I'm not insane; I'm not insane

[meah]

Iraink slipped into the kitchen, trying to remain invisible to the thread-droppers. He knew they would get angry if they knew he wasn't eating their poisoned food, so he had sneaked out while the other boys were sleeping soundly and the suns had gone from the sky hours before. There was always a tray of bread left out for the riders who had were coming in at various hours of the night, and it was always safe to eat. They didn't notice if he took a few rolls or a piece of fruit, and they were often more edible than the things they thought he ate.

Just like always, the tray was there, inviting him to its warm depths. He glanced around suspiciously, checking to make sure there wasn't anyone watching him. It didn't look like there was, but he had left Sidhka at home, so there was no way he could have her check for him. He had wanted to bring her, but she'd nearly gotten him caught before. She was just too loud. She was still in his head, though telling him the most important places to check for thread-droppers in.

Iraink thought it was a little odd to stick his head in the oven to look and find out if anyone was in it, but Sidhka thought that one of the weyr brats who had mothers or fathers who were thread-droppers might be hiding inside to watch him and rat him out to the evil ones. So he stuck his head in the oven. Lo and behold, there was no one there. Sidhka laughed at him for that one.

I told you no one would be in there

”You did not! You told me to look!”

Iraink glared at the air. He hated Sidhka when she was in these moods. No matter what he did, she was convinced she knew more than him. Unfortunately, she was right often enough that Iraink had to wonder if she didn't know more than him. She had been right about Geoff being a jerk. She had even been right about Geoff being his father, and Iraink really hadn't seen that one coming.

The air in the room was thick, and Sidhka was hissing warnings in his ear, telling him that someone was coming, but Iraink ignored her. He was angry with her for making a fool out of him. Who would hide in an oven, anyway? He dashed over to the tray, jerkily grabbing a loaf of bread and pulling it to his chest. He was just turning to leave when he saw a shadow near the entry to the kitchen. He drew back against the wall, hoping that whoever it was didn't see him to take away his safe friend and drop threads.

[sapphire]

Kera was walking toward the kitchen to get Lyric, who was on her shoulder and very hungry. She heard somebody in the kitchen so she asumed it was one of the drudges or the cooks. She came around the corner, not noticing the figure that was agianst the wall. She looked for some meat, but she couldn't find anyand she didn't want any meat that might be used for meals.
"you'll just have to settle for some meat that I have in my room"She said, and she turned to go back out. She whistled for Kellis, who was chasing his tail in a corner that was by the door.

[B'kay]

B'kay, yawning and stretching, unshaven, with a cranky brown firelizard creeling with impatience on his shoulder, headed for the kitchens. He'd been updating weyrling records by the light of a dim glow basket, and rubbed his eyes, which were tired and sore from the strain. The fading basket dangled in his hand, his intentions to stop by stores for a new glow, as soon as he'd had some klah and something sweet to pick him up. Griz, a flitter with a sweet tooth, had picked up on his thoughts and was rattling away with thoughts of a sticky, sweet treat for himself. The brown's desires played on B'kay's and he found himself hoping there were some of those nice sweet-nut rolls leftover that they'd baked for breakfast.

The Weyrlingmaster, tall, broad-shouldered, his facial scar standing out starkly against the day's growth of beard, jabbering firelizard with spread wings clinging to his shoulder, and the dully glowing basket dangling from his hand blocked out the light in the doorway like the spectre of death as he entered the kitchens.

He scowled ... where were all the drudges that usually were bustling about? What time was it, anyway? There appeared to be no one here but the new weyr harper, to whom he nodded politely.

Griz's desire shifted to real hunger, and B'kay's system, more in tune with his flitter than the large man would ever willingly admit, responded. His stomach growled loud enough to be heard all around the room.

[meah]

Iraink slipped deeper into the shadows when the man walked in than he had when the girl had entered. He hoped they wouldn't see him. When he saw a rather secluded pantry with a direct, shadowy path to it, Sidhka whispered to him in secret that he really ought to hide in it. Then these two, obviously meeting in secret to plot and do whatever else it was that the thread-droppers do, wouldn't see him and he could find out what they planned on talking about.

He heard an unnatural squeal when he was halfway there and slammed tight against the wall. She had lied to him and promised that she wouldn't come, yet here she was.

”Sidhka...” he whispered irritably.

He was in the home stretch, and she had ruined it. Now they would know he was here. People always knew where he was when Sidhka was squawking. They knew when she was talking to him. The thread-droppers knew he was here now. He could picture them already—looking for him so that they could kill him. They would catch him here in this ridiculous place cowering in fear of them. Iraink wasn't planning on dying humiliated like that, but Sidhka did. She swooped down to him, nuzzling him with her nose and talking to him.

Iraink! They're here to get you! They only look like they're getting a snack.

Iraink glared at the flitter. He was angry with her this time. If he got caught, it was all her fault, no matter what she said. All he'd wanted was some dinner, and she was getting him KILLED. She kept chattering, both in his head and aloud, telling him how pathetic he was that he was going to get caught and yet speaking in tongues at the same time.

