Elvador sighed as he leaned against a large rock to watch the sun set over the waves. It was his eighth such sunset, or was it tenth? The days were starting to blur together a little. No, it was eight, he was sure of it. Not that it mattered, he doubted he would be here much longer, one way or another.
His island prison was small. He could walk all the way around it in less than an hour. It consisted mainly of sand, rocks, a bit of scraggly grass, and four palm trees. He’d survived as long as he had thanks to those trees. The leaves provided him a little shelter from the cold during the dark of night and he had managed to weave a crude basket to catch rainwater on his second day. His diet consisted mainly of grasses and crustaceans and the like he found in tide pools. He’d tried to catch fish a few times, but they were a bit too slippery for him to snatch with his bare hands. All things considered, he was fairing better than Mordaem had likely planned, curse the man. Even so, El knew his luck would run out soon. Just as his water had run out yesterday. The beautiful cloudless sky was now both a blessing and a curse.
El shifted a little, wincing as the rock brushed his back. The bruises and whip wounds he’d received before being marooned here still stung in the salty spray. They would probably scar, if he lived that long. Not that it mattered to him. His heart was scarred deeper and it was no more than he deserved. His father had been right. He never should have left home. What good had he ever done anyone? At least here he was far from anyone he could possibly hurt. Wouldn’t be too much longer. Then he could finally have some peace from the turmoil and nightmares in his mind.
[color=oklab(0.952331 0.000418991 -0.00125992)]@"F'ton"[/color]
T'day and blue Month had been at Tempest Weyr for barely a sevenday-- much of which had been spent unpacking and getting settled and learning who was who and getting acquainted with the Weyr itself-- so as soon as they'd had a moment of free time, T'day had decided that it was time to get the lay of the land. Or the ocean.
They'd flown along the coast for a time, making note of the bonfires that the Weyrleader had mentioned. And all the mountains the Weyrleader had mentioned. And the Thread scars, old and new, that the Weyrleader had mentioned.
"All in all," T'day's comment was muffled by the chill wind, "everything is as the Weyrleader has mentioned."
Month ignored him.
There were a couple of much smaller islands on the horizon. Craggy mountain coast was getting a bit boring at this point, so Month angled towards the islands to see if there was anything interesting there. The dragon was glad to stretch his wings a bit after being cooped up in the new Weyr; he picked up some speed to skim low over the ocean and kick up some spray with each flap.
He pulled up a bit as they approached the closer island, cocking his head to fasten a brilliant eye downwards, to see if there was anything interesting to find...
Elvador squinting in the dimming light. Was it his imagination, or was some kind of shadow flying at him? It was hard to tell. Whatever it was seemed big and the same bluish shade as the ocean below it. Maybe it was some kind of sea monster? Maybe it was some sort of specter of death come to take him at last? Maybe he'd just finally gone insane from all the solitude and sea water. Actually, that last one seemed most likely. Well, if whatever it was was real, maybe it could just eat him and put an end to the debate. Then at least he'd be useful in the end.
Still, it wasn't in his nature to go down without a fight. If this flying specter monster wanted pirate for dinner, it would have to work for it! El jumped to his feet, stumbling a little unsteadily until he stood squarely. He didn't have any weapon, of course, but he'd always preferred his fists anyway. Not that punching seemed likely to do more than annoy a thing that big. Can't blame a desperate man for trying!
El raised his fists and waved one in what he hoped was at least a little bit threatening. "Alright ya big brute!" he shouted. Or at least he tried to shout. His dry throat produced more of a croak. "Take yer best shot!"
It had seemed like a nice, quiet, empty little island, when a raving madman appeared out of nowhere to yell at them.
Month let out an undignified squawk, backwinging in surprise. T'day was completely unprepared for the velocity change and nearly broke his nose on his dragon's spinal cord.
Trying to simultaneously rub his stinging nose and brush the tears from his eyes, T'day squinted at the lunatic below. Very dirty. Wild looking, Kind of thin. Raving mad.
