Penna Moves In...?

[**Auria (etc)**]

[[Ooc: moved from the bowl, C'lyn's most recent post quoted in full below for reference.]]

The private infirmary weyr the Healer and the Weyrleader led her to was small by Penna's standards, but she determined not to complain. After all, if her toes started throbbing again, she certainly would need C'lyn to be on her side. She glanced around to see if others had followed, and caught sight of her dragon, shifting from one forefoot to the other anxiously.

I am safe, Lovey. You may go have your little snack if you like. She turned to see the large dragon couch that sat in a shallow alcove just outside the weyr. When you're done, there's a nice cozy spot for you to curl up in, she added, though silently doubted how much of her magnificent Plainth could actually be curled into that couch.

With help, she settled to the bed, and it wasn't until she had sunk into the soft surface that she realized that every muscle in her body was beginning to ache and she felt chills running through her. As the wine was wearing off, she was growing more aware of the affects of her journey on her system.

She scowled and looked down at her hands, whose fingers were still slightly blue, and which were trembling just a bit.

"I just don't understand ... we've jumped all over Pern Between, from gather to gather, sometimes one a day for a sevenday on end when threadfall gave us a rest. We've darted in and out of Between during heavy threadfall, flying for hours on end without rest. Yet I've never felt so ... so ... well, just AWFUL after traveling!" She looked up to M'kel and C'lyn, her blue eyes wide with worry. "It's all so very strange!"

Leaning back, Penna half-closed her eyes, and felt exhaustion overtaking her. She could feel her darling Plianth, contentedly helping herself to a good-sized wherry. The familiar feel of Plianth feeding meant that the dragon felt no fear, and that comforted the rider somewhat. At that, her mind relaxed slightly, and she yawned loudly.

At Penna's near panicked question C'lyn patted her shoulder, gently, reassuringly "Yes my dear, they will heal. I will personally care for you," he said softly, giving her a soft smile.

"I assure you that you are not a bother Penna, I am honored to be allowed to treat a wonderful gold rider as yourself," he said with a smile, hoping that catering to her pride might help in calming her. He patted her shoulder gently again as they neared the infirmary entrance. "We will do our best to try and figure out how to get you home," he said, glancing over to M'kel with a light shrug, he didn't have the first clue how to be able to help her, but he would try if needed.


Greylith hummed softly to Plianth Would you like me to show you to the feeding pens? she asked politely, wanting to help keep the gold calm so that she could help keep her rider calm.

[M'kel]

As the Weyrleader helped Penna first to stand and then to cross the Bowl, supporting her weight the best he could while attempting to avoid contact with the mess on the front of her clothing, he nodded absently at the Weyrhealer's assurances. When C'lyn offered to help find her a way home, though, M'kel glanced up sharply. He may know how to smooth talk political figures and women alike, but the bronzerider was not willing to make a promise to this distraught woman that he doubted he could fulfil.

If she was truly from such a distant past that Ista Weyr had still contained dragons, M'kel doubted that even the most skilled of Starsmiths could determine a correct star configuration for her to follow. And if she was, alternatively, from a future in which Ista was once again populated, it would be even more impossible to aid her on a journey home. No, the Weyrleader was becoming increasingly certain that she was very much trapped in Araelen.

A part of him was selfishly glad of this, for the Weyr's numbers could greatly use the boost from a fourth reproducing queen. However, M'kel was also sympathetic to Penna's plight. It had been a difficult choice for him to jump forward and abandon friends and family, but the prospect of power on the other side of between had been too much. As well, numerous dragonriders he was well acquainted with had also made the leap. Penna and Plianth were here alone. And Sitareh, as well as her Jr. Weyrwomen, might not be very welcoming of such competition.

As Penna uttered her confusion over her current state, M'kel grimaced slightly. She was still unaware that she had leaped through time, it seemed. Perhaps the cold of between had addled her mind. It was perfectly logical to the bronzerider that a journey through time must have occurred if new Weyrs suddenly existed, but it was possible that timing it hadn't been allowed in Penna's time. He worried that the woman might become hysterical again if he told her the truth just now, but C'lyn had dosed her with fellis, so she might slip into sleep before her hysteria could carry on too long.

