Bad Dream (K'nam)

[Tashe]

Darkness surrounded her, shadows twisted and turned at the corner of her vision, it was the tunnel that lead her through the nightmares. Falling off a cliff, being chased by a wild canine, each thing herded her into another dream, ones she would rather not have. Silence descended, not even her footsteps made a sound as she crept through the darkness, and before long her slender fingers lead themselves to a door. The door opened and once again, the dream scape transformed into another, this one even more real than the last... in fact, this was more a memory than a nightscare.

"Oh dear... not again." Nudging the edge of a book with her slippered toe, Kaegan sighed before picking it up, this had become a routine. Everyday the archives room would become a mess, the stupid male riders would discard scrolls and books on the floor, causing hours of clean up and reordering for the Queenrider. As she lifted the book off of the floor, the room wavered and became distorted, only to right itself a few moments later. The room was clean again, the only thing out of place was the book in her arms, although the distortion didn't affect the DreamKaegan. "That took a while!" Moving around a shelf, she didn't notice two dragonriders enter through the door. Quickly placing the book on the shelf, the Queenrider tried to exit the archives room, but as nightmares go... she wasn't allowed. Rounding the corner, the DreamKaegan ran into one of the dragonriders and for it, she received a stinging slap across the cheek. Stumbling backward and falling onto the floor, she began to beg for forgiveness for she had ran into a Bronzerider.

Getting up slowly, she adverted her eyes from the man before trying to get past him, which resulted in her tumbling back to the floor painfully. After a few more attempts, and collecting a few more bruises, the DreamKaegan had been reduced to tears. It wasn't until the darkness began to surround her again did she see the face of the mean Benden Bronzerider... "K'nam?"

---

Screeching as she jerked herself awake, Kaegan quickly buried her head into her hands and the hide of her flitter. The nagging at the back of her mind had finally blossomed into memories, which came flooding back to her at full force. She finally remembered where she had met K'nam, and the memories of their meetings where not good ones indeed. It confused her; how could such a seemingly nice man have done all of those mean things? It didn't make any sense at all, but her memories at Benden never lied... they couldn't because they were the sharpest memories she had ever had. Unsettled by the memories and the nightmare, Kaegan decided to start her day early rather than chance having another nightmare.

---

Three hours had passed since the rude awakening and Rukbat had entered the eight hour of the morning, but despite waking up around the fourth hour, Kaegan had made her way to the river. The sound of the waterfall and the gentle breeze had worked their magic to calm her down, and as it grew brighter, the rising star drew her Gold out of her hiding. Watching Millieth land on the shore with a smile, the Queenrider gave her a small wave before returning to oiling Azaran. /Mine... you really should go to Kalierre and get a sleeping potion... something that will not let you dream./ I know... but... I just keep hoping they will go away. /Well think about it more now... I don't like waking up in the middle of the night and thinking that you are being attacked./

Sighing as she began to attack a rough patch on her Bronze's hide, Kaegan listened to the splash her Gold made as she waded out into the cold river for a swim. "She's right Azzie... I should get something..."

[randi]

Early in the morning, K'nam had awoken, feeling a need to do something. He had mended his riding equipment of any faults by the time dawn, and Bearinth, awoke, and the feeling of accomplishment made the day seem promising. So when Bearinth had informed him that he felt like bathing in the river, it had seemed like a good idea, plus he would be able to spend some time with his partner-in-crime.

However, he had, somehow, convinced the bronze to wait until later in the morning, his reasoning being that the river wouldn't be cold when the world was light. Impatiently, he had waited, but, before too long, had simply insisted that they head upstream for a quick 'swim', where, hopefully, he could get himself clean.

It had been completely by accident that the pair, K'nam dressed in older, torn clothes that he didn't mind getting dirty in, had spotted Millieth and the Jr. Weyrwoman. K'nam, assuming that Bearinth would simply pass her by, their first and last encounter having occured when he would have felt a hormonal attraction to her, and it was much to his dismay when the dragon circled back. Bearinth, what are you doing?

