Never Enough Time

It was dark already when the sky erupted in an explosion of color. Green, blue, brown, and even a few bronzes. They came through in formation, with the lead bronze trumpeting his introduction immediately.

I am Nolinth! the bronze called out, reaching even the non riders in the state he was in. His hide was tinged grey, and his voice was full of sorrow. Yvalleth, it is Nolinth! There is no sickness among us. , he continued, angling down so that the dragons would land at the river bank. Vioneth has gone between.

Once on the ground, Jah'vi slid off his bronze. He seemed to have aged Turns since the last time he'd been there. To his immediate right was Z'ash and his bronze Manticath, and behind them all the dragons descended from Olenath and Parazeth. Only those dragons.

Let them come to us, Nolinth directed the others. They will want to check us for illness I am certain.


((Small OOC note for those that have never dealt with him: Nolinth is loud. It's likely every single person in the canyon heard every word he said.))

Down.  Land by the River.

Yllaveth's words were not unkind, but nor did they leave any room for interpretation.  They were a command, plain and simple.  Br'son stumbled out of his nest of furs (that may or may not have held a warm Weyrleader) and tripped on his way to get his trousers.  He pulled them on, blinking with disorientation as Yllaveth continued to take control.

Hesriath.  You and Ceronith to the River as well.  Just you and your riders.  We must know if all of these are healthy.  Maraxith, you and your wing on the rim, please.  With flame, if necessary.

The queen's tone as she spoke to the Wingleader's cobalt said that she was clearly not taking any risks that a weyrling-thief might be in this group of dragons.  

Divisk, my friend.  Please take your handler and some of her rougher friends to the river level, but stay hidden for the time being.  I do not think that these will harm us, but I will not risk my weyrlings.  

Right about then, Nolinth's words registered in Br'son's mind.  Vioneth, dead!  What of Olenath?  The others?  Had they... were they all.. gone?  

For just a moment, the yawning blackness threatened to overwhelm him.  But, as always, Yllaveth was there to be his mainstay.  

They are gone but we are here, she said gently to her rider.  

Br'son drew in a deep breath and steadied himself.  "So we are.  Take me down to Jah'vi, Yllaveth.  Let us see what is happening in our world."

Nolinth silently enforced Yvalleth's command on the others. Easy, as he was the oldest bronze present. Jah'vi stood at the dragon's side, hands crossed in front of him, waiting.

They are prepared to defend themselves from us, Nolinth said sadly to his rider, settling down to wait.

"Do you blame them after what G'sen did?" he asked bitterly. Despite his defacto roll as Weyrleader, the greenrider had come here. Proof that the old guard held power.

Had held power.

We await your orders, my queen, he told the Titan quietly, to the side. They would cooperate with any procedure the Canyon riders required.

Gaveth reared back, no need to roar when the purity of wrath pulsed from him so clearly. Yllaveth had all well in hand, but the thought that this bronze thought he could barge into their airspace without warning or invite -

A deeper, darker anger than even his flared in the canyon, Aliseth focusing in and staring intensely in the direction the dragons had appeared.

Gaveth settled back, in time for his rider to come out on Br'son's heels, quickly braiding her hair back and still fitting her feet properly into her boots.

*

Ceronith bounced to her feet with a curious chirrup. Aliseth's reaction slid off her like water, and she nudged Vianne, who had just collapsed into her hammock for much needed sleep. With a yawn, she pulled on the clothes she'd folded nearby for their inevitable early-morning rise and tried to blink herself back to alertness. "To the river?" she asked, glancing around and wondering why no one else was moving.

Only us and Hesriath, Ceronith said, prancing a bit forward and then back. We go, we go! It was all very exciting, meeting new dragons.

Vianne put it together, her sleepy mind slow, and bit her lip. No one was sick, Ceronith would be fine.

She repeated it like a mantra the whole way to their Weyrlingmaster and the river.

*
Divisk, already prowling the canyon and waiting for their run in the evening ahead, had responded to Nolinth's voice in his head with a roar that reverberated through the rocks around him.

Dividia paused in rechecking the packs they were moving that evening, thought through and nodded. "With me," she said to the group with her - they were all prepared for the run, which meant she trusted them in something like this, as well. "More easterners, we may be needed."

