Chap. 307 Missing

Chap. 307 Missing

“No, I’m not an idiot, K’ndar. I knew what I was doing,” B’rost said.

“B’rost. You’re a healer, you should know better than to eat a handful of unknown seeds! They may have been toxic!”

“Uh uh, K’ndar, you’re right, but in this case, these trees are called chezznuts. They’re native to Pern. We had three of them in the main yard of my cothold.”

“Oh,” K’ndar said, deflating. “Sorry. I’d never seen them before. They’re at your cothold?”

“Well, Crafthall. My father’s a cheese maker, remember? The trees were incredibly old, they were full grown when the hall was first established, when the Oldtimers moved to Southern. My grandparents moved with a few others to what is now Lord Dorn’s hold. How the trees got there I haven’t a clue, because they’re the only chezznuts in the vicinity. This is the first time I’ve seen them in such numbers as here. They’re beautiful trees, the quorls go crazy over the nuts. Just about everything loves them, birds, wherries, even our cows would eat them. We did, too. My mum would make a pie with the nuts, but it was hard to get enough for a pie, what with all the competition from the animals. That how I knew the nuts were safe to eat.”

“You scared the life out of me, you brat,” Risal glared.

B’rost snickered. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist, you all were so serious.”

You were wrong to tell Risal dragons don’t share kills Rath said.

I was?

Yes. Remember when we were so hungry, after we’d been flying with Greta and Earth? We’d gone many days without eating. Then Raventh gave me his kill.

You’re right. I had forgotten that. I will tell her.

K’ndar scratched his head. “I don’t know if they should be called seeds or nuts. I’m not enough of a botanist to know the difference.”

B’rost dragged his attention back to K’ndar.

“We called them nuts. I think I remember hearing that the original name came from a tree on earth that went extinct.”

“Like so many other things did on Earth,” K’ndar said.

D’mitran had been pondering the mountains in the distance.

“You’re planning on returning tomorrow?” he asked K’ndar.

“Aye, it’s the team’s off day, I was going to come back on my own.”

“I keep wondering what’s beyond that gap that you two,” he looked at Risal and B’rost, “were discussing. I think I’d like to take a look at it,” he said.

“Right now?”

“Why not? This is as good a spot to call it a day as any, I’m thinking, and I just want to take a look before we go.”

K’ndar shrugged. “Works for me,” he said, “I thought we’d let this be our end point for the day, too. Not that I’m leader or anything, mind you.” He stood up and brushed his pants off. He realized he’d not seen Siskin in some time.

Where is Siskin?

He’s not with me.

Did he catch a quorl? Is he eating?

Not that I know. He’s been very quiet.

A thrill of fear grabbed his heart.

“Um,” he said to the others, “if you don’t mind, if you want to check out the gap, go ahead, Siskin is still out there in the forest. I want to stay here until he comes back.”

“Uh, okay,” D’mitran said. He looked at B’rost and Risal. “You two want to come with me?”

“Yes,” they both said. Risal said, “Of course, I have to, I’m just a passenger. And I want to prove B’rost wrong.”

“That will be the day!” B’rost said.

Once they’d left, K’ndar shouted Siskin’s name. This isn’t right, he thought, he’s never done this before.

Anxiety filled his mind with foreboding.

Raventh, call him?

I have been. He is not responding.

Is he hurting? Afraid?

No. I get nothing but silence. He does that sometimes, he’s not always talking to me or sending.

He looked at the forest behind them. The trees closest to him were scattered but the further south he looked, the thicker were the trees. Within a kilometer they formed a dense forest.

He walked to it, calling and calling, both in voice and mind. He heard birds and quorls, but no chittering fire lizard.

At the edge of the forest, he realized searching it would be fruitless. There was little undergrowth, just trees, the bare limbs forming a lattice above his head. A quorl could go forever without touching the ground.

I don’t have a chance to find him in this. He turned back and tried to calm down, but his mind grew ever more fearful.

D’mitran and the rest returned after an hour.

“K’ndar! We found a cairn, it must be fifty years old!” B’rost yelled, excited.

“A cairn?”

“Yes,” Risal said, “I took pictures of it. It’s atop one of the peaks of that gap.” She flourished the camera.

K’ndar looked at it, but his mind was elsewhere.

“Risal, team, I’m sorry, I am scatterbrained right now. Siskin hasn’t returned nor has he responded to my calls,” K’ndar said.

