Thefts From Within (Fall 2007)
With the recent thefts in the region, the demand on Deygan wing and the Weyr's guards grows. Ro takes a group of candidates into the storage cavern to fetch baskets of old candidate robes, but the group ends up having an encounter with a thief - but is he working alone?
Characters: Felandre, Hitomi, Illiara, Meridlyn, Ro, Utaria
You walk into the living cavern.
It is a semi-quiet evening, half of the weyr pretty much is in their respective rooms, weyrs and whatnot. The few that remain in the Living Cavern seemingly are the ones that can't sleep or just enjoy the evening hours. Either which way, it appears to be but a few candidates and cavern workers. Maybe a visitor or two. Illiara is at the hearth, furiously scrubbing at her long hair, comments barely heard ... it would've been unnoticed if the area had been busier, but it's not. Simple, bits and pieces can be heard.
Utaria wanders into the living caverns, her hair slightly ruffled and her cheeks flushed with pride. She struts, almost, making way to gather some food in which she does quickly. She moves to settle near Illiara, quirking a brow before offering. "You aren't going to get much cleaner that way. Need a bath." She chuckles softly and takes a bite of a meatroll.
"...overrated little monsters..." Comes the low, tired, and aggrieved sound of Felandre as the trader-candidate comes thudding in, barefooted and in his lounge pants alone, three red-eyed and stomach-loud firelizards all perched and cheeping on his shoulders. "Getoooff so I can get your blasted food!" He huffs at the trio, who quickly bail like rats, though hover close as they dare as Fel makes his way for the kitchen.
One would imagine that Meridlyn would not be too keen on returning to the Living Caverns after having spent all day there doing her chores. Then again, the spacious room is a touch of familiarity in the girl's now unexpectedly eventful life, and it is not surprising that it is she who appears in the wake of slow, heavy footsteps from the hall to the lower caverns. A rumble erupts inside her stomach, and she intstinctively looks to the hearth for some food. However, a fellow Candidate blocks her line of vision, and Meridlyn sits down to wait until the girl is done washing her hair. Her tired mind is too preoccupied to wonder why the girl was drying her hair in the living caverns in the first place.
In the midst of her hair drying, Illiara turns her attention towards the sounds of firelizards. The sound easily echoes into the Living Cavern. As she continues with the duty to her long locks, she absently speculates, "Wonder where they..." but she didn't need to wonder anymore. Not when four lizards snap clean out from *Between*. The chorus of chirps announce the arrival of Charna, FaDian, Weilan and finally the blue, Dian. The settle down, curiously regarding the other humans in the general vicinity. Their grumbling stomachs easily covers the sounds from Meridlyn's stomach, "Faranth... didn't you all hunt?"
Ro's lengthy strides keep pace with the headwoman as they approach from the direction of the lower caverns. Despite keeping up well enough with the stout woman's fast pace and loud conversation, the goldrider still looks quite tired - exhausted, even. "And I'm telling you, Weyrwoman, " the headwoman can be heard insisting as the pair nears the serving tables, "there's one less sack of grain in there than there was last sevenday. I know firelizards can be mischievous, but they /don't/ just carry things off like that." Ro doesn't respond immediately, focusing on pouring a glass of juice for a few moments. "I know, " she says at last. "All we can do is keep up with the security measures and continue to search suspicious people and incoming and outgoing visitors, for now." She's interrupted by a chorus of chirps; somewhat startled, the healer's gaze flicks quickly toward their sources - and then their owner. "Illiara? Whatever are you doing drying your hair by the hearth?"
Utaria glances at Felandre, quirking a brow slightly before taking another bite of her meatroll and then popping it into her mouth. The look at the firelizards and her eyes roll. Ro recieves a respectful nod then continues to eat quietly, idly stretching her legs out.
"Hunt, these things? When they can just annoy us until we feed them?" Felandre drawls with sarcasm as he emerges from the kitchen, a large bowl of raw meat in his hand. "Here, gorge yourselves so I don't have to listen to you!" He huffs as he sets down the bowl, his three firelizards falling on it like meteors with an ear-splitting raising of noise. Grimacing, especially as he sees the Weyrwoman and Headwoman enter, Felandre whirls down to stare at the three and hisses loudly at them. "Shush, all of you! I didn't raise you to carry on like starving dogs."