”Shut up, Sheek,” the boy hissed, ”You're going to attract their attention, you stupid animal.”

She squawked again, and he tackled the flit, falling to the floor with a distinct clatter. Iraink froze, hoping that maybe if he didn't move, the two in the room wouldn't notice his crash. Maybe the would shrug it off and leave and he could return to his business. Maybe they would let him live. If they did, Sidhka would be dead.

[B'kay]

When the strange (to him and, apparently, to Griz as well) firelizard appeared, chattering away, out of nowhere, B'kay almost jumped out of his skin. The darkened, empty kitchens were somewhat eerie, he was tired, and he felt like a fool startling like that in front of the young harper girl.

Griz chirruped happily in greeting, tilting his head sideways, as he attempted to introduce himself to the new flitter.

Then, sudden movement and a loud crash sounded from over near the cupboards, and the firelizard, who had darted down as if heading for a set destination, did not resurface.

Had she been injured?

The Weyrlingmaster set down the glow basket, and trotted, concerned, across the cavernous kitchen toward the sound.

"Little one," he called out softly, not wanting to frighten her if she was indeed injured, "Are you all-- "

The sight that met him as he rounded the end of the counters stopped him up short. The flitter wasn't alone, apparently, but the lad who lay there, clutching her to him, was quite the sight!

"Well ... hello!" B'kay said, brows raised and hands on his hips. "And who do we have here?"

He glanced around to see if the harper was still in the room, and had heard the crash.

[meah]

Iraink shuddered. The great man had heard their fall. He was going to die now. They had caught him, and they would do awful things to him for seeing through their awful plots. Sidhka had gotten him caught with her stupidity. She wanted him caught. He knew it.

He was caught up in immediate guilt when he looked into the eyes of his flitter. She was so good to him, always warning him when he was going to get into too much trouble. It would be fitting for her to try to warn him just before he was to die.

Taking a deep breath, Iriank resigned himself to his death, staring into the eyes of his enemy, this large thread-dropper. He hoped the man wasn't going to take him back to his weyr to torture him. That would be too much for him to take. He was already laughing at him; Iraink could see that in his eyes.

[Mariya]

Mariya had finally found her way to the kitchen after the long day of traisping, what it seemed to her, half of the Southern continent all day, gathering fellis weed and some other plants for the supplies. She wasn't expecting to find anybody in the kitchen that late, so the noise and squawks surprised and scared her. She sidled along the wall and peer past one of the big cupboards to see what the fuss was about. Apparently it seemed, one of the flitters was quite upset. As well as several obviously hungry ones. She knew where the cooling section was so to help out she grabbed a few bowls and filled them quietly, setting them on one of the big tables for the flitters to eat from. The alcove the boy had slipped into had two ways out and she moved quietly in the other way, holding a small bowl thinking perhaps the flitter would settle with a bite to eat.

[meah]

Iraink stared at the girl holding out a bowl of meat. He hadn't thought they would go so far as to try and poison a poor innocent flitter like Sidhka, but apparently that was their plan. All thoughts of his anger at his pet fled his mind as he clutched her to his chest protectively. They wouldn't mess with his Sidhka.

"Don't touch her, girl. I know what you are."

Even as he said it, he knew she would pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. The thread-droppers always did. It was a major part of their master plan.

There was no point in saying the word thread-dropper, because they would accuse him of being insane. Everyone accused him of being insane, even though he was obviously quite lucid. They just didn't want to admit to being part of such a horrible thing.

[Mariya]

Mariya was surprised by the boy's reaction to the bowl of meat, but not startled. Some Green flits tended to be...well, a bundle of nerves. And those that looked to them, well, if they weren't fully there to begin with, they tended to be that much more. She ignored the boy and concentrated on the flitter, making crooning noises and not touching the meat for anything. If it was hungry, and quite possibly by the colors swirling in its eyes, then she didn't need to loose any fingers in the meantime. "Such a pretty girl," she said as she sank slowly to the ground, before sitting the bowl carefully between her, the boy and the Green little one. She projected calmness and encouragement as much as she could towards the little Green. Flitters were so much nicer to be around than some of their owners.

[meah]

Iraink clutched the flitter even more tightly to his chest, afraid for her life. This thread-dropper girl was going to kill his beloved Sidhka if the flit ate that poisoned meat. She knew very well that the girl was awful, because she was telling him such, when she was saying anything. Mostly she was squawking like an idiot to convince them that she was a normal, thread-dropper flitter who didn't talk to their people.

The flit tried to dart for the bowl, but Iraink managed to grab her wings before she could get there. "Come on, Sheek. We should go back before any more thread-droppers try to kill us." He glowered at the girl.

He had just turned to leave when he felt the familiar twitch, and Sihdka had gone, disappearing between. She hadn't gone far, though, for he heard her squawk behind him, and the sounds of her...eating...He gasped. "Sidhka! NO!"