Kyana comes in from the bowl, trying to smooth her wind-ruffled hair down as she makes her way towards the food table, still in riding leathers.  Selecting a mug of juice and some meatrolls, she heads for the nearest table, whistling under her breath.

And at the nearest table, drinking warm klah and reading dry hides, is a very pregnant goldrider.  Taini sits, leaning back a little to accomodate Sprout's growing space.  She sips at her klah and looks up at the whistling.  "Hello," she greets Kyana, gesturing toward a nearby chair. 

Kyana looks over, and spying Taini, breaks into a huge grin. "Good afternoon!" she says, settling down into the proffered chair.  "How are you doing?" she asks, eyeing the goldrider's growing belly. 

"Doing alright."  Taini nods toward the hides. "Some things never change."  She looks down at one, and frowns. "That can't be right... Oh, that Penyn..."  She grumbles under her breath. "Sorry.  How are you?  How's Jianth?"   She grins. "Bee's doing pretty well."

Kyana grins at Taini.  "Shouldn't you have someone to do that sort of stuff for you now?" she says with a grin.  "Unless you enjoy hidework." she takes a sip of juice and a bite of meatroll before continuing.  "Jianth is doing alright - a little frisky today; we were out riding sweeps and she kept wanting to do acrobatics!"

Taini shakes her head. "No, the way things are now, with Nomi so busy, or gone most of the time, and Janidi and Delliah returned back to their orignial Weyrs, there's a lot more work.  /And/ that thing with Penyn..."  Folks know somewhat that the Headwoman is either losing efficiency fast, or sabotoging things intentionally. She quirks an eyebrow at the mention of acrobatics.  "That sounds like Miyamaruth."  B'ren's green does stuff like that, or did, before his tragedy. "I suppose it's okay as long as she stays generally to the pattern.  It can get boring flying sweeps.  She doesn't have to do sweeps, obviously, but she's heard.

Kyana shakes her head, looking over at the hides. "Sounds awful..." she says, then looks over at Taini. "Do you at least have a helper, so that when your little one is born, you don't have to be doing hidework the next day?" she asks with a small smile. "Are you excited?"

Taini grumbles a little more. "I /did/..."  She lifts her klah mug up, and takes a long sip before continuing. "B'ren was helping me.  But the last few days, he's been drunk, and ..." She purses her lips. "I was afraid this might happen, but I wanted to give him a chance. I don't know. I had him all trained, and everything..."  She reaches up, grabbing her braid to twist it.  "I am.  I've been spending more time in the creche just watching, trying to get the hang of it.  The healers say she hasn't dropped yet, I guess that's the next thing to happen." She shrugs, and sets her mug back down.

Rayosia enters from the Bowl.

Kyana shakes her head. "I'd heard that he was having problems again; not that you can blame him, given the circumstances; if it's not too hard, if you want you can show me and I might be able to help.  Or at least keep the tide from overflowing into the birthing chambers when it's time!" she says with a small grin. "What does Bee think of the whole process?"

"Thanks." Taini says, nodding. "If it doesn't interfere with your other duties... we'll have to see..."  She smiles. "I appreciate the offer."  Taini and Kyana are sitting at a table near the food.  Tai's roundly pregnant, and the two of them are discussing that, as well as B'ren's return to the drink. Taini's supposed to find a helper / replacement by the time her babe is born. She'd asked B'ren, but it's not working out. "She worries some, but she's excited. I think she wonders why I can't just wait until the egg hatches and then watch the baby go off with someone else, like she can."  She rolls her eyes.

Consistently absent from the general stream of people rushing to dinner bells, Rayosia is quite out of her place. She hesitates at the back of the line, feet shuffling as those in front of her gather their meals and head toward tables. Quite often she gets a glance or two that sends her eyes haplessly trying to look interested in the backside of the person in front of her. Though, as often as the line shuffles, the backside of the blobby man in front of her gets tiresome. Thus, even though she's not known to stick her nose into the privacy of other's conversations, she does evidently do so this day. It's strongly apparent when her eyes drift between Kyana and Taini when they speak. An eyebrow even lifts when there's mention of an overflow to the birthing chambers.

