Disclaimer: I don't own Pern. I do, however own many of the characters in this story.
Chapter Eleven: Ropes
Satch and Kilatch fought the ropes, frying to get their fingers under them, but the humans only pulled them tighter. When they tried to attack their captors the men put their cold metal at their throats. As the bronze was dragged away, still fighting, Kilatch called desperately to the human who held him. "What are you doing to him? Leave us a lone!" She turned on the man holding her rope. "Let go!" she screeched and launched herself back at Satch. The men tugged their ropes and they fell to the forest floor.
Kilatch took a few long, steady breaths, then sat up. Her rope was trailing on the ground, and the humans were staring at her and Satch in amazement. She flung herself as her mate and clung to him as fiercely as he did her. "Are you all right?" she asked desperately, and he nodded, never taking her eyes, which burned with anger, from the humans.
The two men stood watching them. Satch and Kilatch folded their wings around them, and waited. Kilatch finally raised her hand to the rope and began tugging the choking thing off, and her mate did the same. The humans lunged at the ropes as if some great prize was attached to them and gave them a yank. Kilatch gasped, and felt the rope at her throat again with a hand. "No! Stop!" she cried, felling them being torn apart again. "Please," she whispered as the rope tugged her away.
The men stopped pulling as the dragon-people sat up and reached one hand towards each other. The humans seemed to be discussing them, for they came together and spoke quietly with many glances at the queen and her mate. The ropes eased enough for them to breath, and they came together once more.
Kilatch and Satch looked up at the men, then back at each other. "I think," said Kilatch softly "that they mean to take us away. I don't think we will find each other again."
"No," Satch told her, holding her close, "no. We shall find each other, and we will be together again." Kilatch felt tears run down her face as she hugged her mate close.
"But farewell… for now, Kilatch," whispered Satch in her ear as the humans tugged them apart again.
"Until we meet again, Satch," she replied, and stood up straight and proud as she was lead away. Her bronze watched her go until the human pulled so hard that he had to come or risk choking and never seeing his queen gain.
Kilatch turned once more to see her mate a last time, then the forest closed around her and the man tugged her again.
"We will be together again," she whispered to herself. "Whenever it is, we will be together again."
Not long after the man stopped and beckoned for her to come closer. Kilatch regarded him warily, then took one step nearer. He stepped at her and she backed away. When he tugged the rope and she gasped she stood her ground. The man took the rope and wound it around her wrists, binding the securely. As soon as she realized what he was doing she fought, trying to yank her hands away, but he tied them tightly none the less.
"What is it you want from me, human?" she asked in a whisper. "I have nothing your kind values, so why is it you want me to come with you?"
The man stared at her for a long moment. It was strange, but she was short enough to look him in the eye. "You," he said at last. "Many of my people prize rare animals as pets or decorations in their homes. That's you. And your friend to."
Kilatch recoiled and gasped. "Living things? You keep living things as- decorations?" she asked in horror. "And you wish me to be one of them? But I do not wish to be one!"
"That does not matter," the man said, shrugging and starting off again. "All that matters is that the man I sell you to wishes it."
Kilatch stayed still as he tugged her rope again, until her hands were stretched out on a line and her neck was sore. "I do not wish to go with you. This is talk of owning me. I do not like it at all!" she said shrilly. The rope pulled so hard that she gasped and stumbled a few steps after the man. "Stop! Please!" she cried. Kilatch began to weep again, thinking of a life behind bars.
Finally she dashed at the man, trying to make him let her rope go, but he swung his spear at her and it connected solidly with the side of her head. Kilatch cried out and stumbled to her knees, gasping. The world went black as she fell to the forest floor.
000
Virika, Vyrania, Urtiatch and Hayatch returned to the stream Virika had found and sat there for some hours that night after they had buried the dead. The night passed slowly. When the first light of dawn filtered down through the trees it woke three of them, but Hayatch still sat on the rock, meditating as she stared in to the clear stream.
"I do not think that my parents are dead," she told the humans and Urtiatch. "Their bodies-" she choked, then started again "their bodies would have been found. I want to search for them, if only to find proof of their fate, one way or another."
The humans looked at each other. "We'll come with you," Virika said, and Vyrania nodded. All four got to their feet and started back the way they had come.
Because Virika and her sister could not fly it was a longer trip for the small party than it would have been had they had wings also. Hayatch flew just above them, carrying Utriatch. The younger queen had refused to be separated from Vyrania, and Vyrania had refused to be left behind. When they neared the beach where the battle had taken place Hayatch dropped down to walk the rest of the way with them.
They emerged from the forest to find that humans were busy clearing their dead away. Hayatch stopped short and growled deep in her throat, the battle-light coming into her eyes again. Virika put a cautioning hand on her arm, and the queen grumbled, but stopped.
"Let me go talk to them. I might know one of them, and maybe we can make peace," suggested Virika. Without waiting for an answer she stepped out of the forest. The humans turned to face her.
"I want only to know if you have found two of the dragon-folk's bodies. There would have been one bronze and a gold," she told them.
"None of those monsters," one of the men said and spat on the ground.
"Monsters?" asked Virika in horror. "What do you think they do to be called monsters? They only attacked you because it was obvious you were coming to kill them!" She glared at the men. "I am looking for Kilatch and Satch's bodies, or themselves. They were dear to my heart and I wish to know where they are, if only to know they are truly dead."
She turned and froze. Hayatch was making her way out of the forest. "What are you doing?" cried Virika, casting a frightened look over her shoulder as she dashed to the queen. Her friend looked down at her, then back at the humans. "They'll shoot you full of arrows!" Indeed several men already had bows in their hands. "Get out of here!" She pulled one of Hayatch's arms, but the queen shook her off, still looking at the humans.
Hayatch continued to walk slowly, purposefully toward the men, despite all Virika could do to turn her back. When she was within arms' reach of the nearest bowmen she reached down and pressed the arrow that was pointed at her away. "I do not come for a fight." At her word the men looked at each other, clearly startled. "Lower your weapons, please. I do not intend to harm any of you."
Then she settled to the sands as cool as anything, folding her hands on her knees. Behind the archer in front of her a man took something out of his pocket and shielded it from her sight. Virika, feeling dead white took hold of the queens arm and sat next to her.
"Please. I wish only to know whether my mother and father survived." Hayatch spoke softly, and the men lowered their weapons. Virika noticed that one man was doing something with something he had in his hands behind another's back.
"We ain't seen none of your kind here, monster." Hayatch started to growl at the mention of 'monster', but held herse4lf in check. "All of your kind took 'em away, prob'ly to eat 'em."
"We do not eat our dead. We lay them to rest under the earth," corrected Hayatch. She stood and turned, intending to make for the forest. Vyrania and Urtiatch stepped to the edge of the trees and the girl picked up her queen.
Suddenly, in a burst of movement, the man who had been doing something behind his friend's back stood and hurled a rope around Hayatch's torso and wings, pinning them to her sides. With a heave on his part, Hayatch screeched and toppled to the ground. The man darted out and put a knife at her throat.
