The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967.
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:
	5/12/98

Log Cast:
	(People) Mehlani, Areena, Ro, Berylle, Aurian, Ceria, Erdrick,
Ptodek, Emlyn, Imuna (NPC), Sandar, Gwyndelone, Chet (NPC)

	(Firelizards) Rianet, Conner, Sayvel, Serena, Holl, Enri, Firestone,
Harper, Elsi, Wili, Munki, Brodi, Picea, Arki

Log Intro:
	Being a Candidate has proven a much more stressful experience than
Mehlani had ever imagined. She and Aurian have fallen victim to a prank
that left them both with horribly mangled hair -- and which, since no one
came forward to confess being behind the prank, has caused the rest of the
Candidates to be forced to submit to having their hair cut as well. This has
made several of the young people fairly irritated at the two young women,
as well as prompting many of the adults in charge of supervising them to
chastise the lot of them soundly for such treatment of one another. On top
of it all, Mehlani is struggling to train her irascible green firelizard
Arki... and sorely missing the quiet time she was able to spend with K'star
before her Impression. It's enough to wear her down to a shadow of her usual
self, enough that even total strangers notice it...

----------
Your location's current time: 13:32 on day 11, month 11, Turn 22, of the Tenth 
  Pass. It is a autumn afternoon.

You get up from your cot.
Candidate Barracks(#258RAHJ$)
Contents:
Ro
Flutterby
Ara's cot
Candidate Supervisor Roster
Obvious exits:
Lower Caverns

White-faced, looking tired, Mehlani rolls out of her cot and fumbles for her 
  hat. The brown fedora goes into place over her cropped hair, and as the lass 
  tugs on her vest, green Rianet claims her shoulder, cooing quietly. Ria's 
  attentions are the only sound as 'Lani slips out of the Barracks.

You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.
Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$)
Contents:
Areena
Pierron
Obvious exits:
Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl

Areena smiles ruefully at herself and shakes her head, "You don't look very 
  well. Maybe you should sit down for a moment. Do you need something to 
  drink?"

Ro grabs herself some cold meat, cheese, and bread, assembling herself a 
  sandwich as she heads out toward the bowl.
Ro walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Ro has left.

Areena
A tall, slender woman of about 5'8", there is nothing truly striking about 
  her. She has very light brown hair that falls to about the middle of her 
  back. It has a slight wave to it with a few wispy bangs falling across her 
  forehead. She wears her hair tied back into a single, long braid tied at the 
  end with a yellow ribbon. Areena's skin is a smooth light brown color, 
  darkened further by exposure to the sun. Her eyes are a darker brown, set it 
  a face that has character rather than true beauty.
Her tall frame is slim with a hint of a rounding of her figure. She is 
  wearing a plain, light blue skirt and a equally unadorned matching blouse 
  with a belt knife at her waist. On her feet are a pair of broken-in boots.
Areena is 23 Turns, 5 months, and 2 days old.

Areena stands nears the entrance to the kitchens, talking and laughing with 
  an older women who bears some resemblance to herself.

A young girl looking somewhat ragged about the edges, her face white under 
  the brim of the battered brown hat she wears, comes slipping into the living 
  cavern. She's got a green fire lizard on her shoulder, and the green, eyes 
  whirling mutedly blue and green, surveys everything her human passes in a 
  kind of quiet protectiveness.

Areena turns away from the other woman for a moment to head over and get her 
  pack. She glances at Mehlani briefly as the girl comes in then takes a 
  closer look asking her, "Are you all right?"

Ro walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Ro has arrived.
Ro walks off towards the kitchen.
Ro has left.
From the kitchen, Ro enters the kitchen from the living cavern.

Mehlani blinks blue eyes, looking up in evident bewilderment. "Ma'am?" she 
  whispers, not recognizing the stranger. On her shoulder. the fire lizard 
  lifts her head and peers at the woman, too.

From the kitchen, Ro walks into the Living Cavern.
Ro walks in from the kitchen.
Ro has arrived.

"Oh... no, no, ma'am, I'm alright," the girl in the hat murmurs earnestly. 
  Perhaps unconsciously, she stands up a little straighter, while the fire 
  lizard on her shoulder nuzzles her head against her cheek. "I was just, um, 
  I'm supposed to be running errands. Telgar's duty to you," she concludes, 
  blushing, apparently striving to remember her manners.

Areena looks back at her mother and chuckles shaking her head, "No need for 
  that. I'm home again." She says the last with obvious satisfaction then 
  reaches out intending to stear the young girl to a seat at a table, "Well 
  you can do an errand for me. I want you to sit down for a few minutes."

