Whispered Warnings

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 8th December 2020

Characters: J'ackt, Alyena
Description: Alyena warns J'ackt of whispers
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 10

J'ackt

Alyena leaned against the window ledge, watching through the crack in
the shutters, shivering a little in the chilly pre-dawn air. The sky was
beginning to turn from black to grey, silhouetting the dark hulk of the
old barn. She pulled her shawl more tightly around her, remembering the
words of the men who'd met there. **We strike at the Hatching...**

Every morning since the night she had overheard those words, she had
risen before first light and waited in case the bronze pair should come.
She wasn't certain what she would do if he did, only knew that the
danger for them, if they came here, was now very great. For her family,
too, if they were seen.

Then, suddenly, she saw, very high up, a small dark speck against the
sky. Slowly it grew in size, forming into the shape of a dragon, laden
with supplies. Alyena got up and moved to the doorway, opened it a
crack, still undecided. She could tell him not to come again. But how
would they live without what he brought?

As always, Zith landed as quietly as he could, far enough away from
the cothold that the sound of his wings and landing would wake none of
the occupants. J'ackt slipped down off of the dragon just as silently,
working quickly in the dim light of dawn to remove the small parcels
from his dragon. Zith carefully held up his talons; the bunch of fish
that had been caught by his quick reflexes dangled from his grip and
he held steady as J'ackt hefted the heavy haul to hang them from a
low-hanging branch.

His last haul had given the family plenty of herdbeast and wherry
meat; perhaps the family would appreciate the fish as a welcome
change. But that wasn't all he brought now. Satchels of grains and
breads, provided by the weyrstaff bulged in a large sack, enough to
feed the family for at least two sevendays. Another bag held small
sacks of dried fruits and small, carefully packed jars of preserves.
J'ackt removed the last, setting it on top of the small pile; inside
were herbal unguents, salves, and oils, along with carefully labeled
medicinal teas. J'ackt dug into his pockets and found the carefully
wrapped sweets in another small bag, then placed it alongside the
herbal remedies that Urlene had given him.

Alyena watched from the cothold as the pile of supplies grew, her arms
wrapped tightly around her, thinking of many things. All the pain and
loss and humiliation the Weyr had brought to her family. Her son, dying
alone in the black depths of the earth, how she dreamed of him calling
to her. The dragonrider who came with gifts in the dark, quietly, so he
wouldn't wake them, and left sweets for the children. The bitterness and
hatred in the voices she'd overheard.

Suddenly she saw that he was preparing to leave, it was almost too late.
She pushed open the door and ran out into the yard, past the heaped bags
of supplies. "Wait - bronzerider..."

J'ackt, in the process of stepping on Zith's foreleg, stopped and
slowly turned, surprised. The past few times he'd been here, she'd
remained inside, either unwilling to emerge or still asleep. He'd not
asked. Rukbat was getting ready to rise and he knew the children would
be waking soon; he knew she didn't want them to see him. "I was trying
not to disturb you." He paused, then seeing Alyena's face, went still.
"What's wrong?"

**Tell him not to come back.** It would be safer, for her and for her
children. They would manage without the supplies somehow. Whatever was
being planned at the Weyr was nothing to do with her. She never should
have listened to those men in the first place, and if they found out she
had heard them... But instead, the words that came out of her mouth were
a question. "Is there a clutch on the Sands, at your Weyr?"

J'ackt blinked, surprised at the question. Neither of her children
were old enough to Stand, even if she would allowed them to go to the
Weyr, which he highly doubted. "Yes." He said slowly, tilting his
head. "Panitath just laid a clutch two days ago. Why?"

She hesitated, conflicting emotions playing over her face. Her lips
pressed together and her hands tightened, the fingers knotting in her
shawl. At last, she spoke. "Don't go. Don't go to the Hatching. Stay
away until it's over."

J'ackt stared at her, watching her face as it altered with the flow of
her emotions. Immediately, he was on guard, but not against her; it
was something else, a sensation worming around his gut like a vicious
tunnelsnake. "You can't keep a dragon from a Hatching. Every rider in
the Weyr attends; people from Holds, Halls and other Weyrs all
attend." His eyes narrowed. "Why? What's going on?"

Alyena took a step back, the fear growing in her eyes as she understood
the import of what she'd just revealed. What had she done? What if the
men found out? What would happen to her children? But how could she stay
silent? If it hadn't been for him, they'd have starved. "I don't know.
Please don't ask me. Just stay away, with your dragon."

"Alyena..." J'ackt began but paused as he noted the fear on her face.
What was she afraid of? What did she know? His voice quieted, becoming
soft. "I'm not going to hurt you or your children. Is someone
threatening you?"

She shook her head. "No. Not me." Glancing back over her shoulder, as if
fearful of being seen, she spoke, reluctantly. "I heard some talk. That
on the day of the Hatching, something will happen and the watchdragon at
the Hold will keen." She shivered. "That means someone's going to die,
doesn't it?"

His face paled and he once again thought about the attack, the fear and
the pain. Was someone else planning on it again? Why else would she
tell _him_ to stay away. Sweet Faranth, would it never end? "Yeah, " he
answered, his voice rough. "That's what it means. "

"Then you understand. You have to stay away." Alyena cast an anxious
glance over her shoulder, where the horizon was beginning to glow with
the first light of the sun. "I have to go. Thank you for the supplies.
Remember what I said."

He wanted to stop her from leaving. He needed more information than
that. Where had she heard it? Did she know anything else? Who had she
heard talking? But as the sun began to peek over the horizon, J'ackt
knew that she would leave without telling him anything more. Face
taut, he nodded briskly. "Thank you, Alyena. For the warning." He
climbed up on Zith and without another word, the bronze leaped into
the air. **Have to warn N'vanik. This can't keep happening..."

Alyena backed away as the bronze took off, the gusts of air from his
wingbeats whipping up loose strands of hair, and watched until he'd
disappeared /between/. She wondered again what she had done. Not so many
months ago, she'd have been glad to hear that the dragonrider who'd
ruined her family's lives had been killed. Now, she realized, she didn't
want that at all, and not only because of the food and goods he brought
them. He was just a young man, like Grevan had been, who had helped them
when he hadn't had to. She didn't know if he had a mother, but if he
did...she didn't want any other woman to feel the pain she had when
she'd lost her son.

Last updated on the January 13th 2021

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Whispered Warnings