Ghosts

[gaylen]

Between was colder, darker and more deadly than ever. Though the little one's images were clear in his mind, the old blue dragon was beginning to fear he would not bring them safely through time. He could feel his rider's mind slipping, and the fire lizard tucked into her jacket was beginning to fade as well. She was tired, so tired....

Then, Rukbat blazed above, and the bowl of a strange Weyr spread far below. Grey tinged the dragon's hide, and his muscles burned from the long trip Between. He fought to focus his gaze, as well as his mind, and held tight to the thin thread of his rider's. She was barely conscious.

Wings ached as he hovered, trying to look over the scene below. His rider was fading, drifting, he must get her to this Weyr's healer. He reached for the firelizard, felt her still living ... but just.

He hoped there was a talented dragonhealer here as well, though his first look at this new place left him doubtful. Eyes as sharp as any weyrling's picked out several younglings below ... dragonets hatched mere days, and their new riders tending their hides. He saw very few adult dragons on the ledges ... this Weyr was far from full. Was there a Watchdragon? He saw none on the heights at the moment.

Folding his tired wings upward slightly, the blue drifted in cautious circles toward the Bowl.

I am Alabanth! He broadcast, hoping some dragon below would hear and come to his aid. My rider is Gaylen and she is very ill! We request sanctuary ... and the skills of your Healers! Pausing, he reached for the other mind that came through time with him, and added, And I think our firelizard may be dying!


The woman astride the dragon opened her eyes, and confusion and exhaustion clouded their emerald depths. Her skin was almost as gray as the shading of her dragon's hide, as the wide streaks in her long brown hair. She clutched an arm to her chest, hugging close the small body under her jacket, a body that was growing colder since coming from Between instead of warmer. "Are we home, 'Banth?" she said aloud, in a voice cracked and worn. "I think Memory isn't feeling very....."

Her head nodded forward, as the dragon's downward spiral picked up speed, and she slumped onto his neck, unconscious.

Dust rose in the Bowl as Alabanth touched down, calling, Please, someone help us!

[ravyna]

Ravyna rubbed the softly scented oil into her dragon's wing membranes. "Igrainth, my love, I do believe you've grown already. Your hide is practically cracking under the pressure!"

The little green, graceful and long-winged for her tender age, tossed her slender head as high as it would go, and snorted as if insulted. It is not as cracked as THAT dragon's I'm sure! And much softer and more beautiful!

"That" dragon? What dragon, my Lovely?

The dragonet raised her gaze high above, and Ravyna's eyes followed. THAT dragon! she said, sounding insulted.

Indeed, there appeared to be a blue dragon approaching from above in ever-faster spirals.

The one who is calling for the healers! Igrainth said, her young eyes beginning to whirl yellow.

"Healers?" Ravyna frowned, and as the old blue touched down, she realized that it was a dragon she had never seen before. But how could that be? The only dragons on Pern were those who lived right here at Araelen Weyr! Then, she saw that the rider, a woman who appeared to be elderly, was slumped forward.

"Healers!" she said again, this time in a shout, and rushed toward the newcomers.

Do not go so fast! Igrainth scolded, ambling behind her, wings raised as she tried to keep them out of her own way. My legs have NOT learned how to do that yet!

[M'kel]

Today was definitely a day for rest. He had earned it. With the stress of the Hatching and the events afterward, with the constant pressure of Sitareh's ever-present glares, with the...busyness...of life in general, M'kel deserved a break.

You rested yesterday.

Hush! he chided, adjusting the cushion under his head. Lying on the edge of the weyr ledge in the sun was lovely...no wonder dragons enjoyed it so much.

Yes, we do enjoy it, when our riders aren't in the way. A bronze nose nudged his rider's side to emphasize this point.

"Oh you great oaf, there's room for both of us on this ledge. You're just complaining because I told you to keep put, so you don't crush me if you roll over on that great side of yours." M'kel grunted, giving Tirenth's snout a return, playful shove. "And you didn't seem disappointed about resting yesterday either."

You may be able to lie around all day, but a dragon grows weary with such idleness, the bronze replied coyly, stretching out his wings to catch the sun better.

It seemed Tirenth's wish was to come true, for the bright morning air was pierced by a shard of grey. The bronze head rose instantly to the blue dragon's cry, nearly knocking his rider off the ledge after all of M'kel's joking complaints. Alabanth has arrived! And he requires aid!

"Alabanth?" M'kel choked, scrambling to his feet after his intial fear of Tirenth's unpredictable movements. "Your rider was nearly requiring aid..." he muttered, not as upset as his dragon seemed to be by the news. He couldn't even remember the name, nor place his rider. If a young pair had arrived from Artemis and were floundering from the hazardous trip between, they deserved a good scare for not taking smaller jumps.

