DCW: Find Him!

Writers: Eimi, Rochelle
Date Posted: 10th June 2007

Characters: Eleada, R'mer, Adaric
Description: R'mer will not allow the Wingthird to search for her son in the flooding lower caverns...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 19 of Turn 4

**Gliorith, ask Nibelunth if C'radan knows where they last saw him.**
Eleada ordered her green silently, trying to keep the panic from rising
as she raced through the corridors towards the rapidly flooding lower
caverns.

}:His says that it was in the corridor outside the weyr. They were
setting up beds.:{

Eleada's heart suddenly plunged from her throat, giving the panic
tightening her chest more room to get a stranglehold. As soon as news of
the hurricane had spread, her mother had started moving the boys and the
rest of Eleada's nieces and nephews to C'radan's weyr while Eleada had
been meeting with the Weyrleaders. Adaric must have gone for more
supplies. He was a sensible kid that way, quiet and responsible enough
to do what needed to be done on his own without a fuss.

Except the lower caverns were flooding now. So was the hatching ground.
And her oldest son was wandering around alone in the chaos who knew
where...

R'mer rounded the corner, relief washing over him when he locked eyes on
the woman. Without thinking he threw his arms around her. "You're
safe! Shards, I was so worried..."

Eleada blinked and staggered, suddenly jerked out her her mindless dash
by the familiar figure. She swallowed and gently disentangled herself,
shaking her head. "I can't stop now, R'mer." She said distractedly,
panic edging her voice as she continued her dash toward the flooding
lower caverns. "Adaric is missing!"

"Wait!" R'mer ran after her and threw his arms around her once more,
this time to stop her. "Don't go down there, Eleada, it's starting to
flood! No one is to go down there, it's too dangerous..."

She fought his grip. "I _know_ that R'mer. But it's _my_ son that's down
there somewhere! What if he's..." She struggled harder to free his grip,
trying to slip out of his arms. Where had he gotten all of that muscle
so suddenly?

"Stop it, Eleada! You're not going!" He pinned her between his body
and the wall to keep her from escaping. "We can't risk losing a
Wingthird and you have two other sons who need you! You are _not_
going down there!"

"I'm the only one who can! Mother's raising all of them, and C'radan and
Nesily have six of their own." She shoved at him, shouting in
frustration. "Shardit R'mer, let me go! He's my _son_!"

"And you're more than just _his_ mother!" R'mer would not let her get
away. He pinned her arms along her side, leaning into her. Appealing
to her duty to survive as a leader in a Wing would certainly not appease
her. "I'll go, Eleada. I'll find him. But you have to _swear_ to me
on Gliorith's hide that you will not go down to the lower levels!"

"But what if you can't find him?" She demanded, still struggling. "What
if he's lost, or hurt, or... or..." She couldn't continue that sentence,
and she bit her lip. "Two searchers are better than one?" She asked
pleadingly.

"Two dead searchers would do _no_ one any good, least of all your son,"
he said, much more gently than before. "We're wasting time, Eleada.
Promise me you'll stay away from the lower levels. _Promise_ me
that..."

She was breathing heavily, her run and struggle to get R'mer to release
her leaving her out of breath. She had to find Adaric! But she knew
R'mer wasn't going to let her go... Sharding knots! He was right, they
were wasting time... Shardit, Shardit, Shardit! She stopped struggling,
staring intently into his eyes, looking for the silent proof that he
could do what he said. "Find him." She said simply, slumping against the
wall behind her. "But hurry!"

R'mer pressed a a quick kiss to her forehead, a silent promise that he
would find him, before taking off at a full run down the corridor,
slowing down only to round the corner, and even then his hand had to
save him from colliding with the stone cold wall. The water rose up to
meet him as he descended the last flight of stairs.

**Shards!** The water was already almost to his waist and he could feel
a current trying to push him in the direction of Eleada's mother's weyr.
"Adaric! _Adaric_!"

He quickly realized it would be much faster to swim down the hallway,
letting the current carry him where he needed to go, but as confusing
as it was, it would be too easy to miss the intersection and become
completely lost. "Adaric!" he continued to call as he made his way down
the corridor.

He noticed a couple rounding the corner ahead of him. "Hey! Have you
seen Adaric? He's a little boy of ten."

"No," the man shook his head as they struggled to pull a trunk against
the current. "No boys down there."

"Leave your things and get upstairs now," R'mer said with a surprisingly
authoritative voice.

"But sir, these are family heirlooms..." the woman said.

"I said _now_!" he pointed to his knots as if they carried some sort of
authority other than a rank and file, fresh out of training bronzerider.

"Maybe we should..." the woman whispered to her husband.

R'mer didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation. He turned and
made his way to the next intersection, calling the boy's name at the top
of his lungs. The water was up just past his waist now...

"Hello?" a faint voice finally called back. "Hello?"

"Adaric?" R'mer called back, following the sound of the voice.

"Hello?!"

"Adaric! It's R'mer! Where are you?"

"R'mer? I'm here! I'm here! Where are you?"

"Stay where you are, Adaric! I'm coming to you!" R'mer rounded a curve
in the hallway and finally found the boy, struggling against the flow
with a knapsack slung over his shoulder.

"R'mer, the water's too high!" Adaric cried, an edge of panic in his
voice.

"Come on then, get on. I'll carry you." R'mer helped the boy climb
onto his back and turned to walk back up the long corridor. The current
that had helped carry him down to Adaric now fought against him as they
made their way slowly back up the hall. The bronzerider used every door
jam and knob, every crack in the wall or ledge as a hand hold to help
pull them down the long hallway. He quickly realized he'd have to make
his way to the center when they approached an intersection and fight the
current alone, or threaten to be carried down the wrong way. The water
was rising at a steady and alarming pace. He felt a moment of panic as
he realized it wouldn't be long before it hit him square in the chest.

"Where's the stairs?" Adaric asked, his voice trembling as his grip
tightened. He too realized the danger they were in.

"Any moment now," R'mer reassured him, though panic and despair
threatened to take hold as every moment the water crept higher.

"There! A light!" the boy cried, pointing up ahead.

The bronzerider breathed a sigh of relief. "Good eyes, Adaric!" R'mer
steeled his resolve and set one foot in front of the other,
concentrating all his will on that break in the wall. Step after step,
he never took his eyes off of it, blocking all out but that. Finally he
reached around and found the handrail and grabbed on, using it to help
him turn the corner and climb the flooded stairs. At the first landing
he stopped, setting Adaric on his own two feet. He braced himself
against the wall and fought for breath.

"Where's my family?" Adaric asked, soaked and shaken to the bone.

"They're safe," R'mer panted, reaching out to put an arm around his
should and pull him close. "You're all safe now."

Last updated on the June 21st 2007

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DCW: Find Him!