Probably a shipwreck survivor?
T'day leaned over Month's shoulder and tried to wave nonthreateningly. As nonthreatening as one could be atop an offended dragon, anyway. "Hey," he called. "Calm down! Do you need help?"
Alright, Elvador thought, he was officially insane now. Because now the monster was talking. It a surprisingly ordinary human voice. That threw him off for a second and he paused with a frown, slowly lowering his fists. He squinted at the newcomer curiously. Was that...a dragon? He'd never seen one this close before. On second glance, yes, there was a person on its back waving at him. Well, this was an unexpected development.
"Wh..." he tried to croak out. Shards but he needed a drink. And not the alcoholic kind either. He swallowed hoarsely and tried again. "Who are ya? Where are ya from?"
Maybe it was a little wrong to be suspicious. It wasn't like he had a lot of options. Yet it wasn't in his nature to trust easily. Most of the folk he'd met during his pirate years had been far from trustworthy in one way or another. It didn't hurt to be a little bit suspicious about a stranger dragonrider showing up all of a sudden.
Month continued hovering expertly in midair, maybe angling himself so that the stranger could see every inch of him and be properly awed. Or at least appreciative. He was put off at being called a 'bit brute' by some filthy islander who was clearly half-mad from dehydration.
Be nice, T'day patted his dragon on the neck. He clearly needs help.
Month tossed his head and didn't bother reply.
Leaning back over Month's shoulder, T'day called, "I'm T'day, rider of blue Month, of Hiiiii-- Tempest Weyr." Still getting used to his new home, ugh. "Who are you? What happened to you?"
Maybe they should land. That way they wouldn't have to shout at each other, and maybe being eye level would put the stranger at ease. Or maybe being up close and personal would make him more belligerent. Hm.
Elvador squinted up at the flying pair and frowned in thought. Tempest Weyr, huh? He probably should have guessed that. He knew he was too far for it to be anyone from the mainland. He just hadn't realized how far west they were when he was marooned. He didn't know any dragonriders, but they didn't seem the type to associate with pirates. So it didn't seem likely that this stranger knew Mordaem or any of El's other associates. That probably made him as safe to talk to as anyone. Not that he had a lot of options.
"Elvador," he called out finally. "An' that's a long an' unpleasant tale."
He considered for a moment. Shouting up at the rider really wasn't ideal. Still, it seemed only fair to warn the man what he was getting into. El still wasn't sure if he had much of a life ahead of him, but he was done hiding.
"Yer welcome ta land, but I should warn ya. I was a pirate, an' I've done my share of foul deeds. Ya might do better ta turn tail an' leave me ta my fate."
A pirate! Immediately tales of bloodthirsty men and women (and those that identified as neither) sailing the wild seas and plundering any unfortunate vessel they happened upon sprang to mind. Young T'day's sister's best friend's uncle was an old Harper and sailor, and had had plenty of tales to spin to his captivated audience of children. Being children, they had of course loved the bloody and violent tales the best.
Ulp.
But on the other hand... as a dragonrider, T'day was sworn to protect Pern, and this man was clearly on his way out if left alone for much longer. T'day had seen a hapless ground crew eaten by Thread early in his career, and the woman's screams still haunted him. He'd sworn to never let another Thread touch the ground. And he could not in good conscience deliberately leave a man to die, even if it was via exposure rather than Thread.
Let's land, he told Month. Just keep any eye out for any uh... the man looked like he'd had the tar beat out of him before taking a nice soak in the ocean. Just watch in case he becomes aggressive.
I can always throw him over the horizon if he attempts to harm you, said Month serenely as he descended. He landed with a little flourish-- a quick upsnap of his wings that sent a spray of ocean mist and sand into the air.
T'day slid off his dragon and regarded Elvador warily. "You may be a pirate, but right now you're half dead. It would be a dereliction of my duties to leave you here to die."