Mehlani blinks, startled; the fire lizard lets off a chirrup and PEERS, 
  flapping her silvery wings, but as long as the woman doesn't try to touch 
  the shoulder on which she's perching, the little green lass seems alright 
  with this. In the meantime, the girl in the hat protests tinily, "Ria, 
  hush--" This, perhaps, to the fire lizard, who croons apparent approval of 
  the woman's attempt. Then, Mehlani appends plaintively, "I'm supposed to be 
  on duty, ma'am..."

Areena laughs and shakes her head, giving a more determined push toward the 
  table, "Come along. I want you to do something for me. You have to count all 
  the firelizards in the room." She puts a hand on her hip, "And none of the 
  ma'am stuff. I'm not a ma'am yet I hope. My name is Areena." She looks back 
  at her mother again and winks, the other woman goes to get a cup of juice.

Mehlani is a little wisp of a thing and not too difficult to move. The green 
  on her shoulder clings tenaciously to the soft black leather beneath her 
  claws, and finally, the girl sinks obediently into a chair. As Areena's name 
  is given, the soft reply of "My name is Mehlani..." creeps out of the 
  youngster.

Areena turns to take the cup of juice from her mother and puts it on the table 
  in front of Mehlani, "Nice to meet you Mehlani. Now, you drink all of this 
  and see if you feel better." After taking a surrepticious glance at the 
  girl's badge, "I see you're a candidate. Where are you from?"

"Thank you," murmurs the girl in the hat, as her fire lizard settles down and 
  croons lowly on her shoulder. Wrapping slender hands around the cup, she 
  sips at it sparingly, eyes more or less shyly fixed downward, and she goes 
  on, "Benden Weyr... originally... but I live here...."

Conner greets you with a cheerful chirple as he emerges from *between*.

Conner
        Conner is a gold speckled brown who /loves/ attention from his pet 
  Ellisra, and can usually be found curled up in her lap or perched on her 
  shoulder. The deep swirls of klah color only seem to be disturbed by one 
  band of gold circling around his neck. 
Conner is 0 Turns, 3 months, and 13 days old and is 32 centimeters in length 
  with a wingspan of 53 cm.

Areena leans a hip against the table and watches the girl drink, to see that 
  she drinks it all, "Benden? It must be a popular place. You're the second 
  person today who was from Benden. How do you like Telgar?"

Conner chirrups for attention.

"A-A lot of us... from Benden had to move here a while back, ma'am," the girl 
  murmurs. The green on her shoulder swivels her head around to consider the 
  brown, and Mehlani glances sidelong at the little creature too, distracted.

Conner chirrs at the green.

Areena glances over at Conner and smiles saying in a friendly tone of voice, 
  "What do you want, nosey little fellow?"

Conner cocks his head to the side, considering Areena, then finally turns his 
  head towards Pierron and /all that food/.

Berylle walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Berylle has arrived.
Berylle walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Berylle has left.

Areena turns back to Mehlani and smiles warmly, "What're you looking so pale 
  for Mehlani? Are they working you too hard?"

Conner sighs.
Conner cheeps goodbye as he disappears *between*.
Conner has left.

Mehlani immediately, albeit mutely, shakes her head over her juice.

Areena gives the girl a knowing look and shakes her head, turning away for a 
  moment to gather up some other dishes to keep her hands busy, "So how long 
  have you been a candidate?"

"Since Leilanth clutched, ma'am," Mehlani murmurs. "A-a few months now...."

Areena smiles and looks down at the younger girl, "I don't how you candidates 
  do it all the time. The waiting would drive me just crazy. My mother was a 
  candidate you know."

Mehlani considers, then murmurs, peeking up out from under her hat, "My... 
  um... my father is a rider... and my brother Stood at Igen..."

Areena laughs and shrugs her shoulders, "Look at me, trying to show off when 
  you're a weyr kid just like me. So how long do they say until the hatching? 
  I'm glad I made it back in time for that."

"A-another month or two," Mehlani answers in that tiny voice of hers. She's 
  still intelligible, but from the sound of her, you'd think she's afraid to 
  be heard. Her green nuzzles again at her shoulder, cooing.

Areena crosses her arms and can't help but smile widely, "That'll be exciting 
  won't it? So, are you feeling better now Mehlani?"

The smile the girl summons up for the mention of the Hatching is wan at best. 
  But she's obediently downed the juice, and a bit of the tension of her young 
  features has eased, even if just a bit. Whether she's nodding because she 
  genuinely feels better or because she thinks it's wanted might be difficult 
  to tell, but she bobs her behatted head anyway.

Areena shares an amused look over Mehlani's head with her mother and tsks 
  softly, "What's your duty for today? Running errands wasn't it?"

And with a whistle Aurian enters, she seems not to know at all how horribly 
  off key she is. She smiles brilliantly and keeps up the wayward whistling as 
  she heads over towards the snacks.

