Author's Note: So as of 5.24.2013 (a day or so after the previous update) I did go back and correct both chapter six and chapter eight for some things reviewers had mentioned 'phase' vs. 'faze' being the big one and dragon egg count being the other big one. If you notice any other inconsistencies please leave a review or feel free to private message and I'll take care of them when I can. I apologize to anyone who read the author's note to the previous story before I realized the formatting went weird it is also now fixed. Phew, housekeeping done I now invite you to enjoy Chapter 14, constructive criticism welcome as always, enjoy reading and as always I invite you to review! ~ Mage of Roses

Chapter 14: Misery

Arai sat in the conference room of Great Cliff's Weyr with a cup of klah warming her hands and a blanket around her shoulders while she waited. The rare and few times she had been required to attend to business in the weyr she was often taut with tension, snappish, irritable, and generally as skittish as a wild firelizard fair. The only comfort she often derived was that this room was not directly adjacent to or within the queen's weyrs but a few levels below due to restrictions presented by the natural cave formations; many zigs and zags within had been required. Arai didn't go near personal spaces and conducted her business in this room or in other public areas and as soon as it was concluded she'd go. It was three days into Ampara's disappearance and she couldn't muster much energy for any of her usual feelings and barely enough to see to her basic functions. She didn't recall sleeping more than a few minutes here or there since the fire, and while she could have been helping Soriskend record damage payouts and sorting claims as well as make a list of missing children it had been easier to sanction senior journeyman to do the work. All remaining apprentices and non-essential personnel were taken back to the hall.

While the weyr cleaned up and repaired damage as repayment at Kathorei Hold, since it had been their former riders to blame, she'd been to the halls to make a report of what happened including that her own daughter and Valtoren were among the missing; she'd been in a flurry of meetings and coming and goings since. She and Tari were now temporarily residing in the weyr, Great Cliffs serving as the hub of information while also at the crux of the problem. Arai couldn't even muster loathing for the idea her stay may be indefinite because if she went back to the hall she would lose it completely; the pain and regret already welling up inside was almost unbearable. She kept thinking about how it was Ampara's birthing day soon. Even though the only gift she'd ever really liked had been the necklace her uncle gave her Arai had been planning to give Ampara one of recently crafted gitar's and let her request her own design since that's the only way she'd ever like it at all. A tear ran down Arai's face and she put down the klah before she shattered another mug from not being able to keep herself together, hunching over she used the blanket to stifle a howling sob. They'd be here soon she had to stop, but she found herself crying harder and swearing she'd send Ampara to be in any craft she wanted when she got back as long as she got her back safely.

If I had been better she wouldn't have been out there. This wouldn't have happened. If I hadn't been a coward and hadn't run away we'd have been safely in Southern. Faranth why when I ever wanted to do was protect her?

Arai didn't even know where Tumparan was to tell him, and the weyr wasn't even sure when they'd be able to reach him. What if she was hurt? Was she even helping Ampara any better by being at the weyr? Tari had seemed to think so, begging Arai not to leave her behind, but she wasn't sure if that was the girl's feelings of guilt or the same terror of helplessness that was gripping Arai at that very moment. She should have said no, but she hadn't. Arai wasn't even been able to bring herself to look after Tari, assigning her to the weyr harpers had been both to distract her and to let the burden of minding her fall to them. Shards, she didn't deserve to be looking after children when she couldn't even manage to find her own child.

The door to the room opened softly, but the rattle of a food tray didn't go unnoticed. Arai was past the point of pulling herself together. Let the flaming dragonriders see her cry if they wished, but it was someone that had seen her tears before and shared her laughter and at one time a person who thought he'd find no better friend in the world.

M'ran had easily found out that Arai exiled herself to the conference room and while the weyrleadership was behind closed doors no one else seemed willing to keep up the task of looking after the master harper. Maybe they thought she didn't need it, but he didn't know of anyone that needed a caretaker more at the moment except maybe S'tek's new weyrlings. The dark thought made him scowl, but he pulled his face together as he entered the room. He didn't want Arai to think that he'd rather be elsewhere.

