Which meat is tastier?

January 25th 2005
Logged by Ashli & Crihan


Central Bowl
Seven spindles brush the clouds overhead, displaying a jagged, spired cotillion grey-stoned majesty. The bowl from here is expansively large, extending a full half-mile in both directions, and though a bit of a stretch at times, most of the hubs of activity can be easily observed. Hard-packed ground shows the common pathways, all of them meandering about the craggy bunch of boulders that form a centerpiece within the middle of the otherwise vast emptiness.
The hatching grounds and leadership weyrs are located to the north, while the sounds of herdbeasts noisily allude to the pens slightly east of there. Constant traffic marks the entrance to the westward living caverns, and a glance… [look closer]
It is a summer evening.
Green Kelitath, brown Piccath, green Chrideth, green Zoryanth, bronze Soquilith, bronze Jydhaeth, and green Ulicaelth are here.
Rysta, Eitanex, Crihan, and Eshe are here.

Ashli meanders in idly, curious eyes looking from side to side as she ambles, apparently with no set destination in mind. A mug is held loosely in one hand, the mug filled with what looks to be rather lukewarm klah, though the girl is still determinedly taking small swallows from it. Oh, yes, she's certainly going to make it last…

Rysta is settled on the boulders watching as Ulicaelth lands beside them. The green is becoming deft at landing now, many times practicing helping the young dragon to get better at this. As her lifemate settles beside her, Rysta reaches out and rubs the greens neck affectionately as others move into the area. A smile and nod are given to Ashli.

Eitanex pulls out of the ground weyrs, where he's been floor cleaning too late into the evening, his rag in hand and another stuck out of his pocket, his expression rather vague with natural fatigue and hunger. He plans to just go into the living caverns, grab some food, and go home. He pauses, though, when he notices first Ashli and then the landing of Rysta. He'd like to talk to both of them.

Eshe is perched on a boulder in the shadows, arms resting on her knees as she holds a stick in one hand and a knife in the other. Slight movements are made in order to sharpen one end of the stick and if she notices people converging in the bowl, she makes no indication of it.

Ashli nods back at the weyrling, admiring Ulicaelth with a smile. "A good eve to you, Ulicaelth, Rysta. She's looking lovely today, Rysta." the girl compliments, grinning at the two in a companionable manner. "How's weyrlinghood treating you? Need a hand with anything?" Well does Ash remember the days of trying to constantly oil and bathe a growing dragon, and well does Ash remember the desire for another few hands around every so often. The young rider seems to be concentrating more upon Rysta and the young green, however, than upon other events in the Bowl, and so far, Eitanex and Eshe pass un-noticed.

Rysta chuckles a little, looking to Ashli again. Her hand stays on her green as she answers, "She's doing well, isn't she? As for that, thanks. Right now, I'm doing well enough. Uli is good about letting me on her back so that I don't miss anything." Patting Ulicaelth again, she continues, "It can get busy sometimes, but it's going pretty well now."

Eshe continues to quietly sharpen her stick, watching as Ashli takes Rysta under consideration. Her hands work as if guided by an invisible force, the young woman hardly even watching what she's doing as her eyes flicker around at the people - and dragons - in the Bowl. Yes, very interesting view, indeed. Maybe? Eshe doesn't seem all that interested, though, except for the fact that her gaze never waver from the weyrwoman and the weyrling.

"Come /on/. Move, you ridiculous -" But Crihan, the vigilant stablehand, never finishes his sentence. Big Brother, faithful and loyal llama that he is, can't handle not apologizing for not wanting to move; instead of moving, however, he chooses to chew on Han's hair. "Stop that. Now move. Let's /go/." The llama doesn't seem too interested, though, and remains standing stock still.

Eitanex pauses and takes a position at about half bowl, watching with some curiosity and partly just to stand at parade rest, so to speak. The llama's appearance definitely catches his attention, though. Eitanex half turns and … stares a little. Llamas.

