For The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors (DW)

[Kila]

Autumn, 6th Turn, 11th Pass

Dinner had been a disaster. Somehow or other a plate had broken and a
knife had slipped and Sh'len had ended up with a cut on his hand. When
the blood had blossomed up the poor boy had nearly fainted. Nivoth had
been in such a tizzy that she had tried to force her way into the Dining
Hall, but someone (perhaps the owner of the sharp-edged offenders) had
hurriedly ushered him out to her. It was only a shallow cut, nothing
that should have caused alarm really, but the GreenRider saw danger in
everything. As adamant as he was about staying out of harm's way, he
panicked when he did receive any sort of injury. After being sheltered
for so many turns it was hard to hold it against him.

After much cooing and crooning and reassuring, Sh'len was finally on his
way to the Infirmary. He held his wounded hand to his chest and crept
slowly through the lower caverns. When he was sure no one was around he
let out a small sniffle, unduly traumatized by the event. Besides being
paranoid he was sweet and gentle and hated to see anyone hurt. His blue
flitter curled around his neck reassuringly, giving the best hug a
firelizard could give. "Thanks Jay," he said tremulously,
pressing his cheek again the Blue. "At least I'm not down here
alone."

Sh'len had made the trip to the Infirmary many times, but he still had a
healthy amount of fear for the dark tunnels that wound around beneath
the Weyr. He had not yet had the misfortune yet to happen upon a Wher
without its Handler, but Sh'len knew that there were such Whers, and
tunnelsnakes, and other terrifying creatures lurking about. Nivoth had
pushed him into the nearest tunnel, so as well as he knew the
destination, this specific way was not abundantly clear. To make matters
worse, the glows were very dim. And the farther he went, the darker it
got.

I think those glows up there are out, he said to Nivoth nervously
when he rounded a corner and saw naught but blackness up ahead.
That's okay Mine, you know the way, she reassured
him. Glows do go out. Which was true, but the
glows in front of Sh'len had not died on their own. He froze when he
heard scuffling coming his way, pressing himself up against the tunnel
wall so that he was as unobtrusive as possible. He let out a sigh of
relief when a little boy appeared instead of a Wher. The weyrbrat
stopped in front of the glow Sh'len was next to and stared at the Rider
critically. He was young, probably only five or six turns, and had wild
hair that stuck up in all directions. He was thin and scraped up like
all boys his age, but the intelligence in his eyes and the eerie silence
that he kept were unsettling.

"H-hey there," Sh'len began, but the boy, Aydan, ignored him. Two
pillies scuttled into view. The blue one took little interest in the
Rider, but the Brass saw and charged him violently. Sh'len yelped and
jumped back, avoiding the homicidal bug and sending Jay flapping into
the air. "Shadit," Aydan called impatiently, turning and
summoning the pillie back to him. Shardit gave Sh'len one last hiss and
then scrambled back to his ward. The boy stood on the pillie's shell and
up on his tiptoes to grab the glow that was sitting in the wall.
"No," Sh'len said meekly, realizing what he was going to do.
Aydan looked over at him for a few moments in that uncannily perceptive
way, light in hand, and then snuffed it out.

There was another scuffle and then the bizarre trio was gone, leaving
Sh'len alone in the dark. Mine??? Sh'lenlove? Are you
okay? What a meanie! Nivoth squirmed in the Weyrbowl, infuriated
that she could not follow her precious lifemate indoors.
Are all of the children like that? I'm
ok-k-kay, he said shakily, getting to his feet and putting his
uninjured hand on the wall. There would be dirt in his cut now he knew,
which made his getting to the Infirmary all the more urgent. He was
scared now though, and there was no light, and potentially more evil
children. Jay flapped his wings in exasperation, trying to push Sh'len
forward. "I know..." He took a step forward but heard another
noise up ahead. Something else was approaching. "Farnath," he
squeaked as his heart began to beat.

[Dragonwher]

Sadly for Sh'len's nerves; the sound of the first 'someone' was actually coupled by a second someone. Though the second one wasn't the dangerous one as revealed by a hissed "shard you to Between Rask! get back here!". So at least Sh'len would have the warning that the bodyform he saw in the dark wasn't a person; but a Wher. One that might be familiar to the Rider if he'd been at the Wher-Dragon double hatching and seen the chaos the brown beast had wrought.

If he missed that...well not like Randi was about to let the growing brute have a go at anyone. As shown by the sounds of the one who had yelled picking up the pace to get to the wher that was a bit more distinct as a hulking dark blob of color with eyes that were two bright spots of color in the murk of the tunnels. Two bright spots of dark angry looking red as he heard but did not acknowledge his Handler. Aside from that infuriating Ahr ahr ahr laugh anyway, as Rask moved quickly along.

