Much ado about something [plot start] 15.09.05

[Moo]

Once the signal was given, Mosiliath leapt into the air and hovered by Quiorith. He watched the pair move to the front, his Rider safe, and then maneuvered his way to fly low at Archith’s side. Now his job was to begin. Where would I be of best service to you, my Queen? He glanced up at her, blinking away the rain, and then turned to watch the skies around them. It was growing steadily darker, and the weather did not feel as if it were going to give up so easily. He prepared himself for a long flight ahead.

As soon as they had taken off, they landed just as quickly. D’gan slid off the Cloud and moved to the side, eyes hard as he scanned the clearing he now found himself in. While waiting for the others, he examined their surroundings. The jungle canopy blanketed above them, proving to be only a slight shelter against the rain. He turned to the ground, and though he could see no distinct trail that would point out who they were searching for, he knew better than to trust tracks alone. D’gan looked to R’le and noticed he had pulled out two daggers. He resisted the urge to unsheathe his own knife, and breathed in deep to ground himself. No doubt he would feel better with the blade in his hand, but now was not the time to react on emotion. He made a note of his nervousness and kept it in check – though he positioned his knife so it would be easy to pull out. Rilora had asked for peace above all things, and it could not be settled with weapons at the ready.

What do you see?

Little. It’s quiet and dark here.

They spoke in short, clipped sentences about the clearing, not wanting to waste time on sharing information.

R’le is tense.

He knows this place. Pay attention to him. Here we are Weyrlings again.

We know more now than we did.

Strangers in a strange land. Stay sharp.

D’gan nodded and ended the conversation. He glanced to the others, though they had yet to speak. He shifted where he stood, eyes narrow, as he began to listen. All was quiet, save for the rain – and that, he knew, made the perfect cover for just about anything.

[Kaya]

Archith tensed as she watched the Cloud ascend and the Green Yallinath maneuver into the tiny clearing. She hated this. Rilora should be with her. It didn't feel right. Her tail flicked back and forth and she finally tore her eyes from the clearing when she could tell Rilora was no longer on the Green and would be hidden on the ground. It came as something of a relief to hear Mosiliath speak, for it took her mind away from her own stewing thoughts.

If they aren't friendly and down there, surely they anticipate dragons. Don't get too close, but try and see if you can see any clues of their presence down there. R'le said they had a camp, maybe we can catch a glimpse of it in the air if we scan enough angles, or a group of them moving. Be cautious first. We are of little use to our Riders too far away or injured.

Rilora looked at the darkened jungle around her. Who would want to live out in the middle of this? She touched her side to make sure her dagger still sat right on her belt, and then she dismounted Yallinath. Though she felt uneasy in the strange landscape -- odd how one's own home could look foreboding. She felt better being off the Green but appreciated the ride, and gave her a nod as she took her leave.

The GoldRider had to take a deep breath and center herself before issuing her next order: "Lead the way, R'le." She tried to think if she had covered all the information, if some detail she had forgotten or left out could have better tipped off or informed their group. They were in the thick of it now. Better to focus on what was in front of her.

[Shoki]

Quiorith rose to the sky, then started gliding over the jungle. It wasn't hard to see a dragon if someone was looking for them, but the cloud wanted to drop a sense if he could help it. So he glided quietly, looping roughly over where R'le was going to be heading. The cloud didn't know exactly where the camp was, but he knew which direction it was.

On the ground R'le stopped staring at the ground and turned back to the other people behind him. His throwing knives were still in hand, mostly because it was pretty hard for him to get them in and out of his pouch. These knives were more for a dexterous performer, and had been stored as such. He watched Rilora get off the green dragon and nodded at her order. He turned and started into the jungle, very aware of the sound of his feet against the ground. The sound of rain against leaves certainly made it less noticeable, but he felt loud anyway, even though he was trying not to step on leaves or twigs. He pushed the thought away to the back of his head an focused on their destination. His meandering from earlier was fresh in his head, and he recognized the path easily. Still, it was a bit of a walk. He didn't take short walks to stretch his legs.

