The Wrong Dragon: Part 3
"Oh threads! Did Erenth...?" Dean bit his lip as his brother smirked and rubbed his cheek against Dean's shoulder. He, at least, seemed to be pleased with the events of the day.
"Yeah. He's the winner. He was amazing."
Sam seemed to be very pleased with himself, and Dean looked at him in utter shock. "It's wrong, Sam. We're brothers; it's just so wrong. You should know that."
"I don't see it. I think we're destined to be with each other. I love you, Dean! I've always loved you."
Dean gazed at his brother, a frown on his face "I love you too, Sammy, but we're brothers. It's going to create all kinds of problems for us - maybe even for the Weyr."
"You already did that, when you Impressed a queen dragon. The Weyr will defend you to the death! And it seems that Carith chose my boy Erenth as her mate. They'll both defend us against the whole of Pern if they decide we need that. Besides, remember that prophecy? I've been studying the other documents from the box that held the one Mom found. She was going through some of the really old scrolls that nobody had time for, and I'm pretty sure that we're the ones from the prophecy."
"What 'ones' are you talking about?" Dean said, a little irritated at this point.
"Then will come two who are closer even than brothers." Sam nodded as if to emphasize his words. "You're going to be surprised at some of the stuff I've found out. I need Bobby to come so we can have a discussion about next steps." He let out a snort of laughter. "Is that okay with you, "Weyrwoman?"
As Dean launched himself onto Sam, howling with outrage at the mocking title and determined to make him pay for the insult to his dignity, several things happened. The first thing was that Dean realized that his little brother was no longer little. Sam wasn't smaller than he was anymore, and he had a longer reach and outweighed him by at least 20lbs.
"Hey! When did you grow taller than me?" he demanded in a manner that seemed to accuse him of doing it secretly while he'd been sleeping.
"I've been taller than you for at least two years, and I guess you just didn't really pay too much attention to me," Sam sounded a little hurt. "And besides, you actually are the Weyrwoman now. At least unless we get thrown out to find a new roost."
The second thing that occurred was the arrival of Missouri, bearing a tray of breakfast for the two of them, which made Sam dive under the sheet and cover himself. Unfortunately, he took the sheet with him, leaving Dean looking wildly for a way of concealing his nudity before finally grabbing a pillow to clutch over his nether regions.
Missouri placed the tray on the edge of the bed and gave him a sunny smile. "I figured that you might need a little sustenance after your exertions. Carith has just gone to eat along with Erenth, and I know that M'lik is waiting to meet with you, along with R'fael and G'bril. Both Dean and Sam looked a little nervous, but Dean gave her a grin in return and thanked her from behind his pillow.
"Thanks, 'Souri. Please give us ten minutes to get ourselves ready and to call Carith back to the Weyr. Sammy, you should probably have Erenth here, too."
Missouri gave him a hug. "I always knew you had the makings of a leader, Dean, or do I need to call you Weyrwoman now?" She laughed as she saw Dean's complexion darken into a blush.
"I really think that would be a bad idea." Sam emerged from behind the screen where he'd been putting his clothes on, sat down on the edge of the bed beside the tray, and snagged himself a sweetroll. "He gets mortally offended when you do that."
Carith swooped in to land on her ledge as Missouri took her departure, chuckling. Carith was followed by her new mate who settled down to snuggle beside her, twining his neck around hers as the two settled down to snooze away their exertions and digest their breakfast.
~*~
The meeting with the Bronze Council delegates went about as well as Dean had feared. The meeting with M'lik alone would have been fine, but the fact that he was accompanied by two of the other elders of the Bronze Council - who were obviously not happy with the situation - changed the dynamic of the meeting completely. The events that had transpired appeared to have left the established council floundering as their control of the Weyr had been completely demolished by Carith's mating, and they were there to salvage what power they could, hopefully without alienating the new Queen Dragon and her consort. Dean was beginning to realize that he and Sam were apparently viewed among the council as nuisances to be overcome and brought under control.
"Welcome, guys," Dean said, biting the inside of his cheek to try and look solemn. The three newcomers were all looking so severe and uncomfortable. Finally, M'lik cleared his throat and gave Dean the hand-clasp that was customary between peers.
"Dean," he said, with the vestige of a smile. "I hope you're well and feeling pain-free following the ordeal of Carith's mating flight. We have much to discuss."
Dean inclined his head. "I feel great," he announced. "She does too, if that smug look on her face is anything to go by. I was hoping you guys would come soon. We have to persuade Sammy here to stop calling me Weyrwoman! It makes me feel as if I should be wearing a fancy costume and a crown or something."
G'bril stepped forward with a frown. "Technically, that's what you are!" he told Dean, avoiding any opportunity to include Sam in the conversation.
"It's true. You've made a joke out of our customs and flouted our taboos, but it's true that Carith answers to you, so we must accept that." The third rider, dark-skinned R'fael spoke harshly, and at that point, Sam, who had been content to listen and remain silent until then, stepped forward to stand beside his brother.
"Dean obeys his dragon, and I obey mine. How is that flouting your customs and taboos?" he asked softly.
For a moment, there was silence, and the two oldtimers actually seemed to acknowledge his presence for the first time. M''lik coughed again and turned back to Dean. "Perhaps we could sit and be comfortable?" he asked, and Dean nodded, going to call for refreshments from the kitchen while Sam led them over to the sitting area and requested that they be seated.
Sitting stiffly, they waited for Dean to rejoin them before R'fael launched into a tirade, firstly about Dean having the temerity to Impress a queen dragon when he was a mere man and then following up with a whole litany of complaints of how Sam should not have even competed for the queen since he was Dean's brother and that was not supposed to happen.
"Well, it did happen. Erenth decided that he would be a fitting mate for Carith, and I had no say in that, other than to hold him from going between during their mating flight." Sam spread his hands in a gesture that asked what else he could have done. "Dean and I are very close. I love him, and I would not see him distressed for anything in the world, but he and I are subject to the whims of our dragons, as we all are, is that not so, gentlemen?"
Carith had one large, golden eye trained on the group, and was edging closer to the conversation until Dean sharply told her to back off.
"But I want to bite the black one a little. He's annoying Erenth, and he needs to stop it."
"This is true." M'lik hastily seized on Sam's words, having caught sight of her approach. "They have not flouted any customs that I can see, and our dragon's wishes are paramount, for without them we would all be victims of threadfall. We should bend our minds to resolving how best to proceed under the circumstances."
There followed a huffy silence that finally broke when a serving wench appeared with the requested refreshments, including some of the prized wine from the Winchester Hold, now being farmed by a new holder who had opted to keep the name. A discussion that was at least a little less hostile then went to deciding what title Dean should have since Weyrwoman was deemed by all to be inappropriate.
"I've been thinking about that," murmured Dean, refilling everyone's glasses. "Ordinarily, I would be the Weyrwoman and share duties with the Weyrleader. Since that won't fly, I suggest that S'mal and I be co-weyrleaders." He held up his glass, inviting a toast. "Of course, we need strong and experienced riders to help us learn, since we are both so young and untested as yet. I hope you three will be our guides in this time of learning."
That gave all three of the council members pause, and after much harrumphing and pondering they seemed to accept the olive branch and agree. As they left the queen's weyr, M'lik gave Dean a wink and whispered, "You're going to do fine."
After the three bronze riders had finally left, Dean waited for a while, periodically checking that their unwanted company had really gone and wasn't still lurking behind the door, waiting to hear their unguarded thoughts. Carith had come to place her head on Dean's shoulder, sleepily amused at their concerns.
"If you're really going to be paranoid, I suppose I'll keep watch for you," she grumbled, although the affection in her tone was impossible to miss. "I guess it's our duty to take care of you!" She nudged Erenth until he rumbled a response that set Sam off laughing.
"If you didn't have me to scrub you and oil you every five minutes, your skin would have split open like a zipper, and all your insides would've fallen out all over the feeding grounds, you ingrate," he growled.
A flick of Erenth's tail told Dean what he thought of that, and as Carith nuzzled his cheek, the bronze made a long rude noise that made him fall over with laughter. Sam looked as if he was about to dive on him and begin a roughhouse session, but a sharp tap on the door prompted both of them to pause.
Cautiously opening the door, Dean found the Masterharper standing awaiting entry. Dean stood aside, with his eyebrows raised. "Come on in! How do you always seem to know the news before anyone else? I assume you heard that Carith had her mating flight yesterday?"
"I did." Bobby's face was grim. "Heard a lot of things besides that, my friend. He turned to Sam and reached to put a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, my boy. You're heading down a dangerous path."
Sam beamed at Bobby as if he hadn't heard what the old man had said. "Bobby! I've been going through the documents you left with me, and I've found something really interesting."
"Is that so?" Bobby smiled, but gestured that he should simmer down a little. "Hang on to that thought. We'll get there in a few minutes, but first, just tell me what in blue blazes you thought you were doing, letting Erenth mate with Carith? How old are you, kid? Eighteen? Dragons take me if you have a lick of sense! You're just a baby. You are going to have the damnedest job keeping the two of you alive if some of the older riders have their way? You think you're going to be able to lead the Weyr?"
Sam reared up, his temper betrayed by the flush that started in his cheeks, although when he did at last speak it was quietly. "I'm 22," he said. "And it was Erenth, not me. I just happened to be carried along with him."
"Well, I hope you know that if someone slits your throat some dark night, Erenth will go between, and then Carith and Dean will be left with no protection." Bobby was beginning to raise his voice, and Dean, worried for both of them, stepped between the two.
"It's done, Bobby. No takebacks. We just have to make sure that we don't make them hate us." He started to tell Bobby about the delegation from the Bronze Council, and how he'd begged them for help and support as they learned the duties required of them. "M'lik is on our side, and he was the one who lost out since he was expected to become Weyrleader. He'll help us."
