Gather Day!

Ierne Weyrhold - Gather Meadow

A well kept area, with booths and games for all ages and bents, the Gather Meadow Ierne are used quite regularly, for business as well as for entertainment. Often, the traders and crafters use this area for a market square, wheeling and dealing all through the day and night. But its never busier than for Ierne's Electoral Gather, the celebration of the Weyrhold's democratic process of selecting its WeyrLord, every four Turns.

Deceivingly large, the meadow here is surrounded on all sides by the forests of Ierne, though its much thinner to the east, where the main road lies. The square for eating and dancing is westward.

People: Galina, R'ki.


People have been gathering all day and certainly some deals have already occurred, but now the gather is officially open. Streamers of all colors hang from lines of stalls as traders and craftsmen alike try to sell their wares to anyone who glances their way. Dragons of all colors range on the cliffs and in the sunny glades of Ierne, harpers play a jaunty tune as gatherers dance. It seems that everyone is welcome, and a good many people have come.

Forlinan shouts, raising his voice above the crowd: "Step right up! Step right up! Available here, and only here at Ierne WeyrHold for the first time ever are collectible cards printed with the images and names of our historic dragonriders! For only a quarter mark a pack of seven highly collectible cards can be yours. Too much? For a sixteenth mark a pack of 3 random cards from any series can be yours. Guaranteed an untra-rare card every 7th pack! Step right up and buy a chance at owning a rare rider or early Ladninger today!"

Having moved in from somewhere else not long ago, R'ki can be seen making his way into the gather grounds, his hands stuffed into his pockets." Cards?" A eyebow arches ever so slightly, shaking his head, "Who needs things like cards? What a waste of marks." He turns his head slightly, his eyes scanning the gather grounds. After all, he has a whole weyr to fill with stuff.

Surely some Istan rider must have brought her here, but there's no sign of that rider now … which leaves Galina to wander freely amongst the masses of humanity that have decided to show up at the gather. Unfortunately, wandering is not her forte, so she's currently just standing off to a side near some booth or another, with a faint expression of unease on her features. Her blue associate is perched on her shoulder per usual, chattering excitedly in the nonsense language of 'lizards.

Traders accost the visitors from all sides, "Buy my cloth," one yells, "It'll bring out yer eyes!" "Sissals! Fresh Sissals!" screeches another, seeming to paw at Galina's hair, "Sissal for the lovely lady?" Where R'ki is walking, many traders join in jeering Forlinan's unusual wares, but he persists in his attempts to sell them while another printer tries to catch R'ki's eyes, "Books? Want some good books?"

R'ki idly makes his way through the wares, bending over to examine a couple of things that catches his eyes, not quite putting marks down on anything. "Not really much of a reader, sorry." He says quietly to the printer, tilting his head as he wanders more through the gather grounds. Finally something seems to pull at the brownrider's interest, a couple of paintings. "well…I was going to try and get my hut to look a little more…me…"

"I have no need for cloth," the Healer intones flatly, puzzlement creasing her forehead at the insistence of the trader. Galina moves away rather quickly, not a backward glance spared for the fabric vendor. The odd wares of Forlinan's are regarded with further puzzlement — indeed, this whole venture seems to confuse her on some fundamental level — and she might well just stop where she is if not for the intercession of Cyanosis. The blueling seems to spot something *he* likes — sparkly baubles and jewelry, naturally — and immediately takes wing to the vendor, which happens to be at the booth next to where the paintings are. With a flattening of her mouth, the too-pale young woman is forced to follow.

The painter is more than happy to see R'ki approach, smiling broadly, "Well, hello sir. Interested in some art? I do custom work as well as selling originals. Looking for anything specific? Acryllics? Oils?" The vendor Cyanosis has chosen is less-than-pleased to have a blue fire-lizard attacking her wares and actually gives a little shriek as he lands on the object of his affection.

R'ki shrugs his shoulders and runs a hand through his hair, turning his head in the direction he came in. "Well, I'm not really much into paints just…something nice? My hut's so…barren…"

"Cyanosis. /Cease/." The blue chatters insistently despite the command, his claws now thoroughly tangled in a glittering necklace in a possessive way that screams 'mine!' Galina is not pleased. A sidelong look is given to the rider pondering the artistic wares nearby, but her attention slides back to the woman selling the jewelry. It just takes her a few seconds to realize she ought to say something, which turns out to be, "I am sorry. Do I need to purchase it?"

