Logs:Shanlee Visits Benden Hold
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| RL Date: 2 June, 2007 |
| Who: Nathein, Shanlee |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| Where: Courtyard, Benden Hold |
| When: Day 28, Month 3, Turn 12 (Interval 10) |
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| High above, Kaylith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air! Kaylith spirals down to a landing from high above. Kaylith has arrived. Shanlee hops down Kaylith's side to the ground, the dragon's sparkling eyes watching closely. Shanlee has arrived. Like it says, residents often gather here during the day. Some little girls are playing hopscotch on the flagstones, taking advantage of the first warmth of spring; a pair of laundresses a trying to put a little color in their cheeks; a handyman works on re-hinging a winter-warped door; and Nathein sits on the steps leading into the great hall, taking a late lunch or an early dinner amid all this springtime industry. Kaylith appears from *between* with a blast of cold air the late afternoon sun glinting off freshly oiled hide as she spirals lazily down into the courtyard as far from any human traffic as possible. Wings coming to fold daintily along the emerald hide, the little green settles herself and offers Shan a foreleg to make dismounting easier for the petite redhead. Flight gear stripped off and stowed save for her jacket the Reachian rider lands lightly on her feet a low chuckle spilling out for a comment obviously passed of the children playing nearby. "No I don't think bringing your rock would have qualified you for playing with them love." Everyone out and about takes stock of the arriving dragon, so Nathein's not the only one shading his eyes to watch Kaylith alight. The little girls practically faint with excitement for a visitor, but they're corralled by a high-handed nanny before they have a chance to mob the greenrider. The laundresses say something that's probably none too complimentary about dragonriders. The handyman goes right back to his work. Leaving Nathein: "Afternoon," he calls without prelude, pomp, or circumstance. In the amused drawl to end all amused drawls, Nathein answers, "Afraid she's not /my/ Lady Holder, miss, but I'm sure word will get around sooner or later that you called her delightful." He takes his leisure about getting to his feet; while pleasantness comes naturally, politeness seems a bit slow. Standing, the whole oversized mess of him, he matches easy smile for easy smile. "Something I can attempt to do for you, miss? Point you in the right direction?" "More's the pity." Shan returns with amusement of her own "Lady Jeracynn is worthy of being called such." With no small amount of dismay, the petite greenrider follows the well dressed man's ascent upward as he stands and finds herself having to tilt her chin upward to still meet his eyes. Which she does with a slightly stubborn set to her jaw as once again as usual she's 'outsized'. Quickly averting her eyes to hide any annoyance this might have caused her, a fine brow raises as do the green eyes once again "Well if the Lady Holder isn't -your- Lady Holder then I doubt you'd know if the weavers have completed their craft projects from last season's fleece yet?" one booted foot raising to rest on the first step. Nathein discreetly slips down to the bottom step, crossing his arms and turning at an angle toward the courtyard instead of the greenrider, so at least he's no longer looming over Shanlee. At her question, he shakes his head apologetically. "Afraid not, miss. Weavers and fleece are not exactly my department. If you want, I could go knocking on doors until I find someone who could answer for you?" The seriousness of the offer is questionable, as he lifts his eyebrows like he really means it, but he smiles like he realizes it's a farcical solution. The beginnings of a small smile twitch at the corners of Shan's mouth as the big man does what he can to make the size distinction less so. A hand comes to wave off his offer with the smile growing wider "Not necessary I can always track Keveris down he's always so on top of things." slight shoulders lift and fall "More curiosity on my part then anything else." Its perhaps a subconscious action on the redhead's part but she in turn takes to the step just up from where Nathein stands and extends a hand "Shanlee, green Kaylith's of High Reaches Weyr." her name given with the previous smile twisting into a knowing smirk for his pretence of actually following through on his offer. Eyebrows staying lifted, though now the smile is more a grin, Nathein accepts the offered hand. "It's a long ways to come to fail to satisfy your curiosity, Shanlee." Giving her hand a brief shake, his own hand is obviously larger - but lacks the callouses one might expect of a man in his working-age prime. "I'm Nathein, the worst welcome wagoneer in the history of Benden Hold, if I say so myself." He makes every effort not to look /down/ at the greenrider all this while, trying to keep his chin leveled off. It half-works. Shanlee offers a firm handshake, perhaps with more strength then one would expect from a petite woman her own hand unfortunately holding some roughness in places due to the nature of her work. The smoothness of Nathein's hand flicks brief an perhaps unnoticed surprise behind her eyes as she drops her own away. "I've been meaning to make a trip out this way for a while but things being as they are...." the light voice trailing the rest not needing to be said. Swinging her hand out and turning in a slow half-circle "I do believe that thus far you have been the first to greet, which constitutes a welcome in my book." a lopsided grin appearing as he continues to work on the size differentiation. Swift, an impish smile appears and the redhead hops down off the step and takes a pace that brings her close enough to Nathein without invading his space. Her hand raises and measures off the top of