Something to Live For

Writers: Paula, Miriah, Len
Date Posted: 10th April 2019

Characters: E'naer, G'wen
Description: Neath and G'wen return to find Paetri's grieving flit, Marli, in their weyr
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 19 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: J'kri, Paetri.
Marli, Paetri's blue firelizard, written by Miriah.

G'wen couldn't stop the tears that flowed, after the leading edge of
the Fall was over. *Oh Paetri...WHY?** Why her? Why J'kri? They were
so happy, so cute together. He looked up at the higher wings, his mind
unable to fully comprehend that his friend was gone. Maybe, just maybe
she would pop back out? He could barely see through his sobbing.

}:We should go back:{ said Neath. Her grey hide belied her calm tone.

G'wen's tears froze into ice as they went /between/.

Neath flew swiftly back to their weyr. Her bath could wait, right now
her lifemate needed to be alone and to be comforted. }:Eillispeth,
mine needs yours as soon as possible:{

She landed softly and walked into the weyr.

In the middle of Neath's couch, curled between two shiny new goblets,
a small firelizard lay limp and almost grey with his own coming
ending. He had felt his pet go away, knew she wasn't going to come
back. Grief had cast little Marli into the depths of despair even as
he laid another offering to his beloved green. Little muffed whimpers
and soft keens of loss made the small body tremble. He simply couldn't
get up enough energy to follow his pet, not until he had seen his
green. He had to see her, needed to see her.

}:Oh no!:{

G'wen blinked his eyes, trying to see what had upset Neath. Almost
lost in the grey of the stone lay Paetri's flit.

The green gently touched Marli with the tip of her nose. }:Stay with
me, little one:{ Vaguely she felt G'wen slip off her neck and crouch
beside the tiny figure. As carefully as he could, he wrapped his
flight jacket around little Marli, to keep the blue warm. All past
animosity forgotten, Dusk crooned at his old adversary, radiating love
and a want for the blue to stay with them.

}:Eillispeth, we need yours_now_:{ Eillispeth's lifemate was a dragon
healer, surely he would know how to save her friend.

Marli open one eye, focusing on the tip of the nose that nudged him.
~adoration and love ~ Head weaving weakly even as he was lifted, he
tried to touch Neath's nose with his own. ~so tired, much grief, sad
sad sad~

E'naer came as quickly as he could, Eillispeth dropping him off to
their ledge and then moving aside since the place was getting rather
crowded.

"What's going on?" E'naer asked. Feral followed him. Spotting the
miserable blue, her mothering instinct woke up and the small gold
landed next to him. She gently nudged him with her snout and crooned
comfortingly. Then she chittered something scolding, that sounded very much like:
why did you let him get to this kind of condition?

Likewise Dusk, cherped at Marli and nuzzled him, whilst G'wen settled
the tiny blue into his lap.

}:Stay with us, my little friend:{ Neath lightly touched Marli with
the tip of her nose again. }:Let mine and his weyrmate help you:{

Blinking back tears, G'wen told E'naer in a wobbly voice. "Pae--Paetri
is...you know. We just came back and found Marli laying in Neath's
wallow." He gave the tiny blue a little stroke on the neck and sobbed.

"Oh, Shards," E'naer crouched to take a closer look of Marli. "I've
never heard of anything like this. Usually when humans dies, their
firelizards just disappear." Which sounded better than went /between/.
E'naer was blinking tears away from his own eyes. He reached to touch
Marli and to find his pulse.

"I think he's in shock. Keep him warm and..." He rocked on his heels
while he thought. "Blood, fresh blood, he needs energy." He glanced
Neath and continued: "Also love. He needs reason to stay, something to
live for."

Feral seemed to understand his words, she gave Dusk a commanding look
~~ hunt ~~, she sent an image of place where she's recently seen young
tunnelsnakes. Then she took air and popped /between/, expecting her
son to follow her.

Dusk didn't hesitate for a moment. Neath settled close to the flit,
hoping her body warmth would help her lifemate keep Marli warm. }:The
goblets are beautiful, thank you:{ she told Marli, hoping a bit of
flattery would perk him up. }:My life would be so dull and sad without
you and your love, please stay:{

G'wen leaned against Neath, placing Marli between his lap, arms and
Neath's shoulder. He blinked back his tears, aware he might stress the
flit more and concentrated on loving thoughts and on some of the funny
things Marli and Neath had gotten up to in the past. Carefully he stroked Marli's
headknobs.

E'naer fetched a blanket from inside and gave to G'wen, so he could
wrap it around Marli.

Giving soft snuffles, Marli burrowed into the warmth, but seemed to
breathe even slower. His eyes opened to peer mournfully at Neath.
~pretty pretty Neath~

}:Marli, you need to stay with us:{ Neath used her most commanding tone.

As G'wen finished wrapping the flit up tight in the blanket, Dusk popped
out of /between/ with a freshly caught tunnelsnake in his mouth.

~Biggest one, eat eat~ He placed the fat tunnelsnake under Marli's
nose. He was proud that he had caught his friend such a fat prey; his
mouth was watering just looking at it. He even helpfully slit the
stomach open with his talons so Marli to get to the juicy intestines.

}:You need to eat it:{ Neath told him.

Feral appeared few minutes later, bringing a slightly smaller but much
less mutilated tunnelsnake. Her kill was still twitching.
"He may not have the strength to chew," E'naer noted and took Feral's
tunnelsnake. "Thank you, my lady," he gave the gold a scratch and then
took one of the goblets and used his belt knife to drain the
tunnelsnake.

"Here, Marli, drink this," he offered it to the blue.

}:Drink it:{ Neath said to Marli, crooning softly at him.

Marli nudged at the intestines Dusk offered, and even slowly darted
out a tongue to lick at the exposed middle, but then sighed, turning
his nose away. He seemed to sink back into the blankets, his grey
pallor worsening as he did. His eyelids drooped until E'naer picked up
the goblet that he had procured for Neath and he gave a weak scolding
chirrup, lifting a sagging head. ~Neath's pretty~~ The scent in the
cup drew him and as it was offered, his head settled on the rim. A
forked tongue flicked out once, then again, instinct taking over.
Growing more interested, he struggled to clasp the goblet in his
foreclaws, and thrust his nose into the offered blood, throat working
as he began to swallow larger and larger gulps.

"Good, boy," E'naer encouraged him. Feral crooned approvingly.

G'wen scarcely breathed as Marli drunk. Dusk joined in with his
mother, crooning encouragement to Marli.

}:That's good, keep drinking:{ Neath told the blue.

As Marli's belly began to bulge and he drained the goblet of its
contents, his faded coloring began to return. He licked the last drops
and settled back into blanket with a soft sigh. He peered up at the
group surrounding him, still weak, but appearing improved. ~Love
gratitude full belly sad sad~. He stretched out his neck to rub his
chin against Neath's hide, then yawned before huddling up to sleep.

"That's better. If Neath agrees, let him sleep near her," E'naer
sighed with relief.

Neath's sigh blew over him like a warm breeze. }:I think you and I
don't get baths tonight:{ she told her lifemate.

**I don't mind, do you?** No, the only thing on G'wen's mind was being
there for Marli. It was the only--and the last--gift he could give
Paetri, to help save her little friend.

}:I don't mind:{ She lightly touched Marli with the tip of her nose
before nuzzling her lifemate. Then she turned her head and pushed her
nose against E'naer's shoulder.

"She says thank you," G'wen told E'naer.

"You're welcome," E'naer patted her.

Last updated on the April 16th 2019

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Something to Live For