Fence Fights [Candidate Chores]

[Tarra]

OOC> Compulsory for candidates


The fences of the beastcrafter complex were makeshift affairs; planks of stray wood from the nearby forests thrown together and affixed with hemp rope and the occasional nail. It was a combination that ensured, in the few months since the coalition's move here, they had began swaying in many places and some sections had half-fallen, leaning at precarious angles. A good proportion of the herdbeast and runner stables were actually within the cave complex itself, but much of it extended into open pasture beneath the sky as well; runners and herdbeasts were not cave-dwellers by nature, and few beastcrafters, except in absolute need, would try to make them so.

Which meant something had to be done about the fences; not least of all by the candidates who, as had been during their days on the Archipelago, were a substantial source of supporting labour for the Weyr.

C'cao had tried to make things easier for them, however. He had supplied the tools - a pile of hammers, pliers and boxes of nails lay huddled near the worst patches of leaning fence line - and made the time off his usual afternoon leisure to supervise the task. Nor had he chosen a poor time of day for the work - it was mid-afternoon, the sun was still up but the worst heat of the day had already passed. In another candlemark or so the sun would begin its dip toward the horizon. The announcement of today's work had been made at the candidate barracks the night before, so there should be no reason they didn't know of the task due them today. C'cao was, if nothing else, an organised man, and he preferred to be thorough in what he did.

He watched now as the candidates began filing in. Opheriath, lounging in a bright patch of sun not far behind him, regarded the youngsters with steady blue eyes as well as she spread her wings for the light. There wasn't time enough to settle the entire beastcraft complex's fencing needs by today, so what they would be focusing on was the main and largest pasture fence which had taken some serious battering from an over-enthusiastic bull earlier that week. The beastcrafters would be able to settle repairs to the rest of the complex on their own.

"Alright everyone," he called, projecting his voice, Harper-trained, to carry cleanly to all the gather candidates, "Drop your personal things with Opheriath and grab tools. Work in pairs or threes - let's see this pasture fencing up and fit for stampedes by night."

[Tiddler]

Calerin stretched, arms flung high over his head as he leaned to one side slightly until several satisfactory cracks were heard from his spine. Oh yeah, that hit the spot. Letting his arms flop back down against his sides, the candidate glanced up at the sky. Weren't they supposed to be doing something today? Oh right. It was about that time of the day wasn’t it? It was consideration for where he put his feet (it wouldn’t do to twist an ankle or something out here) that he clambered down from the jumble of rocks he’d been standing on (there was a nice view from up there) and made his way toward the group of gathering candidates.

Of course once he actually got there, he stopped dead in his tracks. This was the first time he’d actually seen the fences and apparently what he saw wasn’t up to snuff at all. He looked all along the fence line and back again, an almost bemused look on his face. It was definitely what could have been termed a ‘makeshift’ fence. It was a wonder the herdbeasts hadn't already plowed through it and run off into the wilds. He supposed it was what they had handy but the fence really should be getting replaced. Preferably with something sturdy.

But he wouldn’t have expressed that opinion even if he could have voiced it. Instead of hesitating a moment more, Calerin shuffled up to one of the stacks of supplies and crouched, digging through what there was. Hammer. Nails. Pliers. He looked around as if something was missing before sighing and getting to work; mending fences was not new to him, nor was any form of hard manual labor really. So even if he could complain he wouldn’t have. Instead he soundlessly worked one of the boards until he could hold it upright, shoving some dirt around it to hold it and leaning against the post until it sank a little under his weight. That was part of the problem; the posts weren't in deep enough.

It wasn’t long before Calerin was totally absorbed into what he was doing. Once the posts were stabilized he set to testing the rope between them. If it was loose, he found a way to tighten it so that the tension made it seem almost solid with only the tiniest amount of give. The rope would snap easily with too much tension, but with too much give it would be easily moved and the posts wouldn’t be as stable. When he’d finished a small portion of a particularly bad section of the fence, Calerin took a moment to step back and check his work, wiping the sweat from his brow as he did. Mending fence was hard, toiling work… especially in warm weather, no matter what time of day. But so far, so good. It seemed he was making decent progress so far.

[Nene]

Orlaithe stretchecd. Bright sunlight, a green and fence building. She was ok with this. She looked down at her hands, they'd mended a ship before. This was no so different. Slimming a few peices of wood an staking them into the ground, she carefully lashed them together with some rope. Ropes, knots hammers and nails. Things that were all useful to keep a ship from coming apart. Orlaithe was accustome to using all of them, but she realized, a moving ship and a fence where two very different things.

She glanced over at Calerin. "Excuse me, but could you help me get a these guys.." she gestured to the sticks which were rocking in the earth as she tried to lash them together to keep them straight. "from moving?" The dark skinned woman smilled, as she leaned on one of the posts again to and used a rather fancy, though stable knot to keep it from slidding down the posts. Almost immediately however as she tried to move to the other post the slack in the rope caused the knot slide down the slightly tappered end. "AHH!" she growled returning to the first post. "See the problem?" she said to Calerin conversationally.

