A Break in the Storm [The Relief Caravan]

[nightingale]

It was early evening when the caravan arrived. The watch dragons set up the call as soon as the procession of wagons and horsemen came into view on the antiqued horizon, their voices strident and bright as they offered their welcome to the holdfolk. The banners of Blossom and Selenitas holds fluttered merrily amongst the insignias of beastcrafters, harpers, weavers, healers and bakers, and a sparse few of the wagons could even be found proclaiming origins as far north as Lighttower Hold. There was a great deal of excited chatter and singing from the holdfolk, many whom had never seen their Weyr or indeed a dragon so closely before. The carts which did not play home to families of volunteers were brimming with corn, wheat, fruits and vegetables. No fewer than three hundred herdbeasts brought up the rear, driven onward by their diligent craftsmen.

The weyr doors opened and a veritable army of eager hands and supplies spilled into the courtyard. All through the canyon dragons, whers and human alike could be heard voicing their excitement and relief. The help they so desperately needed had finally arrived.

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[nightingale]

Saeo gripped T’ke’s hand tightly; perhaps not so frightened of the chaos itself as she was of being alone in it. With so many unfamiliar people gathered in such a small space it was easy to feel overwhelmed, and the typically outgoing young bluerider was in a somber enough mood to take note of that fact. Ever since word of Pepsi’s death had reached her she had been clinging to her wingmate like a damp shirt in the summertime, using him in equal measures as someone to cuddle up to and cry against and as an assistant during her shifts in the infirmary. Shock and denial had come and gone quickly. Now she was deep into the mourning phase, and while having a next-door neighbor who understood the grief and self-loathing she was feeling was more comfort than she felt she deserved, she was taking full advantage of any kindness he was willing to offer her. Right now she was trying to distract herself, and what better distraction was there than the arrival of family she hadn’t seen since becoming a candidate?

She remembered what their wagon had looked like when she left home, but she was worried that they might have painted it. Were they still using their old grey burdenbeast, or had her father finally decided to invest in a new one? One year suddenly seemed so long ago. Would they even recognize her? Freckle perched on the girl’s shoulder with her eyes flickering back and forth across the crowd, trying to spot one of the faces that Saeo was bringing to mind. Baby had learned long ago that finding a perch on his bonded was impossible when Freckle as with them, and so he had taken up residence on the top of T’ke’s head. His thoughts were not on finding his humanpet’s family. Rather, the vivid shades of blue and green that flashed through his eyes signaled his ecstatic contemplation of what would be the best song to greet their visitors with. Cherilith, like many of the Weyr’s dragons, was circling overhead to earn himself a better vantage point. Periodically he would send his rider an image of someone he thought she might be looking for, or a particular wagon that resembled the one her memories described to him. In the end it was neither girl, nor salamandyr nor dragon who pointed out where her family was.

It was a blue flitter. The little creature squawked tunelessly, banking around her as he realized that the shoulder he had aimed to land on was occupied by a rather unhappy looking green…thing. How very strange it was…ugly too. No matter. Here was the person Hispet wanted! An image of several familiar people unloading a wagon was flashed into her mind, followed quickly by a close-up of a face she recognized instantly. “Cheat.” She murmured, her expression blank and pensive where a smile may once have formed. She glanced toward T’ke, giving his hand a tug and moving to follow the fire lizard as he skimmed back over the crowd. “That’s my brother’s flitter. Come on, they’re over by the gate.” I see them Mine! Cherilith keened excitedly, his tail snapping violently to one side as he sought to quickly change directions. Where would you like me to land? It’s a little crowded down here right now Darling. I’ll introduce you to everybody once things settle down. Will you wait for us back at our weyr? Of course my Saeo, but please do not keep me waiting long! Feeling her blue’s excitement mix with her own was almost enough to bring a smile to the girl’s face.
Almost, but not quite.

[Rowana]

"Saeo," T'ke said pleadingly, but his voice probably went unheard. He was sure he had Ke'rin to blame for Saeo's sudden fascination to cling to him. He made a note to get his revenge on the bronze weyrling someday. He wasn't used to female company, particularity when Saeo seem to have a habit of breaking into tears on his shoulder at inopportune moments. The fact that Baby had decided his head was an ideal perch wasn't making things more comfortable. At least Garaeth was keeping Akyo busy for now or he'd be dive bombing the blue worm and probably ripping out T'ke's scalp in the process.

