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+---- Thread: Completely Cracked [Open] (/showthread.php?tid=1730)
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Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 10.Jul.13
Quenym decided it was time to try his hand at cooking. Why not? It was a useful skill to have if he were going to be adventuring. He could spit fish, and find fruit, but beyond that... And it got boring to eat those day after day, after all. The key was finding a good time to make his way to the kitchens where he could dig into the indigents with no one observing him too closely.
That was the trick, alright.
He had no clue that people ate so much. They ate all the time! They actually had to eat in the morning, and then in the afternoon, and then they had the gall to eat at night on top of that and it didn't even include snacks or meals made for trips or things they filched from the kitchen either. The only reasonable conclusion there could be, he reasoned, was that people were pigs.
But eventually there was a lull and he was able to make his way into the kitchens unimpeded. Quenym started rummaging around in the cupboards and shelves for spoons and flour and fruit, thinking carefully about what he wants to make. Maybe a wherry and red fruit pie! After all, if they tasted good apart, then they had to taste great together, right? He grinned and started slicing up one of the redfruits and dumping it into a bowl, seeds and all.
But how did you make the gravy that went into a pie? His brow furrowed as he thought. Maybe it had to do with the meat being juicy. After all, it always tasted like the meat. He dumped some water and wherry meat into the bowl, and then went for the juice. He paused, considering which juice to put in. Then he grabbed the coconut juice. It was rather whitish and tasty, and gravy was rather whitish! There had to be some sort of color change when the pie was cooked for the juice to start really looking like gravy. He grinned. This cooking thing wasn't so hard, after all!
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 20.Jul.13
Arddra was making her way to the kitchen hoping to get some food to snack on. For once the area wasn't swarming with dragonriders, weyrlings and candidates as well as the rest of the Weyr inhabitants. In fact the only soul she saw upon entering the kitchen itself was a very young man, maybe 12 or 13 turns old.
Frowning she wondered why he was preparing what looked like a pie. At first seeing him dump wherry meat, raw from the looks of it into a bowl she assumed a meat pie. Then he poured juice. Was he just throwing things in at random? Arddra wasn't the best cook on Pern but she did know enough of the basics to realize what the young man was making certainly wasn't typical.
"What are you making?" Arddra inquired, her mind struggling on remembering the lad's name. She was certain she saw him in the Candidate Barracks not all that long ago but despite being fairly good at picking up names, this boy she didn't recall his name, other than it started with a Q. "I certainly hope you aren't just messing around in here."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - V'riy - 21.Jul.13
"It certainly looks like he's just messing around." V'riy nodded to the girl as he chuckled from the doorway, his smile reaching his eyes. "What is that you're making... or should I say, attempting to make?" He strode casually into the kitchen, bending forward to sniff at the concoction.
"What is that, coconut steak? Hmm... I'm not sure how well that'd come out. I'm no expert chef, but I don't think what you're using meshes well together... coconut is an unusual choice of seasoning for meat."
He turned kind eyes upon the boy, taking a moment to study his expression. "Why is it you want to cook for yourself, anyway? There is plenty left over for you to snack on, if you're hungry." V'riy tilted his head to the side, indicating a myriad of left-overs available for the taking.
His eyes met Quenym's with a challenging gaze, but he smiled good-naturedly to take any sting out of his next words. "Just what are you up to, boy? What's your name? And before you go running off, no, you're not in trouble."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 21.Jul.13
Quenym was surprised when another Candidate came up. She was one of the older ones. Stolen? He couldn't rember, or care, really. And then another one joined them. He wasn't a Candidate. A rider? Probably. Quenym snorted in derision at the assertion that he was just messing around. "I wasn't about to go runnin'! I happen to be teaching myself how to make emergency supplies! I am an EX-PLOR-ER, and I gotta be able to take care of myself! Name's Quenym."
With that he turned towards the woman with a nicer smile. "What I was trying to do was make pie. I figured that since redfruit pie is delicious, and meat pies are delicious, then they gotta taste really good all together."
He gave a self-satisfied nod, then went back to glaring at the Rider. "The coconut is for gravy. Wherry gravy is white. What else would they use to get that color? Coconut is the only obvious answer!" It was a bold assertion, but Quenym was so thoroughly irritated with the man that the only option was for him to be absolutely right about what he was doing. "If you don't know anything about cooking, then you should butt out, wherrybrain!"
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 21.Jul.13
Hearing a man's voice behind her, Arddra turned sideways so she can see who it was. Fortunately he was staying by the doorway. Normally she didn't have anything against men as long as they kept their hands to themselves around her. But Dragondriders, she just didn't trust, no matter what kind of dragon they rode.
The boy's response to her question brought her attention back to him. "A wherry and redfruit pie...I never heard of such a thing but you may be onto something here."
Arddra had made meat pies before, using a variety of meats, herdbeasts, wherries, fish and other similar meats and she did make bubbly pies and other sweet desserts. Would the taste of redfruit enhance the flavor of meat? Before she could make further inquiries the dragonrider came right up to Quenym and sniffed what he was making.
