Chapter 8
The blizzard blew itself out after a long three days; and it had scoured all the snow off the ground with it, leaving a depressing brown behind where any buried vegetation had also been scoured.
Amrys looked out uneasily.
"East in the wind; it'll thaw tonight" she said.
"Is it safe to skate?" asked Jeral.
"I'd not like to say so" said Amrys "We don't know how thin the ice was scoured; and it's heaps warmer than it has been!"
The Master issued a decree that skating was forbidden on the strength of Amrys' doubts! He had every faith in the little girl's experience.
And during the morning's lessons he was to be glad the hardy souls who ventured out before lessons had not been permitted on the ice; for there was a loud report that echoed through the whole Hall.
Several people cried out in fear.
"Is it an avalanche?" cried Kevanna.
Amrys looked up.
"River ice breaking up" she said laconically "Permission to go round and explain to the other classes, Master Braelek?"
"Granted" said the Sewncraftmaster. "And Lyssa, you take half to tell too."
Some of the younger ones, not used to a large river, were scared; and enough of the older ones too! The Ranking girls were distinctly nervous, though trying to hide it; and one of the cooks begged to know if the whole of Pern was breaking up, shaken by the Red Star! It was typical of Amrys that as well as other apprentices she thought of the peace of mind of the support staff, all natives of Southern Boll! Quick reassurances earned her a surreptitious pastry and lots of kisses, once she had reiterated that she had heard that same sound turn after turn with no ill effects!
After the snow came rain; torrential rain and no more play outside for a while for it was quite impractical.
"At least it drowns Thread" said Amrys, determined to find SOME good in the weather!
Several people threw things at her.
Nelon received a visit from Blue Rider T'rin; who first spoke long with the Master, then demanded the borrowing of Amrys and Jilamon too.
T'rin was not known to mince words.
"You scrubs know of Nelon's unfortunate experience with a certain Master at another Hall" he said "And the fellow's encouragement of his own son to sneak."
"Rorik's at the Weyr but they don't listen to sneaks there" said Nelon as the others nodded; they knew Nelon had gone to the Weyr on Search largely to escape the bullying he received from Master Varik. T'rin went on:
"Well, Rorik's been learning a thing or two, and he's had a long chat with the fosterling of a friend of mine who's also standing as a candidate – the fosterling that is – and Rorik seems to really be trying to find himself. Now, after he's stood this time, if he fails to Impress he'd be out, normally; so he'll be coming here instead of going back to the Hall at High Reaches Hold. And I want you three squirts to give him every help, and put the past behind. Can I trust you to do that?"
He received three solemn nods.
"Good kids" he said. "Now if he DOES Impress, then he'll come here at some point as a smokeless weyrling, in a turn or so I guess to confirm as Journeyman; and the same then applies."
"Give him our good wishes sir" said Nelon "He's been bullied all his life I reckon worse than his father bullied me;there's something sick about a man who bullies his own children. Say we understand, won't you?"
"Us especially" said Amrys grimly "Jilamon and I both know from the inside how it is to be bullied by our fathers you know!"
T'rin ruffled her hair fondly.
"I'll certainly pass on your good will" he said, planning to pass on the children's words verbatim, tone for tone; for it would encourage Rorik, struggling to accept a sexual preference his father would not approve of; that had made him vulnerable to being made into a sneak in the first place for his feelings of being different. This the kids need not know; that they accepted that the boy wanted to improve himself was sufficient!
Amrys had begun work knitting a coat for the baby; if it was finished in time it should go with the rest; if not, Journeyman Hetel's would go and this one she would finish for the childhold. She was also planning items for sale for the Summer Gather, weaving strong twill – she was working with two heddles now – for belt pouches she planned to embroider, as gayer than plain leathern ones. She also planned to make simple yoked tunics for children out of hard wearing cloth but printed and trimmed on the yokes with her own designs. Time was set aside for the apprentices to work on such projects; and of course she wanted too to show willing on decorating the Green Dormitory! Her nimble fingers had deftly cut dragon shapes from green fabric, that she appliquéd onto a pale green ground; backed, and with cotton wadding it would make a fine quilt, very gay, and with relatively little work. If she had extra time she could always embellish the dragons with more embroidery; or use the trapunto method to add wadding under the each dragon's body so that they stood proud! That would look nice, Amrys thought, putting away her thimble after a busy morning's sewing.
