Dragon Rider Play

Krudd's growls intensified as he stormed toward te bunkhouse, sweeping Mark along in his wake.  He arrived at the same time the Headmaster did and stepped aside politely so the other could enter first.

Alistair jumped when the Headmaster entered and bowed.  "Sir."

The Headmaster folded his hands before him as the others crowded into the rather narrow room.  "Do you know why you are here, Alistair?"

"No, sir," Alistair responded.

The Headmaster nodded toward the stuff on the floor.  "Do you recognize that?"

Alistair glanced at it with every evidence of having no idea what it was.  "No, sir, but I would assume it is that dragon's treasure by the way she guards it."

Tithenor stood in the corner, his expression a mask, but he was puzzled.  He could see no signs of deception in Alistair's mannerisms.

"It was stolen this morning." Blade explained coolly. His own expression was as unrevealing as Alistair's. "However, I was in the rookery today, and heard you talk about stolen things, and Tithenor found them while getting a blanket for me at 53's request. On top of that, Erika says her treasures reek your scent, Alistair."

Alistair frowned, but he shifted uneasily. "Of course it smells like me, that is my blanket! As for stolen goods, are you referring to when my friends and I were speaking of a hail? We were speaking of a haul of meat! We caught enough and used Krudd's forge to dry the meat for some of our dragons as an emergency measure."

"Emergency for what?" The Headmaster asked sharply.

Alistair hesitated then reluctantly admitted, "We have plans to leave the island. E are cowards. We don't want to have to serve some army and get killed in a fight that isn't ours."

"An honest answer," The Headmaster said grimly, clearly not liking it but accepting it. "Blade, he has reasonable answers for your accusations. What time was your dragon's trove stolen?"

"This morning, before breakfast." Blade answered honestly. "As far as your 'haul'.... I explicitly heard you say you had stolen enough to be set. You said both haul and steal, not just one or the other. And if it isn't there by your doing, even if your scent is all over it, why was one of your knives found in with the mess, and the blankets stacked back in the chest in an illogical order? It's not cold enough for a heavy blanket, and yet it was on top of the lighter blanket that would make more sense being on top."

"If it was the one with the dragon etched in the blade, I lost it last week.  Beyond that, I have no idea.  This morning I was with my friends hunting then in the forge."

"I can attest to them being in my forge and stinking up the place," Krudd grumbled.

The Headmaster said nothing for a long time.  "Blade, your dragon's trove has been returned.  Alistair, as of right now, nothing can be proven one way or another.  Until you are either proven guilty or cleared, you shall stay in sight of myself, the professors, or Miss Ezra.  You will be required to sleep in the kitchens under the watch of the chefs, not here in the bunkhouse.  Black water, when you are not busy with your classes, I need you to go with Loam and speak with the dragons.  All of them."

"This is ridiculous, I was set up!" Alistair shouted.

Blade smiled a little. "Actually, may I request the presence of one more person? I don't doubt that Alistair didn't steal it directly, but I think I know who did for him."

"Who might that have been?" The Headmaster asked, ignoring Alistair's angry outburst.

"Pat." Blade said simply. "Around the time of the incident, Pat vanished, and didn't reappear until after the fact. Also, Erika had only scented me, her, and Pat in her stall. However, based on Pat's mood today, I imagine he may have been manipulated or forced to do it."

The Headmaster's brows winged upward. "I find it hard to believe young Patrick would ever do something like this. Are you certain?"

"Yes." Blade said. He had no certain proof, but his gut told him this was the case, and his gut hadn't let him down before. "What makes sense given what's happened today and how Pat has been acting, I am very sure of it."

The Headmaster sighed, far more saddened by Pat's involvement than Alistair's. "Bring Pat, please, Algerian."

(Algerian?)

"Headmaster?" Blade requested. "Please don't be too harsh on Pat. He is good, I swear, and I think this whole thing has eaten him up all day."

(Blame autocorrect, angel guy)

"We shall see," Headmaster Grumbledorf said with a fragile sort of calm. He nodded to the (bird guy!!).

(Lol)

Alterrion nodded and swept out of the room and went to the Mess Hall first to look for Pat. The winged professor seemed eerily calm, like the quiet before a violent storm.

Pat sat in the corner of the room, picking at her barely touched food. She looked up as the room fell silent and paled. She knew he knew.

Alterrion saw Pat and strode over partway. He made a clear motion for Pat to go with him, but said nothing.

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