Meeting of the . . . Weyrleaders - Lower Caverns

[Fionn]

Panitath . . . Please call the Weyrleader to me, Lilia ordered her Violet, as she sat at one of the tables within the lower cavern dinning area. A pitcher of klah rested infront of her, while her mug was clasped between her hands, long fingers twined together to feel the warmth that the drink was emitting. As you wish, Lilia, my dear,

[/color] the Violet's cool, understanding voice echoed within Lilia's mind.

Nodding her head as Panitath stated she would call the Onyxrider T'lyn to her, Lilia knew she would have a few moments of peace before the younger Weyrleader would arrive. Where did I go wrong? the Weyrwoman thought to herself, knowing Panitath could hear, but wouldn't speak back. This was her chance to work things out in her mind. I thought T'lyn and Mnelth would make good Weyrleaders. They have, Mine. They are still young, but,[/color] "No BUTS!" Lilia suddenly stated, slamming her mug of klah on the table, sending its contents all over the table, but luckily not over her.

"Shards!" Lilia cursed, as she quickly wiped up the split klah, remembering that her mother had always told her not to cry over split klah after she and Holent had returned to her blood-parents weyr. She sighed, the memory of her passed mother causing tears to well up in her eyes. "Where is T'lyn!?" Lilia wondered allowed. I just sent for Mnelth, so they will be here shortly,[/color] Panitath crooned, hoping Hers would calm down before talking with the Weyrleader. The matter at hand was to important to talk about while not calm.[/size][/blockquote]

[dragoncharm]

Panitath's Calls.

T'lyn looked up, and sighed slightly. He had known this time would come; he had, he admitted to himself, hoped it would not come so soon. He had noticed the way Lilia treated him now, ever since it was found out that something was sending the dragons back over the mountains. He had to admit that his lover's untrust stung, and stung badly; he had hoped for more.

A song came to his mind; as the Masterharper's son, he knew a tune for amost situations. Don't leave me alone!/A cry in the night/Of anguish heart-striking/Of soul-killing fright./Live for my living/Or else I must die/Don't leave me alone/A world heard that cry. Fitting - and in more than one way. That song, too, spoke of lovers - but instead of calling him back, his Weyrwoman was sending him away. That song had been passed down from harper to harper for too many Turns to count, yet it still lived, and always with it would come unbiddingly the image of grey; swirling, hot, and angry. Something mysteriuos. Something like this force, sending dragons away from the mountains.

He wondered, for the thousandth time, what it was. Only a violet could control dragons, apart from theirrider - right? But no rider had reported any flash of purple among teh bleak grey landscape, and a dragon of that size and color was hard to hide.

So what. then? Lilia thought it was him and Mnelth. He wished she trusted him more. But he understood her reasoning, desperate as it was. Mnelth was one of the only dragons besides Panitath herself who could call back Hadi's dragons, and T'lyn was the only one who had known of her plans from the start. But he could just as easily say it had been Panitath calling back the dragons. But he hadn't, because he trusted the violet and her rider.

But Lilia wasn't thinking about the other things. She should have known that T'lyn wouldn't do it - but that wasn't the only thing. He couldn't keep something like that a secret for long - some rider would tell, because they would certainly have recognized Mnelth's mind-essence. Besides, not all of the riders could be ithat good actors, even if, say, Mnelth had told them not to reveal who it was that was doing the ordering.

Mine.

T'lyn stood, and set his face into a grim mask. Of course, he mustn't dawdle. And even if he didn't agree with Lilia, he could understand her reasoning perfectly. And he knew of her plans. Of course he did. It was only logical. She didn't trust him anymore. She didn't want his Onyx there when Panitath Rose. So, she was going to send him away. Probably on some noble mission to find the source that was ordering back Hadi's dragons.

Part of him wished that at least Hadi dragonriders might think he really was leaving for some dangerous, noble task, and think well of him - but everyone knew how close Lilia's Violet was to rising. And rumors traveled fast; it was simply impossible to keep secrets in a weyr. They knew Lilia didn't want him around.

What might be the worst thing was that most of the riders and dragons would be very glad to see him go. Mnelth wasn't the most popular dragon in the weyr, and, well - T'lyn knew how most people thought of him.

