Sejith's Weyr (#11544)
The black, glassy rock of the mountain opens into a wide, dark cave. The entrance is large enough to admit a sizeable dragon, but is not spacious in itself; in comparison, the rear of the cave is immense, emerging into a labyrinth of light and shadows and myriad reflections of glowlight on the faceted obsidian walls. Amid the rough rooms, large floes of granite and marble break up the otherwise unrelenting black, streaks of white and speckled grey to lend cheer and light. Near the mouth, shelves, hooks and a worn cabinet have been scrubbed and filled with riding equipment; a dark, closet-like formation glints with a tangle of jugs and copper tubing. A grey-walled room, up a small flight of natural steps, has been carved to shape, the floor swept and a wide, blanket-covered mattress spread upon the smoothed stone floor. At the back of the main cavern, a small stream flows silently through the darkness.
The south area, a low, sheltered study where the cave doubles back toward the surface, actually boasts a window which has been hewn large enough to hold the bronze shutters which, at the moment, rest unmounted on the floor. Surrounded by mica-veined marble, the roughly hexagonal nook is bright and sunny; a ray of hope that this place is once more livable.

T'rell, stretched out on the study rug, entertains Brencia with a colored wherhide ball. "Hey, look, Kae, she's catching on." Of course, that means he's abruptly pelted on the forehead with the ball, accompanied by a delighted giggle from the girl. "Oof," he grunts, reaching under the couch to retrieve the toy.

Kaeryn looks up from the fabric that's spread across her lap, needle stopping mid-motion, and gives both father and daughter a grin. "Sounds like that's something that'll leave a mark."

T'rell rubs his forehead dramatically, making a face at the toddler which she obviously finds very funny. "Oh, sure," he teases her, "Laugh it up. I'm the one who'll be scarred." He grins back to Kaeryn, though, as he tosses the light ball from hand to hand. "Here, 'Cia, show Mommy," he prompts, and at a bob of brown curls, tosses the ball to land in the girl's firm grasp. Of course she beams proudly at her accomplishment, and immediately wings the ball back at her father. "'Gain!" she demands.

Another laugh follows, and Kae's gaze shifts momentarily back to the fabric in her hands, gently folding it into a neat pile and setting it aside. "Wouldn't be the first time you were scarred, but it *would* look a little odd, having a large red circle on your forehead and all. Besides, *you* taught her to throw it, remember?"

T'rell winks mischievously as he tosses the ball back to Brencia with the encouraging instruction, "Throw it to Mommy this time."

Kaeryn holds her hands up before her face, protecting it from any flying balls or toys. "No no, love. Not to mommy. Mommy doesn't catch very well. That's Daddy's job." Fingers waggle in T'rell'd direction, pointing the ball back that way.

Brencia, unable to decide, just throws it. Gravity will choose between Mommy and Daddy. "'Gain!" And the wall bounces it back toward her, and she squeals with delight. "Bouncy-ball!"

T'rell chuckles, getting to his feet to chase after the ball as it bounces out into the main cavern. "See? We'll have her on firestone sacks in no time," he tells Kaeryn.

"Oh no 'we' won't," Kae shakes her head, giving T'rell a forced look of disapproval. "'We' won't have her anywhere *near* firestone sacks. I think you're big enough to toss your own sacks, don't you?" A smile dances its way onto her rosy lips, revealing the amusement she was trying desperately to hide.

"Fi-sto!" is Brencia's addition to the conversation, an abrupt exclamation that seems to delight more in itself and the word than in the meaning.

T'rell shrugs, bouncing the ball gently back to his daughter as he rejoins her on the rug. "Oh, I don't know, the fellows always tell me I could use a few more fingerlengths." His expression, too, tries to remain bland.

Kaeryn rolls her eyes skyward and shakes her head. "Why do I have a feeling we have a pre-impressed 'rider in her hands instead of a pre-apprenticed harper?" The question is asked, followed by an amused smile for both of the 'players' on the rug.

"By the First Egg, she'll probably turn out a smith," T'rell smiles back as he rolls the ball back and forth with Brencia who, in constant activity, alternates catching it and rolling it back with pouncing on it and throwing it at him.

"If she keeps this up, she'll definitely have the energy and strength for that job, so who's to stop her from doing it?" Kae replies with another eyeroll.

"'Gain!" Brencia demands of T'rell, who'd paused the game by holding onto the ball for a shred of a moment. Tossing it to her, he turns to reply to Kaeryn when he's again whacked with the ball on the side of the head. "Okay, Bren, that's enough bruises for today," he decides, picking himself up off the floor and returning the ball to a shelf.

"Looks like you've found a game she likes, though," Kae offers as a consoling thought, as if it would make the upcoming bruises not appear. "Which, to me, means you'll probably get to play it more often than you wish."

T'rell hands a quieter toy to his dissapointed daughter as he answers Kaeryn. "It's not like I don't encourage her," he points out ruefully. "She just gets too excited sometimes." The toddler's fingers work at the moveable sections of the toy, hurriedly reshaping it in her favorite ways.

