Midnight Gathering

[M'kel]

With quiet steps, Amika made her way to the Dining Cavern, Amisk at her side. Although she needn't make such an effort at a soundless passage, for there was no one sleeping anywhere nearby, the girl still felt that instinctive drive to go quietly at night. Amisk was not concerned by such human practices and strode along boldly, but he made little sound anyways, except for the occasional scritch of claws against stone. He was getting larger by the day, and Amika was beginning to wonder how large the average wher grew to be, even whether he'd be able to walk these corridors with her when he reached his full size.

For now, however, he was perfectly able to do so, and the pair soon arrived at the Dining Cavern. Amika slipped in and glanced cautiously around, relieved to find that she was the first to arrive. The Wherhandlers had started to gather around this time each night, with little else to do if they weren't on watch duty, but Amika didn't exactly relish interacting with her 'fellows'. They were a strange lot, to be sure, and the girl couldn't help but understand why some of them had been shunted off to candidacy with the whers instead of the dragons.

"I'm just going to get some klah," she murmured to Amisk, who promptly moved to his favourite spot near the inner wall. There, the brown stretched out, stunted wings unfurling to their full span before folding neatly again. He watched his handler as she proceeded into the Kitchens to put on some fresh klah. Once that was taken care of, Amika returned and sat uncomfortably at a table near Amisk, nibbling on a heel of bread. In wait.

[**Auria (etc)**]

Just the fact that he was complying rubbed Baryn the wrong way. Never one to follow anyone else's rules, the dark fugitive told himself that it was all for the sake of Bask, to have a sheltered place to raise the bronze wher until they could sneak off on their own and return to the life Baryn knew.

But this shifting around the sentry duty schedule all the time ... why did whoever was posting the blasted thing have to keep changing shifts on them?

And who was posting them, anyway? Baryn supposed that if he had bothered to speak to the other wherhandlers, he would have gleaned that information. Therefore, it wasn't important enough to worry about.

What was important was his stomach. He was used to slipping into the dining hall alone at the end of his shifts, grabbing some food, and retreating with Bask into the dark corridors once his meal was done and the dishes piled on the sideboard.

A coal-black mask, grotesquely beautiful, peered around the corner into the dining cavern. The wher who owned the visage grunted in acknowledgment and caution ... and just a touch of challenge, at the already-present brown. This was the first indication that the cavern was not empty. He sent a query to Bask, who showed him Amisk and his human.

Baryn's rumbling stomach, for he had not eaten anything since his shift end the night before, warred with his desire to retreat back down the hallway and wait until the coast was clear.

And then, more trouble ... Bask turned to peer behind them into the darkness, and indicated that others were approaching.

Sandwiched between Amisk and his, and whoever was approaching, with his famished stomach in the middle, Baryn stood frozen. He felt like a trapped animal, defensive instincts welling to the level of panic.

Bask, sensing his anxiety, began to rattle his wings and rumble deep in his throat, wondering where the threat to His was located.

[C'lyn]

Keil walked slowly down the corridor that lead to the Dining Cavern, his fingertips resting lightly on Kisk's green head. He was growing more used to being out only at night, glad to do anything if it meant being with his Kisk.

He shook his head and frowned as he heard the sound of an angry wher make their way down the corridor. His brown furrowed as he stopped for a moment, Kisk rumbling an answering wanring of her own, putting herself between the sound and her handler.

Keil rubbed her neck gently as he slipped around her. If it was another wher, that meant there was another handler a head of them. He was starving and he wasn't willing to let this keep him from food that was waiting in the dining hall. He moved forward quietly, Kisk right on his heels, her claws tapping against the stone floor as she followed.

As they rounded the bend Keil could just make out a man and a bronze wher. He shook his head and moved out to where the man and his wher could see him, holding his hands up and out in a none threatening manner.

[meah]

Tanawic needed some klah before another shift. It had been a long night the night before, and tonight was guaranteed to be even longer, based on the area they'd given him to patrol. Someone in charge of his little band of rebels on the bureaucratic scale had decided that the kid who impressed the huge bronze wher should be the one doing the most work. Not that it wasn't worth it to protect his family of wherhandlers. It was just a little bit tiring, day after day after day.