As he mounted his lithe Onyx and took to the skies, the Onyxrider resolved himself grimly. They had important things to figure out here, much more important than an unfaithful stress-clouded Weyrwoman's little plots or riders' prejudices or whatever else was gonig on. And while to Lilia his soon-to-be journey might just be to get him out of the way, he would take it seriuosly - and he'd find that unknown force. Because that was what was important. And if Lilia no longer thought him a worthy mate - he'd return the notion, coolly, with dignity. He'd leave without complaint. And he'd come back with the culprit.

Or not at all.

T'lyn was surprised by the thought, but it felt right. Really, why come back to a weyr that no longer trusted him' a Weyrwoman that no longer trusted him? A Weyrwoman willing to send him off on a long journey that had little likelihood of coming to fruition, just so she could be sure of a different mate? They'd still think he was responsible. And he'd always liked being alone.

He almost expected Mnelth to comment on his grim thoughts as they landed by the entrance to the Lower Caverns, but the Onyx said not a word. He was silent at the best of times; they both were. And his dragon was notoriuos for letting T'lyn come up with solutions by himself. The Onyxrider had learned that if he objected to an idea, Mnelth would say so. But otherwise - they were quiet most of the time.

That didn't mean they didn't have a strong bond. They did - as strong as an Onyx pair was likely to get, of course. And T'lyn knew that, even if the Onyx said not a word the entire time, Mnelth would be listening, and the presence soothed him.

He walked into the Dining Hall, and immediately noticed Lilia, by a table with a mug of klah resting on the surface. The area around the mug was darker than the rest, as if it was still wet. Though the Onyxrider's expression did not change, T'lyn was slightly amused. Having a little fit?

His somberness returned quickly as he remembered the reason for this meeting. He sat down across from the Weyrwoman, his face and voice both expressionless as he said without preamble, "Greetings, Weyrwoman. You sent for me?" There was no warm welcome as there would have been a mere season ago. T'lyn no longer regarded the woman before him as his mate; the time for that had passed as soon as she lost faith in him. Things would never be the same again, he knew.

But now, he wasn't sure if he wanted them to be.

[Fionn]

Panitath crooned as Onyx Mnelth arrived, from her ledge slightly above the caverns. Though Her's wasn't pelased with the Onyx's Rider, that didn't mean that the Violet was displeased with the Onyx. How are you, my mate?

[/color] Panitath crooned, as she lifted her head from her crossed claws. Her wings were speard out, taking up all of the room onf the ledge, which meant she wasn't inviting Mnelth to join her, simply speaking to him. She was keeping to the image that Lilia didn't want Mnelth's Rider anymore, no matter how the Violet truly felt. Promise me something, my Onyx,[/color] Panitath purred, having closed the link between Lilia and herself to hold a private conversation with the Onyx.

WIthout Panitath's warning, Lilia had almost been caught in her little fit, yet she had already cleaned up the mess, so it was likely that T'lyn had seen nothing. "I did, Onyxrider T'lyn," Lilia stated, not even bothering to call him by his proper title. In her mind, it was no longer his to hold. "You are, no doubt, holding the knowledge that the attempts to find a larger area within the mountains to move Hadi Weyr have been interupted," she stated, taking a sip of the mug, which had little klah actually left in the mug. She set the mug down, as if she had taken a drink, finishing off the mug.

"I want you personally to take your Onyx into the mountains and find out what has been sending the dragons back. I have questioned Panitath time and time again, and she tells me that when the dragons have returned she has been sleeping, which means she couldn't have ordered them back," she stated, showing she trusted her dragon's word over her lover and Weyrleader. Another sign that Lilia was intent on removing T'lyn from his Weyrleader position. "Bring back the one who has been sending our dragons back to their Weyrs. I would like to speak to them personally."

There is was . . . . No waiting. No small talk. Lilia had given the order and T'lyn was expected to obey.[/size][/blockquote]

[dragoncharm]

Mnelth landed on a convenient rocky ledge, jutting out to the right of the entrance to the Lower Caverns. There was no room on Panitath's ledge, and he would not have landed there anyway. The Onyx firmly pushed back the throb of regret that sprang up as Panitath greeted him as her mate. It would not be so much longer - it may not be so even now. It wasn't to him, anymore, not really. The Onyx was never a dragon to get attached to anything easily, and never had been - but he'd been closer to Panitath than to most. She was his mother as well as his mate - or former mate - and the former could never change, whether Mnelth wanted it to or not. But this soon-to-be separation hurt, and he didn't like that. Their history went back far - His and Hers had been close even before the dragons had mated. They'd even born His' son before the Flight.