Ashli nods at Rysta wryly, "And isn't that the worst? They'll complain of an itch, but won't let you get to it, or can't pinpoint just where it is…ahh, dragonets." She says with a wink and a soft look in her eyes, apparent memories of her own weyrlinghood surfacing slightly. "Glad to hear it, though, glad to hear it." Ash's gaze wanders slightly as she hears Crihan, and a wide grin is offered to him. "Ooh, a llama. You know, llamas are one of Morchainth's favorite treats. May want to try and inform him of that, since Morchainth was looking rather hungry and restless in the Sands when I left…" the girl offers with a twinkle in her eye, noting Eshe as well as her gaze meanders about the Bowl. A friendly nod is given to her, and a bright smile and wave are both suddenly given to Eitanex as she notices him. "Heyla, Eitanex!" is called merrily.

Gaze shifting as another voice is added to the choir, Eshe spots her cousin with a llama. She suppresses a chuckle at the difficulties Crihan seems to be having with the animal, then twirls her knife between fingers and sheathes it easily, judging her stick sharp enough for whatever purpose she's been making it for. Even being noticed by Ashli doesn't bring a sign from the hunter that she's acknowledging anyone's presence here.

Rysta laughs slightly and nods to Ashli. "Yes, there is that. I've learned some specific spots that always seem to bother her, but there are times that she can't tell me much." As the Crihan comes into the area with the llama, she laughs softly. "A llama." Something makes her frown just a little, a memory, but she pushes it away and then grins as she hears Eitanex's name called and offers him a wave.

Crihan did not purchase Eshe a beautiful knife for her to slit the throat of Big Brother, so if his beloved cousin is having any of those thoughts, he manages to quickly kill them - by giving her just a slight 'look.' One that clearly reads 'even if he is obnoxious, don't scare him. Or I'll take your boots.' "Yes," he then says aloud, "this is, in fact, a llama. A very friendly male llama - I don't think he'd be too keen on being eaten, though. So if you'd ask Isamath to tell Morchainth to leave him alone -" Crihan is cut off again, though, as he gets another llama-noogie. "Er, right."

"Oh, Ashli!" Eitanex calls back, relieved to have his attention dragged off the llama. "Hi!" He waves at her, then shifts himself slightly include Rysta, who he calls to more specifically. "That was quite incredible, you're landing! She's getting big."

Ashli seems not to be concentrating on Eshe, and doesn't notice the girl's lack of response, before she grins wryly at Rysta. "Aye, one of the famous Reachian llamas. Isa keeps telling me it'd be a marvelous prank if she ate one, but I don't /think/ she'd actually follow up on it…" A bit of doubt is in the girl's voice, however, and dark eyes twinkle merrily. Crihan is winked at, and the girl shrugs. "Aye, I don't think Morchainth would eat him. Most likely not. But, you never know with him. He may. I think he's currently dozing, though. Why're you herding a llama about Reaches, by the by? Shouldn't he be in the Pens?" she pauses for a moment, considering why a llama would be meandering about Reaches, before she flashes a bright grin over at Eitan.

Rysta grins to Eitanex and nods a bit. "Well, yes. We've begun Betweening too. Nothing major, mind you. Just little short ones basically." Looking to Ashli again, she nods. "Yes, the llamas. I've seen more then one with my chores and all. But…I remember most strongly the one that Don…I mean O'Don had the accident with."

Eshe lifts a shoulder in a light shrug at Crihan, sending him a devious smirk, indicating that she certainly wouldn't /mind/ slitting the llama's throat, "don't worry, Crihan," she says in low tones while her eyes examine the point of her makeshift arrow, "I don't kill llamas. I leave that business to dragons."

"I don't know. That's pretty major the first few times you do it, I hear," Eitanex says, moving closer to the two dragon riders. Not to get away from Eshe and the llama or anything like that. He sticks his other rag in an adjoining pocket. "You know," he says, a little quieter, "I can't look at llamas without thinking of fire any more. Shards."