Kyana grins at Taini.  "I could probably work something out, even if it was just part-time.." she says and shrugs.  "I suppose the idea of nursing is quite foreign to a dragon....I can't even begin to imagine when I'll have to explain that particular process to Jianth!" she says with a chuckle.  She looks around and shakes her head as the caverns start to fill. "Looks like I grabbed something to eat just in time." she says, watching people line up.

Althia enters from the lower caverns.

Taini nods, glancing at the line. "Yeah, I ate a little bit earlier."  She picks up her mug, taking another drink of klah, the last little bit, before setting the empty mug back down. "She's pretty understanding that we're different."  She chuckles, cheeks going a little pink. "She's making comments..." Taini doesn't specify what the comments are. Kyana and Tai sit at a table, Kyana eating and Taini looking over hides. They're talking about Tai's impending convalescence. "If nothing else, you could help until I can find someone else?"  She hopes this fills Thadd's requirement. 

Althia enters and fixes herself a plate sitting by herself with some hides

Immersed in the line up, Rayosia finally gets to the food platters. Some are glanced over with a disinterested look while others are merrily gathered up. In the end, she walks away with a healthy dish of veggies, rice, and a meaty serving of fish. Big enough though that some who know her dragon would know the cause for such a big serving for the young woman. In any case, she meanders in the general area of Taini and Kyana - the latter she hasn't met. Assuming that the seats down from their own are not reserved, the green rider slides herself casually into one of them.

Kyana smiles at the young woman as she sits, then turns back to Taini.  "I would be happy to help, however temporarily.  I mean, we've all got to work together around here, especially with all the confusion lately with the stores and such!" she says with a grin.  That being said, she turns to the young woman with a warm smile.  "Good afternoon!" she says brightly, extending a hand.  "Kyana, rider of green Jianth here at Fort."  always one to meet new people.

"Thank you.  I appreciate that.  I think I may just have B'ren..." Taini shrugs. "I don't know.  I don't want to let him go, and not have anything to fill his free time.  Maybe he can ..." She's thinking aloud, her hands fiddling with the klah mug as she does.  "Hello, Rayosia."  She smiles.  "How are you?"  

"I agree," Rayosia chimes in, "that we all should work together as best as we can." A pause is taken to take a nibble from her desired plate, eyeing it as hungrily as a dragon would. The bright voice of Kyana however does draw her out of nibbling, enough that she bobs her head to the proffered name, greeting back as easily, "Afternoon. Rayo--" she pipes up as Taini says her name pretty much at the same time, "what she said. Fizath is my girl, she says she knows of Jianth. Must have crossed paths at some point." She draws away her hand and resumes piling a fork full of food, turning to Taini next, "I'm alright. And yourself? When are you due?"

Karakashanis enters the living caverns, wearing his usual knot, with guard colors twined with his white candidacy threads.  He collects his own food with a pre-planned efficiency, and only then does he take full stock of the residency of the living caverns this evening.  Spotting Taini and her companions he directs his course in that general direction, murmuring the socially required pleasantries to those who pass close enough to merit it.  "Good evening ladies."  He greets politely across the table, though his tone is millimetrically warmer.

Thera enters from the Bowl.

Kyana smiles at Rayosia, and nods. "Jianth says the same of your Fizath.  She likes to get to know the other dragons, to the point at which some riders ask me to have her back off a little; glad to hear there's no complaints from yours!" she says with a grin, then turns as Karakashanis joins the table.  "Good evening." she says with a smile, then turns back to Taini.  "Yes, when?"  she asks curiously.

"Roughly a month or so, I think, is what the Healers said.  She hasn't dropped yet,"  Taini says, a little worried by this, but aware it's still okay. "I think Momma said Toncho was late..." First babies, and all. "But every kid has his or her own mind about these things."  She hears a male voice, and looks up. "Hey, Kash.  How are you doing?"  She smiles up at the guard, and gestures to another chair.  "If you don't mind listening to talk about babies and such."  Kyana gets a grin. "Bee likes Jianth, but of course, she reminds her a little of Mrrth, so it's good."  

Rayosia shrugs sheepishly, "No complaints from Fizath yet. Mind you, she does enjoy a good chit chat with another lady, sort to speak." She takes this time now to shovel in a little food, Fizath's own hunger driving her appetite crazy again. Such is the time that as she chews, she gets a good long look at Kash. Quite frankly her eyes linger on his shoulders more so than any where else, but needlessly she does find her cheeks tinging red after realizing her obvious oogling. Cue the distraction of babies. Oh yes. "A month? I would've guessed sooner," she says quietly enough, still darting quick looks at the male - certainly a better look than the blobby figure of a man she was standing behind earlier.