Elvador shielded his eyes from the sudden spray of salt water as the dragon landed. Now that he didn't have to crane his neck up, he could get a better look at the pair. The dragon really was impressive up close. It was well that dragons and their riders were dedicated to protecting Pern and its people from Thread. El couldn't help but think of the kind of damage such a beast could do in the wrong hands.
In contrast, the dragon's rider seemed a touch nervous. El couldn't really blame them. Caution when meeting a potentially dangerous man was wise, even with a dragon on your side. El let his hands fall to his sides and relaxed his stance, hoping that would convey that he had no intention of starting a fight.
"Noble of ya," El allowed with a raised eyebrow. "Though ya should know most of my kind would take advantage of that." As if to demonstrate, he took one meaningful step forward before shrugging and backing off again. He had no desire to cause his only means of escape to try to escape him instead.
El paused for a moment to consider his options. He had figured on dying on this island and had made peace with that. Now that fate was giving him another option, he wasn't opposed to taking it. But it was only fair this rider knew the score first, at least in brief.
"My former captain an I had...a disagreement," he explained, scowling at his own understatement. "I didn't agree with his killin' of innocents so he took it out on me instead. Then he left me here ta die. Don't mistake me," he raised a hand in warning, eyes hard. "I ain't as noble as that sounds. Maybe it was just my excuse ta get free an' I made a mess of it." He shrugged noncommittally. He was honestly still working out his reasons himself.
"But if you're of a mind ta take me off this rock, you have my word I'll do no harm to you or your folk. I'll even try ta repay ya if I can. Or if you'd rather, you can drop me off at the closest port or hold an' we never have ta speak of this again. What say you?"
Okay that threatening step forward was uncalled for. The man was already clearly someone who had led a rough-and-tumble life, and he was bigger and brawnier than T'day could ever hope to be. He didn't need to demonstrate!
Anyway, T'day let out a (very manly) squeak and took what was supposed to be a hasty step backwards, but unfortunately Month's toe was in the way so the dragonrider instead pitched backwards butt-first to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off and tried to look like he'd... uh, meant to do that. Yes.
Well that was certainly a backstory, and explained why Elvador was looking worse for the wear. It would be nice to think that the man had had a change of heart and was going to live a life of virtue from now on but...
Well. He was a self-proclaimed pirate.
"I will be happy to take you to safety," said T'day, hoping he sounded intelligent and firm and not like someone who had just tripped over his dragon's toe, "but I do want to ask you what your immediate plans are once you get there. Are you going to join another pirate crew?" He folded his arms. Month obligingly curved his neck to look straight down at the pirate for some extra intimidation factor-- if dragons even intimidated pirates. "I need to keep the safety of those beholden to Tempest Weyr in mind, too."
Alright, maybe he had overdone it with his little intimidation demonstration. Elvador actually felt a little bad for scaring the rider that much, even if it was almost a bit funny. He started to raise a hand to help them up, but thought better of it. Probably not a good idea to startled them enough so they just flew off. He wasn't really off to a great start as far as introductions went. Granted, he was more than a little out of practice.
Still, El was mildly impressed that the rider recovered so quickly. The dragon certainly helped get the point across, but it was still well done. The question was a fair one too.
"I have no intention to return to pirating ever again," he answered, immediately and firmly. He scowled a little at the idea. He had pretty much lost his taste for it months ago, it had just taken a push to make the final leap.
As to the rest of the question, that gave El pause. He frowned, glancing over at the horizon as he tried to think. What was he going to do now? Not thinking he would get rescued, he hadn't really given it much thought. He could never return home. He didn't think he could face his father again, even if the man still still lived. He certainly couldn't be a guard again. Who would take him with his background? Becoming a sailor had almost the same problem. He really had no idea where to go or what to do and that actually scared him more than he'd like to admit, which he never would.
"As ta my plans I...don't know," had admitted finally, sounding a little uncertain and defeated. Honesty seemed the best he could do and he was tired of lying to people, including himself. He sighed. "I realize my word means little, but I have no desire to harm anyone again. I don't have much else to offer."
