I dare you to tell me ~ (Desert Weyrlings)

[Rei]

Er’ani was perched on a table in the middle of the common room. Eyes fixed on the arrow in his hands as he turned it over and over again fingers running along the shaft. His concentration wasn’t on the object in his hands though. It was on other areas. M’ta and Behruth mostly. The time was rapidly approaching when they would be making first flights. When they were supposed to be changing hands. Going to that Wastelander. So that he might teach them. A brief visit with his current teacher had decided it for him.

Er’ani wasn’t willing to switch teachers. At all. Behruth was struggling with losing his class. With wanting a purpose. Something to keep him from…giving up. And the brown could fly. Not well enough to fight thread or be on a fighting wing. But Behruth could fly. Certainly more than well enough to teach them. He could between, and Er’ani was confident the brownpair could still teach them all they needed to know. There was no reason to trade teachers. Lketh agreed. So Er’ani wanted to call this meeting to see where his classmates stood. To see if they would go with him as a group to ask Kaegan to let them keep their current Weyrlingmaster throughout their entire training. To let M’ta see them through to graduation

Er’ani was pretty sure that the others all liked M’ta and Behruth. Were as attached to him as he himself was. Especially Caden. All he needed was to get them behind him. Shouldn’t be that hard…hopefully. Especially if Caden was willing to go with his plan. Well here went nothing. Alright Lketh. Call them please buddy. Attention my siblings. If you could have yours all go to the common room to meet with Ermine he would appreciate it very much. He has something important to discuss with you all. The small pale dragon ruffled his wings then and waited to see if they would accept Er’ani’s summons.

The blueweyrling waited, not moving from his seat on the table until he was sure that those that were going to show up were there. Then Er’ani moved his gaze from the arrow and looked at each of them before giving a half smile. “Probably wondering what this is all about.” Running a hand through his dark hair he slid back to the ground and straighten up. “I could pussyfoot around but there is no point. I want to ask you guys something. How many of you are comfortable with leaving M’ta and Behruth and being taught by that Wastelander? With being taught by one of those who took our classmates lives and attempted to take Lketh’s? If there was another choice, another way, other than C’zan, would you guys be willing to try it?”

Best to test the waters first and make his argument from there. If they were unreceptive he would just have to be more persuasive. But a big part of Er'ani was sure that after the horrors wrought at their dragon's births they would be receptive. They were a close class after all. There was no denying that. Tragedy did that to you.

[archenstone]

M'ze had been in his Weyr, whittling on some wood. The shape he was working on had slowly turned into a mini Tenloceth as he found time to work on it. He was carving out and eye ridge as Tenloceth interrupted him. Mine, Lketh's wants to see you and the others in the common room. M'ze looked up, glancing over at the lounging brown. "Thanks, I'll go see what he wants." He stood up, taking the time to rub an itch on Tenloceth's hide before walking out to the common room. "Hey Er'ani" He said in greeting as he leaned back against a table. As others drifted in M'ze turned his attention to what Er'ani was saying.

He stood there quiet for a moment and as he thought a grin crept into his face. "I'd do it." He said confidently. He had grown to respect M'ta, and was not looking forward to a new instructor.

[Kisha-Ra]

Epifayrmuth stretched out on his couch and looked over at where his bonded was working on some creation of wires and stone that the bronze didn’t realy understand. Mo’rya. Lketh’s desires to discuss something with you and our classmates. Lketh says it is important.

A matter of perception it is. Lketh’s important to Lketh. From his position sprawled on the desk near Mo’rya, Wit put in his comment as salamandyrs were often wont to do. Epifayrmuth chose to ignore him. I will go with. See importance for self. The young salamandyr announced with a decisive flick of his half frill, standing and stretching, then waiting to be picked up. A lift. Most tired indeed.

‘What you are, Wit, is cheeky.’ Mo’rya fixed the rather plump little beast with a firm look. ‘You can come if you stay quiet, but one word out of you while Er’ani’s speaking and I’ll ask Ghost to bring you right back here.’ The weyrling scooped up his latest pet and placed the blue on his shoulder, once that was done he walked out the door, followed by one gold firelizard, Ghost had been oddly clingy for the last few days but Mo’rya just put it down to the fact that he was trailing a baby salamandyr around everywhere now, Ghost would get over it once Wit grew up a bit. Odd though, she hadn’t acted like this over Evil.

