Anareth
10th May 2005, 02:17 AM
Authors' Notes: this is a vignette from our Pbem Weyr, North Ranges (http://www.geocities.com/northrangesweyr/), an alternate 5th Pass in the year 1015 AL. All characters concerned are NPCs from High Reaches. The Weyrwoman, Leslina, has had an increasingly mad resentment/hatred towards North Ranges (which used to be HRW's auxilliary and isn't acting like that any more), and engineered a plot to damage a clutch there that resulted in the destruction of two eggs. Her own queen figured out enough that she's been punishing her rider.
Leslina and Ronika are written by Shalyn, R'sio and S'dil are written by me.
PG-13--if you find yourself uncomfortable reading "The Second Weyr", better bail now.
***
"Leslina, don't you think that you should check on Zialeth?" Ronika asked, working side-by-side with her Weyrwoman as they did their annual Spring Cleaning of the Stores cavern. Ronika had been the one to suggest this - ever since the fiasco at the North Ranges Hatching Grounds, Anareth's Hatching, Leslina had begun to look wan, pale, and sickly. It had come upon gradually, but it was there. And her eyes - her eyes were so wild now, she frightened the younger Weyrlings.
It didn't even matter that Karath's Hatching at Ranges had also gone wrong, with no outside help. In fact, when the news had come via dragon-speak, it had seemed to make things worse. Cuamanth had said it was because Zialeth had stopped speaking to Leslina, unless absolutely necessary. This knowledge had caused Ronika to dote upon her own queen even more than she had previously, and when she'd told her peer, Tessian, she'd noticed that Nesbith had begun to look even more polished and well-fed than before.
Leslina turned and gave Ronika a piercing look with her wild eyes. "Why should I check on Zialeth?" she said in a dead tone. "Zialeth can take care of herself." She seemed to want to say more, but turned back to counting containers of cleaning solution. Her shoulders shook for a moment, then she was composed again.
"Cuamanth says she thinks Zialeth is ready to rise," Ronika finally said, knowing the words were brutal but needing to say them. She watched Leslina's back stiffen, then went on harshly. "You are not being a good Weyrwoman at the moment, Leslina. You're becoming a laughingstock. Do you know how hard it's been for Tessian and I to keep the other Weyrs from knowing that you're - not quite well?"
This may not have been the smartest thing to say, as Leslina whipped around and slapped Ronika face. "Just remember who is Weyrwoman here," she hissed, her eyes blazing, her hair seemingly standing on end. "I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself!"
Ronika raised a hand to her cheek where Leslina had slapped her. That had hurt, but at least Leslina was still...emoting. But, something needed to be done....
Zialeth is blooding, Cuamanth cried, then leapt into the air at her rider's instant order, winking between to the usual site that she and Ronika would go to, together. Today, however, Cuamanth went alone, as Ronika wanted to ensure Leslina could still control Zialeth.
"Come! To the feeding grounds," Ronika cried, as she grabbed Leslina's hand and began to run, stumbling as the Weyrwoman planted her feet in the ground and wouldn't budge.
"How dare you, to lay a hand on...on...." Leslina began, outraged then stumbling as her mind was taken over by her dragon’s. She finally willingly followed Ronika to the Flight Room, which looked over the Feeding Grounds. Zialeth was rending a beast into pieces, but she was beginning to gorge, not blood.
"Control her, Leslina," Ronika shouted, slapping the Weyrwoman into submission. "Don't let her gorge. Make her blood!"
"She doesn't want to!" Leslina cried in frustration, her face a composite of rage, fear, and lust.
"Make her blood," Ronika was shouting at her. Leslina tried, reaching Zialeth's mind, but she kept getting rebuffed by her own dragon.
"She doesn't want to," Leslina moaned, reaching out again and again, and finally reached success. Zialeth roared, shook her head, stamped on the ground, but Leslina's tenuous hold had gotten stronger. She was the controlling force now, she was in charge, and she said that Zialeth was to blood, not gorge. As the control grew, color flooded back into her face, and the group gathering 'round saw the Weyrwoman they had all known and feared for these many Turns.
