Feeling Human Again

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 23rd November 2011

Characters: G'wen, E'naer, Sh'lua
Description: A grubby G'wen wants a bath and some pampering (and a nice hot cup of klah) and seeks it at E'naer's weyr
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 24 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: O'ryn

G'wen lay on the bed, half asleep as Neath gave him a running
commentary on Lyraith's Flight. When she said the winner, he
muttered, "good for him," before sighing and waking up a bit more.
The thought of a threadscore-free greenrider who was attractive annoyed
him. He still hadn't been able to see his own back, so he had no idea
just how disfiguring the scar was going to be. And it was sore, the
cold in the weyr seeming to absorb right into it, chilling the boy.

He sighed again, feeling every inch the grubby and wounded young
thing that he was. He didn't even feel human anymore. A nice soak
in the pools and a cup of klah, and maybe something to ease the pain
in his joints... now_that_would be nice. He drifted off on a daydream
about being thoroughly warmed and clean before it occurred to him that
the pools were just too far away for him to be able to get to. He
wasn't strong enough to walk that far--shards, even getting to the privy down
the hall took more effort than he could stand--and, likewise, he
wasn't strong enough to ride on Neath.

No, he was stuck here, smelly, weak, lonely, sore and cold.

Neath listened to his thoughts and sighed, before something occurred
to her. Reaching out, she asked Eillispeth, }:mine needs to get clean
and some numbweed. Can he come to your weyr and use the pool there?:{

}: I'll ask, :{ Eillie replied. After moment of contacting her rider,
she replied: }: Of course he can. Does he need help? Mine can come to
get him. :{

G'wen shooed off any offers for help, after thanking Neath for being
so thoughtful. E'naer's weyr wasn't a million miles away, if he put
his head to it, he could get there. It might take awhile but he
could.

Gathering himself up, he slowly walked to the door and went down the
corridor. Neath informed him that she would go to Eillispeth's weyr
and wait for him there. He half nodded to himself as she told him and
tried to concentrate on putting one foot before the other. He was
doing fine, until he got to the stairs.

**Oh, now what?**

Maybe if he sat down and went down on his rump? He was tottering
about when a hand firmly touched his shoulder. "Here son, let me."

He turned to see a tall brownrider and...crap, one of the various
blueriders that had harassed him in the recent past! Seeing the look
on his face, the
bluerider chuckled and said, "now now, don't you worry. Where are you
trying to go?" The lad in front of him was still wane and fragile
looking. Like a lot of riders he had heard about what the boy had
done.

When G'wen said the Weyrlingmaster 3rd's name, he said, "okay then,
that's not too far to carry you! Now just put your good arm around my
shoulders. Yes like that. Now hang on and I'll," at that he picked
the boy up carefully, so as to not jar his back, "be your trusty beast
of burden for this!"

Behind them, the brownrider smiled and chucked G'wen on the cheek.
"It's the least we can do for you, lad."

The two men kept their banter going between them as they got G'wen
to E'naer's door. The brownrider politely knocked, but the other man
said, "no, that's too good for that one! Oy, E'naer! Open up, this
kid's getting heavy!" He winked at G'wen, who was anything but.

E'naer opened the door, Sh'lua was standing behind his back. They had
been spending a quiet evening together. They were both still fully
dressed, so quiet had their evening been.

"Hi, let's get him in," E'naer said and moved to make room.

"I can take him," Sh'lua offered, flexing his muscular mason's arms.

"Hey! I can walk!" G'wen wiggled in the man's arms until he was
gently placed on the sofa. Really, just because he was injured and
recovering, that didn't mean he was a babe to be carried about.

"Take good care of him boys, we'll want him in our wing!" The
brownrider ruffled the boy's hair before waving his good-byes to the
trio.

His friend squeezed G'wen's hand and said, "you get better, you hear?"
Standing up, he nodded to the other two and joined the brownrider.

As the door shut, G'wen closed his eyes. The walk down--even being
carried--had taken more out of him than he would have thought. He was
also painfully aware of how bad he must look, with hair poking out in
odd directions from not being washed in almost two sevendays, and his
still pale skin. He could also smell himself, so only Faranth knew
what scene he must have been presenting to the two men he liked the
most in this Weyr. If he hadn't felt so bad he would have been dying
of shame.

"Oh, poor you," E'naer murmured and sat next to him, stroking his
hair. Gentle as a mother, he started to undress G'wen. He hissed a bit
when he saw the back.

"Is it bad? How bad?" G'wen's voice took a pleading note as he
looked from E'naer to Sh'lua and back. He hadn't been able--or
allowed--to see the long score yet. Shivering, he felt incredibly
vulnerable, sitting there half naked and undoubtedly hideous to look
at. His lower lip started to tremble as he waited for E'naer to
speak.

"Bad enough, you should be in the infirmary instead of trapezing
around hallways," E'naer scolded.

