[Search] Babies for My Babies [Sulamol/Krahsujunth/V'rind]

[ShinosBee]

I hate this. Hate being away from her. From them.

Well now you know how I felt after the twins were born. But the Weyr needs firestone, and you'll be back there all the sooner if you stop whinging and get it done.

I'll bite you in half, fardling woman, do not test my—

I'll test your patience all I like, tunnelsnake, now land already so we can get on with it!

If anyone cold have heard the snappish arguing from the blue pair that descended to land (with an abruptness more suitable to the larger dragons, and none of his ilk's usual grace and delicacy) they would have thought them an ill match. It was not true, however, and the blue's eyes had whirled deep green at the banter, the huge wedge head shifting to nudge his rider's side when she dismounted. It was true that the blue hated to be away from the Weyr, from the hatching sands where lay his golden mate and their numerous shell-bound children. Even now he could not help but think of her, her radiant love and the protective urge he felt for her eggs. The Day of Touching was drawing ever nearer, which had him less settled as well. How could he trust these, these candidates to not mishandle his eggs? To be good enough? They needed to be right, just right, like...

Like...

The blue's head swung about, eyes bleeding to a baleful orange. The round nostrils flared, like a giant runnerbeast drawing a whuff of breath. V'rind had gone off to one side, and paused in her talking to a man to glance back at the blue. Really? Here? The blue gave no response, but struck out with movement a moment later, leaving his rider to roll her eyes and apologize to the man before marching after him. The cothold's few inhabitants topside scattered as the massive blue stalked towards his quarry. To one side of the courtyard a small cavern opening pinched into the mouth of a twisting tunnel, which had been widened and braced by beams to form the entry to a proper mine. The blue, too large to proceed any further, snorted his disdain before simply thrusting his head down into the passageway.

I smell one down there. One that is right. He will come with us, or else meet his end here among the grit and grime and dead stones of this trifling place! The blue stared down into the darkness, a low thrumming filling the trapped air before at last, at a touch from his rider, he withdrew his head. V'rind for her part seemed to disregard the blue's ominous threats for what they were to her—simply excited prattle—and made ready to inspect any and every person of age who came up out of the shaft. Their errand had apparently become a Search.

Sinders Path

 

[Sinders Path]

Sul sighed, trying to suck some of the cleaner air into his tired lungs. They had exhausted the last vein so the day was an unsatisfying slog of digging down to through the earth, setting up supports for the new tunnels and hauling out useless rock with no true progress made. The wher handler on duty at the mine had assured them his wher promised rich givings further in but so far, they had found nothing.
They were too far down to risk using explosives an burying the whole tunnel, it was manual digging or nothing. Thus the slog continued.

It did not help that Sul was away from family and friends so his unusual bright sunshine outlook was dimmed by replaying his own mistakes which had landed him lonely in a cot hold that was not his own.
The single bright point of his move, like the sun down a mining shaft was the fact that for the first time he had been able to see dragons up close and personal. The mighty protectors of pern. Terrifying yet always impressive.

In the few months he had been working at the Firestone mine he had learned to recognize the arrival of dragons for the semi weekly collections.
Yep, right on time, the whole tunnel gave a minor shudder as the large beast landed above, there was a noise of discontent from the mining team's assigned green wher and the lights flickered. Sul grinned despite it all and hauled another large boulder into the nearby cart.

Things settled quickly, the rest of the miners returned to work.

Well, returned to work right up to the point there was a warm rush of air, a sound of a rumbling and the tunnel shook much more violently. The foreman was quick to react. "Everybody out! Let the wher lead the way" He bellowed. The biggest fear of any miner was being trapped down in the tunnels during a cave in, crushed or pinned in a place slowly running out of air.

None of the miners argued, they dropped their tools and started to file out of the caves. Sul took to the rear as was his way, seeking to hurry anyone that was lagging. "Ah, don't worry about the tools nw, on you go, that's it." he rumbled warmly before following the illuminated path back to the surface.

Naturally all the workers were covered head to foot in dust and dirt, it was quite impossible to tell one from another at a glance.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

The blue took a slow step backwards as the sounds of movement (and that smell of potential) grew more prominent. V'rind had come up beside him, a hand trailing along the dragon's flank to his front leg, where she stood, watching the lot come trundling up out. Filthy, soot and stone covered, but all strong and muscled...V'rind crossed her arms, a slight grin cocking the corner of her mouth. She'd come from the mines as well, once long ago. Not these mines, of course, but mines all the same. Miners could make good riders. They were often patient, hard working, and obviously strong. And some, in certain mines, were inclined to want to leave said mines.

The blue huffed as the green wher stepped forth, the little thing relatively small and harmless compared to the much larger dragon. She of course was not the focus of his interest, and provided she kept out of his way he'd do the same. Those orange eyes rolled over each person as they came up, one, two, three...All dirty, all almost indistinguishable aside from the vagaries of height and gender. But that made no matter to the blue. The sense of 'searching' was not a physical one. Sure, he often spoke of it as if it were tied to his sense of smell, but in truth it was something else. Something deeper, more internal and innate. It took but a moment for him to know which of these holders was the source.

That one. I'll have him for my eggs. The huge wedge head ducked slightly, looming closer and closer to Sul as he joined the rest orange eyes gone nearly red now at the delay of the one he wanted being last, as if it had been a personal, intentional slight. A rush of hot air spilled from the dragon's nostrils to swirl around the man, scattering dirt from his clothing. He was a tall man indeed, far taller than V'rind. It was hard to tell through the dirt as to his age, but Krahsujunth had never picked wrong yet...

"You there," V'rind snapped, moving up to rest her palm on the blue's jaw, as if to hold him at bay. "What's your name?" Her eyes flicked to the rest, then to the blue. "...The rest of you can go, if you've somewhere to be. Only really interested in this one."

