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Young Detectives in Love |
Bali Dermon |
| Bali strutted down the hall of the Healing Den with a list of things written in another hand than her own, and looked like a young woman on a mission. When she walked into her mother's office, Baeris was surprised to see her. "Well this is a bit of a surprise, what brings my errant daughter here of all places?" Baeris said, smiling and using this as a moment to get as far away from her paperwork as possible. "I've been working on a case at Ablan," Bali said, and turned the paper toward her mother. "Do you notice anything peculiar about this list?" "Other than it's incredibly messy handwriting?" Baeris muttered, and became serious when she read down the list. Her daughter had just come from a crime scene at Ablan Hold, and this was something that she had been allowed to take from it. "Those are ... interesting herbs." "And in an interesting combination," Bali said. "So, you think that these could potentially be deadly together?" Baeris looked down the list. "Albaberry is only safe when it's cooked properly, sedroot is hardly useful as anything other than a laxative in small amounts but it's certainly been used for other things raw..." Baeris grunted at the presence of two openly poisonous plant materials listed, and chewed on her lips. Bali had already gone over the list a dozen times. Her mind worked quickly at the crime scene, and she overheard someone talking about the paper she held in her hands. Demanding to see it due to its content, and allowed to remove it from the scene because she was an able Healer and well known for knowing her plants, Bali came straight to her mother's side. Her sister Sebra took her to the Den on her blue's back, happy to be of some kind of service. "I think you have a crime, yes," Baeris said. "But whose list is it?" "It was among the dead man's paperwork, and he had scattered other notes, that I know of." Bali said. She was about to turn and head back to the crime scene, when Baeris asked another question. "Then why can't it be accidental poisoning? If he'd been playing with half that list he'd be in danger anyway." Bali turned and smiled, that knowing Kshau smile that Baeris was famous for. "Because he didn't die of poisoning, mother. He had a knife stuck in his back." *** "So we know that he was collecting these plants," Bali said, walking carefully around the lordling's chambers, "here's one, that's the last one on the list, and it's very dangerous so please refrain from touching it." She noticed that there was one younger harper or lawgiver in training, who pulled his hand sharply back from the broad leaves as she said that. Not that it would kill him if he touched it, it was a toxic brew that could be garnered from its sap, surely, but... It was far more fun to mess with their minds. "So I would say that he was either in the process of creating poisons to harm someone, or about to do so, since few of the plants have actually been processed in any way." Bali said. She folded her hands behind her back, and waited for the lawgivers to figure out whatever else they needed. "But who?" Asked the younger of the bunch. Bali noticed that while she was indeed a key witness in this case, all the people working on it were men. That should be changed, she thought. Obviously, they weren't getting everything right away. They were missing lots of key points about the crime scene. Letters had been written or received, there was one in fact, in the fire place near his bedroom that was only half-burnt. They hadn't even begun to look over that sort of evidence. But Bali ... she knew that this man had to have some reason for being killed like he was. She didn't like him, she'd known him in passing because of her herbalism classes. But he was not really a good healer nor a terrific horticulturist. Merely a lord with some money and time on his hands. And enemies. Plenty of those. "Might I suggest looking for a-" Bali said, but one of the elder lawgivers waved his hand and interrupted her. "Thank you, thank you dear, you're done. We've got enough evidence here." He said. While his voice was kindly and his visage old and fairly happy, Bali sneered at him viciously. "Evidence of murder, yes," Bali said. "And tons of evidence that his murder was probably a preemptive strike by someone he was planning on killing." She said it quickly, getting in edgeways when she would clearly be pushed out otherwise. The younger man nodded enthusiastically, he obviously wasn't one of the elder's picking. "That's what I was thinking! If I were being threatened, I might want to keep myself from being-" "Young man, young lady, please if you would restrain yourselves from debating