"I wasn't trapezing, I was being carried," he teased, or rather, tried
to tease. His voice was as wain as his looks and he leaned against
E'naer's shoulder, completely exhausted. "How bad will it scar, d'you
think?" he muttered. "Can I get it wet?" No matter how he felt
physically, he was still desperate for that bath.

"It's going to be a handsome scar," Sh'lua commented.

"A good long soak in warm water could do it good, actually," E'naer
said, having a distant back ground in healing. "No sweetsand though. I
have some mildly disinfectant herbs that could be added to the water,"
he mused onwards. "I used them on my own Score."

G'wen's chin trembled a bit more at Sh'lua's words. The last thing he
ever wanted was to be scarred like so many in the Weyr. Sniffling a
bit, he stood up to go to the baths, teetering just a bit.

" Oh come on! Don't show face like that! Every one has scars, it's
part of dragon rider's life," Sh'lua said perkily.

"Why don't you brew us some klah, while I make the bath?" E'naer
asked, sensing that the bluerider's cheery tone was not the right one
in this situation. He gave G'wen an encouraging pat on shoulder before
hurrying up to add the herbs to the bath water.

"Okay," nothing disturbed Sh'lua.

G'wen wobbled after E'naer like a new born dragonet. When he got into
the bathing chamber he dropped his pants and all but fell into the
pool. He smelled so bad that he was a bit surprised a dark cloud
didn't form above him. The waters felt soft against his skin; he was
cold enough that the warmth hurt his toes and scar before warming
them--and his body--through. Sighing deeply, he ducked under the
waters to wet his hair.

"Here, let me wash that for you," E'naer said, indicating the hair and
kneeling beside the pool.

G'wen looked up at him with sad eyes and came over to let him gently
do just that. "Are you okay?" he quietly asked the other greenrider.

"Don't worry about me," E'naer said reassuringly and gave his cheek a
little kiss. Then he started to lather his hair. He didn't use
sweetsand, but a herbal lotion a healer friend made for him. It was
gentler to the skin and didn't irritate wounds.

The lad settled alongside the pool and enjoyed being fussed over. He
winced a bit when E'naer moved on to the wound.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be cleaned," he said with gentle tone. "Did
you know I was a healer apprentice before I impressed. I switched to
dragonhealing after Eillispeth came along," he said, hoping to
distract him with chit-chat.

G'wen shook his head. "No--oh! OH!" He ducked his back from the
man's hands and grabbed his knee tightly. Shards, that hurt!

"It won't take long now," E'naer said with soothing tone.

Sh'lua peered in. "Are you torturing him?"

"No, just washing the wound. How's the klah," E'naer replied.

"Coming along. Do you want milk or sweetener?" the bluerider asked
from both of them.

"Mine's black."

G'wen just shook his head at him, trying hard to bite back the tears
that filled his eyes. "Fellis in mine," he tried to joke. Pressing
his forehead against E'naer's knees, he took a deep breath. And then
another, trying to get the urge to scream his head off out of his
system.

"Sorry, we're out of it. You just have to do with whiskey," Sh'lua
replied, his voice full of compassion and disappeared back to the
other room.

"It's over now," E'naer said and pulled his hands out of the water.

Nodding, G'wen ducked back under the water, hissing a bit when the
warm water covered the wound. He soaked a bit longer, enjoying just
being thoughtfully warm--hot even--for once. Slowly he moved his left
arm, mildly pleased that it was working without much pain again.
Glancing up at E'naer, he said, "I think I might need a bit of help
getting out."

"Just let me know when you want out," E'naer said, putting a towel
next to a heater, so it would be nice and warm when G'wen needed it.

Sh'lua came with the mugs. After giving each one of them their klah,
he sat cross-legged next to the pool.

G'wen gulped down his klah--if nothing than to kill the pain with the
whiskey in it--and raised an eyebrow at him. "So you two going to
just watch me or
can I come out now? I can't do tricks, y'know."

"I thought you wanted to soak a bit longer," Sh'lua said. Placing the
mug aside, he got up to his feet and easily lifted G'wen out of water.
E'naer wrapped the warmed towel around him.

"I thought I did too." G'wen shuddered as he was wrapped up tightly
and put a bathrobe over the towels just for added warmth. The wound
cleansing, on top of the long walk to get here, had sapped the last of
his reserves. He stood between the two men, head bowed, completely
defeated and exhausted.

"Okay, to the bed you go," Sh'lua remarked and easily picked up the
small greenrider, carrying him to E'naer's bed. He set him down on
side, so G'wen's weight wouldn't be on his injured back.

That was all the boy needed. When his head hit the pillow, he shut
his eyes and promptly went to sleep.

}:I think we're spending the night at your weyr,:{ Neath remarked to
Ellispeth as she curled up tighter to the older but now smaller green.

}: That's just fine :{ Eillie replied with motherly tone.

"You really like him, don't you," Sh'lua asked, when the sipped their
klah, watching over the sleeping boy.

"Yes, I do. Don't you?" E'naer sighed.

"Sure do. He has a way of worming into your heart," the bluerider grinned.

Last updated on the December 5th 2011

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Feeling Human Again