The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) 1967.
The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

This is a log of roleplay on PernMUSH, available online by permission of
Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern novels, and recorded by A.S. Korra'ti
(piper@murkworks.net), player of Mehlani of Telgar Weyr on PernMUSH.
This log may be distributed freely as long as this header remains intact.
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Log Date: 4/9/96

Log Intro: F'hlan, bronze Tzornth's rider, has been wounded in
Threadfall. A wide swath of Thread came down out of nowhere while he
and his dragon were occupied with trying to catch a firestone sack
from Weyrling T'lar -- hitting first F'hlan's gold and bronze fire lizards
Narie and Sioll, then F'hlan's right leg, and finally Tzornth.
The rider and his dragon have been ordered back to the Weyr, and as
the rest of the dragonriders of Benden have come in from the Fall,
F'hlan has been attended by Healer Portock. Lal has helped by
bringing F'hlan's frightened daughter Mehlani in and assuring her that
she can indeed watch over her wounded father; now, resting, F'hlan
dozes, when he is found by his oldest child....

Log Cast: F'hlan, Fahloran (under audition), Mehlani (run by F'hlan's
typist), Tzornth, Tidranth

----------
Fahloran emerges from behind the tapestry leading to the outer infirmary.
Fahloran has arrived.

F'hlan, as his son comes charging in, is lying on a cot; his riding jacket, 
  boots, helmet, goggles, and gloves are stacked on a chair nearby, and he is 
  clad only in a rumpled tunic and what's left of his wherhide breeches. The 
  right leg of same has been cut off, leaving a bandaged thigh and knee 
  visible. 

On F'hlan's chest, green Koei has attempted to burrow under her human's shirt; 
  green Neme is huddling in the hollow of F'hlan's shoulder and trying to, it 
  would seem, nest in his hair. Both fire lizards' eyes are whirling bright 
  orange.

In a chair by the cot sits seven-Turn-old Mehlani, who is clutching a pillow 
  in her little hands and watching her father with huge and teary eyes. In the 
  cot itself F'hlan lies, dozing fitfully.
As her brother's footsteps sound, Mehlani jerks her blue gaze up and hurtles 
  at her older sibling. She intercepts him and wraps her arms around his 
  bigger body; she's shaking badly, and sniffling. Her pillow goes flying as 
  she drops it.

Fahloran looks upon his father, his huge eyes seemingly growling larger with 
  concern. He looks about the cavern as holds his sister, patting her head and 
  whispering, "It'll be okay, Mehlani."

Near F'hlan, Mehlani whimpers tinily, "Daddy's hurt an' I hafta watch him..." 
  Her little voice is slurred with tears.

F'hlan stirs, jerking his head around groggily.

Fahloran kneels down to look his sister in the eye. "We will both watch him, 
  'Lani." He watches his father over her shoulder, waiting for some sign. He 
  takes his sister's hand.

Jaeleka emerges from behind the tapestry leading to the outer infirmary.
Jaeleka has arrived.

F'hlan opens his eyes with an effort. "..... 'lran." He coughs, and tries 
  again. "Fahloran? That you?"

Jaeleka wobbles in, a red thread trailing from one hand.

Jaeleka
Still pudgy with baby fat, Jaeleka is toddling on her own now. Her 
  white-blonde hair reaches just beyond her ears, and has begun to curl softly 
  about her face. Her eyes of a piercing crystal blue regard everything with 
  an air of wonderment. Currently, she is clad in deep purple overalls which 
  are rolled at her ankles to allow for growth. A front pocket is embroidered 
  with brilliant scarlet flowers. A white short sleeved shirt with a collar 
  embroidered with a smattering of purple and scarlet flowers completes the 
  ensemble.

Fahloran moves to his father's side, his hand holding tightly to his sister's. 
  "Yes, sir," he says softly. "I am here, " he adds a little more loudly, 
  aware of the other wounded riders in the cavern.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani hugs her brother tenaciously, gone absolutely mute now 
  that he's arrived. She follows him to their father's side.

Jaeleka burbles happily, wandering in and amongst the beds.

F'hlan turns his head, just slightly so as to not disturb Neme by his shoulder 
  -- much -- and smiles crookedly. "Lal find you? Fast..."

Fahloran nods, blinking back the emerging tears. "Yes, sir. I cam as soon as I 
  could." he brushes his hair out of his eyes. "Is there... something I can do 
  to help?"

F'hlan gives something of an uncertain, oddly grave -- grave even for him -- 
  smile. "I'm... a little scatterheaded right now, son..."

