Where We End Up

Writers: Noli
Date Posted: 14th June 2017

Characters: N'tur, Sefanya, Arnave
Description: N'tur finally gets a chance to check on his family and discuss the future.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 21 of Turn 8

}:I have found them.:{

The words in his head startled N'tur from his reverie, and he reached instinctively to pat Graileth's forearm as he struggled to pull the last of the salvaged shelving into the makeshift healing cot. The survivors of Riverbluff Weyr were finally establishing a recognizable encampment here, forcing order from the carnage. N'tur grunted as he shoved the unit against an open wall, then inspected critically to ensure it was level. Finally, he turned to his patient brown lifemate in response.

"Shards, that's good news. Where are they?" He spoke out loud, his heavy punctuation at the end of each word betraying the exhaustion from a full night and morning of work. N'tur couldn't complain, though. He knew that most of the weyrfolk had spent their time similarly.

}:The little ones are eating now.:{ The reply would have seemed random to an observer, but after over a Turn of practice communicating with and interpretating his dragon's speech N'tur understood perfectly. Since his mother and siblings were not riders, Graileth referred to them in relation to the next logical choice: Sefanya's two small flits, the dragon "cousins".

N'tur rubbed the nearest brown eyeridge affectionately and climbed aboard his crouched lifemate. "Well my friend, let's go join them.

After depositing the young man near the large tent that served as a makeshift dining hall, Graileth leapt back in the air to hunt for his own snack. N'tur watches him go, his heart swelling with pride at the sight of his dragon in flight. Graileth was small for a brown, yes; but he possessed a dignity and grace while airborne that had often been remarked upon, and it was evident now.

Finally tearing his gaze away, N'tur strode inside and scanned the crowded space for the familiar sight of his family. Suddenly, a small green flit burst into the space in front of N'tur's startled eyes. Chattering happily, the little green settled lightly on his shoulder and wrapped her tail firmly around his neck.

N'tur chuckled and obliged Sefanya's pet with an affectionate rub. Her eyes whirled happily. "Hello, Alaynne. Have you come to fetch me?" Almost as if in planned response, Arnave shouldered his way through the crowd to stand before N'tur. Although he had logically known that he would have been notified if something had happened, N'tur felt a wave of relief at the sight of his brother whole and healthy. He hadn't seen any of them since the disaster had stricken the Weyr.

With a wordless grin, the 10-Turn boy led his dragonrider brother to the table where the rest of their family waited. There was much laughter and happy chitchat, and N'tur took the opportunity to embrace each of his siblings fiercely. Then they settled down to eat, a meager yet filling meal of meatrolls and tubers washed down with plenty of klah, and the conversation took on a more serious tone.

"What word have you heard? How long will it take to rebuild the Weyr?" Sefanya had been kept busy looking after the children, both her own and her various fosters, but she had heard disturbing rumers: that restoration of the dragon's home was too difficult, if not impossible. According to the speculations, Riverbluff Weyr was no more.

"I don't know," N'tur replied softly, and his eyes betrayed his worry. He had witnessed some of the damage himself. As unthinkable as it was, he really wasn't sure that it was repairable. And with Vilarth and her buried clutch inside...

Sefanya nodded in acceptance. "Well. I guess we will await further information then." She paused, her eyes drifting between the children. "If it does prove impossible, what then? Where will everyone go?" She was overall a very practical woman, and her mind was already churning with scenarios and plans.

N'tur had been contemplating that same question. Would another Weyr be established in one of the various cave systems across the continent? Or would the residents be absorbed, the riders into existing Weyrs here and in the North, the lower caverns' people into the Holds? "I cannot say," he admitted. There was no reason to worry his family with his speculations, not until he had something solid to go on.

The table was silent for several minutes. Then Sefanya roused herself and smiled at her children. "Well, I guess we will wait and see where we end up."

Last updated on the July 4th 2017

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Where We End Up