The Torture of Innocence

Writers: Estelle, Heather
Date Posted: 2nd February 2024

Characters: L'keri, Eyvia
Description: L'keri attends a mindhealer session with Eyvia
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 19 of Turn 11

L'keri

Eyvia

L'keri strolled into the Infirmary and raised a hand in greeting to the
journeyman on duty. He'd become a familiar face there over the past
months, between exercises for his healing leg and the regular mindhealer
appointments - though he'd changed, too. The limp and the cane were
gone, he was lighter on his feet than he'd been before, and his eyes
were bright and clear.

He hadn't stopped protesting about his treatment, though. "Here I am,
right on time for my regular chat about my deepest, darkest feelings."
He grinned. "Is she in her office?"

"Yes, her last patient just left - I expect she'll be out in a minute.
Have a seat, Brownrider," the journeyman replied tolerantly.

Eyvia appeared at the doorway and upon seeing L'keri, just the slightest
twitch of her eyebrow occurred. For someone who knew her well, it was
the telltale sign that she was pleased to see the other person.

"I see you're still without the cane. Physical therapy has gone well?"
she inquired, tilting her head to let him know she was ready for him to
enter her office.

"It has. I'm in excellent physical condition," L'keri replied, a
mischievous glint in his eyes as he rose and entered the office, taking
his accustomed chair. His knee still had a little lingering stiffness in
the mornings and when he sat still for too long, but he'd been able to
return to his Wing to fight Thread, much to his relief and Rhalith's.
"And how are you, journeywoman? Have you had an interesting morning of
probing into the minds of poor, helpless dragonriders?"

The greenrider's blue eyes lit with amusement. "Ah yes, the torture of
innocence, the exact reason I became a Mind Healer." Eyvia closed the
door behind L'keri and took her place in her usual chair. On the small
table beside her, she picked up her clipboard and jotted down the date
at the top.

"Well, your next victim is ready and waiting." He leaned back in the
chair and stretched out his legs with a lazy grin that was frankly
inviting. "Luckily for me, I'm not so innocent, and capable of resisting
any amount of...probing."

Despite L'keri's charm, Eyvia remained professional, as she had at every
meeting they'd had. Some patients made remaining professional more
difficult than others. "Tell me, what differences do you see in yourself
since we had our first session?"

"You mean, other than my ever-improving health and athletic prowess?" He
considered the question for a moment. "Well, I'm back in a fighting
Wing. That's a weight off my mind - it was hard on Rhalith, you know,
keeping him grounded, and I don't feel quite so useless as I did."

"Sometimes a little responsibility feels good," Eyvia agreed. "What
about mental and emotional differences from then to now?"

"I'm afraid I'm as much of a rascal as ever." He sounded entirely
unrepentant. "Still the despair of my wingleader, still relishing each
day as it comes, since it might be my last. You healers' plan to
transform me into the model of a stolid, responsible, boring brownrider
has been a complete failure."

}: But you are lighter. :{

L'keri blinked. Rhalith didn't usually interrupt during these meetings.
Most of the time, he slept through them. **I know. They put me on a
diet! I remember every painful minute of it. It wasn't human..**

}: No, not like that. Inside, :{ the brown replied. }: You should
explain. :{

**How do you remember what I was like then?** L'keri rolled his eyes,
but the only reply was a sense that his dragon just did. He sighed. If
he didn't say anything, then Rhalith might tell Pomiath - he seemed
quite fond of the green. "Rhalith wants me to say that I feel lighter,
whatever that means."

Eyvia smiled. "Ah, dragons have a way of getting to the heart of things.
Rhalith is very wise and I agree with his assessment. I can't see you
the way he can, of course, but you do seem lighter." The mindhealer set
her notepad aside. "I do want correct your statement, however, about
molding you into a solid, responsible, boring brownrider. My intention
is to help you see yourself without distraction. To see yourself
honestly. Nothing more."

"I'm glad to hear it. I would have been sorry to disappoint so charming
a greenrider in her hopes of reforming me." His tone was light and
teasing, but there was a sense of openness in his manner, and a touch of
respect that certainly hadn't been there at his first visit. "I've
always been honest about who I am, though. I've never pretended to be
the perfect dragonrider who Wingleaders love."

"Perfect is boring," Eyvia said, breaking her 'mindhealer demeanor' for
the first time in all of their sessions. "Life's too short for it to be
boring." She picked his file back up and jotted something down inside.
"I'll let your Wingleader know you're done with your mindhealer
sessions. Do feel free to come by anytime, though, should the need arise."

"I'm done?" L'keri's mouth dropped open in startled surprise. "You mean
you think I'm cured? I don't have to come back?" He didn't sound as
delighted by that idea as his frequent complaints about their sessions
might have suggested. If he hadn't known better, he'd almost have called
it disappointment.

"You've completed all of the 'mandated sessions'," she said, her lips
quirking into a genuine smile, a smile that was just Evyia, not
Evyia-the-mindhealer. "It's been nice getting to know you L'keri. Like I
said, if you wanted to continue sessions on your own, you are more than
welcome."

He was quiet for an unusually long moment, thinking about that. The
sessions with the mindhealer had been a hoop he'd had to jump through to
get back to his Wing after the accident. He'd never considered going
voluntarily. "Do you think it would be a good idea? I wouldn't want to
waste your time. There must be others who need your help more than I do."

"It would never be a waste of my time. I think it's good for everyone to
have someone to talk to, especially dragonriders who risk their lives
regularly in Threadfall. The decision is yours, but just know that
you're always welcome."

"Well, I'll think about it." L'keri smiled too, and it was unexpectedly
warm - more so than his usual easy, charming manner, and without even a
hint of wickedness. In his mind, as always, was his son. What if there
was a way to mend the rift between them - if not to persuade Arten to
return to the Weyr, then at least to believe that he was sorry for his
past mistakes? He would have to think it over. For now, he got to his
feet. "Thank you."

Eyvia stood, extending her hand to L'keri. "It was my pleasure."

He clasped her hand, returning the gesture. "Until next time, then, maybe?"

"Until then," she smiled.

Last updated on the February 7th 2024

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The Torture of Innocence