She rather hoped they were - though that could have been Divisk's utter disgust with yet more voices in his head.

Fleur sat up, woken from a deep sleep by the booming voice in her head. "What in blazes was that?" she asked H'den, grabbing for a silk sleeping robe she had taken to leaving in his weyr. Her hair was a riot of curls, falling over her face. "Are they attacking?" Her fingers itched... her bow was back in her own quarters, she'd have to run all the way back there before taking her position in the cliff wall.

* * *

Teagan's fitful sleep was interrupted by a low grumbling from Ensieth. "What is it?" she asked sleepily, sitting upright on her cot and reaching over to stroke the glossy black hide. The feeling of unease and anger doubled when she touched her, and she swallowed. "Ensieth?"

Do not worry, the dragon said, sending a pulse of calming love to her rider. We will protect you. Stay here. Then the shadow was moving out of her wallow and through the barracks.

She heard Nolinth's call ring in her head just moments later, and she grabbed her blankets tighter to her. Ensieth was not happy with this intrusion in their air space. She started to stand and follow her dragon. but Ensieth called back to her, including all the weyrlings and their dragons.

Stay inside. All of you. Aliseth, join me. We will protect what is ours.

The shadow looked seriously at her quartz sister as she passed, bowing her head just slightly. Be careful, my sister.

* * *

Nicaeth growled, coming to his feet as the strange dragon spoke to all. Including HIS rider. How dare he come to them and speak to his as if she were just anyone.

"Calm down," Breklynn said, pulling her robe on. She had woken up quickly, and grasped her wits quickly. "You're getting upset over the wrong thing. Why are they here?"

I do not know, but they will regret it! Nicaeth snarled, starting to move out of their bunk when Ensieth's words rang through both of them.

To Breklynn's relief the cobalt slinked back to his wallow, settling down, though his eye speed didn't slow one bit. He would listen to the queen... unless there was danger to her or Aliseth.

Yllaveth took her time about it, and there was more than a little bit of dominance display in the way she spread her wings wide and circled down to the sandy riverbank. But she went, and she carried her rider with her. That sent a clear message: despite all of her precautions, and all of her shows of force, Yllaveth didn't genuinely believe that Nolinth and his rider would ever bring harm. They'd been weyrlings together, clutchmates. At the end of the day, Yllaveth trusted him.

As did Br'son.

The Weyrsenior felt a cold clenching around his heart as he dismounted and got a look at Jah'vi's face for the first time. They'd been close throughout weyrling training. Close was probably a bit of an understatement, truth be told. They were truly like brothers. Br'son had always relied upon Jah'vi to keep things light, to keep him from taking himself too seriously. No matter how bad things got, it seemed Jah'vi could always make him laugh, even on the eve of their exile.

But he wasn't laughing now. In fact, the bronzerider looked exhausted, his handsome face lined and drawn. His eyes, usually so full of merriment and mischief, stared dark and haunted out of hollowed sockets. He looked like he hadn't slept, or eaten, in days. Br'son swallowed hard, then let out a short, foul curse and strode toward his brother in all but name.

He wrapped his arms hard about the bronzerider, crushing him in an embrace that spoke eloquently of the pain their separation had caused. "I missed you, man," Br'son murmured. "You look like shite, but it's all right. You're here now. We've got you."

Nolinth crooned to Yvalleth, but made no attempt to approach her. Not until they were all checked, despite the assurances that there was no disease among them. The little quartz would make certain. Until then he lowered his head in reverence to his clutch mate and queen.

Jah'vi had hoped for a warm welcome, and gladly wrapped his clutch brother tight in his arms. He'd missed his friend, and his previous short trip to the Weyr had been cut short by emergencies at Eastern before he could even say hello.

For the first time in far too long, he felt as if he could relax and not hide behind the facade of leadership that had been thrust upon him. Br'son knew the real him. "Vioneth went between," he said, tears welling in his eyes again. "Southern's lost two queens in as many sevenday. Firene... she told me what I had to do."