T'day (and Month) waited patiently as the pirate-- er, ex-pirate thought. Whatever was going through his mind seemed to be very serious, going by the look on his face.
Serious and also upsetting. T'day's heart went out to Elvador at the other man's tone. It was hard being lost in the world, losing everything you'd ever known and not knowing your new place in it. Even ex-pirates weren't immune, it seemed. At least when it had happened to T'day, he'd gotten a dragon out of it.
Your kindness is one of the reasons I Chose you, but don't be stupid about it. Month was still quite neutral on the ex-pirate. Still offended over being called a brute, most likely.
Thank you, T'day's sigh was purely mental, I am doing my best to not be stupid. But I cannot in good faith leave a man to die a prolonged death. Even if he was a pirate.
There is much I can do when he is on the ground, but on my back I cannot easily reach you if he pulls a knife and slits your throat. Month's eyes glittered.
T'day raised his hands at his dragon in surrender, then held them out towards Elvador in acknowledgement. "I will be happy to take you to Tempest Weyr." If Elvador decided to try anything tricky, he'd at least be surrounded by dragonriders and their very angry dragons. "Before we set forth though, I will ask you to divest yourself of any weapons."
Month cocked his head very slightly. Elvador was not setting foot on his back until the dragon was satisfied with the safety of his rider.
Elvador waited with no small amount of apprehension for the rider's decision. This pair quite literally held his future in their hands and claws. He probably hadn't made a very good case, but he honestly didn't have much else to offer. He would just have to hope it was good enough. And if they thought it was enough to give him a chance then maybe he could give himself a chance as well.
The response was more positive than El had hoped for. He raised a surprised eyebrow. At most he'd expected to be dropped off at a hold somewhere, not straight to the Weyr. He knew very little of riders, dragons or their ways so he imagined it would be a lot different than he was used to. Maybe that was a good thing. Try something entirely new and separate himself from his old life. Not that he would forget. He had a lot of past misdeeds to make up for.
"Aye," he nodded with a small smile. "That be mighty kind o' ya. I'll pay ya back any way I can. Ya have my word."
He raised his arms in an open gesture. Smart move to check him for weapons, even if he had only these clothes to his name. El's estimation of the rider went up a bit. They were no fool in the end. "Ain't got any weapons, but yer welcome ta check. Unless ya count tha smell." He wrinkled his nose at the not quite joke. Pirates weren't known for baths and he hadn't exactly had an opportunity to do so on this island either.
"Eh," T'day shrugged. "Can't be much worse than how I smell after five hours fighting Threadfall."
Even with those words Elvador was quite... rank, once T'day moved closer. He tried not to be rude and take obviously shallower breaths as he did a quick pat-down for weapons, noting any reactions due to the man's obvious injuries. Still, the pat-down was quick, efficient, and impersonal. When T'day stepped back, he glanced back to his dragon, who indicated satisfaction.
T'day casually wiped some grunge from his fingers. "You'll do. We'll take you to Tempest Weyr."
"But first-- what do you know about dragons? Have you ever ridden one?"
El suppressed a small chuckle at the comment about the smell. It was good to feel a bit like laughing again. He hadn't felt this light in what felt like turns. Maybe that was a good sign.
He kept very still as the rider examined him for weapons. He couldn't help a small wince as they brushed the wounds on his back, but he hid it quickly. He'd felt far worse and he could handle a bit of pain if it got him a ride off this rock.
Now that this was actually happening, El gave the dragon another look as he lowered his arms. "Can't say I have," he admitted, more curious than nervous. If the dragon wanted to hurt him, it would have done so by now and El wasn't stupid enough to do anything to make it change its mind. "Not much call for dragons out at sea."
He took a slow step forward, not wanting to move too close until asked. Dragons were intelligent, he knew that much from his old lessons. Probably wise not to anger something big enough to pitch him in the ocean if it was in a bad mood. "You sure they don't mind an extra passenger?" He was sure the dragon was more than strong enough to carry them both, but it still seemed polite to ask. Or maybe he should be asking the dragon directly? Dragons only talked to their riders, didn't they? He honestly wasn't sure. Dragon etiquite wasn't exactly a pirate skill.
