A Drop of Blood to Guide Them by (Plot)

[Rei]

It had been in the wee hours of the morning when the noise started. The guards, who had been posted at the records room door, surprised at the sudden crashes and other odd noises that were emerging from behind locked doors. Doors that guarded a room that had no other entrance. Despite curiosity and the desire to investigate, the rule not to enter without one of the council present won out and it was with haste that one of the posted riders made to raise the council. Only there was only one councilman around to rouse at this hour and in this case it was a woman. The goldrider. Meira of Jingth.

It was now only early morning and outside the records room door ranged a quickly thrown together band of explorers. Meira having Jingth rouse only a few to accompany her in an investigation of the disturbance. Merridan, Iskierka, Elysia, and Darya. Most of the rider’s were grabbed at will because they were the first ones up, the only ones left without duties to attend to, or necessity of their experience. Because who knew what was behind those doors?

Whatever the actual reason for the members that made up the group, Elysia was slightly amused. All women. Well if you could call the brownrider Merridan a woman. She had her doubts about that one. Leaning up against the wall the Benden woman glanced curiously at the now deathly silent room. Were they completely sure there had even been a disturbance? The guards had seemed flustered and curious enough before they were sent on their way but it was quiet now. The only greenrider in the group moved to stand silently next to Iskierka as Meira fumbled with the locks on the door. A glance was given to the other members of the group before Meira finally opened the door and the group quite literally stepped into chaos.

A soft gasp emerged from the goldrider’s throat as the group collectively surveyed the damage. The records room was a disaster area. Books, scrolls, hides, papers all strewn haphazardly around as if some high wind had gotten mysteriously trapped in the now still room. Bookcases, tables, and chairs all upended and sitting like broken tombstones among the mess. As the group dispersed to start to survey the damage Elysia automatically moved to shadow Meira, who looked like she was a bit distraught. Bending down to pick up a book the benden woman examined it briefly and then let it drop back to the stone floor.

