The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) 1967.
The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

This is a log of roleplay on PernMUSH, available online by permission of
Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern novels, and recorded by A.S. Korra'ti
(piper@murkworks.net), player of Mehlani of Telgar Weyr on PernMUSH.
This log may be distributed freely as long as this header remains intact.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Log Date: 12/17/96
Log Cast:
	Tay, F'hlan, Jehrina, M'kla, Kethran, Skye, Jalimax, C'vadan,
Rylan
Log Intro:
	For several months now, F'hlan, bronze Tzornth's rider, has had
a quiet weyr to live in; his mate Melora has continued on active duty at
the Harper Hall, their youngest child Anra has been living with her
mother, and their oldest child Fahloran has joined the Healercraft. This
has left F'hlan with only his dragon, his fire lizards, and his and
Melora's middle child Mehlani for regular company, though neither father
nor daughter has objected to this in the least. Indeed, F'hlan and
his daughter have spent quiet time together, caring for Tzornth and the
fire lizards, F'hlan letting Mehlani help him sort important records or
teaching her how to play his flute, and the like.
	F'hlan has observed that Mehlani spends a fair amount of time
in the beasthold, frequently takes lunches or dinners with her young
friend Devlin, or else roams the Weyr in solitary exploration with her
pet feline and her own little bronze fire lizard. He's known, too, that
the new Weyrharper at Benden has coaxed his daughter into dropping in
on classes she holds for the Weyr children. But what F'hlan hasn't yet
learned is Skye's opinion of his daughter....

----------
You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.
Benden Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$)
This huge cavern is sufficently roomy to hold a large portion of the Weyr's 
  population without feeling cramped. There's always a bustle of activity 
  here. Fragrant dishes are constantly in prepartion for mealtimes: currently 
  for the mid-day meal. Drudges are always present, either cleaning under 
  Salless' watchful eye, or helping fetch and carry. A myriad of glowbaskets 
  and many ever-lit hearths make the cavern warm and inviting despite its 
  size. The scents of cooking meats, baking breads and pastries, and the 
  pungent aroma of spices hang mouthwateringly in the air. It is little wonder 
  that those seeking to relax nearly always find their way here to do it.
A short tunnel jaunts eastward out to the bowl and the merry sounds of 
  cooking, chores, and laughter echo from the kitchen at the southwest end of 
  the cavern near the westerly passage to the rest of the lower caverns. To 
  the southeast is an entrance to the infirmary weyr to care for injured 
  dragons and riders.
Contents:
Kethran
Salless
Tay
M'kla
Jehrina
Spicy Meal Table
Obvious exits:
Lower Caverns  Kitchen  Bowl

Tay says "It's better than the dishpan hands I got at fort, and the 
  diaper-changing at Bitra."

F'hlan steps in from outside, shoving a riding helmet back on his head, and 
  taking off goggles to leave them dangling around his neck: evidently, he's 
  just come in from sweeps.

Jehrina waves to F'hlan.

Tay looks at you for a moment.

M'kla glances up, and nods to F'hlan, apparently having been back a while. 
  "Hola, F'hlan."

Kethran nods to Tay, sipping his juice. "There're drawbacks to every job, 
  which you might discover if you stab yourself with that needlethorn 
  accidentally," he points out with a wide grin. "But all in all, change is 
  good." He glances up at the arrival of F'hlan and bobs his head in greeting 
  to the bronzerider.

F'hlan inclines his head to the Weyrwoman and the Steward, and to the other 
  person he doesn't know; to M'kla, he pauses, and smiles to M'kla, a bit 
  shyly. The rider then looks for a chair to fall into.

Skye walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Skye has arrived.

Tay nods to the rider in return.

Tay
Tay has an actor's control of her tall, slender body, expressive face and 
  full, rich voice. Her long, straight black hair has a white streak starting 
  at the temple. Her apparent age varies from early to late teens, and when 
  she's actually performing, even farther. Her simple tan tunic displays the 
  red, sea blue and green knot of the Theodan traders. Practical brown 
  trousers and boots complete the outfit. For cold weather she adds a long 
  ovine-skin jacket, fleece inward.
Carrying:
sample pouch
Pedant
Flash

Jehrina grins faintly, and kicks back in her seat.

M'kla grins a bit at the bronzerider, and stretches out in her chair.

