When Nobody Knew (Chapter Eight)
Title: When Nobody Knew
Fandom: RPS/Pern Fusion
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Summary: They came out of between into the brilliant sun over the Southern Sea. Jared was momentarily blinded but his sight came back quick enough and he looked over to see Strith and his rider to his right. They flew down towards a large lagoon, though they didn’t land. Above them, the rest of J’sen’s wing came out of between in perfect formation.
Author's Note: Wow... it's been a day since I wrote these. I missed these worlds, but haven't had much time for any personal writing lately. Been really distracted lately though so I thought maybe some fandom love might help me get my muse back :P
The morning came too soon, but Jared grit his teeth and dressed quickly in his riding gear. He wasn’t sure he could face J’sen this soon after the bronzerider’s whispered confession last night - whatever his words had meant - but duty always came first. Jared wouldn’t allow any other rider to let their personal feelings interfere with the running of the weyr, and he refused to let his own dictate his actions. If he did, he’d still be in his furs, head buried in the comfort of his bed with sleep dulling the pain.
Instead, he ate a quick meal in his weyr before he walked down to the meeting room with a mug of klah still in hand. He found J’frey there, alongside S’ven and J’sen.
“Good morning, Queenrider,” S’ven said in greeting.
Jared smiled at the Igen Weyrleader. “Good morning, Weyrleader.”
“You’re looking better for some shuteye.” J’frey came up and placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Are you up for this?” he asked. “We can always have someone else fly in your place.”
It was an honest offer, and Jared appreciated it. “Sam and Santith have Dani and Fantith calm. If I don’t go, I’ll spend the entire time wondering and useless. And if we do find something, having a Junior Queenrider is still better than not having one, even if it is me.”
“I’m more worried that it is you,” J’frey said. “If this happened because of someone’s opinions about your hatching and how we supported you, then it could place you in danger.”
“I would never let anything happen to Jared and Aloqueth,” J’sen stepped in. “My entire wing would defend them if need be.”
“And that is the only reason I’m allowing this, so mark your words, Wingleader.”
Jared scowled. “We can take care of ourselves. We aren’t weyrlings any longer.”
“No, you’re a Queen and her Rider,” J’frey reminded him. “If something happens, you fly back and report to us immediately. So long as you’re in danger J’sen and his wing won’t be able to get out of there either.”
Jared let out a deep breath and nodded.
They ’re worried you’ll act rashly because it’s Fantith’s eggs.
And J’sen would be any better? As much as J’sen’s part in all this bothered Jared, it was obvious he and Dani were still as close as ever.
He ’ll protect you before anything else. No one doubts that except you.
Jared let the argument go because there was a finality in Aloqueth’s words that made him realize further conversation would just end in the Gold’s continued insistence. He had other matters to attend to.
“Jared, are you ready to go?” J’sen asked, addressing him for the first time that morning.
He nodded in response. “Your wing will meet us there?”
“They’re just waiting for Strith’s word to go between to the rendezvous spot. No one will think anything of them meeting me there, so it won’t raise suspicions if anyone is watching us.”
“We just have to worry about M’tch having left someone here to relay messages to him.”
“And he wouldn’t think anything of me convincing you to fly away from the weyr with me,” Jensen said.
“He won’t?” Jared didn’t know why M’tch would think that was a possibility.
“He was behind a lot of the rumors about Strith and Fantith influencing Aloqueth to choose you. He still believes that I’m putting undue pressure on Dani on your behalf.”
“Does he?” J’frey asked.
“We met at the last gather at Igen Hold. It surprised me to see him there, and we had words.”
“Nothing good I’m assuming.”
“Even before Jared impressed M’tch, and I rarely had favorable words to exchange.”
“How much bad blood is there between you two?” S’ven asked.
“He didn’t like that a holdless boy had become a Journeyman Harper and had impressed on his first time on the sands, a bronze, nonetheless. When everyone realized how close Dani and I were, it got worse. I think he assumed Fantith would favor Strith when she rose. Even when that didn’t happen, he blamed me for the fact that Fith never caught her.”
“You be careful, J’sen,” S’ven said. “If this is the rider that took the eggs, he’s got a vendetta against you and he won’t back down easily. Take care of the Queenrider, but yourself as well.”
J’sen nodded before he turned to Jared. “Shall we? Strith is willing to carry you down to the bowl, if you’d allow.”
It would save them time, so he ignored his pride and agreed. The great bronze flew to the opening of the weyrleaders meeting place and after J’sen climbed onto him, Jared settled behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold on more securely. It was unnecessary as the ride to the bowl was smooth and flawless.
He dismounted the bronze and patted his hide. “Thank you, Strith.”
The bronze huffed and Jared smiled before he crossed the slight distance to where Aloqueth waited for him. “Are you ready, Aloqueth?”
Yes, Fantith waits impatiently for us to find her eggs, Rider.