“And we are sure this place was locked nice and tight?” Came a quiet question to whoever would answer as Elysia turned to catch sight of Iskierka examining an upended table. Her dark eyes fixed on her fellow benden comrade before moving away and back to the room in general. “For all the damage and chaos you would think there would be some sign of…something.”

~~~~

This thread is meant to go pretty fast.
If your character was not named as one of those present please do not post here.
This is a plot thread so please try and keep up with it and above all have fun <3

[Ember]

Iskierka was quite irritated by the unusual summons she'd received. Not because of the early hour or who had roused her. No, she was annoyed because someone had decided that disobeying orders was fun and she had to clean up after them. What other explanation was there for a disturbance in the forbidden room? There was only the one entrance, after all. She'd said nothing of her thoughts though, as usual. She had a feeling that Elysia and perhaps even Meira had picked up on it a little bit but neither had commented. What was there to say since she'd dutifully gotten dressed in work clothes and strapped her knives to her thighs before following to the disaster zone?

And disaster zone it was! Once Meira had gotten the door unlocked even Iskierka couldn't hide her surprise at the state of the room. A brief flick of her gaze to Elysia standing next to her to guage the greenrider's reaction before she stepped into the room to begin looking more closely. Someone had been there and that meant they had to leave some sort of evidence behind. Iskierka let following the goldie around to Elysia as she went to examine the tables. It looked like a storm had blown through the room and even the usually calm bluerider was a little disturbed.

There was really only the one entrance...right? Elysia asked much the same thing aloud but the bluerider wasn't paying attention; her eyes had caught sight of something. The second comment, though, managed to catch Iskierka's attention. She trailed her fingers along the evidence she'd been looking for before speaking up. "Oh, they left signs alright. Something might be the right term," Iskierka informed the room grimly. Right where her fingers rested were nasty claw marks in the wood of the table. Something indeed.

[Rowana]

Waking at odd hours didn't really bother Merridan, though it was a little unusual to be summoned by Meira herself. Her first thought was that something might be wrong with the eggs, but Chaoth was being too calm for that. Still, the records room didn't seem like the first place for an attack, so there was a mystery here. It was the work of moments to dress and strap on her knives. Never hurt to be prepared, especially around here. Besides, even if it was some fool of a Candidate, they deserved a good scare for causing all this trouble. With a quick order for Vikky to stay home, Merridan moved swiftly to records room with Auran flying guard.

Warily, Merridan stepped inside after Meira unlocked the door, careful to be sure the goldrider was watched at all times. These days it didn't hurt to be a little paranoid. Between the four of them, Mer was pretty sure they could defend her against most threats, but you these mountains were still full of strange things. Elysia seemed to have Meira well in hand and Auran circled over head, reporting all was clear. Mer relaxed slightly and let her eyes drift over the room. She'd never been here before, mostly cause she'd never had much interest in books or a need to ask to see it. It might have helped to have a reference, but anyone could see the place was a far cry from what it once was.

Kneeling, Mer examined a broken chair curiously. With no other entrance and the guards securing the front door, it didn't seem like a Candidate could have gotten inside. Even if they had, she couldn't think of one who would do this much damage, even for a prank. T'mund was the only one she could think of who really want to get in here, and he just wanted to read the scrolls, not destroy them. Glancing up at Iskierka's comment, Mer stood to see what's she'd found. Claws had clearly done some of this damage, Mer thought grimly. That was all they needed around here: a deadly monster who could bypass doors.

"Could it have between inside?" she mused allowed. The damage was extensive. If it was fire lizards, which she doubted, it would have to have been a whole fair of them. She wondered if the room was large enough for a dragon to between. She knew at least few tiny greens that were back at Selenitas. Yet none of them could have even attempted such a suicidal trick without knowing where they were going. Mer's face frowned slowly. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like something new and probably dangerous had entered their secret home.

[Kisha-Ra]

Darya felt strangely alert for one who’d so recently tumbled out of bed. She’d probably pay for it later when this emergency, whatever it was, was over but right now she was awake, alert and ready to cause some mayhem, especially if this was some infantile prank on the part of… well, anyone really. Just in case it was an actual emergency though the bluerider had picked up her long dagger and a couple of other knives, hell if it was a prank maybe she’d skewer the perpetrators anyway. Her green firelizard flitted around the group of women, transmitting her images of what was before and behind them, a mute firelizard made a very good scout in Darya’s opinion.

As she stepped cautiously in through the door the bluerider’s gaze swept around, taking in the broad sweeps of destruction to a room that only had one door. The room seemed to be currently free of anyone but the riders who’d just entered but that didn’t comfort Darya enough to move her hand far from the hilt of her long dagger. Something about the whole situation disturbed her, aside from the fact that someone had come into a locked and guarded room, and there was no chance the guards had been bribed to look the other way either. If they had firstly they wouldn’t have rushed off to get someone, and secondly, their dragons would have known, and they wouldn’t be able to keep it from Jingth.