Ashli laughs and nods! "I was in Telgar for that, I can't believe I missed It's auspicious death. I heard it was quite funny, however." Ash, ever the good Reachian with the slightly askew sense of humor, wrinkles her nose in merriment, though she eyes Eitanex curiously. "Well, most llamas don't catch on fire, so I wouldn't worry too much. Just an odd accident. It was an old llama anyways, truly. Been around since before me, certainly."

Crihan thinks a moment, as if the reason presented to him was utter nonsense, and not wanting to repeat it. "I am taking him," he states very calmly, "to N'zgul's weyr. I'm not exactly sure why, but that's what some very loopy greenrider - Ebola, it was, or Via, I can't tell them apart - asked me to put it at the foot of his ledge. Him, rather. Er, the llama. Big Brother." Crihan's speech has become skewed, not that this is any surprise.

Rysta chuckles a little and nods to Ashli. "Well, O'Don was quite worried what Auri would think of it as I recall." Grinning to Eitanex, she nods again. "I know. Neither can I." Her head turns as Crihan speaks again about what's happening with the llama. Shaking her head, she looks to the llama. "Interesting."

Eshe's brows furrow as the story of It rolls around and she attempts to put together the line of events that lead to the llama's death. She shakes her head with another smirk as the topic of fire comes around and notes drily, "not a very effective way to slay a llama." Crihan gets another glance with a lifted brow, "maybe he's meant as food?"

"I'm not worried. It's just hard to forget." Eitanex moves his hands and fingers in imitation of an explosion. "I was right there and I was drawing, for Faranth's sake. It was really something. I just hope it doesn't become a fad." He looks warily over at Eshe.

Ashli blinks at Crihan and laughs wryly. "Aha. Only at Reaches. Okay then. Much luck with that one…" she offers, grinning at him before she nods at Rysta. "Aye, I would be too if I killed Auri's pet. Did she take it all right? I never really got word of what happened afterwards. I'm woefully lacking in the gossip from that time, I tell you." Ash bemoans this with a melodramatic placing of her hand on her chest, though the merry twinkle in her eyes belie any true regrets over this, before a soft chuckle erupts from her at Eitanex's mention of it becoming a fad. She belatedly replies to Eshe, however, noting dryly, "Llamas don't make a very good meal. Stringy beasts. I'd take a herdbeast over one any day."

Rysta grins just a little toward Ashli. "Honestly? I didn't hear much about what happened after. That would be a question for O'Don. I was…" She blushes a little and chuckles again. "Well, I was sort of the reason it happened. I slipped and cried out which distracted him and then…well, he turned and the fire hit It."

At Eitanex's look, Eshe moves her hands out in a dismissive pose, looking hurt at the suggestion that she might start killing llamas by setting them on fire. Eyes shift over to Ashli and she shakes her head, "when did I ever say that I'd want to eat llama meat, when rabbits are so much tastier?" she says and grins at the goldrider, fingers starting to twirl the sharpened stick like a baton.

"No. He's probably a harmless prank or some kind of payback. Virusth or Netteth or whomever was probably caught by Ringwraith and unfairly abused. I don't know if it's too great waking up with a llama around normally, but this one is a piece of work." Crihan pats Big Brother's neck affectionately, laughing, "my favourite piece of work around, though. Oh, blast, you two are back to the rabbit business again?" Two days and it's back in vogue.

"How about dog? Or firelizard?" Eitanex asks Eshe over his shoulder with a not-too-subtle eye roll. "As long as they're fat and you can catch them, the sky's the limit, right?"