Arddra backed away, preferring to stay at arms length or more from a dragonrider, especially one she didn't know. His seemed kind enough but something about the way he looked at the younger candidate and his words, Arddra found weren't so nice. It was almost like the dragonrider was mocking the boy.
It was no wonder the boy snapped at the dragonrider.
More worried about what the Dragonrider will do in turn kept Arddra from informing Quemyn that flour was often used to thicken gravy which gives it a pale color, especially with wherry juices which were light to begin with.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - V'riy - 21.Jul.13
Turning to the young woman next to him, V'riy noticed she had backed up a few feet, and the barest indication of a frown formed his lips. Did he know this one? She looked.. rather new, but familiar. He always went to such great lengths to be amiable to the residents of Katila Weyr. Excepting weyrbrats and D'ren's crew, he tried to get along with nearly everyone.
Why then, did she back away? He ran his fingers through his hair quickly, and unobtrusively smelled his shirt while she spoke to Quenym about the possibility of a new variety of pie. No, he smelled as clean as he always did, and experienced a brief bout of irritation for her making him feel the need to check. Ridiculous. Pushing it away, he assumed the smooth expression that was his bronzerider "face".
Can't you hurry it up and just grab what you need, so that we can go? I'm eager to be off today. You're wasting your time with these two, and being entirely too lenient with the boy. Where's his respect?
V'riy was appalled at Quenym's show of temper and disrespect, but remained unruffled, as always. Morith snorted at V'riy's reluctance to put the boy in his place, but V'riy didn't see any sense in scolding the boy. If he was this easily worked up, it wouldn't get him anywhere. Besides, he didn't want to come off as an overbearing ass in front of the young woman.
"Well, Quenym, first off, you're logic is wrong," he stated in a completely deadpan voice. "That light color is from flour being added to the drippings of the meat," he explained. "Drippings come from meat that has already been cooked. But since you already know what you're doing, I'll leave you to it. As I said, I'm no expert."
The bronze rider shrugged his shoulders at the boy. This one should get a hold of his emotions, V'riy thought. Morith was right about his lack of respect and self-control. It wouldn't do for the child to be losing his head over something as simple as a few words. He could use a bit of toughening up, and a bit of guidance. V'riy pondered who to speak to about this young Quenym.
Exploring, too? V'riy wasn't going to comment that the boy would be unable to take care of himself if he didn't know the first thing about cooking something as simple as gravy. The boy was seriously lacking in common sense. Who was responsible for him?
V'riy turned swiftly and walked over to the left-over table. He picked up his leather shoulder bag, setting it on a bench, and opened the flap. Glancing at the table, he grabbed several meat pies and wrapped them before placing them neatly inside the container, along with a some pieces of fresh fruit. He wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, and didn't plan on having to catch his own supper.
Without a word, swung the bag over his shoulder and walked to the doorway, nodding to Quenym and the girl. "Have a nice time cooking," he said, smiling politely. Wearing his game face, he made to exit the kitchen.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 21.Jul.13
The girl stepped back and was silent as the Rider sized Quenym up. He stood there, stiff and as tall as he could. The words the Rider said made Quenym first pale with realization of how ignorant he'd been, and then turn bright red with anger about how wrong he'd been. And then his temper gave one brief, loud explosion.
He threw some of the mixings at the Rider as he started to leave the kitchen.
Then Quenym turned towards the girl, eyes wide. "He... He isn't RIGHT, is he?!" His voice quavered with disbelief and with being upset. He had been banking on being able to figure things out on his own, and here he was, totally unable to do even one of the simplest things in the kitchen.
And that made him feel downright ashamed. He shuffled from foot to foot. "Ah... If you know anything about cooking, then, I'd rather like the help." Quenym's voice was quiet, his eyes downturned towards the floor. Normally he wasn't one for humility, but between getting things so wrong and how she had shied away from the Rider, he figured it was better to suck it up.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 21.Jul.13
Arddra suspected the dragonrider, bronzerider if she read the badge on his shoulder correctly, was offended by her movement away from him. A part of her didn't care if he was, none didn't seem to care how offended she was when she was kidnapped. Not completely true, there was one rider who had tried to be nice to her not long after her arrival and forced stay on the Candidate Isle. Then he made a pass at her and that just clinched it for her. The dragonriders just wanted her for their pleasure so she kept her distance.
Her distraction of being lost in her own thoughts had her miss a few things the dragonrider said to Quenym. It was the rider's deadpan tone that drew her attention and she frowned at him. Yes the boy was doing things wrong but as far as Arddra was concerned, there was no reason to spell it all out in such a flat, non supportive way.
Seeing how red the boy was getting now that he was told of his mistake, Arddra wasn't sure what he will end up doing. The rude dragonrider was already gathering up food and stuffing them into his pack. She started to relax, assuming Quenym will keep his temper in check but that wasn't the case.
When the dragonrider turned to say more, Arddra felt he was being mocking with his 'have a nice time cooking' and far too polite smile. It was not a surprise the young Candidate lost his temper and threw what he was working on at the rider.