[Zen]

The day was winding down. Normally, that would mean Jeneryn could be found curled up with a Record reading, or playing with her bronze firelizard, Chief. Today, however, was slightly different. The Candidatemaster had told them to go to the herdbeast pens. Today there would be a chore. Or perhaps the word 'chore' was haphazardly thrown on in a clever disguise of actual work. Now Jeneryn did not mind this 'work,' but she did mind that whoever decided to make this an actual chore didn't have enough decency to call it work. Chores were things you did every day, like mending shirts or helping wash dishes in the kitchens. This was not considered a chore. After checking at the exit of the lower caverns to make sure her skin was sufficiently covered, she drew on her brimmed hat and stepped out.

The fence was in bad repair. Even from far away it looked as if it had been put together at night by a bunch of blind beggars, though this line of thought was unfair to the few blind people she knew. Upon nearing the scene of the 'crime,' she noticed two others already there, not including the Candidatemaster himself and his dragon. Jeni was happy, at that moment, that she had let Chief wander alone for a while. Even if she would have commanded him to come with her, he wouldn't have listened, anyway. Perhaps now he wouldn't interrupt her while she was 'working.'

She walked up to the two and stood slightly off to one side, fully taking advantage of the innocent appearance she conveyed. After C'cao explained what to do, she considered asking those other two (the ones closest to her, since more had appeared after she had) to be partners with her. But the dark-skinned girl beat her to it. She watched the woman retie a knot and frowned slightly. The knot she'd used was good, but it used too much rope and would loosen far quicker than the knot she would have used. But she said nothing as the knot showed her how loose it was.

She stepped forward then, and lifted the brim of her hat a bit so that she could see their faces. She smiled, a tentative smile. "Maybe I can help?" She asked before picking up a hammer and two nails. She undid the woman's knot and, placing the nails in her mouth and propping the hammer up on the side of the post, she quickly redid the woman's knot and made it into a constrictor knot, pulling tightly on both ends before quickly hammering the nails into two of the rope parts to keep it there. Stepping back, she looked at the knot.

"Forgive me," she nearly whispered, "but your rope tie used too much rope. This kind of knot constricts upon itself and makes it harder to move. I used to use this knot when mooring boats and keeping knots secure." She stopped for a second, then looked from one person to another, "I mean, unless there's another way to do knots. I can... uh... teach this to you."

[Nene]

At the assitance, Orlaithe nooded. "Thanks. I am used to working on a ship, and this much rope is an anomaly. Normally rope knots are rope knots and they usually work their way loose rather slowly." she rubbed the back of her head in embaressment. "Believe me normally I am good at these things but apparently take away the ship and sea and my knots are horrible." she gestures at the wood, "Thank you though. I am Orlaithe." she said. She looked rathe abashed being shown up by someone else who worked around boats. "I admit the crew didn't let me tie knots too often.. though I suppose that.." she points to her formerly downed peices of wood. "Is the reason."

She watched the other girl's rope tying skills. "Better than I could have done it, there are a few knots to be used. I do prefer this particular knot, though I guess its good for stormy weather." she carefully demonstrated a more complicated truckers hitch She smirked. "I am so used to the complicated stuff I forgot to do how the simple and every day type knots.."

[Tarra]

C'cao observed, with some gratitude, that the young men and women at the fences did not work independently but were open to advising and assisting one another. It was a good sign, and a trait that he hoped to encourage amongst them. He had kept himself from getting involved in the work just yet to watch their interaction, and the realisation that they were really quite a helpful bunch was gratifying. The Candidatemaster was a little surprised to find that pirate girl - Orlaithe, yes that was her name - had joined them, but made no move to head her off. There was no harm in having an extra pair of arms for the job, and anyway she had proven to be helpful (not at all the troublemaker sort) during her time with the coalition.

Lost in these thoughts, he hardly noticed that Opheriath had risen until her shadow fell on the ground in front of him. Surprised, he cast her a glance, but she was striding headfirst toward the candidates with that look in her whirling eyes - the look that meant she had made another choice - that of making a candidate out of someone. He wondered for a moment if she had just fixeted on someone she had already chosen, but his eyes followed her stare...and he recalled suddenly he had just been wondering why a certain non-candidate was amongst the bunch. Had Orlaithe already known about her capabilities through one of the other dragons? He certainly hadn't heard of it if so. In any event, time to make it formal. He followed his prowling green with a light smile.

"Orlaithe?" he called, "Could you come here a moment please?"

[Nene]

Orlaithe, waved a hand at the voice of the rider, and through clenched teeth-which were holding a rope, as she tied a knot. "One moment, please. I don't wanth this to come apart on anyone." she finished. She got to her feet slowly, and dusted herself off. The voice wasn't angry or scolding. The voice was not yet one she associated with comfort either. But she took it in stride. The Ocean's Star's crew had used a tone like that, when dealing with decisions.

"Yes sir?" The voice she used was equally as formal, and she tried to keep from shirinking, at the thought of bad things coming her way. She noticed the green, and looked up ,trying to smile. "Having a pleasant day both of you?" she tried to smooth it over, but to hear ears the question only sounded like she was trying to be smart. Not a good way to start a conversation.

She only stood before the rider her eyes fcused on C'cao. As if awaiting punishment.