each step, she shows them on her captive how to do it. She slowly sets it to the ground after the last step, where it continues to rest, emitting something that sounds almost like snoring.

Urei ooohs and giggles, "That sounds like fun!" He just looks around at the wherries and seems to just mentally choose the first victim. Then nodding toward the sleeping wherry and giggling childishly.

Hanneke trails after the rest of the group, visage expressing confusion first at the end location, and then at Jestine's actions. Loudly, because it's a very rare occasion that she does anything less than loudly, she squeeks, "What are you doing?"

Karei blinks. "Put them to /sleep/? You can't -- they'll /bite us./" Because that's just what they do. "They always snapped at me." Maybe because she had a snare, but that's okay.

Jestine looks up at the loud sounds to see Hanneke. With a twinkle in her eyes, she reassures Hanneke. "We're just putting them to sleep. We're not hurting them. She turns to Karei, showing her a trick she learned. "Just grab them by the back of their neck and under one wing. These don't snap as much cause they're not wild. Still have to watch your fingers, though."

Hanneke frowns dubiously, head shaking back and forth, wherries given a long glance. The young woman takes a step forward, and as one gets close, she jumps back again, lip trembling. "They're looking at me funny," she complains, nervously.

Karei whines. "No-o-o. I will /not/ put any /sharding/ wherries to sleep. They'll bite me and I'll get all bloody and you can't operate a needle when you're bloody." At Hanneke's comment, Karei cackles. "Hah! See? They're planning a rebellion against us all!" She's sane. Really.

Jestine nods at Hanneke as she continues to work dilligently, putting as many wherries to sleep as possible. "It's ok if you don't want to, Hanneke. They always tend to look funny at everyone." Glancing up at Karei's own comment she shakes her head and continues to stupify the beasts. "I can do this on my wo (own) if you two just want to watch."

Hanneke puts her hands on her hips, announcing with some measure of regal confidence, "I am not scared. Don't try and tell me that it's okay, because I'm not scared." Even if Jestine didn't, and all. Taking a step forward, she has confidence, and confidence alone--and she grabs for one of the wherries, letting it go with a yell as her hand is scratched. Another battle scar. "It hurt me!"

Karei whines. "They'll /eat/ me. Like it hurt Hanneke!" Cackle, crow. "They're going to get you back for this, you know. I'll have nothing to do with it." She's scared out of her wits, you see. And'd prefer to stay that way.

Chandelle walks into the central Bowl not parying much attention to anything.

Jestine glances up ath (at) the approaching woman and decides to turn it around to something other than a disadvantage. She waves her over and stares at the dozens of sleeping wherries, which normally would be awake and active.

Hanneke clutches at her hand, face caught in an expression that indicates a desperate attempt not to wail, although there's no blood, and only the faintest of scratch marks. Blubbering nonetheless, she takes careful steps away from the mostly sleeping wherries.

Karei continues cackling, looking for all the world like a predictor of Doomsday. "They'll get you for this!" And Jestine's little... white knot, too. Or something. Hack.

Chandelle looks over at the crowed and makes her way over seeing the Wherries wondering what may be wrong with them "Hello" she says to the people looking down at the wherries

Klari's off in the distance, but not too far distance, still rocking a wherry to sleep. Has she seen Chandelle? More than likely not, but it's fun! Except the one she's working on now seems to have caught onto what's going on. Making tons of noise, the wherry starts trying to get away, "Stop! It's just a little nap, like the rest of you guys." But the noise doesn't stop, they've been so good up until this one.

Jestine looks up at the lady, steppign forward to show her s the speaker for the group, cond (considering) that she was probably the only coherent one there in range. "We came out and found the entire lot like this! We've been trying to wake them up, but nothing seems to be working! Sorry to bother you, but do you know of anything that might wake them?"

Hanneke is caught between grasping tightly to her hand -- injured, hurt, pain! -- and covering her ears with her hands. For once, that perpetual smile is gone, and even the innocent expression of old. What is a girl supposed to do?

Chandelle covers her ears "Well that ones squaking for one should wake them up. But if that don't work I have a feline that should wake them up or a dragon could by scareign them with it's bellow." she says

C'leb appears from the west.

Karei clasps her hands together, looking ever so cute and such. "They're going to wake up and attack the Weyr. They all attacked a cothold once, I heard. Wherries. When some crazy idiot ran through them all on a runnerbeast. It was a very traumatizing experience, I heard."

Klari does though finally realize someone's there. The scared wherry keeps trying it's darndest to get away, scratching up those hands of Klari's. Who just finally lets the thing go and walks over to join Jestine, "Oh hey Chandelle... How're things?" Klari of course hasn't noticed the scratches on her arms and hands and just dangles them as normal.

Jestine gives Karei a look , questioning something. "Wherries attacking the Weyr? Are you sure, Karei?" She then turns back to Chandelle and nods. "Maybe they'll just wake up when they get hotter." Glancing over her shoulder at Klari, noticing her hands, she covers for her appearance. "Klari was able to shake some awake! They definetly do wake up cranky, as you can tell by her hands."

