Thirsty Work {Tag: Jannasper}

[S'yloa]

"So true, so true," he laughed with a nod. "Here is to returning to the good times." He agreed with another nod even as he wrinkled his nose in regards to 'elsewhere'. "Sadly, sir, you're right about that. Rivers Crossing is always a pleasure, and admittedly my favorite place to stop." Then, in the next breath, Aburez made S'yloa's fanciful daydreams a reality with the agreement to sell Jannasper.

S'yloa literally wiggled in place as he fought to keep his excitement at bay. Though this arrangement wouldn't put the dragonrider in Aburez's debt, certainly he'd look on the assistant steward more favorably for agreeing to such a deal. The problem remained as to how much he should pay for his new prize. "Hmm, hmm - he is well trained and obedient." A fond gaze drifted toward Jannasper's head again and when the boy looked up, the greenrider smiled at him. "And so adorable..." Then returned his attention to Aburez. "...oh goodness, this is the first time I've done this so I'm not sure... hm, hm..." He tapped the edge of the wine cup on his lower lip as he spoke in a thoughtful tone. "I don't know anything about the market. Though I have heard about the price of a good runner. It seems comparable. What about - 20... 25 marks?"

He gave Aburez a moment to consider and raised his voice enough to get the attention of the waiting Candidates. S'yloa waved his free hand at them, "be right there, friends! Go ahead and pet Engymth if you'd like, she won't mind at all. Feel how soft her hide!" An absolutely huge grin on his face, S'yloa finished his third glass of wine, his cheeks flushed from the effects at this point.

What are you doing? Ensuring we can keep this adorable one. Ah, this is good. I like him. Mhm - so do I. With that Engmyth's apparent attention waned from Jannasper. When the boy and girl approached the green dragon, she turned her massive head toward them and her eyes swirled with the blues and greens that she'd blessed Jannasper.

[Jannasper]

Aburez grinned at S'yloa's excitement. It wasn't how he expected this to go, but having a dragonrider's favor is just as good as having one in his debt. He nodded encouragingly as S'yloa considered what to offer. "I'll take 20 marks, and no more good sir," he said after a moment's consideration. "The joy on your face more than makes up the difference." And the lower price would guarantee S'yloa would come to him when he needed something. He was still making a profit, even after he gave his cut to the Hold's Stewart.

Jannasper looked back at the returning candidates, looking a little wistful as S'yloa welcomed them to touch Engmyth. He longed to touch her too. The dragon's attention left him in favor of the candidates, leaving him a little sad. He looked back at Aburez. His master was in a good mood, and that was good for him. He might get an extra helping of meat tonight! When he saw S'yloa empty his cup, he was about to refill it, but Aburez stopped him. "That's enough," he said, blocking the cup with his hand. "Greenrider S'yloa still have work to do. You'll have plenty of time to serve your new master later." Jannasper stared at Aburez for a long moment, as his words sunk in. 

"New master?" Jannasper asked, looking from Aburez to S'yloa. "Really?" He was afraid to believe Aburez's words, in case he was just saying at that ridicule him after the way he fawned over Engmyth.

[S'yloa]

Aburez was not wrong about S'yloa's joy and the greenrider rocked back on his heels as the grin split his face. He had to stifle a squeal but his exclamation still came forth with a higher uptick, "Oh, how fabulous!" He reached out to Aburez to shake the other man's hand and seal the deal. "I have some marks now and when I return for the second batch of Candidates, I'll have the rest." When their hands parted, the greenrider made good on his word and withdrew a mere two marks from his person. These he offered to Aburez as a way of a down payment for Jannasper.

Then he turned his attention to the boy. "Oh yes, my adorable Jannasper. Our good man Aburez has accepted my offer to purchase you. But you must stay here for now while I ferry the Candidates to the Weyr." He dared again to ruffle the boy's hair and as he lifted his hand, he giggled(!), and then ran his hand through the boy's dirty locks again but slower this time. As though he realized the display might make others uncomfortable, S'yloa withdrew and cleared his throat.

"Here, take this cup now, Jannasper." S'yloa fairly purred the boy's name. "I'm finished with it, three glasses are more than enough for now. You can serve me more later when we're finished with our other duties." S'yloa disregarded the boy and inclined his head to Aburez. The assistant Steward was still for the moment, Jannasper's master.

"Thank you again for your hospitality and - " his eyes strayed toward Jannasper but he manage to control himself this time and instead merely concluded: "I'm off to ferry those Candidates. I'll have the balance to you before you can wash a runner." With another nod, he turned to leave but hesitated and looked toward Jannasper again. But instead of saying anything to the boy, S'yloa headed the short distance toward the waiting siblings so as to prep them for their brief flight to their new home.

