Ashendel had not had an easy time of things. Between the capture and everything else... well, she hadn't exactly enjoyed the way things had happened. Luckily, she had managed to survive the first few days on the new planet, and she survived it with the help of her dragon. She had gone back to staying in the background, although she did steel the odd glance towards K'then. She wondered how he was feeling about everything, and how he was doing. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't get the healer out of her mind... however, the thoughts of Artemis catching them in the infirmary kept her from walking over to him.

Today, the girl was working away at munching on some food. She had found some things that were safe enough to eat, and as such she sat with her dragon... well off to the side, and munched on them while talking to her dragon. She had helped where she could already, but she didn't want to get in the way of things.. and she was already scoping the place to see if she could figure something out to try and build a house. At least until Basidith kept pointing out that there was no reason she couldn't continue sleeping against her. It was comfortable enough, right?

Over the past couple days K'then had come to the realization that he was more or less alone on this new planet. None of his family was here. His father and step-brother were not amongst the group. Nor were his children. Artemis and A'lo were his only family. And it was hard for him to accept that. What would his family think? How long would it take for someone to notice they were gone? But the biggest question in his mind was: 'Am I going to see them again?'

He'd done everything he could to tend injuries and illnesses, to help the youngest of the weyrlings to settle in as best they could and generally kept himself busy to keep from dwelling on what had been left behind. But today had started slowly, they were getting oils made for the dragons, homes were being worked on and he was...tired. Tired of trying to make this sorry spit of land feel like home and tired of people always asking where they were and what they should do next.

Deciding some time away from their collective little settlement (if it could even be called that) was in order, he grabbed up one of the smaller bins in which he could store healing herbs or anything else of use and set off toward the ocean to look for anything of use and just get some time to think without people on every side of him fretting about their situation.

The girl glanced up from her conversation, noting that the healer was leaving and quickly got up. Maybe he needed some help? She certainly didn't want to stay sitting there all day, and there was only so much she could do. After all, like most everyone else... she had lost family.

Easily she slipped from her spot and after him, although, she was relatively quiet at first. She didn't want to draw attention to the fact that a weyrling was sneaking off after a weyrlingmaster. After all, a part of her DID still realize that they hadn't graduated yet.

When they were far enough away, she argued with herself before finally speaking up. "K'then?" she called, hoping that he wouldn't be too upset that she'd followed him. Truth be told, she didn't want to think about their situation, or the fact that she would never see anyone from her childhood again. Instead, she chose to think about the fact that there were plenty of others there who were in just as much need for help.

The farther away he walked from their camp, the more he allowed himself to just....feel. And he couldn't stop when tears stung his eyes and slid down his cheeks. He couldn't help but wonder what his father would think when he learned that his eldest son, along with the rest of the Academy and Holdfolk...had simply vanished. The grief would destroy his father. He'd already lost a wife and daughter and the grief had been horrible then. Now, to lose his son? Hopefully Sayari and Jeremiah would help him through that loss.

And what of little Skylar? He was too young to truly understand what had happened. Would he think his father had just left without saying goodbye? And Kitty, she was still young. He'd never gotten her that kitten he'd promised. What would she think? He let his grief out for the first time since they'd woken up in this place and realized there was no way they could possibly go back home.

When someone called his name, he hastily wiped at his eyes though it would be obvious he'd been crying. "Ashendel? What are you doing here?" He questioned, trying to compose himself in case she needed something. He was still her weyrlingmaster, even if they weren't at the Academy, and she could come to him with problems. Though considering their last encounter he couldn't help but wonder if she wanted something else.

Despite herself, through the walk she had noticed he was upset. Her heart went out to him, knowing that he was likely thinking about loved ones. She had wondered after these things herself. However, she was worried about those that were there. Those that had gone through the ordeal they had.

At his question, and the hastily drying of his eyes, she paused and wondered for a second. Was it a good idea to follow him out here? Either way, she tried her hardest to give him a sympathetic smile. "I was just out for a walk... and.. are you okay?" she asked him, hoping he bought her story. Although, it wasn't entirely a lie.

He had a suspicion that she wasn't telling the truth but didn't quite feel like putting forth the effort to find out the truth. Nor was he feeling like putting forth the effort of trying to lie to her. She'd know he'd been crying. So he shook his head. "Hardly. There's so much to do but we don't know the first thing about this place or what plants might be helpful and what might be toxic. We don't have any food or shelter. No oils for our dragons or bandages for wounds...." He trailed off and shrugged helplessly. "I feel so..I dunno...lost."

Of course that wasn't all that was bothering him. And she would likely be able to guess as much. "But that's not exactly what you were asking was it? I lost my mother when I was very young and saw the grief nearly destroy my father. Now he's lost his oldest son. What will the grief do to him this time?" He fought back tears and looked away. He never talked much about his family and very few of the weyrlings he helped teach ever learned of his children. "And it's not just my father. I have....a daughter and a son. My son just turned five. And my daughter's birthday is coming up. She'll be nine in a couple weeks. I promised her a kitten she'll never get. What will they think when they realize I'm never coming back?"

