Didn't Mean To

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 20th June 2010

Characters: Sh'vair, Rhosyn
Description: Sh'vair's blue is scored and Orlaith is asked to help.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 5 of Turn 5

After flying her first fall at her new Weyr, Rhosyn found herself pulled
in many directions. Orlaith landed and she looked at the people in the
Bowl. The gold was feeling more than triumphant, though she hadn't led
the Wing. The goldrider dismounted and rubbed the heaving sides of the
big dragon. Handing her agenothree tank to a candidate who was waiting,
she went to do what she could, checking on the injured.

}:It burns! It burns!:{ a little blue bugled as he swished his tail,
just barely missing a couple healers who had rushed up to help the
injured dragon.

"Someone help him!" Sh'vair cried, finding it hard to remain calm when
he could feel his dragon's pain and desperation.

Immediately turning to see what the commotion was about, Rhosyn
stopped and listened. }:He hurts:{
**Can you help him so the healers can work?**
}:I will:{

She approached the bluerider and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it
hurts, but you have to send him good, calm thoughts to let him know it
will be okay."

Orlaith wasn't very close, but she didn't have to be. The gold could
make herself clear to an entire Weyr if it was needed. }:Little one, you
are brave and strong. You flew well. Now stop thrashing so they can help
you:{ It was comforting and commanding, all in the same voice. Feelings
of calm and soothing thoughts were sent, meant to calm the creature.

Nidogath calmed down immediately in response to the Queen's command,
though he continued to whine, }:But it hurts! I can't reach it!:{

Sh'vair still wasn't quite pacified. Turning to the Weyrwoman he
blurted out, "I honestly didn't see it coming! I was looking for the
Weyrling with the firestone. I should have been watching that we were
drifting on the cross-wing, but I didn't have my eyes on the sky above.
It's all my fault!"

"Listen to me, thread eats whatever it gets. It doesn't matter what you
were doing at the time. Now you need to be strong and focus with your
dragon. Get your head together, bluerider." Her voice was now tinged
with a little bit of iron, indicating to him that he needed to think
about anything but himself.

}:The healers will take the hurt away:{ The gold's instincts made her
want to see the little dragon, but she couldn't. There were too many
people.

Rhosyn saw the dragonhealers and nodded. "Go ahead, it's fine. Numbweed
will be needed first." She hated to see any dragon in pain, but she had
learned to live with it.

Sh'vair obeyed, trying to calm himself by taking a deep breath. **It's
ok. You're going to be ok. They're going to put something on you to
make it stop hurting.**

}:Tell them to do it faster!:{ Nidogath whimpered.

**They're going as fast as they can,** his rider responded, trying to
focus as the Weyrwoman had told him to.

}:That feels better,:{ the blue sighed as it was beginning to take
effect.

Sh'vair looked at the huge gap in the blue hide the healers were working
the numbweed into. "Shards, it ate away so much..."

"Don't let him feel your fear right now or he'll frighten again." He
looked young. The blue hadn't been scored before, so this was a new
thing for the pair. She believed in blooding weyrlings-it was best to
see it early, to avoid it later. "The hide will grow back eventually.
Better than losing a wing or worse."

}:You are doing so well:{ Orlaith was waiting to learn if the healers
would need the blue asleep. They would give him a medicine then, the
gold was sure. }:Once you are better, you can fly in my Wing:{

The bluerider actually turned a little pale as he thought of all the
possibilities that might have happened. "We're going to die doing this,
aren't we..." he whispered, suddenly feeling the weight of the
inevitable.

Rhosyn would have a word with the Weyrlingmaster. If this was the
first time the rider had thought about what could happen, he was
obviously ill-prepared. "Look at how many turns the Weyrleader has.
He's not gone. A lot get scored, it doesn't mean they go /between/
forever."

It wasn't that Sh'vair hadn't known in the abstract that this was a
distinct possibility. But this is something that happened to other
riders. It had never happened to _them_. Her words were true, he knew.
After all, U'das had been a Weyrleader once, and had come back from a
terrible fall to be Wingleader again. "But some riders die. It's just
the laws of chance, isn't it?"

"Aye, quite a few of them go." She wasn't going to lie. By now the blue
was asleep and being stitched up. Rhosyn would get a report on his
progress later. Someone would visit them.

"So, someday it might very well be us..." Sh'vair wasn't sure what to
do about this newfound realization. Every Threadfall could be his
last. Every time he kissed his mother good-bye could be his last... "I
think I need to sit down," he whispered weakly, the blood draining from
his face.

"Sit." She hated weakness. "Remember Sh'vair, people are counting on
you. Holders, crafters, Weyrfolk. They need you to be up there-keeping
the ground safe from Thread. That's your job that you were meant to do.
You were born for it. No one else could have Impressed your Nidogath."

Rhosyn was almost ready to move on. The blue was being cared for and
Sh'vair could report to his Wingleader. There were others that needed
help.

The bluerider was barely listening as one thought kept running through
his head. **I'm gonna die. Someday, I'm gonna die...**

Last updated on the June 28th 2010

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Didn't Mean To