One Voice

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 25th June 2024

Characters: A'ris, Eyvia
Description: Aedris has his first session with Eyvia, and overhears quite a few things from the Weyr's dragons.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 24 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: H'run, L'kav, E'kavas, M'thos, Aglayath

A'ris

Eyvia

Having lived on the same patch of dirt his entire life, with only his
family for company, made the act of hearing _all_ the dragons in the
Weyr very overwhelming for Aedris. In the days since his arrival,
different dragons attached to the healers in the infirmary had taken
turns being the "main voice" in his head to help give him a break from
the overwhelming nature of it.

}:Hello, Aedris. I will be helping you today,:{ a raspy, feminine
voice said near the forefront of his consciousness.

**Thank you,** he thought back towards the voice. He'd learned over
the past four days, that this was all that was necessary for the
dragons to hear him. **What should I call you?**

}:My name is Pomiath. My rider is on her way to you now.:{ Pomiath's
presence in his mind made it feel as if she were sitting directly in
front of him, blocking out most of the other noise, which was now a
muted rumble behind the green.

As this was being said, movement in the infirmary brought Aedris'
attention to a blonde woman walking his way. She was... intimidatingly
pretty, he decided, swallowing past the sudden knot in his throat.

"Good morning, Aedris? I'm Eyvia." She stuck her hand out in a very
no-nonsense manner.

Aedris shook his head, at a loss for words as he looked into her
steely blue eyes.

"Shall we go to my office? I'm a mindhealer here at Dragonsfall. I
believe we could work on some exercises to help you control your gift
a bit better."

"Um, y-yes, ma'am."

The mindhealer's office turned out to be a pretty calming place,
Aedris thought. There was some sort of incense burning that smelled
earthy, and the glow baskets in the room allowed just enough light to
see by, but no more.

"Okay," Eyvia said as she took her seat. "We're going to practice
shutting the voices out without needing a dragon consciously blocking
the others for you. I'm going to have Pomiath quiet herself. When she
does, the dragon voices in the Weyr will come back in. When they do,
imagine being in a crowded room but wanting to read a book. You need
to focus on what you're reading, and to do that, you'll have to tune
the people in the room out."

**Uh oh.** Aedris felt his stomach sink. He didn't know how to read.
Was that a prerequisite for this exercise?

"Okay," he agreed, thinking he'd just have to give it a shot.

}:I'll be nearby if you need me:{ Pomiath assured him, before silencing herself.

As soon as the green's presence lifted, the rush of dragon voices came in:

}:I know you listen for that knock, you can't be sated of hisâ€" ...You
never say that kind of thing, to himâ€" instead you sing, you sing! When
he gives you that thing.:{

Was that dragon _rhyming_?

}:Oh, you know I love it, those feelings that he makes you covet! I'm
not the one that tends to blush when he stays the night so you can rub
it.:{

He was definitely rhyming, Aedris decided. About... about _private_ things.

Then, through the jumble of voices, he heard:

}: Thinking about Yours coming down here, sweeping everything off this
desk, and throwing Mine down on it. :{

Uh no, that particular voice he recognized. It was Fianwyth, the green
dragon that helped him on his first day at Dragonsfall. Did that
mean...? Images of M'thos, the Weyrlingmaster's Second he'd met,
flashed through his brain, causing his cheeks to redden.

"Try to focus on your page," he absently heard Eyvia say.

}:I think Chioneth is going to be mad at my poor H'run,:{ he overheard
a plaintive male voice say, }:because he's writing in that _book_
again. If the Weyrwoman finds out some of the things he's put in
there... Well, I suppose I would still be _Aglayath's_ favorite.:{

Then a much louder voice barged overtop of the swirl of voices.

}:E'kavas! You're being unreasonable! It's a _green_. I'm _supposed_
to fly them! Uugghhhh.:{

}:At least your rider doesn't drag you out to watch her slide down
mountains like Harki does!:{ a dry feminine voice interjected.

And then a voice that sounded as if it was right in front of him
jumped in, sufficiently blocking out the other voices.

}:It's me.:{ He recognized Pomiath's raspy tone. With her presence
back, the other voices receded to a dull echo.

"Okay, so clearly the book page practice isn't working." Eyvia was
looking at him intently.

Aedris felt a trickle of sweat race down his back. "Why... why does it
feel like I've been behind a plow all day?"

"It takes the brain a lot of work hearing, sorting, and
contextualizing all the voices and information you're hearing. I don't
know if you noticed, but while you were listening, your hands were
clenching the armrests with white knuckles."

He looked down at his hands, finding they did feel sore, as if he'd
been gripping something tightly.

"Let's try a different bit of practice."

--

Down in the Dining Cavern, Eyvia sat across the table from Aedris. It
was lunch time and plenty of weyrfolk were in the cavern.

"Now, when I'm talking to you," Eyvia began, "you're automatically
focusing in on my voice and blocking out the rest of the voices in the
cavern. Let's try that with the dragon voices as well."

Aedris nodded, even as he felt Pomiath's presence slide away from his mind.

Immediately he heard two dragons say:

}:Sounds like she _needs_ a good mating flight.:{

}:Ugh. She's my rider. She doesn't _fly_.:{

"Focus," Eyvia's voice broke in.

Some of the dragon voices, the ones further away began to fade a bit,
but there was an especially acerbic masculine voice...

}:You could _walk_ yourself there if you want to go to L'kav's so
badly. I'm in the _best_ sunning spot on the ridge!:{ Pesrath! He
recognized the voice of the blue dragon that had rescued him.

And then even that loud voice began to fade a bit.

"That's so much better," Aedris said as the voices all became a low
hum in the background instead of a roar in the foreground.

He could actually hear himself _breathe_.

But, the dam only withstood the onslaught for a few seconds before it
broke and the voices came flooding back in.

His hands flew to his ears instinctively.

}:Don't worry,:{ Pomiath said, sliding back in. }:I'm here.:{

"That's good progress for a first try," Eyvia assured him. "We'll
practice some more tomorrow?"

Aedris nodded, relieved to have Pomiath back.

"What happens when I get this under control, all the time?"

"Then you'll get to move into the Candidate Barracks and really start
experiencing Dragonsfall."

Aedris gut twisted at the thought of moving into the Candidate
Barracks. He wondered what the other Candidates would think of him.
Should he keep what he could do a secret? Would they care? Would he be
a freak?

"You okay, Aedris?"

He nodded instinctively.

Eyvia's shrewd glance assessed him. She knew he wasn't telling the
truth, but she thought he probably needed something to be private for
the time being.

"Okay, let's get you back to the infirmary. We'll start again tomorrow."

Last updated on the June 27th 2024

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One Voice