Rogue Campsite

Writers: April, Gino Holland
Date Posted: 23rd June 2006

Characters: B'drin, V'kor
Description: B'drin stumbles on Vykor's hiding place
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 27 of Turn 3

B'drin smiled as he glided. It had been wonderful the first time. Now that they had a little more freedom, it was better. He still couldn't go between, but who needed to. He had the sky to enjoy. He told his handsome brown to glide to the shore a bit away from the weyr. It was a beautiful view. He was taking a deep breath when he found a faint odor on the wind.

It smelled like badly prepared fish being left to char in an untended fire. He was not one to allow for that kind of mistreatment of fish. He told his brown to land.

Once on the ground, he followed his nose to a little clearing next to the river a ways down from the Weyr. He was surprised to find an interesting little camp. He quickly moved the fish before it could char more and followed a voice he heard coming through the trees a ways up. It sounded like someone fighting with something.

"Come on, stop fighting. Get over here so I can eat you. You were put here to feed me and nothing more. Stop fighting your destiny. Come oooooooonnnnnnnnnn" Vykor couldn't believe how much trouble this fish was giving him. It has to be huge. Large enough that he could get two or three meals at least out of it. More if he didn't burn this one also. Wavebird tried to help. He dove in to grab the fish, but missed. On his second run, he got hold, but it was still too big to lift out on his own. As it was, Vykor was having an easier time bringing it in, but it was still tough fighting.

B'drin smiled as he sent a mental command to his flit to assist. Pan dove out of nowhere and began to pull the fish toward shore. The fish was already tired from fighting the young man. B'drin had to stifle a laugh at the scene before him Vykor brought the fish in. It was a monster. He had never seen one this big before. It had to be at least a foot and a half long and at least twenty pounds. Four meals if he burned it, at least. He looked over at the brown flit that arrived. "Thanks, little man. Where did you come from?"

"From me." B'drin stated simply. He laughed when the young man jumped. "Forgive my intrusion. I didn't mean to interrupt but I smelled your fish and thought I'd see if I could help. Your lucky I happened by, or it may have been unsalvageable."

Vykor spun around so fast that he stepped on a slick stone and fell flat on his bottom, on a rather pointy section of rock. "Ow." was all he could manage for a greeting of his guest.

B'drin stepped over to give the man a hand. He gripped his arm and gave a heave to right him. Once righted he deftly scooped up the fish and began to lead back to the small camp he had seen. "Have you been out here long?"

Vykor received a sudden attack of paranoia. "Are you here to take me back? I'm not going."

"Why would I do that and where would be taking you?" B'drin was only slightly confused. He deftly began skinning and preparing the fish. He had a belt knife on him and worked the fish like an expert.

"You weren't sent to bring me back to the Weyr?" Vykor felt stunned, though he already knew the answer.

"Why would I do that? We've just met. I don't know you or why your out here. I just happened to smell burning fish. I can't let a person do such horrible injustice to a fish." He glanced sown at his work and turned to find a stick to start the fish cooking. "There you go. That should feed you for a bit."

"Thanks. Umm... I'm Vykor. I've been out here for a few months now. I don't know exactly how long its been, I haven't been really keeping track." He walked over to a basket that looked obviously and poorly handmade and began pulling out some tubers and redfruit.

"Well the fact that you are still alive means you must have done aright on your own. You have any herbs or spices?" He asked as he glanced around.

"Not really." Vykor said as he blushed a little with embarrassment. "What you see here is all I have."

"Not a problem I can work with it." He took one of the redfruits and cut a slice or two from it. He smeared it on the already cooking fish. He then took several stones and put them close to the fire to heat. He put the tubers off to the side. He then fished in his pocket to see what he had on him. Then remembering that he ahd come out with a small bag of stuff for a small picnic. He quickly stood and went to collect it from his dragon. He carefully laid out its contents. "I'm B'drin by the way. The brown fellow over there is Lumyth."

Vykor looked at the dragon with longing and a bit of jealousy. "All I've got is Wavebird. I've stood at three hatchings, but I haven't been fortunate enough yet."

"Doesn't mean you won't. The only way you won't is by staying out here." He pulled out a couple meatrolls and a skin of fresh juice, which he offered to Vykor first.

Vykor accepted them with a hasty thanks and bit into the meatroll. "This is the best I've ever had. Did you make these yourself?"

"Yes." He smiled, "Here this will help wash it down. I don't get as much time to cook as I used to. Lumyth pretty much takes up all my time now."

"I'm sure you'll get back into the kitchen soon enough. Its obvious you like it or you wouldn't be so good at it."

"My father used to tell me it was not good enough. He always found a problem with what I made. I started experimenting. I made myself get better." He shrugged, "He thought it was women's work. He hated my cooking."

"How could he hate food like this? You could probably make senior apprentice in the crafthall in two weeks or less with food like this."

"He wanted a son not a daughter. That's how he sees cooking. Its for women not men. I'm fine with it. I'm happy with where my life has lead me now. I didn't let my father dictate where my life should lead. I made my own choice." He pulled the fish off and quickly laid it out on the sack he had been carrying. "Do you have a basket to put the extra in?"

Vykor moved over to his bed, a rudimentary hammock under a rock outcropping. Behind it he pulled out a medium sized rock. Bringing it over, he revealed that it was actually hollow and had a very loosely fitting cover. "Actually, I keep any leftovers in here. It seems to last longer, but I don't know why. So how did you come to the Weyr then?"

"I got lucky and was searched. My father wasn't happy with it at first." He smiled as he put the extra fish in the slightly eroded stone. It was shallow but worked for this purpose. "He wanted me to be a smith like him. He came to the hatching and watched me impress Lumyth. All he could say was he was glad it wasn't a green."

"What's wrong with a green? I'd be happy to impress anything, honestly, though if I had to pick one, I think I'd prefer a blue."

"He didn't want a homosexual son. Me I was just happy to be there. I have quite a few good friends that are blue and green riders." He nibbled of some of what he'd brought.

"No offense, but he doesn't sound like much of a father. Not that mine was."

"He thought he was doing right. Well, I gotta get going. I don't want to get in trouble. Lumyth and I are still weyrlings and the Weyrlingmaster would not be happy if we are late getting back. Not to mention his second." He smiled as he stood. He bowed his thanks as he moved of to his dragon. "If you ever need anything just tell Wavebird to find Pan." HE sprang into his place on Lumyth's neck and gave a wave in goodbye.

After a mere moment, Vykor realized that B'drin had left everything behind. He tried waving to him to get his attention as well as sending Wavebird, but it didn't do any good. "Oh well." he said to himself. "I'll try to get them cleaned up for him if I ever see him again."

Last updated on the June 29th 2006

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