The Morning After the Day Before
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th April 2019
Series: The Wingleader's Surgery
Characters: Cyradis, D'hol
Description: Cyradis is with D'hol when he wakes
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 26 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: K'deren
Takes place the morning after D'hol's surgery
----
She sat watching his face as he slept. She'd been there for hours ever
since Kielya had told her he'd woken and talked to her. She refrained
from pumping her daughter for information or even scolding her for
running off to see him when she should have been sleeping. No, she
knew the feeling too well.
Instead, she just sat there and watched him sleep. She thought she
could imagine his breathing seemed easier and his color was better
than it had been. Healers came and went checking on him but she kept
them from turning any glows or doing anything that would wake him if
they didn't have to.
How many nights had she watched him in the past? She couldn't even
count. Sometimes she'd only watched through Shadow's images. She smiled
to herself. Of course, their daughter had used Peeps to get in to see
her da. It's exactly what Cyradis herself would have done, had done.
But now the dawn was painting the sky a rosy hue and while Panitath
guarded her eggs she still sent words of comfort to her former mate.
Cyradis listened and silently rejoiced. She told herself she was
concerned about all the riders at the Weyr. But, there really were
some who were just a little _more_ important to her.
**Another day you didn't think you'd see,** she mused and closed her
eyes, for a moment, with a grateful sigh.
His vision was hazy at first when his eyes fluttered open, but the
sight of Cyradis sitting beside him brought his lip corners up. D'hol
felt weak and still tired, but he was thankful that she was there. In
a voice rough from sleep, he murmured softly, "Hello, beautiful."
Her eyes came open and head lifted at the same time. "Good morning,"
she said in a soft voice. She didn't want the healers to interrupt
just yet. Her own lips curved and she touched his hand with hers.
"Good to see you still with us."
Morning? His brow knit just a little as the thought stumbled through
his brain but was left behind as his hand reached to twine his fingers
with her own in a light grip. Muddled from sleep and the remaining
fellis, he gave a slight nod of his head. "Glad to be."
"And the Healers said you don't have the wasting sickness." She
squeezed his fingers. "So you and Yumath are going to lead your wing
again."
He nodded. "This time, I'm glad you were right and I wasn't." He
lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "You saved my
life. Thank you."
"D'hol? Before anyone else comes back in I want you to know I'm sorry
I tossed Kielya and Dheymin at you like that. I just didn't think
you'd listen otherwise."
His brow furrowed at the unexpected apology, keeping her hand resting
near his cheek. "You did what thought you had to." His lips lifted,
but only a little. "It worked. I'm here."
"It won't happen again," she promised.
He frowned a little more deeply, studying her face with sleepy eyes.
His thumb stopped stroking her palm after an unpleasant thought came
to him. "Wylra."
She hadn't planned on telling him anything the greenrider had shared
but as always he was observant and figured things out on his own. That
was one of the things that made him a bronzerider and Wingleader. She
smiled. "She cares about you."
"I know. But she meddles more than she should and speaks when she
shouldn't." He began stroking her palm once again with his thumb. "
Don't worry about what you and Jeyme did, Cyradis. I understand." He
said his cheek on her palm, forgiving her with actions rather than
words. He watched her face, his eyes following the curve of her
cheek, then her mouth. "What you told me, what you gave back to me,
it was worth every moment of pain."
Her eyes fogged and she wiped one of them as she shook her head.
"You're like a tidal wave, do you know that? I had to keep you at
arm's length. I'm just sorry it made you think I hated you."
"Shh. Don't cry, sweet. I can't stand to see you cry. " He turned his
head just enough to kiss her palm, then rested his cheek back on the
softness of it. "It's enough to know now that even after everything,
you still love me." He couldn't explain it with words, but she had
healed in some way that deep pit of anger and resentment that he'd
carried with him for so long. He felt lighter. "I'd never ask you to
leave K'deren, I hope you know that. You need him. You love him and
he makes you happy. N'lon was... I hated seeing you with him. He was
never good enough for you. K'deren is. He's a good man and I respect
him." His eyes never left her face for a moment as his lips curled up.
"But that doesn't mean I won't occasionally steal a kiss or hope that
you'll come to me from time to time. Or that I'll stop telling you
how beautiful you are to me."
She smiled as once again he read the situation correctly. "Let's not
talk about N'lon again, shall we? We both agree he is a wherry turd."
She snorted but then softened again when he said what he did about
K'deren. "Thank you," but her smile confirmed she was feeling the same
as he by leaning over to place a soft kiss on his lips.
He responded gently, one hand lifting to weakly cup her cheek. When
she pulled away, he sighed with a measure of contentment. "Didn't
have to steal that one." His tone was light, but as he nuzzled her
other hand against his own cheek, he spoke against her palm. "Just
tell me and remind me often, hmm?"
"I'll remind you," she smiled. "But you probably need more rest first."
His gaze immediately warmed as his brows rose. "I'll hold you to that,
Cyradis." Giving a rough, but pleased chuckle, D'hol's grin attempted
to be lecherous, but still partially drugged, it didn't quite carry
the entire effect. "My back will need a good scratching now and then.
It itches."
There was a twitch of the curtain as Urlene peeked in. She glanced at
Cyradis, then closed the curtain, allowing them privacy until they
were finished. D'hol, with his back to her, didn't see, continued to
chuckle softly.
She waggled her fingers and smiled. "One of my specialities," she
grinned. Her long shapely nails were tools that she grew naturally and
they were strong and excellent for scratching backs. She saw the
curtain twitch and lowered her voice slightly. "I should go," she
said. "I think the healers want to see you but they're not going to
push me out." She winked. "I'll be back later," she said and kissed
him again.
D'hol turned his head, then sighed. "Aye. I suppose they'll want to
poke and prod at me." He heard an indelicate snort from behind the
curtain and smirked, but returned Cyradis' kiss with muted ardor. "I
hope so. I'll see you then."
She nodded and squeezed his fingers. "You can come in now Urlene," she
chuckled and brushed past the curtains.
Last updated on the May 3rd 2019