Gl'tek was in a towering rage when he made it to the Weyrling Barracks. The double death was upsetting enough for grown dragons, but the dragonets were in hysterics and the confusion of the Weyrlings only fed it. It was a pity, he realized with sharp disapproval that the only person with any sense was that girl who had the audacity to Impress a fighting color. She was sitting outside the Weyrling Barracks, caressing her blue and speaking soothingly to him. If he hadn't known that beyond the walls was chaos, he'd have simply assumed she was soothing the dragonet after eating too much. He gave her a second glance, and saw a mostly empty bucket of meat next to her. His lip curled in distaste and he walked past her without a word. Inside the Barracks was worse than he feared and he asked his green to bespeak Graesth, just to quiet the lot down. Graesth obliged and the silence was a welcome, if deafening change.
Tempering his rage Gl'tek took a deep breath. "Lads, get ahold of yourselves. You're only scaring your dragons worst. Reassure them. Pet them, speak to them, shards, sing if you have to but calm down!"
The Weyrlings tried their best and eventually the dragonets calmed down enough to realize that they were hungry. Gl'tek, finally back on familiar ground, marshaled the Weyrlings out to the coldcaves and showed them the proper way to cut up the carcasses into bite-sized morsels. Thirty-five ravenous dragonets made quick work of the six herdbeasts, although the squeamish look on a number of the Weyrlings' faces suggested this was a task that would take some getting used to.
Charel watched from a respectful distance, Vaeth drowsing in her lap. C'bay noticed her, and walked over to sit down next to her.
"Hey bluerider," he said with an easy grin, and was rewarded with the flash of a smile.
"Morning!" Charel glanced around, "where's Mirrth?"
C'bay laughed, a much needed release. "She's having some breakfast too," he pitched his tone lower, conspiratorially, "don't tell Niko, but she like wherry better than herdbeasts."
"Oh noes," Charel giggled, "Does she eat more often as a result?" C'bay blinked, then thought about.
"Now that you mention it, yes. She always nabs a wherry first thing in the morning." He scratched his chin. "How come you aren't with the others?" He asked a little quieter. Charel looked down at Vaeth, who was staring up at her with adoring eyes.
"I've already fed Vaeth," she replied, scratching him under the chin. "And I don't think the Weyrlingmaster likes us," she added in a whisper.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm pretty certain Gl'tek doesn't like anyone but his dragon. And some days I'm not even certain of that." C'bay said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Just do what he tells you to do, and you'll be fine. Besides, blues and greens grow the quickest, so you'll graduate to your own weyr long before any of the bronzes and browns." His grin turned predatorily. "Be grateful Vaeth isn't a brown or bronze. Gl'tek is downright brutal on them."
"Oh? Why's that?" Charel asked.
"Because he expects future Wingleaders and Wingseconds to be perfect."
Valtree joined the queenriders, sipping her mug of klah while Pilana and Reema made suggestions for dinner entertainment. Jurille had stepped out, being summoned away by Tress. Urlyra was trying to learn the string game from Koru, in an attempt to distract her from thinking about the two lost hatchlings.
"Are you sure we shouldn't make space and have a proper dance floor?"Pilana asked. Reema and Valtree winced.
"That's not really a good idea. If anyone wants to dance I'll put an apprentice out in the Bowl. Dancing the way you dragonfolk do after a death..." Valtree sighed quietly. "Frankly, it's simply not safe in close quarters."
Reema nodded. "Riders tend to get... acrobatic." She looked down at her cold cup of klah. "The night Th'cry died, those that didn't drink to dull the pain danced themselves into a frenzy. I helped the Weyrhealer wrap bloody feet, wretched wrists and set not less than two dislocated shoulders," she grimaced. "We were barely able to raise a minimal Flight the next Fall. It was only the sheerest of luck that most of it fell into the sea."
"I-I didn't realize..." Pilana said softly.
"Don't be surprised if the bronzes pay extra attention to you tonight." Koru added, holding up the triple wing form of the string cradle game. Reema felt for the youngest queenrider. Sageth hadn't risen yet, being only three and a half Turns out of the egg. But weyrbred from High Reaches she frequently knew more about the inner workings of Weyrlife, and was deemed more approachable by a large number of the Lower Caverns.
"Have they been pestering you?" Pilana asked, concerned. Koru shook her head, and passed the string back to Urlyra.
"I know all their tricks. I think they've given up on me," she smiled embarrassedly.
Deerith comes. The queenriders looked at each other in surprise and as one stood from their seats, turning to go out and meet the Benden queen.
Jurille was already waiting on the Bowl floor as the green tinged gold landed and her rider, nineteen Turn old Ofsee dismounted with difficulty. It took the other queenriders a moment to realize that Ofsee was pregnant under her riding jacket.
Ofsee shed her gear, jacket helmet and gloves, dropping them at her feet, her eyes swollen from crying, her cheeks red with rage. Jurille noticed Deerith's eyes were red and her tail swished.
"That motherless son of a herdbeast turd," Ofsee spat out, angrily waddling over to Jurille, "he has the gall to tell me it was my fault the hatchlings went between!" She raged, her brown hair throwing red highlights in the noonday sun.
"Peace, sister. Who said such nonsense?" Jurille asked softly.
"C'seld!" The name might as well be a curse word. "And the greens? That's the Archivist's fault."
"Wait, what is Reelu's fault?" Reema demanded. Ofsee sniffed, wiping her eyes dry on her sleeve.
"The three women that Impressed greens. C'seld accused the Archivist of planting notions- hah! in the heads of the women from the Lower Caverns. He knows full well that he'd have had enough candidates if the Lord Holders hadn't refused him Search privileges."
"Wait, wait- WHAT? The Lord Holders refused him? Why didn't you come to us?" Pilana asked, appalled.
"Kimi asked Brinda, she flatly refused." Ofsee twisted her hands. "We thought with only sixteen eggs we could cover it with lads from the Lower Caverns, but they were all gone! The headman gave some flimflam about fostering, but you know full well that's not what's going on." Ofsee looked up, frustrated tears leaking down her face. "They aren't safe as long as C'seld is Weyrleader. We have Fall tomorrow- you get those greenriders out of there!"
Another short one, because my holidays aren't my own. More on Sunday. Let me know if you catch any grammar or spelling errors.