Ashli grins back at Rysta and nods. "I'll have to ask him next time I see him…oh, truly? Eh, don't worry about it. Accidents happen. Especially during weyrlinghood. Probably moreso than during Candidacy. Why, the trouble Palia and I got into during weyrlinghood…" Ash grins wryly, though she perhaps wisely doesn't elaborate, instead blinking over at Eshe, considering this, then nods. "Well, rabbits are all good and nice, but they're tiny. Nothing can beat a nice, large, slab of herdbeast meat. 'specially if it's mostly rare. A good piece of meat should be nice and…juicy." The goldrider comments with an oh-so-innocent look in her eyes before she flicks a wry glance at Crihan and shrugs. "Ey, rabbits are a nice cuddly topic, really…eww." That is apparently addressed to Eitanex's comment about eating dog or firelizard, though a soft laugh accompanies her 'eww'.

Rysta laughs softly. "This was during Candidacy." She then looks to Ulicaelth and pats her green's side again. "Seems like forever ago now. If you will all excuse me? Ulicaelth is apparently ready for a nap and I should really get back to the barracks." Waving to everyone, she walks beside her green, heading back toward the weyrling barracks.

Ashli waves at Rysta and Ulicaelth in a friendly manner as the two leave, before she blinks at Eshe. "Well, now, firelizards can project images into one's mind. It's said they're the ancestors of the dragons, you know, so I wouldn't be insulting them, truly. And canines are truly considered a pet. Rabbits are as well, but, in general terms, a dog is a common type of pet. And they're very useful in tunnelsnake and wherry hunting, while rabbits are generally more…fluffy pets. And I'd imagine dog meat would be even stringier than llama meat." Ash tosses in her two marks offhandedly.

"I was being sarcastic," Eitanex feels pressed to point out. He even points at Eshe when he says it. "I'm just trying to say that I think you're overdoing this whole viciousness thing a wee bit. I mean …" Eitanex uses his other hand to gesture sidelong to Ashli. "She's right. Rabbits are fluffy. And pets. I just think you're anti-bunny."

"Big Brother would not be a nice meal," Crihan comments, continuing to toy with the llama's ears until Big Brother becomes irritated enough to turn his head away. "He'd be a much better blanket. I mean, he wouldn't, but his coat would. It'd be warm." The llama doesn't seem too keen on this remark either, and chooses that moment to spit on Crihan's boot. "Okay, you have got to be kidding me. I know you don't understand me, so you can't be offended."

"Not all hunting is for meat," is Eshe's dry reply to Ashli, her stick now beating a rhythm against the boulder she's sitting on. "But I'd agree that canine make excellent companions for hunters. They are very good at tracking and fetching, but to me they're just another working animal." She tilts her head at Eitanex and smiles at the boy, giving him a nod, "you know, you're right. I should just give up this vendetta against fluffy bunnies and let them eat away all the vegetation around the Weyr.."

Ashli considers Eshe for a moment and queries dryly, "And where do you hail from, pray tell? In the Reachian area, even if an animal is killed for the pelt, the meat is still used. Waste not, want not, especially when Thread is falling. And, as I'm sure you know, Eshe, since Thread is falling, there is absolutely no vegetation around the Weyr itself, though there are some meadows outside of the weyr." The goldrider informs the girl politely, inclining her head briefly as she imparts this information, before Crihan grabs her attention. "Well, you never know. These llamas can be quite perceptive…" she jokes with a wink.

"Oh, I see. You're on rabbit duty, the same way kids get on tunnelsnake duty. Oh. Why didn't I think of that?" Eitanex presses the flat of his palm against his forehead. "Why didn't anyone think of that? Why do we have tunnelsnake hunters and not rabbit hunters? Faranth, I think that the weyrleaders have been missing some /essential/ pest extermination all these turns! Ashli …" Eitanex lowers his hand and looks sidelong at her. "I think we have some invisible vegetation."

