And then there were 22

[Torva Anian]

A little blue blur wizzed through hallways barely avoiding all the walls. It worked in a circular pattern around the hatching grounds. Sorcha had been waiting for a few weeks for the eggs to be left unguarded but it had taken forever to get them along. Now finally the queen had gone off to eat or something and for once there wasn't a drudge or something in the way. That blue blob finally stopped back in the hatching grounds and chirped softly.

Sorcha nodded, the blue fire lizard had seen no one around the hatching grounds and no one in there. Finally here was her chance to snatch an egg. She went through the hallways until she stood on the stands.

Each egg seemed perfect and beautiful. When she had thought of stealing one it had seemed simple. Just pick one that seemed important or pick one that she thought she could impress. But now, looking at them all, she had no clue which one to get. In the end the unknown element of time decided her.

She grabbed the bag she had brought with her and pulled her small shovel out of her belt. She shoveled some of the warm sand into a fairly large bag. Then she pushed the egg carfully into the bag and picked it up. She sent the flitt outside and walked down hallways only after the flitt had checked that it was clear of flitts and other people did she move forward.

Finally Sorcha made it out of the weyr. That was the trickiest part. Making it past the watch wehr without being seen would be hard but she had been watching the creature and its' habits. On top of that her hiding place wasn't that far from the weyr. She didn't have to go down that long winding road and risk the thing finding her and telling the weyr of her theivery.

She set the egg down carefully in her hiding place hidden from all view. She thumped down on the little cot and looked over at the sleeping form of Dicer. He would see the egg and know it for what it was. She didn't want fingers blamed at her but she didn't really want to be in the weyr. For tonight she would stay here but tomorrow she would have to make a hard decision. Stay in the weyr because of love or leave because of family.

(( Ooc Note:
The egg taken was described thus:
On Page 5 of the clutching topic
This egg was a deep black color. The egg was as shiney as the others and a person could see his or her reflection in the inky black depths of the shell. The egg looked like a void, pure black without any lines or fractures of color along its surface.

Because of the flitt watching out no one will see her or catch her.))

[Dragon]

Dicer nodded awake and rolled over to the other side. He gave a smirk when he saw Sorcha. It had been awhile since he had seen her. He pulled her close to him and started to kiss her. "Shards I have.......missed....you", he trailed off as he saw the egg. "So you finally did it did you? The eggs have been clutched", he said and stared at the egg. "You picked a fine one at that too", he said to her. Too bad he had really no idea if it were a green inside that egg or not.

[Torva Anian]

Sorcha nodded and bit her lip, "I just have to figure out how to go about the next part. I already know that I have to be very careful but I need to also find the right words and time." She sighed. She moved some of the cloth away and revealed the color. "I couldn't really figure out what any egg contained so I took this one. She look at him, "What do you think? Good choice?....I hope this works." She leaned back against him for support.

[Dragon]

"It's a very nice one. Don't worry I am sure you can pull this off. You have had my help. Don't worry", he said to her and kissed her. "Now it's been awhile. Let's worry about that later. For now......", he trailed off and kissed her.

[Torva Anian]

She kissed him back and her arms wrapped around him. She might never admit it but she needed his support now. She was filled with doubts and needed someone to lean on. She settled herself beside him on the little cot type thing. She pressed herself closer to him and did her best to let the worries melt away. She pulled back slightly, "So do you still wish to impress and try to be a dragonrider?"

[Dragon]

"Of course", he said and kissed her again. "Let's forget about these worries, its been so long since we have been together", he said and kissed deeper. He rolled on top of her and kissed more passionantly. Oh how he did miss her.

[Torva Anian]

Sorcha kissed him back and kept him close. She worried that he might let himself go too far but he was always the one with the better self control so she shouldn't really worry about him should she? She relax under him and murmured softly against his lips.

[Dragon]

He rested on top of her as he kissed her. His arms wrapped around her.

[Spirithawk]

Kaith flew into the tunnel connecting the WeyrBowl to the Hatching Grounds. Her large wingspan barely cleared the edges of the rough hewn opening. Thousands of dragons had entered through this tunnel but none were as large as Dark Moon's glorious senior Queen. Her bulk was a bit diminished now that she was no longer egg-heav, but she was still one of Pern's largest Queens. Only the famous Benden Queen Ramoth was larger than she in size. Her bronzen mate was the largest of the Dark Moon males, but even his great size was not equalled to her own length.

Kaith had not been satisfied with the food she had been offered. The bronzes simply could not choose the right morsels to fit her raging appetite. She had fed well and was returning to her precious eggs. Her bonded had washed and oiled her hide as she fed working from her tail to her head so that by the time the great Queen had finished eating Christae had reached her head and was quickly finished. Kaith had grumbled about the wait while her beloved cleaned her head and oiled the supple hide, but she did not complain loudly. Several sevendays had passed since her hide had felt this silky.