Arddra smirked as she felt the dragonrider deserved it but before she could do or say anything else, Quenym suddenly turned to her and spoke, his voice quivering and filled with disbelieve.
"Flour is used to help thicken the gravy but that doesn't mean coconut milk can't be used to give a different flavor to the gravy. Don't mind that rider, he was being rude and inconsiderate, they are all like that."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 22.Jul.13
Quenym was most put out by the revelation that the Bronzerider had been right about the gravy. "Oh." His shoulders slumped, dejected. "But I'm doing it wrong. Even if coconut makes it taste better...." His hand reached out to nudge the bowl a bit.
The rider had disappeared by now, but the sting of his ignorance still got to Quenym. "I'd like to start over. Would you help me make it right? I just really want to be able to cook and do things for myself. I mean, spitting fish is nice, but if I go out and strike myself a place, or even when I move into the Rider huts, I want to be able to make something nice!" He was actually a little distressed by having done something so silly.
"Does wherry and redfruit even go together? I had thought... I mean...." He scuffed his foot. And now he was alone with the woman and she seemed to know what she was doing. He wouldn't throw wherry and redfruit at her. She seemed a lot nicer than the Rider.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 22.Jul.13
The young man's slumped shoulders and dejected tone touched Arddra. As uncomfortable as she was when it came to children, Quenym didn't draw out that deep inner pain like younger children did. Thus, when he complained about doing things wrong she knew she would offer to help him do it right.
"I will be glad to help you make it right," Arddra assured him. "But just to be clear, even if you didn't understand how gravy was made, that didn't mean your initial process was wrong. Wherry meat does need to be cooked almost completely before you bake it in a pie. Cooking it in fruit juice or coconut juice would give it a different flavor, perhaps even hide the gamier taste of these Southern Wherries."
"Get that bigger pot there and we will give your idea a try, with just a few changes. First, we want to chop the wherry meat into finer chunks," Arddra smiled. "As for redfruit and wherry, I haven't heard of that particular combination but there are dishes which use the rind of yellowfruit or crushed berries as a glaze when roasting wherries or herdbeasts. As a juice in pie I don't think so but I don't see it not being possible. As I mentioned, it could help neutralize the gamy taste of local wherries."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 23.Jul.13
Quenym nodded as he listened to her, nodding seriously as he took in what she was saying. "So... If cooking the meat in the juice can add flavor, then maybe soaking it in the juice can make the juice flavor even stronger?" He hoped he wasn't off on this, but it just seemed like logically it would work. But... "And I'm not sure what you mean by the southern wherries tasting gamier. How so? What do Northern wherries taste like?" He had been born and raised in the south, so the wherries there tasted normal to him.
He grabbed the bigger pot and hauled it over while he asked, getting two things done at the same time. Then he grabbed a knife and started grabbing chunks of the wherrymeat, cutting it up into smaller bits. He was faily adept with his knife from years of fussing with it to make things, even teaching himself to throw it at one point, and his hands bore the fine scars of those things.
"You know, you don't seem so bad for a Northerner. But why do you guys all mind so much standing for dragons? They're dragons! What's wrong with them? Well, with you for not wanting them?" Quenym asked while he finished with that and moved to get a yellowfruit and peel it, setting aside the slices of its innards for a snack later. He started shaving tiny flakes of it into the pot, more as flavoring than as part of the filling. The coconut juice was completely ignored, in favor of something else that seemed more reasonable.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 23.Jul.13
"The flavor is in the juice itself, be it the natural juices you would get from cooking meat or that of fruit juice, vinegar or other spices added to enhance the taste or mask a less popular taste. Your experimentation in trying to teach yourself how to cook is probably how what is currently known about cooking was discovered initially. My advice, learn the basics first, understand the known methods then finding better or new recipes after would work out better." Arddra spoke gently, being careful not to use any tone that would sound mocking or scolding. "I only know the basics myself, what every young woman is taught, at least among the Holder women."
"Up North we keep flocks of Wherries much like herdbeasts and other animals. These domesticated varieties tend to lose the gamy taste. It's a more wild bloody taste than what I am used to." Arddra wasn't sure how to describe the gamy taste to somebody who's never eaten anything that doesn't have that taste. "It is hard to describe, even the herdbeasts here taste different enough just by being mammals instead of fowl wouldn't really make it clear."
"Oh I am sure plenty Northerners would like to stand for Dragons," Arddra sighed, not sure how best to describe the resentment without getting into details. "Unlike you who grew up here and been around dragons, most of us up North haven't seen any dragon, especially not since they all died off save for those who came here."
