Confessions (D'gan)

[summerrain]

Late afternoon, between Hatching and Hatching Feast, 73.11.18

Yuki sighed. D'gan had said he would come to her Weyr before the Feast. She had admitted that she needed to talk to him, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She got up from the bed and stood by the window, looking out over the Weyrbowl. It was one of the few that had been reserved for visiting Riders, and the view was incredible. But... It just wasn't home...

Ayleneth was asleep in the Sands still. Just like Mosiliath, the Aurora hadn't slept the night before the eggs had hatched. Not a smart move on their part, but it was in the past. Then again, Yuki hadn't been able to sleep much either. But for an entirely different reason.

Since Ayleneth Rose, Yuki had been having nightmares again. She hadn't said anything to D'gan about it, at least not yet. But she'd waited too long. The Flight had brought them together. But... What would this moment bring? Would it force them apart? Or would her words during the Flight prove true?

"He's the only one who might be able to understand..." she told herself again. She looked down at the Weyrbowl, at the newest batch of Weyrlings. And what about the two Auroras? The female was a lot like Ayleneth, except that the hatchling seemed somewhat unsure of itself when away from the male Aurora. The White and Midnight were nowhere to be seen, but Yuki had observed the new WhiteRider carrying the tiny Hatchling toward the Weyrling barracks.

Would the Aurora hatchlings fare well in a climate like this, so different than the one at Ice Stone Weyr? Yuki sighed again. Was this what it felt like to be a Weyrwoman? She wasn't even a Wingthird, and she was having to deal with something like this...

Her thoughts were racing circles in her mind. The knock on the door was a welcome distraction. "Enter," she said without turning.

[Moo]

Entering as quietly as he could, D’gan stepped inside the weyr and stood just beyond the doorframe, his mind racing with all of the possible directions their conversation could go. The Weyrlings, for one. Ayleneth for another, and her Weyr in the north as a third possible direction. But beyond the topic of the Aurora dragons, he had no definite clue – but he could guess. Habit made him hope it wasn’t about children.

He found her by the window, presumably lost in thought. He moved to her side and his hand slid once more over her back and rested on the curve of her waist. He looked down at the Bowl, just as she did, but his eyes did not remain there for long. D’gan turned to watch at the young woman at his side, concern for whatever she was considering apparent on her face.

“What was it you wished to talk about, Yuki?” He thought back to what she had whispered to him at the Hatching. “When exactly will you be traveling? Surely not too soon, right?”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit…protective. Here he was, at her side, this slender, blonde-haired beauty with her colorful clothes and light skin; quite his opposite, he noticed. It could just be Mosiliath’s emotions he was still feeling – as the Tiger was still in a fiercely adoring mood – but if it wasn’t him, then…He averted his eyes momentarily, glancing down at the Bowl once more. He was afraid to consider his feelings any further than that. Relationships were not his forte.

D’gan returned his gaze to Yuki. “Is there anything I can do? To…you know, help you with whatever it is you need doing. Just let me know,” he smiled at her. “I want to help, in any way I can.”

[summerrain]

I'll need to go within a sevenday, two at the latest," Yuki told D'gan without looking at him. "From what I've heard, the Senior Weyrwoman of Ice Stone is ill, so Hedara will have taken up the responsibility." She didn't know the girl well, but they had spoken on occasion. Yuki sighed again, then turned away from the window.

"You want to help...?" she asked softly. "Then... You could sit and listen..." She led him to the bed, then sat on it, him next to her. "Remember what I said during Ayleneth's Flight? I said you would be the only one to understand." She looked out the window again.

"When I was a little girl, I lived in Icy Caverns Hold," she began slowly. "I was eight Turns old when the incident happened... They covered it up, the Lord Holder and the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader... Didn't want the rest of Pern finding out... It would ruin the reputations of both Icy Caverns Hold and Ice Stone Weyr." She looked down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. She stopped speaking, nervous now.

"You can't tell anyone else," she said suddenly. "It wasn't supposed to become public knowledge. Only those involved were supposed to know..."

