Still Alive for the Next Thrilling Adventure

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 3rd June 2025

Characters: L'keri, K'mai
Description: L'keri comes to check on his friend in the infirmary and K'mai gets a little defensive about I'serin.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 18 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, A'ten, L'val, R'enh

L'keri

K'mai

Long before the infirmary was opened to visitors, L'keri was waiting
outside, alternately pacing and leaning against the wall, tapping his
foot. He wasn't the only one. After the Fall the day before, there was a
small crowd - some riders, some not, wingmates, weyrmates, parents,
children, all trying to put on a brave face and hide their worry.

Finally it was his turn to follow a journeyman to the bed where his
friend was resting and summon his most encouraging manner, calculated to
improve even the most poorly of patients.

"K'mai! You're looking much less squished than I expected."

"L'keri!" K'mai winced a little at his own voice but quickly
recovered. "Mostly just my head, and I don't use it all that much so
it's fine."

The brownrider took a seat beside the bed. "Rhalith said a green fell on
you?" His voice was light, with no hint of what he'd felt at that moment
when the formation had dissolved into chaos. Clumps of Thread and gouts
of dragonflame on all sides, a terrified cry behind him and the voice in
his head saying, }:Sebeth...:{

Without thinking, K'mai nodded. "Ow. Yeah, Trasiboth got scored and
she fell on us. All I remember is something hitting me and then waking
up in the infirmary. I got scored, too, before she hit us." He pointed
toward his bandaged right arm. "It's not too bad, but I'll be out for
a while. Can't catch firestone sacks until this is healed up."

"At least it won't hold you back in other ways," L'keri said, with a sly
lift of his eyebrow. "There's an upside to being stuck in the infirmary;
sexy healers. I should know. Some of the daydreams I had, when I was
laid up with my leg - ah, I remember them still."

K'mai laughed, but gently so it wouldn't hurt his head too much. "I'll
be out of here soon, at least. They want to make sure the concussion
isn't too bad and the scoring on my arm doesn't open up." He smiled.
"Once my head stops pounding, I'll charm a healer or two into my cot."

"That's the way of the body. The head stops pounding, and another part
starts," L'keri said, with an air of great sagacity. "There you go. I
could be a healer."

K'mai pressed his left hand to his mouth, carefully controlling
another laugh. "You should be. You have great bedside manner."

"I have a great bed-top manner as well." L'keri winked. "At least,
that's what the greenriders tell me." He belatedly noticed the hint of
strain in K'mai's expression. "Sorry - your head. I'll quit the jokes.
How's Sebeth doing?"

"He's bruised from Trasiboth hitting us, poor thing, but the
dragonhealers say he'll be fine in a few days. I'll get to see him for
a little while later today." A little smile curved K'mai's lips.
"Apparently he got Aluneth to cuddle with him last night."

"Aluneth?" L'keri blinked. The Weyrleader's dragon? "Well, I guess it's
the least they could do." His brow furrowed, and his voice darkened with
resentment. There was a reason his friend was in the infirmary, and all
those others - those who'd made it. "That stupid bronzerider. What was
he thinking? Even I knew that formation was off."

"No!" K'mai sat up, wincing at the bolt of pain in his head. "Don't
call him that. He knows it was a mistake. He feels _terrible_ about
it." He thought of that shattered, haunted look on I'serin's face and
it made his heart ache.

"Hey, easy there." Alarmed, L'keri leaned forward, resting a hand on his
shoulder. "Shards, K'mai, I know you like him, but look what happened.
Look at Teal Wing. I'm sure he meant well, but his type should be in the
archives, not leading the..." His voice trailed off as K'mai's words
belatedly sank in. Sebeth had cuddled with Aluneth? And... "How do _you_
know how he feels about it?"

K'mai swallowed against the lump in his throat. He felt awful for Teal
Wing, for everyone who'd been hurt, or . . . killed. He felt awful for
I'serin. "He came to see me after Fall, to apologize."

