Will Not Be Long Til Everybody Knows

Writers: Heather, Avery
Date Posted: 4th March 2024
Series: The Disaster at Dragonsfall

Characters: A'kades, Saibra
Description: Saibra tells A'kades about the incident between his daughter and Naradis.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 25 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh, Cyradis, L'val, Naradis, Jadirah
'Everything You Say to Me' series Directly follows "Points of Authority"

Saibra

After Saibra left Cyradis' office, there was one other person at
Dolphin Cove Weyr she needed to talk to - Kadira's father, A'kades.

}:I've told Volaith that you are on your way to his office.:{ Chioneth
told Saibra.

Saibra remembered well where the Weyrsecond's office was, as it had
once belonged to R'enh, and she had visited him there frequently.

}:Chioneth's rider is here to see you,:{ Volaith told his rider.

A'kades immediately locked up with fear, thinking, **There is no
reason for the Dragonsfall Weyrwoman to be here to see _me_
unless...** His heart dropped and his stomach tumbled in nerves. Was
it J'ler? Was it Kadira? Was it Jadirah? Surely Volaith would have
known if one of the dragonets had gone /between/... dragons mourned
for those at their own Weyr, Dragonsfall was across the continent,
but...surely, Volaith would know. But Jadirah had never been a rider,
if anything happened to her... To distract himself, he got up and
poured a cup of juice and two cups of klah.

He looked up when the door opened to see the Weyrwoman. His dark skin
was a little paler in worry, like a dragon's hide turning greyer in
fear or pain, but his voice was controlled as he said, "Weyrwoman
Saibra, my duty to you and Chioneth."

"A'kades, thank you," Saibra said, taking the offered klah
immediately. "I'm sorry to disturb you like this. Do you mind if I
sit?" She didn't wait for his answer but took one of the seats in
front of his desk. "Forgive me," she murmured a second apology as she
took a long sip of klah. She needed that cup of klah. What a day it
had been.

"I don't mind at all," he said. He was _scared_, yes, so rudeness was
the last thing on his mind. "What's brought you back to Dolphin Cove
today?"

Saibra took in the expression in A'kades' eyes and blanched. "Oh,
A'kades, I'm sorry, ugh," she groaned, head dropping back, "that's the
last time I apologize." She knew that look in his eyes. The look of a
parent. "I didn't mean to alarm you. Let me start with, Kadira is
_fine_, Jadirah is _fine_," although she had a feeling Kadira's mother
was going to be _less_ than fine when she found out... "There was an
incident today at Dragonsfall between Kadira and Cyradis' daughter,
Naradis."

A'kades let out a huge breath as soon as Saibra said that folks were
fine. It was easier to be stoic and composed in the face of Threadfall
injuries, during a natural disaster. But when it could be your
_family_... It was hard to admit that you could be afraid in front of
another rider of a metallic dragon, but they both had families. "Thank
you for letting me know everyone is fine. When Volaith said you were
coming to speak with me, I thought - I was afraid."

With the panic gone, he could think. "What was Naradis even doing at
Dragonsfall?"

"Being an absolute terror?" Saibra said, lifting her hands and
shrugging. "And I'm not being the least bit flippant by saying that.
Naradis was... _is_... completely out of control. She came to
Dragonsfall to accost Kadira on the _how_ and _why_ she became a
bluerider and apparently to tell her she's not special enough for the
honor of riding a blue?" Since Saibra had only arrived after the
argument, she was still relying on secondhand information herself.

A'kades' hand curled into a fist around his own mug. "To be the first
to ride blue? It's like Impressing a gold, all eyes on you. Except
this is less precedented and you're figuring it out alone. It's
special because it's new, but I know how terrified she was the day she
Impressed. It's not an honor to her. It's a burden."

He shook his head, frustrated. "Everyone wants to ask her why and how
this happened. The dragons know, we don't. They pick someone we never
think would Impress, they pass over the most likely candidates. She
deserves to ride a dragon, so she does. It's bad enough that I suspect
lots of Dragonsfall residents are talking about it... Why in Faranth's
name does Naradis care enough to _cross the continent_ to harass her?"

"I honestly cannot fathom Naradis' motivations. She seemed incredibly
angry and petty. When I told her she could have cost Kadira and Ishath
their lives because he was _this_close_ to going /between/ and taking
Kadira with him to protect her.... She said she didn't _care_."
Saibra's mind was still blown by Naradis' blatant disregard for life,
just to appease her own selfish desires.

