Scavenger Hunt: Fuzzies are Mean

Pens
Freshened breezes from the lake to the south mingle with the stronger scents of herdbeast, wherry, dust and dung, that fill this elliptical enclosure, a faint odor wafting over now and then from the tannery on the far eastern side of the pens. A sturdy fence winds out towards the central bowl, captures an outlet of clear blue lake, and grows into a stout wind-shelter replete with hay and feeding troughs as it meets the bowl wall. Not too far above, a claw-marked series of feeding ledges lie, decorated by a few discarded and bleached-out bones. A few clusters of green sprout, downtrodden, in the hard ground, tracked over by the stampeding of the herds.
It is a spring evening.
To the southwest, you see six dragons.
Squabbling over leftovers are two firelizards.
Brown Skeseth and green Peorth are here.
You see Kippy and Duck here.
Darden, Rozalija, Rajani, and R'gis are here.
Obvious exits:
Tannery Stables Barn Training Grounds Central Bowl Beach Smithy

On her way to more chores in the Ground Weyrs, seems this Candidate has taken a small detour. Tilla leans against the fence with her back towards the llamas. In her hands is a suspicious bit of cloth wrapping something that appears to be shears. But only if you look closely. She keeps eying the llamas, one in particular, and then looking away, trying to be nonchalent. Whistle whistle, not much to see here.

Darden meanders up, just as casually. Though the boy's fists are unusually clenched, and his face is paler than usual. "Hi," he says to Tilla, through clenched teeth. He puts a hand in his pocket and wiggles his fingers through something filling it.

Rozalija is looking just a bit grummy in her thick clothes, having just come from some chore that most likely involved cleaning something very dirty. And with the fact that she was coming out from the stables, it most likely meant a lot of mucking. She stretches her arms high over her head as she moves in the direction of the other candidates, tilting her head curiously.
"H-hello there," she calls over, eyes momentarily sliding towards the llamas.

Tilla grins and casually nods the two fellow candidates over. "Hey Darden, Roza, nice weather we're having, eh?" She gestures to the pleasant, balmy conditions. And then, a concerned look. "Dar are you alright? You seem a bit pale.." She peers. "Come over here guys, I have something to say but I need to say it very quietly…

Darden shakes his head jerkily, "I can't believe he accused /me/ of pushing Chey." Ever since the revelation that Krummult was the one who tried to kill the Weyrwoman, Darden's been in a quiet fury. "/Me/. I should have punched him out," he seethes. But he nods to Tilla and moves closer to her, glancing at the llamas as well.

Salen walks in from the Central Bowl.

"It… it's been getting better," Roza answers softly as she looks up to the sky, though she still made sure to keep her jacket tightly closed. The Southern girl just wasn't too fond of the cold. She sidles in closer to Tilla, her smile fading just a bit. "W-what is it?" But before her attention can fully focus on her, she winces at Darden's words and nods. "T-there's no need to be angry. They… they did find the real c-culprit and no one would have believed you'd… you know." Push; and she shoves one hand forward, too.

Tilla pats Darden's arm as he comes closer. "He wasn't well in the head, so I hear…I am sure he'd accuse his own mother before admitting it was him that did those awful things…but Roza is right. They know its him now and they caught him. We shouldn't think of it any more. " She looks worried, and then, more focused. "Now, Darden, Roza..I was told when I was at WeaverHall that Llama fur can make a really good woolen yarn for blankets. I thought..maybe if you guys could help me cut some, then I could test it out..and maybe start making people some blankets! Or scarves." She grins. "I hear that llamas can be pretty skittish..and I've watched how Rhaen and the other herders distract them before shearing or harnessing..so could you guys help me distract one..such as." She gestures towards the Kippy llama nearby. "That one? Just so I can get a hair sample" She nods.