Skye walks into the cavern, hair wind-blown and skirts awry. She shifts the 
  gitar on her shoulder, hands going up to tame her hair. "Heyla."

F'hlan looks about for someone to flag down to ask for klah, and, looking, 
  spies Skye; to her, he nods politely.

Tay glances up from her sewing. A harper, good!

Skye sets down her bag upon an empty table, and the gitar goes beside it but 
  with more care. Fingers comb through wild hair again and she says, "Ofira 
  leave me aything sweet to eat?" She nods pleasantly enough to F'hlan and 
  Tay, but bows her head graciously to the weyrwoman, one hand upon her chest.

A young drudge materializes as drudges often do, bearing a hot mug of klah; 
  F'hlan smiles gravely at the lass, thanks her, then settles back to drink 
  the stuff and let it revive his lagging alertness.

Hips move as Skye weaves her way around tables, skirts swishing on the floor. 
  Casual hands go into her pockets as she walks toward the kitchen. Leaning in 
  the entry way, she asks for, "Klah and something sweet?" in a gentle voice.
Skye makes her way back from the kitchen, twoard everyone else walking in 
  fact toward F'hlan. Her boots are gentle upon the floor and she sits, 
  setting plate and cup carefully before her. "F'hlan..I've been wishing to 
  speak to you."

Jehrina stretches slowly, glancing occasionally up at the others in the room.

M'kla rises slowly, and nods to Jehrina. "If you'll all excuse me."
M'kla walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
M'kla has left.

Kethran settles into a seat, cradling his fresh mug of citron juice, and 
  watches F'hlan and M'kla absently for a moment before returning his gaze to 
  the topmost of the stack of hides he's carrying.

F'hlan blinks, and looks up at Skye over the rim of his klah mug. As the mug 
  lowers, he smiles slightly startledly, then readily nods. "How can I help 
  you, Harper?"

The cup of klah is slid across the table, ceramic upon wood. Skye's 
  green-grey eyes look at the rider with a distinct amount of seriousness. She 
  curls brown hair around her ear, "It's about your daughter."

F'hlan blinks again, then inclines his head, attention caught, gaze attentive.

Kethran watches the exchange with interest.

Skye offers more surprising information to the bronze rider, "I have spoken 
  to her about it. And though she said she'd miss Benden, she seemed to kind 
  of like the idea." A keen glance at F'hlan. If you say no, you'll be 
  shadowed by the harper. That's whay her own expression gives away. Her hands 
  go under the table, fingering her skirts.
Skye turns in her chair, knee coming over knee. She draws the mug up to take a 
  drink, pausing to let curling steam caress her face. She's been up late, 
  maybe, in a different time zone with harpers. Before she drinks, though, she 
  says, "Mehlani has a gift, I think." What will he say to that? Expressive 
  eyes watch the bronze rider, the one she doesn't know well, looking for 
  every expression upon his face.

The bronze rider's face, quite like that of the daughter in question for all 
  that his eyes are brown and hers blue, flickers with a glimmer of surprise, 
  followed by a slight smile of what is very likely paternal pride playing 
  across his finely drawn mouth. His brown eyes lighten, moving slightly in 
  hue towards gold. "I'm very proud of her, aye."

Encouraged, Skye continues, still serious, "I'm glad you think so, rider. I 
  think she should go to Harper Hall. The sooner the better." The cup is set 
  down, and a hand is raised to push hair behind her shoulder.

F'hlan's dark eyebrows go up a bit behind his forelock. He sips 
  contemplatively at his klah a moment, then asks of Skye, "Has she talked 
  with you about this?" From his tone, one might derive that the notion of 
  Mehlani having discussions with anybody is an unlikely prospect at best.

Jalimax walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Jalimax has arrived.
Jalimax smiles and waves at Skye.

Kethran sighs as he is, as usual, accosted by a drudge, and he rises from his 
  seat and walks toward the inner caverns behind the drudge, ready to deal 
  with whatever crises is currently threatening the safety of all Pern.

Skye offers more surprising information to the bronze rider, "I have spoken to 
  her about it. And though she said she'd miss Benden, she seemed to kind of 
  like the idea." A keen glance at F'hlan. If you say no, you'll be shadowed 
  by the harper. That's whay her own expression gives away. Her hands go under 
  the table, fingering her skirts.
Skye nods to Jalimax. She is conversing with F'hlan.

Kethran walks towards the inner cavern.
Kethran has left.