Mo’rya found space to lean against the wall and Ghost found herself an out of the way perch while other weyrlings drifted in. As Er’ani got started Mo’rya nodded briefly, he was wondering what this was about. He wasn’t left to wonder for long, he listened and Epifayrmuth listened though him. I do not wish to be taught by another. Behruth is a good teacher. The bronze made his opinion clear with with a welter of unusually confused emotion behind it. Even without the encouragement from his mindmate Mo’rya’s face had set into a determined expression. ‘If there was another way, I’d take it.’ The bronzeweyrling sounded unually desisive and focused, and failed to even make his habitually nervous gesture of tugging on his hair. ‘I don’t know who we can appeal to though.’ He added, with the meaning I don’t know who we can appeal to who isn’t a wastelander clearly behind his words.

[Ruby]

Caden was thinking. It wasn't a surprise that Er'ani hadn't spotted her in the common room already - she'd picked the very darkest corner for her pensive moment, and had a cloak on with hood pulled up to boot. Yes, it was the middle of summer in the South; no, Caden was not the most observant person on the planet. It might be sweltering, but she didn't want to be disturbed, and she also didn't want to look at the white spots on Nitrath's hide, so she'd had to flee her room. Even thinking about them broke her concentration, sending her mind into a panicked tailspin. She'd first noticed the lightening a few months ago, but she had figured it was just a dapply pattern she hadn't noticed, or one developing as Nitrath aged. They'd kept getting lighter, though, and now there was one spot on the Gold's back left foot - growing bigger every day - that was practically the color of Lketh. What that meant was anyone's guess, but what it meant to Caden was abject terror.

She couldn't lose Nitrath; this time, she knew she wouldn't survive.

Nitrath's voice came as a surprise, following so closely on the thought of her name. The Gold had been busy with a nap followed by playtime with Blossom and Sel, not listening in on her rider's thoughts once Caden expressed a desire to be 'alone', so her cheery mindvoice was at odds with her Rider's dark mood. Girl? Lketh calls, he would like you to meet with His. Are you not near His already?[/i] With a mental noise that was the equivalent of an affirmative grunt, Caden rose, unclasping the cloak and leaving it pooled on the chair behind her as she moved to join the assembling Weyrlings. It was hot, after all.

She kept silent while Er'ani outlined his plan, shifting her weight slightly as M'ze and Mo'rya both approved. For a second, it looked like she would shoot them all down - Caden in a dark mood was fairly terrifying, after all - but instead, she kept her voice low and added, "Don't know if it's an option to have another, if there's one available, but Kaegan. Was her babies they killed, too." Caden hadn't seen the older Goldrider much since Impression - a lesson here or there, the gather, but that would be ramping up in the next few months, and the Goldweyrling hadn't forgotten their moment at the hatching. Caden didn't trust easily or quickly, but Kaegan? Kaegan she trusted.

[Zephyr]

The brunette girl had been napping, laying fully clothed on her bed, over the furs. Her mint green mindmate was resting on her couch, tail curled elegantly around her body. Whatever Katearath did, she tried to do it with the upmost poise and grace. One couldn't very well be a princess if they were sloppy and unkempt, now could they? Something disturbed the green and her head lifted, the skin around her eyes shimmering slightly as a shaft of light hit them. Tilting her head to the side, she looked towards the form of her sleeping rider and the dragon's thoughts juxtaposed into the sleeping world of the girl. Leilani?

By now used to the intrusion of the dragon's voice into her daily routine, the girl stirred almost instantly, uttering a low groan and rolling over onto her side. Chocolate colored eyes found the elegant from of her bonded, but she didn't rise, only blinked dumbly into the dimly lit room. Katearath snorted in an amused way and ruffled her wings slightly. Lketh's wishes to see you and the other weyrlings, love. Should I tell him that you are otherwise indisposed? The amusement in the green's voice irritated the groggy weyrling. Kate knew full well that Leilani wouldn't want anyone to know she had been lazing the day away. Grumbling lightly, she flung her legs over the bed and stood up, stretching the entire time.

What does he want?

Katearath mentally shrugged and licked a paw idly. She didn't say anymore after that and Lani knew that that was her cue to leave. She wasn't getting any more out of her dragon and turned to leave after she ran a brush through her long, straight hair.

