Zipalla is building a sandweyr at the beach, Zorya is helping. L'ton and Dhonzayth happen by.
Ista Weyr - Main Beach
The famous black sands of Ista spread out about the great cove upon which the weyr has been built, gleaming under the rays of both sun and moon, like diamonds in their own pristine beauty. Caught between the brilliance of the deep, verdant greens of the forest, and the crystalline blues of the shallows, gradually deepening their colour deeper into the great ocean, the beach is no less striking, truly beautiful in its own way.
The hot, heavy rays of the sun reach deep into these sands, forever blazing underfoot, although the water remains cool and refreshing even upon the hottest of days, never quite reaching the point of being tepid. Off to one side, coming from the plateau, a small, thin waterfall, empties into a catching pool that runs off into the water through dark sand and pebbles.
Two girls on the beach. Well not the only two but probably the prettiest two, right? Right. Zipalla looks up from where she squats, somewhat like a child, giggling, tapping the bottom of an upturned bucket of sand, pulling it up slowly, leaving a part of a sandcastle. "Zorya! We need more sand!"
"You have a whole beach full of sand!" Zorya, laughs, giving a slight roll of her eyes for her cousin's remark. "Do you have to build a whole -weyr- out of sand?" she teases even as she hauls another bucket of semi-soaked sand towards the other, setting it down beside her with a heavy sigh. "It's looking good though…"
Of course they're the prettiest two girls! Not that L'ton is biased towards his daughter and niece at all, noooo… The Weyrsecond and his bronze backwing on the beach, back from yet another pointless errand on which they were sent by the angry Junior Leslyn. Though, while many would be annoyed by the inane to-ing and fro-ing, L'ton still has a grin on his face, as Dhon settles a safe distance from the structure under construction, the man taking his time as he dismounts.
Zipalla giggles, "I know but I need that OTHER sand.." she yelps, pointing. She glances down at the weyr-in-progress then tilts her head, "Think so?" she asks. She smiles and nudges Zorya, "Well this way..We can occupy an entire WING of the weyr instead of just one little spot.."
Zorya laughs and nods. "I suppose.." she agrees a bit reluctantly, flopping down on the sand beside the work in progress. "But if you want anymore you have to wait a bit or get it yourself." said with a continuance of teasing seeping through her words. Now is as good as any to sit and take a break fro dragging sand across the beach.
Dhonzayth turns as L'ton's on the ground, freed from his straps and carry bags, slinking along the ground to stick his muzzle along the edge of the girl's project, being careful to not snort too deeply, lest he ruin all their work. L'ton, for his part, is not far behind, jacket and boots off, pants rolled up to avoid them getting too sandy, as he pauses to look at it. "Shards, Zip. Y'all planning on moving out here, or something? Easier ta dig a hole, prolly, though ya might wake up in a big ole puddle."
Zipalla snorts at Zorya, "Fiiiine…then you work on the courtyard.." and she points to an area in the center of 3 raised areas. "It needs a wall connecting the towers.." she says, as if she knows JUST how a castle-weyr should be built. She giggles suddenly to see Dhon and pets his snout as she looks around the bronze, "Da!" she says excitedly. "We just might!"
Zorya blinks, "But this is yo-" she starts only to cut the thought short as Dhon makes his appearance with snout only a short foot in front of her. "Afternoon Uncle L'ton," she greets the rider, turning a smile up towards him before giving her cousin another roll of her eyes. "I almost think I'm going to have to agree with your father on this one Zipalla."
Dhonzayth stretches out his muzzle to both of the girls, whuffling them each in turn, eyes lidding lazily as he settles in, providing an oversized dragon poised to storm their castle. "What, dig a hole, or move out here?" L'ton grins, leaning to ruffle Zip's hair, before Zorya gets a squeeze on her shoulder, and he's meandering around to the 'front' side to get a different look. "Ah just dun think its big enough, Zip." He says, grinning.
