If You Want To Make An Omlette...
Location: Weyrling Cavern
Time: Evening of Day 22, Month 5, Turn 2, right after the Hatching
Players: Asynnida, Kianda, R'vain, J'sek, N'tai, K'rom, Roa, Tavaly, Surath, Nanuath, Ruvoth, Iusath, Areteth, Boranth
Scene: One of these hatchlings is not like the others...Areteth needs some mending and Roa brought the Redwort.
Tiny Cavern
This room is intended to serve two purposes. Firstly, it serves as a place for candidates to gather and wait before entering the sands, either for an egg-touching or for the hatching itself. Secondly, this is where newly Impressed weyrlings retreat during the hatching. Because it's meant for such simple purposes, there's very little here. The walls are bare and the floor is uncovered, though the stone is warm with its proximity to the sands. Large bowls and bins are stacked along one wall, intended to be filled with raw meat and oil before a hatching.
Asynnida shifts quickly to place another one in, keeping them as small as possible for now. A smile works onto her lips idly and she glances at Tavaly, smiling again. "Thank you... I think she is, too..." She offers shyly, blushing once more.
While N'tai is busy doing three things at once-- cleaning his face, which looks better without the blood but he's gonna need some stitches; feeding Boranth, who has settled in to chewing at least so he's not going to choke now; scratching between the brown's wings, earning a deep rumble of pleasure-- the dragonet seems just to be enjoying the fruits of his weyrling's labors. The whirling eyes gradually settle into a bluer shade, slowing placidly as worry and hunger abate. Boranth has no words for Ruvoth, only a content-seeming exhalation verging on a sigh.
Surath swallows again, just as quickly, the creeling raising in tone and tempo as this bite is *still* *so* *small*. Jaws open yet wider, though it may not have seemed possible before. See? See how much can fit in there?
J'sek slowly enters from the sands, one hand placed reassuringly and supportively on Areteth's ridges as the blue leans into him a little. His face is a mixture of emotions, both of joy and concern, possibly ever so slightly pained, although mostly joy. "We'll get you some food right away, I promise. See?" And even as he speaks, he's already groping for the nearest bowl he can reach without having to stray too far. He gives a brief nod and smile to those already present.
Kianda steps back a bit, to circle her lifemate, looking carefully at the green's hide. Then she comes in closer, to consult head to head with the little green, and she ends up smiling broadly. Setting the oil paddle back into its bucket, she moves to feed Nanauth by hand again, murmuring softly to the green dragonet.
Asynnida gives Surath a quick look and shifting to something a bit bigger. "If you say so.. Surath.. I'm just worried..." She offers softly, she places it gently into the green's mouth, wrinkling her nose.
And into the weyrling cavern comes, well, not a weyrling. Though she is short. And wears a dragonrider's knot. And has a satchel. Roa hurries inside, a little out of breath, a sweating and beleaguered Tannum behind her, mopping his brow with the back of one wrist. "Shells woman, can't you--" but he's stopped short because look at where he is. Woah. Roa only gives a quick glance to those present before finding J'sek and his Areteth. It is in this direction she heads with a smile for Tavaly and any weyrling she encounters on the way. "How is he?" she asks the new bluerider.
Tavaly raises arms in welcome to J'sek and the evening blue that follows. As they choose their spot, the greenrider hurries over to him and briefly offers, "A dragonhealer comes to help with his wound. Focus on feeding him for now, and make sure he's comfortable until the healer arrives. We'll get him taken care of, not to worry." And then she resumes her prowling, eyeing Syn for the moment. "Yes, that's better. That's a good size." And wow. Speak of the devil. "Great timing, Roa! You there! That's not where that goes.." The greenrider shuffles, spotting a young greenling chewing on one of the oiling paddles. Gawsh.
Areteth gives a lurch, leaning heavily against J'sek and giving voice to a half-realized croon of pain as his belly slides briefly against a rough patch of stone. His reddened eyes are a little glazed as his head swings wildly towards the meet his lifemate holds out. Roa is ignored, the smell of food driving even thoughts of pain from the little dragonet's focus as he falls upon the meal.
Surath swallows down the larger bite with a sound the smacks of satisfaction. And open goes the mouth again. This may take a while.
J'sek has just begun to select some of the first chunks of meat that he offers to Areteth. He winces a little at the croon of pain and then soothingly murmurs something to the blue. "Slowly, Areteth." he says, nodding towards Tavaly but still with a concerned look to his expression. Its then that he spots Roa and he smiles softly. "He's hungry...but hurting."
N'tai looks across the bulk of his dragon's shoulders, an arm slung companionably across them as both the weyrling's and the brown's heads turn to peer at Areteth as he enters. "Not exactly the same, but yeah," he mumbles, tucking the last bite of meat in to Boranth's mouth while they watch the injured blue. Briefly resting the uninjured side of his face against the brown's neck, N'tai fortifies himself for the oily task yet to come.
Kianda looks up briefly, hearing the name 'Roa'. Then she blinks, continuing to feed her dragon, even as her still-bemused gaze moves around the cavern, taking note of those who've joined her there.
R'vain comes in. This is most noticeable because he stands in the doorway for a longgg time getting up some kind of nerve. The little chamber is crowded, full of twenty-eight young dragons and their new 'better halves,' and Ruvoth's big head in the doorway doesn't help. "Dragonhealer," is the first word the Weyrlingmaster actually manages, and has to draw in a huge breath to manage another one. "We need Diya." He looks a little pale, behind the freckles.
Roa tips her head slowly to the side. "You..." she finally takes an actually look at the boy that the little blue claimed as his own. "You held his egg when I patched it, didn't you." A tiny smile twitches at the corner of her mouth. "And now here we are again. Feed him some, I think. He won't be able to do anything until you do. Just try and keep the weight off that leg. I'll start getting set up." The satchel is set down and Roa crouches, opening it up and pulling out supplies. Unsure of what to expect, she brought a lot.
Asynnida smiles at Tavaly once more, flushing again and nodding her head. She glances at Surath, nodding. She takes another bit of meat and places it gently in the green's mouth, waiting for her to finish that one. Upon finishing, Surath's mouth opens for another and the girl continues to slowly shuffle food into her mouth. Syn's eyes trail towards J'sek and his blue and she offers a smile before returning her attention towards Surath again.
Tavaly glances over to R'vain and scoffs. "Roa's on it already, and Diya's not here. It's being taken care of." She says, glancing further back to the first few weyrlings. Well, at least they're not choking on their own tails anymore.. She takes a deep breath, eyes opening a little wide for the time being.
Areteth is almost too busy eating to pay heed to his new lifemate's command, but after the first chunk is devoured, the little blue sways and hunkers down, crooning uneasily at the attention and thus knocking his torn belly against the ground, eliciting another growl of hurt. He turns his head, bloody from the meat, and hides it against J'sek's legs, red eyes lidded.
K'rom watches as his attention is focused on Iusath, nodding at Roa and smiling as she's noticed and glancing around, finding food and starts feeding the little green hatchling.
Iusath seizes upon the food offered by her lifemate, taking the chunks smoothly from his hand and eating as fast as he delivers it. After swallowing a few of the pieces, her head swings over to regard her injured clutchmate, a faint trill of concern emerging from her throat, melodic even now, as an awkward baby.
