Difference between revisions of "Logs:Be Careful What You Wish For"

The staff in the infirmary were used to seeing him at odd hours of the day and night, visiting his grandfather. Viremi's breathing was shallow. Devaki didn't need the healers to tell him the elder wouldn't last long. As he stood there, debating whether to wake Viremi or not, the old man's eyes parted, and a wheeze escaped him as he lifted a hand to catch Devaki's.

"Grandfather," Devaki leant down, close to the old man's ear. "I found it. The proof we were after."

Viremi let out a slow breath, a smile tugging his lips upwards. He struggled to speak, voice barely audible. "...proud..."

"Ev impressed. A lot of exiles did. And Io..." he hesitated, hearing his own voice crack, and hating it. "She impressed the queen. Queens lead the Weyr. I have to go," Devaki continued. "Leave the Weyr. Find some support, now we have what we need. I'll find a home for us, for those of us that remain. That I promise."

Viremi wheezed some more, nodded. Squeezed his hand. Devaki suspected it'd be the last time he'd see his grandfather alive.

As he turned away, the whispering of a cluster of healers caught his ear. "...no doubt. She was killed." A sudden coldness in his stomach. He took a step to the left, and wished he hadn't. He saw Seani's face, pale, staring sightlessly upwards. Her neck slit.

He bolted from the infirmary just in time. Out in the bowl, the contents of last night's food came up. He was shaking when he finally stood again. Shock, he knew. He'd seen something in Raum's expression. He hadn't wanted to ask. 'Nobody's going to be telling any tales', Raum'd said. He wanted to blame Raum. To yell and scream and accuse him.

But he couldn't. Because, he suddenly remembered with a coldness, Raum asking him a question, back when he'd set all this in motion. 'How squeamish are you?' He'd said there would be little he wouldn't consider. But he hadn't considered this.

Still, there was no getting around it. This was his fault. Seani's death was on him. Another death to add to the long list. But he wouldn't let this one be pointless. His fingers found the beltpouch, where the envelope from the Weyrleader's nightstand had joined the hides from the island. He had the proof he needed. That was all that mattered.

When he met Raum an hour later on their way of the Weyr, he said nothing.

And he never would.

They left the Weyr, posing as Holdless in their ragged clothes.

Later, they met up with a trader train, to whom they were sailors on shore leave, whoring their way back towards Tillek where their ship was currently in dry dock. He picked up most of his sailor slang from Raum easily enough.

They were on a mission.