Missing [Plot/Event] 73.12.28

[Kaya]

“Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.”
― Act 1, Scene 3 Much Ado About Nothing

For Turns the Headwoman’s office was run with efficiency and grace. Many reports and papers and files had been neatly arranged on its shelves and old crates and in piles on the desk. It was a place where work got done, but not so ardently that the workers within it forgot to live as well. A good deal of folk liked the Headwoman. She was often found in this office, working away with a content expression on her face. She had known her workspace wasn’t pristine, but if it had been it wouldn’t be workable. Form and function, it was the constant struggle with any workplace. Lindalyn knew how she liked things done, after decades of holding her position she knew its intricacies quite well. She had just the right connections, more than enough friends, a squadron of helpers and a manageable (if not always too large) group of people who were dissatisfied with something or other.

Until recently.

The Weyr would have to wait to see if any of her reports on the matter still existed, for not much of importance in her office still did. The papers were flung about the room wildly, and all the places from important to trifling had been ravaged and torn apart. There was nothing neat left about the room, for in the rush and urgency of whatever had stormed through the room, even some of the furniture was broken. Crates had been upturned, files had been flung open, drawers were spilled out on the floor and even the large shelf in the corner of the room had been flung down upon the desk. The glow basket was toppled and the scattered green orbs gave a sick tint to the room that separated they could not light. The shadows caused by the mangled furniture made the appearance all the more eerie.

So sat the office, waiting for morning, when someone, somewhere, would need something from Lindalyn: but they would not find her. For along with a mess papers, files and reports, the Headwoman was also nowhere to be found. The trails and clues to finding her, if they did exist, were as great a mess as her office. The Weyr would soon find out. The questions and terror would soon spread. There would be one questioned repeated on all searching lips:

Where is Lindalyn?

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

The sky was still a pre-dawn grey when T’kar awoke. He’d fallen asleep sitting up, with several of his riding straps on the cot in front of him. Needless to say, they were not yet mended. He blinked a couple times, then groaned. He had enough time to finish them before practice. Easily enough time in fact, for the grayness of the sky was only just beginning to appear and had not yet eclipsed the thin slivers that were the moons, Belior and Timor, as the source of illumination.

Sighing, T’kar reached down to grab the leather by the side of the cot. Not finding it, he flopped forwards onto his stomach and peered over the edge. There was nothing there. A flash of anger burned through him, and he rolled back over so that his eyes landed on the usual culprit when things went missing, his black-haze Brick flitt, Boot.

Boot didn’t take it; you used all of it before napping.

T’kar sighed. Now that Ancalanath pointed that out, he remembered it. Well, I’m going to go get some more then, he informed Ancalanath, who was watching him out of one huge blue-green swirling eye. You might as well get some sleep, he continued. You wouldn’t want all of the others out-flying you later today. Besides, I’ll be gone a bit longer than usual, I need to ask the Headwoman about whether she still wants us to go wherry hunting.

Ancalanath blinked his acknowledgement, and was quickly asleep once more. Neither he nor his rider had any idea that that sleep would soon be interrupted for more distressing reasons than false accusations directed at Boot.


T’kar backed up a step and looked at the base of the door to Headwoman Lindalyn’s office. It was unusual for her not to have answered his earlier knock, but he thought that perhaps she just wasn’t in her office yet. The thought hardly had time to grow to maturity though, for there was light, glow-light, coming from under the door.

This is odd, T’kar thought. “Lindalyn, are you in there?” he asked, stepping closer to the door once more. The room beyond remained silent, too silent. There was no noise coming from within at all that T’kar could detect. That was extremely unusual. Even at this early hour Lindalyn would have normally been up, and if she were in her office she would have been making some noise, if only that of papers being moved and stacked, or being written upon.

T’kar stepped so that he was standing close to the hinges of the door, rather than the opening, and gently pushed it open. The scene that met his eyes was one that he would never forget. The office had never been pristine, but the whole room had been torn to shreds. Slowly, carefully, he stepped into the room. Perhaps crept would be the better description though, for he was moving in a fighter’s crouch, having already drawn his belt knife. His foot came down on a piece of paper that he hadn’t seen. It crackled a bit under his weight, and he froze, every sense alert, straining for a new piece of information. Nothing was there though, and he finally relaxed enough to step forward again. He could feel Ancalanath’s presence in the back of his mind, the dragon no longer asleep but wide awake and alert. Neither said anything; neither wanted to comment on what they expected would be found.

