Slow Beats

Writers: Halyonix, Heather, Steel
Date Posted: 3rd April 2025

Characters: M'til, Vaile, W'ser
Description: Poor Quilienth is Scored
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 18 of Turn 12

W'ser

M'til could feel Quilienth tiring, wingbeats starting to slow. But the blue's determination remained strong as ever, and his turns and glides and flaming were as true as ever, even in this poor of weather. **Just a little more**, he assured his blue. Just a little more, and then they’d return to the Weyr.

Another jump /between/.

And then it all went wrong. Popping back into view, Quilienth had to swerve and ascend rapidly to avoid a diving brown, and then a gust of wind caught the nearest tangle of Thread and sent it right at them! Too close, too close-- Quilienth shrieked and M’til yelled, throwing his arm up in reaction

}:It hurts, it hurts!!!:{

**Back to the Weyr, Quilienth, _now_!** M’til urged, fighting his dragon’s pain.

The blue obeyed, blinking between and reappearing over the Weyr, coming in low, maybe too low, not so much as landing as skidding to a stop.

W’ser was already elbow-deep in dragon ichor when Branth warned him of Quilienth’s crash landing just outside the dragon infirmary.

**Who is available? I can’t leave Besherfeth yet,** he asked his brown.

}:I believe Liranth’s is available. They have already flown their half of fall.:{ Branth relayed.

**Okay, send Vaile out there. Tell her I’ll join up with them if they need me later.**

}: Quilienth is injured, :{ Liranth reported as she arrowed in for a landing. Ash-streaked and tired, Vaile inhaled deeply to center herself and mentally switched gears into dragonhealing mode.

**Take me to him first,** she said. She was already unbuckling straps when Liranth landed. “Redwort!” she yelled.

Pain. It hurt so _much_. Quilienth lay where he'd skidded to a stop, good wing tucked loosely on his side-- but the other lay limply, the leading edge marred by a tangle of scoring that draped across a good portion of his wing and all the way up to his shoulder.

M'til was reeling a little inside, Quilienth's pain drowning out much else. He fumbled with his riding straps, _ignored_ the twinges in his left arm in favour of dismounting, and stumbled for the blue's head. **Quilienth!!** He cried mentally.

}:It hurts!:{ the blue whimpered.

}: I’m here, :{ Liranth crooned soothingly at the injured dragon. }: Vaile will tend to you. You’ll be just fine. :{

Vaile, in the meanwhile, was none of the crooning comfort that her dragon exuded. “Get that numbweed slathered on thick,” she commanded the apprentices while she dried her redwort-stained hands. “M’til, tell me -- hey,” she snapped her fingers at the bluerider to make sure he wasn’t in shock or also hurt. “Look at me, M’til. He’s going to be just fine, okay?”

}:I hurt!:{ Quilienth told her, pain saturating his mental voice; but he was listening. }:It hurts…:{

M'til's attention stayed (mostly) on his dragon, coaxing him, trying to keep him calm despite the sympathetic ache in his own arm. He kept it held close, even as he looked up at Vaile, normally calm expression worried. “He… he couldn't fly. The last little bit. He says his wing hurt to move it.”

The Weydragonhealer strode in, his working apron stained with dragon ichor, but his hands and forearms dripped cleanly from a fresh scrub.

“Fill me in,” he said to Vaile.

“Left wing and shoulder scoring,” Vaile reported with clinical precision. “Impacting range of motion and flight.” Her eyes snapped to M’til, who was keeping his arm close to his side. “M’til, did you get hit?” she asked gently. Sometimes that happened. A dragon’s pain drowned out the rider’s own sensations and they didn’t realize they were injured too.

“I-” M'til started, then stopped, glanced down at himself in startlement. “... It's nothing. I'll get it checked later.”

Quilienth whined again, eyes still whirling yellow, then let out a gusty sigh as the numbweed took effect. His gaze stayed locked on his rider.

}: He’ll be okay, :{ Liranth assured Quilienth with utmost certainty.

