Post by LyricalBlue on Feb 15, 2010 17:26:22 GMT -5
Ever since the whispers and the quiet fears had begun to spread through the Weyr, Gaelle had started taking Aliath outside of the Weyr to feed. E'dian worried, but then E'dian worried about everything. The man was worse than any of the creche nannies, especially when it came to Pern's only adult Queen. But a woman could only stand so much, and after all, what worse was there to fear aside from felines and bandits. With a fully grown dragon, Gaelle was sure that her little excursions were safe enough. Especially when one considered how much it seemed to benefit Aliath. The Queen had put on a length even after her first flight. It was all due to the food, Gaelle was sure of that.
She lounged on one of the white sand beaches that Paradise Hold had been famous for in turns past. The sun was still warm even this late in the day and she was loath to return. The golden Queen was out in the water, floating as a myriad of wild firelizards darted about above her. The things were apparently fascinated by Aliath and she regarded them with cool amusement. It really had been a lovely day, just the two of them. Gaelle promised that she would have to do this more often, there really was only so much that one could take.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizion and both Queen and human dozed, they never noticed the dark shapes moving slowly in the jungle behind them. Gaelle's eyes fluttered back open as she stared out at the water. With a heavy sigh she sat forward, they really should be heading back now. No doubt that E'dian would be tearing his hair out in worry. Actually, she had to give the man credit, normally he would have sent someone after her by now.
Suddenly there was a shuffle and a hard, sharp object at her throat. Gaelle started and tried to pull away. Out in the water, Aliath whirled and roared, wings half spread as she leaped towards the shore. A gravely, deadly cool voice rasped in Gaelle's ear.
"Do not move, lovely lady or it is your death you face. And stop that great beastie of yours would you? If I see hide or hair of any other rider you're dead. Got it?"
Gaelle swallowed, freezing in place and not daring to try and turn around to look at the attacker. The one thing that mattered here was the Golden dragon, and with a frozen certainty, Gaelle knew to the core of her that this was the reason for the attack.
Aliath! Stop! Hold! Warn the Weyr!
With only her forefeet on the sand, Aliath stopped and roared her defiance, wings still held outwards. How dare they!
The voice at her ear laughed harshly then as two others grabbed her arms and hauled her upwards the knife fell away. As she struggled, trying vainly to get free, both brutes holding her began to laugh too. The voice that had initially held the knife walked around her front and stood with a satisfied sneer on his face. Not what anyone could call handsome, the man was tall and clean cut, but there was a disturbing light in his dark eyes that promised things were only going to get worse.
"Now, I am going to make this very simple for you. You both are coming with us. If either you or that beast try and escape you die. If I see another dragon or rider, you die. You are going to behave nicely for us and do what we say. Then, you'll live."
Gaelle glared at him and spit at his feet, the only rebellious gesture she could manage.
"What is it you want with me?"
The man laughed again, coldly and so full of malice, that the Weyrwoman was sure that he was completely insane.
"Why my dear, I want the end of dragonkind."
She lounged on one of the white sand beaches that Paradise Hold had been famous for in turns past. The sun was still warm even this late in the day and she was loath to return. The golden Queen was out in the water, floating as a myriad of wild firelizards darted about above her. The things were apparently fascinated by Aliath and she regarded them with cool amusement. It really had been a lovely day, just the two of them. Gaelle promised that she would have to do this more often, there really was only so much that one could take.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizion and both Queen and human dozed, they never noticed the dark shapes moving slowly in the jungle behind them. Gaelle's eyes fluttered back open as she stared out at the water. With a heavy sigh she sat forward, they really should be heading back now. No doubt that E'dian would be tearing his hair out in worry. Actually, she had to give the man credit, normally he would have sent someone after her by now.
Suddenly there was a shuffle and a hard, sharp object at her throat. Gaelle started and tried to pull away. Out in the water, Aliath whirled and roared, wings half spread as she leaped towards the shore. A gravely, deadly cool voice rasped in Gaelle's ear.
"Do not move, lovely lady or it is your death you face. And stop that great beastie of yours would you? If I see hide or hair of any other rider you're dead. Got it?"
Gaelle swallowed, freezing in place and not daring to try and turn around to look at the attacker. The one thing that mattered here was the Golden dragon, and with a frozen certainty, Gaelle knew to the core of her that this was the reason for the attack.
Aliath! Stop! Hold! Warn the Weyr!
With only her forefeet on the sand, Aliath stopped and roared her defiance, wings still held outwards. How dare they!
The voice at her ear laughed harshly then as two others grabbed her arms and hauled her upwards the knife fell away. As she struggled, trying vainly to get free, both brutes holding her began to laugh too. The voice that had initially held the knife walked around her front and stood with a satisfied sneer on his face. Not what anyone could call handsome, the man was tall and clean cut, but there was a disturbing light in his dark eyes that promised things were only going to get worse.
"Now, I am going to make this very simple for you. You both are coming with us. If either you or that beast try and escape you die. If I see another dragon or rider, you die. You are going to behave nicely for us and do what we say. Then, you'll live."
Gaelle glared at him and spit at his feet, the only rebellious gesture she could manage.
"What is it you want with me?"
The man laughed again, coldly and so full of malice, that the Weyrwoman was sure that he was completely insane.
"Why my dear, I want the end of dragonkind."
