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Post by Administrator on Oct 6, 2007 5:42:37 GMT -5
'Oh'? Was that what one was supposed to say when you had a headache? Shmee was irritated at his sleepiness, but she resisted the urge to snap. However, she resisted, knowing it was only out of her own sleepiness and headache that she was so grumpy toward him. However, perhaps the fact that he did help her was another contributing factor to her poor mood. He had seen her in such a weak state, and Shmee now felt rather awkward in his presence.
Aslath stirred at the mental prod, her mind immediately finding Shmee. Shmee's mind was still confused and horrified, the memories stuck in her head. Crooning to her lovingly, she told Shmee, Mine, it is all right. There is nothing we could have done.
I could have, though, Shmee replied unhappily. Aslath crooned again, wishing she were close enough to nuzzle her rider.
She turned her golden head slowly back over to Salenth. Brightening at the mention of her hatchlings, she replied, I do wish to see them. I have not seen them yet. The queen paused, then went on. Mine also would like to see them. She saw the Weyrlingmaster of Benden murder a dragon- he must have been no older than a week. He was so little! Her distress was obvious, her mind-voice raising with each sentence.
Shmee raised one eyebrow as S'rei vaguely answered her question. He definitely wasn't himself today, she thought as she watched him spend a good moment trying to pull a boot onto the wrong foot. Shaking her head with a sigh, she slowly pushed herself up. At first, there was a pressure behind her eyes that made her vision hazy for a moment, but that faded quickly.
Looking back over at S'rei, she frowned. "That shirt's too small," she pointed out unnecessarily, only just noticing. However, at his impatient urging, she snapped, "Of course I'm coming! Quit being so impatient!" Folding her arms defiantly, she only realized just that her final sentence had been close to a yell.
Irritably, she regarded him for a moment. She sighed, and strode over to the cot, pulling off some unused furs. "Here. It'll be too cold in something that small," she told him and she threw the furs around his shoulders, crossing over both ends of the furs above his chest.
As she admired her work, she smoothed out her hair absent-mindedly. It was so frizzy, she thought angrily. It had been in a braid at the hatching, but it was falling apart as of now. She would fix it once she got back, she decided. Or else she would just go back to sleep- but only after seeing the hatchlings. She couldn't get the little bluerider out of her mind. A shadow crossed over her face, which she quickly dismissed as she tightened the furs around him.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 6, 2007 10:58:59 GMT -5
Salenth stared, unnerved, at Aslath. A hatchling? When had Benden started murdering hatchlings? The hostility had still been turned outward toward the other weyrs when he and his had left. For a moment, he toyed with questioning some of his former wing, but then decided against it. They would either be distressed or, worse, not concerned at all. Salenth was no longer part of that world. Thank the egg.
I never thought we'd see the day where a dragonrider could murder another dragon in cold blood. Usually the rider's dragon would prevent such a thing. Dragon deaths did not happen often enough for it to be anything short of traumatic to the entire weyr when a dragon passed. Or, at least, that was the way it had used to be. Salenth shook the thought off. He moved on the weyrledge, trying to give Aslath enough room to come out if she so desired. All the weyrlings are fine, according to the watchdragon at Selenitas.
He had ignored her comment about his shirt, the words just adding to his annoyance. Of course it was too small! If this blasted hold boasted anyone taller than a grasshopper, he had yet to - S'rei jumped at the volume of her voice, shooting the goldrider a hurt, confused look. Wasn't she the one who wanted to get back to Selenitas right away? Yeah, he'd probably sounded like a bear a moment ago - You did, Mine - but it was the aggravation of the tunic and the lack of gear and his embarrassment that he couldn't seem to get his head on straight. It had nothing to do with Shmee.
People tend to think you're upset with them when you snap at them, Mine. Shut up. You're enjoying this too much. Their link bubbled with Salenth's laughter. Why not? It's free entertainment.
"Sorry," the bronzerider muttered to his Weyrwoman. Shards, but he must look like a fool. He hated people seeing him after he just woke up. Sage had been all right, though she teased and prodded him incessantly because of it, taking advantage of the fact that it was the one time she could manage him without any problems. She used to say he was like a weyrbrat. S'rei wrinkled his nose at the thought.
Then he was jolted out of his thoughts as something warm and fuzzy settled around his shoulders, the man blinking dully at Shmee. Irritation was still in her gaze, yet she'd worried about him. Why? She was the one they should be worrying about, with that bump to the head and the headache...The woman tugged the furs more firmly into place, S'rei trapping her hand to his chest, greys dark and sober. If still a bit confused. "Thank you," he said simply. But he didn't release her hand right away, almost as if he'd forgotten that he'd captured it in the first place. "They'll be all right. You'll see."
He paused. "Do you want anything for that headache? Or can it wait until we get to Selenitas?"
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Post by Administrator on Oct 6, 2007 11:30:10 GMT -5
I do not know why the man's dragon did not stop him from doing such a horrific thing, Aslath replied solemnly. Yet none of the other dragons keened... I did. Every dragon deserves a farewell, she added, her hide beginning to tinge with gray. She could comprehend why no one else mourned the death of the little blue- not even his clutchsiblings had done so. Was it that they were so used to killing other dragons that they were all just a blur? Aslath just didn't understand.
