From the Shadows - Hatching

[Torva Anian]

It had been a day or two since the touching of the eggs. Sorcha had slipped out soon after Kinest touched them. She'd lost her nerve by then. She couldn't stand to sit there and watch as one by one they went and touched them, knowing that each name brought her closer to having to see the great queen.

Her original plan had been simple and, by degrees, it had changed. She could barely find it in her to think of returning home and it seemed the silliest idea to try to take a dragon with her. Especially now that she knew it took a year for them to grow and her to be able to go anywhere with it. But still, she had had a reason for taking the egg, though it had taken a while to stop denying it.

She had ran to her room and cried for a time. She knew not the specific point of her grief, just the sense of overwhelming hopelessness. Of course Sorcha wasn't made to sit in the background and take it so that didn't last long. She slipped out of her room, it now quite dark, and stole softly across the grounds until she came upon the lake. She spent many hours rethinking her plans and what she was doing.

Sad blue eyes surveyed the calm lake. During night this sparkling lake looked black and still. A dead thing to be pitied, much like the egg in the cave. It was still safely hidden away, no one would chance upon it and the only other person who knew of where it was was Dicer. Was she really so selfish to condemn an egg, a dragon, to death? She could say that she was doing these things for other people but really she just wanted to start living happily. She was doing this for herself. She'd heard the whispers, the egg would hatch soon. If no one was around that was suitable for it to Impress the dragonet would die. And it'd be her fault. She couldn't hide anymore.

Part of the lake turned golden, she looked up in surprise. She'd stood the whole night there thinking. She stayed on the lake's edge until half the lake was golden and half black. A sad smile crossed her face, that was the egg too. It's life depending on the toss of a coin. One side held life, and the other death. She now knew that she couldn't kill it, it was an infant and had done her no wrong. She couldn't convince herself that Dicer definately was the one for the inhabitant of the egg and so there was a great chance that it would die if she didn't give it back to the queen.

She slowly turned and walked back to the Candidate quarters exhausted. She'd sleep most of the day away and rose only to eat a little. She didn't feel up to trying the queen's patience so soon after her allowing all the Candidates on the Sands. Of course it had nothing to do with the queen being irratable. Sorcha was just afraid of the large dragon.

It was early the next day when Sorcha finally made her way down to the Hatching Sands. Most would be asleep which might help her case. No so many faces to glare at her for doing what she did. She didn't let the guilt, fear, or hesitation show for when it came down to it. She had done what she thought right when the time came. It might not have been right but it was what seemed best at the time. Sorcha was in the habit of not looking back and didn't do so now.

Her eyes looked 'round the cavern once she entered. It was a beautiful clutch to be sure, she just wished she could have been one of the ones to touch them. She stayed near the entrance half convinced the great dragon would charge her upon sight, somehow knowing what she did. She continued to look hoping to pick both figures out in the weak light of the early dawn. Perhaps if she handled this right some good could come of it.

[Spirithawk]

The great Queen had laid herself out around her mound. She had paced back and forth for most of the night and had finally settled down to sleep. Her slumber was marred by dreams. The thought of the missing egg occupied the golden dragon's thoughts and dreams.

Even now, the dragon's dreams were troubled by the thoughts of theives sneaking in behind her back and slipping one of her children's eggs out of her protection. Her tail lashed out in her sleep, as if attacking a would be assailant to her unhatched dragonets.

She imagined the little dragonet of unknown color and gender hatching out of its egg into the unknown. Her mind tortured her with images of the hatchling alone and unprotected, creeling for its chosen one. A high keen began deep in the slumbering dragon's throat, a keen very similar to that of the death keen sounded by the dragons when one of their own passed between. The sound was not loud but it echoed erily through the vaulted cavern.

One of the eggs rocked on the sands, as if in response to its clutch-mother's anguish. One weak rock and the egg fell still. The dragonet inside too exhausted to move its heavy egg shell any further. The shells of the eggs were still not quite ready to be cracked open. Soon though, very soon the dragonets would become ravenous enough to tear through their egg shells. It was only a matter of time.