[Moo]

He followed Yuki to the bed without question, his pulse quickening as he sat down beside her. “Yes, I remember that,” he nodded slowly, caution in his voice. But I don’t know what it means, he would have gone on to say, had she not started speaking again. He decided it best to ignore his nerves; whatever she was bound to say, it couldn’t be truly terrible news. Right?

But when Yuki began to speak about her childhood, her time in Icy Caverns Hold, D’gan began to feel as if that was exactly what she was telling him. He listened carefully, brow wrinkling as he processed what she was telling him. Icy Caverns Hold…He had never traveled there, but he had learned of it when he and Mosiliath were Turns younger.

“Wait…what are you talking about? Covering what up, exactly?” He shifted where he sat on the bed, one arm wrapping around her shoulders, and his other hand resting near her own, hesitant, unsure if he should hold her hand or not.

“Yuki, I don’t understand. What would ruin the reputation of the Hold and Weyr?”

He felt the tendrils of Mosiliath’s mind reach out to him, but for now he ignored the probing; the Tiger would figure it out soon enough, just as he always did. D’gan frowned when he saw just how nervous the girl was. If this had been a simple affair, he wouldn’t have been so concerned. Chalked it up to her age. But this dealt with Weyrleaders, and that was no joking matter.

“Yuki…would you feel comfortable enough to tell me what happened? I’m aware of the fact that we don’t know each other, but I hope you could…” He hesitated. “I hope you could consider me someone you can trust. I cannot promise I will keep this to myself – my rank won’t allow me – but I want you to know that I do have your best interest in mind.”

He took a slow breath. “I do care…about you, Yuki. I like you. Will you let me help?”

[summerrain]

Yuki looked at D'gan, meeting his eyes. "Tell Rilora if you must, but please don't let this become known to the Weyrfolk," she pleaded. The incident had been covered up for a reason, and if everyone knew, the purpose would be defeated.

Once that had been taken care of, Yuki looked back at her hands and began speaking again. "I was eight when it happened... The Hold's children suddenly began disappearing... No one could figure out why. The Lord Holder began making things tighter, saying no child under thirteen could go outside alone after sunset. The children had vanished when playing after sunset," she explained quickly. "Then... I was delivering a package for my father, a master carpenter for the Hold, but I was alone. No one thought the kidnapper would strike after sunrise..." She closed her eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek. After an encouraging nudge from a semi-conscious Ayleneth, Yuki continued.

"The man attacked me when I was delivering an order for my father," she muttered. "He... He took us underground. He was smart, but he wasn't all there... He was slightly crazy... We were down there for a full season, and then some, before we finally were found... One of the children had a flit, and that flit got a message to the WatchRider, then to Sanshe." She sighed softly. "He didn't hurt me too bad, but he did burn some of the other children. He... He beat us... Burned us... He even threatened to... To..." She shook her head, eyes shut. "He said he would kill us if we ever talked!" she finised quickly.

[Moo]

D’gan swallowed. This was far worse than he had ever imagined; in fact, he wouldn’t have ever imagined…this. How was this even possible? Why had this been covered up? After living in Fort for so many turns, he thought he had heard it all. But children disappearing from a Hold, then learning the Weyrleaders covered it up? There was something they were hiding. Something big. If an entire Weyr kept a secret, it must be so.

A chill crept up his spine at the very thought. He still couldn’t fathom the ‘why’. Combined with the surge of emotions from Mosiliath – as he was now listening with keen interest and horror – her story was an incredibly difficult one to get around. Experience told him to not believe everything he heard, and this, as shocking as it sounded, was no exception to the rule. The rule was there for a reason.

She could be lying, a small voice warned him. From the tear to the story, it was a convincing role she played. And this was dangerous ground – incredibly dangerous, especially if it involved the entirety of Ice Stone Weyr and its Hold. D’gan studied Yuki quietly. After…whatever had happened between them during the Flight (he was still fuzzy on the details – a worrisome thought on its own), he felt like he should be able to take her word at face value. Training told him otherwise.