"And if the worst comes to the worst, Dean and I can go establish our own Weyr somewhere else. It's a big continent." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Bobby and Dean.
"I still don't like it. There are dark forces abroad these days." Bobby frowned. "I've heard whispers of black magic, and of people who want to alter a dragon to bend it to their wishes. Rumor has it that there's a hidden hold somewhere that's harnessed the technology of the first settlers, and they can do things that are unacceptable to those of us who wish to keep Pern peaceful and free."
"The magic is real." Sam interrupted Bobby once the old singer paused to take a breath. “That's what I was trying to tell you when you first came in. I've found so much in that last box of old files, I believe that there are some amazing advances that can be made in how we live. There's a way for us to talk to all the dragons. Can you imagine that?"
"There have been people born who could do that, Sammy. I'll admit it would be amazing, but it's not a new thing." Dean had ordered more wine to be brought up from the kitchen, and the server who brought it for them seemed inclined to linger until Dean actually thanked her and requested that she take the tray Missouri had brought up with their breakfast back to the kitchen. At that, she seemed to realize that she should leave and bobbed a curtsey before running out of the room. Dean laughed. "Everyone wants to know who's saying what right now. The kitchen will be full of gossip and speculation, Half of them will be thinking we're going to take over and change everything, and the other half will all be wishing they could kill us. It's best we don't give anyone cause to think either of those things. The rumors will be bad enough as it is."
Bobby nodded, and after a moment, Sam, whose whole attitude seemed to have been one of, 'so what?' joined the two of them in agreement.
"We've got some networking to do before people get the wrong idea about us," said Dean. "Carith says she will help. She can certainly tell us who we should be working on."
"That's a very good idea, Dean." Bobby beamed. "You two might scrape through this whole thing after all. Pouring himself a brimming glass of wine, he raised it to the two newly minted co-workers and toasted them. "Long may you reign in peace."
"Rather than in pieces, you mean?" smirked Sam, in response. "Your words need to be heard by all." He sipped from his glass and then turned to the Master Harper. "Now can I please show you this amazing spell book?"
~*~
If Dean had thought Carith kept him busy before, he had a lot to learn. As co-Weyrleader, his life began to consist of meetings. There were meetings about tithes, meetings about threadfall, meetings about the Search that was being organized to recruit candidates to Impress the fine clutch of eggs everyone knew that Carith would soon lay, and he was convinced that there were meetings about meetings, too. Sam was involved in many of them, but tended to take a low profile, rather than attempting to assert himself. However, as a Weyrleader he was expected to be an active participant in managing the Weyr.
His muted approach was viewed favorably by most of the older bronze riders, and it was decided that Sam should lead the Search when the riders flew out to discover possible recruits for the new dragons that would be born from Carith's mating.
Once alone in their chambers, Sam was not short of opinions about the way that the Bronze Council conducted their meetings, but much to Dean's relief, he contained himself to discussing his gripes with Dean.
Dean privately agreed with his brother but was doing his best to establish himself as unthreatening and acceptable to the old-timers who seemed to resent his presence. He and Sam were still a little uncomfortable about their relationship now that the mating flight had happened and was over. They hadn't consummated their relationship again, which seemed to upset Sam rather more than Dean.
To be honest, Dean didn't have much of a memory of the event. Everything had been surreal. Carith's emotions, her sensations, and above all her exhilaration had subsumed any feelings of his own. And then, of course, there was Carith herself.
There was always Carith, who as her pregnancy progressed, wanted attention and pampering. Sam was trying his best to help him, but Dean was becoming more and more exhausted. When Carith finally made her trip to the Hatching Ground to lay her eggs, all he could do was tend to her as she produced her clutch.
By the time she was done, and her eggs were nestling in the hot sand, she was exhausted, and lay covering them proudly.
"They're mine! Stay away. She was pale, a ghost of her former vibrant gold, and was reluctant to let even Dean close enough to count them.
"Honey girl, I'm sure there's a queen in there. Please let me take a quick look at them. It'll only take me a moment." Dean was tired and cranky, and he could see his three main critics from the Council heading toward him for a report on how many eggs and just what kind had been laid.
"I don't want to. You'll touch them, and they're mine." Carith was also tired after her labors and because of that, she was petulant. "Go away. You'll hurt my babies."
Finally, Dean sighed and nodded. The hour was late, and a rest would probably help Carith return to her usually sunny self. "Okay, baby girl. I'll let you guard your children. Will you do just one thing for me?"
She glared at him with one golden, whirling eye. "And what might that be?"
"Will you let Erenth come and be with you, love? You're exhausted, and you need someone to take care of you and keep guard while you rest a little."
Erenth had been anxiously circling above for what seemed like the whole day, and Carith grumbled assent as Dean backed away to intercept the three very curious bronze riders. "She's tired and grouchy and will need to rest before she allows anyone near to catalog the eggs. We need to back off and give her some room."
Just as G'bril took a breath to begin arguing, Erenth swooped down to curl around Carith and the eggs, and the three riders appeared to admit defeat, backing off, before turning to head back into the Weyr.
"Congratulations to you and your queen. She's done a fine job. I'm sure," said R'fael, a little belatedly. "We will try again once she's rested and needs to feed. We should get ready for the Search."
Muttering his thanks, Dean stumbled off up to his chamber, intent on refreshment and then sleep, although not necessarily in that order.
Sam was there, and apparently all fired up with enthusiasm about something. He'd been experimenting with his spell book, and it seemed that he had made some truly exciting discoveries, and he wanted to share.
"I've got it!" Sam raced over to greet him. "I know how we can talk to all the dragons."
"Wow!" Dean gave him a weak smile. "You and your massive brain."
"Ruby helped me a little," he confessed. "We'll test it on us, and if it works, we can get the rest of the weyr treated, and it'll be our contribution to civilization. They'll have to stop giving us the side-eye then."
"If they don't start accusing you of witchcraft and throw us out completely." Dean stumbled and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Point!" Sam paused to take in Dean's pallor and his apparent exhaustion. "Maybe take our time introducing it to the other riders." He peered at his brother's ashen face. "Are you okay? You look like you've been ridden hard and put away wet!"
"Yeah. Pretty much." Dean nodded with a sigh. "Carith's laid her eggs at last. She and Erenth are currently curled up with them. It took her forever, and I feel like a limp rag."
Nodding, Sam pulled him into his arms. "We can talk about it once you're feeling a little better. Come on. You hop into bed, and I'll get them to send up some food for you."
He helped Dean get into bed and went off to call for refreshments for his brother. By the time they were delivered, and he turned back to the bed, Dean was out like a light.
Smiling softly, he lowered the lights, set the tray on the side table, and crawled into bed to take his sleeping brother in his arms. "Guess I'll tell you all about it once you wake up.” Pressing a kiss onto Dean's slack mouth, he sighed and drifted off into his own slumber.
~*~
The sky was beginning to lighten, and dawn was not far off. Sam hadn't slept much, if at all, during the night. His head was buzzing with all the exciting plans he'd made, and all the tasks he had to accomplish.
First was the upcoming Search, which he knew was imminent, now that Carith had finally laid her eggs. He'd sent his thoughts to Erenth, who sent back a disjointed, contented mumble from where he currently lay, contentedly entwined with Carith on the hatching grounds. They amounted to 'Go to sleep. I'm busy.'
Knowing his dragon well enough to understand that he would get no more from him that night, he was left to his own racing mind. Now, as dawn's rosy fingers began to send questing rays into the alcove where he and Dean lay, he turned his attention to his brother.
Dean lay stretched out, partly covered by the cotton coverlet, his too-pale limbs flung wide. Sam gazed lovingly at him, afraid at present to touch him, in case he woke him from his desperately needed rest.
His face was relaxed in sleep, giving him a deceptive air of innocence. His skin was pale in the half-light, the pallor brought from too little sleep and a lack of exercise as he tried to learn the tasks he needed to bring the Weyr together. Sam smiled his wide, sweet smile as he studied Dean's features, admiring the warm spill of freckles that dusted his cheeks, the sweep of long, feathery lashes on his cheek, the tender mouth, with its cupid's bow soft as he slept on. Sam felt a rush of love for this brother of his, the only family he'd ever known, and vowed to protect him from harm for the rest of his life.
Snuffling a little, Dean turned a little towards him and nestled against his shoulder, and Sam wanted- needed to touch. He hadn't made advances toward Dean since the mating flight, partly because he could see how busy Dean was, and mostly because he was afraid they might not be welcome, but now, lying here, he could no longer hold off. Reaching his hand - so brown against Dean's pale, freckled skin - and gently trailed his fingers down over the silk-smooth skin of his brother's chest. Dean gave a sigh again and murmured something in his sleep that sounded very much like, 'Sammy'.
A shiver of tenderness shot through him, and he kept up the gentle touches, circling his nipples, stroking Dean so gently. Gazing at his brother's face, he lowered his head to graze the slack lips, hoping he wasn't misinterpreting the subtle signs of welcome. Dean's eyelids fluttered, but it seemed that he was still in the land of dreams.
Bending again, he kissed those lips a little more forcefully, and this time was rewarded by a soft moan as Dean pressed closer to him. His heartbeat was oddly loud in the quiet of the weyr, and he felt the tide of arousal thrum through him, filling his belly with a heat that melted him.
Opening his eyes, Dean blinked at him and his breath hitched.
"Hey, you!"
"Hey yourself, sleepyhead." Sam smiled into the sleepy eyes gazing up at him, crinkling at the corners in the fleeting suggestion of a smile. "Sorry to wake you. I just needed to touch."
Dean's fingers slid down Sam's body to follow the treasure trail to his rapidly swelling cock. "I can tell," he announced with a chuckle.
