Return and Revive

[Spirithawk]

Kaith circled the Bowl, 2 pairs of eyes, one jewel-faceted, one warm brown, scrutinized every inch of the bowl, noting where one of the walls had started to crumble and dropped more boulders into the Bowl. All of the patches of grass that had erupted were noted, as were the trees that had sprouted up where none belonged. All would need to be cleaned up.

Christae was certain that there would be some mess to clean. No weyr could go even one month uninhabited without having animals and dust move in. She just hoped that the damage was minimal.

The enormous golden dragon turned on a wing-tip. The rim of the Bowl would likely have to be blasted in a few places to melt the stone and stabilize it. That was normal, but it hadn't been done recently. Grass was easy to remove. The dust would be swept out and the animals uprooted from their places.

The herd pens were empty, but that too would be remedied. The herds had been turned loose. It wouldn't take much to round the wild ones back up and bring them in.

Christae was determined to make this weyr work. She had tried transferring to Ista. It was nice there, but it wasn't home. She became ever more restless and unhappy there. She disliked the fact that she was treated like a junior queenrider even though she had been a Weyrwoman for several Turns. Technically, she was a Junior Weyrwoman, but she was treated as if she didn't know how to run a weyr and that rankled.

Finally, Christae reached the end of her patience. Kaith had sent a message out to her former riders stating that she was returning to Dark Moon and reopening it. Those that wanted to stay where they were could do so with her blessing. She would welcome those who came back.

Christae was aware that there were already a few strikes against the weyr. The timing expedition had been a success that had shocked the other Weyrs. The silver queen was mature and nearly ready for her first flight. The golden queen was a half a Turn behind her sister now thanks to their staging. Kaith still had several months before her next flight.

That would give them enough time to see who was coming back and who would transfer. Then, a hatching would bolster their ranks. This would work.

Who are you trying to convince love?

Not convince, just plan. Christae's voice was determined. This would work.

Kaith settled down into the bowl after a leisurly downward spiral. Christae stayed on her dragon for a few minutes, just looking around at her home. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Now it was just to wait and see who would arrive in the next few days and sevendays.

[catilena1890]

While Christae waited, two Dragons bugled as they erupted from Between. Flying side by side, a pudgy brown and a leggy green made a beeline for the weyr, their riders waving at the weyrwoman and her dragon. The two dragons pumped their wings while their riders and passengers braced themselves during the descent.

Kaith! We have heard your call, Relina and Soranith return to Dark Moon!

Glorious Kaith! We have heard your call, D'lan and Lenoth return to Dark Moon! Soranith and Lenoth called out simultaneously. Sitting up in the straps, Relina stared at Christae with a stern, yet proud glint in her eyes.

"We have missed this place, Weyrwoman. And look, I have brought you a candidate." She said, tilting her body to reveal an exhilarated Catilena, who beamed at the weyrwoman and her dragon.

"HIIIIIIIII!!!" She yelped, looking around at the disheveled weyr. turning back to the weyrwoman, she continued to smile.

"Seems this place needs a bit of TLC. Well, that's what candidates are for right? I`ll have this place back in shape before you know it, dearest Weyrwoman. Relina, let me down let me down!" She piped excitedly. Relina rolled her eyes and helped Catilena out of the straps, who immediately ran to the nearest mess and began to work, picking up various debris and blowing away some dust. Relina rolled her eyes while D'lan and Lenoth landed, chuckling softly.

"Are you sure you're the YOUNGER sister?" He asked. Relina gave him a half-glare while she storked her dragon, Zorn and Rhythm chittering on the back of the dragon.

"I wonder that myself sometimes. Sorry for her attitude WeyrWoman, she is merely excited." She said while Soranith watched Catilena in amusement.

I think she is funny. Said the green, earning a sigh from her rider.

[Akki]

She was going to vomit due to excitement.

Or pee her pants.

And considering that Akki was currently astride Ebbeth, she had the feeling that the latter wasn’t really an option at all. She had the feeling that the blue wouldn’t take that action very kindly; she pictured herself being flung off and freefalling towards the ground. She couldn’t have that, oh no, she had things to do after all. Places to go.

Places like home.

Both blue and rider could see the Weyr growing as they neared it. Yes, they could have gone Between and saved themselves this trip but….they wanted to see the Weyr. The pair had missed it, craved for it, they needed to see it. They need to have their hearts fill up when the Weyr came into view. It was just necessary, that was all. Akki could feel her heart catch in her throat.

Dark Moon Weyr. Her Weyr. She loved that place oh so dearly, nowhere compared to it. She hated every moment of being away from it – the other Weyrs she went too were nothing like Dark Moon Weyr. They ate away at her being, at her personality and she could feel herself going sour. Some people had issues with her being a blue rider, or her personality. That was fine with her; she could handle those kind of comments. It was the people who looked down on Ebbeth, calling him a broken dragon, because he was mute. Those were the comments that ruined her. They affected her blue too.

He didn’t care what people thought of him, but seeing his rider get bummed out over it made him react. The blue became sour towards other dragons, almost resentful. It was a mess, really. The pair turned into a somewhat destructive force. Akki and Ebbeth joined flights where they knew it would bother people if they won; no one wanted to lose to the supposed ‘broken’ dragon. The other dragons might be faster but Ebbeth had something they didn’t; a determination to win with a nice hint of rage. It was a lethal combination, but it worked. Akki and Ebbeth were the victors of a fair number of Flights and it was certainly a self-destructive lifestyle that they were oblivious too. Flightlust made Akki sleep with people that she didn’t care about and it was slowly destroying who she was on the inside.