T’kar finished looking through the room and stood in a corner, more confused almost than when he’d arrived. Lindalyn, or her body, wasn’t within the room. In fact, there was no blood anywhere, so it seemed unlikely that a fight had taken place, but…

Where’s Lindalyn, then? She’s normally here by now, certainly she would have heard this and come charging in to stop whoever it was. T’kar slipped out of the room, weighing options. Maybe she’s in the kitchens, he thought. He walked over to them, but that was a dead end. The head cook was in a bad mood about something, though when she saw T’kar’s shoulder knots she at least volunteered the fact that she hadn’t seen Lindalyn since earlier in the afternoon of the prior day. He tracked down one of her assistants, and was given basically the same answer. He absently told the youth to stay out of the Headwoman’s office, and asked Ancalanath to find out if Weyrwoman Rilora was awake yet. At the same time, he asked Ancalanath to ask their wingriders to meet up with him.

Anclanath relayed the request to the wingriders first, then, more cautiously, reached out towards Archith. Archith? Ancalanath asked. My apologies for bothering you this early, but T’karMine needs to tell RiloraYours something important. Ancalanath’s voice was too calm, kept that way by his unwillingness to project how nervous the event had made His, and, by extension, him.

[Terayne]

The pre-dawn light had a large form stirring, her hide gleaming with health and vitality, and her mind also shifted, the incessant nudging of a need to feed wakening her further. Stretching, she only opened her wings halfway, and then brought them back in, her head coming around to place one eye to the doorway between her section of the weyr and her Own's. Mine, she purred softly, gently nudging her Ylara's mind. Mine, she persisted when her Mine resisted the attempt to wake her, and she rumbled with amusement.

Ylara-Mine, she said more firmly, and the Assistant Candidatemistress jumped, blinking and shaking her head sharply, then glaring at her dragoness. "What?!" she said, rather snippily, and Orylth crooned softly.

I am hungry, Mine. I did not wish you worrying where I was.[/i] Her explanation made Ylara sigh, and the woman nodded. Of course, my love. Go and feed. You will need your strength for exercises later, she replied, and the Wood rumbled softly and cocked her head slightly. Ylara quirked a brow, and an image of Ancalanath appeared. He wishes us to meet him and His, the Wood said, and the woman frowned. Why

I know not. Sighing, Ylara nodded and rose, dressing quickly in sensible clothing of brown leathers. She then moved outside, followed by her lovely Bonded, and swiftly mounted her. Where? The simple question had the Wood angling her head in the correct direction, and Ylara nodded, giving her the gentle command to go to their Wingleader and find out what he wanted.

Powerful wings opened wide, and, with a single beat, they were in the air, the dragoness soaring towards the massive Flame King, crooning a greeting and a query to him as she settled near him.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Ancalanath turned his head to regard the incoming shapes. Two Blues, a Green, and a Wood, all coming in to land near him. He could just see His, inside the hallway that passed between the kitchens and the Headwoman’s ruined office. The Wood, Orylth, landed closest, while the larger Blues and Green landed a little further away.

Noting the arrivals, T’kar snagged a passing drudge and asked the man to make sure that no one went into the Headwoman’s office. Only four of the wingriders had arrived so far; T’kar noted who they were by habit. He’d expected the two Blueriders, N’ri and P’nor, both of whom rivaled his own ability to be up at all hours, and even the Greenrider, Tyria was not a huge surprise, but the Woodrider, Ylara, of Wood Orylth… Ylara was not normally a morning person. Looks like I’m going to be repeating this a few times, he thought. At least there’s less chance of being overheard and setting off some kind of mass panic.

He strolled out into the Bowl, and over to the clump of dragons. P’nor, N’ri, and Tyria had all dismounted and come forward, so that they were standing next to Ancalanath in a tight huddle, which included Ylara. Best to just cut to the chase, T’kar told himself as he joined the other riders. “Have any of you seen Headwoman Lindalyn?” he asked. He expected that the answer was going to be no, but if one of them had, it would at least give everyone a place to start from, for he did intend to change his wing’s practice time to a “let’s find Lindalyn” time.