Mehlani bobs her head silently to Areena. Now that the juice is drunk, she 
  seems somewhat at a loss, and casts a slight fearful glance from side to 
  side, as if she fears someone seeing her sitting still. She also lifts a 
  hand to the green's head, reflexively.

Areena smiles down at the green firelizard on Mahlani's shoulder and asks, 
  "What's this pretty little green's name?"

"Rianet," Mehlani ventures. That seems, ever so subtly, to make her relax; the 
  green, at any rate, certainly knows her name, for she lifts her head up and 
  croons in evident pride.

Aurian runs a hand through her hair, brushing the soft tendrils back and out 
  of her eyes. However she lacks the decency to stop whistling.

Areena smiles and shakes her head, "She seems like a good little 'lizard, 
  sticking close to you like that." Areena glances up at the off-key whistling 
  and grins . o 0(Someone who's just as bad as Tiala.)0 o .

Mehlani's mouth flicks up momentarily on each end -- almost a smile. She 
  gently scritches the green's eyeridges, summoning up a loud, clarion croon 
  out of the little lady, and she murmurs softly, "Yes... Ria is smart, even 
  though she's green..."

Areena gives the girl a smile and nods her head, "Rianet is a pretty name. 
  Have you had her long?"

Aurian scoops up a couple of her meatrolls. She makes it to the candidate's 
  tables and drops into a seat already feeding her firelizards.

Just a little more visibly, Mehlani ventures another smile, murmuring, "Yes... 
  almost two Turns... she was a gift..." She's still gently stroking the 
  green, and Rianet keeps crooning her approval of this, occasionally batting 
  lightly at her human's fingertips with the top of her head.

Mehlani peeks over sidelong at Aurian, and holds her smile a little longer, 
  perhaps by way of greeting.

Areena pushes away from the table and smiles at Mehlani and the newly arrived 
  Aurian, "Well I'll let you get back to your chores Mehlani. I have to go get 
  settled in."

Mehlani bobs her head again, gravely, rising quietly as Areena stands.

Aurian leans her head back agaist the chair and glances to Mehlani, "You were 
  asleep and you really missed it last night."

Mehlani turns to Aurian, blinking, steadying Rianet on her shoulder. "I was... 
  tired," she murmurs softly, as she sinks into a chair by the other girl. Her 
  expression turns timidly curious, though.

Aurian glances over Mehlani with some concern but she continues, "Ro accused 
  me of being pretentious...or was it presumtious?" She drifts of silently and 
  hmmms, "Well what ever, it was all because of the hair cut."

Mehlani blinks. Three or four times. And then says blankly, "What?"

Aurian nibbles on a piece of the meatroll, that she had been feeding to her 
  firelizards, she swallows then continues, "What I said." She smiles a touch, 
  "Thought I was trying to look like a rider."

Looking troubled, Mehlani ponders this, and Rianet stretches her head around 
  and peers up intently at her. "You... you told her what happened... didn't 
  you?"

With a flick of her wrist, Aurian tosses the rest of the meatroll to her blue 
  who snatches it immediately and finishes it, "I did. Trust me I explained 
  that this wasn't our choice."

Mehlani's brow crinkles beneath her hat brim, the subtle tension that Areena's 
  friendly overtures had soothed out of her features beginning to creep back 
  into them. As Rianet coos inquiringly, 'Lani murmurs, her tone turning 
  anxious, "She understood?"

Aurian shifts about on her seat pulling her legs against her, "Aye she did.

That seems to comfort Mehlani, at least somewhat; still, the lass looks uneasy 
  as she manages another nod, her gaze dropping down, her expression still 
  strained.

This of course only seems to make Aurian become more worried about her friend, 
  "Mehlani, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine," is Mehlani's immediate response, though no more loudly than she 
  ever says anything. On her shoulder, Rianet PEERS at her human and baps her 
  cheek with her nose, fluttering her wings a time or two.

Aurian raises an eyebrow, "Oh really?" She tilts her head at the girl.

Mehlani opens her mouth, closes it, and then hangs her head a little lower. 
  Seeing this, Rianet cheeps softly, eyes taking on a tinge of yellow.

"Come on 'Lani," Aurian frowns a touch, "Even Rianet is upset, what's wrong?"

"You'll think I'm being silly," Mehlani mumbles plaintively. This gets her 
  another cheek-nudge from the little green.

Aurian shakes her head emphatically, "Never."

Ceria walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Ceria has arrived.
Ceria walks briskly into the cavern and heads toward the kitchen.

Mehlani nods to this, but is clearly ill at ease, her hands beginning to 
  fidget with one another, her head still bowed. "It's... it's just that," she 
  begins to Aurian, before trailing off and swallowing hard. "E-everything's 
  going _wrong_, and...."

