Chap. 63 Exploring the volcanic cone

Chap. 63 Exploring the volcanic cone

K'ndar was making it a point of inviting every one of his friends to go to Landing and see the marvels…and use the library.

He and B'rost had been roommates in Weyrling school, but after graduation, had been assigned to different wings. So, despite the relatively small weyr, and because of differing assignments, they hadn't had much interaction.

But this day, they'd managed to both have time off together. K'ndar was in the dining hall, filling his stomach, fully intending on going to the Landing library, when B'rost came in. The blue rider sat down opposite K'ndar. They spent several minutes catching up, then K'ndar said, "Have you been to Landing yet?"

"Not yet, why, are you going?"

"I am, I'm going to the library," K'ndar said.

"Hmmm. Mind if I tag along?"

"No! In fact, I encourage it! Get some breakfast in you and we'll go," he said.

"I can't tell you how much I love having a dragon so that I can go anywhere I want," B'rost said.

K'ndar could only agree.

They landed at the regular spot for dragons. There were several others there. B'rost looked around, taking it all in.

"You can't see it all in a day, I'm telling you. You have to take it in in little bites, otherwise you're just overwhelmed," K'ndar said.

B'rost looked to the northeast.

"You want to know what I want to see first?"

"No," K'ndar said.

"The volcano."

"Ummm," K'ndar said, hesitating. There were four volcanic cones on the plateau, towering over Landing. 

"I read about Landing being abandoned when the volcano 'erupted' and earthquakes started and then it was covered by 'ash'. I don't know how a stone mountain can burn. Or make ash. So I want to see it first, then see if there's a book in the library that tells how a mountain can burn."

"Well, they're right there, so…let's go take a look," K'ndar said. He was a bit ashamed to admit that he'd been so interested in other things that exploring the volcanoes that had prompted the ancients abandoning Landing to go North hadn't occurred to him.

They flew to the largest of the extinct volcanoes, Mt. Garben. It was fairly mountainish, but the cones that led from it were more interesting. One appeared to be pointed from the ground, but once they circled over it, they saw a large crater in the center. A large dome was in the center.

"Do you think that's where the ash came from?"

"I don't know. I don't know if it's safe to land in that bowl. Maybe it's all ash? Let me send Siskin down there to check it."

K'ndar visualized Siskin landing on the dome.

Siskin, eyes whirling a frightened orange, squawked in resistance.

He says it used to burn Raventh said.

But not now?

No. Still, he is afraid. His ancestors remembered it burning.

OK. I won't send him down there. Are you afraid to go into it?

It looks like rock to me. 

Do you want to try?

Not really-I trust Siskins judgement. He isn't stupid.

"B'rost, Siskin is afraid to go into the bowl. So is Raventh."

I'm not afraid. I'm wary Raventh protested, insulted.

Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. We won't go down.

"I'm not. I'll ask Rath if he's willing.

It looks safe to me. Raventh will help me if we get into trouble but I don't think we need to worry. I AM a blue, after all Rath said.

B'rost laughed. You are the best blue in all Pern!

Rath descended slowly, carefully, eyes whirling and taking in everything. B'rost made no attempt to tell him how to make the approach. He knew how his dragon flew and trusted the dragon's judgement. 

 His wings, as he approached the dome, blew up clouds of dust and grit. It threatened to blind B'rost, who closed his eyes…more to keep from watching the descent than to keep the stuff out of his eyes. Rath  hovered closer, closer, controlling his descent and approach with complete confidence, then, so carefully, placed one foot on the dome.

It feels solid he said, judging whether it was solid enough to bear his weight.

K'ndar watched in admiration. Rath was flying as delicately as any insect.

I must admit, only a blue could fly like that  K'ndar said.

Rath is brave. So is his rider. You are right, I couldn't fly that…that close. Look at the dust!

Rath placed two forefeet on the dome and pushed. Hard enough to push him back up into the safety of the air. Then he landed, wings still ready to immediately lift off. Unnecessary!  He landed and closed his wings, triumphant.

It is solid. Rath does it again!!

"It's safe! It's solid rock!' B'rost called.

Is there room for me?  Raventh asked Rath

Probably, but considering how clumsy you browns are, maybe not

Raventh made a rude noise. 

But Rath obligingly made room and Raventh gingerly set down. Then he was reassured with the solidity of the footing. The dome was much larger than it first appeared. 

"Think it's safe to get off?"

"That's what I'm here for, wherry," B'rost said, teasing.

"Wherry my boot!"

B'rost carefully stepped down from Rath's bent foreleg. The dome's surface  was craggy and uneven and covered with a layer of crusted dirt.

"It's not the best footing but WOW, look at this!" B'rost crowed, "We're inside a volcano!"

K'ndar dismounted, too. The crust crumbled at the slightest pressure. 

"Not today, but I think next time, I'll bring some rope and maybe climb down to the bowl. I wonder how this …this dome formed." B'rost said. His steps raised up little clouds of grit. He knelt down into it and picked up a handful.

"It's not ash."

"It's not?" K'ndar reached down and picked up a handful. It wasn't wood ash. It was gritty. 

"Maybe…maybe we shouldn't inhale too much of this stuff. It feels…well, sharp. Like glass?"

"This is just so interesting! This is what I want to learn! This isn't sand, it's not dirt, I don't know what it is. If it's ash, it's…well, not like wood ash." 

 B'rost brushed the substance from his hands. "Wait, it feels..like it's softening up my hands. It feels like…well, like sweetsand, but rougher. How is it it's so dry? We get rain all the time."

"Maybe…maybe it's still burning?"

"Like it's not as dead as people think?"

"Look, there at the base." K'ndar pointed. "Just to the left of that big boulder, no, not that one, the one about a dragon's wing to the left-do you see smoke?"

B'rost looked. "Oh, I see it. It DOES look like smoke. No. Wait. I think it's steam. See how it disappears almost immediately? Smoke doesn't go away that fast. It's steam, I bet."

"So…does that mean this thing is still burning?"

"But it's not hot." 

"I know."

B'rost moved closer to the brow of the dome. As he did so, his foot kicked a large boulder.

It toppled down the dome and bounced, breaking into several pieces before it landed.

"What? I hardly touched it," B'rost said.

He found another rock, this one the size of his head. He moved it with a foot..easily. He reached down and picked it up. It was heavily pocked but light as a wherry feather.

"K'ndar, the rocks are light as pastry. Look at this, it should be heavy and it's not!"

K'ndar reached down, picked up a rock and found B'rost was right. The rock was heavy only in appearance.

"OK. Now we MUST go to the library, just to find out what they mean by ash and how rocks can't be heavy. And why it's putting out steam," B'rost said. "This is fun. I think I’m going to be doing this a lot, after Thread."

"What, exploring or going to the library?" K'ndar asked, remounting.

"BOTH! It's a big world and we're going to be free to see the whole thing!"