His face hardened a bit, and he gestured behind him. "All of Olenath's mutant clutches, all of Pazarath's clutches, and those who aren't riders that would leave." There was pain in his face that spoke of those that had been left behind at Eastern. But he had duties to fulfill, still, and he had sworn on Nolinth's shell to Firene.

With a very small, wry smile, he saluted Br'son. "We are at your disposal, Weyrsenior."

Br'son felt his own eyes fill with tears, but he blinked them away in a manly fashion. Then he nodded, and returned his friend's salute. "You are all very welcome," he said. "One of our quartz hatchlings has the ability to sense the illness that has killed Vioneth and the others. She will check you all, and then we will get you all settled."

Yllaveth, you can have the troops stand down... but it might be a good idea to have a rotation of dragons posted on the Canyon Rim, ready to flame...Just in case.

Br'son heard Yllaveth relay these instructions to Gaveth and Maraxith, and then turned to beckon for his Weyrleader to join them. She knew Jah'vi as well, of course.

"We've a million questions," he said frankly. "But they can wait until you and your people have been screened and settled. As for you, you need to get some food in you, immediately. That isn't a request," he added, with a bit of iron in his tone. "I'm going to need you in top form, brother, before this is all over. Mark my words on it."

The Bronze's words were worrisome to her at first. Was he ill as well? Were they here to infect the mutated dragons too? Likewise, Nwynth was concerned. Not because she didn't trust Jah'vi and Nolinth but rather because she didn't want to know what caused them and the others to come here. Kyabree did not hesitate when commanded to join her wing on the rim. Nwynth was strapped and ready as soon as possible.

With the others she waited, looking down at the greens, blues, browns and few Bronzes that were among those to come to White Lightening for what looked like asylum. Are they there? She wondered silently. Nwynth did not answer her. The scarlet thought it might be better for her to wait until they were not guarding to deal with family. As always, she was protecting her rider.


He'd been preparing with the others, readying for their next run. Reeling from the loud voice in his head, he felt about the same as it seemed Divisk did. If it wouldn't look strange for him to roar, he might have done the same. Rhaenthwor followed Dividia's order though he did pause to check that his weapons were secure. Easily catching up with the others, he watched the interaction between the newly arrived Bronzerider and Br'son.

Despite Yllvaeth's posturing, it seemed to him the conversation was friendly enough. From facial expressions and body postures, it didn't look to him like these people were ready to fight anyway. They looked worn out, emotionally as well as physically. If they did try to start anything, he had no doubts in his ability to take them out.

Hesriath's head came up, her eyes momentary flaring bright blue at the sound of Nolinth's mind voice but then the color of adoration bled to bright yellow flecked in orange when she heard her Senior Queen's voice.

Yes, Yllaveth! The scarlet said and leaped to her feet, hissing in sudden agitation. She turned to look at Ashrah who walked briskly to her scarlet dragon's side, eyes scanning the group of Bright Hope Weyrlings until she picked out the familiar face of Vianne. As they made there way down to the river, Ashrah pushed down her own personal feelings to concentrate on Vianne's.

“Do not worry, Weyrling.” Ashrah said, her voice firm but gentle. “Nothing will happen to you or Ceronith. Hesriath and I will not allow it.”

When the reached the group, Ashrah's knees almost buckled. Jah'vi, gaunt and harrowed look rocked her to her core. He was standing next to a young boy with a dark mop of brown hair. Brown eyes caught her green ones and a young bronze dragon bumped the boy's shoulder. The bronze Wingrider inhaled sharply at the sight of the Weyrling Master of White Lightning.

'Z'ash.' Ashrah breathed slightly. For a moment the stunned expression shown on the scarlet rider's face.
--------------

Yes, Yllaveth. Nimath, round up the rest of the wing and meet me on Rim. If your rider or the others have firestone, bring it. Maraxith said. He added to Casriel that he too needed firestone. Casriel went to the crate the corner of her weyr and pulled out the biggest pieces. She went to the cobalt's massive head and gave him one piece, then another. Maraxith's sharp teeth tore into the stone, crushing in and it moved down his throat. The rank smell of it filled Casriel's nose but she gave it no mind. She stepped up to the cobalt's offered arm and then moved to his neck. Victory sprang from the pillow and swooped passed Maraxith, rounding the chamber.