[Terayne]

She slid down as she saw him coming out of the kitchens, her hand remaining resting lightly to Orylth's neck as she waited to see why she had been summoned. Her quick glance told her that the other three present were also from T'kar's Wing, which made her wonder if maybe he'd decided to do early morning practices instead of waiting until later.

I do hope not, Orylth said wistfully as she picked up her Mine's thoughts. I'm still hungry... The small complaint from her otherwise normally pliable Wood had Ylara hiding a smile, but even that ghost faded when T'kar spoke. Cocking her head slightly, she glanced past him towards the kitchens, and the Headwoman's Office.

"We haven't," she said quietly. She didn't ask the question that came to mind, just watching her Wingleader closely for any clues as to why he would be asking.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

As anticipated, all four answered in the negative. There was a brief moment when T’kar had hoped that P’nor might have, but the thickset man had shaken his head after the others, saying that he hadn’t seen her since about a day ago, and that she’d been in her office. The look in P’nor’s eyes as he finished suggested that he was forming his own ideas about why T’kar wanted to know where Lindalyn was, but T’kar ignored it. That wasn’t, after all, the reason, and if it had been, there would have been no way that he would have called his wing in to hear about it.

“Ok, here’s the news,” T’kar informed them. “No one currently up has seen Lindalyn since yesterday afternoon at the latest. Her office has been torn to pieces, but there is no sign that there was any kind of fight; no sign that anyone heard or tried to interfere with those who where in there. All that really leaves us is the idea that someone wanted something in there badly enough to ransack the office for it,” he paused, then continued in a tone that was almost too calm: “and that they knew they would not be interfered with.” From P’nor’s and N’ri’s expressions, he didn’t have to continue that line of thought any more than he already had. Of course, everyone had heard about the bodies found in the forest. That was another complication. He didn’t want anyone out searching the forest unless they were in teams of at least two and preferably three.

“N’ri, Tyria, spread out and look over the more distant parts of the beach. Anything odd, relay it to Ancalanath and stay in the air until you have at least one other rider there for back up. P’nor, fly along the Thoroughfare and start searching Cliffside. N’kio may or may not be there to help, but I’ll send at least one more to help you out. Ylara, have you ever helped the Headwoman out?” T’kar paused, P’nor was just leaving, N’ri and Tyria had already mounted and departed for the beach.

[Terayne]

The Wood rider cocked her head, catching her breath as they were informed of the reason for his asking. Missing? Lindalyn? As he continued, she worried her lower lip, concern streaking through her and into her Wood, causing the soft-hearted creature to shift restlessly, Easy, heart. I know, Ylara murmured softly, stroking the reddish-brown hide, with it's lighter shading, gently and trying to control her emotions.

When asked if she'd ever worked with the woman, she nodded. "Yes sir. I had to come to her on more than a few occasions to pick up records of new Candidates who had arrived," she replied. She then glanced around at her Wingmates as they left, and looked back to T'kar. "Has anyone checked her room?" she asked softly, since he hadn't mentioned that yet.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar was glad to see that Ylara was composed enough to calm her dragon. The morning was going to be rough enough without anything extra.

Then why did you have me call Nyneveth?

Because our merciful Weyrleader decided I needed a headache, T’kar retorted. Besides, Emilia is capable of handling her.

Ancalanath snorted, but T’kar ignored him. There hadn’t been any problems in the wing yet, and that couldn’t be argued with.

“I looked through them, but I’ve only been in there once before, so I really don’t know what important documents might look like. She’s not there, but there might be some clue. If you wouldn’t mind going back over it?” his tone made the final statement into a question. As Assistant Candidate Mistress, even if she was also a member of his Wing, Ylara ranked close to even with him. He smiled. “You might also have better luck with her assistants than I would.” He was about to offer to help her when the shadows of three more approaching dragons came across the Bowl. The pre-dawn grey didn’t allow him to distinguish their colors, but from the way they seemed targeted on Ancalanath, he could guess why they were arriving.

[Terayne]

Ylara considered that answer, then inclined her head slightly. Fair enough, she thought, then glanced at her Wood, who had shaken her head slightly at T'kar's words, swinging it slowly back and forth. Ylara could guess why. "I'll be alright, my love," she reassured her. The Wood didn't like the thought of her Mine going inside, where someone had already been taken, with the news of the murders in the jungle going around. "T'kar will see to it," she added, and the dragoness eyed the Flamerider. The doubt in her mind had a smile ghosting across her Own's lips once more, and she patted the soft hide.