The food nearly slipped out of his hands when he saw her hunched over, fearing for a moment she'd collapsed.

Don't drop the food she is just very sad and you will upset her more. Gigith chided him as if she were an overprotective wherry-hen.

M'ran moved down the length of the table, Arai nearly at the end, and set the food down as he reached her.

"It's just me. The weyrleaders are still talking so I thought I'd bring you some food to tide you over."

He said his words quietly and gently, hoping not to rile her up. As a youth she'd exhibited some tempestuous qualities not unlike Ampara, but he'd bear it if she snapped at him. M'ran wouldn't leave her now like he had to before. That he couldn't control, but this he could.

"I don't even think I could eat, I feel sick," and he felt even more heartbroken for her than before as her words came between breathy sobs.

The green dragonrider walked around the chair and knelt down in front of her, carefully taking her hands in his. They were soft compared to his rougher hands except for her fingertips which were tough from gitar use and there was a well formed callous on the side of one finger from constantly writing and composing. There was even a spot of ink that hadn't completely faded. He remembered a huge cut she'd gotten across her left palm from climbing a tree and noticed that there was still a scar.

"You know," he cleared his throat finding himself getting choked up, "I thought I'd go off and become a dragonrider and then when you were a journeyman we'd have all those adventures together like we used to pretend as children. I never wanted anything to happen to you, especially the things that have happened to you. Maybe you'll never forgive me for being a dragonrider, but know that the moment we find her it will be me and Gigith that brings her straight to you. I swear it by the first egg."

He couldn't help tears of his own falling running down his cheeks. She had been like a sister to him once and all he'd ever done was continually fail her.

"I can't… I can't," but what she couldn't she was unable to get out as she slid out of the chair and wrapped her arms around M'ran sobbing into his shoulder, letting her hold him and stroke her hair.

"Please M'ran, I can't bear the thought of not finding her," Arai finally said after a long while had passed and he had let her cry herself out.

"I've treated her like it was my life to do over and not mess up, and I've said so many awful things to you and wasted turns. I think it's me that needs to be forgiven. What R'farc did was wrong and the way it got handled wasn't good, but I shouldn't have… I never should have…"

"Shhh, shh, please Arai, we'll go on from here. It's not too late. We're going to find S'tek and his dragons and the weyrlings and Ampara. He doesn't want to hurt them we know that much."

M'ran had known S'tek only briefly, but he had seemed like a good weyrleader and Obenisi had been a more than decent weyrwoman. He knew Ampara wouldn't be in any immediate danger, but if he had a way to lobby for Iuliana to step down he would implement it he felt sure. Stealing eggs and kidnapping children to be candidates was already an immense bargaining chip, but using Ampara as pressure wasn't beyond his scope either though so far they'd received no demands or communication of any sort. None of the queens were on the sands, but he feared what might happen at the next clutch or the one after that. His true fear was that they wouldn't get Ampara back for turns or at least she might be turns older. The best method would be to get her back before the next queen laid eggs which would give a two month window at most. Whatever needed to be done they had to do it sooner rather than later as the sevendays would pass quickly.

"Oh M'ran I just can't help but have this bad feeling like she needs help."

The leaders are going to be coming in a moment. Gigith warned him perking up from a watchful and wary mental state.

"Well if she's anything like you she'll know how to get out of a scrape. Just think about how many times you've saved my hide," he offered an encouraging smile, "the weyrleaders are coming in a minute there's a washroom there if you'd like to wash your face, though I guess I didn't have to tell you that."

"I still think you owe me marks and bubbly pies actually," she said, climbing to her feet by pulling herself up with the chair and table and M'ran following suit, sounding a little more like herself to his relief.

