Goldean stands tall with a set of wide shoulders and broad chest. His head sits on his shoulders balanced on a wide neck. He has a set of cyan eyes, light and clear, which sparkle with the even nearest glint of light. He has golden hair that shine in healthieness. A few streaks of a blondish white streak through bleached from the sun. His hair is straight and parts into the middle of it. Goldean's skin is a deep tan, which has soaked in many years of Ista's warm sun. He is strong and has power in his arms and legs. His weight evens out as his height reaches just a bit above the average height. Goldean is 16 Turns, 5 months, 20 days old.

Dark rivlets of dying flame trickle down her curly, red-brown hair. A few strands that can't be pushed all the way behind her shoulders fall to frame her face in delicate curls. Ranwen's face is simple and smooth, nothing too exotic but very classic in appearance. Perfectly shaped lips, a rather small nose, and sharp, snapping eyes hooded by thick eyelashes. She stands average in height. Her mouth is often curled into a slight smile, as if she finds everything quite amusing. A lovely pair of deep red pants, similar in color to her hair, disappear under a pair of tall black boots and an elegant, spotless cream colored tunic. On the long sleeves small patterns are embroidered in the same color as her pants. Overall, Ranwen appears slick and polished. Ranwen looks to be 17 Turns, 11 months, 1 days old.

Crimson falls down in barely-there waves over broad shoulders, tattered strands sweeping over subtle cheekbones, merging with a shock of pure white hair that drifts from above her right temple. Deep hazel orbs flecked with a dash or two of gold are set below hardly arching eyebrows drawing attention to a slender, slightly pinched nose, covered with a light dusting of freckles over a fair complexion. Light pink lips retain an ever present pout, even when stretched in the friendliest of smiles.

Kheri's tall, well-muscled form--portraying turns of strenuous work yet still soft enough not to overshadow womanly curves--is clothed in a tunic of long, airy sleeves rolled up to reach just below her elbows and the front dips down in a deep-scope neckline. Dark mahogany leather pants not only perfectly accents the mossy green tunic but the source of her height, long legs whose thin yet muscular structure is shown off by the tightness of which that covers it.

Standing close to six and a half feet tall and well-muscled from turns of riding, J'sen can appear intimidating at first glance. But a glimpse of his little-boy smile and a twinkle of his deep blue eyes usually prove quickly disarming. Ruggedly sculpted but handsome features frame those engaging eyes while sandy blond hair is kept cropped close, in defense of its tendency to curl around his nape if left untrimmed.

Well-worn, golden brown riding leathers seem to be his clothing of choice on a regular basis. The jacket fits his broad shoulders with a bit of room to spare, a thin white tunic showing through, while the trous fit close, but not tightly. A pair of dark brown boots encase his feet.

Vibrant environs enclosed by smooth stone walls, these caverns are the very heart of bustling Weyr life. The largest is massive and designed to house almost the entire population of the Weyr at once, with tables and benches arranged in perfectly neat rows that run almost the entire length of the half-circle cave. Tapestries are flung from the ceiling, draping down in bright hues of Istan black and orange as well as colorful scenes of past heroics detailing all the fiery glory of Pernese history. Hearths line the walls, at least one of which constantly burning with a pot of stew and a pitcher of klah set there to keep warm.

Tunnels branch off from these central caverns, leading deeper into various parts of the Weyr. To the east lie the infirmaries, both human and draconic, beyond a small wooden door to minimize the noise that will filter through. West are the kitchens and the storerooms from which emanate delectable smells at nearly all hours of the day or night, drudges bustling to and from with dishes and platters. Stairs lead down into the lower caverns while a man-sized tunnel cuts through the stone and back out to the bowl. Smaller tunnels diverge here and there as well.

Margareete nods as she stands, going to place all those neatly folded napkins by the serving tables. "I'm Margareete by the way." Mention of the water sparks another excited smile. "I do prefer the tropical beaches as apposed to the simply sand beaches."

Manadi gigles "most of the time its too cold to swim mutch. But here and there I catch a rider going to or near a beach and ask to come along." clears her throat "I am Manadi..."

