Trapped on the mountains, part 2

Writers: Devin, Chelle
Date Posted: 8th September 2014

Characters: Sarban, N'mor
Description: Sarban and dragonriders rescue trapped travellers.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 5 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, Corowal
Notes: follows part1, late due LOA's

It was sharding cold. Nelya couldn't remember ever feeling this cold
before. She heard her father cough and gave him worried look. His
coughing was getting worse and worse. The pitiful fire was going out
for the lack of firewood, and they were almost out of food supplies
too. Nelya huddled closer to her little brother. They had been lucky
to find a this cave for shelter and lucky to avoid being buried by
avalanche. But now their luck seemed to run out and they would slowly
freeze to death. She let her gaze wander over to the others in their
ragged, shivering company. Her father wasn't the only one coughing.

Indeed, there had been several folks trying to get through before the
weather turned for the worse. Most of them had only packed for a
normal 10-day trip. And it had already been eleven. Huddled together
for body warmth, they were all thinking if the snow would just melt a
bit. But it wasn't going to happen-not really.

Sarban arrived at Black Rock and met with Hircine to discuss the
situation with the dragonriders willing to help. Some of the miners
were trained in climbing rescues so they would be coming along too.
The steward shared the information he had and waited to see if they
could get a plan together.

"I'm going with you," Hircael said, "I've prospected and hunted on
those mountains since I was fifteen." He and his father Hircine
already had been arguing over the issue, well, since the drum message
came in.

"Well, do hurry up!" N'mor called from Ked's back. He had been
assigned to this rescue mission.

A blue and his rider stood near the bronze pair. The Weyr had sent two
dragons to help cover more ground, with the promise of more if needed.

Hircael mounted the blue dragon, leaving the bronze for the more high
ranking steward.
He gave the dragonriders directions for the Pass.

Sarban managed the mounting with some help from the rider. They had all
the equipment they needed. He sincerely hoped the people would be allright.
Once this was over, he could report to Corowal. And perhaps get a
progress report from Hircine on Black Rock while he was here. "Allright,
let's go!" he
shouted through the wind and snow.

Kedvencth pushed himself up to the air and they did a short hop /between/
to get
closer the mountains and the Pass. The eyes of the dragons scanned the
landscape
when they started to fly along the Pass }: Watch out, there's some
tricky wind currents here, :{ Ked warned the blue.

Sarban kept his eyes peeled for signs of the people. Maybe smoke or
footprints or signs of the snow being disturbed. "We may just have to go
down and search
on foot if we don't see anything!" he shouted over the wind to be heard.

The dragons spotted it first, an area where snow had obviously slid
down the mountainside. After Ked noted his rider, N'mor see it too.
"There's the avalanche
that blocked the Pass," he shouted over the wind. Ked also saw something
dark stick out of the
snow. He landed to investigate.
A herdbeast was half buried in snow. It was one of those large ones
bred to pull wagons. There was also bits and pieces of wagon scattered
around. "This doesn't look promising," N'mor said.
}:Oh, it's food,:{ Ked sniffed the dead herdbeasts.

**No, don't!** N'mor tried to forbid him but too late. The bronze
already sank his teeth to the hind leg, only to spit it out.

}: Eeew, it's frozen solid, :{ he said with disgusted tone.

N'mor sighed. **Think what kind of impression you're giving to these
holders.**

"Hold a moment. I think I'd like to get down and investigate." Sarban
knew they had to be around here somewhere.
The steward moved to make himself ready to get down. He started to
yell, hoping someone would answer.

There was a rumble from the mountain and some snow slid down from the
avalanche. Ked's head whipped up and he looked around with concerned
alertness. Then, first time during his young life, the bronze spoke
directly to someone
else but his rider, }: Don't that ever again! You bring the mountain
down on us,:{ his tone was commanding.

"This is an older avalanche," Hircael told them with reassuring tone.
"Although the conditions are good for a new one, so
we better hurry."

Sarban was struck dumb momentarily by the sound of the dragon's voice
in his head. It was the first and probably the only
time that would ever happen and despite the conditions of it, he would
remember it. He was going to have to tell Corowal.
Then, realizing where he was and hearing Hircael, he nodded. Stepping
down, he started to walk around, looking for tracks
or anything and feeling for warmth. Where would they be? It was a long
time wandering around before he saw the mound.
Standing over there, he examined it and got down on his knees. **Maybe
a buried cave?** He couldn't dig that fast though.

