As Vekunth landed in Adanuk Weyr, Weyrwoman Magika rushed him. "Mik'len! I'm so glad you're here!" She hugged the bronze-rider. "Where were you?"
Mik'len opened his mouth to say something, but Magika cut him off. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Did you hear the good news?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Sploth caught Creesath! S'ron is here on search!"
Mik'len smiled at Magika, and shrugged, helping Anandiar off Vekunth.
"What?" Magika asked, crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Can I talk now?"
The Weyrwoman hit the bronze-rider. "Smart-ass. Who's your friend?"
"Anandiar..."
Magika cut him off. "Welcome to Adanuk Weyr. Mik'len send your buddy by S'ron and Melodia. I want someone to go to the Healing Den." The Weyrwoman started to walk off.
"Wait! Magika!" Mik'len sighed and murmured to himself. "He's a prisoner."
Anandiar raised an eyebrow and nodded in the Weyrwoman's direction.
Mik'len smiled. "She's like that sometimes. Especially when their's a Searching... or a Hatching... or a Flight..."
Anandiar couldn't help but grin. He noticed that Mik'len was grinning to and became angry again. "So where do I bunk?"
Mik'len looked uncomfortable. "Look. I'm really sorry about this, but there is nothing I can do. It's my job now. Things change."
Anandiar started to say something, but was interupted by another person. "Hey! You Mik'len and Anandiar? I'm S'ron and this," He pointed to a white-bronze dragon following him, "is Sploth."
Mik'len sighed. "Let me guess. Magika sent you."
The white-bronze rider smiled. "You know the Weyrwoman."
"Unfortunatly." Anandiar muttered it under his breath, and no one heard. Touzoku cheeped, obviously distressed at this turn of events and confused about what he was supposed to be doing. He landed on Anandiar's shoulder and nipped at his ear. Anandiar smiled and rubbed the flit with his head. "Don't worry buddy, we'll get out of this."
"...that's too bad." Anandiar tuned himself back in to Mik'len and S'ron conversation. S'ron was shaking his head sadly. "Sploth says he'd love for Anandiar to be a candidate."
Mik'len looked surprised. "That's what Vekunth said too. I ignored him." The bronze dragon grunted. "He's not a Searchdragon and hasn't offered me advice like that before."
"Maybe Hyth told Magika the same thing. That's why she sent me."
"Hyth would've also told her that he was a criminal."
Mik'len grinned. "She took me in, and rumor is, Magika was once your common criminal as well."
S'ron shook his head. "Who knows? 'cept maybe Hyth. Well, I guess you two have to be umm... elsewhere. C'mon Sploth. If we don't find someone from around here, Magika'll have our head." The bronze-white and his rider headed off towards the Feeding Grounds.
Mik'len shook his head. "C'mon. This way." He pointed towards a dark, rock building. Adanuk Weyr was one of the few Weyrs which contained a correctional facility. Magika never let anyone be killed for their crimes, everyone deserves a second chance in her mind.
"Was the Weyrwoman really a theif?" Anandiar asked as he was being led off.
"Yep. Rumor has it Hyth chose her because of it. Somebody told me....Hey!" Touzoku, feeling ignored, landed on Mik'len's shoulder and began pecking at his ear. "Who is this?"
"Touzoku." Anandiar couldn't help but smiling. "It means theif."
The bronzerider grinned. "I could have guessed that Diar. But this causes problems."
"Why? Hey! Touzoku, come here. Leave Mik'len alone." The flitter flew back to Anandiar.
"They're not allowed in there. They find keys." Mik'len smiled remembering. "And don't tell me you didn't know that. Remember that time in Aquan. Gamble swiped the keys right out from under that guards nose."
Anandiar laughed. "Yep. Nearly gave him a heart attack." The two old friends laughed. A moment of uncomfortable moment of silence passed between them before Anandiar quietly spoke his thoughts. "Why didn't Magika throw you in prison?"
"I didn't break the law in her Weyr. She just found me after a meeting with a few 'law-abiding' citizens."
"How could you have changed so much in 5 turns Mik? A dragon-rider, a guard, a 'law-abiding' citizen. Don't you feel like punching yourself?"
Mik'len grinned. "Sometimes. Like right now." He put his hand on Anandiar's arm. "I wish I didn't have to do this. It's not fair. I mean I got a second chance. You should too."
"So I can screw it up again?"
"What the hell are you two doing?" Magika stormed back, Hyth following close on her heels.
"Umm...well..." Mik'len stammered. "I thought..."
"That's the problem." Magika glared at both of them. "I let you think."
"What are you talking about?" Anandiar finally interupted the stammering Mik'len.
Magika raised an eyebrow. "I gave you both a perfectly good chance to forget this whole thing and you throw it away."
"Umm...Magika." Mik'len was still confused. "That's against the law."
"Mik'len." Magika smiled. "Some laws were meant to be broken." She quickly untied Anandiar's hands. She whispered to him as she fiddled with the knots. "Most laws were meant to be broken." She grinned. "S'ron. Get that dragon back over here. Vekunth may be wrong, Sploth may be wrong, but Hyth hasn't been wrong yet."
"Magika!" Mik'len finally managed to get a word in edgewise. "He's a criminal!"
The Weyrwoman kept grinning. "He's not the only one. If all criminals were behind bars, or dead, were would we be?"
"Behind bars or dead." Anandiar was beginning to like the Weyrwoman.
Magika grinned as she pushed Anandiar towards S'ron. "Take him back to the Healing Den. Tell Baeris he's from me."
S'ron nodded and started to lead Anandiar to Sploth. "Wait." Anandiar spun to face the Weywoman again. "Thank you."
She smiled. "Everyone deserves a second chance." Touzoku sqwaked indignatly, forgotten in the excitement, and followed Anandiar. The three left Magika and Mik'len standing alone in the Weyrbowl.
The bronze-rider sighed and turned to face her. "He may be my friend, but we're not the same. A dragon won't change him. Time won't change him."
Magika grinned as she watched them disappear between. "Time doesn't change anybody. It unmasks them."
"Who told you that?" Mik'len asked.
"A friend. I told her I'd never change, no matter what she did." The Weyrwoman grinned at her friend. "She searched me anyways."
* * *
Anandiar is a candidate The Healing Den.
Background from Myrror Images.
Mik'len's weyr.