Rumor and Innuendo

Siona took her seat in the Dining Hall and looked around expectantly. Naturally, she had been out on a sweep/hunt when G'sen and his green had showed up here earlier in the day, so she'd missed all the excitement. However, it was now time to eat, and with eating came conversation, and she was reasonably confident she could get someone to give her a full account of what had happened.

Plus, she had wine.

It was a good thing that she had decided to dismiss the Bright Hopes to an early lunch because Ashrah could not concentrate. A rider had come bearing a message, a greenrider who could have also been bearing illness. Ceronith seemed certain that none of the dragons of White Lightning would be affected but Ashrah feared. She might know just what she was saying but Ceronith was a dragonet. A young dragon and what if she was only partially right. What is it was more than just gold and bronze dragons; her heart gave a painful lurch to think of the word 'bronze' and Z'ash face floated up in her mind's eyes. She forced down a hitch of breath, batted back a tear.

'And what it this affects all traditional colored dragons. Would all the ones she cared for, Z'ash, T'kal and dear sweet Jah'vi..would they all be left Dragonless men?

She shuddered; she could hardly bare the weight of the air. It was thick with tension. She threw herself down in a seat and looked up to see Siona.

"Searchrider, my apologies." Ashrah said gruffly. She ran a hand through her thick, blond hair. It had come unbound and now fell around her as heavy and thick as honey.

"None needed," Siona replied with a smile. "Please, join me. You look like you might could use a drink, Weyrlingmaster?" she said, using voice inflection to make it a question. Inside, the quartzrider was delighted. If anyone had had a front-row seat to this afternoon's events, it had been Ashrah. Now, whether or not the Weyrlingmaster would talk to her was another question, but Siona could be very charismatic when she chose.

She took her wineskin and hovered it over a nearby glass, raising her eyebrows in a silent repetition of her questioning offer.

"I cannot argue with that and you have my thanks." Ashrah said, extending her arm for the wine skin. Wine would be most welcome at this point.

"I do not know if you were present but a messenger came from Eastern Weyr. G'san of green Hayleth, bringing a message to one of my Weyrlings, M'drist of Brown Finnedath, that he could receive "real and proper" training at Eastern Weyr and that he was welcome to come with him. I suppose he just thought he would strap Finnedath on Hayleth's back and fly straight back to sharding Eastern! What's more than that Ceronith, Vianne's young quartz, discovered that Hayleth is sick! Sick with some illness that is killing off golds and bronzes alike. Sending a sick dragon here and hiding this news from us. Yllaveth had to force it from that green's mouth." Ashrah grew her hand into a fist and she shook with anger.

"Does their mendacity know no bounds?" Ashrah exclaimed hotly.

Siona's eyes went wide. She'd heard that there had been a green visitor from Eastern, but not much else. She'd rather thought that it might have something to do with the new hatchlings, but the full story surprised her. Not much generally did, for thanks to Lolath, she was privy to people's darkest desires, but this...

"Apparently it doesn't," she replied, pouring Ashrah's wine and nudging the glass close. "Wow. What an insult to you... to all of us. And poor Hayleth is sick? Did the hatchling... Ceronith? Did she say if any of the dragons present contracted the green's illness?"

"Ceronith stated that the dragons of White Lightning Weyr show no sign of disease. She stated Hayleth was sick but she showed no outward sign of disease. As all quartz dragons, Ceronith seems to be in possession of a unique talent that allows her to sense illness in others."

Ashrah's throat tightened. She could not think of losing Z'ash. Had it not been sharding enough to lose his father, Z'fel?!

"Hesriath is posted up before the Weyrling Barracks as fiercely as any Gold around her clutch. I doubt Eastern will try and force their way into White Lightning to steal M'drist and Finnedath but we're taking no chances. Though I am not sure if I am more worried about what an Eastern rider would do to M'drist or what M'drist may do in a moment of very pragmatic action. " Ashrah said. She had seen the cool, detached look in his deep brown eyes.

'He will kill if it is the most direct path to ending the confrontation.' Ashrah thought with dead certainty.

"How fares Lolath?" Ashrah asked, suddenly aware of her lack of manners.

Siona's face lost its habitually amused look as she heard Ashrah's words about the young brown weyrling. He was canyon bred, after all. Siona herself had seen the brutal practicality of the canyoners in action. She blinked and took a sip of her own wine to steady her nerves, and then looked back up at the Weyrlingmaster, her smile coming back.

"Oh! Lolath, you know. She's always fantastic. A bit put out that we missed all the excitement, but that's nothing new. She's always one to enjoy some good drama." She took another sip before lowering the glass. "You know, if and when you have a need, we'd be happy to volunteer to work with some of your quartz charges, if you want. Just have Hesriath let Lolath know."

Ashrah's face took on a thoughtful look and she rubbed her chin as she considered. After moment, she dropped her hand to the table and her right index finger traced the grain of the wood as she spoke.

"Yes, I think that would be very helpful. I had been meaning to talk to you about that. You and E'ret both have good heads on your shoulders and are well versed in your Quartz dragon's abilities. I have four quartz weyrlings and only one has really sussed out her talent. It would be good to have adult quartz riders they feel comfortable talking with." Ashrah replied.