While Bit flitted back and forth around the room, sending only images of more destruction, Darya listened to Iskierka and Merridan with interest. The room seem too small for a dragon to between in, especially with all the furniture in its rightful place. ‘Whers can travel between.’ Darya mentioned as an extension of her thoughts, a wher would fit indoors much better than a dragon and could do a great deal of damage if it was so minded. ‘Or so I’ve been told by wherhandlers, can’t say I’ve ever seen it myself.’ Personally she’d hope for wild whers, they could probably be frightened off before they did more damage, another explanation was that there were more odd creatures than just razorclaws around these mountains, but if that was the case why hadn’t they been encountered before?

[Rei]

Dark eyes moved from Meira momentarily as Iskierka spoke up. Elysia moved a bit closer to the table. With the others crowded around the piece of furniture it was hard to see the markings in much detail, but there were certainly gouges rent in the wood. It didn’t look like the table had been exactly attacked though…almost examined. Or marked. Like felines did to trees in their territories. Merridan’s comments were taken and turned over in her head as well. “I suppose. Maybe…” The greenrider’s tone was doubtful. What purpose would something have in betweening into a room of records? And besides that what kind of creature? Mandyrs couldn’t between, Firelizards were too small to cause claw marks like that. The markings were too small to be made by dragon claws. Even with the smallest green there would be further space between the marks. Darya’s suggestion held water except for one point, and with the chill now rising up her spine Elysia was loathe to mention anything though she did anyway. “One problem with that theory. I’ve had dealings with whers. They can between but they only have two talons on each foot.” She didn’t need to further comment that whatever made these marks had more than two claws.

Baron gave a chirp from her shoulder and then winged off to settle on Meira at his bonded’s request. The goldrider had hovered for awhile before moving off to survey something near one of the precariously leaning massive bookcases in the corner of the large room. As loathe as Elysia was to let Meira wander the room alone she didn’t feel so much like corralling her back instantly. What trouble could the other woman get into anyway? Baron could play babysitter in case goldie tripped. It was the feeling of slight apprehension from her firelizard that drew Elysia’s attention even partway back to the goldrider. The brown firelizard had smelled something odd and his wings twitched from his place on Meira’s shoulder. The goldrider reached to absently pet the firelizard and that was when she saw the flicker of movement. “Hey. Over here.” Came the quiet and earnest words from Meira as the woman moved to look around the massive bookcase. As she started to slip around the massive piece of furniture Baron flashed an image back to his. A opening in the wall. The bookcase had been hiding it. Blinking Elysia’s feet automatically made to follow in that direction as she spoke to the others. “Over here. Behind the bookcase. It seems there is another way into this room. A tunnel. Meira found it.” Hopefully the goldrider had enough sense not to enter it. But curiosity definitely had the goldrider approaching it.

That was when it happened. Baron grew increasingly more anxious and agitated as Meira began to approach the dark opening to the hidden tunnel and as the woman paused a few feet from it something shifted in the darkness. Just as Elysia, and presumably the rest of the small group, got halfway across the room to the bookcase something shot out of the darkness and Meira shrieked in surprise and pain. Baron gave a loud cry of alarm as well as talons sank into the woman he was clinging to. With sudden force the goldrider and clinging flit were yanked into the darkness, the firelizard broadcasting in terrified waves to his bonded. Images of flashing color and knifelike talons all meshed into a not so clear mess burst against her mind. With a gasp of alarm, that echoed after a not so happy scream from Jingth somewhere in the weyr, Elysia shut down on the connection with the brown and sprinted the next few feet. Rounding the bookcase the woman came to a jarring halt.

They were now face to face with the dark opening of the tunnel, the stone floor speckled with bright drops of blood.

There the greenrider froze, the rest of the woman at her back. Should they go after Meira now? Was it safe to enter that dark void without knowing anything? Elysia’s heartbeat was rapid, adrenaline flooding her system as from somewhere in the blackness an ear piecing scream echoed which rapidly disintegrated into a loud cry of pain. The furious and pained cry sounded again from Jingth and now the dragons around Burimyu were answering, trying in vain to comfort their queen. “We can’t go in there blind.” Was all Elysia could manage through her suddenly tight throat, dark eyes moving to the women behind her and silently encouraging someone else to take control. She wasn’t a leader…

[Ember]

Iskierka was rather wishing she hadn't discovered the claw marks as ideas were voiced and denied by others. The one thing that was clear was that nothing they knew had done it. "Felines are out, too. These don't look like something a feline would be capable of." She'd seen feline marks before. back at Selenitas she and Ioth had gone hunting for them often enough. Iskierka stood up from her crouched position and glanced at the other women significantly. "So we have some kind of unidentified beast running around. I don't know of anything that could do that," she commented, jerking her head in the direction of the table. She didn't bother to tell them that they should be on alert.

The quiet words from Meira already had the bluerider moving but the explanation from Elysia had her frowning faintly. An opening? She didn't like that at all. Even assuming the something that had destroyed the records room could between, they still needed to have seen it before for that to be possible. As if to confirm her half-formed hypothesis, the goldrider was suddenly attacked. Iskierka couldn't honestly say she wasn't concerned over the goldrider's safety on a more personal level but at the same time she felt a spark of annoyance. Little, defenseless goldrider just had to go towards some dark little place.

