Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2021 3:21:27 GMT -5
Darkness blanketed the night sky. Out here amongst the redwoods and away from the hold, there were no interruptions to the night sky. No brazen firelight or glows to pollute the night sky. This was home to them. The wilderness; or at least as wild as it was. Hunters kept all but the most determined of predators away and the various logging camps had made a friendly rapport with the local flits to warn them of any real threats.
Out here, tonight, this was something special. Their birthday. A tradition ever since they'd been old enough to walk and done in remembrance of their mother Lorini. Every turn they'd leave the camp early one night and return the next. Kyl, just one of the giants of men back at the camp lie on his back with a ten turn old Kylori curled up in the crook of one arm, and a ten turn old Kirin leaning on his elbows in the other. All three had their eyes on the sky.
There, a silvery flash across the sky. A shooting star. "We honor your sacrifice, Dragonrider," they say in unison, though the children were yet young and struggled to fully grasp the meaning behind the words.
Kylori lifts her head to look at her father's face. "Papa, why do we say that?"
The big man rumbles out a low chuckle and sits up, reaching to move the pack he'd been using as a rough pillow to use as a backrest before pulling his children to lean against the pack. Both children are corralled to lean back as he does and looks down at his inquisitive daughter with a smile. "You remember how I told you the Dragonriders protect us from the Red Star's Thread?"
"Nuh uh. Everyone else at camp says the Thread comes from somewhere else." Kirin nudges his father, trying to encourage the truth from the man.
"That may be my boy, but it's the Red Star that brings it to Pern." Kyl gives a knowing smile and a wink to Kirin, big arm wrapping around the boy in a gentle hug. "And it's Dragonriders that protect us from the Thread."
"Why's it do that," Kylori asks, tugging on her father's shirt.
Kyl simply shrugs and lifts his head to the night sky. "I wish I knew, dear heart. I wish I knew. But it don't know any better though now does it? So we gotta rely on the Dragonriders to keep us safe. Alll the sky out there is in danger, and it was Pern what gave us the dragons to keep us safe. But it was us gave Pern their Riders to keep Pern safe. And that Thread ain't got no mind of its own to reason with. So the Dragonriders have to fight it. And sometimes... Just sometimes... Dragon and rider get hurt. Sometimes they die."
"And those sometimes when they die, they do it so we can live, right?" Kyl nudges the children against him so they can see his smile. "So when that happens, we gotta honor that sacrifice. Our dreams are borne on the wings of Dragons, my hearts. Our hopes and our dreams for our future on Pern. And that's why we honor their sacrifice like this."
Out here, tonight, this was something special. Their birthday. A tradition ever since they'd been old enough to walk and done in remembrance of their mother Lorini. Every turn they'd leave the camp early one night and return the next. Kyl, just one of the giants of men back at the camp lie on his back with a ten turn old Kylori curled up in the crook of one arm, and a ten turn old Kirin leaning on his elbows in the other. All three had their eyes on the sky.
There, a silvery flash across the sky. A shooting star. "We honor your sacrifice, Dragonrider," they say in unison, though the children were yet young and struggled to fully grasp the meaning behind the words.
Kylori lifts her head to look at her father's face. "Papa, why do we say that?"
The big man rumbles out a low chuckle and sits up, reaching to move the pack he'd been using as a rough pillow to use as a backrest before pulling his children to lean against the pack. Both children are corralled to lean back as he does and looks down at his inquisitive daughter with a smile. "You remember how I told you the Dragonriders protect us from the Red Star's Thread?"
"Nuh uh. Everyone else at camp says the Thread comes from somewhere else." Kirin nudges his father, trying to encourage the truth from the man.
"That may be my boy, but it's the Red Star that brings it to Pern." Kyl gives a knowing smile and a wink to Kirin, big arm wrapping around the boy in a gentle hug. "And it's Dragonriders that protect us from the Thread."
"Why's it do that," Kylori asks, tugging on her father's shirt.
Kyl simply shrugs and lifts his head to the night sky. "I wish I knew, dear heart. I wish I knew. But it don't know any better though now does it? So we gotta rely on the Dragonriders to keep us safe. Alll the sky out there is in danger, and it was Pern what gave us the dragons to keep us safe. But it was us gave Pern their Riders to keep Pern safe. And that Thread ain't got no mind of its own to reason with. So the Dragonriders have to fight it. And sometimes... Just sometimes... Dragon and rider get hurt. Sometimes they die."
"And those sometimes when they die, they do it so we can live, right?" Kyl nudges the children against him so they can see his smile. "So when that happens, we gotta honor that sacrifice. Our dreams are borne on the wings of Dragons, my hearts. Our hopes and our dreams for our future on Pern. And that's why we honor their sacrifice like this."