Suddenly, it came to him. Alabanth. Gaylen. She had been the Weyrhealer at Artemis long ago...but she had disappeared shortly after his Impression to Tirenth. She must be ancient by now; he remembered her as already one of the older members of the Weyr. And where had she gone?

M'kel had leaped onto Tirenth's ready form before the thoughts finished churning through his head, and Tirenth's lithe form sprung from the weyr ledge to glide in fast circles to the Bowl. As soon as the bronze's feet touched the ground, M'kel's feet had done the same. He strode quickly to the failing blue, an appraising eye darting over the greying hide marked by more than age and the slumped rider. Have you called C'lyn?

He comes. Alabanth, what has happened to you and your rider?

M'kel carefully reached up to lift Gaylen down. He lowered her onto the stone, eyes searching the Bowl for the Weyrhealer.

[Shikai]

“Don’t eat it so fast this time, Dinaedth! You don’t want to choke like you did last time, do you?”

Shikai remarked to the hungry brown with a laugh, holding the bowl meat she had just finished chopping tantalizingly in front of his nose. Dinaedth gazed up at his rider pitifully. Oh Shikai-mine, you can be so cruel! Withholding food from your poor starving dragon![/color] Yet he couldn’t suppress the mischievous merriment that continued sparkling sapphire blue in his eyes, or the hint of laughter that his rider could hear lurking at the back of his mind.

“You know you can’t fool me!” She exclaimed with a burst of laughter at the young dragon’s antics, but she plunked the bowl down nonetheless. I suppose I’ll need to try harder then![/color] He replied with a dragon equivalent of a wink, and his nose disappeared into the bowl.

Shikai’s eyes lingered lovingly over her dragon. Surely there was nothing in the world better than being a newly impressed weyrling! Her eyes lifted to the sky overhead. It was a warm day, and Rukbat’s rays were streaming down, further tanning her skin. Yet it was offset by a light breeze, which played pleasantly with her hair. Yes, it seemed to be a perfect day.

It is a nice day.[/color] Dinaedth agreed, and Shikai, still somewhat startled when the dragon revealed the extent of their mental bond, turned around to see that he had finished eating, and was also looking at the sky. What’s that, ‘mine?[/color] He asked, tilting his head to the side, perplexed, his eyes trained on something.

“What’s what?” Shikai asked, turning back and following the brown’s gaze. Something blue, not much contrasted against the sky, had appeared. “That’s odd…it wasn’t there a second ago. Must’ve come in from between…”

She muttered to herself, watching as the dragon grew larger. Dragons in the sky were a normal sight again, thanks to Sitareh and the others who had bravely come forward, but something didn’t seem right in this case. Quite suddenly, Sirius burst from between, his eyes whirling in distress as he chattered agitatedly.

“Sirius?” Shikai said, confused as to what was bothering her fire lizard, and she held out an arm for him to land on. The blue, however, would hear none of it, and continued flying energetically about her. “I thought you were sleeping!” She scolded, for evidently he had been elsewhere. An image flashed in her mind of a landing blue, with an aging woman slumped on his neck, apparently unconscious.

You’re right, mine, they’re in trouble! Alabanth and His need our help![/color] Dinaedth exclaimed, his manner, for once, quite serious.

“We have to go then. Come on!” Shikai replied, beckoning to the brown, and Sirius darted ahead, then paused, as though beckoning himself. Shikai trotted alongside Dinaedth, his powerful legs doing their best to propel himself forward. It was nothing compared to flying, which he couldn’t even hope to attempt at such a young age, but he was small and sinewy, and managed running decently. They followed Sirius, who, sure enough, seemed to be moving straight toward where they had seen the blue dragon descending. Her healer pouch flapped uncomfortably at her side, but Shikai was reassured by its presence. By the sound of things, she could very well need it.

Finally arriving at the spot, she called Sirius to her shoulder, not wanting him to be in the way and worsen the situation.

“I have some healer training. I can help.” She said to the two people who were already present. A fellow weyrling, and, she noticed with a start, the Weyrleader.

[gaylen]

Although only moments passed before help began running toward them, to the blue dragon it felt like an eternity. A green dragonet and her rider, and a brown were approaching. To Alabanth's relief, the brownrider wore a healer's pouch. And then another flew to the Bowl ... a bronze dragon, a strong adult, and his rider.

With a start, Alabanth recognized the bronze who spoke to him. Young Tirenth, now fully grown. His presence confused the old blue ... Tirenth and his rider were from another time, a time long, long ago in a distant age.

