The Bearer of Bad News

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 24th October 2020

Characters: K'lvin, C'rin, Thereenata, R'ven, Veneena, Xehanis
Description: K'lvin is called back to Dolphin Cove after an accident.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr, Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 19 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Riveenata, Rasme

belated because of Avery LOA

C'rin

Verith emerged from /between/ above Barrier Lake. Thereenata squinted against the sunlight - it was dusk back at Dolphin Cove but still daytime here - trying to get a good look at the place. It seemed as though every time she did a courier run here, it had changed, new buildings being added or stages of constructions on existing ones finished.

Verith bugled a greeting to the watchdragon. }:Verith of Dolphin Cove to visit. Where are your barracks for weyrlings?:{

}:There,:{ the blue replied with an image of the building and its position off the weyrbowl.

Thereenata landed close by and slid off Verith's back. **I hope K'lvin is in here,** she thought, approaching the barracks door. Presumably, the office was in there...

K'lvin was in the midst of giving some Candidates a tongue lashing over a prank-gone-wrong that had resulted in one of the female Candidates having to be shaved bald when he saw a familiar face appear at the doorway of his office. Holding his finger up to Thereenata, the Barrier Lake Weyrlingmaster put a hand on either shoulder of the two boys in front of him. "Now, I suggest you go find the Headwoman for the rest of your punishment."

"Yes, sir," the two boys mumbled in sullen unison before slinking out of the Weyrlingmaster's office.

"Thereenata," he smiled, eyebrows raising a little to show his surprise at her visit. "Come in. What brings you to Barrier Lake today?"

"Trouble with children is universal, I see," she said, trying to keep a light tone as she stepped into his office. Her looks were at odds with her voice - her deep brown skin was paler than normal and her tension was betrayed on her face.

"I'm sorry to just drop in. We had Threadfall today at Dolphin Cove and…" She clutched the back of one of the office chairs in front of her. "Riveenata was scored."

K'lvin's eyes seemed to hone in on the smallest details of Thereenata's appearance. The sweat on her brow, the worried crinkle at the corners of her eyes, the way her knuckles turned white as she gripped the chair for support. Being scored in Threadfall wasn't rare, but the fact that she had come here in person...

Sights of Bahji lying still, crumpled beneath the fallen debris of River Bluff flashed before him. He had lived through the death of the woman he loved once before, he did not think he could do it again.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"The score got her shoulder, her chest. She was unconscious and being worked on by the Healers, and Verith said that Piketh was holding Savith." They both knew what a gold holding onto a dragon when the rider was out meant.

"I came here to tell you because I couldn't stay there and keep waiting for news," she said, voice quivering.

K'lvin came out from his desk and wrapped his arms around Thereenata, his heart feeling like a piece of lead in his chest. "Let's go. I'll go with you. We'll wait together."

She swallowed and hugged him tightly. K'lvin was a good man. She'd known that for Turns. Her weyrmate might be suspicious of his feelings about their daughter, but seeing the way he responded to the news and how he immediately wanted to come and wait to check on her just reinforced her feeling that he was a good man.

As they walked out, she said, "Do you want to take Xmrenth or have us give you a ride? In case he's needed here?"

"I'll take Xmrenth, he can help with Savith." K'lvin assured her as he escorted her outside, where his bronze was already waiting, talons scraping against the ground, a sign that he was feeling his rider's anxiety over the situation.

"See you there," the greenrider said, squeezing her hand one more time before heading back to clamber Verith and take her /between/ to Dolphin Cove.

She walked with K'lvin to the Infirmary, busy as always post-Threadfall. In one corner sat R'ven, and Veneena, their heads bent together as they murmured to each other. "Any update?" she asked.

Veneena lifted her head to look at her mother. "Nothing."

"Savith is still here, is what we know." R'ven said. He looked surprised at K'lvin's presence. "I thought you were stepping out for food?" he asked sharply.

"I was fetching someone who deserved to know what was happening," Thereenata said. She would not swipe at her weyrmate now.

K'lvin ignored the implication that he was an unwanted visitor, his eyes first looking around the infirmary, and then settling on Veneena. "Do you know what happened?"

It was R'ven who had the details. "The winds were gusty and bad today. I know in my wing some of the greens had trouble formation keeping, and Savith's so small… I don't know if she just came out of /between/ in the wrong spot or if it was the wind…" He trailed off again.

His hand sought his daughter's as he recounted the rest. Veneena squeezed it tightly. "Gleth told me they /betweened/ back to the Weyr and plunged into the lake, that she was fished out by Piketh so they could be treated."

A Healer had come over to them while they spoke. He interrupted with, "It was smart of Riveenata to direct Savith to the lake. Any Thread /between/ didn't kill, the water drowned."

Once they turned to look at him, he continued with, "Healer Xehanis, for those of you who don't know me. I've just finished your daughter's surgery."

"Surgery?" The voice belonged to C'rin, whose riding jacket still bore the ash and soot of Threadfall. "How is she?" the brownrider asked.

"Unconscious still. She was already out by the time we had her on the table but we gave her a deep fellis draught to keep her out during it, while the lady goldrider kept her dragon calm."

Xehanis had already removed his surgical smocks and was wearing just his Healers' tunic, and he demonstrated by touching his own body as he spoke. "The clump landed on her shoulder," tapping where knots sat, "with some coming down to lash the back of it, and then a long tendril striking her chest like this." That gesture went from the shoulder down the underarm to then curve across the chest.

"That sounds horrible," Veneena said, covering her mouth with the hand her father was still holding.

"It took quite some time to treat and stitch up. But we got the wound cleaned of Thread pieces and poulticed up. The concern now is the risk of infection, from it having been open to /between/ and then the water. There's also a risk she could go back into shock," he warned them.

K'lvin's mouth was settled into a thin, grim line. At least she was stable, he told himself, for now. Seeing Thereenata's shoulders sag a little with the news, K'lvin slipped his arm around them in and gave her a little squeeze. "Riv is a fighter, she'll make it."

C'rin's eyes shot a hot glare at the bronzerider. What was he doing here anyway? Shouldn't he be at Barrier Lake where he belonged?

"Can we see her?" R'ven asked.

"She is sound asleep," cautioned Xehanis. But he knew how worried family could get. "Two at a time can go take a quick look. After you've all seen her, though, it's best if you go refresh yourselves and someone can contact you when she wakes up."

K'lvin wanted to see Riveenata, to hold her hand and reassure himself that she was alright, but her parents and sister were a priority and then that left C'rin. The bronzerider's brow furrowed a bit, why was C'rin there?

"I'll come back later, you and R'ven go. I will go talk to Rasme about Savith." K'lvin said to Thereenata.

"With a gold and a bronze keeping an eye on her, she'll be fine," R'ven said. He didn't think K'lvin's interest in his daughter was appropriate, but he did appreciate the advantage of having a bronze dragon checking in. "Thank you."

Thereenata nodded. "Appreciated." She and R'ven stood up to go check on her.

Xehanis quietly told them where to find her and looked at the rest of the crowd. "Friends? Wingmates?"

"Sibling," Veneena said.

"Um.. friend," C'rin said with a touch of uncertainty.

K'lvin, who was on his way out, glanced over his shoulder at the exchange, still curious about the brownrider's presence.

"Well, you'll be able to come in shortly," the Healer said.

Last updated on the October 27th 2020

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The Bearer of Bad News