GRADUALLY, CONSCIOUSNESS returned to Varthikes. He heard the roar of waves crashing against a shore. He felt the coolness of water wash up behind him, then retreat before passing his tail. Pressing his claws down testily, he felt sand beneath him. He felt the weight of a body resting on his left arm and a cool breeze washing over his damp, scaled body.
Slowly he opened his eyes and was met by sunlight. Adjusting his eyes to the light, he saw a cliff rise a few paces from where he laid. He lifted his head slowly and, each eye working individually, scanned up and down the shoreline and the ocean behind him. He did not recognize any of what he saw. He looked down at the weight on his forearm and found that it was his closest friend, Audwin McClance.
He tried to recall what had happened. He and Audwin had been enjoying a swim in the Sunrise Sea on the side opposite of the Range, not far from the Human colony of Hatching. They had been near some cliffs where they were swimming, but those were not shaped as these were. Then, he remembered Audwin being pulled into something. Varthikes had responded by moving as fast as he could to his friend's aid, but was pulled in with him. Now he and Audwin were here-wherever here was.
He felt movement on his arm. Turning his left eye downward, Varthikes found Audwin beginning to stir. The Human blinked his eyes a number of time, adjusting to the sunlight, and raised his head. Varthikes? he said as he looked about. What happened? He finally met Varthikes' golden eye and its diamond-shaped pupil.
Unsure am I, friend Audwin, Varthikes answered. Underwater were you pulled. I followed in an attempt to save you. Here are we now in a place unfamiliar to me.
Couldn't we have ended up on another shore of Sunrise Sea? Audwin asked.
Like none of the cliffs which I have seen around Sunrise Sea are these cliffs shaped, Varthikes answered.
Audwin rose to his feet and took a few steps away from the young Draconian, looking about their surroundings as he did. The confusion Varthikes sensed building up within Audwin matched his own. If this isn't Sunrise Sea, he started, turning back to Varthikes, then where else could we be?
And how is it that here we have come to be? Varthikes added with equal puzzlement. The nearest Range should we try to locate. Able would the local Sages be to assist us.
Are you well enough to fly? Audwin asked.
Before answering, Varthikes rose slowly to his feet, preparing himself for whatever shocks of pain may shoot through his body. No pain, he concluded when he was fully raised. Next, he extended his wings testily. No pain there, either. After stretching his muscles, Varthikes turned back to Audwin, who was studying his progress. I feel no pain, he told his friend and positioned his left forearm so that Audwin could mount his shoulders. Audwin took a step forward, then hesitated and looked down at his attire of shorts and bare chest.
What is wrong? Varthikes asked.
I'm not exactly prepared for an extended flight, Varth, Audwin answered, indicating his dress.
I understand, Varthikes said, withdrawing his forearm. I would wish you not to be uncomfortable. Will you be well here while I attempt to locate the nearest Range and contact the local Sages?
I'll wait for you on this warm beach, Audwin replied.
For you I promise to return as soon as I am able, Varthikes said. Then, he leaped skyward and opened his great wings in a powerful downward stroke, causing Audwin to shiver in the cool wind produced.
As soon as Varthikes was above the sea-lining cliffs and flying westward, he caught sight of a mountain range stretching across the horizon. The nearest Range seems to be not very far, he thought to himself as he flapped his wings to increase his altitude and speed.
It was not until he had reached the slopes of the range that Varthikes noticed the absence of a border patrol. But, he reasoned to himself, his virsem did say that minor Ranges might not have patrols. Perhaps this was one of those minor Ranges.
The young Draconian, deciding to continue searching, turned northward and proceeded to follow the chain of mountains in that direction. He issued a greeting bellow that, other than the echoes that bounced off the mountain peaks, went unanswered.
Varthikes bugled again, then listened for a response awhile after the last echoes died away. He continued that routine until, as the altitude of the mountain peaks dropped a bit, he caught sight of a pair of flapping wings. Joyful greetings! he exclaimed joyfully, issuing his greeting again.
Identify, came an unfamiliar, echoing thought-voice that sounded cautious. It sounded like the speaker was a king.
Here flies Varthikes from Bare Peak Range in East Sun Region, the young Draconian replied without hesitation.
Silence now dominated between Varthikes and the other king. As the distance between the two closed, Varthikes began to notice something odd about this individual. Where Draconians varied between gold, golden-tan, golden-brown, or a yellowish-white in the elders, this one appeared blue. He could also now see that he carried a Human upon his shoulders. Blue? And carrying a Human?
Who is your rider? asked the thought-voice again, this time puzzled.
Rider? Varthikes replied in a baffled tone. I have not a rider-
No rider?! Anxiety now accompanied the other's thought-voice.