this here and now. Your job," The elder clerk looked harshly at Bali again, "is done here." "Perhaps I should collect these plants so that they don't fall into the wrong hands," Bali suggested. "After all, only a skilled herbalist would know what to do with them. And anyone can chuck a knife into someone's back." There was a pause, uncomfortable silence coming from the elders. They glanced at one another, then the seething Bali, and then the plants in question. Finally, one man waved his hand and said, "yes, yes, do that. We have an inventory of them. That will be all. Your services are appreciated." "My services come with a fee," Bali said, "normally. But this time I think I'll just leave it at keeping these safe." She held one large potted plant in both hands, and grumbled to herself that she wasn't a freaking mutant and couldn't grow new limbs to suit her needs at random. The young lawgiver took that as a cue, along with not being included in the discussion with the other cronies, to grab a number of the other potted plants on his way out with her. Sebra waited with her blue Charranath. "Those are nice. Pretty." "Poisonous," Bali said, and Sebra grinned. "I know that, silly. Plants and me, we're like this," She crossed her fingers. "Who's your fan boy?" "He's ... I don't know. Lawgiver." Bali said. "Hey!" She called out, "what's your name?" "Dermon," he said, putting down the last of the plants. "Dermon Will'sson, I'm in training for my law knots." "Not with them you aren't," Bali muttered. "Hey, they're distinguished men of the field!" Dermon insisted. "Well they're either missing all the evidence you need to collect, or they're playing this another way because they already know who did it and they aren't planning on catching the culprit." Bali said curtly. This apparently came as a surprise to Dermon. "... You mean they're going to ... what, ignore evidence?" "That's what I am saying, Dermon," Bali said. Sebra leaned back onto the warmth of her blue, and watched. This was going to be interesting. Dermon and Bali continued to speak, quietly, outside the hall of this dead lordling. The body had long since been delivered to the lawgiver's healing station for examination - it was plain that he'd died as a result of blood loss and the stab wound in his back would have killed him more quickly than any of the poisons he'd been working on. When the trio of elder lawgivers came out of the building, they were somewhat surprised to see that Bali was still there, Sebra and her dragon, and - most disconcertingly to the boy, that Dermon had stuck around this long. "I'll make sure that no one else enters the building, until the guards can be called in," Dermon said quickly, in order to make it clear that he wasn't going to be let off that easily. While one of the elders was going to protest, the others silenced him and made nice-nice faces at the young pair of investigators. Bali thought it all stunk. The trio of elders left in their nice carriage, down the long hill toward the township of Ablan. Traditional wood and stone houses dominate the area, and it was a very pretty sight from this lordling's home. He had a good stock of trees on the grounds, and a beautiful view. That wasn't worth murder, though. "So," Bali said once the men had gone, "the question really is, if we figure out who killed him and why, what do we do about it?" "We?" Dermon asked, "we do nothing. I should report it to the high court though. You - you've been really helpful." "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Dermon," Bali warned. "O...okay." Dermon said meekly. Though he was half a head taller than Bali, and outweighed her easily by thirty pounds, Dermon suddenly realized that this girl was far more intense than even the three old men he had to work with. "I saw a bunch of things that your old men didn't seem interested in," Bali said, walking toward the doors of the hall. "Are you coming?" "Okay - okay," he said. "But what about your plants? And is that your sister waiting for you? She's being really patient..." "She is really patient with me," Bali gave a little giggle. "She won't have to go very far, really, since we both live here in Ablan. Across the valley though." "But she's got a dragon." Dermon said flatly. He ran his hand through his short black hair, and blinked. Deeply brown eyes took in this whole scene. "She does. The dragon lives here too. Imagine that." Bali said. There was a smirk on her lips, but Dermon was too busy looking back over his shoulder at the dragon and his rider to see it. Inside, Bali lit up the place with a couple torches. She knew that the fading daylight outside wasn't going to be helping, and they would be searching by mere firelight. But it was