After this Flight, things would return to normal. But for now, she/Zialeth were ready to rise, and leave all these puny bronzes behind.
Peripherally, Leslina saw most of the bronzeriders in the Weyr in a circle around her, but one lust-filled face was missing. Where was R'sio? Well, if he didn't have the intelligence to come to her flight, then he could just not be Weyrleader any longer.
Leslina/Zialeth bugled a challenge to the bronzes ringed around the Feeding Grounds, then with a powerful lunge, was airborne!
The air was cool against her body as her powerful wings spread, catching the updrafts with ease. Back in the flight room, Leslina had already removed her own clothing, as she always did. The air against Zialeth's body was felt more fully against her own nudity. She arched her back in silent mimicry of her dragon's flight upward, then looked behind her at the bronzes following. She bugled her disdain, her contempt, for none but the most worthy would catch her.
***
R'sio was in his weyr, again. His weyr, not their weyr. Even he wasn't mad enough to spend too much time in Leslina's company these days. Idiot woman--it was all her fault, of course. Hadn't that fool blue rider and his ridiculous mission been her idea? Hadn't she chosen an agent so incompetent that of course even that fool S'vrel would catch him? As if something wouldn't have gone wrong with that clutch anyway. He remembered R'ven from their days as Weyrlings, remembered the brown rider's deceptive reticence. He and that freak brown had been taught a lesson, R'sio had thought, when his face had been marked like that. But then, sneaking off to North Ranges, worming his way into that little queen rider's bed...no, he wasn't sorry for that clutch. No doubt the eggs that survived would be a disaster, anyway. Without Leslina and her damn plans, turning all Pern and their own junior golds against them....
Why did he put up with it, really? He liked being Weyrleader, of course, Weyrleader of a proper Weyr, but some days it wasn't worth it. Maybe the next time a junior queen rose he'd let Formanoth chase. Propriety be damned--it would be a relief for him, and it might remind Leslina that she was not, after all, completely without rival here.
So absorbed was he in his own thoughts that at first he didn't notice Formanoth's increasing excitement. His bronze was up on the fireheights, sunning himself, or so R'sio had thought, though he did seem to be growing increasingly agitated. It wasn't until the edges of the room seemed to blur, and he had a sudden sensation of being launched from a great height, that he realized what was happening. It wasn't just the rage that had become his normal mood of late. Through Formanoth's eyes he saw the swarm of other bronze bodies around him (no audacious browns here!) and the brilliant, glimmering gold of Zialeth ahead of them, her hide glowing in the sun.
The walls of his weyr swam briefly back into view. His weyr...no...."Formanoth! No!" There was no point--the bronze was past hearing, R'sio was almost past being himself. "Formanoth! I can't get down!" And without his bronze, there was no way to call for help...with one last cry of protest, of desperation, he gave in to the meld, and was Formanoth...
***
S'dil wasn't in too much of a hurry to reach Leslina, even though Podrinth's urgency was almost overwhelming him. There was never much point during this flight. No reason to believe this flight would end any differently. Though, the way Leslina had been acting lately, who knew?
He looked around, in the last few moments he had before Podrinth's mind consumed his, and he realized that he didn't see R'sio. Maybe, he thought, the Weyrleader had finally had enough. Well, if so...perhaps he'd been a mere wingleader long enough. Another surge of wings and he was Podrinth, completely, and chasing Zialeth's retreating form with maybe just a bit more determination than before.
As the color seeped back into Leslina's cheeks, and the madness faded away in her eyes, Ronika breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the lust that took its place was normal, and a much more welcome sight than the possibility of insanity in a Weyrwoman. She looked around and saw bronzeriders filtering into the Flight room, so with a last squeeze on Leslina's arm, she turned and left, wondering where Tessain was. R'sio wasn't among the bronzeriders ringing Leslina, but she saw Formanoth leaping off with the rest, so he must be on his way.