"Well I didn't bring bubbly pies, but I think there are things on the tray you'll like. I'll go get a fresh pot of klah though for the whole room. It's bound to be as cold as High Reaches by now. I'll tell K'osir to expect you out in a few moments."

"That will be fine," Arai moved to the right towards an inset door in the wall, following a short passage to a nicely accommodated wash room. Cold water came out of a metal spout inserted into the wall and fell into a basin which drained out below the weyr somewhere. Arai doused her face thoroughly with water, not bothering with the supply of sweetsand, and after a moment she pulled her hair back and just dunked her head in the basin. The cold was soothing to her puffy eyes that were already bearing circles due to sleeplessness. Thanks to M'ran she could meet with the weyrleaders on a note less than hysterical though she'd hardly appear impressive this time; Arai was glad there was no looking glass, no need to prove it. After this meeting she would speak to Tari and then try to get some rest. Toweling off her face and fixing her hair as much as she could Arai made her way back down the corridor as ready as she could be under the circumstances. She wasn't expecting any miracles or progress, but she wasn't going to let them conceal information from her either. This was no longer a weyr problem, and she was going to audit every move and make them accountable for every step whether they were amenable to it or not. R'farc had been the driving factor in a gross mismanagement of her own life choices thus far and she had decided that he wasn't going to have that power anymore no matter the field.

Ampara awoke, unwillingly pulled out of a deep sleep due to a heated argument. Remembering to turn her head gingerly, she very slowly rotated her neck until she caught sight of Paifan and also S'tek. Her stomach bottomed out as she realized they were most certainly yelling about her. Ampara stilled, shutting her eyes hoping if she continued to feign sleep he would just leave.

I know you are awake girl with the red in your hair as the others have called you.

Stop putting your snout in where it isn't wanted. The retort was thought at Imentauth before she had a chance to rethink her impertinence. Technically it was thinking before speaking. She thought, she hoped, to herself with a wince… and what others was he talking about? Other dragons? E'lir's dragon? Were they talking about her at the weyr then? Ampara hoped they were trying to figure out a way to get her out of this place, but… if R'farc was spilling everything to E'lir how were they ever going to find her to begin with? She had to be able to go between that was the first thing. Paifan would help her if S'tek didn't interrupt, and if she had to she'd tunnel her way out.

"She is a patient! She is under my care and you cannot just take custody of her because of your little scheme. If she suffers a relapse it could kill her she already nearly died once because of you so I guess it's only fair that you should finish the job."

The cold fury and biting sarcasm unsettled her. Paifan angry was a force to be reckoned with; his whole face was rigid and set in harsh angles. His fists were clenched at his sides and already lanky he seemed so tense he might snap in half. Teeth became visible as the side of his mouth curled upwards in a disdainful snarl, bringing out defined lines in his face which seemed strange in a younger man. He certainly couldn't have been far into his second decade. S'tek seemed to be almost over muscled in comparison thick through the neck and torso, but it didn't help that he was bulging and red with rage. The white and grey in his hair seeming more vivid as a result.

"I am the weyrleader and as she is still a candidate and while she is unfit for duty she is certainly fit enough to be taught which can be done perfectly comfortably and with little fuss in the main halls and living areas. There are other girls that could benefit from her harper experience. Should I hold you down while I have someone else carry her out boy?"

"Do not try and treat me like a child when you know perfectly well my concerns are valid and my views should not be ignored." Paifan's words came out in a guttural manner due to the way his teeth were clenched together.

"Maybe we can come to a compromise," she offered through her own gritted teeth as she forced herself up and brought her legs off the cot to dangle above the ground.

"Ampara stop before you sharding hurt yourself. You need a sling to keep your shoulder from moving." Paifan went from angry to aghast his mouth dropping open and he moved quickly to her side before she tried to stand and fell for her foolishness.

She broke out into a sweat and the room teetered momentarily, but she was fine after a moment. At least the room was willing to settle quickly enough though Paifan's steadying hands made her feel all too vulnerable not even Valtor… "V'lor", she mentally amended, had made her feel so helpless when he and his little gang had snuck up on her that night which still felt like yesterday to her.

