Done is Done

[Felina]

The waterfall was loud. That was the first difference. In the darkness, huddled into the deepest nooks and crannies they could find, Corenne and the blue wher standing anxiously beside her might almost have believed they had not fled Araelen were it not for the roaring of the falls. The stone here was slicker, true, worn away by centuries of crashing water rather than a man's crude tools, but there was still the comforting feeling of rock all around. The same, save for the falls. But not the same, of course, never again would Pern be the same. The Riders so newly returned had divided so decisively it was almost certain things could never be repaired. The wherhandlers, too, were split. Corenne knew that not all would follow so easily as herself, but it had been the right thing to do. Araelen was a festering sore on the face of Pern, but perhaps here at Ikros things could probably be set right.

The knowledge that she was doing the right thing didn't make the leaving any easier. She had never known much of a home, but the old weyr had been one, and it was ever a difficult task to leave behind the place you once had known. It wasn't guilt, exactly, that plagued her, but rather homesickness.

There in the darkness, Coresk could be the only witness to her tears. Exhaustion sapped at her, emotions high enough to snap at the lightest touch, old gitar strings that should have been replaced long ago. Too long had the illness - though she was convinced it was no natural thing - eaten away at her. It was gone, now, but she was still so tired. As she sank to her knees, the blue wrapped himself around her to comfort as he could, lying his heavy wrinkled head in her lap.

What was done, was done. The decision could no more be taken back than any other she had made in recent Turns, but this time, she was in the right.

[**Auria (etc)**]

Baryn's gut rumbled at the same time as his wher. He had to stop for a moment. The actual symptoms were gone, but that occasional cramping pain worried him. Had that sharding poison done permanent damage to his insides? He wished for the hundredth time that he'd stayed at Araelen. Not only had he sussed out the best hiding places, frequently vanishing into tunnels that even the other wherhandlers didn't bother to patrol, but his desire to find the culprit who'd poisoned them and crush his, or her, scrawny neck was frustratingly overwhelming.

Now, dragonsflights north of Araelen, he'd never have that chance.

And all because of an ugly, annoying, love sick, bronze--

"Grfff?" Bask snuffled and sniffed the air in the near black darkness, and flashed an image of blue, a wher, a human, not far ahead.

Great. The one thing Baryn wanted in this desolate place was to be alone, and it seemed he was continually running into the presence of others, and having to backtrack.

He turned to move in the direction from which he'd come, but Bask had other ideas.

Bask always had other ideas....

The bloody-tipped bronze tail vanished around the corner behind him, forcing the handler to turn and follow.

Bask! Halt! Come back! He forced his thoughts toward the bronze to, as usual, be ignored.

He followed the wher around the corner to be met by the sight of Bask's blue clutchmate and its handler ... that blind girl, what was her name, anyway? Crack it, he'd have to speak and he couldn't even remember the girl's name!

Bask had stopped just as the pair became visible, and Baryn was surprised to sense emotions of respect and ... could it be sympathy? ... from the bronze.

He knew the girl must have heard them coming, so he muttered in his shadowy voice, "Sorry, didn't know anyone was here."

He put a hand on the bronze wher, in effort to turn him and leave, but the creature refused to budge.

Once again Baryn found himself wondering exactly who was in charge in this relationship.

[Cilnah]

Raina took a deep breath as she wandered the lower caves of the newly dubbed Ikros. She seemed to be able to breathe easier here, more easily then she had ever been able to manage at Araelen. The thought almost made her snort with amusement. How silly. But it was true, and she knew exactly why. The new Weyrwoman, Crown, who had instigated this move in the first place, had not abandoned the Whers and their Handler's to the underbelly of the weyr. Indeed, she openly accepted and encouraged them, even going so far as to let Raina herself into her inner circle. Beside her, there was a growl of approval, and the girl automatically reached out to scratch at the orange-gold hide moving along next to her. Raisk was well pleased to finally be getting the respect and authority she deserved, as a Queen Wher.

Until thaw point, she hadn't really been paying much attention to where their path was leading them, knowing that as always Raisk would keep a clear track in her mind and be able to lead the way until she knew it on her own. However, when the wher stopped in front of her, causing the girl to bump into her companion, she was brought out of her reverrie and glanced around in the gloom. What is it, little one? she asked with a bit of unease. There was really no telling what might be found down here right now. The caves had been uninhabited until now, at least by humans, but that never meant that some sort of beast or other could have wandered it's way in. A confusing mix of images, blue and bronze, hide and flesh, flashed though her, and then Raisk was off, her slender form disappearing in the gloom.