Hanneke's one scratch is given a pained glance, and she licks at it, rubbing the spittle in--just like kissing it better, really. Straightening her posture to it's previous height, she complains, "It hurt me, already! I just wanted to rub it, and rock it!" Oops. But no one would believe Hanneke, right?

Chandelle looks at the girl and says "YOu might want to get thouse scratchs looked at befor they get infected." she says then looks back at Jestine and then to Karei "If you all are fibbing to me you will work out here in the heat all morning till you get this place so clean I can see my face in the floor and I mean it." a sly grin on her face as she says that think up a better way to get the canadites like she has the previos groupes befor.

Klari glances down at her hands, "Shards! Where is that darn wherry? Gah... Look at that!" Makes her want to hurt the thing? Well... To a point, like finish putting it to sleep then hang it by it's feet 'er something. "But yeah, I got a few to wake up. Being so scared that there might be something wrong with all of the /poor/ wherries, taking into consideration the bloat that's going on over at Fort, Chandelle." Sincere and... honest? Heck no! But it sure does sound and look that way.

Karei nods at Jestine. "I'm very sure. It was, I'm told, a very traumatizing incident. Wouldn't do for all us Candidates to be traumatized, or anything. So we should all just.... back away." Really. "I had nothing to do with anything. I don't even like wherries." Unless they're in snares.

Jestine nods her head and bows it humbly. "Yes ma'am! We understand. I think we shoud do like Karei said and leave them be. They're just all probably ...just doing some strange wherry-thing. Strange beasts. Trying to attack poor Hanneke!" She turns to the other Cnadidates and says , just loud enough to be heard by all present., "Let's go get soem redwart for those and get them cleaned up."

Chandelle shacks her head thinkig Yah right and has been where wherries have been woken up befor and can deal with the wakeing up of these ones with out all the fuss that Karei is talking about "Have you ever been around when the wherries supposedly done this stuff Karei?" she asks as a big Feline wanders into the bowl his white and tan head reaching Dell's waist and lookign at the canadits growles a low rumble at all of them as if to say stay still.

Hanneke gives a dramatic sniffle, rubbing her fingers across her poor, almost nonexistant wound--it'll leave a scar, it will. Really. "Horrible things!" she agrees, sniffing again, "Leave them alone! I don't want 'em anywhere near me." Already, she makes rapid steps away from the flock of wherries, as if attempting to escape entirely.

Karei ponders this. "They always make a big fuss whenever I hunt them. So it'd be understandable if they all up and attacked something if a runnerbeast ran through their flock." It's logical, to her. "And since if we all /moved/ enough, we could probably be as /loud/ as runnerbeasts, I think it's safe to assume they might get a bit peeved with us, ma'am." Sagenod, and she backs away, carefully.

Klari nods to Jestine and Chandelle, "Sounds good, ladies." Is Klari really the oldest one here? Yeah... It does seem that way. Yet she's one causing a bit of trouble, that's Klari. She bends down and reaches her hand out to the feline, talking to it as if it were a baby, "Kitty-kitty, come see... Oh you're so preeeetty."

Chandelle looks at Klari "He is not used to many people yet so I whould be careful if I where you." she says scratching the felines head "He will need to get to know you first ok. His name is Dander." she adds

Jestine glances around, taking in everything as it unfolds. The feline's unpleased tone is not lost on her and she stays still and stands straight up, hoping that her height would deter the animal, if it is unfriendly. She relaxes slightly at the information that the feline is just unfamiliar with them. Cautiously, she extends a hand toward it, palm up, hoping it is not like the one back home that prefers to bite first and sniff later.

Hanneke stiffens as she does, somewhat belatedly, catch sight of the feline--big feline, delicate Hanneke, and she sniffs haphazardly, stepping back slightly.

Karei blinks. "Feline?" Blink. Blink. And such. "..erk." It's.. a feline. She's so smart. Right. Blink.

"I have a feline of my own though... Named Kesia." Klari calls for a moment or so longer using Dander's name now before getting bored and stands up. "Dalas should get tired of seeing me before long." She just went to him to get stitches out of her hand, silly girl. "Oh c'mon... If you're not scared of strange dragons, why should we be scared of something like a feline?" Maybe Klari doesn't think she has enough scratches?

Dander looks at all around and then at the Wherries laying asleep on the ground and ignorig the people for a bit sneeks up on the sleeping wherries pounceing on the nearest one wakeign it up and sending it into a frenze which wakes up all the rest of the Wherries that where asleep all of them going into a freneze and flapign around the bowl makeing a ruckes but not going anywhere near the human type figures all on a count of the feline and how it stands inbetween them and the humans. Dell thinking quick and witht he help of the feline hurds them into the corner of the bowl where there is a pen and locks them in it "As soon as they calm down I'll let them back out but as long as Dander is here they will not come near us now is someone going to tell me the truth or are all you going to get a big chore list you will have to do seprate and alone no one can help you." she says looking at eacha dn everyone.

