OK, it's been a while since the last chapter, both in the real world (sorry!) and in the story. Kirkai is now thirteen, so that makes the skip ten Turns.
I do not own Pern, and I will never have enough money to attempt to buy it so I do.
"Catch me if you can!" Kirkai shouted, racing away from the other children, his long legs eating up the distance.
Turns had passed, and Kirkai had grown into an energetic teenager. Kirsty, already frail, had been shattered by M'kai's death, and in the Turn that Kirkai turned six, she had passed away, leaving D'ron to raise Kirkai by himself. Drianne and B'kennor had tried to help as much as they could, but they had four of their own to raise now, and rarely had any time to spare.
"I'm catching up, Kirkai!" Bria shouted happily, pumping her little legs as fast as she could.
"Yeah right!" Riannor yelled, making a face at her little sister.
"Watch out!" Kennoran shouted.
Kirkai, watching the scene behind him with amusement and forgetting to watch where he was going, whipped his head forward, but he was too late to stop himself crashing into D'ron, bringing them both down in a heap.
"Are you all right, Uncle D'ron?" Riannor cried, rushing over to them.
"I'm fine, Riannor," D'ron said, standing up. "I was actually looking for you four, though I didn't expect to find you like this," he added dryly, looking over at his young charge. Kirkai remained in the dust, staring at his feet.
"Your mother wants you three to help her prepare for tonight's feast," he said to Kennoran, Riannor and Bria. "And you were meant to show up for your music lesson half an hour ago," he said to Kirkai with a frown.
"Really?" Kirkai said, surprised. He looked at his watch, and his face fell. "I lost track of the time."
D'ron smiled. Kirkai was always getting caught up in something else, and was rarely on time for anything. "Just head over to the Teaching Hall. I'll meet you at home after your lesson, and after I've given this book back to J'nin," he said, picking up the book he had dropped when he fell.
"Yes, Uncle D'ron. See you soon," Kirkai said cheerfully, heading off towards the Hall. D'ron laughed quietly, and limped towards Riasa's weyr, where he knew he would find the bronze rider snoozing in his weyrmate's hammock on the veranda.
x
Kirkai swung past the weyr he shared with D'ron to collect his gitar, then headed for the Teaching Hall. He had inherited his father's skill with music, but unlike M'kai, his strength lay in strings, not the pipe.
He was on the steps of the Teaching Hall when he heard the sound a dragon made when it left between. He looked up to see which rider had been reckless enough to try and land in the small clearing before the Teaching Hall, but to his surprise, he couldn't see a dragon anywhere. He glanced around for a fire lizard, though the sound hadn't been quite right for one, but now that he thought about it, it hadn't been quite right for a dragon either. He didn't see one, but he did see a pile in the middle of the clearing that hadn't been there before.
As he approached it, the pile moaned. It's alive! Kirkai thought in amazement. He cautiously inched a little closer, and realised that it was a woman, blushing when he realised she was also naked. Thoughts of modesty were forgotten as he saw the spreading pool of blood beneath her.
Jarrath! Can you hear me? Kirkai called desperately.
I can hear you, little Kirkai. What is wrong? the dragon replied. Jarrath and Kirkai had always spoken together, but Jarrath had never heard such desperation in Kirkai's voice before.
Tell Uncle D'ron he needs to bring Helida and her medical bag up to the Teaching Hall right now! Kirkai said, conveying his urgency to the big bronze.
Kirkai felt Jarrath's surprise. Are you injured, little one? he asked. You do not feel hurt.
I'm all right. There is a woman up here who is hurt badly, and needs help, Kirkai responded.
There was a slight pause, then Jarrath replied, D'ron and the Healer woman come.
x
"How is she?" Kirkai asked anxiously.
"She has been badly injured," Helida said with a frown, examining the wound that still seeped blood onto the sand. "If we're lucky, she will survive."
"She has to! I want to know where she came from!" Kirkai cried.
"What do you mean, Kirkai?" Helida asked, glancing towards the boy. "She probably came from a nearby hold. We'll send messages to the nearest and ask if anyone is missing."
"You probably wouldn't get an answer, Uncle," Kirkai said, staring at her. "I think a dragon might have left her here."
"What makes you say that, Kirkai?" D'ron asked in surprise.
Kirkai explained about hearing the sound, and the fact that it hadn't sounded quite right. "The only thing I can think was that a dragon dropped her off and disappeared straight away," Kirkai explained.
"How strange," D'ron mused. "Why would someone do that?"
"Let's figure it out after she's been treated, and then maybe she can help you," said Helida briskly. "D'ron, can you carry her down to the sickroom?"
"Of course," D'ron said with a nod, and knelt, easily lifting her into his arms. He stood again, compensating for his bad leg without even thinking about it, and strode off down the hill.
x
"Do you think she'll live?" D'ron asked in a low voice, trying not to disturb the exhausted Kirkai, who had fallen asleep in a nearby chair.
"Well, I've done everything I can for her," Helida replied, falling into a chair and wiping her brow. "It's up to luck now."
"Then I hope hers is good," he murmured, gazing down at the sleeping woman, who wore a small frown on her face.
There was no reply, and D'ron looked up to find Helida slumped in her chair, quietly snoring. He smiled briefly, then stood and took a blanket from the cupboard, carefully tucking it in around her so it wouldn't slip during the night.
"Sweet dreams, Healer," he told her. Looking around, he found another chair and pulled it closer to the mystery woman's bed.
"Sweet dreams for you too, whoever you are," he whispered, then settled himself in for a long night.
The mystery woman shall be introduced in the next chapter. See you soon!