Tay doesn't seem to be listening, but the sewing is going slowly.

F'hlan considers this, swirling the klah around in his mug. "Well... if it 
  were any other of my children, I'd have a better idea of what to say. The 
  twins and Fahlina are too young yet; Brihlana's with her mother. Fahloran's 
  already chosen a Craft... and Anra seems to have settled in with her mother 
  at the Hall, herself. Mehlani, though...." He grins a bit, perhaps slightly 
  embarrassed. "She seems to me sometimes like a small version of me. Makes me 
  biased."

Skye puts her hands flat upon the table. She says in a subdued and pleasant 
  voice, "I'm sure parenting is difficult." As if the young harper would know. 
  "But surely you wouldn't be so self centered as to keep her from her own 
  destiny?"

F'hlan's brown eyes reflect a flare of deeper surprise, at _that_. "Any one of 
  my children will get my full support on what they want to do with their 
  lives," he says, mildly.

Shrugging, Skye looks at F'hlan with a slighty arrogant look. "We'll see. 
  Anyway, please think about it. I'm going to write Melora a letter, too." And 
  now she turns, to focus upon her klah. Wouldn't want it to get warm. Nosir.

C'vadan walks in from the bowl.
C'vadan has arrived.

F'hlan finishes off his own klah, and says amiably, "I can certainly pledge to 
  think abot it; I'll talk with 'Lani about it, myself. She hasn't said 
  anything to me about it, yet, and I know this means she hasn't reached a 
  decision; the lass doesn't waste words."

C'vadan is whistling (off-tune) to himself as he enters.
C'vadan attention is piqued. "Mehlani hasn't decided on what, F'hlan?"

Skye smiles then, at F'hlan. "My thanks. I'll be talking to you later about 
  it, I'm sure." A wave to C'vadan, then. The mug is drawn up, and the hot 
  liquid imbibed.

C'vadan takes a seat while he waits for the bronzerider to respond.

F'hlan, as C'vadan greets him, looks up. "Harper Skye has informed me she 
  believes Mehlani should go to the Harper Hall," he replies.

"She has a gift," adds Skye to F'lan's words.

C'vadan chuckles. "Ah, popular girl. Just remember, F'hlan, *I* am the one who 
  will have to deal with a disappointed weyrmate should Mehlani choose a craft 
  other than BeastCraft." He winks.
C'vadan turns to Skye. "That she does. I have seen her with the animals," he 
  replies. "But I think F'hlan is a smart man in letting her decide for 
  herself."

Skye frowns a little at Cav, but says nothing. "Of course she should decide 
  for herself. Any gift would be wasted without the desire to persue it."

Rylan walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Rylan has arrived.

F'hlan quirks both brows again as C'vadan issues his own opinion, and smiles 
  crookedly by way of acknowledgement. He turns in his chair to flag down the 
  drudge who brought him the klah, and, once he has her attention, asks her to 
  take the mug off.

Rylan
At 4 Turns, 11 months, and 1 days of age, Rylan has already begun to look like 
  his father, with dark hair that tumbles to his shoulders, and large, solemn 
  brown eyes. Dressed in navy blue breeches and a bright red tunic, Rylan is a 
  quiet child, a startling contrast to his sister's exuberance. He's often 
  seem with his green firelizard he calls Honey. He's not a fidgety child, yet 
  you can often catch him chewing on a finger or a lock of hair. Startled 
  easily, you can sometimes coax him into your lap with juice or a cookie. 
  Deathly afraid of dragons he avoids them at all costs, except for his 
  mother's and father's. He looks back at you with his big, brown eyes. In 
  those you can see a gleam of curiosity those days. He does not seem that 
  afraid any more, and sometimes his new-won curiosity leads him to walk up to 
  someone, to approach someone and talk to him or her. The chance he does so 
  is larger, when there are single persons, he doesn't like crowds at all.
Carrying:
Honey

Rylan runs forward to give his father a hug. "Daddy!"

C'vadan smiles disarmingly at Skye, then turns his attention to a drudge and 
  his meal.

At the arrival of his little boy, F'hlan blinks, then smiles and leans down to 
  embrace Rylan. "Hello there, lad..."

Skye stands then, leaving the table. But the gentle harper has something on 
  her mind, the least of which is Mehlani. "Good day to you all.">
Skye walks towards the inner cavern.
Skye has left.

[End log.]