“Oh, no, K’ndar. Is he okay?”

“I don’t know! He’s never done this before. Raventh hasn’t been able to contact him, either.”

The three looked at him, each one dismayed at his fear.

“Do you want us to search?”

“Thank you, B’rost, but no. He’s not like a dog that will come when called. He’s no bigger than a cat in a gigantic forest.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“Um, I don’t know. Damn it, I don’t know what to do.”

He caught himself pacing. He forced himself to stop.

“I am going to be worthless until he returns,” K’ndar said. “I don’t want to keep you, so why don’t you go back to Landing, download your data and go home.”

“You’re going to stay out here? All night?”

“I can’t think of what else to do. If I leave, and he doesn’t find us, he might just disappear for good. He might panic,” he said. Like me.

“It’s going to get colder. And you don’t have anything like water, or food.”

“I have some water left. I’ll be okay. Maybe he’s just feeding.”

“But, surely he knows where you live. You send him on missions all the time.”

“Yes, but I’ve always been in the same spot when he returned.”

D’mitran felt so bad for K’ndar.

“Maybe if all our dragons call him?”

“I don’t know if that would work.”

“Careth says Raventh tells him what to say,” D’mitran said.

“So does Rath,” B’rost added.

“Let’s have all three dragons call him. And you, too?”

Careth and Rath want to help me call

Tell them thank you, and yes, let’s do that. When I say “Call”, everyone call.

He looked at the three.

“Careth told me what your plan is. He’s ready.”

“And Rath,” B’rost added.

Risal said, “I don’t have a dragon, but I can yell pretty loud,” she said, again feeling left out.

“That would be nice, thank you.”

“Okay. I think all the dragons are ready,” D’mitran said. “So, K’ndar?”

“Okay. Ready? Three, two, one CALL!”

Four humans shouted “SISKIN!” to the wilderness. Three dragons trumpeted in silence.

Echoes of their shouts were the only response.

K’ndar felt a dagger in his heart. Risal, her eyes stinging, put her arms around K’ndar and hugged him.

All he could do was sigh, “Thank you.”

D’mitran cleared his throat.

“When I was a kid, K’ndar, I went hunting with my dad. We had this dumb dog, an old spit dog that had been retired. I loved that dog, so we took him with us. He got lost, and it was getting dark, we had to go back home. I wanted to keep searching, but Dad said, take off your socks, and leave them. He’ll smell them and come back. And sure enough, the next day we went out there and there he was, waiting. He’d eaten one of my socks, the dumb beast.”

“He ate it?”

“Aye. He vomited it up the next day, and nothing in the world could force me to wear it again.”

“It could have been worse. It could have come out the other end,” Risal said.

They laughed, but it was strained.

After many moments, K’ndar said, “I can’t keep you all here. It’s going to get dark.”

“You can’t spend the night out here,” Risal said, aghast.

“I’ve done it before, Risal, when I was a kid I’d camp out on the steppe for a week. I’ll be alright. I still have some of my lunch. And now, thanks to Brave B’rost, I know the chezznuts are edible.”

“That’s me,” B’rost said, trying hard to keep it light. “B’rost the Bold!”

Risal was torn-she didn’t relish a night out in the wilderness, but she didn’t want to be seen as abandoning a teammate in distress.

“I feel like we’re abandoning you,” she said. “You didn’t leave ME when I was hypothermic.”

“That was different, Risal, of course we didn’t. My fire lizard is the cause of this, not a life threatening situation.”

D’mitran frowned. What kind of leader am I, he thought? “K’ndar,”

“D’mitran-you have a family who wants you home before dark. And I think you should advise Lord Dorn on what we’ve found today before we have to report to the Council. He’s a good man and he deserves to keep what Hold he has. Go.”

He looked at all three of them, his thoughts racing. I honestly don’t want you here, seeing me slowly go crazy over a fire lizard? I’d rather be worried and crying without witnesses.

“Go home, all of you. I will be alright. I’m going to call Raylan and tell him what’s going on.”

B’rost opened his mouth. K’ndar stopped him. “You need to take Risal home. And all of you, need to put today’s data into the database.”

“You’re sure, boss?” Risal asked. Oh, why do I feel so divided!

“Yes. I’ll be fine. I’ll sleep between Raventh’s legs. He’s kept me warm before.”

________________________________________________________________

Raventh had moved to the tree where K’ndar was sitting. He sat down between the brown’s forelegs. Raventh closed them until they were pressing along his sides. The ground would be rough, he thought, but I won’t be cold.