As he drew closer, he got a little more tense. He hadn't seen anything to make him on edge, and he didn't hear anything that should make him nervous. Only foot steps from people following him and rain. He was still looking for any critters, but realized by now that certainly snakes would be somewhere warm and dry and therefore not around to bite anyone. They were almost there and his hair was soaked. He pushed the wet hair out of his face so he could see clearly. Just a few more feet. The jungle of trees thinned a touch and R'le lead the party into a small area, dotted with trees, but enough for a camp to be set up. But there was no camp set up. The man stopped suddenly, staring at the area devoid of tents and people and dashed forward. They had been here, not that long ago! Where were they? He went to where he had been conversing with the leader and stared at the ground. The ground bore signs of things that had been there, but no tent, no cooking area. He moved forward to examine the area when he suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes ahead of him. His eyes snapped forward, spotting a head of blond hair move into the forest. Not furs. No jet black hair. A knife flew out of his hand, narrowly missing the person it was for and hitting a tree. His gaze got cold and he started forward before hearing a shout behind him.

"No, it might be a trap!" R'le stopped at the blue rider's voice, just before dashing into the bushes. He was still grimacing at the forest when he slowly realized there was something odd about the ground he was standing on. He looked down, noticing that just before the bushes, there was an oblong mound, which he was standing on now. The rain was just beginning to compact the ground, so it must have been dug up recently. He backed up slowly, staring at the shape on the ground and a sinister thought struck him. He jumped back and thought slowly. It was about six feet across at the longest part, so it wasn't burying a campfire. He thought he saw that elsewhere anyway. But at that size...

Quiorith started squirming. It was the only thing he could do in the air. He couldn't cry out, that wouldn't help. But this feeling his had. He hated it. He couldn't do anything. There was nothing R'le could do. They HATED this.

"I think someone else should look at this. Someone just, please tell me it's not what I think it is." He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to say what exactly the shape reminded him of. It was too morbid, thinking that someone had just dug a grave here.

[Moo]

He moved forward, quiet as a shadow, and soon found that he stood in a smaller clearing. It was a tight spot, the trees had them surrounded, and the forest was dense. The ground was wet from rain and littered with streaks, footprints, pressed earth…all signs that it had been occupied. D’gan crouched down and reached out, touching one of the tracks. The soil was slick and moved easily. The slide was recent. He stood up, itching to take hold of his blade, knowing well he should not. Not yet. All of a sudden, R’le had spun into motion, and D’gan saw a flash as one of the knives stuck fast in a nearby tree. D’gan hissed something under his breath as the CloudRider disappeared into the bushes. Just what they needed, a jumpy escort. “R’le!” he whispered, automatically moving toward Rilora, his back to her as he faced out. He stood still and tense as he watched his surroundings, listening for the slightest rustle, looking for the gleam of steel.

Then he heard the trepidation in R’le’s voice, not so far off, and a chill went through him. The CloudRider had found something far worse than rogues. What that was, he dare not guess.

Mosiliath obeyed without question and pushed down hard on the air, moving higher into the dark clouds. The cold made his wings ache, and his stomach clenched out of hunger, but he put that out of his mind. He needed to be clear. Focused. He wondered what D’gan had discovered yet, and touched his Rider’s mind. He felt they were not much further ahead, but something was deeply troubling him. My Queen, the Tiger spoke low, I feel much unease from my Rider. I urge you to stay close by my side.

He looked at the jungle below, but saw little difference from where they had just been. He saw no opening, no gap in the trees where he could look down, no way of telling whether or not his Mine was…A wriggling movement caught his eye, and he looked to his right. The small Cloud was squirming, and Mosiliath felt the fear crackle in the air. Quiorith, what’s wrong? He breathed deep to calm his nerves, but the tension from his Rider and the Cloud was growing, and growing fast. Tell me what has happened, Mosiliath urged.