The painter grins, "Well, might I suggest a portrait of you and your lifemate. Or perhaps dragons in flight. Most riders like dragon-art in their weyrs, after all." He nods, motioning to examples of his work in that range. The terrified jeweler just glares at Cyanosis, "Either pay for it or return it intact! If that little brute has harmed one link it'll be your purse!" Okay, clearly some people still don't like firelizards…

R'ki ponders this for a moment, "I don't really need a painting of myself and Seiketh…do you have anything of Ista, perhaps? Or scenery?" He pauses as he turns his head to watch the firelizard cause chaos over the grounds, chuckling quietly to himself. "I'm glad I never impressed one of those things, they're…nuisances."

The 'lizard is plucked up easily by the young woman, who holds him at arm's length for a good, long moment before extending her other hand under him. Galina's voice drops low, ominously so, with the words passing between herself and her beast unable to be heard. It's enough, though; he drops it with a miserable-sounding creel and she deposits him on her shoulder, the necklace summarily being examined in a clinical sort of way. "It looks perfectly fine to me," she concludes, offering it back. Her irritation is enough to bring high spots of color to her cheeks and her lips have all but disappeared, being pressed as flat as they are. Perhaps she overheard R'ki? Perhaps not.

The painter nods, pulling out a couple of smaller paintings. The first is of Ista Weyr in relief against a well-rendered sunset, the second of waves, fish, and dolphins cavorting together. The jeweler begrudgingly takes the necklace, examining it closely before nodding, "It's undamaged. Now take that thing from my booth!"

The first painting causes R'ki to lean forward to peer at it, "That one, I think, will do. How much are you charging for it?" He tilts his head, shaking his head ever so slightly. It doesn't really seem to matter whether or not the female heard him, he's amused.

A few steps away are taken before Galina plucks the beast from her shoulder and tosses him up with a flick of her wrist, the motion paired with a flat, "Ista." Cyanosis catches the air, twists, and blips *between* with a mournful chirp. "Good," is said to no one in particular and the Healer straightens, proceeding to … well, look around from where she's at.

The painter ponders for a moment, "Three marks should do it. It's not overlarge, but finely wrought it is." Several other vendors are vying for Galina's attention now, "Want a nice hair-tie, miss?" "Oh, miss, surely some nice jewelry." "No, miss, you want me texts, I can tell!"

R'ki ponders for a moment as he considers the painting, his hand dissapearing into his pouch to grab at a couple of marks, passing it to the painter, "Least now I can look at Ista." He murmurs thoughtfully. "Would you mind setting aside until I am finished looking around?"

A blank look is given to a few of the vendors, though the latter seems to elicit some interest. Galina heads in the direction of the one offering books, though no greeting is immediately offered; she just settles into examining the wares with a slight knitting of her brows and a gentle touch for those items on display.

The painter nods, setting the painting on the table and carefully wrapping it in brown paper, "Why of course, sir. Can I interest you in anything else from my booth? Perhaps a sea or sky-scape?" The bookvendor can't hold his tongue for better or for worse, "Pleasant afternoon, m'lady. Could I interest you in some medical texts or perhaps a lovely book on dragons and firelizards?"

R'ki shakes his head, and offers a smile, "I have other things to buy, perhaps another time?" There's a nod as R'ki pulls himself away from the stall and begins moving again. "Shards, this is why I avoid gathers, it's so…noisy…" He shakes his head a little and moves through the stalls.

"Perhaps, depending on which books you have on those topics." Pause. "I am curious to know if you carry blank journals or notebooks," is finally said after the man tosses out his suggestions. Galina's eyes are for the books, sparing her from any need to actually look at the vendor; in a way, it's all she can do to tune out the chaos of the gather around her.

More vendors call out to R'ki, "Juice! Fresh juice here!" "Redfruit, nice juicy redfruit!" "Firelizard eggs, get 'em while they're hot!" The book vendor nods, "Of course I have bound journals," He pulls out a few of various shapes and sizes, all bound in plain leather, "I can put a name or word on those easily enough, no charge. My medical texts are right here," he points at a line of books bound in purple leather, "They're none too advanced, but you might find something interesting."

R'ki just shakes his head, chuckling quietly to himself, "I don't even have anything to keep food in…and why the shards would I /want/ a firelizard egg?" He shakes his head, turning on his heel, deciding nothing else really catches his attention. He picks up his painting and heads out.

Her lips purse thoughtfully while she peruses the titles, falling silent for a little while after he's done speaking. Long fingers dance along the spines, as if that might facilitate the process; a few are pulled out, skimmed, and put back. Only after she seems to have picked three does she continue on the earlier topic with, "How long would it take to imprint a name on a journal?"

