Inquisitive Minds

Writers: Devin, Jelena
Date Posted: 10th September 2012

Characters: J'kri, Derwill
Description: Jyrki shows a lost Derwill the Dining Hall.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 8 of Turn 6

Closing the door to his small quarters behind him, Derwill turned back
to the enthusiastic young canine wagging his tail behind him. "Well,
let us go on your quest then, Odi," the man said cheerfully, before he
sat off in a random direction. He probably should have paid attention
to the people explaining the lay-out of the Weyr to him, but he hadn't
been able to keep his wandering mind on their babbling. Now he was
faced with a rumble in his tummy, he had to find the dining hall on
his own. It couldn't be that hard, could it? But it was. About an hour
later, the man was standing in the middle of a corridor, looking quite
puzzled as he first turn one direction, changed his mind and faced the
other way. "I give up!" he called out dramatically. The canine let out
a little huff and sat back on his haunches.

Jykri heard the shout from farther down the hall. "Give up what?" He
asked as he came closer.

"Finding my way to the Dining Hall, I'm afraid I was a little
preoccupied when I was explained the way there and now I am paying for
it dearly." The older man scratched his head in thought as he glanced
around again. The canine observed the stranger with his tail wagging
happily. Perhaps he had treats?

"Oh, I can show you the way. I'm headed there myself." He held his
hand out for the canine to sniff. "My name is Jykri. I'm a Candidate
and I'm fairly new here myself."

"That would be greatly appreciated, candidate Jykri," Derwill said
with a flourish. Odi sniffled at the hand before pushing in to it for
a scratch behind the ears. "I'm Derwill, technician, just arrived!"
The man threw his rainbow coloured scarf over his shoulder from where
it had slipped and looked at Jykri expectantly. "Where to?"

Jykri gave Odi a scratch and a pat. "That way." He pointed and then
led the way. "A technician? That's so interesting."

"Oh, yes, it certainly is," Derwill confirmed gladly. "Though I guess
a technician would say that, right?" He walked next to Jykri in a
steady pace, with Odi right along side him. "But it's a wonderful
craft, and an important one too, if you ask me. You're a candidate, am
I right? That is every bit as interesting!"

"It is. I'm trying to learn all I can about dragon anatomy. We know a
lot about how to fix them when they're injured or sick, but there are
_still_ things we don't understand." Jykri wondered how you could
design a creature and still not understand everything. Maybe living
things were just too complicated.

"There are always things we don't understand, things left to discover
yet. It's the beauty of life," Derwill said with a wide smile. "The
world would be a boring place if we knew everything there was to know
about it, don't you agree?"

"Uh huh." Jykri nodded. "Sometimes I forget that, though. I love to
learn things, and I get a little frustrated if there isn't an answer."

"That's good, if you never get frustrated anymore, it means you've
stopped caring," Derwill replied sagely. "What part of the anatomy are
you working on now?" Derwill always loved to gather new information
about other crafts. He had found every craft, be it beastcraft or
harpercraft or whatever other craft, had problems for technicians to
solve and as such he was interested in them all.

"Just the basics. I borrowed some of the books the dragonhealer
apprentices use. What all the different parts are called, how ichor is
different from blood, how dragons produce flame, those kinds of
things." It was one of the few things he didn't have much chance to
study back at Hold, so he was giving it his full attention now. Well,
aside from his special "lessons" with Daret ... and S'vin.

"That really is interesting," Derwill said, his eyes widening with
interest. "How _do_ dragons produce flame?" Those were all things he
would be very interested to learn, things that could provide him with
new ideas, insights in to existing problems or new problems to solve.
Knowledge was one of the most exhilarating things to the old
Journeyman.

"They chew firestone and send it into their second stomach. There, it
produces a gas that ignites on contact with oxygen ..." He went on
with the explanation until they reached the dining cavern. "Here we
are!"

"Ah, wonderful!" Derwill said, both in reaction to Jykri's story and
their arriving at the Dining Hall. "I could sure eat a runner by now."
He looked curiously at the young man for a second. "What's the food
like here?" The one at the hold he had last been stationed at had been
seriously opposed to herbs and spices and Derwill could still smell
the drab and mottled fumes that came from her kitchen.

"Oh, it's _excellent_! And there's so much of it." Jykri led him over
to the queue. "So where did you come from?"

"Oh, that is such great news to hear," Derwill replied with a grin as
he got in line. "I'm from all over the place, really, I've moved
around a lot over the turns and I have quite a few of those on me!"
Derwill couldn't really say he had had much of a home anywhere in
particular. His home was where his stuff was, where he did his
experiments and that had nothing to do with a specific location.

"The North, too?" Jykri asked.

"Oh, no, I'm a Southerner born and bred," Derwill said with a shake of
his head. "Why, are you from the North yourself, or just interested?"

"Just interested. I'd like to visit the North sometime." If he
Impressed, he'd be able to travel anywhere he wanted.

"It does have a certain draw to it, doesn't it?" Derwill said with a
nod. "I bet you can't wait to impress and go wherever you want with
your dragon, eh?" Wasn't that the dream of all candidates, after all?

"Oh, yes. Having that kind of freedom, that much mobility ... it would
be wonderful." They reached the trays and Jykri grabbed one.

"What would be the first place you would visit?" Derwill asked
curiously, as he picked up a tray of his own.

Jykri frowned, thinking. "I'm not sure. Somewhere warm," he said with a laugh.

"Right! Will you take me with you when you go do that?" The old man
laughed cheerfully. "I do miss the sun."

"Sure! And in exchange for the ride, you can teach me a little of what
you know." Jykri smiled at him and started filling his plate.

"Oh, now that sounds like a good exchange," Derwill grinned. "Though
are you sure you are interested in mechanics and such things?"

"I'm interested in _everything_!"

Derwill laughed. "You'd better be careful than, lad, you might stick
your nose in to stuff you wish you hadn't!"

Jykri grinned. "But I'd still learn something, wouldn't I?"

"This is true," Derwill laughed, the boy remind him a little of
himself at that age. "Not all knowledge makes you happier though!"

"But it does make you wiser."

Last updated on the September 24th 2012

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Inquisitive Minds