Karakashanis appears oblivious to the oggling, except to give Rayosia a tight little nod.  "I am doing well, may I sit?"  He asks observing more formal courtesies than usual.  Then again Taini's the only one here he knows well.  "I've sent word to my sister.  I should be going to pick her up in the next few days..."

Food! To be consumed with a single thought, the creature pushes forward and drags Thera behind into the Living Cavern, well by about a quarter foot. Food collected, cavern surveyed, she wades through the crowds and plops down besides Kyana. "Hi stranger. Hadamarth would like Jianth to know that she left her 'you know what' on our ledge and will return it soon." Weyrling code for some embarassing dragon quirk. The message duly conveyed she smiles at the others surrounding as she tries to swing her bulk over a bench. "Hello Rayosia, Karakashanis," then settling in pauses to swivel between Taini and Kyana, "Jianth reminds Bee of Mrrth? Really?" That is a little unfathomable to the brownrider.

Kyana turns to her friend and grins, giving the other woman a quick hug before holding her at arms length. "Bigger every day!" she says, then shakes her head at mention of Jianth's little...habits.  "I'll make sure she retrieves it as soon as possible; would hate to have someone trip over it!" she says, sighing.  "She's been a little flakier than usual lately..." she says with a frown, then turns back to Karakashanis. "Your sister?" she asks the guard curiously, then turns to Taini.  "Jianth like Mrrth?  I don't know whether to be flattered or cautious!" she says with a giggle.

"Go ahead,"  Taini says to Karakashanis, with a nod.  "That's good. I'm sure it'll be a good thing to have her with you."  She speaks of the man's little sister. "Oh, just a little. Sometimes, some of the things they both say..." Taini shrugs. "I don't see the resemblance, but she claims it's there." One point of difference between the normally alike bondpair. Kyana's words again get a grin. "I don't know either."  The reply from afar makes her grin widen slightly. "She says, flattered.  She's her sister, after all."  She shakes her head.  "You're looking fairly well, Thera, that's good."  She also notes the getting bigger part.  "I wonder which of us will 'hatch' first."  She smiles.

Pushing a poofy strand of hair behind an ear, Rayosia fans her hand toward the open seat for Kash to take up residence in. Ok. The ogling is done now. It's back to the food as the young woman fiddles with the rice on her plate, curiously drawing more quiet as further people converge to the table. She does a good thing though by greeting Thera, "Afternoon Thera," but otherwise, cannot for the moment add to the streams of conversation carrying about. She's not really close to any of the women present to carry on with them as comfortably as they all do between themselves. Instead, she regards Kash again, but without the drool foaming at her mouth, and politely inquires, "When did you get searched?"

Karakashanis sets his plate down and slides into a chair where he can face most of the people at the table.  "About four turns back.  I work with the guards between clutches."  and largely stays out of the way, he states before replying to the others.  "It will be good to have her here, and hopefully she'll be able to help out."  He shrugs taking a sip of his Klah, and nods to Kyana,  "My sister is still with my father's caravan.  She's been helping him with the books for some turns."

Thera smiles at Kyana, returns the hug even and then shrugs, eyes going wide, "Don't say that. I'll get a lecture by Hadamarth!" The brown adores his green clutch sister who can do absolutely no wrong in his eyes. Thera personally thinks the green's a little nuts! A small grin as she belatedly catches the ogling and she leans forward to smile back at Rayosia, also choosing to focus on her own food for a moment.  "I don't know," gets mumbled between bites to Taini, "just soon I hope."

Kyana smiles at Thera and shrugs. "I know better than to say anything to Had;" she says, then turns to Karakashanis. "If she's good with books, she might be a solution to Taini's problem!" she says brightly, giving the goldrider a look.  "Unless she's coming here to get away from the books!" she says with a grin, and shrugs.  "Not that I mind helping at all!"

Taini chuckles. "The more the merrier, I suppose."  Spoken dryly.  "Yeah, I hear that. It's getting difficult to sleep."  She nods to Kyana. "Yeah, we talked about that. About her helping." She smiles at Rayosia.  "I think he first stood at the clutch I coordinated for."  Which being Jianth's and Hadamarth's. She nods toward Thera and Kyana. "Theirs."  The line appears to clear, and Taini scoots her seat back. "I think I'm going to go grab some food of my own in the lull. I ate a little earlier, but I'm finding..."  She shrugs.  "Besides, you folks are making me hungry."  She stands up, walking toward the food, to get some for herself.