Ebbeth could sense it; there was no hiding it and he knew things needed to change. When he caught wind of Dark Moon, he didn’t hesitate. The blue barreled around the Weyr until he found his Rider and immediately snatched her up. They didn’t even bother packing all their stuff; they just took one small pack with them and quickly set off. They needed their Dark Moon Weyr.

And there it was.

The pair flew over the Weyrbowl and Ebbeth unlocked his jaws and let out a silent bugle of triumph before landing in the Bowl, dust flying up around them.

Clutch-sister, I’ve been waiting a long time to say this. Ebbeth rumbled, folding his wings as he turned his head to stare at the large Gold. It’s good to be home, my Queen.

Akki slid down from her blue and grinned at everyone. “Shards, this is how you make a girl cry.”

The Weyr was more or less in shambles, but Akki was pretty sure she had never seen such a beautiful sight. This place would be cleaned up in no time.

[Spirithawk]

Christae wasn't really surprised by how quickly people began arriving. The decision to close the weyr hadn't been an easy one for the young Weyrwoman but the grey cast to her Queen and her own collapse had left her with little choice. The weyr was unstable after the weyrlings were brought back and the returning dragons were tired as well. The other Weyrleaders had been suggesting for a few sevendays that Christae accept the inevitable and break up the weyr.

"Inevitable. Shards. I'll show them inevitable." Christae watched as her queen, now glowingly golden with happiness, bugled a welcome to the two dragons who emerged from between not long after she and her Queen had settled to the ground.

She watched with bemused happiness as the two dragons landed and their riders and extra passenger dismounted.

"Welcome home." The happiness she felt gave warmth to the simple greeting and her eyes shone. "Well met Catilena. We are happy to have you here at Dark Moon. Please excuse the disrepair."

Her laugh sounded freely when the young Candidate promptly began tackling the task that Christae had so recently surveyed. Her lips twitched as she tried to rein in her mirth as the brownrider questioned about one of the girls being the younger sister.

"Patience child. There will be plenty of time for your enthusiasm to be put to use. Let's take inventory first. Some tasks will be more important than others."

]My brother! Kaith reared up and let out a exultant bugle as a familiar blue form emerged from between and began to make his way back down.

Christae didn't bother to fight back the tears that wanted to spring from her eyes. There was one other who could nearly bring her to tears like this, but she hadn't heard whether or not Kaith's other clutch-brother and his rider would return or not. Akki and Ebbeth's return was unexpepcted. She only hoped that Rhia and brown Mneith would feel the same way about returning as Akki and her blue did.

Christae laughed through her tears at Akki's greeting. "It certainly is!" She threw her arms in a tight hug around the bluerider. "Welcome home." Her voice was soft and choked with emotion. Dark Moon wouldn't be Dark Moon if Akki and Ebbeth weren't here. Kaith echoed the sentiments as she stretched her neck to brush her wedge-shaped head against Ebbeth's in greeting. There was a possessiveness there that would always be there. She was Queen. It was right that her green, brown, and blue had returned. The others would come back too.

"Did you hear from Rhia?" The question was asked with just a hint of uncertainty and hope.

[Akki]

Akki’s arms quickly wrapped around the Weyrwoman, holding tight.

Faranth, how she had missed Christae.

The pair had grown up together at Dark Moon, their dragons born from the same clutch. It felt unnatural to have any Weyrwoman who wasn’t her; it just wasn’t right. Christae would always be her one and only in terms of Weyrwomen, there was no replacement. The bluerider was quick to learn that one when she flitted about various Weyrs during Dark Moon’s dead days.

“It’s good to be back, believe me.” Akki laughed softly as she let her arms fall to her sides. Faranth, was it ever good to be back.

Ebbeth lightly butted his head against Kaith’s. It’s good to see you again, clutch-sister. The blue rumbled softly, his sides vibrating as he made noiseless sounds. He cast a look down at his rider and confided to the Gold, It has been a while since I have seen her like that. I have you and Yours to thank for this.

It was funny for Akki was thinking the same thing but about her blue.

At Christae’s question, Akki seemed to fold into herself for a second. She wrapped her fingers around Christae’s wrist and squeezed lightly for a moment. A soft, mournful smile played on her lips. “I heard from her. Sargon went about for me; I wanted to see who was returning as soon as I heard the noise. He got word from her for me.” The woman paused and sighed. “She’s not sure yet, Christae. Rhia hasn’t decided whether or not she is returning to Dark Moon.”

The news had broken Akki’s heart and after that, she didn’t let Sargon go to the others. She didn’t want any more bad news; she would simply wait at Dark Moon to see who would return. For Akki, it was such a simple decision to return. There was no hesitation but her time at the other Weyrs was not an overly pleasant one. If former Dark Moon riders were having better luck than she then she supposed they had every right to stay. It still hurt though. “I’m sorry.” There was no doubt in her mind that Christae had wanted the opposite answer; that Rhia would be here in a few days with Mneith.

Akki turned away, her eyes falling on the others in the Bowl. She needed to think happy thoughts which required a distraction from Rhia’s absence. The bluerider snapped her fingers, “Oi! You lot! Come ‘ere, I want to take a look at you all. Shards, you three have grown; it’s freaking me out a tad. Making me feel old and what-not.” She glanced at D’lan and grinned lopsidedly, “Let’s wait and see if Z’ayr comes back, eh? If I remember correctly, he was rather fond of you.”

You feel old because you are old. Ebbeth snorted with amusement. Hello, you two. It’s good to see some young blood coming back. He commented to the green and brown before casting a glance over at Kaith, No offense, my Queen.