Supporting a Friend

Writers: Heather, Avery, Aaron
Date Posted: 13th February 2024
Series: Lavender Run

Characters: Zavek, Brennault, A'vel
Description: A'vel provides a ride to Brennault's friend "Dallec" - Zavek in disguise.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 13, day 29 of Turn 10

Brennault

All the pieces were in place. The only thing left to do now was to
actually follow through with the plan. Alfalfa had been left with his
stable manager, and Moonshade would be seen to by the other
stablehands at Lavender Run. He'd told his workers that he was leaving
to see about a new prized breeding mare for the stable, which had been
completely plausible since he took the bloodlines of his runners very
seriously.

Once he was at the tree where he and A'vel usually enjoyed some
privacy far outside of Lavender Run, he changed into the clothes from
the Weyr that Brennault had smuggled to him as part of his 'disguise.'
Not that it should be too hard to blend into the many different types
of folk that lived at Dolphin Cove.

He didn't have to wait long at their rendezvous spot before a green
dragon appeared in the air. A sudden bout of nerves attacked him.
**What am I doing? Why am I risking this? What if someone there
recognizes me?** He simultaneously talked himself in and out of going
the entire time he watched the green come to a landing.

Brennault slid down to the ground and gave Tsogath his customary hug
for the ride. It would be a little bit of a tight squeeze to fit all
three of them, but he could not deny he was looking forward to a tight
squeeze between these two.

He led A'vel to the tree and grinned. Zavek was always handsome, but
there was something fun about seeing him in the disguise. It was a
shame they would have to wait to give each other the most proper
hello. He doubted Zavek was ready to be watched.

Marvel flew up into the branches to play lookout as usual. He did not
even need to ask him by this point.

"A'vel, this is Dallec." Pseudonyms were safe nyms. "Dallec, this is
A'vel and his lovely, beautiful dragon, Tsogath."

"Hello Dallec," A'vel said with a smile. "Brennault hasn't told me
much about you for safety's sake. But since you're important to him,
I'm thrilled to be helping out. Tsogath is excited for this pick up
and drop off. She's probably going to sniff at you before you get on
her, I'm sorry in advance."

Tsogath was, in fact, moving her head around to stare at them.

Zavek had never met a dragon before, but he stood patiently, as he did
with runners, waiting to be sniffed. Runners liked it when a human
exhaled softly so they could breathe in their scene but... he didn't
know if dragons did that and he really didn't want to risk those teeth
he could see peeking out of the green dragon's muzzle.

Tsogath's head snuck ever closer to Dallec and her nostrils flared as
she took some sniffs. Then she let out a little 'chuff' of breath and
set her head down flat on the ground.

}:I like him. Pet me.:{

A'vel relayed, "She wants scratches," and leaned forward to show how
to scratch the eyeridges and forehead knobs.

Zavek cracked the smallest smile as he reached up and replicated
A'vel's actions. "Aren't you a beautiful girl," he said, using the
same voice he did when working with runners.

Brennault happily gave Tsogath more scratchies, too, once it was his turn.

"Oh you've done it now, you're going to be her new best friend," A'vel
said, smiling and laughing about it.

His face turned more serious. "I don't want to know your real name, I
imagine it's safer that way. But is there anything I do need to know?"

Zavek considered the question. "The only important thing I think you
need to know is that I've never flown before."

A'vel nodded. "Pushing off is a jolt. Ascent can be rapid or slow, so
she'll go very slow. I'll warn you before /between/. It's extremely
cold and dark, and you won't feel anything, but we'll still be there.
Three slow deep breaths worth, then we'll be out. Maybe five if you're
breathing really fast."

He looked over Dallec's disguise, wondering if his coat would be enough for it.

"Don't actually try to breathe, though," Brennault cautioned.

Zavek logged all of the pertinent information. Some of it he'd been
taught briefly as a part of his beastcrafter training, but it wasn't
information that had ever really pertained to him before now.

"Got it," he said, looking into the whirling eye of the green dragon.
He trusted her to get him there safely.

"Here we go," A'vel said. Tsogath laid all of herself flat. A'vel
checked the second set of passenger straps, then nodded. "Okay,
Brennault, do you mind going first and sitting at her back? Then we
can get Dallec in front of you."

So much for squeezing in between! But he was not about to argue with
the expert. He was already asking enough of him and Tsogath as it was.

"You're the boss, boss!" He climbed up and strapped himself in. He was
no expert, but he was familiar enough with it not to need help.

Since he was the least experienced at riding, Zavek was relieved to be
the middle of the three-man sandwich. The thought of being in the
front of hanging off the back, as his mind imagined it, was not a
pleasant thought. After Brennault was up, Zavek followed suit,
settling in front of the other man.

A'vel watched in approval as Dallec climbed up. "Good mount for your
first time!" he said appreciatively. He then pulled himself up onto
Tsogath and turned round and buckled the strap between him and Dallec.
"Brennault?" he asked, checking that the one to tether those two was
set.

Once everything was ready, he said, "Hold on!" and told Tsogath to
jump as lightly as she could. The green bunched her legs and jumped
just enough she could beat her wings under her without scraping the
ground, and then she took long lazy wingbeats to climb up above the
trees to a height where she could /between/ comfortably.

One...two...three... A'vel counted the breaths, hoping his passenger
was doing OK in the cold and dark.

When they came out, his visualization had put them higher up so that
the true brilliance of Dolphin Cove was spread out before them, the
ocean to the left, the curve of the Weyrbowl to the right. Tsogath's
descent was slow and careful. So slow that another blue who came out
of /between/ and flew down normally appeared to race past them.

Once they reached his ledge, Tsogath touched down elegantly and
lightly. A'vel unbuckled and slid down, holding his hands out to help
Dallec.

"How was it?"

“Well,” Zavek’s face showed the hint of a grin, “it was very different
than riding a runnerbeast, that’s for sure. It was breathtaking. My
favorite part was the landing.”

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully returning back will be as nice as
the flight out here."

He gestured around his weyr as they entered it.

"I'm just a greenrider, so I don't have a lot of space. Here's the
sitting spot," which was a tiny couch and two chairs, set up around a
low table. There was a wardrobe to the side, one door open,
instruments hung inside.

"And behind the curtain is the bedroom." Which had a bed, a wardrobe,
and a side table.

"You can either use the inside corridor to get here, or walk up the
outside stairs right to the weyrledge," he said as a conclusion to the
tour.

"We'll probably come up the inside," said Brennault. "And this is
plenty of space compared to my bunk."

"Thank you, again," Zavek said to A'vel.

Last updated on the February 14th 2024

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