Fort and High Reaches: A Dragon War Unnavoided

[FHR Admin]

Fort and High Reaches: A Dragon War Unavoided

There had only been one Weyr left when the eggs went missing.

Dragons no longer lived only in Weyrs, it has been nearly four Passes since Thread has last fallen. Dragonriders took their dragons and lived on the outskirts of Holds, working there to earn enough to stay alive. Tithes to the one remaining Weyr, Fort, were small and irregular. The few dozen riders there couldn't live off them, so most left to earn their own.

There were only a few higher-ranked dragons left. With Thread gone, the Golds didn’t Clutch as big or even as often. Most of the dragons left were Greens and Blues. As there were a few Browns ranging in size… there were just about a couple that were big enough to compete with the last of the Bronzes. Speaking of the Bronzes, there were only about four young enough to Chase the last Gold that was left.

But then the Gold, Esanith, rose. All the Bronzes chased, along with one Brown, and finally the largest of them, Bronze Myrieth, caught her. The clutch that resulted was a small one, with only twelve eggs, but it did hold a queen egg. Candidates were brought in (mostly weyr-brats though some Holds were still willing to let their young people be Searched) and Stood on the Sands.

Esanith betweened for a final time not much after her eggs hatched, much too old to continue life on the hard fare the dragons and riders were currently getting. The new Gold, Pesuth, was the only one left. When she was three Turns, she also rose and got caught by one of her clutch-brothers. The clutch, again, was small, with fourteen eggs. Yet another queen egg resided within this one.

Everyone in the Weyr was quite amazed by this, and again brought Candidates to the Weyr. But something unexpected happened just as the eggs' shells were beginning to thoroughly harden.

Pesuth left her eggs briefly, going for a quick hunting trip. No other dragons were left in charge, although a few fire-lizards remained to fawn over these giant eggs. The dragon paused in her feeding when a fair of them suddenly appeared with a frightened squawk, all screeching in fear and sending her flashes of her eggs. The Gold immediately went back to her Sands... only to find seven of the eggs gone, including the queen egg.

Dragons were sent out in all directions, searching Holds and abandoned Weyrs. There was no chance dragon eggs could be hidden in a Hold though, there were too few places to keep seven eggs warm and likely they wouldn't know how to tend them either. Who could have caused this? Who would steal eggs from a growing clutch?

Finally the remaining eggs hatched, into Greens, Blues, and a Brown. The thieves, whoever they were, had picked their eggs well. The search for the eggs lost was given up finally... they had either died, or hatched somewhere and Impressed someone. No one could know...

A'yian's Journal

Reaseth and I are tired of living like runnerbeasts, transporting goods for the Holders who hardly pay us enough to keep even a canine alive and treat us with less respect than they do a Holdless brat. I may only be a Bluerider, but I am still a dragonrider! Maybe we are not fighting Thread now, but we have in the past. Don't these vain people appreciate work, even if it was done many years ago? Who would forget all the good the dragons had done?

Well... apparently anyone who doesn't ride one. We are finished waiting though. Swith and R'nal tell us they have discovered a secret to between. Not only can you go between places, but between times...

There is a Gold on the Sands at Fort Weyr. There are other eggs too. We could take them, start up a new Weyr. Perhaps far in the past, and when the dragons are grown bring them back. We will need new dragons. R'nal suggests we head to the future and be waiting for the others when they reach us. We debated for a long while, and finally decided to go forward in time. There is a much less likely chance that we will be discovered and we won't run into ourselves then.

Ganath and Tr'il aren't as sure, but are willing to work with us.

~~~

We have done it! My Bronze fire-lizard, Kanst, has been keeping watch in the Hatching Grounds for ages. Finally the Gold left her eggs! We came, we grabbed six and the queen egg... and left again. We headed back to our designated point, at High Reaches, and then jumped forward two years. Hopefully that will be enough time…and not much of a strain.

~~~

Taking up residence in High Reaches Weyr, we set the eggs on the Sands and left Ganath to care for them. She is a female anyways, she should know how to care for young even if she never had any. Swith and R'nal are beginning to feel quite content about jumping between times. Along with my daughter, Arisha, we will have more Candidates. She came with us, daring girl, and now R'nal looks for boys to bring forward.

~~~

The eggs have hatched! The Gold, Bayranth, Impressed Arisha, and two Bronzes, a Brown, a Blue, and a Green have also Impressed. There was also one more dragon...a White one. It is small, but intelligent…much like the Bronzes and the higher ranked dragons but a lower rank due to size. The White Impressed to a boy and claims to be a female. There was a White male many Turns ago… Ruth. Perhaps the mutated gene is coming back and there will be more of them, including more females?

~~~~~~~~

Two Turns have passed; our Green is mature and just rose. Perhaps Bayranth will have a bit more time to wait, but she is healthy also. The Brown died in a betweening accident... but the other dragonets are fine. All is well... and the world that we've hidden from for two years still hasn't noticed us.

~~~

Bayranth has risen! Bronzes from Fort Weyr came from between to join the chase though; we are known about now. The Gold chose a Bronze from High Reaches...but Fort will be at our throats soon, Tr'il is sure.

~~~

It was a powerful group of Bronzes that came after us, their riders demanding the return of their Queen. Everyone was frightened, but we held back. Bayranth is still here, so is everyone else. She has only just Flown! Do they want to stress her that much? Apparently they don't care.

~~~

An attack. That was not what we were expecting. Do they care that much about a single Gold? Pesuth is still healthy, she could clutch another few good Clutches. The dragons we have a High Reaches now are dragons of High Reaches.

But we are one less. When the Bronzes attacked, they frightened Ganath and Tr'il between... and they didn't come out. Well. If they want a battle... they can have it.

The Present

Bayranth's Clutch of twenty-two eggs is hardening on the sands, and Pesuth is very close to rising. The war is heating up, but will that affect the Clutches at all?

Who will come out on top of this war? Fort is more prepared in numbers...but who is more prepared in defending what they think is right?



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