"Was there anything in particular..." Ylara trailed off when she saw his attention had shifted, and she shrugged slightly, glancing up as well to see more of her Wingmates-or so she was guessing by their direction-heading their way. She'd been about to ask if there was anything in particular he wanted her to look for, but she figured he'd have his hands full as it was with her fellows.

"I'll take a look," she reassured the Flamerider, and moved to go inside, again gently soothing Orylth as the Wood shifted slightly, uneasily. I'll be surrounded by people, my heart, she reminded her, and the Wood creeled softly in concern, but settled down on the ground, her head resting on her forepaws facing the door.

[Kaya]

The sun was not yet up, and as such both Rilora and Archith were asleep and unconscious of the world around them. It took some prodding of Ancalanath's mind before Archith stirred, trying to grasp the thoughts of the day that was starting much too early. After a sleepy moment the Gold was able to reply.

Can't it wait for the sun, Ancalanath? Archith grumbled and turned herself back into the dragon couch to sleep again. He sounded perfectly normal and too alert for the time of pre-morning. If nothing was the matter, which it seemed not, he ought to leave them alone. Thankfully none of her stirring was bothering Rilora. Her Rider needed the sleep, especially when that fur ball that Ancalanath's Rider had insisted on giving them was quiet.

[Lark]

DOOOOOOOOOOooooooooom!!!!!!! THEY HAVE CALLED THE PAWNS TO THE FIELD OF DEATH AND WE SHALL ALL BE KILLED! RUN! RUN EVERYONE!!! RUN FOR YOU LIIIIIIIIIVES!.....oh, and more doom! DOOOOoooooom![/b][/color][/size]


The greyrider widened her eyes in surprise as Nyneveth suddenly jerked up from her sleeping position, the dragoness instantly beginning to run around her cave and then abruptly stopped, shivering as she keened her final "doom." Eyes had turned almost as grey as her eyes and slowly, mechanically, they turned on Emillia's form and blinked a few times.

Ummmr......Nyneveth...are you sure? I..I. d..don't think so. I mean, they are supposed to keep up s..s..safe here right? The rider drew the blanket she had been sleeping in around her body tighter, her large blue eyes glazed over in fear as she finally threw the blanket over her head and hunkered under the sheets. I..I don't want to go. They wouldn't call us unless it was bad...oh bother.

Biting her lip, Emillia rocked back and forth as Nyneveth flopped onto her bed and groaned something about the world ending. Chirping, Skye and Leaf shook their heads, the siblings gliding down from their perch to land on top of Emillia's head and back. The wood firelizard trilled softly, her nose nudging under the covers so that she could lick Emillia's cheek while the cloud got airborne again and started to doing mid-air somersaults.

Little by little the two coaxed Emillia out from under the cover, her head showing as she blew a lock of blonde hair from her eyes. Giggling softly, the girl gave one of her rare smiles and rubbed Leaf's head, giggling again and louder as the wood nuzzled her cheek with her own. "Thank you sweet one." Skye flew behind her, nudging her up with his tiny body, Leaf pulling on her sleeve to get her to stand finally. Yawning, the girl shook her head to clear it and crossed her arms over her chest in that way she had to put a barrier between her and everything else.

It wasn't a haughty movement, that was for sure. Her gaze lingered on Nyneveth who murmured something about the death of all the children in the Weyr and then abruptly stopped and stood up, her head turning toward her rider. We must go. It is foretold that we must go and search for the Lost One......it is fruitless though....she is doomed. Nuzzling her head into her rider's arms, the grey keened sadly and then lowered her neck for Emillia to clamber on like a small child climbing up into a chair.

Landing outside, Nyneveth looked for the Flame and Wood, blinking slowly as she tipped her head down and let her rider off, her voice quiet and monotone almost as she greeted them. Fine lot we are, prepared to die. Emillia shivered at her dragoness' words, but she went toward the door, stopped as Nyneveth shrieked and wrapped her tail around her rider. WAIT! Wait Mine! You shouldn't go in there! You shouldn't!!! The girl tried to move away, fear in her eyes as she looked toward the room and back at her dragon, but the grey's tail simply wouldn't budge from being coiled around her.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Ancalanath hesitated. He did not want to anger the most-wonderfully-Golden-beauty that was the target of his admiration, but he could tell that His was agitated. However, His would have to spread out the wingriders and coordinate their searching, which would delay any possible report until such activity was done. Reporting might have to. Can you tell RiloraYours that HeadwomanLindalyn is missing, and T’karMine organizes our Wing to search?

