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Writers: Emma, Len
Date Posted: 18th August 2011

Characters: An'dr, A'shel
Description: Angshel helps An'dr's blue with an injury
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 6 of Turn 6

Angshel looked down at the sad state of Pluserth's left second talon
with pity in his eyes. Not a bad injury, as they went, but still it
had to be painful. "You say the wherry he grabbed twisted in the
winds?" That wouldn't be too surprising, as the hurricane may have
been a day past, but the winds were still kicking up funny swirls and
patterns.

"Backwards," An'dr winced at the memory. "It looked like a person having a
finger bent backwards."

Angshel patted the dragon in sympathy. Inspecting it closer, there
looked like there was nothing to be done but help get the torn talon
off so it could regrow. Looking up at the bluerider, he said, "brace
him, this is going to hurt a bit."

An'dr placed a hand on the blue's hide. "Stay still, he's going to help you.
One moment and it'll stop hurting."

The apprentice nodded to An'dr and--tongs in hand--quickly and
efficiently ripped the talon the rest of the way off. He fell back on
his bum when it came loose and looked up to the dragon to see his
reaction.

There was a sound that could have been a moan of pain, and then an offended
look, if a dragon were capable of such a thing.

"Ah, Pluserth, I'm sorry!" Angshel stood up and offered to rub the
blue's eye ridges.

"Go on," gestured An'dr. "A few minutes more and he'll have forgotten it
because it will have stopped hurting him."

The boy smiled and reached out to rub the pretty blue. As long as he
had been here he still felt drawn to the blues most of all. "He's a
really lovely colour."

"He's even better after a bath and an oiling," An'dr took pride in that.

"Ah yes, I bet he's one of the prettiest when he looks his best!"

"Maybe you'll get a chance to help us one day and see for yourself,"
suggested An'dr.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Angshel felt pretty comfortable in
An'dr's presence, as he was small and non-threatening, and close to
his own age in turns.

"Of course not, give you some practice for the time when you take to the
sands." An'dr knew that for a dragonhealer to go past journeyman status he
or she had to impress."

"Oh, I'm not taking to the Sands." The words were out before Anghsel
could stop them. Feeling his face go red with embarrestment, he turned and
pretended he was fixing something on Pluserth. Since that shameful
day that the Weyrwoman had told him he couldn't Stand, he had not told
anyone that he had even asked her and had just buried himself in his
studies instead. There was no shame in being the only apprentice not
Standing, or so he told himself.

"But if you want to go further?" An'dr said. "Don't you need a dragon of
your own?"

"I've only been a drudge...staying at this level is good enough for
me." In fact it was more than he ever expected in his life. Even
though he_did_want to do further and also Impress, he also knew he was
asking for too much. Just being helper was good enough. It at least
was far better than the life he had left.

"Sometimes a dragon chooses you. Pluserth found me and I wasn't even
supposed to be on the sands."

"Really? What happened?"

"My sister, she was searched. when we came for the hatching, well Tagrerth
had just chosen her and my brother and I, we tried to get down to the sands,
and next thing I know, well Pluserth just looked at me and I knew."

"Whow, you're so lucky!" Angshel stopped just to think about how that
must have felt.

"It was a big shock," An'dr said. "The last thing anyone, including the
Weyrleader expected to happen."

"Yeah, were you living in the Weyr at the time?"

"No, the Printer Hall with my parents. Ma's the Hallsecond."

"So where you an apprentice or anything?" Angshel idly patted the
blue as he talked to An'dr.

"I was going to be a printer, all I wanted at the time was to get my
Master's knots. But Pluserth here," and he patted the blue's hide fondly,
"Had other ideas for me."

"So maybe one might have other ideas for me." Anghsel smiled sadly.
there was always hope.

"If a dragon wants you, they'll let you know."

Last updated on the November 6th 2011

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