"You'll make a fine detective," smirked Sam. "What else can you tell?"
"I can tell that you really want this between us." Dean was no longer at rest. He struggled up onto his elbow and stared into his brother's eyes, trying to divine just what he could from them. "Are you sure?"
At that, Sam pulled him in for a kiss-a real kiss, mouth clinging and invading as he attempted to taste all of Dean. He felt Dean shudder at the touch of Sam's tongue against his own and tightened his arms, holding Dean in place to kiss and kiss again as he enveloped his brother, hands roaming, possessing him as completely as was possible.
It seemed that they'd said everything that there was to say. All that was left was the press and slide of bodies that were too eager to be smooth. Sam wanted to climb inside his brother and stay there until the world ended.
Dean raised his knees, wrapped his legs around Sam's hips, and keened until Sam found his way inside him to begin undulating, hips stuttering as began pulling the threads of sensation up until he was alight with them, liquid fire sparking through the tracery of his veins. He could see Dean was with him, his eyes blown and hollow as he clung, panting.
Sam bit his lip, and managed one last, rocking thrust as the bloom of sweet release shook them, stole their energy, and locked their muscles into stasis for a handful of brief, ecstatic seconds.
"Mine," he mumbled. "Only mine, forever."
Dean didn't speak at first, merely ran his fingers down over Sam's chin, petting the rasp of bristles as he smiled. Finally, he sighed and relaxed a little.
"I've always loved you, Sammy. Always."
Dean pulled him back into a tender kiss and then smiled and closed his eyes again. To Dean, it seemed as if only a second had elapsed before he was fast asleep once more curled against him as if he felt safer in Sam's arms than anywhere else in the world.
~*~
It seemed like the very next day that Sam and his team headed out on their Search for candidates for Impressing the 37 new dragonets including two queen eggs that would hatch from Carith's mating flight.
Sam’s task was mainly one of diplomacy. He was to visit the other Weyrs and introduce himself. He aimed to recruit some of the young potentials who might have more possibilities in a new establishment like Half Moon than at their original home. This tour would supposedly reveal Sam as the new Weyrleader too. For diplomatic purposes, he was also to pay a visit to some of the major holds, and the whole thing was going to keep him away from Half Moon for at least three weeks.
With him were a pair of blue riders, K'vin and G'vin, who were along to ferry any candidates back to their Half-Moon Weyr so that Sam could maximize his time with the leaders in the various places he had to visit.
The Search itself was going really well. The two blue riders were kept busy, shuttling back and forth with the possible youngsters, all starry-eyed by the possibility of perhaps becoming a dragonrider, and R'fus, the brown rider who had accompanied Sam as a diplomatic envoy seemed to approve of Sam's ability to charm the people he met.
Sam, who by choice would rather study than socialize, slowly began to enjoy himself, and as he moved on from the Weyrs to begin introducing himself to the Lord Holders in different parts of Pern, he found a confidence that he'd lacked until then.
When he visited Harper Hold and sat down with Bobby, he was excited to talk about the successful visits, and how he seemed to have cemented his place as a leader. At first, he missed the worry that apparently consumed Bobby, and it wasn't until Bobby actually began to voice his concerns that he realized that there were pitfalls he just hadn't considered.
"Have you had any news from Half Moon?" Bobby's voice was sharp, causing Sam to sit up and blink.
"What kind of news? K'vin just returned from taking a young man to join the candidates for impression." Sam looked confused. "He didn't seem to have any real news to impart, other than that T'moh feels that we've done well, and don't need to send any more, unless we find one who seems particularly suitable. Why? What seems to be the problem?"
Apparently reacting to Sam's suddenly worried face, Bobby seemed to reconsider a little. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "How many more holds do you have to visit?"
"Uh, just three. I was saving Winchester Hold for the very last one, but there's still Telgar and Southern to visit. I should be done by the end of the week." Sam smiled. "I've made very good time considering how many stops we've had to make, but I'm telling you honestly I miss Dean so badly it's been really hard not to just head for home early, and the hell with the search." He shook his head. "We were only just getting into our new relationship. It took a while for Dean to feel comfortable, and I hate having to be away from him, especially while he's unable to look away from Carith's eggs in case someone decides to filch one of them."
"Well, it would be misinterpreted as a terrible slight if you were to visit all the holds but three, so I think you should carry on and do your duty there, son, but I do think Dean might be grateful for some support before you get back." Bobby rose from his couch and began collecting his things together. "I think it might be a good idea if I should drop in to keep that boy of yours company while you finish up your rounds, don't you?"
Sam was convinced that the old harper was concealing something from him, and a feeling of unease swept over him. "Uh, yes, I think that would be awesome. We're always happy to see you at Half Moon. I'm sure Dean will welcome you with open arms, but I want to know what it is that you're hiding from me."
"You know me, Sam. I hate being out of the loop, and I suspect the poor boy is missing you as much as you miss him." Bobby gave a short laugh. "Young love, you know! Long time ago for me, but I still remember how it felt to have to be away from my love. Besides, if Dean's worried about someone stealing an egg, even though that young wastrel Chad is no longer in a position to organize such a thing, someone who would take the problem seriously should be there to back him up in his fears."
Sam pondered Bobby's words and finally nodded. He had worried that the old man was trying to conceal some dreadful idea from him, but this rang true. "Yeah. I know he'll be happy to see you. I'll get home as soon as I can."
"That's excellent. I'll head out as soon as I can gather my harp and my guitar. Should I take your boy anything?"
"I don't think so, Bobby. He'll be really happy to see you and especially to hear any gossip you might have." Laughing, Sam finished his wine. "I guess I should head off to my next port of call. Get it over with."
"If you would be kind enough to send one of your riders a message to convey me to Half Moon Weyr just as soon as I locate my warmest cloak, I'll get going too. The cold of between isn't something I enjoy these days. Old bones, you know?"
"Yeah," Sam chuckled. "I'll get G'vin to take you as soon as you're ready. He'll be happy since he's been away from his mate these past weeks, and she's expecting their first child."
It didn't take long to send Bobby on his way, and then Sam bade farewell to the mistress of the Hold and he and his companions made their way to Telgar Hold, their one thought to get their mission over and done with, so they could all go home.
~*~
The Half Moon Weyr was approaching dusk as Bobby and his companions emerged from between to spiral gently down onto the beach at the foot of the cliff. G'vin was angry at Dizenth, his dragon, who had apparently announced her intention to go for a swim. She was insisting, G'vin told Bobby, that she was too filthy from their journeys over the last week or so and needed to make herself pretty so that Belenth, M'kel's green would find her attractive when she rose to mate later. G'vin, desperate to see his very pregnant wife and somewhat short on patience objected, and Bobby, fascinated by the wink that Dizenth shot him, watched them squabbling with great interest. Finally, she relented and told G'vin that she was asking for one of her colleagues to come fetch them because she was going to get that swim right the hell now. Then, with a shimmy of her hips, she dove into the water leaving G'vin to fume on his own. At that moment, M'kel himself and his desirable Belenth came down beside them, grinning, and told them he'd been sent to convey them up to the Weyr.
Swiftly climbing onto Belenth, Bobby took the opportunity to admire the scene below. The sun had set, leaving only purple shadows behind, and the ocean gleamed restlessly below them, wavelets pierced now and then by the sleek form of Dizenth as she frolicked, phosphorescence tracing her presence. All too soon he was deposited at the mouth of the queen's weyr, where Carith gave him a drowsy snuffle in greeting before lapsing back into her slumbers.
Calling out a greeting of his own, Bobby made his way into the Weyr, searching for Dean, who proved to be dozing as well, but who woke with a start upon seeing his visitor.
"Bobby? Am I dreaming?"
"Want me to pinch you to find out?" asked Bobby, grinning as he strolled forward to hug Dean, who was looking very haggard and not at all like his usual robust self. Dean, who was very slow to get up, stumbled a little and could have fallen if Bobby hadn't dropped his instruments and caught hold of him.
"I'm so happy to see you." Dean smiled as he apologized for his apparent reluctance to move.
"What in blue blazes is going on with you, boy?" Bobby was shocked and a little horrified to see the state that Dean was in.
"I don't know." Dean blinked. "I was fine until a couple of weeks ago when all of a sudden I just got weak. I hate it, but I don't know what to do about it."
"You probably need some air and a little sunshine. Maybe some red meat? I'm guessing there's not much to be done now that it's almost dark, but in the morning you and I are going to go out and get some fresh air. I don't like the way you seem to be giving in. Have you been to talk to the healers? Do you want me to fetch my healer from Harper Hold?" The old man helped Dean sit and made him comfortable. "You should have someone with you, at any rate."
"The healer here is a little perplexed, but she's doing what she can. She thinks I need rest and quiet. She thinks I need rest and quiet. She set one of the candidates for Impression to assist me-Ruby, her name is-and she brings me food and medicines constantly." Dean rolled his eyes and smirked. "To be honest, she's a bit much. I don't really like her, and Carith can't stand her."
"Well, if she's the only one taking care of you, we can't have that." Bobby grinned. "Don't worry, kiddo! Uncle Bobby is here to save you from yourself. We'll fix things for ya and teach you not to be so self-effacing. Can you get a rider to take a message back to Harper Hold for me? I'll get my own doc here in a hurry."
Dean struggled back to his feet and called for attention while Bobby made his way over to the desk in the corner of the room to compose the required message. A girl appeared almost as soon as Dean made his request, and appeared concerned that he had a visitor she hadn't been expecting. She was bearing a cup with her, and when Dean indicated, she set it down on the side table beside his bed. The contents had a peculiar, sour scent to it that reached Bobby where he was sitting at Dean's desk. Meanwhile, Bobby turned and studied her, frowning as he tried to solve some problem he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Your name is Ruby, eh, girl?" Bobby rose to confront her, and she hung her head allowing her hair to fall into her face, the dark, glossy strands hiding her apparently meek expression.