Ancalanath had just finished his reply when four more dragons landed. One of whom was instantly recognizable as Grey-Green Nyneveth. He watched as Emilia dismounted and walked towards the door, and was stopped by Nyneveth’s tail. The other three riders had gone inside and were talking to His in the hallway. Natuarally. He sent an image of the situation to His, along with a heavy dose of irony, then turned his attention to dealing with it.

Nyneveth, cease and desist with this. You and Yours are not going to die. He waited a couple beats, then added: Move your tail.

Getting the image from Ancalanath, T’kar glanced outside. Sure enough, there was Emilia, barred from progressing by her dragon’s tail. The other three wingriders simply found a different way out, one of them grinning. T’kar had to bury an impulse to make the grinner do something in the way of punishment.

“Emilia?” he asked, not sure what answer he expected.

[Lark]

Oh, could things get any worse than this?

"T..T'kar?" Blonde hair bounced around her as her head shot up from looking at the grey-green tail that had wrapped around her form. Teeth nipping lightly at her bottom lip, Emilia took a deep breath and patted the soft dragon hide. E..Easy Nyneveth....I think it's going to be alright....honest. The girl tried to send comforting thoughts to her dragoness, but the grey-green creature shook her little head and warbled unhappily.

That is the place of bad things filled with dark-between-beasts!

Well, at least she didn't add in her favorite word. Doom. Talked too fast... Emilia frowned as she looked up at the dragoness, her arms reaching toward the creature's head to take it into her hands. Once finally taking hold of it, the girl caressed the dragon's nose, shushing her fears and worries. I don't want you to go.... Nyneveth trailed off, only now turning toward the Flame and snorting.

You will be the first to go Ancalanath. The dragoness finally let her tail move slowly from her rider's waist, Emilia sighing in relief as she was allowed to move, hating that she had been stuck in one spot. Quite literally running, she fled toward the Wingleader, childishly hugging him which only made Nyneveth bugle in worry. He'll...He'll....oh Faranth I don't know what he'll do, but stop hugging him....you never hugged the old Wingleader....and his dragon was nicer, much less likely to lead to our doom than these two.

Emilia ignored her dragoness and quickly pulled away from the man, blushing and giving one of her rare smiles before murmuring a quick, "thank you" and running off into the room.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Ancalanath snorted, not at all impressed by yet another pronouncement of doom. Had another dragon made it, he might have been, but from Nyneveth… he wasn’t. He kept his attention fixed on the much smaller grey until the offending tail was removed and Nyneveth’s rider was free to move. Which she did immediately, fleeing to, and hugging, His.

Today was, interesting. First calmness, then Nyneveth being Nyneveth, then getting hugged by Emilia. T’kar’d had time to hug her back, briefly, before she’d quickly pulled away and retreated into the Headwoman’s office. He was a little disappointed by that. It’s not like I’d do anything unless she asked, he thought, ignoring Ancalanath’s comment that Emilia wouldn’t be able to figure out how to ask. He debated going in the office, but the sight of another few dragons approaching caused him to remain where he was.

Ancalanath, please inform Orylth that Emilia will be joining Ylara in investigating the room. He could tell that Ancalanath did so, and then Ancalanath added a comment about large sapphire eyes.

T’kar sighed and raked a hand through his midnight-black hair, glad there was no one around to see him glare at his dragon. Watching the next round of wingriders arrive, he stepped out of the doorway and stood next to Ancalanath. He had to shade his eyes; the riders were approaching from the same direction as the just rising sun, making black shadows against its golden light.

[Terayne]

Mine. Nyneveth's Own will soon be joining you.

Thank you my heart, Ylara replied distractedly, carefully picking up the scattered papers that hadn't been shredded and looking over their contents. She then stacked them on the desk and turned to the door just as Emilia came in, giving her a reassuring smile. "Good morning," she said lightly, then motioned to the room. "Quite a mess we've been left to deal with, yes?"