better than finding nothing, later on. "Here," Bali said. She reached into the fire place which hadn't yet been touched. She noticed that three of the lord's cabinets had then been rifled through and certain things were gone. But this was her evidence and she knew they hadn't noticed it. Failing eyes couldn't help a lawgiver any. "This is what I found. Half burnt letter - tell me that isn't important evidence?" "It's not even opened," Dermon muttered, and Bali's eyes lit up. "Really? Then he might have other letters from that same person around, and he knew what was in them already." "That's what I was thinking..." Dermon said as he carefully slipped the half-ashen papers from their envelope. It was hard paper, which didn't burn as quickly as it could have. Perhaps it was put in the fire place and forgotten, because it was off to the side. Maybe it had merely slipped. Bali stood on her tiptoes to read over Dermon's shoulder. The letter was harshly worded, in a practiced pen, and addressed only to "the fool on the rise". "There's certainly no love lost between the person who wrote this and Lord Erria." Dermon said. "He's treating this like a popularity contest. Do you think they were trying for the same woman?" "That could be, and poisons are good for that. Very good, in fact," Bali said, tilting her head and looking away in thought. If she hadn't already terrified Dermon, she was doing so now. "Because if you do it slowly, you can even with the heart and gratitude of the prize by being there to comfort her when her love wastes away. A very smart plan, indeed... If that's the case..." "Can you find any other letters?" Dermon said, "what about letters maybe from a woman instead of this other lord?" "I'll try. Maybe he kept them more private, I would." Bali said. She strode past the fire place and into the bedroom, which had been left largely untouched. The lithe girl poked around in the small dresser by the bed, which yeilded nothing more than a small knife and a number of personal effects. But when she opened a wardrobe door she found something far more interesting. "Hey, Dermon, you should see this..." She said. He rushed into the room and stopped, confused. "What am I looking at? Looks like a bunch of clothes to me." "Yes. Men's clothes, all of them." Bali said. She was getting that smug little know-it-all grin again. Dermon wasn't following but she didn't blame him. He obviously didn't think like she did. "They're different sizes, styles. Some are this old, worn looking crap," she flopped a droopy dark sleeve away from another piece, "and the others are bold, newer, pretty clothing, in a much smaller size. But all men's. Lord what'shisface obviously owns these," she indicated the older stuff, "they're his size, he's not a small guy. These would fit a man smaller and skinnier than you." "... It's not a girl he's chasing?" Dermon hesitated to say. "Chased. I bet if you look around for young lords of dubious direction, you might start finding out more..." Bali licked her lips. "This is getting quite juicy." *** The pair spent quite a long time during the evening looking over further evidence. It seemed that Lord Erria was indeed chasing after some young thing - male - and it occurred to Bali that this young thing's father probably wanted it over. No lordling liked to learn that their son was a fruit, did they? She'd heard of other cases where angry fathers would rather kick their children out of their Hold than admit that they were monosexually tended, and others of deaths such as this - but rarer. Neither Bali nor Dermon wanted to try bringing these things up to the elder lawgivers. Those men were staying at one of the nice inns down in the valley, but Dermon wasn't brought back there when he was finished with the case work at the hall. Bali had seemingly gotten more and more hot and bothered while they were working - all this talk about naughty meetings, clandestine dates and gifts that had to remain in secrecy... Apparently it got her worked up. Sebra waited for them, by the time they were done Charranath was asleep curled on the cobbled front walk of the hold. Sebra woke the blue with a nudge of her elbow. "There was a guy trying to get in, we noticed him and he bolted the moment that he realized a dragon was guarding the place," Sebra said. "Was he old or young?" Bali asked, abruptly. Dermon took note - if they could follow this person, they might find out ... "Looked pretty young to me," Sebra said. "Is that important?" "Of course it is," Bali replied. "Now, Dermon, would you like to come back to our homestead and sample some of my sister's wines with me? They're quite good. I wouldn't drink them if they weren't." Dermon was exhausted, but quite agreeable. The