Hurricane: Grounded (4)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Cali, Clancey, Dana, Emma, Rochelle, Roxanne
Date Posted: 21st April 2007
Characters: J'darin, Traelyn, Br'nick, Jyramikah, K'deren, Eleada, G'len
Description: J'darin grounds the Wings for the duration of the storm.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 19 of Turn 4
** Call them, Hasaarth. It won't be safe to fly much longer. Tell them immediately or sooner. **
J'darin exchanged a long look with Traelyn as they sat in his office, rain and thunder punctuating the silence as they waited for those he had called to arrive. Sand-bagging had already started in the Lower Caverns, and the two of them had been in deep discussion for at least two candlemarks since Mosler had disturbed both of their sleeps before the sun came up this morning. It had really never come up, actually.
The sky was dangerous and clouded over, not one beam of sunlight daring to show its face anywhere in the Weyr, or along the coast.
The first signs that a hurricane was coming were showing in every lightning strike and every thunderclap. The rains had strengthened in earnest just in the last half candlemark. He shivered and looked away from the storm raging outside.
}:Mine,:{ Donneth disturbed K'deren as he settled his daughter once more, she'd been unable to sleep properly due to the weather. }:You should take her to her fostermother, Hasaarth's and Nyith's want us.:{ Ikoladith knew that her rider was awake as they had both been for quite sometime now. }:You are needed by Nyith's rider. They are in the office of Hasaarth's rider. It seems the storm is worse than before.:{ the gold informed her rider as she curled up on her couch. She was not venturing out into that weather if she didn't have to.
Jyra put on her boots and headed to J'darin's office. She had hoped that the weather would clear up, but that didn't seem to be the case. **Thank you, dearest. Tell them I am on my way.** she replied.
Br'nick had been enroute to J'darin's office when Cendarnth told him he was needed by the Weyrleaders. The weather was not looking good. He did not think that the dragons should attempt to fly today and it seemed that perhaps the Weyrleaders had come to the same conclusion.
The drawings and plans he and Trae had looked at and discussed earlier were pulled out and ready to be shown to the Wingleaders when they arrived. He hoped they hurried; he didn't want one single dragon aloft in this weather.
"Nyith still trying to calm them, Trae? Or is she starting to worry, too?
Hasaarth is very calm. Thank Faranth for a rather unexcitable lifemate." He offered with a faint smile, in an attempt to lighten their waiting with humor.
Traelyn smiled faintly back. "She's trying to ease their anxiety--especially the minds of the younger dragons. They're more excitable than the rest. Is Hasaarth with her, J'darin?"
"Not at the moment. He is out making sure all the dragons are weyr-bound, as soon as the orders go out." A bellow sounded, but only dimly over the weather, just then, and J'darin chuckled dryly. "What did I say mere moments ago about an unexcitable lifemate? He apparently found a few blues and greens trying to chase lightning. And a brown too.. showing off no doubt." His smile brightened for a moment, then faded as the first boots sounded outside from the first group of people coming to the meeting. J'darin waved to Br'nick as he spied him, then to Jyramikah, who was coming right behind.
Now he just needed K'deren, Y'sani, Eleada, L'pin, and G'len. Someone would have to get to Ylisahn soon too, and make sure the sand-bagging that had started early this morning was continuing.
Fortunately for K'deren, Deralie's fostermother was close by, and on the way to the Weyrleader's office. So it was only a short time after that he arrived there.
"My you've caused quite the stir, J'darin." G'len said lightly as he entered the room, "I had almost half a dozen people stop me in the corridors to ask what was happening."
Eleada slipped silently in behind him, with a respectful nod for the weyrleaders before taking a chair. She'd been with her family when the call came out, and the expressions on their faces when she had hastily excused herself had driven home the seriousness of the situation.
}:Luthinath's says he is too busy chasing weyrlings right now, but he will send L'pin to you.:{ Hasaarth sent, just as Eleada arrived.
**Thank you, beloved. Tell him that's fine, I know they're busy just now. **
"Alright, then." J'darin rose to his feet to greet them all, then returned to the seat he'd been in when they arrived. "Y'sani has sent to say he cannot make it just now since he has a larger task ahead of him this morning, but L'pin is coming. In the meantime, I guess I'd better answer G'len's comment first."
"The short answer is not only are we getting a hurricane, but it's a bad one, and its going to hit us right here. No near misses like the one a few days ago."
"Before Trae and I go through the preparations being made with all of you, I just wanted to tell you that I am officially as of this moment grounding the Wings completely. No one is to fly until I give the word. So before we go further, please have your dragons take care of informing everyone in your Wings. You, too, Traelyn, Jyramikah."
Jyramikah nodded and relayed the information to Ikoladith. The gold Promptly began to pass on the orders of the Weyrleaders to the dragons in her wing. Most of them were quite happy to stay right where they were on their couch.
A hurricane coming ashore would make for a very interesting day, indeed. Br'nick hoped that his son and his green had stayed put this morning as he had Cendarnth do as J'darin had asked. Once that had been done, he turned his attention to the preparations ahead.
}:I'm doing it,:{ was Donneth's reply as he spoke to his rider. }:They are being told to listen to me, Gliorith, Hasaarth and the golds. They will not fly.:{ }:They have all done as we said to do. The Wings will not fly.:{ Hasaarth's message got a nod from the Weyrleader. "Alright, that takes care of dragons and riders. Trae can fill you in on the other preparations - like the sandbags, and moving the food and such. But the important thing is to keep your dragons calm, and help them keep everyone calm. Its going to get much worse before it gets better."
"Is there any idea how long this will last," asked K'deren. "Some may ask, and if we can give them that at least it may help."
"And what about the weyrlings?" G'len asked at the mention of sandbagging, "Should we move them just in case or shall we see how serious this all is?"
"Y'sani is going to put the Weyrlings to work, but yes, they should be moved."
He wracked his brain for a moment. "The entire class can fly now can't they?
They just can't go /between/..." He considered for a moment. "G'len, make sure all their dragonets are safely moved to other weyrs and protected, and the weyrlings themselves need to keep working; Y'sani has had them filling sandbags since early morning."
He turned his attention to K'deren. "Upon reading records of other hurricanes that have hit Dolphin Cove straight on, they usually take about a day to move inland. I think we should be able to fly again by late evening, although it will no doubt be wet."
His fingers danced along the hides and the table. "I think that is all for now unless anyone has any further questions? You can all choose to help fill sandbags and move folk that want to go to one of the higher weyrs, if you like.
Otherwise, stay safe and keep your Wings on the -ground-."
Last updated on the April 22nd 2007