Aurian murmurs gently to the girl, "What's gone wrong?"

Erdrick walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Erdrick has arrived.
Erdrick walks in, nodding about, "Hi all."
Erdrick looks over at Lani, walking to the klah pot, "How're you Lani?"

Mehlani's eyes start turning liquid under the brim of her hat. She mutters to 
  Aurian, "... we're... and... keep saying mean... and..." 
Aurian senses "Mehlani's eyes start turning liquid under the brim of her hat. 
  "Everybody... keeps saying we're pathetic... and... and some of the 
  others... keep saying mean things, and, and I...""

Ceria nods to Erdrick. She goes into the kitchen and returns with a trayful of 
  meatrolls.

Areena walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Areena has left.

Mehlani cuts off the moment Erdrick comes up to her, blushing crimson, her 
  head snapping up. On her shoulder, Rianet determinedly nuzzles at her, 
  crooning for all she's worth, apparently deciding that it's her purpose in 
  life to comfort her human, shard it all!

Aurian just places an arm about the girls shoulder and squeezes her, "Come 
  with me, we need to talk a bit." She tilts her head towards the bowl.

Aurian walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Aurian has left.

Erdrick's eyebrows raise slightly, nothing Mehlani's blush as he pours himself 
  a mug of klah, settling down in his usual chair.
Erdrick looks from the bowl exit to Lani to Ceria, wondering just what he 
  interupted.

Ceria shrugs at Erdrick, her green eyes showing her ignorance. "So what have 
  you been up to?" she asks. "I haven't seen you around much lately."

Erdrick shrugs, "Been pretty busy hopping about with K'velin, returning Record 
  hides and such."

Sayvel glides in from the bowl.
Sayvel has arrived.

Serena flits into the room from the Inner Cavern.
Serena has arrived.

Sayvel hovers lightly takeing pearch near the hearth.

You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Southern Bowl(#396RJL$)
Contents:
Aurian
Obvious exits:
Living Cavern  Central Bowl  Weyrleaders' Complex  Outer Infirmary  Guest Weyr 
   Records Room  

Aurian says "Come on we'll talk while looking at the eggs"
Aurian walks north.
Aurian has left.

You walk north.
Central Bowl(#298RL$)
Contents:
Aurian
Obvious exits:
Weyrling Barracks  Southern Bowl  Lake Shore  Hatching Cavern  Feeding Grounds 
   Runner Pasture  Weyr Entrance 

Aurian walks off towards the Galleries.
Aurian has left.

You walk off towards the Galleries.
Galleries(#382RJ$)
Stretching along the eastern wall of the hatching cavern, these tiers of seats 
  have enough room for several hundred spectators for Clutchings and 
  Hatchings. To one side, long shallow steps descend to the entrance. There is 
  also a railing separating the lowest tier of seats from the Hatching Sands 
  themselves. Other parts of the galleries are closed off from the sands by a 
  wall to the north and south. From here you can reenter the bowl, or head for 
  a quieter area of the galleries. There is also a pathway down to the sands. 
  Type 'clutch help' for help with clutch commands.
To see stuff on the sands, 'view sands' or 'view sands <object>'
Contents:
Aurian
Obvious exits:
Bowl  Sands  

Aurian takes a seat and indicates that Mehlani should take the one next to 
  her, "Now that we are alone, lets talk." She smiles.

Mehlani creeps into the Galleries, glancing around in trepidation. Rianet has 
  followed her, and perches nearby on one of the seats, watching the two 
  girls. "Um," Mehlani mumbles awkwardly, scrubbing the back of her hand 
  across her eyes.

Aurian tilts her head, "Come on, tell me."

It takes Mehlani a few starts before she mumbles, her voice still small but 
  taking on a bit of an echo in the quiet Galleries, "Everybody keeps... 
  telling us we're pathetic..."

Aurian nods, "Aye they do." Her eyes drift over the girl worriedly, "What 
  else?"

Her hands wringing together, Mehlani fastens her gaze solidly down on them and 
  goes on, "And... and so many of the others, they.... they're mad at me...! 
  And, and then Arki nearly bit Ptodek and so I-I've got to train her, so she 
  won't be mean anymore...." She trails off and swallows.

With a wordless gesture, Aurian pulls the girl into a hug as she would one of 
  her sisters, "'Lani I'm not mad at you, nor are a great many folk. Well 
  there is Imuna, but well she doesn't like many people..."
"Also, the riders do say mean things, but from what I understand its just to 
  get us ready for being weyrlings," Aurian grins, "That is if we Impress, and 
  as for Arki, well she just feels very protective which is not a bad thing, 
  but you do need to rope it in to make sure she doesn't attack someone she 
  shouldn't"
Aurian smiles wickedly at the younger girl, "Now oh sister of the gnarled, 
  snarled, and knotted, Its a hard time, and I do cry too. I just like to 
  remember that I have a lot of friends here who are in the same boat."