Kianda's gaze flickers between the senior riders, and the wounded little dragon. And then she looks toward J'sek, and gives him a grim smile, and a slight bow. And then her attention is back on her own dragon... "Eep! No, love, you can't sleep /here/." The girl looks around appealingly toward the weylingstaff types.
N'tai says across toward J'sek when Areteth tumbles, "Sorry for staring." He attempts a smile, learning quickly to accomplish this only by pulling the right side of his face and /not/ the side with the open gashes. Boranth nudges him lazily with a shoulder, startling him back to the fact that he still has a lot of oiling to accomplish, distracting him from the fact that R'vain just entered in all his blanched glory.
J'sek pauses in the middle of giving Areteth another piece of meat, wincing again as he shakes his head, giving a somewhat shuddered breath. "His foot is bothering him. A lot. That gash too..." And the meat is set aside for a moment as the blue settles down with a bit of a growl. He tries to reach for the head hidden amongst his legs. "Common, Areteth...you have to eat." he says coaxingly. He then looks to Roa. "One chunk isn't enough...is it?" The new bluerider then looks up to the others, smiling faintly and simply shakes his head towards N'tai "It's okay" he murmurs.
"Roa." As if the Telgari goldrider isn't right here. R'vain looks around, leaning forward so he can see more of the inside of the crowded room. If anything he seems suddenly even more pale. "Little Weyrwoman," he calls out through a weak grin, then lifts a paw and begs Tavaly over with it, wave wave, c'mere. His eyes are a bit wide.
K'rom smiles and giggles at the green, feeding her more as she wants, smiling and nodding at those around him, glancing at them as well. "She is beautiful...."
Thankyougod! Tav spies the paw waving her over and is instantly surging forward. Wait. Who's that. Iusath is glanced at, Tav's gaze snaking all the way up to.. "Kie!" She whispers a little loudly, face cracking into insta-proud and nodding her approval before slipping over to the Weyrlingmaster, her hand instantly reaching up to still the one he's been wagging at her. "Fine bunch." She assesses.
"Y'think?" R'vain looks around. He seems a little terrified. This was not the R'vain Tavaly saw when /she/ was new-impressed; she might find his demeanor a little strange. The Weyrlingmaster swallows audibly. "Maybe y'can... get them t'go in there?" Another frantic waving of enormous paw, this time at Ruvoth. Or more really at the entryway Ruvoth is blocking. Sensing the purpose of this charade-game, the bronze lifts his head and withdraws, making room.
Roa looks up from where she's crouched near Areteth and J'sek, fishing out this and that jar from a satchel, at her name. And then that odd title. "R'vain," she replies back. And then, "Significantly larger Weyrlingmaster. I'm over here with the little blue and...I'm sorry, what was *your* name?" this is directed towards J'sek. And then, just as quickly as the question comes out, she seems aware of the discomfort the hatchling's in. "Okay, here's how we'll do this. Can you ask him to lie on his side, his good side, so I can get access to his belly and leg? You can feed him in that position, and I'll see what I can do for his hurts." Another quick glance first to Tavaly, then to R'vain. "I could use a bit of help from Ruvoth, please."
Asynnida glances at K'rom, smiling a bit more. "Kie...?" She starts before Surath's creel grabs her attention. She nods her head and places more meat in the green's mouth. Her gaze shifts over towards R'vain and the girl shifts herself slightly. A glance over towards J'sek and Areteth quickly and then giving Surath another bit of meat.
Kianda nods a little, murmuring conversation with her lifemate. The pair- green and greenrider- settles down together in the chamber, both sated, and exhaustion starting to tell. Kia continues to watch the others, her brow furrowing occasionally.
Nodding, Tavaly glances along the walls and to the new pairs. She stoops beside Roa and J'sek for a moment. "You lot will remain here, Roa will see to you. Do not move him until he's ready." The girl says, then rises, clapping her hands quietly once. "All right, you lot! Asynnida is absolutely right. You can't sleep here. However, if you and your lifemates will kindly shift yourselves through that exit," She indicates the gaping maw that Ruvoth has just vacated, "You will all find comfortable and adequate quarters for you and your dragons. Barrels will be brought in within moments after you choose your spots. Hop to it, your little ones aren't going to want to be awake for much longer. Being born is tough!" After this is said and some of the weyrlings are already shifting, Tav turns to the man standing behind her and arches a brow. "Are you all right?"
Just settling back from getting Boranth oiled enough, enough to stop complaints and mostly cover him, N'tai sits down cross legged at long last and takes a moment to really look the brown over. All the while dabbing at his forehead and cheek with the drudge's cloth, he was just set to rest when Tavaly starts barking at them. "...of numbweed and a stiff drink," to Boranth as they both haul to their feet in a show of graceless weariness.
J'sek says, "Jol---" he begins to say, then corrects himself, "J'sek." He then takes a bit of a deep breath and caresses Areteth's head and neck soothingly with one hand. After a moment or two, the blue responds by slowly moving onto his good side, his eyes still whirling with red. He then reaches again for the meat, offering a bit and then smiling a little when the blue finally takes another piece. J'sek then glances to Tavaly and nods, although now he seems puzzled. "I'll join them later, I'm guessing?" And he watches as most begin to stir and shuffle towards the exit."
Kianda looks up a little at Tavaly's call, grimacing. "C'mon, dearheart," she murmurs softly, encouraging her dragon to her feet. "That big bronze? Yes, /that/ one. Follow him, sweetling."
"Ruvoth's help?" Ruvoth tries to sneak his snout back into the small room, but R'vain shakes his head violently and the bronze retreats again. "Uh, he can't get in here," obviously. "What d'you want him t'do, little-- " Erk. He catches himself affixing this diminutive to Roa's title and shakes his head again, violently, getting greener all the time. "Weyrwoman?"
Down goes a bowl. Here comes a rag. And a skin of hot water. This is poured into the bowl and something from a little jar is added. The water turns a dark red and an antiseptic smell permeates the immediate area. Ah. Redwort. "Just talk to him. Keep him calm. That sort of thing," Roa says to the weyrlingmaster. Not looking up, she's oblivious to his greenness. The rag is dipped as the girl looks over at the new weyrling. "Well met, J'sek. Good...just like that," she murmurs as the blue settles into a position that seems to be at least a bit more comfortable. "I'm going to wipe down and see to that gash first. Then the leg. This first bit with the redwort, he won't like so much." Her hands are rinsing with the stuff as she speaks of it.
Asynnida glances at Tavaly, nodding quickly. "Come on, Surath..." She says softly, glancing at K'rom idly and then leading Surath out.
J'sek's thoughts are focused mainly on keeping Areteth calm now, as Roa suggests. "Quite the appetite, in any case, eh Areteth?" He's still offering meat to the injured blue, although slowly so as not to create more problems. Even so, he glances up to the weyrwoman and grimaces a little. "I'll try to keep him calm." he says, side glancing now to the redwort and then to the gash. It's then he realizes he's now the only weyrling pair, to his knowledge, left. "What exactly...is going to happen?" he now ventures to ask, frowning after a moment.