Thera blinks around the small group, "helping?" is asked of Kyana. She came in late, missed stuff, or her mouth was full and therefore required all her concentration and focus. She nods though, echoing Taini's comment about Karakashanis to Rayosia, "Mmmm hmm"

"Though I didn't go back time with some of them,"  Kash inclines his head to Thera with a quirked eyebrow, silently asking her if he'd identified which clutch she impressed with correctly.  He leaves the dragon discussion to the riders for the moment.  "She's only thirteen turns herself, but the hope is she will help at least somewhat.  I think she's looking forward to it."

Kyana grins at Thera.  "Taini needs to find someone to help her when her little one "hatches" with hidework and the like." she explains, then looks over at Kash.  "Thirteen isn't that young; I'm sure she'll be fine!" she says reassuringly to Kash. 

Taini gathers  up an extremely odd assortment of food, and returns to her seat fairly quickly, setting her plate down so that she can ease herself down into her chair. "And, as a stipulation of the consequences for my behavior, Thad's got me training the replacement in an interesting manner. I had been working with B'ren, but he's come in the last few times unable to do the work, so I'm thinking of finding someone else who can."  She swirls some of the food together, and starts to eat.  "So, she's just like two Turns  younger than Tanika. My niece."

Taini snugs Tahira! Tahira squeaks, lightly. Little reverbs of sound that echo in her throat as she snugs you back quickly with a squeeze, 'Only pirates sneak up and don't dole out sweets with their snugs. Work on it.'
Tahira snugs Taini! Taini snuggles in closely. And then, she reaches up, and ruffles your hair. Ha!
Thera just manages to look bewildered, "Why?" is asked and then she shrugs, it doesn't matter. Another confused look is aimed at Karakashanis and she shakes her head, "neither did I or Kyana." Her lips tighten slightly though, she's not a big fan of anything to do with timing it, somewhat ironic given who her weyrmate is. She stares at Taini a little surprised, "you're going to give up on him just like that?" Her expression turns to incredulity at Taini's callous attitude.

Karakashanis shrugs and nods acknowledgement, and files the information away.  "My mistake."  He says politely and leans back and shrugs.  "We'll see how it works out."  Is his only comment on his sister, at least for the moment and he turns his attention more single mindedly to his own food.

Kyana smiles around the table, a little discomfited by Thera's reaction to Taini's announcement, but still smiling.  Her eyes go a little funny, however, and she blinks, then sighs, looking around.  "I've got to go tend to Jianth.." she says to the table, shaking her head. "Sorry to eat and run, but.." and she grins as she looks around.  "It was nice to meet you, Rayosia, and I wish  your sister luck in her endeavours at Fort, Kash.   Taini, Thera, take care of yourselves, and I'll see you around." she says, standing.

Taini shakes her head. "No, I want to work with him, but..." She sighs. "If he can't do the work, I need to find someone who can. I want to find something he can do, but maybe this isn't it.  I'll talk to him, but I'm just thinking ahead if he's as..."  She considers her words, pausing to take a bite before she continues.  When the bite is swallowed, she frowns. "Unwilling to work with me as he has been the last couple times."  As to 'why', Tai shrugs. "I need a few sevens after the babe's born to heal, you will too. Thadd wanted someone to work with the other weyrwomen to prevent huge gaps in things."  Going from seven to three or four bearing the load has been rough on on all of them.  Taini nods her farewell to Kyana. "It was good to talk to you again."  She smiles.   "I understand."  She takes another bite of her food.

Thera looks up and waves at Kyana, "Later Ky," before she turns back to her food. She shrugs at Taini, "Well you said you'd work with him in the first place and you must have known what he was going through and that it would be difficult. Everyone's heard and seen him. I mean why offer in the first place if you're not going to follow through on it? Did you expect it to be easy?" She lifts an eyebrow at the woman, suddenly very glad Taini was not the person assigned to work with T'jano. A nod is given to Karakashanis as he focuses on his food and echoes the others sentiments, "nice to have family close by." She in turn stabs at her own food.

