Chap. 341 The Fire Lizard Blizzard

Chap. 341 The Fire Lizard Blizzard

They emerged from between high over a tumbled, outcrop-strewn land. He did not recognize it. The sun indicated it was an hour, maybe two, behind Landing’s time zone.

I hope this isn’t Southern Hold, he thought.

Lord Toric had, years before, banned all dragonriders from his lands and was zealous in enforcing it.

He and Francie put their dragons into a soaring circle to get their bearings.

“Have you ever seen this place before?” he called to her.

“No! But give me a moment, I’ll ping the Yokohama,” she called back, reaching for her datalink.

Push our location to Rath he asked Raventh.

Motanith has already done so. Here comes the bronze fire lizard.

Siskin and Francie’s three fire lizards launched from their respective dragon perches and joined the bronze.

The land below him was a bewildering maze of an ancient deposition of shale. Parts of it formed long palisades, interlocked, like links in a chain. The links were broken in many places, pathways leading into meadows that in some cases formed marshes and ponds. Scattered everywhere were individual piles of slate.

The vast expanse of stone was braided by paths that led from what seemed to be the main trail. It was heavily tracked and rutted from wagon wheels. The paths wandered through and around the outcrops, some joining and leaving the main trail, others leading into large meadows, others ending in blind alleys.

Where there was no stone there was grass, dried and brown from the cold winter. In the summer, this could easily feed horses, he thought.

He suddenly realized that Lizard’s caravan was nowhere in sight.

Where is the caravan? Did the bronze mislead us?

No. I don’t see the trader, the grass is too tall. But he is down here, I trust the bronze. The gold fire lizard is next to the trader. There are wherries in the grass, looking at her.

Wherries? What kind of wherries?

Scavengers. The gold has kept them from attacking the trader. Sometimes they don’t wait for something to die before they begin eating it.

That’s gruesome.

Overhead, he heard Rath’s bugle as he came out of between.

“B’rost!” he called, grateful to see the blue rider.

Rath dropped til he was level with Raventh on his right. That was courtesy, ingrained from day one of Weyrlingschool: the senior dragonrider walked on the right of the subordinate. Somehow he felt honored that B’rost had, intentionally or subconsciously, rendered him that respect.

B’rost had a passenger, a man much older than the blue rider. Both wore medipacks almost as big as themselves.

“Hey, K’ndar! Good to see you!”

“And you,” he called back.

“Hey, guess where we are?” Francie said, tucking her datalink back into its pouch. Her green Motanith ranged up to to fly on Raventh’s left side. Oh, well, he thought, she does have tenure on me.

“I hate guessing games, ” he called back.

“No need to guess, even though I’ve never been here, this HAS to be the Stony Wastes!” B’rost called back.

Francie’s jaw dropped. “Right!”

“But they don’t look like waste, that grass must be chest high,” B’rost called back. “And there’s trees growing atop the palisades. Look how level it is!”

“How did you know?” she called.

He laughed. “I was a geologist before I knew how to spell the word. I might be a Healer by trade but I’m a rock hound by passion. The moment the Printer Hall publishes anything regarding geology I buy it. Even if I have to go hungry for a month.”

“Oh, you and your rocks, B’rost,” said his passenger. K’ndar was surprised at the man’s petulant familiarity.

“Where’s Lizard?” B’rost said, ignoring the passenger’s jibe.

“I’ve not seen him, yet. We only beat you by a minute, maybe two.”

The bronze fire lizard suddenly gave a rattling war cry. Siskin and Francie’s trio grouped around him and as one, they dropped like stones into the grass at the end of a flattened path.

“Land!” K’ndar called. Raventh chose the most open spot available, a well worn trail rutted by countless wagon wheels and hooves. Motanith and Rath landed behind him.

He heard a racket of squawks and the shrill war cries of the fire lizards. Siskin was too busy to send images. A cloud of dust and torn grass flew up-then a quartet of scavenger wherries erupted from the depths.

A blizzard of infuriated fire lizards enveloped them from all sides, savaging them without mercy.

Lizard’s gold fire lizard rode a bucking, twisting wherry as she vigorously excavated her way to its heart from between its wings. Siskin had anchored himself behind the head of another and was clawing at the wherry’s eyes, while a green was tearing out great gobs of feathers from its belly. The largest wherry was fighting the two bronzes. The fourth wherry was fruitlessly grabbing at Francie’s Sisi, who taunted it by winking in and out of between just out of reach, while her sister, Keeso, was tearing great hunks of flesh from the wherry’s bald neck.