But he could not allow that which soon would not be to affect his judgement. There was no sense at all encouraging something which would only cause more pain. So as he rested his head down on his paws, he replied merely with, I am as well as it is possible to be now, my Violet It was courteous, and showed a certain amount of affection - but did not imply that he still thought of them as mates. And the curtness of his response showed his feelings about the whole affair.

She wanted a promise from him? The Onyx was instantly suspicious - he would promise nothing of which he could not keep, and he wasn't going to try. Nor would he vow to keep a promise before he knew what that promise was. Panitath knew both of these things. He wondered what promise she would ask of him - and was slightly afraid of what it might be. If it was to keep feeling for her, or something like that...that he could not swear to do. Feelings passed, and he felt apart from her already. So he answered, What promise would you ask?

There was nothing to show that T'lyn had even noticed the harsh change of titles except for a slight tightening of his mouth, a colder glint to his dark eyes. Inside, he was in turmoil. It was as close to an outright insult as the Weyrwoman could get. Demeaning. He was still Weyrleader, and would officially by Weyrleader until Panitath Rose and caught another. There was no if about it - the Onyxrider was smart enough to see that. But right now, at this moment - he was glad. He was beginning to see his former mate for who she was, rather than who she seemed to be. And who she was was turning out to be an unpleasant person, to say the least. He was sorely tempted to reply, to address her as Violetrider Lilia back, but he quenched the desire. That would gain him nothing, except a brief satisfaction that would fade as soon as she rebuked him - because he was sure that while she would freely give the insult, she would not take it well. Hypocritical.

"Of course," was his curt answer to her statement. She knew it as well as he did. He would have to be deaf, blind, and stupid not to know. She was building up to something. He could feel it. He wanted her to get to the point - and they both knew what that point was - but even so his voice betrayed none of his impatience. It was flat, expressionless, except for a small edge to the tone. She would not get the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten to him.

He stood silently, motionlessly, as Lilia took a sip of klah - Thanks for offering, but I don't want any, he thought a tad sourly. While the cup was empty, the pitcher was not, and it was another insult that she did not deem it necessary to utilize the barest of courtesies needed to offer him some - and his position stayed the same as she spoke once more. If it was possible, his face became even more set, his eyes even colder, at her tone and her words. Some might think, if they knew nothing of the situation, that hre instructions were an honor, that the way she said "You personally," signified that she trusted him and only him to find the source of the orders. They would be dead wrong. She was marking him out, yes, but not as someone she trusted to do the job. Rather someone she did not trust to to an entirely different job - Weyrleader.

And her next little comment was even more insulting. She was specifically crossing out Panitath's name on the mental list of possible dragons sending back their dragons. showing that she trusted her Lifemate more than her lover and Weyrleader. Showing that she would not be turned in her thoughts. He could just have easily said the same thing - and there was no guarantee that Lilia was even speaking the truth - but he never did. He'd never accused her, not once, not even brought it up, but she had no such trust.

And if she could not trust him, he could not trust her. He didn't even trust his former lover to tell the truth anymore - his last thought said that plainly enough. This woman in front of him - it was someone he now wanted to get away from as much as she wanted him away. He felt a burning desire to leave, now. And not for just a short time, either. He was no longer welcome; that was clear. The Weyrwoman was not just the Weyr's leader; the Weyrwoman was the weyr. And evidently the Weyr no longer wanted him. But at the same time, he wanted to come back - with the culprit. Even more than he wanted to leave, he wanted to show this unfaithful Violetrider that she had been wrong, that he had done as she asked - even if she only asked to get him out of the way - and done it exceptionally. She could have no complaints. And she would have to act grateful, pleased, comgratulatory, in front of the Weyr and its riders, or they would all be suspicious.

And, shards, maybe he'd even make it back before Panitath Rose. T'lyn had no desire to be Weyrwoman any more, no desire for Mnelth to Fly her Violet, but it would be worth coming back, participating in a Flight he had no chance of winning, just to beat Lilia at her own game.

