Finding a Mentor

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 6th August 2012

Characters: W'ser, Paetri
Description: Paetri finds a mentor
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 12 of Turn 6

W'ser

Paetri looked over the Healing supplies, ticking them off on the
ledger that she held in her hands. It wasn't working directly with
the dragons or the flits, but it was something that she was familiar
with from home. She had been asked to help out and do a tally, but
wished she was helping more closely. Perhaps it was something
that would come with time. She had grown to love the infirmary;
she had learned that she would rather be here than in classes or in
the barracks. She absorbed everything she could, but most of the
journeyman didn't have much time for her, so she could only
learn by observing.

She glanced over her shoulder and paused, looking at a flit who was
being treated for a strained wing. Her eyes were warm and she
nearly stepped forward when it creeled in pain, but made herself stop.
She had a tally to do.

W'ser was a Master Dragonhealer with plenty of experience under his
belt, yet, whenever he had to work with a flit he always found it
fascinating. Even though they were miniatures of their big cousins,
firelizards were still a creature all their own and W'ser enjoyed
opportunities to get to know more about them. Today was no different,
the bronze firelizard in questioned crooned piteously while the
Weyrdragonhealer inspected the tiny musculature of his wing.

When he noticed a candidate from the corner of his eye, obviously
fascinated by the process, he stopped for a moment, "Would you like to
come closer and watch?" He asked.

Paetri immediately broke into a smile, curtsied, then hurried over.
"Yes, thank you!" She stayed a respectful distance, not crowding
W'ser, but close enough to closely watch exactly what he was doing.
For once, she was not discomforted by the close presence of a man,
instead her entire attention was rested on the flit and what exactly
W'ser was doing to help him.

When the little bronze creeled again, Paetri couldn't help it. She
instinctively stroked the little bronzes head, soothing it with a
light and gentle touch. "Easy, there. Its okay."

W'ser smiled when the girl reached out to soothe the firelizard.
Quickly finishing up his assessment of the strain he dipped his
fingers into the clay pot of numbweed on the examination desk and
applied it liberally to the strained muscle. Tearing strips of
bandages, he next fashioned the world's smallest sling and tied it
around the firelizard's wing.

"There we are little one. G'thre," he looked up to the man's owner who
had just walked in to the room, "keep an eye on the sling to make sure
he doesn't wiggle out of it. He should refrain from using his wing as
much as possible until the strain heals. Keep numbweed applied as he
needs, and it should be better in no time."

G'thre shook W'ser's hand gratefully, "Thank you very much, Master
W'ser." Scooping up the bronze flit the brownrider shot a smile down
to Paetri before turning on his heel and leaving.

Looking down at the girl that had joined him, W'ser stuck out his hand
for her to shake, "Thanks for your help there, partner. What's your
name?"

She had watched the process intently, mentally soaking up the
procedure while soothing the distressed bronze. When the firelizards's
owner arrived, Paetri also paid close attention to the instructions. It
was clear she was trying to memorize everything even as her gaze
swung back to W'ser.

Paetri took his hand, shook it lightly, then curtsied as she had been
taught. "You're welcome, but I didn't do much. Thank you for
letting me watch." Still caught up in trying to learn, she forgot her
shyness; her eyes were bright with curiosity and her voice was
eager. "How did you know it was a strain? Is there a way to tell?"
She wanted to ask more, about how to apply the numbweed
and about how to make the sling, but managed to keep the
questions from spilling out all at once.

W'ser loved the child's inquisitive nature and it made him smile as he
remembered his own introduction into dragonhealing, "I knew that his
wing was strained because there was swelling present in the affected
area. When I was running my fingers over his wings I was checking for
unusable swelling, or tenderness, which is what I found. If it had had
been a break, or fracture, I would have also felt the irregularity in
the bone structure." He told Paetri this while leading her towards his
office.

She followed without thought, her own fingers moving as he described
what he had done. "What else can you tell by touch? If it was worse than
a strain, what could you have done?" She paused, realizing she was
spilling out question after question. "I don't mean to be a bother. I
just really would like to learn. I...I love it here." She gestured to
the infirmary.

"Please have a seat. Are you old enough to drink klah?" W'ser raised
an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at his lips as he came around to
the warmer in his office and poured a cup of klah for himself, "You
can tell many things by touch, as I said, more importantly strains,
fractures, and breaks. If it had been worse I could have reset the
bone and then wrapped the wing. After being reset the bone would have
grown back together good as new. You're always welcome to ask me
questions. It's good that you want to learn." The Weyrdragonhealer was
certainly willing to entertain a young, curious mind when it came to
the most important craft on Pern.

"Yes, please." Paetri sat in the proffered chair and nodded. "I helped at
home with the Healers sometimes and J'darin thought that I might enjoy
learning here. He was right." She paused and fidgeted for a moment, then
glanced at him. "I do have another question." She took a deep breath. "If
I don't Impress, can I still learn? Do you have to be a rider to be a dragon
healer?" She looked up at him with a mixture of hope and worry.

W'ser poured the girl a half cup of klah and handed it over to her
much smaller hands, "You can begin your training as a dragonhealer
before Impressing. You can only be an apprentice, however, and then if
you don't Impress you have to leave the craft. You can then either
become a beasthealer or just a regular healercrafter." It was
unfortunate but it was just the way it had to be since dragon
communication was required, "What's your name?"

Paetri took the cup and took a sip."Oh."She deflated a bit, then
chewed on her lower lip. Her brow deepened before looking back up at
him. "How do you become an apprentice? I can be one, can't I? " She
stopped, then flushed after
she realized she hadn't even introduced herself yet. "I'm sorry! My
name is Paetri. I should have said so before."

"Well, since you're a Candidate you'll need to ask the Headwoman's
permission first. Then, if she agrees, it'll be up to me since I'm the
Weyrdragohealer." W'ser explained.

She took a long sip of her klah as she watched him explain, but
it was clear her mind was working quickly. She was quiet for a
moment as she nibbled her lower lip, then cleared her throat.
"And if the Headwoman gave permission?"

A warm smile stretched across the Weydragonhealer's face, "I would of
course give my consent as well."

A brilliant smile widened Paetri's face and her eyes gleamed with delight.
"I'll ask her right away!" She paused and looked just a little abashed.
"After my shift, I mean...." She looked back up at W'ser. "Thank you!
Thank you so much!"

"No, thank you, Paetri." The Weyr could never have too many youths
interested in the most important craft on Pern.

Last updated on the August 11th 2012

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