Trapped

Writers: Danielle, Eimi
Date Posted: 16th March 2006

Characters: Catriana, Daigoro
Description: Catriana gets trapped by the earthquake
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 11, day 2 of Turn 3

The world slipped sideways. She couldn't, for a moment, comprehend what was happening. The floor shifted, and she clutched at the counter where she had been working, cutting up meat for Brix. The firelizard had been happily chattering away one minute, then began to cry in alarm, fear radiated from the flit's mind, clouding her own thoughts. **I have to get out...I have to get...out**

Wood and stone groaned with the motion of the earthquake, then came crashing down. Catriana ran as best she could for the doorway. Something struck her from behind and she fell. She smelled smoke. Everything went dark.

~*~

"Daigoro! Daigoro, sir!" Darrin ran up to the Hallsecond, his face smeared with dirt or ash. "Sir, my sister. Have you seen her?"

Daigoro was sure there was more than one sister, mother, lover, child missing in the rubble. **Shards, but I hope Cat got out with Cinale...** Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the young woman with the other kitchen staff. He pushed that thought from his mind. They would have to get the fire out to know for sure who was alive and who was lost. "No I haven't. What are you doing out of line? We need you to fall back in with the other apprentices. Keep that water coming! We need you to keep your head about you now, lad."

"Yes, sir." Darrin fell into the line with his fellows, looking almost ill with worry.

A flash of blue flew straight at Daigoro screeching in a high pitched wail as it proceeded to attach itself to his shoulder and head.

Daigoro recognized the tiny blue as Brix, Cat's flit. At least he was now sure she was alive, but he couldn't figure out what the little blue could be thinking. His bronze Wort appeared over his head and the two chattered excitedly before disappearing /between/ together. The Hallsecond shook his head. **Crazy flits.**

He followed the line of bucket passers back to the kitchen. "How goes things?" he asked the lead bucket boy.

"I think it's pretty much out," he said between gulps of air. Daigoro could tell all the apprentices and journeyman in line were beginning to tire. "They're pouring it over the pile now."

Daigoro nodded. "Keep it up boys. Not much longer."

He pushed past them and into the kitchen. One of the Masters began updating him on the state of things. The smoke was giving way to steam.
The Hallsecond began to congratulate them on their quick response when the two flits erupted overhead once again, chattering, screeching and pulling at him before flying to the inside wall and circling over a fallen beam. They both landed on it and seemed as if they were trying to lift it all by themselves.

Realization dawned on Daigoro quickly. "Cat," he whispered. "Hurry lads. There's a girl alive down there somewhere!"

~*~

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe very well, and what little air she got was smoke-laden and warm. Too warm. She opened her eyes to darkness.

Then she heard it, a scratching, scrabbling somewhere above her. Images of a ruined building flashed into her mind. Brix. He must have gotten out. His panic and fear was so strong she could taste it like the smoke in the air. She tried to shift, using her hands to feel the shape of the darkness. Ceiling beams? She willed herself not to panic. To at least try to calm the flit down. She tried to move again, and felt pain like fire blossom across her ribcage, down her leg. She nearly passed out then.

"Cat! Cat! Can you hear me?" Daigoro's muffled voice drifted in and out of spaces in her cage of rubble.

"Daigoro?" She tried to call back. It came out as a hiss. Between the lack of air, and the pain in her chest, it was hard, very hard, to catch her breath and call back. She tried again, ignoring the burning in her ribcage. "Daigoro!" Dust and ash fell, causing her to cough.
Tears welled in her eyes, from pain, from fear. "Help! Please!" she whispered.

"I hear her! I hear her!" There was some muttering and mumbling sounds and the men outside her prison studied the situation before she could hear Daigoro's booming voice again. "No Chigan, don't touch that!" The kitchen girl could catch words here and there and then again Daigoro's voice. "Hold on Cat, we're coming. We'll get you out of there soon.
Jio, find something to brace that beam so it won't fall when we lift the others. Careful now, boys!"

She wanted to stop crying, but she couldn't. "Daigoro!" She felt the weight pressing down start to shift in the darkness, more dust and debris fell and she kept her eyes tightly shut. She wanted to help them, but the way she was pinioned, she really couldn't do anything useful.
She couldn't even roll over on her back to help push the beam that was crushing her.

"I see her!" an unfamiliar voice called out.

A large hand reached into the bright, light-filled hole they had created. "Cat? It's me. It's Daigoro. Are you all right? Talk to us."

If she turned her head just a little, she could see his hand. "Sir? I'm alright. I think...I think there's something wrong with my ribs. Broken, maybe." She shifted a bit, gritting her teeth against the pain and reached out for his hand.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with your grip my girl," he called down the hole. "All right, I'm going to let go of you now, but we are here and we're not going to leave you until we've got you out. Your little Brix won't let us alone until we do."

"Yes, sir." She started crying again, this time from sheer relief.

"Lenfri, go find a healer!" Daigoro called. "All right now, lads, let's lift this beam first. Close your eyes Cat. We don't want to get anymore dust in them. One, two, three!"

She closed her eyes and turned her face into her shoulder. She couldn't do much more than that, she was wedged in the little space under the fallen beam, having fallen forward onto her stomach, but she'd managed to twist onto her side to reach for Daigoro's hand.

With much grunting and groaning they were able to lift the first beam off the pile. "Right, now, let's move it over to the other side of the room. We don't want to add it back to the pile. Don't worry Cat, we're not going far."

They carefully set the large beam off to the side and came back to grab the next one. With a large heave they were able to lift that one too.
"Just one more, Cat. We're coming."

With the return of light and fresh air, and the weight lifted away, the pain returned full force. She groaned, and fought against fainting again.

"Hold on Cat, we're almost there." After removing the last beam Daigoro carefully pulled away the tabletop that had been Cat's salvation from the falling beams and knelt down beside the bruised and battered girl.
"I'm here now, Cat. We've almost got you out. They're just going to clear away the rest of this from around your legs and then we can carry you out of here. But I'll stay right here with you."

"Thank you, sir..." She fought against the darkness that threatened to wash consciousness away. "Is..is Cinale alright? My brother?"

He took her hand in his and patted it soothingly. "Yes, yes, they're fine. You just lay still. The healer is coming."

"Good. Oh...good."

The Hallsecond knelt by her as the last of the rubble was cleared away.
The healer came in with a stretcher in hand. "You men, help get her to safety." He turned back to Cat with a soft smile. "You'll be all right now. The healers will take good care of you."

"Thank you, sir...." She smiled up at him as the healer started to direct the men to lay her on the stretcher. The moment they lifted her, she cried out in agony, and then mercifully lost consciousness from the pain.

Last updated on the March 19th 2006

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Trapped