Now, Where Were We? [B'run, R'ana, R'nya, Open]

S'kef wrung his hands for just a moment, wiping a bit of sweat from the palms. It didn't come from fear, though perhaps a little bit was born from true anxiety. This new position was stressful; not beyond his ability to cope, but it was certainly prone to unwanted surprises. He'd expected some resistance to his new proclamations, but this was a little more than he'd planned for. It would have been amusing, were he not so sharding outraged.

He walked quietly, confident that R'nya would follow his directions and escort the troublemakers along behind him. By the time they'd made their way from the middle of the gather square to the outer edges, well away from the torch-lit festivities, S'kef had managed to reign his anger in a bit better.  When he spun on his heels to face the offenders, he was able to do so without the betraying twitch in the corner of his mouth or the slight shaking in his hands. His smile, however, was not even an effort to appear friendly.  He'd left that at the party, as well.

"You two have some nerve," he said quietly. He smirked. "...Ruining a party like that." He wasn't sure which one surprised him more.  B'run was typically out of the way and disinterested, but apparently S'kef had hit a button with him tonight. The brownrider unknowingly entertained the same thought as Olemuth; about time B'run started acting like a bronzerider, but what a night to do it! Better now than later, though. And R'ana was being unusually bold as well! S'kef had always thought her weak and worthless, not even worth the time to pay attention to. Perhaps she was more of a fighter than she seemed.

The bronzerider stepped forward silently, his face a blank mask. If R'nya had an opinion on the current events (which, honestly, he really didn't) there was no sign of it on his features. He nodded, once, at S'kef's order, and closed the distance between himself and the two trouble makers. R'nya ignored the scattering of grumpy weyrlings.

"Come." His voice was low, and R'nya reached out gently to R'ana, his hand coming to rest just above her elbow he gave it a reassuring squeeze before looking pointedly at B'run. He waited for the other bronzerider to move off before gently guiding R'ana into following. His presence was mild, and not overly threatening though he was ready to grab B'run by the scruf if needed and drag him along. His main concern was the greenrider.

Having dealt with Kahleena before in the throws of a panic attack, it was R'nya's very firm opinion that it was a very good idea to avoid such thing. Crying, wailing women who could not breathe were hardly fun to deal with and R'ana was definitely on the brink.

"Breathe," he murmured quietly, ignoring Xyreith and the people around them. When Skef stopped, R'nya released R'ana and stepped back, behind the pair and folded his arms behind his back. The bronzerider was a ease, but quite prepared to act if the Weyrleader required something of him.

/phone! Sorry xD

R'ana jerked as she heard her birthname for the first time in...years.  She controlled it, barely, the simple word enough to remind her that this was futile. 

S'kef took off and R'nya approached her first, gently squeezing her elbow in attempt to reassure her.  Her shakes didn't ease, and she was ashamed that he could feel them. 

When he started to move, she couldn't at first.  Getting fear frozen limbs to detangle and move was easier said than done and R'ana wanted nothing more than to run. 

She found her courage in B'run, oddly enough.  She still struggled to breathe, was still terrified half out of her mind, but she was moving forward at any rate. 

R'nya's guidance was gentle, gentler than she deserved.  She gave him a grateful glance.  While she knew she couldn't appeal to him for mercy, the gentleness helped.  Oh what on earth had she been thinking when she had stepped forward like that.  B'run.  The Gold candidates.  Par'a. 

R'ana stopped a moment and took a breath, then another.  Quietly she reached into a pocket for her worry beads, and counted aloud, murmuring the numbers in a voice that lost its shake between fifteen and twenty.  When she hit thirty she stepped forward, standing next to B'run.  Beads were pocketed and she reached for Shanith. 

No.  I'm not going home to wait for him to beat you and for you to lick your wounds before coming to me.  As if to punctuate her point, Shanith moved to stand by Olemuth, her nearly black silhouette barely seen in the dark of the night. 

R'ana still shook, but breathing was marginally easier, even if her breaths seemed to tear at her chest.  She felt the physical effects of her fear and pain, knew it would all catch up later, but for now, she was eeriely calm.  Detached.

Shanith nosed Olemuth gently in support then stilled, feeling her rider drawing further away from her by the second as she often did when she was preparing herself for a lashing.  It drew a moan from the green, the noise loud in the quiet this far from the party.

