Terror in the Night (PG-17)

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 26th November 2017

Characters: K'yne, J'ackt, Ocktima
Description: A dream turns into a nightmare.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 9
Notes: PG-17 for descriptions of death
Rating: PG-17

K'yne

J'ackt

K'yne smiled, balancing on the balls of his feet as he padded barefoot
across the weyr. His stealth paid off because his victim was no wiser
when he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Gotcha!" He growled playfully.

Ocktima jumped in his arms and swatted him before leaning back to let
his hands settle on her swollen belly. "You jerk. I nearly peed
myself." There was a soft whuffle of amusement as a sleek grass-green
dragon watched them with an amused whirl to her eyes. "Oh shut it,
Marloth. You could have warned me."

There was a whoop as a small blonde haired boy slid down Marloth's
tail, landing in the water with a splash and a giggle. Ocktima sighed
and looked over her shoulder at K'yne. "Your son is going to have sand
in places he shouldn't. I'm going to let _you_ do the clean up this
time."

K'yne sighed, but it was a happy one as he put his arm around
Ocktima's shoulders and tucked her against his side. He didn't mind
having to clean up their son at all. "He likes the water so much it
makes me think he might have the Dolphincraft in his future."

Her arm went around his waist as she rested her head against his
shoulder. "He likes anything that can make a mess." She watched as
their son began to paddle towards Arinoth and grinned. "Arinoth is
awake, isn't he? Because he's about to be used as a bigger slide."

Before K'yne could answer Arinoth's head appeared, covering around so
that he could observe the blonde child crawling up his back flank. The
brown flattened his leg out some to make the climb easier.

"He's awake," K'yne grinned, one hand going to press against Ocktima's
belly. "I'm feeling certain this one is a girl, and we'll name her
after me, of course, Kynnara." He shot his weyrmate a toothy, teasing
grin.

Her brow rose as the child within her kicked at the pressure of his
hand. "She objects. Strenuously. " Shen smiled, kissing his cheek.
"We'll see when the baby is born, hm?" She turned and watched as their
son, declining to use Arinoth's tail, convinced the dragon to stretch
out his wing as a slide. She chuckled. "That boy isn't afraid of
anything." Her eyes filled with pride as she pointed it out to K'yne.

Their son, using the tip of Arinoth's wing to dive into deeper water,
splashed mightily and came up with a bob, his blonde hair still pale
despite the soaking. He saw them, waved and swam to the shore near
them. He pulled himself out and shot forward, jumping over rocks and
weaving with quick feet to near tackle his father. "Did you see? Did
you see?"

K'yne crouched and gathered his son in his arms, slinging him up onto
his shoulder like a sack of firestone, "I saw, scamp! I'm beginning to
think you're part fish." He toted the boy around, fingers reaching up
to tickle his vulnerable sides.

Legs kicked as the fingers found the ticklish spots, bringing laughter
and squirms. The boy pushed up against his shoulders. "I'm not a fish!
You're a fish!" There were further squeals and giggles. "Momma! Help!"

Ocktima laughed. "Oh, no. You're on your own, this time."

"You're all mine now! Momma can't save you!" K'yne growled playfully
as he waded out into the water and tossed his son into an area that
wasn't too deep, but good enough for a sound dunking. Arinoth enjoyed
watching the human antics, but his eye was on Marloth as he stretched
out his neck to rub noses with her.

The boy fell into the water with a plop, seemed to hop up out of the
water just as quickly. The happy smile in his eyes had vanished and
the boy looked solemn. The water dripping down his face almost
appeared to be tears as he stared up at K'yne with his mother's eyes.
" If I'm yours, then where did you go, Papa? Momma didn't save me at
all."

K'yne frowned as he knelt in the water and took his son by the
shoulders, "What are you talking about? I've been right here the whole
time. I've never left you, see?"

"Momma left me. You left me. Everyone left me." The boy's voice was
somber. "I was all alone. And I was so scared. I'm still scared cause
I see Mama like that. Can't you?" He lifted a hand to point behind
K'yne, towards his mother. As his hand lifted, there was the sound of
many dragons keening in grief.

K'yne's stomach dropped. In the reflection of his son's eyes he could
see flames. In the air he could smell smoke mingled with the scent of
something else burning... Slowly he turned and looked at where his son
pointed. The breath stole from his lungs and he lifted an arm to
shield himself from the heat of the flames.

"Ocktima!" His voice was a choked, strangled cry. There in the flames
was his beautiful weyrmate, and in her arms she held an infant, a
baby, a daughter. _Their_ daughter.

The partially burned face turned to him, eyes full of pain and grief
as she brought the limp infant to her breast. Bits of burned flesh
fell to the ground as her hair turned to ash and blew towards him. As
the ash got near to him, her voice could be heard. "I'm sorry. I'm so
so sorry. I tried to protect him. Please, forgive me, K'yne. Please
don't let him be alone. He's all I had of you...Forgive me." Her face
turned to coals, only the eyes remaining as they tried to burn in to
him. Eyes just like their son's. Slowly, her body and the infants
folded in on itself, crumpling into nothing but smoking ash and flame.
A howl of grief and rage erupted behind K'yne as their son rushed
forward, making as if to jump into the pile of coals to join his
mother.

"J'ackt!" K'yne lunged, bolting upright in his bed in the dark, wee
hours of the morning. A cold sweaty film covered his body and his
breathing was ragged. "Feck," he cursed as he panted. He reached up
and felt something wet on his face. Tears. Alone in his weyr, K'yne
sobbed into his hands, the first tears he'd shed since his brother had
died Turns ago. What was it young J'ackt had said to him in the dream?

**"You left me."** The brownrider gulped for air, his muscles
trembling. His mind replayed the part of the nightmare where Ocktima
was burning in the flames. **"Don't let him be alone."** K'yne ripped
the blankets away and scrambled onto the cool, stone floor, on his
hands and knees as he struggled for air.

Arinoth was alarmed, and pressed his head against the opening to the
inner weyr, one eye peering in. }:Rider? What is happening? Who is in
there?:{

K'yne twisted and laid on the floor, letting the coolness sink into
his skin as he draped his arm over his tear-stained face. "No one. No
one's here." He managed to gasp in between breaths. He'd never had a
nightmare like that before. He couldn't even think straight.

}:Should I call a healer?:{ Arinoth asked, eyes whirling with worry.

"No. No." K'yne shook his head, the back of it grinding against the
hard floor. "I just need some air." He rolled and pushed to his feet,
stumbling across his weyr as if he'd been drinking. He shoved into
clothes and boots and lurched out of his weyr, taking the path towards
the only person he could think of, Saibra.

Last updated on the November 27th 2017

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Terror in the Night (PG-17)