Horrors (Return from Benden)

[Administrator]

It was in the early hours of the morning when a golden form glittered against the starry backdrop of sky. Tiredly, Aslath circled around, landing in the first clear spot she could at the base of the river. She was exhausted, but she knew Shmee was even worse off. The scare at Benden had taken a toll on both of them, and only one word filled Shmee's mind since they had escaped between...

Horrors.

Shmee shuddered involuntarily, slipping off Aslath's back onto her feet. Looking around distantly, she gazed upon her surroundings, relieved to have made it back alive, yet surprised she had done so. Benden... full of horrors... She was in a disgusting state, she thought distantly. Her clothes were so much thinner than they were at the Hatching, and she had a bruise on her cheek from where she'd been slapped. She was lucky, she supposed, to have escaped with a bruise and a huge bump on the back of her head...

This thought seemed to do it. Shmee crumpled onto her knees, then onto her face in a sickened faint, with only one thought running through her head...

Horrors.

[Requiem]

Salenth stirred uncomfortably. His Mine had woken - shaken. His mind was even now in turmoil, and, for once, he wasn't allowing the bronze to see his thoughts, hadn't even allowed the dragon to take him to the river. S'reiMine. We made a promise to each other... Regret mixed into all of the other emotions. I'm sorry. I just can't. Not yet. Salenth stirred in agitation.

He stood on the bank. Fighting his way upriver had not brought about the desired result, and the images of the nightmare played through his head, only it wasn't a nightmare, not exactly. The memory had finally broken through; he'd seen the face of the man who'd tried to kill him. S'rei dashed the tears away angrily. He was devastated at his own weakness, the tremors that had taken his limbs and the churning mass of nausea gathered tight in his belly. He'd told Salenth he would never cut his bonded off. They'd been completely open with each other since their communication had been restored. But...he just couldn't...to tell Salenth would be to admit the truth. It was a truth he wasn't yet ready to accept.

S'rei let out a quiet groan, sinking to his knees in the muddy silt. The worst part of all was that it now made sense. All of it.

A flicker of gold against the backdrop of the sky drew his gaze slowly upward. Aslath? Most likely. The Weyrwoman had gone missing directly after the hatching, and no one seemed to know to where. But why was she landing here, instead of in the weyrbowl? S'rei drew himself up. He thought for a moment to look for a tunic, but he'd only come in trousers, and, somehow, it didn't much matter, even if he did hate it whenever someone saw his heavily scarred torso; he hated answering the questions.

His gait was unhurried. There was nothing to indicate anything was wrong. It just seemed odd. Then, as he saw her through the trees, saw the golden hide of Aslath, the girl crumpled right where she stood and he surged forward. "Shardit, Shmee!" he growled, coming to kneel before her prone form. He could see little by the light of the stars. What he could see - the glaring bruise on her cheek - made his jaw work.

Salenth erupted from his weyrledge, bugling an alarm, as the great bronze winged down the river. Aslath, what has happened to your Mine? Urgency tainted his tones. Where did you go?

"Shmee..." S'rei knelt, drawing her head and shoulders up into his lap, reluctant to move her until he knew more of her injuries. "Shmee, wake up." He sprinkled water on her face, hoping to rouse her. What in Faranth's name had the girl gotten herself into this time?

[saberlin]

((OMG so posting here later!

[Administrator]

Aslath crooned worriedly, assuming a protective stance around Shmee. This was probably mostly shock, but the bump on her head could have caused it. Aslath knew enough that when a human's head was knocked against the stone wall, nothing good happened. But at least there was no blood- that was a relief to the dragon.

Spying a silhouette that approached, Aslath hissed, laying her tail over Shmee- until she saw that the approaching figure was Salenth's. She didn't have to wait long for the bronze himself to appear, and she immediately moved her tail away from Her's reluctantly, feeling around for Shmee's mind, which was not there. Panicking, she shifted position multiple times- not being with Shmee frightened her. Fortunately, her bonded wasn't dead, but it was still terribly scary for the young queen.

