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If there was one thing Hekate was good at it was being bad and in a world turned on it's head she'd suddenly found her more untoward skills could be put into practice for something good for once. True she would have preferred to have been known for her valiant acts or her witty cutting banter. She'd have liked to have ridden into battle upon Devith's back like Lesa herself roaring her defiance.

At the moment though such plans were hardly practical and these Rebels had taken things a step too far. They had attacked hatchlings for sharding sakes! Not just any hatchlings, but Courath and Dizzian! If there was anyone out there less deserving of the vicious and brutal beating those two had taken Hekate could not think of them.

They will pay. Devith rumbled in her mind where he lay in silence beside her watching as his rider readied herself. Tucking her boot knives into place Hekate wrapped a dull brown cloak about her shoulders checking that her weapons and picks were where they should be.

With Devith at his current age there was no way they could possibly take that bronze and his handler in a fair fight, but Dizzian and Courath would not go unavenged. No Hekate planned to take a sneakier route and do everything she could to make the lives of those traitors a living between.

After all who better to steal from thieves then a queen of thieves herself? The hard part would be getting past the patrol of dragons around the camp, once they got clear though it wouldn't be too hard to buck the wher patrols. Hekate had spent most of her life ducking whers anyway and unlike her allies she had a few dirty tricks up her sleeves for such things.

This won't be pleasant Devith are you sure you wish to come? Hekate asked her life mate her lips twitching at his amused and borderline vicious rumbling chuckle.

I could not protect them. . .I will not fail to protect you. Even if the best I can do is simply 'stand guard' as you put it. Devith replied his anger fading to cold sorrow and determination as he eyed the flattened empty bedmats in the little makeshift tent where he and his slept beside Courath and Dizzian.

"Very well then~" Hekate whispered checking herself over one last time. She didn't look like a rider, never really had, but whatever items might have connected her to Trine had been cast off. She wore no knots and she had changed her clothes out for more worn ones something both dragon and rider disproved off, but for now anonymity was more important then vanity. That and the clothes would be ruined shortly in her eyes if the plan went accordingly.

Lifting the back edge of her tent she glanced about in the darkness waiting in silence until the patrols changed and scooping of Devith she made her way for the edge of the forest and the sanctuary of the shadows.

Shards~ Hekate mentally cursed letting out a soft sigh and eyeing the shadows. She'd been so very very close, another few feet and she'd have had the cover of the leaves at her back and been gone like a whisp of smoke.

We could still make a break for it. Mine has done things like this before yes. Devith vouched, but even as he spoke with His they both knew it'd do them little good to antagonize the gold and her rider. Not that they couldn't do it. Merely that any ruckus the junior Queen and her lifebond would cause with put quite the kink in their plans.

Sighing once again Hekate ducked to the shadows slowly moving to meet the gold as instructed the rough hewn cloak she wore making her almost invisible in the dusky play of light and shadows. The only sign she even existed being the slight shift of movement and the whirling color of Devith's eyes from where he sat in her arms peering out of the cloak. Apparently Lady hadn't been as thorough in her scouting as the little green had boasted.

Slipping out of the shadows Hekate lowered Devith to the ground as the pair came to a stop beside the large form of the gold.

Queen. Hekate mentally addressed the large dragon with a short bow. Devith feeling less of a need to be so polite, but still followed his rider's example and gave the older dragon a small nod of respect.

Cepheith. Devith began draping himself protectively at his rider's feet his tone cool and commanding as ever as if he and His had come over to visit of their own volition rather then been caught. Had I known you were still awake at such an hour I would have come greeted you. The little silver added folding his wings elegantly, the shadows cast by the moonlight playing eerily across his dusky hide.

Hekate allowed the gold to nudge her gently remaining as still as a stone wrought statue beneath the queen's looming form. Devith was slightly more receptive bumping his nose with the Queen in greeting.

As Cepheith spoke about younglings being hurt it took all of Hekate's force of will not to explode.

"It's a little late for that~" She whispered her tone bitter though it was clear as she turned her gaze towards the Weyr that her anger was not directed at Cepheith. No. . .Hekate's thoughts lingered on her first true friend who lay with her dragon in critical condition.

Devith lifted his little head nudging his rider's hand gently his eyes whirling red as he sensed her thoughts. Leaning into her side he eyed the larger gold and the massive gold tail she'd wrapped to deter them from retreating. . .he'd have to remember that trick.

Well met then. Devith politely, but regally replied lifting one paw to eye the stitched and almost healed cut between his claws. Rules had never much mattered to him. He after all played by his own rules, but for now the Weyr kept them fed and soon enough no one would dare loom over him.