She paused, then followed Salenth out to the weyrledge. Since it was darkening, she supposed no one would notice the golden hide atop the watch-dragon's weyrledge. The clean air felt good to breathe- it wasn't stuffy like the interior of the weyr. She listened to Salenth's words, sucking up all the reassurance that her adopted children were fine. Despite the deformities and the trouble with Benden, they were all right. This normalcy was so strange to think about. Stretching out her cramped limbs, she looked over at the Red Star lazily. Soon, she would be able to fly against the Red Star's spawn herself- a true queen's wing! There was her, and Millieth, and soon, Aezanth... The Hatching was a good one, she stated firmly, proud of even the deformed ones.
"It's fine," Shmee replied shortly at S'rei's own small apology. Figuring he must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed, she just dismissed his sour mood. Well, he didn't have to bring her here if he hadn't wanted to! she thought, feeling grumpy and mildly hurt by the thought of him doing this because he felt obligated. Her trip to Benden had done nothing but weigh others down- so, in short, he must have done this out of obligation.
She blinked, surprised, when he caught her hand. She looked across at it with an unreadable expression on her fatigued features. As S'rei spoke, her eyes slowly drifted upwards, nodding in acknowledgement of the reassurance. However, she said nothing- until he asked a question.
Shmee shrugged at it. Her head throbbed, but a quick hop to the Weyr wouldn't hurt. "I can wait," she replied, her voice still slightly lower than normal from having woken up such a short time ago. She paused, then asked, "Can we get in quietly? Like, to my weyr instead of stopping at the Main Hall first? I don't want to be questioned." Her dark eyebrows contracted- she didn't want to recount what had happened to her. At least not yet.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 6, 2007 12:35:28 GMT -5
They didn't keen... Salenth mused silently, his mild distress finally breaking through to his Mine. Hey, are you all right? The bronze stirred, looking across to Aslath, whose hue was tinged with a mournful gray. I just find it hard to believe that a dragon's death is so common at Benden that a weyrling wouldn't be mourned.
S'rei's eyes flickered at Salenth's bitter reply, his face paling. What? They didn't even bat an eye when the weyrlingmaster slew one of the hatchlings. The bronzerider's stomach tightened around a wad of nausea at the thought. He shook his head in denial. That couldn't be true...could it? He didn't know what disturbed him more: that the weyrlingmaster at any weyr could be capable of such a thing, or that it was so common no one cared.
He had let Shmee's hand drop at the news. A light dusting of freckles, usually not apparent on his tanned skin, showed through his pallor. It took him a moment to realize that she had responded to his question. S'rei let his mind drop back, and, as usual, found the words lingering somewhere on the edge of his subconscious. Thanks to Kalierre's work with him, the bronzerider had become good at retrieving details he hadn't even known he'd noticed - except past that nine turn mark.
S'rei thought for a moment. Then he shrugged mildly. "You're the Weyrwoman. Unless you planned on riding with me and Salenth, we would be following your lead anyway." He had treated her as a child the night before. Now, though, she was back in command of her faculties, and it was quite obvious that he was lagging. To the bronzerider, that meant it was time to turn the reins back over to whom they belonged.
Yes, it was good. All the hatchlings Impressed. The bonds are strong. There had been a lot of worries regarding that clutch, with all the strange-looking, fragile eggs. The fact that each one had produced a dragonet that had survived the night certainly made it a success. And the queen was apparently healthy. Salenth was more reserved than Aslath, though. All the deformities did not bode well. If there were ones that could be seen, there were likely more beneath the surface. This clutch would have to be watched closely.
The bronzerider had read Shmee's blank expression as distaste. Feeling that he'd overstepped his boundaries - again - S'rei thought he'd best find a place to wake up before he tried to interact with anyone else for awhile. All this we stuff was probably just her attempt at being polite. She would not be going to her weyr if she didn't want to be alone, anyway.
His voice was cold - colder than he'd intended - as he uttered, "Salenth and I can see you safely in your weyr. Then we'll get out of your hair." S'rei only realized how harsh that sounded after he'd said it. With a mental shrug, he let it be, setting a defiant, sullen gaze on the Weyrwoman, as if daring her to call him out on it. It wasn't his fault he had no tact just after waking. And it certainly wasn't his fault that she was making her disdain so apparent.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 6, 2007 13:26:14 GMT -5
Shmee blinked in surprise as S'rei suddenly let go of her hand. Regretfully, she folded her arms, trying to regain the warm feeling in her hands that his hands had provided. Looking back up, she frowned as she saw he seemed a little pale. "You all right?" she asked hesitantly. Was he sick? She didn't know what to do with sick people... It was so sudden, though- perhaps she had done something to make him feel sick? "Look, I'm sorry if I did something!" she said in desperation. "I didn't mean to go and I won't go again- it won't bother anyone again!" The irritation that once laced her voice was now replaced by a nervous quality.
She raised an eyebrow as S'rei handed over his leading her without a fight. She had forgotten that she was Weyrwoman yet again. Nodding now, she said softly, "Yeah, I think I'll go back to my weyr, get rid of the headache, and sleep some more..." She sighed, her hand going to the back of her head, and cupped around the lump. It throbbed at her touch.