Darden glowers at the ground. "But /he/ accused /me/, and /he/ was the one who - " the teen kicks out at a rock, sending it sailing. Dolph appears from between and circles Darden's head, chittering soothingly before he perches on the lad's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. Darden takes a few deep breaths and calms himself with effort before opening his eyes again. He has to really focus to get a handle on what Tilla is saying. He looks at the shears and then at Kippy, and then back to Tilla. He pulls his hand out of his pocket and wordlessly opens his fist, showing some oats pilfered from the stables. Then he gives a wicked little grin. "I'm in."

Salen is wandering around, looking thoughtful. Strangely, considering he /is/ a guard, he doesn't look terribly upset. Just thoughtful. His arrival is on the tail end of the conversation and what he hears effectively distracts him from whatever he was thinking about. He blinks and walks right up to the group. The shears are looked at, then the llama. A dubious expression is given. "Guys really think you should be doing that? Llamas are /mean/."

Rozalija flinches again away from Darden, as if his anger was directed at her. She glances towards the bowl for a moment before shaking her head slowly at the boy. "T-they do that, to distract attention from themselves," she says slowly, hesitantly, before flushing a bit under her dark skin. "I-it's okay now." Sort of. But she quickly turns back to the other girl, lifting her brows quickly first. "Now that sounds… interesting. I would be glad to help." She offers a smile to both of them, nodding at Darden's treats. When Salen enters, though, she turns red in a blush and quickly says, "They're just misunderstood. They're not exactly… mean." And she slowly shuffles to the side in the direction of said Kippy, though she hands back for Darden, seeing he's got the food.

Tilla shrugs at Salen. "They do spit and bite but they're going to be shedding fur soon enough when it starts to warm up anyway. And I think they get sheared regularly regardless. So I figure it wont hurt for me to get a bit for experimentation." She grins. Always testing things to see how they come out, and finding the answer. Inquisitive lass.

Darden offers the treats to Rozalija, pulling out another fistfull from his overlarge jacket pocket. "Hi, Salen," the boy says glumly. He won't talk any more about Krummolt. Dolph continues to perch on his shoulder, calming the lad's volatile emotions with soft croons. "So…we just go in there?" he asks, nodding at the pens, looking between Roza and Tilla for guidance.

Salen nods at Tilla and then just shrugs. "Yeah. Just so long as you're careful." He pulls a face. "I've gotten bitten and kicked by enough of them. It's not fun." And he just stands back to watch, hands in his pockets. He's not particularly inclined to go sheer a llama, anyway. He's done that enough in his life.

Rajani only know that she is tired.. and that Celvynath refuses to feed with so many folks about in the Pens.. So she nearly stumbles as she approaches, catching herself on one of the sturdy posts leading into the pens. "So.." she says as she approaches the no-doubt younger people. "What is all the noise about?" She looks toward the feeding pens and back again, is that a llama? Thankfully, Raj has managed to catch a couple candle-marks of sleep. Even if it was in an uncomfortable chair in the main caverns. Someone loved her enough to see that her twins got back to the nannies in one piece.. Who she isn't sure, but Rhaen probably deserves some love for that one. As it is, Rajani blinks and moves forward. "Can I help?" She isn't as strong as some of the other 'riders.. but don't count Raj out. She isn't down yet.. at least she looks put together and not as disheveled as she had this morning.

Koirou blinks in from ::between::!

Rozalija takes the offered treats with a nod to Darden. "I… I haven't handled any of these burdenbeasts here before. B-but if we go in quietly and slowly…" And she does just that. Thankfully everything about Rozalija is quiet, though she does offer a few soft coos to the specific llama they were targeting and holding up the handful of treats and keeping her eyes downcast. She looks towards the others and the greenrider, and offers a semi-distracted nod in greeting.

Tilla smiles "Hi Rajani, sure, if you want. Did you get some good rest?" That chair in the Living Caverns looked fairly comfy. "What I've see the Herders do is get on horses and corral and round up the llamas..but I dont think we need to do that. I have had some of the llamas come up to the fence if you can gain their trust with treats. If some of you folks" she gestures towards Rajani, Darden and Roza "Can sort of offer that Kippy llama over there some treats..perhaps we can convince her to come over. She really loves the sweet oats" She recounts this from experience, seems the girl spent alot of time near the pens when she first got here and didn't know anybody…drawing and watching those strange new 'creatures' she hadn't seen before.