Hanneke goes properly pale. "But I didn't do anything! I just stood here, and didn't do *anything*" she wails, "That's not fair!" Perhaps this belies the presence of the scratch upon her hand, which is held with due reverence, although the candidate is earnest in her words.

Karei peers at the feline, then yawns. "I'm tired. I should go to bed." So she does, so she'll be all nice and rested for chores in the morning. Riight.

Klari leans over to Jestine, mumbling something about being stuck either way they go about it. "If anyone's to blame at all, Chandelle, it's me for trying to wake them up. No one else really did anything. A few of the others were scared, that's how the others got hurt I would suppose. What else is there to tell?" So sweet, so sincere, and so not obvious about lieing.

Jestine shakes her head, not willing to let the blame fall on any one person. "No, I tried to get them to wake up too, but they just wouldn't. I tried, but just couldn't do it. I'm sorry. We should've gone and told someone the minute we found them!" She stares into Chandelle's eyes, her gaze unwaivering.

Jestine calls to Rhaego, who flies over and lands on her shoulder.

Right now would be about the time Klari screamed at Jestine for taking the blame too... But all that does is blow everyone's cover. Been there, done that. Instead... "Oh, Jestine... I could've done the work alone, we all have too much work anyway." She gives Jes the play-along look before glancing down at her scratched up arms and hands which have begun to sting.

Chandelle is not one to easily belive anythign she hears and looking at the girl says "Ok Klari you get to clean the feeding pens and the lower canverns all by yourself ad you Jestine can clean the living caveren by yourself. I want the feeding pens full of clean water for the animales and clean sleeping straw for them to sleep on all the manure cleaned out and placed in a sack for the gardiner. The lower cavern I jsut want dusted and sweep becoue the pens should take most of your time. As for the Living cavern I want it spotless, that means nothing on it. do you both understand?As for your hand I want you to meet me in the Living Cavern and I will patch them up myself so you don't have to worry about Dalas. NOw you are all dismised." she says but waits for the answer to her question from the two she was speaking to.

Hanneke waits--actually silent, for a wonder, straining to hear her own name. All dismissed? She makes for a rapid get away, beginning to stride away.

Madden walks into the central bowl, seeming to be on his way somewhere. He waves to Chandelle and Klari, but his greeting is stopped short when he hears the tone in Chandelle's voice and sees the scrathces up Klari's arms. What's going on? A fight? He's always up for a good catfight, so he walks in and settles him unobtrusively to one side. "What's going on here?" he asks, grinning.

Jestine notes the look and acts accordingly. "Oh! Now we're late! We were supposed to help move the bunks around in the barracks after we distributed the suppies from the stores. " She suddenly falls silent with Chandelle's words. She stands in silence as she listens to her punishment. She bows her head in acceptance and nods solemly. "Yes, ma'am," she says softly, just above a whisper. She immediately nudges Klari and heads toward the caverns.

Klari nearly melts into a puddle of completely unhappy-Candidate, "Yes, ma'am." Wow... Saying ma'am to someone younger than her. Klari's understood that completely; clean straw, fresh manure in the gardener's cot, and fresh water covering the pins. Great! At least that's what she wants to do right about now. Klari does manage a smile to Madden, "Sleeping wherries."

Chandelle looks at Klari "I will have a list writen out of your exact orders so you will not get them mixed up" she says then looking at Madden "Just a couple of canadites getting in trouble and getting punshed for it.

Hanneke -- relieved! -- makes further strides away, peeking back every so often, just to make sure she's not being watched, stared at, or getting herself into trouble that she wasn't in previously. All in a day's work.

Madden nods, pretending to understand but privately having -no- idea what's going on. He looks at Klari closely, for the first time noticing the telltale white knot. "Oh, congratulations Klari, I hadn't heard...." he grins, but seeing the other white knotsaround the room understands what's going on. Chandelle's comment confirms it. He looks curiously at Klari, "Or maybe congratulations -aren't- in order. What'd you do?"

Klari nods and rolls her eyes at Chandelle, "Gah... Getting punishment from someone younger than me. Still find it odd." Klari glances back down to her arms and holds them out to Chandelle, "I need fixing." Klari glances over to Madden and smiles, "Thanks... I just..." Then a glance to Chandelle, "I'll tell you later."

Jestine glances up at the young man as she makes a break for the lower caverns. She blushes at Chandelle's words, feeling bad not because of the prank, but because she was sloppy enough to get caught. Glancing over at Hanneke, she realises how the girl's mien could be benificial. . "Yes, ma'am," she says again, this time breaking into a sprint for the caverns, hoping that she could make it before she does something else.

Madden nods. Thinking about candidate's pranks reminds him of his hair, and his good natured grin twists off to the side. "Well, you all seem to still be in the land of the living so," he grins at Chandelle, thinking of her near psychotic nature, *grin* "it couldn't have been -that- bad."

Chandelle looks at Klari "Follow me to the Living cavern" she says then to Madden "If you wnat to learn the details just follow us" she says

Now would be the perfect time for Hanneke's real exit--gone.