D’gan motioned for Rilora to stay near his side as he moved forward, slightly crouched, his hand resting on the pommel of his riding knife. He pushed through the bushes and came to R’le’s side. “Never run off like that again,” he growled as he looked around. “You jeopardize the entire mission and could have…” His words trailed off as he noticed what R’le had been staring at: an earthen mound. He blinked. Was this it? He scanned the area once more before taking a step back, and at that moment, he realized two crucial details: the first, it was a new grave. The second, it was uncharacteristically long.

He felt his stomach drop as a small thought came to mind. He instantly blocked that out, and kneeled before the mound. He unsheathed his knife, held it at his side, and with his free hand, began to press his fingers inside the dirt. He jumped when they brushed against the figure underneath, and swallowed hard. The body did not yield under his touch. It was fresh. He frowned, and his stomach was in knots. Slowly he removed his hand and began to uncover what lie beneath the dirt. Though on the outside he remained calm and stony-faced, his mind was running wild.

“My Weyrwoman,” D’gan said at last, the slightest of tremors in his voice. “I do not wish to make assumptions, but…please, confirm this for me.”

And when Mosiliath touched his mind again, what he found there nearly made him plummet out of the sky.

[Kaya]

The trees around them grew thicker before they finally cleared again. Rilora had been prepared for everything, she thought. She brought herself for authority and leadership, a fighting expert and strong Riders for security, and had thought them prepared for whatever might be waiting in the jungle.

What she hadn't counted on was the scene in front of her. Not a soul stood in that empty clearing. R'le darted forward in what could only be confusion, and then just as fast he launched a knife into the trees. Her hand went to her own dagger and her heart beat loudly in her chest. She hadn't wanted it to come to this. By the time she had considered these things R'le was on the edge of the clearing and the thought occurred to her that this mysterious clearing and hidden enemy might be a trap. The dread in her heart was voiced by R'gon before the words even had a chance to get stuck in her throat.

D'gan at her side was a small comfort, but one all the same. She stayed close to the TigerRider as he moved across the clearing to see what R'le had found. Something that gave his face a terrible expression.

Archith did all she could not to scream out Rilora's dread. This was not right nor how things should be. Cowards! Loathsome offenders! She dropped in the sky a fair distance before Mosiliath's words caught up to her. Then stay close to me! I shall not let whatever threat this is creep up on MY Rider without opposition! It was hasty, it was a bit rash, but Rilora's life was in an unacceptable, unknown place.

The rage Archith felt mixed with her own sinking fear sent Rilora into a spiraling, stone faced calm. There was something so horrid about the entire unfolding scene. Her heart had had enough. It turned to a stony, objective brick as she looked at the mound of earth, D'gan's face, and then the emerging body from underneath.

"You are not mistaken, D'gan," Rilora replied, her voice dead and even. "That is a grave," she felt a ghost of a shiver run through her. She stood still as D'gan worked at the damp dirt that fell away easily. The others were still alert but she let her eyes dart around the clearing every few moments. "Minra should know," she started before glancing back at the mound. She felt a sharp stab at her stomach when she saw how the mound had shifted. "D'gan...are there...two?"

Archith could not contain herself any more. An ear splitting roar burst from her chest and out into the too still air.

[Moo]

Mosiliath banked and flew to Archith’s side without delay, eyes bright and crimson. He picked up on her mood and growled low in his throat, his lips parting and teeth gleaming. There was more to this than they had expected. A quick look back into D’gan’s mind sent his thoughts spiraling, but he kept himself reigned in, knowing he was part of their defense, knowing he could not give them away by flying to their aid. He turned back to the combat training he had learned with D’gan and restrained himself from breaking rank. They needed him. He had been sent to protect the Queen. They were safe below, so long as they had not yet been discovered.

Then Archith screamed her anger to the skies, to her enemies, and a dread unlike any other pierced Mosiliath’s heart.