Ashli bites her bottom lip to hide a grin and manages to nod in a reasonably convincing manner at Eitanex. "Ahh. Invisible vegetation. Of course, how could I have forgotten about that? How silly of me." she smiles merrily, before inclining her head once more to the two, "Well, I'm afraid Isa is calling me back to the Sands. Something about some Candidate 'looking funny'. My goodness." she waggles a hand vaguely in the air for an explanation, before meandering idly off towards the Sands…

Eshe very nearly chuckles at Ashli's reply, then puts her lips together to let out a low whistle, her eyes twinkling with amusement as watches the goldrider, "maybe I'll remind you of that next time they serve up tunnelsnake stew, shall I?" she asks, eyes moving to pinpoint Eitanex, "why, of course. All those fluffy bunnies present a danger, I'll wager you were never aware of." Any mention of vegetation is simply ignored. Eshe's been too many times in the meadows already to take such comments serious.

Crihan is just too genial for this conversation. He's got no idea how to argue the existence or not of grass and the Rabbit Patrol - but the llama-noogies are suitable distraction for him to make it look like instead of choosing not to argue, he actually is having trouble speaking in more than the odd 'stop it.' Ashli's exit, however, manages to just slightly distract him. "Ta," he comments before going back to trying to disengage llama from shirt collar.

"Later, Ashli!" Eitanex says, using his hands for the proper use of, say, waving before tucking them back in his pockets - unwisely as his pockets are still stuffed with wet rags. He looks solidly at Eshe, then slips his gaze sidelong to Crihan, then Eshe again. "Oh, I'm sure you're right," Eitanex says. "After all, it's what I just said, wasn't it? You should pay more attention." Eitanex is wearing such an earnest expression, you /could/ almost take him seriously.

Eshe laughs at the brat, pointing her stick at him again, the point never even quivering and holds his gaze for a long silent moment, "I think you think that you're clever, don't you?" she says, her voice tinged with a serious note, though she's still smiling, "I'd be careful with that, kid. Not everybody likes that kind of attitude."

"I think he's pretty clever," says Crihan, before realizing that he may have just gone and dragged himself into the dispute. "It was a good comeback, Eshe, you have to admit - the tunnelsnakes /are/ a lot more dangerous than, y'know, the rabbits … and might be a little more worth hunting. Or something."

"Exactly," Eitanex says, pointing to Crihan. This is a good excuse to get his hands out of his soaked pocket. "I am pretty clever. Look …" Eitanex steps down a foot and looks, for a second, tired again. "Attitude /is/ everything, isn't it? I'm acting like a brat and you're acting like a homocidal maniac," that last toward Eshe, not Crihan, "And he's acting like … a good sensible person." That last was toward Crihan. "So, tit for tat, you know?" Eitanex likes that expression.

"Or something," Eshe notes drily to Crihan, dark eyes shifting to pin him with a stare, which goes back to Eitanex with a raised brow, "Crihan is currently being eaten by a llama. Is that sensible?" Her stick seems to have become a pointing device and has come around to make her cousin the target, "and if you /really/ want clarification, dears, I've only ever killed animals. Being homocidal would indicate that I've murdered humans, which has never happened. And never will."

Crihan shrugs, shoving Big Brother's head away again. "He isn't eating me, Eshe, he's chewing on my collar. My collar is made of a nice linen, so it probably tastes good. If I were an herbivore I'd probably eat my collar too." Maybe he's a sartoricidal maniac. "And, uh, don't point stuff at me, it's kinda scary." Sensible, but lacking in means of expression at most times.

"Note that I said 'acting,'" Eitanex says. "If you really had killed someone, well, there are limits to how much people will tolerate bad behavior. Crihan is not behaving badly. Even if he was being eaten, being eaten says nothing bad about /him/. Is the rabbit evil because you eat it? But, uh, anyway, he's right. He's not being eaten."

"It's a stick," Eshe tells Crihan, lifting the thing to examine it with a critical eye, turning it this way and that until a mystified expression crosses her face, "I don't believe it could hurt you that much. Maybe take out an eye, but other than that.." She's sarcastic, of course, though there's not much in her voice to indicate it as she speaks. "Don't mince words with me, Eitanex," she says, recalling his name, finally, "you accused me of something that I don't care to be assossiated with and whether you meant it or /not/, it wasn't a very nice thing to do, right? You've got a way with words, I can tell as much, but you might want to think before you speak."

