A Gathering of Dragons Chapter Fourteen

Lady Ayvril of Bitra looked out from her high perch on one of the walls of her hold to the edges of her lands and smiled a small satisfied smile to the chill morning air. It had been a year since the Council meeting in which her lover, the former Lord Kereth of Nabol, had been ousted from his position as Lord Holder. A year since her son had openly defied them both, threw his lot in completely with his Weyr, and let the mother who had birthed and raised him down. And she had had such high hopes for the young lad too. Oh well, she could always conceive another child.

She saw the vague stirrings of life out among the trees, past the fields where her holders worked the lands. During the past year, Lady Ayvril, and also Lord Kereth, had been busy indeed. The first thing Lady Ayvril had done after her lover had been taken to one of the far away and uninhabited islands on the farthest eastern chain and left there with only the things he needed to survive, was to hire out a ship and crew to sail the waters over to the island and bring him back. They had had to keep and unusual schedule to avoid getting caught out in Threadfall, but after three and a half months had managed to get him safely back to the main continent and smuggle him up to Bitra Hold. In the interim that she had been waiting for Lord Kereths return, Lady Ayvril had hardly been idle.

She had gathered all of the bandits, cutthroats and Raiders in her employ within her borders, and had them set up camps in the woods, keeping their activities on the downlow. She had made sure that their presence would be a secret, not that she thought any of her loyal holders would say anything, but one never could tell after all. She'd turned the camps into training grounds where she had her best and most capable fighters training the raiders from their rough-and-tumble style into something more refined and effective.

Lord Kereth was down there now, as a good commander should be, among their loyal followers...loyalty could be easily bought among ones such as those after all. Greed was the main driving force behind the Raiders, greed and profit. That was something she understood, if they could gain control of many different Holds, they could easily afford to pay their troops. Tribute would flow in from across the lands, enriching Bitra Hold and raising it to the status of the center of the world. ((A.N. Like the city of Rome in the days of the Ancient Roman Empire.)) Lady Bitra herself would amass great power and wealth, their plan was fool proof.

Lady Ayvril chuckled to herself in anticipation. Everything was almost in readiness. After years of careful planning and a whole thirteen months of preparation, at last they would get evrything that they wanted. In the course of a few months, Pern would lie at their feet.

"The Agenothree tanks you requested have been acquired my lady," said Horik, one of her liaison's with her little army.

Lord Kereth had come up with the perfect strategy for foiling any attempts by the Dragonriders to interferre with her hostile take-over. Attack when they least expected it, when they would be too busy doing their duties to help the Holders fend their lands and Hold.

She looked out across her Hold-lands once more as the smoke from the camps cook-fires hung like mist in the early morning air. Soon, very soon now.

* * *

The former Lord Kereth of Nabol sat in his darkened planning tent cum study brooding in the dim light. His normally handsome mask of joviality was twisted into an expression masking the darkness in his mind. A map of Pern and all of it major and minor Hold was tacked to one canvas wall of his tent down among the masses of his now well-trained fighters.

His recent ordeals had raised his former war-hobby into an obsession, thirst for revenge that was greater than any mere physical thirst he had endured while stranded alone on that island. They would all pay, every one of them. After all the pain and humiliation they had brought on him, The Holds of Pern would be brought to his mercy. It was what they deserved now.

Being deposed from his position and abandoned on an island far away from civilization as he knew it had been quite a hiccup in his until-then basically smooth running operations, but he had recovered his aplomb and was now back on his feet and running things. This was in no small part due to the machinations of his beloved Lady Ayvril. A more devious mind and rampant ambition he had yet to encounter. Her one failing as far as he could see it was her ridiculous insistence on raising a child to assume the throne...well she was a still a woman after all, and so prone to such weaknesses of character. Kereth, however, put no such ridiculous faith in the concept of blood-ties. Had not his own cousin been his unlawful successor? Well, he would just be getting even with him later. Along with all of the other Lords on the council. He would spare no one; it would serve all of them right to be trod beneath the boot heels of his glorious conquest.