A lone figure appeared behind the Queen, as if out of nowhere. A forlorn young woman gazing sadly at an agitated dragon. There were several secret tunnels throughout the weyr and few people knew about them. One of the most well-kept secrets was the location of the Weyrwoman's tunnel. The Weyrwoman's weyr had a tunnel that led straight into the Hatching grounds so that the Senior Queenrider could spend more time with her bonded without the entire Weyr knowing that their leader was not at work. The tunnel entrance was so well hidden that no one had been able to figure out where it was, even after seeing the Weyrwoman emerge from the tunnel countless times.

Christae had used that tunnel to avoid disturbing the Watchdragon. It was also faster and less stressful on the tired-looking goldrider. The brown-haired woman let the blanket fall from her shoulders. The Cavern was warm enough so that her sandled feet and bare arms would not be chilled by the early morning air.

The keening of the gold dragon stopped as Christae entered. Somehow the Queen had sensed the entrance of her bonded and was comforted. The gold whimpered slightly and the woman went to her. Christae soothed the Queen with a gentle hand on warm hide.

"Shh love, everything will be ok." She whispered softly to the sleeping dragon, trying to sound convinced that everything would turn out allright.

(Enter Sorcha if you will)

[Torva Anian]

Already it seemed as if the dragon knew she was near. She lashed her tail about, even in her sleep it seemed she was ready to fight for them. She cringed back a little to hear it keen so. She wasn't of a mean spirit and hated to hear other people or creatures suffer. She wished she could soothe away the dragon's pain but she couldn't really. No unless she could go back in time. And every one knew that to be fairly impossible.

She relaxed as the queen finally quieted. Her eyes could now pick out the weyrwoman by the golden queen. She figeted for a few moments before finally taking a deep breath and walking to the woman. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she felt the heat of the Sands seep through her shoes and warm her feet. It was rather warm in here.

Once she had gotten close enough she gave a quick bow to Christae, "Hello, weyrwoman. I need to talk to you abo...," blue eyes cast a dubious glance at the queen wondering if she really slumbered, "Perhaps we can talk somewhere where we won't disturb Kaith while she rests?" Her voice was soft, nonetheless, so that she wouldn't disturb Kaith. She shifted slightly as standing made the heat seem worse to her slightly sensitive feet. She could run across rocks to jump into a lake but couldn't stand a few minutes worth of heat...she mentally shook her head and threw the thought from her mind.

Her eyes turned back to watch Christae. She made an effort to not think of what she would say when she had Christae alone or if she had to speak in front of a dragon that would most certainly be angry. If she did start thinking of it she'd end up running again and finding excuses to not talk to her. Who knows, she might actually act on the silly idea of bringing the egg down to the closest Hold and hoping it Impressed there so that she might avoid this very situation.

Despite all the turmoil within, Sorcha stayed as relaxed as she could. She couldn't be sure but she thought that nothing showed on her face. For sure, she didn't feel as bad as when she started trying to think ahead. She stood straight and awaited the next words of the weyrwoman.

[Spirithawk]

Christae had been about to settle her lean body against the dragon when she saw a figure walking towards her. She had not been sleeping well, her own dreams were triggered by the temper of her dragon. She had left the weyr to give her weyrmate and their child a break from her moods. She slipped from fury to anguish just like the golden Queen in the Hatching Cavern below.

The woman straightened up, wondering what on Pern could have brought this young Candidate out to her so early in the morning. There was a chill in the air and dew fell from the sky. It was perfect weather to make someone catch a chill and wind up in the infirmary. Summer had passed and Autumn was swiftly ending. The Weyr would not have to worry during the day but at night a brazier of coals would be needed to keep the weyrs comfortable.

It would be perfect weather to raise young dragonets. Summer clutches often suffered from the heat of the Southern Continent. The only bad part about a Winter Hatching was that the new Weyrlings would be working out in the rain more often than not.

Christae turned her thoughts away from their wanderings as the girl spoke again. The young Weyrwoman glanced at the sleeping dragon. The dragon twitched but did not wake. "Yes, that would be a good idea." Christae responded, her voice audible but soft. The queenrider placed a hand on her dragon's smooth, warm hide and leaned over to kiss the soft nose. "Sleep well beloved Queen." She whispered.

