Flame And Fall
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: AL
Date Posted: 11th June 2008
Characters: Ciara
Description: Ciara fights during a threadfall and gets injured.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 18 of Turn 4
Thread was coming. The agitation of the dragons was almost palpable in the air. Her own green Ellianith was skittish and she kept turning her head from side to side, as if seeking for something but never finding it.
It was coming. Pern's greatest enemy. It would start over the mountains where the cold would take care of the Thread, but the dragons would be ready and waiting beyond the snowy borders.
Ciara fastened her jacket and then eased her helmet over her tightly braided hair, clipped against her head. She secured it and then mounted her dragon.
}:It comes.:{ The green stated, opening her wings as if to take flight, then settling down before actually doing so. Other dragons in the wing were gathering around her and Ciara could see flashes of gold from the weyrwomen's dragons. The greenrider carefully secured her straps, then waited. The call would come soon. In the meantime, she reached down, gently stroking the pale hide
**Soon now.** Anticipation mounted and Ciara kept her gaze glued to her wingleader. A few moments more and the call was given, the wing was aloft! Then they went /between/ and came out above Garnet Valley Hold territory.
Cold blasted against them, though Ciara felt little of it, bundled in her riding leathers as she was. They were high above the ground, the silver sky moving closer toward them. Excitement built up in her breast and her hands clenched together. Her firestone bag was secure, she was ready. Just a few moments more.
Ciara took some firestone from her bag and Ellianith arched back her neck, taking it. The silver moved closer and Ciara didn't take her eyes away from it. The wind whipped at her and she knew that they would have to be especially careful - such wind meant that fall could be even more unpredictable than usual.
Green and rider waited as patiently as possible. Then another call was given and the winged moved forward to meet the foe head one. Flashes of orange and yellow spurted here and there and crackdust filled the sky as smaller, more slender pieces couldn't withstand the cold. The larger clumps survived, but those were turned to ash by the flames that filled the sky.
Ciara gave her dragon more firestone and the creature charred a rather large clump, just barely catching it in time. How had that gotten through the upper levels? She turned her gaze upward, but didn't let it linger for long.
Wind continued to whip at them and Ellianith, as strong and sure a flier as she was wavered a bit. Ciara could feel the wind pressing against her, as if trying to push her out of the straps, but the leathers had been checked and she knew they would hold.
More firestone, more flame. They were coming to the crest of the fall, the part where it was heaviest. More thread fell, clumps became larger and the flames more insistent. Her bag was almost empty and Ciara knew her time was almost over. A little more, though. A little more.
Ciara was reaching for more firestone when she felt the strong push of a fierce wind and the searing burn in her back. Rider and dragon cried out as one. Ellianith blinked /between/ and the cold destroyed the thread that had eaten at the rider's back and dragon's hide. They came back, hardly moved from the spot where they had hovered. Ciara gasped, the pain searing her. Her vision blurred and she gasped, as if unable to grab for air. In her mind, she formed the desperate vision of her home and Ellianith blinked /between/ once more, that time to appear above the weyr.
The green was rocky in the air, unstable. Ciara couldn't think, the pain was boring into her body, as if the thread was still eating at her. Her hands fumbled as if trying to grasp for something, anything. The dragon cried out again, more in concern for her rider than herself and winged her way over to the infirmary. She landed hard, less graceful, but grace was the last thing on her mind.
Pain...pain, burning, searing, grating and eating at her flesh....it filled her, throbbing within her, it took away her clarity of thought. Ciara's hands fumbled at the straps and it seemed to take an eternity before she was able to release herself from them. People were headed her way and she could hear voices, but the pain made the sound only muddles of tones, rising and falling. She tried to dismount, but her feet wouldn't move, her hands were clumsy. A moment later, she felt someone's touch, an arm around her, she felt someone taking her down and she felt like she was falling further, as if she would never stop. She looked up, bright sun behind a figure, throwing the face into shadows. Then it faded and all Ciara knew was darkness.
Last updated on the June 15th 2008