Margareete clasps her hands behind her back and stands there in all her 6'2" glory for a moment. "Well met Manadi," she states. "If you'd all excuse me, I must be getting back to my duties. It was nice meeting you Manadi, and I'm sure we'll see each other again." With a tilt of her head and a soft expression, she turns heel and dissapears into the lower caverns.

Shansi climbs the stairs and moves quickly to interrupt a passing drudge. Some brief exchange goes on between the two, and then the girl does her usual survey-the-caverns pause. But her gaze does not linger especially long on any particular person this morn -- she heads simply for an empty seat. That empty seat happens to be not far from Manadi, though Shansi does little more than give a slight nod of greeting to those already seated.

Marit shrugs off her jacket, tossing the garment onto a pile of simiarly place aritcles of clothing and heads for the serving table for the usual - sweetrolls and klah - before finding an empty place at a table. A nod of greeting is given to Goldean and J'sen as well as Shansi, but it is Manadi who is regarded levelly, if not curiously. "Haven't seen you before," brownrider remarks to the girl. "You arrive here not long ago?"

J'sen blinks out of his unspoken conversation with Iskandith to glance around at the new faces that have appeared. He smile at Mandi seated across from her, then lends a nod to the others.

"Welcome to the Weyr then." Marit smiles wryly, sipping slowly at her klah before nibbling on a sweetroll. A slight nod at the question. "I've never seen finer beaches. Quite the best in fact."

Shansi rests one palm on the table's surface and turns to look at Manadi a moment. Appraisal finished, she takes a moment to answer, for herself, "Except that the entire area's too hot to actually live in. The beaches do make up for that, in part." Vaguely condescending, that.

Shansi smiles sweetly at J'sen, "Of course, J'sen. But I come from High Reaches, so that wouldn't be as wonderfully *new* as this dear little ... hot ... place, now would it?" Besides, she's not 'allowed' to go home yet, but she won't be admitting that anytime soon.

Close enough to morning to account for why she's looking just a bit tumbled as if from sleep, the barefoot Weyrwoman makes her way in from the bowl with the light slap of her feet against the cool stones. "Next time, sandals," comments she, glancing down at her slightly dirty toes, no doubt in search of a blister or two. But all is well and so Alyssa drums up a smile to say, "Good morning."

Manadi blinks at Shansi "A rider just brought me down from there." trys to be polite to make ammends for any ill she migh thave caused this other. shaking her head to J'sen "no. BUt its a big Weyr."

Marit turns slightly to regard Shansi. "Ista's not just... a hot and humid place." the brownrider remarks drolly. "You just have to get used to it. Being from the 'Reaches, as you've said. You'll adapt." a lift of the hand and a wave of greeting to the goldrider. "G'morning, Alyssa, how fares Trinyth?"

J'sen adds his chimes of morning greeting to the Weyrwoman, taking a long glance at her bare feet. He smirks to himself, then leans back in his chair, nodding at Marit. "As much as I decry the heat myself, I would trade Ista for anywhere."

Manadi nods and bites her lip knowing her mother wouldnt aprove her talking back.. "I spent most of my time with the other /polite/ girls helping out arround the weyr."

Shansi misses the implication on her own character, and nods instead, "Oh, the helpers, yes. I never really did talk much with them, right." And, perhaps surprisingly, she adds, "But we can get beyond that, now. You *are* sticking around, aren't you?" Waving one finger, she admonishes, "We from the colder parts really must get together now and then."

Shansi pays no heed to whether she's talking around another conversation, or over anyone's head, of course. A cool smile is given Manadi at the last, and she nods, "Do. And well met."

J'sen glances back to the entrance to the lower caverns. "Well, the residents barracks are very accomodating, I think. And much cooler, too. It was nice meeting you Manadi."

Goldean smiles as he cleans the tables, bounce bounce clean. Hyper from the little too much klah in the morning. He chuckles to the group as he cleans with a swish here and a swash there.

