a step toward the future [open]

[tovaana]

Ceela;

“Why, thank you captain.” She said with coy smile, batting her eye lashes in a playful manner. Her voice was a tad too dramatic to be taken seriously, and the man knew that well enough. His hand had been extended for her to use as she got off the boat and solid land felt weird after so long on rocky waters.

“You’re mighty welcome dear.” He said, watching her as she took a couple of awkward steps away.

“Woah…” The ground felt like it was moving. “I promise I’m not drunk…” She said, holding up a hand as she paused to let her body get a feel of unmoving wood. “Well, I’ll have to get used to that quickly…” It’d be no good if she couldn’t find a job because people thought she was tipsy. She looked back, remembering that the sailor behind her had her things. “Oh thank you, Jish!” She called as he tossed her her leather satchel with her things. “Oh-!” but it was too late to get closer and to brace herself for the impact.

She was on the ground as soon as she caught it, laughing as she went down – but she heard the captain yelling at Jish about being feather brained. “Oh, it’s alright, I’m alright.” She giggled, standing up and brushing herself off. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder.

The cool salty breeze that whistled through the cave also pulled at her plain blouse that was in need of a cleaning. She pushed a tangled curl behind her ear. It was tempting to just make it on her own outside, camp under the stars nearby for a couple of days… but she wasn’t sure what the thread schedule was, and sleeping on something softer and wearing something cleaner sounded appealing at the moment. With that thought she sighed, also aware that she’d need to find a job or role to play at the weyr in order to feed herself properly.

Ceela shifted the bag over her shoulder and continued down the docks, smiling at people passing and saying hello to every other person.

[Deleted]

Nehauka

Recent events were more disappointing than Nehauka had hoped: Just a few days after their arrival, so close to finally meeting Karredy again after Turns of scanty letters, and then rumors, and then nothing, the Moonflower's people arrived just in time to catch some form of the winter chills or fevers sweeping through the Weyrhold.

At least none of the illnesses were serious and the crew was welcome, though. The Weyrhold's population seemed low even for a newly-founded one, and Gerran had promptly assured her that once enough of the crew recovered, they could definitely use another ship for trading. "Just don't worry about fishing too much," he'd grumbled. "We have more than enough of that."

Another good part was that Aliki had recovered quickly--though as soon as she'd managed to stop sneezing after every sentence, it seemed the toddler had recovered her energy and then some; a quick walk around the harbor cave for fresh (if salty) air had inevitably turned into a runnerbeast race.

"Aliki! Where'd you go?" It was times like these that she was glad to be most men's height, because after a quick scan of the cave, she spotted some waist-high black curls speeding for the piers.

Being tall also helped her close the gap fairly quickly--and thankfully before Aliki ran into a wobbly-legged new arrival.

"Oh, love, don't get in her way!" Nehauka picked her up immediately and thanked Faranth that Aliki thought it was a game, giggling happily instead of protesting. Next, she waved in a mix of apology and greeting to the other young woman: "Sorry about that! She just got off a cold, and it's like she learned to go between from the dragons."

[tovaana]

Ceela;

There were many voices calling around the cavern, so she didn’t take particular note of the one calling after her daughter. That is, until bouncing dark curls almost crossed right in front of her. Then the voice’s call made a connection and she paused mostly out of reaction, even though the girl had been scooped up before she could technically be in the way.

She shifted the bag she had over her back and made a shrugging motion. “No need to be sorry! Nothing happened.” She smiled, winking at the toddler, who she assumed to be the daughter of the woman – or at least they looked enough alike to be related. “How old is she?”

She glanced ahead of her, and behind her – she really wasn’t sure where to go. It didn’t make her nervous though, just part of the journey. “So…I just got to Mavros… you wouldn’t by chance know your way around here…? I’m in need of a room and way to earn my keep around here…Could you point me in the direction of someone who could help me?”

[Deleted]

Nehauka
"She turned three a little while back," Nehauka said, tucking one of her own black curls behind her ear. “She hasn’t been too troublesome yet, so I’m hoping she takes after her brothers.”