Darden walks after Rozalija, moving quietly but upright, watching the llama the whole time. He pulls out another handful of oats and holds them towards Kippy, offering the llama a brief smile.

Salen just shakes his head as he watches them. He /eyes/ the llama, but really, it seems much less violently inclined than the semi-feral ones he's used to. And Tilla seems to have it under control, anyway. So Salen just gives the group a little wave and moves off from the pens, off to wander elsewhere.

Rajani isn't in the mood to offer treats.. despite her burning back she eyes the llama in question. "If I just flipped her on her side and held her a moment could you get what you need or is she feed?" The question is asked honestly as Raja eyes the 'bait' as it were and doesn't move, save for balancing herself against the fence post. As she queries those in attendance, Raj looks about for a length of rope. Those critters won't stay down long with just a few people to help after all. "I could get Celvy to hold it down if I needed to.. But she's needing to feed." Raj doesn't elaborate. The candi's need to find somewhere safer than the Pens and soon. Feeding Dragon's can be, well to be honest, let's not go there..

Rozalija pales at Rajani's words as she turns back to look at her with wide eyes. "Y-your dragon would kill her!" Or him. Whatever. She makes sure not to raise her voice too high to frighten the skittish animals, but she does hop over to the other side of the fence to move in closer, fearless of the animals apparently. "Y-your name was Kippy, right? Here girl… It's okay." Look it the nummy treats! She seems to be more focused in trying to get the llama's attention now that the greenrider has offered her services.

Tilla looks a little nervous, and agrees with Roza "Nah, I think this llama is kept for breeding and not for eating" She ehhehs. "If you are any good with lassoing, maybe if Roza and Darden could lure the llama over here with the treats and you could throw a rope over her head. Then I could try to get some fur from her side or rump" She nods, maybe this is the best plan. Kippy the llama turns one eye upon Roza and Darden and then goes back to grazing. Seems she needs some more convincing.

Rajani is tired and feeling rather discouraged at the moment. "She wouldn't prey on a pet," Raj interjects.. "But she is hungry," Raj waves toward the pens holding the heardbeasts and she doesn't want to feed and chance one of you getting hurt. That's all." She sinks against the fence post until her butt hits the cold mud beneath her. "If I can help.." she doesn't finish that with anything more than a shrug as she holds her sleepy head in both hands and watches the others work with the critters. Now wouldn't be a good time for a stampede.. Raj is down after all. Words roll off her like the water leaking into her coat for several moments before she nods her head. "I'll do whatever helps," she offers as she hefts herself from the ground. Ignoring the stain of mud on her backside.

From above the pens, Peorth sweeps in from over by the lake.
From above the pens, Peorth drops into the pens.
Peorth drops in from above.

"S-sorry," Rozalija says towards Rajani, glancing towards the herdbeasts as well. "D-don't mean to keep her from feeding. We won't be long." Her attention on Kippy, she frowns over at the uninterested llama down. "Maybe lassoing is a good idea," she mutters towards Tilla and then quickly raises her voice to a gentle coaxing tone. "H-here Kippy Kippy. Come here. Lookit what I have!" She holds her hand flat, moving even closer to the grazing llama since she wasn't moving away, and making soft clicking sounds with her tongue.

Tilla looks guilty. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean that..I am sure Celvy knows the difference. " She looks around for a rope, and finds one looped around one fence post. "Raj, do you have enough energy to lasso the llama? Let's try to keep luring her over.." Tilla realizes that Kippy could remember her from her times spent drawing the llamas, and so starts calling her over also. Moving towards Rozalija, she puts the scissors in her back pocket carefully and holds out some treats. Kippy looks at both the girls and her ears flatten over her head; she's agitated at seeing Peorth swooping in and out. She starts to move towards the fence, avoiding the dragon moreso than noticing the girls at this point.

