Always in Memory

Writers: Emma
Date Posted: 29th April 2009

Characters: An'dr, Thanja
Description: A few days after the death of Ava, An'dr goes to seek out comfort from his mother.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 5

Plumage was really rather quiet, in fact very quiet for a fire lizard, thought Thanja as she took a walk down the beach. but as she walked the blue took off from his perch on her shoulder, at first in a glide, then beating his wings to gain some height. The little one sped down the beach, returning after a moment.

~ blue rider ~ he sent to his person. ~ sad ~ followed the image of her son. "An'dr?" she exclaimed. What was he doing here at Dolphin Cove, and why was Plumage convinced that he was upset?

The bluerider in question was sat on the beach, by his dragon's side, leaning into him and weeping. Why had Ava gone? She had saved his life, and that of Pluserth. But she was dead, her and her gorgeous Mindath, taken by thread.

"An'dr?" His mother's voice interrupted him. "Son, are you okay?"

"Mama," was all he could say, sounding like the small boy of not so recent memory as he got to his feet and threw his arms around her. "I thought I was going to be alone here, but seeing you... Oh Mama."

"Let it out," she told him. Whatever had upset him, it seemed best to let him get that out of his system, and if that meant this embrace, and the crying, then it had to happen. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, but when you are ready."

It took some time for the youngster to calm down, eventually the tears stopped and the bluerider's choked breathing slowed enough for him to talk coherently.

"I'm glad you are here Mama," he said finally, disengaging himself and stepping back. "I needed to get away from the Weyr, and I was going to come up and see you and Papa, but I had to sort myself out first."

"The last Fall, it was bad." Memories came out again, Pluserth burning thread into harmless dust, the blue turning for more stone and the feeling of really achieving something by saving people's lives. "Mama, people were scored, people I know."

"But there's more, isn't there." Something was clearly coming, something not good.

"Did I ever tell you about Ava?" An'dr said. "She was beautiful, she had gorgeous hair, a lovely brown colour and eyes to match. She rode a green dragon, Mindath. Both of them had spirit, and a great sense of fun. She was one of my best friends ever, and Pluserth was very attached to her green."

Thanja could sense what was coming, but knew An'dr had to tell her. "Mindath let Pluserth catch her several times, we," he flushed slightly, knowing that his mother had to know the Weyr facts of life. "We were close," he settled on. "She was assigned to the Weyrlingmaster's staff, during fall she would bring firestone to the wings, and toss the bags to those of us who needed it. I needed some last time, and she was there. She and Mindath."

"She got the bag of firestone to us just when we needed it. And then, then I don't know what happened after that. I think a gust of wind came through, it caught a tangle of thread. Somehow, and I wish I knew how, Ava had given Mindath some firestone. That saved me and Pluserth, she charred that clump into cinders, but there was another that caught Mindath. I heard screaming, hers and Ava's and they went /between/."

"They didn't come back, did they?"asked Thanja gently.

An'dr's expression said it all. "Oh son," she said opening her arms to him once more. "I'm so sorry. You, you said you were close, did you love her?" It wasn't a stupid question, she knew that in the close environment of a Weyr attachments could develop very quickly and deeply.

Her son nodded.

"Then you need to live for her, remember her as she was, and tell people like that so that she isn't forgotten. And in a way, that means she isn't really dead. She'll always be in your memories." It sounded like good advice, but whether he listened was another thing completely. "And remember, you can always talk to me."

Last updated on the April 29th 2009

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Always in Memory