Weyrleader Down

Writers: Heather, Estelle
Date Posted: 12th April 2024

Characters: Saibra, Ashela
Description: The Dragonsfall Weyrleader becomes incapacitated during Threadfall. Erdenth has to be caught by Chioneth and Aglayath.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 5 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh, W'ser, D'erik

Saibra

Ashela

It was a normal morning, and according to their sweepriders, the silvery
spores would be falling right on time and location. That was really all
you could ask for when it came to Thread.

“Be careful out there,” Mai requested, kissing him on the cheek for luck.

“I will,” K’reyel assured her.

The Weyrleader walked, rather than flew, to the practice fields. It was
his habit and a way of dealing with pre-fall jitters. It also allowed
him to greet his dragonriders, offer words of encouragement, and give
any last minute instructions to his Wingleaders.

“Clear skies, Weyrleader,” a familiar, feminine voice called to him.

Saibra smiled as the bronzerider turned. “I’ll see you in the bathing
pool for a post-fall debrief?”

“You bet.”

She watched as he grinned and turned away. Her eyes looked past him to
her weyrmate, already in his place with the Weyrleader’s Wing. She hoped
Cobalt Wing would be okay. It was always disjointing, those first few
Threadfalls with a new Wingleader.

“Good morning,” she greeted her own ‘second as she walked over to the
other gold dragon on Chioneth’s left flank. “Is the Wing all set?”

"Yes, Weyrwoman. Everyone is ready to fly." On Threadfall days, Ashela's
manner was quite distinct from her usual air of frustrated superiority.
She was efficient, immaculately dressed in her riding leathers with her
flamethrower polished and gleaming like her dragon's hide. "The weather
report from the Fall area is as expected - high clouds and a light
breeze." She didn't tempt fate by saying out loud that it should be
straightforward, but it was in her mind all the same.

"Let's fly, then," Saibra said, buckling on her helmet.

--

They were well into the second wave of Threadfall, Saibra's shoulders
and back ached from working the flamethrower strapped in front of her.
**Report,** she sent automatically to Chioneth.

}:The fresh wave of blue and greenriders have entered without
incident.:{ Chioneth said while banking to adjust for a strong current
of wind.

**Perfect.** Saibra glanced back over her shoulder for Ashela and then
over her right shoulder at K'far and Torth.

Saibra felt the spike of fear from Chioneth before the queen shouted
into her brain, }:It's Erdenth! Erdenth!:{ The Weyrwoman's head
whipped around as she scanned the skies above her. The looming shadow
of the Weyrleader's bronze was plummeting through the mid-altitude
Wings.

}:Aglayath!:{ Chioneth called as she surged forward, throwing Saibra
hard against her riding straps in a race to catch the falling dragon.

Ashela saw the falling bronze through her dragon's eyes before her own
and she and Aglayath reacted instantly, golden wings beating rapidly as
she followed Chioneth ahead and upward. Training took over and she
leaned forward to clip the arm of the flamethrower in place, gritting
her teeth against the forces that pushed her back, then swung hard over
to the side, leaving her gold's back and side clear.

}:Chioneth will catch and slow, I will support.:{ The bronze was
suddenly very close, tumbling helplessly, so near that Ashela could see
a figure hanging motionless in the straps. Aglayath sounded calm as she
winged back, giving Chioneth room so they wouldn't be tangled together.

Saibra mirrored Ashela, leaning off the opposite side of Chioneth as the
two queens came together to form a net of golden hide to catch the
bronze in. As the dangling body of the Weyrleader came closer, Saibra
stretched out an arm, hoping to snag his riding strap and pull him over
to her side so he wouldn't end up under Erdenth. **Give me a little more
buffer room or I won't be able to get K'reyel out of the way in time.**

Chioneth adjusted, knowing Aglayath would do the same, dropping in
altitude ever so slightly. **Almost....** Saibra's jaw clenched, her
fingers stretching out as far as they would go until she was able to
touch the edge K'reyel's pant leg. Putting all of her faith in her
straps, Saibra lunged against them, grabbing onto the Weyrleader's legs
with both hands, pulling his body into her, and grunting under the
weight of it. It was awkward and by no means a textbook "catch" but she
had him and she wasn't letting go. **K'reyel is secure.**

}:Here we go,:{ Chioneth said to Aglayath as Erdenth's bronze body
collided with theirs.

