Washing baby dragons

Writers: Heather K, KC Free, Len, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd June 2011

Characters: Sh'del, E'ril, Pierka, T'aesh, X'ian
Description: Weyrlingstaff Sh'del and E'ril help the new weyrlings wash and oil their dragons
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 18 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentor app. for KC Free, Heather

Pierka

Sh'del glanced over at a tiny green who burped and looked like she was
going to fall asleep at any moment. "Try and keep her awake, son,' he
said to her still dazed new lifemate.

Glancing around, he could see that more than half of the new
hatchlings had--like this little girl--finished their first meal and
needed to get a shift on. Taking the lead from the Weyrlingmaster, he
nodded to E'ril for assistance and said loudly, "Those who are
finished feeding, can you follow me?" Striding over to the staff, he
added in an undertone to E'ril, "The sooner we can get them washed and
oiled, the better. If you and I take this first lot, then the
Weyrlingmaster and the remaining staff can handle the rest.:

Pierka urged Liddith to follow her though the little green seemed to
be very very tired and wanting to just stop and sleep where she was.
**Come on love** }:But I just want to sleep.:{ **I know but we have
to make your skin feel better first and then you can sleep until
you're hungry again.**

Sh'del could see the little green struggling. "Come on, little one,
it's not far now, listen to your lifemate." He patted the girl on her
shoulder and added, "well done, she's lovely."

"Got it," E'ril replied quickly before continuing to help a new brown
urge his lifemate onwards. "Let's go, youngling. I know you're tired
but you're lifemate has something else nice for you." After a few shoves
the little brown begrudgingly scooted ahead on his own. "There's a good
lad," he said as he clapped an encouraging hand on the boy's shoulder. He
reached out to his blue, who was nosing a sleeping green awake again,
**Any ideas?**

}: They're all just so tired. I'm trying my best.:{

**All done dear-heart?** T'aesh asked his brown Raisheth.

}:Yes. Now let's get this washing and oiling over quickly, I'm
sleepy:{ Raisheth replied his eyes whirling blue slowly, showing his
contentment and drowsiness.

**Of course Raisheth** T'aesh replied chuckling a little as Raisheth
picked up speed to follow the others, the promise of sleep his
motivation.

Camyth was still eating. They had been last ones to Impress and start
eating. .The lecture from Sh'del didn't actually speed up the
processes either. X'ian wondered if he was going to get left behind
and tried to hurry up Camyth.

}: I'm still hungry! :{ the hatchling protested.

"Son! Don't rush him." Sh'del ran back to the blue dragonet and his
lifemate. "We've plenty of time." Turning back to his staff, he
shouted, "E'ril, you got the others? We'll catch you up in a moment."

He made a final visual check of the weyrlings gathered around him to be
sure that all were paying attention. "Alright gang, the trick is to head
for the water. We need to get your new lifemates bathed and oiled before
they nod off otherwise we'll have some very disgruntled dragonets on our
hands when they wake up. Let's try and keep everyone moving. Here we go
then." E'ril led the way to the lakeside closest to the barracks, Dawenth
bringing up the rear to catch any stragglers. Other Weyrlingstaffers hurried
ahead to be sure that supplies would be out and ready when they arrived.

Liddith picked up her pace. }:What's water?:{ Pierka giggled. "Well,
you can drink it and it makes you feel very refreshed. But you can
also bathe or swim in it for fun. We're going to use it to wash the
egg goo off and then put oil on so your hide feels good." She smiled
up at Sh'del. "She asked what water was."

"You're full now?" X'ian asked when Camyth finally stopped eating and
let out a satisfied burp. He looked with disbelief the blue's
distorted, bulging belly. "Now we should go to bath."

}: Do we have to? I don't want to move. Can you bath me here? :{
Camyth suggested.

"You need to get to the water to have a bath," X'ian explained. Well,
he wouldn't want to move either if he had eaten as much as Camyth had.

Sh'del laughed and patted Liddith's back. "Tell her that stuff up
there is water." He pointed to the lake just to their right. And he
shook his head at the layout of the Weyr. It wasn't exactly suited to
baby dragons, as the Hatching Grounds where central, the lake to the
far right and the barrack on the opposite side of the bowl from the
lake. Very cruel.

Following up the back, he told X'ian over his shoulder, "take your
time with him, there's no hurry."

Raisheth moved on with purpose in each step. When he approached the
edge of the Weyr's lake he gave an inquisitive chirp, as he peered
down at the surface.

}: What are we suppose to do now? :{ Raisheth asked, turned his neck
back to look at the other's approach the lake's shore.

**You get in Raisheth, and then I scrub you all clean.** T'aesh
informed his somewhat impatient and sleepy brown baby dragon.

Raisheth turned back to look at the surface of the lake. }: I'll wait
for the others :{ he told his life-mate, wanting to see what they did
in the water first.