Ptodek walks in from outside the room.
Ptodek has arrived.

Rianet can be heard to croon, very softly -- and two more fire lizard voices 
  join her; apparently, some more of Mehlani's fair is catching up with her. 
  "I-I've been trying," 'Lani mumbles, reflexively rubbing at her forehead. 
  "Sh-she gets.... mad, if I don't think about her, so I, I have to keep 
  telling her to behave, or make... her stay with... Kes." She doesn't say 
  anything to the rest of the other girl's soothing words, at least not until 
  the last few, at which point she peers up anxiously out from under her hat 
  brim. "R-ro's my friend, too... she-she isn't mad, is she...?"

Ptodek grins. "Hey, you two-- I figured I'd find somebody here." He pauses, 
  suspecting he may have interrupted something. "Uh.. what's up?"

Mehlani's head snaps up, and three fire lizard heads -- those of Rianet, Holl 
  and Enri, apparently the brightest and most alert of Mehlani's fair, all 
  perched on the seats near her -- swivel around to consider the arriving lad. 
  'Lani just seems to pause for a moment or two, struggling for words.

Ptodek blushes. "I can go away," he says. "I just wanted to know, um, where 
  are we supposed to pull weeds up. Because there aren't any more in the bowl. 
  Do you know?"

Aurian squeezes Mehlani's hand, "Ro is your friend too, even Crawlie over 
  there." She grins and winks at Ptodek.

Ptodek sighs, looking a bit put out about the nickname. But he says, "Of 
  course I'm you're friend, Mehlani. What's wrong? You're not still feeling 
  bad about Arki attacking me, are you?"

Emlyn walks in from outside the room.
Emlyn has arrived.

Holl peers at Ptodek and announces his opinion on the matter at hand by 
  crooning, which seems to decide it for Rianet; Ria croons, too. Enri 
  _doesn't_ croon, but he does peer with a slightly less stern little 
  'lizard-gaze at the boy. Mehlani swallows, looking rather white-faced, and 
  she mumbles, "I-it won't happen again..."

Emlyn has a day off, since there's no fall today. She comes in to peer at the 
  eggs.

Aurian frowns as she realizes this isn't helping, "Mehlani, we know it won't 
  happen again. but you do need to stop worrying so much." She eyes the girl 
  lightly, "What would kes say?"

Ptodek says "Aw, gee, 'Lani. It wasn't your fault. I mean, I *did* pull you 
  underwater."

Ptodek adds, "She probably thought you were gonna get hurt or something. So 
  she'd want to protect you, right?"

Mehlani sees Emlyn arrive, and if anything, seems to shrink in a little more 
  on herself. Aurian, however, seems to hit a Significant Word -- Kes -- which 
  makes Mehlani peek over at the other girl and murmur hesitantly, "He'd tell 
  me to b-be brave..." A beat, and then Mehlani peeks back at Ptodek and nod, 
  timidly.

Ptodek grins at Mehlani.

'Kes', apparently, is a Significant Word for the fire lizards, too. Holl 
  croons, loudly, and Rianet throws off a flurry of chirrups.

With a playful tug on Mehlani's hat, "I think he's right. But you are brave 
  'Lani after all I'm shocked that you can sleep thatt close to Imuna with out 
  strangling her." Aurian's lips curve into a fond grin.

Emlyn is out of earshot from the candidates and makes no attempt to intrude on 
  their conversation. The greenrider leans on the ledge surrounding the 
  hatching sands. Far overhead, her dragon perches on a ledge.

Holl lifts off, bronze wings fluttering, to claim Mehlani's right shoulder; he 
  croons sweetly at Aurian and grabs the edge of 'Lani's hat brim in his beak. 
  Apparently, Tug the Hat is a favorite game of his. Mehlani pinkens and 
  murmurs, "I don't th-think I could strangle anybody..."

Ptodek hoots with laughter. "Not even Imuna?"

Aurian chuckles and reaches over to scritch the little bronze, "Thank Faranth 
  you can't Mehlani, you'd probably find cause to strangle me." She grins.

Emlyn stretches and turns to head back out of the caverns. She pauses near 
  the candidates and looks at the small group curiously.

Ptodek grins at Emlyn and walks over to greet her. "Hello, ma'am" he says 
  politely.

Holl tugtugtugs at the side of Mehlani's hat brim, and then promptly flutters 
  up, trying to lift the hat off the girl's head. 'Lani, in the midst of 
  trying to smile shyly to Ptodek, is then distracted by her bronze... and 
  actually giggles a little, reaching up for the hat.

