Do The Unthinkable

Writers: Suzee, Miriah, Clancey
Date Posted: 21st April 2014

Characters: Felyna, Crolarin, Benani
Description: An unexpected visitor causes an extreme reaction
Location: Amber Hills Hold, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 23 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Zathris, Corowal

Felyna

Benani

She shivered drifting in and out of consciousness. Many times she
awoke in the dark disoriented and unaware of her surroundings. Other
times she woke fairly clear headed, but when she tried to move she
found her hands bound and her body still sore from the beating she'd
received. _That_ she remembered.

She shouldn't have tried to run away, then he wouldn't have had to
beat her. Benani didn't realize it but she was already being changed
by his treatment of her.

After a time she began to recall and internally sobbed at her
situation. Crolarins incessant news about Zathris and his new Lady
confused her. How could Zathris have abandoned her to her fate so
easily. He had loved her or so she thought. He couldn't believe she'd
run away of her own free will no matter what her new husband told her.
But though she'd waited day after day, he'd never came and her hope
had slowly died.

Sometimes in her dreams she held one of the boys, either Zathan or
Benaris. The baby body lax in a sleep that only an infant can achieve.
But now another woman held them and she would never even see them
again. Tears leaked between her lashes but she move slowly to wipe
them away. 'He' would be angry with her again if he saw her tears and
she would have no chance to explain before the punishment began.

Only a single glow lit the area where they lay. Crolarin's soft
breathing told her he was asleep which was very rare. Usually he was
awake any time she awoke. At first she couldn't explain why that was
but she was grateful for the wine he gave her for the pain. When she'd
drunk it she floated in an uncaring cloud and his incessant demands on
her body resulted in only pleasure when he chose to give it. The wine
took away her fear and pain, both mental and physical. She didn't know
enough to recognize the addition to fellis that had claimed her.

A small scratching sound followed by a soft chirp drew her attention
to the top of the curtain rod that separated the small privy area from
the rest of the cave.

Her eyes widened to see what looked like Felyna's little flit staring
down at her. Her heart thudded in her chest with a moment of hope but
she didn't make a sound. She could see a note tied to his leg but she
had nothing to tempt him to her nor a way to reply.

With her hands tied the way they were she couldn't get out of bed
without waking the man who held her captive, she could only stare.

10 or so days after Benani disappeared, word had come by flit asking for
help at Emerald Falls.

When the word had come, Felyna had been completely crushed. Benani
was one of her best, closest friends. Benani had saved her when she
had lost her precious son, Felwal. And, Benani had been trying to
help her save her marriage, too.

Her heart broke for Zathris, too, for she knew their match was a love
match the way that her's and Corowal's was not.

After speaking to Corowal at length, she had finally thought it safe
to leave her husband and the Hold for a little while, to go and help.
She could not stand the thought of what was happening or might have
happened to her friend. She put her emotions aside as she was
accustomed to doing, and packed for a long journey.

Not wanting to wait out the runner ride, she had asked for a ride from the
Weyr.

A couple of days after word came, she had shown up at Amber Hills with
her flit and her luggage.

She had stayed busy 'helping' as was needed, and had finally got a
brilliant idea. It was not around 3 sevendays since Benani had
disappeared and things were getting desperate.

Xebex was long used to going to Benani with their letters and notes.

Maybe the blue could find her now....

She whistled for her flit and settled him on her knee with treats in one
hand.

**Benani. Can you find her?** She put the picture she always used to
send him to Benani - her friend curled up in a chair with her sewing -
and said it again. **Find her only. Find her and remember
where she is. Can you do that?**

Xebex chittered uncertainly. He didn't know where she was, but he
was willing to look. **If you find her, remember. Remember and come
right back, understand?** She used pictures more than words, but the
words were behind the pictures.

She sent him off with a belly full of treats and waited.

After several tries, Xebex had finally appeared in the place
the-person was. His person had sent him to find this-person.
This-person-she always gave him treats when he found her. Would she
give him treats now?

