Never Want To Leave It

Writers: AL, Vix
Date Posted: 2nd May 2008

Characters: Eliste, Jardon
Description: Jardon takes Eliste outside in a wheeled chair for a breath of fresh air.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 19 of Turn 4

"As long as you don't exert yourself or get stressed, it should be fine." The healer smiled at the young woman who had become his patient. "However, if you feel even the slightest twinge of a contraction, I want you to come back here and lie down on your left side. If they don't stop in five or ten minutes, then I want you to send someone for me, all right?"

Eliste nodded. She supposed this was an experiment, one to see if she could do a little more than just sit or lie in bed all day. If so, maybe she could get out more. That, however, was getting ahead of herself - best to take it one day at a time.

"Hello?" Jardon's head appeared around the door, then disappeared momentarily. He entered the room walking backwards, pulling the wheeled chair behind him. "Ready?" "Yes, thank you." Eliste offered a small, shy smile to Jardon. She was grateful for his willingness to help her. It would be so nice to get outside and breathe fresh air and watch the piece of Pern that she could see move about her.

The healer offered his hand and Eliste stood, walked to the chair and eased herself into it. She held her breath, waiting for the contractions to start, even though she had hardly moved, but nothing came. She relaxed visibly, her smile returning.

Jardon watched her anxiously. "Will you be warm enough? It's still a bit cool outdoors and since you'll not be moving, you may chill." Eliste hadn't thought of that. She hadn't been outside since she had been brought to the hold and had no idea what the weather was like. The healer took care of the issue. He went over to the wardrobe and took out Eliste's cloak, giving it to her to wrap herself. "Stay warm, and enjoy. Just send for me if anything happens." Eliste nodded.

"She'll be fine," Jardon told the healer. "I'll see to that. We'll take nothing but the smoothest paths and rest often along the way." Eliste drew her cloak around her, feeling a thrill of excitement. It was odd how something simple as going outdoors would excite her, but she had been cooped up longer than she could ever remember, even when she had been very ill as a child. She twisted her head and looked up at Jardon, giving him a small, shy smile to signify the she was ready, then letting her gaze drop.

He nodded, more to himself than to her, and carefully backed the chair from the room, too little space within to turn it easily. The wheels of the chair, recently oiled, turned soundlessly and easily – at least within the cot with its even floors. The true test would come when they arrived outdoors. He managed to maneuver the chair from the cot and set off along the packed dirt path leading to the nearest gardens, not at their most lush during this end-of-winter time.

Eliste took a deep breath as they moved outdoors. The air was crisp and clean. She hadn't realised how stuffy it had been when she was inside that room. A gentle breeze teased tendrils of her hair and she let out a soft sigh. "It's so nice out here."

"It is," he agreed. "I really couldn't stand to stay indoors for such a long time." He turned the chair at a fork in the path, taking the branch that led downward toward the river.

"It's not what I would have chosen." Eliste said softly by way of agreement. While the hold itself was nice, and the rooms made as comfortable for her as possible, it just wasn't always pleasant to be cooped up for so long. She wished she had known about the chair earlier. Then again, she would have been hesitant to make the suggestion herself.

The girl gazed around her, Jardon's image coming into view out of the corner of her eye. She knew so little about him, but she wasn't sure what to ask. He seemed nice, though, and she did know that he was Vaheri's grandson. "So...you...you aren't on the riverboat." Well, that was obvious, but Eliste had figured out that riverboats were mainly run by families and those with close ties with one another. She couldn't help but be curious as to why Jardon was not part of it.

He nodded. "My father moved to land to be with my mother – she tended to motion sickness and the boat wouldn't have been the best place for her. When I was growing, I spent several seasons on board, but I most enjoyed whittling and playing with scraps of wood, so I became a woodworker. I still travel on the Sungazer fairly often, but most of my work takes place on land." "Oh?" Fog worked with wood, though she knew he was not officially part of any craft, but rather a member of the crew. She went silent, still gazing around her. It was cool, but there was a hint that the weather would be warming in the not so distant future. Then flowers would bloom and green would show. It was be lovely, and Eliste was glad that even if she couldn't walk around, she now had the chance to at least sit in its loveliness.

She then realised that she had let the silence extend perhaps a little longer than she should have. Eliste wasn't the best at conversation, especially with people of the opposite gender. Yet, she didn't want to be rude, so she tried to continue the conversation. "What of your parents? Is your father a woodworker?"

