Babbling baby-brothers
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 19th June 2006
Characters: Birigundi, N'mor
Description: Birigundi runs into a Naemor and hears about Rigella from him
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 4 of Turn 3
Naemor was standing on the shore of the Sea of Azov. He was kicking rocks into the water. The runner he had been riding was grazing nearby and Ember was digging crawlies under beach rocks.
"I't unfair." kick, splash. "I'm the baby of the family." Kick, splash. "I shouldn't be the one taking care of my big sister." Kick, splash. The boy was talking to himself. This was his way to deal with the recent family troubles.
Birigundi rounded the trail and noticed the youngster kicking stones.
He slowed his pace to walk and wiped some of the sweat from his brow.
"You're Naemor, right?" he asked, walking towards the new candidate in the barracks. "You're Rigella's brother, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's me. You know my sister?" Naemor replied. He recognized his face from candidate barracks, but couldn't match a name for it.
"Yes, a bit," the runner said. He probably shouldn't tell him the true nature of their relationship. Well, he really wasn't so sure himself.
"I haven't seen Rigella about lately. I know its been hard for her since your father died. Which I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Yeah, she really is taking it hard. She's starting to crack up. She shouldn't keep things inside like that," Naemor said.
"Crack up?" Birigundi asked surprised. She had seemed upset, but no more than would be _natural_... "Why do you say she's cracking up?"
"Because.." Naemor hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't be telling everything to a half-stranger. "...she is," he finished rather lamely.
"Please, Naemor, Rigella and I are... friends. We've known each other since she was a Candidate and I really do care about her. Did something happen?"
Naemor kicked some more rocks to the sea and thought it over. His instincts told him the older candidate was sincere. "Well, a while back, I found her standing at the edge of the weyrplatue She was really freaking me out. She was...not there, trapped in some dark place inside
her." The hairs of his arms stood out when he remembered it.
"Shards," Birigundi breathed. That sounded _very_ bad... "Where is she now?"
"Infirmary, they are trying to get her to talk to a mindhealer," Naemor told.
"Trying... You mean, she _hasn't_ yet?"
"She doesn't talk. She acts like nothing happened. She never talks about important things. She's not like me who is blabbering everything to someone who's name I'm not sure about."
"Birigundi," the older candidate filled in absently. Shards, he should go see her. Shouldn't he? He knew he wanted to see her. "Is she allowed visitors?"
"I think so. Ma is tramping there all the time. She's not tied to the bed or anything, she is actually allowed to work, under supervision. They won't let her be alone, just in case," Naemor said.
"Perhaps I should go see her then," Birigundi frowned. Would she be glad to see him, he wondered? Or would she rather just forget that night. He wasn't sure, but he knew he still felt that sense of responsibility for her.
Naemor just shrugged. Ember flew to his shoulder, something wiggly and multi-legged in his mouth. "Erh, no thank's buddy, I'm not hungry. You can eat it all by yourself," Naemor told the brown flit.
The runner smiled at the scene, but it soon faded as he thought about Rigella. He should go see her... Birigundi looked at the boy carefully, noting how much he really did look like her. "So how are you doing, Naemor? You know, with all this?"
"Me?" Naemor was surprised by the question. "Coping, I guess. It's like with riding. When you fall off saddle, you just brush off the dirt and get back on."
Hmmmm, by the sounds of it, Rigella for one had forgotten how to ride..."Well, if you ever need to talk to anyone..."
"...You'll be willing to listen," Naemor finished for him with a smile.
"You got it," Birigundi said with a smile and a nod.
Last updated on the June 19th 2006