B'run took his gaze off S'kef long enough to watch Olemuth sit on his haunches and wrap his wing around Shanith. The dragon's eyes were still a vivid red, swirling rapidly and he was looming protectively over the green, as B'run was looming protectively in front of R'ana. His fair decided to make their appearance now, all three greens and the gold popping out if Between with hisses and chattering. Lovely claimed her place on his shoulders while Hush and Ali clung to his belt and forearm respectively. Brat took her place on R'ana's shoulder.

B'run gave her wrist a quick squeeze, glancing back to her before shifting his cool gaze back to S'kef as they were marched off. He looked unfocused, busy both planning with Olemuth and preparing himself mentally. He'd been through this before. Not a lash exactly, but strips of leather, belts or whatever else his father could get his hands on. A lash could be endured. Blacking out quick was, sometimes, a better option than trying to stay around and enduring. He walked stable enough for someone that had been drinking, though he swayed a bit and it took him a moment to stand still and straight when they stopped.

Relay to R'ana. That meant tell Shanith and have her tell her rider. Olemuth knew the routine. If it comes to lashing to back down. Give in. I'll endure the lash for us both.
Olemuth didn't like the idea of that, but he didn't like the idea of Shanith's distress if her rider was assaulted, either. Relayed. They do not approve. Are you sure this is what is best?
They can not approve all they want. She has Berani to worry about. I'll take the lash for her if it comes to it... No, but he's not weyrleader forever. He has no right to take their names from them.
What is the plan?
Worry about tonight first, love. We'll worry about the future when we know whether or not I'm going to be bleeding.

"Ain't a party 'till some'un gets loud." B'run replied, his tone cold and calm. He didn't know how he was managing to be so calm if it wasn't Olemuth's doing. While the dragon was endlessly calm and level headed, he knew that the big bronze was upset because his rider was. And his rider was doing his damnedest to keep calm. Lovely, the golden flit wrapped around B'run's neck, hissed at S'kef and pressed her cheek to B'run's, crooning in an attempt to comfort him. B'run didn't so much as move. He kept a widened stance, trying to remember how many drinks he'd had.

He wasn't that drunk. He was sober enough to know he was probably going to get his ass handed to him. But he was drunk enough to not care. It wasn't right and that was B'run's weakness. He felt obligated to defend those that couldn't defend themselves. S'kef rode a brown. He outranked the blue and green riding women he was, in B'run's mind, attacking. They couldn't stand against him. B'run rode a bronze. He could. And would. And had. Of course, he was probably a bloody idiot for doing so, but he had.

Gonna be stupid again, love.
I'm not surprised.
Tell R'ana... Tell 'er I might love her.
Possibly the least stupid thing you've done tonight.
Don't speak too soon. There's still time.

S'kef took a moment to look between the two troublemakers, appraising eyes filled with skepticism and disdain now that they were away from the main assembly. There was no reason to honey his words or watch his body language here, with only the offenders and a non-problematic bronzerider to deal with. R'nya's presence was quite welcome just the same; S'kef liked the insurance. It meant he didn't have anything to worry about if B'run decided to start something funny, not that S'kef was inclined to worry anyhow. He liked to have all his bases covered, however.

B'run was a stout man, but the pair of them had never come into conflict before. Even when S'kef was Weyrsecond, B'run seemed to have made a point out of avoiding him. The bronzerider didn't have any record of trouble, but he didn't have any record of accomplishment either. He wa another one of those stay-out-of-the-spotlight types.  It was nice to finally know where the scoundrel stood.

Ravana was another matter. She was weak, and while S'kef had initially wondered if he'd underestimated her, now he was certain he had not. She'd withdrawn in the time it took to walk from the party to the edge of the square, and she seemed to be almost relying on R'nya's 'comforting' touch. Go figure. She was obviously terrified, though S'kef would at least concede that she wasn't wailing. That was more than he'd come to expect from some pitiful greenriding woman.

"I'm sorry you don't like the new terms, but I'm afraid they are non-negotiable," he said to both of them, gaze falling particularly heavy on B'run. "...And public challenges are entirely uncalled for." He reached for his whip, which he'd taken to carrying with him at all times once more. He reached out with his free hand and motioned for Ravana to approach him. She was the weaker of the two....better that the strong one watch her be punished first. Were it the other way, she would perhaps gain some strength from the bronzerider. He couldn't have any of that, now could he?