And now he was meeting Saeo's family. The thought made him squirm. He wasn't on good relations with his own family. In fact, he hadn't heard from them since leaving to become a candidate. He didn't bother to look for them among the caravan. He doubted they had bothered to come, or even cared if he had survived. "Saeo," he tried again. "I don't want to intrude. I'll be fine by myself, really." Surely she would want to spend time alone with her family.

[nightingale]

Saeo seemed less than inclined to release her captive, and continued to tow him through the crowd. “Oh don’t be silly. If I can’t show off my friends then what am I going to say I accomplished while I was away?” Cheat lead them on patiently, every so often looping backward to chatter his encouragement. Freckle still seemed to be rather unhappy with their blue guide, and shrieked disapprovingly whenever he circled close to her. They had almost reached the gate, when all at once, a pair of arms shot from the crowd and wrapped around the girl’s waist. Saeo shrieked as a young man lifted her clear of the ground and flipped her upside down, essentially blinding her with her own tunic. Freckle fell shrieking to the ground, sprawled out like a creature who had been run over by a cart.

“Put me DOWN!” The weyrling screamed, fighting uselessly against her grinning captor. “And there she is! Dragonfires Saeo, have you had to snare your own tunnelsnakes for food? You’re even even more of a wimp than you were when you left!” “I said put me DOWN! I swear, I’ll have Cherilith eat you alive!!” “Kae, you put your sister down right this minute! You’ll have her head off and rolling!” FRECKLE MAUL BAD BLUEPEST!! “Ow! Something’s got me!” “Don’t hurt her you brute! That salamander happens to be mine!” ~COOOOOME BY A HIIIIILLS TO DA LAAAAND WERE LIFE ISA SOOOOOOONG~

Pandemonium ensued.

Saeo was plopped unceremoniously back on her feet as the young man who had been holding her –Kae- attempted to remove Freckle from his ankle without snapping her neck in the process. The woman who had been scolding him –an older woman with dark hair- hurried over to tug the girl into a tight embrace. A younger boy of about fifteen joined in shortly thereafter, and a young woman sharing the same dark hair of the other three moved to help remove Freckle from Kae’s ankle. She succeeded -if only because Freckle had to open her jaws to shriek indigence at having another female enter her space- and the little green fell sprawled to the ground once again. Baby continued singing until Cheat –skimming T'ke's hair in a fly by attack- nearly took his head off. When the chaos finally ebbed and Saeo was set free, she andvanced on T’ke and pulled him forward by the hand, beaming. “Well come on then! See, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Right.

“Jays Saeo, isn’t he a little young for you?” The young woman questioned skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the blueriders. “Yes, not that it matters because he isn’t mine.” Saeo countered matter-of-factly, gathering Freckle up from her dusty bed and setting her back down on her shoulder. The green keened piteously, more out of a desire for attention than actual discomfort. Her pride had been mortally wounded.

“Alright.” The girl smiled, nodding briefly. “T’ke, I’d like you to meet my family. That’s Kae,” She pointed to the young man Cheat had settled upon. He smiled crookedly and waved. “Inra,” She gestured toward the young woman, who offered a slight incline of her head. “Amone,” the boy smiled shyly, and mirrored Inra’s gesture. “And my mother Carmine…mum, where are dad Jaden and Ranin?” “The boys are off helping to unload the wagons.” The older woman smiled, wrapping an arm around her youngest son. “Jaden couldn’t come. She had her baby a few days before the caravan set out and wasn’t well enough to make the trip.” Saeo’s face lit up at once. “Really? Is it a boy or a girl? Has she named it yet?” “Sweetheat, don’t be rude. Finish the introduction.” A blank expression slipped over the girl's face briefly, then she turned to give T‘ke and apologetic look “Sorry. Everyone, this is T’ke…oh, of blue Garaeth. He’s a friend of mine from weyrling classes.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you T’ke.” Carmine smiled warmly, shifting Amone slightly so she could lean in and offer him a hug. Kae snorted his amusement, but the quick jab in the rib Inra gave him shut him up in a hurry.