After she straightened up, Christae picked up her fur and wrapped it around her slim shoulders and led the way to a side tunnel in the wall of the Hatching Ground. "You are to tell no one of this tunnel. I doubt you will remember the way but I don't want either of us to catch a chill." She led the girl through a series of dizzying turns and forks before they emerged near the Great Hearth in the Lower Caverns.

A skittish drudge nearly dropped her tray of dishes when the Weyrwoman and a Candidate appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "I will require hot klah, rolls, and porridge for the lass and I." The goldrider told the drudge gently. The girl bobbed a curtsey and hurried to do as she was bid. A few minutes later, Christae led the girl to a small room off the side of the Dining Cavern. A small brazier glowed bright red with lit coals. The light in the room was tinged red and the temperature was comfortably warm.

"Sit and eat child." Christae told Sorcha. "I did not breakfast and you look like you got about as much sleep as I did. Eat and then you will tell me what possessed you to come find me in the Hatching Sands at this incredible hour." Christae's voice was calm but firm. She sat down and gestured the girl to a chair. The drudge appeared and served the two women with quiet efficiency. Another curtsey and the drudge was gone with orders that they were not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency.

[Torva Anian]

Sorcha smiled slightly as Christae agreed to move away from the large and dangerous queen. Despite what people said about Kaith being a kind and loving dragon, Sorcha only saw tons of pounds ready to smash her. She nodded mutely when Christae ordered her not to mention the tunnel. It wasn't like she could remember exactly where it was. Even though the gold rider had just led her through it she wasn't sure why she had never seen it before. If she ever got into the Hatching Sands again she might take a slow walk around the wall wondering how Christae found it so easily.

Sorcha trotted behind the woman trying to keep up. It became obvious fairly fast that she'd have been lost if she had tried this passage way by herself. There were a lot of twists and turns. She had always known that Weyrs were large and no one ever knew the entire layout of it, but this tunnel reminded her anew of the complexity of the Weyr. She peeked around corners not taken, wondering where they went. She berated herself and ran to catch up with the woman; it wouldn't do to get lost.

If she had thought about it she might have become offended at being called girl and lass by one who wasn't much her elder but the mantle of responsibility the other wore made her seem so much older. Her eyes swept through the room recognizing it as one she went too often but it seemed a little odd to suddenly be here by the hidden passage.

Her attention focused back on Christae as she spoke and sat down. Sorcha blew lightly on the porridge offered her. She would have refused but the smell of the warm bowl made her decide to eat it after all. She hadn't eaten recently and Christae was right in assuming her sleep these past few days hadn't been much. In fact she hadn't slept too well for a sevenday or so, most would be glad to know the thief hadn't slept well since.

All too soon she was done with the bowl. She pushed it to the side and looked up to Christae. It'd be obvious she was hesitating and reluctant to continue. I mean, who wouldn't be, Sorcha now had to tell the bonded of that huge golden dragon a little bit over what she'd done. She knew the stories of mind speaking; of course she hadn't really experienced it for herself. Her head tilted a little, not unless you counted the flitt.

There she had gone again, off into her little land, procrastinating. She sighed slightly and propped her head on her hands, ignoring the rule of no elbows. A weak smile took hold of her face, "You're going to love and hate my news in equal parts after this. Or perhaps just hate me more than love it." Of course the woman would be rejoice at getting back the egg but hate the terms Sorcha would place upon the return of the egg.

[Spirithawk]

Christae was almost 20 Turns old. She was young but she had faced stress and overcame obstacles that most people her age never even dreamed about. The incident with the egg had only added to the lines around the goldrider's lips and eyes.

Christae took her time eating and then looked up to watch Sorcha's face as she struggled to tell the Weyrwoman what was on her mind. "Remember that I have to judge fairly. It can't be that bad Sorcha. What did you do? Break curfew, skip chores, swipe glows? You can tell me"

[Torva Anian]

Sorcha had to smile at that. "No, nothing so benign as that. I only wish it were that easy for then my punishment would be as simple." She drew back collecting herself. She straightened her shoulders, looking the weyrwoman in the eye before declaring, "I took the egg." In plays at Gathers such a thing would be said in a loud boisterous voice followed by a grating, evil laugh. But no such thing happened here for it was real life. Sorcha was suddenly filled, despite the paradox it formed, with an empty feeling. She was able to say it calmly and in a normal tone.