The sounds of those gathered came to her long before she reached the common room, and she found an unobtrusive spot where she could stand and listen. Er'ani's words upset her slightly. Before Kate's hatching, she would have decided not to get into the middle of such a plan, content with letting the wastelanders run the weyr as they would. Now though, things were different. Completely and totally different. Lani's eyes had been opened, you see. They had been open to the wastelander's murderous and treacherous ways.

So, while she agreed with Er'ani, as did Katearath with a simple: I like Behruth and His., she didn't quite know what to say. So she stood silently, listening to the comments of her fellow weyrlings. At last, after Caden finished speaking, Leilani felt free to say her piece and nodded a bit. " Kaegan is bound to see reason, but..." She scanned those gathered and added onto the end of her trailing sentence. "What can she do against the wastelanders that she hasn't already tried." She was all for keeping M'ta as a teacher, in fact, the idea of being taught by a wastelander disgusted her...but she felt the need to be a realist. Keagan hadn't been able to stop the invasion. She hadn't been able to stop the murders of the hatchlings, then what could she do against the will of the collective few who had orchestrated those things?

What could they do?

[Rei]

As one after another his classmates stepped forward to give their opinions Er’ani felt this large weight lifting from his chest. He was right then. In this they were united. It only served to buoy the lad further. The two females of the class seemed to have some reservations. Like most females. But with his two male classmates he knew he had a solid backing. It would be enough. It had to be. The blueweyrling looked from one classmate to another meeting their gazes to silently thank them before he spoke up again. “Well first I wanted to see where you guys stood on the matter. I’m happy that we’re all agreed on this.” He trailed off then wondering how much he could say and if he should say it. Argh. Well they deserved to know didn’t they? Deserved to know just what it was they were fighting for. What they had to convince Kaegan of.

With a nod to Caden and Leilani he decided to start with their concerns. “You’re right Caden and that’s what I thought we could do. This isn’t really a matter for the Weyrleader to decide. It’s more domestic. So that falls under Kaegan’s jurisdiction. I figure if we can appeal to her with enough sincerity she might allow us our wish. Which is to keep M’ta and Behruth as our teachers.” Swallowing to clear his throat he perched on the edge of the table again and caught each of their gazes. “You guys have to understand something. It gave me some conviction about this and I hope it does the same for you. We aren’t just fighting for our dragons and ourselves here. We aren’t just fighting Wasteland teaching. We are fighting for something else too. Perhaps the most important thing.” His dark eyes again took a turn finding each of his classmates.

“We’re fighting for M’ta and more importantly for Behruth. You remember the last lesson? How sad Behruth seemed? Well the poor dragon has been through a hell of a lot. And losing this class.” Er’ani gestured to everyone in the room. “Losing us and our dragons is slowly helping to leech out his will to continue. With us he has a purpose, something to strive for. Without us he feels like he has no use. Behruth can’t fight thread anymore, he can’t fight on a wing because of his wings. He can’t perform really strenuous maneuvers."

"But he can fly and he can fly more then well enough to teach us what we need to know to graduate. His wings are like they are because he was trying to protect us at that hatching. Because he wanted to stop the pain. So he took that from us.” The teen shook his head. “We are Behruth’s purpose. He loves us and I think we owe it to him to fight for him. I’m not saying this will be easy. But you guys have to stick with it. We have to stick together and we have to be convincing. The dragons might even be willing to help? Lketh says he will bespeak Millieth on Behruth’s behalf for example.”

Er’ani gave a light smile to his class. “So final thoughts, ideas, questions? I figure we can get an audience with Kaegan at any point if we half try. She’s not all that busy lately.” Then he looked over at Caden and smiled. Although in reality it had been Er’ani’s idea and the teen’s own rebellious feeling that fed this he was glad for the clear support from all of them. Maybe a gold rider as a supportive figure would carry more weight too. “But if things start getting dicey I’ll make it clear that this was all my idea not yours.” No reason for them all to take the fall for him if things headed south.

[Ruby]

Caden's arms crossed as she listened; she'd always been better at listening than at speaking, something that was about to come to bear once again. When the blueweyrling was done, she barreled in again, talking over anyone else if they had anything to say. "You saying we're afraid?" she challenged, chin thrust out stubbornly at the slightly younger, slightly shorter weyrling. "Things start getting dicey, it's way easier to kill one blue than a whole weyrling class. 's like a wing; stick a knife in the back of a lone bronzer, he's done, and whatever he was doing is too. If he's got a wingsecond, nine wingriders at his back, you think twice about sticking a knife there." She frowned; that analogy seemed to have gone wrong somewhere. Ah well. "We're like a wing," she finished, "Gotta stick together. If anyone's not in, they gotta stay out starting now," she said, fixing each of the other Weyrlings - not Er'ani, clearly she knew where he stood - with a dangerous look. They could back out now... but it might be painful.