"At first I was very unhappy being brought here, I wasn't even given a choice. That is very hard to accept and it had nothing to do with being brought here for the Gold hatchlings to have a choice on who to Impress. I have been here long enough I am more eager to Impress a Gold than I was initially, I understand why I was brought here and I do intend to succeed at Impressing. I just hope there is a gold who wants me." That was probably more than she was used to saying about how she was brought here but Arddra felt it was general enough it wouldn't stand out against most of the other kidnapped candidates original feelings.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 23.Jul.13
Quenym nodded, taking in what she was saying even more about cooking. He,. When he Impressed and got his own kitchen, he would do some experimenting and see what he could come up with. But maybe once he learned the basics. It wouldn't do to accidentally poison or sicken anyone else because of his hardheadedness. But when she talked about gaminess and bloody taste. His face was still completely blank, not understanding the difference in flavor.
In the meanwhile, he also hauled out the flour and some butter, having seen these put into use to make crusts before. But then he just stood there, looking at the ingredients.
Quenym glanced over at the girl to distract himself a bit. "So they're scared of dragons? Don't they get that they helped save Pern from thread? And if you're feeling happy and wanting a dragon, then I'm sure that one will want you, too." He nodded at that answer, fully believing it. After all, he wanted a dragon! And that meant he would get one! And sooooon, too!
"So. We cook the meat. How do I make the crust for the pie?" The meat and been set on the fire to get going. Now he was ready to start the rest of it.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 24.Jul.13
"It isn't easy to explain with words alone, I am sorry." Arddra shrugged, deciding to give up on trying to explain the difference. If she could get a hold of more domesticated wherries and a fresh caught wild Wherry then it will be easier to show the difference. For now it wasn't important for what they were doing now.
"Just add some water and seasoning to the meat and we can leave it cooking at a low temperature," Arddra measured out the seasoning, mostly just a few pinches since they were only making one pie. "For crust it's better to use the lard, but butter can be used too in a pinch."
Arddra grabbed a large enough bowl and showed Quenym how much lard to use to flour, including a inch of salt. She demonstrated how to mix it and let him do the rest, giving advice where needed and encouragement and praise as deserved. She let him a moment to bring out the rolling pin and waited till he was done mixing the crust.
"You can add more flower if it's too sticky. Typically one just adds flour to a flat surface and the rolling pin. Form a ball with the dough and squish it down on the table. Now, the trick of rolling out crust is to start from roughly the middle of the dough and roll outwards with just light pressure. After each roll, rotate the crust so you get a fairly even large circular crust which is big enough to line a pie pan. Don't worry about being too big, the idea is you want a crust that is thin, about an eighth of an inch. Once you fit it into the pie pan, you trim the edge off with the knife. The extra dough will be reformed into a ball and made into a top crust, once the filling is added."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 24.Jul.13
Quenym paid rapt attention to what Arddra was telling him, nodding at her words. He actually rather hoped that someday he might be able to try some of the Northern wherries she was talking about, just to see. He watched her season the meat and let it cook. Then she took over showing him how to make the crust for it as well, which he took in with wide eyes. He had no clue about half of this!
When he had finished mixing the crust, he was instructed on how to roll it out and make the cover for the filling. Quenym followed her directions to the best of his ability, but with his beginners skills the end product was a touch uneven and a bit too floury from when he had dumped a bit too much extra to make sure it wouldn't stick. It wasn't the best, but for a beginner, middling on the skill level.
"Okay, so tht means I can just dump the filling on and close the edges?" He guessed as best as he could, taking the pot of now fully-cooked meat and bringing it to the crust. Instead of waiting for an answer, Quenym went ahead and started dumping out the contents smack-dab into the middle of the dough, piling it high before setting the pot aside and grabbing the top crust. This part seemed so self-evident, based on what she was saying.
Wile he was busy doing this, Quenym decided to talk to her some more. "So what else is different between the South and the North? Do they have the same fruits? And weather? If the wherries are different, then are there differences in the people too?"
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 24.Jul.13
Arddra had been momentary distracted so when he asked if the next step was to just dump the filling in, Arddra didn't realize he was doing it at that instant. By the time she turned back he was already filling the pie shell with the cooked wherry meat and juices.
"Be careful that will be very hot!" She warned before he ended up burning himself by trying to join the ends of the crust. "Normally the filling is left to cool before putting it into the pie shell." Arddra knew the pie will still turn out editable but the crust wouldn't likely be cooked properly underneath. Still not bad for the boy's first attempt at making a pie. "Leave the top loose to let the pie vent, then use that fork there to crimp the edges together. A few pokes through the top will keep things from bubbling too much in the oven."
Arddra shouldn't be surprised Quenym started asking about the North. At least it was non specific enough she could answer without sounding elusive.
"We have most of the same fruits up north as here, except for the yellowfruit," Arddra confirmed, "Far less stands of trees around the Holds, in fact we keep no greenery anywhere near our homes. The weather varies, some places in the the north are almost as hot as they are here others are so cold it snows."
"There are more people...not as much now as there used to be..." Arddra stopped that train of thought. "Anyway, things are much different there, it will take some time to explain it all."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 12.Aug.13
Quenym poked and prodded at the pie crust as the girl spoke, leaving a vent and heading over to the fire to make sure it was not enough. At least, whet he figured would be hot enough. No greenery in the North?! Ick! But even as he moved to put the pie in the oven, his brow was furrowed.