Aslath grunted in agreement as she curled up on the weyrledge, making sure her big bulk didn't kick the poor bronze off. It was almost as cramped as the interior, but Aslath was determined to not accidentally kick him off. She was so grateful to Salenth at the moment, that if she were to kick him off, she would feel absolutely terrible. Hearing Shmee's thoughts, Aslath asked him, Is Yours mad about something? Mine thinks he is...
However, the cold way that S'rei addressed Shmee only seemed to add onto her worry that the bronzerider was angry with her. Not as good at masking her emotions, she looked down, hurt. He wasn't in her hair! Positive that he wanted to just get away from her, she told him, "Fine. You don't need to wait. Aslath and I can go alone. You can get back to whatever you were doing before now. Thanks." She nodded briskly, and looked around the weyr blankly, deciding she would leave after he did- she could think things over.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 6, 2007 14:19:12 GMT -5
(Sleepy S'rei and hurting Shmee are not a good combination, heh)
He'd only vaguely noticed her reaction to him before, and it hadn't penetrated the distress, which was furhter compounded by Salenth's own. Otherwise, he might not have reacted the way he had to her. The thought of a weyrling killed by the weyrlingmaster severely rattled him. S'rei was beginning to wonder how much he had missed, how much he himself had grown calloused to, in that shard blasted weyr. It didn't help that he was half-awake and still reeling from the fragment of memory that had broken through the barrier of his amnesia.
Salenth noted how little room they had together on the ledge, and he carefully dropped off it, sweeping up into the sky where he circled lazily. His wings needed a good stretch, anyway, after having spent so much time motionless. Not that he minded touching the gold. She just seemed a bit uncomfortable.
Her question did catch him a little off-guard. As S'rei's prevailing emotions right now consisted of disbelief and anger at both himself and the ones who had let Benden get to be the way it was, he hadn't noticed his Mine's disappointment with Shmee. Salenth huffed. Yes and no. I told him about the blue weyrling...Mine feels responsible. And he seems to think he's a burden to Yours. Tell her not to mind him. He's never been very good at communicating when he's just woken up.
Before Salenth could relay anything to S'rei, however, he saw the hurt flash across her face, before she managed to hide it. The bronzerider felt somewhat helpless. He hadn't meant to say it like that, and if she'd just gotten mad, he could have handled it. This was something else. S'rei searched for the words that normally would have come easy to him. Searched and searched. They still managed to elude him.
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. His color had returned to normal, the grey eyes sober and distant. "No, we don't need to wait. We will, though." He still wasn't sure what she wanted from him. If it wasn't for him to leave - her expression had given the lie to that assumption - and it wasn't for him to comfort her - the guarded expression at his touch still lingered in his mind - then what was it? Maybe she just wanted to feel protected. Well, he could play protector. If that's what she wanted. He'd just have to accept it.
"I can't let you go alone. Not this time. Even if it is only to Selenitas." His tone was still cool, his expression carefully schooled. He'd be the dutiful bronzerider she apparently wanted. Yes, he could do that. Avoid touching her, or saying anything overly friendly. She was the Weyrwoman. He could do that..."Shards," he muttered, turning away from her and stalking out onto the weyrledge, so that she wouldn't see the play of emotions on his face. He was far too emotional today.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 6, 2007 15:09:39 GMT -5
Aslath cocked her head as Salenth launched himself into the darkening sky. You didn't need to get up, she remarked, surprised. However, she did have more room now... Taking a brief moment to stretch herself to full length, she looked up at him as he soared through the air. She was still a little sore from yesterday, alternating from flying high above the Weyr and quick lands in empty fields. She stretched, placing her golden head daintily onto her outstretched forearms. If anyone was astute enough to notice, they would see the faintest glimmer on Aslath's hide, a hint of things that would soon happen- but it would be unnoticeable by Shmee for a long time.
Why does he feel responsible? Aslath asked worriedly. Mine also feels very guilty... She doesn't feel burdened by Yours at all. She, too, feels like she is burdening Yours. She doesn't want to be alone after what just happened at Benden- it is peculiar. As she speaks with Yours, suddenly she will think of the poor weyrlingrider, and his face after he realized what had happened... Still with her mild glimmer, she faded even more into a mournful gray. She paused. She will wallow in it more if alone- she tries to think of ways she could have stopped it from happening... Lifting her head, she turned and looked back into the weyr worriedly after Hers.
Shmee scowled. "I said don't wait!" she said, her voice rising in desperation, the quality uneven with confused mixtures of emotion. Trying to turn her expression into a glare, she stared him down. "It's not as though I'll go back to Benden- so what are you so worried about?" She crossed her arms.
She awoke in a dark room, devoid completely of light. It frightened Shmee, who immediately felt for Aslath. The queen replied with a gentle warmth in Shmee's mind. Shmee managed to stand, shaking, but was met with a feeling of such sickness that her face began to sweat with the effort of restraining herself from retching in the dark room.
Closing her eyes to ease the pressure on her lids, she wandered blindly through the room, feeling the walls for any tunnel out. Slowly, she began to realize that there was none- the closest she got was bars lining what could have been an doorway, but it was shut. Realizing that she was trapped, she felt her eyes turn hot with tears. Was she going to end up like the weyrling boy? However, she heard footsteps- they were approaching the door...