"ME?" R'vain stares at the wounded blue. "Weyrwoman, I got other-- " Fish to fry. Like managing, against his will, to bolt through the tiny cavern to the other side, where Ruvoth disappeared. "If you need me," and here he tries very hard to look gruff and sound grouchy, "I'll be in 'ere. J'sek." R'vain can, barely, muster up a little grin for the 'mud-coated feline' he gave a knot to some time ago. "Y'take care of him, and when Roa's done with him y'both come on in, if you can. If you can't, someone tell me." And on that-- R'vain, obviously uncomfortable, flees into the barracks.
Tavaly nods, watching the Weyrlingmaster go.. apecrap. "Right! Well. I've got Immath warming up one of the couches near the entrance so he won't have far to travel." Tav says to J'sek, patting Roa's shoulder before she, too, looks as though she's bound for retreat. "You're in good hands." She says to the little blue and then exits.
Hands washed, Roa picks up the rag and dips it into the redwort. She looks over at R'vain, head tipping a bit to the side. 'All right. As you say. Sir." She turns away as he, ah, goes to check on the others, and over to the weyrling. "Well, I'm going to clean that gash, and then put some numbweed on it. Then I'm going to stitch it up, but he won't feel that. Then, well, I'm not certain, but I think that front leg will need a splint. You're..." her lips press together. "You're going to feel this, J'sek. Through him. It's going to be very odd."
Once R'vain has retreated and Tavaly followed, Ruvoth puts his great head back through. Whuff. Is the food good? Tell me what it feels like, to you.
J'sek smiles a little to Tavaly as she goes and then also watches as the Weyrlingmaster leaves after quickly briefing him on what's to come afterwards. J'sek smirks now, although still keeps his mood fairly happy. Just to keep Areteth calm. He then listens carefully to Roa, frowning again as he seems reluctant to let anything continue. But instead, he shakes his head, feeding Areteth a few more choice pieces of meat. "Worse then before?" So the weyrling may have already felt the blue's pain. With the meat now consumed, he moves to caress along Areteth's eyeridge and knobs carefully. The blue seems calm, the red not so visible now in he eyes. His reply to the bronze is somewhat quiet. The food is good, it feels good. But my hurt is still there.
"I'm not sure. I don't know how bad it felt before," says Roa reasonably. "Are you ready? The both of you?" The rag is slowly lowered and gently, blood and sand and grit are wiped away, the reddish color left behind getting lost on the blue hide. "Easy now," she murmurs low and soft. "You're very brave, you know. Hatching and finding your rider, all while you were hurting. You can be brave for a little while longer, can't you?"
J'sek smirks faintly, "I think he tried to keep it from me, actually." he says softly after a moment. He then nods his head and continues to soothingly stroke his blue's neck and ridges. "We are." And when Areteth protests a little with a slight hiss of discomfort, his eyes regaining that red tinge, J'sek adds in after Roa's words. "You are very brave and perfect. You'll be just fine with me, you'll see." The blue gives a bit of a moan, but nothing more. I will be brave. If it means this hurt will go.
I got a hurt in the shoulder a while ago, confesses Ruvoth, thoughtfully. He bends his neck around, preparing to point his muzzle at the spot in question, but there's this whole entryway thing that prevents his foreparts from meeting his main body and he lets out a huge warm sight instead. She tended it. Even though Roa is right there, the Weyrlingmaster's bronze repeats her image in his vision. She has more hair, brighter eyes, a permanently lovely smile, and soft soft hands. It didn't hurt long.
It is, perhaps, a good thing Roa is oblivious to Ruvoth's current thoughts. Her lips press and thin as she works and the rag comes away, stained with sand and blood. "Good work. It's about to get much better, now." The rag is dropped into the bowl and a jar is opened. No one can mistake that scent. Numbweed. Red-stained fingers dip into the slime and rub a thin layer over that long gash. "There now. How's that." Her eyes remain on Areteth but she asks, "J'sek, if you can tell me when the numbweed's taken full effect?"
J'sek seems to be bearing the odd sensation of sharing pain well enough, at times grimacing a little as he does his best to focus on other matters. Perhaps happier things. He wrinkles his nose a bit at the scent of numbweed and then nods his head to Roa. "I will." he murmurs. Areteth seems pleased that the cloth has been removed and doesn't quite notice the application of the numbweed as he's curiosity is now directed to Ruvoth. So hurt can happen again, to anyone? You, me, even mine? Seems logical. And mine being a reference to J'sek. The blue studies the image of Roa for a moment from the bronze. I like her. The blue states before adding in, somewhat puzzled. It's gone? And his head tilts up a little to regard the once aching spot. But J'sek keeps him from moving too much. "It's okay, Areteth. Feels better, doesn't it?" And he smiles faintly to Roa. "It's done." he says with a relieved tone in his voice.
"Good." Roa's wiping off her hands and reaching back into the satchel. This time it's to pull out black thread, a needle, and forceps. "He shouldn't even notice this. Or if you do, little one, it will just be a light tugging. If it hurts, tell me, and we'll add more numbweed." Her eyes dart up and towards the bronze peering in the doorway. "Thank you Ruvoth. You're being very helpful." Then her gaze lowers and with quick, sure fingers, she sets herself to her task.
Ruvoth is given to a number of very manlike mannerisms. The slow raise and bow of his head, a nod to indicate the positive, is one of them. It can. Hopefully it will not happen again, at least for a long time, to you or yours. We are here. The fact that the great bronze intends to protect his charges is implicit in that idea, in his tone, low and soothing and slow like a swampy creek running between hopping frogs on a hot evening. She uses the goo to make it not hurt. But it may hurt again, later, when the goo wears off. It will take time to heal, but eventually it should stop for good. Should. Ruvoth works hard to disguise any worried uncertainty he might feel there.
J'sek looks over to Ruvoth as well and gives the bronze a bit of a crooked smile. The weyrling is beginning to look tired, but he still keeps his attention on his blue, soothing him if need be. "Am I to continue putting numbweed on after you stitch it? In case it bugs him?" he asks quietly. Areteth is only vaguely aware of what Roa is doing, the numbweed having nulled his pain. The blue is more focused on Ruvoth's words. It won't happen again. he replies firmly. Then his voice seems to lower, almost darken. The hurt will come back? He doesn't seem to like the logic of that. But the goo will help? You will, as will mine?
We will help. The goo will help. And the pain should be less, every time you feel it, until it is gone for good. Again the 'should.' Ruvoth lifts his great head and exhales a soft, warm breath upon the weyrling dragon and rider and healer, all the affection he can reach them with from his through-the-entrance fit. After that he bows his head to a foreleg, just barely retreated inside the entrance, to watch in present, comforting silence.
Roa mmhmms faintly, half of her attention on the row of tidy black stitches that are slowly replacing the gaping gash. "I'll give you a jar, and you can apply it whenever he needs. We'll need to look in on him, daily. They grow so fast, I'm worried the hide will stretch before it can heal. He's going to end up with a bit of a scar, I'm afraid, due to that." Stitch. Snip. Stitch. Snip. The last little, black knot is tied off. "There we are." A white bandage is pulled out and laid across the gash, taped down lightly. "Now, the front leg. It's going to hurt again."
J'sek relaxes a little knowing he'll have some of that numbweed nearby. "So I've heard they can grow quick. If I notice anything, I'll give the alert. I don't mind the scarring. Neither does he. Better to have a scar then a gaping wound." Areteth gives a bit of a relieved sigh now that that wound no longer bugs him. His one leg, however, still held oddly, hasn't bugged him as he hasn't moved for awhile now. With meat in his belly and a conversation with a helpful bronze keeping his mind at bay, the hatchling is still calm. J'sek, however, tenses a little. "The leg?" he says, suddenly nervous. "What are you going to do?" The weyrling knows it could be broken. And usually broken limbs are reset.