What Kaegan could do Caden wasn't sure, she wasn't 100% clear on a Weyrwoman's duties yet, but what Er'ani said made sense. Maybe if Ja'kin wanted to butt in, they could try to sneak it past him attached to something else, or maybe he wouldn't care either way. If all else failed, there was always the other Weyrlingmaster; Caden wasn't an especially devious person, but what happened to Behruth could easily happen to the other Weyrlingmaster's dragon, too. Maybe if they proved how much he had taught them already? Well, Caden figured she could leave strategy to someone else.

Suddenly, Nitrath's voice was in her mind again; the Gold had been eavesdropping this, time, and from her amusement it seemed she wasn't the only one. Our mother would be glad to see us, I am sure. It has been a long time since we have all spent time with her at once, is that not true? She may enjoy seeing our progress. And perhaps she will know about my spo- Caden cut her dragon off there, speaking aloud again. "Nitrath says maybe Millieth would want to visit a lesson, to see us all? Might be a good time to bring this up."

[archenstone]

M'ze didn't bother to look at the others as he heard them give support. It was good they all agreed on something. The energy they all had caused a tiny ache in his heart....an ache he wasn't quite sure was. As much as he tended to go rogue against most things, one of the things he'd always wanted was a place where he belonged....some one who understood him. In a way their group was the closest entity to that he had ever felt. It only acted to make him feel more sure about what they where planning to do.

"Caden is right." He said, offering a grin to Er'ani as he paused, "We should be together in this regardless. We are the future dragonriders. If we are unable to stand together through something as simple as an instructor request, then how will we ever function as a wing? Both M'ta and Behruth deserve our support.

[Kisha-Ra]

For once it seemed everyone was in accord, probably for different reasons though. Mo’rya’s face fell into a slightly worried expression at Caden’s mention of the Weyrwoman though. It was a sad thing to think but Mo’rya wasn’t sure how far they could trust Kaegan, the wastelanders had used her young son to force her and Millieth to call back the outrage Selenitas dragons after... the hatching. Mo’rya refused to think about Epifayrmuth’s less perfect siblings vanishing between but the stains of blood and ichor in his memory appeared so sharply he could practically smell them. Really such thoughts were just an indication that some of Mo’rya’s innocence and faith had been damaged if not lost on that day (a part of him always wondered how close Lketh, Epifayrmuth, and even Nitrath herself had come to death). I doubt they would bring a threat to the young one into what is really a minor matter to them.[/color] Epifayrmuth put in, catching the edge of Mo’rya’s thoughts. A threat becomes less potent each time you use it.[/I] the bronze added, though he wouldn’t be able to say how he knew. I suppose even if Kaegan can’t help us, asking her can’t hurt. Mo’rya admitted, stroking Wit for the comfort that hide under his fingers provided.

Mo’rya tuned back into events around him just in time to hear Er’ani speaking about Behruth. In a way they all owed Behruth something, he had been injured trying to defend the hatchlings after all. Loyalty was the least they owed him.

The bronzeweyrling might have stuck his tongue out at Er’ani for the suggestion that everyone bail out on him if this whole idea didn’t work well, however Caden got in first with a disturbing kind of metaphor. Still he met the goldweyrling’s gaze squarely, he wasn’t going to be the one to back out. ‘Right.’ He added his assent firmly to what Caden and M’ze had both expressed. ‘Better to stand together than stand alone.’

‘If we’re going to bring this up at a lesson it had better be soon.’ Mo’rya commented,, wondering what had gotten into Caden today anyway, there was something not quite right with her. ‘Maybe the next one, is there any way we can invite the Weyrwoman, or ask one of our dragons to do it? I’d suggest they all ask but that might be a bit overwhelming.’

[Zephyr]

For once, Leilani didn't know what to do. She hated the wastelanders. Hated them with a burning passion that seemed to scorch her to her very core, and leave nothing left but a seething, sizzling mess. She hated them so much that at times Katearath worried about her, about her fanatical obsession with protecting the green. The dragon didn't seem to realize why Leilani was so overprotective of her. Sure, she saw the slaughter, witnessed the bonds being shredded and broken before them. There was something Leilani realized after that really got her heart beating. Kate...wasn't normal. There was a subtle shimmering in her wings and around her eyes that grew more intense as the hatchling matured. She didn't know if it would ever actually impair the green, but she knew that the mutations that wreaked havoc on her clutch siblings hadn't missed her completely.