Jardon shook his head. "He's a metalsmith, though he didn't pursue his craft far beyond the essentials." The man laughed as he spoke. "I'm afraid that we of the riverboats try to be as self-sufficient as possible. Here on land we have crafters who serve the needs of the boats themselves. We may not be master material, but we know how to work the materials to resupply the family trade." "I've seen those whose work I felt was as good as those who were crafters." Eliste commented softly. She had seen many women make fine quilts. Some had even dyed their own fabric and Eliste thought that the results were as good as any journeyman weaver. "Of course, I'm not an expert."

Again he laughed, enjoying this time outdoors. "Many who think they are experts don't appear so to me." He stopped the chair on a level spot. "How are you doing so far?" "Fine." Fine indeed. Colour had risen to her cheeks, and not colour brought upon by an embarrassed flush. The air was energizing and the light so much nicer than indoors. "It's nice out here. I'm glad you thought of this."

"I'm glad we came across the chair in the storerooms," he told her. "No one has used it for turns, so it had pretty much been forgotten." He peered at her intently. "You seem to be doing alright, but we'll stop down near the river – there's a small pump there for those working near the docks and we'll rest and have a cup of water there." "All right." If she could walk, it would be better. Eliste had to admit while it was nice to be in the chair, she felt a little silly. She could physically walk, she just wasn't supposed to. That would come, however. All in good time. "I like the river. It's so pretty."

He resumed pushing the chair along the path. "It can be pretty, but there's much more to it than that. It's powerful, it's practical, and yet it has its winsome side and plays tricks upon those who travel it. And at times it can become downright dangerous." He spoke the words with steady assurance of one who knew the subject before giving a short chuckle. "It's often said among the boating folk that we have river water running in our veins and cannot escape it." "You sound almost as if you miss it." Eliste didn't look at him, but continued to study the blue that cut its way through the land. "Though I was only on the riverboat for a short time, I can see why one would."

"I do miss it, but I still go there. I travel every couple sevendays – I just don't live on the boat fulltime. And even when I'm on land, I'm living next to the river." "Even though I've lived in Emerald falls the last few turns, I didn't get to see the river very often, and I had never travelled it until I took the riverboat to..." To get away from Helvar. Eliste stopped before she said those words out loud. "I found it enjoyable. The river has so much personality, almost as if it is alive."

"Uh-oh," he chuckled, though he noted her hesitation. "It's starting to get to you. Once you start to hear it, it can capture you and you'll never want to leave it." Never want to leave. Eliste had to admit that Jardon was right. The river was beautiful. How she could have missed it during her time in Emerald Falls seemed so silly, yet she supposed her life had been focused on other things. She smiled a little, wondering if, when the time came, she would be able to leave it. Yet, she knew that she would have to. Helvar was too close, and even with people watching out for her, she was afraid that he might find her, try to get her to go back. The thought that she couldn't stay saddened her and she went silent, watching the river rush past.

He stopped near the docks, the ground here cleared to allow off-loading of cargo, the dirt packed and even. Surrounding this clearing were low buildings, storerooms for materials awaiting transport, workspaces to craft items needed for boat operations. He pushed her toward one of the buildings, stopping next to a pump, metal cups upended on shorter poles surrounding the faucet where they could drip into the same drain as the tap. He took one of the cups and filled it, offering it to her. "Drink, but be careful – the spring that feeds this pump is extremely cold." Eliste's fingers curled around the cup, brushing Jardon's and she lifted it to her lips. Even with the warning, the chill of the water was surprising and a shiver ran down her spine. "Very cold." She added with an amused smile. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he told her. "But now, as much as I enjoy your company, we should start back for your room." He added apologetically, "The healer did say that this should be a short trip." Eliste couldn't hide the disappointment from her face. She had so looked forward to getting out that she hadn't realised it would be so short. Maybe the healer would let her go out longer since this first trip was without incident. She would talk with them. She hated being cooped up inside for so long. "All right," She finally said quietly, taking a long, last look at the river.

He hated to take her back, especially when her disappointment was so evident. "We'll see how you fare from this session. We should have fair weather over the next several days and I'll take you out again if the healer allows it." The offer brought a smile to her lips. "That would be wonderful. Thank you." The prospect of getting out again did lift her spirits. If she had to stay on rest for the rest of the pregnancy, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad as long as she could get outside from time to time.

Last updated on the May 5th 2008

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Never Want To Leave It