By the time he reached the dining cavern, it became quite clear that everyone else seemed to have the same idea. Well, it would be a good time for a nice group get together, even if the only people here right now were the slightly creepy ones. That girl and her brown weren't bad, but the other bronze rider could scare the thread away simply by looking at it.

Tansk was worried before Tanawic was, that there seemed to be conflict up ahead. Perhaps because Tansk needed to be able to fit into the area, which conflict was likely to prevent. Tan, on the other hand, still wasn't used to having such an enormous creature treading at his heels. The wher was growing at an absurdly astounding rate, and Tan couldn't compensate as of yet for the wher's size.

Still, it was his job to break up the fight before it got started. Tansk was already planning, inasmuch as he could plan, anyway, to go wander over to the green wher belonging to the rugged guy and impress her a little with his large size. Tan had other plans.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" No point in threatening people if there was no real problem. That might break it up anyway. Since he wasn't sure what was going on in the first place.

[**Auria (etc)**]

Green. No threat.


But Bask didn't understand, for any human was a threat to Baryn, and a green wher, no matter that she was female and Bask would see her more as an ally than a rival, meant that there was a wherhandler beside her.

Indeed, as Baryn turned, peering from within his cowl into the dimly lit hallway, a man approached, his green by his side, his hands held out in a peaceful gesture.

In the past, Baryn would have bolted, bowling over the competition in his path if necessary.

Bask, however, held him firm. For not the first time, the dark man bristled slightly over the fact that he now had a dependent, someone who was connected to him and without whom he could not vanish into the shadows.

Confused, hurt, pushing into his mind with a possessive ache.

Automatically, Baryn's hand went to the blood-bronze neck, stroking gently, and the surprising softness of the hide soothed the man's rattled nerves.

I'll never leave you, Bask.

Baryn had no choice. He would have to step into the caverns, where the brown waited, more of a potential conflict than the green. Bask, though the smaller of the two bronze whers, was far larger than most of the others, and there was no way this green...

Kisk, the name hissed into his mind, and again he stroked his bronze in thanks.

... Kisk would fit past them.

Against his nature, Baryn decided to take the way of least conflict, and nodded to the handler.

Confusion, aggression, defense....

What the--?

Bask had suddenly stiffened, and a deep rumble caused his hide to vibrate under Baryn's hand. The wher raised himself taller, stretching his neck, his wings, arching his back. Baffled, Baryn eyed the green ... certainly she had not challenged a bronze wher--?

And then sounds from behind her, another approaching, and the only other wher, besides the young queen, larger than his own was approaching.

The handler was speaking words of peace, but Bask didn't hear them. There was a rival in the hallway, and between them a female....

Shards, this would not do. Baryn was not opposed to violence if it meant self defense, or attaining his goals, but wher bloodshed in a narrow corridor was too dangerous and totally senseless.

He did his best to calm his own claustrophobic emotions, which he was sure were helping to agitate the bronze. Grabbing the wher by a neck ridge, he backed up slowly, attempting to guide Bask into the more open dining cavern.

"Nothing going on," he said, "Just looking to get a meal."

Warily, his gaze shifted between the larger bronze and his own, watching the green as well to see how the tension was affecting her, he moved one slow, cautious step at a time. And where was the brown? Baryn did not dare look over his shoulder. His attention must be firm and focused.

Bask followed, reluctant, not letting his guard down, not lowering his vestigial wings, until his bulk was far enough into the dining hall that the others could move past.

[Cilnah]

She really needed to figure out who it was that was making the guard schedules. They simply appeared sometime during the day, when all of the wherhandlers were asleep after a long night of watches. But whoever it was, they either were clueless or had a very sick sense of humor. With so few whers around, every one of them was needed to give the weyr the best security. Did that mean that they had to give her the easiest places to guard? The places where there was the least likely of any for something to happen? Honestly. Raina shook her head in a show of distaste. Was it because she was a girl? No, that wasn’t it, she dismissed immediately. There were other girls on harder watches. So it was one of two things… Either it was because she was so small, or because she was the Queen’s handler.

It didn’t really matter to her which of the reasons it was. It was annoying her! This very thing had put her in a fowl mood for the past few nights, and the girl was finally getting fed up with it. The idea of staying up of a morning and waiting for whoever it was who posted the assignments was beginning to settle firmly in her mind, but every time she was about to steel herself against a sleepless day, Raisk would plant the image of her soft, welcoming sleep furs and Raina would give in, the lure of sleep too powerful for her body.

