Lost in the cold

[littleangelamy22]

Lotus shivered in the cold. The winds whipped around her face like talons of ice. Her hair slapped her face as she walked. How could she have got so lost? One minute she was just popping out her hidden little shack and the next she was lost in the middle of nowhere. She could vaguely see the outlines of mountaintops amongst the falling snow. They seemed so distant, so far away...
Lotus soon saw an opening in the mountains. A cave entrance. She climbed in, and gasped for breath. It had been hard to breath with the wind and snow blowing into her mouth and lungs. It was still cold. So cold. She wrapped her hair around her face and neck like a blanket. It was still cold. Outside the cave all she could see was the whirling, twirling snow. Before she did anything else, she had to wait for it to calm down. Now her only option was to creep further into the cave.
The further she went in, the warmer the cave was. Deeper and deeper she went, until the bitter cold faced her yet again. It was another entance. But it was sealed with a barrier of snow. She began to retreat back through the cave. Her first exit was now too blocked with snow. She was now trapped and lost in the bitter cold of the cave.
"Somebody help me" She whispered. "Please."

[Khaliall]

Sh'dar and Fierth had been out fo a routine patrol, when his Copper dragon suddenly slowed mid-air, beating his wings slowly to allow them to hover over the mountains.
His rider frowned.
"What are you doing?"
There is somebody in the mountain the dragon told him, sounding puzzled. They do not sound happy.
"Wha-?" Before Sh'dar could demand that Fierth explain what on Pern he was doing, the Copper had swooped down from the sky, and landed him in the mountain range. His riding gear was warm to protect him from the coldness of between but the cold here still penetrated.
He let out a long breath, scowling at his dragon who swung his head to one side, eyes swirling.
I do not know where she is. He sounded irritated.
You must find her

"Me? Why me?" Sh'dar was feeling a bit irritated with his dragon's chivalrous nature. Why couldn't he have a dragon who wouldn't go out of his way to help people, and didn't find every opportunity to drag him along? "And how do you expect me to find her if you can't sense her mind?"
Only after he'd said it did he wonder how his dragon had sensed her in the first place.
Fierth was quiet, listening intently.
Nearby. In the caves, I think.
"Shards," he muttered, pushing his riding goggles up to scan their environment. It was white and cold. The wind stung his face. "Whatever you say." There was a trace of sarcasm in his voice. "You owe me for this."
No I don't.
"Bloody dragon." He slid off of his bondmate's back and ventured onwards. The cave entrance with which he was familiar in the area was not there. A moment later he realized why. "Shards. It's been blocked with snow. Up to some digging?"
The Copper looked miffed for a moment.
Fine. It was I who suggested this anyways, he said at last.
At least his dragon was willing to work. Sh'dar wondered if whoever this person was was even inside, as Fierth edged fowards in the narrow landing to start digging, wings tight against his back.
Only slightly smug, Sh'dar watched him work.

[littleangelamy22]

Lotus shivered again. It seemed to be getting colder. Suddenly she heard a scarbbling from outside. Why was'nt Pryeth there when she needed her? Pyreth could protect her, but she was'nt here. Thinking about it, she did'nt have a clue where Pyreth was. She should know, she just did'nt. The noises outside grew louder, and Lotus pushed herself backward into the hard, wet cave wall. Her breathing grew louder and she hoped that no mountain bears roamed here. If it was a bear, she did'nt stand a chance.
Maybe it was Pyreth, come to find her, sensing she was in trouble. Someho she doubted it, but she could hope. Lotus would hold onto her hope as tight as she could. It mattered. It mattered now. She crept into a shadow of a large staligtite, and hoped that when whatever was digging through the snow appeared, she would be able to tell by it's voiuce how good or bad it was. If not, well she did'nt like to think it.

[Khaliall]

It is Pryeth's rider Fierth announced all of a sudden, and his rider, who had become very stiff in his standing in the cold, blinked.
"Huh?"
Are you stupid? I said that it is Pryeth's rider in the cave the dragon told him impatiently. The name didn't ring a bell.
"I don't know Pryeth's rider," he retorted. "I was just surprised. Is she from Misuri, or a recent transfer?" If she rode a Moon she must've Impressed at Misuri. Trust Fierth to know the dragon's name but not the riders.
Don't insult me. At least I knew. AND I'm doing all of the work here.
I'm not going to be of any use he said mentally. Unless you want me to dig with my hands. The Copper considered this.
Well...Ah! I've broken through. A layer of snow spilled backwards into the cave, with a black gap where Fierth had been digging. Sh'dar stepped fowards, peering into the darkness.
"Hello?" he called. "Are you in there, Pryeth's rider? I'm from the Weyr." It was too dark to see, and it was cold. He wondered how long she'd been in there.

