Poisoned (1/2)

Writers: Suzee, Miriah, Estelle
Date Posted: 21st September 2021
Series: Bad Meat!

Characters: R'ayl, Aviday, R'fal, Briata, Y'gel
Description: The warning about the bad meat comes too late for a hatchling
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 17 of Turn 10
Notes: Follows "DCW: Bad Meat!"

Aviday

Briata

Y'gel

"Listen - it's starting!"

R'fal waited with the group of weyrlingstaff and a few other
dragonriders who, like him, had volunteered to assist with the buckets
of chopped meat prepared for the newly hatched, starving dragonets. As
soon as the dragons began to hum, he'd hurried to help carry the buckets
out to the place near the entrance where the new pairs would emerge.
Now, all they had to do was wait.

Although he wouldn't get to see the eggs hatching, when he met Aviday's
excited gaze he knew he'd made the right choice about where to be. You
didn't have to be in the Stands to know what it meant that humming had
intensified and the noise of the crowd had dropped to a hush, to feel
that thrill of anticipation...

Suddenly, a cheer went up from inside the Hatching Grounds and R'fal
grinned, remembering the moment when his eyes had met Marlath's for the
first time. "Sounds like someone Impressed! We'd better get ready."

She couldn't help but feel her heart pound in time with the rhythmic
hums from the surrounding dragons. Aviday grinned at R'fal and picked
up her bucket, nearly bouncing on her toes. "I wonder if the first one
was a brown or a bronze? Or maybe a blue? I'm so excited! Do you
remember how busy you felt when you Impressed? It was like everything
was just going so fast!"

"I remember how hungry he felt! And how I couldn't believe he really
chose me." R'fal couldn't help smiling at the thought. Out there on the
Sands, someone would be feeling exactly the same way, overwhelmed by the
sensations of their new bond, their new life just beginning.

Turning to pick up his own bucket, he saw a brown firelizard perched on
the side, wings outstretched for balance while its long neck reached
down towards the chunks of meat. "Hey!" He made a swatting gesture as it
raised its head and swallowed. "Shoo! Those are for the hatchlings!"

Y'gel chuckled as he came through the door. "Let's get those out to
the hall where they'll be bringing the dragonets." He said to the two
younger riders. Then he looked at the flit. "He doesn't look so good."

Stitch squawked at R'fal in indignation as he was waved at, then
chittered as he hurriedly scooped another chunk into his mouth and
quickly chewed. As Y'gel approached the little brown gave a chitter of
recognition, then smacked his lips slowly. He licked his teeth and
then blinked, his swirling eyes becoming a rather sickly yellow as
they slowed. He hiccuped and tiny hands began hurriedly wiping at his
mouth as the hide around his lips and head knobs began to shift from a
vibrant brown to an ashy color. He hiccuped again, looked up at Y'gel
and shuddered with a soft creel.

R'fal blinked, confused, as he observed the firelizard's color change.
"That's strange. He was fine a moment ago." He crouched down beside the
bucket to look more closely. "He's not choking, Master. Do you think he
ate too much?"

"_No!_" Y'gel almost shouted **Poison** he'd seen that happen when a
dragon accidently ingested fellis. "Make him throw up," he shook his
head. It was probably already too late. "I think it's poison," he said
softly to the other two. "Take those buckets and put them in the
closet and cover them. we'll examine them later." He knelt with the
little flit and sent him an image of throwing up his food. **Please
no...** he was mindful of the warnings from the Weyrleaders.

"_Poison_?" For a moment R'fal stared at the Master Dragonhealer,
uncomprehending. Had something poisonous got into the buckets by
accident? How could that be possible? But the alternative, that someone
had deliberately tried to taint this meat, intended for the newly
hatched dragonets...it struck a chill to his heart.

It couldn't be, he thought as he picked up the bucket and started to
follow the others. The firelizard must have eaten something else
beforehand. But better to be safe, and they'd need more meat. **Marlath,
we'll need another beast, and quickly!**

He glanced behind him, then frowned.

"Wait. Where's Aviday?"

***

The first new weyrling to stumble out of the Hatching Grounds was a
young boy, hardly old enough to Stand and looking completely stunned by
what had just happened to him. His hand rested lightly on the head of a
dragonet with a sea-blue hide, his wings still damp from the egg, and he
looked anxiously around him, unsure of what to do.

"I think...they said there would be food for you..." Furayl's gaze found
a familiar face, the young greenrider he'd met on his first day.

With a bright, pleased smile, Aviday approached Furayl, lifting the
bucket. "I knew you could do it! What's his name? And what did he call
you?" She waved him over to the feeding area. "I've got just what you
need for him."

"His name is Delorth." The boy gazed down at his new lifemate in wonder.
"And...I have a new name now. He says I'm R'ayl."

The little blue nudged him, then looked at Aviday and licked his lips.
}:I'm hungry, R'ayl!:{

"Oh! Sorry. He says he's hungry. I should...Thank you!" Remembering what
he'd learned in the candidate classes, he took the bucket she offered
and reached inside.

****

Stitch stumbled towards Y'gel, knowing the man well from his time with
his pet. He creeled piteously, then catching the image from
Aughashyth, began to heave even as his skin grayed ominously. He
heaved again, bringing up a hunk of chewed meat, then wavered on his
feet.

"No, no, no," Y'gel picked up the little flit. "It may be too late,"
he said. **Tell Briata to warn all the dragons the meat is poisoned.
Do not eat what is in the pails.**

Stitch looked blearily up at Y'gel, then laid his head down with a
shuddering sigh. His hide grayed and he slumped, still and unmoving.

Braita was almost overwhelmed by the warning from Aughasyth and
reached out with all her might to warn all the dragons of the Weyr.
**Do not eat the Weyrling pails, They've been poisoned.**

Aughashyth added his bronze voice to hers. }: Meat in the pails is
bad. Bad Meat!:{

R'fal had already started running toward the entrance to the Hatching
Grounds, where the first hatchlings were starting to emerge with their
new riders, milling around in confusion as they heard the warning. His
heart jolted in shock as he caught sight of Aviday next to a young boy,
his hand reaching into the bucket she'd just handed him. "AVIDAY! Wait!"
He waved frantically at her. "Don't let him eat!"

The boy stared at him, his eyes as round as saucers. Too late, R'fal saw
the blood on his hand...and around the blue dragonet's jaws.

Last updated on the October 1st 2021

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