“Look at the blues, Gadrumon, Montiny! They’re the most handsome of the lot,” the seven turn old girl bubbled to the young boys.
“I think the bronzes are the better looking of the males, Katzy,” the oldest of the boys replied.
“I like them all, Montiny,” Gadrumon replied as he watched them in awe, “But our dear cousin, Katzy is right, the blues do have a majestic look though today.”
“Just watch, I’ll be a dragonrider someday!” Katzy stated, “before either of you even.” Her the light green eyed girl grinned at her cousins.
“Who knows Katzy, it’s everybody’s lifelong dream to ride a dragon, some no matter the rank of the dragon,” The 12 turn old boy told his little cousin.
“Like you, Gad?” Montiny asked his maternal twin brother. Gadrumon didn’t answer but continued to watch the display of the full wing awed by the grandness of it all.
Nine turns later
The shadow of Gadrumon’s, first turn Journeyman Miner, chiseled body stood out sharply against the dawn sky. He yawned and stretched looking to the West and below the ridge he now stood on. Spread out beneath him was his place of birth and where he’d been trained as a miner; Kutou Hold. His sharp blue-green eyes softened as he spied the hold’s latest turnlings kicking up their hooves and playing. The 21 turn old could almost hear the runnerbeasts nicker and whinny and he sighed. Out of sight and back to work, Gadrumon, he told himself running a hand over his shaven head before pulling an off white bandana out of his multi-pocketed wher-hide pants.
Gadrumon skillfully tied the bandana about his head before turning on his heals and heading back towards the newly crafted stone steps. The young man paused for a moment to look once again in wonderment at the natural dragon form that had been made by the long dead volcano. In the wing was a large lake ideal for a new weyr and the many dragon she promised to produce.
That was what Gadrumon was here for, it was still very secretive this new Weyr that would be established in the far Eastern Hemisphere of Pern. He along with a number of other miner crafters were scouted out by riders whom wished to occupy this area. True, Dawn Sisters, Rose Circle, and Harana Weyrs were near by but some of the riders were of the mind that the three weyrs were wearing themselves down in the process of helping Benden as well. Also the fact that a number of Holds had just recently been built in the last generation or two.
Nodding in respect Gadrumon finally made his way down the stairs only to be greeted by a large canine of black and dark tan coloring. By the higher pitch barking it was easy to tell that the canine was female.
“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Feyin,” Gadrumon’s soft tenor voice calmed the young mutt, “I got dibs on wakin’ the guys.” Here the blue-green eyed young man smirked and gave his canine the motion to sit. Sucking his breath the Journeyman Miner grinned.
“ALL RIGHT, M’FRIENDS,” he shouted with a voice that could have been thought to be from a Harper, “RISE AN’ SHINE. SUN’S A RISIN’ AN’ WE NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK. N’TRON’S COMING TODAY TO CHECK ON OUR WORK AND REPORT TO THE OTHERS. SO GET YA’SEFLS UP!” There were startled grunts from the doorless rooms that would some day be part of the higher weyrs. A number of young men and woman staggered out of the weyrs, some grumbling, others glaring at the “slave driver.” Then there were those who did both.
“Gadrumon, do you know nothing but work?” as a young man as he patted Feyin on the head.
“Only more work, my dear brother, Montiny,” Gadrumon grinned causing his spiky-blond haired brother to smile back, “We’re nearly done with making the weyrs now so we’ll be able to work on the lower caverns and the hatching grounds next if I’m not mistaken.”
Montiny nodded, his bright green eyes smiling, “That’s right, and it’s a good thing N’tron sent Seeker, that little white fire lizard of his, we might never have known that they’d be checking up on us today. Good thing they are too, trying to be secretive makes us more hungry and we can’t just climb down from here to gather some food.” As if on cue the brother’s stomachs growled in unision. The two brothers handed out the morning food, all that was left of their supplies, at the same time as handing out orders of what was to be worked on that day.
“You five,” Gadrumon smiled as he pointed at a group and turned to a clump of young woman, “And you seven, come with us, we’ll be starting work on the hatching grounds and lower caverns. You’ll be split up evenly between us. Ripul and Donmayo, you’ll be with me, I’ll need your expertise with the geothermals to heat the sands better.” Montiny quickly picked out three of the remaining women and three of them men. The two groups headed down the halls now well known to them together, a glow in each miner’s hand.