The scrum was over in seconds. The four wherries fled, squawking, the fire lizards shrieking in delighted chase.

The dragons, laughing, bugled their encouragement.

“Whoa!” Francie whooped, “Get ’em! Get ’em!”

“Something’s strange, Francie,” K’ndar called, “They were all moving so fast I couldn’t count, but I swear I saw three greens, not two.”

“No, K’ndar, you must be mistaken, I’ve only two greens.”

B’rost dismounted and turned to unbuckle his passenger. K’ndar walked up to him and bumped fists.

“Thanks, brother, I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re here to help,” he said.

“You’re welcome. And thank you, I was getting tired of the classroom at Healer Hall. You know me, I’d much rather be outside, even in filthy weather, than under a roof.”

Francie walked up, smiling. “Hello, B’rost! It’s been a while.”

“Hello, Francie!” He bumped her fist.

The fire lizards returned, their flight an unmistakable victory swagger. The bronze and the gold swirled overhead, then dropped into the grass. Siskin, chortling in glee, landed on K’ndar’s shoulder while pushing images of him slashing the back of a bucking wherry’s head.

He had fun. He’s very proud of himself Raventh said, laughing.

K’ndar reached up and stroked the blue’s head. “Well done, little one!”

Francie’s three swirled around her, then flew to land on Motanith. They began to send their images to her. Her brain rebelled. It always makes me dizzy when they all talk at once, she thought.

Now that some of the fire lizards were immobile, K’ndar did a head count. My one. Francie’s three. And there-she’s swooping over the spot where the bronze dropped-I see a green fire lizard.

“I count seven fire lizards, Francie. Seven.”

“Seven?” she counted out loud, “My three. Your one. Lizards’ two. And one extra green. No matter how I count I still come up with seven. Too.”

The supernumerary green swooped over Siskin, chattered-then vanished.

Who’s fire lizard was that? A wild one?

I don’t know. She didn’t push to me. Wait. Siskin said it was Putzu, Terylyn’s green. Siskin called for her help. They’ve mated in the past. Unlike us.

Hey, that hurts!

“Fire lizards! Are they all yours?” the passenger said, astounded.

“The two greens and a bronze are mine,” Francie said, “And the blue is K’ndar’s. The bronze and the gold that dropped out of sight are Lizard’s. I have no idea where the other green came from.”

“They attacked scavenger wherries? But they’re half their size!”

K’ndar grinned. “Sir, a fire lizard doesn’t care what size his opponent is. It’s like my uncle used to say, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” They are highly intelligent and get this-they come when others need their help. That third green? She’s Master Potter Terylyn’s fire lizard!”

The man looked at him with what could only be called disbelief.

“Terylyn, the most famous and gifted potter on Pern? You know her? Really?”

K’ndar bridled. Who IS this man? Why is he so obnoxious?

“I do. She’s a good friend of mine.”

The man rolled his eyes, scoffing.

The gold stayed behind, to protect Lizard, while the bronze came for us Raventh said, his voice one of admiration for the gold’s courage and tenacity.

K’ndar felt his heart surge. If you live, Lizard, I’ll tell you of the loyalty a gold fire lizard has for you.

“The gold stayed behind, she stayed with Lizard to protect him,” K’ndar said, assuming the man couldn’t hear dragons.

“And you know this how?” his passenger said.

“She told our dragons, then they told us,” K’ndar said, trying to not sound defensive. What is it with this yob?

“Where is he?” the passenger said, “I don’t see anyone.”

“I’m sure he’s at the end of this path, um..” Francie said. She hesitated to ask the man his name. Why was he being so rude? And why hasn’t B’rost introduced him? Although I’m beginning to wish B’rost hadn’t brought him. She looked looked at the blue rider expectantly, but B’rost was oblivious.

The passenger, however, caught it. “B’rost! Introduce me!” he said, roughly.

“Oh, you’re right. Sorry,” B’rost said, flinching. “Seven, this is K’ndar, rider of brown Raventh, my friend and former classmate. He works at Landing. Francie rides green Motanith, she works at Landing, too. I hope she forgives me for not remembering what she does there. K’ndar, Francie, this is Seven, apprentice Healer and my weyrmate.”

K’ndar felt shock at B’rost’s amazing revelation, then filed it away for further explanation later. He bumped the man’s fist.”Hello, Seven, and thank you for your help.” But I don’t mean it, he thought. We’ve only just met and already I think you’re an arsehole.

