Keep Cruel Fate at Bay

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 27th February 2020

Characters: K'ran, K'lvin, W'ser, Saibra
Description: Rogueth gets treatment after the gold flight.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Ashela, Jayzine, Lanniya, Teseada, D'hol, Kapera, F'lin,
Saidrene, Corran
Notes: Follows "BLW: Life's True Cost"
Notes: Part 1 of 2

K'ran

W'ser

Saibra

K'ran had gotten Ashela handed over to Jayzine to keep an eye on her,
until this situation was resolved and she and Aglayath could be
reunited. Now he could devote all of his effort and attention on keeping
an mental connection to his dragon. It was surprisingly difficult to
keep his thoughts focused, his connection open, and his attention on the
world around him.

Though nothing could break the Impression bond until death, he could
feel the separation between them, and it would be strange enough on its
own. With Rogueth injured, it meant that he felt pain washing back and
forth between their connection, attenuated but there. He knew he needed
to get to Dragonsfall as soon as he could to get to Rogueth and
strengthen what they had. But he couldn't go right now. He knew Aglayath
and Chioneth were in the process of carrying Rogueth. If he went
/between/, they would lose awareness of each other - and if that
happened - even with the golds keeping his bronze calm -

No, as much as he needed his dragon, he needed to wait until he wasn't
being carried the long way. He just needed to keep them together. So he
sat down in the shade outside of the Lower Caverns building and he
focused as strongly as he could on reassuring Rogueth that the golds
would get him safe to treatment and K'ran would be with him as soon as
possible.

When he felt his bronze land at Dragonsfall, saw the urgency through
Rogueth's eyes, he jumped up. Rogueth was no longer in the air with the
golds where he could panic if K'ran went /between/. That meant he could
_go_ to Dragonsfall, reunite with him, see how he was being treated.
They needed each other. He just had to find someone who could get him
there, now.He was in the weyrbowl, walking with hand pressed against his
side where the clawing was worst, when a familiar figure stepped in
front of him.

K'lvin had heard the grumblings coming in through Xmrenth about
Aglayath's actions and Rogueth's attempts to pacify the gold. He had
imagined that K'ran would already be at Dragonsfall with his bronze, so
seeing the man in the Weyrbowl had come as a bit of a shock.

"K'ran," he stepped in front of his friend, eyes flicking to the hand
K'ran had pressed to his side. "You need a ride?" he asked.

K'ran visibly took a moment to process K'lvin's words, and he blinked up
at the taller man. "Yes. Rogueth needs me," he rasped.

"Of course he does," the dragonhealer said, clapping K'ran on the
shoulder and steering him toward Xmrenth, who had flown down to the
weyrbowl. "We'll get you there...," K'lvin said, and even though he
hated to do it, he glanced at K'ran and asked, "...you need help up?"

The physical contact from another person helped him distinguish whose
pain was whose. "I just. I feel Rogueth's pain and panic, but it's
stretched out, because I'm not there. I think I'll be all right, at
Dragonsfall."

K'ran took a deep breath as he saw Xmrenth. "I can mount." And with a
steadiness he didn't feel inside, but his body knew from practice, he
was able to scramble up onto a strange bronze.

The other bronzerider jumped up quickly behind K'ran, clearing with
Xmrenth the coordinates to Dragonsfall even as the bronze sprang up and
took to the sky.

Dragonsfall was a flurry of activity, and K'lvin could quickly see why,
there were three gold dragons present on the cliffs. Anaeryth's presence
was to be expected, but Onnyth and Aglayath were outsiders. Chioneth was
down at the infirmary with Branth and Rogueth.

It turned out /between/ was frightening without the knowledge of your
own dragon under you, guiding you, and no knowledge of when i would
happen. K'ran found himself with an upwelling of sympathy for anyone who
took passage on a dragon who wasn't a rider, realizing for himself how
unsettling it must be.

As soon as they arrived, his connection with Rogueth went to full and
proper again. He let out a sigh of relief and sagged backwards almost
into K'lvin. With it came the relief that they were together and he was
able to lend the force of his mind to helping control Rogueth. The
downside was that he could feel even more of the bronze dragon's pain
which he had to sift through and put aside.

When they landed down near the dragon infirmary, he slid off and rushed
as close as he could. He knew he wanted to touch Rogueth and soothe him
but he also knew he could potentially be in the way of their treatment.
And there were a number of dragonhealers around Rogueth. It was good
that he was being seen to but also concerning. Were the wounds so
painful because they were unexpectedly taken as dragon did not fight
dragon? Or were they in fact severe?

"What can I do?" he asked.

W'ser emerged from the group of dragonhealers, wiping ichor smeared
hands and forearms on a towel as he approached K'ran. "If you want to
stand by his head, touch him, offer support, you can. He's being calmed
by Chioneth right now. He has deep gouges down his chest, and then the
end of Aglayath's talons hooked him at the top of his belly where the
hide is softer. I'm working on that with my team, Weyrwoman Saibra and
other dragonhealers are tending to the small tears in his right
wingsail. The tricky part is going to be insuring that the wounds don't
become infected, and in making sure that none of the intestines were
perforated."

"Is there anything I can do?" K'lvin said, rolling up his sleeves.

"Yes, attend those journeymen who are tending to the gouges on the chest
cavity." W'ser ordered.

"I'll calm him and take the load off of your dragons," he agreed. He was
sure Chioneth was doing a great job calming Rogueth. After all her rider
was a dragonhealer and she must be very experienced with this. But
surely nothing could compare to having a rider with the dragon and awake?

"Let me know if I need to tell him to move anything," K'ran added.

}:You came,:{ the bronze sighed out mentally. He had known his rider was
alive and well. It was not like the panicked time at the fall of River
Bluff, when his rider had been far away and muffled in his mind, because
he had been completely unconscious. But not having his rider _with him_
as he was taken back to Dragonsfall and as the journey made more ichor
drip and more pain occur the farther they went, had been very unfortunate.

He had been leaning heavily on Chioneth for support, reassured by the
mental presence of a gold dragon to help him stay focused and not move
during treatment. Now he could reach out and cling mentally to his rider.

Up by Rogueth's head didn't have a lot of activity, it was all down at
the chest and wing, so K'ran stepped up there past the crowd and then
rested his hand on his bronze's muzzle. **I'm here,** he promised his
dragon.

**Infection or perforated intestines.** K'ran knew a belly stab in
humans could be fatal with the bowels punctured. If it had happened to
his dragon... He felt himself grow more furious again with Ashela, but
he had to shake it off. It was counterproductive to be mad right now. He
needed to be strong for his dragon.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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Keep Cruel Fate at Bay