Vinna wished that Pyramanth could fly. She loved her queen, and could never be angry with her, Pyramanth was her life, her love, her greatest treasure, but she wished, very deeply, that during this time in her life, her beloved dragon could fly.
Of course, Pyramanth had good reason not being able to, her stomach was bloated and uneven from her eggs, and it was almost a challenge to make sure that the queen ate enough. Her bronze-tinted hide remained shining with health only due to her rider's efforts. Other than for feeding however, Pyramanth was simply at that stage where she pretty much refused to so much as twitch her tail once she was settled on her stone couch. The queen was very close to laying, undoubtly within the sevenday.
Still, Vinna wished that Pyramanth could fly. It would be good to get away for an hour or two. From the Weyr, from responsibility, from even her mate, E'rren.
A good four sevendays had passed since ten sweep riders had been slain. The mental anguish of the dragons of the Weyr, including her own Pyramanth, had been so overpowering that Vinna'd blacked out from shock. She'd woken to E'rren hovering over her, stroking her cheek soothingly, Yori bustling around her room, concerned and as troubled over the horrifying turn of events as she had been. To say that the Weyr was shaken would be an understatement. A ceremony had been held in honor of those riders who had died; one within each Weyr. Still, it was hard to dismiss the painful event from anyone's mind, mostly because those ten were not the only riders to be killed.
It didn't happen in the same, drastic sort of fashion that had first alerted them all to the issue. Instead, every once in a while, just when one thought that the dust had settled, another incident would occur, reminders that the danger had not passed. The Weyrs had all take precautions. A conference had been held, at Telgar Weyr so that Vinna could attend (she stubbornly refused to ride even E'rren's bronze, Cronth what with Pyramanth so close to clutching), and they had discussed all they could think of on how avoid another incident. Compared to Vinna's first Weyrleader conference, when Branna had been alive, and the atmosphere cheerful, carefree, casual, this was a serious, somber meeting.
Sweep rides were no longer performed alone, in fact, Fort's Weyrleader, R'teto, had suggested refusing to do them all together. Thankfully, a majority of the Weyrs had voted against that idea. And while Fort was free, in the end, to do as it saw fit, Vinna refused to allow Telgar to shirk its duties. Now when riders went to do sweep, it was in groups of two or three, as much for the protection of each other as for the idea that few extra pairs of eyes never hurt in looking for anyone who may be connected to Thyro, the person Dresk had referred to before E'rren had killed him.
One of the men that had helped Dresk take control of the trader caravan had been captured was being held at Telgar Hold. E'rren had allowed that much difficulty. He saw the benefit in keeping the Holds involved, especially since it was around Holds that a majority of the killings had occurred. If the Lords could provide their men to aid the search, they might find what they were looking for more quickly.
What was probably most disturbing for Vinna, was the number of different locations that the attacks took place. That first time, on The Day, the ten riders had not all belonged to the same Weyr. And Vinna had come to the conclusion that D'iiel, a brown rider who had been injured, had been meant to die as well.
M'sor, green Ufuth's rider, had belonged to Telgar, and they had lost them on The Day. It had been cruel fortune to not find M'sor's body, to know he had gone between with his dragon. Not all Weyrs had been so lucky. Some had had to bring the remains of their comrade(s) home.
She'd lost a great deal of weight since that Day, the echoes of dragons' panic throwing her into a deep depression, but for the good of the Weyr, for Pyramanth, for E'rren, she forced herself through it as well as she could. Pyramanth had to remind her to eat as much as the Weyrwoman did her dragon.
"How long will this go on?" E'rren groaned one night as he climbed into bed beside her.
"They cannot continue to kill riders from the safety of the shadows forever," Vinna replied, then sighed heavily. The problem with that thought being that eventually whoever was responsible would feel confident enough to step into the light. They clearly had a massive following, enough loyal supporters spread across Pern to make tracing the source of the problem nigh impossible.
They were literally all over Pern.
"D'iiel wants to go to Telgar Hold and question that man, Rina, for himself," E'rren hummed.
"He's been drilling Yori on that, she finally spoke to you?"
"I can't say I'm surprised by his request,"
"And?"
"And I cannot allow it," the Weyrleader replied, "He's too close to this, though I suppose we all are, and Edeth and he aren't fully recovered,"
"Doing well though, Yori tells me, he's lucky to have survived,"
"Wound, blood-loss and all," E'rren chuckled humorlessly.
"We'll find them, E'rren, and this will stop," Vinna assured her weyrmate firmly. He turned to look at her, and actually smiled.
It was a grim smile, one that barely reached his gray eyes, but a genuine show of appreciation none the less.
"I was worried that I'd lose you, with all that anguish," he confessed, "and that spark inside you would be gone,"
"Ha! As if Pyramanth would stand for that," and she pressed her lips softly against his jaw, "You will not lose me that easily, Weyrleader,"
E'rren drew his Weyrwoman close, and fell asleep with his head resting comfortably on her shoulder. Vinna managed to sleep through only half the night before being woken by Pyramanth. In her dazed state, she barely realized that Pyramanth had left the weyr, she could hear the queen's tremendous wings working to keep herself airborne. Slowly it dawned on her, and with her weariness forgotten, she threw aside the furs and dashed out of the weyr, slowing only when she had to make her way down the steep, damp stone steps that led down to the Bowl. Her chestnut hair flying, her eyes brilliant with true joy, she sprinted across the Bowl, assuring the watchdragon that she was in no danger when he caught sight of the Weyrwoman's frantic scramble.
In case you're wondering about the summary:
I understand that queens don't chew firestone it the series, but this is an AU, and within my story there will be a queen (possibly queens) that are able to consume firestone without getting ill, and being able to breath fire.
Thanks to everyone who decides to continue to read my stories.
