Thanks for the reviews - it is a problem to stretch a plausible story across several Turns, but I wanted it that way to build sympathetic characters. We know what will happen thanks to the marvellous books of AM, but poor old H'ric doesn't yet!
4.7.198
HELP MEHELPMEHELPMEHELPME OH PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME OW-OW-OW-OW HELPMEHELPMEHELPME
H'ric jerked awake with a shout and a scream and came out of bed at a leap, crashing into the stone wall of his weyr in the darkness of a warm summer night.
- Galanath
- come quickly
H'ric did not even bother to gather up his sleeping fur, but ran out onto the ledge of his weyr. Galanath was up on his hind legs, flapping his enormous bronze wings against the starlit sky, bugling his distress as he broadcast the call for help.
HELPMEHELPMEHELPME IT'S ALL AROUND US IT'S BURNING IT'S COMING WE CAN'T GET AWAY HELPMEHELPMEHELPME
- all right all right all right calm down ask him what's burning
- he says it is all burning, all the forest is alight
- where is he?
"And who is he?" Jiverny added aloud as she came out onto the ledge and slung a cloth around H'ric's waist. "Who is it, Galanath?"
- the boy who can talk to me
- Dawan? Can he hear you, can he hear anything you say?
- he is too frightened
"Can you get a position?"
Haveneth was peering across at them, her eyes whirling an angry glowing red, and H'ric could see other riders coming out onto their ledges to try and calm their dragons, glow baskets and flares lighting the bowl as people came out of the lower caverns; everyone in Benden had some empathy, and everyone had been wakened by that elemental scream for help.
- Galanath, try and find a position from him
- he is too frightened of the fire but they were camped in the forests between Telgar and Lemos
HELPMEHELPMEHELPME FATHERMOTHER HELPMEHELPMEHELPME
Jiverny ran to Galanath and grabbed at his head and he stilled long enough for Jiverny to stare deep into his eyes. H'ric had an instant flashing recognition of a distinctive two pronged mountain with a scree slope of sparkling stone chips before it was all churned back into flames and terror and pain.
"All right, I've got it!" H'ric shouted. "My wing and M'ris - to Telgar!"
The dragon riders vanished to get dressed and H'ric hurried to do the same, and Jiverny buckled his jacket tight, and wound a scarf around his throat.
"Bespeak Haveneth as soon as you get there," she said. "I'll get the younger riders ready with salves and bandages. If there's wild fires, there'll be people on the ground."
"Send firestone," H'ric directed. "We might be able to make a firebreak - what time is it at Telgar?"
"Four hours back - about sunset - you aren't going to time it as well?"
"Too dangerous," H'ric agreed. "No, we'll go for the time as it is now."
He had been busy putting the flying harness on Galanath and now climbed to his neck and took hold of the straps. Galanath took two steps forward and launched, and was between almost before he had cleared the rock face.
H'ric emerged into a maelstrom of heat and thermal updrafts. Galanath bucked and twisted as he adjusted, sliding downwards for heartstopping seconds before he controlled the drift and beat strongly upwards. H'ric could see the two pronged mountain outlined against the sunset, but below him he could also see the awful sight of burning forests and grasslands, fireballs leaping across from tree to tree and long snaking lines of fire on open land.
A dry spring and early summer in the farming heartlands this Turn had wrought havoc with the land, drying and stunting the crops, drying up streams and small rivers and sucking water from wells in hold and farmland alike.
- we go down
H'ric clutched at the riding harness as Galanath turned and sped away from the scree slope, almost into the heart of the fire to H'ric's dazed senses, then the dragon banked sharply and landed, impossibly, on a tiny ledge. He leaned backwards, clutching the ledge with his talons, backwinging, and H'ric could see faces upturned towards him.
With a rush of hot air, B'rnel was hovering on Tweneth above and behind him, and throwing him a rope ladder. H'ric fastened it to his harness, and threw the end. Someone clutched it, and B'rnel had thrown another long knotted rope down from where Tweneth hovered above the ridge.
Within minutes, Chandra and his family were on board the two dragons. Galanath let go of the ledge and flung himself backwards, went between and continued the backward movement as they emerged over Telgar Hold. Dawan was clutched so tight around H'ric's neck the rider could hardly breathe, and then Galanath was landing on the stone apron.
"Let go, Dawan, you must let me go."
He prised the boy's fingers apart, and someone was running to collect him. H'ric stared down into Dawan's golden eyes, black with stark fright, obviously still broadcasting his screams of terror. His mother came running and Dawan calmed a little, allowing H'ric to detach him and hand him down to the frantic woman.