Kereth looked at the map of Pern with a look of satisfaction. Soon, it would be all his. He would have his just revenge for those weeks that he had been stuck alone on that island, eking out a living from the land, having to build his own shelter and find his own food. He had been deprived of all of his rightful possessions and commodities including bathing facilities for a hot bath. He had been reduced to a state so low and common that it still gave him fits of outrage at times.

No matter, the few servants who had been lost in the midst of these tempers had been easily replaced. And if the others tended to be very quiet and anxious to please him, gazed at him with fear from the rumors...well, that was as it should be. After all, it was better to be feared and respected than to be loved. Especially when preparing to sweep across the length and breadth of Pern in a final conquest that would leave all Holds open to him, and any who opposed his rule would simply be burned to the ground. Starting with that upstart Treize and his equally troublesome Lady. Oh once he had them in his grasp....

Kereths fingers curled unconsciously just thinking about it. Once he had them in his grasp...

<I think I'll have their little brat killed in front of them. I want to see the looks on their faces as I destroy everything. Their Hold can stay I suppose, it is the grandest of all of them. No doubt there are great treasures that the Lords of Fort have been keeping a secret,> thought Lord Kereth consideringly. He didn't want their deaths to be short, the longer they suffered the greater the enjoyment. Perhaps he would have them stripped of their skin before he killed them, then left out for the carrion eaters. Or perhaps partially flayed and then have their wounds cauterized before they were eaten by insects; painful stinging ones of course. They certainly would not die right away, that would have been simply too easy for them. Kereth briefly entertained a few satisfying notions about way he might do to those two before he allowed them the luxury of death. If anyone had seen the slow smile that spread across his face, Kereth would most likely have been shot on sight out of fear of having Bite-Fever. ((A.N. Rabies.))

It was a sound plan. Kereth couldn't attack those dragon-fools openly, at least, not yet. So he would simply have to conquer his first few Holds while the Dragonriders of Pern weren't expecting it. They would all be too busy fighting Threadfall to interfere when the Hold was attacked by his army.

<My army,> he thought. While it was rumored among the troops that the former Lord Kereth was no longer quite sane, there were still many who would work for a madman if the price was right. He started with them and built from there. Raising and training an army did not come cheaply, but the goods and bounty stolen from various caravans more than made up for any lacks. His army had nearly completed their training, they would march on Fort Hold within the month.

Soon. It was all coming together.

* * *

Duo, Rider of bronze Sythe, scrubbed his dragons hide with the soft bristled brush and plenty of soapsand. There was certainly plenty of it to scrub as his bronze was quite large by the standards of the previous generation. Things looked peaceful across the length and breadth of Pern but Duo, canny beneath his cheery smile and easy-going manner, suspected that all was not quiet on the western front. The patrols had been called off nine months ago due to lack of raider attacks of any sort. That in and of itself made him suspicious, regardless of threadfall, fire, or flood, there was always at least a little bit of raider pilfering at least along the borders, whether it be theft of food from an empty cot while the owners were out attending to their duties or theft of a few herd-beasts from the folds along the borders and evidence left behind to place blame on the neighbors. But there was nothing. And that in and of itself bothered him.

<Heh, keep your eyes to the skies Duo,> he told himself. <If there's a problem with the raiders or with border skirmishes, the Holds will settle it amongst themselves.> That was the way it was. Hold matters that did not involve the rest of the continent were settled by the Holds. The weyrs and crafthalls only stepped in when the matter affected everyone else, such as a debate about charter rights or the matter last year involving Lord Kereth and his visions of conquest.

Duo was best off worrying about his bronze and his girl. The young rider smiled a little at the thought... "his girl." He'd never have seen himself moving in with someone a little over a year ago, would never have imagined that someone beside Sythe could become such an important part of his life in such a short time. But Hilde was important to him, so important that it almostmade him sad that the weyrs really didn't have any real formal way of officiating a pairing. He was moved in with her, and his dragon flew hers and that was about as official as it got. Still it was the little things she did for him that made him treasure her all the more... Fixing his riding gear (even if she did tend to nag him about it), rubbing his back when he was sore and tired (which generally tended to lead to other things when interest gave him new strength), or the way she liked to bring in breakfast. Duo tried never to let him take her for granted because he was pretty well certain she was the best thing in his life for him.

-And what am I precisely, chopped liver?- his dragon teased, craning his neck around and snorting a cloud of water particles at him.