"You don't have to do this. He is far too used to getting his way and I'll put a stop to it if I have to plead with Obenisi until she looks at me and I mean really looks at me." Paifan turned his face to S'tek punctuating each word to emphasize he wasn't backing down on this.

"The little harper said compromise maybe we should hear what she has to say before oh so nobly come to her defense, or I can leave you on an uninhabited island to starve if you prefer." Though they had both been shouting before S'tek had gotten a hold of himself and had opted for oozing sarcasm rather than blunt force.

"Stop it." Ampara barked before either of them could say anything else her head was hurting enough without them, "I will give you my terms and if you want my cooperation you will follow them to the letter. I am a harper of Pern and I will not be disrespected or belittled. I am no one's 'little harper'."

She took a deep breath. Ampara had come this far and she'd already gotten the worse end of things, but this was her chance to have a little bit of control and she wasn't going to sit meekly by and let either of them decide. Tari would be proud. I hope I can tell you about this, and I hope you got back safely.

"Catching people up on their writing and teaching ballads is a sedentary enough activity so I will oblige in that respect and it will be the standard curriculum as I learned it. Any other boring topic you choose to drill them on is your own prerogative." Ampara winced as she tried to slide forward off the table but Paifan restrained her, fearing her legs would buckle underneath her.

"Secondly, you will not interfere in the journeyman healer's attempts to make me better, including keeping your rotten spy away from me since it was your stupid hatching that exposed me to that beastly little green in the first place and since without you I wouldn't be here to have this injury." The irritation leaked out of her despite her best attempts to bottle up the resentment. She wanted to enact more petty, childish revenge whether it was spitting or clawing faces, but once she was mobile they'd find out soon enough.

"This includes marooning the journeyman healer elsewhere, and lastly..." Ampara roughly shoved Paifan away from her with her good arm, causing him to back pedal and lightly hit the wall while she pressed her luck and slid off the table.

For a moment she wavered and her body, shaking like a leaf, threatened to collapse in on her person, but she steadied, leaning on the table and keeping it together, "Lastly, no one is carrying me anywhere and if you ever hit me again and I swear by Faranth's first egg it will be the last thing you ever do dragonman and the same for E'lir," she stared S'tek down her eyes boring into him while he listened and considered, and despite the fact she'd pushed him away Paifan came to her physical support once again.

After a few moments S'tek chuckled starting soft and low, but it developed into laughter.

How dare he… Every muscle in her body tensed and that made the pain in her arm twang all down her right side even as she clenched her fists and grit her teeth against it, and it took all of her willpower not to launch herself at him for all of the futility of the action. Her chest seized up and she could feel the beginnings of tears, and she begged her body not to betray her any further with needless crying. Ampara could accept that her options were limited, but she couldn't forgive herself if she broke down playing this one card she had to use no matter how little it was.

"It would be a most unreasonable man to not grant this extremely reasonable proposal," S'tek said after his laughter passed and she couldn't tell whether he was mocking her or being serious, "I think the harper has the right of it. The lessons for the girls will be conducted in my living quarters under my supervision where there are plenty of couches and rugs for all, and all other business can be conducted in the warmth and space of our meager dining cavern then you can retire with the girls to slumber and the journeyman can pester you as much as he likes inbetween. Fair is fair?"

Her eyes slid to Paifan who was still just as tense as before as he scrutinized S'tek, and Ampara glanced back thinking he was being far too amenable even if she was essentially giving him what he desired. She didn't like it, but then again she didn't like anything about this situation; everywhere she turned she found dissatisfaction.

"I will allow it if you give her two further days with me." Two days out of the planned sevenday he'd hoped for was disappointing, but with free reign except for lessons he hoped to proceed according to schedule. The wound would be fully knit up soon, but he could always try and keep S'tek thinking Ampara was more fragile than she was if he needed to if she would follow along.

