A Night to Remember (2)

Writers: Heather, Yvonne
Date Posted: 2nd November 2024

Characters: J'nus, D'kere, Istlan, Laniva
Description: J'nus and D'kere are summoned from the Weyr Completion Celebration by an emergency.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 2, day 7 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Kapera
Completion Ceremony Control Post #2. Please wait for the next control post before responding - your BLW Leaders will be telling all gathered guests what they need to know :)

"That was marvellous!" The girl was starry-eyed as she trailed after
J'nus and one of Lord Ishek's cousins. A Garnet Valley Hold young lady
of the Blood, Lord Ishek's niece, and her first time at Turnover
celebrations at the Weyr. "Everyone looked so beautiful tonight, don't
you think? Although there were so many women in _trousers_... do you
think Uncle would let me wear trousers?"

Her escort, Istlan, laughed. "That's something you'll have to ask him,
although you do know that Weyrfolk can be inapp-" he glanced at J'nus
and cleared his throat. "Can be _differently_ dressed without raising
eyebrows the way trousers would be at home."

"I suppose... And did I tell you that bronzerider danced with me
_twice_, Istlan?" Laniva sighed happily. "I wish tonight wouldn't ever
end. I can't _wait_ to tell Chavani."

"Where is that girl, anyway?" Istlan turned on his heel to look back
at the tent they’d come through. It was swirling with guests in their
finery and dragonriders handing out spare flight jackets for the trip
/between/ home. J'nus had his flight jacket on over the tunic and
pants he'd worn to the Turnover feast, a steel blue with trousers the
colour of Kopth's hide. He didn't think much about clothing but Kapera
had given him a belt etched in dragons with a silver buckle a month
back, and it was the first chance he'd had to wear it since.

Laniva's eyes sparkled with mischief. "It takes women a longer time
than men to use the necessity."

Istlan sighed and rolled his eyes at J'nus. "Ladies. Well. We can get
settled on J'nus' dragon while we wait for her return. If that's
alright with you, Bronzerider?"

"Of course. Kopth is just over here," J'nus said, leading them to
where his dragon waited patiently. Kopth rumbled a greeting.

}:Is this the last trip we take tonight?:{

**Lord Ishek's family,** J'nus told him, patting his dragon's shoulder
like Kopth was a runner. **That should be the last of the dignitaries
for us. Can you tell Riyanth that we will be back in half a candlemark
at most? I think I saw Kapera leaving the Weyrbowl when I left...**

}:Of course. I--:{ Kopth suddenly crouched, his eyes changing from
blue-green to an angry red as J'nus stumbled. It wasn't so much a
thought as a feeling that passed between them. Kopth roared.

"Move!" he snarled at Laniva, who'd gone wide-eyed and pale. He shoved
her aside and he leapt onto his dragon's back. Kopth's sturdy wings
beat down and knocked Istlan off his feet as the bronze leaped into
the air. Around them dragons took to the skies or keened with concern.

_Riyanth_.

His heart felt like it was going to break his ribs. Terror coated his
tongue. He held onto Kopth's riding straps as the bronze barrelled
through the sky to his ledge, knocking aside smaller dragons who dared
get in his way.

Kopth landed clumsily beside the queen, who barely lifted her head.
Her hide was dull as Kopth wrapped his smaller body around her with
horrible wail. J'nus barely noticed as he vaulted off the bronze's
back and ran into his weyr.

The lights were dim. There were two figures near the door. J'nus saw
the flash of something metal, saw Kapera crumple as red fountained
across her beautiful purple gown and soft, pale skin. Someone was
howling-- him, Kopth, Riyanth--

The man with the knife turned as he crossed their living room. J'nus
raised his arm to his head as he barreled into the man like a bull. It
flashed somewhere near his shoulder. The man was taller than he was,
brown hair, pale eyes. He didn't know his face.

Kopth keened and J'nus shattered. He couldn't see Kapera, just an
empty body on the floor. Her skirt had ridden up to expose the
delicate curve of her ankle.

The man's snarling face filled his vision and as the knife came back
again so J'nus hit him with a right cross that sent him staggering. He
hit him again and again and there was blood on the rug and he couldn't
hear anything but Kopth's keening wail and a roaring emptiness in his
head. Riyanth had gone /between/ because Kapera was dead.

Kapera was _dead_.

Someone shouted in his ear so J'nus hit them too, his knuckles bloody
as he sent them sprawling to the floor, then the person after them. He
turned back to the man with the knife-- the man who had killed Kapera.
His _weyrmate_. He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him,
unresisting, back to the ledge where Kopth snarled at the circling
dragons. He saw gold wings and Kopth's snarl dissolved back into a
heartbroken keen, but it wasn't Riyanth there to comfort him.

Riyanth was gone. Kapera was _dead_.

The man moaned, twitched. J'nus couldn't remember what he looked like.
The man in his hands looked more like Kopth's dinner than a human. It
wasn't enough. Kapera was _gone_. J'nus heaved the man toward the
ledge.

She was _gone_. J'nus' knees gave out and he buried his head in his
hands, and he cried.

D’kere burst into the Weyrwoman’s quarters, having run there as fast
as he could at Kenirath’s urging. He froze in his tracks as he walked
in on the scene of J’nus holding Kapera’s limp body. Then something on
the weyrledge caught his attention. The body of a man was half
dangling from the precarious height.

Walking to the ledge, D’kere hooked his hands into the man’s shirt and
drug him back from the ledge.

“Let…me…die,” the body croaked.

“Oh, you won’t be getting off that easy,” D’kere promised.

Last updated on the November 19th 2024

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A Night to Remember (2)