-One of the best things,- he corrected himself, with a smile towards Sythe. He knew his dragon didn't take offense...

-Of course not, you're always in season. Tauruth calls the thoughts you two have about each other "the eternal mating flight."- Sythe cave a rumble in the back of his throat the equivalent of a draconic chuckle. Duo suppressed a laugh even as he tried to glare at his friend in mock offense.

-Well I don't see you or Tauruth seeking other company,- he riposted to Sythe while he reached up to scrub a spot just below one of his neck ridges.

-Of course not, Tauruth is happy with me and we fly well together. We are suited to each other just as you and her rider are. And speaking of, she is sunning herself on a warm cliff, are you finished yet?-

-Not quite yet, there's a lot of you here to scrub. Say, where is Hilde?-

-She goes to visit the young queen rider.-

-Relena? I'm glad the two of them have become friends, Hilde could use some good friends besides myself and you and Tauruth of course.-

-Yes, she is a friendly person and deserves to have good human friends she can talk to, Tauruth admits that while she can listen to her rider, she often does not understand what is troubling her.-

-Hilde is troubled?- Duo asked, immediate concern rising in him.

-Her troubles have grown significantly less since the two of you have shared a nest, however she is concerned about the weyr and about the Queen Rider Relena, or more accurately, concerned about Relena's concerns.-

-Which brings us to Heero,- Duo replied with a grin and a chuckle. His stoic, overly-serious friend was quite obviously taken by the lady gold haired rider whom he had rescued from a storm a year back. He was taken with her, and quite obviously the last to know it for whenever Duo brought the subject of Miss Relena up, Heero mumbled something about them being temporary working partners in order to keep the weyr together and nothing more. Right, and Duo was a cot-holder.

<It's about time too! That boy is way too serious. He needs someone to lighten him up even if all my attempts have failed.> Relena and Heero spent a lot of time together, Duo was certain that at least some of it had to be unofficial. There was only so much time that Weyr duties could take up, right? Well, no matter, sooner or later they'd be more than merely friends anyway. All those other bronze riders going out of their way to be nice to Relena now that her Queen was fully grown didn't have a chance against the man who'd not only rescued her from a threadfall and faced the Council alongside her, but also helped with her training and aided her studies... the only ones who didn't realize it were them. As he looked over at the Cliffside he could see that Xenith was settled in the sun very comfortably along Zeroth's side.

* * * *

The nose-stinging scent of antiseptic was the ever pervasive norm of Sally's Healer's wing. Now boasting two new apprentices training under her, Sally had the situation well in hand there in the weyr. No one really commented on her relationship with the weyr's weyrleader (though everyone knew about it) such matters were considered private.

"Wella, make sure you peel the bark off that root for storage like I showed you," said Sally glancing up at her youngest apprentice from where she stood at a medical bench decocting a light gel of numbweed for bruises and other minor hurts. There were different strengths that one could make with numbweed, not all concoctions need be something that could take away the sting of a threadfall burn.

"The patient from the last threadfall is complaining about his thigh again," murmured Gestra the eldest of the two quietly. She was a quiet one, but she got things done well and efficiently.

"The way O'lon carries on you'd think he was the only one to ever suffer a threadfall burn," Wella chimed in her voice tinged with a little scorn. She had seen worse injuries in her apprenticeship.

"People often complain a lot not only because of the pain but often also out of reaction-fear," said Sally softly with subtle rebuke to wards her youngest apprentice. She was a good kid, quick to learn and gentle with the patients; but she had a lot to learn about people. She was young yet, a few years at the Hall would give her the grounding and experience she needed.

"Healer Sally? Do you think he is well enough to be moved from the infirmary yet?" asked Gesrta, switching the topic slightly to give Wella time to reflect on those words as well as shield the young girl's slight embarrassment at th light rebuke.

"I was considering it. Another Threadfall is due soon and I'd like to get all of the ones who are well enough to be moved out of the infirmary to clear up more beds," Sally answered. Her hands were busy as she talked, she fastened on the carved cork top to the jar she of gel she was distilling, labeled it and put it away on the shelf with it's three twins from the latest batch. "What is your opinion? You've worked with him the longest Gestra, do you think he can be moved?"

