A New Recruit

Writers: Estelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 5th September 2019

Characters: R'fal, Briata, Y'gel
Description: A minor injury for Marlath leads to an opportunity for R'fal
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 22 of Turn 9

Briata

Y'gel

***

Marlath settled down lightly near the dragonhealers' infirmary, lifting
his right hind leg a little as he did to ease it. Tired after a long
drill that morning, he had landed awkwardly and felt a mild twinge in
the ankle joint as he walked. His rider had noticed it at once and,
after they'd rested, he'd decided they needed to visit the dragonhealers.

}:It is not very bad. I think I will be better tomorrow.:{

**We'll get it checked out, though, just in case.** R'fal patted the
brown's neck. With all he'd had to deal with the past month - the travel
between Weyr, Emerald Falls and the family cothold, the trial and what
had happened after - he'd become concerned that he'd been neglecting his
dragon. He had diligently bathed and oiled Marlath, accompanied him
hunting and spent hours sitting beside him on the dragon's couch in
their weyr, reading or simply closing his eyes and focusing on their
bond. All the same, he worried that his low mood was affecting the young
dragon, but he wasn't sure what he could do about it.

Trying to put those thoughts aside, he went into the infirmary to look
for a dragonhealer.

"Hello Marlath," a beautiful young woman said as she came across the
room to where they were. "Now what did you do to yourself today,"
Briata asked the dragon.

}:I have a little pain in my foot. It's not too bad.:{ Marlath sounded
surprised and a little intrigued to be talking to a person other than
his rider. }:And my rider is not happy, which makes me sad too.:{

"I think his foot twisted when he landed this morning, and it hurts when
he puts weight on it," R'fal explained, slightly shy in her presence. "I
just wanted to check that he's all right."

She smiled at the young man and nodded. "So he told me," she said and
rubbed the brown's headknobs. "He's very embarrassed." **Sorry,** she
added to Marlath. "Y'gel should be here soon. I asked Aughashyth to
call him. I'm Briata," she added by way of introduction.

"Oh - thank you! I'm R'fal," he replied, startled. He'd had heard that
there were people who could hear and speak to all dragons, not just
their own, but he had never met one before.

The young dragon let out a low rumble of pleasure, and R'fal rested a
hand lightly on his lifemate's neck, feeling his spirits lift. "Can you
really hear him?" he asked, curious.

"I can," she smiled then turned toward the doorway. A boy on sturdy
legs about three turns old came running to her with a squeal of joy
jabbering about something from the creche.

Following him was the large dragonhealer. "R'fal," he grinned as
Brigel reached his mother. "How's Marlath?"

"He landed wrong and twisted something. He's in a little pain," Briata
answered.

Y'gel reached her and kissed her brow before continuing on to Marlath.
"Let me see that foot," he said as his hand slid over the warm brown
hide.

Encouraged by his rider, Marlath lifted his hind foot off the ground,
resting on the other three, and turned his head to look at it.

"He says it only hurts when he puts his weight on it." R'fal lightly
touched the dragon's ankle, careful not to get too close, and moved his
hand until he found what he thought was the right place on the outer
side of the foot. "Just here."

"He may have tweaked something let me feel to make sure there isn't a
bone broken. This may hurt a little," he said and began to manipulate
the area around where the injury was.

R'fal closed his eyes, opening his mind to Marlath's senses. He felt the
slight strain in the foot, then flinched, sharing the twinge of pain as
Y'gel touched the injured place. "There, I can feel it." He listened to
his dragon. "He says it's not a sharp pain, just feels tender and
stretched."

"Right," Y'gel nodded. "I think he's got a sprain. A little rest of
that foot and some cold and hot compresses should take care of it."
There'd been no movement of the bones under his fingers. "He's not
quite finished growing so I'm pretty sure his weight is just a little
greater than it has been before and he misjudged the landing a bit.
It's not all that uncommon in younger dragons."

Relieved to hear that it wasn't serious, R'fal reached up to touch his
lifemate's side reassuringly. "Thank you, Master. I'm not sure whether
he's more embarrassed about the landing or pleased to hear that he might
grow some more." His brow creased with sudden concern as he thought of
whether he could continue his visits to his family. "Will we be able to
fly, and carry on with wing drills?"

"Yes," he said. "But be extra careful landing for the next sevenday."
Then he tilted his head, a question in his eyes. "So are you still
interested in dragonhealing?"

The young man brightened. "Yes, I am! And Marlath said he would be, too,
when we talked about it. Only we didn't know if it would be allowed,
with us being so new to the Wing." He thought back, realizing that he
had been a wingrider for several months now. The time had gone by
quickly, and then the trial at Emerald Falls had put all other thoughts
out of his head.

"Good," Y'gel smiled. "We have daily classes for apprentices. They are
usually planned around drills and such as one of the prerequisites of
advancing in the craft is... that you are a dragonrider and that means
you have other duties."

"So - I can just come along?" R'fal wondered if K'don would be there. It
would be fun to be in class with his fellow weyrling again, but perhaps
he was further along in his training since he'd been a crafter before.
"There isn't a test, or anything?" he added, a note of worry in his
voice. It had been a while since he'd practiced his writing.

"Well, yes of course," Y'gel nodded. "The journeymen watch and give
you personal instruction and when you demonstrate that you've learned
a subject you can move on. Basic classroom work is twice a week for
two hours. So be here two candlemarks before midday, then you'll break
for lunch and head off to drill."

**Sounds like weyrling training,** R'fal thought, remembering the strict
schedule of classes and drills. Duties to fill his days were what he
needed right now, though, and this was something he'd wanted to do ever
since he'd assisted with the bronze dragon. "What about Threadfall?
Would I need to help if a dragon is injured?"

"Not until after you've had a little education. Of course we always
need bandages rolled and both redwort and numbweed supplies restocked.
But that can be done by non dragonrider apprentices. You're more
important fighting Thread until we can get you up to speed." Y'gel
looked appreciatively at Marlath. "He looks like he'll be very good
sized at full growth. I'm sure he'll be able to catch blues and
greens easily and in tandem with another brown to catch a bronze if need
be."

Marlath's eyes whirled faster and he lifted his head in pride and
delight. For the moment, his sprained foot was forgotten. }:I will grow
strong, so I can help other dragons when they need me.:{

The young brownrider smiled, his dragon's pleasure making him feel
better than he had in days. "I think you've made his day, Master Y'gel.
Oh, should he come to the classes too? Or can I just tell him what I've
learned?"

"He'll attend some of the classes and learn how to catch a falling
dragon properly so not to hurt the dragon or rider or himself. But you
will be learning about how to communicate with an injured dragon both
with and without your lifemate. We'll go deeper into those subjects you
learned as a candidate and as a weyrling. How does that sound," the big
bronzerider winked.

"We'd both like that, sir." R'fal's enthusiasm showed in his face. He
was glad, particularly, that Marlath would be able to learn with him.
There weren't many crafts where a dragon could take part alongside his
rider. "I'll be there for the next class, and... I guess I should tell
my Wingleader?"

"Yes," Y'gel nodded. "It's good for planning to know when a higher
ranking rider might be leaving the wing during 'fall to work on
injuries."

"Yes, sir," R'fal replied, though he found it strange to think of
himself as a higher-ranking rider. Right now he was the youngest and
least experienced in the Wing...but he wouldn't always be. He asked
Marlath to contact his Wingleader's bronze and ask for a meeting.
"Thank you! I'll be at the class, tomorrow."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," Y'gel smiled and turned to go back into
his office for more hide work.

Last updated on the September 11th 2019

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