few servants still up at this hour did what they could to keep Bali and he fed and comfortable, and then knew they ought to disappear when the wine started pouring. Bali was like that - not a surly drunk but she didn't think twice when she was 'sampling' her sister's cherry-apple wines. Hardly a moment went by in Dermon's opinion, that wasn't filled with something more interesting or frightening about Bali. She was extremely smart - and equally passionate. She was picky, she was somewhat impulsive. Dermon was intimidated by her, but also ... she let herself undress for him without provocation, which he rather enjoyed, and she provided him with an evening that he couldn't possibly have ever imagined gaining some other way. *** Dermon woke up alone, but wasn't worried. He wasn't sure what he'd have done if Bali had been there with him in the 'spare chambers' of their large abode. Probably make a complete fool of himself. The day had begun, it was obviously past dawn and well into morning. He'd be late for his ... well, such as it was, his job would just wait for him. Paperwork wasn't his style. He did so enjoy doing what they had done last night - the rooting around in someone else's stuff part. He loved the last bits more physically. "Anything more about him?" Bali said, as Dermon entered the large kitchen. Sebra was there, lounging about, and Bali had changed into a clingy dark blue outfit. Bali was asking Sebra about the boy from the night before, obviously. "Nope. But you know, I think Charranath will be able to find him if you want." Sebra said, nodding at Dermon and waving her coffee mug at him, then at the press which was still half full of fresh coffee grounds. "Could you ask him?" Bali said. "It'd be a great help in cracking this case." Sebra sipped at her coffee. "Why not ask him if he thinks it's a good idea?" She indicated Dermon, who was in fact the person 'on' the case. Bali giggled again. "Dermon, Sebra's dragon got a whiff of the person trying to come to the lord's hall last night. Do you want to go find him?" "I think that would be in order, yes," Dermon said. He was trying to hold his own, but in his mind he was failing miserably. In fact, he was doing far better than most young men who'd just met the family. "But I wouldn't want to alert anyone else. And wouldn't having a dragon sniff around be a bit... obvious?" Bali laughed again, "nah - not at all!" "I could... pretend we're on a search," Sebra said. "I mean, most of the folks around here know they're not going to be standing, but they always love to see the blue guy, and it's fun for the children." "Feh," Bali muttered, "kids. Who needs them." "That's a fantastic idea!" Dermon said, "It would be easy to get a good look at everyone, no one refuses a dragon searching." "Then let's get going," Bali said, "before the day gets too warm. I've got some interesting plants I want to set up in the hothouse..." *** A line of fifteen young men and women stood nervously near the courtyard of the main Ablan thoroughfair. Brought from most every house or hall, even drudges sent their children off. Too young, too old, this one can't even see straight... There were many reasons not to choose all of them. All but one, and not for the reason that they all thought. The long necked blue sniffed over the men, particularly. On one, a red-haired slender boy of about sixteen, he paused. However, he did not openly choose that one, instead he simply flipped his wings around and made like he wasn't interested in any of them. Disappointed they were all sent back to their homes. But the red head was cornered by Bali and Dermon, on his way back to the big mansion on the north end of the stream. Charranath and Sebra went back home, the dragon settling in to his man-made shelter. "We'd like to talk to you about something," Dermon said, "if you don't mind?" The young man's eyes went wide, and he turned but Bali was in his way. "It's important. And I think you know what it is about." Bali said. Lowering his big blue eyes, the teen nodded. "I know... I know what it's about. I can't speak here. My father and uncle will see me." "Then let's take a walk," Dermon suggested. Since Bali was local, no one paid her a second glance, but Dermon wasn't well known. He wasn't wearing any official garb indicating he was from the lawgiver's guild, though, so he wasn't going to be remembered in any other way either. The young man, named Belgar, shuffled beside the pair as they walked toward the Kshau residence on the south-east valley wall. It would be a longish walk, they had time to speak. "My uncle found out first," Belgar said, "and then my father forbade me to go see Erria. But he doesn't understand! I love him! ... Loved him," he said