She followed her wher at a fast, if not hurried pace, until another image hit her full on, a full-grown Bask in an unfamiliar surroundings. Which meant only one thing: The Bronze and his handler were close by. Her steps increased just a bit, after all, she was fond of the pair, or the wher at least, as unsure as she was about how the Handler held her. She thought of Baryn as, perhaps, an aloof friend, a comrade at least, and liked him well enough. She also felt privileged towards him, as she had seen what he chose to kept hidden. By accident, yes, but still he had not instantly hidden himself from her again, and that gave her a faint pride she was unaccustomed to.

As this thought rolled in her mind, she came upon Raisk, just as the Gold caught up to Bask, sliding up next to him and affectionately nudging his neck with her snout. Even after growing up to her fullest, the creature had not lost her flirty tendencies. That wasn't to say she wasn't observant or caring, because she let out a faint sound to her Blue clutchbrother, and presented Raina with her sight long enough to show her that the girl was crying.

Flashing a small smile to Baryn in greeting, she moved forward, reaching out to pat Bask tenderly as she went past him, stopping a few yards in front of the Blue and his, not wanting to crowd the pair. "Corenne, she greeting with a slight nod of her head, even though she knew the girl could not see her. "And Coresk. It's good to see you here. I am glad you decided to come. Do you mind if we join you?" She left just who 'we' was open, obviously herself and Raisk, who would not leave while a Handler was so obviously distressed, but also Baryn and Bask if they wished to stay.

[Felina]

Footsteps too loud approached. People tried to be quiet, in the dark sometimes, like they were afraid to disturb the peace left in a place where most were devoid of sight. It didn't work, most of the time. Footfalls were too regular, the soles of shoes made unnatural tapping sounds against smooth stone floors where the only motion should have been the skittering of tunnel-snakes or some other small animal seeking a place to hide away from the people that would kill them for pests. Whers made less effort, but their heavy plodding accompanied by the occasional clicking of claws on stone were a dead giveaway. Besides, no-one without a wher would bother with them. Apparently, people tended to be afraid of the dark places.

Corenne hastily scrubbed at her face with a corner of her sleeve, though it made little difference. Facial features were difficult to make out. Coresk had already stood up, and his handler quickly did the same; it was hardly proper to greet people while sitting. The blue was the first to let her know who had come along, with a quick image of a bronze wher and his person, accompanied by a low whistle in greeting. At the man's apology, though, she shook her head. "It's fine," she said thickly. "This place belongs to all of us, not just one alone."

She hadn't even noticed that someone else was there, until something like respect reached her through through the blue, and she heard a voice she had long learned to recognize. "Raina. I wasn't sure you would leave as well. And I think Coresk would be displeased if you left. We've not seen many whers here in the days since we came. He likes the company."

The unspoken question was bitten off before it could leave her lips. How many had come? How many had left behind what they knew for Ikros? More importantly, had enough left? Though surely, if Raina had come, others would follow her example, for Raisk if nothing else.

[**Auria (etc)**]

The blue's handler had barely responded, when Bask started to quiver like an excited canine, and Baryn could hear the whuff and rumble of exuberance that could only mean one thing.

Sure enough, he'd barely registered the thought when the golden Raisk rounded the bend and joined them, Raina at her heels.

Baryn's jaw set, not out of annoyance for the added company, but out of annoyance over the fact that he had been about to break out in a grin.

He must get control over this ridiculous habit of fielding his wher's emotions! The bronze was love-struck over the queen wher ... which, Baryn supposed, was probably a good thing.

Corenne (Baryn silently thanked Raina for providing the name) was correct, though. He knew, of course ... how could he not with Bask so smitten and aware of her presence ... that Raina and Raisk had come north. This was the first, however, that he'd actually seen another of the wherhandlers in the belly of Ikros.

"Do you know," he said quietly, glancing first to Corenne and then to the queen handler, "Who of the wherhandlers has come to Ikros?" He left the second part of the question unspoken ... and is Bask the only bronze?

He watched as the wher fawned over the goldhandler and her queen. He was somewhat mystified by Bask's open affection, when the wher was normally averse to being touched by anyone but himself. The gold, of course, was understandable ... hormones explain much. But Bask seemed to enjoy Raina's company in a way that indicated it was more just respect for his queen's handler. Stepping back toward the wall of the cavern, he sat on a ledge of rock. Though his nature would have been to excuse himself and go on his way, he knew for a fact there was no peeling Bask away from Raisk at this point.

Besides ... his curiosity was aroused. Just how many wher handlers were there at Ikros?