R’nya watched the backs of the two with quiet assurance, not at all worried about them getting any more excited than they previously had been. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe it impossible, quite the opposite. R’ana  – Ravana, there was a smugness in the bronze’s voice – looked like she was about to pass out, and was shaking more than a leaf during one of Katila’s summer storms. The effect it was having on her dragon was also not lost on R’nya, or upon his own dragon, as Xyreith materialised out of the darkness, eyes a hot and vivid red as he glared menacingly at the pair from behind S’kef. He’d have stood behind R’nya, but the entire effect would have been wasted.

R’nya’s gaze shifted to the back of B’run’s head as the man spoke, and while there wasn’t so much as a flicker of emotion on his features, disapproval rippled through R’nya. Just because the Weyr had a reputation for brawls – and Katila had a serious issue when it came to parties getting overly excited – didn’t give the partygoers an excuse to go to it looking for trouble. Quite the opposite, R’nya would have expected a bronzerider to mind his manners and help keep the excitable in line, not jump at provocative comments. Then again, the fool was drunk. What could anyone expect out of a drunkard?

R’nya didn’t so much as blink when S’kef reached for his whip, the bronzerider’s gaze instead shifting to B’run, watching him carefully in case the other bronzerider decided to be a handful once more. Xyreith rumbled threateningly under his breath, his heated gaze locked on the other dragons.

Shanith leaned into Olemuth, the green shaking as hard as her rider was.  She felt R'ana's absolute terror, knew that it was the only thing visible to the others.  What R'ana refused to let anyone see was the determination and fury that rode her harder than the fear. 

She relayed messages from Olemuth.  Her rider's stubborn determination to see this through had her telling Olemuth, R'ana feels she betrayed him once before.  She won't let it happen again if she can help it.  And she thinks even if she backed down entirely now, S'kef would still lash her.  She called him out publicly and examples have to be made.

She was hesitant about relaying the last one now, feeling R'ana's shock and awe.  Shanith spoke to Olemuth after a moment.  R'ana loves him, even if she doesn't know the word for what she feels is love yet.  The green nuzzled the bronze gently, trying to give him a bit of comfort, hidden as she was by his wing.

She felt the shock and awe knock R'ana from the place she went to hide from pain, wishing with all her might she could hug B'run right now.  She wouldn't give S'kef that much information.  He would use it against them.  That was relayed quietly too. 

R'ana watched S'kef beckon to her, and debated seriously opting to do this the hard way.  No.  He would get R'nya to bring her willing or not and she liked the bronze rider too much to make him force her into submission. 

She slipped past B'run, only taking a moment to get Brat to go to him.  Her eyes showed her fear for him, and she nearly touched him before checking the action and coming to stand before S'kef. 

She was dead quiet now, still shaking like a leaf and strugling to breathe and debating her next action.  Well, in for the firelizard, in for the dragon.  R'ana's about to be stupid.  She's too scared, and pissed to think straight.  She warned Olemuth quietly.  "Looks like I was wrong about you weyrleader.  I said you were more than a jumped up bully of a brownrider, just last week."  She shifted then, widening her stance to better absorb what happened next, the bands around her chest tightening, though she refused to back down, even an inch. 

B'run's knuckles popped as he clenched his fists. Olemuth roared again, rearing on his hind legs and unfurling his wings. The man's eyes darted to the whip and while fear lumped in his throat, his voice came out a vicious growl instead. He was so very thankful that it didn't waiver. "I'll take her's. Maybe you'll get lucky and I'll bleed out." His eyes locked on S'kef's again and he spat to the side. He wanted a drink. "Whipping her proves you care about women's opinions. Whipping me doubly shows you think she follows my lead. Which is it, Brownrider? Woman got you scared?"

What are you doing?
Pissin' on boots. What are you doing?
Planning how to save your sorry hide.
Worry about R'ana. I can handle the lash better than she can.

The bronze wrapped himself around Shanith as though by protecting the dragon he could protect the rider. Red eyes swirled rapidly, wanting to do something to help but not knowing how to interfere without landing B'run in more trouble than he already was in.