listlessly. While this clearly bothered Dermon, Bali was hardly uncomfortable about it. "So he ..." Bali said, urging him on. "He started writing things, I know that he was angry, but I ... My father wouldn't kill someone, would he?" Tears stood in the young man's eyes. Dermon bit his lip. "Well, that is the way it's looking," he said. "But what about this uncle of yours, Belgar?" Bali wondered aloud. "What about him? Is he maybe going to get something out of this?" "Uncle Balgred ... never liked me," Belgar admitted. "But I don't think he'd do this just to spite me." "But what about if he was interested in the land that has just come up for auction?" Dermon asked. "After all, Lord Errai didn't leave any heirs, and his family are all too far away to send anyone to keep this land up." A truly pathetic look crossed Belgar's face. "I know he'd been talking about a great parcel of land... nearby." He sighed. "It was him, wasn't it?" "Very probably," Dermon said. He carefully patted the slightly younger man on the shoulder. "But on the upside... I don't think anyone's going to pursue this case." "What? Why not?" Belgar asked sharply. "Because someone else stands to make some money off it too," Bali said. "At least one of the judges who came by already knew who had done it. It doesn't look like they care." "But ... it's murder!" "That's life," Bali said. Apparently she was satisfied by the outcome. "If Dermon here sends word to the high court, then they might investigate. It's your call, Dermon." "... Actually it's his," Dermon said of Belgar. "If this gets out and public, your family will be dragged around with it." "That's the same words my father used," Belgar said, and Dermon winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean-" "It's all right, I'm just the freak of the family. I don't know any other way to be, though. I don't want to see my father and everyone have to go through ... all that." He sighed. "I'll just keep quiet, like I've always done. It's nothing new." "We can get your things from the hold," Bali suggested. "They're yours after all. Gifts, and your father should know better than to refuse you that." "My father is a very stubborn man." Belgar said. "But I appreciate it. I wanted to see him, but... I guess that's not possible." "He's been dead for more than a day, Belgar, you wouldn't want to see him now." Bali said. "Why don't you stay here for a while, we'll see to your things. Strangers on the property aren't going to be very welcome, and I don't know if they've got guards on yet." "Probably not," Dermon said. "Unless there are a lot of men needing work around here, they'll be taking their time getting here." Dermon and Bali went from house to hold, then, and back. Mostly silent, Dermon noticed that Bali was deeply in thought most of the time. "What are you thinking about," Dermon asked. He knew that he might regret the answer. "Oh, just... what to do with those plants left over." Bali said. Dermon regretted the answer, all right. *** Another two days went by, and Dermon had only run into the elder lawgivers once. They were on their way out, and the estate sales people were on their way in. Dermon and Bali had to stop gutting Lord Errai's place when the actual guards arrived. They were told not to let anyone in save one or two people, and neither the herbalist nor the young judge in training were on that list. Belgar's things added up to a little more than one full cabinet of clothing and items. He'd given them a list, and they took things out. Dermon felt a bit like a thief, doing so, but Bali seemed not to mind at all. They watched the red haired lad sulk about, sorting through his new pretty clothes that he dared not wear around his family. Sebra and Charranath watched that all with a distant interest. You know there is something I forgot to say, when we were pretending to search, Sebra. The blue told his rider. Bali should stand. And the boy, Dermon, he is a good determined young man. I like his smell too. That other boy, I do not think he would make a good rider, even a green rider. He is too concerned about himself. "So, you're saying that you searched, while we weren't searching." Sebra grinned. I am saying that. Indeed. Charranath shuffled his weight around, moving his tail. Should I get them? "Now?" We should take them to the Den. I know of another last clutch. Sebra perked up slightly. "Where?" *** "Where?!" Baeris said, laughing. "Isla' Genetic program already ran it's last clutch! Rael's dragon is from that clutch!" "This is another last clutch," Sebra said, smiling. "I know it sounds strange, but they're still there and well, this is going to be their last last clutch. For a while." "I love the irony of that statement," Baeris