“Do you have the rendezvous clear enough?” J’sen asked Jared.
Jared finished putting on his protective gear and pulled his gloves on. “Aloqueth has a clear image from Strith. We’re good to go on your mark, Wingleader.”
Jared climbed up onto the back of his gold dragon and saw the way J’sen gave a small nod in approval. It wasn’t meant for him, he knew, just J’sen making certain Jared was in proper form. A wingleader checking his riders before flight.
“Let’s fly,” J’sen said.
Jared watched Strith take off for the skies, and then Aloqueth followed them into the air above the weyr. J’sen flashed him a hand signal, and then he and Strith disappeared. Let’s go, Aloqueth.
The thought was barely in his head before they left blue skies behind them and were in the nothingness of between. Jared wasn’t sure he’d ever grow used to the feeling of between, no matter how often they did this. There was nothing to see in the blackest of places, nothing but cold and dark and the fear of being lost beyond finding. Aloqueth knew her way though; the dragons always did.
They came out of between into the brilliant sun over the Southern Sea. Jared was momentarily blinded but his sight came back quick enough and he looked over to see Strith and his rider to his right. They flew down towards a large lagoon, though they didn’t land. Above them, the rest of J’sen’s wing came out of between in perfect formation.
Aloqueth, send my regard to the wing.
He might not know what to do about J’sen, but no one could fault his wing’s performance.
J’sen had chosen a spot away from the possible weyr location or where the people were being brought to the southern continent. He’d been told they used the lagoon below them not just because it was distant, but also because it was easy to remember. Jared understood that. The area was beautiful. Blue waters lapped against beach shores and beyond that lay thick groves of trees and forests beyond. It was indescribable. How had this happened? How could such a land grow when thread was sure to devour every living thing it touched?
Aloqueth, can you sense any dragons outside of J ’sen’s wing?
No. There are no dragons nearby, the Queen reassured him.
Let Strith know and continue monitoring the skies in case anyone pays a surprise visit.
J’sen flashed a hand motion beside him, and the entire wing formed up behind them. As they were about to fly towards the destination, Aloqueth stopped the entire wing.
Someone is coming. Land!
Who is it? Jared asked, even as the Gold was landing on the sands of the lagoon. The wing was grounded before Aloqueth turned her yellow-swirling eyes towards Jared. Fith. He came out from between. We are too far for him to sense us, but I can feel him flying the other way.
Jared dismounted and walked over towards J’sen. “Aloqueth says Fith came out from between, but he’s moving in the other direction.”
“We’re in the right place then,” J’sen commented. “Try to follow from a distance?” J’sen asked him.
As much as Jared wanted to get to the eggs, he wasn’t sure what M’tch would do if he saw them following. “At this point, I wouldn’t put it past him to damage the eggs, rather than let us take them back. I think we need to wait until Aloqueth feels him leave.”
“I hate to wait, but I think you’re right.”
They passed word on to the others that they’d wait, but the dragons had already dug themselves into the warm sand.
I would like a good oiling when we are done, Aloqueth informed him as she followed Strith’s lead and dug herself in. Her yellow eyes had settled though. I will let you know when Fith leaves.
Jared couldn’t help but laugh at the contentment in her voice. “Let’s hope he doesn’t plan to stay too long,” Jared said out loud. “All this sun might make Aloqueth forget her duty and fall asleep.”
The wing laughed at his teasing and J’sen smiled. “We’ve rested a few times in this lagoon when we were mapping. If my calculations are right, this area should experience threadfall in four days. I was hoping to be here to witness it from the ground.”
They moved away from the shoreline where the dragons rested, towards the trees to relax in the shade as they waited. J’sen’s men gave them privacy, which Jared appreciated even if he didn’t want to be alone with him. He just needed to keep to topics of the weyr. They had been fine on those topics the day before.
“How is this possible, J’sen? When S’ven said the southern continent was flourishing, I couldn’t conceive of anything like this.”
“We don’t know. But we flew inland towards a mountain range, over vast fields of numbweed, marshes, and forestland. We followed the range east to a great river far east of where the people are landing.” J’sen leaped up and grabbed a leaf off the tree above them and held it out for Jared.
Jared took the leaf and listened as J’sen pointed to browned edges that had long been healed. “You’ll find that all over the place. Thread fell. For some reason though, it didn’t burrow and destroy the trees.”
“This makes no sense at all.”
“I know. That’s why we keep coming back. This place is a treasure trove of resources if we can just figure out if it’s safe and how it stays this way.”
“No theories?”
“None,” Jensen said. “And with us keeping our search secret we haven’t been able to ask Holders or CraftMasters to check their records or come up with theories to support what we’re seeing.”
“So, we’re going at this blind?”
“Pretty much.”
Silence fell between them as they waited, but there was peace in the sound of the sea on the shore and the wind in the trees.