The Telgari looks at the curved limb, but doesn't touch it. "Likely set and splint it. And there is not, unfortunately, any numbweed to help with such a process. But it will feel better once it's set. During..." Roa's lips press flat again. "I wish Tia could fit in here..."
J'sek takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, almost a sigh. He looks down at Areteth lovingly for a moment, the blue glancing back up but almost in a sleepy sort've way. J'sek then closes his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at Roa. But its evident he's not at all pleased. "I've no choice, even if I wish we didn't have to." Even so, the weyrling is preparing himself for what's to come. "Just be quick." he asks after a moment or two.
"I promise." Her expression is somber, but sincere. She brings a few other things out. More bandages and a little wooden something. A splint. "Afterwards, oil him. He may be too tired to note where he itches, but he'll be flaking by morning if you don't. Here we go." Her hands settle as gently as she can on that crooked limb, fingers feeling their way along it to detect where and what has happened.
J'sek nods his head, "Oil him. Right. There's oil in the barracks, yes?" He's nervous now, his hands shaking lightly as he resumes his caresses on his blue's soft hide. J'sek bites on his lower lip as he watches Roa begin to feel along Areteth's crooked limb. The blue begins to protest a little, not quite wanting to extend the injured limb out any more then he has to.
"Yes," Roa agrees. "Listen. Shells. This is bad." Her hands feel the sudden break and the angle that oughtn't be there. "J'sek, I want you to do something for me. I want you to close your eyes and think about putting up a screen between you and Areteth. Just, very gently, dividing your thoughts. Can you try that?"
J'sek looks directly at Roa, the nervousness from before creeping up, to which he quickly stamps down enough to nod stiffly. "I'll...try." And his eyes close and he frowns in concentration, half smirking as he does. He pictures putting up a screen and Areteth doesn't seem to notice. Eventually, J'sek murmurs, "I think I have it done." And hopefully its enough. Areteth rumbles softly, almost curiously in a half sleepy manner.
A small nod, though J'sek can't see it because his eyes are closed. "Good. Now, make it a little bit thicker. Think of a tapestry, instead of a screen." Roa watches, carefully, both the hatchling and the weyrling.
J'sek's frown deepens and he begins to chew on his lower lip. "Tapestry, right..." he mutters. The weyrling is silent for awhile before his frown seems to lessen a little. "Okay...done." One would hope. Areteth is calm, the blue most likely more worried now on when he gets to sleep. Or if he can move to be more comfortable to sleep.
"All right, last one. Instead of a tapestry, think about the stone wall behind it. A solid wall between you and Areteth. Tell me when you've got it." Roa's hands lift, fingers curling lightly. But they don't yet touch the arm.
J'sek frowns deeply again, "Just exactly how far do I have to go?" Apparently J'sek doesn't like cutting himself off, but he does as Roa explains. Worry edges in on his tone as he speaks next, "It's done." Areteth hasn't moved, his crippled arm still within reach.
"Just hold that wall. Just for a moment. This won't take long." Roa's fingers move, their actions fast. Sudden, really. One hand wraps around the upper part of the injured arm. The other takes hold of the wrist. There is a sharp jerk and bones are pulled from their mangled alignment and set into the proper one. Painful? Incredibly. But over almost as quickly as it starts.
J'sek nods his head stiffly, eyes still closed as his frowns in concentration. His hands rest loosely near to Areteth's head and neck. One moment Areteth is calm, the next his eye flares up red as he creels loudly in pain and begins to squirm a little, only to be mostly steadied by J'sek's hands and Roa's on the limb, luckily. His tail lashes out as his creels continue and J'sek is now struggling to keep Areteth from moving, but also from taking down that barrier. "Its okay, it's okay..." is all the weyrling is repeating. Eventually the blue stops his creels in favour for a few growled hisses and the occasional moan. His whirling red eyes move to focus in on Roa briefly. J'sek now begins to mutter. "When can I let the barrier go?"
"Now, if you like. But back it up the way you made it. Tapestry. Screen. Nothing. And you're going to feel the residual pain he's feeling. Be ready for that." Roa's face has gone a little pale and fingers shake just a little as she reaches for the splint and bandages. "Now we just make sure it stays that way until his body can heal himself."
J'sek does as he is told to do and slowly lifts the barriers, only to wince and then grimace near the end. His eyes open slowly soon afterwards and they're darker then before. He takes a deep breath and strokes the soft hide of his blue. "And I hope its a quick heal for him. This is going to effect our training, isn't it? With the splint and all?" Areteth regards Roa for a moment before rumbling low and somewhat pained. He lifts his muzzle a little and presses it back into J'sek's leg. Then the blue shares one thought with those around him. I'm tired. is all he says.
The splint is carefully set, bandages binding it to his arm. "That all depends. His rapid growth will either speed the recovery or slow it. I...well, I've never had to set a bone on so young a dragon. I'm not wholly sure what to expect. But he must keep it straight and keep weight off of it. And I'll need to look at it every couple of days until I can get a better sense of how it's mending." Roa rocks back on her heels, exhaling slowly. "That's all we can do for now. Keep the numbweed. Oil him well before you sleep. I'll have Tialith introduce herself, and then Areteth can call on her if he needs anything." There is a small pause where the Telgari's eyes go distant. And then, gentle and weighted like a wooly blanket comes a new voice is the infant blue's mind. You are very strong, for such a little thing. Tell me if you need Roa, and I will have her sent to you.
Areteth's reply is dark and low, but tinged with weariness brought on by exhaustion. I will. is the reply of the newly hatched blue, who's now tired but also curious and puzzled over what's happening. J'sek manages an actual smile now. "Thank you, Roa." He's relaxing a little, but he too is now exhausted looking. Not easy what he just went through. "I just hope he mends well, no matter if we're held behind." He stifles a bit of a yawn. "But I will oil him. And use the numbweed if need be. Am I...to join the others tonight?" He looks over in the general direction to which he vaguely remembers them leaving. Areteth croons lightly and shifts a little where he rests, carefully testing the limb now that it has its splint on.
Roa nods. "There's no reason why you can't. And buck up. The first six sevens are just oiling and feeding and watching them grow anyhow. He's got time to mend before his injuries keep him from training. If all goes well, once they start learning their first practices, he'll be ready." Roa begins gathering up all the supplies, save the jar of numbweed. "Get some sleep. And congratulations, J'sek." A tiny smile as she scoops up her satchel. "Clear skies, bluerider." Pressed up against the wall, yes, Tannum is still there. His expression has long traveled from 'woah' to horror. But he stays. Does his duty.
J'sek does seem to cheer up a little on the mention of not being held back. "Oh. I thought we started earlier..." And where he exactly heard that, he doesn't say. But the jar of numbweed is picked up and he carefully helps Areteth to his feet. The blue gives a somewhat disgruntled snort as he works out this new splint, but its eventually ignored in the hopes of sleep. And some oiling. J'sek nods again and smiles softly, "Thanks. For everything... Clear skies, weyrwoman." And with that, he leads his new lifemate and himself towards the barracks now that the worst of things is over.