The bluerider followed at the same pace as Elysia and reached the bookcase just a little after her. She didn't blame the greenrider from stopping. Iskierka convinced herself that the hand she placed on Elysia's shoulder was to help her peer into the darkness over the slightly taller woman and not for comfort. "I'll get glows," she informed the group. Ioth? Send Gawain. Tell him to bring light. The razorclaw was highly intelligent. She could only hope he'd understand and she wouldn't have to send him to someone to actually give him glows. "Gawain will hopefully bring them. For now...we can only wait."

Here she looked to Merridan. Iskierka had lived her life by following the dragon hierarchy of colour, pretty much. With a brown, despite being the youngest, that automatically made Merridan the one she viewed as in charge without Meira around. Besides, she probably had the most personal reason to go after the goldrider. If she wasn't mistaken, the two girls were classmates not to mention the current clutch on the sands was a product of their dragons.

[Kisha-Ra]

Sure enough Elysia was right Darya realised, the hairs on the back of her neck rising and a shiver running across her skin, the two toes was an easy detail for someone far more used to dragons than whers to forget. So some other kind of clawed beast that got in here. Some unknown other dragon kin or were they missing something important? The bluerider stared at the damaged furniture for a moment as if defying it to give up any more detail. ‘I suppose it’s too much to hope it’s something small with really big claws.’ Darya’s tone said she didn’t believe that at all.

Okay, the bluerider thought, a small frown drawing her brows together, before they went inventing an entirely new between going monster in the dark, look for somewhere else it could have come from. Almost perfectly on cue, Meira spoke, pulling Darya’s attention to her. Openings in the wall? Almost certainly the entry point then, the bluerider’s hand dropped to her dagger, but someone else wasn’t as naturally suspicious. Her own firelizard couldn’t cry out as the brown had but Bit certainly broadcast her utter terror back to her bonded as the green shot across the room to cling to Darya’s chest, practically weaving herself in with the fabric of the bluerider’s shirt in an effort to hide.

As Darya approached the opening in the wall her nostrils flared like a scenting hound’s, something animal, unfamiliar, in the air that sent a second, greater chill up her spine. Not a wher, though Darya would give quite a lot for one right now. She tried a mental command to her firelizard, but the green was having none of it, clinging tighter and gazing up with huge yellow eyes, Darya got the impression that if the green hadn’t been mute she’d have been whimpering in fear. Even with her adrenaline levels spiking the sounds from that opening did not encourage Darya to rush in blind. A low growl of annoyance rose from her throat as she used one hand to try and calm her clinging pet, Darya hated waiting, especially when it was the only thing to do.

[Rowana]

Merridan mused over the various observations. A wher did make more sense, but it would still have to have been in this room at some point in order to between here. If it was a wher, however, they'd better hope it was a wild one. She doubted the Selenitas wherhandlers would volunteer to spy on them, but Eikask could have had a second clutch by now, with Wasteland candidates present. All this standing around wasn't getting them anywhere, Mer decided and moved to do a wider circle of the zone of destruction. She was just in time to hear Darya's words, however and it left a sinking feeling in her stomach. If it wasn't a dragon, a wher, or a fire lizard, just what in Pern was it?

At Meira's call, Merridan looked up curiously. Auran flitted closer to the goldrider and her brown passenger, and Mer started over to see what she'd found. A tunnel would explain a lot and it was a far better explanation than possibly betweening new monsters. She was half way across the room, when Meira cried in pain and both woman and fire lizard vanished into the wall. Merridan cursed sharply and sprinted for the bookcase, coming up behind the other woman. Shards and shells, why did goldriders always have to get into trouble! Mer rained in the creeping fear that Meira was badly hurt, or worse. Not only did Pern need her and her dragon, but Mer just didn't want to loose any more friends than she already had.

First thing was first. Chaoth, keep Jingth calm. Don't let her leave the Hatching Grounds. The eggs had to stay protected, and if Jingth started flying off in a panic they were in big trouble. I will, Chaoth assured her, already winging to his mate. Be careful. Nodding grimly, Mer peered into the hole with the others with a deep sense of foreboding. This was very, very bad. A large part of her just wanted to run after Meira and whatever had taken her, but she knew Elysia was right. If the thing could strike that fast, going after it in total darkness was suicidal. A wher would be real useful about now.

Mer drew her largest dagger, the one her father had made, feeling comfort in its weight in her hand. Suddenly most of them were looking at her for what to do next. Shard it, being a brownrider was one thing, but leading a group of people who'd all been riders much longer than she had was something else. No time to think about it now. Meira needed help, and fast. She nodded to Iskierka, grateful for her quick thinking. She would have sent Auran as well, but he wasn't large enough to manage glows by himself. "Once we have light, two of us should go after it and two should stand guard so it doesn't get loose in the Weyr. Who brought weapons?" She had a feeling most of them had, but it didn't hurt to take stock.

[Rei]

**WARNING** Part of this post is a tad graphic. Read at your own risk. xP

