Watching Dragons
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: Jane
Date Posted: 17th February 2007
Characters: Swift
Description: Swift writes to his son about the dragons he can see during Threadfall.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 2, day 10 of Turn 4
"You should see them," Swift wrote quickly, his wide, loping scrawl not much more developed than it had been sixty Turns ago when the harper-teacher had told him 'it would do'. "All in the air in formation like dolphins, but close enough that I can see the colours. Bronzes and browns, and blues and greens. A _lot_ of greens, but I've seen that they have more in reserve because sometimes when Thread isn't directly overhead I can get out to see the next lot go.
"Not that there isn't always comings and goings once they've all disappeared – and if you think seeing one disappear like that is incredible you should see the whole formation go. All the time they're away they are coming back in ones and twos. And then little groups go away and come back. Then the greens. A whole pod of them alone fly up into the air above the Weyr, and then they're gone. Before I have to go back inside the others are back."
The Northern Continent Dolphin Hall where his son still lived was far from a Weyr so Race would know as little as Swift had formerly done about dragons. Now the kitchen hand considered himself something of an expert in the comings and goings of the dragons. He had found himself a vantage point up on the cliffs closer to the Weyr than the Hall, and from there he could watch the great beasts going about their day's work.
Some were instantly recognisable – the golds, some of the ones bearing the worst scars - but he was beginning to be able to recognise more than just those.
When Thread fell he was more cautious about getting so far from the Hall but had found a distance viewer that nobody seemed to mind him borrowing and took that instead. One day he would try to get one of his own for watching the dragons from his vantage point and then he would learn to recognise even more of them. Those greens, especially, weren't going to be easy to identify.
Looking back at his letter he continued. "I've never liked this cowering under stone or slate when Thread falls and it seems less right when I can see the dragons and their riders out there _meeting_ it. I'd be in the ground crews for the Hall, if I could, just to feel like I was doing my part, but apparently having everybody well-fed is more important."
There was a hammering of fists on the door, startling Swift and getting him to his feet to step across the room and pull the door open.
Outside a young kitchen hand was already making an apologetic face.
"Can you do an extra shift?"
"Somebody's sick?"
"Hungover, I reckon."
"I'll be there in half a candlemark."
The lad nodded and disappeared back toward the kitchens. Swift went back to the small desk and re-read his letter. There wasn't much but dragons in it today but he and Race wrote often enough that they would catch up with the personal news soon enough.
Not that there was much news. Swift enjoyed the evenness of his life as he enjoyed most things that came his way, but that didn't make for very exciting letters.
Not like watching dragons did.
Last updated on the February 19th 2007