Maohli scoffed, but did as she was told. "It's not bloody likely that'll happen to me! I'm not some air-headed holder girl who doesn't even know how to chop up a piece of meat." When she had checked and double-checked her straps (she was already sweltering in her riding leathers), she gave her mother an all-clear sign, and the large blue flung them all aloft.

Shouting to be heard over the wind, Maohli asked, "You know which Weyr we're off to?"

It was hard to hear the reply, but she thought the answer that came was, "of course! Hold on, we're going between--"

Silence, utter and chilling. Just count to ten...

Maohli didn't like going between, but she could handle it. She had reached four, and then there was a sudden -lurching- feeling in her stomach.

They were dropped out of between so abruptly, and so forcefully, that Ath shrieked and nearly did a sommersault mid-air. Maohli screamed as she was hurled forward and up, and hit her head on Odyi's back. The rider, meanwhile was cursing her lungs out.

"What in the name of the Egg was that? You fardled dragon, scorching shells! Where on the face of the red star did you drop us you great oaf?!"

Maohli was busy clutching her nose, which she knew was bleeding and suspected might be broken, so she didn't catch any reply, if Ath happened to give an audible one. Her heart was racing a mile a moment, and she quite possibly might have wet herself...

"I don't care if you were talking to a visiting brown! You listen to my directions, not some hazy half-distinctions from some draconic mind! You bloody wherry! I'll tan you purple when we've landed... wherever we are! Where by blasted shells are we?"

The blue dragon, meekly attempting to glide and cower at the same time, tucked in to a slow circle, and as she was tilted to the left, Maohli couldn't help but notice the mountain not a kilometer away, and the thick forests which extended in every direction below them. Were they near Lemos? If so, why were they here? Had Odyi been aiming for Benden? It was certainly a reputable Weyr but... oh shells, but her nose hurt. She couldn't think, and now she was beginning to feel the bruises from where her riding straps had cut in to her stomach--the straps! Thank Faranth she had made sure they were in place! She'd actually have been thrown from the dragons back this time! Maohli's blood ran cold again at the thought.

Belatedly, Odyi turned back to the distressed girl, "are you alright? Any damage back there? Oh jays... you're bleeding! Ath! Take us down, now! Over there, I can see some buildings near that mountain! And stop babbling! I can't think straight with you making up excuses!"

They landed as smoothly as the blue could manage, on a patch of relatively clear ground. Odyi unclipped her straps with frantic hands, and turned to look the girl over properly. "Let me see," she said, pulling Maohli's gloved hands away from her face. "Jays and bananas, look at you. You're a mess."

"I am?" Maohli asked in a panicky voice.

"Ur, no, it's worse then it looks. Let's get you to a Healer... where is everyone, anyways?" Odyi scanned the entrance to the mountain Hold/Weyr, sure that she had seen dragons... but there were only a hand-full of people outside, and none of them were taking much note of the new arrivals. "Ath, where the redstar is our welcome wagon? Send for a Healer!" She busily worked Maohli's straps off, concentrating especially hard on one which had gotten jammed. "There we go. Everythings going to be all right. Nothing to fear, just a little bump, that's all."

Maohli nodded, her teeth clenched and her eyes squinted in pain. "Where are we, mum?"

"Ath says 'Darkling Dawn'. Whatever that is. Mayhaps he shot us all the way to the Dawn Sisters?" She paused, apparently listening. "Help's on its way. Now we're going to slide down, okay? Think you can walk? That's a girl."

The slide down the blue dragons arm seemed much longer and more precarious then Maohli had ever imagined, even with he mothers help. Once on the ground she wobbled, and nearly toppled, but the blue pressed his leg against her side, and she gratefully leaned against him. A new voice invaded her rather dizzy thoughts, and she looked up to see a man walking towards them, though he did not look pleased to see them. Odyi stood with her fists on her hips, and glared right back at him. "Get me the Weyr Healer, boy. My daughter's bleeding to death out here and meanwhile no one comes to help out? What kind of a Weyr is this?"

The man, young as he was, glanced at Odyi for a moment, and then looked over Maohli. "I am the Weyrhealer. If you want to do any good at all, I'd suggest helping to bring her in to the infirmary, and stop your bickering."

Odyi let out a short bark of disbelief. "What? A boy like you? You can't even have seen you twentieth decade! I don't care if you're scarred up and down and cross-wise, I want to see the real Weyrhealer."