***
Zialeth had stopped bugling her challenges to the bronzes. Let them chase her, she didn't care. She was Leslina, she was Zialeth, she was invincible. She faltered for a short second, her wing feeling pressure, but recouped immediately thereafter. Leslina sent a scowl after Ronika - the bitch. Was she trying to make her flight short?
The scowl turned into another expression of wanton joy, though, as Zialeth moved up through the damp, feathery clouds. Once above them, she was alone and on top of the world. There was nothing to see but a vast expanse of fluffy white. Then the first bronze broke through, bugling his triumph at finding his evasive queen. Formanoth. Zialeth/Leslina saw Formanoth, but Leslina did not see R'sio. Zialeth's wings faltered again, at this odd discrepancy, but the flightlust overtook her and she pulled herself back out of the clouds she had just fallen into.
Formanoth plunged after her, trumpeting his challenge to the fleeing queen. He was Formanoth of High Reaches! The strongest, the fastest, the cleverest bronze on all Pern! And Zialeth was *his*, to win at his leisure!
Podrinth ignored the other bronze's boasting and focused on the queen. She was not as confident as she usually was, as most queens were, he thought, and perhaps that would be his chance. He climbed, looking for an opportunity.
For the first time in more than sixteen turns as a rider, R'sio fought the bond, trying to wrench his mind free of Formanoth's. For just an instant his weyr whirled back into view, and he staggered. Formanoth! Someone! I have to...you can't.... But he couldn't finish the thought, couldn't reach anyone, and another wave of lust and arrogance overwhelmed him and he was Formanoth again....
It was getting harder and harder to stay above the clouds, let alone fly any longer. Zialeth's breathing was becoming labored, but her piece was almost over. Whoever caught her had to keep both of them airborne, allowing Zialeth time to regain her breath. She turned her head back to see who was closest, who she could choose to keep her aloft as long as possible.
Ahh, Podrinth was a fine bronze indeed. He had almost won her, and still possibly could, but the dragon who had won all her flights since Karmeth had stepped down, enabling her to become the senior queen, still held more of a pull for her. Zialeth shifted, and allowed Formanoth the win.
Breathing heavily now from her exertions, the nude form of the Weyrwoman gave a fierce cry of triumph as Zialeth was caught. She turned, expecting to find R'sio holding her. But he wasn't there. Leslina blinked, the flight room coming into focus, the need for Formanoth's rider a tangible, physical pain. Where was he?
As Formanoth twined with Zialeth, dragonlust culminating into something which was much more, Leslina began to shake with the pure need that was within her. R'sio wasn't there, so she needed someone, anyone, anyone at all to ease that within her that needed release. Any...here! S'dil had been close, Podrinth had almost been worthy. Frantically, she began to tear S'dil's clothing off of him, heedless of buttons, ties, other fastenings. When fingers wouldn't work, she used teeth. When teeth didn't work, fingernails did the
trick. All she wanted was for him to help her find release!
S'dil was knocked forcibly out of the bond with Podrinth by sudden feeling of hands on him, tearing at him, and he had to shake his head to clear his vision. From a long way away he felt the tangible shock from his bronze, who was roiling with the disappointment of losing the queen, a direct contradiction of what his own body was saying as in spite of himself he could feel his own response to Leslina....
R'sio. Where was R'sio? His dragon had won, how could he not be here? "Leslina!" He tried to grab her shoulders, hold her still, but it wasn't working and his own body's rebellion wasn't helping. "Leslina, we have to...R'sio, we have to find...." It wasn't easy to speak, but he had to get her attention, somehow...
In his weyr, in Formanoth's mind, R'sio was lost in his dragon's pleasure, and the falling. Leslina..he had to find her, had to bring their dragons back together, the way they always did...and he was Formanoth again, wrapped around Zialeth in the glory of the cool air and brilliant sun, his wings spread to slow their descent towards the mountains below. R'sio staggered blindly, reaching for her, searching desperately, knowing that Formanoth's release would come soon, needing to find her before then, share their dragons' pleasure as they always did....