"Gets it from her father, I would think," Kae replies before scooting across the floor and settling near their daughter. "But these sorts of toys are so much more soothing, don't you think? For both of us and for 'Cia."

"Huh," T'rell grunts in noncommittal response, seating himself on the couch. "So, what're you sewing over there, anyway?"

"Just fixing a hem for a dress that my dad bought for Bren," Kae replies, reaching out and affectionately mussing the little one's hair as she plays. "It's a little long, so I thought I'd do a temporary hem that can be pulled out when she's taller." A toddler sized dress of pale blue is lifted for all to see.

T'rell raises his eyebrows. "I didn't know you father sent that," he notes, nearly surprised. "When'd you hear from him?"

"Blue!" Brencia determines, then goes back to her toy.

"That's right! Blue!" Kae replies, giving the girl a proud beam of approval before turning her attention back to T'rell. "It just came this morning. G'rwin is the watchrider there, and father asked him to drop it off the next time he was here. He sent word that he's doing well, asked me to give you and Brencia his love, and wants to know when he can come for a visit."

T'rell considers the unexpected request with a shrug. "Anytime he wants, though I guess we might put a spare cot somewhere for him." He glances around. "And I'd better get those shutters in place." The Threadfall shutters have been waiting, and waiting.

"We'll wait until that's done, then, and I'll let him know that he's free to come whenever..." Kae pauses midthought and grins, "Maybe he could come for the Turnover Gather. Might as well be here for the fun, right? And I'm sure he wouldn't mind keeping her while I work."

T'rell grins at Kaeryn. "As long as he doesn't take up too many dances," he agrees conditionally, if jokingly. "Seriously, though, that'd be great if you think having him here won't put extra work on you."

"My father would never be extra work," Kae replies with a flip of her hand. "And he doesn't like to dance all that much, so if that's what you're worried about..." she gives him a wink as she gets up from her place on the floor. "I think he'd be more of a help than a problem, truly. And Bren will love spending time with him."

"She did take to him, didn't she?" T'rell grins, his expression pleased as he shifts his gaze to watch their daughter, now quieting, figure out her toy. "Fine, then. At Turnover, and I promise I'll put the shutters in."

"What can I say, he's good with girls," Kae replies with another grin as she slumps down onto the sofa beside him, "or I least I think he is. He raised me, after all."

"I've got no argument with the man," T'rell points out, resting his arm around Kaeryn's shoulders. "Seems to me he did just fine."

"I'd hope not," Kae replies dryly as she leans her head against T'rell's shoulder and gets comfortable.

Without stirring, T'rell contemplates. "I think maybe it's time to put our darling child to bed, don't you agree?" Said child looks up at her parents, all innocence, and discards her toy.

"Aww, but I'd rather just stay here and put myself to sleep," Kae replies with a soft whimper and a pout, both which would seem more natural were they coming from the toddler and not the mother.

T'rell leans a light kiss upon the top of Kaeryn's head. "I'll put you to bed as soon as we get Bren settled," he offers cajolingly.

Kae wrinkles her nose, but pushes herself to her feet anyway, stretching her arms up above her head and yawning tiredly. "It's entirely too early for me to be tired, but I guess I won't fight it. We'll all just make an early night of it."

"I'm sure we'll think of something to pass the time," T'rell agrees far too readily as he hoists Brencia up, straightening her jumper.

Already, the child is slowing down, yawning even though only a short while ago she was bouncing off the walls. T'rell tucks the quilt about her, his steps quieting as he moves aside. Sleepily, Brencia murmurs nonsense syllables at her parents.

Kaeryn leans over to plant a soft kiss on their daughter's forehead before following T'rell away from her bedside. "You're pretty good at this, you know that?" she whispers in his direction, a slightly teasing note in her voice.

T'rell turns the glowbasket in the study, leading Kaeryn quietly up the small flight of stairs to the bedroom alcove. Below, Sejith sighs softly at them, blue eyes glimmering in the shadows of his couch. "Me? Nah."

"Oh, but you are," Kae replies in an equally soft tone as she is lead away from the toddler's portion of the weyr and up into their bedroom. "Now, if we just had a playmate for her..." the comment is made but not finished, a soft laugh touching the end of the sentence and causing the words to trail off.

As if in answer, T'rell's fingers find and pop open the top fastening of Kaeryn's dress, caressing the small area of uncovered skin. "Well now, that's up to us, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Kae responds, her blue eyes twinkling mischeviously. "It's good for children to have playmates that are their own size, you know. Not that Sejith isn't a good playmate, or yourself for that matter." A small step moves her a tiny bit closer to T'rell and she lifts her hand to brush against his arm.

The second fastening now loosed, T'rell raises an eyebrow. "Word has it that Zoryanth might be rising soon." He grins, teasing, then moves to cover the last glowbasket, only dim light seeping through the translucent quartz to barely illumine his form.

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