Time: Evening of Day 22, Month 5, Turn 2, right after the Hatching
Players: Asynnida, Kianda, R'vain, J'sek, N'tai, K'rom, Roa, Tavaly, Surath, Nanuath, Ruvoth, Iusath, Areteth, Boranth
Scene: One of these hatchlings is not like the others...Areteth needs some mending and Roa brought the Redwort.
Tiny Cavern
This room is intended to serve two purposes. Firstly, it serves as a place for candidates to gather and wait before entering the sands, either for an egg-touching or for the hatching itself. Secondly, this is where newly Impressed weyrlings retreat during the hatching. Because it's meant for such simple purposes, there's very little here. The walls are bare and the floor is uncovered, though the stone is warm with its proximity to the sands. Large bowls and bins are stacked along one wall, intended to be filled with raw meat and oil before a hatching.
Asynnida shifts quickly to place another one in, keeping them as small as possible for now. A smile works onto her lips idly and she glances at Tavaly, smiling again. "Thank you... I think she is, too..." She offers shyly, blushing once more.
While N'tai is busy doing three things at once-- cleaning his face, which looks better without the blood but he's gonna need some stitches; feeding Boranth, who has settled in to chewing at least so he's not going to choke now; scratching between the brown's wings, earning a deep rumble of pleasure-- the dragonet seems just to be enjoying the fruits of his weyrling's labors. The whirling eyes gradually settle into a bluer shade, slowing placidly as worry and hunger abate. Boranth has no words for Ruvoth, only a content-seeming exhalation verging on a sigh.
Surath swallows again, just as quickly, the creeling raising in tone and tempo as this bite is *still* *so* *small*. Jaws open yet wider, though it may not have seemed possible before. See? See how much can fit in there?
J'sek slowly enters from the sands, one hand placed reassuringly and supportively on Areteth's ridges as the blue leans into him a little. His face is a mixture of emotions, both of joy and concern, possibly ever so slightly pained, although mostly joy. "We'll get you some food right away, I promise. See?" And even as he speaks, he's already groping for the nearest bowl he can reach without having to stray too far. He gives a brief nod and smile to those already present.
Kianda steps back a bit, to circle her lifemate, looking carefully at the green's hide. Then she comes in closer, to consult head to head with the little green, and she ends up smiling broadly. Setting the oil paddle back into its bucket, she moves to feed Nanauth by hand again, murmuring softly to the green dragonet.
Asynnida gives Surath a quick look and shifting to something a bit bigger. "If you say so.. Surath.. I'm just worried..." She offers softly, she places it gently into the green's mouth, wrinkling her nose.
And into the weyrling cavern comes, well, not a weyrling. Though she is short. And wears a dragonrider's knot. And has a satchel. Roa hurries inside, a little out of breath, a sweating and beleaguered Tannum behind her, mopping his brow with the back of one wrist. "Shells woman, can't you--" but he's stopped short because look at where he is. Woah. Roa only gives a quick glance to those present before finding J'sek and his Areteth. It is in this direction she heads with a smile for Tavaly and any weyrling she encounters on the way. "How is he?" she asks the new bluerider.
Tavaly raises arms in welcome to J'sek and the evening blue that follows. As they choose their spot, the greenrider hurries over to him and briefly offers, "A dragonhealer comes to help with his wound. Focus on feeding him for now, and make sure he's comfortable until the healer arrives. We'll get him taken care of, not to worry." And then she resumes her prowling, eyeing Syn for the moment. "Yes, that's better. That's a good size." And wow. Speak of the devil. "Great timing, Roa! You there! That's not where that goes.." The greenrider shuffles, spotting a young greenling chewing on one of the oiling paddles. Gawsh.
Areteth gives a lurch, leaning heavily against J'sek and giving voice to a half-realized croon of pain as his belly slides briefly against a rough patch of stone. His reddened eyes are a little glazed as his head swings wildly towards the meet his lifemate holds out. Roa is ignored, the smell of food driving even thoughts of pain from the little dragonet's focus as he falls upon the meal.
Surath swallows down the larger bite with a sound the smacks of satisfaction. And open goes the mouth again. This may take a while.
J'sek has just begun to select some of the first chunks of meat that he offers to Areteth. He winces a little at the croon of pain and then soothingly murmurs something to the blue. "Slowly, Areteth." he says, nodding towards Tavaly but still with a concerned look to his expression. Its then that he spots Roa and he smiles softly. "He's hungry...but hurting."
N'tai looks across the bulk of his dragon's shoulders, an arm slung companionably across them as both the weyrling's and the brown's heads turn to peer at Areteth as he enters. "Not exactly the same, but yeah," he mumbles, tucking the last bite of meat in to Boranth's mouth while they watch the injured blue. Briefly resting the uninjured side of his face against the brown's neck, N'tai fortifies himself for the oily task yet to come.
Kianda looks up briefly, hearing the name 'Roa'. Then she blinks, continuing to feed her dragon, even as her still-bemused gaze moves around the cavern, taking note of those who've joined her there.
R'vain comes in. This is most noticeable because he stands in the doorway for a longgg time getting up some kind of nerve. The little chamber is crowded, full of twenty-eight young dragons and their new 'better halves,' and Ruvoth's big head in the doorway doesn't help. "Dragonhealer," is the first word the Weyrlingmaster actually manages, and has to draw in a huge breath to manage another one. "We need Diya." He looks a little pale, behind the freckles.
Roa tips her head slowly to the side. "You..." she finally takes an actually look at the boy that the little blue claimed as his own. "You held his egg when I patched it, didn't you." A tiny smile twitches at the corner of her mouth. "And now here we are again. Feed him some, I think. He won't be able to do anything until you do. Just try and keep the weight off that leg. I'll start getting set up." The satchel is set down and Roa crouches, opening it up and pulling out supplies. Unsure of what to expect, she brought a lot.
Asynnida smiles at Tavaly once more, flushing again and nodding her head. She glances at Surath, nodding. She takes another bit of meat and places it gently in the green's mouth, waiting for her to finish that one. Upon finishing, Surath's mouth opens for another and the girl continues to slowly shuffle food into her mouth. Syn's eyes trail towards J'sek and his blue and she offers a smile before returning her attention towards Surath again.
Tavaly glances over to R'vain and scoffs. "Roa's on it already, and Diya's not here. It's being taken care of." She says, glancing further back to the first few weyrlings. Well, at least they're not choking on their own tails anymore.. She takes a deep breath, eyes opening a little wide for the time being.
Areteth is almost too busy eating to pay heed to his new lifemate's command, but after the first chunk is devoured, the little blue sways and hunkers down, crooning uneasily at the attention and thus knocking his torn belly against the ground, eliciting another growl of hurt. He turns his head, bloody from the meat, and hides it against J'sek's legs, red eyes lidded.
K'rom watches as his attention is focused on Iusath, nodding at Roa and smiling as she's noticed and glancing around, finding food and starts feeding the little green hatchling.
Iusath seizes upon the food offered by her lifemate, taking the chunks smoothly from his hand and eating as fast as he delivers it. After swallowing a few of the pieces, her head swings over to regard her injured clutchmate, a faint trill of concern emerging from her throat, melodic even now, as an awkward baby.