He stumbled blindly, half Formanoth, half himself, through the outer chamber and past the bronze's couch, arms outstretched, reaching, searching blindly....
And he staggered again.
And fell.
Miles away, lost in the glory of Zialeth and the flight, Formanoth didn't quite realize for an instant what had happened. And then he did. And screamed.
And went between.
Dragging Zialeth with him.
***
Gasping, Leslina poured herself around S'dil. "No time," she sobbed, needing R'sio, settling for S'dil, and not being happy with a substitute. "I need...Zialeth needs..." She was falling, falling with Formanoth, falling with S'dil, falling..."ZIALETH! NOOOOOOOooooo!" Falling, falling into blackness . . . .
S’dil didn’t know what was happening. One moment, he’d almost, almost resigned himself, promising to find R’sio later, demand some explanation, when Leslina screamed. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and for an instant he was afraid she was dead, but she breathed....Podrinth?
There was a long pause, a lifetime’s pause, before his bronze finally answered. They are gone, Podrinth replied, his voice little more than a whisper. Formanoth’s rider–and he went, and he was with Zialeth, and he took her with him.
It took a long, long time for S’dil to understand what Podrinth had said. When he did, he didn’t want to understand. He stayed with Leslina, not wanting to leave her alone, unable to go for help, until finally someone came. He wasn’t with those who found R’sio, at least, and was spared having to take the Weyrleader’s broken body between. They knew, at least, what must have happened, but that did not ease any of the pain. However long it took, it wasn’t soon enough before S’dil could find Podrinth, and retreat to the comforting presence of his dragon.
***
The dragons keened. They mourned the loss of their queen, the loss of her mate, the loss of the Weyrlings who would never be. The dragons keened their hearts out. In the history of High Reaches Weyr, a tragedy like this had never happened.
When Cuamanth came back to the Weyr, Ronika rushed to her, tears still flowing from her eyes, and flung herself around her dragon's neck. And sobbed. Tomorrow she and Tessian would begin to pick up the pieces. But today...today they mourned.
Leslina and Ronika are written by Shalyn, R'sio and S'dil are written by me.
PG-13--if you find yourself uncomfortable reading "The Second Weyr", better bail now.
***
"Leslina, don't you think that you should check on Zialeth?" Ronika asked, working side-by-side with her Weyrwoman as they did their annual Spring Cleaning of the Stores cavern. Ronika had been the one to suggest this - ever since the fiasco at the North Ranges Hatching Grounds, Anareth's Hatching, Leslina had begun to look wan, pale, and sickly. It had come upon gradually, but it was there. And her eyes - her eyes were so wild now, she frightened the younger Weyrlings.
It didn't even matter that Karath's Hatching at Ranges had also gone wrong, with no outside help. In fact, when the news had come via dragon-speak, it had seemed to make things worse. Cuamanth had said it was because Zialeth had stopped speaking to Leslina, unless absolutely necessary. This knowledge had caused Ronika to dote upon her own queen even more than she had previously, and when she'd told her peer, Tessian, she'd noticed that Nesbith had begun to look even more polished and well-fed than before.
Leslina turned and gave Ronika a piercing look with her wild eyes. "Why should I check on Zialeth?" she said in a dead tone. "Zialeth can take care of herself." She seemed to want to say more, but turned back to counting containers of cleaning solution. Her shoulders shook for a moment, then she was composed again.
"Cuamanth says she thinks Zialeth is ready to rise," Ronika finally said, knowing the words were brutal but needing to say them. She watched Leslina's back stiffen, then went on harshly. "You are not being a good Weyrwoman at the moment, Leslina. You're becoming a laughingstock. Do you know how hard it's been for Tessian and I to keep the other Weyrs from knowing that you're - not quite well?"