Evidently sensing the opportunity to eat and socialize, Donra pops in from *between*, swiftly gliding over to Meridlyn's shoulder. Eyes flecked with the red of hunger, the green croons questioningly to her keeper, wondering why the girl hadn't given her dinner yet. She sighs impatiently, giving her firelizard's head a quick scratch. "Just a few minutes. After I eat, I'll feed you." For but a second, Donra seems content with this. The bowl of raw meat soon catches her eye, however, and soon the green has swooped over, grabbing for one of the pieces as well.
The girl startles out of her furious rubbing, her attention switched from the four lizards to the arriving Weyrwoman. "Um, because I spent a few hours cleaning it.. for the millionth time... um...well, I had mucking duties today..." At this point, Illiara furrows her brows, tilting her head towards one side. Those close to her can see the speculative expression upon her face, and finally she wonders, "You know... since you're Senior... I don't think calling you Aunt.. would be proper at this point." She offers a sheepish grin, pausing then to look over towards Felandre, blinking a few times. The issue of how to address Ro is briefly dismissed, "...Felandre? How old are they, anyways? They look ... young." At this point, the four lizards disappear, preferably to hunt - of course.
Utaria quirks a brow slightly, coughing. "Oh, so /that's/ what smelled." She teases Illiara with a playful wink before she continues to eat quietly. "Glad I don't have a firelizard. They seem troublesome." A look at those who have the firelizards, a brow quirking curiously.
"Noisy little things, " the headwoman comments as the firelizards converge on the meat. "Enough of 'em together to lift one of those sacks, do you think?" She's actually grinning a little at her joke - or maybe that's just a grimace. "That'll be all, I think, " Ro replies wearily, adding a kind, "Have a good night. Thanks for the report." As the stout woman bustles off muttering about the storage caverns, Ro takes her glass toward a table situated a short distance away from the hearth, but near enough to where she can still hold an audible conversation with the candidates. "I'm sure they'll quiet a bit with the food, " she offers to Felandre, wincing a little at the ruckus raised by the firelizards. "At least, I've yet to see a firelizard that can screech with something in its maw." Illiara's statement garners a thoughtful look but no verbal response quite yet. Instead, the rider's gaze moves to take in the other candidates at large. "How's candidacy treating you?"
Felandre looks over towards Illiara before he responds, "Nebraska, the blue, he's just over a year and Colorado, the brown, is just under. Arizona here," He says, gesturing towards the green who looks far more like a wher and doesn't take kindly Donra trying to steal part of /her/ meal, putting up a fierce hissing that crinkles her ugly maw. "Ssh, there's enough for all of you. Arizona is... about nine months but tries to act several years and several meters larger. So, yah, they're all fairly young and none particularly enjoy being taught manners." Looking aside to Ro then, he gives the senior a tired, but content enough smile as he takes a seat at the table with his brood. "It's been great here, I've never been this far in any of my travels and I enjoy the scenery change."
After giving Utaria a bemused look, Illiara shook her head, eyes rolling towards the ceiling. She turns back to look upon the rest of the candidates. At Felandre's explanation, she mouths a soft 'oh' before chuckling a little, "I can see that... I managed to train my four to hunt on their own." Absent of her four, she admits, "Charna is still learning, but the other three are able to... help a bit." Her nose wrinkles at that, finishing the drying now. The question from Ro is considered, and for a few moments for that matter. "I think... it's all right..." The girl grimaces a hint, "...haven't been able to finish any carvings at this point in time, though." Putting aside the overly damp towel, she rises to her feet, making towards the hearth. She finally hears her own growling stomach, cheeks burning a bit reddish, "Um.. scuse me." A slim hand comes to rest upon the flat midsection of hers. She was about to say something else and turns abruptly to Ro, "How are you? And the little one?" She gestures to her aunt's rounded middle.
Utaria shrugs her shoulders idly, grinning. "Weyr life is different. Can't travel because I'm a candidate, but don't think I really want to travel much anymore. I've been convinced to stay." She chuckles softly and takes a drink from her juice with a happy hum. She shoots Illiara a smug little grin then returns to her listening.
