Survival of the Fittest
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: AL, Heather
Date Posted: 23rd January 2016
Series: Shipwrecked
Characters: Zathris, Thayde
Description: The two takes measures to provide shelter and food for themselves.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Benani, Irabel
Zathris had left Thayde to rest and trekked off down the beach. The alcohol combined with adrenaline had helped curb the pain of his injuries for a while and he made it over a slope before that pain began to truly settle back in. After he turned and realized that he could no longer see the shelter the dolphineer had made, Zathris decided to aim for the line of trees further up the shore. There, he settled beneath one then leaned back against the trunk. Fatigue immediately took the forefront and he heaved a sigh, coupled with a wince. In retrospect, he shouldn't be so surprised that he tired so easily. Both of them had been through a lot, couple of days at sea, a shipwreck, then washed up on the shore of who knew where. Even more, Zathris had sustained a sizeable wound which would drain him as his body attempted to heal. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried to walk so far so soon.
Except that doing nothing just didn't settle well with him. Thayde had immediately taken action while he'd sat there, trying to stave the bleeding until the wound could be attended to. Zathris didn't like the idea that he couldn't be useful.
After a few moments of pondering what to do next, his body finally refused to stay awake any longer and he drifted off to sleep. When he awoke, he did so with a start, then grunted at the pain that sliced through his side. Blinking, he turned his gaze to the sky and the position of the sun. At least two hours had passed and he had maybe just over an hour until sunset. With a slowness due to the ache that had settled in while he slept, Zathris pushed himself upward. There he had gone and been useless again. With a sight, he peered upward again, then paused. When he turned, he smiled. Maybe he wasn't completely useless after all.
Just over an hour after waking, Zathris returned, tunic removed in order to create a make-shift sack. When he arrived at the camp, he set it down, plucked a redfruit from within and tossed it to his companion. "It's not much, but it' something for now."
"Hey, that looks like a feast right about now." Thayde said as he caught the redfruit in one hand and brought it straight down to his mouth for a big bite. As he chewed on the piece of fruit he held up his other hand, showcasing what he'd been working on in the hours Zathris had been gone.
"My fishing spear," he told his companion, "I figure I'll try it out tomorrow morning. You were gone so long I was sure you had found a way off the island and had forgotten to come back for me." He grinned.
"Nah, I wouldn't forget about you. Well...maybe." Gritting his teeth, Zathris sat down beside Thayde and then took a bite of the fruit. "It's getting dark. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can make a bow. Might come in useful - for defense if nothing else. Don't know if there are any felines here or not." For now, the fire should deter them. "Maybe you can teach me how to spear fish."
Thayde wasn't sure what sort of materials Zathris would find for the construction of a bow or arrows, but perhaps the Lord Holder was handier than he was. "As soon as that side heals up I'll teach you. You'll want to be careful and not tear out any of that beautiful stitching." Their medical supplies were very limited and who knew how long they would be waiting for rescue. The redfruit was delicious, it quenched thirst and it help fill Thayde's belly a bit, hopefully their little tropical prison held other fruit bearing trees.
"I'll do my best. I'm not completely out of commission though." Zathris wanted to be sure he helped as much as possible. He hated being useless. "I didn't see anything in the way of wildlife. Have you?" That didn't mean there wasn't any, they'd just managed to hide away from their human eyes.
"Nothing beyond a few sand crabs." Which he planned to catch when nightfall came. Thayde figured any wildlife on the island would be further inland near fresh water. "I wonder what Threadfall is like out here. We'll need to consider a better shelter for that."
"The land slips a bit further south from here. If we go inland, there might be some hills, caves, or somewhere we can take shelter." Zathris hoped, at least. "Actually, we should probably make finding that a precedence. If you prefer, I can do a search if you have other things you wish to tend to."
"It'll have to wait for morning regardless, we don't have enough materials to make a torch. While I'm fishing in the morning you can explore. Hopefully we'll both find success." A shelter from Thread was a must, and yet at the same time, food was a must.
"Trust me, I have no intention of trying to do that tonight." Even with his nap, Zathris was still very tired and he would be very grateful for a good night's sleep. "It's too bad neither of us have a firelizard." He mused after a moment. "Could be very useful right now."
Thayde considered that, "Does your wife or anyone have one? If so couldn't they send the flit wherever you are?"
"Benani doesn't, but there are others who do. I'm not sure how it works. I imagine they have that ability." Which bode well for them for surely someone would send a firelizard looking and then they'd be found and rescued. "Can firelizards tell dragons where to find us?"
"They're cousins, I imagine they converse easily." Thayde hoped that would be the case, but how long would it take for word to get all the way back to Amber Hills that Zathris was missing?
"So at most, we're here for a few days. Still, best to be prepared than caught lacking." Thread was scheduled to fall at Topaz in three. If where they were was under that prediction, they were going to be in trouble without proper shelter. If not, it could fall at any time and then they were out of luck.
Thayde hoped that they found some sort of cave or outcropping of rock on the next day, then they could set about making a platform to sleep on to give themselves off of the ground. As it was, the sand would be their beds for the evening. Laying the newly made spear down beside of him, Thayde stretched out and pillowed his head on his arms. During the day he had been busy, doing whatever he could to make sure that they survived, but at night, in the stillness, all he could do was lay and think about Irabel.
Zathris took a little longer in eating, but refrain from attempting more conversation. Both of them were exhausted, and when he'd finally finished his fruit, he chucked the core into the trees, then copied Thayde. Carefully, he positioned himself so as not to lie upon the injured side, which faced him toward the shadows that danced thanks to the light of the fire. Beyond them, the darkness consumed the outlines of the trees, muddling them together in ebony nothingness. Immediately, faces sprang into his mind, his family and the worry they would feel not knowing where he was. A hint of fear fluttered within him. Would there be another attempt on Benani while he was gone? Granted, security had been increased drastically, and the canines were now old enough and well trained enough that they added another layer of protection, but Zathris still hated the idea that his absence might encourage that so called harper to try again. Grinding his teeth, the Lord Holder resolved not to think about it. What he had to focus on was staying alive and finding a way home to his family.
Last updated on the January 26th 2016
[Prev: Washed Up] Series: Shipwrecked [Next: Shelter From Trouble]