With a faint grumble and a glare down at... something, Kheri all but stumbles her way into the hall. Hand move from smoothing over her tunic to bracing herself on the table. Lets just say she's not in a very peachy mood right now and get it over with, alright?

J'sen returns Goldean's grin. He can't help it. Watching the boy bounce around is just amusing. He briefly returns Shansi's look, his attention swept to Kheri a moment later, a concerned look dawning across his features. "Kheri? Are you alright?"

A little twist here and a little swirl there, Goldean is enjoying this. He notices the people that are watching him. Stopping only a second to look back and nod to the group. Now back to cleaning, and what? Is he actually enjoying this for a bit. Humming along to his invisible music he cleans in beat.

The bouncing Goldean is regarded for a long, tired eyes rolling downward with another groan. "Oh shardit, he's gonna make me sick.. I swear he is.." Kheri murmurs underbreath. J'sen is just... looked at until she finally says, "I've practically /nothing/ to do and I still feel more tired than anything..." Speaking of which, she'll slump into a chair now.

Herself having been waylaid by a kitchen worker who simply insists she comes to view the mess made by a block of ice left melting in the kitchens, Alyssa is momentarily distracted so that she misses the semi-drama of the greenrider's entrance, returning a moment later with something of a heavy sigh. "Does anyone mind dreadfully volunteering an afternoon to shave ice?" she inquires of anyone who happens to be listening at this particular moment.

Ranwen enters, a hint of a smile spread across her face for the benifit of the others. "Hello," she calls loudly, flopping down in the nearest seat. Hand pushes back wild hair, already wriggling out of the runnertail she had managed to coax it into.

Shansi purses her lips as she gives Goldean a quick regard, then looks to Kheri instead. An amused smile quirks her lips at the sight, oddly enough, but is whisked away just as soon. And then comes a drudge, bearing a mug of klah and an overly bright smile. The kind that perhaps should make one suspicious. Shansi, oblivious, beams at the drudge and accepts /her/ mug. She couldn't get it from the tables herself, you see. A civil, "Thank you," is even offered the drudge, who merely tilts his head and backs up a bit. Rather than asking if others need anything, the boy seems rather in a hurry to disappear again.

J'sen tears his glance away from Kheri momentarily to nod at Alyssa. "I think I might be persuaded, Weyrwoman. It'll be a significant improvement over checking out the sands." With that, he stands and heads over towards the greenrider. "That's normal sweetheart. Your stomach upset, too?"

"Checking out the sands?" repeats Alyssa quizzacly, her brows drawn together rather evidently before she brushes aside whatever the comment implied. Toward Goldean, she offers the cheerful tip of a smile to say, "Well, you are a helpful thing. They've made the mistake of pushing the block into the kitchen and now it's started melting from the heat. We'd do better to bring it in here and work at it."

"Don't even look at me. Otherwise you'd have more of a mess than you began with." And, strangely enough, Kheri looks dreadfully serious about that. Then her eyes roll over towards the brownrider, "What do /you/ think?" She snorts, dropping her head to rest on the small cradle created by her crossed arms.

Ranwen taps the armrest of her chair impatiently, one eyebrow arching. She can never be still without her own mug of klah, and soon hops up, nabs a mug and pours a drink. In another flash of energy she's back in her seat.

J'sen places a gentle hand on Kheri's shoulder. "Have you even tried to eat anything? Sometimes that will help, believe it or not. Maybe just start with a piece of flatbread or something," he offers in a soothing tone of voice. He glances over at the ice-moving crowd with a smile. He'll get there eventually.

Shansi looks vaguely interested by this new topic, though she certainly doesn't volunteer for anything. Rather, she shifts her mug idly, watching the liquid swirl around just beneath the rim. And Kheri's snap does earn another flicker of golden brown eyes, curious this time.

Kheri's shoulder sort of twitches a bit under the brownrider's first touch. Burying her head even further in her arms, she murmurs quietly, "I'm not hungry.." Which may, or may not, be the truth.

Ranwen glares at the others from over the rim of her mug, crossing her legs. "What's going on?" she asks to no one in particular in as sweet a tone as she can muster. With the present Steward-switching situation, she's more absorbed in her own problems.

