Baby, It's Cold Outside

Writers: Emma, Heather, Jelena, Miriah, Paula
Date Posted: 28th October 2014

Characters: T'lat, Ninaine, Genna, D'kere, E'naer, L'ger, N'call, O'kar
Description: The Weyrlings suffer through the blackout.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 13 of Turn 7

T'lat

Ninaine

Genna

N'call

Shuddering, Ninaine had been forced out of the chill of her weyr and
into the Lower Caverns. Her small little brazier didn't give out
enough heat to allow her to rest comfortably. Rubbing her arms, she
hovered near the fire, soaking up the heat and listening to Luneth
complain about having to be separated from her.

}: You can cuddle with me in our weyr, Mine. My ledge has blankets and
you can stay under my wing. Why do you have to go in there? It's cold
out here. :{ Luneth's voice was disgruntled.

**I have to help get firewood and the lower caverns staff.** Ninaine
raised her hands to the fire, warming her fingers. **You'll have to
find someone to cuddle with out there, Luneth.** As much as she hated
to suggest it, it would be the easiest way to keep Luneth warm as
well. **Maybe Faucheth needs to cuddle. Go ask her.**

}: Fine...I don't like this. I don't like this at all.:{

Faucheth was whining at T'lat as well. Not about the same things but
about being cold. **Go to the hatching grounds,** he told her. **The
sands are warm there.**

"Hey Ninaine," he said coming in all bundled up. "I sent Fau to the
hatching grounds since the sands are warm there. I don't know if
Chioneth will send them away but I thought it was worth a shot."

**The others are going to the Hatching Cavern for warmth. Why don't you join
them?** Genna suggested as she joined the other two weyrlings for their
firewood duty, shivering heavily under her thick layering of clothes.

}: I'm not going where another gold has her clutch. It's not proper. :{
Lissath replied curtly, hiding further under her blankets as her eyes
whirled with annoyance.

"Lissath refuses to go to the sands," Genna sighed as she too held her hands
over the fire, determined not to be scared away by the likeliness that
Ninaine didn't want her there.

O'kar checked his brown but Mordoth was seemed to be unaffected the cold.
The young brown was facinated by the snow flakes, which kept falling from
the sky. **If you're fine here, I'll join the rest in in lower caverns,**
O'kar said.

}: I can always call you,:{ Mordoth replied, pushing around the snow piling
on the ledge with his snout.

"Okay," the weyrling brownrider shook his head and headed out. He came in
right after Genna.

"Hi all," he greeted. "Is everyone okay?" He was himself wearing mittens,
wool cap, scarf around his neck and his thickest jacket.

"We'll all be better soon," L'ger emerged carrying a tray with a klah
pitcher and some mugs. "The fire in the kitchen is always going overnight
for anyone who needs some klah,. and I though we did."

Luneth seemed to waver at following Faucheth. }: Can't you come too?
It is far away. :{

**I'll stay warmer in here right now, okay? Just keep talking to me if
you're worried.** Ninaine didn't answer anyone immediately, too
involved in her conversation with Luneth. **Just go, Luneth. I'll be
fine. **

}: No touches? :{ Luneth pressed.

Ninaine stifled a sigh. **No touches. I promise.** Feeling Luneth
finally assent, she glanced up at her peers and then back down to the
flames. The smell of klah finally caught her attention and pulled her
mentally away from the warmth for a moment. "Thank you, L'ger. " Her
voice was softly polite as she took a cup and then handed one to
T'lat.

"Thanks," T'lat said as he took the cup and wrapped his fingers around
it. He knew the heat would dissipate soon enough but he enjoyed the
warmth to his fingers and face.

"Hi everyone," N'call said as he came into the room. He'd just
finished his night watch on the heights and began unwinding the
scarves from his neck. "Haloth says if your lifemates are cold they
can come to his ledge, he has room and will protect them from the
worst of the wind. I think Onnyth with do the same." Then he reached
for the klah and a cup of his own.

T'lat's gaze darted quickly to Ninaine and then back down to his cup
with a tiny smirk.

>From the Hatching Sands a disgruntled and alarmed bugle rang as a livid
Chioneth hissed at the weyrling dragons who were at the entrance to the warm
hatching sands.

}:Get out! The warm sands are for the protection of my eggs only! Your hides
are already made for /between/! Go find your own ledges!:{ Chioneth
snarled. }:Nirreth? Where are you?:{ the Queen demanded.

The moment N'call appeared, Ninaine shrunk behind her peers. The heightened
color of her cheeks could have been explained away by a sudden cold breeze,
but the fact that her face was set firmly towards the fire and decidedly
_not_ answering N'call's offer was left unanswered.