"Snow?" The boy asked cautiously. "Sounds dangerous." Not that he actually knew what it was, but he didn't want to let the girl onto that fact. He had already made enough of a fool of himself. "I don't think I'd like to be that North. I would hate not having trees or whatnot. I like green." He nodded firmly. Green was definitely the best color, especially on the ground. Or on a dragon. Green dragons were nice too, he supposed.
He shoved the pie straight into the center of the oven and closed the door to let it bake. "I don't think that I would like to live up north. Even if it can be almost as hot as here, it doesn't sound as fun. Not even the yellowfruit! Aren't you glad that you came down here? I mean, now you can see all the trees and have as many yellowfruits as you like, and be around dragons to boot!" Quenym nodded firmly in his assessment of the situation.
"As long as I gotta wait for the pie to cook, why don't you tell me about it, anyway? Or more about it. I think I'd like to hear it." He sat himself down on a stood by the hearth and motioned for her to take the other one. "...how long do I gotta wait for it, anyway?"
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 13.Aug.13
"Snow can be, especially in the mountain passes. There are holds that end up being inaccessible till the spring thaws. In moderate amounts it is quite fun. You can pack it up into a ball and throw it, the boys have fun throwing it at each other and girls. Not that the girls appreciate it. It is cold and when it melts, it's quite wet." Arddra remembered having fun as a child playing in snow but she also hated it when it was really cold. The weather in the south was more to her liking.
"All the greenery was scourged from around the holds and other habitats as a defensive measure when Thread was falling. Thread can't eat rock or metal, so if there was no greenery around where you lived and all the animals and people safely indoors, Thread just fell and died on the ground. Assuming the Dragonriders let any escape their formations." Arddra knew the Harper's teaching songs and ballads about dragonriders searing Thread in the skies but it had been generations since Thread fell. But Fort still followed the defensive measures. "There are still farms and some forests but they are away from the bulk of the holds. I believe ground crews would check for burrows after Threadfall."
"I have to admit during the first days I was in the south it was a shock to see so much green. I am used to it now and I think I would find home rather barren and plain." Arddra watched as Quenym put the pie into the hot oven. She walked over to check the temperature the oven was showing then nodded. It was at the right temperature and the fire wouldn't need to be stoked to keep it. Too hot and the pie will burn before it was ready. Too cool and it would take forever to cook and probably not taste as good.
"Day to day life up north wasn't much different as it is here for young people. Or most of us really. We have chores, regular work to do. No dragons though...they were all gone when I was very young, but I never saw them till I came here. It took me awhile to get used to dragons. I do want to Impress."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
Quenym listened with surprising attentiveness. He had always been one for details like this. Some of it dealt with dragons and thread, and that was always interesting. He nodded seriously at why the greenery was gone. He didn't like it, but it made sense, and if thread started falling here then they would likely have to do the same. The thought made him sad, but there was nothing else for it!
He pursed his lips at the thought of no dragons. No dragons! "I feel bad for anyone who grew up without dragons. Even you, thought you're older than me. Because that meant you went on for that much longer without dragons, and that's terrible." He reached over to pet her shoulder consoling lay. "I really am glad that you won't to impress now, though."
Quenym meant every word. She had led a terribly deprived life up until now, whether the sherries were better up North or not (though Quenym thought the ones down in his home we perfectly fine and didn't see what the fuss was about). Dragons made all the difference.
"You don't miss is up there, do you? Because I'm glad that you're down here with us. Means you can Impress now. It would have been terrible if you had state up there. Whichever dragon is yours, it might have Betweened! Now it has a chance to meet you." He nodded seriously, not really expecting a serious answer to his question. She didn't seem like she had family or anything back North. Or anybody worth going back for since she now wanted a dragon.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 04.Sep.13
"There are many things I do miss back home, all my family is up there." Arddra replied, looking over at the young man. "My mother and sister are still anyway."
"My father died when I was sixteen and my brother when I was just six years old." Arddra explained, wondering why she was telling the young man so much about her family. He probably wouldn't even remember these details once more interesting things come up, that may be why. Arddra didn't bother mentioning her husband as she didn't know if he was alive or not and the guilt for not being there for him, weighed heavy on her. Her sister was ten years older and she really didn't remember much about her. Thinking about her nieces and nephews was just a painful reminder how she failed to even become pregnant.
"I do miss my family but I am used it now. I didn't see much of my mother or sister nor her family after... well, that's all in the past." Arddra quickly brushed it off. Fortunately Quenym's mention of a dragon going between if she wasn't here to Impress her in some future clutch drew her attention away from her past.
"I would hate for that to happen but I am sure there are more than enough candidates now a future dragonet would find a better option, if I wasn't here. I rather one did choose me however, since I am here. I really don't have any other purpose here if I don't Impress. Except teaching young men such as yourself how to cook and be independent at least when it comes to preparing meals."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
Quenym frowned when she said that she missed her family. He hadn't expected that. Then again, he was raised in the Crèche, everyone was his family. Everyone mattered. He couldn't imagine singling out only one or two.... Well...
