Premonition ((Open))

[FireThorne]

Nightmares plagued her.

A light sweat beaded upon the candidate’s brow, and she tossed in her bed, her body racked with convulsions. Raelwyn whimpered softly, her voice too soft to be heard by her fellow candidates in the barracks, but the words echoed in her mind. “No….” She whispered, and even in her sleep, started to cry. “No, don’t leave me…” After the dragon died, keening wildly and falling to the ground, the tall man turned away in her dream, and as the girl started to run towards him, his body slowly faded away, and he disappeared completely. The Istan fell to her knees, her eyes wide and frightened as she stared at the spot he had just been, then wrapped her arms around herself. “No, not again!” She rasped softly, sobbing. “Oh, not again. I don’t want to lose anyone else precious to me…” Then a dragon appeared beside her, a blue, and spread his wings over her comfortingly. First he was deep sea-blue Ulrith, then he changed into dark purple-blue Kerroth, but then his hide slowly faded from blue to change into bronze. This one she did not know. “Who…?” She asked. A rider appeared beside him.

“Raelwyn.” He said. The girl did not recognize his voice.

“What are you?” Rael asked softly, standing slowly as he approached her. As he did, the bronze at his side, proud and magnificent, suddenly turned a dull shade of gray, and he cried piteously as his body started to decay, and he crumbled into dust.

“Raelwyn, don’t leave me.” The man said hoarsely, and she knew he was crying. She felt herself crying too, watching the brave dragon die. Holding out her arms to him, the candidate’s green eyes were wide and tear-filled as he stepped before her, reaching out to embrace her. Just as she stepped towards him, and he was about to close the distance between them, he walked right through her, and disappeared.

“NO!” She cried aloud, sitting straight up in her bed and sobbing violently. Many of the girls about her started awake, and stared at her curiously. “Hey, Rael, what’s wrong?” One of her friends sleepily asked, rubbing her eyes. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Raelwyn did not answer her. Throwing her sleeping furs back, the candidate darted from her bed, running blindly out of the barracks and into the cool night air. They all stared after her in shock. The cold wind stung at her tear-streaked face, but it felt good to be out of the stuffy barracks, were she suddenly felt suffocated. Even though her white sleeping gown, sleeveless and knee-length, was thin and the air chilled her, she could not go back in. The Istan knew that she would be in trouble for being out of her barracks this late, but she had never been in trouble before, and doubted they would pull her from standing. She might get punished, but right now she did not care. She needed to be outside. Raelwyn had been having nightmares rather often recently, dragons dying, riders fading, and they were terrible enough to cause her entire body to tremble violently. When she woke in the mornings, she was cold and sore, and she felt as if her body had been pulled in five different directions by bronze dragons. This night, though, was the worst, and something about the dream had cut her to the very bone. Wandering to the lake, always the place she felt the most comfortable after being raised on a beach, the girl sat, watching the water with red eyes.

[hrsegrl]

Amneris had already been awake when she heard Rael's screams. Nightmares were awful things but she hadn't rushed over to see the girl after them. Neris had heard more than one of Rael's bad dreams but she had never mentioned them to anyone. She wasn't going to let it bother the girl to know that someone else knew. Still when the girl ran from the barracks Amneris thought nothing of punishment and plenty of bad men.

She followed the older girl with light footsteps. Neris hadn't bothered with shoes and her canines were fast asleep. All she brought with her was herself. Her white nightgown whipped about in the slight breeze as did her long light blonde hair.

Amneris sat down next to Realwyn. Not saying a word. She knew the importance of being quiet now and again. From her own personal experience when one was down it was sometimes better to say nothing and just be there for the person. Neris wasn't one for silence generally. She'd much rather chat or sing.

[FireThorne]

Raelwyn was aware of a girl that had come up quietly behind her, but did not give any indication that she had even noticed the candidate’s arrival. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the newcomer. She had told Amneris about her nightmares before, and was not too surprised to see her come. Although the harper could be a little naïve and childish about how the world worked at times, the Istan still considered her a best friend, and was glad for her company.

The gold-hopeful allowed the silence to stretch between them, not quite ready to speak just yet. Her chest still heaved, her breathing was still ragged, and though the tears on her cheeks had dried, the girl could feel more threatening to spill from her eyes. Raelwyn hated it when she had those nightmares, and this was not the first time she had been hurt so bad it had had affected her like this. The dreams were so vivid, and so real, that it felt as if she truly was watching a rider die and their dragon fade. It was terrifying and painful all at once.

“I had another nightmare.” Rael finally supplied after about twenty minutes of silence, deciding that she had calmed down enough to keep her voice under control and her tears in check. “About riders…and dragons dying. This time two blues and a bronze. The bronze’s rider….begged me not to leave him, but when I tried to go to him, he….he disappeared. Faded away like his dragon.” Too many nightmares she had had of late, and too many times she had awoke to a feeling of utter despair. The candidate had never had such vivid, disturbing nightmares before, so what was it now? Only once before had she ever experienced anything close to such troubling dreams, and that was when she was very young and had come down with a dangerous fever. The girl had been delirious for a sevenday, and had seen odd things while ill, such as small dragons and a gold rider she could have sworn was Moreta. Yes, it had been unusual.

“I wonder why I am having such nightmares, Neris.” The Istan said softly, tucking her knees under her chin. “It is like watching the weyr fall apart, slowly, a few dragons and riders at a time. I’ve seen greens, browns, blues, and now even a bronze fade away. Faranth, don’t let there be a gold next time.” Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Raelwyn suddenly sat up, looking at her fellow candidate. “Neris, you should go back to bed. If a rider catches us out here, we will be in trouble. I do not want you to get in trouble over me. I’m sorry I worried you.”

Green eyes looked around quickly, wondering if it was too late to get her friend out of trouble. Rael would not go back in—she could not just yet. But Amneris….no, she did not need to get in trouble. The girl could hear a few dragons shuffling around a little in the darkness, a light rustling of wings here, and a few low grunts and snorts about them. Other than that, all was quiet. No riders seemed to be near. Raelwyn was relieved.

[hrsegrl]

The younger girl listened quietly, nodding her head at Rael's admissions. It might not have been her business, but she found the dreams interesting herself. Not that she was going to sing about them but they were so real that she couldn't help but think that perhaps they were based on a feeling Rael had and that feeling might be right.

Then she spoke, "I think you know what the dreams are. Raelwyn, they are a warning." Amneris might not be wisest person on Pern but she knew a warning when she heard one. Usually she was the person to casually dismiss warnings but these had to do with dragons and riders that Rael knew or would know someday. That was Amneris' belief.

Neris looked at her when she suggested that she shouldn't get into trouble on Rael's behalf. "Trouble? You are only in trouble if you get caught. Besides its not like the Candidate Master doesn't already believe that I'm trouble." If Amneris would at least do her chores she might gain some points with the man but she knew he wasn't counting on it.

"Rael..." Amneris shook her head, " I'm not here because it is something I ought to do. I'm here because I want to be here. Caring for someone doesn't mean you only help them some of the time. Now, don't go selling yourself short or making it seem like I'm just here because I was worried. I was here because you needed someone. I'm not about to leave because you have decided to be self righteous."

Amneris was certainly not leaving the other girl out here alone. Who knew what sort of men were about this time of night. Besides if they were caught, Neris could talk her way out of it.