Alabanth could not let this mystery interfere with what was urgent. We have come forward in time looking for dragons, he said to the bronze. Gaylen is very ill.

The bronzerider was reaching for the woman now, and the dragon knelt low to assist as he carefully lowered her to the ground. The great blue head hovered over her, grey muzzle close enough to feel the heat from her skin, to smell the chemical shift in her body. Alabanth's eyes began to swirl faster ... it would happen now, with all watching, the thing his rider had tried for so long to hide. Only one other human had witnessed it.

Then, as had happened a hundred hundred times before, Gaylen's body began to convulse. And as he had so many times before, Alabanth wedge his muzzle gently against her shoulder, rolling her to one side, and cushioned her head with forefoot and nose to prevent her from injuring herself. For a moment, for it lasted no longer than that, it mattered not that they weren't alone ... his only concern was to care for his rider.

When the seizure passed, he rolled her to her back again, and, eyes whirling orange with worry, looked back to Tirenth.

Very ill, he said, The good medicine Greylith's One, C'lyn, made for her was gone many turns ago. She has been getting worse.

He then looked to the little brown dragonet whose rider carried the healer's bag. Can your One help her? And can she help our little sister?

At that, the old blue dragon parted his rider's leather riding jacket to reveal a tiny grey ball curled against her chest. She was thin and worn, rib cage showing beneath stretched, dry skin, which showed only a hint of the gold that had once been her color. If not for the fact that her brisket rose and fell with shallow breathing, one might have thought the firelizard dead.

She risked everything to find the dragons, so that Gaylen would not die alone. Can you help us?

[Journye]

Journye was watching her lovely blue eat, chiding him to slow down. "My love you will choke if you are not careful," she said gently, earning a look from Lucaith But your Lucaith is so hungry mine[/color] he said. Just then he glanced sharply upward Mine they need help![/color] he said as he leaped to his feet, knocking his bowl aside right into Journye. Journye quickly jumped to her feet, ignoring the blood spattered from the bowl, going into "Healer" mode as she called as she too glanced upwards to watch the older blue's decent. She looked down at Lucaith "We must help them my heart," she said as she took off at a jog to where the others were already gathering, Lucaith keeping up the best he could with no complaint.

Journye bowed briefly to those gathered "I am Journeywoman Healer Journye," she said to the older Blue before looking down at his rider, her brow furrowed as she noted the woman's moments of convulsions. Lucaith carefully edged closer and sniffed toward the sick bluerider and gold flit. Journye saw the golden firelizard as well and her eyes went wide. She had that old scroll, but as for helping a firelizard she wasn't so sure she could. She knew that a new Healer had arrived a few days ago, he would certainly know more then her about the firelizard, but the woman was more important at the moment.

She nodded to Shikai before kneeling beside the older woman, gently brushing a hand against her cheek as she rummaged through her pouch for something to help awaken the woman.

[C'lyn]

C'lyn humphed to himself as he looked about the thrown together hospice room, his arms crossed over his chest. He shook his head and tsked "Well at least they have the essentials," he murmured to himself as he took stock of what was in the store of supplies, noting that the Journey man healer they had had atleast kept it neat and tidy, but how could they have expected her to be able to run the hospice when she just impressed days ago! If hadn't of showed up....he shook his head and steered his thoughts away from that as he stepped out side, turning his face up to the warm sunlight.

He was startled by Greylith's bugle from where she rested on the ledge of the weyr above the hospice. He frowned and looked up at his green, surprised to see her standing so tense, confused by the tension he was receiving from her, the shock she was broadcasting My heart? he asked her softly, brushing soothing thoughts against hers It is Alabanth! His is sick![/color] she told him as she leaped from the ledge, leaving him staring at where she had just been, his breath becoming quicker. Could it really be? Or was his Greylith beginning to have delusions.

C'lyn shook his head and ducked back inside to snatch up his pouch before taking off at a dead run to where he could now see an aged blue landing, noting the grey tinge to his hide. He let out a strangled cry as he shouldered his way though the crowd already gathered, falling to his knees beside Gaylen who was now on the ground. He knocked aside Journye's hand, ignoring the weyrling's protest as he cradled Gaylen's face tenderly between his hands "Gaylen?" he whispered, his voice harsh from emotions, not caring one bit that tears were free rolling down his cheeks.

