A Slight Strain

Writers: Suzee
Date Posted: 1st March 2011

Characters: Y'gel, Roana
Description: Roana spots a minor trouble with Phiralith and takes her to see Y'gel
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 15 of Turn 5

Y'gel

Late one evening, Roana was sitting out on her ledge, watching her dragon
swoop in for a landing, the pale green settling delicately on the stone
outcropping. With a critical eye, the greenrider halted the dragon from
going to her couch. "Phira, love, are you hurting anywhere?" Her eyes had
caught what looked like a swelling under the hide as she'd landed. It was
lessened when Phiralith's wings were folded, but clear when her wing was
spread and lifted.

}: No. It aches a little, but doesn't hurt. :{ Probably a minor muscle pull,
but the greenrider wanted to be sure. With Threadfall only a couple days
away, she wasn't going to risk her dragon or wingmates if Phiralith wasn't
sound for flight.

"C'mon, let's go down and see the dragonhealers," the greenrider said
firmly.

~*~

The dragonhealer's area was never empty, but this late there weren't many
people around. Peering into an office, Roana called out, "Hello?"

"Hello," came the bass rumble from the big dragonhealer. He got up from his
desk pushing the hidework aside as he moved out into the main cavern.

"How can I help you?" he asked as he moved toward the lovely green.
Practiced eyes moved over her form. Riders didn't typically bring their
lifemates by just to chat.

"I might just be paranoid, but I wanted to have someone take a look at
Phiralith. She's got some... Oh." Roana gave the older man a sheepish smile,
"You're the expert. It'd probably be easier just to show you. Phira, lift
that wing up, would you, darling?" The green obliged, the pale wing
spreading up and out, showing the swollen area.

"Ahhh yes," he said moving under the uplifted wing to get a closer look. The
swelling wasn't large but it could be a bit painful. "Does it hurt?" he
asked.

Roana stepped back to give the dragonhealer room to work - and to keep from
having to crane her head back to look up at him. "She says it aches
sometimes, but there's no sharp pain or anything like that. I just want to
be sure she's sound before we go up for 'Fall again."

"I'm going to touch it Phiralith, just to see how it feels" he reached out
softly at first his fingers finding the edge of the swelling and tracing the
muscle and tendon beneath the lovely green hide. When he felt her react he
pulled his fingers back immediately.

"Alright, it's not too bad but it is a strain." he said. "She is quite calm
would it be ok with you if we used this as a teaching experience?"

The greenrider chuckled, "I told you I was being paranoid. She's always been
remarkably healthy, so even after fourteen turns, I worry when something
does come up." Despite her words, she shifted closer, "But I'm always up for
learning something new. What is it?"

It was Y'gel's turn to chuckle. "No, I mean teaching the student's here,
please ask your lovely girl if she wouldn't mind if a bunch of apprentices
gathered around her."

"Phira? Complain about attention? Not likely!" Roana laughed outright this
time. "As long as they don't go climbing on her, she won't mind at all."

He turned with a smile and marched over to the corridor leading to the
barracks and classrooms. "L'vis," he called "Bring the junior apprentices
out here." he said before returning to the dragon and rider. Soon excited
voices could be heard as a pack of 12-15 turn old apprentices tumbled into
the cavern. Y'gel made slowing motions with his hands as the boys and girls
drew closer.

"Now line up so you can all see." he said. Then he turned to Phiralith "If
you could please lift your wing again dear." he asked.

The green did as asked, but the wing kept bobbling up and down as she tried
to investigate the apprentices. It took a sharp word from Roana to get the
green's mind back on business. "Sorry about that," she said as an aside to Y'gel.
"She should be back on topic now."

"Thank you" he said with a smile. Then he launched into a short lecture on
strain injuries to the gathered young people. "Now in a more severe strain
you would see a pronounced swelling and hear about pain from her rider. In
this case the pain is minor but we're going to allow one of you to practice
your numbweed application. With your permission of course," he added to
Roana as hands jumped into the air looking hopefully at their teacher and
the Master.

Roana nodded to the older man, "That's fine with me. Phiralith is fine with
it as well," the greenrider added when the dragon gave her permission. She
hid a grin at the apprentices' eagerness. Had she ever been quite that young
and enthusiastic? She must have been, but shards if she could remember it.

L'vis selected a boy and a girl who stepped forward and another of the
Senior apprentices appeared with two buckets. "Why two buckets?" he asked
the class who chorused "First the Redwort, then the Numbweed." He nodded and
waived the two lucky ones forward. They both reached into the Redwort and
covered their hands and forearms. Then they carried the numbweed toward the
waiting green. The girl remembered to nod to the dragon first though the
boy forgot. They both began to apply the salve to the affected area and when
they were done they moved back toward the group.

Phiralith tentatively stretched the wing out again, up to full extension and
as Roana eyed her critically, slowly back down. **Any aches, darling?**

}: No, that's much better,:{ the green responded. }: I don't even feel it.
:{ It was enough proof for Roana that it had only been a minor pull. If it
had been more serious, Phiralith would probably have still felt some
pressure after the numbweed went on. "Well, that seems to have been quiet
effective," she relayed the green's words to Y'gel.

"Excellent!" he said and dismissed the apprentices hearing L'vis continue to
instruct them on the way back to their classroom. "I would suggest perhaps
some swimming in salt water to gently exercise it though it isn't severe we
don't want her to get stiff. The salt water is good for it and other than
that a bit of rest. She should probably stand down from the next fall. After
that she should be just fine."

Roana nodded her understanding. "I'll let Lady Rhosyn know we'll be missing
'Fall tomorrow morning and take her out to the beach for a swim. Thank you
for your help."

Last updated on the March 4th 2013

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A Slight Strain