Rajani hefts herself to her feet. "You have rope?" The arrival of Peorth and her 'rider goes un-noticed by Raja that's how tired she actually is. She pulls herself to her feet by the fence and approaches carefully. "Which one am I roping now?" Rajani is no herder.. she can catch and clean fish. But that doesn't count exactly. Still she is willing to give it a try to keep anyone from getting hurt. Except maybe herself. With her bad back.. anything could and will go wrong here..
R'gis slides down Peorth's shoulder, hopping lightly from the proferred forelimb.

R'gis slides down Peorth's side just in time to see Rajani fling a rope … poorly … at an unsuspecting llama. It's just close enough that he can catch it before it loops itself over Peorth's outstretched head. "Raj … you know you can't lasso anything but fish." he teases as he walks toward her, coiling the rope as he goes. As he reaches the other greenrider's side he bends down for a light kiss on the cheek.

"W-we'll distract her away from the rope," Rozalija says over to Rajani, unsure whether she was actually going to be lassoing up the llama. She points with her free hand towards Kippy when the greenrider asks, continuing with the clicking noises and slumping down so as not to look too imposing. She shakes the oats out on her hand. "Ooh— doesn't this look good?" Not even one shy stutter to the fuzzy beastie, though Kippy still didn't look happy to see them, or the dragon. She tries to move slowly after her, as well, in case she bolts.
Darden stands beside Rozalija, his hand still outstretched with the oats. He's still oddly silent.

Tilla nods and crouches there near Roza, still offering the treats, while minding the llama's stressed reaction to the dragon nearby. "Dar" she half whisper yells "Kippy is starting to back up near the fence, can you stand over there?" She gestures to the left of the llama. She, Roza and Rajani are to the llama's right. The llama in question keeps backing up to the fence on the left side, with one eye on the dragon and one on the girls. Since green Peorth more or less has settled where she is so it seems, Kippy starts to calm down..and stop to smell the rose..well the oat-ses.

Rajani allows the rope to be pulled from her hands as R'gis seems to appear beside her. She glances up at R'gis and just sinks against the fencing behind her. Allowing him to take over where she left off. Knowing Peorth and R'gis will take care of it. It's been a terrible night for her, in the brat caves with the twins all night. She staggers and almost falls upon Peorth's leg. "Sorry," she murmurs as she moves back to the fence line the leave the green room to assist her 'rider if it's needed. "Something about a hair sample," Raj says to Peorth as she steadies herself and makes her way to the fence line to leave the green room.

Peorth croons softly at Rajani, holding steady till the woman has her feet back under her. A soft wuffle of her hair with warm dragon-breathe then the green's attention is back on the llama.

R'gis gathers the rope carefully and mentally nudges Peorth to move toward the opposite side so the llama doesn't spook. He slowly lets the lasso circle as he gets a bit closer, wouldn't want to miss anyway. After a few moments he speeds the rope up and let's it fly. It settles down over the llama's head but is too big, drooping over the shaggy forequarters to it's knees.

Rozalija closes her fist over the oats as they seem to be useless at this point for the skittesh llama, now stressed over the dragon's appearance. She quickly moves to the right to corner her off, just as Darden was told to go to the left. "Easy girl, it'll be alright. We're not doing anything to hurt you. Or the dragons." She eyes Peorth carefully for a moment before she raises both hands to help block Kippy. "Um… F-faranth, will that hold her?" she asks towards the new greenrider, looking nervously. She nods her head to Tilla, hoping she can dive in soon enough before they're trampled.

Darden moves with quiet steps where he's directed, circling the llama at wide range to the llama's right. He shakes his hand a little, causing the oats to chink against each other in a (hopefully) inviting fashion. He nods in approval as the lasso settles, but waits to make sure she doesn't bolt free of it. This is great Hatching practice, he thinks with a wry grin.

