A/N: Oh people. I am so sorry if any of you thought I had abandoned this story. I haven't, I have just had so many other pulls on my time. I have two or three chapters ready to go so will post every few days to make up for such a long delay. Thank you for your loyal support,
DS
Tristan woke the next day feeling refreshed and physically much fitter than the day before. There was less pain and stiffness and his head did not feel quite so fuzzy.
He also felt much happier about his situation now that he had spoken to the Weyr Leaders and the Master Harper. He had learned a lot about this planet and its people. Sebell had given him a brief history of how the planet had been colonised.
He had been particularly interested and horrified by the description of thread and the development of the dragons to combat it. The bravery of the Dragon Riders that fought to protect their planet every day against that terrible menace filled him with respect and he had, more than once, glanced over at D'rell, who appeared so unassuming and deferring as he leaned against his workbench to stay out of the way. He was one of those brave riders and Areth was one of those brave dragons.
Tristan had gone to bed that night with a lot on his mind. There was a lot to take in. The main thing was that he had taken over this young man's bedroom and, in the chaos of all the important visitors the day before he had not had the chance to ask where D'rell was actually sleeping.
Just after all his visitors had left, B'son had arrived and prescribed a session in the bathing pool that D'rell was so lucky to have in his weyr. Tristan had not needed a second invitation, jumping at the chance to try this luxury. Travelling in space often meant going without simple things such as long, hot, relaxing baths and even planetside Tristan had not had the opportunity often to bathe in such luxury and in private.
When Tristan had emerged, feeling more relaxed than he had ever felt, D'rell had already left with Areth; so that the dragon could feed, B'son had told him. He'd shuddered at the thought of what such a massive creature as Areth, or any of the much larger dragons he had met the day before, might eat.
He'd been tired after his bath though and B'son had ushered him off to bed before D'rell had returned. He had fallen asleep worrying about taking up the man's bed and deciding he would do something, or at least talk to D'rell about it the next day.
He rose and dressed in a fresh set of clothes that he assumed D'rell had set out for him. He admired the clothes in the shiny, polished looking-glass in D'rell's room. Damn that man knew how to dress, the clothes were fine and soft and very well made. He had never owned such fine things.
He walked out of the bedroom and went in search of his rescuer and host with the determination to find out where D'rell was sleeping and to talk to him about alternatives, since he did not wish to inconvenience the man. Right at that moment he couldn't really think about what alternatives there were. No one had spoken of any the day before. All had agreed that he was to stay in D'rell's weyr and the man had been more than happy to accommodate him. Tristan hadn't wanted to think about any alternatives either, feeling safe in this little cocoon with D'rell and Areth and her dragon friends telling him not to worry about a thing.
Tristan walked quietly into the living room, not wanting to disturb D'rell if he was asleep on the couch. He wasn't. Tristan continued on through the curtained doorway that led to Areth's weyr.
The dragon was there, curled up in the hollow that had probably been eroded by countless dragons before her. Tristan marvelled at her massive form. Knowing that she was by no means the largest dragon in the weyr did not detract from the impressive sight. As he marvelled at her size Tristan noticed a dark shape between her front legs. Curled up in the crook of her forelegs with a blanket wrapped around him, was D'rell.
Tristan stepped closer to get a better look. D'rell's eyes were closed and his face relaxed and slightly flushed in sleep. His dark hair was messy and sleep mussed. Tristan smiled at the peaceful sight, although he suspected that the hard rock floor of a cave was hardly the most comfortable place to sleep. This made him feel even more guilty about taking the man's bed.
He didn't really want to disturb them, though, they both looked so peaceful. He was about to turn back into the living room when the cave entrance, beyond Areth's sleeping form, caught his eye.
When he had arrived the day before last, he hadn't really had a very good look at the Weyr. He knew they were inside an extinct Volcano, which seemed incredible and magical to him. The caves or weyrs that the dragons and riders used were carved into the side of the ancient volcano bowl.
He stepped carefully around Areth and D'rell, fighting the urge to brush a stray lock of hair from the man's forehead and startled by the fact that he wanted to do that at all. D'rell was attractive, yes, and Tristan was not averse to same-sex pairings, preferred them even, but the pain of losing his close friendship with Cerise so suddenly was still quite raw. Plus Tristan did not yet know how things were on this planet. He couldn't rock the boat by declaring an attraction for the one person who was, at this minute his saviour, his host and his only hope of finding his feet on this strange planet.