We went to Benden, Aslath told Salenth shakily. Someone here is allied with them, and told them about Millieth's, so they summoned ShMine... Her dragon-mind unable to comprehend anything beyond that with her panic, the queen could not continue, instead pacing nervously, tempted to bugle out- but to do so would summon other dragons, and she did not want that.

At the water on her face, Shmee gasped, her eyes opening. Disoriented for a moment, she looked about wildly. Had she been of a sound mind, she probably would have made a flirtatious comment about her head being in his lap, but her mind was still on the horrible things that she had seen at Benden.

She shuddered involuntarily, finally recognizing that she was no longer trapped at Benden. "Shards," she whispered hoarsely, her hand trembling as she attempted to smooth out her unkempt hair. "They... I can't believe it," she mumbled, shaking her head. She flinched, her finger brushing the large lump toward the back of her head. "I couldn't let them take Millieth... So they tried to..." She shook her head gingerly, the sight of C'leon ordering two Wingleaders to push her against the wall at the snap of his fingers stuck on repeat in her mind. "Who's the traitor?" she suddenly demanded in a loud tone, almost sitting up, but not having the strength to. "Someone here ratted us out!" she told S'rei, almost as if not really knowing who he was.

[saberlin]

Rodonth woke R'ton up in the early hours. He did not want to be awake, why had that blasted bronze of his woken him up

Something is wrong with Aslath and their rider. The other transfer is there.

While R'ton really didnt give a hoot about the Weyrwoman and would refer to just wait until the new young Queen rose, it was his duty as a bronze to see what was going on. "Tell the other bronze we will be there in a moment. Get all the info you can before. I dont want to walk into this one blindly."

Rodonth made a mental nod and tried to bespeak the other Bronze

Salenth, what has happened? Is she in danger? By she Rodonth meant both dragon and rider, and knew that Salenth would understand his question

[evendar]

Marisina had known of the Weyrwoman's departure. She had seen her leave almost directly after the hatching. She'd been watching the skies since the evening before in the hopes the goldrider would return in one piece.

She spotted the gold as it came from between and arrived on the scene mere moments after the bronzerider. She saw the poor Weyrwoman, shoved into a position much to early in the motherly Headwoman's opinion, on the ground shivering, her dragon wrapping her tail about the woman protectively. She'd been with enough dragonriders in her day, both male and female, to know that when a dragon was that close to their rider something was either terrifying the human, or infuriating them. It would seem that in this case both applied to the Salenita's Weyrwoman.

"Ratted us out?" she asked, confused.

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Narna had been moping outside the Hatching Grounds. Looking in to the now desolate Sands. Her brother had made a fuss, actually trying to force his green onto her. She had told him to grow up, that he would never learn to be on his own if he was always clinging to his sisters arm, and that she would always be there, dragon or no.

Her eyes wandered to the skies and she saw the Weyrwoman's queen return from between. Well that was odd. Intrigued, she made her way over to the spot the queen had landed, listening quietly.

[Tashe]

(I chose you Milliethchu. :3 )

Large membraned wings glinted gold as the powerful appendages swung rhythmically. Swirling green eyes closed as the well sized queen quietly rode the warm updrafts to conserve her energy. Leaving behind the emerald trees behind Millieth slowly snaked her way up the river eyes only occasionally glancing down at the almost unseen shadow that she cast upon the darkened ground. Dipping her right wing, the dark gold Queen pivoted to follow a bend in the riverbed, only slowing her progress down as she passed over a flash of Gold and Bronze. Ten meters passed underneath Millieth before she dipped her left wing and wheeled herself around the way she had came, a minute later the Queen landed on the other side of the river then the others. Reaching out to the Queen and the Bronze she had met earlier, the golden female spoke.