“Come Victory. We have work to do. Take me to the rim, Maraxith!” Casriel said.

The cobalt rumbled a reply and vaulted off his ledge. Catching a low lying thermal, the large cobalt dragon swooped the the edge of the rim. He settled down in a cloud of dust and Casriel leaned forward in the saddle and against the cobalt's neck. Down by the river, Casriel could see the outline of at least two bronze shapes, a blue and a very others. She narrowed her blue-green eyes at the very familiar sight of Nolinth. So Jah'vi had come, had he. The assumed Weyrleader of Eastern.

'So their senior queen is gone. Where is Firene and Olenath?!' Casriel wondered

Time passed and Yllaveth gave them the order to stand down. Maraxith relayed the news to Casriel and Nimath. Casriel herself turned to nod to H'den and then turned her eyes back down to the procession.
----------------------------------------------------------------
It's her, Manticath! It really is her. Z'ash said, feeling as if his heart would crawl out of his throat.

He had no idea how much he would have missed his mother until she had been exiled. He had missed the pride in her eyes when she spotted him with his bronze but he swallowed hard to see her now. She was not just his mother, she was the Weyrling Master of White Lightning.

Of course, it is! Who do you think rides Scarlet Hesriath? Mhmmm....there is my sire up on the rim. It is strange. I remember Maraxith being larger. Manticath replied bluntly. He nudged his rider again, feeling Z'ashs anxiety and hoping to ease it. So much had happened in the last days and even Manticath was heartsick. The young pair needed rest and comfort.
---------------------------------
We come with hearts full of sorrow and ask with humble words for safe harbor.
Thortoth voice was soft and full of sadness. The blue was lacking his normal, cheery cyan replaced with a overlay with gray. T'kal put a hand on his dragon's neck but even the Weyrsinger was missing his usually cheer and dashing smile. Thortoth had been of the same clutching as Yllaveth and Nolinth. Well suited to his life as a blue, he looked to the metallic dragons for guidance and support. Standing near the Weyrsinger was a young woman with T'kals same dark hair and blue eyes. Tahlana buried her face in her brother's arms, her tears soaking into his tunic. She wore the knots of a candidate, peeking ice white through her thick hair which had come loose. It hung down her shoulders in gentle waves. T'kal looked down at his sister and squeeze her shoulder in a one armed hug.

"Don't cry, Tahlana. I'm not going anywhere." he said comforting.

Jah'vi managed a weak smile. "As much as I want to take you up on that offer, I should stay until everyone is checked at least." He glanced back at the assembled traditional colors, shooting Br'son a meaningful look. "Not everyone was exactly cheering for joy to leave," he continued softly. "No one Nolinth couldn't handle. Need to make sure some of them don't get it in their heads to go to Southern, or even up North."

He hated having to say that; these men and women had been classmates of those who were exiled. "Some people still won't accept what's happening," he said, rare anger in his voice. "It's in all the Weyrs now. We can't stop it. All we can do is come together and do our duty with our bloody clutch mates."

"Like J'ril and Sh'lor." T'kal said, lifting his head. He steadied the dark haired girl on her feet, brushed a tear back from her cheek and then released her, stepping forward. Thoroth turned to nuzzled Tahlana as his rider moved away.

"Those fools think the can just ignore the circumstance, as if this is all a bad dream." the Weyrsinger said and there was thread of great disapproval in his voice.
---------------------------
V'tayn could only look from his ledge above but he knew to stay weyrbound was is only choice with Anarath so proddy. He was worried; if he took her own there among those bronzes she would rise for sure. Or so he was like to think. So V'tayn sat on his bed and made himself comfortable, commanding Anarath to do the same.
----------------------------
Osgilath wouldn't be denied and L'thyr had to run to catch him, coming out just as the Old Guard was arriving. The cobalt dragon's mind was a war of both aggression and interest; Osgilath clearly could not decide whether he wanted to run the intruders off or take some time inspecting the green females. A familiar face stood out from the crowd and L'thyr smiled. That was really Z'ash, easily confirmed by the shocked expression of Weyrling Master Ashrah.
-----------------------
Z'ash spotted L'thyr and gave a friendly nod. He was eager to see his classmates and mother; really it was the only good thing he could see about this wretched situation. A dull familiar ache pained him suddenly and he closed his eyes against it. He had lost good teachers and the old Weyrleader had been a solid, capable man. To see their dragons die off one by one, was horrible. Then there was Vioneth; despite whom she mated with everyone knew that a queen had a subtle but deep attachment to the bronzes of her Weyr. Manticath crooned sadly, pressing the length of his head against his rider's back.

