Preventative Measures

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 16th February 2020

Characters: N'vanik, R'fal
Description: N'vanik warns R'fal not to do anything stupid.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 1 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: J'ackt, Corowal, Cyradis

N'vanik

Loseth bespoke the young brown. }:Mine would like to talk to your
rider as soon as he has time:{

The message came just as R'fal was leaving class with the dragonhealers,
and he was stunned enough to ask Marlath to repeat it, to make sure he
hadn't been mistaken.

**When?**

}:When you have time.:{

**That means now.** You didn't keep the Weyrleader waiting. Especially
when R'fal had a horrible feeling he knew what it was about. **He
knows.** Where they'd gone at Turn's End, how they'd disobeyed orders.
As much as he told himself they hadn't done anything wrong, that he'd
only gone to look at that mine, he knew that wouldn't wash. He'd known
what he was doing, and he'd failed, and now he had to face the
consequences.

He sighed, squared his shoulders and started to walk towards the cliff
weyrs. **Tell him I'll come immediately.**

Loseth informed N'vanik that R'fal was on his way. The Weyrleader
waited in his office for the young rider, working out just how he was
going to approach the subject.

R'fal didn't have much of a plan by the time he arrived at the
Weyrleader's office, other than to keep quiet in the faint hope that it
might be about something else. He knocked and entered the room.
"Weyrleader, I'm R'fal, Marlath's rider. You asked to see me?"

"Have a seat, R'fal." N'vanik kept his voice neutral. "Do you have an
idea of why I might want to speak with you?"

He knew it was usually best to confess when faced with a question like
that, but a deep reluctance to speak about his father to anyone, let
alone the Weyrleader, stopped his mouth. "No, sir. Have I done something
wrong?"

Well, he hadn't taken the chance to be honest. "I've heard some
troubling information, that you might be considering some kind of
action involving your father," N'vanik said. "I hope that it was only
frustration on your part and that you'd never do anything to risk your
dragon, yourself, or the Weyr."

R'fal swallowed, unsure whether to feel guilty or relieved. So N'vanik
did know - but not about where they'd gone at Turn's End. But...if he
didn't know that, then how did he know at all? He hadn't told anyone
about his plans - except what he'd let slip to J'ackt. His jaw
tightened. The bronzerider had ratted on him to the Weyrleader, even
though he'd said he wouldn't.

**What did you expect? Holdless thieves aren't known for keeping
promises.** He should have known better. All the same, he couldn't keep
the resentment out of his voice as he spoke. "I would never risk
Marlath, sir."

"Or yourself? Or the Weyr?" N'vanik's voice was more stern now.
"There's already resentment and anger among the holders. Would you
risk making that worse?"

The young rider stared back at him with a flicker of defiance in his
eyes. "My father shouldn't be there, in the mine. He didn't do anything
wrong! It wasn't like what they said at the trial." He longed to tell
how he'd seen those guards mistreating the prisoner, how they were the
real criminals, but caution held him back.

"I feel for you, R'fal. I do. But your father had his trial, and he
was convicted under the Hold's laws. You can't defy Lord Corowal's
judgment." Maybe he should admonish the boy for speaking to his
Weyrleader like that, but N'vanik couldn't blame him for being angry.

R'fal's mutinous expression said otherwise, but after a moment his gaze
dropped. Once more, he reminded himself that he couldn't help his family
if he was grounded. "No, Weyrleader."

"I'm going to speak to Cyradis and have Panitath forbid Marlath from
going anywhere near the prison mine. You're not grounded and you're
not being punished. I just want to keep you from doing anything
stupid." N'vanik certainly didn't want any dragons spotted near the
mines, or R'fal enacting some kind of misguided rescue attempt.

"Yes, Weyrleader." Again, there was resentment, quickly suppressed.
Along with that came a guilty relief that there was nothing more he
could do for his father. He pushed it aside, angry at his own cowardice.
There had to be something he could do, some way to get round this order.
"Will that be all?"

The Weyrleader gave him a long look. "You're dismissed, R'fal."
N'vanik hoped they wouldn't have to discuss this matter again.

R'fal saluted and left as swiftly as he could. At least he'd not been
found out, but how could he return to the mine now? It was far too
isolated to get there any other way than on dragonback. If he'd only
been better prepared the first time, and hadn't lost his nerve... There
had to be a way around the Weyrleader's order. His father would have
found a loophole, somehow.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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Preventative Measures