Raventh touched the top of his head, gently. It gave K’ndar courage. I am not alone in this.

I will keep you warm. I don’t mind the cold. He’ll come back.

You’re sure, you didn’t hear him hurting? Like perhaps a raptor caught him?

No. He was hunting quorls. That was after we saw the big raptors. He was afraid of them. They’re too slow to catch him, though. He knows how to avoid them.

Raptors that big wouldn’t be in the trees, he thought. Or would they? They had to nest somewhere, right?

I’m sorry, I forgot to ask you if you were hungry.

I was, but I’m not now. I am worried, too. I will hunt tomorrow.

He dug out his datalink and called Raylan.

“He just took off?”

“Yes, he heard quorls in the trees and went hunting. I’ve not seen him since,” K’ndar said.

“Fire lizards! They’re so useful but they can be a pain in the rear. Did you find something interesting today?”

“Oh, we did indeed.”

“to do with Lord Toric’s Hold?”

“No. Lord Dorn’s. There’s a lot to it, sir, but I’m too upset to go into it right now? Please?”

“I can come over to your quarters, if you like.”

“Um, well, I’m still at this site.”

“You’re not with the team?”

“No. I sent them home, to Landing, I mean. They’re probably uploading today’s data right now. D’mitran’s got all the data, and Risal took pictures. Now I understand why you were so adamant this survey was conducted. We’ve found some interesting things that will require Council’s input. But for now I’m staying out here, hoping Siskin returns before night fall. Which isn’t far, if I’m any judge.”

“K’ndar…”

“I know. I hear you. It’s my choice, boss. I’ll be fine.”

He heard Francie’s voice in the background. Raylan must be in his quarters. It’s later than I thought.

“Raylan? Do I hear K’ndar?”

“Yes, he’s out in the middle of where the shaff am I wilderness. Siskin’s disappeared.”

“What!” There was a rustling noise, then Francie’s voice came over the link.

“K’ndar? Siskin’s missing?”

“Francie, hello, yes. We were taking our lunch break and he heard quorls in the forest. He took off to hunt them and I’ve not seen him since.”

“Is he sending images? Feelings?”

“No. Raventh’s been calling, in fact we had three dragons calling, I’ve been shouting till I’m hoarse. Raventh says he’s not hurting, but he’s just not answering,”

“That little imp,” Francie said, trying to sound optimistic. “He’s probably found a green in heat.”

“I hope so, but, Francie, this isn’t fire lizard habitat. Not even close.”

“Ohhhhhh.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’ll have Motanith try to ping him. K’ndar, once, long ago, Coora did that. Just took off, he was gone for two days. I about went insane, but Motanith said he was fine and when he did show up, he was exhausted-and sated. He’d found at least one green in heat. He slept for a day and a half after that.” I hope this gives him courage, she thought. These pesky little fire lizards have a way of taking up a huge part of your heart and once in a while, break it.

“And K’ndar, remember, tomcats do this sort of stunt all the time, even when they’ve been neutered. I think it’s their way of getting even for our taking their testicles,” Raylan said, behind Francie.

K’ndar tried to laugh.

“K’ndar, you’re staying out there? In the wild?”

“Yes,” he said, wondering how many times he’d have to say so, “I’ll be okay, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve slept rough.”

“I understand,” she said, “but I’d be lying if I said I’m not going to worry.”

“Besides, there’s an interesting carcass here, something new. I want to check it out first thing tomorrow. And D’mitran and the rest have some good data.”

“Yeah, right. K’ndar, I know why you’re doing this. I wouldn’t be able to sleep, either, so just be careful, okay?” Francie said.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and signed off.

The sun was fading fast. He wondered if he should gather some wood for a fire. But things were so dry here, all these leaves are dry as tinder. if I fall asleep, I may just set fire to the entire woodland. To include the carcass and maybe even me.

Siskin. Siskin, you’re breaking my heart. Please, please come back.

I knew he would come Raventh said.

His heart leaped. Siskin!

No. Rath.

The blue dragon landed far enough away to prevent blowing dead leaves everywhere.

B’rost dismounted. “Hey, mate, give me a hand, won’t you? I’ve brought a couple sheepskins, water, and a hot dinner for both of us. And Rath killed a wherry for Raventh! I figured a night out under the stars will give us time to talk about things.”