The printer ponders that for a moment, then nods, "Depends on the name, but not long. A few minutes, maybe. Have to take the cover off so as not to damage the pages."

"Galina," is offered up with a slight lift of her brows. "I will take a journal, these three books, and-" Galina's gaze drifts to another section, where the other books mentioned now reside "-a book on firelizard training, if you have one." The three books in her arms are offered up for his appraisal, while she merely looks on.

The vendor nods, quickly gathering the books she'd indicated, then reaching out and pulling a book titled 'Your Firelizard and You: Strong Bonds and Good Training' off a shelf and sliding it into the bag as well before sliding a piece of paper towards her, "Can you write that for me? And that shouldn't take more than 10 minutes or so, if you'd like to keep shopping or wait… That'll be 2 marks total."

"I have not seen anything else of interest to me here," Galina replies rather blandly, reaching for the offered paper and writing utensil. Her name is written in her usual thin, spidery script; elegant, but still plainly legible. That done, she reaches for the pouch at her hip, digging out the marks and offering them over along with the paper. She adds, as an off-hand thought, "I am not sure what else I should be looking for here."

The vendor nods again, retrieving the paper and peering carefully at the letters before peeling the cover part way off the indicated journal and beginning to carefully tap the name into it in a neat block script. Once he's finished he slides the journal into the bag with the other books and hands it to her, taking the marks in exchange, "Thanks for your business, ma'am. Most everything is for sale here, somewhere."

"It appears so," says she of his latter words. Galina takes the bag and crosses her arms over it, folding the books to her chest. She takes a step away before remembering that she ought to say "Thank you," and then starts off at a slight angle into another section of vendors. Her mouth pulls to a side slightly, pale eyes flicking from one clothing booth to the next with clear uncertainty.

Vendors begin accosting Galina again almost as soon as the marks leave her hand. "Hey, miss, Nice dress in healer green!" "Miss healer, would you like some needle thorn, very fresh."

Galina, bearing her precious cargo of books, is reluctant to approach the vendors; she's watching them in the wary way one might watch a hungry wher — from a safe distance. But, perhaps something or another registers and she moves reluctantly toward a clothing booth, stopping a few steps away to appraise the goods.

Many different outfits line this vendor's booth, both masculine and feminine, formal and plain, in all colors of the rainbow. The vendor is a pleasant looking woman with a nice smile, "Can I help you, miss?"

"I don't know." Galina regards the woman with an owlish blink, then slides a look around the wares before intoning, "I am not sure if I need anything here." Pause. "Do you have anything that would be suited to Ista?" Or, perhaps, just better suited than her current white-and-black ensemble. The fingers of a hand absently fuss with the bag in her arms.

She ponders that carefully for a moment, then nods, "I have some tunics and vests in ista orange…" She pulls forward a rack, "If they interest you I'm sure I have something in your size… Some nice dresses, too, if you want something more formal."

There's a slight shake of her head for the tunics and vests — with a nose-wrinkle for the orange, no less — and Galina explains, "I prefer dresses. Or skirts with blouses." Nothing seems to catch her eye at the booth, so her attention settles on the vendor with a vague sense of curiosity.

The vendor pulls out another rack, more feminine this time. Some of the dresses are sleek and form fitting, some more conventional fair. There are a few in each color combination of a major hold, craft, or weyr, "Any of these catch your eye?"

After a lengthy period of silent contemplation, Galina finally steps forward to extend a hand to sample the fabric of one dress in a dark, dark blue. "How much for this one?" she wonders, pale eyes shifting from the dress to the vendor curiously.

The vendor reaches for the tag depending from the opening at the top of the dress, "It says two marks, but for you, one and a half."

Galina shifts her books around to rest in the crook of an arm, leaving a hand free to check her pouch — there's still a fair bit left, the result of a young life filled with frugal spending. With a singular nod, Galina withdraws the mark and a half, offering them up on the palm of her hand. "Thank you," is, at least, offered up earlier this time.

The vendor nods, taking the marks and depositing them in her tray before carefully removing the dress from the stand, "Would you like it wrapped?"

"Yes. Please." Galina waits patiently, gaze wandering a little. While other vendors are glanced at, the bulk of her attention now seems to be in checking faces and shoulders; the better to find the rider that brought her here, after all.

The dress is placed carefully on brown paper, then wrapped tightly in it, before the woman hands it over, "Well, have a nice day, dear. And enjoy the gather."

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