“I’m glad you’re here, Jared. Not the circumstances, but I wanted to show this to you as soon as I saw it. S’ven said this was your idea, bringing up some arcane text that no one else would have ever read, let alone remember. When he asked for volunteers, I knew I had to be the one to explore it. I… owed you.”
Jared didn’t want to respond, but there wasn’t any place to escape this conversation and he knew it. “You didn’t owe me anything.”
“I left without saying anything. I never … I couldn’t find a way to talk to you after you impressed. I thought, just maybe, if I did this, it might somehow balance things between us. I know it doesn’t, but it was the only thing I could do.”
“The only thing you could have done?” Jared asked. “A letter would have been enough. A single sharding letter. Or maybe a conversation one of those times you spied on us. Or even a message passed between our dragons. A single moment where you thought of me would have been enough, J’sen.”
He got up then, needing to put distance between them. He walked out across the scorching sands towards Aloqueth. Any news?
Fantith asks for constant updates, but I have none to give. Santith and Esith both keep a constant watch on her. Her rider isn ’t much better, but they fear to give her fellis and upset Fantith.
Send my love to Dani. Tell her J ’sen and I will figure it out. She has both of us here. We’ll bring her eggs back, somehow.
Aloqueth didn’t answer, but Jared didn’t need her to. He sat against her side, shadowed by her bulk from the unforgiving sun. The breeze was pleasant though, and the sand was warm. He wondered if the waters were warm or cold here.
“We’ll have to come back sometime when we can enjoy the view without worry,” Jared said to his dragon. It was spectacular and he could almost imagine a life like this, living on the beach, catching fish and setting up fields of crops. It would be a magnificent place for a holding if someone were bold enough to take to the southern continent. It must be what the others were thinking as they agreed to come without the help of weyr or hold.
But to be out in the open during threadfall? He shivered to think about it. He’d seen too many injuries from the back of a dragon, treated too many in the infirmary to take it lightly. How were the people being moved to Southern surviving?
His thoughts continued to tumble around and around until one of the wing members came over and handed Jared water and food. He stayed with Aloqueth, though a part of him knew it would be better for weyr relations if he got to know the members of Igen Weyr a little better. He didn’t know if they understood the distance between Jared and J’sen, but they seemed to respect him and no one tried to pressure him to join them.
The afternoon sun had climbed high in the sky before Aloqueth stirred from her resting spot. He is moving.
Aloqueth must have passed the message along to the rest of the wing as well because their riders were scrambling to get into their saddles. Jared looked back at J’sen just in time to watch him leap up onto Strith’s back. He was everything a dragonrider should be - brave and intelligent, handsome and fearless.
As he settled onto Aloqueth, he turned back to J’sen for orders. Even though he was the ranking dragonrider there, he wasn’t about to step into a foreign wing on such an occasion and try to lead them. J’sen waited for his nod though, and once Aloqueth confirmed that Fith had gone between, he gave them the signal to fly.
They reached formation quickly and J’sen took the lead with Jared next to him. The distance between them wasn’t small but Jared figured M’tch must be afraid of being followed so he wasn’t going directly between to the eggs. It gave them more land to search if their hunch was wrong, but J’sen’s logic was sound. Not only was the location J’sen pointed out the perfect location for hatching eggs, but M’tch wasn’t creative enough to look at something less traditional to hide the eggs. An old volcano crater, like every other weyr on Pern, had too many advantages. The only disadvantage was the ease of discovery, but Jared had never counted M’tch a smart man.
When they got closer, Aloqueth told them there were no other dragons in the area. It was too quiet for Jared’s liking, but if M’tch had other dragon riders in on this, they weren’t in the area at the moment. It made him question if the eggs were there, but they continued. They couldn’t stop and second guess themselves. They had a plan for searching the southern continent if they were wrong.
They came in from the south of the crater, over a river that led to a wide plateau with a small lake. The crater was on the east side, smaller than the crater of the weyrs in the north. It looked too small for a proper weyr, but it would do just fine for seven eggs.
We’re going to land on the edge of the crater and see what happens, Aloqueth informed Jared. They had agreed to that if there were no other signs of dragons. They didn’t want to land in the crater's bowl without seeing inside.
Jared looked down into the bowl and was startled by the lean-to structures constructed there. There was a single large cavern at one end, but it was the only opening that looked big enough to hold the eggs.
J’sen motioned them down before Jared could worry any further.
The dragons let their riders dismount, but there was plenty of room for them to space out and wait for them as they crept closer to the structures. It was empty as well, though a fire was going in an open pit. Pots hung over it for cooking.
“Where is everyone?” Jared whispered to J’sen. The bronzerider shook his head, but Jared could see he was worried as well. They had obviously found something, but there was no saying for certain that this was about the eggs. Whatever it was though, M’tch was a part of it and that meant danger to Jared.
There was another lean-to that was constructed long and deep enough to hold blankets for eighteen people. Another building, more solidly constructed, held a single bed, and another held a bunk for three.
