And They Arrive (2)

Writers: Ainsley1, AJ Kraier, Jane, Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 19th May 2007

Characters: Lineal, Rahona, R'harne
Description: Lineal rejoins his family aboard the Sungazer with Rahona and the children
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 4

When the brown dragon touched down on the slightly wider strip of dusty path alongside the riverboat Lineal could hardly believe it. He hadn't even thought to point things out to Nalin as they had circled because he had been so distracted by the wash of homesickness he had felt at seeing the Sungazer. A ridiculous homesickness, now that he was back, and ironic since it was entirely his own decision to apprentice with seacrafters when he was thirteen.

"Throw Nalin down," R'harne prompted when Lineal didn't make a move.
"Guieth and I have to move over so Yeulanth can get in."

"Oh, of course." Lineal unfastened the riding straps from his son and lowered the boy to the ground, and then unfastened himself and eased himself down beside his son. For a moment there was a hesitation as he searched for his father in the crowd, eyes roving over the people on the bank and those lining all three decks of the Sungazer.

Not those on the upper deck. They would be passengers just watching the show. The middle deck where the crew quarters were? Mainly women and children. The main deck --

There. At the foot of the landing stage. Smaller even than the last time they had managed to meet. Older, definitely, much more so than he had been prepared for. Lineal pulled Nalin in his wake as he crossed the dusty ground to his father and then hugged the older man. "I can't believe it," he said, laughing.

"I'm finding it a little difficult, myself," Jesten said. "And this one? This is my grandson?"

"Nalin," Lineal said, touching his son's head as he named him. "Nalin, this is Jesten, your grandfather."

Watching from the center deck Vaheri brushed back a tear and draped an arm around her own daughter's shoulders. "It's good to have him back,"
though she meant a message much more personal than what she said.

Fog watched from the stage gate, he wasn't as much in awe of the dragon as he was of the affection Lineal showed his father. He recognised Lineal's features, though he hadn't seen his cousin in many turns. The face was that of a familiar companion, and Fog found himself smiling.
Brief flashes popped in his head, visions of Lineal in various stages of life, before he had left the Sungazer. Maybe, just maybe, things would be alright.

Tahna watched the dragon land, she hadn't seen one this close before and for a while her attention was totally captured by the sight of it landing, and she found herself a little envious that her cousin had been for a ride. But her eyes lighted on someone else in the crowd gathering below around the landing stage.

She glanced over at her aunt and saw Neke had only eyes for the spectacle below. It was the chance she needed to get away. For now, she would leave Linli with Neke, she needed some time alone with Marilea, needed to talk to her mother in private and while Lineal and his family were being welcomed there would be no better time.

Barr looked out on the scene from the main deck, not far from the door into the engine room. He studied his nephew with a wry smile because the younger man was Jesten all over again. He pushed his hands further into his heavyweight trousers and consoled himself with the thought that if the new captain was as much like his father in personality as he was in looks things would go better than expected.

Vaheri glanced past the new captain to where the dragon waited on the shore. "Where's his wife? Did she change her mind?"

"Look," Denna said, leaning forward. "Another one's landing."

When R'harne's weyrmate helped her down from the shoulder of her green Rahona found herself facing a huge audience and wished she had flown with Lineal so that he could have been at her side.

"There are a lot of them," Lihona said in a very small voice.

"Well," Rahona said, pushing her own nervousness aside, as she bent down to smooth her daughter's hair, "your father said the people on the top deck would be passengers."

"But all the rest are my family?"

Rahona's own family was small enough that she understood perfectly how intimidated Lihona felt. "Yes they are. Come on," she said, taking a deep breath to gather the courage to move out of the shadow of the green dragon who felt like the last link to her old life. "Let's go and meet your grandfather."

"Is she my age?" Linli turned to face her aunt. "That girl, she is small like me."

"I don't know sweetling," Neke answered, "from here, she looks to be the same age, would you like that?"

"Me and Jezz are friends, will she be my friend as well?" Linli's eyes sparkled as she watched the other young girl, fascinated.

"I expect so." Neke chuckled to herself, the dragons meant nothing to this child, she was definitely more in tune with human companionship.
Maybe it was just the age? But she had heard Jezz before, she had seemed excited by the dragon. "Come on, we'll go down and say hello, all the adults are there, but I think the children may like to be welcomed by you children." It was then she noticed Tahna had disappeared. Maybe she had gone before them?

"They look so lost," Vaheri stated in a pitying tone of voice. "His wife and that young one - this is difficult enough for them and to be facing so many of us." She shook her head. "We should have stayed below and let them board quietly."

"She's not as young as I expected, though," Denna said thoughtfully, remembering saying to Barli that any wife of Lineal's would be the pretty girl in the Weyr.

Lineal turned to stretch out a hand to Rahona and to scoop Lihona up from the ground. "The rest of my family. My wife, Rahona, and our daughter, Lihona. This is my father, Jesten, Rah." He tickled Lihona's tummy trying to dislodge the serious look on her face. "And your grandfather."

"She's like your mother," Jesten commented, nodding at the little girl.
"And a pleasure to meet you at last," he said to the green-eyed woman at his son's side.

Last updated on the May 25th 2007

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And They Arrive (2)