Main Beach (#1538)
This long stretch of white sandy beach is one of the main gathering spots at Ista Hold. A large uprooted tree, felled in the big storm, makes for a great bench, for people or firelizards alike. To the east, the crystal blue waters of the Hold cove roll up in gentle waves onto the beach, hissing softly as they ebb and flow.
To the south, Ista Hold juts out of the cliff. Just west of here, a low bluff leads up to the grassy field that serves as the Hold's main gather grounds. Beaches stretch away to the north and south.

Katja reaches nder her arm to find a winskin and tosses it on the ground along with a blanket. "This looks like a nice spot!" she declares, waving to Kaeryn and Kierna. "G'day!" she calls over to Audia & company.

From the shallows of the beach, Saki hisses as best a dolphin can and cackles. "Nono! No touch me! HelP! help! Saki heard you! Saki haff ears!" rolling belly up in the shallows, he clicks and chirps, floating around.

In Kae's arms, Brencia squeals happily the moment they reach the beach, to which Kae relents, settling her little one on the sand, 'Cia immediately squirming away to play in a nearby patch of sand. Kae laughs, nodding to Katja, "As good a place as any!"

Torlan trods along in and joins the ever-growing Harper crowd. With much flourish, he finds a nice patch of sand to plop onto. He gives Katja and her demons one look, rolls his eyes, then laughs.

From the shallows of the beach, Saki flips right side up and sprays water into the air. "Saki no bite. Saki not a wherry! Hey! Heeeyyyy peoples! Help Saki! Help Saki! Saki ring bell! Make all Massers come and feed you to draggies!" cackle cackle. Phins do have a wicked sense of humor too...

Katja swings her guitar around from her back to her front. It's more useful there. With a wink to Torlan she strums a chord, starting to tune her instrument.

As graceless as a woman can be, Lyne tumbles haphazardly from the perch atop of her lifemates back to land in the sand with a light thud. "I'm alright." she murmurs, as if someone was about to ask anyway, blinking fiercely before landing that lop-sided grin upon her face. Patting her lifemate's side, she waggles her eyebrows as she meanders towards the 'old' Harper crowd. "What have we here?"

Lyne slides over Magnolth's slimming girth before landing on the ground with a light thud.

From Djarreth's neck, Kita slaps her hand on her thigh, not particularly sympathetic to Lyne's predicament as she laughs loudly. "Great dismount, Lyne! And to think that once you were my WeyrlingMaster..."

Kierna meanders onto the beach, stretching her long legs as she walks. Spotting the harper crowd she gives a wave "G'afternoon"

Torlan leans over and gives a big hearty two-handed wave to Lyne. He gives an odd to wink to her lifemate and then invites her over. "Hey! Informal get-together, I suppose." Serendipitously, he happens to have a set of well-worn pipes, and grabs them from his side.

Kae can't help but giggle, shaking her head in amusement at Lyne's 'graceful entrance'. "Been hitting the skin already today, Lyne, my dear?" she teases, motioning for the rumpled 'rider to join the party as well. "'Cia! Don't go to the water!" she pauses from her teasings long enough to keep an eye on her little one. Being a mother comes first now...right? "So, Katja has the music *and* the wine?"

Katja shakes her head side to side in mock disapproval as she looks at Lyne, "Nice to see you, dear... have you been in the wine already today?" she asks with a grin. Just as soon as the mentions the wonderous drink, she decides to lean over, pick up her wine skin and takes a nice gulp off of it. Then she holds it out, in case anyone else felt the need to quench their thirst. "Wine? Wine...?" she asks. To Kaeryn, she responds, "If age, and Jaril, taught me anything, it is to be prepared."

Djarreth turns his great head, hearing a voice a lot more high pitched than normal. Carefully moving one leg and then the other, being sure not to knock anyone over, he approaches the water. "Hey wait Dja! I want to dismount first!" Hastily, Kita unbuckles her straps, desperately trying to get off her dragon's back before her leathers get wet. Finally she succeeds, and manages a dismount similar to Lyne's. That'll teach her to laugh at other's follies.

