A/N: yes yes I know I write wayyy too little but I had things to turn in. After my state exams I will have a bit more time to write, thankfully. Don't expect much from me in July, I will be attending vocational school full time! Thanks to those that reviewed, it really does make you want to write more, heheh.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Pern. Or the ideas of dragons and weyrs. Or anything, really. That all belongs to Anne Mcaffrey.
A dragon's bugle informed Tessa of an incoming firelizard. She awoke hastily, slipping on a jacket over her bed clothes. Cireth snored lightly, her hide the color of brilliant sunlight. Sleepily but quickly, Tessa made her way to the bowl where a firelizard hovered, waiting for someone to receive the message. Gingerly, Tessa removed the small note attached to his leg. Immediately the fire lizard went between.
Fort Hold is in need of you
-MasterHealer
Without wasting time, Tessa reached out in her mind for Branath. He was sleeping, but roused when she urged him awake.
Awaken B'non. We are needed at Fort!
Tessa rushed to her weyr and hastily donned her riding gear. Tying her medium length raven black hair out of the way. Cireth was just waking. Tessa oiled a spot that looked dry, and immediately put the riding harness on.
Where are we going so early in such a hurry?
"we are needed at Fort"
Tessa leaped onto Cireth's back, who ran to the edge of the bowl and immediately shot up with great power and momentum. Time was not something to waste. Cireth bellowed loudly, ordering other riders to join them. B'non was right behind them on Branath. Then darkness...
They came out just above Fort Hold. Cireth circled once, then landed promptly on the grass, which was now dying from being trampled by constant arrivals. Cireth was hardly on the ground before Tessa slid off fluidly, B'non hot on her heels. She did not knock on the hold door, but pushed it open, in a rush. She made her way to the infirmary, where she was greeted by the Master Healer.
"Thank heavens you've arrived so quickly, my child.." The healer seemed to have aged decades in the five years that Tessa had been at Benden Weyr.
"What do you require?" Tessa forced back a yawn. She was very tired, but knew this was more important than beauty sleep.
"Two days ago a caravan set out for Ruatha, which has not come down with this illness just yet. The caravan is most likely going to bring the sickness to them! You must stop them, Fort Hold is officially under quarantine."
"Amarth, Perzenth, go stop that caravan!" Tessa ordered over her shoulder, the two greens bugled their compliance, and their riders, who had came into the room just after her, ran to their dragons, wasting no time in their search.
"Surely there is more you require?" Tessa said. She had apprenticed as a healer, and had known that when illness struck, many things needed to be done to prevent all out plague.
"I vaguely remember this illness as a child...there is a very effective treatment but I simply cannot remember what it was, or what the illness is. Particularly important is the incubation time..."
"You wish me to go to the Harper Hall and retrieve records?"
"If you find it does not burden you too much.."
"Not at all.."
Tessa nodded to B'non, who was already on his way out the door. He was particularly friendly with the Master Harper. He would find exactly what he needed with good speed.
"Thank you kindly for your aid..." The Master Healer mumbled.
Tessa shrugged off the gratitude. The infirmary was full, some were on blankets in the hallway, eyes discolored, shivering despite high fevers. She helped the master healer, as she had in years past. It interested her slightly that as a dragon rider she would still do such things. But before a dragonrider, she was a citizen of Pern. One that could help. She knew not what time it was, when the wailing of the sick was subdued to low groans of discomfort. She sank to the floor, exhausted.
It is very late. All at the weyr have gone to sleep already.
Wearily Tessa made her way to her dragon. She hadn't the strength to climb onto her dragon's back. Cireth flattened her body and used her foreleg to aid Tessa up. She had never seen her rider so utterly exhausted.
By the time they had gone between and landed softly in the weyrbowl, Tessa was fast asleep. Cireth called B'non, who painstakingly carried Tessa to her quarters, arranging her comfortably under the wherhide blankets. He smiled slightly at her delicate features. So beautiful, but never to be his. He explicitly explained to all that Tessa was not to be awakened unless thread fell. All understood his seriousness, except for T'rin, who boldly said,
"There is no thread!"
B'non turned on his heel, calculating eyes searching T'rin for some reason not to pulverize the immature brat. A rumble from Managath's weyr made T'rin wince. At least his dragon had some sense.
B'non himself did not sleep, instead he took stock of supplies. Usually Tessa did this duty, but he decided it best to make it less for her to worry about. When he was done he sighed heavily. He never realized what a daunting task it was. He was awoken by Tessa, who had come into the supply room in search of more oil for Managath's hide. T'rin had neglected his dragon, once again.
"I'll go take care of it, you get yourself some klah. Brewed some fresh not too long ago"
B'non offered, taking the jar of oil and quickly walking to Managath's weyr.
Tessa welcomed the gesture, and sat down at the table with a cup of klah. It was warm and comforting, with just a little bit of spice...much like B'non.
You desire him...
Tessa laughed quietly. Cireth was now awake.
"I must have been really tired last night, I don't even remember crawling into bed!"
That's because B'non carried you to bed
Tessa felt warmth in her cheeks. Had she been that asleep that B'non was needed to get her to bed?
I asked him to. You needed rest...
Shouts arose from Managath's weyr. Tessa decided to investigate. T'rin was screeching like a child at B'non, who ignored him, oiling Managath intently.
"He's MY DRAGON! NO ONE ELSE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF HIM!"
"We wouldn't if he didn't need it desperately because you, obviously, neglect him," Tessa spat.
"Shut up, you're not weyrwoman yet!" T'rin put his hands on Tessa's shoulders, pushing violently. She moved one half step back, then glared. She was a full 6 inches taller than T'rin, who in actuality, was quite small.
"Need I remind you that riders who neglect their dragon, embarrass their weyr and disrespect their elders will be exiled to the Southern Continent?" Tessa said quietly, her height and influence within the weyr speaking for itself. T'rin gulped and grabbed the oil bottle viciously from B'non. T'rin then oiled a new crack forming under Managath's jaw. Tessa left the room, anger not diffusing. Usually, she would calm down once the situation was settled. Something about the way T'rin acted and spoke irritated her. More than pubescent arrogance, it spoke of a personality trait that simply would not dissipate as age and maturity set in. She sat down heavily by the stove, stirring the soup one of the other riders had already made. It wasn't quite ready yet... A gentle sensation alerted her of B'non's presence. He was untying her hair from the pins she had wrapped it in quickly.
"From now on, I'll deal with T'rin. You have more important things to worry about, like taking care of those people at Fort. That's not something I can really help you with, though I'll try in any way that I can," He spoke softly to her. She felt tensions easing. B'non withdrew a wooden hair comb from his pocket, well polished. He began to run it through her hair gently.
"It was my mother's, you know. My father gave it to her when they first met,"
"Then.. why is it that you now have it?" Tessa asked.
"She died giving birth to me.. my father gave it to me before I came to the weyr, he told me if I fell in love with a woman..then she should be the new owner of it," B'non said.
He kissed the top of her head lightly. He braided her hair adeptly, using the comb as an anchor.
"I've known, since the first day I saw you, before you even impressed Cireth, that you were going to be the woman I gave this to,"
Tessa turned around to face him, deep turquoise eyes looking up at him questioningly.
"I love you, Tessa,"
Updated: Friday, November 13, 2009.
