Saved By A Wrist [part 1]

Writers: April, Danielle, Eimi, Paula, Rebecca, SugarNeko
Date Posted: 2nd February 2006

Characters: M'galec, I'zar, Kustaava, B'drin, So'nji, Riveenata, T'kala
Description: The Candidates sneek out to see the Eggs....and almost get away with it.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 3

Izaronin couldn't sleep. Neither could the other Candidates....he could hear them tossing and turning in their beds. Giving it up as useless, he stood up and pulled a tunic on in the dark, and slipped on his pants and boots. Maybe he'd sneak down to the kitchens again and see if the morning's bread was ready. Or something. He was just restless, they all were. The Hatching was supposed to be soon, but somehow that just wasn't soon enough. The excitement was tying him up in knots.

He was quietly making his way to the door when he tripped over something on the floor- he couldn't see in the dark just what it was, but he fell all the same with a crash that sounded, to his ears, to have been loud enough to wake the whole Weyr.

Riveenata blinked, sitting up. She'd been lying awake considering the impending Hatching. She always did, despite having stood for many Turns. Would this be the time she walked away with a lifemate? Her deep affection for her Craft also preoccupied her. She was beginning to not want to Impress, in a way, so as to remain a Healer. It would take away from her ability to ever practice, and while it might save lives and prevent suffering, it was in a more remote way.

She was jarred from her thoughts by a crash. it sounded like it came from the male side of the Barracks, but she wasn't so sure. Standing up and moving over to the divider, she called out softly. "You all right?"

"Yeah..." Izaronin called back as he got to his feet. "I couldn't sleep." His voice was a soft whisper. He didn't want to wake up _everyone_ in the barracks if they had been fortunate enough to sleep.
"Sorry if I woke you, Riveenata."

"Call me Riven. And I was awake anyways, you didn't wake me. Restless tonight?"

"Riven, then." Izaronin stepped closer to the barrier so they could talk quietly. "I can't sleep, either. Nerves I guess. I was thinking about running down to the kitchen for some tea or something...."

Kustaava lifted her head up from pillow. "Could you please shut up and let people sleep?" she asked crankily.

Riven flushed, though of course no one could see it in the darkness.
"I'm sorry, Kustaava." She turned and whispered through the barrier.
"Why don't you meet me outside the Barracks and we'll go for the kitchens and a drink?" she offered.

"Sure thing," Izaronin said then started to tip-toe quietly to the door, trying not to disturb anyone else. And silently hoping he wouldn't have the misfortune to trip on anything else...

Riveenata made her way to the door, slipping outside. She was not happy that she'd disturbed Kustaava- she hadn't wanted to awaken anyone. Idly she wondered if anyone else was going to come with them to the kitchens.
No one else had said anything but there might have been others who were awake, she reasoned. Not that she didn't want to go with just Izaronin, that would be fine. It was simple idle curiosity, meant to amuse her as she leaned against the wall waiting.

He reached the door, glancing back into the darkness of the barracks before slipping up next to Riveenata. "It's really quiet out here. I wonder...." The small, bright beginnings of an idea had stared to form.
"I wonder just how many people are awake at this hour."

"Not too many, usually. A night owl or two, maybe a drudge cleaning or a couple people tending the klah in the kitchens, the watchdragons on the heights...why?" Riveenata asked. It certainly seemed an odd question.

"Well.....," He glanced furtively back inside. "Well," he began again, eyes bright in the dark, "Well...if there is a way, and I think there is...Maybe we could go take a peek at the eggs? Just look. Of course.
I can't stop thinking about them, and maybe it would be easier to sleep if we go look, and make sure everything is alright." He seemed very young in that moment. He felt it too. As if they could _do_
anything if there was something wrong.

"I'm sure they will be alright." she said with a smile. **There are dragons who watch over them, even when the riders and the queen are asleep- but he wouldn't know that.** "But, well..." She was torn what to tell him. The best thing would be to tell him about everyone that was watching the eggs and tell him that it was forbidden to go see the eggs. No other candidates that were awake or even in that area of the Barracks were weyrbred, so they wouldn't know that.

And yet...and yet she wanted to see the eggs. The Hatching would be soon enough, but she was desperate to see them, take a look, know about the shells that might hold her future lifemate. And she knew a passageway to at least peer into the Hatching Grounds... and since none of the other candidates were weyrbred they wouldn't be able to tell them...