Kianda's gaze flickers between the senior riders, and the wounded little dragon. And then she looks toward J'sek, and gives him a grim smile, and a slight bow. And then her attention is back on her own dragon... "Eep! No, love, you can't sleep /here/." The girl looks around appealingly toward the weylingstaff types.
N'tai says across toward J'sek when Areteth tumbles, "Sorry for staring." He attempts a smile, learning quickly to accomplish this only by pulling the right side of his face and /not/ the side with the open gashes. Boranth nudges him lazily with a shoulder, startling him back to the fact that he still has a lot of oiling to accomplish, distracting him from the fact that R'vain just entered in all his blanched glory.
J'sek pauses in the middle of giving Areteth another piece of meat, wincing again as he shakes his head, giving a somewhat shuddered breath. "His foot is bothering him. A lot. That gash too..." And the meat is set aside for a moment as the blue settles down with a bit of a growl. He tries to reach for the head hidden amongst his legs. "Common, Areteth...you have to eat." he says coaxingly. He then looks to Roa. "One chunk isn't enough...is it?" The new bluerider then looks up to the others, smiling faintly and simply shakes his head towards N'tai "It's okay" he murmurs.
"Roa." As if the Telgari goldrider isn't right here. R'vain looks around, leaning forward so he can see more of the inside of the crowded room. If anything he seems suddenly even more pale. "Little Weyrwoman," he calls out through a weak grin, then lifts a paw and begs Tavaly over with it, wave wave, c'mere. His eyes are a bit wide.
K'rom smiles and giggles at the green, feeding her more as she wants, smiling and nodding at those around him, glancing at them as well. "She is beautiful...."
Thankyougod! Tav spies the paw waving her over and is instantly surging forward. Wait. Who's that. Iusath is glanced at, Tav's gaze snaking all the way up to.. "Kie!" She whispers a little loudly, face cracking into insta-proud and nodding her approval before slipping over to the Weyrlingmaster, her hand instantly reaching up to still the one he's been wagging at her. "Fine bunch." She assesses.
"Y'think?" R'vain looks around. He seems a little terrified. This was not the R'vain Tavaly saw when /she/ was new-impressed; she might find his demeanor a little strange. The Weyrlingmaster swallows audibly. "Maybe y'can... get them t'go in there?" Another frantic waving of enormous paw, this time at Ruvoth. Or more really at the entryway Ruvoth is blocking. Sensing the purpose of this charade-game, the bronze lifts his head and withdraws, making room.
Roa looks up from where she's crouched near Areteth and J'sek, fishing out this and that jar from a satchel, at her name. And then that odd title. "R'vain," she replies back. And then, "Significantly larger Weyrlingmaster. I'm over here with the little blue and...I'm sorry, what was *your* name?" this is directed towards J'sek. And then, just as quickly as the question comes out, she seems aware of the discomfort the hatchling's in. "Okay, here's how we'll do this. Can you ask him to lie on his side, his good side, so I can get access to his belly and leg? You can feed him in that position, and I'll see what I can do for his hurts." Another quick glance first to Tavaly, then to R'vain. "I could use a bit of help from Ruvoth, please."
Asynnida glances at K'rom, smiling a bit more. "Kie...?" She starts before Surath's creel grabs her attention. She nods her head and places more meat in the green's mouth. Her gaze shifts over towards R'vain and the girl shifts herself slightly. A glance over towards J'sek and Areteth quickly and then giving Surath another bit of meat.
Kianda nods a little, murmuring conversation with her lifemate. The pair- green and greenrider- settles down together in the chamber, both sated, and exhaustion starting to tell. Kia continues to watch the others, her brow furrowing occasionally.
Nodding, Tavaly glances along the walls and to the new pairs. She stoops beside Roa and J'sek for a moment. "You lot will remain here, Roa will see to you. Do not move him until he's ready." The girl says, then rises, clapping her hands quietly once. "All right, you lot! Asynnida is absolutely right. You can't sleep here. However, if you and your lifemates will kindly shift yourselves through that exit," She indicates the gaping maw that Ruvoth has just vacated, "You will all find comfortable and adequate quarters for you and your dragons. Barrels will be brought in within moments after you choose your spots. Hop to it, your little ones aren't going to want to be awake for much longer. Being born is tough!" After this is said and some of the weyrlings are already shifting, Tav turns to the man standing behind her and arches a brow. "Are you all right?"
Just settling back from getting Boranth oiled enough, enough to stop complaints and mostly cover him, N'tai sits down cross legged at long last and takes a moment to really look the brown over. All the while dabbing at his forehead and cheek with the drudge's cloth, he was just set to rest when Tavaly starts barking at them. "...of numbweed and a stiff drink," to Boranth as they both haul to their feet in a show of graceless weariness.
J'sek says, "Jol---" he begins to say, then corrects himself, "J'sek." He then takes a bit of a deep breath and caresses Areteth's head and neck soothingly with one hand. After a moment or two, the blue responds by slowly moving onto his good side, his eyes still whirling with red. He then reaches again for the meat, offering a bit and then smiling a little when the blue finally takes another piece. J'sek then glances to Tavaly and nods, although now he seems puzzled. "I'll join them later, I'm guessing?" And he watches as most begin to stir and shuffle towards the exit."
Kianda looks up a little at Tavaly's call, grimacing. "C'mon, dearheart," she murmurs softly, encouraging her dragon to her feet. "That big bronze? Yes, /that/ one. Follow him, sweetling."
"Ruvoth's help?" Ruvoth tries to sneak his snout back into the small room, but R'vain shakes his head violently and the bronze retreats again. "Uh, he can't get in here," obviously. "What d'you want him t'do, little-- " Erk. He catches himself affixing this diminutive to Roa's title and shakes his head again, violently, getting greener all the time. "Weyrwoman?"
Down goes a bowl. Here comes a rag. And a skin of hot water. This is poured into the bowl and something from a little jar is added. The water turns a dark red and an antiseptic smell permeates the immediate area. Ah. Redwort. "Just talk to him. Keep him calm. That sort of thing," Roa says to the weyrlingmaster. Not looking up, she's oblivious to his greenness. The rag is dipped as the girl looks over at the new weyrling. "Well met, J'sek. Good...just like that," she murmurs as the blue settles into a position that seems to be at least a bit more comfortable. "I'm going to wipe down and see to that gash first. Then the leg. This first bit with the redwort, he won't like so much." Her hands are rinsing with the stuff as she speaks of it.
Asynnida glances at Tavaly, nodding quickly. "Come on, Surath..." She says softly, glancing at K'rom idly and then leading Surath out.
J'sek's thoughts are focused mainly on keeping Areteth calm now, as Roa suggests. "Quite the appetite, in any case, eh Areteth?" He's still offering meat to the injured blue, although slowly so as not to create more problems. Even so, he glances up to the weyrwoman and grimaces a little. "I'll try to keep him calm." he says, side glancing now to the redwort and then to the gash. It's then he realizes he's now the only weyrling pair, to his knowledge, left. "What exactly...is going to happen?" he now ventures to ask, frowning after a moment.
"ME?" R'vain stares at the wounded blue. "Weyrwoman, I got other-- " Fish to fry. Like managing, against his will, to bolt through the tiny cavern to the other side, where Ruvoth disappeared. "If you need me," and here he tries very hard to look gruff and sound grouchy, "I'll be in 'ere. J'sek." R'vain can, barely, muster up a little grin for the 'mud-coated feline' he gave a knot to some time ago. "Y'take care of him, and when Roa's done with him y'both come on in, if you can. If you can't, someone tell me." And on that-- R'vain, obviously uncomfortable, flees into the barracks.
