Light Duty

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 3rd February 2019

Characters: W'ser, Ninaine
Description: Luneth gets a check up for her injuries.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 14 of Turn 9

W'ser

Ninaine

Luneth tolerated the examination with barely disguised impatience. As
she spread her wing carefully for W'ser, she shifted her weight on her
feet, just as eager for the news as her rider.

Ninaine watched W'ser, her actions unconsciously mirroring Luneth's.
"She was able to fly, W'ser, but she got tired quickly and her landing
was...a bit rough."

W'ser's expertly trained eyes were roving over every detail of the
scaring in Luneth's left wing, the one that had taken the most work to
repair. His eyes then went to the talons on both wings, "Did she drag
her wings when she landed?"

"A little bit. The tips got scraped. She didn't want to come down and
Haloth had to help her."

"I'm going to touch on her wings some to check muscles and tendons.
Relay to me if any of the places I touch are painful," W'ser
instructed to Ninaine as he began feeling along the elbow joint of
Luneth's left wing.

As he touched, Luneth watched and Ninaine kept her under tight
control. The little green had regressed somewhat after her injury, but
not severely, but Ninaine was taking no chances. When he got to the
main junction of the wing and the next bone, Luneth jerked away with a
hiss. "There. That still hurts her. Easy, Luneth." Luneth grumbled a
bit at W'ser, but settled back, eyeing him. "Sorry, W'ser. She's
tender."

}:Easy,:{ Branth crooned to Luneth sympathetically.

"No need to apologize, I wouldn't like it either if someone was
prodding all of my aches and pains." W'ser said, giving the green's
hide a tender rub. "Were you on her?" he asked.

}: It hurt. :{ Luneth complained in response.

"No. I didn't want to add more weight." Ninaine followed his every
movement. "Is she going to be okay?"

W'ser gestured that the green could lower her wings as he raked his
fingers through his hair and retreated back to stand with Ninaine,
"There's no lasting damage. Was it only the fatigue that seemed to
disrupt the landing?"

"I think her joints kind of locked up a little. Is that normal?"
Ninaine watched as Luneth carefully folded her wings, then turned to
back to W'ser.

**No,** he though but he didn't quite say that outloud. "It can happen
when they haven't been used for that motion in a while. Has she been
swimming regularly?" It was the best motion to replicate flying
without actually flying.

Ninaine nodded. "Yes. But she uses the other wing more than her hurt
one, really. She says it gets all stiff in the water after a while."

"We've got slings. You could put the good wing in it so she's forced
to use the injured wing to build muscle strength and mobility." W'ser
said, testing Ninaine's reaction to the idea.

She chewed on her lip before she nodded. "Anything to help."

}: I do not like slings.:{ Luneth replied, irritated. She had had
enough of them while she was bandaged.

**But you'll wear it if you want to get better.**

W'ser was watching the color of Luneth's eyes. "Now, I'm not saying
she can't fly, but you don't want more bumbled landings, especially if
you're riding her, that will cause more strain. Do the exercises, have
her wear the sling, and you'll be able to ride her. I doubt she'll
ever have the mobility and stamina that Threadfall requires, but
she'll be able to carry you."

So no Falls. Ninaine tried desperately not to feel defeated for her
dragon. "And mating flights? She hasn't risen as scheduled since she
got hurt. Will she?"

"Luneth will answer that. If she can, she will." W'ser answered truthfully.

What would she do with herself? Ninaine's arms crossed over her chest
as she stared at her dragon. "What _will_ she be able to do? We can't
fly Thread. What are we supposed to do?"

"Well, the two of you will be on light duty for a while. She'll be to
fly you around, no extended flights, or extra passengers at first.
Hopefully by the end she'll be able to take on things like elevator
duty, or short delivery trips." W'ser said honestly, knowing it
probably wasn't what the pair wanted to hear.

Hopefully. It was that word that both saddened her and made her cross
her fingers. She rubbed her face. It could have been worse, she knew.
Luneth might have been permanently grounded; it would have been
torture for the green. "I understand." Her voice was soft, the
disappointment clear.

"I'm sorry," W'ser offered her a sympathetic smile, "I wish I had a
definitive for you, but dragons are resilient, and sometimes they'll
recover in ways that surprise even us healers."

All she could do is hope. "When do you want to see her again?"

"Keep up her wing stretches, have her swim with the sling, and I'll
see her again in a fortnight."

"I will. She won't like it, but she'll do it. Thank you, W'ser."

Last updated on the February 28th 2019

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Light Duty