Contemplative for a moment, Alyssa finally gets around to commenting, "It is always so with the first few months of being pregnant, Kheri. Or so I'm told. I hear it passes soon enough." That said, she briskly goes about the process of swinging open the kitchen and holding it there with her heel, pressed close to stay out of the way as a few workers come sliding out a block of ice of rather mammoth (if melting) proportions - a cube of three foot dimensions. "We're shaving ice," she replies to Ranwen blithely.

Ranwen snorts as the melting mass is shoved in. "Sounds like fun," she mutters. She hides her face briefly as she finishes off her klah. In that instant she tries to collect herself, and when the mug is lowered that same facade of a smile is plastered on. Best keep her problems out of the Weyrwoman's way. Someone angry at /her/ is the last thing she needs. With a reluctant sigh she stands. "If you need help..." she offers slowly, setting her mug down.

Shansi perks up at the ice's entrance, not bothering to hide her interest. Smiling brightly now, she coos, "How wonderful. It's like a tiny piece of home." Tiny in comparison, at least. "We sculpt the ice there, though, since -- with its fair abundance most times -- it need not all be shaved down for use." Her mug of klah is set down again, restless fingers drumming briefly on the tabletop.

Explaining with a smile, "Well, we generally use it for more productive measures than just making pleasant beverages." Alyssa smiles after the last little drudge in a line of bowls and picks, knives and pitchers before she lets the door swing closed. "But it seems some of the recently tapped 'lings have gotten industrious and gone collecting more blocks to accompany all the fresh fruits, so..." She shrugs up both shoulders and gestures to have a few benches brought round the block. "We need plenty of help," with a brightly grateful nod to Ranwen.

J'sen gives Kheri's shoulder another squeeze. "Alysa is right. But you do need to take care of yourself in the meantime. If you want something, I'll get it for you, sweetheart. All you have to do is ask."

Kheri lifts her head long enough to roll her eyes, "Yeah, riiight.. tell me that when this gets to be all over." A sickly sweet smile twitches on her lips, eyeing that block of ice for a long time. "That looks mighty nice right now."

Ranwen nods and steps forward, edging around to a bench. She sits on the edge of it, looking at the block before her with distaste. "Quite a job cut out for us..." she says, trying to arrange herself comfortably before the cold mass.

"Just make sure it's ice and not fingers," says Alyssa with a halfway pedantic edge, tilting her head to overlook the block, admittedly showing a vaguely daunted expression. She shakes it aside soon enough, however, and says back toward Kheri, "We can hack off a bit of the corner for you if you'd like?" The bowl with picks and knives goes around the benches as do the bowls to catch shavings and chunks.

Shansi inclines her head in Ranwen's direction. "It's not so bad, really. When we carve, we use hot water, too." Selecting a rather sharp knife and pick, she continues, "But I suppose you'll want to save as much ice as possible with this, hmm?" The girl tilts her head toward Alyssa, now, questioning.

Nodding most adamently back at Shansi, Alyssa takes one of the picks for herself and catches up the end of an otherwise unused bench. "The more we can manage to keep in the bowls, the better for the making of ices, yes. I fear ice is just too precious a commodity to start making statues of it," she notes as she drags her bench closer and starts chipping methodically at the block.

J'sen leaves Kheri's side and makes his over to the iceblock. "Try it this way," he says, taking the largest knife available and scraping it across the top of the block. He eventually gets enough to fill a small bowl, which he adds some redfruit juice to and carries it over to Kheri. "Try this, sweetheart."

Ranwen looks doubtfully at the pick and knife that Shansi selected, then grabs her own. She doesn't hold them all too akwardly, but it's obvious that she's never performed this particular task. Still, she goes ahead and starts chipping, anyway, head held back slightly, a wince crumpling up her face

Shansi just nods, already examining her tools. Finally, she, too, takes a small step closer to the block and attacks a corner of her 'own.' The knife is given a faint frown, then lifted and jiggled, as she weighs it. "The larger -- that is, thicker -- pieces melt more slowly," is her note, before she takes the pick, sets its point near the corner, and abruptly slams the knife hilt on it's blunt end with a solid *thwak* The ice chips a bit, and a crack skitters down other parts of the corner.