~~~

Waiting. All they could do was wait. Dark eyes slipped to a close, only opening when Elysia felt a light touch to her shoulder. Didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The only woman in the room brave enough to touch her and not expect repercussions. Iskierka. There was something of an understanding between the pair. They had been sent to Selenitas by J’lorin together after all. Turning to half glance at the other woman she nodded, her eyes only then slipping to the others behind her as well. They were waiting on glows. And the longer they waited….but going in now would be suicide. Couldn’t fight what you couldn’t see. But every second that ticked away... They were fighting a battle against time as well. The only thing that even minimally comforted the greenrider was the fact that Jingth was no longer bellowing. Then again….that could be a very bad thing as well.

It was ironically Merridan’s suggestion that broke the spell of chill that had wormed it’s way through Elysia. Some small spark flared up in her. Brought about by one thought. Why the brownrider came to mind now and not earlier she had no clue. But she had promised T’san that she would watch over Meira for him. For the first time in her life the greenrider opened her mouth to speak against the orders of a superior. Well in a sense she was still a superior based on dragon color. “No. There will be no splitting up. The doors are locked and it can’t possibly get past us all.” It. “You saw what it did. There is better safety in numbers. If we split up it will be easier for it to pick us off.”

If it was a predator chances were it was smart. Just like a feline it would go after the separated, the alone, the weak and the wounded. “If we go together as a group there is a better chance that we can drive it off.” Right? It made sense to Elysia anyway. Her gaze traveled to the blueriders to gauge their reactions to her words before she opened her mouth again. “But by all means Brownie. You can be the leader.”

As if in punctuation Iskierka’s razorclaw finally arrived with the glow. Only one but it would have to do. Elysia unclipped the whip from her belt, and raised it slightly for Merridan to see, before the brownrider was handed the single glow. She had a couple daggers and a shorter dirk besides. But well the greenrider was always most comfortable with her primary weapon. Finally they were ready and with apprehension and probably a bit of dread in all of them they made their first steps into the darkness.

The glow cast flickering shadows on the stone walls as they traveled deeper into the tunnel. A few speckles of blood here and there guided their way. The blood spots growing in size and quantity as they moved deeper into darkness. As they moved the benden woman tried in vain to contact her flit but Baron seemed frozen in fear or shock the little creature was alive. That much she could sense but not much else. He seemed too petrified to even acknowledge her. Something….extremely out of character for her eldest pet. It was only because she knew that sneaking up on something dangerous in the darkness wasn’t smart that Elysia was even able to call out with the others for Meira. The goldrider’s name bouncing down the hallways. A response never returned.

Finally the blood became easier to follow and a soft noise interrupted the silence, a hiss and the sound of something retreating. The sounds of it’s retreat growing fainter and fainter until the glows light illuminated something that would probably haunt those present forever... Meira lay in a growing pool of her own blood. The goldrider sprawled out at a unnatural angle upon her back. But that wasn’t what was so shocking. The woman’s lower abdomen had been almost hallowed. Torn into by something. A long loop of her intestine sprawled across the stone floor like some sinister snake. The heavy metallic sent of blood intermingled with the unmistakable stench of intestinal fluids lay heavy in the air. The worst part was that it seemed the goldrider was still alive. One hand groping almost blindly at her abdomen eyes unseeingly blinking at the ceiling above.

Elysia took one look at the scene and retched. The greenrider had enough time to stagger more towards the stone wall before her breakfast revisited her. The older woman swiped a hand across her mouth and tried to keep herself from trembling. Too late. Far too late. A soft and almost pleading chirp assaulted her hearing from the direction the goldrider lay in. Baron. The firelizard had been trapped under the goldrider’s shoulder. Wedging himself further under her to keep from being assaulted by whatever had….eaten the woman.

The Benden woman shakily made her way back to the scene, willing herself not to retch again. Iskierka was already crouched near Meira when Elysia approached and gently extracted her firelizard, pulling the shocked creature against her chest heedless of the blood that slicked his hide. “Iskierka?” The almost whispered words seemed terribly loud in the darkness. Now what? It was with reluctance that the greenrider turned to look at the expressions of her fellow comrades.

[Ember]

At Elysia's nod, Iskierka removed her hand, half turning back to the other women with them. How she hated the waiting game. The bluerider left Elysia to debate how they'd enter the tunnel when she heard a soft scratching at the door. She opened it just enough for her razorclaw to slip in with...a glow. Just one? She supposed that's al lshe should have expected from the bird. She'd said 'light', not 'two glows.' She bent down to offer him a perch on her arm. To scratch on the door he clearly had to have landed and she doubted he liked it down there.

As he relinquished the glow and took to the air again, Iskierka muttered a "Well done, Gawain." Trainable pets weren't so bad, really. She firmly locked the door from the inside. The click satisfied her vague paranoia that the thing or things that had dragged Meira off wouldn't get loose in the weyr. Gawain settled on one of the up-ended tables as Iskierka crossed back over to the now ominous bookcase with the single glow. Evidentally while she'd been getting the glow the matter of going into the tunnel had been settled. Iskierka handed Merridan the glow and slipped both her knives out of their sheathes.