Emlyn smiles at Ptodek's polite greeting and turns that smile on the others. 
  "A day off?" she asks, then winks. The greenrider looks up at the ledge in 
  time to see her dragon lift off and head outside. "pardon me, Candidates."
Emlyn walks off towards the Central Bowl.
Emlyn has left.

Holl croons, well, at least as clearly as he can with a hat brim gripped in 
  his beak. Fluttering away, he lands again on 'Lani's shoulder and lets go of 
  her hat, leaving it at an awkward angle on her head. Mehlani offers Aurian 
  another wan little smile, while Rianet chirruples and leaps up to try to 
  play a game of her own -- Tug Holl's Tail.

Ptodek shrugs as Firestone takes flight from his shoulder.
Firestone chases after Rianet's tail.
Firestone catches up with the green and nips her tail playfully.

Aurian smiles at Mehlani, "Feeling better?

HEY! Rianet flitters around and chirrupchirplechirps. Well, if you're going to 
  be that way, let the games commence, as far as she's concerned. Holl 
  launches himself down off Mehlani's shoulder, too, making it a three-way 
  game of 'lizard-tag and leaving Enri to make a little snorting noise, 
  sounding like a tiny Craftmaster, as HE takes over the Guarding Mehlani's 
  Shoulder duty.

Mehlani, to Aurian, offers another small smile and murmurs weakly, "A 
  little..."

Ptodek giggles.

Harper appears out of nowhere, looking for trouble.
Harper has arrived.
Harper dives straight for the other firelizards, fouling wings with theirs and 
  rising quickly back into the air as they scatter.

This blue is more incorrigible than the worst two-Turn-old child one could 
  possibly imagine! His nose is always in everything, but he manages to look 
  so *cute* when caught...  
Harper is 2 Turns, 10 months, and 22 days old and is 35 centimeters in length 
  with a wingspan of 58 cm.

It doesn't take long for Elsi, Wili, and Munki to arrive on the scene -- 
  perhaps Mehlani's fair keeps in constant mental contact, at least when 
  mischief in involved. Fire-lizard free-for-all! Watching all this, Mehlani 
  can be seen to go a little bit whiter, her gaze turning distracted, eyes 
  closing for a moment.

Ptodek smirks at the 'lizard antics. Noticing Mehlani's expression, he exclaims 
  worriedly, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Aurian sighs at Mehlani, "What's wrong hon," She smiles with very worried eyes.

"I'm... fine," Mehlani murmurs, brow crinkled. "I... Arki... saw them 
  coming..." She waves a dainty hand at Elsi and Wili, who seem all too 
  delighted to chase Harper and Firestone around the room. "I can feel her... 
  just... " Her voice drops down a little, and she can be heard to murmur very 
  softly, "Stay with Indyth..."

Ptodek hrms, and calls his 'lizards.
Firestone has left.
Ptodek smiles as Firestone flies over and lands on his shoulder.
Harper has left.
Ptodek smiles as Harper flies over and lands on his shoulder.

Aurian nods silently to Mehlani.

As silence decends on the cavern, that's when Imuna takes her opportunity to 
  make and entrance.

Harper launches himself from his shoulder perch with a raucous shriek!
Harper has left.
Harper swoops down at Ptodek and lands on his shoulder, digging in sharply 
  with his claws.

Holl, Wili, Elsi, and Munki all chirrup in brief startlement as Ptodek's 
  'lizards return to him... but this doesn't stop them from indulging in their 
  _own_ game of 'Lizard Tag, circling in the air after one another over the 
  Candidates' heads. Enri remains protectively parked on 'Lani's shoulder, 
  continuing his impersonation of Stern, Annoyed Craftmaster -- or perhaps 
  Weyrlingmaster. And 'Lani murmurs to Aurian, opening her eyes, "Arki's... 
  louder than the others... even Holl...!"

Wordlessly, Aurian just covers her eyes with her hands as she sees Imuna 
  enter, she knows what's to happen next, especially since she and Mehlani 
  seem to be the favorite tragets of the recently entered candidate.

Sandar walks in from outside the room.
Sandar has arrived.

Gwyndelone walks in from outside the room.
Gwyndelone has arrived.

Sandar wanders in with a smile, a wave, and Gwyndelone. "Evening, all," he 
  says chirpily. "Good to see everyone."

Gwyndelone follows behind Sandar. She too gives everyone she sees a smile and 
  wave. "Evening." her words tumble over Sandars.

Imuna seems to be looking about with a great deal of fury, her eyes latch onto 
  Mehlani and Aurian. She just walks in a straight line to the pair, peering 
  down at them with as much officiousness as lady holder whose in a rare fury. 
  "You!"