Frowning slightly, he stepped up to the edge of the cave and gazed out into the bowl. His first reaction was not what he expected. He'd known they had flown into the weyr but he hadn't expected them to be so high up. He suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and vertigo at the sheer height and vastness of the place and reached out to grip the side of the cave opening.
His hand did not grasp onto hard rock though, it folded around a soft warm forearm. He turned with a gasp as a hand closed over his to steady him,
"Careful there, Tristan." D'rell smiled, showing a set of dimples that were altogether too deep to be alowed, "We didn't rescue you from that mountainside just to have you trip out of our weyr."
Tristan rolled his eyes in relief as he took a step backwards, swallowing slightly,
"Besides, you'd make a terrible mess on the floor of the bowl and Marna would go absolutely crazy." D'rell continued, grinning at Tristan's shock,
"Who's Marna?" He asked, smirking at D'rell's teasing,
"She's head woman of the lower caverns." D'rell explained, "She basically runs the weyr with Lessa. She organises just about everything that happens here unless it has to do with thread, and even then, I think it would probably change direction if she told it to." Tristan chuckled but D'rell cocked his head on one side, "You shouldn't laugh, you haven't met her. She's a force to be reckoned with." D'rell chuckled as Tristan gulped, "She also knows everything that goes on here and mothers everyone relentlessly, so don't worry about it, she'll love you." He grinned, poking Tristan playfully in the shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled as they met Tristan's green ones. He looked away quickly though, but not quickly enough for Tristan to see a shadow pass across his lovely face.
He wished he hadn't turned his psych stone on so full. But he didn't need to use telepathy to know that there was something about his presence in this weyr that bothered D'rell a great deal.
He watched as the man stared out over the Weyr bowl and Tristan admired the view, whilst desperately trying to find a way of broaching the subject of their sleeping arrangements,
"It's impressive." Tristan observed. Impressive sounded like the lamest description of what he saw.
The bowl of the ancient volcano stretched out before them. Far below them was the floor of the vast bowl. Tristan could see people moving about down there but they were like dolls from his vantage point: Tiny figurines.
Suddenly, from nowhere, two dragons appeared in the air above them, bugling. Their calls were answered by another and then the two circled lazily before flying towards entrances to weyrs on the opposite side of the bowl.
Tristan stared in wonder. He'd seen Roxi disappear between the day before, but to see it happen with two enormous dragons, that was something else entirely,
"Incredible isn't it?" D'rell asked him quietly and Tristan could only nod. D'rell placed his hand on Tristan's shoulder and turned him slightly to point out some interesting sights, "Finger Rock and Eye Rock." He said, and Tristan remembered what Sebell and F'lar had told him about these two devices, carved out of the rock that helped the people here mark the passage of time and the journey of their planet in orbit around its Sun.
Tristan gazed at the incredible view, lost in thought at the sheer determination that had made this planet and its people what it was,
"How come I don't hear you?" D'rell asked curiously realising that he had touched him and not felt any emotional reaction from the taller man. Tristan held up his wrist,
"Psych stone," he reminded the dark-haired rider, "I turned it up full, because I think I might just need it here."
"Do you think you will hear every dragon indiscriminately?" D'rell asked, Tristan nodded,
"Not just Dragons remember?" he said, "I hear the other side of the conversation too. Something I'm lead to believe is unique." D'rell nodded his head and gave him a concerned look,
"Will you have to use this stone permanently then?" he was showing a concern that Tristan wasn't used to and seemed to be genuinely worried that Tristan would have to rely on the stone for the rest of his life . Tristan shook his head,
"Eventually I'll be able to tune it all out, but my natural default setting is to hear everything."
"Did you always have this stone then?" he asked, curiously. Tristan shook his head and a haunted, sad look crept over his face,
"I inherited it from my mother." He told D'rell, "She died when I was fifteen."
"That's too bad." D'rell sighed looking away, "My parents died when I was fifteen too."
"Really?" Tristan asked, interested but also not wanting to pry. He certainly didn't need to sense any emotions or thoughts to understand the despairing look in D'rell's eyes. He wanted to ask more but his instinct told him this brave but introvert young man would not welcome the intrusion.
