Life's True Cost (2/2)

Writers: Avery, Estelle, Heather
Date Posted: 20th February 2020

Characters: K'ran, Ashela, Saibra
Description: A goldflight nearly becomes a disaster.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 10
Notes: Notes: Part 1/2
Mentioned: Riyanth/Kapera, Teseada/Onnyth, Jayzine

K'ran

Ashela

Saibra

Rogueth was too close to Aglayath to dodge. The bronze let out a cry of
pain as the gold dragon's claws lashed out, sliced into his hide, and
ichor spattered from the tears down towards the ground. He veered back
slightly.

K'ran staggered on the ground, the pain of his dragon echoing in him. In
desperation, he slapped Ashela across the face. "Make her stop fighting
him! You can't let dragon fight dragon!"

Rogueth felt his rider's determination surge. He swooped from above,
caught his front talons just behind her wings, and tried to twine neck
and tail. }:I have her!:{ he told his rider. }:She fights me.:{

**Go /between/,** K'ran thought frantically, pulling up the coordinates
of the lake by his parents' former cothold back in Dragonsfall
territory and sending them to Rogueth, knowing it wasn't in Riyanth's
flight path and hoping the shock of /between/ and cold mountain runoff
would quench the gold's bloodlust.

Would the queen and her rider see sense? Had he only directed her
frightful rage from Riyanth to Rogueth, rather than calming her down? He
couldn't remember if furious fighting queens killed bronzes or just
other golds... Would Rogueth pay the price for interrupting her?

}:We go!:{ the bronze broadcast to his rider and Aglayath as he
struggled /between/ with her. Carrying an unwilling dragon /between/ was
a risky move but the bronze had strong coordinates from his rider.

The queen's furious scream was cut off instantly, and Ashela gasped in a
ragged breath, her eyes wide as the connection to her lifemate, all her
turbulent, burning rage, abruptly vanished. For three endless breaths
she knew Aglayath was gone, and her hands flew to her mouth in horror.

Then they emerged again, into the icy chill of the high mountains, and
they were falling uncontrollably. Aglayath screamed again, writhing in
the air as she tried to shake off the bronze. How did he dare take her
to this place, away from her chasers? She couldn't reach him with her
claws, he was holding her too tightly, but she managed to free her neck
and lunged at the soft hide of his throat with vicious teeth.

**Aglayath, NO!**

The gold's head jerked back and her jaws snapped shut on empty air.
Then, moments later, the dragons plunged into the freezing blue waters
of the lake, sending up an enormous plume of spray and sending waves
crashing on the shore. Back in the weyr, Ashela's legs buckled under her
from the shock and she collapsed to the stone ground of the ledge.

Teeth flashed and snapped less than a foot from his throat. Rogueth
bellowed as he brought them into the water. As soon as they were both
immersed, he let go of the gold dragon, propelling himself through the
water and away from her. He'd been prepared. She had not been. He could
get distance to be safe.

At the weyr, K'ran caught Ashela in his arms. "Calm her, calm her," he
repeated, his words a chant as he reeled with the realization of _just
how close_ Rogueth had come to being injured.

**Call Chioneth,** he told Rogueth.

}:Chioneth! I need aid!:{ Rogueth immediately called the gold who had
been his leader at one time, projecting a flurry of mental images and
emotional impressions - a raging gold and the coordinates of the lake
and a sense of pain he couldn't stop from bleeding through.

}:I come!:{ Chioneth replied.

The wild scrambling of talons against stone made Saibra jump, her brow
furrowed as she bolted out of her chair and ran into Chioneth's
weyrcouch. She barely caught sight of the gold's tail as the queen flung
herself from her ledge.

**Chioneth?**

Chioneth did not reply but sent the same rush of images that Rogueth had
sent to her. The gold /betweened/, arriving above the remote lake to
quickly assess the situation. Rogueth and Aglayath were still in the
water, the scent of blood lingering in the frigid air. Chioneth could
feel the remnants of Aglayath's hostility and Rogueth's frustration even
as she flew down to the lake.

}:How bad?:{ Chioneth asked, touching her sleek muzzle to Rogueth's
neck.

}:Aglayath must stay,:{ he told Chioneth frantically, relieved to see
her.

Rogueth had not realized at Barrier Lake how bad the claws had gotten
him. Carrying the heavier weight of the bigger gold had torn them open
further, as had his impact into the water and lashing to get out of her
range. As the adrenaline faded he realized that he was in pain and
ichoring.

}:Wing. Side.:{ The bronze's mindvoice was labored with pain as he
struggled to the surface. Ichor was clearly visible on the surface of
the water, agitated from all of the motion.

Chioneth considered the bronze's words about Aglayath as she reached out
further. A gold flight.... Riyanth. She knew that gold. There was no
wonder Rogueth was so adamant that Aglayath not return to Barrier Lake.

}:Aglayath,:{ she said to the younger queen, }:I am going to help
Rogueth into the air and then I will need your assistance flying him
back to Dragonsfall.:{ It would be a straight flight due to the nature
of his wounds, and even though he was a small bronze, the weight and
awkwardness of the flight would be made easier between two queens. It
would also keep Aglayath busy and away from Barrier Lake, she thought.
Chioneth passed the information back to Saibra who went to the dragon
infirmary and began making preparations with the Weyrdragonhealer to
receive the injured bronze.

Aglayath had swum to the edge of the lake and emerged from the water,
shaking icy droplets from her hide. The cold shock appeared to have done
its work, for she already seemed more confused than angry. She was
irritated at Rogueth, but when she tried to remember why she could only
recall blurred images of another queen taking flight. A queen and her
bronzes...

**Aglayath, be calm.** Her rider's voice was muted by distance and
sounded more choked than soothing, filled with an emotion unfamiliar to
the gold. Regret? Fear? **You must help Rogueth.**

}:Very well. I will help.:{ She crouched, ready to follow the others.

Rogueth shied away slightly from Aglayath, but then he felt his rider
steadying him, and he trusted Chioneth.

On the ground, K'ran kept ahold of Ashela and wondered what to do with
her.

All of those rescue drills came in handy as Chioneth helped Rogueth from
the water and back into the air. }:Now, Aglayath.:{ Chioneth instructed,
waiting for the other gold's support.

Aglayath followed and flew alongside the senior queen, flying close so
that she could take Rogueth's weight on her back. She was troubled by
the wild and chaotic emotions that she shared with her rider, but
followed Chioneth's directions as they rose higher on an air current.
}:I am not hurt,:{ she told Ashela, tentatively.

**But he is. And you could have been!** Back in the weyr, Ashela began
to sob, helplessly, overcome by terror of what she'd done, and what
might have been. **Oh, Aglayath, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...**

The gold's wingbeats faltered. }:You need me.:{

**No, no, help Rogueth. Help Chioneth.** She fought back tears, focused
on her dragon as she flew steadily on towards Dragonsfall.

Rogueth fell into a semi-conscious dazed state, only his rider's mental
bond keeping him at all conscious through the pain of his wounds and the
dripping ichor.

K'ran touched Ashela's cheek, able to get the impression Aglayath was
compliant now. He had to work hard to keep his voice compassionate and
not frighten her, not to let his anger at his dragon's injuries and the
pain in their bond leak through. Her sobbing was a good thing, meaning
she finally realized what could have happened.

"We're going to go see Jayzine, all right?" he said to her. "You should
stay with her until Aglayath can come back."

Still hardly conscious of her surroundings as she focused on Aglayath,
Ashela rose, leaning on him to steady herself. She knew this day would
have consequences, but for the moment she couldn't clear her mind enough
to think about what they might be.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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Life's True Cost (2/2)