Tavaly nods, watching the Weyrlingmaster go.. apecrap. "Right! Well. I've got Immath warming up one of the couches near the entrance so he won't have far to travel." Tav says to J'sek, patting Roa's shoulder before she, too, looks as though she's bound for retreat. "You're in good hands." She says to the little blue and then exits.
Hands washed, Roa picks up the rag and dips it into the redwort. She looks over at R'vain, head tipping a bit to the side. 'All right. As you say. Sir." She turns away as he, ah, goes to check on the others, and over to the weyrling. "Well, I'm going to clean that gash, and then put some numbweed on it. Then I'm going to stitch it up, but he won't feel that. Then, well, I'm not certain, but I think that front leg will need a splint. You're..." her lips press together. "You're going to feel this, J'sek. Through him. It's going to be very odd."
Once R'vain has retreated and Tavaly followed, Ruvoth puts his great head back through. Whuff. Is the food good? Tell me what it feels like, to you.
J'sek smiles a little to Tavaly as she goes and then also watches as the Weyrlingmaster leaves after quickly briefing him on what's to come afterwards. J'sek smirks now, although still keeps his mood fairly happy. Just to keep Areteth calm. He then listens carefully to Roa, frowning again as he seems reluctant to let anything continue. But instead, he shakes his head, feeding Areteth a few more choice pieces of meat. "Worse then before?" So the weyrling may have already felt the blue's pain. With the meat now consumed, he moves to caress along Areteth's eyeridge and knobs carefully. The blue seems calm, the red not so visible now in he eyes. His reply to the bronze is somewhat quiet. The food is good, it feels good. But my hurt is still there.
"I'm not sure. I don't know how bad it felt before," says Roa reasonably. "Are you ready? The both of you?" The rag is slowly lowered and gently, blood and sand and grit are wiped away, the reddish color left behind getting lost on the blue hide. "Easy now," she murmurs low and soft. "You're very brave, you know. Hatching and finding your rider, all while you were hurting. You can be brave for a little while longer, can't you?"
J'sek smirks faintly, "I think he tried to keep it from me, actually." he says softly after a moment. He then nods his head and continues to soothingly stroke his blue's neck and ridges. "We are." And when Areteth protests a little with a slight hiss of discomfort, his eyes regaining that red tinge, J'sek adds in after Roa's words. "You are very brave and perfect. You'll be just fine with me, you'll see." The blue gives a bit of a moan, but nothing more. I will be brave. If it means this hurt will go.
I got a hurt in the shoulder a while ago, confesses Ruvoth, thoughtfully. He bends his neck around, preparing to point his muzzle at the spot in question, but there's this whole entryway thing that prevents his foreparts from meeting his main body and he lets out a huge warm sight instead. She tended it. Even though Roa is right there, the Weyrlingmaster's bronze repeats her image in his vision. She has more hair, brighter eyes, a permanently lovely smile, and soft soft hands. It didn't hurt long.
It is, perhaps, a good thing Roa is oblivious to Ruvoth's current thoughts. Her lips press and thin as she works and the rag comes away, stained with sand and blood. "Good work. It's about to get much better, now." The rag is dropped into the bowl and a jar is opened. No one can mistake that scent. Numbweed. Red-stained fingers dip into the slime and rub a thin layer over that long gash. "There now. How's that." Her eyes remain on Areteth but she asks, "J'sek, if you can tell me when the numbweed's taken full effect?"
J'sek seems to be bearing the odd sensation of sharing pain well enough, at times grimacing a little as he does his best to focus on other matters. Perhaps happier things. He wrinkles his nose a bit at the scent of numbweed and then nods his head to Roa. "I will." he murmurs. Areteth seems pleased that the cloth has been removed and doesn't quite notice the application of the numbweed as he's curiosity is now directed to Ruvoth. So hurt can happen again, to anyone? You, me, even mine? Seems logical. And mine being a reference to J'sek. The blue studies the image of Roa for a moment from the bronze. I like her. The blue states before adding in, somewhat puzzled. It's gone? And his head tilts up a little to regard the once aching spot. But J'sek keeps him from moving too much. "It's okay, Areteth. Feels better, doesn't it?" And he smiles faintly to Roa. "It's done." he says with a relieved tone in his voice.
"Good." Roa's wiping off her hands and reaching back into the satchel. This time it's to pull out black thread, a needle, and forceps. "He shouldn't even notice this. Or if you do, little one, it will just be a light tugging. If it hurts, tell me, and we'll add more numbweed." Her eyes dart up and towards the bronze peering in the doorway. "Thank you Ruvoth. You're being very helpful." Then her gaze lowers and with quick, sure fingers, she sets herself to her task.
Ruvoth is given to a number of very manlike mannerisms. The slow raise and bow of his head, a nod to indicate the positive, is one of them. It can. Hopefully it will not happen again, at least for a long time, to you or yours. We are here. The fact that the great bronze intends to protect his charges is implicit in that idea, in his tone, low and soothing and slow like a swampy creek running between hopping frogs on a hot evening. She uses the goo to make it not hurt. But it may hurt again, later, when the goo wears off. It will take time to heal, but eventually it should stop for good. Should. Ruvoth works hard to disguise any worried uncertainty he might feel there.
J'sek looks over to Ruvoth as well and gives the bronze a bit of a crooked smile. The weyrling is beginning to look tired, but he still keeps his attention on his blue, soothing him if need be. "Am I to continue putting numbweed on after you stitch it? In case it bugs him?" he asks quietly. Areteth is only vaguely aware of what Roa is doing, the numbweed having nulled his pain. The blue is more focused on Ruvoth's words. It won't happen again. he replies firmly. Then his voice seems to lower, almost darken. The hurt will come back? He doesn't seem to like the logic of that. But the goo will help? You will, as will mine?
We will help. The goo will help. And the pain should be less, every time you feel it, until it is gone for good. Again the 'should.' Ruvoth lifts his great head and exhales a soft, warm breath upon the weyrling dragon and rider and healer, all the affection he can reach them with from his through-the-entrance fit. After that he bows his head to a foreleg, just barely retreated inside the entrance, to watch in present, comforting silence.
Roa mmhmms faintly, half of her attention on the row of tidy black stitches that are slowly replacing the gaping gash. "I'll give you a jar, and you can apply it whenever he needs. We'll need to look in on him, daily. They grow so fast, I'm worried the hide will stretch before it can heal. He's going to end up with a bit of a scar, I'm afraid, due to that." Stitch. Snip. Stitch. Snip. The last little, black knot is tied off. "There we are." A white bandage is pulled out and laid across the gash, taped down lightly. "Now, the front leg. It's going to hurt again."
J'sek relaxes a little knowing he'll have some of that numbweed nearby. "So I've heard they can grow quick. If I notice anything, I'll give the alert. I don't mind the scarring. Neither does he. Better to have a scar then a gaping wound." Areteth gives a bit of a relieved sigh now that that wound no longer bugs him. His one leg, however, still held oddly, hasn't bugged him as he hasn't moved for awhile now. With meat in his belly and a conversation with a helpful bronze keeping his mind at bay, the hatchling is still calm. J'sek, however, tenses a little. "The leg?" he says, suddenly nervous. "What are you going to do?" The weyrling knows it could be broken. And usually broken limbs are reset.