"Yes, Masterharper," she mumbled, backing away a little as if anxious to be gone.
"Wait!" Bobby snapped the word out with such force that Ruby froze and even Dean turned his head, a frown on his face. Striding forward, the Master Harper grabbed her shoulders and turned her so he could see her more clearly. Dean was about to interject when Bobby's confused expression suddenly cleared. "I think I know where I saw you before. You're the girl who came to Harper Hall with the mummers last year. The one that the magician pretended to saw in half, aren't you?"
For a moment, Ruby seemed confused herself, and then her face lightened. "Yes. Masterharper. Thank you for remembering me." She dropped a curtsey and turned as Dean called her to his side.
"Ruby. I need you to send G'dreel to me. I need a brown to go to Harper Hall for me if you would be so kind, and I need Missouri, too. Masterharper Singer will be visiting with me for a day or two."
Smiling brightly, Ruby bounced off to do his business. Turning back to his side table, he picked up the pungent-smelling cup and raised it to his lips. Bobby hurriedly grabbed his hand.
"Don't!"
"What? It's my medicine. I'm supposed to drink it three times a day." Dean stared as the old man moved to toss the cup and its contents out into the void beyond the lip of the cave. Carith stirred, turning her head to open one sleepy eye and glare.
"Trust me, Dean. I've smelled that scent before, back when you were a baby."
Before he could say more, there was a knock on the outer door, and G'dreel entered, followed by Missouri, who exclaimed loudly and ran forward to embrace him. "Master Bobby! How lovely to see you."
"You're still a silver-tongued heartbreaker, 'Souri," smirked Bobby. "I'm here to take care of this idjit right here. He ain't feeling so good, I hear."
"I'll have a chamber made up for you right away, Master Harper." Missouri dimpled a smile at him and turned to Dean, who was watching the two of them with the kind of wide-eyed expression that indicated he didn't know how he should handle what he'd just seen. Behind him, G'dreel, who had been an interested observer of the scene, swiftly lost the grin on his face and straightened up as Dean turned to address him.
"I asked for you, specifically, G'dreel. I'm hoping you won't mind carrying a message to Harper Hold as a matter of urgency." Dean glanced over to where Bobby was folding a paper ready to seal it.
"Of course, Weyrleader." He took the message from Bobby's hand and gave a slight bow to the harper.
"Please wait for a reply, if you would." Bobby clapped him on the shoulder as he went with him to the door. "It's really important."
Nodding, G'dreel went off to head out to Harper Hold, and Carith reported a few moments later that G'dreel and Penarth had gone between.
"I'd better go get your accommodation sorted out,” said Missouri.
"That would be great," nodded Bobby. "But before you do that, would you mind sending us up some dinner, and Dean will need protein. Lots of it."
Bustling off to get everything organized, Missouri left the weyr, and Bobby followed her to the door to ensure that the two of them were alone, before turning back to Dean.
"It's not that I don't trust 'Souri," he said. "But right now I'm suspicious of everyone here."
"Suspicious of what?" Dean had returned to sit on his bed once more. "I'm totally baffled. Care to enlighten me, oh enigmatic keeper of secrets?"
"You know, if you talked less and listened more, you wouldn't be baffled." Bobby strolled over to sit beside Dean and put his hand on his back. "I realize that this is gonna sound very weird, and probably impossible, so just listen, all right?"
Dean raised an eyebrow, but nodded when Bobby paused. It seemed that the harper wasn't going to begin talking until he got some kind of response. When Bobby didn't immediately say anything further, he nodded again and gave Bobby the benefit of his thousand-yard stare. Bobby cleared his throat.
"I've seen this before, Dean." Dean opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it once more when Bobby gave him his most quelling glance. "It was twenty-three years ago, just about. That stuff in the cup I tossed away, it's like the same stuff that Mary was given to drink all the time, and she figured she'd get better, but she never did. She just got weaker and weaker." He was silent for a moment, and Dean waited. "Not only that, but the girl who was feeding it to her was also called Ruby, and I tell you, boy, she's the same girl. She looks exactly the same, and she's poisoning you!"
Dean had no idea what he'd been expecting, but that wasn't it. He spread his hands indicating that he was still feeling clueless. Bobby nodded, grimly.
"They weakened Mary so that John was preoccupied and didn't realize that an attack was being planned against him. I think they're doing the same thing to you. They've separated you from your brother, and they're working on making you defenseless so they can screw you over." Bobby was getting angry, lashing himself up into a fury as he spoke, and Dean's mouth opened again.
"This time we're not gonna play their game," he said, his face set in determination. "We don't know who, but it's a start."
"Just stick with me and don't eat or drink anything that Ruby brings you." Dean nodded. "But don't let her know that you aren't ingesting any of her offerings. Only eat the things Missouri prepares, and we'll see if that works. I'm hoping that G'dreel brings my healer back with him. He might be able to identify the poison and know a way to counter it so you can heal faster."
"I wish Sammy was here." Dean sounded forlorn, and Bobby nodded.
"Pretty sure they want to incapacitate you before he can return, that way they can work on him separately. If I were you, I'd pretend that her poison is working on you. Keep her in the dark, along with anyone else who's plotting with her."
With that settled, the two of them settled down to discuss the singer's meeting with Dean's brother.
Dinner came, brought by Missouri, who stayed to chat and flirt with Bobby all over again, and upon questioning her, they deduced that Ruby wasn't working with the kitchen at all, but had been set to take care of Dean by some other agency. The three of them began to try and work out the best way of determining who that might be.
Dinner was only a fond memory, and Dean was pleasantly sated after eating a gigantic portion of the pie that Missouri had baked from some of the sweet berries that grew in the field behind the feeding ground when there was a commotion from Carith's part of the weyr.
Swiftly shaking off his drowsiness, Dean rose to go and see just what was happening. He knew that it wasn't something that had upset Carith, because she was broadcasting amusement, but whatever it might be was still in need of investigation.
Rushing into the chamber, he found G'dreel, assisting an unknown man to alight from Penanth, who was crouching beside Carith in an attitude of apparent exhaustion.
"He's the worst actor!" G'dreel set the newcomer's bag down and shook his head, grinning as he surveyed his dragon's posture. "He thinks he'll get extra credit for all his hard work or something."
Bobby, who had strolled in behind Dean, went to the dragon and reached up to scratch his eye-ridges fondly. "And so you shall, my friend! Thank you for going to fetch my doctor." He turned to G'dreel as Penarth preened himself, apparently happy with the praise and the pets. "I needed my physician for a sensitive issue, and I really don't want people to find out. Dean here has very kindly decided to help me keep my infirmity a secret, so I hope you can find it in your heart to help me keep my secret."
"Of course, Master Harper." G'dreel nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. I promise not to mention the presence of the Master Physician." With that, he climbed onto Penarth's back, and the pair launched away from the edge of the cavern and into the night.
~*~
Later, much later, Dean was awakened by a shriek from Carith and a clamoring from the watch- weyrs stationed around the perimeter of the hatching sands. Hurling himself out of bed and onto her back as she rose to fly, the two of them took to the air.
Below, there was a commotion. Weapons were being fired and there were shouts as some kind of battle was fought. As they landed beside Carith's clutch, hard now and almost ready for the hatching, several shadowy shapes seemed to be scattering. One who had run towards where Carith had landed was suddenly seized by a furious dragon and lifted bodily into the air, screaming as they rose, at least for a moment, until she shook him as if he were a rag, flew up above the cliff and dropped him to the ground from the height she had attained.
Reaching the ground again Dean paused to soothe his irate dragon and then ran to discover what the damage was. R'fael, who had been watching the eggs, came to Carith's side and reached to pat her knee.
"They didn't get an egg, Carith. We protected them for you."
Dean saw Carith relax visibly and heaved his own sigh of relief. "So tell us what happened. We knew there might be an attempt at stealing one. Good that your vigilance was rewarded."
"I don't quite know how they got in here. One minute it was all peace and quiet, and the next, there were people popping up all over. It seemed that the aerial traps we set didn't work. The marauders somehow materialized out of nowhere." R'fael looked a little sheepish as he continued. "I killed one of them, more by accident than by design, and it seems as though your queen has weapons of her own. The others appeared to evade capture by disappearing back into thin air."
The hatching sands were suddenly invaded by riders all clamoring to know what was going on. One of the older bronze riders, A'zel, swiftly took charge, sending most of the crowd back to their beds, setting a new watch to police the sands for the remainder of the night, and finally taking charge of the body of the intruder that R'fael had killed.
He did his best to commandeer the one that Carith had dispatched as well, but the queen dragon, still somewhat ruffled after the assault on her nest, was having none of it.
"I don't like him. Tell him to go away and leave this one to me," she said, snapping her jaws an inch from the poor man's face.
"I think you'd best leave him alone at the moment. Carith will keep him safe until we investigate further." Dean was angry at A'zel's insistence on being in charge and trying his best to keep a rein on his temper. "We'll discuss it at a meeting in the morning."
A'zel looked at Dean, a sneer on his face. "Oh? I thought you were so sick you were incapable of taking charge. Do please excuse me, Queen Rider. We're certainly going to discuss this in the morning." He turned on his heel and stomped away, shouting for two of the youngsters to take the other body to the sickbay.
"He means you ill. I don't like him. I don't want him near my children." Carith made a purposely rude noise to follow A'zel off into the caves and clutched her dead foe. "I shall keep this with me until you need it. I am sure our visitors will want to see it before we let the others near."
