It's Not the Destination

Writers: Duskdog
Date Posted: 17th March 2024

Characters: G'zan
Description: Panghuth doesn’t understand why a man climbs a mountain
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 6 of Turn 11

G'zan

Panghuth understood her rider more deeply and completely than anyone else ever could. And yet still, there were things that she could not understand, things that she assumed were just _human_ things that made no sense to a dragon, as many human things did not.

He was restless, that much she knew. While she was content most of the time to nap in the sun, or sit quietly and watch dragons come and go from the Weyr, her rider was not. He couldn’t just sit in the peacefulness of their weyr and relax, or read, or work on something alone. Even when he was just mending her straps, he preferred to take his work outside or down to the Lower Caverns where he could socialize with others while he worked. Her own company alone was rarely enough… and this did not upset her, because it was a simple fact. Panghuth understood that what he sought from others of his kind was different than what he needed from her, and it did not diminish their bond in any way. She could always feel him, and he could always feel her. His joy, his amusement, his excitement -- she could feel all of these things from afar as he felt them, and it made her glad that he was glad.

His craving to do dangerous things was something that she couldn’t quite grasp, however. She could admit to herself that she may not be able to accurately determine what was dangerous to him, at least. After all, what does a dragon know about diving or crawling into caves or climbing cliffs?

**Not a sharding thing,** said G’zan cheerfully, halfway up just such a cliff.

}:I could just fly you to the top,:{ she replied, not for the first time since they arrived, and certainly not for the first time ever considering all the times he had done this before, even though she couldn’t actually remember those other times except for a vague understanding of “this has happened before”.

**That’s, ungh --** he paused in the midst of swinging himself to the right to grasp onto a new handhold, **-- not the point, baby.**

}:And what _is_ the point, again?:{

**The climb!** He raised a foot up, feeling around for the next solid foothold, until he found one and hefted himself up in search of another with his other foot. **You could /between/ anywhere you want, but sometimes don’t it feel nice to just _fly_?**

Panghuth pondered this for a moment, giving the question proper thought. Not everything her rider said was intended to be taken seriously, and not every question he asked was intended to be answered, but the green could rarely tell the difference, and so treated most of what he said with the consideration that she felt that G’zan deserved. }:...I prefer whatever is most efficient,:{ she decided.

**Should’ve known you’d say that.** He probably shouldn’t be as distracted as he was, considering this was the part of the climb that he’d estimated as being the hardest, but he didn’t really let himself worry about things like that. He’d be fine. He was always fine. **Hey, can you see that little thingy up above me and to my left?**

}:I see rocks. What part of the rock is a “thingy”?:{ Even as she asked the question, she knew exactly what he meant. She could see it in his mind and feel the momentary blank space there as he searched for a word that he either did not know, or couldn’t recall. }:Yes, I see the outcropping. You can reach it, it has space for your hand, and looks strong.:{

**Thanks, baby, you’re the best.** He reached up for the handhold, and started the process of hauling the rest of his body up just a few more handspans, one hand or foothold at a time.

Panghuth’s tail flicked lazily. }:I know.:{

She still didn’t understand. But he was happy, and so she was happy, too.

Last updated on the March 19th 2024

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It's Not the Destination