Ash stood quietly, knowing that the man needed to vent. In fact, she knew that with everyone turning towards the weyrling masters for help and guidance, and to the master healer for guidance... well, she wouldn't be shocked if K'then had found very few to let HIM vent his fears and concerns.

When he'd finished, letting her know all of what was bothering him, she stepped closer to him and gave him a hug. "I'm sure it will be hard on them, perhaps just as hard as it is on us. But, they're safe, right? And while they may not get to see you, they do have the advantage of never having gone through what we have. That's what I think about to get me past the thoughts of my family and friends that I won't see again. I just feel the relief that they weren't put through this," she gestured to around them, "And I'm sure we'll figure this place out. After all, our ancestors had to figure Pern out, right?"

By this point she had taken a step back from him and was watching him easily. Clearly she was willing to try and help him get past all of these problems.

He appreciated the hug but was also glad no one could see them. It would be just his luck someone would see and get the wrong idea, though he did wonder what H'lee could really do all things considered. But he didn't dwell on that. He just hugged her back and was grateful for the small amount of comfort it offered him. He wasn't alone, not really. Other people were grieving too. But that didn't make it any easier to bear. "But we don't know that. What if they aren't safe? What if they were taken somewhere else? We can't know what happened to them." He knew he shouldn't think that way. There was no indication that anything had happened to the people that weren't with them. But they still had no way of knowing for sure.

"Our ancestors came...went...to Pern willingly. They were far more prepared than we were. They knew about the place they were going to, had far more supplies than we did and the tools and technology to build shelters and several times more people to help out. We don't have any of that." And that pissed him off though there were no aliens around for him to vent that anger on. What did they expect them to do? They'd left them with next to nothing. Had they been abandoned here to die? "It's all just...frustrating and.....scary." No, he wasn't happy. He was worried and angry and afraid. And he had no idea what to do to fix any of it.

She watched him and shook her head slightly. "You can't think that way, K'then. It won't make things easier for you. Just.. let yourself believe that they are all still safe and sound back home. THere is nothing that says they were taken, right? So just trust that they will get to live life as normal," she told him, watching him patiently and understandingly. She'd allowed herself thoughts like that at first... but then told herself that they wouldn't help. There was nothing they could do about it, no way of finding out anything. It was better to go on thinking that everyone was safe and happy.

She gently touched his arm and nodded, "It is. But we have something our ancestors didn't, too. We have our dragons to provide us with temporary shelter. And while it may not make us happy, I'm sure we will get through things just fine. I bet you we will figure this place out in time," she smiled reassuringly at him. Truthfully, she felt that fear and anger just as much as he did. However, she had a tendency to try her hardest to look at the bright side. That, and she had a feeling tht he needed to hear it.

"I can't help it. I just can't help but wonder if they really are safe or if something happened to them." He knew she was right, it wasn't good to dwell on all the possible bad things that could possibly have happened. He needed to focus and believe that his family was safe and that they would be able to move on after their loss. But he couldn't. He couldn't convince himself that they would be safe. He couldn't help but worry.

When she touched his arm, he put his hand over hers and tried to focus on what she was saying. "It doesn't feel that way. Back on Pern I knew what would help and what would hurt. I could make numbweed and oils and medicines and here I don't recognize any of the plants and I have no idea how to test them to see if they're toxic or not. What if we don't figure things out in time?" He questioned, knowing it wasn't doing him any good to worry. But she was trying to help and he realized that.

"I know you're trying to help. I'm just being stubborn." He told her, subconsciously twining their fingers together. "Come on. Let's walk some. Maybe we'll find something useful." He suggested, hoping they could walk and just forget about the fact they were in a strange place. The ocean and the sky looked the same, for awhile maybe he could pretend they were home.

Ash listened to him, patiently allowing him to air out his fears and simply nodded her head. She understood that it was difficult to get past those fears and worries. Either way, she allowed her fingers twine with his and smiled at him as he commented on him being stubborn. Truth be told, she was happy that he was at least accepting that she was trying to help, and at least he was listening. Not that she had tried to help many people... she just wasn't as good with others.

At his suggestion, she nodded easily, holding onto his hand lightly. "Maybe. And I think we all worry about those things. But if we focus on what we can control, maybe we'll get through this?" she offered him as she smiled up at him. It was the best she could offer, knowing that they were all scared. However, they all needed to find a way to make things better.

They walked for a time, picking up driftwood and other items that might prove useful. They talked about various subjects, both trying to avoid bringing up anything that might upset either of them. All things considered, they spent more time on the beach than they had anticipated and it was starting to grow dark. Deciding that a night away might do them both some good. K'then had requested Baroleth inform Seeth that they were going to spend the night on the beach and that the Bronze bring some blankets and food for the two riders. If anyone asked why his excuse was that they planned to explore further down the coast in the morning and staying where they were for the night gave them a head start.

