Racing the Caravan (Itona)

[E]

(Summary) (Rowen and Blue both, I need you to check this to make sure its okay. Let me know if anything needs to be changed.)

Deltontai and Itona, holdless sisters, had the rest of that moon to plan their escape before they began to watch the caravan form together. Rushing their preparations to be ready, they said goodbye to their “Uncle” of sorts and held up their courage to face the hold bound people, planning to offer their help in turn for allowing them to travel with the caravan. Talking their way into it was more difficult than either could imagine as the holdbound labeled them as holdless thieves (which in the past would not have been far off.)

Deciding to follow at a distance instead, the sisters took to watching the preparations. What they found happening in the night shocked them both. Herdbeasts were hand picked and separated for the caravan to take, and while the best were defiantly not among those chosen, neither were the most sickly as they wouldn’t make the journey. The following nights, however, the girls watched as holdless figures they recognized came down from the outer caverns to dump a powder into their feeding and watering troughs.

It took two days for the girls to realize that the herdbeasts were being poisoned for the Weyr, and another day to realize those in that faithful caravan had no idea what was happening. Attempting to tell the holdbound, however, failed miserably as the man took it at their attempt to help themselves to the herdbeasts who didn’t look any different to him.

It was all Deltontai could do to keep her sister from seeking revenge herself upon the familiar holdless faces. Knowing that now they couldn’t turn back after what they saw, the girls decided to move on before the caravan in hopes of finding the Weyr before they reached there and the poison wrecked its havoc. Taking the rarely used track the caravan was facing, Del allowed Itona to set the pace as the seasoned runners began their long run.

(Post)

Deltontai slowed herself to a walk, swallowing her dry throat to shout ahead to her never-winded sister. She could hear water, and hopefully not far off the trail. Needing the drink desperately and knowing their water containers had been emptied the day before, it was time to risk going off trail. Leaning against a tree, she gave her sister a moment to backtrack back to her.

“Itona, do you hear that?” she asked, as he breath finally caught up with her. The slight rumble of a waterfall could be heard. They had been circling around a huge mountain for two days now and if the water was coming off it, the trip would certainly not be far. The mountain was now a constant in their vision. “It sounds like water and moving water is safe to drink than anything holding still.”

“If we mark our way in carefully we should be able to find the path again right?” Normally Del and Ita would not care if they kept to a trail or not while on their trips into the wilds and away from life for a while, but with the knowledge they carried… Del wanted to make sure they reached wherever the caravan was going before it did. But they needed water…

[Rowen]

Itona carefully controlled her breathing not answering her sister as she took deep breaths and let them out slowly. Glancing off the trail then back up the trail Itona's mind racing with thoughts. 'I still can't believe THEY knew... AND they're poisoning the dragons!' Looking back at her sister Itona focused on what her sister had said.

"We still might not find the path again." Itona shrugged as she looked down the path they'd come up. "It shouldn't matter though, we might be close now. I think we're far enough ahead of the caravan to beat them even if we side track a bit." Itona smiled at her sister. Her sister looked tired, and Itona couldn't blame her they'd been at this for days!

It didn't help in the least that the holdbound refused to trust them, which was causing all sorts of problems. Itona really did hate the holdbound thick headed brutes. Itona placed a hand on a nearby tree and looked in the direction of the sound of water. "Let's get something to drink, the caravan won't be traveling fast anyway."

[E]

Deltontai listened to her sister, watching her look at both choices. Unsure of how quickly caravans travel, Del was not so confident they were well ahead of it. After all the holdbound had the large beasts and runners to ride and pull their wagons while Del and Itona were on foot carrying their own meager belongings. At the same time, however, those huge wagons would not go quickly over some of the terrain they had passed, this trail was not well kept. And Del was not sure how fast they could herd the herdbeasts along anyways despite their runners.

Agreeing that they should drink, Del began breaking branches just enough to leave it hanging at a downward angle. Every step she’d break another branch hoping it would be an easy sight to see on the way back. “You know, Itona, if that is a waterfall we hear, we might be able to climb up around it somehow and get above the treeline. Then we could look for the caravan as well as anything that might look like a Weyr, though I’m not sure how they look.”