Shmee blinked, startled as S'rei turned and started walking in the opposite direction. Aslath was prodding her mind, waking her up from the terrible memory of being locked away in the dark. It almost made her want to sleep with the glows uncovered at night. She watched S'rei leave for the weyrledge absently, then turned back to the cot. However, she didn't sit- she stood at it's edge, looking down at it with a distant stare.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 7, 2007 3:19:43 GMT -5
Oh, but I did, Salenth responded sagely. Any longer on that ledge, and I would have grown roots! Maybe leaves and branches, too. It is good weather for flying a bit. He winged higher, pleased in the warmth from the setting sun falling on his hide. Oh, yesss...It certainly felt good. Now, if S'rei could just clamp down on some of this emotional onslaught, he might be able to really enjoy it.
The bronzerider had decided not to reply to Shmee's outburst. He knew he was on the brink of yelling at someone. Add to that the sorrow and confusion, and it was just too much to let out when anyone could see. He was supposed to be strong. Yet, the events of the last few hours, and this young girl, had somehow managed to completely derail him. S'rei muttered darkly to himself, the words lost and probably not coherent anyway, as he paced the ledge, carefully skirting Aslath. With a sigh, he plunked down on the edge of the ledge, feet dangling, his eyes nearly vacant as he lost himself in thought.
So the two were simply miscommunicating. Not surprising, with S'rei in his current state, especially when most would assume he was operating as he always did. He responded to her initial question gently, Lady Aslath...we were leaders at Benden. Not the highest leaders, but leaders. Of course he feels responsible for anything that happens there. We can only think of what we might have done different. Could we have been more bold with our opposition? Second-guessing never helps, but it's hard not to. Especially when we were responsible for some of the goings-on.
S'rei had grown even more withdrawn as time passed. He didn't even notice the moisture that the wind whipped away from his face. Had he known he was crying, he might have been mortified, but the bronzerider wasn't even aware of the track in which his thoughts had taken. It was as if his consciousness had been completely silenced.
Worried, Salenth spoke. ReiMine. Come back. You're scaring me. There was no response. Not even the flicker of acknowledgment from S'rei's mind. Thus Salenth did something a bit...desperate. He swept by where his Mine perched, the wind knocking the man off-balance, off the weyrledge, and into open space. Suddenly the man's consicious mind screamed back into existance. Salenth! By the egg, I'll - And the bronze caught his rider in his foreclaws, depositing the man gently back on the ledge. S'rei scrambled to his feet, glaring at the dragon. Shardit, Salenth. What in the Red Star did you think you were doing?
I was waking you up. You can thank me now. Salenth didn't even think of apologizing. S'rei glared at him for a few moments longer, before rubbing at his eyes. Well, regardless of the method, he'd certainly been shocked into wakefulness. The sluggishness of his thoughts had nearly completely dissipated. You should go see the Weyrwoman. She doesn't want to be alone.
S'rei smiled a wry smile. Why can't women just ever say what it is they want? He stood, brushing himself off with an admirable calm considering he'd just been knocked off the weyrledge by a great bronze beast. When the man reentered the weyr, he paused to watch, silhouetted by the setting sun, the expression of his face lost in shadow. This woman was getting to be something of a mystery to him. What did she want?
Sometimes a rider needs a wake-up call, Salenth confided in Aslath matter-of-factly. In truth, he was more shaken than he let on. For a moment there, it had been like it had been after S'rei had been stabbed, the connection between the two weak and limited only to emotions. He could not bear that happening again. To be almost completely cut-off...only his rider's death would be worse.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 7, 2007 10:47:24 GMT -5
You would make a nice tree, Aslath retorted playfully. We could plant you in the jungle and everyone would love to come admire the bronze-dragon tree. However, Salenth had a point. The weather for flying was wonderful. It almost made her want to do the same, but she needed to stay on the weyrledge so she could keep an eye on Shmee, whose mind was clouding over with a dense fog of painful memories of her short stay at Benden.
Aslath grunted, looking at S'rei as he sat down, cautiously and away from her. If you were not there, I don't understand why it is something you are both guilty for, she stated firmly, her dragon mind just not understanding how he could be guilty for it. In her eyes, the only one guilty for the death of the weyrling was the one who killed him, and no one else.
Shmee, though, was also of S'rei's mindset. She could've run up and stopped that Weyrlingmaster- she wasn't terribly far away from them. Close enough to see the look on the boy's face as it hit him that his heart and soul had been ripped away from him before his very eyes. Feeling her headache more than ever, she massaged her temples, fighting back tears and phantoms of her own. She could've stopped that Weyrlingmaster. She could've then jumped back onto Aslath and come back to the Weyr. She didn't have to have caused so much trouble.
Aslath didn't see what was coming with Salenth suddenly knocked S'rei off the weyrledge. She leapt up, ready to leap after the bronzer when Salenth caught the man in his claws. Eyes whirling in fear, Aslath looked around anxiously. Salenth! Don't do that again! she ordered, out of sheer fright. Shmee had jumped off a ledge into the Weyrbowl at Benden, and Aslath was the one who had to catch her...