With that, it seemed that she had made her decision. Dean sighed at her fondly and climbed up onto her back so they could return to the weyr above.
~*~
Back to the Master Post | On to Part 4
"Yeah. He's the winner. He was amazing."
Sam seemed to be very pleased with himself, and Dean looked at him in utter shock. "It's wrong, Sam. We're brothers; it's just so wrong. You should know that."
"I don't see it. I think we're destined to be with each other. I love you, Dean! I've always loved you."
Dean gazed at his brother, a frown on his face "I love you too, Sammy, but we're brothers. It's going to create all kinds of problems for us - maybe even for the Weyr."
"You already did that, when you Impressed a queen dragon. The Weyr will defend you to the death! And it seems that Carith chose my boy Erenth as her mate. They'll both defend us against the whole of Pern if they decide we need that. Besides, remember that prophecy? I've been studying the other documents from the box that held the one Mom found. She was going through some of the really old scrolls that nobody had time for, and I'm pretty sure that we're the ones from the prophecy."
"What 'ones' are you talking about?" Dean said, a little irritated at this point.
"Then will come two who are closer even than brothers." Sam nodded as if to emphasize his words. "You're going to be surprised at some of the stuff I've found out. I need Bobby to come so we can have a discussion about next steps." He let out a snort of laughter. "Is that okay with you, "Weyrwoman?"
As Dean launched himself onto Sam, howling with outrage at the mocking title and determined to make him pay for the insult to his dignity, several things happened. The first thing was that Dean realized that his little brother was no longer little. Sam wasn't smaller than he was anymore, and he had a longer reach and outweighed him by at least 20lbs.
"Hey! When did you grow taller than me?" he demanded in a manner that seemed to accuse him of doing it secretly while he'd been sleeping.
"I've been taller than you for at least two years, and I guess you just didn't really pay too much attention to me," Sam sounded a little hurt. "And besides, you actually are the Weyrwoman now. At least unless we get thrown out to find a new roost."
The second thing that occurred was the arrival of Missouri, bearing a tray of breakfast for the two of them, which made Sam dive under the sheet and cover himself. Unfortunately, he took the sheet with him, leaving Dean looking wildly for a way of concealing his nudity before finally grabbing a pillow to clutch over his nether regions.
Missouri placed the tray on the edge of the bed and gave him a sunny smile. "I figured that you might need a little sustenance after your exertions. Carith has just gone to eat along with Erenth, and I know that M'lik is waiting to meet with you, along with R'fael and G'bril. Both Dean and Sam looked a little nervous, but Dean gave her a grin in return and thanked her from behind his pillow.
"Thanks, 'Souri. Please give us ten minutes to get ourselves ready and to call Carith back to the Weyr. Sammy, you should probably have Erenth here, too."
Missouri gave him a hug. "I always knew you had the makings of a leader, Dean, or do I need to call you Weyrwoman now?" She laughed as she saw Dean's complexion darken into a blush.
"I really think that would be a bad idea." Sam emerged from behind the screen where he'd been putting his clothes on, sat down on the edge of the bed beside the tray, and snagged himself a sweetroll. "He gets mortally offended when you do that."
Carith swooped in to land on her ledge as Missouri took her departure, chuckling. Carith was followed by her new mate who settled down to snuggle beside her, twining his neck around hers as the two settled down to snooze away their exertions and digest their breakfast.
~*~
The meeting with the Bronze Council delegates went about as well as Dean had feared. The meeting with M'lik alone would have been fine, but the fact that he was accompanied by two of the other elders of the Bronze Council - who were obviously not happy with the situation - changed the dynamic of the meeting completely. The events that had transpired appeared to have left the established council floundering as their control of the Weyr had been completely demolished by Carith's mating, and they were there to salvage what power they could, hopefully without alienating the new Queen Dragon and her consort. Dean was beginning to realize that he and Sam were apparently viewed among the council as nuisances to be overcome and brought under control.
"Welcome, guys," Dean said, biting the inside of his cheek to try and look solemn. The three newcomers were all looking so severe and uncomfortable. Finally, M'lik cleared his throat and gave Dean the hand-clasp that was customary between peers.
"Dean," he said, with the vestige of a smile. "I hope you're well and feeling pain-free following the ordeal of Carith's mating flight. We have much to discuss."
Dean inclined his head. "I feel great," he announced. "She does too, if that smug look on her face is anything to go by. I was hoping you guys would come soon. We have to persuade Sammy here to stop calling me Weyrwoman! It makes me feel as if I should be wearing a fancy costume and a crown or something."
G'bril stepped forward with a frown. "Technically, that's what you are!" he told Dean, avoiding any opportunity to include Sam in the conversation.
"It's true. You've made a joke out of our customs and flouted our taboos, but it's true that Carith answers to you, so we must accept that." The third rider, dark-skinned R'fael spoke harshly, and at that point, Sam, who had been content to listen and remain silent until then, stepped forward to stand beside his brother.
"Dean obeys his dragon, and I obey mine. How is that flouting your customs and taboos?" he asked softly.
For a moment, there was silence, and the two oldtimers actually seemed to acknowledge his presence for the first time. M''lik coughed again and turned back to Dean. "Perhaps we could sit and be comfortable?" he asked, and Dean nodded, going to call for refreshments from the kitchen while Sam led them over to the sitting area and requested that they be seated.
Sitting stiffly, they waited for Dean to rejoin them before R'fael launched into a tirade, firstly about Dean having the temerity to Impress a queen dragon when he was a mere man and then following up with a whole litany of complaints of how Sam should not have even competed for the queen since he was Dean's brother and that was not supposed to happen.
"Well, it did happen. Erenth decided that he would be a fitting mate for Carith, and I had no say in that, other than to hold him from going between during their mating flight." Sam spread his hands in a gesture that asked what else he could have done. "Dean and I are very close. I love him, and I would not see him distressed for anything in the world, but he and I are subject to the whims of our dragons, as we all are, is that not so, gentlemen?"
Carith had one large, golden eye trained on the group, and was edging closer to the conversation until Dean sharply told her to back off.
"But I want to bite the black one a little. He's annoying Erenth, and he needs to stop it."
"This is true." M'lik hastily seized on Sam's words, having caught sight of her approach. "They have not flouted any customs that I can see, and our dragon's wishes are paramount, for without them we would all be victims of threadfall. We should bend our minds to resolving how best to proceed under the circumstances."
There followed a huffy silence that finally broke when a serving wench appeared with the requested refreshments, including some of the prized wine from the Winchester Hold, now being farmed by a new holder who had opted to keep the name. A discussion that was at least a little less hostile then went to deciding what title Dean should have since Weyrwoman was deemed by all to be inappropriate.
"I've been thinking about that," murmured Dean, refilling everyone's glasses. "Ordinarily, I would be the Weyrwoman and share duties with the Weyrleader. Since that won't fly, I suggest that S'mal and I be co-weyrleaders." He held up his glass, inviting a toast. "Of course, we need strong and experienced riders to help us learn, since we are both so young and untested as yet. I hope you three will be our guides in this time of learning."
That gave all three of the council members pause, and after much harrumphing and pondering they seemed to accept the olive branch and agree. As they left the queen's weyr, M'lik gave Dean a wink and whispered, "You're going to do fine."
After the three bronze riders had finally left, Dean waited for a while, periodically checking that their unwanted company had really gone and wasn't still lurking behind the door, waiting to hear their unguarded thoughts. Carith had come to place her head on Dean's shoulder, sleepily amused at their concerns.
"If you're really going to be paranoid, I suppose I'll keep watch for you," she grumbled, although the affection in her tone was impossible to miss. "I guess it's our duty to take care of you!" She nudged Erenth until he rumbled a response that set Sam off laughing.
"If you didn't have me to scrub you and oil you every five minutes, your skin would have split open like a zipper, and all your insides would've fallen out all over the feeding grounds, you ingrate," he growled.
A flick of Erenth's tail told Dean what he thought of that, and as Carith nuzzled his cheek, the bronze made a long rude noise that made him fall over with laughter. Sam looked as if he was about to dive on him and begin a roughhouse session, but a sharp tap on the door prompted both of them to pause.
Cautiously opening the door, Dean found the Masterharper standing awaiting entry. Dean stood aside, with his eyebrows raised. "Come on in! How do you always seem to know the news before anyone else? I assume you heard that Carith had her mating flight yesterday?"
"I did." Bobby's face was grim. "Heard a lot of things besides that, my friend. He turned to Sam and reached to put a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, my boy. You're heading down a dangerous path."
Sam beamed at Bobby as if he hadn't heard what the old man had said. "Bobby! I've been going through the documents you left with me, and I've found something really interesting."
"Is that so?" Bobby smiled, but gestured that he should simmer down a little. "Hang on to that thought. We'll get there in a few minutes, but first, just tell me what in blue blazes you thought you were doing, letting Erenth mate with Carith? How old are you, kid? Eighteen? Dragons take me if you have a lick of sense! You're just a baby. You are going to have the damnedest job keeping the two of you alive if some of the older riders have their way? You think you're going to be able to lead the Weyr?"
Sam reared up, his temper betrayed by the flush that started in his cheeks, although when he did at last speak it was quietly. "I'm 22," he said. "And it was Erenth, not me. I just happened to be carried along with him."
"Well, I hope you know that if someone slits your throat some dark night, Erenth will go between, and then Carith and Dean will be left with no protection." Bobby was beginning to raise his voice, and Dean, worried for both of them, stepped between the two.
"It's done, Bobby. No takebacks. We just have to make sure that we don't make them hate us." He started to tell Bobby about the delegation from the Bronze Council, and how he'd begged them for help and support as they learned the duties required of them. "M'lik is on our side, and he was the one who lost out since he was expected to become Weyrleader. He'll help us."
