HR: Snow And Ice

Posted on Sun Oct 5th, 2025 @ 7:29pm by Gold Rider Lana & Bronze Rider A'ren

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: High Reaches
Timeline: M3 D19

Mantith yawned as he watched his rider move around the weyr. Rylin cheeped at his pet. It seemed like the young man had something on his mind. more so then normal anyhow. Mantith snorted.

):Mine?:(

**I'm good, Man. Gonna grab something to eat real quick.**

K'rei threw his satchel over his shoulder and jogged down the steps to the Bowl. He headed for the dining cavern to grab a quick bite.

Raina hated the winter in the north. It was cold, it was bitter and there was more snow in one day than she had seen in her whole life. She missed the south but she was not at all prepared to return there after she had made such a wreck of her life and everyone around her. She should never had played K’yar and V’lik against each other in the end, it had made them all desperate but at least in High Reaches neither would come visiting if they chose to think about her; they thought she was still at Benden. She smiled as she joined a familiar group of riders with her food and sat down.

K'rei grabbed some food and a warm klah as once again it was cold and snowy. Shards that was why he liked Dolphin Bay. Oh well, at least he had Mantith here and he wouldn't freeze. The extra layers made sure of that. He soon found a table and sat down with some of the other riders he knew. “Morning everyone.”

“Hey K’rei.” Riana greeted clutching her klah to her a little more still trying to wake up a little more. The dining cavern was warm but she was finding her weyr was colder than she was used to this time of turn. Eillith was not bothered by the cold as she had her very own pillows on her couch and she had blankets.

“Good morning Riana. How are you on this beautiful, cold day?” He asked cheerily, setting his tray down. He picked up a spoon to enjoy his warm porridge. Even growing up around here it still felt cold to him.

“Beautiful and cold do not belong in the same sentence.” She mused with a laugh as several other riders agreed. It was the first cold morning in a few sevendays with the snow returning. “But I am okay. Just cold.”

“And grumpy,” Another green rider said, teasing.

K'rei laughed. “Perhaps you are right but it is beautiful out,” he said. It took a lot to get the young man down. Although there were times that the snow could do that. Talyn had loved the snow.

“Why is he so perky?” She demanded grinning at him. He was far too perky in the morning but she could not deny that it was infectious. “I am not used to snow.”

“Oh yeah you are a southerner.” A brown rider remembered. “How have you survived without the sun?”

The blue rider grinned. “I've always been this way,” K'rei admitted. His parents always laughed at him for being so happy all the time. “Ooh,” he commented, looking over at Riana. “No wonder you don't like this cold.”

“I am used to shorts and vest tops.” She laughed, shaking her head as several people commented on why she had come north. “Sometimes you need to change of scenery.” She commented quietly deciding to start on her porridge to give her an excuse to not speak too much.

“Ooh I would not recommend that dress right now,” K'rei smiled. “Unless you want to be a rider popsicle.” He completely understood the best and shorts. He ran around Dolphin Bay in just shorts. He raised a brow as the other riders tried to figure out why she had come north. Rylin decided to make his presence known then as he started to beg for treats. The little blue was shameless.

The woman said nothing as she ate a few mouthfuls. She could feel their gazes on her, even now after the last few months trying to work her out. “No I am sure going outside like that would not work plus you all are not used to people dressing like that. Would stun you northerners.” She teased.

K'rei laughed. “Don't need to give any of the others a heart attack,” he grinned, elbowing the blue rider sitting next to him. Riana looked like she could use some back up, so that was what he was going to do.

Several riders laughed at K’rei. “We are still riders.” The man grumbled at the nudging. Raina smirked at the grumbling and winked. She knew the man had become the butt of the joke but he had been nothing but nice when they had shared a flight a few months back.

“True enough,” K'rei agreed, grinning. Rylin rolled his eyes and snagged a meatroll from K'rei's plate as the young man hadn't been paying attention. “Hey!” He laughed as Rylin just cheeped.

Riana giggled at the fire lizard and moved his plate so the fire lizard could not get more lucky and grab another one. “But I’ll keep your blood pressure safe N’es.” She laughed. “Fully dressed and maybe even masked up,” She laughed, grabbing up her goggles and mask for her face in snow sweeps.

Rylin seemed to huff as Riana moved the plate out of his grasp. “Thank you,” K'rei smiled. “That is definitely covered up,” the blue rider agreed. At High Reaches you did have to dress like that.

“Making you miss Dolphin Cove hmm?” N’es wondered quietly trying to get the man back. He was High Reaches through and through but he did enjoy sand and the sea.