Lovely wrapped around B'run's neck hissed and his fair of greens let out screeches of anger, their eyes red. For all the man was surrounded by women he certainly had a pair on him. He was talking quick, wanting to provoke S'kef into leaving R'ana alone. "She's scared. Fear that something migh' come down on you is a whole lot scarier than it happenin'." Come on you power crazed lunatic. Listen! B'run's voice had lowered, like he was doing his best to keep others from hearing. His eyes flicked up to Xyrieth, though he dismissed the dragon and went back to S'kef. The bronze wasn't S'kef's, B'run wasn't concerned about him. Olemuth had already proven that he couldn't be pushed in one direction or the other.

S'kef didn't let their quips bother him. He couldn't be certain of the motives. Maybe they were trying to trick him into reacting differently, maybe they were trying to save their hides, maybe they were trying to justify their actions...it didn't matter much. S'kef was a firm believer in punishing insubordination, and no mind tricks or baiting tactics would work! His anger was also a factor, but by now it had cooled into stone-cold pragmatic dispassion.

"Don't be so quick to judge," S'kef said as he motioned for Ravana to turn around and kneel. He was patient on the surface, eager to keep his composure in spite of the annoying outbursts. "Had you approached me in private, or even calmly, I'd have gladly discussed the issue with you. You should know better than to risk the peace with such a childish outburst, you foolish girl." Hot-blooded Katilan fools. S'kef didn't have the luxury of exploding over every minor issue like all of his idiot peers...at least not anymore. Self-restraint was a hard-won trait for him, and shards if he wasn't still learning. If he had to choke on it, they did, too.

Once the girl was in position, S'kef shamelessly raised his whip. He drew his arm back and snapped it across her back with a steady and forceful hand, layering ten stripes across her thin shoulders, one right after the other. Now, S'kef had always enjoyed dealing out physical punishments, even during his wingsecond days back at Telgar. He'd reached a peak of his sadism here at Katila, and pretty much everyone concluded as much after seeing what he'd done to B'jin. Ravana didn't hold that same sort of sway over him, and an increased sense of responsibility (perhaps maturity) and a focus on duty had dulled the edge a bit, but S'kef still enjoyed punishing fools for their wrongs.

"You know as well as I that Katila has a long history of hotheads like you making a scene over small issues," he scolded her, though his words did not exclude B'run. The bronzerider had said plenty of piss S'kef off over the course of the evening, but he was just letting it pile up for now. He was going to repay the bastard presently. "Be more conscious of your tongue in the future and hopefully we won't have any more incidents like this." Worthless wench. "Now get the fuck out of my sight."

Now then...the main event. S'kef's patronizing expression dropped off a bit as he turned to face B'run. Scumbag! "Now then, bronzerider B'run...I believe you are a guilty party here as well, aren't you?"

He took a step closer. "On your knees," he growled.

Her words had been a last defiance, and it was with a tinge of traitorous relief that she saw S'kef preparing to lash her.  Punishment usually meant that the situation was over, except for the healing and the crying and R'ana knew she could take a lashing. She had taken enough of them that while she did fear the lash, it was the same as the fear as she felt for Shanith's flights.  Terrifying, often unpleasant and with lasting consequences, but manageable.

Her green shrank into Olemuth who was curling around her, nosing him and creeling in soft appeal.  She let out no other noose after that, literally tucking her face under his wing and doing her damndest to hide.  Shanith had never seen hers get lashed before, and was confused by what she felt from hers now. 

Punishment wasn't supposed to be like this...Was it?  Usually hers went into a room fine, their conenction shut down and R'ana came out whitefaced and insisting she was fine.  Shanith had tended to believe her, though was confused by R'ana often making a stop by healing hall on her way home from such times.  While R'ana was sore for a few days after, the green was usually encouraged to ignore it and go about her day.  Why wasn't this like that? 

It was a confused Shanith that curled up into a small ball of green, pressing agianst Olemuth and shaking, her mind a cacophany of fear and confusion for hers.  A mental touch from R'ana was enough to help her, as it often was.  R'ana telling her that she was fine and she could get through this.  Except if she was fine, why were R'ana and B'run so frightened of the other one getting punished?  If this didn't hurt too much why was R'ana so scared of B'run getting punished as she would?