Then Randi finally burst into view as he not only managed to put on a burst of speed but with a luckily well timed nudge; knocked Rask off his initial path. Unaware though he was that he'd nearly bowled a Greenrider over Randi simply focused on getting ahead of Rask. Then glowered darkly down upon the wher "Rask I TOLD you not to just go tearing through the tunnels! you coulda hurt someone you great lump!". Then he nearly tripped over his own feet at the undeniably smug mean like Notwher Randiel nearly did?.

Once he managed to spin about and face Sh'len unaware of the brat move the kid he'd encountered had done. "sorry! I don't have the night sight m'wher Rask does; my names Randiel of Brown Rask...whoever you might be?". Then he sounded quizzical "though if you aren't a Wherling or a Handler what're you doing wandering the dark tunnels?".

[Kila]

Sadly for Sh'len's nerves for sure. The poor man was petrified
as the bulky shape loomed out of the darkness. The two angry points of
red that peered out at him were like things out of nightmares. As the
Wher and his shouting Handler stampeded towards him, Sh'len was quite
sure he would be crushed and die. The boy grabbed his beast and pulled
him off kilter at the last second, leaving Sh'len trembling but
miraculously unscathed. His wide eyes now adapted to the darkness, he
recognized the Wher before him with dawning horror. "M-m-m," he
stammered. It was the murder Wher. He looked at Randiel blindly when the
Wherling spoke to him, but instead of giving his name or an explanation,
Sh'len fled. It was a wonder he had the strength.

But the tunnel was not empty.

SrrrRRrrrrrr! Shardit's warning hiss heralded the presence of his ward.
Hearing the commotion, Aydan had ceased snuffing glows to backtrack and
investigate. Now he stood in the middle of the tunnel behind Randiel and
Rask, eyes as wide as the Green Rider's had been. He recognized the Wher
from the hatching too, even knew his name. Instead of terror though, the
weyrbrate practically oozed awe. Rask had been nothing put sheer power
and destruction before he was forced to impress. He had been terrible,
but he had been great. Aydan gladly would have let the hatchling sink
his fangs into his flesh for a chance to be close to him on the Sands.
He glanced over at Randiel almost as an afterthought, eyeing the boy who
had been so lucky as to impress the Brown critically. Shardit had eyes
only for Rask though. He scuttled protectively in front of Aydan,
sensing danger in the hulking creature that his human admired. His
feelers twitched furiously and he bubbled at the mouth, every inch of
him on the defense.

[Dragonwher]

Before Rask tried to turn around at Shardit's warning hiss Sh'len's scrambling freakout had left Randiel one eyebrow arched in confusion. Sure he knew Rask was a scary beast; even sadistic as shown by his method of choosing Randiel. But why was that enough reason to look at Randi with the same fear?. Then; between the mental equivalent of a claw jabbing his brain and Shardit still hissing Randiel had to reorient on another person.

However, even if Aydan was radiating awe in Rask; Randiel merely saw a small child and thus made sure he had a better hold on Rask. Though Randiel didn't recognize the little boy by name he thought he'd heard someone mention a kid fitting his description. So Randiel hunkered down on his level to not tower over the kid. He did try to smile though, as he spoke "hullo there, you looking for someone?". Then a faint growl and a movement against his hand made him look at Rask Hiss-thing annoy Rask. Randiel almost growled himself but his adopted mother taught him not to curse around small ones so he caught himself as he pulled Rask back "shar-stop it Rask! that pillie's the boys pet I'm sure".

Of course Randi had no idea Aydan had probably heard worse from his own mother at times. He was too focused on keeping Rask from causing harm. What looked like an adult had bolted like a startled wherry from Randiel already, no need to give a little kid nightmares too. Then he had to lean more over Rask to halt his forward progress when Rask growled again, this time his eyes locked on Aydan. He didn't quite 'hear' Aydan's thoughts but the rockbrained brown was annoyed at something about the kid. Even if Rask couldn't convey into thought what that something was.

Either way Randiel didn't care why Rask didn't really like the kid he just focused on half-rising from his new kneeling position to pull Rask back slightly by leaning away from Aydan. Though he decided to try and ask the boy to help him out "he-hey little boy, could you and your pillies back up? I don't want Rask to bite you or your pets...". Randiel would have worried primarily for the boy and the brass pillie but he'd caught sight of a scuttling shell that looked like some shade of blue. Of course Randi wouldn't know if Aydan would do the opposite of what he'd been asked if he REALLY wanted near Rask.