"And if the worst comes to the worst, Dean and I can go establish our own Weyr somewhere else. It's a big continent." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Bobby and Dean.
"I still don't like it. There are dark forces abroad these days." Bobby frowned. "I've heard whispers of black magic, and of people who want to alter a dragon to bend it to their wishes. Rumor has it that there's a hidden hold somewhere that's harnessed the technology of the first settlers, and they can do things that are unacceptable to those of us who wish to keep Pern peaceful and free."
"The magic is real." Sam interrupted Bobby once the old singer paused to take a breath. “That's what I was trying to tell you when you first came in. I've found so much in that last box of old files, I believe that there are some amazing advances that can be made in how we live. There's a way for us to talk to all the dragons. Can you imagine that?"
"There have been people born who could do that, Sammy. I'll admit it would be amazing, but it's not a new thing." Dean had ordered more wine to be brought up from the kitchen, and the server who brought it for them seemed inclined to linger until Dean actually thanked her and requested that she take the tray Missouri had brought up with their breakfast back to the kitchen. At that, she seemed to realize that she should leave and bobbed a curtsey before running out of the room. Dean laughed. "Everyone wants to know who's saying what right now. The kitchen will be full of gossip and speculation, Half of them will be thinking we're going to take over and change everything, and the other half will all be wishing they could kill us. It's best we don't give anyone cause to think either of those things. The rumors will be bad enough as it is."
Bobby nodded, and after a moment, Sam, whose whole attitude seemed to have been one of, 'so what?' joined the two of them in agreement.
"We've got some networking to do before people get the wrong idea about us," said Dean. "Carith says she will help. She can certainly tell us who we should be working on."
"That's a very good idea, Dean." Bobby beamed. "You two might scrape through this whole thing after all. Pouring himself a brimming glass of wine, he raised it to the two newly minted co-workers and toasted them. "Long may you reign in peace."
"Rather than in pieces, you mean?" smirked Sam, in response. "Your words need to be heard by all." He sipped from his glass and then turned to the Master Harper. "Now can I please show you this amazing spell book?"
~*~
If Dean had thought Carith kept him busy before, he had a lot to learn. As co-Weyrleader, his life began to consist of meetings. There were meetings about tithes, meetings about threadfall, meetings about the Search that was being organized to recruit candidates to Impress the fine clutch of eggs everyone knew that Carith would soon lay, and he was convinced that there were meetings about meetings, too. Sam was involved in many of them, but tended to take a low profile, rather than attempting to assert himself. However, as a Weyrleader he was expected to be an active participant in managing the Weyr.
His muted approach was viewed favorably by most of the older bronze riders, and it was decided that Sam should lead the Search when the riders flew out to discover possible recruits for the new dragons that would be born from Carith's mating.
Once alone in their chambers, Sam was not short of opinions about the way that the Bronze Council conducted their meetings, but much to Dean's relief, he contained himself to discussing his gripes with Dean.
Dean privately agreed with his brother but was doing his best to establish himself as unthreatening and acceptable to the old-timers who seemed to resent his presence. He and Sam were still a little uncomfortable about their relationship now that the mating flight had happened and was over. They hadn't consummated their relationship again, which seemed to upset Sam rather more than Dean.
To be honest, Dean didn't have much of a memory of the event. Everything had been surreal. Carith's emotions, her sensations, and above all her exhilaration had subsumed any feelings of his own. And then, of course, there was Carith herself.
There was always Carith, who as her pregnancy progressed, wanted attention and pampering. Sam was trying his best to help him, but Dean was becoming more and more exhausted. When Carith finally made her trip to the Hatching Ground to lay her eggs, all he could do was tend to her as she produced her clutch.
By the time she was done, and her eggs were nestling in the hot sand, she was exhausted, and lay covering them proudly.
"They're mine! Stay away. She was pale, a ghost of her former vibrant gold, and was reluctant to let even Dean close enough to count them.
"Honey girl, I'm sure there's a queen in there. Please let me take a quick look at them. It'll only take me a moment." Dean was tired and cranky, and he could see his three main critics from the Council heading toward him for a report on how many eggs and just what kind had been laid.
"I don't want to. You'll touch them, and they're mine." Carith was also tired after her labors and because of that, she was petulant. "Go away. You'll hurt my babies."
Finally, Dean sighed and nodded. The hour was late, and a rest would probably help Carith return to her usually sunny self. "Okay, baby girl. I'll let you guard your children. Will you do just one thing for me?"
She glared at him with one golden, whirling eye. "And what might that be?"
"Will you let Erenth come and be with you, love? You're exhausted, and you need someone to take care of you and keep guard while you rest a little."
Erenth had been anxiously circling above for what seemed like the whole day, and Carith grumbled assent as Dean backed away to intercept the three very curious bronze riders. "She's tired and grouchy and will need to rest before she allows anyone near to catalog the eggs. We need to back off and give her some room."
Just as G'bril took a breath to begin arguing, Erenth swooped down to curl around Carith and the eggs, and the three riders appeared to admit defeat, backing off, before turning to head back into the Weyr.
"Congratulations to you and your queen. She's done a fine job. I'm sure," said R'fael, a little belatedly. "We will try again once she's rested and needs to feed. We should get ready for the Search."
Muttering his thanks, Dean stumbled off up to his chamber, intent on refreshment and then sleep, although not necessarily in that order.
Sam was there, and apparently all fired up with enthusiasm about something. He'd been experimenting with his spell book, and it seemed that he had made some truly exciting discoveries, and he wanted to share.
"I've got it!" Sam raced over to greet him. "I know how we can talk to all the dragons."
"Wow!" Dean gave him a weak smile. "You and your massive brain."
"Ruby helped me a little," he confessed. "We'll test it on us, and if it works, we can get the rest of the weyr treated, and it'll be our contribution to civilization. They'll have to stop giving us the side-eye then."
"If they don't start accusing you of witchcraft and throw us out completely." Dean stumbled and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Point!" Sam paused to take in Dean's pallor and his apparent exhaustion. "Maybe take our time introducing it to the other riders." He peered at his brother's ashen face. "Are you okay? You look like you've been ridden hard and put away wet!"
"Yeah. Pretty much." Dean nodded with a sigh. "Carith's laid her eggs at last. She and Erenth are currently curled up with them. It took her forever, and I feel like a limp rag."
Nodding, Sam pulled him into his arms. "We can talk about it once you're feeling a little better. Come on. You hop into bed, and I'll get them to send up some food for you."
He helped Dean get into bed and went off to call for refreshments for his brother. By the time they were delivered, and he turned back to the bed, Dean was out like a light.
Smiling softly, he lowered the lights, set the tray on the side table, and crawled into bed to take his sleeping brother in his arms. "Guess I'll tell you all about it once you wake up.” Pressing a kiss onto Dean's slack mouth, he sighed and drifted off into his own slumber.
~*~
The sky was beginning to lighten, and dawn was not far off. Sam hadn't slept much, if at all, during the night. His head was buzzing with all the exciting plans he'd made, and all the tasks he had to accomplish.
First was the upcoming Search, which he knew was imminent, now that Carith had finally laid her eggs. He'd sent his thoughts to Erenth, who sent back a disjointed, contented mumble from where he currently lay, contentedly entwined with Carith on the hatching grounds. They amounted to 'Go to sleep. I'm busy.'
Knowing his dragon well enough to understand that he would get no more from him that night, he was left to his own racing mind. Now, as dawn's rosy fingers began to send questing rays into the alcove where he and Dean lay, he turned his attention to his brother.
Dean lay stretched out, partly covered by the cotton coverlet, his too-pale limbs flung wide. Sam gazed lovingly at him, afraid at present to touch him, in case he woke him from his desperately needed rest.
His face was relaxed in sleep, giving him a deceptive air of innocence. His skin was pale in the half-light, the pallor brought from too little sleep and a lack of exercise as he tried to learn the tasks he needed to bring the Weyr together. Sam smiled his wide, sweet smile as he studied Dean's features, admiring the warm spill of freckles that dusted his cheeks, the sweep of long, feathery lashes on his cheek, the tender mouth, with its cupid's bow soft as he slept on. Sam felt a rush of love for this brother of his, the only family he'd ever known, and vowed to protect him from harm for the rest of his life.
Snuffling a little, Dean turned a little towards him and nestled against his shoulder, and Sam wanted- needed to touch. He hadn't made advances toward Dean since the mating flight, partly because he could see how busy Dean was, and mostly because he was afraid they might not be welcome, but now, lying here, he could no longer hold off. Reaching his hand - so brown against Dean's pale, freckled skin - and gently trailed his fingers down over the silk-smooth skin of his brother's chest. Dean gave a sigh again and murmured something in his sleep that sounded very much like, 'Sammy'.
A shiver of tenderness shot through him, and he kept up the gentle touches, circling his nipples, stroking Dean so gently. Gazing at his brother's face, he lowered his head to graze the slack lips, hoping he wasn't misinterpreting the subtle signs of welcome. Dean's eyelids fluttered, but it seemed that he was still in the land of dreams.
Bending again, he kissed those lips a little more forcefully, and this time was rewarded by a soft moan as Dean pressed closer to him. His heartbeat was oddly loud in the quiet of the weyr, and he felt the tide of arousal thrum through him, filling his belly with a heat that melted him.
Opening his eyes, Dean blinked at him and his breath hitched.
"Hey, you!"
"Hey yourself, sleepyhead." Sam smiled into the sleepy eyes gazing up at him, crinkling at the corners in the fleeting suggestion of a smile. "Sorry to wake you. I just needed to touch."
Dean's fingers slid down Sam's body to follow the treasure trail to his rapidly swelling cock. "I can tell," he announced with a chuckle.