/Is everything alright? The bruise on the Weyrwoman's face look like the ones Kaeganmine had sometimes.../

[Requiem]

It never even registered with S'rei that Aslath had backed down from her protective stance when he arrived on the scene. The bronzerider's focus was solely on the weyrwoman he was obligated as a weyr dragonrider to protect, and doubly obligated as a bronzerider.Aslath says they went to Benden. His eyes flicked toward the bronze, who even now came to land a short distance from the queen, his eyes swirling in agitation. Benden. The little idiot tells us not to do anything to alert Benden, and she goes there? Alone? Yes. Apparently alone. S'rei pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

At Shmee's sudden outburst, S'rei laid his hands on her shoulders, his voice soft. "Hush, girl." Gruffness, there, and it certainly didn't convey his usual respectfulness, but the bronzerider was more worried about her running off to find this 'traitor' as soon as she could stand. "If there truly is a traitor, we'll find them, but right now I need you to tell me exactly what happened. In detail."

Mine. She may be followed. It is too unprotected here. Salenth stirred, listening to Rodonth, before he replied, The Weyrwoman is shaken. She and Aslath went to Benden...it seems they hurt Aslath's Mine. I don't know why they went. Something to do with Millieth. As to the danger...that is anyone's guess. Some of Benden's riders may follow her here...

Salenth had a point, S'rei decided. "Will you come with me, Shmee? I don't trust in your strength to ride alone with Aslath. She can follow us." They didn't want to be by a river in the dead of night, too far from the weyr. Other dragons could be roused. But maybe not in time, and Selenitas did not train dragons to fight other dragons. A few of Benden's fighters...yet alone a wing...could cause untold damage. His mind worked furiously. They need to get her to Selenitas, but not to her weyr or the infirmary. Nowhere that might be obvious. Where, then? And the less who knew the better. So far there were - he glanced around - two here, Rodonth's rider and Millieth, which meant Kaegan would know soon enough. Five witnesses was more than he liked. They needed to get her out of her and secluded now. Before the number grew.

Not waiting for Shmee's response, he took her by the armpits, rising with the girl before him so that she might be helped to stand. Whether or not she decided to ride with him and Salenth was inconsequential. She'd still need help getting to her feet, by the looks of it. Though he didn't feel comfortable, her riding alone with this wooziness.

Will you allow us to take your Mine to the weyr? S'rei will look after her, see that she doesn't fall. He paused, considering. Where would be a good place to hide her for a few hours, until we're sure that Benden won't be sending anyone after you? And who do you want to know about that location? Salenth, as his rider, naturally took a leadership role while the others floundered in this crisis.

They went to Benden, Millieth. But don't worry. We won't let them take you back, Salenth replied, trying to be reassuring. They seem to be all right, if just a little worse for wear.

[evendar]

Mari ran forward to assist the bronzerider on Shmee's other side. Her short bulk not adding much to the situation, but it certainly didn't remove any.

"I repeat, who ratted us out to whom?" she asked the bronzerider, feeling the Weyrwoman to distraught to answer. Her voice was steal now, she would get no nonsense about protecting her this time. She was the Headwoman, and she would know if someone was doing unspeakable things in her Weyr.

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Narna took a step forward, ready to help. But the company present seemed to not be the best one to enter into. Candidates still had curfew, and by being out so early she knew that she was breaking it. She decided that for now she would remain hidden, finding out what she could. If there was a way for her to help, perhaps she could.

[Administrator]

Shmee groaned. Why were there so many people here. "Get them all away," she mumbled, desperately flinging her hand in an attempt at shooing them away. Shard it! The last thing she wanted was of the entire Weyr to hear about this- not to mention that they were all giving her a headache. All the people were a blur around her- but all seemed to have the common goal in mind. To intrude on her business. Even when ill, Shmee was indignant.

Everyone leave! Aslath bellowed into the minds of the dragons and people here as well as any that were running up. There is nothing here for you!

Suddenly worried, she demanded hoarsely, "Is Benden here? Are they all Benden's?" She pointed to the crowd, her voice only low enough for S'rei to hear. Recognizing them even with a normal mind was a hard feat for her, but now she could barely recognize even the Headwoman.

At Marisina's question, she shook her head. "Not now! None of... your business now..." she told her, reading the rank knots after staring at them for a moment. Aslath paced back and forth, wishing Hers was more sound.