her head to indicate about chest height on the man "I get it man mountain. You're tall....me not so much." a low chuckle spills out, a wink ending the tease. "You seem to take issue with it, so I was trying to be polite." Nathein squares his shoulder as his measure is taken, winking as he takes Shanlee's indication of chest-height and ducks it down to about belly-height - not that she's actually that short, clearly all in jest. "Shouldn't they let you littluns out of swaddling clothes before they make you into dragonriders?" With a teasing smirk whittled away, he nods indicatively toward the great hall. "If you do want to know about the fleece, you'll probably get an answer in there, by the way." "You seem to take issue with it, so I was trying to be polite." Nathein squares his shoulder as his measure is taken, winking as he takes Shanlee's indication of chest-height and ducks it down to about belly-height - not that she's actually that short, clearly all in jest. "Shouldn't they let you littluns out of swaddling clothes before they make you into dragonriders?" With a teasing smirk whittled away, he nods indicatively toward the great hall. "If you do want to know about the fleece, you'll probably get an answer in there, by the way." Shanlee shrugs and makes a show of rubbing the back of neck "Just don't like neck strain is all." Nathein's jest of making her seem smaller then what she is elicits a rumblechuckle from the little green who'd been keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings, the greenrider joining in. The next however, brings a warning lift of brow and a slight clenching of jaw "Thread cares little about size my dear man." the words holding a slightly flat edge to them as her temper flickers then wanes behind a carefully controlled mask. Brushing the subject aside, the wingsecond nods "I could do with some klah along the way too. Care to join me?" seems his jest hasn't meant that she'll now just ignore the man. "I'm not about to impinge on the Steward's time if he's not available and my next errand...." a glazing of eyes in silent consultation "....is only due in an hour." as she takes a few steps up toward the doors of the Great Hall. Nathein says nothing to the rebuke, only looks a touch surprised for a moment, quickly polishing his expression back to something more socially correct. "I don't drink klah." He pauses, giving time for the full weight of those words to sink in - as if accustomed to receiving a shocked response. "But I could due to get in out of the scorching early spring sunshine, before it wilts the delicate little flower that I am." Picking up his pace to beat Shanlee to the door, he flourishes an inviting gesture to the interior of the Hold, all gentlemanly for her to precede him inside. The metal doors slide open at your touch, and you step into the Great Hall. Great Hall, Benden Hold(#366RJM) Beneath the vaulted ceilings of this friendly Hall is where people gather to eat, gossip, sing and work. Three large hearths are set into walls, with detailed tapestries adorning the rest of the spaces. The stone floors have colorful rugs scattered across them. Warmer weather is offset by Spring rains, yet most folks have a happy bounce in their step as they go about their tasks. During the evening hours, residents sit down for a hearty dinner, lingering over their meals to chat together. Many stay after dinner to socialize or finish up the day's tasks. Directly opposite the metal doors going south back to the Courtyard, is the formal Meeting Hall. To the east a large archway leads to the working caverns and in the western wall is a smaller arch that opens into the gaming room. A stone staircase in the northeastern corner takes one up to residence areas and guest rooms. It is the northwestern path leading to the kitchens that sees the most traffic. Shanlee steps in from the courtyard, the metal doors sliding shut behind her. Shanlee has arrived. Chin tilting more in stubbornness then that pesky height thing again, Shan strides in alongside Nathein "Whisky, Cidar, Ale..." she begins ticking off a list of possible alternatives to drinking klah and does a good enough job of hiding any surprise until "Why not?" followed shortly thereafter by a soft snort and "Delicate Flower my a..." the greenrider abruptly ends what she was about to say as she heads directly to where fresh klah is on offer. Nathein answers, "Never cared much for the taste of it, I guess. If a man needs a drink..." He trails off, nodding at the list Shanlee offers as an alternative. Stepping in from the sun, he stays near the door while his eyes adjust, scanning the dim shapes for a promising table. Gravely, as if hurt by her implications even as she cuts off to get a mug, "What? A man can't be six foot four and dainty? That's an unfair bias, greenrider." "The elixir of life." Shan quips as just that is quickly filling a mug and having the various additions made to it. Stirring in the sweetener, the greenrider steps back over to Nathein and makes a sweep of the room for the familiar figure of the Head Steward. Green eyes travel a slow path upward from boots to chest then finally to the man's eyes "Certainly not in physique. No! Don't tell me!" a look of mock horror is affected "You're not one of those men that rescue puppies and kittens and write poetry are you?" there may actually be some real shock if this were true of him. "Puppies and kittens?" Nathein feigns an expression full of shock as he gestures toward a centralized table, one likely make it easy to see Keveris if he does happen to come in at a convenient juncture. "No, I prefer bunnies and baby birds. And strictly haiku." With a wink and a smile, he slides out a chair for Shanlee; while the true gentleman would wait for her to sit, he drops into an adjacent seat and laces his fingers idly across his belly. Following behind Nathein rather then alongside or preceding the man, Shan after a moment of surprise for the unexpected sarcastic humor laughs delightedly "Oh good. 