Can't We Stay?

Writers: Devin, Clancey, Miriah
Date Posted: 3rd July 2014

Characters: D'ret, J'kri, J'darin
Description: A Blooding ends badly.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 14 of Turn 7
Notes: Note: D'ret is written with permission from Ang

Mentioned: Paetri

J'darin

D'ret fiddled with Petrith's straps and glanced around at the other
weyrlings with him. Were they thinking of the same thing? Last time
they'd done this, Paetri and Camilth had gotten hurt. He tried not to
share his fears with his dragon; Petrith was already anxious enough.
She had delivered her firestone well enough last time, but not without
a great deal of urging on his part. Now, if possible, she was worse.

He closed his eyes and licked his lips, trying to master his own
nerves and calm Petrith before she went into spasms of anxiety.

Despite the couple of bloodings since Paetri and Camilith had gotten
hurt, and despite the fact that this was their very last Blooding
before Graduation, it didn't stop the nervousness and fear that was
carrying his heartbeat up.

He was specifically worried about Petrith. He'd kept them back one
of the Bloodings from simple caution. But this was it. This was
their last chance to prove themselves before they faced Thread for
real.

He walked over to D'ret and Petrith and laid his hand comfortingly on
Petrith's side. He smiled an encouraging smile at the pair.

"Alright, younglings. You can do this - fly, toss, /between/ - yes?"

D'ret nodded and laid his hand flat on Petrith's quivering neck. "Yes.
We've got the images and everything."

Petrith shifted on her feet. }: What if we get hurt? What if we fall
like Camilth did? I don't want to go up there. Camilth's wing is still
hurting from that and so is Hers. I don't want to get hurt and I don't
want you to get hurt. Can't we stay?"

That was not something he needed to think about. He had gone to see
Paetri after her injury and even though she would be fine, seeing the
bandages had shaken him. He tried to swallow back his own nerves and
Petrith's growing unease. **We'll be fine. We can do it. We'll be
fine, Petrith.**

There were flecks of sickly yellow in her whirling eyes as she
quivered, waiting with trepidation for the call. The moment it came,
she trembled and hunched as they were handed the bags of firestone. }:
We'll be hurt! :{

**We have to go!** D'ret urged her, but the image of Paetri's fall
still resonated in his mind. Petrith whimpered, but with a nod towards
J'darin, D'ret willed her into the air. He closed his eyes tight,
exhaling. They wouldn't fall like Paetri had. They wouldn't get hurt.
But shards, what if they did? What if he lost Petrith?

Those thoughts on his mind, Petrith blinked /between/ and did not emerge.

Hasaarth had tried to encourage Petrith before they left on their
trip. J'darin's heart twisted at the look in D'ret's eyes. He felt
the responsibility of his job lock tight onto him and keep him frozen
in place as the young pair took off into the air.

}:There is something wrong...:{ Hasaarth managed to say before the
keening began.

The keening took him off-guard. They had made it through their entire
Blooding with only Paetri's injury for serious-ness. The class,
while small, had been performing well.

He shouted out "No!" and then collapsed to his knees from the tearing
keening sound that was sounding all around him. Hasaarth had started
his own keen.

Pictures of the last several months with D'ret washed across his mind.
All the struggled the lad had getting Petrith just to fly... those
were an odd counterpoint to the sheer _joy_ in life that D'ret had
shared with any and all who had wanted. And there had been many, if
the stories he'd heard them swapping in the barracks had any truth to
them.

He felt Hasaarth's warmth behind him and turned into his dragon's
shoulder, the tears starting up well before the ripping of his own
soul began.

A wave of numb horror washed through J'kri and his legs gave out. He
collapsed against Rademerth as the blue mourned his clutchmate. **No.
Nonono!** The frantic denial was like a drumbeat in his head, a
counterpoint to the keening.

J'darin did not let his shock and horror go on for long. He grabbed a
hold of himself as much as possible and went out to the rest of the
weyrling class. He spied many of them in various states of disbelief
and distress, but his eyes went to one in particular.

**Hasaarth... ground them all. If there is any more need for
firestone, you and I will go. Or one of the other staff. But all
the senior weyrlings are grounded. We will not lose another one. **

He moved slowly, as if through soup, to J'kri. The keening was
fading when he appeared at the young bluerider's side. He said
nothing, only laid a hand of comfort to the lad's back.

He kept it there a moment, letting the solid presence that was the
Weyrlingmaster part of him fill up the space behind J'kri.

He said, finally, very softly, "Its alright, lad. It will be alright.
Go and see Paetri when you can.... she will need you too.... "

J'kri choked on a sob and turned to wrap his arms around the
bronzerider. He cried against the man's chest, needing someone, anyone
to hold onto.

For the Weyrlingmaster, this was a feeling he knew all too well.

Strong arms wrapped tight around J'kri and held him while he cried. Hasaarth crooned soothingly to both the weyrling and his blue, and the sound was oddly mirrored in J'darin's soft voice, murmuring he wasn't sure what, but just making sounds.

"I'm so sorry J'kri. So sorry." He continued to hold him, and if he cried a tear or two of his own, well who would notice?

Last updated on the July 3rd 2014

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Can't We Stay?