D’gan winced and looked up as Archith’s roar broke the silence they had been so desperately trying to keep. Now whoever or whatever they had been tracking knew they were here. It was a dangerous position to be in. At the prompting of Rilora, he looked back down at the grave and began to uncover more. His heart leapt to his throat. “Yes…yes, there are,” he whispered, swallowing hard. He stared at the bodies in disbelief. Who…Who could have done this? He rose slowly to his feet, his grip tight on the handle of his knife, his jaw clenched. He moved closer to Rilora, always keeping her in his sight. “R’le,” he began, voice still and without emotion. "You know this forest better than any of us. You have seen what we have not." He breathed deep, readying himself for the worst imaginable scenario. He wiped away the rain that rolled down his forehead. He looked out at the jungle, his eyes hard and brittle. Every shadow, every movement.

Something was out there.

R’le had seen it.

“Who…are…we…hunting?”

[Shoki]

Quiorith could only barely respond to the Tiger's question, even though he smoothed out his flight. We can't fix this. The short sentence felt horrible, but subtly drew him to the other dragons. The cloud could not feel good about all of this, his whirling eyes said as much. Still, flying closer to the other dragons made him just a touch less stressed. He needed it, especially with R'le's growing mood.

R'le's shock had worn away somewhat as D'gan examined the grave. It seemed fairly obvious that D'gan had arrived to the same conclusion he had after brief inspection. The cloudrider's face visibly changed from observation to a cold glare, aimed physically at the grave, but more obviously for those who had done this. The body underneath was slightly revealed and the usually cheerful rider was filled with cold anger. Rilora came forward to view the scene, and finally say what neither of them could. The roar over him punctuated the air, making his cloud skip a wing beat and making R'le narrow his eyes. He clenched his remaining knife unconsciously, rubbing his thumb along the handle rather then grinding his teeth. When she asked if there was more then one body the anger inside only grew more. Whoever had done this must be found. His head fully realized the general impossibility of this. He knew most well, since he had actually met the people that had been here. D'gan was confirming the fact that there was more then one body, and the Cloudrider gazed down at the grave again. Why? Why was this done? He could not say. He could only guess and he was not going to do so. Not because he couldn't take a stab at it, but mostly because there was no point. He only wanted to know the truth, not make up something to satisfy his own need for a reason. It was complicated. He ignored his hair reaching down over his eyes, reaching its full length now that the rain had permeated every bit of it. He didn't push it away again, he was too deep in thought and anger to move. That is, until D'gan spoke again.

His head rose and his dark eyes looked directly at D'gan through parts of his hair. It was annoying, but he only tilted his head slightly, so his hair parted slightly over his left eye so he could see him clearly. The statement about R'le hung in the air, and the cloud rider didn't respond. Instead he stared at the other rider, and waited. His face was completely serious now, and he looked very different from the rider who showed up at Rilora's weyr to talk to her. Finally the punctuated question fell on him, and his face betrayed frustration.

"I can't speak to what I don't know. So I can't say quite a bit. The one out there though?" His finger pointed into the bushes. "I know even less. I just saw blond hair. I couldn't even tell if it was a guy or gal." R'le voice was ice cold, but rather obviously not directed anywhere. How could it be? He certainly didn't have a proper image to affix itself to. Only, there was the man who had spoken to him. "I think though that the one we should find out about is the man who spoke with me. I think where he goes they follow. With that silver tongue of his." The black haired man looked to the side, angled slightly downward. "I don't know how we can do that though. Especially since I don't know this jungle nearly well enough to know where anyone would flee to from here." His shoulders fell slightly, changing his stance from stress to hopelessness. It remained like that for a moment before shifting his gaze back to the grave. He wanted to slug that tale-spinner. The icy cold snuck back into his expression, unable to recede with bodies on the ground. "Who are they?"

[Moo]

At Quiorith’s words, a fresh surge of energy coursed through Mosiliath. A low growl rumbled in his throat. There must be something they could do. There had to be! He looked around in the sky, trying to see any sign of enemies through the rain. He never enjoyed chewing Firestone, but if ever there were a time when he would welcome that chalky, acrid taste, it was now. His claws and teeth did not compare to a flame. He refused to think of his Rider down below.