Ashela felt Aglayath brace herself as she rose up to catch the bronze
with Chioneth, and then the sudden shock of weight on her back and the
strain in her wings, spread wide to slow their descent. Now, leaning far
out over her gold's side, she could see the damage to his wing, and
hissed in dismay. The sail was tattered and charred, and there was a
sharp scent of ichor in the air. She tore her gaze away, knowing there
wasn't time to think of that now. They had to get the pair to the healers.

She glanced upward, checking for clumps of Thread, and saw a pair of
greens flanking them, protecting the queens and bronze. The rest of the
Wing was below, moving smoothly into formation around K'far and Torth,
but their fall had slowed and steadied now. **Tell Chioneth we're ready
to jump back to the Weyr.**

}:Aglayath is ready.:{

Saibra clipped K'reyel's belt to her extra safety strap. The limpness of
his body terrified her, but the fact that Erdenth hadn't gone /between/
gave her hope. **Okay, we're ready.**

--

As the two queens burst out of /between/ above the cliffs of
Dragonsfall, the Weyrdragonhealer's brown Branth rose to meet them in
the air, helping support the weight of the Weyrleader's dragon as they
brought the bronze down as gently as possible in front of the dragon
infirmary.

W'ser was on the ground prepared to meet them, and a swarm of healers
were likewise waiting to take K'reyel as soon as possible.

"Weyrwoman," a Master Healer touched her leg, and then she saw D'erik by
the man's elbow. It was clear he had flown in the first wave, there were
still flakes of charred threadash on his riding jacket. "Unclip him so
we can take him inside."

Saibra shook her head, trying to force her brain into action. Her mind
was busy replaying the way her weyrmate had looked all those Turns ago
when he'd perished in Threadfall. **K'reyel is not K'fel** she told herself.

Unclipping the safety strap, she released her grip on the Weyrleader and
watched as the healers eased him down onto a waiting stretcher. As soon
as he was secured, the team of healers carried him away at a brisk run
towards the infirmary.

Erdenth's panicked cry punched through the air, reverberating off of the
cliffsides.

}:_No._:{ Chioneth answered, imposing the full force of her will on her
bronze mate. }:_You must stay_. Your rider is alive. Let the
dragonhealer see to your wing.:{

The bronze warbled a plaintive response but sank onto the ground.

Saibra slid to the ground herself, needing a steadying moment by
leaning against Chioneth's flank. Erdenth's wing looked nearly beyond
salvaging, but she trusted in W'ser's skills. Pushing away from her
lifemate, Saibra unbuckled her helmet and yanked it off as she walked
around Chioneth to stand beside Aglayath.

"Ashela! Are you good to go back into Threadfall? Chioneth is going to
remain here and keep Erdenth anchored," she called up to her Weyrwoman's
Second.

**Aglayath?**

}:I am ready,:{ the gold replied. Catching the bronze had not
overstrained her, and he was Chioneth's mate to tend to. She was eager
to return to the Wing.

**Good, tell Torth and Anaeryth we're returning and ask for
coordinates." In the back of her mind was the ragged remains of
Erdenth's wing and his unconscious rider, but Ashela put those thoughts
aside as she had so many times before, when there was Thread to fight.
"Yes, Weyrwoman." She checked her straps still held and her flamethrower
was in reach, then raised an arm in a salute. Beneath her, Aglayath
crouched, and then they leapt into the air, rising rapidly above the
Weyr cliffs before vanishing /between/.

Last updated on the May 14th 2024

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Weyrleader Down