#berseth

[starwood-stranded-archived]

“Nesita?”

Nesita didn’t recognize the voice, which was odd, because her auditory memory was usually pretty good. She turned.

“Berseth?”

She couldn’t think if she’d ever actually heard him speak before.

“I’m leaving,” he said.

“What?” Nesita sat down rather suddenly and heavily. True, Berseth had never been particularly involved in the clan; but then, he had never seemed particularly involved in anything.

“Allow me to explain.” The nocturne Frip slipped around the corner and sat between Nesita and Berseth. Berseth looked at her with an expression Nesita couldn’t quite read -- wariness?

“There are big changes coming to our quiet little clan,” Frip said. “Several dragons will find that the new arrangements no longer suit them, and shall leave. Berseth is one of those.”

“What changes?” Nesita asked. “What new arrangements? How do you know about this and I don’t? Berseth, if you’re leaving on her word that something bad is going to happen -- ”

“It’s not bad,” Frip interrupted, sounding impatient. “It’s just different.”

Berseth just spread his fore-talons in a calming gesture. Then he pointed to Frip. Apparently he had said as much as he meant to and intended to leave the rest of the explanation to the nocturne. Nesita turned to her, a bit disgruntled.

“I ask again: How do you know?”

“Isn’t it enough that I know?” Frip tilted her head. “Telyn would tell you the same. Change is coming. That’s all I can give you at the moment, but you won’t have to wait long to find out the rest.”

“But, Berseth, why are you leaving now?” Nesita looked up at the guardian, who had always seemed so reliable, if stoic. She had thought he was happy here. “Whatever Frip saw may not even happen.”

“It will happen, barring unseen catastrophe,” Frip murmured. Her next sentence came in a clearer, more businesslike tone. “Berseth is leaving now because another clan has offered him a place amongst them. The others who will depart have not received such an offer ... yet. We’re working on it.”

“Is this true?” Nesita said, turning to Berseth. The guardian nodded. Nesita looked back at Frip. “Who else is leaving?”

“I can’t tell you yet,” Frip said. “They don’t know themselves yet.”

“When and how did this offer from another clan arrive?”

“Through me.” Frip sighed and flicked a wing. “I can’t tell you much, Nesita. That would ruin the surprise. What I can tell you is that everything is going according to plan, and it’s going to be all right. Probably. Actually, there’s still a slight chance of things going rather badly for you personally ... Ah, pretend I didn’t say that.”

Nesita gave Frip a surprised look. “And do you have any intention of telling me how I’m supposed to deal with these upcoming travails?”

“Oh, never.” Frip’s eyes widened innocently. “I would never dream of telling another how to live their life.”

And she grinned, rather unsettling. “And I’m sure it’ll come to you. Now, say your goodbyes. Berseth is leaving.”

[starwood-stranded-archived]

< Part 1

Cavern couldn’t tell how much time passed. Every moment he spent on the back of the apparently dormant guardian felt like an hour. The yellow dragon kept whistling, or singing--the harpy wasn’t actually sure which noises constituted language for dragons. Every time the trilling started up again, Cavern jumped.

Finally, the purple dragon returned, closely followed by Luna. Cavern instantly launched himself from his current perch and landed on Luna’s back, nestling in her sweater.

“What were you doing, wandering around like that?” she said.

“I was hungry and you were gone,” Cavern muttered.

“So you decided to just leave?” Luna sounded almost more worried than Cavern had been. Shaking her head, she turned away and spoke to the other dragons for a time. Cavern understood none of it, of course, but their tones seemed friendly. The black guardian still didn’t speak, but he smiled and nodded--at least, Cavern thought that was what passed for a smile among dragons.

They presumably said their farewells, and Luna turned and exited the cave without another word to Cavern. Was she angry?

“I thought you said it was safe here,” Cavern said, although he hadn’t really believed that. Spotting a mirror down the corridor had sent him around that corner and onto the male guardian’s back.

“I think it is,” Luna said, but she didn’t sound sure. “I think it is, but I need to know where you are. And I don’t know all these dragons well yet.”

A dragon walked past going the other way, one of the big spiky ones, twice Luna’s size. She glanced down and smiled a smile of many teeth. Cavern clung tighter to Luna’s sweater.

“I’m sure they’re nice dragons,” Luna said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. “I just don’t think ... I worry. I don’t know them all very well, and they don’t all know me.”

Cavern said nothing. A feathery dragon with a bow on his neck slinked past, whistling tunelessly. He didn’t so much as glance at Luna, clearly intent on some other purpose.

“I just need to know where you are,” Luna repeated. They’d reached her chamber and she flopped down within. She sounded exhausted. “I’ll do better. I can leave you with Nesita if I have to, and I think Bartos expressed interest in learning to speak Harpy. I’ll figure it out.”

Cavern didn’t say anything. He didn’t think his opinion was required.

[starwood-stranded-archived]

Nesita almost didn’t notice the Guardian in the hatchery’s doorway. It wasn’t until he moved, light sparkling off his dark scales, that she spotted him.

“Ah, Berseth,” she said. “You almost startled me.”

The Guardian smiled apologetically, his wings clutched tightly to his body to make him look as small and unthreatening as possible. Nesita returned his smile. She was used to being surrounded by dragons much larger than herself, so she didn’t mind that despite his efforts, Berseth loomed over her. She ought to have smelled him, though, or spotted the white hood and circuit light against his scales.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

Berseth shook his head and lowered himself to lay beside a nest -- the nest, Nesita recalled, that contained his own offspring. Zarya hadn’t come to check on the eggs, but of course she wouldn’t; her interest ended as soon as they were in the nest. Apparently Berseth’s lasted a bit longer.

“They’re doing well,” Nesita said. “They should hatch soon, and I’m sure the hatchlings will be healthy and strong.”

Berseth smiled at her as he ran a fond claw over one of the eggs.

“Nesita!” Delemont shouted as he ran into the room, blood streaming from his flank. Berseth clambered to his feet, eyes wide as he watched the Mirror, and Nesita put a comforting paw on his knee -- which was about as high as she could reach.

“Wounded hunting?” she asked Delemont.

“Of course,” he snapped. Spotting Berseth, he added, “When you’ve got a muscle torn open from securing us food, then you can bristle at me. Till then, buzz off.”

Berseth didn’t leave, but he settled back down behind the nest. He still kept his eyes on Delemont, Nesita noticed.

“You really shouldn’t come running and shouting into the hatchery,” she told the Mirror as she readied her healing spell. “You’ll disturb the eggs.”

Delemont snorted.

“You’ll disturb me, then,” she said, nudging his cheek with her nose. He made an offended spluttering noise and turned his head away. Nesita made no effort to hide her smile. He was an awfully prickly dragon; his spines suited him.

[bersethfamilyblog-blog]

She makes my hard days easier. I'm mentally exhausted but spending time with a little baby always helps me to put things into perspective. Today was hard, but knowing that I have my little girl in my cheering corner really helps. Hoping for an easier tomorrow, wedding planning has me crazy.