Her body was what drove her now, the soft rumble of her stomach moving her forward and towards the kitchens for a bite to eat before her watch. As of late she’d been hiding deep within the caverns, and had avoided the others all together, and because of this she wasn’t aware that there might be others in the dining hall. Otherwise she would have over ruled her need for food and gone straight for her area. But as it was, she was entering the hall, using a different opening then the others it seemed. The sound of others had her stopping in her tracks, and Raina peered across the hall, noticing a brown wher not far away, and, through Raisk’s senses, a few more were hiding just out of site.

“Shard it,” she muttered softly, turning to make a swift exit. But the little Gold was not about to pass up this opportunity to show herself off in front of her fellows, and Raisk darted past her handler, bumping into the girl’s leg and knocking her completely off balance. For not the first time, Raina found herself planted firmly on her bottom, seated at the entrance to the dining hall with no where to go to.

“Shard it!” she snapped again, the beginnings of the tidal wave of tears she had been holding in check for days now began to sting at the back of her eyes. This time her voice was loud and angry, her feelings taking control over her desire to remain anonymous.

ooc:// Drama, I know. But I couldn't resist. x.x

[M'kel]

The heel of bread was nearly gone, and the girl was contemplating her slightly squashed redfruit, when a pulse of alert edginess came sweeping through her bond with Amisk. The Wherhandler looked up immediately, turning to her brown, and followed his whirling eyed gaze to the entrance that had drawn his attention. Amika's mouth went slightly dry at the dark bronze face that regarded her from that vantage point, and her stomach twisted at his rumbling self-proclamation. The 'handler, however, failed to reveal himself, and Amika remained perched on the edge of her wooden bench in anxious anticipation of that moment.

Amisk suddenly clambered to his feet, head tilting in concern, and Amika was struck again with a wave of confused emotions. Running through it all, distinct, was the brooding challenge that had been given. Distressed, the girl stood and approached her brown, but the emotions began to sort themselves out, and Amika realized the wher was relaying an exchange that was occurring elsewhere. Likely, in fact, in the corridor.

The emotions peaked with a threat of aggression, and the girl gulped nervously; the bronzes must be squaring off. Only that could get Amisk so agitated! Minor squabbles amongst the other whers were nothing compared to those two.

The brown had just begun to slink forward, despite Amika's attempts to restrain him by a stunted wing, when the bronze that had been hulking in the doorway finally entered, along with his 'handler. Amika's eyes widened, and her anxiety deepened, at the sight; that man was darker than his bronze.

As if matters could get any more tense, a sudden swear from across the room drew the girl's gaze. "Perfect," she muttered in despair, as the gold wher began to move across the Caverns. Absently, she noted the gold's handler, Raina, apparently fallen in the entranceway, but her attention was quickly diverted to Amisk. The brown crooned a warm greeting to the gold, though he hissed slightly at the brooding feelings still coming from the bronze, and he was still resisting Amika's attempts to draw him back to her table. Was there going to be a stand-off like this every time the Wherhandlers gathered?!

"I'm sorry," she cried shortly, trying to direct Baryn's scowling gaze away from her. "He doesn't mean it; he's just anxious!" She hoped fervently that her plea would be believed.

[**Auria (etc)**]

Bask never took his dark gaze off the other bronze, but his emotions shifted, confusing, delight and anger, rage and rapture, as Baryn moved him slowly into the dining cavern.

The man glanced around, not daring to take his attention off his wher for more than a heartbeat. There -- the gold, and her handler.

Her handler, who was on the floor cursing. Was she hurt? Concern swelled briefly in Baryn's chest and settled back to disbelief. Surely, those must be the emotions of his bronze he was feeling, and not his own. He wanted to call out, "Are you hurt?", but the situation at hand was still critical. To let go of his mental hold on Bask would mean that either the larger bronze, or the brown who hovered to the side protecting his handler, might be at risk.

The thought that it may be his own wher who would be injured in a fight could not be allowed any footing.