He took a deep shuddering breath and looked down at her chest, noting the poor firelizard curled there "Memory?" he said softly, gently brushing fingertips along the poor gold's side. He looked up at Alabath then back down at Gaylen and Memory. He had so many questions, but they would have to wait Gaylen and Memory needed him to be in control. He took another breath then looked around, noting that it was mostly weyrlings gathered, then he spotted M'kel. He gave the weyrleader a nod before looking at the gathered weyrlings

"I am afraid to move her until she wakes up, but I need blankets, lots of them." he ordered gently before turning his attention to his pouch, rummaging through it until he found some smelling salts. He carefully waved the vial under Gaylen's nose, cursing himself for not having the medicine she needed, but she had been gone for turns, he had thought her dead. He looked down at little Memory, frowning. He wasn't sure he could save the brave little gold, but by the first egg he would try!

Greylith landed near Alabanth, crooning to her long lost mate as she nuzzled his side before coming to rest beside him, lending her form for him to lean on for support and her warmth for him to take.

[ravyna]

Ravyna had not realized that two of her fellow weyrlings were healers, and the relief she felt washed over her expression as she stepped back to let them through. M'kel had also arrived, and for once Ravyna was earnestly glad to see him.

Why does the old rider shake? Igrainth asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

I am not sure lovely, Ravyna responded through the strange but wonderful new connection she shared with her dragon. I've heard of brain fevers and brain spells like this, but I've never seen one before.

Suddenly, another green dragon landed, one Ravyna had only noticed a few days before. She was in obvious distress, and the old blue called out to her, reaching his neck toward her as she landed, as if they were old friends. Ravyna's confusion mounted even higher when the green's rider, carrying medical supplies, rushed over in tears and took the old rider's face in his hands, calling her by name.

Please, Mine, what is happening? the young green asked, eyes whirling yellow.

I ... have ... no ... idea. Ravyna stepped back even further out of the way, but when the greenrider called for blankets, she snapped into motion.

"THAT, I can do!" she called over her shoulder, rushing for the nearest cavern, down a short flight of stairs, and back up. Her months working in the lower caverns had taught her all the shortcuts to storage, and she knew where the freshly laundered wares would be kept.

Out of breath, she arrived in minutes by the gathering group, and laid several fresh, clean blankets on the ground.

[gaylen]

Alabanth felt more relief as the second young healer arrived at their side, kneeling before his rider to help, but when a beloved voice touched his thoughts, the flood of hope and shock nearly knocked him over.

Gaylen-Mine! Greylith is here! I do not know how, but she is well and truly here! he shouted into his rider's mind.

As the green landed, the old blue reached for her, bugling his joy and distress at once, and entwined his neck with hers. The familiar feel and spicy scent of her hide comforted him, and he began to truly believe, at last, that his rider might survive.

Your C'lyn will help her, he told his long-lost mate, He has always helped her, and she will be well, and we are together again! Eyes sparkled bright with a myriad of worried shades, swirling faster as confusion warred with hope in his mind.

Somewhere in the dark recesses of Gaylen's mind, she heard the name of her weyrmate. Ah, C'lyn, yes, it must be morning. He was always so sweet, bringing her some klah and her medicine. The warmth she felt upon her face ... had she fallen asleep on the ledge? Surely that warmth was sunlight? But if the sun shone on her face, why did her body feel so cold ... so cold? And then his voice, calling her name, as she drifted below the stubborn barrier of sleep. Why could she not fully wake? Ah, no, had she seizured again?

Suddenly, a pungent smell was in her nostrils, forcing a great sneeze to erupt. Her eyes opened: the moisture leaking from them clouded her vision, but she could vaguely make out the foggy shape of C'lyn's familar silhouette hovering over her.

"Is it morning already?" a parched, cracked voice croaked, barely audible, from her throat. "How many in the infirmary today? Do we have time for breakf...."

A feeble movement on her chest interrupted her thoughts, and a faint flutter of life drew her attention there. "Mem--?" Deep sorrow and pain overwhelmed the woman, as she reached to place a hand upon her small but faithful friend. What had happened to Memory?

[C'lyn]

C'lyn cried out softly, a strangled sound as Gaylen spoke. He barely resisted the urge to gather the older woman into his arms, but instead gently brushed fingertips across her face. He looked up at the girl that had brought the blankets and flashed her a bright smile in thanks as he gathered up one of the blankets and spread it across Gaylen, being sure to tuck the golden firelizard under as well. He sat back on his heels, just looking at Gaylen for a long moment before he was able to find his voice, which cracked when he spoke "There are no patients today Gaylen heart. We are in a new weyr, you some how managed to come forward. I bet little Memory showed you the way," he said softly, soothingly as he could "We are in a place named Araelen. You had another spell and poor Mem is tired and sick. I will do my best for the both of you," he promised, leaning down to press a kiss to her brow as he waited to see if she was ready to try and sit up.

Greylith twined her neck with the blue's, crooning to sooth him and to voice her own worry for his own Mine will do what he can for your Gaylen and little one. I had thought I had lost you![/color]