Glancing over her own chosen corner, Alyssa takes note of the brownrider's activity and looks to the pick she's collected. "I believe Shansi has a point. Thin sheets will melt before we can mix them with the juice at all," she can be heard to comment, watching another irregularly shaped clump land in her own large, wooden bowl. "It's said they're bringing back another block in a few days. I, personally, think it's a ploy to escape the heat." Forlornly, she adds, "We should all be so lucky."

Shansi smiles at that, looking over to Alyssa, "I quite agree." Then, another thump and a chunk of ice falls off the corner -- the result of Shansi's latest assault on the ice. Moving to set the considerably smaller block in an empty bowl, Shansi asks, "Where are they even getting the ice from?" She eyes the block, positioning her pick for the next blow, "I wouldn't think bringing it here would be very easy." Thwack.

Ranwen nods silently to the comments flowing about her, but her eyes remain focused on her task, briefly flitting to watch Shansi and Alyssa as she pounds on the ice. With a smile she watches a chunk break and slide off.

Kheri watches the slow, awkward process without so much as a spoken word. Then she suddenly finds a bowl right under her nose. Blink and then her eyes narrow on it for a moment. Hmm, when did that get there? Oh right, J'sen. A weak smile is given to him and she straightens in her feet even as she pulls her legs up on the chair. The bowl gets set on her crossed legs. "Thanks.." Murmured quietly.

"So far as I know," begins Alyssa, chipping away rather crudely but certainly devoted to the task, "they've been up passed the Reaches to some ice cave." There comes a wistful sigh as she catches one of the larger lumps and tucks it neatly into her cheek which proceeds to bulge. "If you'd like, I could ask them to bring you all along next time. I'm sure they wouldn't mind the help."

Ranwen smiles slightly, lifting her head from her ice-chipping work that she's now begun to pound upon in ernest. "If they could just bring in a few more chunks of ice, I think I'd be content to break them up...that is, until my arms fell off," she says, nodding, knowing that probably she'll have sore muscles by morning.

J'sen nods and winks at Kheri, then returns to help with the ice shaving. "It certainly beats the heat, doesn't it," he grins at Ranwen, settling down with a chunk from the huge block.

"Oh, I might know of that cave..." Shansi looks up at the sigh, then grins quickly, before looking back to the ice -- she's still smoothly selecting and smacking parts of the ice, with perhaps surprising force. "I would be glad to accompany them, if only to get out of the heat." A vague nod goes to Ranwen, eyes still on her pick as she lines up the next stroke, "It does get tiring." Slap. "But at least we aren't trying to get any exact pieces. Just knocking of smaller blocks, as it were..." The last chunk to fall is grabbed just before it can slide off the table's surface, then dropped into her bowl.

Mildly concerned, Alyssa looks up from her own work to say, "If your arms get tired, dear, do take a break for a bit. I'm sure we could have drudges at this in our stead." She doesn't show any signs of leaving the end of her bench, however, swinging her bare feet and hacking away at the ice with something of childlish contentment. "You might know of some they haven't yet found," she adds with a quick nod at Shansi to preceed a slurp from the ice in her jaw.

Kheri, left alone without a spoon or any such utensil and not up for getting one for herself, is left to her own inventions on how to get that quickly melting ice'n redfruit juice. The obvious, of course, doesn't come to her for a long time. When it does, she grins slightly - though mentally kicking herself for wasting so much valuable time - and tips the bowl back to her lips. That is, until its almost dropped with a wince (and, no, its not spilled all over the place). Brain freeze!

Ranwen frowns, and looks at Alyssa stubbornly. "I'm sure I can chip ice as long as the rest of this bunch," she says defiantly. She's not one to be outdone if she can help it. With a sniff she's back to work, pressing a little harder, it seems.