D’gan glanced at the bodies and considered all that R’le had said. “I do not know,” he admitted. He breathed out hard through his nose, and then looked to Rilora. “We should not linger here, my Weyrwoman. Enough blood has already been spilt.” He spoke in a low, hushed voice, and looked to their surroundings every few seconds. “We are not properly armed, and we have no sense of what we are truly fighting.” D’gan looked up at the canopy, but all he saw was darkness, and scarce else. “Do not think me a coward,” he added, turning to the company. “The rain falls harder, the light fades, and we are in unfamiliar territory. It is of my opinion that we should regroup and return, even at the risk of losing valuable time.”

He regarded Rilora with urgency in his eyes. “I advise we return to the Weyr. I cannot allow you, my Weyrwoman, to risk your safety. Pardon the expression, but we have a Copper by the tail, and if we do not act fast, it may strike again, this time without warning. I should not like to see any of this fellowship hurt, if it can be helped.”

He paused and eyed the bodies at his feet, a hand over his mouth. Finally, after a moment or so, he looked back up. “Also…we cannot take them with us.” He was not certain if it had been a thought in her mind or not, but the logistics still needed to be considered. “We haven’t the room, and if we did, were we to be attacked, we could not be burdened down. Leave them to the tunnel snakes and wherries, my Lady.”

[Kaya]

Rilora kept her composure as the party's members thought through their situation aloud. She was the sturdy one, the leader who had to keep her head. Yet in front of her two dead pushed eerily through the earth as the rain washed clear small patches of skin. Their situation certainly was grim. She had a growing prickling sensation on the back of her neck and her heart refused to slow down. She did not want to be thought a coward, she could feel that in Archith's anger, but her relief was great when D'gan spoke of falling back. As he had said, they were not prepared for a hunting undertaking, she could not be in danger, and Archith had given their presence away if it had not been discovered already by the group and its spy.

"D'gan, let us do as you have said. It is not safe and our position is known in the air and on the ground. Stay close everyone, weapons at the ready," she breathed in finish, removing her own dagger from its sheath. Faranth, do not make me use this. Rilora found herself holding her breath, inhaled sharply and then set off back towards Minra and her Green. They would make it. There was no way anyone could have made it away and back in this storm.

I do not like this. Archith told her Rider. Her tail swished and her wings were freezing in the higher altitude and the rain. A rumble in the distance came from the sky, not the enraged dragons in it. Archith felt a surge of panic. Thunder! We must get out of the sky. Mosiliath, we cannot escort them and are of no use dead. The Blues and Greens must be nobler than us today. I dare not stay in the sky. Small speech finish and a piece of her dignity injured, Archith dove from the high skies back toward the Weyr Bowl. It would not be wise to go between in the cold and wet. To do so was to ask for illness.

[Moo]

Mosiliath gnashed his teeth and twisted in the sky. He did not want to leave, despite the thunder, the frigid water, the deep ache in his muscles. But it was dangerous, and he was no fool. Yes, my Queen! he replied, steadfast, though he took one last look at the forest he was supposed to watch – where his Rider was supposed to be. I must leave now, he told D’gan. Be safe. He pressed his wings to his body and let himself fall to Archith’s side, eyes yellow and upset against the darkening sky.

If anything, Mosiliath’s message made him even more wary. So now they were alone, save for the smaller dragons and their riders. He wondered how much tactical training they had learned. D’gan tightened his grip on the handle of his knife and, after listening to the final decision, followed Rilora on quiet footsteps. Their position was known, the secret unearthed, the skies were black as pitch…and now a storm approached. Could get worse, he thought to himself, though not daring to consider the possibilities. The sudden, sharp inhale from Rilora made his eyes widen with surprise, but he kept himself grounded. Despite the danger inherent, he couldn’t hold back a small smile. She seemed very nervous.

Making enough noise so as not to startle her by his approach, D’gan moved next to Rilora and leaned in close. “Just keep breathing,” he whispered, and his free hand rested against her back. “Deep and slow, through the nose and stomach and out of the mouth. It should help calm you.” D’gan looked down at her for a brief moment. “Have no doubt I would protect you with my life, my Weyrwoman. Worry enough to keep you on your toes, not off them,” he finished and removed his hand, returning his attention once more to the floor and understory of the forest.