Tristan sighed and looked away, searching for something else to say. He continued to marvel at the view from the cave entrance but the initial wonder had gone. A silence fell between the two men and Tristan began to feel it keenly since even with the use of the stone he was not used to absolute silence. The only noise was the occasional sound from the weyr below. Just when he was about to broach the subject of where he should be sleeping D'rell broke the silence first,
"What did you do before you had the stone?" D'rell asked. Tristan stared at him in shock and D'rell swallowed awkwardly, "I didn't mean to pry." He said apologetically, obviously misinterpreting Tristan's shock as annoyance. Tristan shook his head,
"You ain't prying." He said, feeling a lump forming in his throat as he continued to stare, "No one ever asked before." He almost whispered.
Memories, painful and suppressed memories, resurfaced as he remembered his very difficult childhood having to hide his abilities when he could hear and feel every thought and emotion of those around him. It had almost driven him mad and the stress had caused him to withdraw into himself until he had been given the means to control the mental noise effectively, "Telepathic abilities among my people aren't always as developed as mine. I had a particularly hard time but my mother helped me."
"Your people?" D'rell asked curiously. Tristan froze, realising he'd said too much. He did not meet D'rell's eye as he backtracked out of what he had said,
"I meant as in my family, and where I come from as opposed to you and your people here." He said quickly, but D'rell could see he wasn't quite telling the truth. This just made him even more curious and he watched Tristan as he turned to go back into the weyr.
D'rell stayed a little while, stretching the sleep out of his muscles and to scratch at Areth's eye ridges,
~He is worried The sleepy dragon informed her rider,
~Worried about what? He asked her in silence, knowing that Tristan could not hear them at that moment, but not questioning the fact that Areth could hear or at least sense his thoughts,
~That you will not accept him if you know the truth She said as a matter of fact,
~And what truth is that? That he has abilities akin to a dragon, or that he comes from our ancestral home? Or perhaps that he has travelled here using a technology beyond our capabilities? D'rell could not understand the man's distress now that his status here had been established.
The day before, both the Weyr Leaders and The Master Harper had informed Tristan that he was welcome here. His abilities were not out of place, just a little exceptional and that, since he was now effectively stranded here he must think of Pern as his home. He was to be accorded all the rights of a citizen of this planet. D'rell didn't think they could have made it more clear just how welcome he was so he did not understand why the man was still so concerned and anxious. D'rell could think of no other reason that Tristan would think they would not accept him,
~He does not hear me right now, so I cannot ask him Areth said with concern as she opened both eyes and lifted her head. D'rell scratched one eye ridge, affectionately and reassured her,
~Don't worry, dear heart, we'll get to the bottom of it I'm sure. He just needs to trust us, and I know how long trust can take to develop. He remembered his own experiences of finding himself in a place and a situation he felt he didn't belong. What he was very certain of was that he was determined to protect Tristan more than he himself had been protected.
He wanted Tristan to feel safe and secure. He stopped at the curtained doorway into his living quarters through which Tristan had just disappeared. He wondered if staying here, secluded in his weyr wasn't such a good idea after all. Tristan needed to see for himself how accepted his presence was in the Weyr. D'rell had spoken to many who were anxious to meet the visitor: "Starman" many had called him and D'rell decided that seeing for himself just how excited the entire Weyr was about his presence here would go a long way to helping the man accept that he was safe,
~Areth, are you prepared for a short flight?
~You are wanting a lift to the floor of the bowl?
~Yes love, not too tired are you?
~Never! D'rell laughed and he walked through after Tristan.
He found the man sitting on the edge of the sofa looking anxious and wide-eyed,
"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Are you ready for some breakfast?" D'rell asked him, smiling. Tristan's anxiety grew immediately,
"Here?" he asked and D'rell shook his head,
"I need to go down into the bowl this morning," That wasn't strictly true but he hated the thought of someone constantly having to trudge the steps to bring food up to his weyr, "There is a refectory where everyone eats."
"I don't know D'rell, there's a lot of people down there. Do they all know about me and what I can do?" he asked anxiously,
"They know you can talk to dragons and they talk to you. They know you are a visitor from the stars, but that is not enough to phase anyone here I assure you." His reassuring tone seemed to be winning Tristan over. What the man said next convinced D'rell he was seriously considering accepting the invitation,
"Will there be some more of that bread?" he asked enthusiastically. D'rell laughed,
"Yes, of course. It's baked fresh every morning." Tristan appeared to be weighing up the possibility of having more of the fresh baked bread against going out into the Weyr and suffering the scrutiny of everyone there,
"We'd have to go down into the bowl?" Tristan asked, D'rell nodded, "B'son said I shouldn't do too much in the first few days an' it's a long way down."