The loud rumble in the distance had several of the more nervous apprentices on their feet.
"If it reaches this far the Hall will stand" said Amrys calmly "It may take a while to dig us out but it's braced against avalanche. Pass the bread."
"You take it so calmly!" said Kevanna.
"We need to be well fed when we go out to help" said Amrys. She stood and raised her hand. "Master, we will follow tradition to join the search parties won't we, if they want us? Those of us who know the mountains?"
The Master blinked.
"If that is the custom in this region then of course" he said. "That was an avalanche then?"
"Yes sir; about five miles away I'd guess. There may be people cut off from home, injured and so on. The Weyr'll be out of course; but they need groundcrews too."
The Master nodded.
"Very well; all who are mountain experienced, finish your meal and get ready; the kitchen shall pack you food and klah for yourselves and any casualties you may find."
"Water also sir; streams and springs may be muddied" said Amrys "And not just for drinking, but to wash wounds too."
He nodded.
"Otelek? Braelek? You'll lead a couple of parties?"
The Journeyman and his Master father nodded.
The groups were just getting ready to leave when Holder Corbin was announced.
"Ah, Master, I see you are kind enough already to lend us some volunteers; thank you" he said. "The dragon report is that it is some six miles west of here; a long trek by foot but we've been offered transport from the Weyr to closer to. I need not remind any of you, need I, to keep your voices down to avoid setting off any other avalanches?"
It was a reminder without being obviously so!
The apprentices going were Zayven, Tirley, Lalter, Sherek, Traal, Jilamon, Amrys and Jaid. Otelek had rejected the other willing volunteers as insufficiently experienced this turn.
"Doubtless your turn will come another time" he said kindly "When you know more. But you can help prepare beds for if we need to offer shelter for any who are made homeless by this."
Lalter, Sherek and Traal worked well together; and Braelek would take those, and also Jaid. Zayven, Tirley, Jilamon and Amrys would go with his son; two pairs also used to working together.
"Next turn we'll all be fairly good" said Amrys "We can go for proper mountain climbs in the summer to get some skills at an easy time of turn; and then learn about snow walking in harder conditions after the first snows."
"Should we be roped together?" queried Lalter.
"I dunno about the rest of us, but you ought to be roped together, Lal" quipped Amrys. Lalter was growing and currently looked as though all his limbs were joined together by guess and only had a common purpose by accident! Lalter swung a lazy mock blow at Amrys' head.
"Horrid creature!" he said.
The dragons – Tanath and Vorth – set the Weavercraft volunteers down near the bottom extent of the avalanche; and most gasped in horror. The dirty scar of tumbled mountain was an obscene score down the valley, half filling the alm above.
"We're on up to the alm first to see if there's any signs of life" said Y'lara. "It's too early for anyone to be there but some brave it all turn round." She jumped onto Tanath and was off.
"Could you explain that, Amrys?" asked Otelek "It went by a little fast for me."
"All the High Reaches depends on herdbeasts of one kind or another" said Amrys "Cot and Hold; and in spring the herds are taken up by a few people, who take the herds, especially bovines, of all the local cots or all the Hold to the sweet high pastures of the alm. Caprines are often taken up daily, needing more exercise, often by lads about our age or even younger. The remainder of the cot community or Hold farm fields in the lower regions where crop plants grow better. When there are long winters it's a hard time, for the cattle won't grow fat on the sweet alpine grasses and flowers. The herdsmen go up in the fourth or fifth month and come down in the ninth, and they make cheese and butter up there too and lassi to drink. That's why High Reaches cheeses are the best on Pern and why there's no dish like clotted High Reaches cream and alpine strawberries. But it brings its own dangers. Let us, sir, circle round that way" she pointed "There's a path to a lower meadow where cothold children might have taken caprines to search for early greens. The avalanche has cut off the path."
