If the Straps Fit
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: Mirren, Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th November 2015
Characters: Alina, D'shiel
Description: Alina needs a little help after drills.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 11 of Turn 8
**It's stuck!**
}:Get it off!:{ Imarith's eyes whirled with an unhappy glitter as she leaned into her rider. }:I want to go swimming!:{
**I think the buckle twisted when you threw me against the straps in that last aerial drill,** Alina shot back. **If you'd warned me--**
}:You should pay attention. You know I am a fast flier.:{
Alina scowled at the straps and put her weight against the offending piece of leather. It dug into her palms as she pulled, but the buckle wouldn't release. The metal was twisted and caught the leather in a seemingly impossible knot. **I'm trying. We should go back to our weyr and I can get a pick to undo the stitching so we can take the buckle off.**
}:That will take too long. I want to go swimming right now!:{ Imarith stood up, knocking her rider aside as she looked around. Her eyes alighted on Padraith. }:Is your rider strong? Mine is not strong and she cannot take my straps off!:{
**She what??** D'shiel asked, having had Padraith fill him in.
:{I thought you'd like helping a female take things off,:{ the bronze said, sounding amused.
**What kind of feckless… nevermind.** Scowling, he approached the girl. "You need some help?"
"No, thank you." But then Imarith nudged her with her nose, and Alina frowned. "I bent a buckle in drills and I can't get Imarith's straps loose. She's desperate to go swimming. I'm sorry she bothered you and Padraith."
"Bent a - you should have had it seen to immediately," D'shiel replied. "What if she got injured and those straps needed to come off to help her?" He went to try to offending buckle.
She flushed, feeling like she'd been chastised like a weyrling again. It horrified her to have it pointed out, but she hadn't noticed when it had bent. "Then clearly she'd have been in trouble and it would have been entirely my fault," Alina shot back. "I'm a lousy dragonrider. Is that what you wanted to say?"
He lifted his eyebrows at her. "If the straps fit…" Grabbing the offending buckle, he slowly bent it back into close to normal shape, arm muscles straining slightly with the effort. "There, that should do until you can get it looked at. In other words, this afternoon."
"Thank you," she said quietly. When she put words in other people's mouths, they were the ones who were supposed to feel guilty and horrible, not her. But D'shiel was right.
}:Why do you feel bad? Padraith's rider has gotten the straps off. Are you mad because I broke them again?:{ Imarith nudged her again with her nose, and Alina stepped forward to pull the straps from her dragon's neck.
"Yeah-" He stepped back. "I wouldn't want to see another… a green get injured." In his mind's eye, he saw _her_ face, the pain and terror in her eyes… He forced his mind back to the present. "Get the straps checked too. That much pressure has probably damaged them."
"Anything else?" She kept the sarcasm from her voice - barely.
"Should there be?" he asked, mimicking her tone.
She glanced up, her expression stormy. But she took a deep breath and remembered her manners. "Thank you again."
"Yeah." D'shiel gave her a long look. "Don't get dead," he said and turned and walked away.
Last updated on the November 24th 2015