[Kila]

Aydan stared at Randi when the wherling hunkered down to speak
to him. He examined him wordlessly, outside and what he thought was in.
He had the unsettling air of knowing more than he should, though he
never revealed the extent of what he did. He examined people the way
that Whers and Dragons did- looking past the skin and down into people's
minds and souls. Or at least he tried to. The only thing about Randi
that mattered to Aydan was that he was bonded to Rask, who he idolized
as only a child could.

Rask appeared at Randi's side, only prompting Shardit to hiss more. For
whatever reason the Brown seemed to have taken a disliking to Aydan and
his crew, though to the little boy that only seemed natural considering
his status as a murderwher. Evil that lurked in the night was supposed
to be sinister. He put a calming hand on his Brass pet when Randi began
to hold onto his lifemate, but for once Shardit refused to be calmed.
His ward could not sense the violent creature's mind and did not know
how dangerous it was. His ward did not understand fear and did not feel
it now where it should be.

Aydan scolded Shardit mentally, but the pillie persisted. Aydan frowned.
When he looked back up Rask was staring at him. Their eyes locked and
the Brown growled, which only entranced the child. Radi held on and
leaned back but it was clear that Rask was moving forwards towards him.
He should have moved. Randi asked him to. Shardit and Bug tried to push
him backwards. But he could not look away from the swirling red eyes;
they were like glows, drawing him inexorably closer in the night. And he
was drawn. Instead of backing away, Aydan gravitated closer. He could
feel the danger, it put prickles on his skin and made his hair stand
tall, but he did not feel fear. Pain and consequence were things he
never anticipated.

[Dragonwher]

Aydan wasn't the only one who felt the danger rising, Randiel did to; though he also felt what Shardit sensed without the filter of the unbonded. Feeling danger and being able to react to it were two different things unfortunately; as shown by the feeling of time slowing to a crawl as Rask went down. He'd figured out Randi hadn't had an arm under his neck and used that gap to his advantage.

RASK GET AWAY FROM THE CHILD NOW! was a desperate yell inside the connection between Wheret and Wherling. One that would be unheeded as Rask attempted a repeat of his performance at his Bonding. If the child managed to raise his arm in time to block his face from harm he'd earn a vicious series of ripping bites to the appendage. Before he'd even fully stopped biting Aydan's arm not only had time resumed normal speed for Randi. But he'd rushed his own wheret and knocked him in the side of the head in a much rougher manner than he'd done before.

Randi had almost forgotten the pillies that were with the child but he saw a blue shell he'd had to dodge around to get to Aydan, his panic at what his wher had tried to do leaving him too panicked to look for the Brass. But likely he'd just swung his violent wher into the thing. He even forgot his earlier thought to avoid cussing in front of the boy as he tried to use his own tunic to stop the bleeding "Shard you to Between Rask! WHY DID YOU ATTACK THIS BOY YOU CRACKDUSTED DEADGLOW!?".

Rask would have answered in more than a snarl if not for feeling the bubbling scuttling thing somewhat under his front end. No doubt Shardit was beyond ready to throwdown for Rask's attack on Aydan but Rask clawing and trying to bite on 'stupid hissthing' probably wouldn't help any. Plus side the yelling ruckus would likely be bringing help soon...hopefully.

(Note to those it concerns: Kila wanted me to have Rask maul Aydan)

[Kila]

It was not until Rask's fangs were in his skin that Aydan
realized something was wrong. The Brown had broken from his Handler's
grasp, ducking deftly beneath Randi's arm and lunging at the entranced
boy before him. Aydan raised his arm instinctively, even then still not
thinking he was in real danger. The vicious mutilation of his arm came
as a nasty shock. Aydan's eyes widened as Rask tore at his skin, slicing
flesh and pricking bone. Shardit and Bug both leapt on the murderwher
and began a counterattack, doing everything in their small power they
could do to get Rask away from their human. Aydan tried to pull away,
but the attempt was too little too late.

It was Randiel that saved him, ramming into his lifemate and effectively
knocking Rask off of the child. Aydan backed up and stared down at his
shredded arm uncomprehendingly. Blood dripped from his gashes to the
floor and as the shock wore off the reality of the pain began to grow.
Shardit began to bite and tear and scratch and do as much damage as
possible from where he was pinned beneath Rask, but Bug pillied back
over to Aydan and began to circle him in panic.
Sssrrrrrrrrr! It was bad.