After finally having discharged her awful secret she leaned back a little and crossed her legs. Her eyes stayed upon the weyrwoman though, for she wished to see the reaction. Not out of some perverse pleasure but to judge the woman's willingness to deal with the situation instead of blowing up.

Then again, she was the weyrwoman after all. Her whole life was dealing with one crisis after another. For in a weyr that was her responsibility, someone somewhere had to be having a problem every day. Sorcha cut off those musings; it wouldn’t do to start feeling bad for what she’d done. Again she repeated, to herself, that she’d done what had seemed right at the time.

“You wish to judge fairly…but can you when it is so close to your heart? And your dragon’s?” She shrugged, as if she didn’t mind much for the answer. “We all have motivations for what we do. Let’s just hope something other than grief can come from this.” Sorcha’s words might have the feel of sagacity but she really didn’t know what she was saying. She was just tired.

[Spirithawk]

Christae looked a bit confused. What could the Candidate have done to warant anger from her? At first the girl's confession did not register in the woman's mind. Of course this girl did not steal the egg. Wasn't she being given a chance to stand for the Hatching. Wouldn't that be enough of an honor? Didn't she know that if the dragonet was not meant for her, then the little thing would commit suicide?

No, this girl had been through the Candidate Classes, hadn't she? Christae made a mental note to check with Rhia to see her roster and attendance records. She looked at the girl, still not believing that this seemingly sweet young woman had committed such a heinous crime and yet still took advantage of the Weyr's hospitality, her hospitality. She couldn't believe it.

Christae looked at the girl and saw the truth in her eyes. The WW's face paled. She slumped down in her chair feeling faint. Her posture and dignity crumbled under the weight of Sorcha's confession. Never in her wildest dreams did Christae think that one of her own had stolen the egg. She had always clung to the hope that it had been an outside job, maybe some holder who had been passed over at a previous hatching before she had become WW or something like that, not a Candidate who had been shown the utmost curtesy and was given a great honor by being allowed to stand for Kaith's Hatching.

"Why? Why did you want to hurt my Queen and me? Why did you turn the Weyr upside down? How could you sit by and watch my Queen's anger and anguish and yet not say a word? How could you do such a thing after we fed and clothed you and offered you the chance of a lifetime?"

Her voice was filled with shock and disbelief. If she didn't have a stern constitution she might have fainted like some Holder Lady but she had seen too much, been through too much. But even the worst firestone burns and accidents had not prepared her for this monstrous betrayal.

Christae's voice was carefully neutral, almost dead and cold when she answered the traitor's bold questions. "Even if you were to have stolen my own child as you have stolen my Queen, my beloved bondmate's child, I must still judge fairly. Above all else, I am a Weyrwoman."

"If you have motivations, then you will tell me them now and I will judge whether or not you deserve to be exiled to one of the islands or brought on a one way trip between." Everyone knew what exile and a one way trip meant. "You had better hope for your sake that you did not harm the egg and that the dragonet hatches healthy and Impresses or exile will not be your judgement." There was a note of finality in the WW's voice.

[Torva Anian]

A little flash of concern registered on her face when she saw Cristae slump down. She hoped that the WW wouldn't faint, that wouldn't do the Weyr nor the egg any good. She knew it would be a little bit of a blow for the woman to finally figure out who it was but she'd thought the woman would have more anger or happiness at figuring out who it was. Then it came, the torrent of words.

She listened to the woman, slightly surprised when Christae's voice hadn't risen to a yell. After all it had to have been hard on the woman. She'd heard of the stunt they'd had to pull to get the enraged gold down. Then again she wasn't going to complain about her ears not ringing from yells.

She really didn't have an answer to the WW's questions. And from Christae's tone she knew that the questions were largely rhetorical anyway. She was just venting a little. Sorcha's face had gone, for a large part, blank and dead. She didn't know how to react to this emotionally so she cut it off and stared at the woman, waiting for her to stop.

Sorcha smiled, the threat didn't phase her at all and she really didn't care for life at this moment. She'd spent too many nights tossing and turning and mornings without breakfast. Most would guess it was because of an attack of conscience but it wasn't. She was still fighting to figure out what she was doing in this whole thing.