That done, Baroleth had brought everything asked for (he'd had some help getting things loaded up for him to carry) and K'then set up a little camp, complete with fire. Jager and Seely had caught some fish and he cooked that over the fire for himself and Ash to eat. After they'd eaten, there wasn't much else to do but sit around the fire and talk some more. Though they were running out of topics to discuss and K'then frowned at the flames flickering in front of him. "Do you think we'll ever see Pern again?" He questioned without really thinking about it. He'd considered trying to send one of his firelizards between back to the Academy but hadn't yet built up the courage to risk it. But if the firelizards could get back....maybe the Dragons could too and they could all go home?

All in all, Ash had felt that their day had been peaceful. It was the closest she had come since they arrived to feeling like she was back home. Quite frankly, she figured it was the company. She felt relaxed around the bronzerider, and trusted him. As such, their walk along the beach was nice. They didn't necessarily find the cure to all their problems. They certainly didn't stumble upon a quick solution for how to get home... but they did manage to just enjoy the day.

To make things better, they had decided to stay away from the group. Much as she wasn't like Silvara and affected in such a manner by the whole ordeal. She wasn't exactly miss social butterfly either. She liked being off by herself, or with someone close. In fact, them spending the day away from the others was perfect. She'd enjoyed them setting up camp and even glanced up as Basidith chose to join Baroleth for the trip over there. She'd enjoyed helping him set up where she could, although she didn't really help out much with the fish... but she did enjoy it!

At Ky's question, she paused. It was a legitimate question, and one she was certain every single person with them was wondering. Would they ever make it home again? However, she had told herself that they were done. They needed to focus on something else. Needed to try and focus on things that were helpful, not things they had no control over. She had also promised herself that she would do whatever it took to help the bronzerider focus on something other than those questions as well. Regardless, she did answer him.

"I hope so, but I don't think we can say that for certain," she admitted before she chose to put a stop to the conversation before it could really start... and she did this by kissing him. Hey, it had worked previously to lighten the mood... even though last time her dragon was young enough that she wasn't SUPPOSED to be doing anything like this. At least this time around her dragon was mature, if not fully grown. Although, after a moment she pulled back, blushing slightly. "But, we really shouldn't focus on those things," she pointed out.

The day had been quite relaxing. There was always a thought in the back of his mind that they weren't really on Pern but for awhile he could pretend. And he couldn't complain about the company. It was...a good day all things considered. He felt a little guilty that he'd left H'lee to deal with things but he had other weyrlingmasters to assist. And it wasn't like they were having any proper sorts of lessons for the weyrlings so far. Right now it was far more important that they get some manner of shelters built and get hide oils and other such immediate needs. What little work they did do with the weyrlings, particularly the younger ones, was more to keep them busy than anything else.

K'then wasn't sure what sort of answer he'd been expecting when he'd asked his question but Ash gave about the best answer she could. "You-" Before he could finish his thought he found himself suddenly quieted by her lips on his and he relaxed into the kiss. When she pulled back he noted the faint blush but really couldn't think of anything to say. He was saved from needing to say anything immediately when she spoke up. And suddenly he had an explanation for why she'd done what she'd done. "And what, might I ask, do you think we should focus on instead?" He questioned, though he did have a fairly good idea of what she had in mind.

She was rather surprised that she had chosen to kiss him. Not necessarily because she hadn't wanted to, because she knew full well that she wanted to! However, she was still a weyrling... regardless of their situation. As such, she continued thinking on it before she realized something. Weyrling or otherwise, they weren't on Pern. Their situation had changed completely. There was little that H'lee could do, even if they were caught.

When he spoke, she just smiled at him and shrugged innocently. "Anything else?" she responded, although there was a bit of humor in her voice... along with something else, "Such as making the best of our situation?" With that, she could see no reason not to kiss him again. In fact, that was exactly what she did. She gave in to her urges (not that Basidith wasn't urging her to do so anyways). As far as the green (who was curled up and resting) was concerned, hers should go with the bronzerider. The green certainly liked his bronze!

===

The following morning, Ash found herself with her head resting on K'then's shoulder and her form pressed against his side. She had managed to distract him from the topic of conversation, and she thought she'd done a pretty good job. In fact, her "idea" ended up distracting them both from their situation. Regardless, as she started to wake, she slowly began thinking about everything he'd asked the previous day. About all his concerns that he had brought up.

After a couple minutes of it, she found her thoughts slipping towards thoughts of her big brother and her parents. She never talked about her family. Her parents were both riders, as was her brother. Everyone in her family had bonded to a dragon, and a part of her wondered if they knew she was gone. Wondered if they would try searching or what.

These thoughts led her to slowly pick herself up, gently dislodging herself from the bronzerider before she pulled clothes on and walked over to where they had sat the previous night. Once there, she sat down and continued thinking about them. She knew she had told Ky that they couldn't think these thoughts... but she also knew that every one of them would slip up from time to time. Although, all she did was get rather quiet and stare at the sands before her.