Five Minutes Away

Writers: Cali, Emma
Date Posted: 19th July 2008

Characters: I'lan, Sorsha
Description: I'lan visits Sorsha again.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 19 of Turn 4

"I'lan!" Sorsha couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice as she limped up to the dragonrider. "You came back!"

"I had to take something to one of the holds near by," he said casually.
"And as it was only five minutes away, I thought I'd come and see how you were, if that's okay?" The bronzerider gave the girl a smile, she was pretty and it wasn't hard to notice that.

"Of course it's okay," she affirmed quickly. If she had thought back to her candidate classes at Dolphin Cove, she would have remembered that _anywhere_ was five minutes away for a dragon, but she was too excited.
"I'm doing great too." she showed him by lifting up her skirt just enough to expose the much thinner wrapping around her knee. "Hardly any pain anymore."

"You've had a healer look at it?"

She shrugged, the hold couldn't support a trained healer. "Close enough to it. He said I'd be completely healed up in a sevenday."

"If your father would permit it, I could take you to the Weyr to see the Master Healer there?"

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly!" Sorsha was both mortified and elated at the apparent attention he was placing on her care. "Honestly, It's better every day."

"If you're sure," concern was evident in the young man's voice.

She tried to assure him, "Just wait, next week I'll do a little dance for you to prove I'm all better."

"I'm sure you will, or perhaps you could practice for a real dance at Turn's end."

Sorsha was suddenly uncomfortable, unsure what he meant by it. If he was trying to ask her to accompany him to Turn's End (which would probably stop her heart), she didn't know how her father would feel about a trip to the Weyr or with a dragonrider for that matter, even if he was just a friend.
If he wasn't (and that was the more likely scenario) her reply should be vastly different and she would look ridiculous if she presumed... she decided on the safer option before replying. "Perhaps if my brothers humor me I could get in a little practice."

"I'm sure they'd help you," he smiled. "Unless you have someone else you'd like to dance with."

"I'll dance with anyone at Turn's End." She smiled, speaking of her brothers, I'lan was starting to sound alot like them.

"Will you do anything special here?"

Sorsha nodded, excited to talk about Turn's End, it was one of her favorite times of the year. "Oh yes, we have a big feast with lots of sweets and spiced meats. There are several here with good voices and some drumming skills so we have plenty to dance to. And the weather is nice enough usually so that we stay up all night and have a huge bonfire on the beach."

"Sounds like what we used to do at the hold where I grew up. We'd have cakes and plenty of desserts, lots of Bakercrafters in my family."

"You come from a hold?" Sorsha was surprised, she obviously knew that some dragonriders weren't born at the Weyr, but I'lan just _looked_ like he was a born and bred rider. She couldn't imagine him plowing a field or tending herdbeast.

"Near Topaz Sea Hold. I was apprenticed to the Master Baker at the Hold proper when I was searched at my sister's wedding."

"Really? A baker huh." Wow, that really wasn't what she was expecting.
Then her hands flew to her cheeks as the rest of his words sunk in. "But oh, how terrible for your sister!"

"She'd got married by then, but it was a bit of a shock to arrive at the Weyr, everything was so different and strange at first."

Sorsha's heart slowed back down as she realized his sister's wedding hadn't been ruined by the Search. "Oh that's good. Not the shock of the Weyr of course, but your sister's wedding I mean. But yes, I think different and strange are very accurate words to describe the Weyr." she added with a smile.

"But you do get used to it with time."

"I'm glad you did. I didn't when I was there... too much noise." she added with a smile. "That's why I came back home."

"It takes time with some people," he said.

"How long did it take you?" Sorsha wondered.

"Until I impressed Naath."

"And it's a good thing you did," she said with a smile, "or else I might not have been rescued and Thread would have eaten me alive."

"Someone else would have been flying sweep," he reminded her.

Sorsha shrugged it off, someone else finding her didn't fit into her dragonrider hero fantasy. "I suppose, they might not have been as observant though, Naath is a very special bronze."

"He is indeed," I'lan knew all riders thought their dragons were special, but it took someone else to see that as well.

Last updated on the July 21st 2008

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Five Minutes Away