"Ha, I bet there isn't." T'day knew practically nothing about ships; he wondered if they were even big enough for a dragon to land on.
Month regarded Elvador with cool neutrality as he approached.
"Oh, we've carried extra passengers loads of times," T'day walked ahead of Elvador and climbed nimbly up the big shoulder to prep his saddle for a second person. "You are definitely not too heavy for him to carry."
Month continued his very cool stare, eyes swirling an unimpressed blue-purple.
"Uh, you might want to apologize, though. For calling him a brute." T'day steadied himself expertly as Month snorted. "He wasn't real keen on that. His name is Month," he added, in case the ex-pirate had forgotten.
"Ah..." Elvador looked a bit sheepish. He had honestly forgotten how this encounter started and it was more than a little embarrassing. He looked up at the dragon in what he hoped was his most sincere expression. "I'm sorry, ah, Month," he apologized. "I wasn't thinkin' clearly an' I shouldn't have called ya a brute. Thank ya for givin' me a ride." After a moment's hesitation, he added a little bow too, just in case.
Assuming his apology was accepted, El walked cautiously around to Month's side to see if the rider, (T'day was the name, wasn't it?), was ready for him. He glanced up curiously with a little bit of apprehension. He wasn't afraid of heights or anything, but it wasn't like he'd ever gone flying before. "Thank ya too, T'day. I really mean that," he said sincerely. "Just tell me what I should do when yer ready."
The sincere apology and especially the bow did a lot to mollify Month's rumpled feelings. He returned the barest head nod, snorted, and looked out over the horizon, spreading his wings slightly.
"Uh, he forgives you," said T'day, "and says thank you." He ignored the slanted look he got from Month, who absolutely had not said thank you.
T'day swung his leg over Month's shoulders and settled into his saddle, then leaned over and held out an arm to Elvador to grasp. "Just climb up and sit behind me. Don't worry about hurting him, his skin is very tough."
Month, you could lean down to make the climb easier for him.
Why would I do that?
Because he's beat all to hell? You can't possibly still be sore, he apologized to you.
Month grudgingly bent a leg very slightly to make the climb easier.
Once El was settled, T'day said brightly. "Hang on tight. We're going to launch, then once we're high enough, we're going to go between. Don't panic, it will only last as long as it takes to cough three times, then we'll be at Tempest Weyr."
Elvador was pretty sure it would take more than his feet to hurt a dragon, but the assurance was appreciated. He certainly didn't want to ruin Month's forgiveness by accidentally stepping on a sensitive spot. El took a breath. No turning back now. He was going to make this worth it.
Reaching up, he grasped T'day's hand and pulled himself up behind them. It was hard to know where to hold on, but found the straps in front of him strong enough. It wasn't that much different from holding onto rigging. At least he hoped that was the case.
"Thanks," he said, once he felt secure. He had no idea what between was like, but if T'day said not to panic than it couldn't be pleasant. At least it would be short. He was sure he could handle it. "I'm ready."
Oops, T'day had forgotten Elvador's smell-- oh well. Nothing to it but to breathe as normally as possible and just get used to it. It wouldn't be possible to hold his breath long enough to get to the weyr, and anyway it would be rude.
Still. Um. Whew.
Once the pirate, er ex-pirate, was settled, T'day gave the go-head to Month.
The dragon shifted his weight back to his haunches and lifted his wings high above this head. Then with a great leap and downward thrust of his wings, he launched skyward. There was a great plume of sand and spray below them as he beat powerfully upwards.
T'day wondered if Elvador was having any kind of complicated thoughts about leaving the island. Then chided himself for being silly. The guy had nearly died of exposure here. Surely he was extremely ready to leave.
Once Month had achieved a good altitude, he took them between. Three seconds later, there was Tempest Weyr in all its bleak, windswept glory.