Planet Caravan
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Iluva, Sia
Date Posted: 19th April 2024
Characters: E'kavas, Th'reyos
Description: E'kavas and Th'reyos got more than they bargained for on this Sweep
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 13, day 9 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Brief mention of L'val
Mentor approved
This was not the sweepride he expected this morning. Sure, the rains
of the last few days were sure to cause issues along some of the
roads, but E'kavas hadn't expected it to be *this* bad. And neither
did the trading caravan, obviously, or they would have waited another
day or two before trying the road out of Opal Cove. The road was
entirely mud and the wagons sunk; and after a short relay to L'val,
E'kavas and Th'reyos were helping move each wagon out of the worst of
the mud and onto dryer land.
Which involved a bit of rope, patience, and sternly-thought threats to
Roquath about being on his best behaviour.
"Okay. Same as before, buddy. Easy now.." E'kavas said. Roquath leaned
back, watched the rope grow taut, and started to step backwards. The
wagon groaned a protest, but slowly slid out of the trench it'd been
mired in.
The other wagon shuddered, finally about to do the same. It drew up in
a sharp inhale for a moment, like a ship breaching a wave, but then
slowly pitched forward and to the right. Its sad trajectory ended in a
deflated and precarious slump, one wheel still refusing to turn.
Th’reyos sighed. His **Ease off a second** received some irritation.
_Someone_ was about as happy with the waiting as he was with having
his wagon still stuck and Roquath’s not.
The slackening of the rope however changed nothing; with so much of
the right front wheel sinking and so much of the left rear rising, the
wagon was becoming unbalanced. Clearly it was going to be even slower
than anticipated.
**Stay put, hero. Let's get the rest of the family off before you show
them what you can do.** The mud squelched as he took long, laborious
steps to the caravan wagon. **Zar, tell Roquath to tell-**
}:I already told him.:{
Mhmm. Right. So it was going to be like that. Th'reyos suppressed a
grin. “E'kavas!” He called instead. “Gotta get everyone off this one
before the wagon throws ‘em.”
}: He says be careful. :{ Roquath supplied to Zarkarth.
E'kavas untied the rope from Roquath's neck and worked on coiling it
back up, quickly and carefully to avoid it hitting the mud. "Do you
need help?" He called back, and then **Back up, bud. You're scaring
their runnerbeasts.**
}: They should be scared. They look like dinner. :{ Roquath said,
though he tilted his head to look curiously at the anxious runners. It
took another mental nudge from E'kavas for him to finally hippity-hop
back enough that the traders could try to re-harness their animals.
}: Tell him there’s no need to worry. :{ Zarkarth snapped wet
wingsails to his back with a -Crack!- that vomited a yelp out of a
child.
**Save it for the skies, hot shot.** Th'reyos frowned. **This ain't a race**
}: I'm not in a hurry. :{
**Yeah whatever. Just chill out. You already make ‘em nervous.**
}: I do? :{
**The little ones especially.**
It was Zarkarth’s turn to swivel his head curiously. }: He doesn't
seem _that_ much smaller than me. :{
**I’m not talking about Roq-**
}: I know. :{ The lightness dancing through their link was far too smug.
**Seriously. _Chill_.** He shoved back. A brief rumble in return, but
that was it. They were trying to help this wet family with their wet
goods escape a slip zone, not having a posturing match that was better
fought high above on the tail of a green. Different priorities,
clearly.
“Probably!” Th’reyos called back. Yes, he would need help, and
probably in more ways than one. Assessing the tract of mud islanding
passengers from solid ground, the handful of children aboard at least
would need carrying. “What do you reckon? Maybe tie a rope between
here and there-” a tree, Roquath, “so there’s a handhold to follow?”
"Yeah, good plan. Just a moment." E'kavas untied the rope from the
cart and carefully weaved back around. He tried to visualize where he
wanted Roquath to stand to get a good foothold. **Be _careful_.**
}: Runnerbeasts, yeah yeah. :{ Roquath did, at least, take the long
way around so as not to upset said beasts. And then proceeded to lay
down. Which was fine, in the grand scheme of having a sturdy handhold,
but meant that he'd need an extra bath once they got back.
E'kavas retied the rope and slowly made his way through the muck until
he could toss the rope over to Th'reyos.
Drumming a long-fingered hand against the wagon’s side, Th’reyos
leaned to face the occupants. “Aaaand what have we got? Leathers and
furs…” In an unsteady pause, his riding leathers constricting cold
around his calf, he smiled at a besieged woman with a besieging child
on her lap. Another, slightly older, fidgeting between her and who he
assumed was the father. “Ah and two strapping pups.”
