Sad Wooing (Like the Moose)

Writers: Shawna, Sia
Date Posted: 22nd July 2025

Characters: O'rosin, Cirina
Description: Aeoluth’s favorite person comes to check on him
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 2 of Turn 12

O'rosin

Aeoluth was grounded for a few sevendays at least, as the sprain in his wingjoints recovered from being battered around in the gale. The dragonhealers preferred it, really, so they could also monitor the 'scores across his right shoulder. Skadith and R'fayne had brought him up to the seaside weyr after Aeoluth had first been seen-- and he'd haphazardly packed a bag and hadn't been back.

All that attention and worry was for nothing, really, because the low rumbling whine was because the invalid missed his favorite person in the entire world, who he didn't remember had cared for him when he was a baby and his own rider was held up in the Infirmary, but innately knew there was a reason he adored her.

"I know you miss her, but Cirina will be here when she's done her lessons." O'rosin chided, his own hands numb because he’d forgotten to put on gloves before reapplying the numbweed to the burn. "Your sad 'woo'-ing is stressing out the healers."

Aeoluth sighed dramatically in response.

Digger appeared a moment before Cirina, zipping over to the much bigger brown and landing on the back of his neck, behind his head, chattering and trilling. “Oh, what sad sounds I’m hearing,” Cirina called out as she rounded a corner. “What is mean old O’rosin doing to the sweetest brown on Pern? How’s my poor boy today?” Almost as an after thought, she told O’rosin, “Oh, I brought you a sandwich.”

"Don't let me get in the way." O'rosin said dryly as he fumbled with the washbasin, trying to bring some feeling back.

Aeoluth's pathetic whine cut off into happy rumbles when he heard Cirina's voice, and he wiggled closer until his head was in her face, blowing hot air and dragonbreath through her hair. }: My wings hurt and I wanna go home. :{ He whined.

"He's overdue getting the warm salve on his wings, because I'm an idiot." O'rosin relayed, "And he's not doing well holed up here."

Cirina immediately set to scratching under the brown’s chin with both hands, saying sympathetically, “You poor boy. You know you can always tell me when you’re sore or itchy and I’ll come running. It’s not like I have anything important to do yet. I might be busy soon, though,” she said with the hopefulness of a candidate when there were eggs on the Sands.

Still scratching, she turned her attention to O’rosin, “You have dark circles under your eyes. Are you sleeping?”

}: He's working on it. :{ Aeoluth told her. }: The splints are the worst.:{

"The splints stop you from making the sprain worse, buddy." O'rosin said. He made sure to grab gloves this time, as well as the jar of analgesic. He did pause for a split second, dumbly considering Cirina's question. "I've slept."

Cirina looked at him skeptically, “When does he need the next application? I can take care of it. You should go sleep in your own bed tonight. Or R’fayne’s; I can stay with Aeoluth so he doesn't get lonely.” R’lor probably wasn't going to do a bed check of the candidate barracks, and even if he did, surely he wouldn't object.

"It's been every four or five candlemarks. I think." O'rosin said with a shake of his head, "Whenever he feels pain. It's fine. I just lie in bed panicking that he might need me, and then R'fayne doesn't get any sleep either. What you can do, though, is entertain him so he's not wiggling around while I'm climbing on him."

“I can't believe you don't trust me to babysit Aeoluth. I’m sure R’fayne could give you something else to think about,” Cirina teased.

“You heard him, Aeoluth, you just need to sit still and get scratches.” Still, Cirina went up on tip-toes to watch O’rosin work, in case she needed the lesson later.

Aeoluth shifted uncomfortably and made his sad woo-ing noise again.

O'rosin might've blushed if he'd been paying much attention to Cirina. He almost dropped the jar of salve when Aeoluth shifted, and he cursed under his breath as he balanced both it and himself precariously on the brown's back. He carefully worked on massaging the balm into brown hide just like the dragonhealers had taught him. It was supposed to help the sprain now that the swelling had gone down. Aeoluth was so big, it was hard to work it in and have him really _feel_ it, but he could at least feel the warmth and the pain start to fade as he worked.

"R'fayne is good, but not so good that it can distract me that much." He said without much thought. "Then I'm stressed about _two_ things."

“If R’fayne is stressing you out in bed, one of you is doing something wrong,” Cirina scolded.

“There, does that feel better?” Cirina asked Aeoluth as she felt him relax slightly. “We’ll have you back to normal in no time and then those awful splints will be gone. You did a very good job during that nasty storm.” She had no idea if that was actually true, but she believed it with her whole heart.

“When you're done there, you should eat your sandwich and take a nap. I can read Aeoluth a story or something and keep him company.”

"I can promise the sandwich." O'rosin said, though he wasn't entirely sure he could. He kept working on Aeoluth until the pain started to ebb from between his own shoulder blades and the brown sighed deeply. "Aeoluth is better read than I am. Not that I'm all that well read."

“You’re no good to him if you work yourself sick,” Cirina scolded. “If you listen politely, I’ll read you the story too. I have a new adventure book. Well, new to me, so definitely new to you. How are you feeling? Really this time.”

O'rosin didn’t answer at first. He stayed focused on the strained muscles, rubbing the last of the salve into the joint with slow, practiced strokes. The splint on Aeoluth's wings looked awkward and uncomfortable and he hated it. "I am tired." He admitted, "Though I'm either going to work myself sick or worry myself sick, at least until the splints come off and he can fly a little." He slid down with far less grace than he might've liked, landing harder than he expected and almost dropping the empty jar.

"I'll eat. And maybe nap while you keep Aeoluth entertained. As good as your narration is, I just can't get into those books."

“Good,” Cirina said, satisfied, and settled down next to Aeoluth, snuggling against his neck and pulling out a slightly worn book. “I’ll read quietly.”

Last updated on the July 29th 2025

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Sad Wooing (Like the Moose)