With the lasso to the left and the oats to the right, Kippy is so totally distracted. She starts to spit and bite at the offending rope, lowering her neck and not paying attention to much else. Tilla is able to sneak to the llama's blind side, leap in around the gate, cut a hunk of hair off the llama's side, and run like crazy out of there. "I got it!" She says, kind of loudly, and out of breath, closing the gate behind herself. "Thanks guys! I think this should make some good yarn..and I promise I'll knit you all something for your trouble, once I test this bit and get more later." She grins.

R'gis is slowly drawing the loop tight, it's now at the base of the llama's neck and a single jerk will cause it to lock into place. Rage gives the jerk and then digs in his heels so that the llama won't take him for a mudslide, even though he -is- a Mudslider.
Rajani has no business out here to begin with. And it shows as she sinks down the fencing again and finally gives up and rolls clear of stomping critter feet. She settles with her head down between her knees and her hands on her knees cradling her head. What has gotten into Rajani?! What hasn't would be the better question. She flicks a glance over her shoulder, lifting her head to do so. Smiling proudly at her mate before she drops her head into her hands again. At least she's outside the fencing.. a random kick could still cause injury but Rajani is out of reach. As she awaits Peorth and Rage's permission with her own green. Celvynath refused to feed with people just pens away.. all of the animals tend to freak and Cel hadn't wanted to hurt anyone. To have Salen walk right past her like she wasn't there is getting to Rajani.

Peorth notices what her lifemate hasn't and emits a harsh rattle from her throat to get Rage's attention. The green, now that the llama is no longer on the menu for dinner, shuffle-hops over to the fenceline to stand guard over Rajani who is acting quite odd in the green's opinion.

R'gis frowns at the sound Peorth has made, she hasn't made that sound in a long long time. He looks around and the frown deepens when he sees Raj on the ground, outside the pens but still on the ground. He tosses the tightened rope to one of the youngsters around the llama, they can handle it right? and moves quickly to his mate's side. "Raj, are you alright?" he asks softly as he kneels next to her, stroking her back lightly.

Rozalija's hand tosses the oats nearby the llama, hopefully for when she is released. Because this Herder-turned-candidate wasn't getting any closer! She looks on anxiously as Tilla swoops in to get the hair sample, then leaps back away from Kippy's range of biting and spitting with her fellow candidate goes running off with the fur.

Darden tosses his oats to the ground and bolts for the fence, giving Tilla a grin as he climbs through, "Hey, we didn't get hurt!" He looks surprised. "Is she alright?" he whispers, looking worridly at Rajani. "Seems like every time I see her - or hear about her - she's upset or sick or something. You okay?" he calls to Rajani. "Maybe she's pregnant."

Tilla stuffs the fur in her pocket, and wraps the scissors in a rag, to put in her pack. When Peorth makes the odd noise and hops over the fence, Tilla looks up with a start, and realizes that Rajani doesn't look good at all. She'd noticed before but in the hustle and bustle of llama wrangling, somehow it didn't catch on that it was worse than she thought initially. She grabs the rope from R'gis and hands it to Darden. "If you jerk it enough it may loosen..if you can't handle it for now, just tie it around the fencepost, I'm going over to see if Rajani is ok." And with that she hurries over to where Rajani is sitting on the ground.

Rajani is a sucker for a good back rub.. as she leans toward Rage with a sorrowful sigh. "I'm alright.. I just.. After you fell asleep last night.. I went down to the brat caves to help the nannies." She sighs and leans against the fencing for support. "It was a bad night," she says to R'gis with a soft smile. Not like he needs to be told that! "And I've had a bad day.. Celvynath is hungry and she didn't want the critters panicking so she won't feed until that brood," she hooks a thumb over her shoulder. "Is out of the pens and away from the llamas."

R'gis gathers Raj into his arms and gives her a slightly sad smile along with his support. "You should have said something, love." he admonishes her softly so that no one else can hear. He glances over his shoulder and sees that the youngsters have let the llamas loose again and are relatively out of the way. "Peorth, take Celvy and get a bite to eat, eh? And tell her that dragons take precidence over llamas, if they get eaten it's their own fault for not getting out of the way." His voice is a tad harsh as he glares at the llama he just lassoed but he hasn't gotten over the fact that he was accused of putting a llama in the Weyrleader's quarters when he was a Candidate.