"So you're both not native to High Reaches, " Ro directs to Felandre and Utaria. "Where were you previously?" At Illiara's query, a hand settles automatically over her own abdomen - if there's a slight evidence of growth, it's just that - slight. "I suppose he or she is doing well. I'd be feeling much better if I weren't so tired all of the time; however, it'll get better in a couple of months, I hear." Almost as an afterthought, she quirks an eyebrow at Utaria's word choice, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly upward. "Oh? And who do we have to thank for our new resident?"
Felandre shakes his head to Ro's question, "I'm a trader, ma'am. Born around the Fort region, if you could call a caravan a home. When Xanadu first searched me was the longest I'd ever stayed in one place. It took some getting used to, both... sticking around so long and the whole weyrlife. I agree with Utaria, though, it ain't too bad. I do like it here, though. I'm a northern-kinda guy."
Utaria chuckles softly, tilting her head. "I was a traveler. Trader." She glances towards the Weyrwoman's belly with an odd look but shakes it off. "Ah. You'll have to thank D'ana. He was sweet in asking me not to leave.." She trails off with a chuckle as her cheeks flush slightly. Towards Felandre, she grins. "Ah. A caravan can be home if you wish it to call it such, this is the longest I've ever stayed at a place." She muses then she glances away, focusing on her food.
Ro's expression brightens considerably at their responses; suddenly, she looks a little less tired. It's the beam that does it. "Traders, the both of you? It's been nearly two decades since I was last part of a train, but I believe my family's - the Fahlahad's - is still traveling out there." Somewhere. She pauses, brow furrowing a little. "For me, it was getting accustomed to life at the Healer Hall. I didn't get my first proper shock of Weyr culture until - well, until about some four turns ago when I took charge of Xanadu's infirmary for a turn." At the mention of D'ana, both eyebrows take a swift hike up to meet her hairline. "D'ana?" she repeats, flummoxed. "D'ana? Haezynth's rider? He asked you not to leave?" Completely astonished, it takes her a moment or two before she's able to add, "You must be pretty remarkable, indeed. He's - quite shy."
"Ah! I think I heard the name at the last Gather I went to with my family, the Viatoris." Grinning lopsidedly, Felandre adds on. "One of my brothers, F'drio, is a bluerider here. I forget his dragon's name, my family was a bit big and too spread out to keep up with." Mention of D'ana brings a brief, curious look to his face as he falls quiet.
Utaria grins at Ro. "Ah. Always wonderful to meet fellow Traders, I think." She chimes with a happy hum, giggling quite softly before she shifts to rest her cheek upon her palm with a grin. "Yes. D'ana, he asked me not to leave." She winks playfully at the Weyrwoman. "Aye, that he is. I was shocked myself, but, I'm happy to comply. I do enjoy his company as well.."
Any look that Utaria may have shot her was dismissed as nothing of great importance. Or else she would've objected. Illiara holds her hands around a mug of klah. At the mention of D'ana, the candidate's lips curl into a relatively bemused grin, the glint in her eyes indicating much amusement. She gazes briefly at Utaria, the grin holding much amusement at this point. However, she regards Ro for a scant second. With a slight wriggling of her fingers, she muses, "Haezynth made me promise not to cut any of my fingers." She was about to mention more but stops short, recalling she was in the presence of a journeyman healer. The girl turns back to look at Felandre, since his comments struck a hint of interest in her. "Must be nice to have a big family....?"
"My mother, " Ro grins in return to Utaria, "always said that having connections with other traders and honest folk was one of the most valuable resources we could ever have had." She frowns at the name 'Viatoris, ' clearly trying to place it. "It's been so long since I interacted with other trains, " she says at last, apologetically. F'drio, however, seems to be a name that she recognizes, however vaguely. "Ah, yes. I ran across his name in the records recently while updating some of the rosters for our wings. I don't think I've yet had the pleasure of making his acquaintance, though." And as for Utaria enjoying D'ana's company - well, that just elicits a chuckle from the healer. "I'm glad. He seems like a nice enough young man, but he also takes his responsibilities quite seriously. You should have seen him during our betweening lesson when I was a weyrling." Lifting her juice for another drink, Ro manages to get a mouthful in before Illiara's musing causes her to promptly choke on a bit of it. "Not to cut off any of your fingers? You haven't yet, have you?" It's a startled, anxious query and filled with little coughs here and there, thanks to the juice.