Near F'hlan, Mehlani whispers very tinily in her brother's ear, "Firelizards 
  gone."

Fahloran's eyes dart to his father's wound. He then looks for the cup of 
  fellis-laced wine and spots it. He looks at his sister. "Gone where, 'Lani?" 
  he asks softly.
Fahloran reaches for the cup, seening that it still has a bit of the wine 
  left. "Would you like some more, sir?" he asks by way of suggestion.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani repeats solemnly, "Gone."

F'hlan nods heavily, and stiffly attempts to sit up a little more.

Jaeleka wanders over to a corner, sitting down, playing with her string 
  quietly.

Fahloran doesn't release Mehlani's hand as he helps his father sip some more 
  of the wine, encouraging him to finish the last of the cup.

F'hlan, wine downed, sinks back against the pillows under him. His brown gaze 
  has fogged a little, with the effort of movement.

Fahloran's brown eyes open wide when he realizes his father's other 
  firelizards are no where in sight. "Where did they go, 'Lani?" he asks.

Jaeleka yawns softly, blinking rapidly.

Fahloran sets down the cup and helps his father settle down better, briefly 
  releasing his sister's hand. Before she can react, though, he has it firmly 
  in his grasp.

F'hlan squints at his son, frowning a little as he slowly fathoms what the 
  children are talking about. "Gone," he echoes Mehlani. "Felt them go... bad 
  swath of Thread, son..."

Fahloran swallows hard. "Gone?" barely manages to get out. Taking a deep 
  breath, he tries to steady himself, knowing his father needs him to be 
  strong right now. "Is this more comfortable, sir?" he asks, throat tight.

F'hlan, half-absent of gaze, begins to nod, but mumbles, "Narie... _Sioll!_" 
  His eyes widen a little, and his gaze darts wildly first to the left, then 
  the right. Then he stares again at the children and settles, blushing just a 
  bit, as if suddenly remembering that he shouldn't scare them. What did 
  Fahloran ask? Oh... "I'm... I'm alright..."

Near F'hlan, Mehlani remains silent, but her big blue eyes get progressively 
  tearier.

Jaeleka nods, her eyes blinking for longer periods of time. A pudgy hand 
  clasps a red thread, the thumb of that hand pops into her mouth.

Fahloran nods, placing his free hand on his father's shoulder. "'Lani and I 
  are here, sir. We will be here as long as you need us." He glances down at 
  his sister, seeing her tears and tries to smile for her, to show that 
  everything will be alright.

On F'hlan's chest, Koei creels sorrowfully, trying to huddle into as tiny a 
  green fire lizard ball as she can.

F'hlan nods, with careful effort. _Stay alert for your children, rider._ 
  "I'm... grounded. Three sevendays, probably..."

Jaeleka's eyes close, her head nodding onto her chest. She leans against a cot 
  in the corner.

Fahloran nods. "Yes, sir," he says, not sure what to say next.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani as if by way of Jaeleka's example sticks her own thumb 
  into her mouth.

F'hlan slides his blurred gaze to his daughter.

Jaeleka suckles her thumb, her breathing slowling to the regular one of sleep. 
  Her tiny bare feet are a distinct colour contrast to the purple of her 
  overalls.

F'hlan almost, but not quite, smiles. "Make your teeth crooked," he mumbles.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani shakes her head wordlessly around said thumb.

Fahloran kneels down to Mehlani's level. "Come on, 'Lani. Let's not do that," 
  he says, plucking gingerly at her thumb. "You want me to make you a little 
  bed of pillows here next to father for you?"

F'hlan smiles a bit more, groggily.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani mumbles, "S'posed to watch Daddy."

Fahloran smiles a little. "I know. And you can, lying right next to him." He 
  collects a couple of nearby pillows and makes a small nest of them. "See, 
  you can still see father."

Near F'hlan, Mehlani mumbles something that sounds like "Don wanna hurt leg."

F'hlan encourages hoarsely, "It's alright, kit... I've... taken worse...." His 
  smile twists a little -- Fahloran is old enough to remember the wounding of 
  F'hlan's _left_ leg, that sent him to rest in Southern for two Turns. But 
  here and now, the rider doesn't mention that.

Jaeleka slumps fully against the cot in the corner, her head resting against 
  the cot leg. Her thumb falls from her mouth, leaving a tiny moue of lips.

Fahloran shakes his head. "You won't, 'Lani. See, I'll moves them closer to 
  father's head. Then you can hear him."

Near F'hlan, Mehlani blinkblinks, and cautiously settles into the pillow nest, 
  but all the while staring solemnly and liquidly up at her sire.