Mehlani doesn't appear to have noticed Imuna's arrival -- not until Aurian's 
  expression changes, at any rate. That, Mehlani _does_ see, and 'Lani's own 
  expression falters. Enri hunkers over closer to her, curling his tail around 
  her neck and looking, if possible, even _more_ stern. Thrown off guard, 
  'Lani blinks around at Sandar and Gwyndelone.... and _then_ back to Imuna, 
  going visibly white.

Aurian gives a slight wave to Sandar from somewhere behind Imuna.

Sandar peers at Imuna. What's she up to this time.

There's a slight cough then Aurian looks up at Imuna, "Uh evening Imuna.."

Gwyndelone looks over at Imuna. She mutters to Sandar. 

Imuna crosses her hands over her chest, she examines Aurian, then focuses her 
  attention on Mehlani with a scatching look.

Ptodek says with forced cheerfulness, "There are so many of us here, we could 
  do something fun! Who wants to go explore that dark cavern nobody ever goes 
  in?"

Sandar nods slightly.
Sandar grins at Ptodek. "You haven't been in there yet?" he laughs.

Ptodek quirks an eyebrow at Sandar. "Of course I have! But I didn't have good 
  enough glows so I didn't go far."

Mehlani, still so white-cheeked that between her complexion and the shadow of 
  her hat brim her blue eyes look nearly black, breathes out a barely audible 
  "Hello..."

Gwyndelone looks from Sandar to Imuna again. "She doesn't look too happy." she 
  murmurs softly. At Ptodek's suggestion her eyes widen. "Isn't that 
  dangerous. I mean, people could get lost."

Sandar smirks at Ptodek.

Ptodek grins. "We could stick together! And bring lots of glows."

Sandar gives 'Lani a big smile at her hello, not noticing her pale complexion 
  for the moment.

Enri cranes his grey-streaked blue head out and PEERS at Imuna, as if to 
  inquire, 'And just what do you mean by this, young woman?'

Sandar nods to Ptodek. "You and the girls can carry glows," he agrees. "I'll 
  just trek on down there using my tunnelsnake sense."

Ptodek snorts. "In the dark?"

Sandar grins. "Just kidding," he assures his friend.

Imuna draws back to look at the pair, "I hope you both are satisfied."

Gwyndelone wrinkles her nose in thought. "Suppose the glows went out. Or we 
  got lost?"

Ptodek hmms. "Well, if we bring a glow apiece, we should have enough so even 
  if one runs out.. we can see still."

Sandar shrugs to Gwyndelone. "We'd cheat, 'n send a firelizard to go get help. 
  But it won't come to that," he promises.

Ptodek nods at Sandar.

Aurian blinks, "About what?"

Up overhead, Mehlani's four airborn fire lizards slow in their play, as first 
  one and then several more of them begin to sense the shift in Mehlani's 
  mood. Brodi and Munki pop out of *between*, and the six of them begin 
  gliding down near Mehlani. Eyes that had been whirling blue and green begin 
  to take on glints of yellow.

Sandar glances over at 'Lani's faire, and then at Imuna, looking somewhat 
  confused. He moves a step closer toward the girl.

Imuna clears her throat, "About my hair, I know that the two of you plotted 
  this." She coninues to look at the pair with a rather imperial look.

Aurian's jaw drops and doesn't look as if it will close anytime soon.

Ptodek says urgently, "C'mon, Mehlani, Aurian. You want to come with Sandar 
  and me?" He favors Imuna with a scathing look. "It'll be fun."

Gwyndelone keeps a carefull eye on the three candidates, looking slightly 
  confused. She perches herself on the edge of a seat.

"What?" breathes Mehlani to Aurian, aghast. That's all she manages to say, as 
  the eighth of her fair abruptly makes her entrance, two feet over 'Lani's 
  head. Her near-white hide gleaming balefully in what little light there is 
  in the cavern, Arki's gossamer wings slice at the air, and her gaze snaps 
  left... then right... and focuses on Imuna.

Picea pops out of *between* and giggles out a warble to everyone.
Picea has arrived.

Sandar involuntarily steps back from Arki.

Picea chitters to everyone a goodbye and then pops into *between*
Picea has left.

Imuna tosses back the shoulder length amount of hair, her look of pure 
  defience. "I know it."

Aurian rubs her temples, "Please Imuna, I hate to dissappoint you, but we are 
  not nearly as cunning as you."

Mehlani can be seen to swallow hard, as her gaze unconsciously flicks up. 
  Enri, his stern demeanor apparently rattled by Arki's arrival, goes 
  flittering backward off Mehlani's shoulder... as Arki dives down to perch 
  right on top of her human's battered hat, her eyes a deep yellow and getting 
  darker. Her delicate features showing visible strain, Mehlani croaks out, 
  "It wasn't... like that...!"