Shmee backed up slowly at the sound of footsteps. Was it them? Was C'leon going to attack her? Remembering her death sentence, she was overcome with even more fear. She had not a clue what time it was, or even the day. She could've been unconscious for a sevenday, for all she knew. However, the footsteps that approached her seemed to her that it was, in fact, midnight.
The barred door opened, and Shmee was temporarily blinded against the sudden light of glows. "Goldrider Shmee of Selenitas," she heard C'leon's voice say, "You have been sentenced to death for conspiracy against Benden and for forcing our Weyrlingmaster P'liyor to kill blue Lomath of now-dragonless Haleck."
"May we also add that we received word from P'liyor that you were going to force him to kill our noble Weyrleader C'leon as well," another voice said. Shmee was shaking now- the injustice and lies of this made her feel ashamed, even though she knew she had never done any of those things. How dare they accuse her of killing a little dragon?
"All- All lies!" she stammered, looking around wildly. The barred door was still open. Sensing what to do, she added, "Although anyone who does kill you, C'leon, would be no enemy to me."
C'leon scowled. "I will do the honors," he went on, and Shmee desperately called to Aslath, who immediately descended from her hiding spot in the clouds to get ready to pick up Shmee. C'leon conjured a clean, sharpened blade- it must have been a new one, for executions seemed quite ritual about this place. Sweat formed on Shmee's brow as C'leon raised his hand to snap is fingers, intending to back her against the wall again.
Just as the snap sounded, Shmee bolted, her sudden movement surprising the Weyrleader. Pushing her way through, she sprinted out the barred cell door, not looking back. Angry shouts and loud footsteps echoed behind her, but Shmee wouldn't dare stop.
It didn't take long to reach the end of the cell corridor- there seemed to only be on to a corridor, but they were stretched about like weyrs high into the mountains, accessible only by dragon. Catch me, Aslath! Shmee pleaded, then jumped.
She fell through the space, frightened she wouldn't be caught, or that Aslath wouldn't snatch her up in time. Closing her eyes, she prepared to have herself splattered on the ground...
However, Aslath seized Shmee by her claws. Raising herself up, she immediately flitted between, to a nearby hold. The stretch of nothingness seemed like forever to the dangling Shmee, who was still shaking- however, she felt she wouldn't care if she did fall into the cold blankness.
Fortunately, they soon emerged over the sleeping hold, giving Shmee enough time to pull herself onto Aslath's back shakily. Giving the coordinates to Selenitas this time, they vanished without waking any sleeping soul up.
Aslath blinked slowly, casting a glance inward to Shmee. Her rider must have had one hell of a wake-up call, then. Shmee didn't seem to have noticed S'rei's little tumble, and still had an unreadable expression on her face, though Aslath knew what she was thinking of.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Shmee turned around, staring down at S'rei through his shadows. "I said that you don't have to wait," she snapped, irritated and confused. It was true that she didn't want to be alone, but she also didn't like being caught so... vulnerable. Normally, she could be so steady in her emotions, but now, it was a strange feeling, making her want to either lash out at S'rei or just start sobbing- neither of which she wanted to be seen doing. She needed time to get herself under control- she needed to be normal Shmee again, not this strange monster that she had become.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 7, 2007 11:40:16 GMT -5
Salenth felt mildly ashamed to have shaken Aslath so, his mind reaching out to her comfortingly, acknowledging the order. There were probably better ways to bring his back. Probably. But the fear had been too great. It was a fear both he and S'rei shared, that, whatever had gone on with the man's mind turns before might reemerge without warning. It's all right, Salenth. Calm down. Besides, it's kind of fun, falling. It's the hitting the ground part that I'd like to avoid. Salenth snorted at his Mine's levity.
S'rei stood in shadow, watching the play of emotions on Shmee's face, his arms folded as he leaned against the wall near the entrance to the weyr. Something in the lighting jolted something within him. The man blinked, a flurry of images coming to him. Then they settled into something more comprehensible.
She was beaming at him, proudly, a small woman with flashing blue eyes who wore the dress as if she hadn't worn one in turns. Pretty. Petite. Safe. The woman was on the arm of a swarthy man, his red hair peppered with gray, dark eyes warm and intelligent and so very serious. He hadn't seen either of them in nearly a turn. Lauranna was there. Young. Maybe twenty turns, green eyes flashing in annoyance at something one of the two men at her side had said. They were teasing her. She tossed her head, shooting something back at them.
The three eventually noticed him, quieting. Then he was caught in a tight hug by Lauranna, his older sister already shorter than him, though that didn't seem to affect the strength of her embrace. The two others - his brothers? - held off a short distance. One, too, was blonde, tall and built. His eyes were the same hue as his mother's, and beside him the quiet, dark-haired, dark-eyed brother who had not Impressed. They did not share in the others' joy.
"How is Benden treating you both?" D'vo queried of his youngest children. He shrugged. Laurie answered for them both. "Don't let him fool you, Father. S'las and Salenth are being considered as wingseconds. And Reysalth is already the envy of the greens," the young woman stated proudly. "Is that so?" D'vo regarded them solemnly, his gaze lingering on his youngest for a long moment. He smiled a smile of approval.