"I'm almost certain of it Master Healer," said Gestra. "He can be moved with not much trouble at all, well maybe if you asked him if it were trouble he wouldn't agree, but that wound of his is healing nicely. He's ready to be switched back to his room, although I wouldn't recommend any flying for the next few weeks or so."

"I'll tell him later then, I feel I can trust your judgement," said Sally. She had already come to the same conclusion herself earlier on in the day, but felt it was wise to at least give the appearance of consulting her Apprentice's opinion. It not only gave the girl added authority of her own, it strengthened her confidence in herself and in her own good judgememnt. Gestra had the makings of a fine Healer, but she tended to be hesitant to offer any opinions for fear that she was wrong.

There came a knock at the door. Sally looked over and smiled welcomingly. Wufei.

"How's O'lon?" he asked by way of greeting. Wufei usually made a point of dropping by the infirmary whenever his duties permitted. Partially out of concern for whatever patient had made his or her way to her clinic, partially out of a desire to see her more than once a day. Likewise, she would also stop by his own offices whenever her duties allowed, partially to keep him abreast of the patients, partially to see him more than once during the day. They had an understanding.

"We were just discussing him," said sally, even though she knew he'd probably already overheard them talking. "Gestra thinks that he's ready to be moved back to his rooms and I agree."

"That's good news," said Wufei absently. He was looking at her.

"I'll just uh, go roll some bandages," said Gestra with a small barely concealed smile. Sally was glad that her two young apprentices weren't the gossiping sort, otherwise everyone would know about her and Wufei. Not that everyone probably didn't already know, just that they didn't know how often it was they really saw each other.

Wufei gave her a prefunctory nod, sort of a 'you-do-that' as she quietly exited the room.

"I brought you something," he said quietly so that he wouldn't be overheared by the two curious young ones that Sally was sure were listening hard just beyond the doorway.

"Oh really? What's that?" Sally inquired, looking up from where she was busily removing sterilization equipment from a drawer in order to sterilize the needles she'd used earlier that day to stitch up a wound.

He gently and firmly took her hands in his and tilted her chin upwards. But instead of kissing her, like she'd been expecting, he presented her with a parcel wrapped in cloth.

"What's this?" she asked him. He looked at her strangely and said

"Why do people always ask that, open it and find out Sally."

Sally smothered a smile and turned her attention to the parcel and untied the strings carefully. She gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a dress, but what a dress! Lifting out the exquisite garment made of yards upon yards of gossamer thin fabric, there were patterns of tiny seed-beads sewn in bands of embroidery along the neckline and waist to catch the light. The layers of fabric, one after another, were cut in a pattern of leaves (with climbing vine and leaf patterns stitched along the bottom hem). Each subsequent layer was dyed in every shade of green from new-leaf- green to perfect emerald.

Sally could only stare at the dress in surprise... she already knew that it was going to look good on her, green always looked good on her.

"Wufei...I- This is so-" she floundered, trying to think of something to say. She knew it had to be damned expensive too. Sally, had never dreamed of spending that much money on anything before! "I don't know what to say!"

"Try thank-you," he said mildly. Even though he was trying his hardest not to show it, the young Weyrleader was damned pleased with himself.

"Thank-you...thank-you very much," said warmly. "I love it."

"Well, then I hope that mans you plan on attending the next Gather with me."

"I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

Hilde, the green rider of Tauruth, paused outside the door of the young queen rider who had taken over the running of the weyr since the passing of J'Tor and Adirna a few months back. She was a nice young woman and she considered Hilde to be one of her few good friends, an honor that Hilde hadn't been expecting given her status as a green rider. Relena didn't seem to care much at all about what color a rider flew with, stating that they were all equal in the risks they took and deserved equal respect and treatment.

Still. Hide felt sorry for her young friend too, she had all of that work to do to trying to sort out who owed what, who had paid in full and who was still due as well as the inventories of supplied, what they had and what they needed. The headwoman was a very efficient woman, and her secondary headwoman were just as good as she was, however, there was only so much that they could do. Then there was the situation with the new Healer from the Healer Hall, he was having a little trouble getting situated. At least that was what the request he'd logged in said. The clinic, when he'd found it, was out of a lot of necessary items. Items that could be easily given from one branch of a Hall to another (Healers had this mutual aid thing going on) and would she please send perhaps a rider to go and fetch them for him before the next Threadfall?