“You’re welcome, K’ndar,” he said, sounding as though he didn’t believe K’ndar was truly a dragon rider. Then, taking Francie’s hand, he kissed it and said, “Ma’am, it is my pleasure,” in a debonair tone.

Francie wasn’t sure if she should feel charmed or put off. No one kisses me save Raylan, especially a rude stranger.

B’rost heard the emphasis. He glared at Seven, but the man didn’t see it.

“Seven? Pardon me, but your name is Seven? Like the number? You have six other siblings?” Francie asked.

The man laughed. “No, just one. Mother insisted I was going to Impress a bronze dragon when I turned sixteen, so she gave me a name with both a Terran origin and one that is easily contracted to S’ven. She had plans on living the leisurely life as the mother of a Weyrleader, you see. However, she failed to convince the dragons. Despite my being shoved in front of every dragon that happened to land on our farm cothold, it was apparent that I was never going to Impress one.”

“I promise you, the life of a Weyrleader’s mother is NOT one of leisure,” Francie said.

“No doubt, considering what B’rost has told me of Weyr life. Even so, I’m happy to be a healer, it’s a far easier life than that of a farmer. And now I have the services of Rath should I ever need transport.”

The bronze fire lizard whickered from his unseen spot in the grass, demanding their help.

“Come on, let’s find Lizard,” K’ndar said, “his bronze is calling.”

“Don’t touch him,” Seven warned, “You flunked Basic Aid. You were wise to call us.”

I didn’t mistake that tone, K’ndar thought, that was pure scorn.

He turned very deliberately and bored holes through the man’s eyes. But he said nothing. I can never come up with a snappy retort until weeks later, he thought.

Seven dropped his eyes. K’ndar turned to lead the way, the others following in his wake through the grass. It’s easier walking in the paths the horses made, he thought.

K’ndar could see Lizard stretched out in the grass, his head at the far end. He was running away from the trail, he thought. The gold fire lizard was next to the man’s head.”Lizard!” he cried, striding towards the man.

And stopped.

A dog emerged from the deep grass. At it’s feet lay a mangled wherry, almost bitten in two. The dog growled, a deep bass note sounding as if it emanated from the bowels of a mountain. There was no friendliness in the golden eyes. Hackles bristling, everything in the dog’s body language shouted ‘beware, do not approach’.

“Shards,” K’ndar breathed, surprised. “I forgot about his dog.”

“Look at the size of him,” Francie, behind Seven, gasped, “he’s enormous.”

Seven froze. Dogs. Why does everyone have dogs? No one knows I’m afraid of them, except the dogs. “He’s a bloody pony,” he squeaked. If I run back to Rath will he chase me? I’ve always been told to never run from a dangerous dog. They never told me what to do if I DID meet a dangerous dog. Like this one.

He allowed B’rost to pass him, wishing there were more than just three people in front of him.

“He’s doubled in size since I saw him last,” K’ndar said.

“You’ve met him?” B’rost said, hopefully. A dog! What did they say what to do about guardian dogs in Healer school? Not a damn thing. Or if they did, I was so tired I never heard it.

“Aye,” K’ndar said, dredging up the name from deep in his memory, “twice. But it was always with Lizard assuring him that I was a friend. His name is Crunch.”

Dread filled him. How do we check on Lizard with this monstrous dog protecting him? What in the world is wrong with him? He acts stiff.

“Crunch?” Seven echoed, hoping his voice didn’t reveal his fear. “Crunch?” The dog turned malevolent eyes on his at the sound of his name.

He knows. He can smell my fear. I think I’ll get back on Rath. No, I can’t. I’m learning to be a healer and there’s a casualty on the ground ahead of me.

Even B’rost was stymied. “Look at those jaws! Will he bite?”

“I don’t know! He’s a guardian dog. I really don’t know what he’ll do with Lizard down,” K’ndar said.

“Shaff, he could take an arm off with one bite,” Seven said.

Francie was watching the dog’s body language. There was menace in the dog’s eyes, but no sign of attacking. My gut says he’s safe, she thought.

“He could have attacked us immediately,” she said, “but he’s done nothing but warn us.” The dog turned its attention to her.

“He’s gauging all of us,” she said, “He’s smart.”

“He is. Lizard trained him. He’ll attack a raider, but he likes kids. My sister was able to wrestle with him, and he loved it.”

“We have to get to the man, K’ndar, I can see his face and head, it’s all bloody.” B’rost said. “Look, his gold fire lizard is patting his face!”

