Looking To Help {Tags: R'gar & Dragon Healers}

[Na Qaiah]

Tishu was looking for someone to talk to about healing Runners, and possibly learning about becoming a Dragon healer. Some drudge pointed her in this general direction. So here she found herself standing in the doorway to the infirmary. At least she had found her way here. The whole complex was huge.

She noticed a man gathering bandaging supplies so she spoke to him. "Excuse me, can you please tell me who I need to talk to about learning Dragon healing. I'm super with runners, and I want to help and learn." She asked politely.

She really wanted to learn and to be useful. She didn't mind the chores she was assigned, but truth be told, here is where she wanted to be most.

[HG]

Searching was not the only job Vaylee had taken upon herself since becoming a dragonrider. She was also an apprenticed Dragon Healer. The basics of healing were already known to her before she had accepted a position as a dragonhealer. Neither position had been her idea or plan at all. She would have liked to be a regular wingrider with less responsibility. The time she had for herself was for all intents and purposes, gone. Today she had a shift in the dragon infirmary so she had left drills and cleaned up had a quick meal and headed toward the infirmary. Vaylee walked in just as Tishu asked her question and nodded to the person she was addressing. The blonde had come up from behind the young girl and was trying not to startle her.

“You’re on the wrong end of the infirmary. Come with me and we’ll set up a meeting with the Master Dragon Healer. In the meantime I can show you around and explain some of what dragon healing entails.” She knew Tishu because she was the one who had Searched the girl. Hopefully she would recognize Vaylee easily and feel comforted that the dragonrider was someone with a familiar face. Today Cupith was in the dragon infirmary watching the people do their thing. In case a dragon was hurt, she was on standby. Although, truth be told, the small green would rather be sunning with her friends.

She wondered if Tishu was prepared at all for the difficulties of apprenticing and dragonriding at the same time. Vaylee thought she would be unable to do it with time constraints and other facets of her busy life taking up her free time. It was unfortunate that Cupith was so small. She could not last as long as the other greens when practicing or when fighting Thread. This meant the pair needed to make up for it by helping the Weyr when they had time. Cupith’s sweet disposition, often mirrored by her rider made her a great candidate for dragon healing. Cupith could speak to the dragon and keep them calm and still while Vaylee healed the dragon and spoke with the rider.

The infirmary had been quiet lately but that could change at any moment.

[Na Qaiah]

Tishu turned at the sound of the voice behind her. Her face split into a wide grin as she regonized the greenrider. She was with another girl the day she was searched. Vaylee and Zaylee if she remembered right. "Vayee right? My duty to you and your green Cupith. "She greeted the rider with a slight bow. Tishu was pleased with herself that she was remembering names and the correct greetings.

"I was the runner healer there in Karoon where you searched me. I was also helping with simple healing with people too. I found it interesting and challanging, and surprisingly simular. I was told they want us to cross train, so I'm here to offer myself, and to learn about healing dragons too." Tishu offered as an explaination.

"It was hard busy work at times that didn't leave me with much free time, but it was well worth it. I don't expect it to be any different here, especially once I impress. If I could, I'd give up my free days and all the other chores just to be here. Hard but satisfying work." She finished saying.

She wanted them both to know she was serious. It wouldn't matter if she was chosen by a gold or a green, healing was satisfying work, and now that she knew dragons really existed, she definatly wanted to learn to heal them. It would make giving all her time to her dragon once she impressed, but she would find time for healing. It would make it a bit harder to do, but she would. But after she graduated it would be different. Maybe not easier, but different.

Tishu was excited, as she followed Vaylee into the other end of the infirmary. There were a few patients here and there. She smiled at Cupith as she walked past. The shear size of the area was astonishing, but then again Dragons weren't exactly the same size as the runners. Tishu listened carefully to the greenrider as they went. Here she felt at home.