I'm sorry, lad. I am so sorry. Z'ash told him. What could he say? Vioneth was gone and one by one the queens were dying. Only Olenath was left. Could she even still rise to mate? Z'ash did not know, Firene wasn't young.
---------------------------------------
E'ret swung into Itzelbith's saddle and urged the Quartz to drop off of his ledge. Their edge was one of the highest, so they had a good view of the proceedings. Itzelbith spotted Gaveth and made for his Wingleader, checking his opal washed wings to spiral gently to join the Cobalt.

"Itzelbith heard Nolinth's declaration." E'ret said as he approached Sidran. "Is it as bad as Jah'vi says?"

Vianne took a bit of a deep breath, reassured by the surety in the Weyrlingmaster's voice. "Thank you ma'am," she said quietly.

Ceronith tromped happily alongside the much larger scarlet, but as they got closer the irrepressible little quartz slowed slightly. The feelings of sorrow and desperation and mourning and...so many things washed off the gathered dragons in their beautiful greens and blues and bronzes and browns. She looked back to her rider, and up at Hesriath, and shook herself before moving forward toward Nolinth.

Are you sure you have to touch them? Vianne asked, her heart beating faster.

She paused and considered, reaching for the bronze and not seeing what she was looking for. Yes, decisively, and then she moved forward with another little chirrup, stretching out her muzzle for Nolinth. Look! she caroled, sharing the purely sparkling threads that wound through the bronze. Not a hint of oily sickness. And as she moved from the next to the next, the pictures shifted, but that untainted light remained the same.

*
Sidran did not move to embrace Jah'vi as Br'son had, standing back enough to overhear, but not be part of the moment. She kept her eyes on them, but a bit of her posture eased, welcoming E'ret silently. "Yes," she said, her tone steady only with effort. "Vioneth is gone, and she wasn't the first to go. Only Olenath is left at Eastern of the queens."

*
H'den returned the nod, his eyes on the little quartz busily making her way from dragon to dragon, and counting. The number didn't change, but he kept counting.

Jah'vi nodded in weary agreement with T'kal. "But most of us are just happy to be back with our brothers and sisters," he said firmly, glancing past Br'son to Sidrian with a small smile.

Nolinth turned his head and sniffed curiously at the tiny, tiny little quartz. His head was on the ground, level with her's, and he gave a little chirp himself and a very gentle poke with his nose. I look like that? he asked in shock when Ceronith shared her image of him, transfixed by the pretty colors.

He gave a little whiffle of disappointment when the interesting little quartz moved on, but she had a job to do. He would play with her later, he promised himself.

* * *

Ceronith is inspecting the newcomers, Ensieth informed the other weyrling dragons, still in her protective position at the entrance to the barracks next to her shadow sister. There is no sickness so far.

Teagan had padded up, getting as close as Ensieth considered safe. She remembered the day that a bronze and blue from Eastern had shown up to chase Hesriath, and she wondered if those two riders were out there.

"Shouldn't we be out there?" Breklynn asked, tension coiling in her and aching for a release. "What if this is a trick and they start a fight?"

"Ensieth says we stay here, we stay here," Teagan said, trying her best to emulate Ashrah's "listen to me and shut up" voice. "Yvalleth will tell Aliseth and Ensieth when we can join the others." She glanced at the other girls, noticing that most of the others were just standing there as well as she.

Standing around wouldn't help in any situation, she thought. "Why don't we all get dressed?" she suggested. "That way we'll be ready to help if and when we're needed. We might need to move, or we might need to help the riders from Eastern. Either way we should be dressed." She didn't wait to see if anyone was listening, going straight to her bunk to get herself ready. Ensieth said nothing, but sent a pulse of pride.

