This is a LIBRARY (OPEN/one-shot)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

3076.06.23|Mid-day

“They are a blight on Pern!” L’van’s voice was practically cracking with sheer fury. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Thoth pointed out that this might not be a good idea, but L’van didn’t even register the words.

“They are Kings and Queens!” T’vax’s voice was no calmer, he certainly wasn’t going to admit to being wrong by backing down. Not when he knew he was right.

“Fighters now, pretty-boy!”

“Because the idiot Lord Holder’s an extortionist!”

That was the last straw. With a snarl, L’van launched himself at the thinner Chrome rider, throwing his book on the ground. Tactics went out the window. He was too mad to even consider any plan other than pounding the younger man’s face in.

T’vax met the charge halfway, twisting to the side and slamming his fist into L’van’s side. L’van spun around and slammed his fists into T’vax’s gut, than broke the Chrome rider’s nose as he doubled over.

Screaming insults, the two continued their assaults. Books went flying everywhere as T’vax kicked L’van into one of the few wooden bookcases in the room, then got trampled underfoot as L’van’s tackle brought T’vax down. T’vax’s firelizards kept trying to get swipes in on L’van, adding their own high-pitched cries to the commotion. None of the combatants even noticed the roaring of dragons, reacting to the rage snapping through the youths, their dragons, and bleeding over into other dragons from T’vax’s rage-thinned shields.

[Shoki]

Hedara was taking some time to do things she liked. Or at least one of the things she liked. With Temperanth’s extensive approval, she was looking back at some of the older records that Ice Stone had. In part because she enjoyed that sort of thing, but mostly to get some inspiration for her plans. History had lessons to learn from, so she did try to keep up with her reading. She had fallen short of that sort of thing recently. So she headed toward the library, the always friendly Ivy on her shoulder. However, as she started to hear a disruption, and what was more, people were looking in that direction, extremely worried. Hmm. She drew closer, and Ivy trailed back, not willing to be involved. Hedara waved her off, and the Green returned to where Temperanth was.

Temperanth’s swirled into confusion. Rage was seeping into the air, she could taste it. The other dragons were not taking it well. She turned to find the source, while trying to calm some around her. It was hard when everyone was feeling angry for- The Ice’s gaze spun and she zeroed in to where Hedara was headed. If it was like this then there was certainly going to be at least one person who could have that effect on the dragons.

Hedara stepped into the Library and instantly spotted the ‘disagreement’. L’van and T’vax were fighting, on the ground and throwing the library into complete disarray. Her eyes narrowed into a look that could ignite a forge by looking at it and reached what was on her belt. Hedara did not carry a sword with her, but she did not go without defenses these days. In no small part because of Lanikath’s last hatching. Her fingers bypassed the pouches she had on her belt (whose contents had been left for the Weyr to wonder at since she didn’t say) and straight to the three lengths of metal that she carried at her side.

Temperanth stretched out her wings and roared.

Hedara took the metal and banged it, hard, against a nearby wall, creating a loud metallic clang.

Dragon and rider selected the same word, Temperanth using it to speak to all the roaring and upset dragons, and Hedara directing it at the fighting riders.

"CEASE!"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

The fight stopped. Firelizards seemed almost to freeze in midair, while L’van’s head snapped around towards the clang and T’vax broke off, hands flying to his head as Temperanth’s voice sliced through his mind.

Staggering backward, T’vax blinked and looked up. Seeing the stagger out of the corner of his eye, L’van’s upper lip curled. Both combatants were breathing through their mouths, for the good and simple reason that their noses were broken. L’van had several furrows dug in his scalp and across his back, blood staining his normally pale blond hair a truly shocking red. T’vax wasn’t much better; he’d hit his head on the floor when L’van tackled him, and the contusion was seeping blood into his long ice-blond hair.

Landing on a shelf, Ninarwa and Tyavra snaked their heads around, eyes still whirling red/orange in furious anger.

L’van shifted, and Tyavra hissed. The tension level notched higher, L’van’s lip curling further as Tyavra shifted her weight, clearly intending to attack this human that dared to object to her human.