"What an absolutely horribly selfish attitude for someone who wants to
Impress! How would she feel if she had Impressed and someone was
attacking her and her dragon?" A'kades had to set the mug down and let
go of it, trying to balance his anger with understanding, failing to
find any.

Saibra shook her head. "I don't think she can see behind her own hurt
and her own feelings. At least, I didn't witness an ounce of empathy
from her. We're fortunate that Wingleader L'val was there. Do you know
him? He can hear all dragons and when Ishath became distressed L'val
and his bronze were able to reach them first and help keep Ishath
grounded until Chioneth and I arrived. We were in the middle of wing
drills."

As soon as he heard that Chioneth and a bronze had to _hold them_,
A'kades slammed his hand into his desk forcefully and swore a string
of curses until he ran out of breath. Saibra had said the words that
she'd told Naradis it could have cost Kadira, but since she'd started
off with Kadira being fine, until she made it clear it had needed two
dragons to tether, it hadn't quite sunk into him exactly how close.
It took a long moment before he could answer.

"I've never met L'val but I owe him my thanks at the nearest opportunity."

The Dragonsfall Weyrwoman didn't bat an eye during A'kades flash of
emotions but sipped at her klah with a nod of her head. "You'll like
him." She was beginning to like him more and more herself. "A'kades,
when I got there... when Naradis said those things... I've never been
so close to striking someone before. I wanted to throttle her."

"As a Weyrwoman because it would cause an inter-Weyr incident? As a
parent? Mix of both?"

"All of it. As a Weyrwoman, I've never been so close to losing one of
my Weyrlings before. In Threadfall? Yes, and as painful as those are,
they're.. expected, you know? But when they're fresh from the eggs
like Ishath? I almost expected Chioneth to take a bite out of her."
She shook her head. "I think the mother-side is what kept me from
laying hands on her. Knowing that she's someone's daughter, and that
someone is one of my closest friends."

"I wouldn't minded if Chioneth had. If Ishath had gone... I would
have..." He would have been violent against another person, with his
bare hands. The fact that it was his Weyrwoman's daughter wouldn't
have mattered. The consequences he'd have to live with wouldn't have
mattered.

"That must make it harder. And also that she's from here. If it had
been a Dragonsfall candidate, it wouldn't need so many people
involved."

"I'm glad she's not at Dragonsfall. How do you live with someone like
in your Weyr? What if a woman Impresses a blue at Dolphin Cove's next
Hatching? Who is to say it won't happen again?"

"If she makes a similar mistake here with one of Panitath's own
hatchlings...but she couldn't be that stupid, could she? To be so
obsessive about finding out...something that's frankly none of her
business." Then again, it sounded like she could.

Saibra pushed to her feet. "Well, A'kades, I need to get back to
Dragonsfall. I've got to re-tell this encounter to quite a few more
people..."

"Before you go, one question. Assuming I can clear it with my
Weyrleaders, and assuming it's all right with your Weyrleader, is it
okay if I can be given a heads-up on the days of her class' /between/
and Blooding and such? The idea of being hit unprepared by the news,
here...at least if I was there, I could be with my son and Jadirah
immediately."

Saibra, who had already made for the door, turned and looked over her
shoulder. "I'll make sure Chioneth lets your Volaith know the days."
She had a son in Weyrlinghood, only a couple of months ahead of
Kadira, so she understood the need completely.

“I appreciate it and I’m sorry for any extra trouble. Thank you again
for coming to brief us.”

He wouldn’t have wanted to hear it from the Weyrleadership together.
N’vanik was his friend and had a daughter he would likely defend to
the Red Star and back; but, he was also Cyradis’ Weyrleader and would
have to think more of the big picture.

"Of course. Wish me luck, A'kades. Once I get back to Dragonsfall,
I'll need to tell Jadirah."

"If you think I'm angry, she's going to be worse," he warned. "It's a
good thing she didn't walk in on the conversation or Naradis might
have a slap mark or missing teeth."

"And that's why I'll bring her a good bottle of liquor," Saibra said
with a knowing wink.

He snorted as he waved good-bye, thinking of what Jadirah's expression
was going to be and feeling badly for anyone who would cross her path
anytime soon.

Last updated on the May 9th 2024

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Will Not Be Long Til Everybody Knows