Welcome to the Weyr

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 6th September 2010

Characters: Birigundi, Jessmyr, Myress, Myrgun
Description: Birigundi's uncle and cousins pay the Weyr a visit
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 27 of Turn 5

Birigundi

The Weyr was already at they sights, when Jessmyr's body failed again.
He fell on to his knees. Last few miles had been battling against the
exhaustion and now it won. He just couldn't move. He pressed his left
arm tight against his rib-cage. His breathing was laboured, almost
hyperventilating, he felt his heart flutter irregulary in his chest. It
hurt, it felt like it was about to burst. He felt like he just couldn't
get enough air.

"Man, Jess, what did you do? Your lips are all blue!" his brother's
surprised voice sounded distant. The world swam in Jessmyr's eyes and he
couldn't answer. Shame burned with the pain, what kind of runner was he?
Not runner at all, he just couldn't run without getting breathless. He
felt his brother's and father's stare on him. The three of them were on
they way to the Weyr.

"You go ahead, and take the message bag. Me and Jessmyr will follow with
slower pace," their father said, and Jess could hear the disappointment
in his father's voice.

The pain eased, his frantic heart slowed down and his pulse became more
regular. Slowly he got up back to his feet. He staggered at first almost
drunkenly, dizzy, like his brains didn't get enough blood. He managed a
slow walk.

~*~ Later ~*~

When Jessmyr and his father finally arrived to the weyr, all signs of
his "fit" had disappeared, except a pale, almost waxen skin colour in
his face.

"Let's see if Myress had manage to locate Birigundi," his father said.
He was very hard pretending nothing had happened.

"Hello there!" Birigundi called, running down the path to meet them.
His uncle's flit had indeed found him, and he had been waiting at a
higher vantage point all morning until he saw the three figures make
their way up the path. It had been a long time since he had seen his
father's brother, or anyone besides his mother. He threw his arms
around the man who he was surprised to find was his exact same height.
Hadn't he been taller before?

"Nephew!" he greeted Birigundi. "You look well. Your mother sends her
love."

"Only love?" the Candidate asked as he looked at his relatives
suspiciously. He knew his mother too well to believe that was _all_
she'd send!

"Well, there might be something else too," Myrgun teased. "You
remember your cousins, Jessmyr and Myress?"

Jessmyr hung back, shy. It's been Turns since he last saw his cousin and
he had always admired Birigundi. "Hi."

Myress he had recognized right away but his other son... "I would never
have guessed _this_ was Jessmyr," Birigundi held out his hand to his
younger cousin. "Faranth have you grown!"

Jessmyr grinned and took the hand. He did have a typical runner's body
build: wiry, with long legs and arms.

"How was the trace? Any trouble along the way?" Birigundi knew the
chances of them running into trouble with people along the runner's path
were slim, but running in snow posed it's own dangers.

"Nah, it was smooth going," he replied. **Except Jessmyr collapsing
again,** but you couldn't voice something like that.

"I doubt I could make it. I feel like I've been off the trace so long.
I try do a bit of running everyday, but I can tell I'm getting out of
shape." Birigundi looked Jessmyr up and down again. "You seem to have
the body for it, though."

"Body perhaps," Jessmyr sighed, "Lungs no."

"That won't matter much here," he said, giving the boy a slap on the
back. "Body goes a lot farther than lungs." Turning back to his uncle
he asked. "How did Ma look?"

"Just fine. I think she wrote a letter that's as long as harper's
books."

Birigundi rolled his eyes though he smiled. "That woman missed her true
calling." Well, he was sure now that they had stopped running they were
starting to feel the cold. "Let's get you inside and find you something
to eat. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to us," he replied and the boys nodded, although Jessmyr
really wasn't hungry.

The Candidate waved at them to follow him towards the looming high
cliff. Swirling eyes could be seen starring out of holes carved into
the rock. It was familiar to Birigundi, but he looked over at his
younger cousin to see his reaction to the sight.

Jessmyr stared the dragons. He did dream flying with one someday. His
brother was equally awed.

"Have you ever seen a dragon up close?" Biri asked the closer of the
two.

Both shook their heads.

"It shatters the mind to think any living creature can grow so big.
_Especially_ the golds." Those could be quite intimidating the first
time you met one.

"Have you met any golds personally?" Jessmyr asked.

Birigundi couldn't help the slight grin and soft laugh as he remembered
one gold's rider in particular. "Yes I have." One that would go on to
be Weyrwoman. He stopped shorting of telling them he had even ridden
on the back of one back to her weyr. She had been kind enough to
provide him some comfort after failing to Impress one Hatching.

Jessmyr let out a envious sigh. Shards, his cousin had so exciting life!

"Do you want food, bath, or lodgings first?" Biri asked as they reached
the Weyr cliff entrance.

"I think we all want something warm inside to us," the uncle replied.

"Don't worry, uncle, there's a pot of stew with your name on it. You
can take as much as you like." If they were anything like he was after
a run, they'd clean out the whole pot between them!

"Sounds good to me," Myrgun chuckled.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2010

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