She had first come to this Weyr totally ignorant. She had planned to steal and egg and be back at her Hold by this time, nursing the young dragonet until she could use it to make sure none harmed her or hers. But, thankfully, the first thing they did in a Weyr was knock all those misconceptions out of your head. She now knew that the dragonet wouldn't just Impress her because she wanted it. But she stole the egg anyway, unable to change her plan and desperate to find some good in traveling all this way and leaving her siblings alone.

They kicked Dicer out. The one person she'd come to like, maybe even love, if she cared to look too far into it. So now, she found a reason for the stolen egg; hidden away near the Weyr. It was practically under their nose but in such a place that was kind of like the WW's passage to the Hatching Sands. It was there...just hard to see unless you knew it already.

"There would be no reason to harm the egg. It hasn't done anything to me. I'm even making sure there is someone constantly watching it and keeping it warm." She tilted her head very slightly and thought of her flitt, it immediately sent blurry images of its new favorite sleeping place. The void like egg. “My reason for taking it?” She shrugged, “I don’t quite really care to remember the original reason but now I want to exchange it for Dicer being able to stand. Of course you’ll have to tolerate me enough so that I can see that he’s there before I’m gone.” She didn’t mention the way in which she might have to leave. She knew there was a possibility of her dieing but who knew. Maybe she’d Impress from the stands or slip out unnoticed before it was done.

[Spirithawk]

Fury rose to replace Christae's shock. This bold little heathen had stolen an unborn dragon's egg, had turned the weyr upside down, had heard the Queen's anguished cries and had seen what the WW had been forced to go thorugh to save her Queen's sanity and her own. There was no telling what would have happened if Kaith had not been sedated. She could have killed someone. Christae could have been killed if her rider had not been well-trained. She had caused this and yet she dared to tell her that there was no reason for her to harm the egg. She had already harmed the entire Weyr! She had sowed confusion, fear, and distrust. She had upset the dragons so much that they had barely been able to concentrate during drills. The bronzes had been especially murderous because their Queen was hurt.

"You owe me an explanation." She said coldly. She stood, her anger snapping her out of her shock. "How DARE you. I do not deal with traitors and theives. If he had anything to do with this he will be punished with equal severity. I refuse to deal with someone who is so base and cruel as to steal an unhatched dragonet.

[Torva Anian]

"I just gave you an explanation. And getting all flustered will not help the situation." She frowned at Christae then shook her head, "Perhaps you should sit down before you send enough agitated signals and disturb your dragon. You know what happened last time. And while you might not care if I live, I'm basically the only person who knows where this egg is."

She clasped her hands on her knees, looking perfectly composed. "And as to Dicer, he had no idea of what was happening. The only reason he is in this is because I brought him into it. And if you accept the deal, I won't have stolen the dragonet but borrowed it." She shrugged and looked off to the side, staring. That coupled with her blank look led one to believe she was bored with the going ons.

((Short I know ))

[Spirithawk]

"No you did not give me an explanation. You gave me an excuse as to why you wouldn't give me an explanation. I am seriously tempted to let my dragon have you. Consider yourself lucky that she is so worn out that she cannot sense my emotions."

"Borrowed?" Christae's voice rose in pitch. "Borrowed a DRAGON's EGG? Its unborn child? A QUEEN, a SENIOR QUEEN's egg? Borrowed? I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation."

((mine are short as well))

[Torva Anian]

Sorcha huffed slightly and turned back to Christae, "Then please define explanation. I don't like word games. And I told you why the egg is gone." An unknown knot loosened in her stomach when she heard that the gold was too tired to be awakened at this moment to figure out what was happening. "I well understand the gravity of the situation, perhaps better than you...for aren't you the one still asking the questions?" She shrugged. "Or maybe I don't. The egg is fine. It hasn't suffered anything other than being from from a particular spot to another."