Antonia raised an eyebrow at the youngest weyrling's 'orders'. It made sense, she supposed, but hearing words like that coming from a child was odd. The queens chose carefully, it appeared.

"You heard the queenrider," she said, perhaps a tiny bit of bemusement in her voice. "Let's get dressed."

Ceronith hummed as she went, partly in reply to Nolinth, partly in enjoyment at meeting and seeing (and 'seeing') all these new dragons. With each glowingly clear image, her rider relaxed, enough that the quartz didn't even notice if any of the new dragons didn't welcome her touch.

*
Aliseth's silence was so threatening E'zen had come out wearing only loose pants, hair sleepily ruffled, and leaned just inside with eyes only for his shadow. He didn't think there would be blood spilt, but...he didn't necessarily think it wouldn't be, either. Better to be safe, keep his attention locked on his dragon.

*
Abry rolled half up, blinked muzzily around, and frowned. She didn't want to get up, no one was asking for them, and Lizzoth was not remotely heated up the way everyone else was.

But Teagan's point was solid...With a noise of disgust aimed at no one and for everyone, she sat up, yawned, scratched her hair back into a semblance of control, and stood. "They chased everyone out, least they coulda done was wait for morning."

Her mother's arms wrapped more tightly around her as they landed. Brielody watched, wondering what the reaction of these mutations would be. She didn't like them but that was no secret to anyone who had been around her before. Her brother was nearby with his brown, someone she could count on for solidarity. Their discussion had been short after the death of their father and his blue.

They had decided on the only course of action that made sense given their situation. Their little sister and mother needed them to take them to civilization. They balked at the idea of throwing themselves at the mercy of these other dragonriders but what choice did they really have. Aurayath wanted the leadership of a Queen and while a Gold would have been preferable to Brielody, Aurayath didn't really care.

They are nicer than we are. The green commented as the little quartz came around to inspect them all. See how they are willing to accept us even after our kind forced them to leave. The green spoke only to her rider, who still seemed unable to trust things were going to be that easy.

"But at what cost?" She spoke under her breath, knowing no one but her green could hear her.

"Who is left at Eastern?" Br'son asked, his eyes darting from Jah'vi to Sidran and back again. "Is Firene leading? What of the Weyrfolk?"

There had been hundreds of dragons... surely not ALL of them would die?

***

Avidian watched, then spoke a few quiet orders to his men. It looked as if these newcomers were here to stay, at least for a while. Well, fine. They'd each be shadowed by one of his guys, just to ensure that everything was on the up and up. Perhaps he'd speak with Fleur again as well. Maybe some more of the ladies could welcome these riders. A few of the men, too, perhaps, though the ladies had the advantage of being able to bear children...

He'd speak to Dividia too, he decided. Those wher eggs would hatch soon, and he meant to ensure that his people Impressed them.

Gwin kept staring after the tiny quartz prancing about, trying to ignore the inflection in Br'son's voice, the implication, her twin's face and Torragath, sickening, and...

At least they came somewhere nice, Beniath said, looking around and recognizing many of her clutchmates. It had felt wrong, everyone gone, and then went wronger still, and maybe coming here would make things right. The little green shifted enough to touch muzzles with the tiny quartz, and a quick shot of comforted pleasure went through them. It will be better here?

Gwin slid off her goggles so she had something to fidget with, and swallowed. "It has to be better," she replied quietly, not wanting to interrupt Jah'vi and Br'son talking, or T'kal and Z'ash, just wanting to get to somewhere quiet and theirs so she could curl up and pretend none of this was real.

*
Even Sidran's face couldn't keep a neutral expression, with that. Gaveth's sired clutch - had some of those survived? Was Firene - surely Firene and Olenath...

Her thoughts didn't even complete, just silence and dread hanging between her and Gaveth as she waited for Jah'vi's answer.

Z'ash stood at the shoulder of his dragon and Manticath lowered his tarnished bronze head as the little quartz passed him. The bronze rumbled and a curious note pass through his thoughts to his rider.

[[What is it?]] Z'ash asked, looking up. Manticath looked down at his rider, eyes whirling slowly as if considering the question.

