Hold Your Family Close

Writers: Aaron, Halyonix
Date Posted: 26th December 2024

Characters: D'men, Y'rim, Sareya, Ferros, Daslim, S'ros
Description: The family reacts to the incident at BLW
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 2, day 7 of Turn 12

D'men

"So I was telling Grandma during our rounds yesterday that I think I'm ready to try suturing a dragon wing next time," Sareya said, picking at her sweet delicately as she walked alongside Y'rim. They had been tasked with finding a certain delicacy -- citron glazed cake balls -- and Sareya was eating hers before her brothers could steal it.

"Oh, is _that_ why you've been practicing on that gauze stuff?" Y'rim asked.

Sareya nodded. "It takes a delicate hand and I'm determined to get it right! If any of the family's dragons get Scored, I figured I should be there to help, right? They'll know me and want me-- Y'rim, what's wrong?"

The wiry greenrider had stopped in his tracks and was staring up at some empty space ahead. His skin was paling by the heartbeat. Sareya wrapped her hand around his arm. "Y'rim?"

And then the dragons started keening.

"Oh no," she breathed. "Y'rim, who? What's happening? Dad! We have to get to Dad!" She tugged on the greenrider's arm urgently. "Y'rim!"

"...Riyanth..." he murmured, his dark eyes gathering tears. "Oh, Riyanth..."

The Weyrwoman's dragon?! Was that who the dragons were keening for?

Oh, this is bad. This was very, very bad.

"Y'rim, we have to find Dad!" And then Grandma Rasme. Dad and Grandma would know what to do. Sareya pulled the disoriented greenrider along. "Dad!" she yelled.

"Dad? Pops?" Ferros was tapping their arms as S'ros held a sobbing D'men.

"You've got to pull it together for now, love," S'ros said softly next to his ear. He took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and hiccupped.

"What happened?" Ferros demanded.

"It's... Riyanth," said S'ros. "She's gone."

"What...? Where's Daslim?"

Daslim had sprinted off to find Y'rim and Sareya and intercepted them on their way back.

"What's happening?" he asked as he took their hands.

"Das!" Sareya cried. "I don't know. The dragons are keening and Y'rim keeps saying Riyanth's name. I think...I think something happened to the Weyrwoman's dragon. Where's Dad and Pops?"

"They're back here with Ferros. Come on! ... Y'rim? Are you all right?" Daslim rubbed the back of his hand. "Come with us."

"Oh, h-how could this have h-happened?" Y'rim softly wailed as tears streamed down his cheeks. The two youngsters pulled him along towards the rest of the family. "H-How?"

"Daslim," Sareya murmured as they hurried. "Do you think...someone _did_ something to the Weyrwoman? Like, maliciously?" Hadn't bad people been hurting dragonriders at Dolphin Cove too? Had those bad people made it to Barrier Lake?

"I don't know..." Daslim did not want to think about such a possibility. He was relieved, however, to see when they rejoined the others that D'men had composed himself. Mostly.

"You're all right!" D'men pulled the three into a quick huddle with Ferros and S'ros. Of course, he had known that Quiroanth and Piketh were alive, but there were no other guarantees. He, too, had certainly considered that the dragonkillers had come.

Y'rim collapsed into that hug, sobbing incoherently. A strong wind whirled around them as two blues and a green landed nearby, adding to the family collective. Quiroanth lowered her head towards Daslim, her eyes drained grey in mourning.

"Dad, should we...should we go find Grandma?" Sareya asked. Rasme was probably really busy taking charge of everything but maybe she needed help?

"We will," said S'ros. He leaned his head atop Y'rim's as D'men held him close and stroked his cheek. Ferros fell out of the circle a bit, but he understood that Y'rim needed the consolation, so he hugged him around his middle while Daslim closed the hug with Y'rim in the center.

"We will," D'men confirmed. "For now, Piketh is all right. She's not in danger."

Sareya looked towards the rest of the milling crowds with an expression that was equal parts worry and determination. "You're right. She'll handle it," she said with the faith of someone who had never been truly tested. She noticed that for all of the clamor, none of the dragons were leaving. Everyone was just...staying?

"I h-hope who did this....oh, I h-hope they get left on Red Star!" Y'rim said, uncharacteristic anger coloring his tearful tone. "H-How could someone attack the Weyrwoman?!"

"I don't know..." It hit far too close to home for D'men. If anything had happened to Rasme...

"I'll take 'em for you," said S'ros.

Y'rim started wiping his eyes. "Quir says we're all to stay put while...while they figure this out. Rasme's orders. Oh, this is awful!"

At the mention of her grandmother, Sareya immediately perked up. "See?! I knew she'd know what to do!" she replied proudly. "I guess then...that's all we need to do? Wait for more orders?" she wondered aloud, as if she were finally figuring out that sometimes there wasn't something that actually _could_ be done except wait. And waiting sucked. She wanted to do something! To be helpful!

"We should probably head up to a weyr," said D'men. "Be out of the way." And safe. Y'rim nodded, agreeing. Sareya eventually nodded.

S'ros had been hoping to spend the evening a bit differently. But who had not been?

Last updated on the January 30th 2025

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Hold Your Family Close