Withdrawing chilled fingers long enough to blow and chafe them, Alyssa neatly masks a smile to Ranwen and comments, "Of course you can, Ranwen. I only meant that should you find yourself getting at all tired, do take a break." She is a rather funny picture: The Weyrwoman with red fingers and bare toes toying with stray chips of ice and a jaw that bulges very slightly with the last of her ice cube. But she's also rather happy, and it's showing; at least she's not being kept fussy by an egg-heavy queen.

Shansi would not, herself, dream of talking around the ice, but she does appear amused by the Weyrwoman's efforts. And, if she bristled a bit at mention of drudges, the girl didn't actually say anything. To Alyssa's earlier suggestion, she answers, "Perhaps. Though I really was less concerned with the source than the blocks themselves. There were contests, you see..." Head tilting towards Ranwen, she adds smoothly, "But you haven't done it before, have you? Working too much now will be regretful tomorrow, if not later tonight." Her gaze goes back to the ice, "Though a hot bath can do wonders, especially if you can find someone with good hands..." she hits the pick against the ice, but it slides across the surface instead of burrowing in, and she scowls, her sentence left unfinished.

A brow tilts as Alyssa looks back to this girl, rubbing her fingers a few more times as they've gotten a bit redder than she had intended. "Oh, really?" she asks, laughter held in close check as it bubbles in the back of her amused question. "I daresay the last thing I can think about, even now, is a hot bath. Though I believe I've frozen my fingers." She holds them out to look them over, her expression betraying an 'eek'.

Shansi shrugs, "So it is at High Reaches. Here...? I cannot say whether the added heat would truly be worth it. But it does relax the muscles." A bit of annoyance at that, and at the last (faltered) stroke, causes her next stroke to be just a bit aggressive. And a satisfyingly large chunk slides to the table, skids a bit, and is promptly moved to the bowl.

"Ah, but so does floating about in the pool at the waterfall. If you don't get too close, the churning bubbles are rather cozy," comments Alyssa, cupping her hands to blow her fingers one last time before satisfied that they're warm enough to continue hacking at the slowly dwindling cube. "Tell me, do you really find the snow and the chill all that pleasant?" she adds conversationally, directed mostly at Shansi.

Shansi hmms under her breath, a smile beginning to appear. Then, startled, she looks up. "Of course. Granted, I wouldn't want to get lost in a storm, but..." She taps more gently at a hareline crack on the ice, "I would never be in a situation such as that. And it is quite refreshing, the coolness. There are always deliciously warm fires to gather around." One last, firm tap sends the piece into her hand, "Blankets keep the chill out, and fabrics there are the softest, best-made ones -- coming from our llamas." She drops the piece in the bowl with the others. "It's much preferable to this sweaty heat." A pause, then she sets her pick down. "I don't mean to insult your Weyr."

Glancing first after J'sen and then Kheri, Alyssa can be seen to shake her head very lightly while her tongue clucks lightly against the back of her teeth. "Unsurprising," is her lone comment, lending itself a moment thereafter to a smile at Ranwen. "Too cold, hm?" she comments with a tease in her tone, still chipping away at the ice.

Shansi at last seems to remember her discarded klah, for she leans forward now to reclaim it. Eyes still on Alyssa, in what might even be concern, she takes a sip. She frowns and licks her lips. She takes another quick sip, swallows, and then thrusts the mug back on the table, heedless of the bit that sloshes over. "WHAT is this?!" A quick, uneven breath, "This is NOT klah. Not normal klah," she amends. And, frown etched firmly on her face, Shansi steps back from the table. "I've had the klah here before, and it does not taste this horrid. That stupid imbecile of a drudge must have ... have spilled something in it." Furious tones slip towards disdain at the end, as Shansi continues her tirade, now crossing her arms across her chest.

Ranwen chuckles, amazingly. "Not in the heat around here," she states firmly, snapping off another piece. She tosses her head back, trying to get hair from her face.

"He'll pay. I'll find him. I will." Not even bothering to check with the Weyrwoman, who should probably have some input on the matter, Shansi mutters another stream of threats under her breath and stalks abruptly off -- towards the kitchens.