This may not have been the smartest thing to say, as Leslina whipped around and slapped Ronika face. "Just remember who is Weyrwoman here," she hissed, her eyes blazing, her hair seemingly standing on end. "I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself!"
Ronika raised a hand to her cheek where Leslina had slapped her. That had hurt, but at least Leslina was still...emoting. But, something needed to be done....
Zialeth is blooding, Cuamanth cried, then leapt into the air at her rider's instant order, winking between to the usual site that she and Ronika would go to, together. Today, however, Cuamanth went alone, as Ronika wanted to ensure Leslina could still control Zialeth.
"Come! To the feeding grounds," Ronika cried, as she grabbed Leslina's hand and began to run, stumbling as the Weyrwoman planted her feet in the ground and wouldn't budge.
"How dare you, to lay a hand on...on...." Leslina began, outraged then stumbling as her mind was taken over by her dragon’s. She finally willingly followed Ronika to the Flight Room, which looked over the Feeding Grounds. Zialeth was rending a beast into pieces, but she was beginning to gorge, not blood.
"Control her, Leslina," Ronika shouted, slapping the Weyrwoman into submission. "Don't let her gorge. Make her blood!"
"She doesn't want to!" Leslina cried in frustration, her face a composite of rage, fear, and lust.
"Make her blood," Ronika was shouting at her. Leslina tried, reaching Zialeth's mind, but she kept getting rebuffed by her own dragon.
"She doesn't want to," Leslina moaned, reaching out again and again, and finally reached success. Zialeth roared, shook her head, stamped on the ground, but Leslina's tenuous hold had gotten stronger. She was the controlling force now, she was in charge, and she said that Zialeth was to blood, not gorge. As the control grew, color flooded back into her face, and the group gathering 'round saw the Weyrwoman they had all known and feared for these many Turns.
After this Flight, things would return to normal. But for now, she/Zialeth were ready to rise, and leave all these puny bronzes behind.
Peripherally, Leslina saw most of the bronzeriders in the Weyr in a circle around her, but one lust-filled face was missing. Where was R'sio? Well, if he didn't have the intelligence to come to her flight, then he could just not be Weyrleader any longer.
Leslina/Zialeth bugled a challenge to the bronzes ringed around the Feeding Grounds, then with a powerful lunge, was airborne!
The air was cool against her body as her powerful wings spread, catching the updrafts with ease. Back in the flight room, Leslina had already removed her own clothing, as she always did. The air against Zialeth's body was felt more fully against her own nudity. She arched her back in silent mimicry of her dragon's flight upward, then looked behind her at the bronzes following. She bugled her disdain, her contempt, for none but the most worthy would catch her.
***
R'sio was in his weyr, again. His weyr, not their weyr. Even he wasn't mad enough to spend too much time in Leslina's company these days. Idiot woman--it was all her fault, of course. Hadn't that fool blue rider and his ridiculous mission been her idea? Hadn't she chosen an agent so incompetent that of course even that fool S'vrel would catch him? As if something wouldn't have gone wrong with that clutch anyway. He remembered R'ven from their days as Weyrlings, remembered the brown rider's deceptive reticence. He and that freak brown had been taught a lesson, R'sio had thought, when his face had been marked like that. But then, sneaking off to North Ranges, worming his way into that little queen rider's bed...no, he wasn't sorry for that clutch. No doubt the eggs that survived would be a disaster, anyway. Without Leslina and her damn plans, turning all Pern and their own junior golds against them....
Why did he put up with it, really? He liked being Weyrleader, of course, Weyrleader of a proper Weyr, but some days it wasn't worth it. Maybe the next time a junior queen rose he'd let Formanoth chase. Propriety be damned--it would be a relief for him, and it might remind Leslina that she was not, after all, completely without rival here.
