What Have You Done? (2/2)

Writers: Aaron, Devin, Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 20th February 2024

Characters: N'vanik, Zandan, Calbarran, Draffyl, Shuvan, G'fand
Description: A cornered Shuvan lashes out.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 10

N'vanik

"I don't understand." Draffyl watched the fleeing pair, slack-jawed and
appalled. "What - why would he..."

Olisrath popped between to gain the distance he needed and then dove
down to land in the road in front of the fleeing runnerbeast. He spread
his wings as broadly as he could and then spoke to the beast,

}:You there, beastie! Whoa! I am very frightening!:{

The runner screamed in terror and reared, shaking his head wildly as he
tried to spin and run the other direction. Shuvan, not an overly
experienced rider, fell from the runner with a cry. He fell on his back
with a loud thump, his breath exploding from him as the runner began to
pound back to the Weaver Hall and the safety of the barn. Gasping for
air and in pain, Shuvan laid there, stunned.

**Oh, balls, I've killed him!**

G'fand leaped down from Olisrath's back and ran toward the winded man.

Two more dragons landed on the road, their riders hurrying to join
G'fand and help if needed.

Shuvan lay for a moment, trying to catch his breath and heaved before
groaning and slowly rolling to his side. Only vaguely did he realize
that more riders were coming but as he struggled to rise, he reached for
something at his waist. As footsteps approached him, a mixture of fear
and pure rage made something in his mind break. He was caught. They had
caught him. **Have to do something...make them pay...**

He gritted his teeth and as he saw two feet approach him, he gripped
what was in his hand tightly. Hands clasped at him, trying to help him
up and Shuvan waited just for a moment. With a howl of fear and that
rage, he spun in the grip and plunged a small knife into the neck of the
unsuspecting rider and twisted it, a savage smile emerging as he felt
hot blood pour over his hand.

G'fand never saw it coming. On the bright side, the blood drained out of
him fast enough that he did not have much time to worry about the pain.

Olisrath screamed and lunged forward, eyes red and claws ready to grab
the man and take him *between* to join him in his murderous sorrow, but
he missed and could not stand to live long enough to try again. He was gone.

"What? Wh-what was that?" Calbarran demanded as he forced himself to run
faster. "Ollie!? No. No!"

Shuvan stumbled to his feet, soaked in the rider’s blood. He’d been
unprepared for the dragon’s scream of agony and as he heard other keens,
he covered his ears. But when he heard pounding footsteps, the Master
Weaver waved the small knife threateningly in front of him.

There was not much thought left to him; his eyes glinted brightly with a
feverish light. His smile was wide, showing teeth as he crouched
unsteadily. **Caught…caught…**

All the dragons started to keen. The eerie sound echoed through every
building of the Weaver Hall. N'vanik swayed on his feet, face going
pale. "He--he killed a rider." For a brief moment he was too shocked to
be angry, Loseth's grief filling his mind.

Calbarran, on the other hand, had only his own grief to contend with,
and by the time he had caught up, he had finished the denial stage and
gone straight on into anger. He kicked the crouching, knife-brandishing
man's teeth as hard as he could. He knocked the knife away and then
landed a few extra punches for good measure.

By the time Calbarran had landed three punches, Weavercraft guards had
been alerted and began to pour out towards the back roads. One of the
riders, a young man fresh out of Weyrlinghood, grabbed the raging man’s
arm and began to try to pull him back. “You’ll kill him! N’vanik wants
him alive!” A mental cry for Loseth for aid was quickly made by his
grieving green as the young rider tried to take control of the situation.

Shuvan fell to the ground and covered his head, mouth overflowing with
blood and broken teeth as he tried to protect himself from the blows.

Calbarran let him go, only then realizing the full extent of what he was
doing. It would not bring G'fand back. And it had probably already lost
him his livelihood. He fell to his knees, took G'fand's lifeless body
into his arms, and wept.