'Cos you know puppies, kittens and poetry are just so unmanly in my book." his tease met with one of her own. Maybe another woman would be put out by the lack of etiquette coming from him but the Reachian rider having not been in the company of what could be termed gentlemen much doesn't seem to notice and slips into the chair made available. "So Nathein of 'not here'. Where do you hail from?" the still steaming brew rather blown at to cool then sip right now. Nathein's grin goes full bloom, lighting on Shanlee in a very 'I know something you don't know' fashion. He unlaces his fingers long enough to tap two of them on top of the table, making a muted thud. "Right here, actually. My folks have a farm down the road, but I just got back not too long ago." He manages to sound a touch provincial, though whatever accent he has nowadays is muddied, whittled away. "You?" He and Shanlee are taking drinks at a central table - well, Shanlee is drinking; he's just chatting. Catching that conspiratorial grin from Nathein, Shan raises a brow but makes no issue of it for the time being. "Then Lady Jeracynn is due to birth and subsequent return, your Lady Holder." the Reachian wingsecond argues a point from before "Got back from where?" is pressed right before mug rim meets lips and that first satisfying sip is taken. "Rocky Flats. Reaches born and bred." pride lightly touching on the words. Nathein explains, "If I laid claim to Benden Hold as home, then certainly. But I don't." He shrugs those big old shoulders helplessly, drawing his hands back off the table and waving them in dismissal at Shanlee's question, then relacing them across his middle lazily, grinning. "Can't say that I'm familiar with Rocky Flats specifically. What do they do for industry up there? Harvest ice?" Not prepared to have her question that easily brushed aside, Shan fixes a determined look on her face "Then if you don't call Benden Hold your home where do you? Or..." a sly look flits across the fine features "...are do you consider yourself holdless now?" After another brief swallow of the warming liquid, the mug is set down and a smirk forms through the pointed look that settles on Nathein's black wool trousers "If you consider what you're wearing 'ice' then yes." a longish moment of silence draws out as she leans back in the chair, then "Llama farmers actually."
Nathein chuckles at Shanlee now, foregoing the smirking in favor of a short little laugh. "Holdless sounds so sordid, don't you think? Like I should be up to something nefarious." Instead of sitting across from a greenrider, making small-talk. Wittily, or at least attempting to be, he ripostes, "I generally consider what I'm wearing 'fashionable.' Did you farm these llamas personally?" Amusement curls Shan's mouth upward at the corners then settles into a grin "Now that's where you're wrong Nathein. Holdless doesn't have to mean anything of the sort." green eyes glitter with keen interest when he uses a word that grabs it "Nefarious hmmm? Oh pray do tell." the light tone carrying a near purring quality to it. The dark-red head cants to one side as she studies the man in open appraisal "Did I bring your excellent choice in clothing into question? Yes actually. I have my own herd that I've just added to thanks to a good business deal. Worked alongside my brother and father, herding, roping and learned how to shear, grade, comb and spin the fleece." A small amount of understandable pride in her families livelihood slips through. Nathein makes a show of straightening a cuff, pulling the pristine, cream-colored cuff straight along his wrist. "Nothing doing. I know I dress finely enough." Yet again, he glosses over the question and resumes looking lazy, tipping his chair back just a little though the poor thing groans a bit under his weight. "That's ambitious, a dragonrider with her own herd of llamas. Kaylith, you said her name was? You don't worry that she'll take a nibble now and then?" All the purring elicits another little chuckle, a short raise of his brows. Shanlee shakes her head slightly in amusement at the fussing with his clothes, the groan of the chair noted and kept carefully hidden. "My brother runs the herd for me with the promise of a percentage of each newborn being added to his own." low laughter held in her throat "Kaylith wouldn't dare. She knows what they mean to my family." Slight frustration flickers however as Nathein yet again avoids her question on his whereabouts before arriving at Benden Hold. The determined light in her eyes showing that she wouldn't be that easily dissuaded. A sigh of reluctance escapes as a silent message is received "Speaking of which it seems the baker from Tillek is wanting to leave earlier then I'd expected, or so the watchdragon over there tells Kaylith." as she rises to her feet again, the mug abandoned half-full still. "No rest for the weary," Nathein says sympathetically, though his current inaction speaks louder than his words. He raises an easy smile to the greenrider as she stands, making a great show of looking /up/ at her for a change. "How is it that dragonriders farewell each other? Clear skies?" He sends it off with a cordial wave. "Good to have met you, Shanlee. If I hear an answer about the fleece..." With a fair imitation of innocence, Shan soon drops the act and winks "Or as some would say....for the 'wicked'." Green eyes roll dramatically for the upward look from Nathein "Yeah, very funny." through a lopsided grin as jacket buttons are re-fastened around the slender neck. "Clear Skies." the Reachian rider confirms with a dip of head his wave of farewell met with a salute "Likewise Nathein. You can be sure I'll be back again to look in on those weaving projects as soon as I can." A last smile for the big man, and the petite redhead has turned on her heel and headed back out the way they'd come in, headed for her lifemate and duties. |
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