Utaria grins at Ro, nodding. "I noticed he's quite serious with his duties. That's good. Don't have to keep him in line." She offers with a chuckle then sipping her juice again. A glance at Illiara and she laughs softly, shaking her head. "I would worry about you losing a finger. D'ana seemed quite worried about that when we spoke." She muses idly, winking towards the other candidate.
Hitomi enters in from the barracks, stretching her arms high over her head before swinging into the caverns with a disgruntled looking lizard clinging to her shoulder. "Hello!" She waves to every one as she enters, moving to grab a cup of cider and snack before sitting down at the table, allowing Ruk to climb down to the table and have a drink from her cup.
A bit alarmed at Ro's choking, Illiara rather hastily reassures, "I promised I wouldn't cut myself, really...! Not since that last incident." For a moment, she pauses and then a look at Utaria, bemusedly. "Better than worrying about my cutting my arm, instead." She flashes a quick reassuring look towards Ro, adding, "I'm fine, really... you're in better shape than mother was." Her eyes flicker towards the ceiling once more, "...anyways..."
"I do miss the traveling, though, and the living out on the road moving from Gather to Gather." Felandre remarks, almost wistfully. "But, it is nice, to be in the same place long enough to make friends. My family is great, but, its so big... we don't have much time to get to know each other beyond chores and basic family connections and information. We're a business, not so much a family."
Utaria waves at Hitomi with a smile, giggling idly. Though, she now goes back to eating until she picks up on Felandre's comment and she nods. "Yes. My family is the same. I broke off and started my own thing. Travel on my own, mostly."
Ro actually pulls a face at Illiara while draining the rest of her glass. "I should hope not." She doesn't make another reference to 'that last incident, ' turning her attention back to Felandre, instead. "That's understandable. I think that most of the family-run trains are like that, these days. My family was fairly close, I suppose, but it's been turns since I've seen my sisters." At Hitomi's entrance, the woman stands, almost as if her movements were rehearsed - but not quite. "Evening, Hitomi." She casts a measuring glance between the candidates present before adding, "I think it's high time to bring some baskets of old candidate robes into the barracks. The Weyrhealer would have my head if I carried them in on my own, but if I could get you and Illiara to help me ... ?" It's half-question, half-request as she takes a few steps toward the lower caverns, glancing back at them expectantly.
Hitomi waves back to Utaria before stopping, her drink halfway to her mouth. "Alright." she agrees, blinking. Its no that she minds, the request just seemed so sudden and random. She shrugs it off though and sets her drink back down, much to Rukaban's delight, and stands, following after the Sr. Weyrwoman.
Felandre gives his firelizards a look, who have all since filled their bellies to the brim and are kicked back lazily grooming, each lid all but closed across their eyes. "Of course, Weyrwoman." Chimes Fel as he rises up onto his feet, giving his bare shoulders a quick roll and a crack before he plods over on his big, bare feet. "...I really hope there's a robe big enough for me. I can sew enough, but... it wouln't look pretty if I got to."
She was about to comment on something else but then she pauses a little. Illiara tilts her head towards one side and then she ers. "Oh sure, I could." In fact, she puts aside her mug, moving over towards Ro, adding, "...I'm fine, the last cut healed rather nicely, didn't it?" She flickers a quick peek at the others, rather apologetically. The girl finds her cheek redden a bit as she realizes she had spent a few moments looking at Felandre and for a longer amount of time that she had intentionally meant. Turning away, she follows the Senior Weyrwoman, flanking the woman rather quickly. "Brevyn wouldn't dare have your head, isn't..." but she giggles a little, unable to finish her comments.
Utaria hops up onto her feet, gathering her thinks and taking care of them before moving to follow Ro quietly. "I can help." She chimes, moving to follow the rest.
Not such a random request, really since the eggs grow harder by the day. "Ah, thank you. Several strong pairs of arms should do the trick. We'll just need to fetch two of the smaller baskets and haul them into the barracks." Ro gives Illiara a look as she heads into the lower caverns. "The /Weyrhealer/ has given me strict orders not to overexert myself until I'm feeling less exhausted. And realistically, it's a good idea not to."
You stride into the lower caverns.
You step into the Storage Caverns.
