Something wicked this way comes (Simi/Chan)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

75-07-17 | Late night (nearly midnight)

K'tar cocked his head at the seal on the message, then slid a knife under it to open it. It started out fairly normal, the typical inquiries about health and happiness. Then, on the second page, it changed.

75.07.17

Burn this page.

About those people that your girlfriend mentioned. They are, indeed, outcasts from one of the Caravans. Yes, I do know which one, but that doesn't get us anywhere.

Also they have at least one place of residence in Cliffside, and seem to be in contact with another group that, frankly, is probably more dangerous. Their hideout is in the mid-town, at the house marked with a star on the map, and that is precisely why neither you nor your friend should go near that part of Cliffside. Their friends are planning something else, seemingly involving the Hold. Your friend might know, I would suggest asking her.

Under no circumstances should anyone be able to find out where she is.

-F

P.S. Do not communicate about this by dragon. It is possible that they have a way to listen in on those conversations.

K'tar stared at the letter, then crumpled up the second page and carefully knocked it into the middle of the fire. He sighed. Knocking on the door of the Weyrling quarters would go amiss at this time, but...

Viarth, can you tell Valhauth to get Chantrea up, if she's not too tired?

Of course, Viarth replied. Valhauth, is ChantreaYours able to awake-yet-remain-in-location?

[Simile]

Valhauth raised her head as she heard the purple talking to her. {ChantreaMineLove, Purple Viarth requests that you wake and yet remain here. Did i get that right, Viarth?} she asked the purple. She was sleepy and she sent a mental apology and a warm feeling to him. What that was - she wasn't sure, it was something she had learned from Hers. She think Hers called it love.

She turned to her rider who sat up slowly in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Ask him what's up, Valhauth. Should I meet him somewhere?" She was already starting to get ready and dress, braiding her long dark hair and pulling on pants at a simple blouse.

{Mine would like to know if something is wrong. And if yours would like to meet somewhere or if he is coming here.}

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Even though Valhauth couldn’t see him, Viarth nodded. Yes, you did. He added the same sort of feeling that Valhauth had to his own reply in turn, attached to a forgiveness that said that the apology was unnecessary. After all, Viarth had learned that not many humans and dragons were like him and his, full of energy no matter the hour.

K’tarMine, Valhauth relays that ChatreaHers wants to know if something is wrong and where you wish to meet her.

Tell her I’ll be there shortly. Ask if she can make it to the main door to the Weyrling’s area of the personal weyrs without being noticed. If she can, I’ll meet her there and we can go talk somewhere where we won’t be overheard. Otherwise I’ll get inside the Weyrling area and just find her inside it.

K’tar didn’t wait for a response, he slipped out of his own weyr and started down the corridor. After all, regardless of whether Chan could slip out or not, he had to be in the right area. Ducking around a corner, he almost laughed to realize that he was hearing Barlow’s voice as he recalled the younger man’s advice on how to stay unseen in the Weyr and on where the Wherlings were located.

[Simile]

Valhauth yawned, uncurling herself and looking around for a moment then relayed hte message to her rider who nodded. "We'll be right down."{She says we will be right there, Viarth.} After a moment, Chantrea was checking her appearance in the mirror, perhaps taking a little longer than she needed to to make sure her hair was well brushed and her breath didn't smell and she generally looked perfect. "Do I look okay, Valhauth."

Valhauth rumbled in amusement. {He's going to think you're beautiful no matter what... maybe more beautiful than other times on occasion. Goe on. Do not keep them waiting!}

Chan nodded and moved quietly through the Weyrling barracks to the main door, opening it carefully and quietly before stepping out to meet K'tar. She wished she could just kiss him already... it was what.... five more months? It seemed so far away.

She swallowed, reaching out a hand to him carefully. She didn't want to hurt Valhauth. At that thought the dragoness just snorted. {That is not something you haven't done before.} Chantrea blinked. She had left Valhauth behind, but hte moonlight was, of course, always with her in her mind at the least.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar had no sooner arrived at the Weyrling area, listening to Viarth’s relayed statement that Chan would be able to reach the main door, then Chantrea was opening it. K’tar grinned and stepped back, so that Chan could slip out. Before he thought about it he reached out and caught her hand.

“How have you been?” K’tar asked, letting her appearance soak in. He hadn’t seen her that often since his graduation, so he always asked her that. She looked good, especially considering that she’d been asleep not that long ago.

Five more months, K’tar reminded himself, reluctantly letting go of Chantrea’s hand.

“Have you ever been to Cliffside for stuff other than like, the Weyrling graduation?” K’tar asked. “A friend of mine said he thought he’d met one of your family members there, and I was just curious if you knew if he actually had or not.”