What ever polite calm the little silver had kept before the friendly queen vanished as Cepheiths rider approached. Feeling Hekate stiffen at the woman's accusations a low warning snarl rumbled from the silver's throat as he coiled himself protectively around His his eyes whirling like bright jewels in the dim light cast by the moon.

I've cut my teeth on one traitor already. I will not hesitate to do so again. Devith snarled his voice dark and full of rage at the merest memory of his traitorous sibling and the rider that DARED to try and court HIS. The extent of the sheer unrestrained rage in her dragon's voice catching even Hekate by surprise as she dropped a steady hand to the silver's shoulder.

We'll get our revenge, but not here. Not now. Hekate assured him in comforting silence easing the snarling silver at her side before turning hard glittering gold eyes on the Junior Queenrider herself.

"My name as you guessed correctly is Hekate, but I am no hero." She replied, Devith letting out a snort by her side.

Not yet. He rumbled his ego not one to be doused despite compromising situations.

"And despite what you may think I'm not a traitor either nor am I a fool. I'm afraid Weyr thinking does drudges a disservice in that manner." Hekate continued ignoring her dragon's interruption. The young woman's voice was clean, collected, and cold as a dagger as she spoke every carefully calculated word.

Yes she'd been a drudge, but the way she held herself now unyielding, polite, but unapologetic in the face of Narisa called into question who this young woman really was. Because those eyes were not the eyes of someone content to mop floors all their life, but it seemed the silver had taken that matter into his own claws in choosing her.

"And you're right I wouldn't risk Devith~ Not that his combat skills are in question." She replied to sooth the moody dragon who leaned against his rider's side tail lashing with irritation and anger. "They simply won't be needed." Hekate added, but when Narisa inquired if she and Devith were alright there was a grim look in the girl's eyes.

"You see Queenrider. . ." Hekate began in a whisper her eyes cast in shadow as she stared down at Devith stroking his eye ridges lovingly. "For all the wherhandlers harp about how badly the Dragonrider's feed off the masses and mistreat them they're not half as bad as the wherhandlers themselves. You think dragonrider disregard Drudges~" She let out a disgusted snort. "Wherhandlers would care less. Have you ever seen a screaming man torn limb from limb before by a wher just because the handler was a second too late. . . or worse~ didn't care? I have." Hekate snarled out that last word. "No worse!" The red haired rider caught herself looking up at Narisa and in those golden eyes shone a look of pure hate that reflected bright in the silver's gaze by her side. "I came across the only person in this entire sharding Weyr who had shown me any kindness~ any true acceptance, beat to a bloody pulp and her dragon torn to shreds by one of the beasts." The young woman snarled her feline like form shaking under the intensity of her own emotions as she fought to reign in her temper. After a few short controlled breaths she managed to calm herself.

Finally chuckling though the noise held no mirth Hekate fell quiet shaking her head as if to shed off the anger. "I guess in a way you're right. I do have darker deeds in mind, but they're none you'd have to worry yourself over. Devith can't fly yet and only a fool would side with wherhandlers without the safety the air can offer if they change their minds and decided to make you a chew toy when your usefulness has run out." She quietly explained Devith letting out a low rumbling croon that seemed to vibrate up her arm, calming the young woman.

"To answer your question though. No. I'm not truly alright, but I've got a plan that might get all of us some answers~ That is if your willing to spare an ear to an ex-drudge." Hekate finished Devith turning his head back to Cepheith choosing to speak with the friendlier gold then the distrustful rider who had insulted His.

It is a good plan. CleverMine has thought long and hard on it. I would not agree to such a thing if the plan was not perfection in itself. We can have no less then perfection. Devith added straightening slightly as he backed his rider.

Devith eyed Cepheith for a moment considering her teeth, but seemed hardly impressed, wary, but not impressed. I find what two-leggers lack in teeth they make up with in words. So should yours mind her words I mind my teeth same as you would with Mine. Devith replied, certainly not a silver lacking in ego. Were he any bolder one might think his hide bronze rather then it's dusky moonlit sheen.

Eyeing the cloak wrapped around her with one arched brow she glanced back at the goldrider. "I planned to ditch the cloak once I was safely in the woods. What it may scream in looks it makes up for by allowing me to better blend. A harsh, but equal payoff." Hekate answered with a small shrug her voice surprisingly calm as if she was examining the pros and cons of what to have for the evening meal rather then whether she'd be mistaken for a spy or not.