Hitomi follows along into the storage caverns, happy to help, despite the fact that her cider would most likely be gone due to her flying stomach when she got back. Oh well, belly aches for him!
elandre ambles his way along with the rest of the candidates, trying to stifle a yawn at such a late hour, but only manages to quiet it to a low grunt. A hand is raised to rub at a tired eye, but he continues on towards the storage caverns with the rest.
The storage caverns are dark and quite chilly as the group enters;Ro fumbles briefly near the doorway and a few minutes later, a dusty lamp reluctantly sputters forth some dim light to illuminate the rooms enough for people to navigate around the shelves and barrels. "The robe baskets are closer to the back, " she directs, "a few shelves over from the old riding leathers and D-rings for the riders. Two of you to a basket; each of you grab one handle and carry it together. You wouldn't think that they're really heavy, but all of that cloth piled up in one place will feel weighty by the time we make it back to the barracks." There's a rustle from one of the adjacent caverns; presumably, someone else is gathering supplies, despite the hour.
Illiara's quiet as she comes right behind Ro. A pause is soon followed by a sudden sneeze. The girl jumps back a bit, rubbing her nose furiously, her attention drifting around the shelves, the room itself regarded. Her brows rise to her hairline, "Faranth's .... " She began, only to be cut off by another sneeze. "...it's dusty here." And then she ducks rather quickly, already getting at a few things. "I think I see it..."
Utaria wanders quietly into the storage caverns, following behind Ro. Her attention drifts around idly. Her attention is slowly distracted by the rustling of the caverns and she attempts to move over to help the others.
Hitomi nods and treads carefully around the other supplies to get to the baskets, her shirt pulled up over her mouth and nose. "Dusty is an understatement I think." She speaks in a muffled tone, thinking about how much the robes would have to be beaten and washed to get all the dust out.
The rustling fades almost immediately as the candidates approach the back of the caverns; scuffling footsteps echo into the main cavern as the person starts to approach the entrance. Oddly enough, though, the other gatherer doesn't emerge. "You'll have a lot of laundry to do in the next sevenday or two, " Ro can't help commenting, but she does add a cheerful, "On the bright side, you might find one that fits you so you won't necessarily have to sew one."
She turns slightly at the sounds, speculating, "Oh great, more laundry.." Illiara could be heard muttering, the sneezes abates for now, as she gets used to the dust. The girl ducks here and there, looking over piles of cloth, brows furrowed into a slight frown. She turns about, tilting her head at the others. After a while, she approaches, peeking around the boxes. "Um..."
Utaria frowns a bit as she hears the scuffling, her lips pressing tightly together. "Ma'am, would there be anyone else in here?" She questions. Maybe paranoid or slightly suspicious..
Hitomi is sniffling as she shuffles about, her movements becoming quieter though and coming to a halt as she stops to listen to the other sounds, an eye brow perking as she glances around in curiosity. "Hullo?" She mutters threw her shirt.
While everyone is focusing on hefting the baskets out of the back of the cavern, there's another rustle, a loud *thud* and then a muffled curse as a shadowy figure shifts near one of the walls, clearly trying to stay out of the path of the light as much as possible. Oh yes, there's definitely someone else in here. At the sound of the voices, there's another curse in a harsh whisper, a startled *clang* as something falls and hits the stone, and the figure, whoever he or she is, starts to edge toward the nearest exit. "I could have sworn that I saw more buckles in this barrel yesterday, " Ro muses aloud, stopping short as the shadows shift and someone carrying something quite large starts to sneak off toward the exit. Well. That explains how the sack of grain got out.
Utaria frowns at the clang and quickly moves to attempt to cut off whomever is leaving. She hisses very softly, almost prowling towards the entrance.
She actually tilts her head, looking ove her shoulder to the cursing. And Illiara opens her mouth, shutting it, "Well, I could've.." and then Utaria moves a bit then. The hissing causes her to follow after the other candidate, and at a bit of a faster pace. In fact, she decides to assist, dodging low hanging items.
Hitomi peers around a shelf at the girls. Slipping around the self quietly she heads toward the exit from another direction, maybe they could trap the person. She gropes around for something heavy, picking up something metallic on her way, an old frying pan.
