Everything’s Lost To The Wind (3/5)

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 2nd May 2026

Characters: T'zha
Description: T’zha goes to see his sister.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 28 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Irrkali
This is a followup to “Leaf On The Wind” from last year - the storm Threadfall. Part 3 of 5.

Igen Weyr and Dolphin Cove Weyr were not close.

One was on the Northern Continent, one on the Southern. If one drew a
line from Igen southwards through the ocean between, it would not
intersect with Dolphin Cove territory at all. In fact, it would be
west of Barrier Lake. Thus, it would be several timezones behind. So
when the Threadfall ended after noon local time for Dolphin Cove, when
the Infirmary began to fill not just with the healers and wounded, but
with people looking to be in with their injured friends and family, it
was still the second half of night at Igen, that time after midnight
but before dawn.

Despite the wide ocean between them, despite the timezones of
difference, when Igen dragon Haijuth heard a plaintive connection from
Jeath, the green’s mindvoice almost a wail and colored with despair
and fear and grief, he told his rider, }:We must go!:{

T’zha had been dreaming deeply and peacefully, so it took a moment for
Haijuth’s fear and distress to reach and rouse him. He staggered to
wakefulness, sitting up in bed and reaching outwards for clothes as he
connected to his dragon. **What is it?**

}:Jeath called. Threadfall. Her rider is in pain. Crippling pain. The
Infirmary. She is terrified. They need us.:{

**Make our excuses to the wing, please.** He flipped over the
glowbasket and threw a look at the calendar on his wall as he stumbled
to the wardrobe for clothes. It wasn’t a Threadfall day. It wasn’t a
wing drill day. He had a sweep that afternoon, but surely if he told
his Wingleader that his sister was injured, possibly dying… it was
_family_, he had to go.

**Irrkali…** He pictured her small frame lying broken in an Infirmary
bed. A horrific set of images paraded through his mind’s eye. Visions
of his beloved eldest sister, his inspiration, his challenger, danced
in his mind.

And so did visions of those he’d known harmed in Threadfall. Like any
rider, like any Weyr resident who stayed there long enough, he knew
the horrors fighting the ancient menace could do to the body. The
injuries he’d seen on dozens of friends over the Turns, ones that had
been recovered from, ones that had proven fatal. Bloodied, battered,
burned; missing an arm, missing a leg, missing part of her face. But
always in his vision, she was alive despite the horrific wounds.

Because Jeath had called for Haijuth. Meaning Jeath was alive. Meaning
Irrkali was alive. And whole in dragonbond. She might be suffering
from mental and emotional scars, but she wasn’t…

Alone.

Bereft.

A walking shell of a person.

Like D’norix - no, not anymore - Dorix, now.

He had to shove away thoughts of the dragonless man who he had
complicated, gut-twisting feelings for in order to keep going. But
clearing out the memory of one nightmare made space for another -
faces of the dead who’d been lucky enough to go with their dragons
(N’dirran. Seivra. E’skarin.) - and chasing those off replaced with
the faces of those who were maimed and still here (B’harv’s missing
leg. N’haer’s absent arm. The ruin of Kirshe’s cheek and eye.)

Jeath was alive - his sister was alive - but if it was intense enough
to call for him, for how long?

He pulled on trousers and a tunic as fast as he was able, shoved his
feet into boots that were half-laced and took four stumbling steps
before realizing he’d need to secure the laces if he wanted to fly
without his boots falling off. Losing one /between/ or dropping it in
the hot sands of either Weyr would be a mistake. He shrugged on a
jacket and pulled a helmet down awkwardly as he grabbed straps.

}:Our Wingleader says to take the day. Sejanth will take our sweep. We
can take two of theirs next time,:{ Haijuth interrupted.

**Good,** T’zha thought, as he got to his ledge. He wasn’t stupid
enough to go /between/ without any straps, not in a non-emergency, but
he wasn’t going to rig a full Threadfall or guest harness up for a
quick trip. One chestplate and neck and belly strap with a loose
saddle to clip into rigged up, and he scrambled up Haijuth and clipped
in. Almost as soon as his read was down, the blue leapt into the air,
beating his wings hard in the chill and thin pre-dawn air to achieve
height above its still bowl, in a low caroling tone he sent a greeting
to the watchdragon.

T’zha thought of Dolphin Cove in the afternoon, the way the sun shone
on the bright sand, and flickered off the rocky faces of the Weyr, the
sea sparkled in warm lighting. He’d only visited two months ago, for a
family picnic with Irrkali and her three children, and their sister
Kalizha and her two. It had been so peaceful then… but on a Fall day,
how was it? Igen was often still busy for hours with a scramble of
dragons and riders and support staff all occupying… With his nerves
scrambled, he wanted a good reference.

**Haijuth, could you - ** he started.

}:I have a reference from Jeath,:{ the blue answered before he could
finish. }:It is clear.:{

Well, that said good things about Irrkali, if her green was calmed
enough for a good image. He concentrated his will and intentions to
lend support to Haijuth’s image, and held a breath for the count of
four, re-emerging from /between/ into the heavy oppressive heat of
midday storms.

The image had been clear enough to /between/ with, but T’zha hadn’t
sat to try to parse it. Coming out into rainfall was unpleasant. The
winds were stronger than expected, the sky rumbled. The fact he hadn’t
zipped his flight jacket fully a mistake as sideways rain immediately
went to the not-waterproof tunic and slide its way down his body, his
cap nearly knocked off by wind. Haijuth descended rapidly, heading
towards an entrance to the Lower Caverns and letting T’zha unclip and
slide off. }:I will find Jeath to sit with, or see if another will
shelter me. You go to your sister,:{ the blue said confidently, as
T’zha ran inside and asked for directions.

T’zha burst into the Infirmary at a rapid walk and approached the
youth with a writing board sitting at the desk. “Hi, I’m T’zha. My
sister is Irrkali. Her dragon says she’s here. Is she - can I -”

The boy ran his finger down a list on his desk. “She’s not in a
cubicle,” he said after a moment. “Master Xehanis?”

A man came over in response to the boy’s call, looked over T’zha, and
said, “Can I help you, bluerider?”

“I’m T’zha. My sister is Irrkali. Her dragon Jeath reached out to my
dragon Haijuth, saying her rider was in distress and needed us.
Summoned us right from Igen Weyr. Sun’s not even up.” He wondered if
he looked a fright, with sodden hair and widened eyes, in what was
clearly older flying gear not properly assembled, wearing foreign
knots.

Last updated on the May 24th 2026

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Everything’s Lost To The Wind (3/5)