said. She beckoned Bali close, and hugged her daughter warmly. "Do you want to stand?" "I'd love to. It'll give me the chance to pry into people's minds as well as their lives." Bali nodded. "And you, Dermon is it?" Baeris said. Dermon nodded, weakly. "This is all rather overwhelming to me, ma'am. I'm not from here." "No one is from here," Baeris said. "If my daughter's dragon - who does not search often - has found you, I'd say that you are quite the find. I would not confine you to remain here, if you bond. I'd suggest that you figure out what you would want to do afterwards." "Well, don't dragons and their riders... fight thread?" He said. "... Most of them," Baeris said, with a faint grin. "But some remain on duties otherwise. Sebra of course is a currier and wine maker of some talent. It would be quite the waste to keep those talents away from their usefulness." "So... I could be a traveling ... sleuth." He said, he rounded his lips around the word. "Sleuth on dragonback." "Dragon detective," Bali suggested with a wide grin. "Forensic fliers." They laughed together, and left the office where Baeris and her older daughter remained. "So she hasn't actually killed him yet?" Baeris asked. "Nope. I think he's going to survive." Sebra commented about the young detective. "Well, that's a bonus. If he has a dragon, he'll be that much faster when she does tire of him." Baeris said. She began to file some papers, sure that her daughter and her little friend would find themselves on just the right dragons sooner or later. *** Isla was a big, pretty place. But there was something slightly wrong, the whole time that Bali and Dermon were there. Both felt that the people could be reacting to something on a level that even they didn't know. But it wasn't that bad, and both young people had their classes to work on, the gossip to spread, and the rumors to listen in on. Both of them were extremely good at remembering names, faces, and the rumors that went along with those things. At last, though, rumor turned to reality when the long awaited hatching began! The number of eggs was just staggering, unbelievable in fact. Even Bali thought it was a lot - and having come from the Healing Den background, that said much. She smiled at her mother, who showed up for the celebration - way up in the stands, where she liked to watch everything. Shard was there too, a couple others attending that she knew. She pointed them out to Dermon while the hatching proceded. It seemed an eternity to wait, so why bother watching just the sands? They would know when their dragons were about to hatch. Wouldn't they? It seemed as though dozens of eggs had hatched, with yet dozens more to go, when both of them did feel something different. Bali had heard dragons constantly growing up, but Dermon hadn't. He was so fresh... Bali watched him, but then was compelled to move across the sands, to where one batch of eggs had been deposited, while Dermon's legs took him into the central area where several orbs were trembling. The egg that Bali thought she saw moving was blocked from view by another hatchling who looked stunningly like a forest. Then someone else's blue-shaded sky went by, as she found that the egg had hatched! "Darn!" She said, "missed it." You did not miss anything. I am right here, Siuth is my name. The black female who stood in the rubble of her shell looked up fondly at her new bond. Gold Flynth and Blue Soliath were her parents, and it seemed they knew this by bugling their joy. "Well Siuth, we've got some food to get, and you just have to meet someone new." I can feel him. You like him a lot. Bali grinned widely as she helped the black hatchling across the shard-filled sands. Dermon on the other hand walked into the middle of a batch of eggs that starry gold-black Oronadaeth and bronze Vwlietoth had laid and been moved (Moved, into the Genetic Project's labs, then moved back once they were hardened enough). The dragons on their ledges above watched as a two-toned dragon came out from one largish shell. Copper and Brown, the strong-bodied hatchling stood up and shook off the sand that collected on his spaded tail. I am Apath, I choose you for my lifemate. Do you want me? "Of course I do Apath!" Now what can we do about this girl... ah - you do not need to worry. I will be much bigger than Siuth. "Siuth?" Dermon said, "that's - oh!" He looked up and saw the black dragonet and his 'girlfriend' coming across the expanse of the sands, as they exited. Together, the foursome went into the wide hall where an almost endless stream of dragon-rider pairs had gone for food. The dragonets nipped at each other, but were obviously going to be better friends than rivals. But that was not the end of this