[Spirithawk]

"Word games? You think I don't know the gravity of the situation? Shells and shards girl you do not know the meaning of those terms. I will not make a deal with the likes of you. You are worse than a tunnel snake. I take you into MY home domain. I feed you and clothe you. You are allowed to be around the greatest creatures on Pern, all at no cost to you and I give you the chance to become a dragonrider, one of the protectors of Pern, revered everywhere and yet that is not enough for you you theiving little tunnel snake. You steal a dragon egg. Are you daft? Faranth grant me the patience not to slap that expression off your face."

"When I asked you why you took the egg you said you preferred not to remember. I say you owe me an explanation whether you wish to remember the original reason or not. Then, I will call my bronzeriders in. You will reveal the location of the egg and they will return it to my Queen. Then we will wait. If the egg hatches safely and the dragonet Impresses unharmed your fate will not be as harsh as I would want it but if that dragonet is harmed you will regret it for the rest of your life, which, I can assure you, will be very short if I have any say in it."

"Your actions have stirred up all of Pern. I doubt you would even be safe exiled to an island. Remember that dragons can cross continents in the blink of an eye. You would never be safe anywhere from the wrath of the dragonriders. Not to mention no Holder who has any morals would harbor the thief who stole a dragon egg. You life is ruined because of your greed."

"Now as to the fact that the egg is safe, that is to be seen. Dragon eggs must remain at a certain temperature or they will not hatch. You don't know that you didn't kill the dragonet inside the egg with your little jaunt. Why do you think Queens constantly rotate their eggs? Why do you think the Hatching Cavern is so hot? The sand is the right temperature for the dragonets to grow properly and the rotation keeps the amniotic fluid from scorching. It is hard to keep that heat steady without the volcanic sources we have. So how do you know that the egg is safe? Also, there is a question of Pre-Impression. Your handling of the egg could confuse the dragonet inside. No one knows why dragonets choose the people they do. We don't let the Candidates in more than once to touch the eggs because it could mess up the dragonet's mind and he or she could come out confused and go between thinking that its bonded is not there."

[Tenma]

((All I can say to that last post is....wow....Sorry for interrupting.))

[Torva Anian]

“I will not,” her face was darkening with withheld anger, “you insult me and threatened me and expect me to help you? The only reason I came here in the first place was because I didn’t want the dragonet inside to die.” She bit the inside of her lip; she hadn’t meant to say anything about how she felt about the situation. Sorcha may be a blond but she had the fiery disposition of a red head. Being the middle child of many she had been in many arguments that had helped her to develop her temper.

“Don’t be so conceited, the fate of one Weyr’s one dragonet hardly causes a stir for the whole planet. I bet there are plenty of places that don’t even know of your name; much less the name of your Weyr.” She scowled at the woman. She had come from one of those out of the way Holds who barely knew which Weyr protected them and that they tithed to.

Surprised registered on the young girl’s face before followed by more anger, “MY greed! Where in any of this do I really get anything? Other than being threatened and yelled at.” She stood up putting her hands on the table between them as she yelled, “I have done this for others only. Pray, do tell what in the world do I gain from this, huh? What am I getting?”

Sorcha’s face filled with disgust, “Now who would be so stupid as to steal an egg and not look into how to take care of it? Especially if I wanted it to live.” She shook her head, “You may hate me if you will but a truly smart person wouldn’t try to make themselves feel better by calling their enemies (as I’m sure you now see me) stupid.” She leaned back and huffed, folding her arms below her chest, “I read the few books I could find on the subject, talked to a few drudges and weyrfolk, and over all listened. I heard a few things about what you have to do to keep an egg healthy…or at least what the dragon does to the eggs. I might not have this extra sense that a dragon does to know exactly what to do but I’ve done my part to keep it healthy. Believe me it isn’t as easy as it would seem.”

She kicked the chair out of her way so she could move a little. She felt closed in between the table and chair. It had nothing to do with the chair though, the weyrwoman held all the cards and they both knew it. All Sorcha had going for her was a little baby blue flitt that no one knew about. The weyrwoman had an entire Weyr at her disposal, replete with dragons and many, many people. One that would be only too happy to help her rid themselves of Sorcha. Of course they wouldn’t do that until they found the egg. If there was any chance of the egg being safely returned to them they would keep her around ‘til then. But they couldn’t wait forever, from what the signs showed the eggs were going to hatch soon. But she was safe for at least a month or so, she supposed.