"Hey! I can still make you lug around a sack of firestone yet!" Lyne calls jestingly over her shoulder as she continues to wipe the pristine sands from her leathers. Not that it matters, anyhow, for upon seeing Torlan she sends herself skidding into the sand by him. "Heyya Tor." she greets cheerfully, all sense of titles flying away on the breeze. Nevermind that all these people are her elders too... "Aye." she says simply to Kaeryn, flashing a wink towards the woman before grinning as she watches the little girl wander off. Watching this, she also catches Kita's unfortunate fall and begins to laugh herself.

From the shallows of the beach, Saki circles around. "Hihi Draggie! Me Saki. What your name? Want some fiss?"

Kaeryn holds out a hand, trying her best to look very serious and thirsty. "I'm in need of more than just a sip or two, I believe, so hand it over!" Lips are licked, and then smacked before the artist sprawls haphazardly in the sand, head lifted just enough to keep an eye on the little one that toddles across the beach, stuffed dragon in hand.

From the shallows of the beach, "Save?" A dolphin in their element needs saving? Spreading his wings for floatation, Djarreth gently glides out towards the dolphin, blowing small bubbles towards him/her as he approaches.

Katja takes a deep breath and hurriedly rushes the wine over to Kaeryn, "On such a hot day as this, you shouldn't be left without a drink!" she declares. Then she reaches in the bag on her shoulder and pulls out another wineskin for herself. Another few gulps disappear down her throat.

Torlan scoots over for Lyne and eyes Kaer and Kats, knowing very well what will happen over the next three hours, and not wanting to miss a moment of the... 'events.' "So, Lyne, I haven't seen you around the Weyr lately. WHat's been happening?"

From the shallows of the beach, Saki circles around the dragon and chirps. "Hihi! Want some fissies?" ducking underwater, he brings up a tasty one, letting it float over toward him on its side.

Kaeryn accepts the wineskin with a gracious grin and flips it open, taking a nice long pull of the liquid. Eyes slip closed to help the harper enjoy the flavor, which ends in a happy 'ah!'. Blue orbs are revealed again when her lazy eyes open and she gazes around at the group, "I'm beginning to wonder what all the apprentices are up to, with all of the 'teachers' out having a little fun. Ah," she waves her hand, flicking the idea away, "let them have their fun while we have ours."

From the shallows of the beach, As a weyrling, dragons are given fish to eat until they can stomach red meat. But it has been a long time. Rumbling gratefully, Djarreth sticks his tongue out and laps up the fish, the amphibious creature dwarfed by the enormous dragon's maw. With a deft movement of his head, Djarreth flips it into the air and swallows it.

"Can't drink wine right now, actually." Gasp and horrors! Reason why is kept to herself, yet that doesn't mean she doesn't eye the wineskins without her mouth watering. Swallowing thickly, she looks about the group, smiling broadly as her auburn gaze lands upon her once upon a time mentor. "I've been stuck up in my weyr for most of the time, tending to...well, the twins." Smile grows fond before she chuckles, the apples of her cheeks slightly flushing.

From the shallows of the beach, Saki squees. "Don't eat Saki! Saki notta fiss!" bringing up some more fish, he gnaws them into submission with his little teeth, then lets them float over to the dragon. Gruesome, but the only way.

"Twins for the lady that scowled the last time I spoke to her about children," Kae teases a little more, unable to let Lyne get away without a little harassment. "How old are they now? We'll have to plop them in a room with 'Cia and let them play when they're all a little older." Bah, enough talk about little ones, but Kae does take a moment to look towards her daughter, just to make sure she's nearby.

Katja frowns. When'd all the youngin's end up with kids. "Hey -- Torlan... You don't have kids, do you?" she screams over to the harper. She drinks a bit more wine while she waits for an answer.

Torlan smirks at all the kiddie-talk. "No, not that I know of?" He winks, smiles, and watches the wineflask be passed around...

From the shallows of the beach, Saki cackles merrily and rolls onto his belly. "Draggie do dis?" he asks, clicking, his tail slapping against the water, sending little eddies in all directions.