They walked closer to the cavern, creeping between the buildings when someone walked into their view. J’sen moved quicker than Jared believed possible, but the man screamed, “Riders!” before J’sen punched him hard enough to put him on the ground.
It was too late for worry now, so they ran towards the cavern. It was hotter inside the cavern and dim, but there was enough light coming in through an opening over the roof of the cavern that they could see a group of people huddled towards the back. Two men came forward, both pulling knives from their belts as they did. J’sen pushed Jared behind him, but before he could take the challenge, two of his wingmates stepped up instead.
J’sen’s shoulders tensed and his fists clenched, his knife pulled and at the ready, but he stood between Jared and anything that might come for him instead. Jared trusted J’sen to keep him safe and turned his eyes away from the fight and to the back of the cavern.
He heard sniffles and quiet sobs and when he looked, there was nothing but frightened youths before him. They were huddled together, surrounding seven dragon eggs. From where he stood, there was nothing wrong with the eggs. These must have been candidates. They wore filthy clothes and most looked exhausted and terrified. He could see bruises and abrasions openly on a few of the older boys.
“They’re terrified. By Faranth’s first egg, what have they don’t to them?” Jared asked.
Jared started to move towards them, but J’sen stepped to the side and blocked him from moving by placing his body between them. “Jared, wait!”
He turned his eyes back to the fight, but there were only two men here in this camp. A few of J’sen’s riders had stayed behind with the man J’sen had knocked down and were guarding the cavern entrance, but the rest were ready to come to the aid of their people if they needed it.
Jared didn’t have time to see what was happening before the fights were over. One man tried to fight his way into a break, but the other man was smart enough to run. Neither man was a match for the men of Igen Weyr. There were few on Pern who could match the strength, speed, and stamina of a dragonrider.
A handful more of J’sen’s riders left the cavern as they shoved both men out of the cavern to join his fellow conspirator. Jared agreed with J’sen choice without needing his reasoning. These candidates were terrified and having a large group of strange dragon riders wasn’t going to help that.
If M’tch had been the one keeping them here, he didn’t figure his own name would help the scared figures either.
“Can you talk to them while I check the eggs?”
J’sen nodded. “Guess all that harper training still comes in handy from time to time,” he teased.
Jared had no doubt that J’sen would have the candidates - some barely looked old enough to be called that - eating out of his hand in no time. As Jared circled to the side, the candidates moved away from him and J’sen had created a path that allowed them to stay clear of the riders and give Jared space.
The temperature of the grounds was good and Jared went from egg to egg to make certain there was no damage. He wasn’t a dragonhealer, but he did his best. He ran his hands over the surfaces that weren’t covered in sand, and he murmured words of comfort as he did. He could feel Aloqueth’s quiet, calming hum behind him. It wasn’t a sound of hatching, but the other dragons picked up her voice and carried it with them as well. He saw the way J’sen’s eyes widened when he looked over at Jared, but no one voiced an opinion about it. He’d have to ask Aloqueth who she was calming; the eggs, the candidates, or the riders waiting for Jared’s news?
When he was done, he looked back towards the Wingleader. “I can’t see any damage here. We need to find a way to get them back to the weyr though. How did M’tch manage to get them here?”
“Excuse me, uh, Queenrider?”
Jared looked over to one of the older boys. He had bruises on his arms and face as well as raised abrasions on his forearm. “They brought a few of us here before the eggs came. The rider carried the eggs in something that looked like a giant saddlebag. He kept it in the storeroom, in case we needed to move again, he said.”
One of J’sen’s men came forward. “Can you take me to it?” he asked. The boy agreed and with a swift nod, the rider took the boy away and left Jared and J’sen to speak alone while the other candidates were being taken outside.
“The eggs?”
“As I said, I don’t see anything wrong with them and Aloqueth says they’re fine. The boys?”
J’sen clenched his jaw before he ran a hand through his hair. “Some were collected from small holds that no one visits. Some were holdless. Some were given a choice to come, but it sounds like once M’tch got the eggs here they just started grabbing kids whether they wanted to come or not. And they’ve suffered for it. They haven’t been cared for, nor given enough food or sleep. Seventeen candidates. M’tch seemed to have a few other riders, but they were careful not to use their names where his candidates could hear them. We need to get them back to the weyr also. Clean them up and feed them. Give ‘em a good night’s sleep before they return home.”
“It’s the least we can do. Let’s just hope M’tch’s saddlebags can be used again.”
“Let’s hope we can take them between. I don’t fancy trying to fly the long way to Ista with a bronze on our trail.”
“And whoever else is in on this plot,” Jared said. “I can’t believe whoever made plans to bring people to the southern continent didn’t know what was happening here.”
“I agree. For now, though, let’s work on this problem first. I’ve got dragons on the watch to make sure we know if M’tch shows up, but I’d rather be gone before that.”