"That's okay, we don't have to walk." D'rell gave a small comical grimace, "Why should we when we have a dragon to take us?"
"We're gonna fly?" Tristan asked, "That's safe right?" his green eyes were wide with sudden excitement and trepidation. He had flown before, but had not appreciated just how high everything was at the time.
~Let me speak to him Areth told D'rell,
"Areth wants to speak to you." he told the taller man, "Can you turn your device off?"
Tristan nodded and did so, "It has settings." He explained, "If I turn it down a little I should be able to hear Areth and you." D'rell nodded and watched as Tristan fiddled with the intricate device on his wrist,
~There, can you hear me now? Tristan's voice sounded in D'rell's and the young man nodded smiling,
~You will be very safe with me, Tristan. Areth told the tall visitor, ~You should know that I have never dropped D'rell, even when he was too drunk to hold on.
"Areth!" D'rell exclaimed in shock. Tristan laughed out loud but quickly stifled it when he saw the annoyance in D'rell's eyes. The dark haired rider was blushing furiously, "I don't get drunk that often." He felt the need to explain, "Well not as often as I used to, anyway." He said in a quieter voice. Tristan sensed the man's mortification at Areth's words and also his embarrassment at what he obviously thought should have been private information,
~Sorry, D'rell Areth apologised and he accepted it graciously. D'rell gave her a reproachful look as they entered the large cavern that was his dragon's sleeping chamber,
"Does that mean you will come?" he asked turning to Tristan and holding the curtain open for him to pass through,
"I guess." Tristan told him, a little uncertain but feeling a little more confident than he had been,
"Come on." D'rell told him, "Let's get going, before I waste away." He handed Tristan a thick jacket made out of some sort of cured animal skin,
"Where I come from we don't often come across animal skins for clothing any more." Tristan commented, "In some places it's banned altogether because it's seen as cruel." D'rell regarded him curiously,
"Here it's the only way to stay warm." He explained, "You can decide not to wear it of course, but it is cold out there today."
Tristan shrugged on the jacket as he followed D'rell back to Areth. It felt thick and warm and cosy despite it being just a little too big for him.
He stood in the doorway and looked from D'rell to Areth in anticipation,
"I hope this ain't difficult." He mused, "I jus' know I'm gonna make a fool of myself."
D'rell chuckled, "You'll be fine." He reassured, "Just do what I do and I'll pull you the rest of the way."
Tristan watched as Areth extended a fore leg. D'rell leapt agilely onto it and onto Areth's neck, settling between two neck ridges comfortably. He held out his hand, his blue eyes sparkling,
"Your turn." He smirked and Tristan glared with narrowed eyes trying to suppress his own smirk. D'rell might appear shy and introvert but he had a sense of fun and mischief that was at once annoying and endearing.
Tristan took a deep breath then made his own leap of faith, jumping onto Areth's foreleg then grasping D'rell's outstretched hand before being pulled onto Areth's neck to sit in front of D'rell between the same ridges,
"The two of us ain't too heavy are we?" Tristan asked and he heard both D'rell and Areth snort derisively,
~I can carry as much as I want to carry, Areth told him,
"If Areth thinks she can carry us then she can." D'rell explained cryptically into Tristan's ear as he wound riding straps around his hands to hold them both in place. Tristan's reply was simply a grunt since he didn't really have any more time to worry about it as Areth began to move towards the entrance to her cave,
~Hold on, both she and D'rell ordered and he instinctively grabbed D'rell's arms which he realised were wrapped around his waist.
Tristan would have spoken right then but his breath was taken from him as Areth launched herself and her passengers from the mouth of the cave. She did not fly though, she simply stretched out her wings and plummeted, in a breath taking and stomach wrenching dive that seemed to be heading straight for the ground. Tristan fought the urge to scream but could not stop the strangled gasp that escaped from his mouth. D'rell tightened his grip on the taller man and Tristan held on for dear life,
~Please don't let me die after I've come so far and found such a place. Tristan prayed for all he was worth. He felt rather than heard D'rell's chuckle as they made their descent to the bowl.