Nightmare

Writers: Kaysea
Date Posted: 10th February 2008

Characters: Royani
Description: Royani falls into an exhausted, feverish sleep
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 8, day 20 of Turn 4

She had been falling behind him all morning, exhaustion overtaking her.
Despite the cold, she was feeling overheated and constantly stopped to allow cool air below the rough sewn jacket Marod had found for her when the cooler months had descended.

She glanced up and saw him waiting for her further up the track. A large shadow appeared overhead, and she ducked down instinctively trying to blend into the track like Marod had shown her; a quick glance ahead and she saw he had done the same.

There was a lone dragon flying overhead.

They had been warned at the last cot they had stopped at two days before, that there would be Thread today. The mere thought of Threadfall sent a shiver through her. She had seen first hand, what a Thread burrow could do; something she had never before witnessed being cosseted in the Hold. But high up in the mountains they had had a couple of near misses, when Thread had fallen and they were away from cover.

The cave they had spent the first few nights in had been sheltered enough, and deep enough that they hadn't had to witness the writhing morass at the caves entrance in full light. But she had seen the bareness of the rock face afterwards, not a skerrick of flora remaining, not even a small purple bud from the weeds that had grown wild across the face.

The need to find shelter was becoming more important, as evidenced by the dragonrider overhead.

~*~

They weren't the only ones sheltering in the large shed. The smallholding they had wandered into used if for holding stock, as well as their beasts of burden; but today it also held two or three more holdless who were working for a days food and shelter. The minor holder had also chosen to wait inside the large building with some of his workers, to make sure the holdless created no mischief while waiting out the Fall. She was the only female within, and felt conspicuous because of it.

Marod had encouraged her to rest and gone over to talk to the Holder and his workers. She had bedded down on some straw, taking off her overcoat and throwing it across her like the threadbare blanket she was using as a pillow. It was times like this she wished she were in her own bad at Amber Hills Hold with the quilt her sister had made for her, well padded and warm. The straw beneath her was soft enough, but didn't compare to the deep soft mattress she had been used to a few short months ago.

She wriggled on the straw, trying to stop the loose strands poking through the thin material of the dress she wore. Finally, her body molded the straw beneath her into her form, and she was able to rest a little more easily. Sleep wasn't far away, but neither was Thread as the beasts in their stalls began whining and whinnying in alarm.

Her dreams were muddled. She was nearing the Hold, she could see the high walls in the distance, but the quicker she walked towards them, the more they began to recede from her. Marod was beside her, yelling at her to run faster that Thread was coming up behind them and would eat them alive. She glanced over her shoulder to see the threatening grey cloud closing in on them. She ran faster, her arms and legs pumping, but feeling like jelly, as though she had no strength left in her. She took another look over her shoulder and instead of the Thread, she could see Klegen and Boesyn chasing them, flame throwers in their hands.

Klegen's face contorted in fury as he screamed at her that she would not return home and rob him of his marks. Boesyn's face lascivious as froth formed at his mouth - she could see the intent in his eyes.

She gathered her skirts in her hands and picked them high away from her feet, but when she looked down her boots had come loose and the laces has disappeared. The faster she ran the more difficult she found it.
She looked up at the Hold and saw it was flying away on the wings of a dragon.

Marod was nowhere to be seen, he had disappeared and it was now she alone that ran; her father waved from high on the Hold wall, waved goodbye and called to her to run away. Her family had gathered along the walls, each of them holding an item of her clothing, throwing them down at her, until she was tripping and falling not just because of the laceless boots on her feet, but from the piles of elegant clothing that were scattered before her.

She turned to glance over her shoulder to see Klegen had almost caught up with her now, and then suddenly he changed into a huge dragon -
breathing fire directly at her she could feel it on the back of her neck like a burning hand reaching out to destroy her...

Last updated on the February 14th 2008

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Nightmare