He's out there somewhere, tall guy, can't miss him. I miss him terribly, but I've heard he's around somewhere on Pern again.
My name is Vrtanya. Raanatani, Vanya, see the connection? They couldn't decide what to call me so they mixed their names.
I like my name. I like my friends. I love my mother and father equally, and they always have something new to teach me.
I have a good ability with animals, like mother. I have a terrific understanding of the body and illnesses and health thanks to Dad. I suppose that I could be a healer, or a beast crafter, or even a dragon healer, if I put my self to it.
I want to ride, though. I want to be in the sky, with the sun on my shoulders and a dragon below me, the wind through my hair... Ahh, yes. I do.
I've hounded the poor Harper who comes through here, the one who helped Tran get his Apprenticeship in the hall, about the whole history of dragon kind. He said he'd look into it, but he also said that there is something strange going on with them, something about the South.
I'll look for it myself someday, only they won't let people who aren't appy's into the Harper Hall proper, will they? Guarded secrets, right?
Not as much as those vintners... Here's to them! **raises an imaginary glass, and toasts the air** The secrets they keep had better be passed on through the generations, that's all I have to say!
And here's to the dragon riders! I already see them eye to eye when they're standing on solid ground. I want so much to see them eye to eye while on my own Dragon's back!
**She takes a long drink, and smiles.** You know that I was Searched, by a rider at the Protectorate. I'll be spending some time talking to Tanis about her experience on the sands. Oh and Beao' and V'naard. Yes. Them. I'll have to see about them later. At any rate, I'll be closing this journal with a grin and a hope that some day, my flying dreams will be true.
His name is Mask, when he is scared he comes up to my head and wraps himself around my eyes, so I can't see! Silly thing!
"I can-- uph-- do it myself!" Vrtanya said, hefting a large sack of grain over her shoulder. She teetered a bit, then planted her foot back on the ground. Her teal eyes blinked and darted left and right. How to start moving without falling over...
"You know, my daughter, in a weyr, people help one another. It is the way of things..." Raanatani said, as she led another runner into the stable. "And with Thread on the way, it's best if you do accept the help that is offered."
With that, Vrtanya slid the heavy sack onto her arm, and leaned to Zebediah. He took it easily and walked into the stable. Vrtanya licked her lips, and knelt down to pick up a smaller basket of corn.
"Your mother is very wise," Zeb commented.
"Why can't I be that way?" Vrtanya chided before he could say more.
"No, you're just headstrong. She is too, you know. She gets her way." He grunted as the sack of gran was nestled into its nook, and he took the corn basket from Vrtanya and placed it high on the shelf above. "She told me that she believes you will ride. I think so too."
"Someday," Vrtanya said, sighing. "But if Thread falls and I can't be on a dragon to fight it... I hate looking up at it like this. It makes me feel so weak."
"I know what you mean, Vrtanya," Zeb admitted. "But until we get those anenothree tanks from Alabaster Weyrhold, we won't have much to do at all except hope that the riders take care of it all."
Vrtanya nodded, and grumped her way around the stable to make sure that all the runners were in their places. Two herdbeasts were still left, and they would certainly be more terrified of the dragons overhead than the vague silvery threads coming at them, though the latter was much more dangerous.
Someone else took care of the herdbeasts, and then Vrtanya heard her mother calling to the birds. Oddly, they always responded. The long-tailed and brightly green-violet birds came fluttering down from the tall parasol trees, and scooted into the rafters of the stable.
As the young woman watched, Thread began to fall above. There were always some dragons about, but now there was a whole Wing in the air above, the handsome men of the Stone Fury wing at the Protectorate had come to show off.
How she loved that! Big strong muscles holding on to the straps, legs tightly clutching around the dragon's neck... Bronzes and browns all, except one large white and bronze beauty from Sapphire soared around the land high enough to sear most of the thread as it burned through the air.
"Mmmmuaaaah! Ahhhh! Mama!!" Vrtanya heard someone... A child? One of the Fosterlings had been left outside during Thread?! She sprinted toward the sound, and first saw a goat which had chewed through its tether, and then followed the tether itself back to a small stone where a little girl sat on her butt crying her eyes out.
"There, it's all right!" Called Vrtanya. "Come here, let the goat go, he'll be fine."
"MMMMMMAAAAMA!!!!" She called out, good lungs on this one! Vrtanya knew this girl was a new arrival to the Cothold, and did not even quite remember her name.
She picked up the bawling youngster, guessing she was only about five turns old if that. She'd probably been among the goat kids when the one escaped, and clearly had to do her duty to keep up with it!
"What's your name, child?" Vrtanya attempted to calm her, cradling the girl's head near her shoulder and heading rapidly to the Cothold. "Who are you?"
"Sheeren," she stuttered out, "m'name's Sheeren..." She finally gripped Vrtanya's loose shirt with her grubby hand and held on as they bolted over the low hills. Finally the cothold came into view, and Vrtanya slammed her shoulder into the door.
"Let me IN!" She shouted, as the door did not yeild. They blocked the door from the inside, high enough that the young ones -- like Sheeren -- couldn't get out. Not so that adults like herself couldn't get in! She demanded it open again, loudly, and finally one of the others opened the door.
"Vrtanya! Sheeren! There you are!" Called one of the younger teen girls. "We've been worried!"
"You should be! She was all the way over the hills!" Vrtanya said, glaring at the young pair who were responsible for checking such things. Every generation of new Fosterling was responsible for the young after them, according to ability. Vrtanya's scolding did not go unnoticed by her mother. But Raanatani stood by.
Finally, the dark-haired woman's rage had left her, and her mother came to her side. Her slate-grey curls were slowly turning whiter with age, and Vrtanya smiled again at the thought that someday she might be as beautiful as her mother.
"You did the right thing, my daughter, they needed to hear that."
"You aren't mad at me?"
"For saving one of my Fosterlings? How could I ever?" Raanatani smoothed down her daughter's hair, and they waited out the Threadfall.
Later, two of the dragons from the Wing came down, making sure everything was all right. Raanatani explained how they almost lost one of their children but Vrtanya got her back in time.
"There's still a goat out there," she said, waving her hand at the hills.
H'ndar on his fine, sharp Cometh looked a little guilty. "Um, well, there was a goat... But Cometh was very ... um, hungry after his Flight!"
Vrtanya almost laughed, but then leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell the girl that... She followed him all the way out there..."
They shared a laugh, and then the riders were gone. Vrtanya stared after them with longing in her eyes.