Fahloran squats down next to his sister, putting a comforting hand upon her 
  soft hair, stroking it absently. All the while, he watches his father, ready 
  to assist when needed. But the strain of the situation is beginning to show 
  in the boy's brown eyes.

F'hlan turns his gaze back up to Fahloran, and says as clearly as he can 
  manage, "Son. I'm... alright. It's... a wide wound. Not deep. No stitches... 
  just a burn....I'll be fine."

Fahloran nods to his father. "Sir, please... rest. Rest will help you get 
  stronger." His voice is barely audible.

Dragon> Tzornth senses that Tidranth rumbles a greeting from afar. << How fare 
  you? >>

F'hlan nods. Or at least tries to; it comes out more as a blink. "You're... 
  right, of course," he murmurs. "Your... mother. Here?"

Fahloran swallows. "Uh, no sir. Not yet, at least," he adds trying to sound 
  optimistic.

F'hlan nods, frowning slightly, as his head lolls sideways along the pillows. 
  "She'll scold," he mutters. "Fine, really..."

Fahloran smiles at his father, finding strength in his strong feature, 
  ignoring the effects of the threadscore and just seeing him as he likes to 
  remember... Weyrleader and in command.

F'hlan grins a little. "That's my brave lad... and lass," he adds, to Mehlani, 
  seeing her blue gaze watching him over the edge of the cot.

Fahloran smiles at his sister, absently tugging her thumb from her mouth.

Jaeleka sighs softly in her sleep.

One of the Apprentice healers stops by and looks at F'hlan, refilling his cup 
  with fellis-laced wine. She smiles at the two children and then hurries onto 
  her next patient.

F'hlan swallows, then glances around, disorientedly. "Aeyri... Twyr....?"

Tzornth> Tidranth senses that Tzornth answers your greeting after a time, his 
  voice strangely plaintive and small. << My rider is hurt. >>

Fahloran licks his lips and glances at the fresh cup. Should he give his 
  father some more of the concoction or save it for later. He decides to wait 
  and sits down, crosslegged, next to his sister.

F'hlan frowns absently. "Anra," he suddenly blurts. "Forgot. Asleep?"

Fahloran blinks at his father. "Yes, sir. She's asleep," he fibs.

Dragon> Tzornth senses that Tidranth croons, softly. << What do the Humans say 
  about it? Does he grow better? >>

Tzornth> I bespoke Tidranth with << His leg is scored. The Thread hit us from 
  the side. Two of the small cousins are gone. <The bronze sounds slightly 
  disoriented, and noticeably distraught.> >>

Dragon> Tzornth senses that Tidranth rumbles emphatically, in sympathy. << He 
  will recover. He does not have my or my Rider's permission not to recover. 
  It is Sad that the little ones are gone *between*. >>

F'hlan sighs, and settles, groggily; for a moment his face twists in barely 
  suppressed pain.

Dragon> Tidranth bespoke Tzornth with << I wish my Rider and I could be there, 
  but I am needed here. I must see to the eggs. >>

Fahloran leans forwards and lifts the cup up, waiting to help his father drink 
  the contents.

Tzornth> Tidranth senses that Tzornth croons unsteadily, sounding not 
  particularly coherent.

F'hlan sips, then lies back once more. "Should... rest."

Fahloran nods. "Yes sir." He sets the cup down and waits, his own eyelids 
  getting droopy.

F'hlan smiles briefly, mumbling, "Good lad..." as his dark eyes finally close.

Dragon> Tzornth senses that Tidranth conveys his Rider's words: Tzornth, you 
  be strong. I want you both to come see Tidranth's kids, when they hatch.

Near F'hlan, Mehlani after a time murmurs anxiously, "Daddy is going to be 
  alright isn't he?"

Tzornth> I bespoke Tidranth with << <scatteredly> High Reaches. We know High 
  Reaches. >>

Fahloran smiles at his father, and then at his sister. "Yes, 'Lani. Father 
  will be just fine." He lies down on the floor next to his sister, his head 

  on one of the pillows. "Let's get some rest," he says, yawning.
Dragon> Tzornth senses that Tidranth conveys a strong image of the Reaches 
  Sands, complete with a slumbering Erith and a rather large clutch of eggs. 
  << Reaches. >>

Near F'hlan, Mehlani curls up by her brother, and hugs him tightly.

Fahloran hugs Mehlani tightly as well and listens to her breathing grow more 
  regular. Soon after she is asleep, he, too, falls asleep.

[End log.]