Hilde shook her head and looked down guiltily at the pile of documents in her hand; and here she was about to add to the pile. Shrugging, she knocked lightly on the door.

"Work, work, work!" Relena muttered and looked up from her stack of tithe-lists at the sound of a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said absently as her head bent once again back to the piles of papers on her table. When she noted who it was a smile a real pleasure lit her face. "Oh, hello Hilde. How are you today? How are things with Duo?"

"I'm doing great, Duo's doing great, but you've got more work," Hilde said apologetically. Relena stifled a groan.

Hilde noted the nearby presence of Jewel and Yin perched on an armoire and Relena said that Xenith told her sleepily that the other three were with her on the cliffsides sunning. Jewel declined the invitation to join them, seeing as her mistress on occasion needed her for messages. The little dears really were indispensable, even Heero liked them, mainly because they let him test out new threadfall flight maneuvers on them.

"There are some other petitions from Fourth Wing about getting new quilts this winter?" said Hilde helpfully as she deposited another few bits of parchment on Relena's impromptu desk.

"Do you think that you could explain to them that I'm not the Weyrwoman?" Relena requested, shooting a sour look at the new headaches in the making.

"Well, since Adirna and J'Tor both passed away, you're the only one with the training to hold this place together," Hilde said brightly. "You did volunteer for this you know."

"Remind me never to do that again," said Relena dourly.

Hilde smiled wryly and said

"No good deed goes unpunished."

"I'll make sure to embroider that on the inside of my eyelids one of these days," said Relena just as wryly. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"One or two minor little matters... say, Xenith certainly is looking healthy today..." Hilde trailed off. "Is she full size yet?"

"It's been a little over eighteen months, and if that's your notion of subtlety, I think you should keep practicing. No I'm not sure when she'll Fly, and no I'm not sure who will win."

"You can't blame people for wanting to know Relena," said Hilde, with a sympathetic look. "The one who flies Xenith gets the Weyr, we're all hoping for the best person."

Relena looked the green rider up and down and cocked her head to one side. They'd formed a friendship based on similar personalities, although the green rider was more vivacious and outgoing where as Relena was reserved and collected with a lot of her holder-bred sensibilities making her seem a bit conservative at times. Still, for her reserved nature, Hilde and Relena had found that they got along quite well. In fact she was the first real girl-friend Hilde had ever had and for the most part they felt they could ask each other anything. Hilde had even been so kind as to tell Relena about...Flights.

Hilde enjoyed the intensity of emotions and...other things that were part of a flight, so she didn't really understand Relena's reservations about it. It was such a beautiful moment, especially when it was with someone that you liked. Duo had been the only one to fly Tauruth in the flights they'd had since they'd started sharing quarters. No one else had wanted to contest the bronze wingleader who, despite his outwardly jovial nature, could be a very dangerous person to know when crossed.

"When the time comes we'll all find out together who the best is," said Relena, her stomach tightening at the thought. Hilde noticed the worry hovering around her eyes and moved to her side, slinging an arm over her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. In a rare moment of complete vulnerability Relena said

"Hilde...it'll be soon. And I'm nervous. Scared. All the other Bronze riders have been nice to me. As if by being nice they can be the ones who will... But I'm not sure... I mean. What if I don't...?"

"Hey, it's okay," said Hilde comfortingly. "I don't just want what's best for Bendan Weyr Relena. I want you to be happy. We've been friends for a while, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone pick up on the difficult maneuvers as fast as you have. You were born to do this, I'm almost certain of it. Don't worry, I know you'll be the best weyrwoman yet!" And Hilde gave her an encouraging thumbs up.

"Thank-you..." said Relena. "I'd better get back to work, these problems aren't going to solve themselves you know."

Hilde took the hint and left the room quietly. There wasn't a whole lot she could do for her young and troubled friend.