His thoughts went to Casa, the cute and boyish girl that he liked. Well, never mind then, he could imagine getting attached to one or two people in particular. He would hate hate hate it if someone took him away from Katila and he couldn't see her again. The thought made his stomach twist. No, he wouldn't want that. He glanced down at his feet, suddenly ashamed that he had said what he had.
"Guess I'd miss my friends if I got taken," the boy mumbled. "I don't got a whole lot that I'm attached to, I can make friends anywhere, but... There's a few, I guess." He refused to say Casa's name, though, not wanting to admit his feelings for the girl to just anyone.
An eye raised and he looked back at Arddra for her statement about the dragons. He frowned. "Don't be stupid. That's not how it works. A dragon doesn't pick who is best or most deserving, it picks who it belongs with. The other part of its soul. If its a part of your soul, it's not going to not going to want anyone else. Only you." He gave partial shrug. "And who's to say who is the best or not? I'm certainly not making any judgements. The dragons decide."
He glanced at the door of the oven. It had only been a few minutes, but.... "Think its ready yet?"
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 04.Sep.13
"I have been here for three years now, it's not as bad as it was before," Arddra spent most of her first six months frantic, practically ready to swim to the far shore to get away from Candidate Island and escape. Fortunately she didn't do it as she didn't really know how to swim. If she knew how to build a raft she might have tore down a building for the wood. Eventually she calmed and did what was expected of her and agreed not to try to escape so she could get off the island and move in with the others.
"It would be nice to get in contact with them but we are forbidden to do so. Tsuen has made it perfectly clear no contact with the North is permissible. Till that changes I have no way to know if my mother and sister are still alive. For all I know they may think I am dead and finished grieving for me."
She frowned when the young man told her not to be stupid. Maybe she didn't know exactly how dragonets picked their bonded but she doubted one would hatch just for her if it wasn't aware of her existence before it fell onto the sands from it's egg. Yet some dragonets did go Between in past hatchings. Was there somebody up north who just lost their other self?
"I don't want any dragonet to go Between. I love animals, they shouldn't suffer due to the follies of men...or women."
"The pie won't be ready for another half mark," Arddra told him and smiled. "If you like, to pass the time we can always just clean up. We can continue talking as we clean up."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
Three turns... That seemed an awful long time to be away from people she liked. Quenym tried to imagine being away from the to her brats for that long. And tried... And failed. He couldn't imagine not missing them and the stuff they all did together. Sure he could make other lackeys - friends - but he sure would miss the ones the had now. The new ones wouldn't be the same.
Especially since he would never be able to get in contact with them. He tilted his head thoughtfully. Sure, contact was forbidden now... But they had dragons! Why couldn't they just go north again? It was definitely something to contemplate. Besides, north seemed an interesting place to visit. Maybe when he Impressed and his dragon got big enough, he would simply fly up there and see what the fuss was about. And find out about her family for her.
"They might," he conceded about them thinking she was dead, "But I'm sure they know something happened that wasn't normal. Maybe a few of them think that you were stolen away and kept. Unless you had a habit of disappearing out of nowhere." Quenym did. He knew that. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think of him lying dead from a wild wher somewhere someday.
"And you're right about that betweening and suffering! Bunch a those other northerners are a buncha dimglows. Don't get it. Think that dragons just want people who want them, or are stupid and don't understand that even rejecting a dragon that wants you... It's their other half. And I want that. No one else in the world may love you, but that dragon always will. You can't hate yourself. Not like that." He shook his head solemnly. It was something he believed with all his heart. And those who didn't understand missed out.
"So I'm glad that you are sticking it out. Because those dragonets need ya to be there." He nodded firmly. That was why he had decidedly to go onto the Sands... Well, when he had been Searched, at least. If he hadn't been considered worthy, his heart would have broken!
Quenym glanced around at the kitchen and frowned. He had made a decent mess, hadn't he? With a long-suffering sigh, the boy slid off the counter and made for the place he had put the pie together. "Don't want to pick up the bit that hit that rider yet. I got him, and I'm glad of it!" He declared. "Stupid bronzerrider."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 04.Sep.13
"I don't think they would be happy to learn I am alive, it's all so difficult." Arddra realized by the time anybody realized she wasn't coming back her husband probably would have died. clenching her jaw she forcefully shoved that train of thought away. She still had nightmares fueled by her feelings of guilt.
"Nothing I can do about it sort of something very violent and unbecoming a woman and I am not that sort of person." Arddra was no mat for people to walk all over but she didn't like violence. Yelling and raised fists frightened her but she had more than enough inner strength she would stand her ground if she wanted to. She just wasn't the short to lash out except in very rare situations.
"I have seen the look on many candidates at the moment Impression was made..I have never seen that sort of wondrous bliss and completeness." Even seeing the look in a woman's eyes when she looks at her newborn child wasn't the same. Arddra was quite positive there was nothing like Impressing a dragon. Maybe a firelizard was a pale comparison. "I can't see anybody refusing a dragon once they make that connection."