Ooooh boy, there she goes. That's all Kaer had to say...Lyne's cheeks flush brightly with carnation as she looks down, half proud, half sheepish. "They're about three months old now. Tegran's watching over them for me right now." she pauses, chuckling lightly. "Probably fell asleep with 'em." Letting the listening crowd deduct who's the father, the bluerider now smiles fondly once more. As she's approached by Calianna, she turns around and smile. "Hi!" she greets cheerfully.

Torlan smiles and turns to Lyne. "Congrats! How did I miss hearing? I really /have/ been in my cave too long. How old are they no? Boy/boy? Girl/Girl? Boy/Girl?"

Kita grins indulgently towards her dragon, and quickly strips off her jacket, throwing it over a tree branch nearby. "Just going to give Djarreth a bath, you guys!" Kita calls out, waving backwards as she runs. "Feel free to join me if you like...there's certainly enough of him.."

Kae glances at the others. Oh, we're passing the wine, right. And the wineskin is passed along to the next person to take. "Oh, don't worry, Lyne. I wasn't planning on children at the time, but here's 'Cia, and she's almost a turn and a half now. Leave it to T'rell, and there will be quite a few more. He's from a big family." Torlan is given an amused glance and a wink is tossed Katja-wards, "Aren't the two of you ready to bring little ones to the 'craft. Not together, of course, unless you *want*." Ooh, maybe living with a bronzerider has been bad for this little harper.

"Two boys. Scenley and Ranly." Lyne nods towards Torlan, her eyes glimmering as the names roll off her tongue sweetly. "Magnolth loves 'em. Been waiting for 'em for Turns now." she snickers before turning back towards Callianna kindly. "The cothold? Just take that path over there, past the smithcraft, and you'll see it." Grinning, she points out the path, winks lightly, then turns back towards Kaer, laughing loudly with her suggestion for Torlan and Kat.

Katja's blue-green eyes suddenly blink very hard. "Torl... Me...?" she asks Kaeryn in a very surprised voice. "Um, well, I think my husband might find that objectionable, but you never know?" she answers. "It is sort of quiet now that Mandarin's gone back to stay with his mother again, though." She sighs quietly, apparently quite sad about the loss of her fosterling.

From the shallows of the beach, Djarreth towers over the dolphin, his blue eyes gleaming as he appraises his antics. Them carefully folding his wings across his back, Djarreth wades out into deeper water and rolls over onto his back. Spreading his wings to keep afloat, he suddenly raises his tail and brings it crashing down, creating massive waves that swamp his rider trying to swim over towards him.

Torlan raises a brow... "Kids? I doubt it. Neither of us are two keen on children, and I feel like the apprentices are enough like kids for me!" He winks and contemplates taking a sip...

From the shallows of the beach, Saki cackles happily. "Yay draggie!" he says, splashing away, "Splash! Splash!"

Kaeryn covers her mouth with a hand, trying to stifle the giggles that threaten to erupt from her mouth, quite unsuccessfully. "The best way to make enlarge the craft is by crafters having little ones, right?" Ahem. Anyway. "Sorry, I'll admit that maybe I just want everyone else to have little 'bundles of joy' to keep up with so I'm not the only one so exhausted." A dramatic yawn is her way of showing just how 'exhausted' she is.

Suddenly, a scrawny looking bronze firelizard appears above Lyne's head, blinking for a moment before chittering towards his pet. "No rest for the weary..." she murmurs, slightly apologetic as she stands. "Seems like two is one too many for Teg. It was nice seeing you all." Passing a wave towards them, she heads off towards her lifemate, the bronze still twittering above her head.

Torlan considers bundles of joy to be bundles of terror, himself. "I dunno. Kids have never been a big priority for me, and if I have 'em they probably won't be Harpers, seeing as how I'd rather not have my work and home collide."

From the shallows of the beach, Saki may be happy, but Kita is not. "Djarret- blubblub," she chokes, arms flailing as she struggles to keep her head above the turbulent water, "do you mind? I'm not a dolphin..." Again the brownrider goes under, one hand revealed above the choppy surface. Crooning in consternation, Djarreth attempts to right himself quickly, talons poised as if to bodily pluck his rider from the sea.

