Setting Things In Motion

Junior Lady Galaeanyss swung her leg over the thick brown neck. She twisted her other leg, carefully untangling her foot from the loop of leather than made up the passenger’s stirrup. She took hold of the ridges on either side of herself and carefully slid down the bulge of the dragon’s hide. She landed deftly upon the beasts forearm. She stepped off and on to the cobblestone street. She moved half a dragonlength, which placed roughly equidistant between the dragon pair and the gurgling fountain. She turned about. She could see a green depositing Tlina a ways down the courtyard. Nyssa bowed, thanking kindly the rider and his partner for the transport. Her voice was sweet and polite, a well brought-up young Lady from the North.


When she had been returned to Crom, Galaeanyss had made first for her bathing chamber. Igen was such a horrid place. Why anyone would have wanted to be stationed there, she had no clue. She had been miserable the entire time. It was sweltering. She had sweated more than she had ever done in her life. She was never going back there again, that was for sure. Now that she was home, Nyssa scrubbed herself with ample amounts of sweetsand. Some places had required so much of the foamy substance that she had rubbed herself raw getting the filth from her body.

After she had bathed and changed in to a fresh setoff travel gear, Nyssa had gone to the Master Harper stationed there. She had requested that he drum Telgar Weyr for conveyance to Fort Hold. She had not bothered to cover the large bruise which now stained half of her cheek in swirling shades of purple nor the scrapes on her bare arms. When asked about it, she had let it slip to the Harper -as well as Telgar’s riders later- that she had been involved in an attack on a caravan that she had been riding with. She had made it through the bloody battle unharmed, she told him. The attacked ended with the arrival of Fort Dragons. When she had expressed a desire to have she, her handmaiden, and what little belongings that they still had intact transported for Fort Hold, the Fort Weyr Riders had assaulted her. They beat her to the ground, took her captive, and imprisoned her briefly in Igen Weyr where she had been interrogated for some time.

It had been a horrible experience, she had told the Harper. Unfortunately, she was a daughter of Crom. She could do nothing but file an official complaint to Fort Weyr. Since her Hold was not bound to that Weyr, she doubted that they would do more than offer a token apology. She then told her audience -both times- that she did not wish to talk about it further. It was traumatizing and she would rather forget the whole thing. To her credit, she had even managed a few tears when she had told the story to the two Telgar Riders.

This was better than a formal complaint, Nyssa thought. She had a wonderful story of Dragonrider brutality. She had Tlina as a direct witness. A Master Harper and two Telgar Riders had seen her injuries close up. Her Lord parents and the Hold Staff could attest to how long she had been missing. She could not do anything directly as the Weyrs policed themselves. But with so many people seeing the poor, helpless, traumatized Junior Lady, word would get around. Harpers were known to talk. No doubt the Telgar Riders would be quick to bring up Fort Weyr’s attack on a member of the Blood under their care. Telgar’s Weyrleadership would likely issue a direct complaint to Fort’s -policing themselves. She had gotten along so well with Karene when they had last spoken. Perhaps that would come in to play on her behalf.

So many witnesses. So widespread her story would soon be. They will have to largely and publicly sanction Lancelle if for no other reason than keep the peace between the Holds, the Halls, and the Weyrs. Perhaps even N’kyr as well since he was in command of the group than had perpetrated the heinous act. That was not particularly required, by Nyssa would take it as icing on her cake.


Galaeanyss waited until Tlina had joined her. She hung around a little longer to wave goodbye to the departing dragonmen. Once they had vanished Between, the two young women made their way to Fort Hold’s main building. It was proper courtesy to greet the Lordship upon arrival. Then she could spend the day with the little lordling she had her eye on.