Too much too soon

Writers: Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 22nd January 2012

Characters: K'ale, Catrien
Description: K'ale turns to new weyrling Catrien to help him with his confusion and grief over friends F'tarn and G'wen being injured
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 1 of Turn 6

K'ale

The food was in front of her, but Catrien had ceased trying to eat a
while ago. What was the point when it tasted of ash anyways? She
'reached' out but little Oranth was sound asleep, her snores almost
audible through the connection between girl and dragon. Cat sighed,
as the love of her dragon couldn't hold back her grief at seeing what
had happened to G'wen earlier. The plate before her washed out of
focus as tears fell down onto the untouched roots and roast.

K'ale had almost been in his own world since the blooding. Two of his
best friends scored beyond belief. One hanging on the edge the other
pulling back from the precipice but would never ride Thread. He sat
there with his plate of food and looked at the mashed tubers and meat
with unseeing eyes. But then he took a big breath and looked around
the room. He could see another in the same pain and picked up his tray
and approached her table. "Catrien, could you use some company?"

"Oh, could I..." She tried to smile at him but it came out more as a
grimace. She cleared her books off the chair beside her so he could
sit down. "How...? Are you and Ima okay?"

"Ima is fine," he said avoiding the rest of her question.

She shook her head. "Growing up we had a whole gang of us. And now
it's only me, S'vin and G'wen. And if we lose G'wen..." Her vision
went blurry and a great tear fell onto her untouched food.

"Yeah, I know," he said and reached out to cover her hand with his. He
mustered as much courage as he could and lied. "I know he'll be fine
Cat."

"He has to be!" In an uncharacteristic move, the girl broke down into
tears and buried her head in K'ale's shoulder. Her friend's pale face
and horrific wound filled her mind. It was so unfair!

"They _both_ have to be," he echoed her sentiments for both G'wen and
F'tarn. Of course there had been other injuries but theirs had been
the worst.

At that Catien thought about her own tiny green and the possiblity of
her hurt and cried all the more. This was so unlike her but once she
started she couldn't stop.

For once in a long time K'ale's own grief over both his friends
refocused and he held Catrien while she let loose. It had been hard to
deal with for everyone. "Shhh Cat," he said. "He's getting better."
K'ale had visited earlier that day and the healers had told him G'wen
had turned the corner and was slowly recuperating.

"Is he? I haven't had time to see him today." She sat up and looked
at him with large eyes.

"Yes," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's
what the healers tell me. Guess he tried to crawl up to his weyr,
silly kid. Poor Neath was beside herself with worry."

Cat rolled her eyes at that, more her usual self. "How typical is
that?! Neath...." She shuddered at that. "I'm_so_glad not to be
linked to a little queen like that. Is he okay? Did you check?"

"Yes," he smiled and patted her before letting her go. It was hard to
believe this was the same girl who'd practically ripped his lips off
defending G'wen at one point. "I talked to them when I went to see
F'tarn. He's improving too."

"Is he? Is it true...?" She had heard the brown weyrling would never
fly again.

"I'm afraid so," he said softly. "He lost too much muscle mass and
Wrontenth is never going to fly thread." He knew F'tarn would have to
make his own decisions on their future but he knew that someday he
might have to do the same. "But he's alive."

"He is, and G'wen. That's better than poor Rama got." Catrien
studied her mug of juice, trying to stem the tears that threatened to
come back with the thought of the dead girl.

"Aye," he agreed softly. He still regretted the might have been's with
Rama. But like P'nal had told him. He had to get past it all for the
losses would continue for a lifetime until finally it was his turn.

He smiled at Cat. "Wanna go somewhere else and talk?" The dining hall
wasn't exactly private and it was winter outside. Only the hardy
wanted to venture into the wind and snow at this time of year unless
it was for Threadfighting. "Maybe one of the flight rooms?"

"H-how about the common room at the weyrlings' barracks?" She
blanched at the thought of the Flight Rooms.

"Sorry, that's what I meant, um.." his voice trailed off as his face
flamed. He hadn't meant to suggest that they do anything other than
talk. "Ok," he mumbled and stood to clear his dishes.

"Okay," she mumbled back, watching K'ale clean up. Now that she
thought about it, he_was_a really good looking lad. But she had never
thought of boys in that way before. She blushed deeper, hoping her
tiny green was deeply asleep.

"I should get you back to the barracks anyway," he said grabbing her
dishes and clearing them as well. He smiled when he came back firmly
covering for his stupid remark. "Ready?"

"I am." She stood up and let him lead the way out.

When they got to the door he paused and stepped out of the way so she
could precede him through it.

Last updated on the January 22nd 2012

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Too much too soon