What Kinda of Curse is That? [Kaya/Rilora]

[Shoki]

Waterfall Valley Weyr Records Room/ Rilora's office
13/4 ; 13/16
Midday

B’ow sneezed before returning to the record he had found. He was pretty sure dust was permanently part of him now, spending so much time in dusty records. This transfer to Waterfall Valley Weyr had been going well, he supposed. In the wake of the war, his parents had suddenly been VERY supportive of his location, but that was not really why he was still here. Being honest he thought that he might transfer back sooner, if he could, but he certainly wasn’t done here yet. He had a teacher, his dragonhealing was going well, and he even had a mentor to help him with his research on the Azures. Though perhaps it was not taken as much more than a curiosity to them, B’ow was still throwing himself into it. Hailreth had to more than once drag him into the light for some sunshine.

Today he was back in the record room, deciphering old words and not really finding anything he hadn’t found before. He turned to the next one. Finding stuff on the Azures was hard as is. He was kinda amazed that there had been a quick find after they returned. Well, he was just one rider. He couldn’t devote all his time to it. Even if he made more time for it then most. The thoughts distracted him so he had to reread the section.

Then he reread it again.

“WHAT?!” B’ow couldn’t help but get to his feet, slamming his knee against the table. After a moment he leaned over, wincing and rubbing his knee.

B’ow? What’s wrong? The Neon Purple jumped to see what was wrong, at least so far as he stopped playing with the dragons he had found and looked worried.

I’m fine! I just hit my knee. I think I found it! What I was looking for. B’ow looked at the record in front of him. I have to tell Master Verden right now!


---

B’ow slid off of Hailreth, and gathered his notes. Carefully copied from the original source and double checked by his master, B’ow had been quite excited about all of this. His research wasn’t done, not by a long shot. Now would come the long process of creating a document (under the watchful eye of master Verden of course) that would be part of his path to becoming a journeyman dragonhealer. Paired with practicals of course. He saw the path before him as a long one to his goal, but this much smaller goal was closer in sight, perhaps a turn more before the bulk work was done.

Today though he had an appointment with the Weyrwoman. Though the paper wouldn’t be done for a long time, he had permission to share initial findings with Rilora, partly because she was the person who it was most likely to need it, caring for all in her Weyr. Second most, perhaps. B’ow was only a hair nervous, everything else was him being very excited. Finally he had something to show for all the theories and speculation.

He hurried, but his natural silent walking prevailed even now. He wasn’t late, not by a long shot, but he wanted to be early. Impatience was not native to B’ow’s personality, but there was a little spot of it in his mind right now. He arrived at the Weyrwoman’s office and waited, for a time, until it was within a respectable distance of his appointed time and the knocked.

[Kaya]

It had been a day for meetings. With some suspicious activity occurring near Melisong Hold of all places, she had met a dozen new people that morning. And if it was early for them, it was even earlier for her, with Melisong being so much further west. Rilora took a large drink from her third klah mug that day. All things considered she wasn't feeling the worst. She sat waiting for B'ow's appointment, something more relaxed for her day.

She reviewed the papers in front of her, the documents and her own notes regarding the position of Headwoman. While they had been getting along fine with splitting the tasks up between a few key people, it was honestly time they filled the position again. And best by someone who wouldn't be cowed by the ghost of creeping shadows. She had her pick of potentials, honestly. Her Weyr was full of good ones, not just the persons represented on her desk. At the moment she particularly liked the spunky woman whose parents had retired here from Igen a decade and a half ago. A mere fifteen Turns, when she herself was still a farmgirl and Lithena was perhaps a slightly smaller pain in her side, if only in stature.

A querying knock announced that it was time for the next thing for the day. She stood and walked to the door. She opened it, took a breath to say, "Good afternoon," and saw a blur of silvery grey run out the door. Bel. Well, at least she wouldn't be meowing over B'ow's report. "Come in. Show me what you've been working on. Your teacher speaks well of you."

[Shoki]

B’ow waited and when the door opened, was surprised by the swiftly moving feline. He jumped out of the way, perhaps a little late, but he regained his composure quickly. The Weyrwoman invited him in and he went, for the moment trying to calm the inner nervousness that had so suddenly reared its head. It would be fine.

“Thank you for seeing me.” B’ow didn’t know exactly how to respond to the comment on his master speaking well of him. He hoped that would be the case but didn’t want to just assume that because things were going well on this front that they were going well everywhere. He cleared his throat though, gathering his notes to back up what he was about to say. Well, with a preamble of course.

“So, it has been on my mind for some time that there is not a lot of information about the so called cured Azures. I have disliked the gossips and the rumors and have therefore attempted to pin down what we know about them from old records to start with. In a long term view it would be my intention to pin down exactly what might make them different from other Queens, after obtaining permission from all involved, and much further down the line. However, it has been difficult to find records predating the evacuation of Water Fall Valley Weyr, for obvious reasons. Most of what we have now is what has been said or remembered after the fact.” He paused. “I have copied some examples of this if you are curious.”

“However, I have found a single record predating the evacuation that shows that the Curse of the Azures has been accidently or deliberately misquoted.“

[Kaya]

Rilora stood there while B'ow presented his findings. She had seen this Rider around before and remembered his transfer papers. Her station brought this sort of rigidity to meetings. She remembered the Master in charge of the Hall at Golden Flight and wished she had his skill of putting people at ease.

The Azures though. She had worked hard enough in this Weyr to have the other Queens seen as equals. Chance, fate, or whatever moved the world around the sun had seen it fit to place two such dragons under her care. And with equally willful young woman at their sides. It was probably the war that was keeping them out of the spot light, though she wished she could coax Rekkora into the lead. She had a head for strategy, so she'd heard. And Artemis, well... she was her own bundle of effort. But she should be glad that the powerful here were not easily swayed.

"Misquoted?" Rilora repeated, perplexed, head tilting to one side and rising. What would someone benefit from intentionally stirring up this sort of trouble? It all seemed legend to her. No one could name or describe any past Azure since that one that showed up in Kaya's early Turns. She felt questions bubbling up and tried to chose the one that would allow B'ow to say what he came to say, and not some leader pleasing nonsense. "Explain."

Not a question. It would do.

[Shoki]

B’ow nodded once. Misquoted. He didn’t say if it was or not deliberate, that was for other people to decide. He just had a particular point to make. He spoke when prompted by the Goldrider.

“This record is what I found that was present before the evacuation. It has the same vague references to an Azure rider dying and the Azure seeking vengeance, but that is not the thing that I wish to speak of. Specifically what Azures ‘cause’. It states that Azures and their riders will change Pern. That is all.” The small rider showed a copy of the record, double and triple checked for accuracy. “It does not say they will cause chaos at their very presence or anything of the sort. Which is something I have heard all too often in whispers. It says that the pair will change Pern and implies that good or ill depends on the rider and dragon themselves.” It wasn’t a long section of record though. Still, what it actually said was quite accurate. Just change.

“I plan on writing a paper to expand on this and release it in the future. I thought you should know first. I have other…theories to explain how it isn’t a curse at all and some speculation with this included but I don’t have a lot of proof at the moment, and more wild guessing is not the point. The point is to dispel the rumors and dread of a ‘curse’.” He kept his voice level, but the last bit was a touch more... personal, rather than professional it seemed. And he wanted the main point to stand on its own.