Bracing for a Storm

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 15th January 2024

Characters: Thayde, Nyvella, Imyian, Wevrian
Description: The Dolphin Hall braces for a major storm along the Dolphin Cove coastline.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 8, day 22 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Chalzie, the DCW Weyrleaders
If you're interested in Wevrian, Imyian, or Nyvella, any of them would make a lovely PC :) This storm will take place m9 d1-3 t11 if anyone wants to write about it.

Thayde

**Just one sip of klah,** Thayde thought, stretching the kinks and knots out of his neck and shoulders. As a much younger man, he hadn't _really_ understood the obsession with klah, but now? Now each morning he depended on a sip of the strong hot liquid to wake up his brain.

Fortunately, being the Hallmaster had its perks. The kitchen drudges had learned that he wanted - no, needed - klah each morning, and so each morning there was a hot pitcher of klah waiting for him in his office.

**Oh, yes,** he closed his eyes as he lifted the klah cup to his lips, savoring that first revitalizing sip.

Grabbing his leather-bound notepad from his office desk, Thayde took a few more generous gulps of klah as he moved into the adjoined conference room.

He'd been in there for only a moment before the door opened and a few of his Master Dolphineers came in.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he said, claiming his seat at the head of the table.

Pleasantries were exchanged and a chuckle was had at the expense of Wevrian's current romantic woes - which consisted of a handsome bluerider from the Weyr.

As they chatted about trivial things, Thayde studied each of the Masters seated at his table and considered what a wide variety of personalities he had working with him at the Hall. There was Master Wevrian, whose specialty fell in Meteorology. He was weyrbred but had chosen a life as a dolphineer. His dalliances with different dragonriders were often the talk of the Hall, but Wevrian was so gregarious that he was impossible not to love and his expertise in weather patterns made him invaluable as a dolphincrafter.

Then there was Master Nyvella, a woman a few Turns his senior who had come from Jade Harbor. She specialized in Rescue and Salvage. She played her cards a little closer to the vest, never revealing much about her personal life, but she had a wicked wit and a sharp tongue.

Finally, there was Imyian, the Master of Apprentices. Imyian was more hidebound than any other person at the Dolphin Hall that Thayde had met. He'd grown up in a traditional Southern Hold and adhered strictly to the way things had "always been." Despite this, Thayde had never seen Imyian's viewpoint on the flamboyant lifestyles of dragonriders, or the fact that the Hall accepted female crafters, ever influence the way he treated his apprentices. Imyian was a father figure to many of the apprentices, no matter where they came from.

"All right, everyone, let's get to business," Thayde said, calling their weekly meeting to order. "Imyian, give us an update on the apprentices, please."

Imyian flipped open the portfolio he'd brought in under his arm.

"In the past fortnight, one apprentice was dismissed from the program for failing his swimming test for the fourth time. Two fights were broken up in the dorms, all parties involved were given kitchen duties for the next month. We've had two new applicants, both from Dolphin Cove. In the older apprentices, we have four candidates for promotion at Turns End. Apprentices Chalzie, Maveux, Essarie, and Ohmra would like to take their tests in a few months to see if they're ready for journeyman rank."

"Poor Ambiro, the boy sinks like a rock in the water," Wevrian sighed.

"I suggested he try out the Weyr. Who knows? They have more positions that he might be suited to, all of which don't involve drowning in the water," Imyian said in his matter-of-fact way.

Thayde made some notations in his notebook. "Thank you, Imyian. Master Nyvella?"

"We've worked out a new set of rescue and search patterns, now that we have a few more partnered dolphineers in our department. There has also been a new suggestion in the materials used for the tank lines when deep diving. We're testing out those possibilities and we'll report back when we know more."

"Excellent," Thayde murmured. "Wevrian?"

Wevrian tossed his hair out of his eyes and drummed his fingers on the table. "I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news."

All eyes turned to him.

"I've been looking at the weather patterns and I consulted with Meika," his dolphin partner, "and it looks like we have a major storm front moving in next sevenday."

"How major?" Thayde asked.

"High winds which will definitely cause squalls along the coastline. I expect storm surges here inland, and it will all probably be accompanied by some intense lightning."

"How far inland? Do we need to inform the Weyrleaders?"

Wevrian slid a map of the area across the table. "I've shaded in the areas that we think will be most affected. I don't _think_ it will go inland enough to touch the Weyr, but with it being a sevenday out, I can't be certain yet. I'll know more when it is one to two days out. You might want to send a note to the Weyrleaders as a cautionary warning."

Thayde wrote down the words "storm" and "Weyrleaders" and circled them several times.

"I'll handle that. After our meeting, Wevrian, go tell the Dockmaster and get a log of any ships expected in the next sevenday. Imyian, get the apprentices to carry out storm preparations. Nyvella, prep your units for storm salvaging. You know how ship captains are. Some listen to our warnings and others like to tempt fate." Thayde closed his notebook and looked up at his staff, thinking again that he was fortunate to work with such competent people.

"That's all. Let me know when each of your tasks is finished."

"Yes, sir," they chorused before standing and leaving. As they retreated, Thayde watched as Wevrian threw an arm around Imyian's neck to tell him about his bluerider. It was crazy how different they were, as cousins, and yet how close their relationship seemed to be.

Pushing up from the conference table, Thayde went to his office to write the letter to the Weyrleaders, and then he would go and see that the dolphin infirmary was prepared for the incoming storm.

Last updated on the January 21st 2024

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Bracing for a Storm