Aliki squirmed for a better hold, and Nehauka almost missed the next part. “Oh, a new person! Well, I hope you like excitement; with all the talk about this place, things seem to be happening every other sevenday.” At least it seemed that the Southern Weyrs hadn’t cut off Mavros off like the Northern ones had, though with Nehauka’s own seafaring background, she knew this was too far off for too many trade routes. And on the way to Mavros itself, she’d gotten some unsettling warnings about pirates…

“I wouldn’t be much help for jobs yet. I just got here myself; we came here to find my husband’s family.” There, that was nice and logical; she made sure to keep the sting of why they'd come here off her face. “Maybe talk to Headwoman Shennah or her assistant Laurica? New Weyrhold and all--they’ll have more than enough jobs for whoever's looking.”

[tovaana]

Ceela;

Ceela loved children, for the most part. As long as she wasn’t put in charge of them, they got along fine, especially since they could usually follow her energy level. It had been disappointing growing up and watching her friends grow more ‘responsible’ and play less. Why could one not play and be an adult? It made her want to be ‘grown up’ even less.

The blonde grinned and shrugged at being announced as ‘new,’ hoping soon enough that she’d know enough to get around that she could guide the next termed as ‘new.’ Yet, even as she announced that Ceela was a new person, she herself admitted to be new – visiting family, or finding family as she termed it. Ceela was about to welcome the woman to Mavros as well – when she actually provided some helpful information…So new, but not so new. “Thank you!” She said with a broad grin, grateful for the information. “Yes, I do love exciting, sounds like my kind of place.” She actually hadn’t heard much about the place, so curiosity peaked, she couldn’t help but tack on a question.

“So, what talk about the place? I actually don’t know much about Mavros, besides it’s name. I’d love to learn a little more about my new home.” Yes, home, it made everything seem so much more official. She shifted her bags once more, less to shift the weight and more to move along some of the nervous and excited energy she had, despite the long boat journey over.

[Deleted]

Nehauka
Oh, asking about Mavros? Ceela must have been pretty far off to NOT hear about the new Weyrhold. Nehauka and Greym had heard plenty of stories about Mavros in general.

She shot a glance at Aliki--half of those rumors were hardly good for a toddler to hear--before she chuckled and put her back down. “Love, you can walk around as long as you can still see me,” she said. “I don’t want you to fall off the docks--the water’s very cold today, and you won’t like it.”

She didn’t know if it was true, but Aliki took after a nice portion of Nehauka’s side: If anything kept her away without question, it was the thought of being cold.

It worked like a charm--Aliki promptly retreated to the solid parts of the cavern docks, latching on to the games that the fishers' children were playing.

“Well, now for the stories,” Nehauka said to Ceela, and started a slow walk to the cave’s entrance. “Weyrwoman Oria was poisoned a few Turns back, and then their new Weyrleader D’ze was a fellis addict. Once Karredy’s gold Zalmaranth rose, A’zael became the Weyrleader, and… I’m not sure which order this is in, but he either got a weyrling or a new Candidate pregnant. They’re both awfully young for leadership, after all,” Nehauka mused. “Now, twenty-odd Turns is grown and A’zael’s a fine Weyrleader if he’s kept things going this long, but what I remember of my brother at that age, you can be the best sailor in the world and still fall apart once a pretty girl talks to you.”

She smiled, though the recounting made her a bit uneasy--how did Karredy respond to all this? As far as Nehauka heard, the Weyrwoman was always in the background or ill, and yet she didn't seem a weak presence so much as empty. Most of her rumors had a strange Karredy-shaped hole in them, lacking in personal drama but also lacking everything else--and before the North had cut off contact, there were a few rumors brewing that Karredy might have died (again). She paused to make sure Ceela was keeping up. “I suppose that’s a nice start for you, Ceela?” She chuckled. “And let me know if I’m walking too fast--I know you’ve got to get rid of those sea-legs.