Sketchy Gold

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 10th July 2014

Characters: Rhosyn, Eioval
Description: Eioval gets to do a sketch of Orlaith.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Lenala, Reeva

Not quite as vain as Lenala, Rhosyn didn't worry about things like paintings and portraits. The Weyrwoman's likeness was on dragonpoker decks, but that was all. Instead, she worried about her dragon, her Weyr, and her work in that order. So that meant she was currently inspecting Orlaith's hide as the senior Queen patiently waited near the wall of the Bowl.

"Greetings, Weyrwoman," Eioval called out cheerfully as he sauntered towards Rhosyn and her great gold. "You both look positively radiant today!"

Stepping back from her dragon she turned and faced the harper, wondering just what he wanted. "The weather's been fine so far." Once she was done with this, she was actually planning on taking a flight elsewhere just to be alone with Orlaith but she didn't mention that.

"It really has been," Eioval nodded, eyeing the large gold. "I love the way her hide shines in this light, it makes a nice contrast with the solid blue of the sky." He made a frame with outstretched hands to capture the scene.

None of that made any sense to the goldrider. All she caught out of it was he loved Orlaith's hide. Of course he did, it was magnificent. "It better shine. I just finished oiling it." That took the better part of a candlemark to do on her own. She didn't begrudge her lifemate though. Patting Orlaith's flank, she smiled up at her. The queen was patently ignoring everything else around her for the moment.

"Are you planning on going anywhere important the next candlemark?" Eioval asked, already making a list in his head of the supplies he'd need.

"Not really important. We were just going flying. I haven't been out of the Weyr in awhile, much less flying on my own so..." She was going a little stir crazy. She liked to be alone with her dragon and her thoughts.

"Would you mind staying here for a little longer? I would love to get this pretty picture down on canvas."

**A picture? On canvas?** She found she didn't care but she didn't like to be rude. The man was only trying to perform his craft. As Weyrwoman, she supposed she should be sought after for these kinds of things and Orlaith was very wondrous after all. "Very well, but make haste harper."

Eioval nodded curtly, deciding at that moment it would be better to just make a sketch, if the Weyrwoman was in a hurry. He had a great memory for colors, so it would be fine to work on the painting at home. Whipping out his sketchpad and pencil, he flopped down right where he stood and started on his work. "Would you like to be in the picture too, Ma'am?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't. I'm not..." She wasn't dressed in proper clothing. She had hair everywhere and there was the matter of her flushed cheeks. Rhosyn was not at her best and if she were going to be in any sort of painting, she wanted to represent her dragon and Weyr well. Not like this.

"Not what, Ma'am? You're the radiant example of what a Weyrwoman should be like," he said gesturing at her attire. "You look stunning as always."

"Harper, I have no sort of finery. I am hot with red cheeks. My hair is stuck to my head....And I still have fat from the baby on me. Flattery is very well but I know what I look like." She sighed and frowned. Rhosyn was in her work clothes. She wasn't ashamed of them since she was doing her duties, but at the same time she knew she could be better. "I'd rather be in my gather finery for anything that's going to be prominently displayed."

"Wouldn't you agree most of that is what a Weyrwoman would look like who's just come out of a Fall?" Eioval asked as he quickly formed Orlaith's haunches on his sketchpad.

"Not in the slightest. After Threadfall, my face is black." That's what using a flamethrower did to you, or even a flaming dragon. That's why dragonriders had goggles. Besides Orlaith, Rhosyn would look like any greenrider after a Fall.

Eioval shrugged. "Alright, maybe not entirely then. I could add a few hints of soot. But it's how I would choose to depict a Weyrwoman. Can you allow it or am I to stick to just Orlaith?"

"Why would you choose that when no other portrait does so? I would think...goldriders are meant to be revered." Something in her made her want to shake him around to see what was in his head. "I do enough things to make people want to spit at me, I don't think me standing up dirty for a portrait would be something to add to that list. I would much rather look clean and cultured for my Weyr."

"Because doing what everyone else does is boring," Eioval shrugged. "And art should never be boring. It should surprise and thrill." But he obeyed the Weyrwoman's wishes as he continued his sketching.

"Surprising and thrilling? Sorry painter but I have never seen neither a surprising nor a thrilling painting in my life-especially portraits. People always look the same in them. And the parts that are thrilling...you'll never be able to see them so you wouldn't be able to paint them naturally." Something in him was odd. She wondered why Reeva felt attracted to this man. Strange pairing that.

"Then I am sorry for you. And for my Craft that we have failed as of yet to show you true art. You are invited to come look at my collection any time you please. Maybe there is something you will find to your liking."

Her face screwed up as she thought about what he said and she realized maybe she was being a bit rude, denigrating his craft and all that. It was just something Rhosyn saw as unnecessary and unneeded. Paintings didn't feed anyone. They weren't useful. They were just _there_. Who cared if people decades later knew what she looked like? "Maybe I would," she offered in a conciliatory tone.

"There," Eioval put down his pencil and held out the sketch at arms length, squeezing first one eye shut and then the others. "I'm done."

"Very well. Fair day to you harper." With that, she easily worked on mounting her dragon. Rhosyn needed to get out of the place and be alone with her dragon and her thoughts. She was so tired of putting up a front when all she wanted to do most of the time was sleep and cry. Why had he done this to her?

"Fair skies to you, Weyrwoman," Eioval said, watching her go with a pensive expression. Had he offended her in some way? He couldn't imagine why, so he shrugged off the thought and gathered his things. He'd better start on that painting quick now the memory of the gorgeous colour display was still fresh in his mind.

Last updated on the July 13th 2014

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Sketchy Gold