You Can't Escape [M, Anyone Welcome!]

Ph’yn you are late. The Bronze informed him as he finally entered his hut. “Late for what exactly?” The Bronzerider knew what the dragon was going to say. Perhaps he was missing the damned thing on purpose. He just wanted to relax for a while and not get involved in the politics of the Weyr. Surely lashing a runaway was not the way to win the Stolen’s respect. He did not like the way things were going around here lately and sure he could be doing something about it but why should he bother? No one at this forsaken Weyr would care a whit if he lived or died. Maybe some of the little urchins but only because he helped them sneak bubbly pies. Adults were infinitely more complex and much harder to create friendships with. He was actually happier being left to himself.

Some people probably thought he was completely insane. Not that he would blame them. He said little, did the work required of him and stayed in a hut that was as far from the center of Katila as possible. Which was why he was so very late on arriving at the square, there were too many people. The crowd was almost too much for him. He felt his heart pounding and his chest tighten. The feeling that everything was out of his control gripped him.
Ph’yn deep breaths, remember. Breathe in, breathe out. The people are not as many as you think. Look D’ren has come too. The dragon added as a way of distraction. Deshenoreth’s plan had worked, Ph’yn felt himself calming down and not feeling so panicked.

He had not witnessed the women shouting at the crowd or the knife fight challenge but what he was witnessing now was much much more amusing. The Weyrleader had come to set things straight, while the Weyrwoman sat and did nothing. He’d never been all that fond of Tsuen. It was her fault he was here after all. If Niriniath had not called Deshenoreth to join them, he would have been able to live alone for the rest of his life. Although he had no real beef with being here, he did not enjoy it.

D’ren he found to be a good leader for the most part, so his speech was not at all ignored by him. He agreed with the man. They needed to stop the pointless fighting and get on with living and trying to scrape out what existence they could here. Those who were pissed about being here would just have to get over it. As far as he was concerned they were being treated fairly by most of the populace. There were those, as always who created trouble for everyone and some of them were likely taking advantage of the Stolen’s situation. Not all dragonriders were the same and he would say the same for the Stolen. Some of them wanted to be here.

When D’ren had finished his long speech, Ph’yn applauded loudly. He did not care if he drew attention to himself. His support was for the Weyrleader and not some young women or the man who held the whip. The Weyrleader had thus far had his loyalty and would continue to have it. As far as politics went though, he would much rather stay out of the whole Stolen versus dragonriders issue. He was happy, well as happy as he would ever be, living his life simply. 

Do you think the leaders will discuss the sanity of the Weyrwoman now?
It is a possibility but there are those who influence her who are more responsible for this than she is.
Then you do not see a change in her?
Something has changed from when we first came here but I cannot figure it out nor is the Weyrwoman’s welfare my business.
Niriniath is your business. She is everyone’s business. Perhaps you should be more concerned. The fact that Ph’yn was not at all curious about the Weyrwoman or the lashings, perturbed the dragon. He knew Ph’yn didn’t want to grow attached to anything ever again. Most of his thoughts were consumed with protecting Deshenoreth from the world, meanwhile protecting himself in the process. The man was never going to live until someone forced him out of his walled existence.

The Bronzerider felt his dragon was being unfair, well a little. He understood what a Bronze’s duty to a Gold was, but that did not mean Ph’yn had any place in Tsuen’s business and D’ren should be able to handle it himself. Then again, Desh was part right, if he did not voice his concern then maybe he was failing the Weyr and himself and more importantly dishonoring his dragon. You are right. I will talk to D'ren first though. I want to know if there is something I can do to help if the Weyrwoman is out of sorts. D'ren may need some support if that is the case. For now though, I suggest you not tell anyone about what you think. The other dragons and riders of Katila were not necessarily the most trustworthy of people.