Shellshocked

Writers: Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 23rd May 2017

Characters: A'kua, Ilyssia, Firelloa
Description: A'kua's luck takes a turn for the worse, and then for the better.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Jessmyr, Yanley, Bellarria (NPC).

Ilyssia

It had been a promise a long time coming, but it made the result all the sweeter. After drills and lessons concluded, Ilyssia, A'kua, and Firelloa packed a lunch, bundled up, and escaped the cold. They went between to a different part of the beach Saibra had brought A'kua to some months ago, the warmth making Gwynnyth and Zeiranth bugle in sheer delight. Firelloa's squeal of glee was nearly as loud, and she had stripped off her heavy borrowed jacket and helmet before they even landed. A'kua and Ilyssia had the restraint to wait until they had taken off their dragons' straps. Zeiranth and Gwynnyth quite happily found a place on the sand to bask, and after the picnic basket was put in the shade, the humans ran for the water to splash and play and teach Firelloa how to properly swim.

After a thorough swimming lesson, the riders and harper apprentice had a rest and lunch in the shade as well, and then returned to the water at Firelloa's suggestion; she wanted to find some pretty shells. Two small shells would be to keep -one for her, one for her friend Nariise-, but others could be built into a sort of cairn. The area didn't need one, but Ilyssia and A'kua went along with it because Firelloa was having so much fun.

The small family had found seven very pretty shells in a variety of sizes when A'kua excused himself and went into the trees. After emptying his bladder, he scrubbed his hands off with dry sand and started back, only to pause at the treeline. There was an odd rippling pattern in the sand near some exposed roots, but the ground wasn't sloped in a way that would cause something like that when it rained. It was too flat. Not to mention the pattern was too uniform. Curious now, A'kua knelt next to the ripples and brushed one off, only to freeze in astonishment.

That was an egg under the sand. Frantic swiping with both hands revealed a full clutch of nine, and A'kua could only gape at it. Where on Pern was the fire-lizard that clutched them? Why wasn't there a fair of other fire-lizards to guard the eggs while Ma Fire-Lizard was away? Maybe she was a first-time ma who hadn't been able to keep a fair with her, or a green who'd had some sense for once. Whatever the issue was, A'kua was not, under any circumstances, going to pass this up. He sprinted back to where they'd all left their warm clothing, snatched his tunic and sprinted back to the nest, landing on his knees.

}:What's going on? You were running like a wild wher was after you,:{ Zeiranth asked, standing up from where he'd been lounging.

}:I think he found something,:{ Gwynnyth observed, }:but now I can't see what it is because he's in front of it.:{

Catching her green's thought, Lys looked over her shoulder toward the shore, frowning at the site of her weyrmate shoveling something onto his clothing. "Luka? What are you doing up there?" she called.

"I found a clutch!" he hollered back.

Firelloa's head snapped up and her mouth fell open. "A fire-lizard clutch?!"

"Aye! I think it's been abandoned," A'kua yelled. "But if wasn't too long ago, I can get these back to the Weyr-"

Gwynnyth shot to her feet at the same time Zeiranth suddenly shouted }:Watch out!:{

The redhead didn't even have time to ask what the problem was, because a brilliant gold blur shot past his face, engendering a sharp pain in the tip of his nose. "Ow!" He grabbed up the mass of cloth, sand and eggs, and somehow leaped to his feet just in time to get several hairs yanked out of his scalp as the infuriated little gold blew past his face again. "Ow! Stop that, damn it!" A'kua cried, only to have the gold dive-bomb him again and slash across his forehead with her tiny talons. "OW!" He tried to swat the fire-lizard and got clawed on his right wrist. "FARDLES!"

Firelloa yelped and made to run to her brother, only for Ilyssia to grab her. "No, wait! She might get you too!" **Gwynnyth!**

}:Go away! Leave him alone!:{ the green immediately commanded, and Zeiranth added an angry bellow, projecting his intense displeasure of his bond's mistreatment. The small gold shrieked and disappeared, and A'kua swayed as he pressed a hand to his profusely bleeding forehead.

Now Ilyssia let Firelloa go, and the girl ran for her relative, taking the tunic so A'kua could put his other hand on his wrist. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.

}: Please say you're okay,:{ Zeiranth requested, coming closer.

}:_Is_ he okay?:{ Gwynnyth asked a little anxiously. }:That looks like a lot of blood from here.:{

**Head wounds always bleed like crazy,** Lys thought as she hastened to the lunch basket and dug out one of the cloth napkins they hadn't needed to use. **It might not be as bad as it looks, but we really should get back to Dragonsfall as soon as we can get the bleeding stopped.** She went to her weyrmate. "Here, move your hands and lift your head- Damn it, I can't tell how bad it is," Ilyssia fretted, carefully dabbing at the blood. "Only you would have this kind of luck after finding a fire-lizard clutch, Luka."

"Oh good, I was worried my losin' streak wasn't long enough," A'kua grumped, trying not to flinch. Even with as gentle as his weyrmate was being, her actions still hurt.

"We may have to just hold this here with your helmet," Lys said, shaking her head. "This had better be worth it, love. You know what could happen if you go between with fresh wounds."

"I do," A'kua agreed, "but it _was_ worth it. There's a big egg that has to be a brown or bronze, so I'm givin' it to Jess so he can be a more efficient Headman in the future, and there was a speckled one Firelloa can have, so she can better keep in touch with her ma. If you want an egg too, darlin', it's yours. But when we get back to the Weyr, we can contact Lady Yanley for a bunch of pots to put the other eggs in, I'll send out word I have them to sell, and soon we'll all have savin's in case of emergencies or Gathers."

There was a round of surprised looks. Ilyssia shook her head another time. "Really, you. Now is not the time to be thinking about Marks," she scolded, resuming her cleanup job. "But what's done is done, I guess."

Firelloa tried not to explode from a multitude of mixed emotions. Even though her big brother had gotten hurt, the day still had so many bright spots. And once the blood was cleaned up, A'kua would likely be in very good spirits. "A'kua, I'm sorry you got hurt, but you really are the best brother ever," she gushed.

"I think I have to agree," Lys said. "And the best weyrmate."

Judging by the way A'kua grinned in response, their words apparently went a long way to making him feel better.

Last updated on the June 10th 2017

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Shellshocked