He chittered softly, his eyes whirling in uncertainty. This-person
was not alone. Usually this-person called him and offered treats but
this-person was just sitting still.

He chittered again. Treats?

He did have a note for this-person but she didn't call him. And
his-person-Felyna had said come right back. He looked up and around.
_remembering_.

He chittered again and crept out into the room coming closer. Treats?

His eyes whirled faster as he took in the scene _remember_ she had said.

Come-right-back. come-right-back. He crept out a little more, not
making another sound. Come-right-back. Come-right-back. He
_remembered_.

With another croon and a pop, he disappeared /between/.

Crolarin woke to the glimpse of the flit disappearing and he jerked to
a sit, his eyes immediately panicked. His gaze swung to Benani, eyes
angry. "What flit was that?" He leapt off of the bed. "Whose _flit was
that_?!"

"I don't know," she lied automatically. Her last glimpse had made her
think it was Xybex. "It was blue," she curled up expecting a blow.

He grabbed a hold of her hair and pulled her head back. "Don't you lie
to me. Don't you ever lie to me. What was it doing here?" He stared
down at her and released her. "It doesn't matter." He grimaced. His
plans at the hold would have to be hurried and swift. Now that the
Guard Captain was better, he'd have to be taken care of permanently.
He'd have to do it quickly and without being seen by too many. "We're
leaving soon anyway."

Fear darkened her eyes and she squeeked as her eyes teared from the
yank on her hair. "I didn't do anything," she whispered. But then his
words struck a note. "Leaving?"

He nodded firmly and looked down at Benani, his brow arched."Of
course. As soon as the roads clear. You didn't think we'd stay here
forever, did you?" He shook his head. "No, we're to find a nice quiet
cothold, far away from here and you'll give me plenty of children.
We'll be a family."

Family, she both loved and hated that word now. The meaning it had
once held was fading and was lost to her now. Crolarin had made sure
of that. But it sounded like he would let her be a mother again. "I
didn't mean anything," she said softly.

Crolarin looked down at her for a long moment, his eyes dark and deep
in thought. Finally, he bent to brush his lips over her brow. "You
didn't try to get it to come to you, so I'm not angry with you. But if
that thing comes again, you're to kill it."

There were just so many things wrong with that statement but her eyes
narrowed and she raised her bound hands. "How?"

"Lure it close. Break its neck." He arched a brow. "Tear a wing and
leave it for me. But you're not to let it leave again."

"I can't," she said softly. She wasn't trying to defy him, she knew
well enough want a bad ideat that was. It was just... she'd never
taken a life of any kind and didn't have the faintest clue how to do
it.

"You will."
---
Meanwhile, Xebex had reappeared to Felyna, his eyes whirling in fear
and confusion. His little mind was overloaded with images and her
instructions to remember.

Felyna pulled her agitated flit close, and he climbed up her arm,
hiding beneath her hair.

"Shhh.. Xebex, its alright, little love. You're safe, its alright."
She kept speaking softly to him for several moments until he poked his
head out a little, making a softer, more hesitant version of his croon
that asked for treats.

She tried frantically to sort through the images that he had sent.
She saw Benani clearly, tied up and looking very much in danger. She
looked beaten, both physically and emotionally, though it was hard to
see the layers of distress from just the image.

The blue flit was holding onto an image of a cave along with his
strong image of Benani. There had been someone else with her, but
Xebex had not gotten a clear picture of him. It was a man, that was
clear. There had been a brief snap of a face right before Xebex came
back to her, but it was not clear to her who it might be, or if he was
even recognizable. The low light had not affected Xebex's sight, but
he had been scared by Benani not calling him over and by something
wrong in the room. Some "wrong feeling".

It was more than they had known.

Scared to death for her friend based on the images Xebex was
providing, yet happy to have something to report, Felyna raced off
through the Hold halls - in a very unladylike manner - looking for
Zathris. She had to tell him what Xebex had found! Maybe they
could send Xebex again, assuming she could convince him to go a second
time.

Last updated on the April 23rd 2014

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Do The Unthinkable