Aurian places a hand on Mehlani's free shoulder, she squeezes gently.

Ptodek steps between Imuna and the other two girls. "If you," he says, not 
  trying to conceal the contempt in his voice, "have a problem with the 
  punishment that was decided on for the hair prank... then YOU need to go and 
  see M'kla. NOT Mehlani or Aurian." He meets Imuna's eyes in a cold stare, 
  refusing to look away.

A startled look comes a upon Imuna's face, "Oh I suppose you are right," She 
  smiles like a feline finding the saucer of cream. "Never mind, I suppose 
  they aren't that bright." She whirls around and leaves as quickly as she 
  came.

Gwyndelone gives Imuna a look as the girl leaves. "What was that all about?" 
  she asks finally.

Mehlani's mouth has clamped shut, into a tiny, anxious line. Arki's tail 
  lashes back and forth, and her eyes hold their yellow hue, but Mehlani's 
  gone positively grey. Once Imuna stalks off, Mehlani shows no sign of 
  moving; she doesn't look after the departing girl, and in fact, her eyes 
  have shivered closed. The rest of her fair flutters near her, as close as 
  they dare, uncertain of their human's state.

Ptodek's expression still reflects disgust as he turns to Mehlani. "Don't 
  worry about her," he instructs. "She's just a stupid wherry-hen."

Aurian runs a hand through her curls, "Well I don't think she's going to 
  bother us again."

Ptodek starts to laugh. "And if she does.. 'Lani's got Arki!" He points to the 
  green firelizard with a broad grin.

With a glance to the green that resides on Mehlani's shoulder, Aurian smiles. 
  "Imuna is just ..just.. Imuna. Every group of Candidates has to have at 
  least one." She grins and tugs on Mehlani's hat again. That is fun.

Ptodek shrugs off the incident. "So who's going to come explore with me?" he 
  demands, looking first at Sandar, then at each of the girls in turn.

Arki, with the oblivion of a higher being for all lesser life forms that get 
  in her way, snakes her way down to Mehlani's right shoulder; the girl 
  remains sitting there with her eyes closed, her face pale. The rest of her 
  fair makes confused noises, and then a few creels of dismay... till, one by 
  one, they begin to take wing and hop *between*. Mehlani doesn't seem to 
  notice. Nor does she seem to notice as the yellow begins to drain from 
  Arki's eyes, yielding to green and blue -- pale, eerie shades of those hues, 
  but green and blue nonethless. Arki even seems to show no sign of objecting 
  to Aurian tugging at the hat.

Ptodek begs, "C'mon, 'Lani, it'll be great fun! We used to go deep into the 
  Hold, back at Benden. Sometimes we found neat stuff!"

Aurian smiles as she hears Ptodek plead, "Come on 'Lani its just the thing to 
  get our minds off that Wherry." She grins at Arki and even holds her hand 
  near the firelizard offering a scritch.

"Go to Kes," Mehlani finally mumbles, no strength in her voice. Arki lets off 
  a grudging, rumbling little noise, eying that offered hand of Aurian's, in 
  which she shows absolutely no sign of interest; the green then snakes her 
  head down under Mehlani's chin, and 'Lani lifts shaking fingers to the 
  little creature, scritching her for a few moments and finally repeating 
  breathlessly, "Go to Kes...."

And Arki, seemingly mollified, takes wing. She's three meters over head in an 
  eyeblink, and by the second blink, she's vanished.

Ptodek grins. "All right!" he says. Motioning toward one of the other 
  candidates, he says, "Hey, Chet, go get us a glow each, and a couple of 
  extra, too."

Aurian leans back and scritches at her own firelizards.
Sayvel has arrived.
Sayvel swoops down towards Aurian.
Aurian holds up her hand to Sayvel.
Sayvel has left.
Aurian smiles as Sayvel flies over and lands on her shoulder.

"Well when ever you are ready Ptodek," Aurian shakes out her hair lightly.

Chet returns, out of breath, with his arms full of glowbaskets. He wordlessly 
  distributes them to the other candidates.

Ptodek nods. "Great! thanks, Chet. Let's go!"
Ptodek walks off towards the Central Bowl.
Ptodek has left.

Aurian walks off towards the Central Bowl.
Aurian has left.
Aurian walks in from outside the room.
Aurian has arrived.
Aurian tilts her head at Mehlani, "Come on lass."

Mehlani still looks rather white and shaken, but she bobs her head slowly to 
  Aurian, rising to her feet.

Aurian walks off towards the Central Bowl.
Aurian has left.

[End log.]