[Simile]

Chantrea smiled at K'tar, gently holding onto his hand as he was about to pull it away and moved forward, kissing his cheek gently and quickly, blushing slightly. That wasn't going to hurt her dragon, she was sure. She heard Valhauth snort. It was odd, but not in a bad way. Her rider had kissed her own hide covered cheek, so why not her friend's? Especially her very special friend, K'tar.

"I have been alright... anxiously awaiting my own graduation at this point. It seems so far away..." She smiled slightly. She wished that it were here already. It was getting closer though. She wondered what htey would do afterward.... They had never said as much to each other, but she was certai nthey both knew they loved each other.

She smiled at him, studying him quietly. "I definitely don't get to see you often enough anymore." She smiled again, softly. A chance meeting in the Weyrbowl shortly after she arrived had turned into quite hte relationship. She had a real friend - the closest freidn she had ever had, honestly... .and probably more if she was right....

She blinked. "Yes. My family has a hideout there... in teh less than reputable parts of town.... It's not somewhere I'd want to go. I have laways tried to avoid it. Not everyone stays there... just a few - Caevriel is one of them. He leads those that stay there."She swallowed. "Is your friend okay?" She was worried.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar felt a heat rise in his own cheeks as Chantrea drew back. He wanted nothing more than to close even the small distance that remained between them, to take them both past the walls that they’d built… and he couldn’t. Go too far and there would be damage to a weyrling dragon who deserved it naught. He hated that they had not gotten to see each other often; hated still more that he had ulterior motives for coming tonight.

“This friend? He’s fine. He… that is…” K’tar sighed. “I guess now I’m the one who needs to stop keeping secrets.”

“They would have been found by a network of friendships between the drovers that come in with the tithe and anyone living near them,” he admitted. “Most of the drovers are friends with Lord Famoran, and they’d have told him what they heard. I’m sure he checked it himself, but, there’s almost no way that anyone would have recognized him.”

To tell the truth, K’tar felt a little torn. His curiosity (and Viarth’s) wanted to go investigate this place and see if he could discover anything of use to the Weyr or Lord Famoran, but another part wanted nothing to do with the place, or with the people who dwelled there.

[Simile]

Chantrea looked at K'tar curiously, reaching out and touching his face, studying his. She was being careful, but she was concerned. She frowned. "You should have just said that, K'tar," she sounded slightly hurt that he didn't tell her the truth right from teh start.

She swallowed. "Tell him to be careful. Let me know what he wants to know.... I can try to help.... but I don't really know anymore. I mean... I didn't know much before. I wasn't considered an adult yet.... so..." She looked at him curiously. "Let's go somewhere where we aren't goingto be overheard."

"Just... promise you won't try to go there.... It's dangerous."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar hesitated, looking a bit guilty, then nodded. There wasn’t much point in being caught out here, anyway.

“This way,” he whispered, taking Chan’s hand and leading her towards the Lower Caverns. There were a couple of places down there where no one would be able to hear them, or even get close to them without being spotted (and thereby avoided). Unfortunately, it would take a bit of walking to get there.

“So, about your family?” K’tar started to ask, as he and Chantrea rounded a corner to a less used hallway.

[Cait]

Dalonia was on cavern duty that night; she'd interspersed both candidates and wherlings in and amongst the few guards that the Weyr had. Normally she would leave the cavern duty to someone without a wher but she wanted to get away from the little runtlets and have one night of guard duty where she wasn't bombarded with a torrent of questions or Faranth preserve her, a request to use the bathroom. Granted the wherlings and their handlers had come a long way since hatching, but they were still annoying as all get out.

Dalosk, not able to fit in the caverns comfortably, had--at Dalonia's command of course--taken to lurking quite stealthily through the jungle just beyond the cleared area outside the weyr with Misk, teaching her the ways of the stealthy wher. Every now and then she'd get a surge of annoyance or amusement from the Crimson and rolled her eyes. Why she'd forced that dimwitted drudge to bond to the deformed Citrine she'd never know--or would never acknowledge--but she was proving to be rather amusing even if it was a bit of extra work to keep her trained and socialized since her "handler" wasn't good for much more than mucking the dens.

She was rounding a corner when the sound of hushed voices caught her attention. Knowing that there was a blind spot up ahead, she slowly and silently drew both knife and short sword and listened a moment longer. She had a disconcerting feeling that she'd done this before; the voices were familiar enough. Then she placed it; that damn purplerider! Growling, she stepped out of the shadows, blade glinting in the light of a distant glow. Sliding the knife back into its sheath, she lifted the point of her blade and pointed at K'tar before swining it toward that caravan girl of his, dark brow arched and pale green eyes cast in shadow. "What've we here? Breaking of curfew and gross misconduct?" The woman almost sounded pleased to have caught the two and as she stood there, a trio of firelizards converged, eyes glowing in the scant light. Thief settled on the woman's padded shoulder while Pest and Klutz jostled for a perch in an empty niche meant for a glow basket before finally quieting once they were situated.