The dog stopped growling at hearing K’ndar’s voice. There was something odd about the dog, he saw, something about the way he moved.

“Yeesh, look at the blood. He’s been in a fight? Oh, shards, no. He’s been shot. Look. He’s got an arrow right through him,” Francie said, her voice shaking.

The dog’s long hair was matted with blood. A shiny black arrowhead poked out of one side of the dog. He could see the fletched end on the other.

“It looks like it’s just above the spine, it went right through him,” she said, her heart wrenching at the idea, “How is it he can still move?”

“Someone shot him as he charged them. See how the arrow starts just behind his withers and ends up near his tail.”

“Aye. With all that fur, I can’t judge, but it looks like one centimeter lower, and he would have been dead,” Francie sighed. “Whoever shot him is a good archer.”

Her scalp prickled. “Shaff, is the archer still here? Up there, hiding in the rocks?” As one, they all spun, scanning the palisades.

“We’re easily in range,” B’rost said,”and me without a weapon other than a dagger.”

“I have my sling,” Seven said, touching his belt, “but it won’t throw a rock that far.”

I have nothing to fight with other than my dagger, K’ndar thought, feeling naked. But I have something better.

“Siskin! Siskin. Search. Look for men in the rocks,” K’ndar snapped, scanning the rocks that formed a rough bowl around the meadow. The blue chipped and launched from his shoulder.

“Sisi, Coora. Keeso! Search. Search for men in the rocks,” Francie called to her trio, instantly understanding what to do.

The fire lizards bolted into the sky. They grouped together for a moment, then each took off in a cardinal direction.

“What would we do without fire lizards,” Francie said, proud of her trio.

“What can they do?” Seven asked.

“Siskin will attack humans on command,” K’ndar said, hoping the man was listening. “He hates being shot at.”

“It certainly ruins my day, that’s for sure,” Francie said, giggling despite her fear.

“They never said anything about carrying weapons at school,” Seven said.

B’rost looked at the dog, who was still standing, watching them. “There’s that arrow through the dog. The head is obsidian. You can butcher an entire wher in half an hour with an obsidian blade,” he said.

“And do what with it? Throw it at a raider? Slings don’t work that way,” Seven said.

B’rost smirked. “Have you tried?”

“Tried? You expect me to just go yank it out of that dog?” Seven retorted. His neck hairs prickled at the thought. The dog met his eyes. They said “I don’t like you.”

“Well, no. If it’s through him, yanking it out will hurt. I think you should cut the arrow head end as close as you can to where it protrudes from the skin,” B’rost said, flatly, “without contaminating the wound any further.”

That was classic smart ass B’rost, K’ndar thought, grinning.

“While it’s removing large chunks from my arse? I don’t do animals, just humans, and there’s one right there needing our help. We have to do SOMETHING,” Seven snapped.

K’ndar was about to say “you sound like an old married couple already.” But he kept it to himself.

The fire lizards returned.

They see nothing except scavenger wherries in the rocks Raventh said. Some seem to be missing feathers.

K’ndar laughed in his mind.

“All clear,” Francie said, “No one up there.”

This time we got lucky, K’ndar thought. I will never let my guard down like that again.

“Lizard! Lizard, can you hear me?” B’rost called.

“I think he’s unconscious,” Seven said,”He might be bleeding out and we’re allowing it, held up by a stupid dog.”

Crunch turned his golden eyes to K’ndar. Francie, taking advantage of the dog’s gaze at K’ndar, saw something change in them. The eyes no longer smoldered with suspicion.

She made to move past K’ndar to get to Lizard.

The dog growled. She froze. “Damn it, dog, we’re here to help,” she said.

“Okay,” K’ndar said, deciding. “As I’m the only one he’s ever met, I’m the one to handle him. I don’t think he’ll hurt me.” He approached the dog, then slowly knelt down, looking just below the dog’s jaws. I know he’s bitten raider’s legs to the bone. What’s a hand to a dog like this?

Raventh. If he attacks, knock him aside, please? Don’t hurt him, but I need to see to Lizard.

I will. Motanith will, too.

And me! Rath said.

The dragons moved close to where they stood. The dog looked at them, unafraid.

“Crunch. Good lad, remember me? There’s a good woofer. What’s happened to your master, doggo, what’s happened?”

The dog looked warily at him, remembering the scent, the voice. His tail tip began to twitch. The hackles went down.