From the shallows of the beach, Saki floats over. "Saki float person! Whee!" offering his dorsal fin to her for support, he floats next to the rider.

Katja looks Torlan over, from head to toe and back again. "Hrmmm.." she ponders. "Perhaps we could just foster them out? And then bring hem back when they're old enough to hold a guitar?" She waggles her eyebrows at Torlan suggestively.

From the shallows of the beach, It seems everything is a game to these creatures. Head still underwater, Kita's hand flails around uselessly, attempting to get a grip on something. Thankfully, Saki's dorsal fin is nearby, and Kita's hand whacks against it hard, fingers instinctively gripping around the rubbery surface. Thinking she's grabbed her dragon, Kita hauls herself up, only to see she has a dolphin in hand. "D..Dolphin? Djarreth look, I...I can't hold onto you!" Kita gasps, now actually managing to keep her head above water since the waves begin to diminish slightly.

Torlan laughs heartily. "That certainly sounds like a good idea. B'sides, Weyrspawn, as I like to refer to them, are often fostered off. It's tradition!" He pauses, glances at Kaer and waits until she's looking away again, and says, in a lower voice, "Perhaps we can even get Kaer to foster them!"

"Just don't send them my way," Kae holds up both of her hands as if to fend the children off. "I haven't time to keep up with my own little darling and do my work. Keeping up with little Torlan children..." Eyes are rolled skyward as if she's going to faint from exhaustion."

From the shallows of the beach, Saki squees and darts off, with Kita in tow. "Ow! Ow! Owwwww!" zooom, he tows her out in a big circle, squealing.

Katja nudges the wineskin back over to Kaeryn, while stage-whisering to Torlan, "Perhaps if she drinks enoug hof this, we could get her to agree to it!" From her own wineskin, she takes another drink. "Ask not what the Harpers can do for you, but which Harper you can do for the good of the craft," she proclaims.

From the shallows of the beach, Kita squeals too, but in surprise as the creature under her hand suddenly takes off. Fingers grip tighter, until the brownrider begins to relax, a grin spreading across her face. "Djarreth! Ya gotta try..oh ah no, of course not," she amends, giggling at her ridiculousness. Catching onto his rider's enthusiasm, Djarreth raises himself to his haunches, bugling into the sky.

Kaeryn bursts into a fit of giggles, clutching her side as she rolls over in the sand. "Faranth, Katja. Really!" she exclaims with a disbelieving shake of her head. "Don't use *me* as an excuse for your husband when you have *his*," a finger is pointed at Torlan, "child."

Katja plops down into thesand next to Kaeryn and plucks at her gitar again. "I kinda miss Mandarin, actually. It's weird not having him around after all of these years."

"You get dependent on people when they're around all the time," Kae nods her understanding and gives Katja a sympathetic smile. "Even with it being a fosterling, I'm sure it's the same. I may not have been suited for being at Tillek, but I still miss that silly harper." Shoulders are lifted into a shrug and she shakes her head. Who would thunk it?

Katja nods at Kaeryn, "Absolutely. And I guess, somewhere deep inside, I guess I kinda thought I'd get to keep him forever. It's sort of sudden to just lose him. But he's best off with his mom and dad and everything." But she doesn't sound too sure of it.

Tolia wanders up quietly. "I heard you were out here, Kae. Hi," she adds to Katja and Torlan as she joins the group.

Kae reaches out and reclaims the wineskin, taking a quick drink to dampen her mouth once again. Rolling back into a seated position, she gives Oli a wave and holds out the 'skin, "Have a drink? Katja brought plenty, and I'm sure *I* won't be drinking it all." Not after the last time, anyway. Her gaze shifts for a moment, checking Brencia's position and relaxes when she finds her nearby, making sand piles.

Torlan turns to Tolia and nods. "Hey! Yeah, Katja's just been tempting me with the 'skin here, and Kaer's been ranting about the joys of parenting." He rolls his eyes in a mock fashion and winks at Katja.