Zipalla steps a few paces away then bends to fill the bucket, patting and adding more, patting again. "I know it's mine but you KNOW you'll visit.." she teases right back, rolling her eyes at Zor's agreement with Ton. "Oh.. just having some fun.." she says with a grin to her father as she arrives back at the weyrcastle, adding what it the final wing of the structure. "How long ya home this time?" she asks, grinning.
Zorya shakes her head with a laugh, "Neither, and I'll only visit because you're here." she notes with a wink. "Feel free to step in and help anytime now," she shoots towards L'ton. Hey, he can carry sand too. Right?
"Ah bet til about 5 minutes after Leslyn realizes that Dhon and Ah are back. Tis why we came down here, when we saw ya - figured she ain't gonna look for us here. Shards, wouldn't have thought a woman could get so angry." And yet, L'ton is still cheerful, amused, and grinning. As Zorya comments on his helping, he shakes his head, waving a hand. "Ah dunno, y'all seem ta be doing a pretty good job. Ah mean, Ah'll just get in the way."
Zipalla grins over at Zor, well duh, only cause of Zip. Eye roll. "I haven't seen her but I haven't looked either, I figure..I'd just be a reminder.." and she wrinkles her nose. "How's Mai?" she asks, glancing down to patpat and shape the top of the current tower. "And well pick up some shells then.. cause…I need shells…" she grins.
Zorya laughs lightly, nodding at the explanation of both. "Well… whether you can blame her or not is one question, the other is if it's really worth holding a grudge so long." But… that's another whole thing on its own, and one perhaps best not going into detail on. "But yes, shells."
"Nah, Zip, yer probably okay, less ya've been catching proddy greenriders when Ah ain't been looking." There's a grin on his face, shaking his head as he's put to work by his eldest daughter, turning to scan the beach for the best portion to find some shells. "She's good. Pi came by the other night, and gave her the wing knot. Then, 'course she took off fer a sevenday, so Mai's trying ta figure out what she's suppose ta be doing."
Zipalla nods her head some at first then smirks at Ton, "Not hardly.." she simply snorts. "Oh…" she says in regard to Mai getting the knot then she sits back on her heels, surveying her kingdom. "My kingdom for shells.." she calls out to her father.
Zorya presses her hands into the sand just a bit behind her, leaning back and propping herself up as such as Zipalla sets L'ton to work on her castle as well. "At least you can't say you haven't been busy…" she offers idly, which is something she herself can't say either.
"Shards, though. Ah never thought Ah'd say it, but.. Ah want ta just spend a day in my office." L'ton grins, as he's grabbing a pair of flat shells, and then a conch-like shell, turning to drop them infront of Zip, along with a few other smaller ones, glancing sidelong at Zorya. "Ya look like ya're just /so/ busy.." He jokes with his niece.
"I'm taking my office break?" Zorya teases, putting a questioning lilt on her words as if she weren't sure of it exactly. "I'm been busy enough lately." Which Zipalla would more than likely know being that they're roomies. "There's always practice to be had."
Zipalla giggles and then nods, scooping up the shells delightedly. She goes to work arranging them, forming up 'legs' of sand, one flat shell becomes a table. The other one is pushed into a sand wall to make an awning over a window which she draws with a slender finger. The small shells make nice finials along the top of the towers and she looks down, satisfied again, for the moment. "Well you're busy enough for both of us da.."
"Man, looking at ya ta, Ah think Ah should just send ya on my errands, and just relax on the beach fer ya. How's that sound?" The Weyrsecond runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it, before he's moving to collect a few more shells, and then he's looking back at Zorya. "How's that harper stuff going, anyway, huh?" And then he waggles a finger at Zip, shaking his head. "Ah think we've learned ya ain't busy enough, lil'one."
Zipalla blushes at L'ton and nods, ducking her head a little, let's not go /there/. She draws a pathway around the weyrcastle and then tilts her head, "….haven't seen Riley in weeks.." she says idly, though her expression reflects her disappointment.
Zorya nods, lifting a shoulder in a slight shrug as well. "Well enough, still working on things, still learning." she replies. A mildly sympathetic smile is spared for her cousin at the mention of the boy. "There's someone better for you out there anyway."