As Narisa ranted about her selfishness and questioned how she could not see the pain around her Hekate remained silent, her face betraying nothing as she listened. One might get the very distinct feeling that Hekate was sizing the Junior queenrider up to scale making it a point to carefully weigh her words before she'd strike.

And what a strike it was.

"If I was so truly focused on myself as you claim Ma'am I would be long gone. The Weyr holds very little appeal to me beyond this handsome darling at my side." She paused to cast a loving look to the young weyrling who leaned into her touch. "I know how to take care of myself and while it'd put some strain on me I could probably take care of Devith too. But HE wants to stay and were Devith stays. I stay." Hekate said punctuating her words sharply a sense of finality about her.

"This also is not about revenge~" She added making it a point to get that first sentence out before the goldrider had time to tear into her fledgeling defense. "If it was about revenge I'd be targetting that thrice sorry son of a wherry and his ill-born tunnelsnake ilk of a wher that tore into my friend which I am not no matter how very much I want too." Hekate practically snarled out seething with hate for the fool who'd dared to lift a finger against Dizzian. Taking a short moment she calmed herself.

I will be big. When I am big as you I will bring my sister said wher to use to cut her teeth on. Devith added his tone calm, but a sense of pure hate tinging ever single syllable of those two sentences as he looked up at Cepheith. Something wasn't something Devith might do. It was something that he quite clearly would do and take a great deal of satisfaction in.

"But that's not what I'm after tonight. I am despite what you may think very well aware of the carnage and ruin beset upon the Weyr and it's residents and had I not been the time I've spent in our makeshift healers tent keeping watch over me friend would have been more then enough to make the blind know of it. Trine as of the moment Devith found me became his home and by being his home it became my home." Hekate explained patting the silver on the head her chest swelling with pride at his short words. She had every single intention of making that plan of his come to fruition.

"And no one messes with what's Mine." She finished eyes hard and steely though they softened slightly with pleasant surprise as Narisa agreed to at least hear her out. The main reason she had not brought this plan to light in the first place was her heavy doubts that any of the higher ranking Weyr officials would want to hear anything from the 'ex-drudge.'

Letting out a small cough to clear her throat she glanced between gold and rider suddenly feeling almost shy. It is a good plan Mine. Very clever. Tell them. We deserve to be heard. Devith rumbled confidently in her mind lending his rider the needed support as she straightened her shoulders and leveled her gaze once more with Narisa.

"We don't know what's going on inside the Weyr and until we get answers to a lot of those questions I think everyone will be worried over what is going on. You see from what I can gather the handlers expect us to go after either the firestone, the store houses, or perhaps the Senior Queen and the Weyrwoman if she's still in there." Hekate began bending slightly to begin sketching a rough map of Trine Weyr and it's surrounding areas into the dirt putting little x's on the firestone store and food stores and the Weyrwoman's quarters.

"Those areas will be the most heavily guarded and defended. What won't be watched though will be say. . .the kitchen or back hallway or drudges areas. You see people talk and no one, not even wherhandlers notice drudges. So say someone who knows the routines, hallways, and side entrances could fairly easily slip in unnoticed and as long as they didn't cause trouble slip back out with the information." She explained carefully marking the side entrances she knew on the rough hewn map.

"My plan was to sneak into the forest and find some wher dung. While unpleasant whers track mostly with smell during the day when they can't see and should someone smear themselves with enough of it to hide their scent you could probably walk right past their den in the daylight without them knowing. Doing this I'd also smear Devith and place him in a safespot to keep watch high in a tree where he'd be able to relay me information about the guards switching to me while I was still inside." She continued both her and Devith making faces at the thought of smearing wher dung on themselves, but somethings had to be done for safety.

"I'd then wait till dawn when the guards are most likely to switch and when whers are sleepy and can't see and slip in through one of the drudges entrances. I already look like a drudge and can act like a drudge and know the routines so if I dirtied my hair up a bit I could blend in with little trouble once I dumped the cloak which I planned to leave to help hide Devith. Then I'd proceed to gather as much information as I could, maybe scout out where if any of our allies are still holding out in the weyr and then when Devith informs me of the next shift change I'd slip back out and sneak back to camp to relay the information. I also toyed with the idea of starting small fires in the back hallways to use the smoke to flush the whers out during the day, but the damage might be too big for the risk." Hekate finished marking the hallways she had originally planned to possibly start fires in.

"But there's no guarantee that wouldn't possibly hurt our allies until I found out where if any they are so I abandoned that part of the plan." She added looking up at the queen and rider her face impassive.