"Did you find something, sir?" the bluerider asked, nervously glancing
around at the snow. It was almost as cold as /between/ here.

"I think...there's a mound here. There could be something under it? Could
your
dragon perhaps dig it out so we could hear?" He was praying. **Don't let
them
be frozen underneath somewhere.**

The bluerider told his dragon to dig, _carefully_. The dragon's claws
dug into the snow, removing large clumps of snow at a time.

Nelya had stepped outside from the cave for a moment, to collect fresh
snow to be melted to drinking water. The only commodity they weren't
running out. She kept looking the large mound of snow that had blocked
their progress. Their local guide had said it was probably caused by
an avalanche. It was taller than tallest hold building Nelya had seen
and nobody knew how thick. Unfortunately conditions prevented them
turning back too. She thought she heard something. "Anybody there?"
she called out as loud as her young lungs could carry.

Sarban heard it. He watched the dragon to see if the beast had heard
anything better than he had.
Becoming hopeful that at least someone had survived, he tried to move
around, searching for the sound.
Bending down to the ground, he dug some himself and cupped his gloved
hands around the hole. "Anyone alive down there?"

The blue cocked his head, then shifted carefully to a different part
of the mound and started digging again.

Ked joined him and the two dragons soon dig thru the wall of snow.

When the snow suddenly started to move and roll away and then dragon's
claw pushed out, Nelya let out a little scream.

"There! Did you hear that?" Sarban stepped back but he made gestures at
Hircael.
Someone was in there. Had to be. He left the digging to the dragons
but they needed to be ready to get these people out. They were going to be
cold. The
steward started to drag out rope and blankets. Perhaps they could make a
fire to warm
them up. His eyes looked around at their surroundings, trying to judge.

"Yes," Hircael replied but his eyes were on sky. "We better hurry up,
looks like the weather may turn on us, for the worse," he warned with
worried voice.

The blue dragon kept widening the hole, and soon he was able to poke
his head inside. He looked at the girl with whirling eyes and then
backed out to let the humans get inside.

"We're saved! Dragons are here!" Nelya called out.

N'mor slipped in from the hole. "Hello there," he greeted and was
taken a back when she rushed to hug him.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you! Can we get out here, now?"

The other travellers came out of their shelter, faster or slower,
depending on their condition. Hircael had followed
the young bronzerider and now took a quick headcount. "Is everyone
here?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, we're all here," a trader replied.

Sarban stayed outside, monitoring the weather. He wondered how many
there were and quickly began to calculate
how many the dragons could carry. Someone was going to have to stay behind.

"Your blue can probably take all the children on his back," N'mor
started to divide the passengers, "And Ked's strong enough to take
maybe three more, especially if they're women. We need more trips or
more dragons to evacuate the rest."
** Ked, speak to Kalamath, ask him send dragon or two to help evacuate
them,** he asked his bronze.
Ked nodded with his huge head and reached out to contact the
Weyrleader's bronze.

Meanwhile, Hircael got the trapped travellers ready for a dragon ride.

Some of the traders protested that they had to leave their merchandise
behind. Nobody could take any items with, just people.

"You're free to wait here for ground-rescue team to arrive, it may take
as long as a sevenday, especially if those clouds bring more snow," the
holder's son said bluntly and pointed upwards. That killed all further
protests.

The bluerider started helping children into the riding straps. They
looked shaken, but there was a glimmer of excitement in a few of their
eyes.

It didn't take long until they had loaded the two dragons with as many
people as possible. The dragons took flight and /betweened/, landing in
the main courtyard of Black Rock Hold. The dragons did several trips back
and forth before they had gotten everyone to safety. Luck held and the
snow stayed inside the clouds.

Sarban had waited until the last of the people were loaded up. The steward
came in with the last party and found himself dismounting and thanking
Faranth
that everything hadn't been for the worst as it could easily have been. He
walked inside to speak to Hircine who would be housing the folk naturally,
pausing to thank the dragonriders for their assistance as he did. Offering
them
food and drink to warm their bellies, he tried not to think about how
long it would have taken for everyone to starve to death.

Last updated on the October 3rd 2014

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Trapped on the mountains, part 2