Alarnik & Derison

Derison searched desperately for his brother. How ever had he gotten himself into this mess? It hadn't been on purpose. He really hadn't wanted to cause a fight. But here he was, three angry gather men coming towards him. They were big and strong, their arms as thick as tree trunks. Derison himself was small and thin, only 15 turns of age.
Alarnik!" Derison shrieked in terror.
Finally the crowds parted and his brother Alarnik came for him. Derison relaxed.
The gather men looked at this new player and didn't like it. Alarnik was 20 turns, young and confident. They could see that he was no match concerning strength,  but his eyes and fists told them to be careful. This young man had fought before.
"What happened here?" Alarnik asked.
"That boy knocked..." one gather man started.
"Not you! Derison." Alarnik interrupted and looked at his younger brother who was so unlike himself. Causing a fight at a gather! However had he managed that?
"I tripped and fell down. Right onto their stall. But I really didn't mean too." Derison said.
Alarnik knew his brother, he could be a handful, but Derison's eyes convinced Akarnik  that he wasn't lying. He had known there was something wrong when he had heard the shriek.
Alarnik looked around. He had to think. These gather men had been standing in the heat all day. They probably hadn't sold much. So they wouldn't leave before they had their punishment.
Alarnik's eye scanned the crowd, looking for help. There was no-one he knew. Suddenly his eye fell on a group of small boys giggling.
"What did you trip over Derison?" he asked.
"I don't know. You know I always look at the ground when I walk!" Derison said.
That was true. Alarnik's brother was terribly shy, he never dared looking into people's eyes. Somehow,  Alarnik thought, that made it worse. People always thought Derison had something to hide.
"I think I know what caused this." Alarnik said and grabbed a random boy, "He made my brother trip."
The boy, maybe 7 turns of age squirmed to get away, but Alarnik held him tight.
"No! Not me! Zagin did!"
"It wasn't my brother's fault, sirs, We will stay to help you clean."
That was only fair. If Derison had  had more sense he'd fallen on the ground in stead of on their stall.
"Thanks Alarnik." Derison said.
Derison really admired his brother. He wanted to be him, really. All his childhood heroes had had short brown hair, blue eyes and big ears like Alarnik. None had been small and thin with longer black hair and blue eyes like Derison himself.
Alarnik had done so much for him. He had always been there when there was trouble. he had taken care of him. Alarnik had even got him apprenticed to Weaver Hall. The people there had told him he had talent, but Derison knew better.
Alarnik looked closely at his brother. Sometimes he wondered  if his brother was normal, but then he remembered himself at that age. He had been uncertain too. But he'd had a brother to take care of. At least when he had been home. Alarni was an apprentice at the Smith Hall at the time. he had been good at it too. But then their parents had died. Alarnik had dropped out. Sometimes he wondered he wondered what would have happened when he had stayed, letting his grand parents take care of Derison.
'Derison would be that by now, that's what would have happened.' Alarnik told himself.
His grandparents had died one year ago, out sailing on the ocean. They would have taken Derison with them and he'd be dead.
Derison sighed. Weaver Hall wasn't all that bad, but he knew Alarnik had quit his apprenticeship so he could take care of him. The only thing that kept Derison from quitting himself was the knowledge that it would hurt Alarnik. He couldn't do that.
They went home in silence, as usual. Alarnik saw one of the moons rise. A full moon. The other one would follow later. Alarnik looked down on his brother and thought about his appearance. If Derison would just straighten up, grow a foot and work out a bit he'd be quite handsome. Alarnik envied his brother a bit. He had normal ears too, not like the ones Alarnik had. Maybe if he let his hair grew longer...
The way home would take them about an hour by foot. A long way from the hold. But Derison wouldn't abandon it for all the marks on Pern. The forest around their little hold was dense with a path leading to it only experienced foresters would see in the dark. Next to it was a small but deep pool for bathing and a bit further a stream with crystal clear water.
Derison was rudely out of his thoughts by Alarnik. He shook his head and opened his mouth, ready to speak up.
"Quiet." Alarnik whispered.
There the sound was again. Alarnik had heard it before. A soft stalking noise that would be masked by their footsteps. 
"Who is it?" Derison asked.
"Don't know, stranger." Alarnik replied.
The stalking sounds had stopped. Suddenly a howl pierced through  the woods. Derison jumped up and tried looking every direction the same time.
"Follow me." Alarnik said as he started on one of the alternative paths that would lead them to a clearing. They had done this trick before. There was a fallen tree they could hide behind to see who was following them.
Alarnik and Derison waited. minutes passed and both moons were up when they heard the stalking noises again. A cloud drifted in front of the moons and by the time it was gone a dog stood looking their way, his front paw extended in front of him.

 "He's hurt!" Derison called out.
The dog whined when they got closer. His paw wasn't broken as Alarnik had thought. It was bleeding.
"A cat probably." Alarnik said.
"Poor thing, and you followed us all the way out here?"
The dog opened his mouth, let his tongue dangle out and started breathing heavily.
"He likes me!" Derison said.
"You might as well keep him now."
"I'm going to call you Chaser." Derison said and patted the dog.
The boys went on their way again, the dog following closely behind Derison. A bit limping. Some time passed before Derison spoke again.
"Alarnik?"
"Hmm?"
"He's really hurt."
"No kidding."
"Can I take him to the ranger's station?"
"Ok, but we can't stay long, we have a long way to go tomorrow to get you back."
"Just a routine check."
When they were close enough to the ranger's station the dog suddenly started wagging it's tail and barking.
"What's wrong?" Alarnik asked.
"He's excited." Derison answered.
Soon the source of the dog's excitement appeared. A big dragonhead, eyes whirling green and blue, appeared in the bushes in front of them. The dragon snorted. the dog barked.
"Askamath, what is it?" a male voice asked.
A silence followed and a man appeared.
"So, Askamath says she has found candidates."
"But there are no new young boys and men here." the main forester replied.
"And yet they are here..."
Chaser dashed through the bushes, hardly seeming to be bothered by his soar paw at all. 
"Askamath, you're not going to tell me the dog is the candidate, right?"
A silence again, like everyone was listening...
"Oh," the bushes in front of them parted, "these two lads."

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STATS  -  SEARCH  -  AL'NIK's DRAGON  -  D'ISON's DRAGON
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Alarnik and Derison are Candidates at Talis Weyr
Chaser was adopted at Dawnsisters Weyr
Back to Lantessama Isle