She once again felt like the magnificent Queen she was. Her hide glittered in the sunlight and only the flickering light of the glows in the cavern dimmed the bright yellow-gold of her soft hide. She landed on the edge of the circle of eggs, her head held proudly and her eyes whirling softly with contentment. She started to move around the glistening eggs, admiring the jewel-like intensity of their hardening shells. These eggs contained her offspring and one day soon she would be watching them choose the human partner that would help them grow as he own bonded had done. She would watch their first steps, awkward and unsure, as they made their way past the unworthy Candidates to find the one that their hearts called to just as she had done Turns before when she had picked Christae from the crowd of cowering girls.

Kaith paused, sensing that something was wrong. She had walked a full circle around her eggs, stopping only near the raised mound where she kept careful watch over her precious children, the future and hope of all Pern. She made her way around the eggs again, carefully breathing in the air and sorting out the scents of hide oil, fresh meat, hot sand, and hardening egg shell. Someone had been in the cavern while she was away, she was sure of it. Her jewel-faceted eyes flicked over her eggs again, more thoroughly this time. She walked forward, crouching to touch the empty place where one of her darling eggs had stood. She had turned this egg not hours before and now it was no longer in its place.

The great Queen reared up onto her hind legs, her wings stretching to their full length as she let out an unearthly scream that sent all of the Weyr's flitts and the nearby wild ones into flight, wild with fear. The watch dragon raised himself from his post, trumpeting a challenge to anyone who would dare to agitate his Queen. The Weyr's bronzes bugled in confusion as they sensed the rage building up in their beloved Queen.

Kaith's eyes whirled with voilent shades of red. She lifted off from the sandy floor, throwing bits of grit in all directions. She charged out of the cavern, screaming for all to hear.

THIEF! THIEF! I WILL KILL THE THEIF WHEN I FIND HER! She screamed. Christae was out in the Bowl, talking to some of the other riders when she felt her Queen's wrath. The Weyrwoman's face paled. "Someone has stolen one of Kaith's eggs!" She cried. She watched helplessly as dragons launched themselves into the air, some riderless, some bringing their chosens along for the ride. Some of the fighting dragons were spouting flame heedless of the close proximity of their fellow dragons. All were bellowing with fury. A Queen's egg had been stolen, her Queen's egg. "Shiron!" Christae yelled.

She turned to some of the riders. "No one is to leave this Weyr and no one is to enter unless they are questioned and searched. Send messages to all of the Weyrs and Crafthalls on Pern. I will not suffer such an outrage. The culprit MUST be found." Christae was as furious as her Queen now. Her brown eyes held no warmth and rage boiled in their depths. "Faranth help that person when I find out who he or she is. The egg must be returned safely."

[Dragon]

K'dan was sleeping in his cot when Sharan flew wildly from where he lay on K'dan's stomach. K'dan awoke sleepily wondering just what was going on and started to rub the sleep from his eyes when Sharan smacked into his head. K'dan fell off the cot and rubbed his head then glared at the flitt. "What in Faranth has gotten into you", he spat at the flitt, a bit grouchy by the means he was woken up. He got to his feet and tried to catch the bronzen flitt but Sharan would have none of it. He flew wildly around the room then zipped out. K'dan nodded his head and got dressed, having only slept in some old trousers. He changed and once again rubbed his eyes. He went out the room and saw the flitt zip around the corner. Clueless as always he asked himself, "What is his deal?". He ran after him and not really looking where he was going when he rounded the corner smacked into someone. He fell back on his behind and rubbed his head as he sat on the ground. "Ow", he said as he squinted his eyes and continued to rub his head.

(The person he bumped into can be anyone, anyone can jump in on that. If not I can just make it a random npc person. *shrugs*)

[nike]

Nike stood in a room on a stool with her grandmothers, and a few other Weyrfolk women standing around her. Clothing her body was a beautifuly made dress fit for her rank. Zim, and Crystal were perched on stone ledges in the room, while Ruanth was curled up in the sun. "May I please take this off?" She asked her grandma who made the dress.
"Oh alright," The older woman replied. Quickly, Nike shed the dress, and slipped on her other clothing then walked out of the room.

The Master Healer felt Kaith's anger even before the other dragons did. She found it strange. Blinking, the Healer ran into the Weyr bowl just in time for Kaith's ear peircing shriek. Hands clamped over her ears, Nike ran towards the Weyrling Barracks where she had seen K'dan. "Get up!" Nike pulled the blue rider up by the arm.
"One of Kaith's eggs have been stolen!" At that time, NIke dragged K'dan over to where she saw Christae and Sh'iron.