[Shoki]

Hedara’s gaze was no less cool as she watched the two break off the fight. For T’vax, it seemed that Temepranth’s attempt to calm the dragons had gotten straight to him, causing a bit of noise for him. They were both bleeding, clearly, but this did not factor much into her equations for how she was going to react. The hand with her three-sectioned-staff in it moved back to the center, her other hand gripping the other end. She stood (as she often did) ramrod straight up, and even though she was not as tall as the other two riders, she appeared to be looking down on them. One might assume this talent was cultivated during her time as Weyrwoman. This would be strictly untrue. She had merely perfected it here. She paused for only a moment as she looked them up and down, before speaking in a cool tone.

“I expect better behavior from my riders. Coming to blows is unacceptable. What is more, I should like to remind you both that even if fighting was acceptable, your location for it was not.” Her hand whipped forward, pointing at the ground beneath the riders. “As you can see, you are bleeding on the books. Remedy that. Now.” Hedara didn’t act like an Icerider sometimes, but she was showing that she did care about some of the things that Temperanth did love. There was a variety of reasons for this though.

Temperanth, could you fetch a healer? I require certain individuals patched up, just enough.

Temepranth was smoothing over some of the other dragon’s moods, but she paused to relay the missive. It was short so she could get back to her work.

My thanks. The hazel eyes turned to the riders and her voice got surprisingly light and casual. At least in tone, the words were still Hedara’s.

“Are you both familiar with the importance of this Library?”

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

L’van snapped his gaze back to the Weyrwoman. The sneer stayed in place, as she proceeded to tell them off for fighting, though he did shift to one side so that he wasn’t bleeding on the books. At least, he did once Thoth reminded him that the Weyrwoman was the commander of the entire Weyr.

For his part, T’vax had used the closest bookcase to pull himself upright. His muscles, despite the constant combat training, were already starting to feel stiff from his encounter with the hard stone floor. He stood there, side-stepping away from L’van when directed to stop bleeding on the books and stroking both of his firelizards, who had settled on the bookshelf nearest him.

Before either L’van or T’vax could think of anything else they might say or do, Hedara’s question cut through the air.

“Are you both familiar with the importance of this Library?”

T’vax stared at Hedara for a second, then glanced at L’van, only to intercept that young man’s glance towards him. Neither of them, it was clear, were aware of any specific importance associated with their current location. The silence stretched for a couple seconds, then T’vax assayed a guess:

“Records are here?”

[Shoki]

Hedara watched them both. L’van’s gaze didn’t even concern her. He could hardly have more hate for her then what she already held in her heart. He obeyed however, and that was all she expected. T’vax as well, but then again, she expected a little more of him. It did not mean she would change her course though. The two riders seemed baffled as to her purpose for her question and she had to admit, in another life she would have been similar. However, now she was in charge of Ice Stone Weyr. That meant, protecting it, and its more significant features.

“That answer is not nearly encapsulating enough. This Library is entirely unique on Pern. Our collection includes many normal, ordinary records as may be found in any other place. However, we also have some of the oldest records known to exist. Not copies, but the actual antiquated documents. A few precious documents exist from the actual founding of Ice Stone Weyr. Such things cannot be replaced, nor can there been any sum of marks that would hold their value.” Hedara’s gaze touched both of the riders, now cold as ice. “This means that you have been using a place that holds documents of incredible value, as your personal sparring grounds. Pray that your recklessness has not destroyed anything of great worth.” Hedara shifted her gaze as the healers she summoned arrived. She started by speaking to them first.

“Greetings. Clean them up enough so that they will not bleed over everything. Afterwards,” Hedara turned back to the two riders, “You will begin with by putting the Library back in order.” Begin being the key word there. There was far more she had planned.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

L’van’s fists clenched, but he didn’t say anything. Neither did T’vax. The two men simply stood there, at attention, and allowed the Healers to move them around so as to patch them up. An uninvolved, and somewhat ignorant, observer would probably have found it funny, the care with which both Healers and former combatants avoided stepping on the books and scrolls. Unfortunately for the still simmering tension in the room, none of those present were uninvolved and somewhat ignorant bystanders.

As one man, T’vax and L’van glanced over at the fallen bookcase. It was still in one piece. That was the good news. The bad news was that several books had had pages torn out, torn in half, or bled on. The other bad news was that those accidentally torn out pages and pieces of pages were strewn around and trampled. This was not going to be easy.

Growling, L’van bent over and hauled the bookcase upright. T’vax grabbed up a pile of undamaged books and started putting them on the shelves.