She was babbling to Olemuth about it, her mind voice quiet scared, asking the poor bronze over and over again why hers was so scared of B'run getting hurt if being lashed was no big deal.  She was unaware of R'ana taking her shirt off and using it to cover her front until the greenrider's voice cut through her haze of fear and confusion. 

"Don't want to ruin my best shirt.  Can't replace it for a bit."  R'ana knelt, trying her best to reassure Shanith until she felt Olemuth reassure her that he had her under control.  R'ana took a moment before she knelt, taking a breath and forcing her muscles to stay relaxed.  Tensing only made any damage worse. 

Her back showed why she had charged into making things worse for herself in hopes it would spare B'run a bit of the pain that would come from this.  Old lash scars were getting too common a sight on a dragonrider's back, but R'ana knew her and B'run's were amoung the worst in the weyr. 

To her surprise, when she knelt, B'run knelt in front of her.  R'ana looked at him and he spoke quietly.  "Look at me."  It was a command, one she followed, reaction to that tone ingrained into her from years of being lowest on any given totem pole.  Her eyes showed concern for him, the greenrider fretting over him even now.  She knew her terror showed in her shaking, though she made no noise as B'run talked to her, telling her to think of him, her daughter, washing Shanith.

Ten lashes fell across her back, and she bit through her lip to avoid crying out at the last three, wide eyes locked to B'run's.  He was speaking to her, had been the entire time, though making out words was tough right now.  She got the intent and it helped, gave her warmth and courage to hold against the pain.  She flexed her muscles after, S'kef's words running together in her ears.  She got the impression that she was being scolded, but couldn't make out exact words, her blood rushing to her head as it was and her body seeming to float in a haze of pain.

She needed help getting up, B'run guiding her to her dragon.  She had to be coaxed into letting go, not hearing what he murmured to her.  Shanith touched her nose to R'ana's shoulder, her efforts to protect R'ana having been blocked by one of the three present dragons.  She now pulled just free enough of Olemuth to hook a paw around R'ana and yank her into the protection afforded by green and bronze hide.  R'ana yelped as she was yanked forward, blackness teasing the edges of her vision as she felt the impact on her back. 

She nearly fainted, but reached for Olemuth as soon as she could fight back the darkness.  Talking slurred her words, so she resorted to trying to talk to the bronze mentally.  Olemuth.  When I was lashed before...I'm fine Shanith....When I was lashed before, Shanith projected love and reassurance to me.  It...I'm fine Shanith...helped.  Maybe it'll help B'run with this.  I tried, but he's gonna get the worst of it.  I'm fine, Shanith!  She wasn't though, and the dragon knew it, trying to gently lick R'ana's back where the whip had split old scar tissue.  R'ana flinched away, but Shanith followed, doing her best to clean the wounds, creeling softly for R'ana to hold still. 

R'ana watched B'run, trying her damndest to get her vision to focus.  He was going to get hurt, and it was all her fault.  It's not your fault.  If you hadn't spoken up yourself S'kef wouldn't be so mad and he'd only get punished a little instead of made an example of but...  R'ana didn't hear the rest.  Panic overtook her at the realization that she had indeed made it worse for B'run and she suddenly couldn't breathe.

Bands tightened around her chest, causing her to gasp for air.  R'ana struggled to breathe, and Shanith panicked over it.  She reached for Xyreith, since Tyrrisath was not going to be of help and Olemuth had his paws full with B'run.  Mine can't breathe!  Yours helped calm her before, please get him to help?  Firelizards came out of between, B'run's fair settling on Olemuth and Shanith, R'ana unaware of Brat nuzzling her and trying to soothe the panic. 

[B'run and Olemuth powerplayed with permission from Rune.]

Olemuth's voice was as calm as ever.

He will bleed.

He knew full well what B'run was walking into. He'd been through it before. He wrapped his wings around Shanith and R'ana, crooning his comfort to them and watching as B'run calmly walked forward. He stripped off the vest and shirt, threw them at R'nya as he spat to the side. "Hold those, will ya? Girls, go to Olemuth." His fair took to the air, eyes still red, but they swarmed the bronze, standing out brightly on his dark hide. He locked eyes with S'kef and he smiled.

B'run the Bastard smiled.