It was just as the two groups were going their separate ways that a white fire lizard, obviously of Sapphire Weyr breeding, flashed out of between chittering excitably as he landed on the forearm of Gadrumon. Seeker offered his right leg for the young Miner Crafter. The 21 turn old quickly relieved the fire lizard of the message and before he’d opened it all the way the little white was gone again. He read it as quickly as he could, reading never was his strong suit.
“N’tron says that Talor Cliff Weyr finally found out; says that one of the dragons let it slip in their excitement,” Gadrumon told them in his soft clear way. Montiny looked over his slightly younger brother’s shoulder and blinked.
“Weyrwoman Falora’s sending Beka, green Reth’s rider, along to confirm things,” Montiny smiled. He’d heard of the green rider and if he remembered correctly from rumors she was a fair sight to see. When he looked to his brother he found a grim face and the situation hit him; if Beka reported poorly about them and or their work back to the Weyrwoman they might be told to leave and the weyr might never be established.
“Cregin,” Montiny commanded of one of the Sr. Apprentice Miners; the woman stood a bit straighter ready for his orders, “Run back up to the others and tell them we need to make sure everything’s in perfect condition for inspection. The secret’s out and we’re going to be evaluated today whether we’re ready or not.” Cregin looked to Gadrumon to see if he had anything to add.
“He’s said everything I can think of,” replied the bandana clad man, “run the message like your sire and dam were raise in their craft, then come back down and help Sr. Journeyman Montiny and his group in the caverns.” Cregin nodded and dashed off, her tall lean body quickly disappearing back into the hopeful Weyr.
“OK, let’s get to work, N’tron said they’re arrive before midday meal,” Gadrumon nodded and the two groups finally separated.
“We’re lucky, Gadrumon,” Donmayo told the young man as she looked up from Ripul’s and her calculations and observations, “The geothermal aren’t too far a dig down and will be easy to set up. Shard it, we could heat the sands and the bathing pools of the Weyr easily.”
“Guess that explains why part of the Weyrlake is a natural hotspring while the other side is like a cold mountain waterfall,” Gadrumon replied thoughtfully as he looked about the hatching grounds shell, absently lifted his feet every few minutes. The sands weren’t properly heated yet but somehow they were a bit toasty even if it was coming close to noon.
“Gadrumon, you talk as if you forgot that the lake is both fed by hot springs and a cold waterfall,” Ripul told him seriously looking over his glasses. Gadrumon grinned sheepishly; he had forgotten about that fact but unlike some men was able to admit his faults… at least in expressions, not very easily from his own mouth. The group chuckled at him causing the Journeyman to blush.
Two trumpets sounded saving Gadrumon from any further embarrassments. Once again, the young man returned to his leadership roll.
“Riket,” he commanded of one of the young men, “inform my brother’s group to come outside to greet our guests and also tell Cregin to relay the message to those still in the upper weyrs once more.” Riket nodded and was off, not as fast as Gadrumon’s last messenger but fast enough for one of his girth. “Everybody outside then,” he smiled as he spied the emerald wings of a green dragon glide past the opening above the hatching sands. The six Miner Crafters walked out of the sands at a casual pace and turned their eyes and head upwards as they entered the Weyrbowl. Rukbat was bright and nearing her zenith by now as the four women and two men had to shield their eyes from the glare.
Soon two forms, one bigger than the other blotted out the brightness above them. Gadrumon covered his face as the two dragon back winged. To the surprise of the spectators the smaller of the dragons was the blue. The green was huge for her coloring and was a full head taller than N’tron’s blue.
“Welcome, Talor Cliff Weyr Dragonriders,” Montiny called out as he and the rest of the Miners finally joined his young brother’s work group. The spiky haired blond bowed quickly after that. By the time he’d risen, Gadrumon noticed mildly, Beka and N’tron had dismounted and already stripping themselves of their warm riding gear.
“Beka, Searchrider and green Reth’s rider,” the naturally white haired young man announced formally to the green rider, “These are the Journeymen twins Gadrumon and Montiny of Kutuo Hold’s Miner Craft Hall, and head of the Weyr excavating crew.”
Beka looked at N’tron who seemed to find that it was time he was silent. Beka was not one to easily get mad but she seemed to be on her last few straws. Despite this fact, Beka nodded politely to the workers.
“How is the construction coming if I may ask, Montiny is it?” she asked Gadrumon causing both brothers to look surprised and then the real Montiny to look annoyed.
