"Have you found any favorites yet?"

Vinna stifled a groan and lifted the cup of klah to her lips, hoping the bitter liquid would relive her of her headache, and bolster her spirits. The question was one that become far too familiar to the Weyrwoman.

Ever since female candidates had started appearing in the Weyr, E'rren, and seemingly every other member of the Weyr had found it necessary to ask her who she thought would Impress the new queen.

Honestly she couldn't care less.

Four dragonriders had been killed in the last sevenday, and the mental beating she had taken each time had done her no favors. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her temper was only barely being kept in check, and they had had minimal success in striking back against Ynunn's people. Narleon had been little more than follower, he had never been called upon to perform any sort of task aside from delivering the occasional message. His information was too little too late, and Rina had reportedly escaped from his comfinment at Telgar Hold.

"You feel no better then?" E'rren asked with a sigh.

"You try having every bronze, brown, blue and green dragon screaming at you. I had to restrain Eveleth from going between when his mate was taken. We are no closer to finding Ynunn, E'rren, and they are winning!"

"Winning," E'rren nearly snapped his spoon in half as he said the word, "Is that really the word you would use?"

"Yes it is!" Vinna snapped, "All the Weyrs, all the Lord Holders, all of us cannot find one man! How is that, E'rren, if Ynunn's force and following is as great as Narleon says? We have nothing to show for our efforts but lost comrades!"

Her hands shook with rage, Vinna felt a familiar throbbing building up in her temples, and had to restrain tears. She took in a trembling breath a fought to control her emotions, not wanting to wake Pyramanth.

"What have we to show?" she demanded icily.

"When the Hatching is over, we'll re-extend our reach, Vinna," E'rren tried to reassure her, "Pyramanth and you will no longer be bound to the Weyr,"

"One queen will make no difference," Vinna scoffed, crossing her arms.

"One person can make all the difference," the Weyrleader began, then paused when he saw that Vinna had gone stiff. For a moment he steeled himself for the sound of dragons keening, but when it was not forthcoming he cocked his head in confusion.

Pyramanth, Vinna asked, feeling a confusing swirl of emotions coming from the queen, What is it?

Something is amiss at Fort Weyr, Ketith and her rider Dralda are missing,

"Missing?" Vinna exploded, making E'rren jump.

"Who's missing?" he asked, brows furrowing.

How can a Weyrwoman go missing? Much less a dragon?

They are missing, and cannot be found,

"Vinna? What's going on?" E'rren shook her shoulder lightly.

"Dralda and Ketith are missing,"

"The junior pair at Fort?"

"One of them. Pyramanth says no one can find them,"

"How is that possible!" E'rren growled, throwing up his hands.

"I don't how, all I know is what Pyramanth tells me!" Vinna snarled back, and then held her hand up for silence as she reached out for Limuth, Fort's senior queen.

Limuth, Dralda and Ketith are missing from the Weyr?

The reply was long in coming, though Vinna knew the queen had heard her. She reigned in her anger and impatience, not wanting to force the dragon into answering as she once had with Omath before Branna and Yiirmith had gone between.

Yes, Limuth's tone was reluctant, We cannot find them,

Ketith won't answer you?

We cannot feel them, cannot hear them, they are alive, but Ketith has hidden herself, somehow,

"Limuth says that Ketith is shielding herself, hiding her mind,"

"Dragons can shield themselves?" E'rren asked, incredulous.

"Apparently so," Vinna huffed.

"Can you find them, you have a strong mind, and dragons tend to listen to you,"

"A queen is more proud than a bronze, a Pyramanth has displayed to me many times,"

"Couldn't you try?"

Vinna's jaw clenched, but her decided to humor her Weyrleader. She pressed on, past Limuth and in every direction she could think of. She could identify the color of nearly every dragon she came in contact with simply by the way their mind worked, but the queens she met were not Ketith. Too old, too young, and none tried to escape her touch.

"I cannot," she sighed, "they're beyond me,"

"And every dragon in Fort Weyr,"

"Why would they leave? What are they hiding from?"

"Ynunn, perhaps," Vinna murmured, feeling already drained, "No one can control their fears forever,"

"I thought queens were pround?"

"All dragons are!" Vinna lifted her chin, her eyes held a warning light, "But there is no shame in wanting to preserve and protect one's own life, even less that of your dragon!"

"Fool thing to do though," E'rren shook his head.

A thought occurred to Vinna,"Perhaps they left to save more than themselves!"

"Oh?"

Quickly Vinna checked with Limuth, and then nodded in apparent satisfaction as her suspicions were confirmed.

"Ketith had risen little over four sevendays ago, mated with Evuth, she and Dralda might had taken off to ensure none of the new dragons would be caught up in the chaos!"

E'rren looked unsure, "But she'd be close to laying, then eggs could be damaged going between, and where would the candidates come from when the time for Hatching around,"

"There are many things that I do not know, or are unsure or, E'rren," Vinna began, "but I know that the reason for their leaving had to do with the eggs,"

"I heard Dralda was a wild girl, but to attempt something like that, with so little guarantee of security,"

"Limuth said that Ketith flew high and far, E'rren, the eggs will be plentiful and the dragonnets strong. Think of it, Ynuun has no one to fight against a newly established Weyr,"

"A Weyr of a queen and hatchings," E'rren snorted, but, unwillingly, he began to feel a tingle of hope, "Perhaps they will reveal themselves only when the shells harden,"