He turned his back, dropped to his knees and kept his gaze on the ground. The whip slithered across the ground. Silence, in S'kef's hands. It fell back. Crack! B'run screamed and Olemuth roared, rising up and spreading his wings. "You stay back!" B'run snarled at his dragon. His fair of fire lizards rose into the sky, confused by the pain and wanting to help but that would be disobeying. They cried their confusion and swarmed over Shanith and Olemuth.

Crack!

His cry was quieter than time. Blood dribbled out of his mouth as he bit his tongue in an effort to keep from crying. His back was already a mess of scars and these would only add to it. He wanted a smoke. He wanted a drink. He wanted to shove a woman into the dirt and fuck her. He wanted to wash Olemuth. He wanted to hold Berani and watch her play with Brat. He wanted to mock A'liran and watch the greenrider laugh at him. He wanted to do anything but -

Crack!

Olemuth bellowed his rage, sound carrying across the weyr. "Stay there, love. Stay there. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Just pain. It goes away. Just pain... You stay there. I'll be fine. Lovely, don't you-"

Crack!

He spat blood to the side and did his best to stay upright. Four. He was at four. How many had S'kef said? Had he said? At what number would he stop? Had he missed a lash? His body felt like it was on fire. Pain was all he could focus on and any attempt to clear his mind and dwell on other things failed. He blocked Olemuth out. Blocked Lovely, Hush, Brat and Ali out. He shut down and shouted his own rage as his dragon had.

Crack!

Five? Was that five? He didn't know. He gritted his teeth. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! He could feel blood dribbling down his back and, strangely, worried over whether or not it would come out of his pants. Jisralna would know. He didn't hear the whip. Didn't feel it. He was thirsty.

Crack! Of course. It couldn't have been easy. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! B'run slumped forward. But then silence came again. S'kef was saying something, but B'run couldn't hear. Blood was pounding in his ears and he reached out for Olemuth. He rose up, staggering to the side. Drinking before a lashing was never a good idea. He'd have to keep that in mind. Clumsily, he reached for his clothes,  pausing to spit yet again. At least his cheek had stopped bleeding. "We done here?" His vision swam.

He didn't wait for an answer. He wanted to sleep forever and wanted the comfort of a woman's arms - Shells, he'd take the comfort of a man's arms at this point -and his dragon's hide. He wanted to bathe in numbweed. His world spun and he paused in his walking to let the world fix itself. He doubled over and retched, wine and dinner hitting the ground.

Somehow he made it to Olemuth's side and leaned against the bronze. He crooned and kept the fair from swarming his rider. Quietly, the bronzerider glanced towards R'ana. "You okay? Think you can make it to a hut?" He didn't care if he bled all over someone else's hut at this point. He just wanted to bleed laying down. "Ali, go find Jisralna." The green chirped and obeyed, disappearing Between.

The bronzerider didn’t so much as twitch as S’kef laid the whip into Ravana, the man’s gaze only shifting to keep a subtle eye on B’run and make sure he wasn’t about to cause issues. When the other man approached the kneeling woman, R’nya’s weight swayed forward, but he did not move. Careful eyes watched, analysing B’run’s body language to make sure he was not about to launch at S’kef. He was not sure that the man was quite that gusty, but given all the events that had lead up to that moment, R’nya was not prepared to risk another Weyrleader’s life by not being alert enough.

R’nya watched expressionlessly as Ravana was escorted back to her dragon, then the man’s gaze shifted back to B’run, watching him carefully. Only after the first three lashes has been laid down upon the other man’s back did R’nya settle into his weight a little. The likelihood of the man bolting was minimal, now he was on his knees and while R’nya kept an eye on him, he did not feel he needed to be ready to pounce upon him at any moment.

Sir, Xyreith’s droll tone wove easily into the bronzerider’s sober mind, and stormy grey eyes shifted to look up at his dragon. An eyebrow twitched slightly, and the mild impression of a ‘yes?’ was given, though no actual thought formed. The woman. The bronze’s dismissive tone was as dry as ever, but still his rider turned slightly to see the greenrider clearly panicking and R’nya’s face shifted slightly; Irritation.

Walking purposefully, R’nya forced himself into the protective bauble that had formed around Ravana by green and bronze dragons, his own hissing menacingly at both dragons and firelizards should they even think about attacking his human. R’nya’s hand reached out, again gripping Ravana by her elbow and forcing her to turn around. While his touch was gentle, it was also firm. “Look at me.” A quiet demand, his tone warmer than the emotionless mask he wore on his face. “Breathe. Deeper, focus, girl. Breathe in… Hold it… release. Again. That’s a girl.”