Thus, he decided to break the news in the kindest way he could. "You are feeling the effects of jumping some distance between times, Penna," M'kel murmured softly, trying to appear reassuring. He was careful to avoid mentioning just how far he believed her leap to have been, for that would certainly cause some panic.

[**Auria (etc)**]

Penna was settling back, and surveying the front of her lovely ... now ruined ... gather gown. She was just about to ask if there were spare clothes that she could borrow, when the Weyrleader said something that caught her attention.

She looked up at him for a moment, staring, trying to decide if she'd heard what she thought she heard. Deciding she had, she broke out in laughter.

"Between times! Oh that's too funny. Aren't you sweet for trying to cheer me up with a joke. Between times!" Then, her laughter faded ...

... for she had never heard of this Weyr....

... and Plianth had indicated earlier that the Weyrleader's dragon had never heard of Ista....

... that would all make sense, if.....

Penna was suddenly, horribly, awfully, terrifyingly sober.

"You weren't joking, were you?" she squeaked. "Just ... just ... just HOW far ... or, long ... is "some distance", anyway?"

Plianth, who had just snapped the neck of the largest wherry in the pens for her 'snack', halted in mid-shake as she felt her rider's increasing distress, the creature still twitching between her jaws. Are you all right, Mine?

He said we've traveled between TIMES, Lovey!

Times? I do not understand between Times. Dragons do not travel between Times ... Do they?

Hanging on to her meal, Plianth lifted her bulk from the pens and soared to the huge alcove outside the infirmary weyr in which her rider had been settled. The light from outside was blocked as, suddenly, a great golden head with a blood-dripping wherry dangling from its jaws wedged itself into the room.

Staring back and forth between the gold dragon's head and the Weyrleader's face, Penna's voice trembled as she demanded, "Please explain!"

[C'lyn]

C'lyn looked at M'kel and sighed, he had hoped to wait until the woman had rested before breaking the news to her, then perhaps she might be able to think clearly. He took Penna's hand and patted it gently, reassuringly "My dear Penna, we do not know how far you have come," he said gently, kneeling down so that she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look up at him.

"As it was it was a long jump for those of us that came from Artemis. I know you probably have not heard of that weyr either," he said softly, not really knowing how to go about explaining it all, but he still didn't want to over load her with information. He offered a gentle smile as he patted her hand again "We can try to help you find your way, but it could take a very long time if we are even able to at all. There are no star smiths here that we know of," he said. He didn't want to get the woman's hopes up nor did he want her in hysterics again where he may have to dose her with more fellis.

Admittedly he was surprised she was still awake, but he supposed fear could keep on going longer then normal. He was truly at a lose for words now, so he simply held her hand and patted it gently, looking up at M'kel.

[**Auria (etc)**]

"But, but, that's just legend," Penna said, the panic in her mind fighting with exhaustion. "Timing it, it's just legend, isn't it? And even if it's not, I don't know how to do that, and I'm sure Plianth doesn't." She yawned noisily and hiccupped.

"I believe I've had a bit too much wine...." she said.

Plianth, still very concerned about her rider and the odd thoughts about traveling through time, settled herself in to eat her messy snack with her head inside the sleeping quarters.

Another thought edged its way through the growing fog that was enveloping her mind. "And if we did travel through time to get here, and we don't know how ... that means we don't know how to get home, either...."

Long lashes settled on the chubby cheeks, tears leaking from beneath them, as Penna began to snore.

Yawning loudly, her breath filling the room with the smell of blood and meat, Plianth backed up slowly and awkwardly to settle on her temporary couch. The floor had been licked spotlessly clean, not a scrap of blood or bone left to show for her meal.

[[Ooc: Healer and Weyrleader can talk amongst themselves. :-) Perhaps Penna's next thread will be for the purpose of really causing some trouble.]]