[Shoki]

R'le grimaced at D'gan's words, like he had gotten a mouthful of something bitter. He didn't really want to leave the bodies here, for both emotional reasons and practical ones. Emotionally he felt that they should give then the decency of a burial somewhere other then the middle of the jungle. Practically, it was easier to identify where they had come from if they had the body. It was possible to discover who they were if they were reported missing but there were no guarantees as to this point. Still, D'gan and Rilora agreed on the point so he did not speak. Instead he paused to look down at the bodies and glance into the jungle, toward where he hand thrown a knife. He quietly reached into his pouch to grab another knife, then turned to follow the other riders. R'le knew that he would want to seek out answers on another day, but he at least had one course of action he could take independently of the other riders. He glanced up at the sky through the trees, getting a glimpse of the darkening sky. Still, those were thoughts for another day. The thunder over head made R'le pick up his pace to stick close to the others. He took solace in the fact they were in the valley proper, but the noise was going to make hearing anyone else who might be here hard, and the darkness was conspiring against them. He looked up again and hoped Quiorith would be alright.

Quiorith watched the two larger dragons head out with some nervousness. Stay safe Archith, Mosiliath. He stuck closer to Inloth, as close as he would anyway. The cloud was naturally adjusting the way he flew, what with the rain coming down harder. The thunder made him uneasy but had another effect as well. The air held an energy for him after the thunder was heard. It made the cloud tense and somewhat excited. Quiorith was very strange sometimes. Still he kept his whirling eyes aimed at the ground, to where R'le was.

Mine, are you feeling okay?

R'le glanced about on the ground, still wary. I guess. Are you okay up there?

Quiorith cheered up a little bit, giving a lightness to his words. The sky is moody, but we'll get along. We always do. Besides, you'll get up here in a minute, and then we'll be able to get some rest.

R'le looked quizzical on the ground, not entirely understanding what his cloudy-day friend meant. Still, the cloud's bit of lightening mood trickled over to him and he found he could focus much more on what he was doing. Give him a few minutes and he would be the same happy go lucky rider that he usually was. For the time being he looked serious, and with his wet hair conspiring with his mood, he looked bogged down. One eyes still peered at his surroundings, and his hands were poised to thrown either of his knives.

[Kaya]

Archith and Mosiliath made it back to the Weyr a good twenty minutes before the other Riders. Though the storm had gotten rather bad Archith could still feel the cautious, concerned and curious eyes peering out at her as she moved through the Bowl and up into her weyr. It was a dry place at last, but the rain dripping off of her large form didn't leave the floor that way for long. Though she hated asking for people to come see her in such a drowned state she knew what Rilora would want, so she requested a small army of Weyrfolk to be at the ready with towels for the dragons (Faranth knew they needed the reassurance a drying could bring) and warm, dry clothes for the Riders. There was some new villain out in the world, one with a death wish waiting to be granted by setting its problematic foot into her realm.

It took far too long to get out of the jungle. Rilora had a thousand thoughts demanding to be attended to and one less than a thousand thoughts being ignored. Get to safety. They were moving quickly but it still wasn't fast enough. Get to safety. D'gan had already seen how nervous she was. Get to safety. Archith was touching down. Safe.

At last they made it to the clearing. Rilora pulled the wet clothes further up around her face and braced as the Green she rode launched into the freezing air. They were in danger from nature itself now, but nothing else could threaten them in this storm in the air. Could it? The other thoughts in her mind, the one nearly satisfied, now rushed to the forefront as rapidly as the rain fell and the wind in her face blew. She had not been the star example of a leader back there. She had let her nerves show, get the better of her. There were two dead people. Two. Likely two hurting families. Why? Would the bodies still have a chance of being there later? With the storm, the strangers in the jungle and its wild inhabitants, it didn't seem so. Would it be wise to send Riders back there to investigate again? Would there be anything left after all this rain? D'gan had seen a flaw. The GoldRiders would find out. They would have something to say. Something she had done wrong they could point out. The rain hurt. It was so cold.