[Jannasper]

Aburez took S'yloa's hand and sealed their deal. He accepted the two marks, slipping them in his pouch. "He'll be ready when you are," he said, trying not to think about what S'yloa wanted the boy for. Of course, it really didn't matter to him now. Jannasper was his now to do with as he pleased.

Jannasper stared at S'yloa, dumbfounded for a moment. Then, slowly, a big grin formed on his face, his eyes scrunching up as it seemed to reach from ear to ear. He didn't seem to mind the affectionate display his new master showed him. "Yes Master!" he said enthusiastically, taking the cup. "It will be my pleasure Master!" He watched S'yloa walk back to Engmyth and the new candidates, unable to believe his good fortune. He was going to the Weyr! Maybe not as a candidate, but serving a dragonrider to his was just as good! Never having known a life where he wasn't in servitude, this was the best he could ever hope for.

"Alright boy," Aburez said, slapping Jannasper on the back, but in a more genial manner. He had to be careful, now that the boy was someone else's property. "Quit yer gawkin', we've work to do as well before the Greenrider returns." Jannasper nearly fell forward again from the impact, but recovered himself quickly. Holding the wineskin and cup close to his chest, he followed his former master back to the kitchens, but not before stealing one last look at Engmyth, and smiling again.

[S'yloa]

The other Lucky Chosen passed Aburez and Jannasper on their way to the kitchens. Seven children in all had been chosen this time around. Certainly it was possible that S'yloa and Engmyth might return, especially given how many eggs lay on the Sands, but for now it was these seven fortunate teenagers.

Looking quite pleased with himself and his new "prize", S'yloa went to the new Candidates. All business, his enthusiasm while interacting with Jannasper and Aburez dulled somewhat but he continued to smile - and yes, even stole a glimpse at the boy as he headed off with his former master. Afterward, he instructed the siblings on how to mount Engmyth and assisted them to clamber onto her neck.

This should be interesting... What? Engmyth sounded sleepy which was no wonder since she'd been sprawled out in the early winter sun this whole time and flying all over Pern (literally) before that. "Here, put your foot here... good. All right, lift yourself up and - yes, perfect. Can you handle those straps? Great! Faranath knows it was a tough task for me the first time I climbed onto a dragon."

I purchased Jannasper. He belongs to the Weyr now so no one can take him away. You purchased the boy? But... He is not a runner or a meatpie. Despite her many Turns the idea of purchasing a person or the exchange of marks for anything still felt odd to the green dragon.

"All right, Melyami was it? All right Melyami, you're next. Up we go." And he assisted the girl onto Engmyth's neck, situating her behind her brother. Yes, true. So true, love. But! It means he's coming back with us to the Weyr. Oooh, marvelous. I do like him. Mhm - so do I... Once he'd situated the siblings, S'yloa hopped onto his place on the saddle. He turned in his seat to check on his passengers, tightened Melyami's straps, and checked her brother's too. Satisfied they wouldn't fall off into the cold, nothingness of between, S'yloa faced forward again. Creating the image of Great Cliffs Weyr from above, S'yloa gave the mental command for Engmyth to take them home.

In a flare of emerald bright color, the green opened her wings. Taunt muscles trembled for a heartbeat and then the mighty creature launched herself and her passengers into the air. Twin dust spirals swirled under her wings, following her passage until she climbed too far into the air to affect the ground at which point the vortices dissipated. Engmyth only rose far enough to clear the Hold proper before she vanished between...

[S'yloa]

Time Reference: Sometime later...Pick Up 2. 4 Candidates... and Jannasper left...

---

After the first trip, S'yloa and Engmyth appeared again. They circled the Hold as always to announce their presence politely. She didn't bulge. No watchman stood to keep tabs on them so there was no reason to cause a ruckus every time the green came back. The Holdfolk knew to expect the green's arrival at intermittent points as the Searchrider picked up Candidates by the pairs. On the first return, he didn't seek Aburez or Jannasper out or anyone else for that matter, only spared a moment to look around as though searching for someone (let's face it, he wanted to catch a glimpse of Jannasper). Then, S'yloa and Engmyth shuttled the next two newly appointed Candidates onto his dragon's saddle and then into the sky...

[Narrator]

45 minutes later...

The three - two girls and someone who refused to claim a gender - who still remained from the Chosen Seven returned with their bags and a handful of 'oh, take this to - ' from the parents of the others who had already departed to Great Cliffs. Yet now, more time had passed from when S'yloa and Engmyth left for the first time until now. No dragonrider appeared. They began to murmur and shift in place, and pass anxious whispers between one and the other. The mother of one of the girls asked aloud, "what should we do now?" as though she'd never experienced a Search.

"Oh, don't be silly, mother," replied the new Candidate. "We only have to wait and he'll come back."

"Yes, she's right." Agreed a second Candidate. "They chose us, which means they're sure to come back for us..."