"Grab a brush and get scrubbing. Not too deep now," E'ril called out as
he began to hand out brushes. Once they all had the proper supplies, he
stepped back and watched the dragonets begin to experiment with the
water. There were so many of them which meant a wide variety of
budding personalities. E'ril made his way over to Sh'del. "We are going
to have quite the class on our hands it seems. There's just so many of
them. This is by far my biggest class to date."

Camyth started to move, sluggishly at first. When he realized how far
behind they were he picke up the pace and actually caught up with the
others. When they reached the lake shore, Camyth blowed right into the
water without stopping.

}: Ooh! This feels nice! :{ he cried with delight and splashed water.

Pierka watched the other hatchling splashing in the water and giggled.
}:He likes it!:{ and a moment later little Liddith followed Camyth
into the water.

Sh'del nodded at E'ril's words before shouting, "oi! Not so hard,
you!" One boy looked for all the world as if he was going to shrub
the hide off his bronze dragon. "Gentle, kids! Be gentle about this,
you don't have full grown dragons on your hands." He glanced back to
the E'ril and rolled his eyes to the skies

.E'ril reciprocated Sh'del's eye roll and then laughed a little. He knew
that if you didn't laugh along the way in this line of work these younglings
would drive you mad eventually. He made note of the lengthy shadows on the
ground. "When you're finished bathing, get to oiling those hides. Anyone
who dallies will find themselves carrying their new lifemates to bed," he
called out.

X'ian sighed. Now he didn't get Camyth out of the water. He was having
too much fun splashing around. But it was impossible to be glum when
the little dragonet was radiating joy and happiness.

"At least one dragonets not in any danger of going to sleep anytime
soon," Sh'del said to E'ril, as he nodded in X'ial's and Camyth's
direction. He was going to have to talk to that boy soon, something
seemed wrong with him. Turning back to the weyrlings, he shouted,
"okay kids, come ashore now. We'll show you how to oil these babes
and get them to bed."

"Let's get out of the water, so I can oil you," X'ian said and tossed
the brush to the beach. He was soaking wet.

}:Does it feel nice too?:{ Camyth asked.

"Yes, it does," his rider replied and sighed with relief when the blue
waded back to the beach.

Raisheth had enjoyed the water just as much as his siblings, but he
was definitely reaching his limits. He was quite full and quite tired
and really wanted to be sleeping right now.

**Just a little while longer dear-heart, I promise, and then you can
sleep until your hearts content.** T'aesh told his brown partner as
he ushered him once again to the lake shore so he could be oiled.

}: Can't you walk and oil at the same time? :{ Raisheth asked,
borderline whining, his eyelids already drooping.

**No I can't, so let's get this over with, and then we can both rest
up ok?** T'aesh said, one hand laid on Raisheth's neck encouragingly.

By the time she was done with the bathing and oiling poor little
Liddith was practically asleep on her feet. "Come on sweetheart," she
said and started toward the barracks where the others were going. But
a few steps later the little green stopped. }:I'm sleepy:{ and she
curled up with her nose tucked under her tail and promptly fell
asleep. "Liddith?" Pierka looked around for help.

The tone in the girl's voice is what caught E'ril's attention. It
seemed that they had finally had their first hatchling fall asleep
prematurely. The Weyrling Assistant was currently busy helping another
student finish up with their oiling. The boy was keeping his lifemate as
awake as he could but getting little else done. **Dawenth? Would you mind?**
Then he called out to Pierka, "Help is on the way, dear."

The blue dragon came to the green's side as quickly as he could. If she
wasn't
woken up soon more of the group would get the same idea and then they'd have
a real problem. With his paw, Dawenth carefully shook the little green. }:
Wake
up, little one. It's not time yet. You need to wake up.:{

Pierka watched as the big blue reached out and startled Liddith awake.
**You can't sleep here love, we have a special place for you. Just
follow me, ok?** The little green grumbled a little but got to her
feet and shambled along behind her toward their quarters. She
followed the assistants and one came to escort them specifically to
their room in the girls wing. Their room appeared to be shared with
another weyrling pair but she was the first there. The assistant left
once she got in the door. "Here is your bed love." Exhausted the
little green crawled into her bed sending love to hers before she
passed out.

X'ian got Camyth oiled. The blue didn't seem sleep at all when they
headed for the weyrling barracks. He was sniffing around and bouncing.
He reminded X'ian of his younger siblings when the got over-exited. He
knew if he just got Camyth to calm down and to be still for few
minutes, he would fell asleep instantly.

Sh'del watched the gang settled and looked dryly at E'ril. "Well,
we've survived...so far."

Raisheth, his hide gleaming from the oiling, settled into his little
stone couch beside T'aesh's bed with a huff. It was very apparent
that he would not be moving from the spot for some time yet. T'aesh
looked at the little brown, smiling slightly before simply falling
backwards onto his bed, kicking off his boots and throwing a pillow
over his face.

Last updated on the June 4th 2011

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Washing baby dragons