"Sure, what kind is it?" Oli accepts the skin, sitting herself beside her mentor. "Ranting? Surely," the younger journeywoman insists with a straight face, to her credit, "our dear Kaeryn wouldn't be *ranting* about her beloved daughter." Innocent, she simply blinks to Torlan.

"The good stuff of course," Kae replies, handing over the skin of Benden White. "Ooh, excuse me!" she exclaims, leaping to her feet and running after her toddler, who has chosen to scramble water-wards. "No 'Cia! No swimming without me!" she calls out just before scooping the little one into her arms and returning to the blanket. Once there, she deposits the squealing child into Tolia's arms, "And the joys of aunt-hood?"

Tolia grins as Brencia is dumped on her. "Cousin-hood, you mean," she corrects Kaeryn, bouncing the baby on her knee to distract her from the lure of the surf. "And how is my little cousin?" she asks the girl playfully, complaining, "I haven't seen you all day because of my mean old schedule."

Sighing, Kae nods, admitting her mistake, "Forgive me. This lack of sleep is beginning to wiggle my knowledge about about, leaving me clueless." With a grin, she flops down to the sand and closes her eyes. "I think I *need* a nanny."

Tolia keeps Brencia occupied by tickling while she converses with the girl's mother. "I'm sure you can get a good one," she suggests. "How about Nherys' kids, she must have someone looking after them while she works, right?"

"I just don't know how she'd take it," Kae admits sadly, shaking her head. "She misses T'rell enough as it is. If I wander off during the day, leaving her with a nanny.."

"Then she'll cry for a day and get over it when she realizes you come back," Oli reasons. "Back home, all the kids got dumped with a couple of aunts and got over it soon enough." She grins toothily. "And look how I turned out."

There goes Kae's number one excuse as to why she keeps Brencia herself instead of allowing someone else to do it. "But what if *I* miss her?" the real reason is admitted with a sheepish grin.

Tolia giggles. "You'll cry for the first day and get over it when you realize you get her back," she counter-reasons, tugging lightly at Brencia's hair.

Kaeryn laughs and reaches out to nudge Tolia with a finger, "What can I say? I miss her daddy too, so giving her up will be that much harder." Forcing a frown, she tries to show her unhappiness, struggling to not allow a smile to break the mood.

Tolia frowns intently back at Kaeryn, mimicking and exaggerating the expression mutely.

Kaeryn does a very mature thing, turning her head just enough to stick her tongue out at Tolia. "Just wait until *you* have children and someone that you love and have to *leave* them."

Tolia shifts the girl on her lap, letting the baby have a good look at the ocean again without allowing her to actually move in that direction, despite her stretches and protestations. "Eh, I'm not gonna have kids. I'll just play with yours."

"Or I could just let *you* be my nanny," Kae replies, a mischevious glint appearing in her eyes. "That way Brencia will be with someone she loves, and you'll see what it's like to be a mom?" Yeah, that's a good way to convince Oli that she wants children of her own. As if. "Then again, maybe we'll just let you visit with them when they're in good moods." They?

"They?" Oli ain't gonna let that one slip by. She raises and eyebrow and grins, gentle hands effectively restraining Brencia's attempts at forward motion, much to the small girl's dismay. "I tell ye, they don't give me any time to even meet guys, let alone get to like any of 'em," she complains to Kaeryn with a roll of her eyes.

"They?" Kae repeats, realizing that she did, indeed, use that word. "Well, I'm sure there will be at least one more, eventually," she replies wistfully before shaking her head. "Trust me, I understand. I barely have time to take care of myself, much less see the people I want."

"Yeah, but once you finish your dolphineer training, that'll change, right?" Brencia leans back against Tolia's body suddenly, her interest taken by the journeywoman's earrings.

"Hopefully," Kae nods her head in hopefully agreement as she, once again, adjusts her position in the sand, trying to get comfortable. "If the masters don't find something else to fill my time."

Tolia winces as she removes grasping fingers from her left earring; they pinch. "Ow, Bren, those aren't for pulling on..." especially since they're small and swallow-able. "You just tell those masters that you're going back to the Weyr, and that's that." A satisfying prospect, given how little say this young woman has as far as her assignments go.