She huffed and leaned back against the wall. “Tunnel snake I may be. But, believe it or not, I was trying to do the best I could. I don’t even really know why anymore. Why should one try, eh? I mean look at yourself, you’ve spent your life trying to keep the Weyr safe and happy and in just one day I’ve disrupted that. What’s the use trying if any one person can change it,” she snapped her fingers, “like that.” Her voice had lowered and she sounded slightly defeated. Definitely she wasn’t seeing Christae any more but had retreated somewhere within her mind and memories. “You are even stronger than I am. You have a whole Weyr waiting to do your whim. A great huge beast of a dragon and what do I have?” She chuckled and shook her head, “If you can’t accomplish what you want I don’t think I can either.”

[Spirithawk]

"I don't expect a traitor like you to help anyone but yourself whether I insut you or not. I would hope that you at least had a bit of compassion, just a hint. Enough to know that you gain nothing by keeping the egg's location hidden. If you don't tell us where it is, the hatchling dies. I think you know what happens next, a life for a life. Right now that dragonet's life is worth more than yours, especially in my eyes and the eyes of every Queenrider on Pern. I don't know that you came here because you don't want the dragonet to die. How do I know that you don't have something more sinister in mind? Perhaps you want to watch my face when the eggs hatch, knowing that I, a rider of one of the greatest beasts on Pern is powerless to do anything? Maybe you want to make a deal with me and then doublecross me. I don't know."

Christae drew herself up to her full height. "Conceited? Girl, I have every right to be. I pulled this weyr back onto its feet. My riders and I worked harder than you can imagine to bring this weyr back to the way it should be. I had no goldrider to teach me how to be a Weyrwoman like Miya has me. My riders and I trained ourselves. I did not even have a Weyrleader to help me run the weyr until after Kaith flew for the first time and Sh'iron's Myranenth caught her. If I am conceited, if any one of my original riders, Akki, Rhia, Nike, Nira, G'han, and any of the original riders and the second clutch that Julie's gold clutched wants to be a bit conceited, they can be because they kept this weyr alive long enough for more riders to come."

"Thread is coming. I don't think you realize just how close it is. The dragons have dwindled over the interval and the Queens aren't producing fast enough to bring the population back up fast enough to be back to full capacity before Thread begins to fall. Thread could fall within the next Turn. EVERY dragon counts. Even one dragon might make the difference between life and death for Pern and yet you don't think that all of Pern will worry about one dragonet?"

"You obviously did not know that there was a Weyrleader meeting not long after the egg was discovered. You obviously do not know that we contacted the Harper Hall and the Runner Hall. Any hold that did not know about us before knows about us now. Every Harper and every Runner went out with news of the egg's theft so that the thief would not be able to find sanctuary anywhere. I am not saying that every person on Pern knows, but there are enough people who know so that you won't be safe."

"You have done this for others? What would another person gain by you killing a dragonet? I did not call you stupid. I know that you had to at least have some brains to be able to steal an egg and hide for so long. Perhaps you thought that you could have a dragonet all to yourself, outside the control of the weyr. I don't know what goes on inside your warped brain. What I do know is that you have gained the enmity of every dragonrider on Pern. Do you know just how powerful the call of a Queen is? After Kaith found the egg, I had flitts and messengers from every Weyr on Pern waiting for me after we sedated Kaith, wondering what on Pern had caused their bronzes and Queens to go crazy with anger."

"How did you get those hides anyway? The only hides on dragoncare are in the Weyr's library and I don't recall them being loaned to you. We keep careful track of those hides because they are fragile and we haven't gotten the chance to transfer them to new hides. And just because you read about a subject doesn't mean you are an expert on it. I have lived with a dragon all my life. Queenriders have to be dragonhealers as well as leaders, mentors, and organizers. Even I don't know everything about dragoncare and I have spent the past 5 years studying dragonlore every day. And I know how hard it is just to care for their health, much less their eggs. What if you missed the most important part of careing for an egg? Then all the careful tending in the world will not help."

"Trying to do the best?" Christae's voice was incredulous. "Stealing a dragon's egg is doing the best? What warped hold were you brought up in girl? Who taught you that stealing an unborn dragon was for the best?"