Drawing closer, Varthikes now saw that there was a lot more that separated this individual from other Draconians. But, what Varthikes noticed first was the multifaceted yellow eye. The last time he had seen an eye like that He also noted that the forearms were shorter than it was normal for Draconians.
Lessa and F'lar must meet with you, came the thought-voice again, startling Varthikes for a moment with the names that were mentioned. Lessa and F'lar? He immediately recalled those names from that fictional world of Pern, about which he had listened to Audwin read for the past cycle since they met. Follow, commanded the echoing thought-voice.
The blue dragon turned about and proceeded in the direction from which he came. Varthikes accompanied him along the chain of mountains until they came to an enormous crater. While the blue dragon exchanged bugles with another dragon at the opposite end of the crater from where they flew, Varthikes' eyes took in the view. The lake that they now passed over, the many dark pockets in the crater's walls, the many bronze, brown, blue, and green bodies that rested upon the ledges in front of those pockets, dotted the sand-covered crater floor around the lake, or wallowing in the lake. All of them had their heads turned up to him, their eyes all green-blue and some with a tinge of yellow. From all of them emanated the same emotions as he had felt from the blue dragon before-puzzlement regarding him.
Varthikes was overcome with mixed feelings as the blue dragon led him to a pocket-weyr, he remembered they were called here-on the opposite side of the crater floor from the lake. Under one wing, he felt excited to be here in the setting that he had enjoyed listening to Audwin read about; under the other wing, he felt very alien. He felt similar to how he remembered Audwin had felt when he was first brought to Bare Peak Range and into the presence of so many larger Draconians.
A great gold dragon now emerged from the cavern below their destined weyr and flew up to join the great bronze that was stationed upon the ledge there with two Humans.
Varthikes followed the blue in a spiral descent until the latter broke off, allowing Varthikes to set down on the ledge before those whom he knew to be the Sages of this Weyr-both, to the Humans and to the dragons. Meekful greetings, most honorable Ramoth, Mnementh, Weyrleader F'lar, Weyrwoman Lessa, he said, recalling their names and appropriate titles as he bowed his head and wings in respect. When he raised his eyes again, he found that both Humans and dragons had their eyes on him. From both kinds, he sensed intense curiosity mixed with equally intense confusion.
You are Varthikes? asked a deep, female-sounding echoing thought-voice.
I am, he answered, including all four in the focus of his thought-voice. His tail twitched and he rustled his wings in his nervousness.
Why is it that you are different? asked the deep feminine thought-voice again, this time with concern.
And you don't have a rider?! That one was asked by a lighter feminine thought-voice in a tone clearly expressing shock.
Briefly, Varthikes glanced between gold Ramoth and Lessa, who, herself, exchanged looks with F'lar. Of Pern am I not, Varthikes answered, not knowing how else to start explaining.
That is obvious, echoed a deep, male-sounding thought-voice commented.
Varthikes acknowledged bronze Mnementh before continuing, Of another world am I where Humans and my kind have only just begun to coexist a cycle-a Turn-ago. Though I have not a rider, I do have a Human friend whom I frequently carry upon my shoulders. He and myself have, by some unknown means, come to be here. Unaware is he at the moment, though, that he is on Pern rather than the world from which we have come.
Your rider-er, friend-is here with you? asked F'lar. Where is he?
On the shore southeast of here he remained, Varthikes answered. Without warning were we pulled into something underwater while we were swimming on my world before we found ourselves here. He was, therefore, not adorned properly for flight. That I would return for him, I told him, once I had established our current location. I shall return to him now to inform him.
Do not leave yet, said a deep thought-voice just as Varthikes was about to initiate a parting bow. Varthikes looked back up at Mnementh, then over at the two Humans who were exchanging the crude grunting sounds that he knew to be the Human oral speech. He should start learning the meaning of those different sounds, Varthikes thought in an aside. Then, as Lessa moved off, F'lar turned to him.
Mnementh and I will accompany you, Varthikes, he said. Lessa is getting appropriate flight gear from the stores for your friend.
Greatly do I thank you, honorable Weyrleader F'lar, Varthikes said with a respectful bow of his head.
We will discuss your situation further when your friend is here.
F'lar and Mnementh were soon ready and, with Lessa and Ramoth seeing them off, followed Varthikes skyward. I will need directions for between, Varthikes heard Mnementh's thought-voice say.
Between? Varthikes searched his memory and remembered that "between" was how these dragons of Pern traveled long distances. A realm of silence, darkest of darkness, and very cold. Those of my kind possess not the ability to fly between. Not long is the flight, however, to the shore.
More to come. I will try to post a chapter a day. Please leave any feedback, comments, questions either as PMs or in another thread. Thank you.
