Eleventh Month of 1,265
- I finally had time to decompress and take stock of all the other things that had fallen by the wayside while preparing for the trip to Varlada.
- Spent time updating and organizing my journal better, and…. maybe it’s the distance of time from the actual events, but I had a few late revelations about the events surrounding Liseath’s death. Firestone was poisoning her lungs and I know an awful lot about poisons from my studies at Healer Hall. I resolved to ask Gil about it when I had time. I had a feeling his expertise may be needed here.
- The recent gathering for N’rion and the revelation about M’nie’s Liseath had me remembering other losses. There needs to be more to my life than fighting Thread, being a human- and dragonhealer on occasion, and serving Pern in Faranth’s Wing. Yes, those are important and fulfilling, but it can’t be my whole life. I’d been stuck too long in this mindset. The plants of ‘Mia’s that I took ownership of after her death four Turns back might be gone, but nurturing living things was a rewarding endeavor that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. I resolved to try and gather herbs and plants that I could use as my own private supply for teas and salves, or just to admire the beauty of.
- High Reaches sent an invitation not long after we returned for a mating flight. Browns, not bronzes, were invited. Morianith, Jelira’s gold, was rising to mate for the second time. She was one of two Junior Queens, the other being her twin sister dragon (Reveka was her rider). No need for a possible queen egg meant it was just a brown Flight.
- Obviously, K’brin attended, as well as M’din, who hails from High Reaches. L’nos and I also offered to go. We went up a few days before the Flight was expected to adjust to the air of the Weyr. Being higher up means the air is thinner and colder.
- M’din hadn’t been back to High Reaches in Turns.
- Hard terrain to patrol.
- Deep tunnels go into the soft rock, but the rock of the weyrs is very hard.
- There are at least 3 Queen weyrs. That really struck me.
- Lots of hot water sources and occasional tremors because of the liquid rock within the mountain, I was told.
- J’lared is Weyrleader, a good man, we helped HR out once with double Threadfall. Leader of Valor wing is bald, tan, in his 50’s and has a good smile.
- Caterin of gold Nimaleth is the Weyrwoman. Dark eyes, wavy blonde hair, and dresses conservative.
- Around 200 dragons at High Reaches
- Very informal relationships between riders and weyrfolk.
- Jelira is tall, with plain features and auburn hair. She suggested coming back in a few months to see frozen waterfalls, which can be a beautiful sight.
- Learned that because of the cold air, which can damage a dragons lungs with regards to firestone, they add in fat supplements to what a dragon eats and drinks.
- K’brin played some songs.
- High Reaches Weyr is much like Ista culturally, because they’re in the Weyr a lot of the time due to Thread and inclement weather.
- Visited M’din’s old quarters and saw just how far he’s come since his injury. There were notes all over to remind himself to do the most basic tasks, because his short term memory was once very bad.
- Took the opportunity to get in some practice in the harsh winds with Selenath, which also doubled as a chance to see High Reaches from the air.
- We played card games for fun, while waiting for the mating flight to begin.
- When the mating flight started, it was fairly quickly whittled down to the two favorites: Valenth, who sprang into the air with gusto and purpose, and brown Peregrith, the dragon of Justice wing’s wingsecond, K’san.
- Amidst the pack of competing brown riders, a fight suddenly broke out. L’nos pulled me back, while other blue riders hustled in. One of the brown riders stabbed the other with a primal scream, causing that rider to suddenly come back to himself. Before anybody could react, he pulled out the blade lodged in his stomach and quickly bled out. Nothing could be done at that point.
- Everyone was told to clear out, even the brown riders who lost made themselves scarce while Morianith and eventual winner Peregrith were still in the moment… their riders were not to be disturbed.
- We found out later that J’lared, who had cleared out to Ista for a few days, returned early and summoned all the brown riders to discuss the matter. K’brin told us he was visibly angry and wanted to get to the bottom of what happened. Discovered that the two involved in the fight were from Telgar. B’ley of brown Talvoth stabbed N’frin of brown Karlith
- J’lared gathered with the Wingleaders of High Reaches and K’brin to talk about what to do about the situation, and speculate about what caused it. Pre-existing bad blood between the two maybe? One usually doesn’t bring a knife to a mating flight, after all.
- It was agreed to send B’ley back to Telgar to be judged by D’fel and the others who knew the two best.
- T’grim was disappointed but not surprised, he said there were many rivalries at Telgar.
- A few days later, two riders from Fort showed up (Jory of green Avelith, who I remembered from the tragedy at Ruatha River Hold over 10 Turns back, and A’lar of blue Polinath). They were supposedly on Search for Ziareth’s clutch, a Junior Queen with. 21 eggs but no gold. Their true purpose was to visit with L’nos, and this gave them a legitimate excuse to be out of Fort Weyr.
- Later held a memorial for those lost this Turn: A’nia, Masterhealer Elgan, and Liseath.
- Lord Colton sent word that, in a few months, it would be a good time to visit.