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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Log Date: 9/22/97 Log Cast: (People) Devlin, Mehlani (Firelizards) Vachon, Holl Log Intro: Something that young people--or even adult people--on Pern do not sometimes realize when caught up in the joy of Impressing a firelizard is that those little beasts will eventually mate. For some it'll be an easy prospect; for others, though, it'll be difficult. And when a father and his daughter both have adult firelizards of both genders, it's inevitable that a female who looks to the father will attract the attention of a male who looks to the child. Fortunately both F'hlan and his bronze Tzornth are strong-willed enough to force Mehlani's bronze Holl away from chasing after F'hlan's rising green Neme--but Holl has taken it badly, and by extension, so has sensitive young Mehlani. Friendly Weyrfolk have found the girl reeling from her own firelizard's misery. Bronze Nicoth has bespoken her in an attempt to soothe her, and Kindre, gold Herath's rider, has taken it upon herself to slip the girl a spiked glass of juice in a surreptitious attempt to blunt some of Mehlani's secondhand misery for her. Problem is, 'Lani is no more used to alcohol than she is firelizard mating flights--and so she retreats to one of her most sacred refuges in the Weyr. The beasthold. It's there that another concerned party finds her.... ---------- Benden Beasthold The beast hold is warm and dry, filled with the wholesome smell of runners, hay and leather. Stalls constructed of wood and stone march down the sides of this wide cavern, and thick rushes cover the floor. The glow baskets are filled, and keep this place very bright indeed. Several nickers greet you as you look about. The only exit from here leads you out to the pasture. Contents: Vachon Myst Fuzzy Obvious exits: Pasture Vachon flutters in from outside. Vachon has arrived. Vachon swoops in and chitters! The stable is reasonably quiet, save for the occasional noises made by the runners housed herein. As the brown wings his way in, there comes an answering cheep from Tsornin's stall -- the voice of bronze Holl. Vachon flits around to where Tsornin's stall is. The stallion is there, and he blows out a snort at the sight of the brown thing fluttering into view. Down beside him, in one corner, is a large lump of straw; atop it is bronze Holl, who chirrups at the sight of Vachon. Within the straw, half buried with one leather-breeched and wherhide-booted leg, a hint of coat-clad shoulder, and a glimpse of side visible, is a curled-up figure apparently sound asleep. Devlin comes in from the runner pasture. Devlin has arrived. Devlin crosses into the beast hold, calling out softly, "'Lani?" Holl chitters again, flittering up to the top of the stall where he can see and be seen, in a glint of his red-gold wings. His eyes whirl very palely yellow, in mild concern. Devlin makes his way over to the stall, opening it up and edging himself in, careful to not spook the runner. "'Lani?" His voice comes again, concerned. "You okay?" There is visible, now that Devlin has entered the stall, an upended cup near the bed of straw, as well as 'Lani's half-buried form. The girl apparently burrowed into the straw from the look of her, and at the sound of her name, a tiny moan emerges from her, though she doesn't stir. Devlin kneels down by the younger girl and reaches out to gently touch her shoulder. "Hey, 'Lani. Do you need a healer?" From within the straw, Mehlani mumbles, "Dev?" And Holl, now that appropriate Help has arrived, flits down to peer at the girl, climbing onto the straw to get his best look. "Yeah, it's me, 'Lani," comes Devlin's voice. "Are you okay, hon?" The half-buried form stirs, and Mehlani's head lifts a fraction out of its combination pillow and bed of straw, leaving bits of the stuff clinging to rumpled auburn hair. But the motion, it would seem, bothers the lass, for she grimaces and lowers her head again, asking plaintively, "How'd I get in here...?" Her voice is even softer than usual, and dazed. Devlin's brows draw sharply together in concern, "I don't know, hon. I was going to ask you the same question." 'Lani peeks out again, and winces, bothered either by the small motion of her head, the light, or perhaps the cold of the stable. Holl clambers up onto her shoulder, the closest perch he can find to her head, and leans over to peer anxiously down at her, crooning his worry. "My head hurts," Mehlani announces tinily. Devlin crouches down, "YOu didn't hit it, did you?" He touches, lightly, at the younger girl's head, checking for bumps. Mehlani rolls over a bit in the straw, looking up at the youth, her eyes glassy. "Don't think so," she whispers. Holl, the moment she moves, clambers up onto her chest and peers anxiously into her face, inquiring solicitiously after her welfare with a single cheep. This makes the lass blink a few times as she tries to focus on him, and with a start, she yelps, "Holl...!" and tries to sit up. Mehlani's head appears to be bump-free, for all that her hair is in the worst snarl it's ever seen, littered with straw, and a trifle damp. Devlin jerks back at the girl's reaction to Holl. He looks warily at the 'lizard. "Maybe we should get you over to the infirmary..." The bronze creels as 'Lani shifts position, but hangs on tenaciously to the front of her jacket, trying to look into her eyes. Cheep? Mehlani blinkblinks and steadies her little pet, mumbling at him, "You're alright now, aren't you, Holl?" She doesn't appear to hear Devlin's suggestion. Devlin watches quietly, not intruding on the communion between the little girl and the 'lizard. Mehlani looks up a bit, her brow crinkling once more, and she blinks more or less in Devlin's direction. "He's alright now," she breathes, sounding profoundly relieved, but her own gaze is still a little absent. Devlin looks confused, "I'm glad to hear that." Mehlani looks a bit more closely at Devlin and blinks owlishly at the lad, as she cradles the bronze close to her. The girl is quite a mess, her clothes and hair all disheveled and not exactly clean; had she slept out here? "I don't remember coming out here," she admits, disturbed. Tsornin, laconically watching the two humans do Unusual Things in his sleeping place, whickers his own opinion on the matter. Myst heads out of the room towards the Runner Pasture. Myst has left. [This scene was never finished as both Devlin and Mehlani had to idle. End log.]