He gave a short, half-bow to Lilia, and, upon rising from it, answered, "It shall be as you wish, Weyrwoman." There was a short pause, then he added, "I shall leave today." He had no intent on staying any longer than he had to, and he was sure the Violetrider would not object. She wanted him out soon, too.

Then her said something he never intended to utter. For the first time in a long time, he spoke the thought as soon as it entered his mind.

"What about Kaylan?"

The question would probably surprise Lilia. Shards, it surprised T'lyn. But he knew he did not want his son left here, under the sole care of the Weyrwoman, while the Onyxrider was off who-knows-where for who-knows-how-long. He wanted to rescue his son, take him away from this place where he could not even trust the Weyrwoman anymore. Even if the Weyrwoman was his son's mother. Kaylan would view the trip as an adventure; he loved exploring. T'lyn didn't want to leave him behind. The whole basis - though he could never tell it to Lilia - was that he did not want his son left under the care of this woman. He couldn't trust the Violetrider to bring his - he simply did not think of Kaylan as their son anymore, only his - son up right, up honest. He didn't want Kaylan to turn into his mother. He needed his boy with him, just in case...Just in case he never came back. He couldn't leave him behind.

And he could always tell Lilia that the journey would be good for the tyke, that all boys needed an adventure like that. She'd never really cared who brought her son up - that was why she let T'lyn raise him in the first place. Why should she care what happened to him? Kaylan had never been her favorite anyway. She'd always loved Holent, the son who had been born from her and the man who had abused her for years. Why she liked the offspring of such a horried man better than Kaylan, T'lyn never could tell. Not that he wasn't fond of Holent at all either, but - Kaylan was his one and only son, while Lilia had two sons and a daughter. T'lyn wanted Kaylan with him. No matter what.

[Fionn]

Sighing, Panitath completely lifted her head, turning emotionally painful, swirling orbs on Onyx Mnelth. Her son seemed so emotionally dettached that it both hurt and healed her heart, knowing that he would be just fine once she Rose and was caught by another. It was one of those rare times that she blamed Lilia for causing someone else pain, yet she held nothing against Her's. Lilia was her lifepartner, Mnelth was only a male that had been brought into this world by her, brought in a clutch with her, and was now leaving her Weyr to fly out and find them hope.

Of course, when Panitath asked Mnelth to promise her seomthing, the Violet knew he would have been hesitant to promise anything without knowing exactly what he was promising. As she sat there, having been destracted by Lilia's sudden temper flare, she couldn't help but listen in on the Rider's conversation, before returning to Mnelth's and her's conversation. Bring yourself and Yours back to Hadi Weyr,

[/color] she crooned mentally reaching out and nuzzling up to her Onyx son. Wither I call you back, or Your's finds the thing that is responsible for sending our dragons back, return to your Weyr.[/color]

It was a big thing, asking Mnelth to return once His finished him mission. Panitath knew that the Onyx pair wasn't liked among the other Riders, but she couldn't bare to know that her son and once-mate was out in the wilds, wondering alone, with only His for company. As soon as she finished her request, Panitath opened the link with Lilia once more, seemingly ending her's and Mnelth's conversation. There was nothing else that needed to be said. The Onyx would either return, or he wouldn't; it was his decision.

Lilia watched T'lyn carefully, looking for those tell tale signs that he was upset or about to strick out with word or hand. Of course, the turns they had been together, she hadn't truly put forth the effort to get to know the Onyxrider. Thus, she saw nothing but an emotionless mask that T'lyn allowed her to see, which only set her off, she, personally, wanting to crack his mask.

"What about Kaylan?" the Onyxrider asked, catching Lilia off guard. Of her three children, Kaylan was the least favorite of hers, in fact she was sure she hadn't been around the brat since she had birthed him. If she remembered correctly, T'lyn was raising him, something she had scorned, as she had her Holent and Liania, who was fostered by a drudge woman in the caverns. Yet, she wanted to see his mask break. "He may stay here, with me and Holent," she stated, slowly pouring herself another mug of klah.

As she set the pitcher down, she let a longing look pass through her orbs. "I have always wanted to get to know my youngest son . . . . this will give me a good chance. Now that Holent has moved out into the Candidate barracks and Liania is happy with her foster mother," the Violetrider stated, looking at T'lyn over the brim of her klah mug.