The Hallmaster stared, appalled, at the gory scene that had played
outside his precious Hall. Dark blood streaked the ground where the
rider had fallen, and huge grooves had been carved into the earth,
scored by the talons of the dragon on his last leap before he abruptly
vanished. His face had turned an unhealthy greyish shade and one fist
clutched at his chest as he tottered forward.

"Shuvan... What have you done?"

One of the older riders grabbed Shuvan and dragged him to his feet,
arms firmly restrained behind the man's back.

Loseth followed his rider out and landed heavily on the road a
dragonlength past where Calbarran was hunched over the body of G'fand.
He loomed over the scene, hide gray and eyes whirling bright red.

The only thing that kept N'vanik from snapping Shuvan's neck or
gutting him right there in front of everybody was knowing there were
others involved and Shuvan could give him names. "Are you gonna make a
fuss if we take him?" he growled at Draffyl. This was beyond
questioning or trials. The man had just openly murdered a dragonrider.

Draffyl shook his head wordlessly. If he'd been willing to defy the
Weyrleader before, the bone-chilling keen of the dragons and the
lifeless body of the rider had put an end to that. With an effort, he
pulled himself together and straightened. "Master Shuvan is no longer
under the protection of the Weaver Hall."

Shuvan, groggy from the blows, sagged in the rider's grip. He did,
however, grasps what the Hallmaster said and when he was able to lift
his head, spat at the man, slurring out words while dribbling a
mixture of saliva and blood. "Traitor..." He went slack in the rider's
arm, passing out, but obviously still breathing.

N'vanik gave the Hallmaster a curt nod. If Corowal knew what was good
for him, he wouldn't raise any objections either. "You fit to fly?" he
quietly asked the rider holding Shuvan. When the greenrider nodded,
N'vanik said, "tie him up good and strap him to your dragon. Remember,
we need him alive."

"Yes, Weyrleader." He dragged Shuvan toward his waiting green.

The Weyrleader had expected Shuvan to try running but he hadn't
expected _this_. What an ugly flaming mess. He took a few slow breaths
and then approached Calbarran and the blood-soaked body he was
clutching. "Did you know him?"

"H-he was my... I... We..." He and G'fand had never put into words
what they meant to each other, never gave it a name. And now they
never could. But they had spent all their free hours together, made
each other laugh. Shared a bed. He devolved into sobs again.

"I'm very sorry for your loss. When you're ready, I'll take him
/between/ to join his dragon." N'vanik's voice was thick. As bad as it
was, he was used to losing dragonpairs in Fall. It was expected, a
harsh reality of life during a Pass. But this was something else
entirely.

Calbarran looked up, horrified for a brief moment. But of course that
would be the way of it, he knew that. It was just nothing he ever
thought he would have to bear himself. He unfastened a blue braided
leather bracelet he had given G'fand from his wrist and pocketed it.
It was covered in his blood, as was Calbarran himself. But that did
not stop him from saving it.

"I'm never going to be ready. Just... just take him to Ollie." He
kissed his forehead one last time, laid him down, and forced himself
to his feet.

G'fand was not a small man, and strong as he was, even N'vanik needed
the help of another rider to get him up onto Loseth's neck. The
Weyrleader was as gentle as he could be, carefully strapping the
fallen rider in so the body would be secure for the takeoff but easy
to unfasten once they were /between/. He patted Loseth's gray-tinged
hide and then they were off, leaving behind the bloodstained road, the
grieving man, the Weaver Hall and the growing crowd of shocked
hallfolk.

In the cold and absolute blackness of /between/, N'vanik pulled the
release and with a nudge sent G'fand falling into endless darkness. He
stayed a few breaths more, empty and guilt-ridden and full of rage.
Then he pictured the familiar Star Stones above Dolphin Cove.

**Now home. And we make him pay.**

Last updated on the February 23rd 2024

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What Have You Done? (2/2)