So absorbed was he in his own thoughts that at first he didn't notice Formanoth's increasing excitement. His bronze was up on the fireheights, sunning himself, or so R'sio had thought, though he did seem to be growing increasingly agitated. It wasn't until the edges of the room seemed to blur, and he had a sudden sensation of being launched from a great height, that he realized what was happening. It wasn't just the rage that had become his normal mood of late. Through Formanoth's eyes he saw the swarm of other bronze bodies around him (no audacious browns here!) and the brilliant, glimmering gold of Zialeth ahead of them, her hide glowing in the sun.
The walls of his weyr swam briefly back into view. His weyr...no...."Formanoth! No!" There was no point--the bronze was past hearing, R'sio was almost past being himself. "Formanoth! I can't get down!" And without his bronze, there was no way to call for help...with one last cry of protest, of desperation, he gave in to the meld, and was Formanoth...
***
S'dil wasn't in too much of a hurry to reach Leslina, even though Podrinth's urgency was almost overwhelming him. There was never much point during this flight. No reason to believe this flight would end any differently. Though, the way Leslina had been acting lately, who knew?
He looked around, in the last few moments he had before Podrinth's mind consumed his, and he realized that he didn't see R'sio. Maybe, he thought, the Weyrleader had finally had enough. Well, if so...perhaps he'd been a mere wingleader long enough. Another surge of wings and he was Podrinth, completely, and chasing Zialeth's retreating form with maybe just a bit more determination than before.
As the color seeped back into Leslina's cheeks, and the madness faded away in her eyes, Ronika breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the lust that took its place was normal, and a much more welcome sight than the possibility of insanity in a Weyrwoman. She looked around and saw bronzeriders filtering into the Flight room, so with a last squeeze on Leslina's arm, she turned and left, wondering where Tessain was. R'sio wasn't among the bronzeriders ringing Leslina, but she saw Formanoth leaping off with the rest, so he must be on his way.
***
Zialeth had stopped bugling her challenges to the bronzes. Let them chase her, she didn't care. She was Leslina, she was Zialeth, she was invincible. She faltered for a short second, her wing feeling pressure, but recouped immediately thereafter. Leslina sent a scowl after Ronika - the bitch. Was she trying to make her flight short?
The scowl turned into another expression of wanton joy, though, as Zialeth moved up through the damp, feathery clouds. Once above them, she was alone and on top of the world. There was nothing to see but a vast expanse of fluffy white. Then the first bronze broke through, bugling his triumph at finding his evasive queen. Formanoth. Zialeth/Leslina saw Formanoth, but Leslina did not see R'sio. Zialeth's wings faltered again, at this odd discrepancy, but the flightlust overtook her and she pulled herself back out of the clouds she had just fallen into.
Formanoth plunged after her, trumpeting his challenge to the fleeing queen. He was Formanoth of High Reaches! The strongest, the fastest, the cleverest bronze on all Pern! And Zialeth was *his*, to win at his leisure!
Podrinth ignored the other bronze's boasting and focused on the queen. She was not as confident as she usually was, as most queens were, he thought, and perhaps that would be his chance. He climbed, looking for an opportunity.
For the first time in more than sixteen turns as a rider, R'sio fought the bond, trying to wrench his mind free of Formanoth's. For just an instant his weyr whirled back into view, and he staggered. Formanoth! Someone! I have to...you can't.... But he couldn't finish the thought, couldn't reach anyone, and another wave of lust and arrogance overwhelmed him and he was Formanoth again....
It was getting harder and harder to stay above the clouds, let alone fly any longer. Zialeth's breathing was becoming labored, but her piece was almost over. Whoever caught her had to keep both of them airborne, allowing Zialeth time to regain her breath. She turned her head back to see who was closest, who she could choose to keep her aloft as long as possible.
Ahh, Podrinth was a fine bronze indeed. He had almost won her, and still possibly could, but the dragon who had won all her flights since Karmeth had stepped down, enabling her to become the senior queen, still held more of a pull for her. Zialeth shifted, and allowed Formanoth the win.