“I’m Montiny green rider!” he stated in his annoyance but was quickly silenced by Beka’s look of apology. Gadrumon smiled trying to lighten the green rider’s mood.
“If you’d like, Searchrider Beka, we could show you what we’ve been able to do in these few months,” Gadrumon suggested helpfully. Beka looked at N’tron who now seemed to find that scratching his blue Zhantrenth’s eyeridge was much more important that looking her direction.
“Lead on, Journeyman Miner,” she replied after a quick mental communication with her dragon; Reth laid down, her eyes whirling happily at the group before her. Montiny and Gadrumon did lead the way and first showed Beka the areas they were working on at that time. As they toured the future Weyr the other Miner Crafters took turns in showing off the rooms. It was when they were nearly to the summit of the Weyr when Beka finally spoke in curiosity.
“I’ve noticed most of the weyr’s we’ve gone through so far seemed to be as smoothly cut as Fort Weyr, why is that?” she asked turning to Gadrumon in particular. He blinked at the suddenly asked question and finally shurged.
“I’ve been asking myself that ever since we started this project,” he replied his blue-green eyes on the stairs he’d descended earlier that day, “I mean we found a number of the weyrs nearly finished.”
“Near as we can figure,” Montiny continued on for his flabbergasted brother, “this was a potential Weyr sight long ago as well but for some reason was never finished. Our guess is that the Weyr wasn’t as safe as they thought when the first Weyrfolk tried to settle…”
“Either that,” Gadrumon continued once again, “or they dropped the project because there weren’t many holding over here. Now there is and we believe there may be a need for another Weyr in the North… that’s why we took on this job, to help out our home.” Beka nodded her understanding as they finally reached the rim of the Weyrbowl. To the miners’ surprise Reth was there waiting for them having flown up during the tour. Gadrumon smiled thoughtfully.
“I hope this Weyr is full of dragons like her some day,” he smiled as he walked over bravely to feel the hide of the green, “with the help of my brother and our associates perhaps it will happen some day soon.”
“Reth,” Beka suddenly commanded and Gadrumon was startled at the speed the green stood. He turned to Beka a little annoyed at her having done that with him next to the dragon, “shouldn’t have been so close. But it’s a good thing too, I believe you’ll be coming back with me to and N’tron to Talor Cliff Weyr to make a full report to the Weyrwoman… also if you’d like, Reth says that you are a fine candidate for the clutch on the sands. Biggest clutch Talor Cliff has ever had; 40. So would you like to stay longer than just to report to Weyrwoman Falora?”
Gadrumon was speechless while his friends were practically ecstatic. He finally looked to his slightly older maternal twin brother. Montiny seemed a bit crossed for a time but the glint in his eye told his younger brother that he was in quite the opposite mood. Gadrumon still wanted his brother to answer him vocally.
“Look, if you don’t go I’ll clobber you’re sorry arse till its as black and blue as some of the dragons I’ve seen in my life time,” Montiny playfully boxed his brother’s shoulder. Gadrumon immediately went on mock defense yet made short work of his brother by softly landing his fist into his brother’s chin. Montiny was quick to put on a show of being hit hard and swaggered over to Beka.
“Can you see it?” he asked, “Am I bleeding?” Beka looked some how falling for the trick and found herself with a kiss on the cheek from the cheeky lad. Beka moved to swat the sly twin and connected with the young man at the same time as Gadrumon clodded his brother on the arm.
“Montiny, quite playing around and take charge of this grounds,” he smiled ruffling his brother’s head, “I expect it to be finished and ready to take riders by the time I visit here again.”
“In other words you mean in a turn or two, eh?” Montiny chuckled indicating he thought his brother would impress. Gadrumon glared at his brother and chuckled before gathering his things
Gadrumon wave a fair well to the crew working on the Weyr just as landed upon the Weyr’s rim to take on the passenger. Something told Gadrumon that he wasn’t riding with Beka because of his brother’s sly move. As they lifted into the air, the 21 turn old man was once again awed by the strength and grace of dragons. His stomach growled moments before they went between.
“N’tron,” Gadrumon shouted back at the blue rider, “Did you leave the crew with their next week’s supply of food?” N’tron stiffened behind the young man.
“Shards and shel…” N’tron’s curse was lost upon the skies above the new Weyr and Kutuo Hold as Zhantrenth disappeared between.
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