* * *

Treize looked out onto the courtyard of his Hold at the sight of his own young daughter Mariemaia playing a game with the other children involving a blindfold and much taunting and laughter. Dorothy sat nearby holding onto a six month old baby. Milliardo and Noin had given birth to their first, a healthy boy whom they had named Zechs. Trieze had advised against the name, stating that it would lead to unnecessary childhood teasing, but he'd been overruled.

Lady Une appeared at his side, practical working clothes and all, smiling at the image in the courtyard.

"Things are so peaceful," she said contentedly. "Aside of the nuisance of Threadfall and the occasional bickering between the Lord Holders, things couldn't be more perfect."

Trieze smiled indulgently. He wondered if she'd be saying the same thing in another four months when the little secret she'd told him about last night started to show visibly. But as the old saying went.. "Life was moments as well as actions." He would take the time to enjoy this moment, and she was right...things seemed pretty much perfect.

"I think you're right Lady mine, life doesn't get much better than this."

There was one nagging worry that they both shared. Bitra. She'd recently closed off her borders, and he was beginning to grow alarmed. The raider activity, that had been so common the last few years had dropped of the practically nothing. The others took that as a sign that things had been resolved for good. Trieze wished he could be so optimistic. So did Lady Une, so did Corliss. In fact the Masterharper had one of his best spies on the inside of her border, but he hadn't heard anything from the spy in nearly two months. That was bad.

In an uncanny echo of his own thoughts his beloved Lady spoke into the silence

"Darling...what about... What about Lady Ayvril? She was pretty bitter when we exposed Lord Kereth, and I don't like the way she was acting in the last council meeting," said Lady Une, her voice tinged with a little anxiety.

Trieze nodded. He knew what she meant. Lady Ayvril was a woman of many secrets and not many of them were good. The last Council meeting had been worrying at him like a sliver just under the skin. The Lady of Bitra had been acting as if she knew something they didn't. And what with the recent disappearances with the newest agenothree tanks enroute to Telgar Hold, there were a few things that didn't add up and that worried them both.

"I don't know Lady, things have been exceedingly quiet lately. That could ether mean that the troubles we've faced are over with, or that it's only the calm between storms," he said gravely. She stepped closer to his side and he put an arm around her waist.

They would just have to wait and see, because with so little information it would be rash to act. He was a bit disappointed now that the dragon patrols along the borders of the Hold lands had been disbanded. At the time it had been a politic move to make; there had been no attacks and hence the patrols were no longer necessary, further patrolling would have implied a distrust of the Holds by the Weyrs. Weyrs were for fighting Thread, not keeping the peace between Holds; matters between Holds were settled between Holds. Still, he would have liked to have the information that the Dragonriders could have gathered if they had still been patrolling in sweeps. It would have been nice if he could see what was going on inside the now closed off borders of Bitra Hold.

"Has there been any word from the Masterharper?" she questioned. Une worried that events would fall at a time in which she was inconvenienced by her pregnancy.

"Nothing, and as you can guess, that too worries me."

"Your worries are my worries my love," she murmured into his ear.

"You shouldn't be worrying, it's bad for the baby," he said, knowing full well that asking Une not to share fully in his life was like asking thread not to eat the crops. Wouldn't happen. "I intend to protect you my lady, never doubt that."

"Never, but I also intend to protect you in return and that we will both protect Mariemaia and our Hold goes without question," Lady Une murmured said. "I'm not so far along that I can't order our Holders to form a defensive force if that's what it comes to."

Trieze smiled at his suddenly fearless and ferocious Lady; the tiger hidden behind the lady, sleeping, until her territory was threatened then springing to the fore with claws and teeth that would make all but the bravest (or the stupidest) reconsider attacking anything under her protection. Yes he loved his Lady in all of her forms, fiercely dangerous and kindly gentle alike. Yes he had indeed been fortunate to win his love by his side. And no matter what terrors the future might hold, they would face it together.

* * * *

A.N. Gomen nasai for taking so long to post this up, I've had it half written since well before Christmas but it was on the hard-drive of my other computer and I only just now was able to get to it and finish it out. *Ducks from screaming horde of M-Listers bearing effigies and torches* I, uhhhh...gotta go.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, that is the property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yadate. I do not own the world and terms of Pern, such is the sole creative property of the Dragonlady herself Anne McCaffrey.