Breathing heavily now from her exertions, the nude form of the Weyrwoman gave a fierce cry of triumph as Zialeth was caught. She turned, expecting to find R'sio holding her. But he wasn't there. Leslina blinked, the flight room coming into focus, the need for Formanoth's rider a tangible, physical pain. Where was he?
As Formanoth twined with Zialeth, dragonlust culminating into something which was much more, Leslina began to shake with the pure need that was within her. R'sio wasn't there, so she needed someone, anyone, anyone at all to ease that within her that needed release. Any...here! S'dil had been close, Podrinth had almost been worthy. Frantically, she began to tear S'dil's clothing off of him, heedless of buttons, ties, other fastenings. When fingers wouldn't work, she used teeth. When teeth didn't work, fingernails did the
trick. All she wanted was for him to help her find release!
S'dil was knocked forcibly out of the bond with Podrinth by sudden feeling of hands on him, tearing at him, and he had to shake his head to clear his vision. From a long way away he felt the tangible shock from his bronze, who was roiling with the disappointment of losing the queen, a direct contradiction of what his own body was saying as in spite of himself he could feel his own response to Leslina....
R'sio. Where was R'sio? His dragon had won, how could he not be here? "Leslina!" He tried to grab her shoulders, hold her still, but it wasn't working and his own body's rebellion wasn't helping. "Leslina, we have to...R'sio, we have to find...." It wasn't easy to speak, but he had to get her attention, somehow...
In his weyr, in Formanoth's mind, R'sio was lost in his dragon's pleasure, and the falling. Leslina..he had to find her, had to bring their dragons back together, the way they always did...and he was Formanoth again, wrapped around Zialeth in the glory of the cool air and brilliant sun, his wings spread to slow their descent towards the mountains below. R'sio staggered blindly, reaching for her, searching desperately, knowing that Formanoth's release would come soon, needing to find her before then, share their dragons' pleasure as they always did....
He stumbled blindly, half Formanoth, half himself, through the outer chamber and past the bronze's couch, arms outstretched, reaching, searching blindly....
And he staggered again.
And fell.
Miles away, lost in the glory of Zialeth and the flight, Formanoth didn't quite realize for an instant what had happened. And then he did. And screamed.
And went between.
Dragging Zialeth with him.
***
Gasping, Leslina poured herself around S'dil. "No time," she sobbed, needing R'sio, settling for S'dil, and not being happy with a substitute. "I need...Zialeth needs..." She was falling, falling with Formanoth, falling with S'dil, falling..."ZIALETH! NOOOOOOOooooo!" Falling, falling into blackness . . . .
S’dil didn’t know what was happening. One moment, he’d almost, almost resigned himself, promising to find R’sio later, demand some explanation, when Leslina screamed. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and for an instant he was afraid she was dead, but she breathed....Podrinth?
There was a long pause, a lifetime’s pause, before his bronze finally answered. They are gone, Podrinth replied, his voice little more than a whisper. Formanoth’s rider–and he went, and he was with Zialeth, and he took her with him.
It took a long, long time for S’dil to understand what Podrinth had said. When he did, he didn’t want to understand. He stayed with Leslina, not wanting to leave her alone, unable to go for help, until finally someone came. He wasn’t with those who found R’sio, at least, and was spared having to take the Weyrleader’s broken body between. They knew, at least, what must have happened, but that did not ease any of the pain. However long it took, it wasn’t soon enough before S’dil could find Podrinth, and retreat to the comforting presence of his dragon.
***
The dragons keened. They mourned the loss of their queen, the loss of her mate, the loss of the Weyrlings who would never be. The dragons keened their hearts out. In the history of High Reaches Weyr, a tragedy like this had never happened.
When Cuamanth came back to the Weyr, Ronika rushed to her, tears still flowing from her eyes, and flung herself around her dragon's neck. And sobbed. Tomorrow she and Tessian would begin to pick up the pieces. But today...today they mourned.