From:
"Andrew" <lawman67@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat Aug 31, 2002 5:32
am
Subject: DL-T: Home, Sweet Home (JP)
|
Day 4
Late Evening.
Darius and B'Larin sat talking about old times, the two of them perhaps the
only people old enough to remember those good days, and the not so good ones
as well. It was B'Larin who noticed the gas first, catching a wiff of it at
about the same time that his dragon notified him. Darius' dragon was as out
of the loop as he was, and thus wasn't very high on the notification list.
However for B'Larin, it was perhaps too late, as he passed out soon after
getting word.
As Darius set B'Larin down in the med center, he noticed that there was
quite a commotion from the dining hall he had just come from. He heard the
gossip about the gas leak, and now knew that B'Larin had not simply passed
out from drinking too much. Quickly, he headed back into the dining hall
and started dragging out the increasingly large number of unconscious
people. For twenty minutes he went back and forth, holding his breath each
time so as not to be affected himself, though straining with the weight of a
body while not breathing for almost a minute and a half per trip was itself
making him extremely light-headed, combined with whatever gas he had inhaled
without noticing it, made the task very difficult.
The strain was showing as Darius emerged again from the dining hall. He was
light-headed from the initial inhalation of the gas, and subsequently from
holding his breath every time he went back in. Still, there were entirely
too few people on their feet, and so Darius couldn't take any time to rest.
He watched as one young man went back in seemingly not slowed at all, and
wished for the stamina that comes part and parcel with youth to be his once
again. Slowly, he put the unconscious man's body down in the triage area,
noticing keenly how most of those evacuated from the dining hall were the
smaller people. He wondered whether it was their increased susceptibility
to the effects of the gas, or an unconcious decision on the part of the
rescuers to take the smallest and lightest packages first.
True to reputation, Darius did things his own way, and while he wasn't as
quick as the younger people, and propably felt the strain in his muscles and
lungs more than they, he picked up the largest of those in need, for one
thing that hadn't failed him in his many years was his strength. As he laid
the man down gently he looked up to see the warrenlady he had spoken to
earlier looking at him, an expression he couldn't read on her face.
Mae was surprised, though she tried not to show it. Twice in one day this
stranger had risked himself to aid others. She approached him with a smile,
"I see that more thanks are in order... so thank you, again!"
He looked up and caught her smile. "I''ve never been one to sit and watch."
"I'm glad to see that... and I'm sure that those whom you have saved are
also glad... or will be." She stared down at the unconscious man on the
ground and noted with amazement that this was one of the bigger riders in
the warren. She looked back at Darius with new respect in her eyes. Not
only was he risking his health in aiding others, he was pulling out the
larger members of the Warren -- those whom others would have difficulty
moving and had no doubt been left behind in preference for the smaller and
lighter victims.
Darius savored the moment to catch his breath, though looking over his
shoulder he saw that the rescue work was all but done. Sadly, there were
four bodies with sheets over the heads, meaning the rescuers were too few,
or too slow. "They should recover, depending on what that gas is. You
know, I lived at Telnor for over twenty years, and in that time we didn't
have so much as a single quake. My cave isn't far from here, and in the
last few months I've seriously considered moving out into the open. Seems
to be worse here."
"I haven't been here all that long myself, but until a short time ago, I
hadn't noticed any. But they do seem to be getting worse -- and more
frequent. As for moving out into the open... with the frequency of wraith
attacks also up, you'd be in serious danger from getting caught outside by a
swarm. Not a pleasant choice." Mae shook her head.
"No, not pleasant at all. Its been almost 40 years since my first
encounter with a wraith, and believe me, I still have much respect for my
enemies."
"That is something that a lot of our younger riders don't have... enough
respect for the wraiths, or enough experience!" Mae looked at him, a
thought coming into her mind. "With our head trainer being injured, and
though Eth'n is doing a really good job so far with the new trainees, I'm
sure that your knowledge of fighting wraiths would be invaluable. Perhaps
you could talk to Eth'n about helping him with this new group of trainees?
I'm sure he'd appreciate it!"
"I haven't decided to stay yet. A lot of memories for me in this place, bad
memories."
Mae's eyes looked into the sadness that was written across the older man's
face. "I wish I could erase those memories for you. But, think about it,
is all I ask. You'd be welcome to stay."
Darius could hear a touch of his own sadness in her voice, and the plight
the warren was in with the quakes, the ever-present wraith presence and the
continuing need to protect the outlying areas, he knew clearly that any
resentment of the past was outweighed by the needs of the present. With a
sigh, he nodded, the words coming out before he could form the arguments
against it, "I'll stay, at least long enough to get your new riders trained
and share some of what I've learned. I'd rather not rescue another Shasta."
Mae nodded, replying "We'll get you settled then, and welcome home Darius."
"Home" he said softly to himself, wondering if he would ever think of this
as home again.
Summary: Darius helps rescue the victims of the gas, and after moving some
of the heavies, is convinced to remain at Telnor.
Respectfully submitted by:
Arlene Jacobs
Playing: Maedralyn, Acting Warrenlady, rider of Zareena, of Telnor Warren
and
Andrew F.
AKA
Darius and Larin
Rogue Dragonrider