When Randi touched him the inevitable screaming began. The shock that
had appeared as misguided calm vanished when the Wherling pressed cloth
against his wound. Aydan let out a piercing shriek and flailed away from
the other boy, his tattered arm held tightly against his chest. He
didn't understand what had happened and he was scared. It was
more pain than he had ever known.The sound  echoed disturbingly down the
tunnel halls, amplifying the endless noise of fear. He screamed until he
was purple in the face and then screamed some more, inadvertently
provoking Rask further.

The echoing sound masked the thunder of Nadysk's approach. The much
larger Brown appeared seemingly out of nowhere, towering behind his
bonded's child with eyes of dark swirling red. He put himself between
them and snarled warningly. All done here. Go now. Go or I
do worse. Shardit seethed in agreement and Aydan continued to
scream, the puddle of blood on the ground growing bigger around
him.

[lee]

Ten minutes.

Braele had, begrudgingly, been given less than a quarter of a candlemark to jog quickly down to the wherhandler's quarters and return the stacks of hide she had borrowed during her time as a dual candidate to study on and with. Privately, she rather thought it wouldn't hurt for dragonriders to do a bit more studying about their night-dwelling kin, but Kundalith had responded to this thought with a derisive snort she figured was rather standard for most of dragonkind. It was not a sentiment she shared, and it seemed all the more rather unforgivingly impolite to Braele to have a drudge deliver the documents, as if somehow confirming Kundalith's opinion that dragonriders—or dragonriders-to-be, Braele figured—had better things to do than deal with whers and their handlers.

Crock of nonsense. Braele had told him firmly, and he had responded only by giving her that look she was becoming all too familiar with—dismissive and ever-so-faintly patronizing. They would work on that, the tall girl thought grimly. She was as stubborn (she hoped) as the steadfast burgundy, and they would work on it.

Her nightvision, in the time since she Impressed the muscled hatchling who had knocked her down, had depreciated a bit, but the dragon woke her up as often as not in the middle of the night, with pangs of hunger he didn't acknowledge but that she felt, and she had retainedsome of it. But when she saw, just ahead, the small figure coming almost nose to nose with the wheret she'd seen, up close, shred skin with nary a second thought, she thought surely her nightvision must not be as good as she believed, because no little would get so close. The surprise had her faltering in her slow jog, and had she still the hides in her hands that she had just delivered, they would have scattered with the sharp intake of breath that accompanied the observation.

And then they were moving again, in automatic response to the shriek that smacked into the walls and rebounded, reverberated, echoed and continued in volume piercingly high. She felt Kundalith's head snap up, the growl in his throat even as she swooped forward, Calm she ordered, him and herself, and he, not being prone to spikes in emotion, settled himself, but lowered his wedged head to the ground of the barracks like a snake, as though he might strike at the unseen threat, far and well below him. But there was no panicked alarm in him because there was none in Braele, only caution, and tension, and that too eased as Braele reached the little with a skittering heartbeat she hardly recognized as her own and gathered him tight and close in her arms, as if he might be safe there, cool eyes taking in the pools of red that poured over them and immediately re-evaluating her initial decision to lift him to her shoulders, where even the quickly-growing brown would have trouble jumping.

But jump he probably could, and Braele thought it more effective, for the moment, to shield, and her arms shifted around the child to cover as much as she could, pressing him tight and taking stock of injury and vulnerable points to be guarded with ferocity. Neck. Stomach. Safe—what had been hurt? Arm. Her heart pounded in horror but her mind was, as it always was, as unrattled as a pool of water, and Kundalith followed her thoughts with the same calm, Shall I come? Good grief, wouldn't that just get her on the good side of the much tasked weyrlingmasters. No. Randiel's presence still hadn't registered, though she heard him, dimly, and her eyes may have met his once, and silently she acknowledged his role in preventing something worse, and there was an apology there because she was not going to stick around to chat about it, as she was already backing away with the little one tight in her arms, and it didn't occur to her to murmur anything comforting to child or handler.

She recognized Nadysk first, and for a moment, thought perhaps he was simply being, as he had been for her though not nearly as dramatically, a hero, but then she remembered the little figure playing in the waves with two bugs she could see now were engaged in battle, and she breathed a surprised, "Aydan," looking at him for the first time. It wasn't her place, but the hand that had been shielding his neck lifted, confident that Nadysk would not allow it to come to harm, to stroke the boy's hair, as she at last remembered that he was a child, and she murmured, low and warm like sun-soaked water, even as her mind tried to figure the quickest route to the healers, "It'll be alright."