"Oh sure, just tell them, 'I'm sorry, but there's this man at the weyr that I want to be with. No, he isn't my husband, but he is my daughter's father, so I have to go there. Nope, not doing your work'?" Kae replies with a roll of her eyes. "I was told that I'll be able to return, but if something comes up between now and then, there isn't much I can do but obey."

Tolia shrugs, hugging Brencia for as long as the squirmy toddler will allow. "Aw, they'll listen to you. You've actually got some seniority, you know." Unlike some *other* journeypeople around here. "They let other harpers stay with their families."

"I hope so, because I can't stand the idea of not being able to go back to the weyr," Kae admits softly, reaching out to touch her daughter's hand.

Tolia suddenly grins slyly, not pointing out to Kaeryn the new arrival to the beach. "Not that I don't like having you guys here."

T'rell jogs, as quietly and quickly as possible, across the beach, having landed a distance away from the gathering. Creeping up on the conversation...

Brencia suddenly beams and points a small, chubby finger up and behind her mother, giving an excited squeal.

Kae releases another wistful sigh as she tilts her chin up toward the sky, admiring the stars as they slowly begin to appear in the darkness above them. "I can't help it, I miss him..." at the sudden announcement, she turns her head, eyes opening wide as she sees the sneaking form.

T'rell breaks into a broad smile as he's spotted. "Howdy, stranger." He covers the remaining distance in barely a moment's time, unrushed but glad, and he kneels beside Kaeryn, slipping an arm easily around her shoulders as he reaches out a hand to grasp his daughter's pointing finger gently.

Tolia giggles softly. "We were just talking about you," she tells the rider, eyes dancing merrily as her gaze flicks back to Kaeryn.

"We were just talking about you," Kae whispers quietly, repeating Tolia's statement, her arms moving to cover the one that's wrapped around her. "Oli and I were, that is, 'Cia was just burbling about Oli's earrings. "Come to take us away, or come to stay the night?"

Tolia clears her throat, forestalling any immediate answer as she shifts the baby off of her lap. "I've got some, uh, tests to grade," she excuses herself with a slightly smug, knowing air lurking beneath that casual exterior. She stands, brushing sand from her slacks and steadies Brencia's toddling steps toward T'rell.

T'rell chuckles at his neice's reaction; "Well, we've got some time to decide," he tells Kaeryn, pulling an enthusiastic daughter onto his supporting knee. "I'm off the rest of the night and tomorrow morning. So, what's your druthers?"

"Good night, Oli," Kae calls out quietly before her friend leaves, her attention turning to watch their daughter scamper across the blanket and into T'rell's waiting arms. "Well, on one hand," she lifts a hand, showing which hand that would be, "you're here, so it seems logical to stay right? But on the other hand," opposite hand is wiggled, "if we go back to the weyr, I won't have apprentices bothering me."

"Up to you," T'rell replies equably, settling down crosslegged into the sand. "You could surprise Ali if you wanted," he suggests, then winks. "Or we could just keep the time to ourselves."

"And good evening to you, dear friend," Kae greets the large bronze dragon with a soft voice and an affectionate smile before shifing her position on the blanket to allow herself to lean into T'rell's stronger form, nuzzling her head against his. "It is her Turnday, I could stop in and give her the gift I bought."

"She's been getting all kinds of gifts today," the rider replies cryptically, pausing to just smile at Kaeryn for a long moment, eyes shining in the glow of the first rising moon. "How about we go see her after ... dinner?" T'rell proposes, hoisting Brencia up to give her better access to his knot, which becomes a handy chew-toy.

"After dinner it is, then," Kae agrees, her lips curling upwards into a sweet 'T'rell only' smile. "We've been missing you, you know," the harper points out, touching her daughter's hand. "How about the three of us head up to the hall so she and I can show you the new things we've done with our room?"

T'rell rises only after he borrows a kiss from Kaeryn, for later repayment. With his daughter still occupied with his shoulder knot, he helps Kaeryn up from the blanket. "I'd like to see the room," he nods in reply.

Kaeryn gathers herself up from the sandy ground and, after slipping her hand into his, leads T'rell and Brencia back to the hall.

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