"Yes I spent most of my life trying to keep this weyr safe. I knew even before I looked into Kaith's rainbow eyes that I would wind up being instrumental in the life of this Weyr. Little did I know that I would Impress the Queen that would be the life of this weyr when all of the girl Candidates were taught by the old greenriders how to care for dragons through theory alone. Yes you disrupted that. But I can't let one disruption make me quit trying. I have to think about the greater good. Even if I can make one life better. Even if one of my dragon's children or one of my own children makes a difference in the future of Pern, then all of my strife and work is worth it. You forget that my weyr was the one that helped to implement the Weyr games and restored inter-weyr communication and interaction."

"I am only as strong as the people that follow me. Sure, they jump at my every whim but I had to earn their trust. I had to prove myself worthy enough to lead to everyone because no one thought that a young girl could handle both the responsibility of the Weyr and the care of a swiftly growing and demanding Queen. And I did it."

"You can accomplish one thing. You can tell us where the egg is and hope to Faranth that it hatches safely."

[Torva Anian]

“Well now you’re just contradicting yourself. How can I be so selfish and greedy and yet only want to watch your face while the dragonets hatch? It has to be one or the other. Either I want to watch you writhe in misery over the death of a dragonet or I want to use it for … I don’t know, ransom or something.” Sorcha’s voice had grown contemptuous, she was tiring of the conversation and just wished the whole thing over with but this woman was so … conceited and annoying at this stage. Yes, maybe living with dragons and being called the saviors of Pern had something to do with. And maybe she did deserve a lot of the praise but Sorcha still didn’t have to like it. She liked it even less when she knew she semi-deserved the tone of voice Christae was using.

Sorcha felt a sadistic urge to mention that while the Holds didn’t shelter her, that the Weyr did. She resisted though, deciding that provoking the woman to more anger was not the best course of action. And, despite Christae seeing her as scum, she didn’t want to sink that low.

Sorcha shrugged, “The same way I got the egg. But I gave those back before anyone really noticed. There really weren’t all that many that I could find anyway.” She didn’t respond to the missing something part because she knew that it might have happened. There might be a little known fact that a queen dragon does to her eggs that Sorcha missed. So she was just as clueless to the dragonet’s health as Christae was.

An ironic smile crossed the girl’s face, “My hold? It was very warped to tell you the truth. I’ve heard of worse places to live but not many. I used to have a girl I’d write to and we almost made a game of it; who had it worse off.” Her blue eyes fuzzed over for a few moments before training back onto the WW, “No one told or taught me that it was.”

[Spirithawk]

"Contradicting myself?" Christae's eyes blazed. "Girl you are in no position to tell me something like that. I told you I didn't know what was going on in your warped mind. I don't want to even try to know what someone as vile as you thinks." Her voice was colder than the Northern Continent's lakes in the middle of winter.

"So, you are welcomed into the weyr with open arms, fed, clothed, kept warm, taught like any Weyrbrat about life on Pern and in the Weyr but yet you sneak around, steal my beloved's egg, stir up everyone in the Weyr, breed mistrust, steal our precious hides and yet still speak to ME with contempt, stand before me and think you have a right to be angry when I speak my mind."

The woman's voice was softer than it had been even before she had heard Sorcha's confession. If anything, the soft tone of the goldrider's voice was even more deadly than her furious shouting.

"Did you learn nothing while you were here? Didn't we teach you ettiquette and manners?" She looked as if she were about to say more but then she stopped. "Enough of this!" She said, raising her voice. Her sharp tone startled a passing drudge who froze in the doorway. Fear flickered in his face. Drudges were sensitive to people's anger. They had to be because otherwise they would anger their masters more than anything else. He didn't know what the Weyrwoman was yelling at, but he knew better than to anger her further.

Christae looked up and saw the drudge cowering in the doorway. "Get me the Weyrleader. I want him here yesterday." She snapped. She then turned to the young woman in front of her. "Sit." She held no compromise in her voice. "We will wait for my weyrmate and then decide your fate."

Christae slid into the chair nearest the door. She waited, her face a mask of patience that she didn't feel.

[Torva Anian]

(( I'll wait for the weyrleader to catch up and post before mine ))