“A bit,” K'rei answered. “Especially being warm.” If he was honest he missed his family, but he wasn't going down that hole again.

Riana smiled a little as she ate more of the porridge. She could see how similar he was to Nerlyn sometimes with him being a former dolphineer. She could see the melding of 2 different worlds in how he walked and talked. He was not her type but he was wasted in High Reaches. He should have gone south when requests were made. Riana turned as people rose as the Weyrleader appeared, herself rising to her feet wearily. She missed the informalities of River Cove. The bronze rider looked around shoo-ed people back to there meals which Riana went back to eagerly.

K'rei jumped to his feet, knocking Rylin from his perch. The blue grumbled in agitation but just settled down on the table. K'rei was grateful when the Weyrleader motioned them all back to their meals and seats. “So what do you have planned for the day, Riana?”

“Snow sweeps.” She said, pulling up the goggles and mask again, grinning. Eillith did not understand the formality changes at first but she had forgotten life for the most part at River Cove apart from grumbles over remembering the heat. “What about you guys?”

“Ooh so lots of white,” K'rei chuckled. Snow sweeps were not fun at all. “Drills in a bit,” he answered. It would make his blue get up which wouldn't make Mantith happy at all.

Several other riders piped up things before N’es commented that he was there to help a gold rider from the south with the records. Riana raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds like a lot more fun than what we all have planned today,” K'rei answered. He wondered what the gold rider was hoping to find and why here?

Riana nodded. N’es just looked pleased to not have to go outside in the cold and snow for once. “Perhaps. No idea what she is looking for but I was asked to meet her when she arrives and take her to the records room if the Weyrleader is not available.”

“Hmm that's odd,” K'rei commented. “I can't help but wonder what the southern Weyrwoman could possibly want to find out in our hides. Surely they aren't much different from their own.” Of course who was he to say that.

“Southern continent doesn’t have records going back to landing.” Riana commented, making people look at her again. She smiled at them before they caught up that older records might be required.

“Welp if she wants to come north and get cold looking at our records, who are we to argue?” The blue rider smiled. He did wonder just what the Weyrwoman was looking for. He loved spending time in the hides and learning new things.

Riana could not help but agree but she had a sinking she knew exactly what Queen Rider was coming north. And she was not going to like the reunion or the reminder of the past.

“When's she supposed to be here, N'es?” He was curious what the southern Weyrwoman was like. Theirs was still just a child but she was trying. At least there hadn't been any trouble lately.

“By mid morning I think.” N'es shrugged. He was not sure if that was High Reaches time or whatever part of the south she was coming from. “Does it really matter? Queen Riders are all the same right?”

K'rei shrugged. “Haven't known many Queen Riders,” he answered. “And I don't think we can judge by ours.” It wasn't that the girl was a bad person but they didn't have anyone who could teach her about being a queen rider.

“No, unfortunately not. Maybe why the Weyrleader allowed her to come here.” N'es wondered. Their Weyrleader was in his early fifties and had been Weyrleader for over 15 turns before their Weyrwoman had passed away from a suspected plot clot when she had broken her arm last year and their Junior Queen rider was barely old enough to stand. The dragons might decide but Riana could not understand what was going on.

“What do you mean?” K'rei asked. He didn't quite understand what N'es was getting at. He glanced at Riana, wondering if he was missing something.

“Maybe the Weyrleader is inviting other Queen riders so we will have more.” He whispered and Riana snorted. “What it could happen?” He added as his head whipped around as he heard dragon bugles outside. “Looked like it was mid-morning there and not our time here.”

K'rei spun at the bugles. Mantith was getting excited as he saw another queen coming to the Weyr. “Mantith is getting excited,” he commented, not quite sure how to respond to N'es’ suggestion.

Riana paled a little as Eillith told her which Queen Dragon was there - Kalaith. “Excuse me folks, I need to go on my sweep ride.” Riana needed to escape the Weyr and hope in a few candlemarks that Lana and whoever she had brought with her was gone.

K'rei was surprised by Riana’s quick response to leave. “See you later!” he smiled. “Don't get too cold.”

Riana just saluted the group and disappeared off pulling on her mask and helmet before she even left the cavern. Freezing to death seemed a better option than facing riders from River Cove. N'es watched the woman leave and frowned but said nothing to stop or hinder her.

“I suppose I better go and meet them then hadn’t I.” He sighed rising to his feet grabbing empty bowls and mugs on his tray not really caring who’s they were.