Biting her lip as she broke another branch, always moving toward the sound of the water, she looked back at Itona with another smile. Gosh it felt good to smile without the fading bruise that was her face hurting any longer. “Who knows, maybe there will be dragons flying above the Weyr.”

[Rowen]

Itona followed her sister carefully trying not to ruin the trail she was leaving to lead them back. "It won't hurt to look." Itona agreed easily at the hope of seeing another dragon in flight. 'Neither of us know what a wyer looks like, and we only assume that it's this way because of the caravan...'

Itona lost in thought almost didn't notice her sister smile, but smiled when she did. 'It looks like her bruise isn't bothering her as much.' Itona pushed a lock of hair out of her face and went around another lowered branch. "The hold bound seem as smart as the herd beasts, the least the man could have done was replace the herd beasts with different ones. I just hope none of the dragons eat the beasts in the caravan.."

[E]

“While you may be right, Itona, I’m not sure they would have had many to choose from afterwards. They were taking quite a few.” Moving forward further, she continued with her train of though. “I just hope we can make it to the Weyr before they do. Then we can stop it. Maybe they have someone there who can fix the herdbeasts so they can still eat them, or at least breed them.”

A frown formed on her lips as she continued to ponder the notion. Maybe that’s why the man was so loath to believe them? Perhaps even if the herdbeasts were poisoned the people at the hold could do nothing about it. Times were tough, and feeding a whole hold of people while still sending animals to a Weyr must be hard, shards just feeding her and Itona was difficult at times.

Pushing past another branch, Del lost her train of thought with a smile. Moving to the side and holding the branch for her sister, Del watched the water fall from the cliff face in front of them. It was a small clearing, maybe only 10 feet across from the waters edge to the trees. The waterfall itself fell into a small pond that had a small river flowing out of it. A rainbow even danced in the waters spray.

“Oh, now that is actually kinda pretty. Don’t you think so Itona?” Following the falling water upwards with her eyes, Del let out a long, low whistle. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say it was falling right off the mountain, but how could the mountain be holding so much water up there? Maybe there is a lake?” Thoughtful, she stood there for a moment mesmerized.

[LyricalBlue]

A large shadow crossed over the girls' location and the muffled thump of wingbeats against the heavy air could be clearly heard. If they had looked up they would have seen the underside of a large bronze dragon. A few minutes later the caravan creaked slowing into view. The lowing of the herdbeasts echoed up to where the girls were perched above the falls. The caravan stopped as a man jumped out and waved the wagons to a halt. Shouts and a rather clipped conversation between the wagoneers reached up to where Deltonai and Itona were hiding. Lucikly anything the girls would say would be drowned out by the rush of the water below them,

Of course all the noise, all the movement, simply stopped as a whoosh of cold air descended on the clearing. When the girls looked up they could see not one... but five bronze dragons beating their wings against the suddenly frigid air. The largest one, the one they saw before landed in the clearing just below the waterfall. The herdbeasts began to low and bellow again, only this time it was in fear. Their handlers grabbed onto whatever they could hold to keep the beasts from scattering while the big bronze dragon tucked his wings against his side.

The rider did not dismount, but instead began to converse with what was clearly the leader of the caravan. The four remaining bronzes stayed aloft, hovering in place above the clearing. Huge beasts they were and wildly impressive even if there were only five of them. Deltonai and Itona had a clear view of everything below them and one of the dragons was close enough to where they were hiding that they could almost reach out and touch him.

[Rowen]

Itona's eyes widened in surprise and she stood still. 'Oh no.... I don't like this.. No, not one bit..' Itona's eyes shifted from the gathering below to the dragon that was so close... 'This is.. The closest I've ever been to a dragon... I wonder if it would... mind if I...' Her hand lifted up with her thoughts but she pulled it back before it ever reached the dragon.

She turned her attention back to the gathering below and leaning close to her sister she spoke loud enough to be heard over the sound of the water. "What now?" Itona doubted anyone had ever been put in this sort of position and Itona didn't have the faintest Idea on what should be done next... The Hold bound wouldn't like it in the least if they marched down there and told the dragon.. riders.. 'Real riders...' That the herd beasts were no good... But something had to be done...