She was nice, K'namMine. I enjoy her company. Besides, that means someone will be there to save you when you're puny body is whisked away by the current. Bearinth slowly glided to land a short ways off from the pair, intending to wait to see if he would be allowed to come near.

And where would you be? K'nam asked, clambering down from his perch atop Bearinth. The dragon leaned down to make his face almost touch K'nam's.

Staying clean, of course. He exhaled at K'nam's face, making his hair wildly fly away from his head, and it remained messy even after the bronze had moved his head a slight bit away. Looking over towards Millieth, he reached out with a small request. Can me and Mine join you this fine morning?

[Tashe]

"Azzie stay still! Stop... squirming... NO." Pinning the wiggling Firelizard to her lap, Kaegan wrangled the male into submission after a few moments. Squeaking slightly as Azaran's claws accidentally brought up a line of crimson on her finger, the Queenrider released the captured flitter to inspect her finger, not surprised as the Bronze began apologizing. "Silly little boy. Be careful with those talons..." Pressing her ailing finger into her mouth, Kaegan let her other hand wonder down Azaran's back, assuring him that she knew he was sorry. "Will you let me oil your wings now? I think you at least owe me..." Dipping the cloth she was using in the oil tin, the young Weyrwoman began to gently clean and oil her Flitter's wings.

Dipping her head beneath the water and then submerging the rest of her body, Millieth settled onto the floor of the river for a few minutes, content to let the current wash over her frame. Breaching the surface of the water to retrieve some air, the Queen was about to return to the rivers depths that is until a flash of Bronze drew her attention. The glimmer was far to big to have been the annoyance that her Mine was cleaning, but Millieth hadn't expected to find Bearinth alighting on the sands not to far away. Twitching her tail slightly, the Queen watched as the Bronze and his rider completely settled themselves on the ground. And although Millieth was delighted to see the handsome dragon again, she knew Kaegan might not be to happy to see Bearinth's.

/Mine?/ Yes Millieth? /Bearinth and His are requesting permission to share the beach with us... should I turn them away?/

Freezing at the names her dragon produced, Kaegan slowly inched her head to the side, just enough to see if what her Queen had said was true. Why him? Him of all people to chance upon them today! Between the memories haunting her and the nightmares threatening to take over, she wasn't sure if she could deal with him right now. He was so nice, yet he was so mean... there were thousands of questions and answers that bombarded her thoughts, but most of them clustered together uneasily. What if he was a Benden spy? That had to be the answer... it was one of the easiest to cling to, but the Queenrider desperately tried to cling to the fact he was not. That the reason he treated her so badly at Benden was to hide, and that he was truly nice, but doubt stabbed her with deep knives. She couldn't trust him, and those she didn't trust would be watched... if he slipped she would catch him in the act, but she hoped that her suspicions were only delusions created by her bred paranoia. No... they have a right to the beach also.

Swinging her head from her Mine and back toward the Bronze, Millieth fluttered her wings before speaking to him. /You and Yours may share with us Bearinth./

[randi]

While they waited for the answer from the girls, K'nam watched them from afar. Kaegan had a sense of familiarity about her, and not knowing much more than that didn't make it easier for him to pick out where he had seen her before. His fingers ran through his hair, perfectly content with staying upstream of the two females, though he knew Bearinth would want to head to different part of the river if them being there would be uncomfortable to them. It was hard to believe where they had come from.

Thank you, Millieth and Yours. Bearinth replied, making K'nam lift an eyebrow. The dragon nodded in affirmation, taking a few bounds into the nearby water, effectively splashing his rider. When he bobbed back up, he was nearer to the golden body in the river than to K'nam, causing the dark eyes to roll.