††††††††††††

Sh'iron sat at the council table writing out formations for wings, and such. When he made a mistake, he cursed, and quickly fixed it. "You know Myranenth, this is going to take forever," He told his dragon with a sigh.
The bronze's tone held much amusement from his perch in the Bowl, watching his queen. Well mabey it is because you need help.
"Help! Who is going to help me decied which riders will be in each wing, and who is going to lead them? Christae would help, but she has enough to deal with, and I don't want to bother her," The Weyrleader grumbled.

Sh'iron went back to work, and started drawing the formations of the wings in Threadfall with Kaith's shreik, broke his concentration. His bronze bellowed not even a few moments after his queen's. "What in the name of…" Sh'iron trailed off as he ran onto the ledge of his weyr. "Shards!" He said, and raced down the stairs to Christae.
The Weyrleader turned to the nearest rider, who happened to be Nike.
"Good, Nike, ask Ruanth to ask the firelizard if they saw anyone in the Hatching Grounds," He told the white rider. "Christae, we will find this egg, and when we find the theif, I will personaly take her away from the Weyr."
That was the fine line. Kaith had said 'her,' and so did he. This theif had to be a female. Who whom? The Candidates wouldn't do a thing, and Malenie had learned her lesson. Who could it be?

[Dragon]

"Fine. Forget Sharan. The little screwball", K'dan said then realized what Nike had said. "A STOLEN EGG?!

---

Admin's Note:[/hr]!

---

Admin's Note:[/hr]", he shouted out in shock and suprise. He calmed himself and said, "The things that happen when I fall asleep". He would have to find the crazed bronzen flitt later. He walked alongside Nike now but allowed his arm to be hooked with hers as they walked.

[nike]

Nike sighed. "I know, this is a shocker to us all," She said, and turned to Sh'iron.
"Alright," The Healer replied.
Ruanth! Sh'iron asked me to ask you to ask the firelizards to see if they know if anyone was in, or around the Hatching grounds when Kaith wasn't there.
The white was frantic, but not as much as the other dragons.
I'll try, but it will be hard. They are roused from Kaith. Ruanth replied, and tried to ask the firelizard. But with no avail.
"No luck!" Nike said to the Weyrleaders.
Ask them again when they calm down.

[Dragon]

K'dan looked to see all the hecticness around him. As he turned to face forward again he was smacked in the face by something blue that knocked him to the ground. Whatever it was he grabbed it and pulled it off his face. He opened his eyes and looked up. "Azure!", he said in suprise. The flitt was squirming and going balistic in his hands. K'dan settled him down and propped him on his shoulder. He scratched the blue's eyeridges and it chirped happily. K'dan rubbed his forehead then looked at the flitt. "You things sure like smacking into me", he said to the blue which only replied with a happy chirp, ignorant to his words. K'dan sighed and rolled his eyes.

[nike]

Nike turned just in time to see K'dan get smacked in the head by Azure.
She gasped, and then helped her blue rider mate up off the ground. Her fingers trailed over his forehead, checking for bruises. "Poor thing," The white rider said, and kissed K'dan's forehead. "Mabey, we should get out of the dragons way." Green eyes looked heavward to see dragons flying around the Weyr. Ruanth had glided down to the ground.
Get inside, and to your couch. Nike said, and dragged K'dan into the Dining Cavern.
Quickly, she pulled up two chairs and sat down by the enternce, where she could see everything that was going on around her.

[Dragon]

He smiled when she kissed him on the forehead and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Oh don't worry. Sharan, in his mad frenzy, managed to knock me out of the cot", he said to her with a chuckle. K'dan sat next to Nike with Azure still on his shoulder, wondering where the blue flitt's owner was. Then a sudden thought snapped to his mind and he couldn't help but say it out loud absentmindedly, "Hydrath". Where was the blue, he hadn't seen him at all.

[Spirithawk]

Kaith let out another shriek of fury. Christae let out a short scream, her ears in pain and her mind reeling from the mental contact of her raging dragoness. The golden beast paid no mind to her bonded's pain. Christae turned to her weyrmate. "That person will not just be taken away from the Weyr. I want them to take a one way trip between." The woman's voice was murderous. "I will not allow such an outrage to go unpunished in my Weyr."

Her eyes moved to the dragons flying with great agitation around the weyr and some of the rage began to cool. Her voice was a bit softer when she turned to her weyrmate. "Sh'iron, get Myranenth to control the dragons. Kaith is too furious. One of them will get burned if they keep flaming like they are." The need to protect the other dragons of the weyr penetrated the Weyrwoman's fury. She was still very angry, but she could think clearly now.