[E]

At the shadow flying over, Del had instinctively stepped back under the branches nearby, eyes going to the sky. What she found, however, left her speechless as her jaw fell open. Her eyes drank in the sight of the bronze dragon, but even as her heart skipped a beat at their beauty, she reached for her sisters shoulder and pulled her back a few steps till they were both beneath the branches.

Swallowing hard, she watched as four more of the great beasts came into view from seemingly empty air. Their muscles rippled under their oiled hides and Del could not help but feel her stomach tighten. It was beautiful… in that deadly sort of way that told you in the back of your head that you shouldn’t be there. Seeing her sister reach her hand out, the pull it back, Del knew instantly what her sister had considered doing. Deltontai, however, had no such fantasies, that dragon could swallow them both whole.

Taking a deep breath, Del whispered to her sister despite the noise of the water beside them. “I have no idea, Sister. Look at the size of him… I would have never imagined how huge he would be after seeing the ones flying from so far away.” It was an honest struggle to pull her eyes off the metallic hide, but she managed it to look again at the caravan leader. It was the same one they had talked to days before. “What do you think Itona? If we step out now the leader might tell him we are liars. But who would he believe? Would he risk the dragon’s health before having someone look at the animals?”

Giving the dragon a suddenly skeptical look, she added “… And was that little bit of poison enough to do something to a beast so BIG?”

[Rowen]

"We HAVE to tell them Dela.. Even if it's just a little poison.. It might really hurt the dragons. Look at them! If they eat those herd beasts... They might even die! We don't know what that poison will really do to them, but we have to do SOMETHING!" As Itona spoke she gestured at the dragons.

"Look at them Dela.. They may be big, but they're creatures too, and they have riders! Don't you remember any of the stories? The riders will be affected too, it could turn into something really bad Dela.. You're right it might not be enough to affect the dragon much, but what if it DOES?"

Itona wasn't in the least bit afraid of the dragons, so much as she was afraid of the people. The hold bound and the riders, who could take Itona and Deltontai's words just as the hold bound had. 'I REALLLY don't like this...'

[LyricalBlue]

The dragonrider below them had leaned over his beast's shoulder as he conversed with the caravan leader in audibly intense tones. But as these stories are often told, Deltonai and Itona would not remain hidden for very long; at least, not to all parties present. The great bronze beast on the ground swung his head around to look directly at the girl's hiding location. In fact it rather felt as if those great whirling eyes were looking directly at them. For a second it almost seemed as if the nearly copper colored dragon had winked at them. A voice echoed into their head with all the force of the water tumbling down the cliff below them and with about as much gentleness.
What is there not to like? These will be tasty.

In the back of the caravan, a man began to sneak around the milling herdbeasts, checking their ties and looking all together suspicious. If the girls somehow managed not to be dazzled by the sudden other voice in their minds they might have recognized him from the night before. And when he paused to look at the dragons and their riders, even in the distance, one could feel the hate radiating from him.

The dragons however, seemed entirely unaware of the malicious presence as did the other humans in the clearing. The heavy atmosphere was covering them all like a blanket as the herdbeasts continued to low with worry. Not even the strong wingbeats of the dragons could cut through the haze that hung all about them.

[Rowen]

Itona felt like she was about to scream, a dragon spoke to her. Her eyes flicked to the side when she spotted movement.. She nudged her sister, hit more like, but her conflicting emotions were getting the better of her. She nudged her sister just one more time looking in the direction of the man before she walked out to the nearest dragon and poked it.

Her voice was barely a whisper and not even Itona heard herself over the sound of running water. She poked harder this time speaking louder. "HEY! I need a favor!" She'd yelled her demand to make sure she was heard this time. She was afraid of the people and would leave her sister to deal with them, but she was going to go down there and speak to that dragon, it more than deserved to be warned.. Even if it didn't understand what Itona had to say.

[E]

Deltontai had lost her breath. In that instant it felt like the weight of the world had tumbled down on her, crashing through her head to sit heavily on her chest. If her wits had remained about her she might have sworn her chest stopped beating to listen to the voice in her head.