The Candidates
_{In case anyone wants to adopt a Candidate hot off being Searched! (They'll be added to the records later)}
Avlinyn - a friend of others. [At Great Cliffs]
Eoteru - has a crush on <another RCC>. [At Great Cliffs]
Melyami - younger sister. [At Great Cliffs]
Unnamed - older brother to Melyami. [At Great Cliffs]
Unnamed - girl. First Candidate to speak above. Her caring mother is still alive, somewhat naive but a generally good person.
Unnamed - girl.
Unnamed - nonbinary.
Unnamed - ...?

[Jannasper]

Jannasper didn't notice how much time had passed since S'yloa left with the first group of candidates. Aburez was trying to get as much work out of the boy as possible before turning him over to the greenrider. He had him finish washing the floors, move several bags of flour and crates of fruits and vegetables, as well as three casks of wine. Jannasper did each task with his usual enthusiasm, though there may have been a little more glee in his step. As he moved from task to task, he occasionally looked to where the candidates were waiting. There sure seemed to be alot of them, he thought, though the boy didn't realize he was seeing the same group.

[S'yloa]

From here. Sometime later...

A shadow graced the sky above Rivers Crossing Hold again. The shimmering green dragon swooped low over the buildings and fields to cast her silhouette onto the ground below. Knowing the ground-bound admired her, Engmyth loved doing this move. Even someone who couldn't tell the difference between one green dragon and the next surely knew it was her when she did her "signature" move. She might be ignoring the fact that other dragons no doubt enjoyed the view too... 

When they landed on the now-well crushed ground, Engmyth settled into place with a long sigh. While S'yloa dismounted, she stretched her neck to its utmost and shook her head. The movement continued down her body all the way to her tail. She sighed again. 



"Hello!" S'yloa said to the nearest person. "And hello to you." He said to another. Though he greeted them politely and interacted with them when needed, the rest of the holdfolk that drawn by Engmyth's landing did not interest him as much as the other Candidate... and Jannasper. He looked around in the crowd until he found one of the Candidates. Not that it was difficult to find him. The adolescent with the shoulder bag pushed his way through the crowd to S'yloa.

"Is everyone here?" S'yloa asked him. His gaze shifted from the immediate area to up and around as he sought either Jannasper (preferable) or the drudge's current owner.

"I don't think so, Landre isn't here anymore."

"Have you had a chance to pack and say your goodbyes? Where is your friend Landre, do you know? Your other friends are waiting for you at the Weyr now, and I'm sure once you get there, you'll get to meet the Weyrwoman. We just need to find her first - "

"She went home. I'll go find her." The boy didn't wait. He dropped his bag at S'yloa's feet and pushed his way through the small crowd. As soon as he cleared them, he sprinted toward the hold proper.

Now stuck waiting, S'yloa rocked on his heels. Not that he minded waiting since this was their last leg until he had the rest of the day free. And the evening... with Jannasper...S'yloa smiled. He put his hands on one of his lumbar vertebrae and arched his back to stretch. Something gave with a soft crunch, and S'yloa exhaled with a soft sigh. I do hope Jannasper comes back soon. Perhaps with a drink for me again. He'd have to deal with the owner eventually but after the hours he spent hunting for the marks, S'yloa wanted to tell Jannasper the good news first.

[Jannasper]

Jannasper was starting to feel run down. He felt like he'd done a sevenday's worth of work in the few hours that had passed waiting for S'yloa to return. He was bringing a fresh bucket of water from the well to kitchen's as preparations for the midday meal was starting when the familiar shadow flew overhead. He looked up to see the pretty green Engmyth circling to land again. Suddenly energized with new enthusiasm, he took the water into the kitchens, setting the bucket down, and then grabbed the open wine skin from before an a clean cup (that's he'd washed) and bounded down to where dragon and rider waited.

"Master S'yloa!" he called as he ran, waving one hand excitedly. He stopped in front of the green rider, slightly winded. "Are you thirsty? I brought you a drink!" He held out the cup, the wineskin slung over his shoulder.

[S'yloa]

Easing back into a regular standing position, S'yloa saw a familiar figure pushing his way through the crowd. S'yloa's grin nearly split his face when Jannasper raced toward him and produced a cup filled with sweet wine. "Ah, there is he! Yes, thank you. Whoa, easy there catch your breath. I won't leave without you." S'yloa took the cup and tipped it toward Jannasper in a gesture of silent gratitude. "You still have time to say .. oh, no. We're waiting for Landrus - "

"Landre!"