Karakashanis frowns at Thera, but for the moment says nothing.  Just waits to see what the next reply is going to be.  This is not, directly his battle.  He does set down his fork and pick up his mug, paying a little more obvious attention to the conversation going on around him.

Taini sighs. "No, but if I can't trust him for this... I thought maybe...I don't know." She's not sure what she thought. "I'll talk to him again before I do anything. And, I'll talk to some other folks about maybe something he might be better able to help with. I don't want to just let him go."  She looks down to her plate.  "I thought I could help keep him busy, and maybe help him out a little.  But yeah, bottom line, I kind of have to be a little cold with this.  Because if he can't do it, I need to know, and find someone who can. I'm not happy about it either."  She sighs again.  "This is tougher than I thought it'd be."

Thera stands and nods, pulling her plate to her and hefting herself over the bench. She sighs, "Was it supposed to be easy?" she wonders out loud, "if it was a punishment." She'll nod to Karakashanis, "I think that might have been the point. Sorry, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and check on three cases of thick tail."

"Have a good evening, ma'am,"  Kash's tone is completely polite, though he gives Taini a very small sympathetic grimace, it is a quick flicker of an expression just barely long enough to be noticeable before his normal pokerface resumes it's usual position.

Taini shakes her head. "No."  She appears to start to say more, but then nods, "Alright. Keep safe."  She gives a small smile, and then turns to Kash.  "Are things going alright, otherwise?" She steers the conversation away from the conflict for the moment.

Thera heads into the lower caverns.

Karakashanis nods, though he doesn't relax until Thera is well out of range.  "They go as expected for this stage of candidacy.  I did get permission to go get my sister, and I've aranged transport to do so.  I shouldn't be gone more than a day or so.  They've kept us bussy, and what time candidacy hasn't eaten the guards have been making up for, or practice."

Taini nods.  "How is practice coming along? I know you said you were having trouble with some of the more acrobatic moves these days."  At least that's what she remembers.  "Yeah.  I don't suppose we'll get most of the candidates in for a while."  It's still early. 

"I'm getting there, slowly but surely.  Just having to adjust to a shifting center of ballance. I'm giong to be glad when I finally top out."  Kash's tone is a little sour at that.  "I have gotten those glass balls to do what I want them too at least some of the simple stuff.  Still working on some of the fancier tricks.  They're trickling in.  and of course you had the hold overs from the last few clutches and the ones that were brought in between times.  We've got the start of a good group."

Taini nods. "That's good. I'm never sure about how many we should bring in."  She shrugs. "There've been discussions about that."  The mention of the glass balls gets a grin. "Good."  She pauses to eat some food. "I know you were really looking forward to that."  She sighs, and stands up, slowly, somewhat awkwardly. "Hold on, I  need some more to drink. Do you need anything?" She asks, starting to turn toward the table where the klah is kept.

"With the number of golds this weyr has and thread falling, I'd've thought you'd be bringing in as many as you could,"  Kash sounds mildly puzzled, "After all there /will/ always be more hatchings.  I can vouch for that personally if you need me to."  His tone waxes into dry humor.

Taini chuckles. "Yeah, that's true."  She grabs the klah, and returns to the table.  "But some folks don't like to have people hanging around so long when there are other things they could be doing.  Like crafters and what not.  People get territorial about their apprentices sometimes."  A shrug is given as she reseats herself.  "I tend to agree with you, though."  More is better, at least in this instance.

Karakashanis shrugs, "When it all comes down to it, it's not the master's decision.  Anyone who has been searched has the right to stand. Unless they've done something to get themselves kicked out of candidacy..."  He points out.  "The charter rights guarantee that..."

Taini nods. "Yeah.  Like I say, though, I agree with you." She eats a little more, falling silent, then takes a drink of her klah. "Anyway.  It'll get even more busy around here.  And, I wouldn't be surprised if Orlaith rose shortly after Hestiath clutches."  She shrugs. "Or before, even."  So, it could /really/ get interesting. 

Karakashanis nods, "All the more reason to bring in as many candidates as possible."  he grimaces.  "Now, speaking of work.  Now that I've done eating i should steal some time to practice at least my juggling.  I'm not working on tumbling today.  Not after today's batch of bruises from the Captain.  It's been a pleasure speaking with you again."  And in this case he means the pleasantry.