The harpers struck up another tune. Vani tugged at D'vo's sleeve, smiling a radiant smile. The petite brownrider was gorgeous in that ageless way that some people had. "You'd best claim that dance now if you want it." R'one smiled at Laurie. "Why don't you come, too? Maybe we can find M'el. He came, right?"
He found himself alone with Marcus. Glancing at his brother, he felt uncomfortable, if only because he knew how disappointed the man was. The only one of the family not to become a dragonrider. And Marcus had always been somewhat withdrawn. The man flashed him a grin, though. "So. Benden is putting kids in leadership roles now?" He shrugged again, not wanting to enter into an argument. Marcus just laughed, mussing S'las's hair in an affectionate gesture. "Well, someone sure made Dad proud."
Somehow, the bitterness managed to come through in that statement. S'las regarded Marcus warily. He noticed R'one returning from the floor, having apparently found M'el for Laurie. The pain erupted inside him in that moment of distraction, S'las sagging against Marcus, who held him close even as he twisted the blade. Darkness clawed at him. Salenth roared. And screams began to sound as R'one closed the distance at a run, reaching the two just as a ring of men seemed to come out of nowhere.
No one could see the brief tussle of the brothers, the moment when Marcus fell, clutching at his throat after turning on R'one backfired. No one but the men who cut down the bluerider and the boy who'd collapsed in his own blood. He passed out.
S'rei let out a sharp exhale, glad to find the wall at his back. It was his nightmare again. Only this time longer, and far more vivid. ReiMine? He took another moment. I'm fine, Salenth. Fine. The bronze let it go, though worry still filtered over their link.
The bronzerider could not control the jerk at Shmee's raised voice, breaking through the past that was - though he dearly wished it wasn't - finally revealing itself. When he gazed upon her this time he gazed upon her with all his powers of observation suddenly brought to bear. Having a sister with a volatile temper helped in that regard. Ignoring her near-shout, which sounded nothing but desperate, S'rei crossed the room slowly. He came to stand before her. His hand raised, then paused, lingering beneath her chin without touching it. "Is that really what you desire, Shmee?"
It wasn't really a question he expected her to answer. His arms swept around her without waiting for a reply, drawing her into his chest as he'd done so many times before with Lauranna when she was upset. "There's nothing you could have done. You shouldn't have gone there at all, but you can't change what's going on at Benden." He said the words as much for himself as for her. What could one bronzepair do? Or one goldpair? Nothing, really. Nothing. It was a bitter truth.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 7, 2007 12:16:28 GMT -5
Aslath shifted uncomfortably. Perhaps she had spoken to strongly. It is all right, she replied hesitantly. I apologize. I just do not like to think about trying to do that again. So many things could have gone wrong- she might not have been able to catch Shmee, she might have accidentally lost her between... But at least Salenth wasn't accusing her of being a dictator in her fear. That was a relief.
Shmee blinked, frowning as he was silent for a moment. "Well? Leaving now?" she asked harshly, knowing she'd probably regret using that tone later. But for now, it was the only thing that she could think of to rid him with. It would all be so much easier if he just left...
To the contrary, S'rei took a step forward, and her eyes narrowed. She didn't understand his question, she though, her eyes still suspicious of his actions. Somehow still thinking he was mad at her, she decided he was probably going to harm her some way- though she didn't understand why. He was loyal to Selenitas, was he not? He wouldn't attack her...
Her eyes widened as instead of hurting her, S'rei wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. At his words, she felt hot tears pool over her blue eyes. "But I could have saved him!" she replied, now sobbing. "A blue weyrling... he couldn't have been older than a sevenday! He was scared, so they killed the dragon!" It didn't occur to her that he would know what she was talking about- but putting the experience to words made it seem real- the harsh reality of Benden's cruelty was now brought to life. She now clung to S'rei, her mind full of 'what if?'s and 'I could have..'s, shuddering with every breath.
Aslath crooned, bringing her mind to hers in a warm, comforting connection. It is all right, Mine, the queen told her rider reassuringly. However, Shmee continued to shake, feeling the need to explain about the blueweyrling. "He didn't want to be a dragonrider anymore- I think he was finally understanding how awful Benden was, so he tried to run away," she told S'rei in her broken voice. "But they caught him, and he told them he didn't want to be a dragonrider anymore. So they made that wish come true!"
Unable to continue, she held onto S'rei, her shudders and sobs beyond her control. It was terrifying to her on how weak she was now- just the day before, she had been joking around with people, flirting with riders. But now, she felt like that happy day was Turns and Turns ago.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 7, 2007 14:58:30 GMT -5
Salenth had taken to hovering before the weyrledge, curious enough about his and Aslath's to want to see a little bit of what was going on inside. There's no need to apologize, my queen. I know it's not exactly normal to throw your mine off a cliff. That was something of an understatement, wasn't it? But there was definitely something more to Aslath's distress. Something beyond the fact that he'd endangered his rider's life, no matter how certain he was of catching S'rei. He was not the sort to press another for information if they didn't want to give it, however.