[HG]

“Thank you Candidate Tishu.” She said, slightly surprised the young woman had learned the costums of the Weyr so quickly. To her it was a good sign. However the mention of Keroon was not. Well the only Keroonian she had gotten to know by name was not the hardest worker she had ever met. N’var was well the classic Lord Holder’s son as far as she could tell. Spoiled and unprepared for the physical work he would have to endure. Now though he was a good rider. There would be time to train this girl to be an asset to the infirmary. Benefit of the doubt given, she responded with kind words. “Perfect. So you know hard work.” She smiled warmly before moving on towards the infirmary. There were more than a few things the girl would need to know. She loved the confidence the girl had that she would impress which made Vaylee think, she certainly had a good chance with that positive attitude.

The people in the infirmary were few and far between but those that were there were busy. “Dragon healing is not for everyone. The lives that hang in the balance are special and you have to be conscious of both the dragon’s emotions and fears as well as the rider’s. A panicked rider is going to make your job a whole lot worse. So its always best to approach the rider before addressing the needs of the dragon. If there are two people working together I usually have one person handle the rider and one the dragon. I usually work alone with the supervision of Master Phaedon. I have Cupith to help me communicate with the dragons and riders.”

She directed Tishu to the large opening that was a dragon ledge. “Largest dragon ledge in the Weyr. Dragons who cannot make it to the ledge, we meet where they are located as quickly as possible. Another way Cupith comes in handy.” She added, the fondness for her dragon echoed in her soft voice. “I’m going to see if Master Phaedon is in his office.” She added and left Tishu to look around. Vaylee crossed the infirmary and knocked on the door to the left. When she came out several minutes later she walked over to Tishu. “Master Phaedon doesn’t have much time to chat right now. He says you can come in after Candidate chores and lessons tomorrow and he will give you some homework and study so you can learn the basics of the dragon healing. He is going to verbally quiz you at some point and when you answer the questions correctly you then get to work on actual dragons.” She explained the process. “Knowledge is important before you work on the dragons. If you need anything I’ll be here in the afternoon tomorrow after drills and caring for Cupith.”

Before dismissing Tishu, she asked, “Did you have any questions or concerns?”

[Na Qaiah]

Tishu listened carefully as Zaylee spoke. She nodded now and then showing she understood and was listening. She stayed where she was while Zaylee went to talk to the Masterhealer. She noticed how things were put around the huge cavern noting how similar this was to how her small runner infirmary was put together. The few people that moved around were effecient and wasted no moves. 'Good', Tishu hated making repeated thoughtless moves. She always made sure she had what she needed on hand with her. More things could happen if you had to leave your patient unattended because you forgot something, especially if you couldn't ask someone to go get the forgotten thing for you.

When Zaylee rejoined her telling her that the Masterhealer would see her tomorrow after class and chores, and that Zaylee herself would also be here made her feel better. She only had a couple questions. "Yes, I have a couple of questions. Are the dragons just as paniky if their riders are injured like you say riders can be if their dragon is injured, and is there a way and place for them to be together while they heal? I mean, if the dragon is injured can the rider stay near the dragon, and if the rider is injured, can the dragon be near their rider? Is it best to ask permission from the dragon before you ever touch one, injured or not?" She asked seriously. She certanaly didn't want to do something wrong that could cause herself or someone else a serious injury.

"I didn't need permission from a runner, and honestly I never thought about doing so." Tishu said with a grin. "And although some can be smart, they aren't very intelligent as a rule. Will the dragon speak to you directly, or only thru your Cupith?" She asked. She wasn't sure they could hear anyone other then their rider or that they could cummunicate with anyone else. Sense she was from the north, this was something she really didn't know, concidering that until a little while ago she thought the dragons were gone forever.

"Yes, I'm used to hard work. If I wanted to eat I better work hard to earn it, or work hard to get it for myself. I guess we had it better then some places, but it was still hard. Life here is much easier, even the chores aren't bad." She added laughing. A movement caught her eye off in a dark corner, she couldn't see what was going on and she wasn't sure it was OK to ask. She hoped Zaylee would fill in some blanks without her having to ask.