[littleangelamy22]

Lotus heard them push through the final layers of snow. She watched the snow wall shatter and crumble. She heard a voice speak out. She could'nt hear the words. She was too cold. Then it called out. Louder. She could just hear the words. She could'nt tell who spoke them.
"I'm here." She whispered. It hurt to speak. The cold had settled in her lungs. "I'm here. Who are you?"
Her eyelashes were a dumping ground for ice, and they held her eyelids shut. She lifted up her frozen hands and rubbed them till she could see again. She could'nt see that well though. She clung to the walls and wondered towards the hite mass. A sillouette blocked her path. The sillouette of a magnificent dragon. She gasped. The dragon, or rather it's sillouette was stunning. She then felt her legs buckle underneath her with the cold. A faint cry escaped her lips and she lay on a crumpled heap on the floor. Too cold to notice what was happening around her.

[Khaliall]

"She's here," Sh'dar told Fierth, relieved. He'd started to wonder if perhaps his dragon had made the whole thing up.
Told you so muttered the Copper. He did not dignify that with a reply.
The reply was very quiet.
"We need to get you back to the Weyr," he told her, clambering over the pile of snow.
"I'm Sh'dar, rider of Copper Fierth, Sweeprider. We were just going overhead when my dragon sensed you. I'm from Misuri Weyr. Youv'e nothing to worry about."
Well, it looked like she did have something to worry about. She didn't look well.
"You're Pryeth's rider? Can you contact her?" She looked cold. He'd have to bring her back himself. Then she crumpled onto the floor.
"Shards," he swore. "Fierth, tell Pryeth we're bringing her rider back."
Will do. He contacted the Moon dragoness to inform her, leaving his rider to step towards the young woman and heave her to her feet gingerly, slinging her arm over his shoulder.
Sh'dar did not like people. He prefered to spend time with his dragon. He found it only slightly awkward to be hauling around a stranger.
"C'mon," he grunted. 'Can you walk? I need to get you on my dragon."
Fierth had crouched to the ground to make it easier for them to mount.

[littleangelamy22]

Lotus took hold of the man's arm and hoisted herself up.
"I'm sorry sir. I'm just so cold.." She siad, and her teeth chattered through every syllable. She was relieved. She would be going somewhere warm. She didi'nt care where, as long as it was warm. And preferabbly dry. She stood up and hobbled over to the dragon. He was more than a sillouette now, although his outline was very blurred. He was magnificent. His rider was handsome too. She thought he said his name was Sh'dar, but she could'nt remember for certain. The cold and the snow had clogged up every avalible place in her mind. The snow was still whirling. He hoisted her onto the mighty dragons back and she waited for it to rise up into the sky. Before he could, she fell off, and landed in the fresh snow. She was determined to not be proved weak, so she tried to climb back up again. She managed to stand up, but her legs kept crumbling beneath her. They seemed to have shrunk in strength. After several attempts, she managed to get back onto the dragon's back, and was able to stay there. She turned around and saw the man wait for her to be ready for the dragon to take off. She now thought that she was.

[Khaliall]

Sh'dar grunted at her weight and tried for a reassuring smile.
"I'm no sir. Just call me Sh'dar," he mumbled. It was awkward, he thought, being treated like he was important. Considering he was a Rider just the same as she.
"And of course you're cold. I'm not going to ask why you were alone in the mountains and wandered into a cave..." He trailed off, thinking 'yet.' He wouldn't pry 'til she was warm.
Shards, how rude that would be, were he to question a freezing girl that he'd just rescued! She was walking, now, so that was a good sign.
No hypothermia he thought to Fierth.
That's good. Aren't you glad I made you save her?
You did all the work he reminded him, putting his goggles back on. We won't be able to go between. She's not dressed for it. Though why she was out here...