"But...we could look." she said quietly, her usually quiet desire for adventure sneaking through. She'd been doing so much work, undergoing so many restrictions, lately that doing something reckless was almost...refreshing. "I know a passageway..." And there she hesitated.

"Oh!" Izaronin breathed. "Is it the one that goes through the back of the storerooms by the dining hall?" Izaronin was weyrbred too, and had explored just about every nook and cranny in the rock that he could squeeze his scrawny body through.

She nodded. "I don't know if anyone else here knows about it...I'm surprised you do. I used to like to go back there and think, but I'd never seen anyone else there." she explained. "And the opening to the Grounds is so small, I bet the queen and the other dragons won't see us."

"I usually went up to the higher cliffs when I wanted to go exploring.
But I think you're right. They probably wouldn't see us. And we can go get that drink too, since we're going by the kitchens..." Always good to have an alibi, when one is doing something that is likely to get them in trouble. If caught. Izaronin took one last look into the barracks.

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Why are you peeking into the barracks?" she asked curiously.

"Just...checking. I thought I heard someone else awake...." If any of them had overheard, or decided to run to any of the adults....
Izaronin had an image of himself and Riveenata chewed up like firestone, or roasted alive, or any number of awful punishments....
Only _if_ they got caught. And there were ways to get out of that, of course.

She nodded. "That wouldn't be good- unless, of course, they were going to come with us." The thought had her eyes sparkle a bit. "The more the merrier, or so they say. On the other hand, it might make us a bit more conspicuous..."

"True to both," Izaronin whispered back, grinning. "But it's only natural that none of us can sleep. Who knows _when_ the Hatching will begin. We're all restless." A large pack of sleepless Candidates wandering the Weyr halls at night...not conspicuous at all.

Bayadrin was up for a different reason and had heard the fall. He poped his head out and smiled at those in the hall. He had listened in and decided he would go with to try and keep them from trouble. "Care if I tag along?
I've been down there a couple times and may be able to help." He had snuck in there a couple times before. which went to show, that you couldn't judge a book by it's cover.

"IF you wanted and expendtion you could have gone in groups." Takala hissed as he caught up this is -way- too many people."

"Bayadrin!" Riveenata hissed. "Hello! Yes, you're welcome..." she said hesitantly. "There's no reason why you wouldn't be."

"Alright. Is this everyone? All the others are asleep?" Izaronin looked at the little group, hands on his hips. "Now...what we're doing is dangerous, but only if we get caught." He looked each of them in the eye. "So we have to be careful, and we have to be quiet. Now...if we're caught, our story is that we couldn't sleep, and went to the kitchens for a snack." Shells..he'd done _that_ often enough himself.
"And if we're _not_ caught, and we get out of this mission alive...I want you all to swear never to tell. And we're swearing on the shells of our possible dragons' eggs...Agreed?"

Riveenata nodded. "Agreed." She looked at the others. **Shells, we're going to get caught.** she worried slightly. But shen she shook her head and calmed herself. If she backed out now, she'd be a coward. That wouldn't be good, not if she wanted to be a dragonrider. "I'm ready when you are."

"Agreed, we should hurry, in case any of the staff wakes up." Takala told the others.

"Right. Bayadrin?" Izaronin looked at theo ther boy, waiting for his agreement. If they weren't in this together, then they weren't in it.

"Sounds good." He said quietly. deciding it was best to do this quietly.
Bayadrin was as ready as he'd ever be.

"Right then. Let's go." Izaronin said and started to lead the way across the weyrbowl.

Riven followed him silently, carefully watching for any signs of motion from anywhere or anyone not the candidates. There were dragons on weyrledges, but she hoped that they wouldn't notice them. As for people, she didn't see any, so she assumed they were safe.

She wasn't paying attention to the ground in front of her, and thus stumbled on a small rock and tripped, landing flat on her face. She picked herself up and brushed herself off, noticing that she had a small cut on her finger, but she ignored it. She hurried and caught up to the others, silently rejoining them.

The darkened enterance to the lower caverns soon came into view.
Izaronin felt his heart racing as he glanced around. He led the way inside, walking quietly, heading for the kitchens and the storerooms connected to it. He held his breath, hoping there wouldn't be someone on duty who just happened to come across them...

Last updated on the February 2nd 2006

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Saved By A Wrist [part 1]