Of all the whers gathered, the closest, and coming closer, was the brown. Amisk. Again, to Baryn's surprise, Bask provided a name. How did he know -- was this unusual for a wher? He scowled, not admitting to himself that if he had attended any of the training, or even communicated with the others semi-regularly, he would probably know this.

"I'm sorry," the brown's handler called to him. "He doesn't mean it; he's just anxious!"

"I know," the dark man growled, his gaze going from her, to his bronze, and back. He surveyed the situation. The gold was approaching. The green and the larger bronze as well. He felt like he was in the middle, the central target of all attention. Panic swelled in his chest, and he swallowed it hard.

It would not do to lose control of his own emotions.

Bask raised his wings higher, bronze wings that dripped with bloody markings, and rattled them menacingly.

Baryn could feel the sweat beading on his face.

Bask snapped his jaws, showing razor sharp teeth.

You are causing this! His inner voice shouted. This is not the wher's emotion, this is yours! You are causing this, Baryn!

He remembered the encounter with the gold in the caverns. Bask was not aggressive then, but shared the catch with her. Was it just because it was a golden wher in his presence, or was it because Baryn himself felt no real threat from the girl?

He had to get himself under control ... or this situation could turn out very, very bad....

[C'lyn]

Poor Kisk was feeling completely surrounded and now the first bronze, Bask was rattling his wings and snapping his jaws. She began shifting from foot to foot, lowering her head so that her chin just barely skimming the stone floor as she wavered her head back and forth in as much of a submissive move as she was willing to make.

Keil shook his head and moved closer to his green, rubbing her stunted wings gently, soothingly as he looked around at the gathered handlers and their whers. This was unusual, they were usually all too busy to run into each other like this and they were all unused to being in the company of people, and to him, this small gathering was a large group.

He turned so that his back was closer to the wall and not open to any one. He wanted the others warily, feeling trapped between the two bronzes.

[Shikai]

Shandar’s mouth curved into a frown as his stomach rumbled, and Shask’s blunt, wedge-shaped head inclined back toward him as the wher both heard and felt his handler’s hunger. Though the sensation was not the wher’s own, Shandar felt Shask’s displeasure. His eyebrows raised slightly as he looked over at his partner of sorts. What? You care? He thought to the creature, not expecting Shask to comprehend and not at all minding if he didn’t. Shask snorted, turning his gaze back toward the dark hallway before them. No, Shandar thought, it was more likely that the creature didn’t like that unpleasant sensation seeping through their connection to him. Shandar eyed his wher as they turned a corner and headed for the lower caverns, face thoughtful.

It struck Shandar what a monster Shask was, a beautiful monster – sinuous and graceful as a serpent, with his surprisingly well-proportioned build for a wher. Yet with a pervading air of danger – not anger, per se, like some of his clutchsiblings, but a dark, brooding disquiet that could easily unsettle those who had not already known such darkness in their hearts. Such energy glowed in his eyes, like a dwindling fire that had not gone out, but settled, with an appearance at once tamed and yet dangerous, biding its time until the right wind would flare it into action.

It was a dark life they led, but all in all, it suited Shandar. Such was his reward. Such was his punishment.

Thinking though he was, Shandar’s mind was ever on the alert. Perhaps it could be said of him that he was hyper-vigilant, and that this wasn’t healthy. Shandar just thought of it as ‘prepared’. He noticed a shape looming in the hallway ahead of them, and caught the shifting emotions from Shask. The brown rumbled his respect to the gold wher as they approached, the respect due of all colors to one so much their superior in every way. Shandar’s eyes shut for a moment as he grimaced, having preferred to avoid an encounter with one of his fellow wherhandlers. Unfortunately, as he peered past the wher and her handler into the lower caverns, it seemed he had come at exactly the wrong time.

Amika was at the tables, Amisk beside her, and Shandar could make out one of the greens with the handler Shandar had yet to talk to. The larger of the bronzes was there, with…Tana…Tana- something or other, and so, he noticed with dismay, was the other bronze. If this wasn’t a recipe for disaster, he didn’t know what was.

Shandar looked down, noticing that the gold’s wherhandler was seated on the ground, and looked upset. He sighed, approaching her and holding out a hand.

“You ok?” He asked, tone somewhat brusque, as was common for him, but he really bore no ill will. Toward her, or any of the ‘handlers…for the time being, at least.