She wasn't sure what they might be fighting but she didn't really care either. She'd go out fighting if it managed to catch her by surprise or end up being stronger than her. Iskierka followed the women in, a backwards glance revealing the fact that Gawain pointedly refused to follow them. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Too dangerous for him? Or not enough of an adventure? As she joined the others in calling out Meira's name and getting nothing but their own voices in return the bluerider feared the worst.

Iskierka tightened her grip on her weapons as they heard something skittering away as they approached. She couldn't even spare a thought for whatever creature it was when the glow dimly illuminated a corpse. No...that wasn't quite right. Iskierka heard retching and she very nearly followed suit. Instead she clamped her mouth shut firmly and approached the goldrider. Apparently she hadn't been fearing the worst. Reality had turned out to be far worse than simply a mauled corpse. She couldn't leave anyone alive in such a state and it was clear that they'd be unable to save her. The bluerider stabbed a vital point with her knife and ended the poor woman's life.

A chirp alerted her to Baron, though she didn't know what it was at first and visibly startled. Oh. Just a firelizard. Nothing more. Elysia approached her next to Meira and she closed the goldrider's eyes before standing up. "Mm," and a nod was all she could manage. She wasn't sure she could hold whatever was in her stomach down if she dared open her mouth. She'd seen a fair number of bodies in her time but none that had ever been eaten alive. It was truly horrifying. She felt like suggesting they get out of there before they also became part of the menu but she still didn't feel safe opening her mouth, let alone speaking.

[Rowana]

Merridan nodded at Elysia's adjustment to her plan. She honestly didn't care about leadership, as long as they all agreed on a course of action that would save Meira. Trivial matters like who was in charge were pointless. Besides, Elysia, Iskierka and Darya were all older and more experienced than she was. The greenrider was right too. So long as the thing couldn't get out of the records room, they were better off staying together. If it was a wild animal, the larger group might be enough to scare it off, but she wasn't going to hold out hope for that. It was brave enough to come near the room with all five of them, after all.

Mer took the glow from Iskierka with a whisper of thanks. She didn't question them giving her the lead. Ranks and colors aside, Chaoth was Jingth's mate, therefore Meira was her responsibility. And she was certainly doing a sharding rotten job at that. Holding the glow high in her left hand, she kept her grip on the dirk in the other and pressed onward into the tunnel. They seemed to be going on forever, much farther than Mer had hoped. The trail of blood was a good sign they were going the right way, but it was also bad for Meira. How much blood had she lost, anyway?

A few of the others called the goldrider's name, though Mer stayed quiet. The lack of response was another bad sign, though it could simply mean Meira was unconscious. A noise ahead alerted Mer to possible danger and she readied her weapon. The thing, however, seemed to have fled before the light, leaving an all too still form in its wake. Mer drew closer with the light and then wished she hadn't. Any hope she might have been clinging too until that moment, died instantly. They were too late.

Merridan had seen death before. She'd even caused it when desperate situations called for it. She'd seen dozen's of bodies after the Siege, some murdered in cold blood. Nothing came close to the scene before her. It was like something out of a nightmare. Huge chunks of the woman who had once been her friend were just ripped out of her. Worst of all, Meira was still alive, clinging to her last moments of life when not even Faranth herself could save her. Mer could not help the tears from coming and she turned away as Iskierka moved forward to end the suffering. She wanted to throw up, but Elysia beat her too it. The stench and the sight were sure to haunt her dreams for as long as she lived.

Chaoth? Mer managed after a long moment. Is Jingth...? She couldn't bring herself to finish the question, but she didn't have too. Chaoth's voice was thick with pain and sorrow. She lives only for her eggs, he replied softly. The brown curled tight against his mate, keening quietly for her lose. Yet he knew no words he could offer would ease her pain, not until she could at last join her bonded in between. Mer felt her heart break with Chaoth's. How could they let this happen? How would she explain it to the Weyr? Or to T'san and M'ta if they ever returned to Selenitas? Meira had been under her protection and she had failed. Now Meira, dear, sweet, kind Meira, was lost to them forever.

Merridan pushed down a building tide of guilt and anger. She could blame herself later. Right now, if they weren't careful, she wouldn't have to worry about explaining this to anyone. Mer had to swallow twice to keep the bile from coming up. When she finally opened her mouth, she could only manage a cracked whisper. "We should go. It's not safe here." Part of her wanted to hunt this creature down to the ends of the earth and rip its throat out for what it had done. Thankfully, the smarter part of her knew that following it now would do no good. This was its territory, and they only had one light. Revenge would have to wait for another day.