Let the boy go with Mnelth's Rider,[/color] Panitath hissed rather loudly, adding her first comment, and causing Lilia to wince, nearly spilling her klah on her earthy brown tunic. I will do no such thing!! The wilds of the mountain are no place for a young boy!! LET MNELTH'S TAKE HIM!![/color] Panitath suddenly bugled, nearly causing Lilia to fall out of her seat.

As she gripped the table, Lilia glared daggers at T'lyn, yet she knew he had had nothing to do with Panitath's sudden outrage over her trying to take Kaylan from T'lyn. "Take the brat . . . . Leave the Weyr . . . . And find out who or what has been sending our dragons back!!" Lilia suddenly shouted, almost throwing her mug at T'lyn's head, just to rid herself of his emotionless mask that had haunted her dreams after Kaylan's birth. How could she care abotu someone she was trying to rid herself of!?

Tell Yours to consider this my last gift to him,[/color] Panitath purred, laying her head down once more on her claws, eyes closed and ridges relaxed, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, her wings spread out once more, catching the last minute sunlight.[/size][/blockquote]

[dragoncharm]

Mnelth actually had to work to keep his face impassive as his mother and former mate turned her eyes on him, filled with pain. Though the Onyx was not one for much emotion, something seemed to soften in him. He knew Panitath would always follow her rider's wishes, but he could also tell that the Violet did not want them to go. But there was nothing that could be done. And so he said nothing, having always fallen back on silence in emotional times, and merely waited for the Violet to tell him of her request.

It...was'nt an easy one, and it was a long moment before he responded. It wasn't something he could guarantee. He already knew of His' thoughts - and he felt pretty much the same way. He knew T'lyn did not mean to come back if he could not find whoever was causing the chaos. The Onyx knew well what others would think of them if they came back alone. They would be failures, a pair to give mean looks to and talk about behind their back. Mnelth knew that His would rather the weyr thought they had died in the wilderness, than know they had failed in their quest, able to mock them. And the Onyx pair was not sure if they could bear to face the Weyrwoman when they came back alone.

Finally, he replied, We shall return with the culprit, he told her, Or not at all. He would not tell her a lie, or give her a false promise. He could only hope the Violet had the sense not to tell her rider this. It would give Lilia such satisfaction...he did not want that. He wanted to be able to trust Panitath not to tell.

Lilia seemed annoyed. It gave T'lyn a rush of satisfaction that he knew he should not be feeling. He wanted to respect this woman, wanted to admire her as he used to do. But he simply couldn't anymore. He was beginning to see that that just wasn't possible anymore. But at the same time, he knew that as a Weyrwoman, she was - good at her job. Not by a far stretch the best Weyrwoman, but not a bad one. She was willing to make sacrifices. Willing to turn oh her Weyrleader to protect her Weyr. It was something not all people could do.

But then, she'd never cared as much for him as he'd seen other women care for their mates. Never really gotten to know him. It probably wasn't all that hard to turn on him, really.

His question caught her off guard. He could see it in her face; she hadn't been expecting it. He hadn't been expecting it. For a moment, the Onyxrider dared to believe that she might concede. But his hopes were dashed. She wanted him here. With her and Holent. Hah. As if she would really care for the boy - she'd probably send him off to live with a drudge like she had with Liania.

But frankly, her next words shocked him. I have always wanted to get to know my youngest son. At that, T'lyn almost broke. He almost shouted right then and there: You have never wanted to get to know him! you've had nine Sharding Turns to get to know your own son, and you haven't bothered! So guess what? It's a bit too late! His insides suddenly churned wildly. She'd truly struck a nerve this time. Kaylan was one of the only things that could ever get him riled up like this. He thought of his sister, of his foster mother...he'd always tried to protect them. Always. He would do the same for his son. Hd' let nobody hurt his Kaylan. He wanted to...he didn't know what he wanted to do to her. He wanted to shout at her, at the very least. By the sharding Egg of Faranth, she'd barely seen him since his birth! she didn't care about her youngest child. It came down to that.

I his fury, his mask slipped. He let his anger pass over his face, and his hands balled into fists. He abruptly hated her, this woman that thought she could possible get away with this outright lie. Nobody knew more than Kaylan than his father! And he bet even the drudges knew more about him than Lilia. For Turns, T'lyn had been trying to be the equivalent of a father and a mother, and now, for Lilia to even suggest that she cared one scorching candlemark about his son - it angered him so!