There was a pause, and the young man turned to look her in the eye--his left glaring sharply at her, his right a disturbing milky round orb that stared nowhere. "Do you want help. Or not?" he asked, his voice quiet with contained anger.

"Mum..." Maohli sagged, "I think I'm going to be... sick..." She leaned at a dangerous angle against Ath's leg, but Odyi put an arm under her shoulder for support.

"Just bring her this way. She looks like she needs to lay down. Blood-loss..." Maohli tried to listen, but she found that it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. Then she fainted.

When she woke, the first thing she noticed was that it was difficult to breath. The second thing she noticed was that there was something bugging her sight. Maohli groaned and reached a hand to touch her face, but someone stopped her. "Don't do that. You've just got a little cast on: you broke your nose."

"Mum?" Maohli squinted at her mother around the abhorrent thing covering her nose-bridge. It felt itchy and uncomfortable, though the pain in her head was far worse. "How long was I out for?"

"Can't have been more than a hand. Don't worry. The Healer said you'd be just fine, all you need is a little rest."

Maohli sighed. What an eventful day already, and she couldn't have been gone from Igen for more then a couple of hands-breadths of the sun! She shifted her head to try to take in the rest of the room. She was laying on a cot, in a relatively large room that was at the moment empty, save for the two women. "What--?"

"Is this place? Ath was right, we're at Darkling Dawn. I've asked around a bit, and people haven't really been able to describe to me just where it is on Pern. It's all a bit queer, I think. Anyways, we are in a Weyr. I've seen a good deal of dragons flying about, and lumbering down the hall-ways, so we're not in too much trouble. I'm sorry that you had to have that accident. Damnable blue, he could have gotten us lost between!"

Maohli smiled faintly. A new Weyr on Pern that she hadn't yet heard of? This was wonderful! She gazed at the grizzled-looking rider. "Is there a clutch on the sands?"

"A what?" Odyi had still been talking, and was surprised out of her train of thoughts. "A... clutch? Spudling! You never cease to amaze me with your devious little mind!" The woman laughed, and stopped just short of trying to mess up Maohli's hair. "Yes, from what I've heard, there is. Believe it or not that boy... that Healer, has a dragon, and he is the father. The dragon, not the boy."

Maohli giggled.

"You wouldn't believe some of the dragons I've seen floating around here, Maohli. I just can't describe them... it's as if we're in a whole new world! There are greens and blues and browns, of course, but then you see some that just can't be attributed to markings alone. I... really, I can't explain."

"Can I sign up for the clutch here?" the girl got right to the point.

Odyi patted her daughters arm, which was now resting on her stomach, "you don't beat around the needle-thorns, do you? You want to stand on the sands in a state like this? You know how difficult it is for most Candidates even when they're perfectly fit!"

"I'll heal. Besides, I wouldn't be a regular Candidate. I know what I'm doing." Maohli tried to wrinkle her nose, but instead cringed as pain shot through the middle of her skull. "Ugh... and I'd rather be here then back at Igen. There must be so much to explore."

"You silly rat. Are you sure you wouldn't rather wait?"

"Very sure. I've been sitting around mending yarning wheels and helping brats ship tithes down to to the caverns too long." Maohli again tried to reach up to poke at the cast, but was stopped once more.

"Don't go thinking you can get out of work here, just because you know the ins and outs of another Weyr, Maohli." Odyi shook her head, a nostalgic smile on her weathered face. "I can remember when I came up from Southern, I was cock of the walk so to speak, but everything at Igen was different. Who knows what this place is like? Maybe they'll put you to work like a drudge!"

"I already practically am a drudge!" Maohli pouted, though her cracked lip was making it difficult.

"Well, we'll have to see, my dear." Odyi patted her hand again, and then abruptly stood up. "You get some more rest. I'll go talk around, see who I should get a hold of, and maybe I can learn a few more things. I'll stay with you the rest of tonight, but tomorrow I have to go back to Igen to let them know where I've dumped you."

Maohli gave a tiny nod. "Will you come back?"

"Of course! And I'll be sure to come for the hatching. This place really is wild." Odyi smiled down on her daughter. "You're a strong girl, Maohli. You just rest and heal up, okay?"

"I will..." Maohli murmered, sleep lapping around her mind. "Love you..."

"Love you too, spudling." Odyi gave the girl one more look over her shoulder, and left the room. Maohli had fallen asleep.