[Kisha-Ra]

Waiting was something Darya truly loathed, especially when, well it didn’t really bear thinking about too closely. At least Jingth had quieted, though whether that was good or bad she couldn’t decide, presumably the goldrider was still alive down there. The bluerider paced back and forth restlessly, and concentrated her efforts on calming her firelizard back into a potentially useful creature again for the moment, an effort that was only partially successful.

The arrival of Iskierka’s razorclaw with a glow, just one but fortunately a bright one, was a welcome end to the waiting and Darya was glad to hear the key turn in the lock with a decisive little click, whatever their beast was it hadn’t been able to open of destroy the door before so whatever happened it wouldn’t be running loose in the Weyr. Darya took up her long dagger in her right hand and a shorter belt knife in the left, her scarred hand wasn’t strong enough to go blade to blade with another human but she could grip the knife well enough to stab at a beast that wouldn’t be looking to its defence.

No sound came back down the tunnel but echoes of Meira’s name, nothing from the goldrider herself, and no animal sounds in the darkness ahead although what that meant was anyone’s guess. Movement. The bluerider’s weapons came up a little higher but it seemed whatever they’d been hunting had fled before the light, what it left… Darya’s skin went cold at the sight and she clenched her teeth together and clutched her weapons until she felt her insides were properly under her control.

Darya was no stranger to death, it seemed no one was these days, and she’d dealt it out as cleanly as possible to men and beasts alike, but this was anything but clean, blood and other fluids left everywhere, the beast’s last meal not even properly dead before it fed. A shudder ran over Darya’s body in response to that.

Merridan’s comment made her look up. ‘We’ll have to come back with more glows and better weapons, maybe even some traps, if it’s anything like wild felines in behaviour. You have to kill them once they’ve gone after humans.’ The bluerider shuddered again, barely even noticing she felt so cold. ‘You can see it in their eyes, when they’ve learnt we can be easy prey.’ Darya’s voice sounded hushed, and almost toneless as she spoke and now that she wasn’t looking at Meira she kept her eyes on the passage ahead.

[Rei]

Elysia wished she had never looked. The haunted look in her own eyes was staring back at her in each face she turned to. For the first time in a long time the greenrider found herself completely terrified. All she wanted to do was turn and run. Find strong arms to hold her, protect her, and tell her it would all be okay. Even though she knew it wasn’t. It was that thought that she held onto as she closed her eyes and dipped her head, a soft murmur leaving her lips as Iskierka ended the goldrider's suffering. “Rest in peace.” Followed quickly by the mental thought. I’m sorry T’san. I’m so sorry.

Onyth’s shared grief as their queen Jingth threw back her head and uttered a terribly loud and mournful keen was strong. The gold couldn’t between, bound as she was by the eggs on the sands. She would remain in a pain filled state of mourning until her children broke shell and she was finally released from duty to join her bonded in death. A few tears slipped from Elysia’s eyes. Unseen in the darkness.

Merridan’s voice again broke the silence, the benden woman finally forcing herself to stand on shaky legs. She was right. It wasn’t safe and there was nothing they could do now. Had to return and report their findings. Only then could they all find someway to attempt to deal with what they has just witnessed. Dark eyes slipped to Darya as the older woman spoke. The bluerider was right. It now knew they were food. Which made it all the more dangerous. But return to kill it? Without knowing what it was? Elysia wasn’t sure she could ever bring herself step foot in this dark tunnel again. She had just opened her mouth to say something about it when the flitter in her arms let out a cry of alarm and struggled against her, claws digging painfully into her skin in his desperate desire to escape. “Baron?” Only then did she hear it. A call from somewhere down the tunnel. Soft, a bit distant, and vaguely birdlike. The noise was picked up by a deeper call and then another and another.

Elysia's blood ran cold as the sound continued and got louder, a tapping noise now adding to the sudden din of sound. Similar to the sound dragon claws made on stone... It was that noise that broke the spell and she let Baron go. The brown firelizard shoved forcefully off his bonded's chest and winged back the way he came, a cry of terror escaping his throat and freeing up the tightness in Elysia’s. Spinning around she shoved at the nearest woman to her, which happened to be Merridan, not even trying to hide the terror in her voice. “Go! Go! They’re coming!” With that the greenrider put her words into action and sprinted back in the way they came. They would have to leave Meira there. There was no other way. As much as she wished they could at least give the woman a proper burial it wasn’t worth dying for. Besides it might only lead the predators to further pursue.