Once she was free from the danger of the llama, Rozalija is quick to survey the other trouble with a pale and worried face. "I… I hope everything's alright," she mumbles. And then there's a shy nod to the riders. "T-thanks for the help. I'll see you back in the barracks, Tilla," she calls over to the girl with the fur sample. With one last concerned glance, the candidate heads away to clean up and hide out.

Darden snorts quietly at Tilla, and shakes the rope, getting it to slacken. "Okay, now just…step through it," he calls to Kippy. "C'mon, dolphins leap through hoops all the time." He shakes the rope more, loosening it until it touches the ground. "Now, just…step through it."

Tilla pales, and feels very guilty now. "I'm so so sorry..Rajani..I didn't think this would take so long. It was probably a stupid idea.." She hangs her head, and calls out "I'm so sorry Celvynath..please feed well and restore yourself" And things were going so well, she thinks, too. And, idea. "Rajani would you like me to go bring you something from the Living Caverns to eat? You must be feeling faint" AH! The girl does understand that the dragon's feelings are felt by the rider and hunger is definitely a possibility here.

Rajani is one proud woman.. even without her own dragon to back her up. And even still she sinks into R'gis with a soft sigh against his neck. To the Candidates and their friends.. she gives a weak wave. She really is so tired she almost falls asleep against the shoulder of her mate. Letting him take control of both his own dragon as well as hers. It's not like Celvynath has ever ignored an order from Peorth. Ever. Even when she's been told to get off her own ledge! Heh! She takes Tilla's request with a shake of her head as she lifts it from Rage's shoulder. "We have food to cook.. I'm fine." The instance is a little instant after all the drama of late.

Darden shrugs, tossing the end of the rope at the llama and walking over to Tilla, shoving his hands in his pockets. "So, Tilla. Shouldn't you show that to…that guy who was going to show you how to spin yarn?" Or something?

Peorth is satisfied after one herdbeast since she had eaten a few days earlier and quietly leaves Celvynath to finish her own meal to amble back over to where her rider and Rajani are sitting. Rage smiles down at Raj and cuddles her close, practically lifting her into his lap preparatory to standing with her in his arms. "Perhaps it is time to return to the weyr so that you can rest, love." he admonishes her softly.

Tilla bites her lip. "Allright, if you're sure. " She still looks worried..but turns to Darden and says "Oh..yea, I guess I should." She sees that R'gis is taking care of his weyrmate and that there's probably nothing she can do at the moment to remedy. "Please sleep very well Rajani..and feel better." To R'gis and Rajani both she says "You know, I've had problems sleeping too lately..but sometimes I use a tiny bit of sleeping draught that the healers give me and it helps. And earplugs to block out the noise. It helps me get more restful sleep" She nods, hoping that maybe something she says may be of help.

Rajani wiggles off Rage's lap and smiles wanly up at him. "I can stand and walk on my own two feet," she announces as she rolls away from him and rises with difficulty. Holding her lower back as she ambles toward Peorth.. Did she mention that she's a proud 'rider? "Let's go home," she tells them both as she sets her boot against the strap and starts the upward climb. It isn't like either Rage /or/ Peorth will let her fall. Which is why Celvynath finishes her meal with a contented sigh. The first time she's had a break it seems since last night.

Darden looks impassive before giving Tilla a nudge, "C'mon, we have to hurry," he whispers to her.

R'gis chuckles as Raj wiggles off his lap and stands on her own. "Alright, love." he says, following close in case he's needed though it's doubtful he will be. He waves a hand at the youngsters as Raj climbs Peorth's straps. After Raj is settled into position he clambers up behind her and gives Peorth the command to fly.

Tilla waves to both the green riders as they take off and go back to their weyr, then hurries off back to somewhere to see a man about some hair.

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