Pertinent information is listed at the beginning of this series. Comments welcome at quasito_cat@yahoo.com or quasito_cat@hotmail.com
The Black Dragon of Pern
M.C. Gordon
Chapter 18
L'noth suggested, and Healer Andren agreed, that the best immediate solace for the weyrfolk to take their minds from those already lost to the eruption was to put them to work. Important hides were already tucked inside protective wherryhide cylinders and transported by dragon back to M'chell's southern caves. Food, clothing, and the not to be forgotten Benden white wine were loaded into baskets and clutched tightly in the claws of dragons whose backs were loaded to capacity with weyrfolk being evacuated.
Sleeping children, who mysteriously kept appearing, were tucked securely between adults on the dragons.
M'chell was helping strap the last of the rescued weyrfolk into place onto blue Dagenth when Raganth's frantic call reached him.
"He is lost," the mighty queen said.
. . .
Skye had gone between time so often over a period of several hours that he lost when' he was. Something deep within his genetic coding told him that it was dangerous to be in the same place at any point in time. It wasn't a conscious thought; it was pure instinct. And now, physically and mentally exhausted, he couldn't remember which when' he was in. He felt a strange loneliness such as he'd never known before. Perhaps this is how it will end,' he thought. I have helped to save the hatchlings. My lover's kind are going to be safe, and they will welcome him back. Now that he is with them again he no longer needs me. The molten earth will find me and he will no longer think of me.'
. . .
Unknown to anyone but L'noth and Adelmisa, a select few bronze riders had been going between time themselves, using the same reasoning as Skye, and removing as many inhabitants of the lower caverns as they could. The riders puzzled L'noth when they reported that they were unable to find most of the children. That thought was causing great worry to the Weyrleaders until they realized that the children had all been accounted for.
When Raganth's great cry, "He is lost," was broadcast to M'chell, the other weyr dragons heard and told their riders. The Weyrleader and Weyrwoman looked at each other in confusion, for they had accounted for everyone ... even the dead. D'vis was the first to react for he knew who was lost, and he rushed to M'chell's side. Trelanth explained to the other dragons, who in turn bespoke their riders. The message made little sense to anyone since no one in the weyr knew who Skye was and had certainly never heard of a `flyer' before. But the underlying fact of the message was very clear. Someone was still trapped in the lower cavern, and the molten lava was rising.
"He is almost `now', but does not know that," Raganth told M'chell.
Just as M'chell was preparing to mount Raganth and go in search of his lover, L'noth approached him. "M'chell," the Weyrleader said, "do you have something to tell us?"
"Not now," the queen rider replied, urgency utmost in his voice, "I have to find him."
"We can do that for you," L'noth said. "The dragons know that someone is trapped in time in the weyr. It's too dangerous to send any of them between time right now, so we need for you to concentrate very hard and let Raganth find him for you. All of the dragons will concentrate with Raganth and show him where to come. I hope you plan to explain to me later why something I don't know about is able to go between undetected in my weyr."
M'chell nodded his agreement to the Weyrleader and concentrated as hard as he could on contacting his beloved.
Chapter 19
Skye sat with his legs bent upward and his head between his knees. His wings were folded over to cover him for he did not want to see the molten earth rise toward him. He had resigned himself to death, unhappy only that he could not let M'chell know how much he loved him. He had tried to reach out to his lover's mind but the distance of between time was more than he could overcome in his current exhausted state.
He was surprised when he heard, in his mind, many voices calling to him. He thought it was just his imagination until he was able to clearly recognize Raganth, Trelanth, and Dageth, the only dragons he knew.
"We know when' you are," the voices said. "Listen to us and we will bring you now'."
The space was small and time was short, for the lava crept ever higher. But Skye listened to the voices of his dragon friends and stepped to the edge of a sleeping cubicle. The stench of sulphur was overwhelming, stinging his eyes and causing his breath to be labored. He flexed his wings, rose from the floor of the cavern, and went between, trusting the dragons.
. . .
There were few dragons remaining at the volcanic weyr, those who looked to M'chell, D'vis, L'noth, Adelmisa, and F'rness, when a tiny mote appeared high in the sky above the heaving lava. Skye, totally unconscious, was plummeting earthward. Green Dageth, the swiftest, pushed upward with all his strength and launched himself toward the spiraling figure. Super-heated flying rocks and embers singed him, but still he flew -- one object fixed firmly in his mind. He listened as the other dragons encouraged him, and F'rness promised him the sweetest wherries for his next meal and a thorough scrubbing by every fire lizard on Pern. But Dageth didn't need any coaxing. He knew what the flyer had done to help save the weyrfolk. And while the flyer wasn't a `real' dragon, he had a dragon's heart.
High above the fiery eruption, Dageth positioned himself and caught Skye in his talons, careful not to damage the frail body.
. . .
Freepoint Weyr was quiet, the inhabitants mindful of the trauma to the injured currently housed there. Young children walked quietly on their tip-toes and whispered, lest they were told that they had to go to bed. Dragons and riders injured during Threadfall was nothing new to them, but dragons and weyrfolk suffering from the tremendous loss of their weyr was an inconceivable thought. And something different was being treated by the weyr healers. Curiosity overwhelmed them and more than one child had crept past one of the small weyrs for a peek at the unusual creature.
Andren had given M'chell a strong sedative to make him sleep. His childhood friend had suffered about as much physical and emotional shock as anyone could endure.
"I think you'd better explain things to me before you have to answer to L'noth and the Masterhealer," Andren told D'vis.
Several hours later D'vis had told Andren everything he knew about Skye. Andren listened and understood far more than D'vis had actually told him. He sent the bronze rider to bed and went to check on this mysterious flyer.
The light in the small cavern was dim. M'chell was deeply asleep so Andren didn't need to concern himself with his friend waking up. He was far more interested in this `Skye' than anything else at this point. Skye's existence was beyond all understanding.
He crossed the room and sat on a small stool next to Skye.
"How incredibly beautiful he is," Andren thought.
The subdued light reflected softly off Skye's bronze face. His eyes were deeply set and thick black lashes splayed across high cheekbones. Andren touched his highly arched eyebrows and brushed them back into place, for they had been ruffled badly. Skye's lips were full and sensuous, open slightly in sleep to show even white teeth.
The healer told himself that he was only interested in the condition of his patient, but he also had that curiosity that all men have for other men as he drew the blanket down to survey Skye's injuries. There were a few minor burns that seemed to be healing after M'chell had insisted that he use the ooze from the plants that the Southern fire lizards provided. Skye's body was well muscled ... almost perfect.
Forcing himself to be professional, Andren surveyed the work D'vis had done on the injured wing and tendon. He would have to tell the journeyman healer how impressed he was for the scar over the mended wing was negligible.
The flyer stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes.
"Welcome back to the world of the living," Andren whispered softly. "We were all worried about you."
"M'chell?" Skye queried.
"Asleep," was the answer. "My name is Andren, and young D'vis has told me about you. I want to thank you for what you did, helping to save the children, and for that remarkable plant D'vis said you use."
"The hatchlings are well?" Skye asked.
"Hatchlings? Oh, you mean the children. Yes, they're all fine. Maybe a little ruffled from their experience but they'll recover with time. Right now I'm more concerned about you. Going between' time is so dangerous that it's a highly kept weyr secret. Most of the dragon riders don't even know it can be done. You were fortunate that the dragons knew just when' you were."
Skye didn't understand everything the healer was saying, but he knew the voice was filled with true compassion. And he knew of the healer from some of his lover's conversations with D'vis. So long as he knew the hatchlings were safe he was content.