Hearing Millieth, she replied curtly, We are fine. Go back to sleep, Millieth. Turning her head back to Shmee, she watched with a hard gaze as S'rei managed to get her up. Aslath, even though she trusted Salenth's, wasn't about to look away after what had happened at Benden. They had cornered Shmee where Aslath couldn't help...

I don't know, Aslath replied distantly, but you may take her. Just make sure it is a place where I can be, as well. I do not want many to know about the location- if the traitor is in our midst, I don't want him to come and try to finish off Benden's work.

Shmee shuddered against S'rei, hearing her dragon's thoughts. She had closed her eyes now- a dizzying pressure had gone against them when S'rei had gotten her up. Massaging her temples jerkily, she staggered forward slightly, only to sink down onto her knee again.

ShMine, go with Salenth's, Aslath crooned, nuzzling Shmee with her golden head. Nodding slowly in short bobs so as to not make herself ill, Aslath realized she had no will to protest. Pausing, Aslath said to Salenth alone, They almost killed her. It wasn't even me they were going to kill, which is a common sentence in Benden- but it was her. Awed and frightened by such a near encounter with something so terrible, Aslath crooned to her rider, sliding her tail back around Shmee protectively.

Shmee's nod soon turned to a shaking of her head as Marisina had the gall to now ask S'rei what she did want to answer! "Please just stop," she murmured mournfully. She did not want everyone in the Weyr to know about the traitor- who knew what revolts it could cause? People may go off on their own little vendettas and attack anyone with a connection with Benden- which was a lot of people. "Don't think I couldn't hear that question, Headwoman," she added groggily. "I will tell you later. So quit annoying S'rei about it." Closing her eyes again, she was desperate for sleep- then she wouldn't have to have this head-splitting headache, and maybe sleep would make her better in the morning. Nevertheless, she had to relay what had happened at Benden to this bronzerider, in addition to all the terrible things that were happening there- along with the way she was able to keep Kaegan here.

[Requiem]

"They're yours, Shmee," he whispered, not wanting the others to realize just how disoriented their weyrwoman was. "None of Benden's are here. But we need to move, in case they come." S'rei wasn't entirely comfortable with how much Salenth had already told Rodonth and Millieth, but he understood that the bronze was trying to reassure them. And there was no doubt that Rodonth and His could not be in league with Benden. Still, if they knew where Shmee was taken, they could let something slip. For now...it need only be Salenth and Aslath who knew.

All right. I won't say anything more. Still, Mine, we're going to need a healer. We'll find one where we're going. You plan to take her out of Selenitas. I plan to keep her away from anyone who might talk to Benden, at least until she's coherent. We can't trust anyone in the weyr. There was a long, drawn-out pause. I liked it better when you didn't hide things from me, Mine.

S'rei looked to his dragon, gray eyes pleading with the bronze. I'll tell you. I just don't want another dragon to accidentally pick up the location, that's all. Fair enough. Salenth's response was cold. You're still angry about earlier tonight. There was no reply. The bronze merely lowered his neck to make it easier for S'rei to mount with Shmee.

Aslath gives her permission. The bronze stirred slightly at her words. They tried to kill her? I never thought Benden would go that far...Surely they realize that killing the Weyrwoman of Selenitas would be an open declaration of war? I know for a fact that they have all they can handle with Fort. He paused. Benden must be up to something.

S'rei stared at the Headwoman, torn between telling this woman, who truly did have a right to know, or honoring Shmee's wishes. He finally knelt, hearing Shmee's response, his gaze turned away from Marisina. The bronzerider lifted the Weyrwoman into his arms, straightening slowly so as not to disturb Shmee more than he had to. "I'll send word with Salenth once we have a better idea what's going on. Right now she's too disoriented...Make sure the weyr knows their Weyrwoman and Queen will be gone for a couple of days, and that she's all right. We don't need any rumors started. You can make up a story about her organizing tribute or something. Just make it believable." He cast a whithering glare about him, though he couldn't see anyone. "If I hear anything about what happened here tonight is being spoken of in Selenitas, you won't like my response," he hissed.