"Two days. She'll be shifted to her new quarters the day after tomorrow in the evening, and she should join us all for dinner. We'll toast to your health." He smiled and left without further words or any cajoling required, and Ampara's heart sank feeling like she'd lost somehow anyway.

Without words Paifan lifted her back onto the cot, much to Ampara's surprise as he didn't seem quite that sturdy at first glance.

"Next time I ask you not to do something please listen you could set yourself back." He said and made to retreat into his office.

Her eyes followed him for a moment and before he disappeared behind the fur she spoke up, "Paifan I won't disregard you when it comes to this stupid, stupid injury, but don't be cross with me for handling my life; it's my life to handle now."

He sighed and shrugged a little of the tension out of his shoulders, turning around, "I'm not mad at you," he leaned against the door frame, rubbing his forehead, "I'm mad because I don't know how to win, and while this may count as a victory it was too easy. Promise me you'll be careful?"

Ampara finally smiled, "I'm usually about as subtle as a watchwher is pretty, but I could try good behavior, considering this is the heftiest detention I've ever earned."

Paifan's face cracked into a smile and he laughed, sobering after a moment, "In all seriousness," his voice became soft, "I'd rely on that tact you harpers are known for."

"Tact," she let the word roll over her tongue, "I think I'm more interested in tactics. Now I'll rest and then food and then we have work to do."

"No kidding."

Ampara hoped putting her faith in Paifan wasn't a mistake. He was the best ally she could hope for under the circumstances, but if push came to shove would he stand by her always? How do I plan for a contingency when I barely know what to do in the first place? She'd been running on instinct, but she wasn't sure that would continue to serve. As long as there were no eggs she was safe, but how long would that last especially when time was fluid. E'lir just had to bide his time in the present and then they could leave to get eggs whenever they wished. She took a deep breath, one step at a time; she'd just have to learn the rules and then she'd play the game.

The meeting room was by no means filled. Iuliana and her two junior weyrwoman dominated one end of the table with R'farc, K'osir, and M'ran filling out the rest of the party as weyrleader, wingleader, and a serving weyr harper respectively. R'farc wouldn't look her in the eye and kept his eyes squarely on K'osir as he went through what they knew.

"S'tek took Obenisi and some riders joined him and we thought that maybe they returned to their own time to quietly live out the interval. Until the eggs went missing we had your brother discreetly checking records all over to see if he could find anything to confirm that he returned and lived out his life. We sent a pair of riders back to look for them, but with no luck as to their whereabouts. When the eggs were stolen we turned to actively searching for his exact location. It was thought possible he could have been on some of the outlying islands, especially the southern ones as they're more than hospitable," K'osir passed down a map for Arai to look over.

"The ones marked we searched and we orchestrated things so Tumparan was quietly going between times to search so he could remain in two places at once, but we haven't found a trace. We've found records suggesting that S'tek could be getting supplies to take somewhere in the past as there have been discrepancies in respects of requests between different weyrs and craft halls, but it's spread out so he was smart about it not to raise suspicion at the time. With no thread to worry about he could literally be anywhere. Tumparan isn't here because he's doubling his efforts even ranging northward in case he realized the south would be far too obvious." He paused as Arai's eyes lingered over the map of Pern.

"Is there anyone left that S'tek would trust if he or she wanted to get in touch? If they went back in time and could leave a message for him at some when we know they have been at the craft halls?" The master harper looked up from the map, studying the faces of those she had posed the question to.

"All of us were devastated about Obenisi, it stirred up a lot of bad feelings," one of the junior weyrwomen piped up; Phyrain was her name, and while Iuliana had just over twenty-turns Phyrain had reached her thirty-second not even six months ago.

Her blue-gray eyes seemed shrewd and her coal dark hair was piled up on her head in a way that was both fashionable but lent her face some extra austerity. She was dressed for riding her queen due to be the next on the sands but not yet egg heavy enough to prevent her from flying and carrying out queen's wing duties.