Those bastards. They could see this and come at any time. Take Katearath away from her; kill them both. She didn't want to bring more attention to her bonded, to the differences, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Suddenly, she felt Katearath's mind brush her's in a comforting manner. She inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. Then there was the matter of this ''alliance'' between the weyrlings. Would they understand Leilani's desire to protect Kate? Probably. Would it stop them from trying to confront the wastelanders in some way? Definitely not. Her heart sank in her chest as she realized how alone she was. If she backed out of this...whatever this was, then the rest of them would leave her behind. It didn't matter that their class had been culled so much on the day of their impressions...they would leave her behind...Don't be ridiculous. They wouldn't... and when the wastelanders struck against them fro their rebellion, then she would be alone without backup. Not only would they kill her and Kate, but they would be able to justify it because of the dragon's "mutation".

Suddenly, she felt out of breath. She staggered slightly and the revelation. No matter what she did, it seemed that she would lose. No amount of comfort from Katearath could soothe the girl. Breathing a little harder, she looked around her. They seemed all too ready to leave her behind, and if she was going to die, it was probably better that she went out fighting with the others, not all by herself. Katearath was a bit miffed at being silenced so abruptly by Leilani's minor freak out, but it wasn't in her voice when she brushed her rider's mind again. Lanimine. You are never alone and you will never, ever be again. I wish you could trust that. Leilani breathed heavily, trying to settle her razzled nerves. Finally, she spoke, eyeing the other weyrlings. " If there is a way to help M'ta and Behruth, then we have to take it." I know, love. It's just so hard sometimes to imagine what could happen if they found out about you... After the exchange, she settled her gaze on Er'ani. " We can't let them feel like they aren't needed. Because they are." At her next words, she had expected Kate to be angry with her, but instead, she felt intense love and warmth filling her body. " Katearath would be pleased to be one of the dragons to ask Kaegan and Millieth to oversee a lesson, if that's what you decide."

[Rei]

Er’ani couldn’t help straightening his own posture as the gold rider thrust her chin out stubbornly, his dark eyes finding her own. When Caden finished the weyrling decided that had he had it in him he so would have kissed her at that moment. The affection he felt for her after her little speech was near overwhelming, but he settled for a smile. She was going to make an amazing gold rider one day and at any rate she was right. They were much stronger if they were untied on all fronts. As the others all pretty much echoed her the teen gave them each a warm and grateful look. “Alright then. United we stand and in the end we meet our fate together.” He echoed moving from his perch again to approach them all.

Falling silent as Caden outlined her plan he nodded. That was a good idea and Mo’rya’s was addition was also a great idea. Stepping closer to Leilani as she seemed to stagger Er’ani put a hand on her shoulder giving her a concerned look and a soft smile. Whatever was bothering her he hoped the contact would put her mind at ease a bit. He might ask her about it later. But really this wasn’t an easy decision for any of them. There was a lot that went into it. A lot that they were risking. But if they all stuck together and presented a untied front and refused to back down? Well then this ‘wing’ could do anything. With a soft squeeze he released the greenrider’s shoulder and looked around at each of them.

“Alright then. This is how I see it. We decide which of our dragons should beseech Millieth on behalf of them all to come oversee our next lesson. I doubt she’ll say no. Highly doubt. Then that lesson we have to perform as best we can guys. All of us dragons included. Show her without a doubt what worth he’s already put into us and the dragons. How much we value and want him to continue. Then we make our argument as a united front and see what happens.” He grinned at them all. “Worst case scenario is that she won’t even consider it. Best case was she’ll understand and see what she could do to make it happen. If it doesn’t work…Well we won’t be giving up.”

There were multiple solutions to every problem. And while Er’ani didn’t know if hurting C’zan was the answer…. He wouldn’t have many qualms with doing something to a Wastelander. Not after all that had been done to him and Lketh and many of the others. You had to fight for what was important to you. “So which one of our bonded’s should make the plea to Millieth?”

I vote for Nitrath. Lketh interjected softly to his siblings and Er'ani. Yes his clutch sister should speak for them all. It felt right and besides that the albino felt she would have the best chance of getting a yes.