The shadowy figure just drops whatever it is he or she is carrying - a sack of some of the older, more worn clothing from the adjacent cavern - and just starts running for the exit. A bronze firelizard shoots forward out of between with an angry bugle; the man - for it's clearly a man when the light briefly illuminates pocked, thin features - panics and abruptly wheels about in the other direction, attempting to veer past the line of candidates toward the exit to the lower caverns.
Utaria freezes slightly, moving in closer towards the man and as he veers the woman attempts to tackle him with a soft cry. She attempts to grab onto him to keep him from getting away.
Illiara doesn't bother with the weaponry, but she must dodge some falling objects that were briefly knocked into her pathway. As she flanks the man at the other side, she hadn't expected him to be strong, or the fact that she missed seeing the low lying objects. Hissing intensely as she kicks the canister, she lunges, attempting to grab the man, but ends up falling into a pile of something or another. This sends some boxes to fall right on top of her. Now, mind you, there isn't anything /hard/ there, just enough stuff to allow for minor bruising.
Hitomi growls and raises her pan to swings at the man as he barrels toward them. "C'mer!" she snarls and lunges for the man, at least hoping to trip him up is she didn't get to smash his face in, stealing! Of all the low things!
As the candidates dive for the thief in their own ways, he gives a strangled yell. Utaria's tackle misses him just by a fraction; his pants slip from just beyond her grasp as he teeters dangerously forward, struck off-balance by Illiara's lunge. Hitomi's swing connects with his shoulder; there's a furious yowl and a loud, "Ye'll regret tha'!" At Ro's direction, Portus swings around and takes another dive toward the man - the sharp claws heading for him is the perfect motivation to get him moving again, and into the lower caverns he goes, pursued by the screeching bronze. Ro visibly pales as the thief manages his escape, hurrying over toward the candidates, concerned. "Shells, are you all okay?" And then she espies Illiara underneath the boxes and promptly starts shifting them off of her. "Shards, Lia!"
Sounds of muffled curses come from the boxes, but Illiara manages to push some away, furiously swatting at some of the contents. She let's out a YELP, her hand connecting with something metal. "I'm all right, I'm all right." But she has a nice purpling bruise visible upon her cheek. A few other little bumps are noted here and there. At this point, she does her best to right the boxes, not caring too much about herself. She appears a might off balanced, nudging boxes out of the way. The candidate peers, holding a box above her head, so it won't fall onto her again. "Did anyone see... that person?"
Utaria growls softly as the thief gets away, her gaze following him as she gets to her feet. As she rises, she moves to help Illiara get free. "Ma'am, please don't strain yourself." She murmurs, but as Illi gets up she steps back. "Aye. I did..."
Hitomi snorts and bounds over to Illiara now, grasping boxes and heaving them off, offering her hand out to help pull the girl free and onto her feet once boxes were cleared. "I hope that guy gets nabbed soon!" She snorts angrily.
"And I suspect he isn't working alone, " Ro mutters, silently ticking things off on one hand momentarily. "One person couldn't have taken all of the items that have been going missing lately." She doesn't say anything else, however, taking a step back as everyone else crowds around to help Illiara up. The Weyrwoman's lips purse a little; an innocuous excursion for robes clearly went terribly awry. "Alright. If anyone else was injured besides Illiara, go to the infirmary and get ice and your cuts treated. Otherwise, you're all free to go. I'll have a Deygan wingrider accompany the headwomen in here tomorrow to move the baskets. It's too late to do anything with them now, especially after that - scare." Gesturing for those present to follow her out, she edges back toward the doorway.
Utaria frowns and slowly brushes off her clothing and she moves towards the doorway and out slowly. Her brows are drawn into a frown and she seems quite infuriated, her hands clenched tightly.
Hitomi moves toward the exit once shes sure her fellow Candidate is alright, the frying pan still grasped angrily in one hand. "Are you alright, WeyrWoman?" She tilts her head as she nears the exit, trying to calm down. Stress and exertions during pregnancy's don't mix well, she knows that much.
"I - yes, I'll be alright, " Ro replies distractedly, glancing briefly over at Hitomi's frying pan. "It sounded like you got him, there, " she says at last, managing a wan smile for the girl, "but I think you can put the pan down now. Anyway, I'll see you around." Now to find the stealthiest way to head back to her weyr - and to figure out how to tell Brevyn about the incident without worrying him.