Iuliana leveled a glare at her, but Phyrain went on while pointedly not looking at the weyrwoman, "Sirith clutched my Eiruth and many of the dragons in this weyr, and while you'd be hard pressed to find anyone on S'tek's level I've long said E'lir should have gone with them the way he acts most times."

"Phyrain enough, we're not here to offer riders up for needless persecution." The other junior weyrwoman, Vedosia, snapped before Iuliana could jump in and do it herself.

Both of their glares were burning into Phyrain, who seemed to care little, but Vedosia kept glancing at the weyrwoman. She was certainly the youngest at nineteen turns, but had impressed at fifteen (nearly sixteen as was the actual case) so her queen was of clutching age by the time they came forward; however, her dragon Bruineth had yet to take her first flight. Vedosia's hair was the color of honey and fell in waves around her face. Her attire like Iuliana's was more suited to the indoors and their station, and finely dressed she looked the part of a junior weyrwoman; however, her youth and inexperience was crippling her judgement. So many queens had been a boon to the weyr, but without Obenisi Arai could see it was two against one.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie to this woman while the two of you try to poorly mitigate the circumstances. If you want to further play the fool R'farc because he's in your wing then that is your own business, but the only way someone gets away with a theft like that is to be inside the weyr. It's going to be Eiruth's hatchlings on the line this time and if there is a queen? S'tek is sick with the memories of Obenisi, he's not going to stop now."

Iuliana exploded in anger, "Stop it Phyrain. It's bad enough you must second guess me in front of everyone in the weyr. Must you do it with people outside the weyr too? We have no proof E'lir has done anything wrong and he's been extremely supportive of R'farc this entire time, and just because we haven't received any communication doesn't mean he is going to try it again."

The weyrwoman's hazel eyes were full of ill concealed hostility for the older yet "junior" gold rider, and Arai could see that the rumors concerning the weyrleadership were hitting the mark. Iuliana was even more carefully coifed than Vedosia to look the role with not one dark brown strand of hair out of place, but her experience was lacking. Phyrain's guidance was dismissed thought to be insults or slights against her leadership capabilities at best so Arai surmised.

"If Xeniath would just demand the truth from Dorminth or if you would allow my Eiruth to press him we could put this to rest and know once and for all."

"Ladies." Arai used her mug to bang on the table to call them to silence.

"M'ran, K'osir, you must tell Master Arai what you've told us so she understands what is at stake here," Phyrain said, pinching the bridge of her nose, shaking her head.

"No, I forbid it! R'farc tell them they are wrong." Iuliana turned to her weyrmate, but found him staring at the floor. She turned to Arai her chin jutting out which reminded her of Ampara at her most petulant and she rose from her seat.

"Fine as none of you see fit to follow my command I'll be in my weyr." Iuliana marched out; R'farc looked surprised but he stayed put perhaps because K'osir and M'ran were already about to burst and he had already been the target of everyone's ire once today. Vedosia's mouth went agape and she seemed ready to rise and follow the weyrwoman before Phyrain barked, "Sit," and she slumped in her chair looking sheepish and cowed.

The master harper watched her go without any sadness; the girl was stubborn in all of the wrong ways and too busy fearing she was going to be undermined to truly lead. It was a pity, but it couldn't be helped at the moment.

"Tell me what M'ran?" Weren't things already dire enough without more bad news?

He cleared his throat, looking a little nervous to be the center of attention, "About Ampara and the others… Well, he took them as candidates. The thing is we would have expected him to return anyone who hasn't impressed. K'osir thought it was because the so called candidates would be able to lead us straight to them, but it's well within their power to move if they like. The other thing about Ampara is… well… why take girls for fighting dragons? Not that it isn't good to have variety as greens will gladly take to girls or boys."

"M'ran, cut to the chase." K'osir broke in with a sympathetic look to Arai who was bearing things exceedingly patiently including Iuliana's outburst all things considered.