Arddra smiled at the young man, glad he was old enough she didn't feel the pain she did every time she saw a newborn or a toddler. It was the one biggest sadness in her life, she never had a child and it wasn't for the lack of trying.
"Right, lets get cleaning. Together we can get it done in no time and the pie will be ready. We can sample it together and enjoy the fruit of our labors." Arddra declared, moving towards the hearth and pushed the kettle of water closer to the flames. She then started gathering dirty dishes into one of the smaller sinks.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
Quenym frowned he couldn't believe that anyone wouldn't be happy to see someone they loved back. Well... Then again he had trouble believing a lot of thigs she said. It just seemed to be the way of things. He sighed and shrugged. If she said it was so, then it had to be. But Arddra was still sad and that was something that could be fixed. If they let people contact back North.
"Maybe when your dragon gets old enough you could just fly up there," he suggested lightly. "I know that it would be really dangerous, but the other riders got here that way in reverse, so it would be possible. But you would be in a lot of trouble if you got caught, so there is that." He gave a small shrug. "But like you said, not much point if no one would be happy to see you, I guess."
Grabbing a broom to sweep up the mess he had swept from the counter to the floor, Quenym made a neat pile of everything and started aiming it out the door. The wherries never seemed to mind scraps, so it would all go to them.
"Anycase, thank you for helping me out. I know I don't know much about baking, but I really want to know. It's for my adventures. And I gotta know how to do things so that if the people with me get in trouble, I can help them out. I can't be a good leader unless I can do that, you know." He nodded seriously, getting the bit of pie fillings that had fallen to the floor from his earlier argument with the bronzerider.
He finished that bit and moved back to the leftovers, sacking them and putting them back where he had find them. Mostly. Quenym couldn't remember what pots went back where, exactly, so he just stuck them back any old way, messing up the organization the drudges had so carefully constructed. The sacks were easier, with leftover redfruit going back with them and eggs with the like. "Ya know, this wasn't half-bad. I think I'm going to do it again soon. Maybe even show it off to Casa!" He exclaimed, grinning.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 04.Sep.13
"Once my dragon is old enough I actually plan to fly north. She will be a gold so I don't think another gold can force her to stay." Arddra said in a near whisper, not wanting anybody passing by to overhear. From what she heard from others that was the only reason people didn't just mount their dragons and fly north on their own. It was Nirinith's command which kept them all here. The dragons didn't dare disobey their queen. But the other queens, well she couldn't see why they wouldn't be able to do what the want.
"I think they will be happy to see me, I just feel some may be upset I am gone but once I explain what happened, they won't have hard feelings. Having a dragon with me certainly would prove I was taken against my will by dragonriders and they do exist." Arddra also realized with a dragon she didn't have to be afraid of other men...at least till her dragon rose to mate. What would happen if she went north and her dragon rose to mate with no dragons around to catch her? Arddra didn't think that would be a bad thing. In fact she could take her dragon far away and once the desire passed, come back. The bad thing would be her dragon won't have any babies..But she didn't want to be forced to some man's bed because of the powerful lust dragonsriders felt from their dragons.
"I don't mind helping out. I can teach you the basics to cooking. Pies are a bit more elaborate for exploring. What you would want for traveling over land would be hard tack, dried meats and fruits and cheeze. Things that can be easily carried and won't spoil over a few days. Learning how to hunt and gather would be useful, this way you can get what you want from the land around you. I don't know much about that myself but i am sure any of the men here who do hunt, will be able to help. All I really know is how to find tubers, water cress, fruits, some small game and similar around here. Hunting wild wherry and herdbeasts, I don't know much about. Fishing is useful to know too but I am not very good at it. I am beastcraft raised so I know more about finding good grazing land and recognizing the local berries and other treats."
"I do know my way around the kitchen and many things I can teach you in here, you can use with an open fire." Arddra finished washing the dishes as she talked then wiped down the counter. By this time the kitchen was being filled by the smell of the cooking pie. "I best check on our pie, it smells nearly done."
Peaking in the oven, Arddra could see the crust was nicely brown so used the paddle to slide under the pie pan and brought the hot pie out and set it on a rack to cool. "I am sure Casa will love to see you cooking and cleaning. You can even take the pie to share with her."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
Quenym's eyes widened when she spoke of her plan. He had guessed at it without even knowing! That was too neat! If it weren't such a big deal he would have crowed about it to his friends. He nodded quickly. But then he had a thought. "How do you know that you'll get a gold? Some of the gold candidates get greens instead. If that happens, you'll be out of luck!" He whispered urgently. He didn't want her to get a green when she had such a brilliant plan, but the possibility was there...
"If you go North, I wanna come with." It took only a split second to think about it, but he wanted to. "When I get my dragon, of course. But I wanna see this North and see what some of the Riders liked about it and why they wanna go back. And I wanna bring my friend Casa with too. I won't tell her, not yet, but we both will come, I'm sure of it." He nodded his head decisively. He wanted her to come with him, and Quenym didn't think for an instant that she wouldn't. She would have her green and he would have his brown, and they could fly with the queen that Arddra got, and it would be an amazing adventure!