The Telgari looks at the curved limb, but doesn't touch it. "Likely set and splint it. And there is not, unfortunately, any numbweed to help with such a process. But it will feel better once it's set. During..." Roa's lips press flat again. "I wish Tia could fit in here..."
J'sek takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, almost a sigh. He looks down at Areteth lovingly for a moment, the blue glancing back up but almost in a sleepy sort've way. J'sek then closes his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at Roa. But its evident he's not at all pleased. "I've no choice, even if I wish we didn't have to." Even so, the weyrling is preparing himself for what's to come. "Just be quick." he asks after a moment or two.
"I promise." Her expression is somber, but sincere. She brings a few other things out. More bandages and a little wooden something. A splint. "Afterwards, oil him. He may be too tired to note where he itches, but he'll be flaking by morning if you don't. Here we go." Her hands settle as gently as she can on that crooked limb, fingers feeling their way along it to detect where and what has happened.
J'sek nods his head, "Oil him. Right. There's oil in the barracks, yes?" He's nervous now, his hands shaking lightly as he resumes his caresses on his blue's soft hide. J'sek bites on his lower lip as he watches Roa begin to feel along Areteth's crooked limb. The blue begins to protest a little, not quite wanting to extend the injured limb out any more then he has to.
"Yes," Roa agrees. "Listen. Shells. This is bad." Her hands feel the sudden break and the angle that oughtn't be there. "J'sek, I want you to do something for me. I want you to close your eyes and think about putting up a screen between you and Areteth. Just, very gently, dividing your thoughts. Can you try that?"
J'sek looks directly at Roa, the nervousness from before creeping up, to which he quickly stamps down enough to nod stiffly. "I'll...try." And his eyes close and he frowns in concentration, half smirking as he does. He pictures putting up a screen and Areteth doesn't seem to notice. Eventually, J'sek murmurs, "I think I have it done." And hopefully its enough. Areteth rumbles softly, almost curiously in a half sleepy manner.
A small nod, though J'sek can't see it because his eyes are closed. "Good. Now, make it a little bit thicker. Think of a tapestry, instead of a screen." Roa watches, carefully, both the hatchling and the weyrling.
J'sek's frown deepens and he begins to chew on his lower lip. "Tapestry, right..." he mutters. The weyrling is silent for awhile before his frown seems to lessen a little. "Okay...done." One would hope. Areteth is calm, the blue most likely more worried now on when he gets to sleep. Or if he can move to be more comfortable to sleep.
"All right, last one. Instead of a tapestry, think about the stone wall behind it. A solid wall between you and Areteth. Tell me when you've got it." Roa's hands lift, fingers curling lightly. But they don't yet touch the arm.
J'sek frowns deeply again, "Just exactly how far do I have to go?" Apparently J'sek doesn't like cutting himself off, but he does as Roa explains. Worry edges in on his tone as he speaks next, "It's done." Areteth hasn't moved, his crippled arm still within reach.
"Just hold that wall. Just for a moment. This won't take long." Roa's fingers move, their actions fast. Sudden, really. One hand wraps around the upper part of the injured arm. The other takes hold of the wrist. There is a sharp jerk and bones are pulled from their mangled alignment and set into the proper one. Painful? Incredibly. But over almost as quickly as it starts.
J'sek nods his head stiffly, eyes still closed as his frowns in concentration. His hands rest loosely near to Areteth's head and neck. One moment Areteth is calm, the next his eye flares up red as he creels loudly in pain and begins to squirm a little, only to be mostly steadied by J'sek's hands and Roa's on the limb, luckily. His tail lashes out as his creels continue and J'sek is now struggling to keep Areteth from moving, but also from taking down that barrier. "Its okay, it's okay..." is all the weyrling is repeating. Eventually the blue stops his creels in favour for a few growled hisses and the occasional moan. His whirling red eyes move to focus in on Roa briefly. J'sek now begins to mutter. "When can I let the barrier go?"
"Now, if you like. But back it up the way you made it. Tapestry. Screen. Nothing. And you're going to feel the residual pain he's feeling. Be ready for that." Roa's face has gone a little pale and fingers shake just a little as she reaches for the splint and bandages. "Now we just make sure it stays that way until his body can heal himself."
J'sek does as he is told to do and slowly lifts the barriers, only to wince and then grimace near the end. His eyes open slowly soon afterwards and they're darker then before. He takes a deep breath and strokes the soft hide of his blue. "And I hope its a quick heal for him. This is going to effect our training, isn't it? With the splint and all?" Areteth regards Roa for a moment before rumbling low and somewhat pained. He lifts his muzzle a little and presses it back into J'sek's leg. Then the blue shares one thought with those around him. I'm tired. is all he says.
The splint is carefully set, bandages binding it to his arm. "That all depends. His rapid growth will either speed the recovery or slow it. I...well, I've never had to set a bone on so young a dragon. I'm not wholly sure what to expect. But he must keep it straight and keep weight off of it. And I'll need to look at it every couple of days until I can get a better sense of how it's mending." Roa rocks back on her heels, exhaling slowly. "That's all we can do for now. Keep the numbweed. Oil him well before you sleep. I'll have Tialith introduce herself, and then Areteth can call on her if he needs anything." There is a small pause where the Telgari's eyes go distant. And then, gentle and weighted like a wooly blanket comes a new voice is the infant blue's mind. You are very strong, for such a little thing. Tell me if you need Roa, and I will have her sent to you.
Areteth's reply is dark and low, but tinged with weariness brought on by exhaustion. I will. is the reply of the newly hatched blue, who's now tired but also curious and puzzled over what's happening. J'sek manages an actual smile now. "Thank you, Roa." He's relaxing a little, but he too is now exhausted looking. Not easy what he just went through. "I just hope he mends well, no matter if we're held behind." He stifles a bit of a yawn. "But I will oil him. And use the numbweed if need be. Am I...to join the others tonight?" He looks over in the general direction to which he vaguely remembers them leaving. Areteth croons lightly and shifts a little where he rests, carefully testing the limb now that it has its splint on.
Roa nods. "There's no reason why you can't. And buck up. The first six sevens are just oiling and feeding and watching them grow anyhow. He's got time to mend before his injuries keep him from training. If all goes well, once they start learning their first practices, he'll be ready." Roa begins gathering up all the supplies, save the jar of numbweed. "Get some sleep. And congratulations, J'sek." A tiny smile as she scoops up her satchel. "Clear skies, bluerider." Pressed up against the wall, yes, Tannum is still there. His expression has long traveled from 'woah' to horror. But he stays. Does his duty.
J'sek does seem to cheer up a little on the mention of not being held back. "Oh. I thought we started earlier..." And where he exactly heard that, he doesn't say. But the jar of numbweed is picked up and he carefully helps Areteth to his feet. The blue gives a somewhat disgruntled snort as he works out this new splint, but its eventually ignored in the hopes of sleep. And some oiling. J'sek nods again and smiles softly, "Thanks. For everything... Clear skies, weyrwoman." And with that, he leads his new lifemate and himself towards the barracks now that the worst of things is over.