“I think we all would.”
Fandom: RPS/Pern Fusion
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Summary: They came out of between into the brilliant sun over the Southern Sea. Jared was momentarily blinded but his sight came back quick enough and he looked over to see Strith and his rider to his right. They flew down towards a large lagoon, though they didn’t land. Above them, the rest of J’sen’s wing came out of between in perfect formation.
Author's Note: Wow... it's been a day since I wrote these. I missed these worlds, but haven't had much time for any personal writing lately. Been really distracted lately though so I thought maybe some fandom love might help me get my muse back :P
The morning came too soon, but Jared grit his teeth and dressed quickly in his riding gear. He wasn’t sure he could face J’sen this soon after the bronzerider’s whispered confession last night - whatever his words had meant - but duty always came first. Jared wouldn’t allow any other rider to let their personal feelings interfere with the running of the weyr, and he refused to let his own dictate his actions. If he did, he’d still be in his furs, head buried in the comfort of his bed with sleep dulling the pain.
Instead, he ate a quick meal in his weyr before he walked down to the meeting room with a mug of klah still in hand. He found J’frey there, alongside S’ven and J’sen.
“Good morning, Queenrider,” S’ven said in greeting.
Jared smiled at the Igen Weyrleader. “Good morning, Weyrleader.”
“You’re looking better for some shuteye.” J’frey came up and placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Are you up for this?” he asked. “We can always have someone else fly in your place.”
It was an honest offer, and Jared appreciated it. “Sam and Santith have Dani and Fantith calm. If I don’t go, I’ll spend the entire time wondering and useless. And if we do find something, having a Junior Queenrider is still better than not having one, even if it is me.”
“I’m more worried that it is you,” J’frey said. “If this happened because of someone’s opinions about your hatching and how we supported you, then it could place you in danger.”
“I would never let anything happen to Jared and Aloqueth,” J’sen stepped in. “My entire wing would defend them if need be.”
“And that is the only reason I’m allowing this, so mark your words, Wingleader.”
Jared scowled. “We can take care of ourselves. We aren’t weyrlings any longer.”
“No, you’re a Queen and her Rider,” J’frey reminded him. “If something happens, you fly back and report to us immediately. So long as you’re in danger J’sen and his wing won’t be able to get out of there either.”
Jared let out a deep breath and nodded.
They ’re worried you’ll act rashly because it’s Fantith’s eggs.
And J’sen would be any better? As much as J’sen’s part in all this bothered Jared, it was obvious he and Dani were still as close as ever.
He ’ll protect you before anything else. No one doubts that except you.
Jared let the argument go because there was a finality in Aloqueth’s words that made him realize further conversation would just end in the Gold’s continued insistence. He had other matters to attend to.
“Jared, are you ready to go?” J’sen asked, addressing him for the first time that morning.
He nodded in response. “Your wing will meet us there?”
“They’re just waiting for Strith’s word to go between to the rendezvous spot. No one will think anything of them meeting me there, so it won’t raise suspicions if anyone is watching us.”
“We just have to worry about M’tch having left someone here to relay messages to him.”
“And he wouldn’t think anything of me convincing you to fly away from the weyr with me,” Jensen said.
“He won’t?” Jared didn’t know why M’tch would think that was a possibility.
“He was behind a lot of the rumors about Strith and Fantith influencing Aloqueth to choose you. He still believes that I’m putting undue pressure on Dani on your behalf.”
“Does he?” J’frey asked.
“We met at the last gather at Igen Hold. It surprised me to see him there, and we had words.”
“Nothing good I’m assuming.”
“Even before Jared impressed M’tch, and I rarely had favorable words to exchange.”
“How much bad blood is there between you two?” S’ven asked.
“He didn’t like that a holdless boy had become a Journeyman Harper and had impressed on his first time on the sands, a bronze, nonetheless. When everyone realized how close Dani and I were, it got worse. I think he assumed Fantith would favor Strith when she rose. Even when that didn’t happen, he blamed me for the fact that Fith never caught her.”
“You be careful, J’sen,” S’ven said. “If this is the rider that took the eggs, he’s got a vendetta against you and he won’t back down easily. Take care of the Queenrider, but yourself as well.”
J’sen nodded before he turned to Jared. “Shall we? Strith is willing to carry you down to the bowl, if you’d allow.”
It would save them time, so he ignored his pride and agreed. The great bronze flew to the opening of the weyrleaders meeting place and after J’sen climbed onto him, Jared settled behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold on more securely. It was unnecessary as the ride to the bowl was smooth and flawless.
He dismounted the bronze and patted his hide. “Thank you, Strith.”
The bronze huffed and Jared smiled before he crossed the slight distance to where Aloqueth waited for him. “Are you ready, Aloqueth?”
Yes, Fantith waits impatiently for us to find her eggs, Rider.
“Do you have the rendezvous clear enough?” J’sen asked Jared.