They proceeded along up the path, Amrys making soft but carrying yodels.
Presently a canine of scruffy appearance ran down the track and stood, whining.
"He wants us to follow him" said Amrys. "Good boy! Show the way!"
The animal bounded off, checking from time to time that they were still following; uttering encouraging and urgent whines. It went up the very side of the avalanche.
"Stay well to the side of that tumbled debris" warned Otelek "We don't need to set it off again with any of you in the midst! I don't like the way that daft animal is bouncing stones off either."
"Don't see how we can stop him short of trying to catch him and tether him with a scarf" said Amrys "Reckon it'll be all right if we stay out of the path of what he disturbs; he's not heavy enough to set off a big slide."
It was a stiff climb; the avalanche had taken the path of least resistance which had also once been the easiest path up; and naturally climbing its rubble was unthinkable.
Still the dog whined and waited for them.
The sun was wan; and starting to go down when Amrys gave a quick, cautious yodel.
"Yellow in the rocks" she said "Could be a garment!"
Otelek took the rope off himself and carefully roped them together.
"One of us must climb over" he said.
"I'll go" said Amrys "I'm lightweight to hold on to and I've done this more than any one of you; it's my home."
"I'll be your anchor" said Otelek.
Cautiously the little girl scrambled across to the edge of the tumbled rocks.
"There's an outcrop of rocks; I think someone sheltered under it" she called softly. "Otelek, I need your strength over here to shift rocks; I'm just not big enough. But if you can make a hole it'll get in air and I can wriggle in to reassure anyone trapped."
Otelek did not like it; but he knew the little girl would do what she thought was right. And he knew she WAS right.
"Secure the rope to the top of the outcrop if you can" he said "Then we can both attach to that and not be dragged off if the footing goes."
Amrys nodded gave him the time honoured 'thumbs up' to indicate her understanding as she hastened to obey, banging in the pitons to secure the rope to. All the time the canine was running round and round in circles, whining, pulling at the bit of yellow cloth.
Otelek swung across easily and fastened on to the safety line Amrys had rigged.
"I don't give much for the chances of this one" he said grimly.
"But people do survive the most incredible things" said Amrys "We have to try!" she turned to Jilamon "Send to T'mon and ask for standby evacuation" she said.
Jilamon nodded and scrawled a hasty note to his brother that he fastened to the collar of his little blue firelizard. Amrys' pair, Saph and Em, were 'helping' with the digging, joined by Otelek's brown and green.
Otelek himself eased away a particularly large boulder and Amrys scooped away any dirt that poured down behind it; and for this operation the firelizards were actually more helpful than otherwise. The girl in the yellow gown was breathing – barely. The smaller boy crammed against the natural rock outcrop was tearstained and scarcely conscious.
"All the air's out of the snow this time of turn" Amrys grunted "C'mon kid, wake up; it's mountain rescue here. Here, have a swig of klah; I need you out of there so I can see to your sister."
Obediently the child swallowed from the proffered flask; with fresh air coming in his colour improved dramatically. Amrys half lifted him out to pass to Otelek. The journeyman swung him across and up the broken mountainside to the three boys who crouched above. Amrys wriggled into the place the boy had been, wrinkling her nose at the smell of his fear left behind.
She looked at the girl's face and the rocks still half covering her body.
"I don't give much for her chances either" she said in a small voice. "I think she's bleeding inside, journeyman; and I don't know if Master Oldive can mend it or not."
She was lifting rocks as she spoke, passing them to Otelek to lay down carefully to avoid starting another slide.
"Denth is here" said Otelek "I've slings to pass to you from T'mon to get under her when we've cleared the rubble."
"Tell T'mon to get to the Healer Hall with her before he even got here" said Amrys.
"You KNOW going Between time doesn't work that way sprout" T'mon's own voice floated down "It wouldn't give the Rider or passenger any more time just for going back in time somewhere else; it'd only put excess strain on her body."