"Oh, yes, silly me, it's Landre, isn't it? And as soon as the two of them return, we're off. All four of us. Tonight you'll sleep at the Weyr, Jannasper." S'yloa sipped the wine, and licked his lips, relishing the taste. He wondered if there was anything as nice at the Weyr. Tonight he intended to have a celebration for sure. His gaze swept over Jannasper's and then back to the boy's features, and for a moment S'yloa sounded all serious and business. "But there is a matter that needs settling first. Is Aburez around?"

[Jannasper]

"Oh, I know you wouldn't Master S'yloa," Jannasper replied as he poured wine into S'yloa's cup, his belief in a dragonrider’s honor absolute. “”I was just excited to see you and pretty Engmyth again!” His eyes sparkled with excited anticipation. He was going to the Weyr! And on dragonback! The best he could ever have hoped for before, was to be able to join the tithe train. Now, he was going to get to see the Weyr, and stay! Jannasper was shaken from his revelry at S’yloa’s question. “He was near the kitchens--” he started, and looked around for his other master.

Aburez had his own masters to answer too, and had just come back from speaking with the headwoman about the needs for the night's dinner when he saw S’yloa had returned. A bit of greed glinted in his eye as he thought about the profit he was going to make from the boy. Since he brokered the sale, he was getting a good 5% commission. He’d already had his eye on a fine wine from the Vinter…

“Greenrider S’yloa,” Aburez said in greeting as he approached S’yloa and Jannasper. He eyes Jannasper critically. “Boy! What are you doing, serving a dragonrider looking like that? Go wash up! Let us complete our transaction.” He took the wine skin from Jannasper and dismissed him with a wave, before turning to S’yloa with an expectant look.

“Yes sir,” Jannasper replied in a small voice. He hadn’t meant to insult his new master. He turned to hurry off to the well to clean his hands and face.

[S'yloa]

Resisting the urge to ruffle Jannasper's hair, S'yloa laughed. "I know Engmyth likes you too. When we get home, we can give her a good wash together." When he saw Jannasper's face fall, the green rider nodded, "I know. But soon it will be over and you won't - " Aburez appeared, harsh and critical as always to the drudge. A rare frown flickered across S'yloa's features. That will all be over soon. Aburez's expectant look drew a small smile from S'yloa so he didn't look overtly aggressive or angry toward the holdfolk. There was no reason to brew bad blood despite S'yloa's dislike for Aburez.

He withdrew the precious marks he'd collected over the last few hours, the heavy purse worth every moment he spent hunting and every mark he owned F'rendil now. As Jannasper turned to run off, S'yloa called out to him, "Come back, please Jannasper! We don't have time for you to wash up. We have to leave now." He turned to Aburez and offered the coin purse to the other man. "Here you are, the total we agreed on for Jannasper."

[Jannasper]

Jannasper stopped at S'yloa's call, torn between what he thought were his two masters. 

Aburez took the coin purse with all the proper decorum required. He didn't want to appear greedy to the dragonrider. He held it for a moment, as if he could tell by the weight alone how many marks were in it. It would be rude to count it in S'yloa's presence, so he just nodded. "I thank you for your prompt payment. If you have need of anything else, please don't hesitate to find me. I will be glad to help." He then snapped his fingers at Jannasper, commanding the boy's attention again. "You'll do as Greenrider S'yloa says from now on. He is your master now."

"Yes sir," Jannasper said, his wide smile returning as he looked at his new master. "Oh! May I get my pack? I won't be but a minute!" he asked. He didn't have much in way of possessions, but the few he still had did have some sentimental value to him.

[S'yloa]

"Thank you for the sale," S'yloa smiled as he extended every courtesy to Aburez. "Oh my! What a lovely offer! Perhaps I will take you up on it." The green rider looked the holdman up and down with a great deal of interest. "I'm sure there is something that can help me with." S'yloa smiled with a gaze full of piqued interest.

Jannasper's voice drew his attention from Aburez and the green rider made a show of it to drag his eyes away from Aburez with a long sigh as though he'd much rather be spending time with Aburez. He waved at Jannasper to "go on" with a soft laugh. "Oh, silly me! Of course, Jannasper, go fetch your pack. That will give me time to load the others onto Engmyth." The four-person load was a lot for the green dragon to carry but it was their last flight for the day and S'yloa didn't dare leave Jannasper behind with Aburez. He wouldn't put it past the man to "forget" about the sale all of a sudden.

The Candidate returned with Landre in tow, both carrying hastily put-together backpacks.

"We're back!"
"So sorry, we're here now, thanks for not leaving without me." Landre added.

S'yloa's smiled broadly and he laughed lightly at them both. "Come on, then, let's go meet Engmyth while we wait for Jannasper to return." Somehow even though everyone had hours to prepare for S'yloa's return no one seemed to be actually ready, including Jannasper. For the drudge's part, S'yloa had a feeling it was because of his master - oops former master! - kept the boy busy-busy-busy until the very moment that Engmyth arrived again.