Salenth relayed the message to those dragons who knew of Aslath's return. Then S'rei mounted the bronze carefully. He couldn't use his arms, which made it a little harder than usual. He settled her before him, regretting the lack of harness. Not that Salenth could have gotten into it by himself. The bronzerider finally told Salenth where he wanted to go. Sending the image of a cliff face to Aslath, on the far east side of the southern continent, Salenth leapt into the air. It was the first in a stream of jumps, designed to put off anyone who might try to follow.

S'rei's arms tightened around Shmee, pulling her back into him. "It'll be all right," he murmured. Then the shock of Between erupted around them.

[evendar]

Mari nodded in accordance with the Weyrwoman, not about to usurp her. She had promised to explain later, and the older woman was to caring to push her farther.

"We can take her to the Hatching Grounds." she suggested, thinking it a not so common place now that the eggs were gone and it was big enough for the woman to have her gold close by.

"And I can have headache tea sent up, or get it myself if you'd rather this remain discreet." she said, seeing the young woman rub her temples. "Remember Weyrwoman, I am in charge of this Weyr's Lower Caverns, and if there is something the general public need to know I should be informed from the source before I hear some outlandish rumor." she had little doubt that Shmee hadn't forgotten this, but it never hurt to receive reminders every once in a while.

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Narna jumped when she heard the queens words in her head, but stayed quiet. Extremely intrigued by the goings on. So that was how a dragon sounded. Aslath sounded like her rider, Narna realized. If the Weyrwoman was a bit deeper and slightly more powerful. She heard hints about traitors and other things, and the Headwoman suggesting the Hatching Grounds for a meeting place. Narna stuck to the shadows, scared that the queen's glowing eyes might catch her if she strayed to far into the light. But it made for poor hearing. She hoped they wouldn't talk till they were in a place she could find a hiding spot with good acoustics.

[Administrator]

"Move?" Shmee asked in a confused mumble. She didn't feel like she could move much- was she, the Senior Weyrwoman, truly this helpless in the face of Benden? She couldn't respond to Mari's suggestion- once again feeling like the helpless Weyrwoman, she shook her head, instantly feeling sick with the motion. She stopped doing so, grimacing to let her stomach rest up a bit.

"I'm not telling you now!" Shmee finally snapped, scowling at the Headwoman. All this talking was only increasing her headache... "Don't make me repeat myself, got it?" she said, her voice sounding more and more desperate and hoarse.

Aslath grunted. They know Selenitas is not prepared for combat, so I do not think they worried about consequences, she told Salenth sadly. They just wanted to kill Mine and snatch the Weyr. They had gotten her into a prison high up in the Weyr, and locked her in there for a good portion of the evening. However, she called to me when she heard footsteps outside the door, and when they came in with the knife, she pushed her way out, leapt off the ledge, and I caught her... Disturbed by this notion, Aslath shifted uncomfortably.

The Weyrwoman flinched as she was picked up. It made her feel slightly nauseous, so she closed her eyes, so longing just to sleep. She had half a mind to protest, but decided against it. This was better than dealing with curious weyrfolk. Ignoring the rest of the world for now, she grudgingly allowed herself to be placed on Salenth's back. Aslath's mind touched her, reassuring Shmee that she was still there. Unable to have a response to S'rei's own words of comfort, she just lay limply, still trying to get it through her head that she was no longer stuck at Benden.

[evendar]

((OMG I took forever to reply to this! SO SORRY!))

Mari simply nodded, understanding finally that the woman needed her space. She wouldn't leave though. No matter how much she wanted to leave the Weyrwoman alone when she was this distraught, she had to hear the events of her odd disappearance as soon as possible. If she waited and heard it later, the Weyrwoman could edit out parts that might be vital for the larger, older woman to know in order to help keep lies and rumors to a minimum.

She fell into step behind the bronzerider who carried her, her worry plain on her face. She sent Biri and Tami off to wake her oldest daughter, who would make a crock of headache tea and send it back no questions asked.

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Narna heard the Weyrwoman's shout. Why was she being so rude to the Headwoman? As far as the Candidate could tell she was simply offering help. But rather than voice this opinion and have the Weyrwoman's fear and rage be turned on herself she stayed hidden.