"You'll make a fine detective," smirked Sam. "What else can you tell?"
"I can tell that you really want this between us." Dean was no longer at rest. He struggled up onto his elbow and stared into his brother's eyes, trying to divine just what he could from them. "Are you sure?"
At that, Sam pulled him in for a kiss-a real kiss, mouth clinging and invading as he attempted to taste all of Dean. He felt Dean shudder at the touch of Sam's tongue against his own and tightened his arms, holding Dean in place to kiss and kiss again as he enveloped his brother, hands roaming, possessing him as completely as was possible.
It seemed that they'd said everything that there was to say. All that was left was the press and slide of bodies that were too eager to be smooth. Sam wanted to climb inside his brother and stay there until the world ended.
Dean raised his knees, wrapped his legs around Sam's hips, and keened until Sam found his way inside him to begin undulating, hips stuttering as began pulling the threads of sensation up until he was alight with them, liquid fire sparking through the tracery of his veins. He could see Dean was with him, his eyes blown and hollow as he clung, panting.
Sam bit his lip, and managed one last, rocking thrust as the bloom of sweet release shook them, stole their energy, and locked their muscles into stasis for a handful of brief, ecstatic seconds.
"Mine," he mumbled. "Only mine, forever."
Dean didn't speak at first, merely ran his fingers down over Sam's chin, petting the rasp of bristles as he smiled. Finally, he sighed and relaxed a little.
"I've always loved you, Sammy. Always."
Dean pulled him back into a tender kiss and then smiled and closed his eyes again. To Dean, it seemed as if only a second had elapsed before he was fast asleep once more curled against him as if he felt safer in Sam's arms than anywhere else in the world.
~*~
It seemed like the very next day that Sam and his team headed out on their Search for candidates for Impressing the 37 new dragonets including two queen eggs that would hatch from Carith's mating flight.
Sam’s task was mainly one of diplomacy. He was to visit the other Weyrs and introduce himself. He aimed to recruit some of the young potentials who might have more possibilities in a new establishment like Half Moon than at their original home. This tour would supposedly reveal Sam as the new Weyrleader too. For diplomatic purposes, he was also to pay a visit to some of the major holds, and the whole thing was going to keep him away from Half Moon for at least three weeks.
With him were a pair of blue riders, K'vin and G'vin, who were along to ferry any candidates back to their Half-Moon Weyr so that Sam could maximize his time with the leaders in the various places he had to visit.
The Search itself was going really well. The two blue riders were kept busy, shuttling back and forth with the possible youngsters, all starry-eyed by the possibility of perhaps becoming a dragonrider, and R'fus, the brown rider who had accompanied Sam as a diplomatic envoy seemed to approve of Sam's ability to charm the people he met.
Sam, who by choice would rather study than socialize, slowly began to enjoy himself, and as he moved on from the Weyrs to begin introducing himself to the Lord Holders in different parts of Pern, he found a confidence that he'd lacked until then.
When he visited Harper Hold and sat down with Bobby, he was excited to talk about the successful visits, and how he seemed to have cemented his place as a leader. At first, he missed the worry that apparently consumed Bobby, and it wasn't until Bobby actually began to voice his concerns that he realized that there were pitfalls he just hadn't considered.
"Have you had any news from Half Moon?" Bobby's voice was sharp, causing Sam to sit up and blink.
"What kind of news? K'vin just returned from taking a young man to join the candidates for impression." Sam looked confused. "He didn't seem to have any real news to impart, other than that T'moh feels that we've done well, and don't need to send any more, unless we find one who seems particularly suitable. Why? What seems to be the problem?"
Apparently reacting to Sam's suddenly worried face, Bobby seemed to reconsider a little. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "How many more holds do you have to visit?"
"Uh, just three. I was saving Winchester Hold for the very last one, but there's still Telgar and Southern to visit. I should be done by the end of the week." Sam smiled. "I've made very good time considering how many stops we've had to make, but I'm telling you honestly I miss Dean so badly it's been really hard not to just head for home early, and the hell with the search." He shook his head. "We were only just getting into our new relationship. It took a while for Dean to feel comfortable, and I hate having to be away from him, especially while he's unable to look away from Carith's eggs in case someone decides to filch one of them."
"Well, it would be misinterpreted as a terrible slight if you were to visit all the holds but three, so I think you should carry on and do your duty there, son, but I do think Dean might be grateful for some support before you get back." Bobby rose from his couch and began collecting his things together. "I think it might be a good idea if I should drop in to keep that boy of yours company while you finish up your rounds, don't you?"
Sam was convinced that the old harper was concealing something from him, and a feeling of unease swept over him. "Uh, yes, I think that would be awesome. We're always happy to see you at Half Moon. I'm sure Dean will welcome you with open arms, but I want to know what it is that you're hiding from me."
"You know me, Sam. I hate being out of the loop, and I suspect the poor boy is missing you as much as you miss him." Bobby gave a short laugh. "Young love, you know! Long time ago for me, but I still remember how it felt to have to be away from my love. Besides, if Dean's worried about someone stealing an egg, even though that young wastrel Chad is no longer in a position to organize such a thing, someone who would take the problem seriously should be there to back him up in his fears."
Sam pondered Bobby's words and finally nodded. He had worried that the old man was trying to conceal some dreadful idea from him, but this rang true. "Yeah. I know he'll be happy to see you. I'll get home as soon as I can."
"That's excellent. I'll head out as soon as I can gather my harp and my guitar. Should I take your boy anything?"
"I don't think so, Bobby. He'll be really happy to see you and especially to hear any gossip you might have." Laughing, Sam finished his wine. "I guess I should head off to my next port of call. Get it over with."
"If you would be kind enough to send one of your riders a message to convey me to Half Moon Weyr just as soon as I locate my warmest cloak, I'll get going too. The cold of between isn't something I enjoy these days. Old bones, you know?"
"Yeah," Sam chuckled. "I'll get G'vin to take you as soon as you're ready. He'll be happy since he's been away from his mate these past weeks, and she's expecting their first child."
It didn't take long to send Bobby on his way, and then Sam bade farewell to the mistress of the Hold and he and his companions made their way to Telgar Hold, their one thought to get their mission over and done with, so they could all go home.
~*~
The Half Moon Weyr was approaching dusk as Bobby and his companions emerged from between to spiral gently down onto the beach at the foot of the cliff. G'vin was angry at Dizenth, his dragon, who had apparently announced her intention to go for a swim. She was insisting, G'vin told Bobby, that she was too filthy from their journeys over the last week or so and needed to make herself pretty so that Belenth, M'kel's green would find her attractive when she rose to mate later. G'vin, desperate to see his very pregnant wife and somewhat short on patience objected, and Bobby, fascinated by the wink that Dizenth shot him, watched them squabbling with great interest. Finally, she relented and told G'vin that she was asking for one of her colleagues to come fetch them because she was going to get that swim right the hell now. Then, with a shimmy of her hips, she dove into the water leaving G'vin to fume on his own. At that moment, M'kel himself and his desirable Belenth came down beside them, grinning, and told them he'd been sent to convey them up to the Weyr.
Swiftly climbing onto Belenth, Bobby took the opportunity to admire the scene below. The sun had set, leaving only purple shadows behind, and the ocean gleamed restlessly below them, wavelets pierced now and then by the sleek form of Dizenth as she frolicked, phosphorescence tracing her presence. All too soon he was deposited at the mouth of the queen's weyr, where Carith gave him a drowsy snuffle in greeting before lapsing back into her slumbers.
Calling out a greeting of his own, Bobby made his way into the Weyr, searching for Dean, who proved to be dozing as well, but who woke with a start upon seeing his visitor.
"Bobby? Am I dreaming?"
"Want me to pinch you to find out?" asked Bobby, grinning as he strolled forward to hug Dean, who was looking very haggard and not at all like his usual robust self. Dean, who was very slow to get up, stumbled a little and could have fallen if Bobby hadn't dropped his instruments and caught hold of him.
"I'm so happy to see you." Dean smiled as he apologized for his apparent reluctance to move.
"What in blue blazes is going on with you, boy?" Bobby was shocked and a little horrified to see the state that Dean was in.
"I don't know." Dean blinked. "I was fine until a couple of weeks ago when all of a sudden I just got weak. I hate it, but I don't know what to do about it."
"You probably need some air and a little sunshine. Maybe some red meat? I'm guessing there's not much to be done now that it's almost dark, but in the morning you and I are going to go out and get some fresh air. I don't like the way you seem to be giving in. Have you been to talk to the healers? Do you want me to fetch my healer from Harper Hold?" The old man helped Dean sit and made him comfortable. "You should have someone with you, at any rate."
"The healer here is a little perplexed, but she's doing what she can. She thinks I need rest and quiet. She thinks I need rest and quiet. She set one of the candidates for Impression to assist me-Ruby, her name is-and she brings me food and medicines constantly." Dean rolled his eyes and smirked. "To be honest, she's a bit much. I don't really like her, and Carith can't stand her."
"Well, if she's the only one taking care of you, we can't have that." Bobby grinned. "Don't worry, kiddo! Uncle Bobby is here to save you from yourself. We'll fix things for ya and teach you not to be so self-effacing. Can you get a rider to take a message back to Harper Hold for me? I'll get my own doc here in a hurry."
Dean struggled back to his feet and called for attention while Bobby made his way over to the desk in the corner of the room to compose the required message. A girl appeared almost as soon as Dean made his request, and appeared concerned that he had a visitor she hadn't been expecting. She was bearing a cup with her, and when Dean indicated, she set it down on the side table beside his bed. The contents had a peculiar, sour scent to it that reached Bobby where he was sitting at Dean's desk. Meanwhile, Bobby turned and studied her, frowning as he tried to solve some problem he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Your name is Ruby, eh, girl?" Bobby rose to confront her, and she hung her head allowing her hair to fall into her face, the dark, glossy strands hiding her apparently meek expression.