Pause. Awkward silence on Crihan's end, who has now absolutely no idea to stop a relative and a seemingly-anyway friendly lad from arguing over namecalling. Han's not a big fan of fighting, but now he's gotten himself fixed right into it. "Well, I like my eyes. And … uh, well, Eshe's never killed people and Eitanex most likely is good at thinking, so can we change the subject?"

"Um." Eitanex looks levelly back at Eshe, but any attempt at fire he might have been tempted to fling at her seems to have subsided. He smiles slightly. "You're right. I shouldn't be saying that kind of thing. I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry." Eitanex half lowers his head. "Um, yes. Let's change the subject. But I should probably be going."

Eshe looks over at Crihan, her pointing stick lowering to rest across her lap and she nods at him, and to Eitanex, "yes, let's," she says and falls silent as she considers what there might be left to say that wouldn't offend one section of the Weyr population or another, "think winter'll be rough this year?" Yes, fall back on the weather. Always a good solution..

"Is it ever particularly nice?" Crihan queries idly, finally having won his shirt back from the offending stag. "Well, sometimes it is. Like … I like skating, so that makes it nice, but the snow's disastrous for the runners and the llamas and whatnot." Big Brother, at that mention of 'llama,' spits again. "… Maybe Ashli's right and you do understand me. Big Brother, spit." Big Brother doesn't spit. "… yeah, he must understand me, he'd never do anything I told him to."

"I like the weather here," Eitanex says. He manages not to do it haughtily. But he does bow out with near silence and slip back to the caverns.
Eitanex goes home.

"Ah, but snow's good for-" Eshe begins and cuts herself off, only to continue down a different path, "good for snowball fights. And building snow weyrs." She nods to Eitanex as he slips away, her eyes following him until he's disappeared from sight, "strange kid," she mutters under her breath, before looking back to Crihan and Big Brother, "do you think that llama needs a bit of training, maybe? He doesn't seem very well behaved.."

"He's perfectly normal for a llama," Crihan smiles as he makes this particular revealment. "They'll always either do absolutely nothing, or the opposite of what you tell them. Once you get used to the fact that they're like that, tell 'em the opposite of what you want or just wait for them to figure it out." Big Brother chooses to not do anything at all for the time being, which is what Crihan said - see, he's doing absolutely nothing, after all.

"Oh.. I see," Eshe notes, sounding not in the least bit interested in how a llama's mind functions, "I suppose it /would/ be hard to train it, then." She does know a thing or two about animals, but llamas don't generally rank among them. "We didn't have many llamas back at River Bend. Mostly runners for pack animals. And herdbeasts for eating." She slides off her perch, leaving the stick balanced on the top of the boulder and approaches Crihan and Big Brother slowly. Don't spook the llama, after all. "I prefer to go by foot, though.." she adds for no real reason, other than it seems like the thing to say.

Approaching new person. Big Brother just can't help himself, and spits at Eshe's feet too. Not on them, per se, but definitely in that direction. "Hey!" Crihan snaps, whapping the side of his neck again. "Don't do that, you. I know you'll just keep doing it anyway but it makes me feel better to tell you no."

Eshe jumps back, eyes now at the llama as she wavers between taking a step forward or one back, then decides to simply call it quits. "I think I'm going to go have dinner now, Crihan," she says and backs away from him and Big Brother. Don't want to turn your back on a llama either. "I'll talk to you later, okay? Tell me if you need some help with that llama. I'll send a drudge or two to help you out?"

"See you later," Crihan replies, tugging a bit more on Big Brother's lead. "And I think we're okay, but if he actually tries to eat me, there's no doubt you'll hear." The llama, sociably as ever, spits once more. "That, I think, was a goodbye-nice-to-meet-you spit, as opposed to a go-away-pronto spit. But you never know. Come on, lunkhead." Lunkhead - the llama, not Eshe.

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