That’s a good sign, he thought. “Good lad, you do remember me, don’t you! Here Crunch, take a sniff.” He extended his left hand, preferring to keep his dominant right safely out of reach.

Here it comes, Seven thought, if anyone is going to get bitten, it’s K’ndar and it’s now. I’ve never treated a dog bite. Bite? Shards, no. It will be an amputation.

The dog stretched forward, indecision was in his eyes.

“Come, lad. Come here, Crunch. I’m here to help your master.”

Siskin landed on K’ndar’s shoulder. He chittered at the dog. Somehow it sounded as if he were telling the dog to approach K’ndar.

The dog’s cold nose touched his outstretched hand. The tail began to wag. Now he met the dog’s eyes. The aggression was gone, replaced by what could only be called hope. He dared reached down to scratch the dog’s chest. He had to dig through the hair to reach skin.

Yes, yes, right there, the dog ‘s face said.

His hand came back covered with blood. How is it the dog could still be alive?

“Who shot you, Crunch? And still you protect Lizard, even with an arrow through you! What a brave lad you are! Crunch, these people are my friends. Will you let them help your master?”

Francie moved up behind him before he could protest. She knelt and looked into the dog’s eyes. She saw indecision, but no danger. She reached forward, her hand next to K’ndar’s.

“Hey, there, laddie. I bet that arrow is hurting you, woofer. You’re covered with blood. Did you take the leg off the man who shot you? Let me help you, there’s a good dog.”

The dog sniffed her hand. His eyes went soft. She dared to run her hand over his head, caressing the ears.

Seven cringed at the thought. I wish I wasn’t afraid of dogs. Look at them, they’re within a hand span of his jaws and they’re not afraid.

“B’rost, Seven,” K’ndar said, without taking his eyes off the dog, “You can go to Lizard now. Crunch knows you’re friends, don’t you?”

Crunch’s jaws opened in a toothy grin and the tail whipped both flanks. Yeesh, Seven thought, I thought his jaws were scary. Look at those fangs!

“Just the fact that he’s standing and his tail’s wagging tells me the arrow’s not in his spine,” Francie said. “My stars, but he’s a nice dog. His eyes just glow with intelligence. Where did Lizard get you, you handsome beast? You’re a love, you are!”

“If I remember correctly, from the same cotholders that bred your horse, Donal. From the West Coast,” K’ndar said.

B’rost moved past them, Seven following, putting as much distance between his legs and the dog as possible.

Lizard was lying on his back. His body was entwined with bolo ropes. One of the three legs was wrapped around his chest, another around his shoulders. The third was tangled in between his legs, serving to trip him as he’d run. The uppermost weight lay next to Lizard’s head. Blood covered the man’s face and head.

The two healers knelt down, one on either side of Lizard. B’rost immediately touched the man’s neck, although it was covered with blood. Seven took one limp hand to search for a pulse. The two fire lizards backed away, just out of reach but still close enough to protect Lizard.

“He’s alive,” B’rost said, “and not bleeding out. But he’s been bolo’ed.”

“Trussed up like a Turnover pig,” Seven said, deliberately sounding clinical, “I’m betting he’s sustained a broken rib, maybe a fractured skull.”

I hope I sound as if I know what I’m talking about, he thought, they don’t know I’ve never treated a real casualty. But I’m better than K’ndar, he flunked Basic Aid! That takes a certain depth of stupidity. This will be easy, B’rost will take care of everything.

“Okay,” B’rost said. “Time to get to work, Sev. Tell me what you intend to do to help Lizard. What do you do first?”

“Me?” Seven said, surprised at B’rost’s suddenly dropping the whole situation onto him. “I thought, um, that you, um, would, you know, do it and let me watch.”

B’rost held his eyes for long seconds.

“A long time ago, a woman named Maya said, “When people show you who they really are, believe them the first time,” he said, coldly.

Seven looked perplexed.

“I despise bullies, Seven. Your disrespect to a dragonrider has been noted and I will annotate it in my report,” B’rost said, icily.

K’ndar had never heard such contempt in the blue rider’s voice before. A warm glow began in his heart.

“For now, Apprentice Seven, despite our relationship, which, based on the last few moments is giving me cause to reconsider, I’m your field trainer.

You’ve had months of classroom training in workplace injuries, wounds from weapons and exposure to elements. Now you’re seeing your first real world casualty. I agree, it’s a bit earlier than what’s in the training synopsis, but situations such as this can’t be scheduled. Think of what you need to do, and then do it. I won’t let you kill him. Begin.”