hatching. Not by a long shot. When nearly all the hatchlings had been bonded, perhaps only two or three left? No one could tell any more, there were so many... Half the place had already started celebrating and passing the wine skins around, exchanging money on the eggs they'd bet upon. Then... Bali could not name the people who came. There were pirates, she wasn't sure if they had something to do with the attack or not, but they were swinging their swords or knives or guns or whatever they had almost haphazardly. Did they come to steal dragons? Who knew? But what was evident was that someone - bad - had come. Someone that the Isla leader knew all too well, from the way that they spoke. And, the way they fought. He fought valiantly but... Baeris gathered who she could and tried to help the injured, but Bali could only stand and mutely watch. Both she and Dermon stayed near the wall where the kitchens led, clinging to Apath and Siuth. Shard swept by and interrupted a blow meant for one of the beautiful winged wolves, he was already bleeding but he didn't seem to care. His spines were flaring, bright teeth almost glowing against his cobalt-blue skin. The weyr was under attack - and it looked for a moment as though the attack had taken their leaders. That moment stretched to eternity. So many bodies... The attackers either driven away or killed, and Bali and Dermon didn't know one from the next, so they had no idea whether the man who'd attacked the Isla folk had been killed or just driven away. They both vocally hoped he'd been killed. Baeris swept up to them, when those left over were gathered once more. A stirring and terrifying speech - that Isla would be cursed so that none but their own blood could revive the island, so that no invader could reach the place. It looked like Shard was about to puke. But he held himself together, and Baeris and Qalam calmed him. For some reason he thought it was inappropriate, but the whole thing couldn't be helped. The isle would be shrouded in cursed mist, all but invisible and certainly unreachable until the curse was removed. Shard muttered, "but this was my isle first," but Baeris angrily swatted him on the shoulder and led him away. He'd been injured several times, cut by knives, but he would heal. In the aftermath, it was said that people would be going forward in time, to another weyr, Tripaldi and other places. There they could become riders, and carry on the Isla traditions. Baeris looked to her daughter, and Dermon. "Where would you like to go?" She asked. "I want to go home," Bali stated flatly, looking at the carnage that had been brought. The graves of the leaders would be many - marked but never forgotten in anyone's minds. "I'll go with you," Dermon asserted, "I've been told about this healing den thing of yours, and ... I think it would be a good home to me too." "Then come along, my children," Baeris said. "I guess this really was the last Isla hatching after all." *** Baeris introduced Dermon to everyone, and he made the attempt to remember their names. Kalkin scared him. Dulath, who had taken them one by one back to the Healing Den, was a fantastic color, but nothing compared to some of the Isla hatchlings. And here - there were dragons unbonded, living just fine among those who had riders. That was something that Dermon had to get used to. Several of them, ones who claimed to guard the sands or hatchlings when they were young, came to their sides and demanded to see Siuth and Apath - they welcomed those little dragonets into their community as easily as the group in charge of the Den did with Dermon. Eventually, everyone got back to normal, but Baeris was still fretting about the whole attack. She hadn't known that they had such dangerous enemies. Nor, such powerful magic. She knew the winged wolves of course, but only in passing. There were none at the Den. Bali convinced her mother to allow Dermon and she to practice with the Alabaster riders, once their dragons were big enough to learn to fly. Dermon's smile couldn't be bigger. "We're going to fly," he breathed. The Alabaster tower overlooked a cliffside cove, as well as a rolling set of beautiful hills. The upshot of course was that the winds were strong and from the sea, and young dragons could learn to fly over soft sand or fairly deep water. They could not hurt themselves too badly, stretching their wings here. Siuth wanted to spring into the air like a bird. However... Her first attempts were less than graceful. She nosedived into the grass, and tumbled down to the sand, Bali both laughing and running after her worried. Dermon encouraged Apath to know the winds before he left the ground. You are wise, Apath said. He spread his wings, and stood that