He sighed. He needed a second opinion.

Putting aside his own uncertain feelings for her, D’gan turned where he sat, wrapped Yuki in a deep embrace and held her close to his chest. “You’re safe now,” he whispered in her ear, his head bent. “No one will hurt you here. No need to cry. They would have to get through Mosiliath first, and you wouldn’t want to cross him in a fight.”

Absently, he kissed her on the forehead. “I am sorry you have had to go through that,” he continued, and began to stroke her hair with his free hand, “but thank you for telling me, Yuki. I know it was difficult.” Now he knew the secret, or part of a secret. His mind was running in a hundred directions all at once.

“I think you should tell the Weyrwoman.” D’gan pulled back from his embrace, and with the pad of his thumb, he brushed away the tear track on her cheek. “This is not my secret to share. It would be best for all if you shared it with her first.” He disliked the thought of rushing her, but this was much too important to keep hidden any longer. “If you like, Yuki, I could go with you if you did decide to tell her yourself. But it will have to be soon. No delay.”

[summerrain]

Yuki went willingly into D'gan's arms. She didn't resist. She looked up at him when he told her to tell Rilora. "No," she said quietly, looking away. "I... I won't tell her... Not unless I need to... The Weyrfolk of Ice Stone only knew the absolute minimum, just in case the man was enough of a dimglow to attempt anything at the Weyr, but he never did." As she was speaking, a thought crossed her mind, and her eyes widened in horror.

"What if... What if he's behind what happened in the jungle?" she wondered, her sudden fright audible. She hadn't thought about it like that before. Her eyes closed again and her form went slightly limp in his arms. "What if he's behind it all...?" she asked again. She didn't want to do this, but it seemed like she was going to have to tell Rilora.

When he offered to come with her, Yuki smiled slightly. "If... If you wouldn't mind," she responded softly. She would need the extra support when she told the Rainbow Mists Weyrwoman about what Ice Stone had covered up. It wasn't going to be a pleasent conversation.

((Sorry it's short. Gotta get ready for the puppy.))

[Moo]

“The jungle,” he repeated. Fear settled in his stomach, and held her tighter in his arms before he pulled away. No, it couldn’t possibly be. That couldn’t happen here. That was in Ice Stone, leagues away from this Weyr. It wasn’t possible. But those bodies…He ran the pad of his thumb over his fingertips. He had touched those bodies with that hand. He remembered the stillness of that forest, the quiet, the rain. Could this happen again? And if so…to who? How high could it reach? D’gan took a breath to gain control over his nerves. A good mind is a calm mind, he told himself himself. But we must act quickly.

If this is true, then fear is just as much a weapon to this man as my teeth and claws and your knife. Remember your training, Mine. I am here with you, too, and nothing shall happen without my permission.[/b][/color]

I’m not concerned for my sake, replied D’gan, but thank you. The Tiger’s words were the bolster he needed. Sometimes he let his mind get ahead of himself.

“If the man you speak of was responsible for what was seen in the jungles, and even if it wasn’t, rest assured that those crimes will be stopped here.” It seemed as adequate a statement as it could get, but he couldn’t say anymore to Yuki. Speaking too much would only give her more to worry about, and speaking less might show he was nervous – which he wasn’t. Not entirely.

If…If you wouldn’t mind.

For a moment, a bemused expression crossed his face. “Would I mind going with you? Of course not.” His voice was warm and pleasant, a sharp contrast to the cool voice of his own thoughts. Despite the severity of the situation, he was a little more than curious to hear what the Weyrwoman would say. “I told you I would help in any way that I could.”

He locked eyes with her. “Never doubt that, Yuki,” he said in complete and utter sincerity. He might not be certain of his feelings for her – or if he even had any romantic inclinations at all – but he would do whatever it took to help, even if times of peace and calm in a Weyr never suited him well. This was better for everyone. D’gan didn’t even have to ask Mosiliath his feelings on the matter; he knew he had the Tiger’s complete support, even if he was considering his hatchlings first.

“When shall we go?”