Chapter Four- Frightening Encounters

A/N I've never gotten so many reviews before. Not for all my previous stories put together. I- I… -Falls unconscious-

Disclaimer: Unless Anne McCaffery randomly walks into my house and declares me the official owner of the Dragonriders of Pern books, I'll never own the rights to them. I own a little plastic green dragon named Kealeth though. XP

-------------------------------

Animeth didn't see her golden sister until oiling time the next day. Though she had not been expecting an apology, the forest-hued dragon was confused when Inueth didn't even seem to notice the injury she had caused the previous day.

It's only natural that she would think herself above us, an older dragonet had said as his weyrling looked for any unoiled spots on his brown hide. She is golden, she is special. Inueth would not bother herself to remember whom she hurt the day before.

I am special too! Animeth had cried. Mine says so. Muth (The weyrling master's dragon) says so as well. Weyrs need greens! We are an important part of fighting thread!

It is an interval. No thread falls. The brown then proceeded to fix his attention on his lifemate, completely ignoring the little green whom believed she was as important as a gold. Such foolishness!

But a dragon's memory was a short-lived thing, and by the time Syetta had lead her to the weyrling barracks for the morning nap, she had forgotten all about the conversation between the brown and herself. Even the memory of what had caused the injury on her snout was fading.

Hey, Animeth? That was Syetta. Shouldn't she be getting to their weyrling classes now? Animeth didn't like Syetta leaving, but she had insisted that she had too. For classes, so that she would know how to take proper care of her Animeth.

Animeth opened her eyes sleepily, and regarded a curious looking Syetta with sleepy, slowly whirling blue eyes.

Where did you get that scar on your snout? Animeth blinked drowsily and skimmed through her memories. Green dragons didn't have very good memory to begin with, and Animeth was so young. If she hadn't been thinking so much about it that morning, she would have forgotten all together by now.

Inueth did it.

What? The gold? Why?

I was in the way. Why did Syetta look so shocked? Newly hatched golds were often confused to the point of violence, Syetta had been told that. Why did she think their fury would only be directed at humans? Never mind, thought Animeth. Now she knew, and it was time for sleep. Sleep was always good.

-------------------------------

Animeth awoke with a grunt. Someone had jolted her from her sleep with a curse.

"Shards and shells! Those damned chests! My toe! I thought weyrlings were supposed to be neat!" Animeth bared her teeth, eyes whirling orange. There was someone in the other room!

Mine! She called. Intruders in the barracks! For a brief, frightening moment, there was no answer, but then there came a reply.

They're probably only drudges, Ani. Uh, Animeth. Or assistant weyrling masters. Go back to sleep. Animeth couldn't.

"You do it!" These men didn't belong here. They were wrong! She looked around, but none of the other dragons had awakened from their slumber. Her muscles tensed under her hide. She must stay alert.

"Just hurry up and write it. Have you any idea what trouble we'll be in if we're discovered? I spent too much money bribing that drudge to let us in for you to mess up now!"

"I don't want to cut my finger! You do it!"

"Gladly. Dimglow." A pause, and a coppery, salty scent, like that of the blood that had came from the wounds of Inueth's human victims yesterday.

"Gah! I meant you write it!"

"To late now, just write the sharding message." There was a brief period of silence, and then,

"Hey, won't this mean that they'll tighten security? How are we going to carry out part B, Eion?" The one named Eion hissed.

"Not so loud! There are dragonets in the next room, you know. If you're too loud you'll wake one up. We'll have to kill it, and we might not be able to do so before it calls the whole sharding weyr!" Animeth flattened her body onto the couch, quivering. They were in the next room. They couldn't see her. But Animeth was too scared to hold onto logic. She needed her lifemate, now, before she went between with fear!

Mine! She hissed.

What is it, Animeth? Replied Syetta, her tone that of someone who was annoyed.

These are not drudges! They talk of death! Mine, I need you! They will kill me if they see me! For a brief moment she felt chilling fear come from the other end of the mind link, but it was quickly smothered.

Stay where you are, don't let them see you. Are any of the other dragons awake?

No. They sleep like logs. Mine, I am scared. Please come now!

I will, and I'll bring others. Stay where you are. If any of the other dragons wake up, tell them to stay quiet. I won't let him hurt you, Animeth. Just stay still.

"It's done. Let's go." Eion whispered. There was the sound of footsteps, and then there was silence. Too terrified to send another message to Syetta, Animeth curled up into a tighter ball.

-------------------------------

More footsteps. At first, Animeth thought that the men were back, but then, at last, she heard Syetta's voice.

Animeth, are you alright? The other dragonets? We're just outside.

They did not come inside here. They were in the other room.

The male weyrling barracks?

No, the room that joins it to ours. They- said that they wrote something on the wall. And there was blood. Outside, there was a flurry of movent, and Animeth flinched. That was it! She was too scared. She was going to the dark place. There were no men there. Suddenly, a deep yet draconically feminine voice reached out to her. It was her mother, Tulith.

Be calm. Yours and Mine are outside, the men are gone. Animeth breathed deeply, her eyes white and whirling. She calmed down enough to hear Syetta's voice again.

Animeth! I'm just outside the female candidate barracks. I'm coming in. All the commotion outside had roused the other hatchlings from their sleep. They communicated with their lifemates, confused at all the sound and the panicked green that was lying on her couch, curled up in a tight ball, shivering.

Syetta, the weyrling master and a dragonhealer marched into the room, the adults looking grim and Syetta looking simply frightened. She ran to Animeth and wrapped her arms around the dragon's shoulders.

"What happened?"