way for several moments before choosing to leap. The air kept his wings open, Dermon was surprised to be able to feel along with the dragon, those wings. "It's like flying, yourself," he commented to Bali when she and Siuth had gotten back up to the hillside. Their trainers did not mock their progress, they only shared similar stories of falling, missed flaps, and the like. *** "We've come to investigate this murder," Dermon said, "will you allow us to enter your home?" The woman standing near the butler nodded once, and Bali and Dermon entered. The mansion was in poor repair, there were things missing from the walls - looked like artwork had been stolen as well as the master of the house being killed. Everywhere, glass was shattered and things were toppled over. Drawers were rifled through, pots and pans scattered. The pair walked through the rooms, noting this footprint and that piece of hair, and then they observed the body. Fortunately it hadn't been moved - no one wanted to disturb the Master while he was alive, he'd hardly have given permission to touch himself now. But Bali touched anyway. She turned him over, Dermon noted the dark marking on his forehead, the dent that said 'blunt instrument trauma'. But what Bali saw made her pause. She relayed the information to Siuth, who told Apath, who informed Dermon, who looked up at the candlestick that had been wiped perfectly clean of all waxy residue and had no blood on it - yet was sitting among all the rubble and broken glass. The Butler Did It! Cried the dragons in unison. And even though they were meant to be serious detectives, representatives of the Kshau Protectorate's legal department (The Shadow Wing, or the Long Wing of the Law, whichever they thought fit them best at the moment, and at this moment it was the Shadow wing of course), they both snickered as they carried out justice and arrested the butler. ***   "I just can't believe it's taken you this long to decide, dearest," Bali said as she rubbed her black dragon's shiny skin down. "He's a fine dragon. But where? And would you like to clutch where you fly?" There is a flight frenzy at Isla. "..." Bali paused in her bathing, and dropped the sponge onto the den's floor. "Siuth, that's not even funny." Did you not know they survived? They moved, my friend, it was ... a setback. There is a flight. I wish to attend it, it is my fondest wish! "But..." I know this! I know it is true! Just because humans do not get this information, does not mean dragons do not! "Dragons gossip constantly," Bali muttered. She picked up the sponge and continued to bathe her dragoness. It was true that the dragon was as black as the night sky, blacker by far than the static that the Healing Den experienced 'outside' of it. But also, this black dragon was growing into a fully fledged adult female - and her inner glow betrayed that fact. She was shining more than she ever had. She looked like a buffed black chrome dragon, in the light of the sun. "Then I will have to inform Dermon and-" Already done, my love, Siuth told Bali proudly. The pair stood outside their Ablan home, it was carved into one of the hills, made into a dragon-sized roost with a homestead atop it. It wasn't truly Pernese, but then thread hadn't fallen here for quite some time, and never would so far as anyone knew. Dermon and his lovely copper brown Apath landed near by. "What's she talking about?" Dermon asked. He was finally at ease with his own partner, Bali was so high-maintenance, he didn't fight it. He just gave her everything she wanted and in return he was challenged mentally (and physically) in the best ways possible. "Apparently Isla moved forward in time," Bali said. "So I guess they know where to go." Apath spread his wings and crooned to the sky. I will finally become a sire, myself! It will be glorious, my one, she is a perfect queen for me! It was true. The copper-brown was bigger than his black female companion, but was perhaps the size of a smallish brown at best, more like most blues. Siuth herself was hardly the size of a green adult, but this petit noir was flawless in every way. Since she was already glowing, they figured it was best that they got a move on. The riders went to pack a few things up, for the duration. If they had to, Dermon and Apath could go retrieve other clothing and notes, but usually this pair traveled somewhat light. Off to Isla - the new one, rebuilt, somehow while they were gone. There was a sense of triumph in their hearts for that as well, as they signed on to the Frenzy! *** -- added October 2021, that frenzy didn't happen? But this new flight certainly will, the Memorial flight! Isla Weyr's Memorial Clutch |
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