"Shards… Ah hope he didn't do anything stupid.." L'ton murmurs softly, at Zipalla's mention of Riley missing again, the bronzerider sighing softly. His gaze flicks to Zorya, tilting his head, somewhat surprised at her opinion on the matter, before he's settling down in the sand, idly making little towers outside the main portion of the weyrcastle.
Zipalla sighs some and lifts her shoulders, glancing up at Zor with one of those looks, the kind girls share, friends, cousins. "I dunno da.." she finally manages then she rubs one eye, "Sharding sand.." she mutters. Sure it's sand. A breath. "So.. anyway.." cough, "What else is new, da?"
Zorya didn't get off on the right foot with Riley so to speak. Though that might not be something that L'ton had heard of though Zipalla certainly had. The rider's look gets a slight shrug of her shoulder. "Yes Uncle L'ton, what else is new with you?"
There's another shake of his head, and a soft sigh, but then he's looking from one girl to the other. "Ya'll didn't… do something Ah should know about, did ya? Ya seem awful eager ta talk 'bout me, and not about y'all… Y'all know Ah ain't get ta do anything fun, with all these stupid errands." He grins, before shaking his finger at the girls. "Though, P'ton and P'nce, they're doing real good at Ierne. P'nce, 'least, Ah think may convince that weyrmate of his they should move here, finally." Maybe?
Zipalla looks to her da then shakes her head, "No.." and she looks to Zorya, "Riley got all.. worried when Zor said she'd stay with me cause he thought she was /stealing/ me…" and she rolls her eyes some. Secretly she thought it was sorta cute at the time, in light of what she'd been through, that he'd worry over losing her. "Which is a laugh since I never see him anyway.." She blinks, "Really they might move here?"
Zorya blinks. "Who?" she questions. The names might sound more familiar to her if they hadn't been shortened, but then they sound somehow familiar all the same. She'll not comment further on Zipalla's boy.
"Ah though he was gonna fall over himself, at that party." L'ton is grinning, shaking his head a bit, and looking back and forth between the two girls. "If'n ya say ya aren't up ta anything, Ah guess Ah have ta believe ya fer now.." A roll of his eyes, and then he's nodding. "Ponce and Payton, Zor.." He elaborates, before nodding at Zip. "Ah think P'nce is ready fer another change."
Zipalla grins a little, remembering the party. "He's scared of ya da.." she says with a laugh. She goes back to her shaping of a tower and then glances up at her father, listening. "Of course I'm not up to anything.. and I SURE wouldn't drag Zorya into it..if there was an it.." and her voice trails off.
Zorya ohs, "They're doing good and all then?" she replies with the question given the names. "They impressed then too.." which is a given considering. She sighs a bit, resituating her position. A short pause and the thought of the party brings her next comment, "I'm sorry I missed it..?"
"Well, he best be. So should any boy /ya/ have been talking to, Zorya.." L'ton turns his gaze on Zorya, narrowing his eyes slightly, trying to look strict, though the ruffled state of his hair sort of ruins that attempt. "Ya'll have pretty good odds, Ah mean.. There are.." And he sits there to count on his fingers. "Eight of us?" And then he's murmuring them off to himself softly. "Me, Pi, P'nce, P'ton and P'tah.. Zh'ae and Zelsey.. Zeriah and Zelsey.." And then a bit louder. "Nine, maybe." And he's shaking his head, not even he is totally sure.
Zipalla chortles and nods, "Right da..they're all terrified..all one of them who isn't even around.." she says as she stands up to circle the creation. "Nine.. hmmm…" she ponders, "How many P's are there I wonder…and Z's.." too freaking mean Z's to even count.
Far too many of both. But far more Z's than its even worth trying to count. "Ah ain't been talkin to any boys Uncle L'ton." she assures, "Not since Igen. Been too busy with harper things." She nods idly to the count of dragon riding cousins.