[HG]

The young woman had some very good questions. She had to give Tishu some credit for being on her toes so quickly after being shown around. Vaylee had fully expected the other woman to have a hundred questions tomorrow because when you had more time to think you could find plenty of questions. Maybe it was that Vaylee had never been a quick thinker. She had to take a little more time than the average person to learn things that booksmart people generally were good at. She was much more socially smart. Although her life was always changing so where she once thought she was not all that intelligent she now believed she was incredibly smart. Vaylee had always thought she would have to sacrifice the things that were important to her to become someone who was of any kind of importance at the Weyr. She was right about that but the things that were important then were no longer the things that were important.

Turning her attention to answering the questions she took a breath. The question was simple. The answer might not be as much. Tishu did not know much about the dragon-rider bond. Perhaps it would be better to explain that first? Tucking an errant strand of blonde hair behind her right ear she answered, “Dragons and their riders have a connection that is hard to explain. If you were connected to a being that could sense your every emotion, hear your every thought and share in all that you experience. It is like they are the other half of you. So when a dragon is injured a rider might panic. When a rider is injured the dragon has a very real risk of Betweening in fear and confusion. They are more panicked than the riders when this happens unless the dragon is very calm in nature already. Golds and Bronzes are less likely to Between when their rider’s are injured. They get less confused in situations like that.” She hoped that explained some of it. “And they can both be healed here. Though often again, when both are injured a dragon might Between or have trouble making it here. This would mean we would go to the dragon and rider.”

This led to her next question. “In the Weyr it is considered polite to ask the rider before touching their dragon; even and especially when injured. Many times the rider can explain your presence so the dragon is cooperative. In circumstances where the rider is unconscious, then we have to do so without permission.” Tishu’s comments were intelligent as well as amiable. Vaylee thought more and more that she liked this Candidate. She and Cupith might want to take her under their wing. After all it couldn’t hurt to mentor someone who was interested in the same craft and becoming a dragonrider. Personally, Vaylee hoped a green would suit her. It seemed her entire family had a fondness for them. No one had impressed anything other than green from her generation of her family.

Dragon speech was another part of the bond and like many other things was based on the individual. “Some dragons are more empathetic than others and can hear people’s thoughts other than their rider’s thoughts but in general they have to really concentrate. This also has to do with speaking to people. Some of these more empathetic dragons will speak to people who are not their riders. It depends on the individual dragon. It also depends on if you become close with a particular dragon. If perchance I had a weyrmate, Cupith might begin to talk to that person directly at times. Some dragons will never under any circumstances bespeak anyone other than their rider.”

Cupith would be the type to talk to a person or two but she was not going to contact every person in the Weyr, no matter how much she liked them. Vaylee was watching the other woman who seemed to be listening and watching the room. Catching the glance Tishu shot at the corner Vaylee explained, “Oh, not to worry that’s a blue that was injured in drills the other day. His wing is being rechecked. They won’t allow him to fly his rider around till they are certain it is ready for the extra weight. Its only sprained a little but we are overly cautious with wing injuries. He’ll be in the air for drills soon if they make sure he rests that wing and do the proper physical therapy that has been suggested.”

[Na Qaiah]

Nodding in understanding, Tishu found it interesting that some dragons could talk to others and others wouldn't, or if they could they didn't bother. She would remember to ask permission always before touching any dragon. Thinking about that bit of information a bit more as she watched them working with the blue in the corner she thought of one last question.

"I just have one more question if you don't mind Vaylee. Would a dragon ever hurt someone for touching without permission, either by accident or on purpose?'' Tishu asked with a slight frown of concern on her face. She knew that working with any animal was dangerous especially if the poor thing was injured. She didn't see any reason why a injured dragon would be any different. "I'm glad you have Cupith to help you, I can understand how important and benifical that would be." She commented honestly, looking over at the green then back to Vaylee.

She liked talking with Vaylee, she spoke plainly and made it easy to understand what she was explaining. It helped that she didn't seem to mind a few questions. Tishu didn't have many questions. Everything at the moment was pretty much what she was used to. But if the Masterhealer would take her on, she was sure she would have many more as time went on. But for now she didn't want to take up any more of Vaylee's time. She probably had things she needed to be doing.