Jared finished putting on his protective gear and pulled his gloves on. “Aloqueth has a clear image from Strith. We’re good to go on your mark, Wingleader.”
Jared climbed up onto the back of his gold dragon and saw the way J’sen gave a small nod in approval. It wasn’t meant for him, he knew, just J’sen making certain Jared was in proper form. A wingleader checking his riders before flight.
“Let’s fly,” J’sen said.
Jared watched Strith take off for the skies, and then Aloqueth followed them into the air above the weyr. J’sen flashed him a hand signal, and then he and Strith disappeared. Let’s go, Aloqueth.
The thought was barely in his head before they left blue skies behind them and were in the nothingness of between. Jared wasn’t sure he’d ever grow used to the feeling of between, no matter how often they did this. There was nothing to see in the blackest of places, nothing but cold and dark and the fear of being lost beyond finding. Aloqueth knew her way though; the dragons always did.
They came out of between into the brilliant sun over the Southern Sea. Jared was momentarily blinded but his sight came back quick enough and he looked over to see Strith and his rider to his right. They flew down towards a large lagoon, though they didn’t land. Above them, the rest of J’sen’s wing came out of between in perfect formation.
Aloqueth, send my regard to the wing.
He might not know what to do about J’sen, but no one could fault his wing’s performance.
J’sen had chosen a spot away from the possible weyr location or where the people were being brought to the southern continent. He’d been told they used the lagoon below them not just because it was distant, but also because it was easy to remember. Jared understood that. The area was beautiful. Blue waters lapped against beach shores and beyond that lay thick groves of trees and forests beyond. It was indescribable. How had this happened? How could such a land grow when thread was sure to devour every living thing it touched?
Aloqueth, can you sense any dragons outside of J ’sen’s wing?
No. There are no dragons nearby, the Queen reassured him.
Let Strith know and continue monitoring the skies in case anyone pays a surprise visit.
J’sen flashed a hand motion beside him, and the entire wing formed up behind them. As they were about to fly towards the destination, Aloqueth stopped the entire wing.
Someone is coming. Land!
Who is it? Jared asked, even as the Gold was landing on the sands of the lagoon. The wing was grounded before Aloqueth turned her yellow-swirling eyes towards Jared. Fith. He came out from between. We are too far for him to sense us, but I can feel him flying the other way.
Jared dismounted and walked over towards J’sen. “Aloqueth says Fith came out from between, but he’s moving in the other direction.”
“We’re in the right place then,” J’sen commented. “Try to follow from a distance?” J’sen asked him.
As much as Jared wanted to get to the eggs, he wasn’t sure what M’tch would do if he saw them following. “At this point, I wouldn’t put it past him to damage the eggs, rather than let us take them back. I think we need to wait until Aloqueth feels him leave.”
“I hate to wait, but I think you’re right.”
They passed word on to the others that they’d wait, but the dragons had already dug themselves into the warm sand.
I would like a good oiling when we are done, Aloqueth informed him as she followed Strith’s lead and dug herself in. Her yellow eyes had settled though. I will let you know when Fith leaves.
Jared couldn’t help but laugh at the contentment in her voice. “Let’s hope he doesn’t plan to stay too long,” Jared said out loud. “All this sun might make Aloqueth forget her duty and fall asleep.”
The wing laughed at his teasing and J’sen smiled. “We’ve rested a few times in this lagoon when we were mapping. If my calculations are right, this area should experience threadfall in four days. I was hoping to be here to witness it from the ground.”
They moved away from the shoreline where the dragons rested, towards the trees to relax in the shade as they waited. J’sen’s men gave them privacy, which Jared appreciated even if he didn’t want to be alone with him. He just needed to keep to topics of the weyr. They had been fine on those topics the day before.
“How is this possible, J’sen? When S’ven said the southern continent was flourishing, I couldn’t conceive of anything like this.”
“We don’t know. But we flew inland towards a mountain range, over vast fields of numbweed, marshes, and forestland. We followed the range east to a great river far east of where the people are landing.” J’sen leaped up and grabbed a leaf off the tree above them and held it out for Jared.
Jared took the leaf and listened as J’sen pointed to browned edges that had long been healed. “You’ll find that all over the place. Thread fell. For some reason though, it didn’t burrow and destroy the trees.”
“This makes no sense at all.”
“I know. That’s why we keep coming back. This place is a treasure trove of resources if we can just figure out if it’s safe and how it stays this way.”
“No theories?”
“None,” Jensen said. “And with us keeping our search secret we haven’t been able to ask Holders or CraftMasters to check their records or come up with theories to support what we’re seeing.”
“So, we’re going at this blind?”
“Pretty much.”
Silence fell between them as they waited, but there was peace in the sound of the sea on the shore and the wind in the trees.
