Blood Boiling

Writers: Chelle
Date Posted: 28th April 2015

Characters: R'gelen
Description: He goes through one of his first threadfalls after coming to the Weyr.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 2 of Turn 7

He'd been stocking firestone sacks the last few days. That wasn't so bad. It
was easy work, though very physical. The young boy understood he
needed to develop himself if he had any hope of ever being a proper rider.
He had seen the wingriders walking around with their big arms and strong
torsos. So, he'd broken the stone and stuffed the sacks. He'd sweated and
dirtied himself. Today, though, would be different. Today, the Weyr would
rise to meet the Fall.

Seeing all the dragons in the Wings in the Bowl like that always made him
forget to breathe. They were all so beautiful and all the pretty colors.
He wished his Da could see it, then maybe they would understand what it was
about. And then they disappeared. Somewhere, in the back of his mind,
he knew this would be the weyrlings' last fall before they graduated. He had
seen them-the young ones. Some would live and some would not. There
was a young goldrider here and he'd thought about maybe trying to meet her
to ask her about his Aunt. Surely she'd give an honest opinion since she was
younger and maybe wouldn't think too much about him asking.

Hearing someone calling his name, he remembered what detail he was on today.
He was boiling bandages. It was necessary to have clean, fresh ones.
They had taken all the scrap clothing that was no longer useful and torn
them into strips. Now they had to boil them. It wasn't hard work either but
he had
to be careful not to burn himself. And then when Fall started, they weren't
just clean strips. They had blood on them. Rohagelen forced himself to clean
them and then boil them and then dunk them in redwort. So much red. His eyes
tried not to focus on it but he could hear the people yelling not too far
off.
They were in pain. They were in need. **This is what they do for us when
they fight it. They die and they hurt.** He understood it now-the sacrifice.
His Aunt
made it when she flew. And his parents scorned her for choosing this. **But
the dragon chose her!**

He stirred the paddle while his scrambled up mind tried to make sense of the
thoughts he was having. **What if one of them chooses me? What if Mam isn't
happy? What will I do?** He heard the people around him and then the keening
started-that horrible sound. He knew what that meant and he wiped his eyes
on his sleeve. **I won't have a choice if I Impress. She'll just have to
decide if she still wants me.**

Suddenly, there was dragon falling through the sky. There was a rough
landing and people were scrambling around it. **Please let it be okay.
Please let it.**
He couldn't do anything to help so he stayed by his boiling pot, swirling
the blood and bandages around. Turning back to it, he realized it was time
to change
the water again. So much red on the ground. Sighing, the young boy went to
get more water from the cistern, cold despite the heat from the fire under
the pot.

Trudging back, he filled the pot with the buckets and then waited for it to
begin boiling. It seemed like forever but finally there were the telltale
bubbles.
Throwing the strips in, he felt the blood on his hands and looked at them,
almost not realizing it wasn't his blood. After all, someday it could be
his. If he
Impressed, he would have to go up there with all of them. Shaking his head,
he pushed himself, finishing his shift until someone shoved him in the
direction
of food and a shower when it was all over. Silently walking that way and
realizing that the Threadfall was finally over, he hoped there would be no
more keening.
Sometimes there was, when the healers couldn't save one of them and their
dragon went later. Already, he had come to hate that noise.

Last updated on the April 29th 2015

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Blood Boiling