"Yes, Masterharper," she mumbled, backing away a little as if anxious to be gone.
"Wait!" Bobby snapped the word out with such force that Ruby froze and even Dean turned his head, a frown on his face. Striding forward, the Master Harper grabbed her shoulders and turned her so he could see her more clearly. Dean was about to interject when Bobby's confused expression suddenly cleared. "I think I know where I saw you before. You're the girl who came to Harper Hall with the mummers last year. The one that the magician pretended to saw in half, aren't you?"
For a moment, Ruby seemed confused herself, and then her face lightened. "Yes. Masterharper. Thank you for remembering me." She dropped a curtsey and turned as Dean called her to his side.
"Ruby. I need you to send G'dreel to me. I need a brown to go to Harper Hall for me if you would be so kind, and I need Missouri, too. Masterharper Singer will be visiting with me for a day or two."
Smiling brightly, Ruby bounced off to do his business. Turning back to his side table, he picked up the pungent-smelling cup and raised it to his lips. Bobby hurriedly grabbed his hand.
"Don't!"
"What? It's my medicine. I'm supposed to drink it three times a day." Dean stared as the old man moved to toss the cup and its contents out into the void beyond the lip of the cave. Carith stirred, turning her head to open one sleepy eye and glare.
"Trust me, Dean. I've smelled that scent before, back when you were a baby."
Before he could say more, there was a knock on the outer door, and G'dreel entered, followed by Missouri, who exclaimed loudly and ran forward to embrace him. "Master Bobby! How lovely to see you."
"You're still a silver-tongued heartbreaker, 'Souri," smirked Bobby. "I'm here to take care of this idjit right here. He ain't feeling so good, I hear."
"I'll have a chamber made up for you right away, Master Harper." Missouri dimpled a smile at him and turned to Dean, who was watching the two of them with the kind of wide-eyed expression that indicated he didn't know how he should handle what he'd just seen. Behind him, G'dreel, who had been an interested observer of the scene, swiftly lost the grin on his face and straightened up as Dean turned to address him.
"I asked for you, specifically, G'dreel. I'm hoping you won't mind carrying a message to Harper Hold as a matter of urgency." Dean glanced over to where Bobby was folding a paper ready to seal it.
"Of course, Weyrleader." He took the message from Bobby's hand and gave a slight bow to the harper.
"Please wait for a reply, if you would." Bobby clapped him on the shoulder as he went with him to the door. "It's really important."
Nodding, G'dreel went off to head out to Harper Hold, and Carith reported a few moments later that G'dreel and Penarth had gone between.
"I'd better go get your accommodation sorted out,” said Missouri.
"That would be great," nodded Bobby. "But before you do that, would you mind sending us up some dinner, and Dean will need protein. Lots of it."
Bustling off to get everything organized, Missouri left the weyr, and Bobby followed her to the door to ensure that the two of them were alone, before turning back to Dean.
"It's not that I don't trust 'Souri," he said. "But right now I'm suspicious of everyone here."
"Suspicious of what?" Dean had returned to sit on his bed once more. "I'm totally baffled. Care to enlighten me, oh enigmatic keeper of secrets?"
"You know, if you talked less and listened more, you wouldn't be baffled." Bobby strolled over to sit beside Dean and put his hand on his back. "I realize that this is gonna sound very weird, and probably impossible, so just listen, all right?"
Dean raised an eyebrow, but nodded when Bobby paused. It seemed that the harper wasn't going to begin talking until he got some kind of response. When Bobby didn't immediately say anything further, he nodded again and gave Bobby the benefit of his thousand-yard stare. Bobby cleared his throat.
"I've seen this before, Dean." Dean opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it once more when Bobby gave him his most quelling glance. "It was twenty-three years ago, just about. That stuff in the cup I tossed away, it's like the same stuff that Mary was given to drink all the time, and she figured she'd get better, but she never did. She just got weaker and weaker." He was silent for a moment, and Dean waited. "Not only that, but the girl who was feeding it to her was also called Ruby, and I tell you, boy, she's the same girl. She looks exactly the same, and she's poisoning you!"
Dean had no idea what he'd been expecting, but that wasn't it. He spread his hands indicating that he was still feeling clueless. Bobby nodded, grimly.
"They weakened Mary so that John was preoccupied and didn't realize that an attack was being planned against him. I think they're doing the same thing to you. They've separated you from your brother, and they're working on making you defenseless so they can screw you over." Bobby was getting angry, lashing himself up into a fury as he spoke, and Dean's mouth opened again.
"This time we're not gonna play their game," he said, his face set in determination. "We don't know who, but it's a start."
"Just stick with me and don't eat or drink anything that Ruby brings you." Dean nodded. "But don't let her know that you aren't ingesting any of her offerings. Only eat the things Missouri prepares, and we'll see if that works. I'm hoping that G'dreel brings my healer back with him. He might be able to identify the poison and know a way to counter it so you can heal faster."
"I wish Sammy was here." Dean sounded forlorn, and Bobby nodded.
"Pretty sure they want to incapacitate you before he can return, that way they can work on him separately. If I were you, I'd pretend that her poison is working on you. Keep her in the dark, along with anyone else who's plotting with her."
With that settled, the two of them settled down to discuss the singer's meeting with Dean's brother.
Dinner came, brought by Missouri, who stayed to chat and flirt with Bobby all over again, and upon questioning her, they deduced that Ruby wasn't working with the kitchen at all, but had been set to take care of Dean by some other agency. The three of them began to try and work out the best way of determining who that might be.
Dinner was only a fond memory, and Dean was pleasantly sated after eating a gigantic portion of the pie that Missouri had baked from some of the sweet berries that grew in the field behind the feeding ground when there was a commotion from Carith's part of the weyr.
Swiftly shaking off his drowsiness, Dean rose to go and see just what was happening. He knew that it wasn't something that had upset Carith, because she was broadcasting amusement, but whatever it might be was still in need of investigation.
Rushing into the chamber, he found G'dreel, assisting an unknown man to alight from Penanth, who was crouching beside Carith in an attitude of apparent exhaustion.
"He's the worst actor!" G'dreel set the newcomer's bag down and shook his head, grinning as he surveyed his dragon's posture. "He thinks he'll get extra credit for all his hard work or something."
Bobby, who had strolled in behind Dean, went to the dragon and reached up to scratch his eye-ridges fondly. "And so you shall, my friend! Thank you for going to fetch my doctor." He turned to G'dreel as Penarth preened himself, apparently happy with the praise and the pets. "I needed my physician for a sensitive issue, and I really don't want people to find out. Dean here has very kindly decided to help me keep my infirmity a secret, so I hope you can find it in your heart to help me keep my secret."
"Of course, Master Harper." G'dreel nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. I promise not to mention the presence of the Master Physician." With that, he climbed onto Penarth's back, and the pair launched away from the edge of the cavern and into the night.
~*~
Later, much later, Dean was awakened by a shriek from Carith and a clamoring from the watch- weyrs stationed around the perimeter of the hatching sands. Hurling himself out of bed and onto her back as she rose to fly, the two of them took to the air.
Below, there was a commotion. Weapons were being fired and there were shouts as some kind of battle was fought. As they landed beside Carith's clutch, hard now and almost ready for the hatching, several shadowy shapes seemed to be scattering. One who had run towards where Carith had landed was suddenly seized by a furious dragon and lifted bodily into the air, screaming as they rose, at least for a moment, until she shook him as if he were a rag, flew up above the cliff and dropped him to the ground from the height she had attained.
Reaching the ground again Dean paused to soothe his irate dragon and then ran to discover what the damage was. R'fael, who had been watching the eggs, came to Carith's side and reached to pat her knee.
"They didn't get an egg, Carith. We protected them for you."
Dean saw Carith relax visibly and heaved his own sigh of relief. "So tell us what happened. We knew there might be an attempt at stealing one. Good that your vigilance was rewarded."
"I don't quite know how they got in here. One minute it was all peace and quiet, and the next, there were people popping up all over. It seemed that the aerial traps we set didn't work. The marauders somehow materialized out of nowhere." R'fael looked a little sheepish as he continued. "I killed one of them, more by accident than by design, and it seems as though your queen has weapons of her own. The others appeared to evade capture by disappearing back into thin air."
The hatching sands were suddenly invaded by riders all clamoring to know what was going on. One of the older bronze riders, A'zel, swiftly took charge, sending most of the crowd back to their beds, setting a new watch to police the sands for the remainder of the night, and finally taking charge of the body of the intruder that R'fael had killed.
He did his best to commandeer the one that Carith had dispatched as well, but the queen dragon, still somewhat ruffled after the assault on her nest, was having none of it.
"I don't like him. Tell him to go away and leave this one to me," she said, snapping her jaws an inch from the poor man's face.
"I think you'd best leave him alone at the moment. Carith will keep him safe until we investigate further." Dean was angry at A'zel's insistence on being in charge and trying his best to keep a rein on his temper. "We'll discuss it at a meeting in the morning."
A'zel looked at Dean, a sneer on his face. "Oh? I thought you were so sick you were incapable of taking charge. Do please excuse me, Queen Rider. We're certainly going to discuss this in the morning." He turned on his heel and stomped away, shouting for two of the youngsters to take the other body to the sickbay.
"He means you ill. I don't like him. I don't want him near my children." Carith made a purposely rude noise to follow A'zel off into the caves and clutched her dead foe. "I shall keep this with me until you need it. I am sure our visitors will want to see it before we let the others near."
With that, it seemed that she had made her decision. Dean sighed at her fondly and climbed up onto her back so they could return to the weyr above.
~*~
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