He'd pressed on, despite the fear that had been in her gaze, and now he couldn't regret it as she clung to him, weeping. The furs, dislodged in his fall, had slipped to just one shoulder, held in place more by Shmee's hold on him than anything else. His eyes darkened at her description, his skin paling a bit, as before, though this time it was with an anger that left him trembling, even as he held the Weyrwoman. It was unlikely that she'd notice past her own sobs, though. So that's the full story. I have half a mind... It would be just as dangerous for you as it was for Shmee. Maybe more so. C'leon tends to see bronzes as the bigger threat. You don't have to lecture me, S'rei retorted, though his shortness was out of frustration at his helplessness. He wanted to be able to do more than simply comfort Shmee. He wanted to make it go away, the hurt and the cause of that hurt.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, her tears wetting the tunic. Despite his anger, his determination to console her, with each sob he felt her move against him, and it was all he could do to keep the embrace platonic. S'rei mostly maintained his celibacy by avoiding tempting situations. He was every bit as virile as the next man, and it had been a long, long time...Forcing his mind from that train of thought, he spoke to her quietly, and felt the hunger dissipating as his focus shifted.
"Hush, Shmee," he murmured. "Hush." Giving the younger woman a final squeeze, he stepped back, his hands still grasping her arms as he met her eyes directly. "How could you have known what they would do with the blue hatchling? It's unthinkable. You can't stop something you can't predict." He tucked some of the hair back behind her ear, palm resting lightly against her cheek. "It's sad. But it's not your fault." When she didn't respond immediately, he added, more firmly, "Right?"
Salenth had sensed his Mine's rising desire, something that tended to happen when S'rei got angry, for some reason, and was relieved when it faded just as quickly. He didn't need Aslath mad at the two of them if his rider got crazy notions in his head. The gold probably wouldn't care if Shmee didn't, but, as far as he understood humans, this would be a bad time.
The bronze watched the sun finally dip below the horizon. He didn't like the idea of flying into Selenitas in the dark, even though he was fairly sure there would be no problems. Aslath had been raised there, and he'd been there long enough not to run into a forgotten weyr. Still...Do you think Selenitas will hold for one more night? He wasn't sure he wanted to risk it, with everyone so worn out emotionally. They might make slight miscalculations they normally wouldn't have.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 7, 2007 16:07:43 GMT -5
Aslath snorted. Not normal indeed! Trying to be amused with his statement, she replied, Well, you never know. Perhaps some dragons and riders enjoy doing that... There was only a shadow of a joke behind her words, but it was the thought that counted. With all the heavy emotion in the air, she felt obliged to lighten the mood a little, even if her heart wasn't completely into it.
Shmee didn't really notice much of S'rei's own trembling- she dismissed it as his breathing. Relieved that he wasn't pushing her away, she buried her now-blotchy face into the furs that were beginning to slide off of him, letting herself fall into the comfort he offered. The fixed image of the unfortunate weyrling pair was now more raw than ever in her mind since she described it. It made the sobs rack through her body with such intensity that Shmee distantly thought she'd never shaken so hard in her life.
As her shudders and sobbing gradually subsided, she fell limply in his hold. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting them recover even as a few straggling tears trickled down. Dimly, she felt the comforting warmth of S'rei's body leave hers, and she opened her eyes blearily. She hadn't the will to disconnect his gaze from hers, her own expression blank as he spoke. Her trance broke at his touch, and she blinked, suddenly back with the living. "But... If I had moved faster..." she protested weakly, one last tear finding its way out, dropping onto S'rei's hand that still rested on her blotchy-red cheek. She felt disgusting, she thought vaguely. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were a mess, now her face was, as well.
"C'leon also said it was my fault," she added softly. "But not for the reason I thought. He had the nerve to say that I forced the Weyrlingmaster to do kill the dragon! Then he said I was trying to kill C'leon himself..." She shook her head, her voice as hollow and hoarse as it had been the prior night. "So they locked me up and used it as means to try executing me..." Coughing, she closed her eyes once more. She felt so useless- if she had gotten caught by Benden, what kind of Weyrwoman was she? A stupid one? Yes- a stupid stupid one.
No, you are not. I would not have chosen someone stupid for a rider, Aslath said firmly. Turning back up to Salenth, she told him, I think Selenitas will last another night. We don't want Shmee telling all the weyrlings that they have a stupid Weyrwoman. Exasperation was evident in her tone, but she was upset that Hers was thinking such things about herself.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 7, 2007 17:42:12 GMT -5
He shook his head silently at her protest. If she had moved faster...what? She might have prevented it this time. They obviously didn't care what she thought or did, though, and may well have just forced her to watch out of spite. There was no doubt in S'rei's mind that the interferance of Selenitas's Weyrwoman would simply have ensured that weyrling's death.
I suppose that's possible. Salenth didn't really think so, but the humor in Aslath's tone had evaded him, and he didn't want to offend her overly much. Maybe she'd seen something he hadn't? As far as he knew, however, dragons didn't typically approve of anything that might get their riders killed. It probably had something to do with their own self-interest, Salenth added silently to himself, the thought exceedingly dry.
