"I think we'll be moving up to something different tomorrow, for now class is over." she said and her students lined up for their chance at the several buckets of water she brought with her. Etoile padded up to her, holding a dead mouse in his jaws. "Why you brought this for me?" she asked, kneeling down as he rubbed against her ankles. "You can keep it." She ruffled the feline's fur as he purred and strode off to enjoy his catch as Kassandra finished putting the dummies up. "Having fun?" a voice came from bhind her and she turned to see Y'les landing on Yassorth. "Always." Sheathing her sword she walked over to him as he dismounted and the bronze leapt into the Feeding Grounds, sweeping down a werry buck with one powerful swipe. "I never get tired of watching him do that." Y'les said as he and Kassandra went to lean on the fencing around the Grounds.

"You always were up for a little gore, weren't you?" she sneered, nudging him with her shoulder. He shrugged. "I never turn it down anyways." She laughed and watched as Yassorth slaughtered a heardbeast and took it back to his perch. "Why don't you take any of my classes?" Kassandra asked, looking up at Y'les. "Because I figure Yassorth there will be more effective that a sword in a pinch. One breath and whoever it is will be a crispy critter." he grinned as the bronze bugled his agreement, dropping what was left of his kill and gliding to the lake to rinse away the blood. "What if you're where he can't get? What if you get cornered in the deepest, innermost room of the Lower Caverns of some weyr and don't know how to use your weapon." She pulled out her sword and brandished it so that the sun caught it just right and made it gleam. Y'les smiled. "I don't go into the Lower Caverns of any weyr except this one." He began to back off as Kassandra approached him, still holding out her sword. "You never know." she whispered, rocking from one foot to the other. "C'mon, fence with me." "Fencing doesn't involve such" he pushed the tip of her sword down with a gloved finger "large weapons."

"Oh please, are you scared of little old me?" she fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "Well, seeing as I've watched you take down guys twice your size with a dagger.....yeah." He danced around the sword and stood next to her as she sheathed it. "Wimp." she teased. "So, what have you been up to other, besides challenging innocent passer-by to duels?" he asked, leaning against the fence. "Working with Kayla...." Kassandra shrugged "S' about it." She narrowed her eyes at Yassorth and said, "Listen to your dragon, you're going to be late for drills." With a grimace, Y'les began to mount Yassorth. "I really hate it when you do that." he murmured, and Yassorth took off.

Suddenly, raised voices and the clatter of metal on metal arose from behind Kassandra and she whirled to see two men fighting over something, using her training weapons. "Hey!" she shouted, running up to them. "Those are my weapons, you fools! Use your own swords!" "Back off, girl. This is no place for you!" one of the men stopped briefly to shout at her and then resumed his battling. Kassandra seethed, the man had used "girl" as a derogatory term and that made her madder. She quickly unsheathed her sword and stepped between the two men, to the astonishment of both. "Move!" they shouted in unison. "Make me." she threatened. The one that had called her girl lifted his sword high over his head and brought it down in what would have been a devastating blow, had she been there. Instead the sword lodged itself in the dirt and Kassandra was behind him, slamming the hilt of her sword into his back over his kidneys. "Oof!" he grunted and fell to the ground.

With a satisfied smile, she watched him collapse and turned her gaze to the other who stood watching amusedly. "Nice." he admitted, then brought his sword up. "My turn." He took a quick step over the fallen man and swung sideways, nearly catching Kassandra in the side. She blocked and backed up a few steps, too close for her longer sword to make any good contact. They both grunted as they fought, sparks shooting occasionally as their sword met. He's really good... she thought I haven't had this kind of competition in turns. Taking advantage of her distraction, the man jabbed at her, piercing her left shoulder and rendering that arm useless.

She glanced astounded at the wound and glared back at him as he brandished the sword with her blood on it. "That was a mistake." she growled and began to fight even harder. The sword became heavier with just one arm to hold it, and her attacks less accurate, so she began to turn the fight in the direction of the weapon racks. Her opponent noticed and didn't allow her near enough to them. Kassandra cursed and tried to move her left arm. It was too painful to move, so she tried to finish the fight. With a powerful downsweep she connected with flesh and the man shouted out, clutching at his side. By now a large crowd was gathering to one side and Kayla hurriedly pushed to the front and saw Kassandra out there fighting. "Kassandra! What do you think you're doing!" she shouted. "This man and another used my weapons without asking first.....I'm teaching them a lesson!" she shouted back as the man held his side with his left hand.

A booming dragon bugle came from over head and Kassandra turned to see Yassorth swooping over the Rim, joined by a green and blue dragon. He flew low enough for Y'les to jump off. The man used her distraction to his advantage again and sweapt her off her feet with his sword. A spike of white-hot pain shot through he shoulder as she hit the ground and winced. The cold tip of a sword pressed to her throat and she looked up to see the man looming over her with a wicked grin on his face. She felt the pressure of the blade increase and warm blood ran down her neck as he began to deliver the killing blow. Suddenly the sword was removed and she opened her eyes to see that Y'les and the rider of the blue had tackled the man and were pinning him down. someone grabbed her under her arms and she looked up to see a strange woman and Kayla dragging her to the Healing Hall.

Are you alright?

It was Yassorth and she turned her head to see him and the other dragons looking worriedly at her. "I'm fine." she breathed as she suddenly became lightheaded. The world spun and light faded and she surrendered to the darkness that had been lurking around the edges of her vision.

When Kassandra woke she looked around to see Kayla, Y'les and two strangers near her bed, all talking so they didn't notice her. She tried to move her arm and found it bandaged and immobile. Kayla saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and faced Kassandra, a very stern look on her face. "Are you nuts, girl? You could very well have been killed!" she immediately began but stopped upon seeing Kassandra's hurt expression. "I'm sorry...I was worried about you." she admitted with a smile. Y'les sat down on the other side and took her hand. "It seems I can't go anywhere at this weyr without being knocked out." Kassandra rasped, smiling weakly.

The man and woman strangers she recognized as being the riders of the blue and green dragons she'd seen earlier and she looked behind Kayla at them. "Oh, Kassandra, these people are Searchriders from Opal Moon, and they think you'd make a good candidate for a clutch on the Sands there." Kayla said quickly, stepping back do they could introduce themselves. "M'naz." the man said, offering his hand and Kassandra shook it weakly as the woman introduced herself as Zana. "I'm sure you've met me by now." Kassandra said, smiling. She saw Y'les looking at her with and expression mixed with anger and worry and thanked M'naz and him for getting the man who was going to kill her. "It was no problem, we have to protect our potential candidates." M'naz said, shrugging. "So you really mean that I could be a candidate?" she asked, sitting up. "Yes, that's what we were coming for." Zana said. "We Searched and you're one of those we turned up." "You need to heal a bit before you go anywhere." Kayla added in as she and Y'les left. "And only then we'll have to fly straight, no between." M'naz said, lightheartedly. "Good, I hate between." Kassandra said with a shudder at the memory of total sensory deprivation. M'naz and Zana laughed. "You'll have to get used to it if you Impress." Zana said. "I know." Kassandra murmured, staring blankly at the floor. "If you Impress..."