Lilia winced, and T'lyn's face changed completely. He settled back into his cold impassive mask again, angry at himself now, for letting her see that she had gotten to him. Her wince meant little to him; he was still fuming, but he was fuming inside only now. He'd hated to see her so calm, so seemingly sincere as she spoke of his son...and the impudence she had to call Kaylan her son. Kaylan had never been her son in any way but physical birth. She'd never cared. Never.

Her shout shocked him. He'd not been paying attention, not been expecting him, and it caught him enough off guard for an expression of shock to flit across his face. Then it was gone. He had no idea what caused her to change her mind. But though he was glad she had, her words angered him. The way she called Kaylan brat - it had no affection. No closeness. No love. It made him sure he was doing the right thing by taking his son with him. But the argument was over. He had won. Kaylan was coming, and now that he had settled that, all he wanted was to get away from the Weyrwoman's hate-filled face. The Onyxrider was silent for a moment, calming himself, getting his composure back, then he stared coldly at the woman he had once loved. "As you wish," he answered, and his voice was no longer flat but filed with a tone cold enough to rival between and sharp enough to cut steel.

Then he turned, and left. There was nothing more to say to his once-lover. Those last words were all the farewell she would ever get.

Mnelth had listened to Panitaths outburst in stunned silence. Frankly, he was amazed that the Violet would demand such a thing of her rider. He had thought she would not contest Lilia's wishes - he had been wrong. He felt gratitude towards his mother, and as she spoke to him alone, he nodded slowly. As His walked out of the Caverns, the Onyx said, in a voice surprisingly tender, and even slightly regretful, I shall. We leave today. Farewell, Panitath.

Then he flew down to meet his rider, and they headed towards their weyr, to pack.

___________

It was only after T'lyn had had a chance to calm down that Mnelth told him of the Violet's last deed. Panitath told Hers to let you take Kaylan, you know.

T'lyn stared at him blankly for a moment. She...did? The Onyx nodded, and T'lyn felt a rush of shocked gratitude for the Violet. At least his former mate's dragon still held true, even if he knew Lilia would never do so again. All was not lost.

[Fionn]

T'lyn's rage had been missed by Lilia, as she had been dealing with Panitath's outrage at her taking Kaylan away from his blood-father. The Violetrider sat in stunned fury as her dragon purred a goodbye to her former mate and son. PANITATH! Lilia suddenly shouted, this time actually throwing the mug of klah as the wall, watching in gloom satisfaction as the mug broke, sending klah sliding down the wall, along with shards of the mug. Rage filled her eyes as she covered her face with her palms and sudden began crying.

Her shoulders shook and broken sobs seemed to echo within the lower caverns. No one came running to see what had been the noise, or if she was alright. Mnelth's would have come,

[/color] Panitath pointed out, causing Her's to suddenly sit bolt up and stand. Her tears had created a slim trickle down her cheeks and as she walked out of the caverns, the dust her feet stirred up clung to her cheeks. She exited the lower caverns and looked up to her Violet, who was laying her head on her crossed paws, which were hanging over the ledge she was sunning herself on.

"He wouldn't have!" He would have,[/color] Panitath purred, her voice as soothing as a mother's who knew her little girl's heart was breaking. But he won't now,[/color] Panitath hissed, slowly lifting her head, before lifting her body and dropping from her sunning ledge to the ground, in front of Lilia. Someone is bond to see you crying, get on![/color]

Lilia sighed, actually turning and looking toward T'lyn's private weyr. She couldn't help but wonder what he would have said if she had left her answer to Kaylan leaving or staying, the same. At the same time, she didn't want to know, having learned enough from the years with him that he wouldn't have been happy. T'lyn just wasn't the type of Rider to be played with, hence another reason why he was being sent away. Lilia couldn't play him like she did the other Riders.

"Good luck Onyxrider T'lyn of Mnelth . . . . In your hands is the future of Hadi Weyr," Lilia whispered, as she mounted Panitath and the two disappeared from the entrence of the Lower Caverns. Who knew where the Senior Weyrwoman and her dragon went when they needed time to think . . . . Who knew indeed.[/size][/blockquote]