You're insufferable. He informed the bronze dragon, opting to walk leisurely down the beach and make Bearinth wait for him, noting that the other was holding his place in the water, flicking his wing towards K'nam to get him to hurry up, though the unspoken request went unheeded.

Agitated that K'nam was taunting him, Bearinth dove beneath the water. It was surreal, flying in something that was, for him, more dangerous than air. The current was not much of a bother to him, though his underwater antics failing to increase K'nam's walking speed did lend to a bit of agitation. How have you been? He inquired of Millieth, trying to ignore K'nam for the moment.

[Tashe]

As K'nam wondered forward, Kaegan's heart and stomach did funny flip flops in rhythm to his step, although their dance was befuddled and confused. A silent war raged inside of her chest, the side of her that defended the man and the other who just wanted to attack him. These emotions swirled unhappily faster as he grew closer, they were like the turbid torrent that was created as the river flowed quicker down by it's mouth. Drawing her knees up to her chest, Kaegan wrapped her arms around their tops, pretending to be deep in thought so as not to be obligated to talk to the man right away. He seemed to be taking his own sweet time anyways, so what would be the fault in ignoring him until he drew up closer, though she felt as though her voice might fail if she tried to speak.

/You are welcome./ Watching serenely as the Bronze worked his way up through the water, Millieth recalled their last meeting, which happened to fall a few days before the eve of her rise. Certainly she had been much more flirtatious than she normally was, but then again, Bearinth is a bronze and she a Queen... it was natural instinct to take a shine to the higher males. Using her wings to scoop some water onto her back, Millieth made sure to get at an itchy spot with the cool water. /I fare well, but I am afraid my Mine does not. Nightscares have been plaguing her as of recently... Dreams are the only thing I can not shield her against./ Harrumphing slightly as she admitted her inability to protect her rider, the Queen quietly muttered something harsh about Benden, but returned her attention back to the Bronze. Her Rider's wary emotions seeping into her slowly, causing a seed of doubt to grow toward Bearinth, he had apparently been a Benden Bronze at one point.

Thoughts, memories, and Dreams that had long since passed from her mind began to creep and crawl their way back, filling her brain with unwanted clutter. Staring out toward the water with vacant green eyes, Kaegan listened both to the husky voices of uncaring and to the sweet gentle voice of reason. Neither of these phantoms that had controlled her body before Benden could help stay the wash of unease. Shut up, shut up, shut up. I don't want to remember! Whining almost inaudibly, the young Weyrwoman buried her head in the basket that her arms created. Ever since escaping Benden, the voices had been constantly nagging her, it was something she had painstakingly come to live with. ...It wasn't fair...

[randi]

K'nam didn't rush in the least, watching the dragons with interest until he was almost to them and the goldrider. Kaegan seemed preoccupied, and, though he felt he shouldn't ignore her, he felt compelled to just get what they had come here for done. The pair of dragons in the water were almost odd, seeing such large creatures inhabiting an area for which they were not properly suited.

Bearinth twirled through the water awkwardly, resurfacing to see K'nam very near. He took note of Millieth's complaint, nodding. Nightscares can be bad, he affirmed, watching as his 'rider took a few cautious steps into the water even though he was already wet from before. At times, his dear K'nam could be odd. Have you tried going to the healer for something to help her rest? He flicked water in the bronzerider's suggestion, pondering the queen's problem.

What's wrong now? K'nam asked, refusing to glance back at Kaegan to see if the problem was written on her face. Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt vaguely awkward around her, like she knew something that the right action just might trigger. He was sure it had something to do with Benden, as it was their only place of connection, though he couldn't, for the life of him, come up with any ideas beyond that.

Bearinth shrugged in the water, snorting with his snout just below the current, a small explosion of bubbles becoming the result. Millieth's has not been sleeping well. Nothing you can help with, mine, now hurry out here. My shoulders are itching. K'nam rolled his eyes, plunging into the river. A small bite of cold chilled his body, but it soon vanished. Southern water was never too cold anyways.