I Don't Feel Much

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 4th June 2020

Characters: D'hol, K'ran
Description: D'hol comes to check on K'ran after the /betweening/ incident.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 10
Notes: K'reyel, Kapera, Saibra, Ashela, K'lvin,

D'hol

K'ran

Rogueth was unconscious and in pain. K'ran's head was throbbing now,
as the trauma of maintaining a tight hold with his dragon was finally
kicking in. The food that the drudge had brought him had helped reduce
the headache. He was dozing on the couch when a knock happened.

"Bronzerider? There's a man here to see you, bronzerider's knots," the
weyrbrat informed him.

"Thank you," he said, nodding and sitting up. Could be K'reyel, or
D'hol, or someone else. He tugged at his rumpled sleep shirt in a vain
attempt to be presentable and scrubbed a hand over his face, realizing
he looked a mess - there was ichor still on his shirt and nail marks
on his skin and he suspected he looked haggard already - then sat up
and waited for his guest to come in.

D'hol stepped in and didn't hesitate to look K'ran over. His lips
thinned at the drawn expression on his face. "How are you doing? And
how bad are Rogueth's injuries?"

"The Weyrdragonhealer says they've stitched up all the wounds. Here,
here, and here," he said, touching himself on the belly and on the arm
where the wing tears were. "He's concerns about infection from either
what was on Aglayath's claws, what was in the lake, or a bowel
perforation. The lacerations are too deep to stitch so he must stay
here until he can /between/ safely, so I'm going to be useless to
Barrier Lake now."

K'ran exhaled after admitting that. "It was a lot of concentration
when the dragonhealers needed help and I'm paying the price now," he
admitted.

"Only for a short time, I hope." D'hol moved to sit across from K'ran,
resting his elbows on his knees. "As soon as he heals, I'll want you
back and as my 'Second." He rubbed his chin, then his eyes. "So, what
happened?"

K'ran slouched into his couch and said, "Rogueth and I were on our
way down to the feeding pens to join the flight, my way took us past
the gold ledges. Onnyth was gone, we knew where Riyanth was. But
Aglayath was still on hers with Ashela there. I told her to take her
away. She was insisting on Riyanth stealing 'her' bronzes Rogueth
distracted her, he went and grabbed a beast and brought it to her to
eat, on my orders. We thought that if she ate, not blooded, it would
weigh her down, and it almost worked. Then Riyanth leapt up - Aglayath
went after her, then, but heavy and slow. We thought he could get her
/between/ and away from Riyanth, so Rogueth caught her in his talons."

He curled his hands together, nails digging into the palms of his
hands, as he continued. "Aglayath lashed out and struck him hard, and
he was ichoring badly. So I envisioned the lake by my family's
cothold, in Dragonsfall territory. He dragged her /between/ as I kept
the visual and got her in the lake. That must have cooled her rage.
Then he called Chioneth to outrank her and because he was bleeding."

"I don't know why Ashela stayed. Aglayath, she wasn't glowing at all,
she wasn't close to actually rising. I think that's what stopped her
from actually charging Riyanth at the time and let him distract her.
She outweighed him even more than golds normally outmass bronzes and
if she'd also been in the full mating frenzy, she could have torn him
apart completely and gone after Riyanth. The meat and the fact she
wasn't yet in heat must have been the only factors even allowing us to
stop her." K'ran shook his head as he looked up at D'hol, haunted.
"She should have known better. It was _sheer chance_ I was running the
right way to see her there before I got to the flight. Otherwise she
might have leapt in and they might not have been separable."

As he spoke, D'hol's face grew grim and there was no disguising the
growing anger. That foolish, selfish woman! She could have cost Pern
two valuable queens and a bronze from her stupidity. D'hol was ready
there and then to find the woman and give her a lashing, goldrider or
no. But he could not act without Kapera in this matter. "You're right.
As long as she's been a goldrider, she should have known better. She
was arrogant and stupid, and I promise you she will have consequences
for her lack of action." He exhaled through his nose, rubbing his hand
over his face. "What do you need, K'ran? Anything, and you'll have it.
You and Rogueth have done a great service to all of us."

"I need to never share a Weyr with her again," he said immediately.
"Even if Rogueth recovers fine. And if he doesn't..." His face went
even more haggard, if possible. If Rogueth did not recover, they both
knew
K'ran wouldn't be enough of a man left to care.

D'hol nodded slowly, understanding. "I will speak to Kapera about the
matter as soon as I get back and see what can be done. Do you need any
personal belongings while you're here? Anything we can provide?"

"K'lvin offered to get me a few things from my weyr," which reminded
him that he had been lucky enough to be placed in the Lord
Weyrholder's quarters until the time of the flight.

"Uh, I know you'll be needing it so you can just have drudges move
things when you want to move in," he added. It wasn't like he had
scandalous personal effects. It was a mundane thing to focus on, but
it helped him not think about the pain.

"You'll have what ever you need sent, K'ran." D'hol made a note to
himself to follow up with K'lvin as soon as he returned. "Your things
will be moved into the weyr designated for the Weyrsecond, if you're
willing."

"I'm all right with that. It's going to be more than enough space," he
said. He thought briefly about asking if D'hol was sure about it -
what if Rogueth didn't recover? - but he couldn't find himself to
think about that right now.

D'hol nodded, then offered his hand to K'ran. "I'll check up on you
regularly. Don't worry about anything but you and Rogueth. Whatever is
needed, I'll see you get it."

"We appreciate it," K'ran said sincerely. "I'm glad it was you who
won," he added as he took D'hol's hand. He couldn't think of better
hands.

Last updated on the October 13th 2020

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

I Don't Feel Much