"I must go and fight the fire. I'll be back later. See to your family."
Dawan allowed himself to be helped down, and H'ric coiled the rope ladder and secured it as Galanath rose upwards.
B'rnel was once again at H'ric's side as the two dragons went to rejoin the fire fighting. H'ric caught glimpses of M'ris and his wing, and then a rider had thrown him a bag of firestone, and Galanath was demanding it.
"Lay a firebreak out across that hillside!" H'ric shouted to B'rnel. "There's some sort of water down there - see if the younger dragons can scoop some up and spit it at the fire!"
B'rnel raised a fist in acknowledgement and H'ric and Galanath began laying waste to the land in front of the fire. There was a hold there, H'ric thought with sickness in his stomach. He could not tell if it was abandoned, but the wind was driving the fire towards it.
- the animals die
H'ric peered down, and there were charred carcases strew about, and live herdbeasts running mindlessly in front of the fire. H'ric's mouth set in a grim line, because he was going to have to risk killing those beasts to stop the fire.
Galanath spewed fire across the ground, joined by several of his wing, small fires that leaped ahead of the main fire, and died quickly as B'rnel and his group spat and spilled water to kill the firebreak.
H'ric caught glimpses of men working on the ground, beating with brush brooms at the small fires that tried to leap across from the main line. Others emptied bags of damp soil to force the fire away from the hold. It was not the only one, H'ric realised, but there was a beaten track from hold to hold and with no more tall trees, that might stop the advance.
Galanath rose upwards and a thermal caught them again, the dragon screaming as his wing muscles pulled with the unexpected movement. H'ric felt that agony through his entire body, and then Galanath was gliding back towards the fight.
- Dobreth is injured they go to land
H'ric counted anxiously, and could see the wings were light by two or three dragons, possibly injured or gone for more supplies
- Haveneth comes with more firestone
H'ric peered, incredulous, and the four queens were guiding and directing the younger riders to bring the firestone to make windbreaks. Up here, buffeted by the thermals, H'ric could see the fire leaping from tree to tree, bursting into fireballs and throwing tongues of flame upwards.
- she goes to the hold
H'ric was sure he did not image the relief in Galanath's tone at that information, and then he caught another bag of firestone and rejoined the fight above the forests and farmlands that would have to be replanted and reclaimed.
It was full dark by the time H'ric and Galanath landed at Telgar Weyr, coming in last after he had seen the other dragons back to shelter.
Lights blazed from the building, and flares had been lit around the stone apron to guide the weary dragons down to rest and shelter. Young riders came running to help the riders from their dragons, and strip off the harnesses. H'ric buckled at the knees and B'rnel was there holding him up.
"Bear up, you've only a short pace or two."
"I'm all right - the dragons - "
"K'mar and N'rin are here, and the healers. Come on - up here - just a pace or two."
H'ric allowed himself to be helped into the main hall. He could see pallets spread out along the walls, people moving about, and then B'rnel was lowering him to a fresh pallet.
"The dragons - "
"Will be fine. You need to rest - were you touched by the flames?"
"No, I don't think so. My chest feels tight - I could hardly breathe in some of the places - Galanth flashed us between a couple of times - is he all right - his wing muscles - strained - "
"I'll see to him myself. Oh - here's Sharama - I'll leave you in his care."
H'ric let his head fall back onto the pallet. He felt nauseous and exhausted, all his muscles aching.
"Let me help you out of that gear," Sharama said quietly, and someone brought warm water and a cloth for Sharama to wash hands and face, water to drink, and most of all peace and stillness in the darkened hall.
"Sleep is the best remedy, Weyrleader," Sharama said softly. "In the morning, we'll assess what more needs to be done."
"Is anyone - badly hurt?"
"Yes, I won't deny I have one or two I will be watching over tonight."
"Dragons - gone - "
"Not so far, or your dragon would have keened it to the world, I am sure. You must try and sleep."
H'ric let his eyes close again, trying to dispel the vivid images of fire and destruction, finding it hard to calm himself, replaying endlessly that dramatic rescue and desperate flight to safety.
He was aware when someone came close, cradled him, and began to sing.
"Oh hush now, sleep now, go to dreamland.
There's the moon for you to play with,
And the stars to run away with,
They'll come when you're asleep.
Oh hush now, sleep now, go to dreamland
In my arms I'll rock you through the nighttime
Oh hush now, sleep now, dream till day."