The bronzerider felt the tic start in his jaw at Shmee's words, his eyes narrowing, hands quickly pulling back before he could hurt her from the pressure of his grip. Who did they think they were?! Imprisoning, or even slapping Shmee around a little, was one thing, but condemning her to death? She was the leader of another weyr! It wasn't as if they'd conquered Selenitas, capturing her with the intention of making an example of her. This was the height of hubris. No, it was unacceptable.
We can't. The hell we can't. C'leon wants to point the finger at someone for intending to murder him? Let it be the truth. I'll tear the man apart! We'll see just how big and mighty he thinks he is when he has a man to deal with. Pushing around women. The brute. Mine. Even if you did manage to kill him, it would just bring trouble to Selenitas. There are many who will step up to take his place. And don't forget that she is the Weyrwoman. I have to do something. Then make sure she never ends up in that situation again. The time will come for Benden's fall. And we will certainly be part of it.
Salenth's words calmed S'rei a little. He looked to Shmee, to her rumpled, dirty clothing, her tangled hair, the tear-stained, reddened face. And he thought to himself that this was a beauty so far beyond that which he'd witnessed at the Touching. It was real. She had let him in, if only because she was too upset to maintain the front, and he...No, too soon for that. He cut the thought off before it fully emerged.
Then we will stay. Salenth made a wide turn in the air, feeling refreshed after the long day of vigilance, then winged back for the weyrledge. He was careful in his landing, the great wings extended over Aslath, though he had not landed on her. That wouldn't have been very graceful of him. Salenth folded the wings onto his back. No, yours isn't stupid. Rash, maybe. But so is mine. He wanted to go throttle C'leon just now. Salenth relayed the message to his that they would stay another night.
Stepping forward, S'rei wrapped the furs she'd given him loosely around Shmee, taking her gently by the shoulder and leading her to the private baths the Lordholder had put in place for the riders of the watchdragons. "Clean up. Selenitas will wait until tomorrow, and you'll feel better after a bath and some rest." He withdrew immediately, not wishing to hear any protests she might give.
S'rei arranged for food and a clean set of clothing to be brought up for Shmee, settling into the chair she'd spent the day in, his gaze turned soberly toward the darkening sky. Things were getting worse for the weyrs of Pern.
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Post by Administrator on Oct 7, 2007 20:26:10 GMT -5
Aslath grunted. Salenth was right about how rash Theirs were- they acted completely on emotion. Absently making room for the bronze on the weyrledge, she rested her head on her forelimbs, looking forward to more sleep, but would wait until Shmee was asleep to do so. If Shmee was trouble again, Aslath would be there to comfort her rider. Good. I think Shmee would benefit from another night, she replied after a moment.
Shmee nodded obediently as he wrapped the furs around her. Only clutching them loosely, she allowed herself to be lead along. Though she and Aslath were aching to see their weyrlings, Shmee had run out of protests. Reluctantly leaving S'rei, she wandered down to the bathing pool in a half-dead stagger.
For a moment upon arrival, she stopped, looking at her reflection in the simple mirror they had set. She was right- she did look terrible. It was no wonder S'rei had wanted her to freshen up a bit. She also frowned at her face- the bruise was an almost perfect, purple-blue handprint on her cheek, covered by dried tear tracks. Wrenching her eyes away from her reflection, she seized the sweetsand, seeing also a comb and a knife that she supposed was used for shaving.
Her bath was a slow one- she nearly scrubbed herself raw in an attempt to feel cleaner even when her skin was free of sweat and dirt. Deciding she was finished, she climbed out, seizing one of the towels with more force than she probably would have needed to use- it swished through the air like a fast whip. Grabbing the comb with just as much vigor, she looked back into the mirror.
At least she was cleaner-looking, she thought bitterly. The bruise still glared out at her, and her head still ached a little. Running the comb through her long black hair, she scowled. There were so many knots in it- it hadn't been brushed since before the Hatching, and her hair tangled so easily. Sick of dealing with it, she strode over to the shaving knife, her mind going along with this spontaneous decision.
Holding a fistful of hair, she sawed through it at a point just below her ears. Repeating the process around her head, she was hit with regret the moment she realized it would be uneven and messy. Frowning at her new reflection, Shmee threw the knife onto the floor next to the clumps of the hair she was once proud of. No longer was she happy with it- it was just weighing her down. But now her head was lighter, even though it didn't really assist her headache as much as she had hoped.
Wiping her shoulders free of any stray pieces, she stormed over to where a drudge had left her new clothes outside the bathing room. Grateful that she didn't have to put on her dirty ones all over again, she shrugged into the soft fabric. The tunic was white and over-sized, making Shmee feel so small in it. The darker breeches, though, fit her perfectly, and were soft enough to sleep in. It made sense- it was getting dark, and whoever had sent her these things probably thought she would be getting sleepy soon. They weren't wrong- despite having woken up a short time ago, Shmee was eager to get back to sleep again.
Still feeling only half-alive, she grabbed the furs she came in with and walked back up to the main room of the weyr with them slung over her arm. She said nothing as she looked around- maybe S'rei wouldn't notice her new hairstyle, she thought distantly. She would prefer it if he didn't, actually- she had done such a poor job on it. Then again, it would be hard to overlook her with so much hair chopped off, especially since it had been so long before. Silently, she sat on the cot, doing everything she could to not look S'rei in the eyes.
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