The Benefit of Friends (1/4)

Writers: Halyonix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th June 2025

Characters: V'dryn, Ketlyn
Description: V'dryn visits Ketlyn after her injury.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 8, day 5 of Turn 12
Notes: Notes: Follows 'Blooded'.

The fellis juice took away the headache and the lavender tea helped a little with the nausea, but all Ketlyn wanted to do was crawl off with Varinth to their tiny weyr and hide until things didn't hurt so much. Unfortunately the healers wouldn't let her go until they were sure that she didn't have a concussion, so Ketlyn sat sullenly on a cot and wished for a toothbrush.

The 'Fall dragged on, and her head continued to pound. Ketlyn put her head down on the pillow just for a moment, and awoke to a light knock. V'dryn stood at the edge of the privacy curtain that hid her from the rest of the Infirmary. She sat up with a wince. "Are you okay? Is Zhomoth?"

"We are fine," he assured her quickly. He was cleaned up from Fall and came to sit at her side. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently, worry darkening his eyes.

Ketlyn lifted a hand to her swollen face. Pain radiated across her skull as she touched the side of her nose. "I've been better. Was anyone else hurt? Is everyone all right?"

He nodded to the second question. His deft hands gently wrapped into hers, offering comfort through touch. "Zhomoth is terribly worried about Varinth. As I am you. How is she?"

"The dragonhealers say she'll be fine and that it wasn't a bad 'Scoring, but it hurt a lot and I haven't seen her yet. The healers won't let me go." Tears threatened, and Ketlyn blinked them back. "It was my fault. I should have been paying better attention, and now she's hurt because of me."

"She is _alive_ because of you," V'dryn immediately said. "Ketlyn, think of our training. You did exactly what you were supposed to do when your dragon is hurt -- bring her home, here. Safety. You did that." And they thankfully were not lost /between/. "Now you two can rest, heal."

"I'm pretty sure that the Weyrlingstaff were trying to teach us to _not_ get hurt." Which she'd failed to do. "It happened so fast. I swear I was watching, but with the flaming and ash and wind... I don't think I can do this."

There wasn't much else she _could_ do now that she was a dragonrider. Dragonriders didn't retire like other people did. But V'dryn didn't bring that up. Instead, his thumbs rubbed soothingly along her knuckles. "It is scary up there," he agreed. "There were times I completely relied on Zhomoth's instinct."

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "They tell you that Thread... moves. But I never thought it would move like that. It's so _hungry_. And when it got Varinth I thought..."

"Dragons are quick for a reason," V'dryn reminded her as he moved in to hug her comfortingly. "She is okay, Ketlyn. She will be okay."

She sniffled again and hated herself as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She could cry later, when she was alone. V'dryn didn't need to see that. But having someone wrap their arms around her felt too good, and she clung to him for a half second longer than she knew she should. "I know," she said once she trusted herself to speak. "I'm just... I know I'm being silly. We'll be fine."

"You're allowed to be silly," V'dryn told her. "You were injured. I can't say that I would be any more composed if the same had happened to me." Trying to bring some levity into the situation, he offered, "Would you like me to bring you anything? More pillows? An iced klah? Maybe those little tarts you like?"

She longed for all of it, but couldn't bring herself to ask. "I'm good. The healers are taking good care of me, such good care that they're not even letting me sleep. Thanks, though."

"The healers who are also busy taking care of others?" V'dryn remarked in a light tease. He kissed the top of her head gingerly. "I will bring you dinner. How does that sound?"

The kiss felt like a physical thing. She wanted to put a hand up to touch the spot to see if something lingered there. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You aren't a bother. If anything, I'll be bothering you," V'dryn countered.

"Bothering me takes more than bringing me dinner. I have eight siblings, remember?"

"Do you want me to bring them over to take care of you?"

"Faranth, no!" Ketlyn's eyes widened in horror. Having her sibling here, and having to look after them as well as herself?! She hurried on. "I wouldn't want to worry them, and I don't want their first times to the Weyr to be views of the Infirmary. And then you'd have to deal with my parents and decide who was going to go and who had to stay at the cothold and-- thank you, but no." **Never.**

"It was a jest, Ketlyn," he told her with another gentle kiss on her head. "I wouldn't do that to you. How about you rest for a moment and I'll bring a meal later?"

She swatted him with the back of her hand. "A jest? More like a heart attack. I will accept dinner as an apology for scaring me like that. But only if you bring me spice cake for dessert. With berries."

"As the lady wishes," the bluerider answered with his usual grin back in place. "Wait here. I'll return shortly."

"I'll be here."

Last updated on the June 22nd 2025

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Benefit of Friends (1/4)