Sinders Path

 

[Sinders Path]

The tough old green wher was not intimidated, she knew what she was about, protecting her mine! She could sniff out bad air and find fresh firestone but mostly she warned of any shift in the rock that could predict a cave in, the miners were thankful to have her, so she'd be thread scored before she let this big blue give her trouble. Luckily her handler was there to call her off before she could square up to the dragon 20 times her size.

But she was still growling as she shuffled off with the majority of the workers.
Meanwhile Sul was blinking like a witless owl as his eyes readjusted to the daylight beyond the dust cloud from the mind. And then he was suddenly facing down swirling, glowing red eye. To his credit he jumped, but didn't scream. He glanced to either side but there was little doubt that the blue's gaze was fixed on him. Sul had been toughened by fights and hardship but he still had little idea on how he should react being so up close and personal to the great beast.

Before he could formulate a plan, or even figure out something to say V'rind was marching up to him. Facing down a more familiar human figure seemed to bring Sul back to his senses. "Ah." he declared looking her up and down. "So this is your dragon? You know you could have brought down the whole mine on us like that? Especially one where we are digging new tunnels. If the firestone delivery is not as much as you wanted this is not the way to go about getting more." he scolded her, only glancing at the dragon beside her occasionally. He was genuinely terrified of being bitten in two in that moment but she also needed to be told, this was about the protection of the miners!

"But if you are looking to pick a fight. I'm sure I can oblige. As long as you keep the rest of the hold folk and workers out of it." He added making a show of cracking his knuckles into curled meaty fists. "The name's Sul."

If he was about to be eaten by a dragon, so be it. It would be a heroic death, and maybe it would be enough. Then they'd have to erect a statue for him in the square and that would be glorious.

He hoped the statue would have a cape, it' make him look dashing.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

Admittedly the blue hadn't thought about the structural integrity of the mines. Perhaps they ought to do a better job at reinforcing them! Plus, to the blue's mind, finding even one partner for his children was more important than the work they'd need to do to repair the place. They ought to be glad it was only him here, not some fat bronze or brown if they were so fussed about it. He also didn't take too much offense at the boy scolding his rider—he'd find out soon enough that she did not need a dragon to protect her if he kept it up. No, the only thing he really cared about was the irritating, itchy scent of potential coming from the youngster.

Without hesitation as the fellow's rambling came to a halt, the blue's face shoved forward, butting that huge snout right into the man's chest (and potentially knocking the wind from him!) and sucking a sharp breath. He has spirit, I'll say that much. Pity about his lack of intelligence but...I would not say no to a stout, caring partner for one of my brood. The blue let the young man hear his thoughts as well, the deep bassy rumble of almost laughter in his chest.

V'rind for her part merely raised a brow. "You really wanna pick a fight with a rider of High Reaches, kid? One that's trying to search you at that?" She scoffed, eyes rolling. "Put your fists down before you hurt yourself. Wouldn't be the first time Krah'n I've come back with a new candidate with a bloodied nose, but given he's the one with eggs on the sands this time...well. Probably wouldn't look right. Still, if you're looking to pick a fight, I'd be happy to put you back underground."

Don't kill him. I want him.

I suppose, I suppose.

At long last the blue withdrew his snout, raising to his full height, wings gently splayed, and looked down, down, down at the young man. Holder Sul... Cease your prattle and gather your things, if you've any sense in that dirt-dipped head. My golden Fianth has need of your ilk for our eggs, and I would hate to have to return to her empty-clawed. The blue glanced about the tiny cothold, to where the load of firestone was nearly ready, to the gossiping holders, to the dull little green wher that'd only been doing her duty, after all. Or else stay here and dig your stones, and never know to what heights a once-miner can rise.

Sinders Path

 

[Sinders Path]

The blue's shove would have knocked a man of lesser stature from their feet, for Sul it only made him stagger back with a grunt. The thing that knocked the wind out of his sails was hearing the dragon speak to him. It was a strange and completely unique experience, the closest he had come up to that point had been the vague impressions and occasional prodding he got from the mining whers. Nothing like the blast of voice into his mind. A voice that he could not shut out or shake away. He rubbed slowly at his chest blinking dumbfounded. Yep, defiantly not the sharpest tac in the box.

It was V'rind talking to him which brought him back to his senses. "oh. ugh, right." He scrambled to collect his thoughts. "I'll have you know I'm happy to beat down anyone that tries to hurt me and mine, dragon rider or....wait did you say search." He put a hand to his head rubbing at it furiously muttering a string of words that sounded like "me, searched...a rider....dragons....thread.....eggs for me" and just smearing dirt on dirt. Then the dragon was speaking again, that inescapable voice.

Something quite inconvenient when he was desperately riffling through his mental files to pull out anything and everything his cot holds Harper and only teacher had told them about dragons and their riders. "Give me a minute. I need to be getting my head round this, it's pretty sudden. And you think an awful lot of yourself ugh.....Mister blue dragon! But i'll have you know this mine keeps you in flame, so you'd do well to show these good people some respect." He told the dragon with a thrust of his finger directly at krah's snout. Then he relaxed his shoulders "But you don't seem like a bad sort really, and your ride is fiery.I like that. However if you want me to go get my things, you'll have to move. You're blocking the way out of the quarry."

Somewhere in the back of his mind alarm bells were blaring an a little boy who had only seen a future down in the dark was screaming, a dragon rider?Him? It was a shock. But other things were starting to register as well. He looked at V'rind. "Did he just say he was with a gold...that's not normal is it?" He asked, wondering if had completely dismembered those old lessons. "I mean, I thought old bronzes and the rare brown flew queens?"

ShinosBee