“I’m glad you’re here, Jared. Not the circumstances, but I wanted to show this to you as soon as I saw it. S’ven said this was your idea, bringing up some arcane text that no one else would have ever read, let alone remember. When he asked for volunteers, I knew I had to be the one to explore it. I… owed you.”
Jared didn’t want to respond, but there wasn’t any place to escape this conversation and he knew it. “You didn’t owe me anything.”
“I left without saying anything. I never … I couldn’t find a way to talk to you after you impressed. I thought, just maybe, if I did this, it might somehow balance things between us. I know it doesn’t, but it was the only thing I could do.”
“The only thing you could have done?” Jared asked. “A letter would have been enough. A single sharding letter. Or maybe a conversation one of those times you spied on us. Or even a message passed between our dragons. A single moment where you thought of me would have been enough, J’sen.”
He got up then, needing to put distance between them. He walked out across the scorching sands towards Aloqueth. Any news?
Fantith asks for constant updates, but I have none to give. Santith and Esith both keep a constant watch on her. Her rider isn ’t much better, but they fear to give her fellis and upset Fantith.
Send my love to Dani. Tell her J ’sen and I will figure it out. She has both of us here. We’ll bring her eggs back, somehow.
Aloqueth didn’t answer, but Jared didn’t need her to. He sat against her side, shadowed by her bulk from the unforgiving sun. The breeze was pleasant though, and the sand was warm. He wondered if the waters were warm or cold here.
“We’ll have to come back sometime when we can enjoy the view without worry,” Jared said to his dragon. It was spectacular and he could almost imagine a life like this, living on the beach, catching fish and setting up fields of crops. It would be a magnificent place for a holding if someone were bold enough to take to the southern continent. It must be what the others were thinking as they agreed to come without the help of weyr or hold.
But to be out in the open during threadfall? He shivered to think about it. He’d seen too many injuries from the back of a dragon, treated too many in the infirmary to take it lightly. How were the people being moved to Southern surviving?
His thoughts continued to tumble around and around until one of the wing members came over and handed Jared water and food. He stayed with Aloqueth, though a part of him knew it would be better for weyr relations if he got to know the members of Igen Weyr a little better. He didn’t know if they understood the distance between Jared and J’sen, but they seemed to respect him and no one tried to pressure him to join them.
The afternoon sun had climbed high in the sky before Aloqueth stirred from her resting spot. He is moving.
Aloqueth must have passed the message along to the rest of the wing as well because their riders were scrambling to get into their saddles. Jared looked back at J’sen just in time to watch him leap up onto Strith’s back. He was everything a dragonrider should be - brave and intelligent, handsome and fearless.
As he settled onto Aloqueth, he turned back to J’sen for orders. Even though he was the ranking dragonrider there, he wasn’t about to step into a foreign wing on such an occasion and try to lead them. J’sen waited for his nod though, and once Aloqueth confirmed that Fith had gone between, he gave them the signal to fly.
They reached formation quickly and J’sen took the lead with Jared next to him. The distance between them wasn’t small but Jared figured M’tch must be afraid of being followed so he wasn’t going directly between to the eggs. It gave them more land to search if their hunch was wrong, but J’sen’s logic was sound. Not only was the location J’sen pointed out the perfect location for hatching eggs, but M’tch wasn’t creative enough to look at something less traditional to hide the eggs. An old volcano crater, like every other weyr on Pern, had too many advantages. The only disadvantage was the ease of discovery, but Jared had never counted M’tch a smart man.
When they got closer, Aloqueth told them there were no other dragons in the area. It was too quiet for Jared’s liking, but if M’tch had other dragon riders in on this, they weren’t in the area at the moment. It made him question if the eggs were there, but they continued. They couldn’t stop and second guess themselves. They had a plan for searching the southern continent if they were wrong.
They came in from the south of the crater, over a river that led to a wide plateau with a small lake. The crater was on the east side, smaller than the crater of the weyrs in the north. It looked too small for a proper weyr, but it would do just fine for seven eggs.
We’re going to land on the edge of the crater and see what happens, Aloqueth informed Jared. They had agreed to that if there were no other signs of dragons. They didn’t want to land in the crater's bowl without seeing inside.
Jared looked down into the bowl and was startled by the lean-to structures constructed there. There was a single large cavern at one end, but it was the only opening that looked big enough to hold the eggs.
J’sen motioned them down before Jared could worry any further.
The dragons let their riders dismount, but there was plenty of room for them to space out and wait for them as they crept closer to the structures. It was empty as well, though a fire was going in an open pit. Pots hung over it for cooking.
“Where is everyone?” Jared whispered to J’sen. The bronzerider shook his head, but Jared could see he was worried as well. They had obviously found something, but there was no saying for certain that this was about the eggs. Whatever it was though, M’tch was a part of it and that meant danger to Jared.
There was another lean-to that was constructed long and deep enough to hold blankets for eighteen people. Another building, more solidly constructed, held a single bed, and another held a bunk for three.