Cold.
cold
cold

Her thoughts froze up to repeating that single word. Cold. Cold.

The Weyr was getting closer.

cold.

She pulled her jacket in front of her face to try and escape the wind.

It was an age later, but finally something changed. The wind diminished. She peaked out from her jacket. They were in some weyr. Not her own. With the help of people standing by the Green she reached the ground. They started walking further into the dwelling, into another room where a fire had been started. The people left except for a female who identified herself as Mireen the healer. She shed her wet riding gear and started for the warm clothes before she realized that Minra was still present. With a shiver Rilora started to regain all the warmth that had been stolen from her.

Once they were redressed, seated by the fire and waiting two bowls of soup and something warm to drink, Minra and Rilora started talking. It was Minra who said something first. Said she couldn't imagine--any of it. And to start from the beginning after they left since she hadn't been able to come.

For medical purposes of course, there was a woman stationed at their door to keep an eye on them and to come if needed. This particular woman had a penchant for sharing the interesting tidbits she heard on the job. What she heard shocked her, but it was better than just interesting. It was news. (Serious news. Which meant that eventually it would be told anyway. And besides, she would just be helping out by warning people about the jungle. She'd be helping.)

[Jay Kitten]

The day had gone by without much more happening than normal life for the girl. With her cave flooded out by the coming storm, she had to find new shelter, and so it was that she had been wandering the jungle for the better half of the day. Lucky enough was she to have her leathers, else she might have frozen from the rain, but they did much to keep the water at bay, as they had been treated with an oil she had crafted from several of the jungle floor's waxy-leaved plants. Coated with fur on the inside, they really helped to keep her alive.

But suddenly her outlook on the day changed, when she heard the telltale signs of dragons in the air. Wingbeats, they were coming closer, and suddenly the trees shook as a massive Gold and her entourage floated overhead, parts of them visible through the trees. But it was one dragon in particular that had her worried... There was a small Cloud at the forefront of the group, and he was leading them onward.

R'le... She knew that dragon. And the fact that he was leading several others- including the Weyr's Queen- was an ill omen indeed. She hadn't exactly found a place to stay, and currently she was simply amidst the trees, unable to find a suitable cave or some other rock formation to keep the water at bay. So she started off instead in the direction of the dragons.

Her trail led her behind the group, and it took a good long while to reach the campsite on foot, but by the time she breached the clearing, calling R'le's name, there was nobody to be found. Frowning, she dropped low and examined the mud, looking for any signs of life. A good six people... Footprints leading out toward the edge of the camp's clearing... A pile of dirt, with a half-exposed corpse. For a moment, her heart jumped into her throat, and she sprinted to the body, kneeling next to it. Feeling for a pulse, of course there wasn't one. Dead for a few candlemarks. Couldn't be R'le.

Elraishsa looked over her shoulder, growling suddenly as she heard rustling in the bushes. Best not to stick around to figure out who had done this, even if it had just been a creature and not a person. She spotted one of R'le's knives in one of the trees a few hands away, that didn't bode as a good sign either. If there was combat, he may have been injured... Her pointed teeth bared, she instead followed the trail of feet away from that clearing at a fast pace, her spear clutched tightly in one hand as she moved along. Bright eyes narrowed, she had to figure out what had happened here. R'le had to be safe, after all, he was certainly somebody she considered a friend, as little as they knew about each other. It would be a longer time still before she would catch up to the group, she knew, the rain had worn away much of their earlier tracks and the only reason she had even thought they were human was because of the fact that she had certainly seen the dragons heading here. They had even been circling overhead for a time before she arrived, easily visible beneath the clouds from far away. She hadn't been able to spot Quiorith but the large Gold was very easy to see- and to hear, when she had bellowed loudly.

The thunder cracked overhead, and she turned in time to see the flash of a bolt of lightning dying down in the distance. A bit of smoke indicated there might be a fire off in that direction, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. She had to find these riders, find R'le.