The nudge from her sister, however, was just enough to shake Del from her shock and the young woman gasped for breath. Looking at her sister and following her gaze, Del knew instantly what was wrong. Making a conscious point (and obvious struggle) NOT to look back at the dragon, Del took off. She knew if she looked at the dragon she would be lost in shock again.
Running down the line of the cliff they stood upon, she came to a spot with a more gradual slope and had to skid to a stop before falling headfirst down it. Putting her legs in front of her, she bit the inside of her cheek against the pain she knew would come from the rocks and half skid down the side and half slid.

It happened quickly, quicker than she had planned actually, but when she stood, her legs only shook a moment despite how torn her pants and skin beneath probably were. Taking off at a sprint through the trees, she managed to get close to the man both young women recognized before he spotted her.

[LyricalBlue]

It was the great copper colored beast on the ground that noticed the movement first, he shifted and spread out his massive wings. It cast a strange copper-bronze shadow on the people below. He bellowed in his deep brazen voice and the caravan traders cowered. The man directly below the dragon sank down so fast, it looked as if he wanted to become part of the ground below him. All movement stopped as the man on the dragon's back made some strange signal to the riders above. The second largest of the beasts, nearly green with age, touched down heavily beside the first. How he managed to find room for that maneuver was quite beyond anyone watching.

As Deltonai skidded to a halt in front of the rather dirty man, he froze, clearly torn between the rather scary looking girl in front of him and the bellowing dragon. He quickly decided that the dragon behind him won that contest and bolted towards Deltonai, intent on escape. Before the ragged and now bloody girl could do anything, the smallest of the bronze dragons swooped in and picked up both girl and terrified man before flapping heavily back upwards. He titled a whirling eye to look down on Deltonai, now wiggling in his left hand.
What are you doing?

The bronze dragon on the ground, swung his head once more towards Itona. With eyes whirling red, his tone was rather more militaristic than before.
Come down here, small one.
The smaller bronze, somehow managed to land on his hind legs, wings brushing the old fellow as he settled down. The man on top of the copper dragon waved and spoke, raising his voice loud enough for anyone in the clearing to hear.
"What exactly is going on here?"

[Rowen]

Itona looked down at the dragon and nodded and ran back down the side, not quite as fast as her sister. She didn't feel much up to hurting herself and they'd caught the wretched man.. The dragon could wait an extra few moments for her to get down properly.

Once down she ran toward the dragon and stopped in front of it. She hit it to emphasize her words, not hard, because Itona very much doubted that she could hurt the dragon not that she wanted to. She just wanted it to understand her point. "Don't eat the herd beasts! They're no good, they're like a bad apple, they might make you sick." She spoke to the dragon instead of the rider her gaze on the dragon's large eye.

Itona knew she should probably be afraid of the dragon but she wasn't. The voice she'd heard didn't sound threatening and a creature had never hurt her without reason... Unlike the people she encountered.

[E]

Deltontai had cocked her first back ready to land a blow even before tackling the man making his escape toward her. She was denied the pleasure, however, as she felt the huge bronze claws wrap almost tenderly around her body. For a moment she was torn between shouting in fury or screaming in fear as her feet were lifted off the ground.

Deltontai, the unbeatable boxer of the holdless, the champion of the rings, the one woman who never needed to run from a man’s fight was terrified. She had forgotten how true fear felt, had forgotten how to react to it. Forcing her heart to keep beating, she decided shouting in fury might just give her courage while screaming in fear would only strengthen her terror.

“You Over Sized Bloody Wherry! Give him back! He’s MINE!” Kicking her feet and swinging her fists at the man, she tried in vain to focus on the one thing she could conquer, that holdless piece of dirt. It took a moment for it to register the dragon had actually spoken to her. Stopping her swinging, she looked up at the dragon with a glare.

“I’m trying to hurt the man who’s going to hurt YOU! Now give him BACK you Wherry-Brained Over-Polished Wher!" she continued shouting at the dragon, finally giving up her swings at the man she could not reach.