It is a funny thing to talk to a dragon who sounds female but does not smell female. Greens, scarlets, Titaniums, and Golds? They all have a certain, female smell about them. Surely, these other dragons are interesting siblings after a fashion.

[[I suppose that is rather strange.]] Z'ash said. [[However, I have heard these quartz are talented in interesting ways. It will be good to see how.]]

Catching sight of Gwin, Z'ash wanted to go check on her. Pausing to look over at Ashrah for a moment, he spared her an encourage smile before peeling off from Jah'vi. T'kal was more his second than he was, for all that T'kal rode a blue. The Weyrsinger had a force of personality that was hard to reckon with and he was of Jah'is weyrling class. Naturally, they should feel more confortable. Sliding alongside the green rider, Z'ash cleared his throat.

"You look worried, Gwin. Anything I can do to help?" he asked. Young or not, it didn't stop Z'ash from feeling that he had a responsibility to seeing to the welfare of his classmates. He felt they all had a common bond, having Impressed dragons that were on all counts full siblings. As a bronze rider living in Eastern Weyr, it was always pressed upon him that a bronze rider had things that were expected of him. Being one of the few bronze riders left, Z'ash knew he had a duty to help others.

Gwin attempted a smile for her younger classmate - former classmate, they'd all been graduated for months (and what months those had been) - though it was a ghastly shadow of her usual bubbly grin. She'd never been any good at pretending to be feeling anything other than what she was actually feeling.

"Not unless you can hurry this along. I want to just...I just need to curl up somewhere quiet, you know? Not think about all this. Not think about Serin," she'd been so jealous when her twin had Impressed first. And now, that timing, that quirk of dam and timing, was the difference between Torragath, fading, and Beniath, glowing in good health as ever. "Not - not any of this..." her voice trailed off, and she hugged herself, goggles bouncing off her hip. "How is everyone so calm?"

Maybe they weren't. Maybe she just could see.

That quartz is nice, isn't she Manticath? And soon we will see everyone else. This was where they were now. It would be better.

Jah'vi shook his head, face going paler than it was. "A handful of blues and greens, dragonless that haven't suicided, family members who refused to go," he said, voice shaking. He opened his jacket and pulled out a flask, which he took a long draw off of. "Olenath seems healthy. Firene told us to come here... she said she had things to do."

The rustling of his jacket brought an annoyed chirp, and a previously hidden head peered out from under the collar. Jah'vi gave a tiny laugh and reached his hand up. "You never got to meet Trouble," he said, smiling weakly. "He seems fine... none of the fire lizards seemed to get sick." There was hope in his voice as he scratched the little bronzes neck. "Can your quartz tell...?"

*****

Teagan marched up to Ensieth, pulling herself up to her full height. She glanced at E'zen and gave a small smile. Most of the other female weyrlings had listened to her... or maybe they'd listened to Ensieth. It didn't matter, they'd listened.

"Ensieth tell Yvalleth we're ready to help," she told her shadow.

The little queen bowed her head and reached out to her dame. The female weyrlings are prepared to help the newcomers, she said, including the image of those gathered and ready to feed and find bedding for the new riders of White Lightening.

Kane had been surprised at Nolinth's voice in his head.  From his experience, many of the dragons spoke only to those non-riders they knew, or were instructed to speak with.  But this one bespoke whoever would listen-- at least for the moment.

The bronze's news was rather ominous as it was, though he knew not who this Vioneth was.  Presumably a gold or bronze-- a Weyrleader?-- for it to be what drove the dragons to traveling to the canyon despite knowing how unwelcome they might be.

He knew he'd find out sooner or later, once everything filtered down and they were given orders of one sort or another-- the same as had happened when the original dragonriders showed up unannounced.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Jemma blinked sleepily, unable to process what was going on, despite the strange draconic voice that had woken her earlier.  "What's going on?  We're getting back up?"

Frowning at the others, she copied their actions, trying to make sense of it all.

Other dragons are here.  Ceronith goes to check that they are not sick.  Should we not be watching over her?

Not that Aliseth and Eniseth weren't already doing that.  But when Finnadeth had been called forward the last time they'd had a visitor, the rest had gone with him to make sure he was all right.  Why would they not do the same for Ceronith?