"Gigith, my dragon, she often goes on search. She has a better than good talent for it," and for a moment his voice swelled a little with pride, "and well when she first saw Ampara without either of us knowing who she was, well, Gigith was interested. T'ror a blue rider also searches he was there when we came to ferry the harpers to the gather he was there and his dragon Fideath agreed in his way with Gigith. E'lir also searches so Dorminth was also consulted. The three of them together are nine times out of ten the safest bet a dragonrider can make on hatching day. The truth, and Phyrain and K'osir agree, is that we think S'tek means to hold onto Ampara as a viable candidate for a queen. If Xeniath or Eiruth or Bruineth lays a gold egg he means to steal it and I think he'll try and put Ampara on it which is why we want Eiruth to demand the truth from Dorminth." He looked at Arai not sure what to expect.

Arai seemed to have turned momentarily to stone and stunned into complete silence. Her mind was trying to imagine it, but all she could think was that putting Ampara on a gold dragon was a reckless plan. She knew her daughter better than anyone even if it was through relentless fighting and confrontation, and of course that was the heart of the problem. If Ampara didn't listen to Arai what would S'tek do when he found out he wouldn't be obeyed? Worse, what if Ampara did manage to impress and thought to go between times herself without proper training and was lost forever; that and another thousand terrible scenarios raced across her mind. Arai felt sick again.

"If E'lir suspects and flees before we can question Dorminth we'll have known the truth, but lost our connection." Phyrain said, and Arai winced. She wished Tumparan was there. He was the one with all of the clever schemes; that's where Ampara got it from she was sure.

Got it from… they get the eggs from here. They want a queen egg from here.

"If there is a queen egg they'll have to come here." Arai said, and everyone stared at her Phyrain looked confused and Vedosia mildly concerned while the corner of M'ran's mouth quirked upwards as their eyes met.

"We give them what they want," M'ran said quietly and Phyrain gasped.

"You can't just offer up Eiruth's eggs as if this was some common barter."

K'osir looked concerned for both Arai and M'ran, but then understanding dawned across his face after a moment.

"We guarantee there is an egg. If there is a real queen Eiruth hides it in favor of a decoy and if there is none there is just the decoy. We spread the word and they will come and then Xeniath, Bruineth, and Eiruth wait until they try and commit the theft and force them to stay and tell us where they are all hiding. The queens hold them while we take their riders into custody and then go on a rescue expedition."

However, the bronze rider frowned; it was risky and Phyrain was in agreement.

"This could go poorly. We would have a minute or two at most before they realize they're being played, and I'm going to have trouble convincing Eiruth. Besides if it is E'lir and he finds out the plan is a bust before it's even reached fruition." Phyrain's gaze slid to the very silent and preoccupied R'farc.

He started under her baleful eyes, "I wouldn't tell anyone," he muttered his face coloring.

Vedosia rolled her eyes whatever favor she tried to curry with Iuliana apparently didn't extend to her weyrmate.

"It might be our best chance. That way we surely have the culprit or even more than one of them and they will have definitely planned a return route to the past. In the meantime we can keep an eye on E'lir and work on other plans, maybe my brother will find something to go on. Can I trust you," Arai nodded to Phyrain, "M'ran, and K'osir to plan for a decoy egg?"

"You have our cooperation," Phyrain ceded. Despite her misgivings as she didn't have a better plan.

"You two," R'farc and Vedosia snapped to attention as Phyrain addressed them, "Keep this information strictly to yourselves or I'll have the both of you doing drudge work until you're gray, understood?" They nodded meekly.

"Not a word to Iuliana," K'osir added, "As far as she's concerned this meeting didn't come to any answers or agreements. R'farc just tell her what she wants to hear."

Arai sighed. It was a plan. It wasn't the best plan, but it was better to have a tenuous connection to Ampara than no connection at all, "Meeting adjourned."