}: Run! :{ Already well acquainted with snarling older dragons, and not
wanting yet another chastisement, Luneth scampered away from growling gold
and without pause, leapt into the air to wing her way back to the entrance
of the Dining Cavern, settling down with a snap of her wings. She curled up
tightly, her eye on the door. }: Mine, lets go home. I wanna go back to our
weyr. :{

Nirreth's angry roar echoed thru the Weyr. }: Leave my mate and eggs
alone!:{ He flew down to join Chioneth in the Hatching Sands, settling down
to guard the entrance.

"L'ger, you're a lifesaver," O'kar said when he took a mug from the tray.
He winced when he heard Nirreth's roar, although it wasn't directed to his
Mordoth. The brown was still playing with snow.

"Mordoth doesn't seem to be bothered by the cold," he remarked. "Oh,
and the winter lake is heated by hot springs, so it's warm if your
dragons are
feeling cold."

"That's where I sent Sondrath," L'ger said, as he found somewhere to put the
tray down and fill his own hot drink. "Hopefully he won't bother too many
people."

}: Told you so :{ Lissath told Genna smugly as she heard of the angry gold
chasing away her clutchmates. }: It's not right. :{

"I think Lissath is only bothered by the cold because I am," Genna smiled,
purposefully ignoring the tension between N'call and Ninaine as she took a
mug from L'ger with a thankful smile. "You'd think growing up in Amber
Hills, I'd get used to the cold. But I'll take a sunny day anytime."

"I agreed to that," O'kar said. He was weyrbrat himself. "I wish we could
get away. My pa took my mom and younger siblings and her fosterlings to this
abandoned seahold he knows of. Somewhere where it's always warm," he
sounded envious and wistful.

"First restday we're seniors, we're hitting the beach," L'ger said. "Right?"

"I'm in," O'kar agreed.

E'naer came in. "You people okay?" he checked. "And please, don't let
your dragon aggravate Chionath any more, please," he asked with pained
expression.

Faucheth had become a shivering bump of terror down by the lake with
the others and T'lat wanted to go to her but he had to remain where he
was. He tried to sooth her as best he could from where they were. "Yes
sir," he said to the tall greenrider.

D'kere laughed as he stepped in, tugging the leather gloves from his
fingers and blowing warm air into his cupped hands, "I would not envy
Nirreth at this point." The Weyrlingmaster's Second glanced around at
the gathering of Weyrlings, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but
you guys need to get started on the wood. The Weyrwoman and Headwoman
want us to deliver wood first to the creche and foster mothers, and
then next to the retired dragonmen who are unable. If we have a few
people chopping wood, we can have others loading carts, and then
others delivering the wood."

"Does anyone here have exprience chopping wood?" D'kere didn't want to
waste time out in the cold with someone who had never swung an axe.

"No, Sir, none whatsoever," Genna confessed quickly. Her mother would
surely have died if she'd ever lifted an axe back at Amber Hills and
wood chopping hadn't featured heavily in their training.

T'lat simply raised his hand. He'd lived most of his life at
Dragonsfall and been though this drill before. He might be small and
slim but he'd swung an axe and had manage to keep from hurting
himself.

O'kar shook his head. "Sorry, no experience."

At this point, though she was cold, she would have done anything to
get away from the feeling of N'call's eyes boring into her back.
Ninaine rose stiffly, sniffled through a running nose and turned. "I
don't, but I'll learn. I'll help T'lat, if he can show me what to do."

"If they don't need me in the kitchens I can help," L'ger said. From
previous experience he knew that they would be out to produce as much hot
food as possible to warm people up.

D'kere nodded at L'ger and T'lat, and then turned his eyes to Ninaine,
"Actually, Ninaine, I would like you to help with carrying the
firewood into the creche. I will need all the strong arms I can get
with the firewood." It wasn't that D'kere didn't believe that women
could chop wood, but it seemed illogical to have strong boys carrying
wood and slight females chopping.

"O'kar, now is the perfect time for you to learn how to chop." The
Weyrlingmaster's second then looked to Genna, "And Genna, you will be
in charge of the groups that will be delivering wood to the retired
dragonriders that are disabled."

He looked around to the rest of the gathered Weyrlings, "Everyone head
outside, if you are not one of the ones chopping then you need to join
Ninaine and Genna in carrying wood."

N'call ignored Ninaine after his first look but nodded at D'kere.
"I'll help you boys," he said to T'lat and L'ger. It's not like I
haven't done this before." He didn't want to go out in the cold any
more than the rest of them but the weren't getting warm anytime soon
unless he did. "I'll make sure the infirmary already has their fires
lit. I think they keep a supply just in case. If not we'll get a load
to them right off."

"Yes, sir," O'kar replied. "At least you'll get warm doing it," he
continued with an easy going grin.

"Alright then," T'lat said with a small smile at Ninaine. "The sooner
we start the sooner we finish," he shrugged his jacket on and began
bundling up for the weather outside by the stockpiles.

Last updated on the November 2nd 2014

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Baby, It's Cold Outside