Up In Smoke (2)

Writers: Chelle, Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 13th February 2017

Characters: Jylanya, Thayde, Naton, Endarin, Veerona
Description: The dolphineers battle the blaze at the Dolphin Hall
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 9, day 12 of Turn 8

Jylanya

Thayde

"Irabel, you're in charge of the bucket brigade. Naton, help Jylanya
with evacuating the children, and then get to the buckets." Endarin
said, looking at the Masters of the Dolphin Hall who now formed a
loose semi-circle around him, waiting for orders.

"Thayde," he looked to his former Hallsecond, "you're in charge of the
wounded, set up a space outside on the beach where the air is fresh
and clear of the smoke."

"Talern you're with me, we're going inside to look for anyone who
hasn't made it out." There was no time to spare with any more words so
Endarin merely dismissed them with a nod of his head and, "Good luck."

Thank sweet Faranth! Naton was off as soon as they were dismissed,
running after Jylanya. "Jyls!" he called out as he caught up with his
likewise hurrying wife. "Where are the children? Our children?"

"I saw one of the creche workers with Tonja, but I haven't found Vee
yet." Her voice and eyes were worried as she turned toward him. "I
was just going to the front rooms to make sure they were all clear."
Her eyes got large, "Do you think someone down on the dock ringing the
dolphin bell continually would help people get out, or come out or
something?"

Veerona had been sitting at one of the tables in the back corner during
the ceremony, enjoying the food to be had. She had cheered when she
had seen Milga and Irabel, though her small voice had been drowned out
by the others. Once the part of the ceremony involving people she knew
was over, she had stuffed the last sweet bun into her mouth and then got
up, wandering towards where her quarters were. Walking down the hallway,
she had smelled something odd, but thought nothing of it, heading inside
and going into her room to read some of her highly treasured books.

Thayde, meanwhile, had ran to the dolphin infirmary and grabbed all of
the supplies he could that would treat human ailments. He conscripted
some apprentices to help him carry the load of supplies down to the
beach where injured were being carried.

Jylanya took off again looking for anyone to get them out but the
smoke was getting worse. "Veerona," she called frantically as she ran
through the halls.

On the upper floor, Endarin barreled along the smoke filled hallway,
covering his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic. It was eerie on the
hallway with only the sound of crackling wood and flame. The sight of
a hand lying through an open doorway caught his attention and he
hurried toward the fallen figure.

It was a young woman, but Endarin took stock of little else as he
bent, scooped the woman onto his shoulder and then rushed along the
long narrow hallway and down the stairwell to the cool air waiting
outside.

Down on the beach Thayde directed injured to makeshift cots, which
were little more than sheets lying on the sand.

"I have another for you."

Thayde looked up as the Hallmaster approached and lowered the body he
was carrying down onto the sheet. Endarin's face was streaked with
sweat and soot.

"I'll look after her," Thayde said, dropping down to begin examining
the unconscious woman.

"I'm going to join the water line." Endarin stopped a moment to look
around at the people who were being treated, and then he took off up
the beach to join the line of dolphineers who were passing buckets of
water into the burning hall.

Naton found a few students and a teacher still in one of the back
rooms and bustled them out with the rest.

Jylanya burst into their shared quarters and called her daughter's name
as she ran. "Veerona are you here?"

Looking up from where she had been reading her book, Vee made
her normal "Umhm" in answer. The room had been steadily getting
warmer and she had taken off her shoes, shorts, belt, and shirt in favor
of a thin nightshirt. Her feet dangled at the edge of the bed, bare. Her
nose had begun to tingle as the smell of smoke was beginning to come
through.

Even as she made the noise, a portion of the wall to her left began to
discolor before tongues of flame began to burn through it. Frozen in shock,
the young child just stared at it.

Jylanya didn't even pause to say anything more than "fire," and
scooped her up then turned to run for the hall entrance and safety.
When she found Naton she could hardly speak for sobbing. "Found her."

Naton's arms went round both of them, "the baby is with the rest of
the creche. I think we got everyone out."

Down on the beach the number of those wounded or sick from the smoke
had tripled. A few lingering dragons showed that some support from
the Weyr had showed up to help the men and women passing buckets of
water toward the flames.

It had happened so fast that Veerona had had little chance to do
nothing but hold onto Jylanya as they came out of the Hall. As they
ran towards the beach, she watched over her fostermother's shoulder as
everything she had disappeared into the flames including a few items
that had been put up for safekeeping that had been the last things
she'd left of her mother. Her home, one of the few constants of her
short life, was being eaten up by the warm fire-and so quickly too. A
few tears escaped as she hugged Jylanya tighter, going quiet as a bit
of shock set in before Naton came into view. And then she began to
look around, frantically searching for Milga and Irabel and a few
others she knew well.

The fire at the Dolphin Hall blazed until the early hours of the
morning, when finally the last bit of flame was doused by a bucket of
water.

Last updated on the January 15th 2019

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Up In Smoke (2)