They walked closer to the cavern, creeping between the buildings when someone walked into their view. J’sen moved quicker than Jared believed possible, but the man screamed, “Riders!” before J’sen punched him hard enough to put him on the ground.
It was too late for worry now, so they ran towards the cavern. It was hotter inside the cavern and dim, but there was enough light coming in through an opening over the roof of the cavern that they could see a group of people huddled towards the back. Two men came forward, both pulling knives from their belts as they did. J’sen pushed Jared behind him, but before he could take the challenge, two of his wingmates stepped up instead.
J’sen’s shoulders tensed and his fists clenched, his knife pulled and at the ready, but he stood between Jared and anything that might come for him instead. Jared trusted J’sen to keep him safe and turned his eyes away from the fight and to the back of the cavern.
He heard sniffles and quiet sobs and when he looked, there was nothing but frightened youths before him. They were huddled together, surrounding seven dragon eggs. From where he stood, there was nothing wrong with the eggs. These must have been candidates. They wore filthy clothes and most looked exhausted and terrified. He could see bruises and abrasions openly on a few of the older boys.
“They’re terrified. By Faranth’s first egg, what have they don’t to them?” Jared asked.
Jared started to move towards them, but J’sen stepped to the side and blocked him from moving by placing his body between them. “Jared, wait!”
He turned his eyes back to the fight, but there were only two men here in this camp. A few of J’sen’s riders had stayed behind with the man J’sen had knocked down and were guarding the cavern entrance, but the rest were ready to come to the aid of their people if they needed it.
Jared didn’t have time to see what was happening before the fights were over. One man tried to fight his way into a break, but the other man was smart enough to run. Neither man was a match for the men of Igen Weyr. There were few on Pern who could match the strength, speed, and stamina of a dragonrider.
A handful more of J’sen’s riders left the cavern as they shoved both men out of the cavern to join his fellow conspirator. Jared agreed with J’sen choice without needing his reasoning. These candidates were terrified and having a large group of strange dragon riders wasn’t going to help that.
If M’tch had been the one keeping them here, he didn’t figure his own name would help the scared figures either.
“Can you talk to them while I check the eggs?”
J’sen nodded. “Guess all that harper training still comes in handy from time to time,” he teased.
Jared had no doubt that J’sen would have the candidates - some barely looked old enough to be called that - eating out of his hand in no time. As Jared circled to the side, the candidates moved away from him and J’sen had created a path that allowed them to stay clear of the riders and give Jared space.
The temperature of the grounds was good and Jared went from egg to egg to make certain there was no damage. He wasn’t a dragonhealer, but he did his best. He ran his hands over the surfaces that weren’t covered in sand, and he murmured words of comfort as he did. He could feel Aloqueth’s quiet, calming hum behind him. It wasn’t a sound of hatching, but the other dragons picked up her voice and carried it with them as well. He saw the way J’sen’s eyes widened when he looked over at Jared, but no one voiced an opinion about it. He’d have to ask Aloqueth who she was calming; the eggs, the candidates, or the riders waiting for Jared’s news?
When he was done, he looked back towards the Wingleader. “I can’t see any damage here. We need to find a way to get them back to the weyr though. How did M’tch manage to get them here?”
“Excuse me, uh, Queenrider?”
Jared looked over to one of the older boys. He had bruises on his arms and face as well as raised abrasions on his forearm. “They brought a few of us here before the eggs came. The rider carried the eggs in something that looked like a giant saddlebag. He kept it in the storeroom, in case we needed to move again, he said.”
One of J’sen’s men came forward. “Can you take me to it?” he asked. The boy agreed and with a swift nod, the rider took the boy away and left Jared and J’sen to speak alone while the other candidates were being taken outside.
“The eggs?”
“As I said, I don’t see anything wrong with them and Aloqueth says they’re fine. The boys?”
J’sen clenched his jaw before he ran a hand through his hair. “Some were collected from small holds that no one visits. Some were holdless. Some were given a choice to come, but it sounds like once M’tch got the eggs here they just started grabbing kids whether they wanted to come or not. And they’ve suffered for it. They haven’t been cared for, nor given enough food or sleep. Seventeen candidates. M’tch seemed to have a few other riders, but they were careful not to use their names where his candidates could hear them. We need to get them back to the weyr also. Clean them up and feed them. Give ‘em a good night’s sleep before they return home.”
“It’s the least we can do. Let’s just hope M’tch’s saddlebags can be used again.”
“Let’s hope we can take them between. I don’t fancy trying to fly the long way to Ista with a bronze on our trail.”
“And whoever else is in on this plot,” Jared said. “I can’t believe whoever made plans to bring people to the southern continent didn’t know what was happening here.”
“I agree. For now, though, let’s work on this problem first. I’ve got dragons on the watch to make sure we know if M’tch shows up, but I’d rather be gone before that.”
“I think we all would.”