Vaile gently gripped what she assumed was an uninjured shoulder. “Keep Quilienth calm for us and then I’ll take you to the healers,” she told M’til in a low, concerned, but understanding voice. What dragonrider _wouldn’t_ want to be near their lifemate during this? Vaile certainly wouldn’t leave Liranth alone to see to a few personal scrapes.

Vaile snapped her fingers at a few of the apprentices and got to work next to W’ser. “I’ll see to the shoulder if you’ll start on the wing.”

W’ser glanced over his shoulder at M’til. “He needs to go to a healer. Right now.” They couldn’t focus on the dragon if the injured rider was nearby. “He might have internal injuries that we know nothing about.” He looked up for one of his journeymen. “S’grid, take M’til to the infirmary. He may return when the healers have cleared him.”

“I’m _fine_.” M’til started to protest, and Quilienth whined again, lifted his head just a little to reach his nose toward his rider. }: Mine? Mine, are you hurt _too_?!:{ His eyes whirled yellow faster. }:You must go! They have to take care of you! I will be okay…:{ The blue pressed on bravely. }:Look, I am-- I can get up, see?:{

“Quilienth, stay _down_!” M’til snapped, instantly, before the blue could do more than tense his muscles a little bit. “It’s okay. Just… stay down. Let them take care of you. I’ll be right back, promise.”

“Come with me,” S’grid said soothingly, trying to coax M’til away so that W’ser and Vaile could work.

M’til faltered, but let himself be led away finally.

Vaile, using Liranth as a lift, crouched near the damage on Quilienth’s shoulder. She applied a generous amount of numbweed there and waited a few moments for it to take effect. }: See? That feels better already, right? :{ Liranth asked of Quilienth. Vaile quietly thanked her green for engaging the blue in conversation. Hopefully it would help distract him.

W’ser worked quickly as Branth told him that another injured dragon was on their way in and his skills would be needed elsewhere.

“Vaile, I’m leaving Quilienth in your care. He’s out of the woods,” the Weyrdragonhealer called to the greenrider. “Once you’re done with him, go clean up and rest.” Vaile made a quick thumbs up sign at the Weyrdragonhealer.

Once she had seen to stitching up the shoulder, she slid down Quilienth’s flank to check the stitching of his wingsail. “Try not to move this if you can,” she said aloud, knowing that Liranth would echo her words. “We’ll get you something to rest it on.” She motioned to two of the apprentices, who were already bringing over a sling to attach to the ceiling.

“Now,” Vaile explained to the blue, “you’ll rest here. I’ll go check on your rider. And if you need something, tell Liranth.”

Quilienth let out a shuddering gusty sigh, and slumped such as he could, with one wing held carefully still. }:I don’t hurt as much. Please encourage Yours to go take care of Mine… and tell him I am sorry?:{ he asked Liranth. }:I will not move my wing.:{

}: There is nothing to be sorry for, :{ Liranth assured Quilienth. }: Especially for doing our duty as dragons. But mine will make sure yours is alright. Rest easy. :{

Wiping her hands of ichor, Vaile made her quick way to the human side of the Infirmary. “How is he?” she asked of the healer tending to M’til.

Quilienth whined and laid his head

The Healer stepped back, nodded a greeting to Vaile. “A few bumps and a minor score.” She reported.

“I'm all bandaged up and treated now, though.” M'til responded, standing. “... how is Quilienth? I… it didn't look… good.”

“He’ll be just fine,” Vaile assured him. “A few sevendays of healing and he’ll be back up in the air again. Do you want to see him now?”

“... Please.” M'til replied, taking a deep breath. “... He's grounded?”

“Yes,” Vaile answered as she walked him gently towards where Quilienth was, “but he’ll be _fine_, M’til, trust me. He’ll heal up before you know it. His wing is in a sling so that he doesn’t move but he’s comfortable. He’ll be just fine.”

Last updated on the April 15th 2025

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Slow Beats