"I didn't mean that…YOU know what I mean, it was just a short way of asking you to get there soonest!" said Amrys. "I'm clear down here; putting on the slings. You heft on my mark T'mon and Otelek and I will guide her up, out round the overhang."
"On your mark, aye" acknowledged T'mon.
"Mark" Amrys tightened the last sling, working fast without skimping. Otelek was doing the same by the girl's feet.
The ropes tautened; and the still body lifted. Amrys swung it to clear the overhang while Otelek kept the ropes from fouling, keeping them straight above. T'mon called,
"Is she clear?"
"Clear aye!"
"Stand by and stand away; taking off!"
Denth leaped forward as well as up, the sling dangling beneath him; and vanished immediately Between.
"No other dragon's that neat" said Jilamon proudly.
"How's the boy?" Otelek called.
"Frightened, in shock, hungry, thirsty" said Zayven. "I have him wrapped in a blanket feeding him soup and bread; and his hound is here too eating bread and sausage like there's no tomorrow."
"Good; we can carry him down between us normal method" said Amrys "Save the dragons for the worst hurt. They'll've set up a Healer centre for minor wounds at the bottom by now I wager; Journeyman, should you take him down while the rest of us scout on?"
"No, I'll not leave you without an adult. Zayven can be in charge of Jilamon and Tirley to take the kid down; can he walk Zayven?"
"Yes; and we can take turns giving him a pick-a-back or making a chair" said Zayven. "You and Amrys are the best mountaineers. We stay put at the bottom?"
"Yes, unless they need you to join another team" said Otelek. "Ready, Amrys?"
Amrys nodded. Her eyes were clouded with tears. The journeyman laid a hand on her shoulder.
"We did our best. If she can't be saved, she was given the best chance – because you knew what to do. And if we hadn't been here the boy would have died of bad air before much longer."
Amrys nodded.
"I just keep wondering, if I'd left lunch to leave quicker…"
"You would not have been in such a good state yourself and tying up a dragon by needing rescue yourself" said Otelek grimly. "And you might not have managed to reach the boy and rescue him. We could not have left earlier; the Weyr had to mobilise you know, and we were ready as soon as the Hold was. Finishing eating was the right call."
Amrys nodded.
"I know that really, sir, only…."
He nodded and flicked her cheek sympathetically with a finger.
"Only you feel you should be able to rescue everyone. You have still made a difference. Now! Tell me about how the herders cope on the alm with Threadfall."
"Oh there are cots up there to shelter and live in….sometimes they're built against the cliff sometimes dug into it, sometimes a bit of both. It's so cold in winter few people stay up there all turn round, even in caves it's cold. And besides you can't easily keep the animals; they can't graze because of snow and the winter fodder is grown down in the valleys. Some people come down when Thread is due and spend a day down in their main community; but going down and up isn't ideal because the trek runs all the hard-won fat off the herdbeasts going back up, and even more so when they sense Thread is close because they sweat with fear and lose flesh in pounds for fear of being outside!" she explained "Most herders bring them into byres, more caves usually that stand empty all winter long. Plenty of travellers use them as shelter from the weather or Thread if they have a need to go over the high passes in winter – or more usually on a long trip to a big spring gather. It's not done to lock almcots. Sometimes Holdless are not careful about leaving things as they found them if they need winter quarters; but most are. It means they're less unwelcome. It's considered courtesy to cut as much firewood as you've used before moving on" Amrys explained "And to leave something in kind to pay for any emergency rations you eat. Most almcots have some oatmeal and perhaps a hard cheese and some klah left; and sometimes some jerky too and a string of onions. The weather is the enemy up here more than anything else; and most people behave reasonably you know!"
"It's good to learn about the economy of our new home" said Otelek "And its customs too."
"I'm glad it IS your home now!" said Amrys sincerely.
A/N alpine pasture farming is probably as old as the domestication of cattle in regions where it occurs; the short intense summers produce particularly succulent herbs and grasses making the taking of cattle up to the high pastures worth while for the summer.