>>>>>>>>>>>

"Right?" Revel agreed with Abry, not even attempting to stifle the huge yawn she had coming.  But she also couldn't argue against Teagan's words.  

Despite coming to know the riders who'd been exiled to White Lightning, she had no direct bones to pick with those from Eastern who'd sent them away.  Surely not all of them were against the mutant colors-- and it wasn't in her to serve even the rudest 'customer' as it were, despite how she or one of her friends had been treated.

They were people, too, and would need food and shelter, the seme as the rest of them.

"Maybe they'll let us sleep in tomorrow?"

>>>>>>>>>>>

R'fariel had grabbed the tiny bit of firestone he'd had left since the last 'Fall at Casriel's orders-- he might not take practices seriously, but full Threadfalls were another story, and he wasn't going to allow either himself or Vorganth to be unprepared for the event.  Nor was he going to be wasteful when they'd been sent away from Eastern with little enough resources as it was.  So, unlike his wingleader, he hadn't actually fed it to his cobalt, just in case it wasn't needed.

For now, he and Vorganth were waiting up on the rim with the rest of their wingmates.  And he tried to remain impassive, despite the fact that familiar faces were appearing-- classmates, friends.  Family of the same.  Some of whom were welcome, others who were not.

Knowing Kyabree might be hit hard by the arrival of her siblings, he had Vorganth relay a message of support to Nwynth.

My rider wants yours to know he is here if she needs him.

Z'ash gave a crooked, somewhat helpless smile and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't old enough to have any real authority and he was most certainly not Weyrleader. That was Jah'vi if it was anyone. His bronze was the oldest one left.

"Would that I could,' he said. 'but it is not that simple. It is a very political climate out there."

"I know how you feel." he said when she mentioned her sister. His thoughts went to R'hast and his mother. His belly went to ice.

"That's my mother over there, with the Weyrling Master's knots. Somehow I have to tell her that her twin brother is dragonless. My uncle rode blue Pivolth. Pivolth didn't make it and I don't think Hesriath or Ashrah knows yet." he said softly. He did not have the words to talk about R'hant and Ashlanthi; his grandparents.

"I don't even know if he will come. Shards, he could suicide before we even get back."  Z'ash sighed, rubbing his arms.
-----------------------------------
Victory was doing a fly over when the bronze firelizard made his appearance. Without another thought, the queen firelizard dove down to the dragonriders, circling swiftly around the Eastern riders. The glint of gold off of Victory's wings caught Casriel's eye. The Wingleader growled.

Victory. Get back here!

The queen looked up at were Casriel sat on her cobalt. Then, as young queen's were like to do, she ignored the command and passed over Jah'vis head almost lazily. She chirped to the bronze, playfully. She remembered him; just recently she had brought his rider a message.

~Play?~  Victory asked Trouble and trilled.

'That queen!' Casriel thought.

Maraxith, tell Nimath to maintain a position on the heights. We're going down. Casriel said.

Nimath. You are on point. Casriel and I are going down. Keep your position. Maraxith said and dropped off the heights. The large plum colored cobalt landed behind Yllaveth and Casriel dropped from the saddle. She marched up boldly and took up a standing just behind and to the other shoulder of Sidran, opposite of E'ret.

Gwin's throat closed - twin, dragonless, suicide - and she couldn't take her eyes off the older scarletrider for several long moments. Beniath made a sweet sound, low in her throat, and the greenrider startled.

"It's so awful," all of it, and of course an understatement, but she had never understood why things needed to be hard. Wasn't Thread enough for them to deal with? "We should be making it worse with - with...politics."

*
Nimath spread her wings in answer to the cobalt, and H'den restrained himself from making a face. He was tired of shows of force for the show of it, and his usually fierce scarlet was absorbing the echoing grief and deep exhaustion of the huddled Eastern dragons - let it be done.

"That might be the very nature of us metallics. For us all to deem ourselves so very important. Our pride especially." Z'ash said with a deeply bitter laugh that made him seem older than he was. He had seen so much death, so much despair. He never could have dreamed he would Impress his bronze dragon Manticath and then go on to bear witness the Great Dragon Plague of the tenth Pass. The words came hard on his heart and soured in his mouth.

"It is awful." he agreed.