Making and Feeding Pastries

Writers: AL, Avery
Date Posted: 7th October 2015

Characters: Meledei, Kapera
Description: Kapera drops by to visit Meledei and they talk about hobbies.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis

Kapera

**Can you find out where Meledei is and ask if I can visit?** Kapera asked.

}:Elleth, can my rider come visit your rider? Is she in the Sands with
you?:{ Riyanth queried the other queen.

Kapera carefully balanced the tray the kitchen worker had given her as
she waited to hear where to go.

}:She is and my rider always enjoys company.:{

Honestly, people rarely needed to ask if it was all right to
fellowship with Meledei. She enjoyed people and generally welcomed
the opportunity to spend time with others. Friendships became closer
and new friends could be made through such means. Although she hadn't
had much time with Kapera outside of their duties, a social call would
certainly allow the younger goldrider to get to know the older one a
bit better. Elleth was more than happy to pass along the message.

When Kapera arrived, she was greeted with a smile and a wave. Even
though Elleth was on the Sands with eggs, that didn't mean Meledei was
relieved of all her responsibilities. Records still had to be kept,
copied, transferred, items listed out, inventory tracked, among a
variety of other matters that required the goldriders' attentions.
Although she wouldn't take to the skies again until every egg hatched,
Meledei still had to keep up to date with what was happening in the
wing, learn any new formations as best she could while grounded, and
stay in touch with the other goldriders in regards to strategy. No,
even sandbound, there was plenty of work to keep her occupied.

That, however, could wait and as Kapera ambled her way down to where
Meledei had perched at a chair and desk she'd had brought in order to
work near Elleth, she pushed aside the records to focus her attention
on the Second. "Hey Kapera, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I grabbed this plate of snacks and a couple things to do, and thought
you might be a little tired of being down here with nobody else. How
many times do people stop by?" the black-haired woman asked.

"Most days I have at least one visitor, sometimes more." Her friends
and father would good about checking up on her and helping to keep her
entertained in between all the record keeping. Meledei eyed the
snacks that Kapera sported and motioned to a clear spot on the desk.
"Thank you for the snacks. I do hope you intend to stay and enjoy
them with me." While the snacks were a welcome respite, company was
even more preferred to the food.

"I think I can spare half a candlemark," Kapera said, setting the tray
down and taking a cup of juice before she sat down. "How's it going in
here? Ready for them to be done?"

"Sometimes yes, sometimes now. Even though I have to do work, it's
still a break in a sense." Formations and flying Thread were a part
of being a dragonrider, but Meledei also welcomed the chance to relax
from such things. They were difficult and stressful, and there was a
reason why a number of Weyrlings didn't survive training. "What about
you? Do you get tired of being down here?"

"We'll give you plenty of hidework to keep you busy," she joked.

"So incredibly tired of it. It's worth it when they hatch and I can
see them find their lifemates - but it's a real pain to be trapped
inside these walls, arguing to be able to bathe or step outside.
Riyanth is always a nightmare about it."

"I don't have enough hidework as it is?" Meledei grinned. Although all
the goldriders worked hard, there was always hidework that had to be
done. "Elleth is honestly really laid back for a gold which is not what
I expected when I Impressed her. She'll let me leave, though she does
prefer me to stay here - so I do most of the time. She doesn't like it
when I leave the Weyr, though, but she'll allow me to leave Sands."
Which was a good deal better than some golds!

"Glad you've got some space. At least they're not watching eggs nearly
as long as humans carry children, huh?" Kapera hated the idea of being
stuck here several months.

"True, though I haven't had the pleasure of going through that yet."
Before that happened, Meledei wanted a partner who was willing to be
loyal and a part of the family, not just a father who sat on the
sidelines. She was still waiting. "I have to admit, though, I
sometimes wonder what it's like to be pregnant."

"You could always ask Cyradis or one of the pregnant greenriders," Kapera
mused. "Would you have wanted to raise children, if you hadn't Impressed?"

"I could, I've just never really thought about it when I've had the
chance." The second question forced her to pause and think that over
a minute before she nodded. "I think so. Even if I hadn't Impressed
and had married then had children, I still would have wanted to
continue in my craft, though. Did you craft before you Impressed?"

"I didn't because I was Searched right before the clutch I Impressed
in. If I hadn't, I think I would have liked to apprentice to
somewhere."

"As what?" What type of craft someone entered, or might have entered,
could give insight into that person's character. Even though Kapera
had been there a little while, Meledei still couldn't say she knew the
other goldrider well.

"When i first got to the Weyr, I think I would have become a Baker. I
like food a lot and I'm curious to how exactly making it happens. I
want to hang out in the kitchen and help, but since I don't really
know anything I'd just be in the way."

"You could always ask someone to teach you. Even if you can't spend the
time to learn the craft like an apprentice would, it wouldn't hurt to
educate yourself." If only holders held education for girls in the same
esteem. Meledei hoped such outdated beliefs would quickly fade out of
existence.

Kapera nodded. "And it might be a relaxing way to de-stress a bit. Or
I'd be terrible and get banned, and that'd feed the gossips for a month."

"They are rather keen for news, aren't they?" Meledei had been a source
for gossips at the Weyr time and time again, particularly after her
Impression to Elleth. Even though it was annoying, it was just
something she was going to have to get used to. "Those old aunties need
something to do, I guess. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try, right? You
never know."

"Well we know they'll be talking about your clutch in a few sevendays,
huh? But they're fickle." All goldriders probably knew how sharp their
tongues could be.

"Less than that. Likely a sevenday, or less." Hopefully they wouldn't
have any cause for complaint with_that_ clutch. "I still think you
ought to pursue baking if it interests you. It's good to have things to
do outside of our duties as goldriders."

"Do you have time to spend with the animals anymore?" she asked.

"Some. Not as much as I used to, of course, and not as much as I would
like, but I do find the time." Meledei would even offer to work, though
usually the
beastcrafters were hesitant to allow it. "Usually rest days, and I take
time to go for rides on occasion. It might be easier to do baking though
then to find a way to the stables."

"Is riding a runner still satisfying after riding a dragon, or are they
too different to compare?" Kapera found herself honestly curious.

"It's satisfying in a different way. Yes, just very different." Meledei
shrugged a little. There were other dragonriders like her and yet there
were dragonriders who didn't care for it at all. "If I had to choose,
I'd choose dragonrider, of course, but it's nice to have a change of
scenery."

"Is Elleth ever jealous of it?"

"No, not jealous, she just thinks I'm silly." Which meant she didn't
understand it, but allowed it since it made her lifemate happy. "I've
yet to see her get jealous. Does yours?"

"She gets jealous of a lot of things." Kapera shrugged. "I'll see what
she thinks about baking. Surely that can't cause offense."

"Especially if she benefits from it." While Elleth didn't have a sweet
tooth per se, she'd heard of an occasional dragon or two partaking in
pastries from time to time. "And I wouldn't mind benefiting from it
either."

"Feeding dragons pastries, that's an image. I promise to share my first
creations with you and Cyradis." Kapera wrinkled her nose. "Well...let's
say my first _good_ ones."

Meledei grinned, a light twinkling in her eyes. "I hope there are many
of those."

Last updated on the October 13th 2015

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Making and Feeding Pastries