"He did?" The brownrider felt as if he was missing some important
detail, but he couldn't quite make it out. The Weyrleader coming to see
a bluerider from another Wing? But they were friends, of course. He
shook his head. "That's something, I suppose," he admitted, grudgingly.
"But I can't help wishing L'val or R'enh had been leading the Wings today."

K'mai let out a slow breath. L'keri wasn't trying to be mean, he was
just upset. "I bet I'serin does, too. He never wanted any of this."
I'serin, overthinking himself almost to paralysis, had made the exact
kind of mistake he'd been fearing. The wrong choice, and others had
paid the price.

"No, I don't imagine he did." L'keri sighed, the eerie wail of mourning
dragons still echoing in his ears. "Makes me glad to be a humble
brownrider."

I'serin still felt guilty over I'lon's death, but no one had blamed
him for it. But now even L'keri was blaming I'serin for all the
casualties yesterday. All that responsibility, all that _guilt_ . . .
K'mai blinked, his eyes stinging. "He's trying so hard . . ."

"Hey, hey..." L'keri patted his uninjured shoulder, now cursing his own
mouth. He'd known K'mai was attracted to the Weyrleader, but he'd not
understood until now that there was a depth of loyalty and friendship
there, too. "I'm sorry. We all make mistakes. I should know that better
than anyone." He tried to recover some of his cheer. "You've got to get
well soon, all right? He's going to need you."

K'mai's stomach fluttered, realizing that he might have said too much.
Shards and shells, he wished he could tell L'keri. He wished he could
_talk_ to someone about how much he loved I'serin, how special they
were to each other. "You and Rhalith are okay?"

"Oh, yes. We're indestructible," he said wryly, leaning back in his
chair. "Nothing worse than a bit of charring from hot ash."

"Good." K'mai relaxed a little. "Maybe you can round up some
Candidates to give Sebeth a bath later? More experienced dragon
washers, maybe. They'll need to be careful of his bruises."

"Of course. Consider it done. Rhalith will come too, so he can tell him
if he's hurt." Some of A'ten's friends who were still Candidates ought
to do a good job. "He's been a brave lad, hasn't he? Sebeth. Bringing
you back to the Weyr when you were out." In the back of his mind was the
fate all of them dreaded; their lifemate panicking at the loss of
contact and going /between/.

"He was so scared and relieved when I woke up. I . . . I think it was
really close there." Cold flooded K'mai at the thought that they could
have gone /between/ forever. He never would have seen I'serin, or
Sabia, or his friends again. "But he was brave, and got home all by
himself." He sent his pride and gratitude to Sebeth.

}:I could not hear you, but I was not sure you were gone,:{ the blue
said. }:So I brought you to the healers. I am glad we are still
here.:{

"Of course he did. He's a hero," L'keri said staunchly. "The whole Wing
owes him thanks. If it hadn't been for Sebeth, we wouldn't be able to
look forward to Turns more of you telling us all about your bronzerider
conquests over breakfast."

K'mai chuckled carefully, feeling his face heat. "Still looking for my
next thrilling adventure."

"You've got some time to prepare. Build up your strength for a new
challenge." The brownrider grinned. "What will it be? The
Weyrlingmaster? _Two_ bronzeriders? The possibilities are endless."

So many jokes K'mai couldn't make because they were too close to the
truth. "Life truly is full of surprises." He thought of I'serin, and
how he never could have guessed he'd fall in love with a Weyrleader.

"I have no doubt it'll be something spectacular, that we'd never have
expected." L'keri noticed a passing healer giving him a meaningful look.
"Oops, time's running out. Quick...have these. Hide them under your pillow."

He extracted two miraculously un-squashed pastries from his pocket,
lowering his voice. "I know what kind of food they serve in here.
Healthy." He grimaced.

"You're the best, L'keri," K'mai said as he stashed the illicit
pastries under the corner of his pillow.

Last updated on the June 10th 2025

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