Mud started swallowing little pieces of his kneecap. Th’reyos twisted
back toward E’kavas as he tossed him the end of the rope, which he
tied securely to the support rail. “Alright. C’mon pups, off before it
throws you off.”
The older child glanced at his father.
“Or, worse, y'know, throws your _goods_.”
The trader frowned then at Th’reyos’ bounce of his eyebrows and soft
chuckle. Or maybe it was the other meaning in those words, the muddier
implication. This was going well. He probably should have let E’kavas
do this part. Gesturing impatiently he then added, “Seriously. Off.
For safety.”
With the older child carefully supported in his arms - “It’s all good,
little man. I got you.” - he laboured back through the mud to E’kavas
with a rueful smile. “Trade you.”
E'kavas took the child with much more cheer than Th'reyos did,
cavalierly swinging him into his arms and wobbling just a little as he
made the slow trek back to solid ground. "Have you ever been this
close to a dragon, buddy?" He asked, "Well, Roquath's used to my kids
climbing all over him, so I bet he'd like a friend to pet him and tell
him he's doing a good job holding down the fort."
}: Excuse me. :{ Roquath didn't quite protest as they drew nearer,
opening one eye to lazily look at the startled child as he tentatively
and gently pat-patted the brown's neck. }: I guess I'll allow it. :{
"And you too, ma'am." E'kavas took the woman's hand, smiling warmly as
he helped her up the bank too before wading back out. "Anyone else
need to go?" He asked.
A low rumble as far-reaching as anything from Roquath or Zarkarth
rolled overhead. Darkening cloud cover, the promise of more rain.
Th’reyos yanked his head from inside the caravan wagon and
straightened, squinting up, then across the river of mud that no one,
nobody, not one person had asked to become a full-fledged lake as he
untied the rope.
He gathered it in loose coils and plucked a blue scarf stranded atop
the surface, shaking it as he made his way back to E’kavas. “Nah,
nobody but that fab family of four. Nobody but the rain.” He paused
beside him to wipe mud from the scarf onto soaked leather jacket.
“Think we’re getting out of here before it pours again, E’kavas? Or
are we lucky enough to get another bath?”
**Alright, big guy. Do your thing.**
Zarkarth didn’t need to be told twice. The big brown moved back a
half-step and the wagon’s wood panels squeaked plaintively into
another rumble from above. **Remember. Slow, easy.**
}: I will show you easy. :{ Another slow, full step back had the
wagon’s front end sink even lower, seemingly intent on escaping into a
thick, wet grave. Another step, the rope shivering with tension, and
it suddenly lurched forward with a moan, slithering up and out toward
the bank.
**Not bad.** Zarkarth’s annoyance was like thunder" loud in every
corner of his mind, but not enough to tune out Th’reyos’ chuckle
racing alongside it. Bathed in the petrichored breeze, he smiled at
E’kavas, pleased at their progress. There was a sense of flow, of
movement, being restored, as much around as there was above. Back on
dry-ish land, he offered the scarf to the crestfallen young woman.
“Oh, no. That’s a shame. My mother gave me this.” She clicked her
tongue, briefly inspecting the garment as her husband took their
child.
“Yeah. Sorry for that. Should wash out. For what it’s worth, though,
brown could be your color.” Her reaction forced his affectionate smile
into vague apologetic and him into departing to untie his dragon.
}: Good job, Zarkarth. :{ Roquath said calmly as the wagon pulled
itself free. }: Do you think we're good to go? :{
**Just about.** E'kavas told him, even as he too looked apologetic at
the woman and mouthed 'I'm sorry' at her from behind Th'reyos' back.
"We're a little biased, ma'am." He said instead, gesturing towards the
two dragons. "We should head out with them, anyway, so y'all can get
your animals harnessed back up. Hopefully the rain will hold off long
enough for you to get on sturdier land."
The woman pursed her lips, frowning a moment, then nodded. "Thank you
for your help, dragonriders." She said as she pocketed the
handkerchief. "We should be fine from here, as you said."
"We'll stop in at Opal Cove to report the road issue and that you're
on the way." E'kavas said. "We'll loop back to check in before we head
back to the Weyr, and advise our Wingleader to send another team out
once the weather clears. Good luck out there."
"Fly safe, sirs."
E'kavas smiled, nodded, and turned back to help get the dragons ready
to take off. "Let's see if we can beat the rain to Opal Cove."
Last updated on the April 22nd 2024