Emergency Services (3/4)

Writers: Aaron, Estelle
Date Posted: 30th March 2019

Characters: Brennault, K'don, Lorican
Description: K'don arrives to transport the injured smith to the Weyr
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 21 of Turn 9

Brennault

K'don

***

Gredran had only just finished cleaning the smith's head wound when the
runner who'd first come out to meet them on the road hurried in. "Dragon
wings in the sky, Station Master," he said, reporting to Cerault. "Looks
like a brown. They should be here soon."

The brown alighted on the road as close to the station as he dared, and
K'don slid down to jog up to the station.

Cerault stepped out and met the lad, not surprised to see a youngling
sent out to ferry the smith.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said Cerault, and K'don
nodded. It was his job after all.

"Can he sit up?" asked K'don. It would make a difference for how easy it
was going to be to strap his passenger to Maciath.

}:I can carry him if he can't,:{ Maciath assured K'don..

"Come on inside, and you can ask him and my healer what they think,"
said Cerault, and K'don followed him inside to the infirmary.

"Can you sit up for a dragonback ride, Lorican?" asked Cerault, looking
also to Gredran to make it clear he wanted the healer's opinion, too.

"I...I think so?" Lorican had never ridden on a dragon before, so he'd
no idea what to expect. He certainly didn't feel as if he wanted to ride
a runner, but a dragon was much bigger, so perhaps there wouldn't be so
many jolts and bumps. "I can try."

"Well, he's already walked a fair way with these injuries, so I doubt
sitting on a dragon is going to make them any worse," Gredran said.
"Getting him up to the dragon's back might be a challenge, though. And I
wouldn't advise going /between/, brownrider."

K'don blushed and offered a hand to the healer to shake, saying, "You
can call me K'don." He was not ashamed to be a brownrider, but he did
not much feel as though he deserved *any* title from a journeyman being
only a weyrling and an apprentice himself.

"I think between the lot of us, we'll be able to get you strapped in,
sir," he said to Lorican. "Maciath will crouch down as low as he can,
and we'll go from there. Um. If that's alright with you, Station
Master," he added.

Cerault smiled and nodded, patting K'don on the shoulder. "Of course.
Bren," said the man to his son, "go on out with the lot and help the
good journeyman onto our friend Maciath, please."

Brennault nodded and then offered his hand again to Lorican to support
him on the way out.

The smith's limbs had stiffened while he'd been sat down, and he had to
lean heavily on Brennault and the healer as he limped out of the runner
station. When they got outside and he caught sight of the dragon
crouched patiently waiting for his rider, he forgot the pain for a
moment. Although he'd seen dragons before, he'd never had a chance to
speak to one, let alone ride one.

"Oh, he's wonderful," he said, a smile on his bruised lips. "My duty to
you, Maciath."

Maciath's eyes whirled happily at the praise and wonder.

}:He thinks I'm wonderful,:{ said the brown. }:I like him. We are going
to help him very well.:{

K'don smiled. Of course, they would have helped well one way or another.

"He thanks you for your kind greeting," said K'don.

"Ready to go up?" asked Brennault. He guided Lorican's hand to rest on
Maciath's hide and then knelt down to make a cup with his hands to boost
Lorican up.

Although he did his best to favour his uninjured side, Lorican couldn't
help a gasp of pain as he was pushed up to the dragon's back. With K'don
and Brennault's help, he made it, but he was shaking with the effort and
his head swam when he looked down at the runner, still on the ground.

"Thank you." He glanced back at K'don. "Will he come to the Weyr, too?"

K'don blinked and tilted his head curiously for a moment, thinking at
first that Lorican meant Maciath. How else were they going to get there?

But when he realized the smith meant the runner, he said, "The runner?
Oh. Uh. I think Maciath can carry all three, but I'll need to redo the
straps. Do you need to come, too?"

}:I could bear even four if I must!:{ Maciath assured K'don, though the
boy knew he was merely boasting.

"I don't need to," said Brennault. "And I'd need to grab the letters
going back to the weyr before we left if I did. Some are still probably
on the way in, actually. I don't think I was the last to arrive with the
midday delivery. Do you need me to come with you, Lorican? I'll make it
happen if you do. No worries at all."

K'don shuffled his feet and said, "I think you should decide fast if
that's what you're going to do. We do have to fly back the long way."

"I can manage. I don't want to inconvenience anyone, but I just - if
you're not coming too, Brennault, I wanted to thank you, in case we
don't meet again. For everything." The man looked faintly embarrassed at
making this speech from dragonback, but there was sincerity in his
voice. "But perhaps I'll see you, at the Weyr."

Brennault smiled up at Lorican and touched his leg softly.

"You're more than welcome. And you better believe I'm going to come find
you to make sure you're OK as soon as I get back!" he assured the smith.
"Don't worry. I'll see you again." Because he was going to be alright.
And he was going to get better!

K'don climbed up and made sure all of the straps were set and secure.

"Alright," he said. "Everybody ready? Oh, um. You'll probably want to
step back a bit out of Maciath's wingspan," he said to Brennault, who
nodded and backed to a safe distance.

As Maciath rose from his crouch, Lorican began to wish he'd stayed on
the ground. He wasn't sure whether it was the head injury or if he was
discovering that he wasn't suited to dragonflight, but he was definitely
feeling dizzy and unwell. Still, it was too late to change his mind now.
"Ready as I'll ever be." He gripped the straps tightly.

Maciath rose as carefully into the air a he could manage and then set
off flying down the road toward the weyr.

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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Emergency Services (3/4)