Ask later. Fierth told him as his rider swung lithely up onto his back and sat down between his neck ridges.
Then she fell off.
Oh dear. This could be an adventure. He had been going to ask her to sit behind him and hold onto his waist so that he could see where they were going, but...
"I'm going to sit behind you," he said, "So you don't fall off. Hold onto Fierth's neckridges. We're going to fly back to the Weyr."
If she fell off, it wasn't going to be his fault, he thought irritably.
Fierth snorted, and spreading his wings, prepared to leap airborne.
"Hold on."
The Copper sprang into the sky, and soared upwards. The wind rushed past their faces, and Sh'dar relaxed. He was going home to the Weyr. He could hand her off to a Healer and all would be well...

[littleangelamy22]

Lotus gripped tightly onto the neckridges. She was holding on with all she was worth. Although it's hard to hold onto something when your hands are numb with the freezing cold. She held on tight, but she could tell her fingers where slipping. They were like little blocks of ice. Frozen hard.
"I can't hold on. My hands are numb" She whispered, her voice hoarser than before. She thought she was going to fall. She didi'nt know if she would survive if she did. She could imagine the fall. She had fallen before. The first time she rode Pyreth she fell off and landed in the hot sand. But this was the cold and merciless snow, And they were much higher up.
"I'm serious. I'm gonna fall." She whimpered. She shut her eyes so she could'nt see the ground below, so she could'nt see how high up she was. She began to slip off his back. There was nothing she could do.

[Khaliall]

"Oh, shard it!" swore Sh'dar. "I'm holding you. You're not going to fall off."
He was not a man noted for his patience.
This was why he prefered to keep to himself. He always ended up in awkward situations. It was why he liked sweepriding. Nobody but you , your dragon, and the world.
Well, I could hardly have let you leave her there. Fierth told him.
I'm not saying you should've! he replied.
"You're wedged between me and a neckridge. You're not going to fall off," he added hoping it'd reassure her.
How far back is it? he asked Fierth.
I'll fly as fast as possibly.
Swift wing beats carried them through the hair. It was less cold already, though the wind stung.
She was slipping sideways, Sh'dar noted, and swore under his breath, a little bit more colourfully than earlier. He caught her and heaved her back in front of him.
"Just sit still. We're almost back," he told her, hoping he was telling the truth.
...I'll fly a litle less aggressively. And lower to the ground Fierth decided, gingerly decreasing his altitutude. We're almost there.

[littleangelamy22]

"Thank-You." Lotus whimpered. Words felt useless now. He had saved her life. She could have fallen, or before that she could have died of cold or starvation in the cave.
"You saved my life." She noted. She could'nt see his face, but she guessed he was blushing. "Thank-you so much." She smiled as she noticied that the dragon Fierth was lowering altitude, and they must be approaching real ground. She still felt weak and cold, but in the arms of her new hero she felt safe and protected. She also felt happy. Which in a way was an emotion she had'nt felt for a long time. The winds still blew, but they did'nt seem to hurt asmuch. Neither did the snow or cold. Everything was becoming dreamlike, and unbreal. The snow was truning grey, then black.
Everything went black.

[Khaliall]

Sh'dar wasn't quite sure to say. He nodded, but she couldn't have seen that.
"Uhm, you're welcome," he muttered uncertainly. "Really, it's Fierth you should thank. He's the one who sensed your mind and told me where you were. And he's the one who did all the digging."
The Copper dragon seemed pleased.
You always give credit where credit is due. But I don't think she cares. His rider had only just started to realize the magnitude of what had happened. How fortunate that they had been flying overhead just then.
"You're welcome," he repeated. "I'd rather not have to do it again, so keep yourself out of--Shards. She's passed out, hasn't she?"
She felt suddenly limp.
"Shards, shards, and shards."
What was that? I didn't hear you teased Fierth as he landed in the Weyrbowl.
The stones were very solid, and the air felt warm here. No snow to be seen. It was full spring at Misuri Weyr--almost summer. Sh'dar had never been so glad to be back.
He took off his goggles, gingerly supporting the unconscious girl.
"Pryeth's rider." He nudged her and looked at his dragon. "Where's Pryeth? What's this girl's name?"
No idea admitted the dragon. Take her to the infirmary
"Seems like a good idea" he agreed, easing her off the dragon. Feeling awkward, he lifted her down. "I have a bad feeling about this."
He clambered off of his dragon's back, and carrying her gently, brought the strange rider to the Infirmary, where a Healer could tend to her.
He started to leave after safely delivering her, but the Healer beckoned him to stay.