Quenym gave a small snort when Arddra pointed out some things about pies. "I know they aren't handy for exploring, but they will be useful to know when we set up our new weyr! After all, we would need to know things like that eventually when we got going. In the meanwhile, there's travel food." He wiped down the counter once more and nodded to himself. Spotless. There was something about a job well done...
"I'm still working on hunting and fishing, but some of the other weyrbrats know about it, so if I went now it wouldn't be any big deal. I have a while yet before I gotta worry about it though. So I have time to learn. I just figure I should know a little about everything to be good at leading them." Quenym flashed her a big grin. "Glad you're willing to teach me more, too. I can always stand to get better at what I do know!"
His eyes widened in surprise when she mentioned Casa so casually. "Do you know Casa, then?" He asked curiously and a bit possessively. Casa got around the weyr and knew a lot more people than he did, so it made sense, but still! At least now he knew some of the same people that Casa did. He was going to have to go out and meet even more, though....
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 04.Sep.13
"I don't know for certain I will get a gold, but it is what I am expected to get." Arddra knew women who impressed greens or blues were not treated very well. She also didn't want anything to do with many of the blue riders. Arddra remembered quite clearly the color of the dragonrider knot on the shoulder of the dragonrider who attacked her. If she did get a green and D'hys's blue tried to fly her, Arddra was certain she will want to do everything in her power to discourage that dragon from coming near hers. Pushing away the violent thoughts she sighed. No she will have a gold, she was certain of it.
"I hope by the time our dragons are old enough I haven't forgotten what my home looked like. We can just go Between and be there in no time flat. I don't see any reason you can't come along.
"All the Weyrs up north are empty...I don't think it would be hard to just pick one and work with the Holds nearby for proper tithes, as they did in the old days." Arddra wondered how long they could stay here in the south. More and more dragons were being born each year and queens born the first year she arrived were old enough to be laying their own eggs. The last hatching was a double clutch, there was a good chance both golds will lay their clutches around the same time again, How long before the land here was full of dragonriders and their huts? "We will go north, eventually it will be necessary."
"By the time a dragon matures, you would have at least two turns to learn all these skills, not counting how many hatchings before the right dragon hatches for you."
"yes I know Casa, our paths crossed a couple times and we did get to know each other. I am no where near as close to her as you appear to be. She is a sweet girl, rough around the edges from what I am used to, not that i hold it against her in any way. I like her spunk and refreshing outlook to life."
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Q'nym - 04.Sep.13
"We'll, if you get a gold then that's that," Quenym decided. "I'm hoping that I'll get a brown. They're really nice and steady, and I like how big they are." It was a quiet confession to her. "And I promised Casa that I'd get a dragon that would fly hers, so since she is gonna get a green, it would be nice since then we would have brown and green like the forest." Best reason ever! He liked the colors of their home.
He tilted his head at her other worry. "I'm sure that you won't forget something like your home. People can be tricky, but I remember places what I found as a kid a lot better than who I found them with. So don't worry." Quenym reached out a hand to pat her arm with, a vague attempt at giving her confidence. With that he also listened and nodded seriously when she talked about what they could do when they went North. Sounded about right! And ti would be a grand adventure!
The biggest one of his life.
"Two years isn't a whole lot of time to learn things like this. I will have other things I need to learn, like managing my dragon, cause I'm going to impress this next clutch," he said, puffing out his chest. "Me and Casa. We promised each other." And that meant he was more than interested in how she knew Casa. Quenym grinned. "Dae is my best friend. She is going to be my second in command when I have a wing of my own! We do everything together. We prank, and explore, and make the best get well gifts, and..."
Quenym's cheeks flushed a bit red. "I like her. She's great." No other words would escape his lips on that subject.
Re: Completely Cracked [Open] - Arddra - 05.Sep.13
"You would make a fine brown rider," Arddra agreed. The browns certainly were a good size, sort of between the golds and bronzes and the blues and greens. "If Sumdae gets a green then a brown would have a good chance to catch her, especially if he's agile. Even if Casa gets a gold, a brown does have a chance to catch her too."
"I am sure I will be able to remember when the time comes," Arddra agreed. When he patted her arm she smiled at him. "You are barely minimal age to stand so you have plenty of time to learn all you need to learn and Impress a dragon, then learn how to care for him."
His blush caused Arddra to smile more. It was quite clearn Quenym was very fond of Casa. She felt they would make a cute couple. "Be careful with her Quenym, as tough as Casa is she is still a girl and we can be delicate in some things even if too young to realize it at the time."
Her first time with a man was the man she married and it had been very uncomfortable. He was older than she was but he had been very careful with her. Even then it had hurt and it took awhile for her to really learn to enjoy it. He became a better lover too.. Arddra pushed the memory away. It was the past and till she found a way home there wasn't any way to know for sure what happened to her spouse.
"The pie's cool enough now, lets wrap it up and you can go share it with Casa and your other friends. I should be heading back to the barracks."