"NIKE!" She yelled, not realizing that the whiterider was nearby. "I need enough sedative to take down a raging Queen. Sh'iron, I need to mobilize all of the bronzes and I need you to take me up on Myranenth. We need to sedate her and then the bronzes will follow my lead and catch her. Better yet, get me Miya."

A bluerider was standing nearby and she turned to him. "Get me the Junior Weyrwoman NOW!" The bluerider took off at a sprint. "Miya and Reinath will direct the bronzes. I have been teaching her how to do airborn rescues, now is the time to try it. We will have better results if a Queen tells the bronzes what to do. We need our strongest bronzes. I will fly with Reinath so that Myranenth can catch his mate when we sedate her. The bronzes will have to take her between to her eggs and they will have to be VERY careful. I can't let her continue raging or all of the dragons in the weyr will go beserk and I know the bronzes won't like sedating their Queen. That is why I need Reinath."

[Akki]

Akki was rounding the corner when something, or someone, collided into her roughly, causing her to fall from the impact. She fell on the ground, basically sprawled, before she picked herself up and looked at the thing that ran into her. "K'dan? Shards, walk much? I think you need to yell every time you turn a corner so we can avoid this again." She said. She knew there would be questions to why she was in the Weryling Barracks, most of them probably including something perverted or concerned, but she had no time for them it seemed. Sargon had went, this was the kindest way to put it, insane and she had to find the flitt before he hurt himself or someone else. "Well, either the yelling thing or you have to take walking lessons on how to turn corners without crashing into someone." She said as an after thought.

The Weyr was in chaos, Akki knew that an egg went missing and, obviously, Kaith was frantic and raving mad intent on finding the thief. Dragons, espeacially bronzes, were intent too on finding the thief and helping the Senior Queen. "You can keep sitting there K'dan but I advise moving, there's alot of activity going on and I suppose it would be a shame if I had to watch you get trampled. Well a shame but rather amusing in a sick and twisted way.".

Soon a green blur appeared and landed on her shoulder, screeching loudly and for a long period of time. "Sargon, hush, I know what happened. Now stop making so much noise and give me a clue if you know anything." She said, admonishing Sargon. He replied by cocking his head slightly and cherping in a rather confused manner. "I'm taking that as a no." She said with a sigh. Ebbeth, I found Sargon, who seems oblivious so he won't be helping us. I am telling you to stay where you are, there is enough confusion so we don't need you flying off and being a pain She informed her blue who was in her barrack, much to his discomfort, for he wanted to be out helping and yet knew this was probably one of the best ways doing so, not causing any more trouble. He rumbled an agreement and fell silent.

[Dragon]

He looked up at Akki. "Oh sorry about that. Sharan has went berserk and I only found Azure here by mistake", he said to her. He looked to see Nike gone. "Well I suppose I should look for the crazed thing. Want to help?", he asked her. "Shards Hydrath has gone off as well. In all this confusion I keep forgetting that", he said absentmindedly to her. He took off out of the room without thought trying to search for the flitt and maybe find out what became of Hydrath.

[nike]

Nike nodded at Christae's orders, and ran off to get the sedative. She yelled a few orders to the other Healers. It would be hard to get it into the Queen. Nike washed her arms in redwort, and then started preparing the sedative.
"Shards! Who could have stolen an egg?" She asked to thin air. Once everything was prepared, the Healer placed the sedative in a basket, and ran out into the Weyr Bowl.
"Christae!" Nike yelled when she spotted the Weyrwoman. "Got it! It is enough to put Kaith asleep for twelve hours."

†††††††††††

Sh'iron looked at his Weyrmate with shock. "Christae!We will not take that person /between!/ The most we will do is strand them on an uncharted island!" He said, his face hard. In his mind, Sh'iron tried to recall the last time that an egg was stolen. Wait! It was one of Ramoth's Queen's Eggs. And didn't Lord Jaxmon and Ruth save the egg?
a hint of amusement filled his thoughts. There was a white there, and one now. Mabey Nike and Ruanth will find the egg and bring it back.

Sh'iron nodded, and turned to Myranenth. Calm all these dragons down! He ordered his bronze. Myranenth raised himself to his hunches, raised his neck and head, and let out a loud, long bellow. His mental mind ordering all the dragons down.
Soon an uneasy silence filled the Bowl, and only Kaith's shreiks were heard.
"Done. Alright, I'll strap up Myranenth," The Weyrleader turned to order the bronze riders, but stopped and turned around. "Wouldn't it be quicker, and easier to sedate Kaith if you were on a smaller dragon?" His eyes flickered to Nike, and then the riders of the smallest greens. At that, the Weyrleader turned on heel to round up the bronze riders and their dragons.