What was it with women and panic attacks? R’nya continued to guide her, speaking lowly and gently. His other hand rose to gently hold her by the other elbow when he noticed how unsteady she was. Too much adrenaline, too much oxygen; she’d pass out if she didn’t get control of herself soon, and R’nya really didn’t want to be carrying an unconscious woman to the Hall and getting blood all over himself. Dressed in his best, and quite looking forward to making the girls beg him for dances, R’nya was far more anxious to get back to the party.

When the sound of B’run speaking, and the S’kef was talking, R’nya returned his attention to the Weyrleader, allowing Ravana to make her personal space her own once more the bronzerider stepped away from them and the dragons and turned to look at S’kef. He did not think the Weyrleader would require his presence any longer – trouble had been handled, after all – but he still saluted respectfully. “Will that be all, Sir?”

S'kef had always enjoyed this sort of thing more than he should. Nothing quite equaled the smug satisfaction that he got from smashing B'jin to pieces that day, or the true and legitimate pleasure that he got from doing the same to his sweet J'ver, of course. It was still supremely satisfying to put these smug little hooligans in their place. He had to suppress a grim smile as he felt his whip connect each time, and his ears honed in on each gasp and cry, all serving as his own rewards for a job well done.

He could still remember the days when he could get away with anything, when D'ren was blind to all of his actions. He still remembered the fear that came whenever he moved through the Weyr, the way they turned their eyes and whispered his name like a curse. Things had changed since then, but he still felt that same sense of power and hunger. It was all they deserved for their traitorous behavior. It was all he deserved for his hard work. Until the thugs and rebels that made up the Katilan population learned their lessons, there would be nothing but chaos and heartache in their miserable little jungle hovel. D'ren had asked nicely for them to shape up, but S'kef had every intention of making them.

Look at them all. It's like they were begging to be pointed in the right direction, and they didn't even know it yet.

When he was done, he stepped away. He watched in silence as B'run and Ravana composed themsleves, the latter only with help from R'nya. "You're dismissed," S'kef said, nodding politely to R'nya, though he assumed that the others understood that they were included as well. Behind him, Tyrrisath let out a low growl and pushed his snout forward, red eyes locking onto B'run in particular, the one who had dared mock his color. Tyrrisath had never been too hung up on the fact that he wasn't a bronze, but anything that vexed his rider vexed him as well. Tyrrisath would soon forget the slight, but S'kef would not.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a graduation to attend." He needed to go back and make nice to the crowd..and remind them that if anything else went wrong, he had no problem with a repeat performance.

Shanith let R'nya by, shrinking further into Olemuth to do so.  B'run's lashing was hurting R'ana worse than her own.  R'ana was shaking as she forced ehrself to watch.  Bear witness. 

It was destroying her to watch him brought low like this, to see S'kef hurting him and to know she was too weak to charge him to try and do something, anything to help.  Three lashes in and a touch turned her from the sight.  Shanith's move to keep her from watching was unnoticed until R'ana fought for a bare instant, then obeyed. 

She shook her head, she couldn't breathe it hurt to breathe when everything hurt so damn much.  She did so though, and the pain sharpened as she did, then shattered, enough so to let her think a bit.  She wasn't feeling her own pain yet, too panicked over B'run's lashing.

Eyes dilated, she met R'nya's and gripped him back.  She used his guidance, humiliated at needing it.  But in the end, when the last lash fell and S'kef spoke, R'ana was herself, then pain and panic locked in a ball of spikes in her chest. 

When Tyrrisath moved, R'ana strode forward, putting herself between B'run and the brown.  Only when she realized he would just glare at B'run did she turn and gently wrap her arms around him, making sure to keep her grip low enough that he wouldn't hurt from the hug. 

R'ana held him for a long moment, then murmured, "I can.  Mine's fairly close."  Her voice was steady, too steady.  Shock was beginning to set in...they needed to find shelter, and help.  Fast.  She looked at him.  "Can you?"  She shifted so he could lean on her and tried her best to get them moving towards her hut.  It was going to be a long long night.