"Well, ya should keep it that way. Boys ain't no good. Not til Ah say so. And, bronzeriders, we just ain't no good at all. We're the worst. No bronzeriders." And he waggles his finger at each in turn, though its hard to tell how serious he is, because while his voice sounds it, his face shows a grin. "P'nce, he's got a few Z's, ta."
Zipalla laughs softly at Ton though she frowns some at Zor, a sort of sad frown, she'd not dare ask about the guy. "No kidding..bronzers ARE the worst.." she smirks, then she nods to L'ton. "Z's all over.." she grins.
Zorya blinks, a frown pulling at her lips as she turns a curious and questioning glance towards L'ton. "You're starting to sound like someone else I know…" But she won't continue down that path further than that. At least not yet.
"Zor, ya know Ah just want the best fer ya. And, Ah ain't gonna stop ya from no boys, don't worry - Ah ain't yer pa. But.. dun do anything ta stupid, ya know? Besides, Ah'm a bronzerider, Ah know what we think, and what we do." His finger is waggled at them both, and he reaches to ruffle Zorya's hair, giving her a smile. "Ya may not be my lil'girl, but ya might as well be, and Ah dun wanna see either of ya get hurt."
Zipalla glances to Zorya then to L'ton and smiles, watching them. She stops beside Dhon's head and reaches down to rub him, smiling at him. "BronzeR's, not Bronzes.." she says reassuringly to him. She looks up at L'ton and smiles, "That's just how it goes."
Zorya nods, "Yeah," she agrees, letting L'ton have the satisfaction of ruffling her hair and not having her duck away. "Ah know ya do, and… Ah appreciate it. Really." she adds, sending a bit of a smile his way before turning to include Zipalla with it. "Good ta have both of ya around."
Dhonzayth croons contently, wings sagging a bit as he relaxes, whuffling Zipalla, even as his tail is curling around Zorya as well, L'ton grinning. "Dhonny says that ya both can have him, and that he'll be your boy, because Ah ain't able ta be mad at him." Well, that's not entirely true, but. "So, when ya gonna make Senior Apprentice, Zor?" He questions, stealing a glance at his daughter, smiling at her smile.
Zipalla leans into Dhon and smiles, "You'll always be my boy," she says softly. Her eyes lift to Zorya at L'ton's question and she tilts her head. Senior apprentice.. wow.. and all Zip does is muck stables and draw. A little frown of disappointment at herself.
"Not like Ah have any say in that," Zorya points out, laughing lightly as she gives the bronze tail a look and a bit of a shove. Not that she's anything against the Dhon, but really its more playful annoyance than anything. "You two will be the first to know when I do." she assures.
Dhonzayth croons at Zip, given Zorya a whuff and a nudge, before his saggy wings are perking up, and he's stretching his neck out, peering back towards the weyr proper. "We'd best, Zor." L'ton says with a grin, shaking his head. "Les knows we're here.. we gotta run, loves. Ah'll see ya both a little later?" He says, looking from one to the other, getting to his feet and brushing the sand off his legs, holding his arms out, expectantly. Hugs?
Zipalla frowns and then stands up and walks to her father. She hugs him tightly, "I love you da.. come see me soon ok?" she asks him.
Zorya stands as well, waiting her turn to give the rider a quick squeeze. "You will," she assures, turning out of the hug once she's let to only to regard the pair of them, dragon and rider, "And try to stay out of trouble, will you." Teasing of course, but then there's a hint of sincerity to the words a well.
L'ton gives each of the girls a long hug, his daughter getting a kiss on her forehead, before he's grinning. "Ah'll do my best. Les, Les always gets worked up like this. She was mad at Lisle ta, after her da's bronze caught Umniyath." And then, there's a nod. "Ah'll see ya this evening, lil'one." He promises, before he's hurriedly gathering up his and Dhonzayth's things, and the pair are taking off.
Zipalla smiles at the gentle kiss and then pulls back to wave at dragon and rider, "Bye da..bye Dhon.." she says then moves to stand near Zorya, watching them leave.