For a few tense moments the only sounds in the hallway were the sounds of boots striking stone, breaths coming in gasps, and the sounds of their pursuers. The creatures had stopped to mill about Meira’s body before moving on to curiously pursue their now fleeing prey. Their meal wasn’t going anywhere after all.

Bursting out into the damaged records room Elysia glanced about the place like a frightened deer. Dark eyes fixed themselves on the massive bookcase as, with sudden desperation, she flung her weight against it just as the last of their party exited the tunnel. It had blocked the entrance once before right? Why wouldn’t it work again now? “Help me!” Ignoring how desperate her voice sounded the greenrider continued to shove at the piece of furniture, trying to ignore that the strike of claw on stone was getting louder. Oh Faranth please. She didn’t want to die here. Not like this. Not fighting something like that, something she still hadn’t even gotten a good look at and wasn’t sure she wanted to.

[Kisha-Ra]

There was little doubt of the horror in every face, and little doubt that it was reflected back out of Darya’s own eyes as her dragon joined his own sorrow with the voice of Jingth, mourning with the queen for the lifedeath she would endure until her eggs hatched. In a way Darya wished she could do the same but this was no place for mourning and besides, she felt cold, so very cold, inside and out.

Darya’s head rose, as Elysia’s firelizard cried out and fled and Bit followed, probably passing the brown with the speed she could move at, nothing but sheer terror in her mind. That scent again, stronger, overwhelming even the stench of exposed intestines and blood, the bluerider’s nostrils flared and her gaze flitted around like a spooked runnerbeast’s until a sound gave her something to focus on. A birdlike call, and another, and another. Faranth, how many of the things are there in here? was the only thought that the bluerider could sustain, her eyes fixed on the further tunnel as she backed away slowly.

There was little doubt in Darya’s mind as Elysia’s panicked voice reached her that the greenrider had the exact right idea. There was no way the four of them could fight of a whole pack of… whatever they were in this tunnel. Darya hung back a little, letting the other women ahead of her, not out of any kind of chivalry really, though she was probably in possession of the longest weapon, but because Darya could run like a coursing hound after startled game and if anyone got in her ways she’d be shoving them along. Less than an arm’s length from the woman in fromt of her Darya couldn’t tell if the mad pounding in her ears was the sound of boots on stone or her own frantic heartbeat as she fled toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rounding the bookcase that had previously blocked the tunnel Darya heard the desperate cry of the greenrider and grunted her agreement to that plan, pivoting on one foot, dropping both her knives to the floor, and throwing all her weight against the stubborn article of furntuire. Had to keep them back, they be overwhelemed in here, and if they got loose how long before they broke out of the room. What were they? She didn’t want to die here. What the hell were they? Darya flung herself against the weight of the bookcase frantically in time with her racing thoughts. Let it move, let it work. They’d have to try traps and poison, there were to many to hunt there. She didn’t want to be eaten.

[Ember]

Iskierka actively avoided looking at the others. She was practiced in denying her own emotions but right then they were too close to the surface for her to even dare see others'. Besides, she already knew what she would see. It would be better not to look. As the others discussed the fact that they should get out of there and maybe regroup with more people and weapons and such, the bluerider only nodded vaguely as she glanced at Meira's body again. She wanted desperately to bring it back with them. It was incredibly cruel to just...leave it there for whatever it was to eat.

Despite her desires she knew it wasn't possible. She doubted that anyone wanted to carry a partially eaten corpse back with them, especially not when whatever had gotten to it might well come back for it. As if on cue, Elysia's firelizard started freaking out and Iskierka's eyes widened in alarm. She turned to look blindly into the darkness as call after call sounded. The bluerider shuddered. Not just one of the things, then. That meant...serious trouble. The worst part of it all was the fact that the creatures were getting closer, judging by the calls and the fact that they could now hear their movement.

As she repsonded to Elysia's command to run, Iskierka couldn't help being disgusted by her own panicked thought: leaving Meira's body might mean the creatures would let them escape. She wanted to be sick again but adrenaline kept her feet moving and the contents in her stomach where they were. She sensed Darya right behind her as she ran and dropped slightly to be almost beside her. Those things were damn close and she wasn't sure if Darya had any throwing knives on her but Iskierka did.

Iskierka slipped in right before Darya did and she joined the effort to get the bookcase in place by pulling on it. Those things were damn close and she doubted she could even spare the time to go around the other side of the bookcase. The bluerider almost sighed in relief as the bookcase was positioned in front of the tunnel entrance but they weren't quite safe yet. The creatures rammed into the bookcase over and over again so she pushed against it desperately. She did not want to die here, thanks.