Little help

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 4th July 2006

Characters: Rigella, Birigundi
Description: Rigella asks Birigundi for a little help
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 15 of Turn 3

Birigundi

"Hi, Biri," Rigella greeted. "Do you have a minute?" she asked. She was still bit hesitant to ask his help.

"Of course," the candidate nodded. He had just stepped out of the bathing chambers and was looking forward to giving his feet a good rub down after his run, but he had made a promise to the young healer to be there when she needed him. "This is probably the silliest thing to ask, but my bookself fell down and I need someone tall to put it back up," Rigella said. "You're bookshelf?" Of course, that had not been the kind of help he had been expecting she would be asking from him. It didn't exactly sound like that 'dark place' she told him about. But, what were friends for? "Sure, I can do that."

"Thank's, I appreciate it." The bookself was actually just an excuse. She could get it up by herself, with a chair. But she just wanted to be near him. He made her feel better, safe. He followed her back to her weyr, neither one quite seeming to know what to say. Birigundi made some comment about the improving weather, the signs of spring. He leaned against the wall as she opened the door. "So have you been out lately? To enjoy the sunshine?"

"No, I haven't. Been mostly here or at the infirmary," Rigella replied. "Oh, well, we'll have to do something about that. Its beautiful out there," he smiled before following her through the door.

"Picnic would be nice," Rigella mused.

"Yeah, I suppose its been a while since you've been on one of those." Birigundi looked around the weyr. "So where is this shelf?"

"There," Rigella pointed her bed. She had piled the self and it's content there.

"And it all goes where?" he asked as he walked over to the nice neat pile.

"Up there," Rigella showed the empty supports in the wall. "All right then." Birigundi picked up a sturdy plank that served as a shelf and walked over to the empty spot. "How did this happen to come down? Is something broken?"

"No, I just put too much weight on it. I have too many books," Rigella said. "Maybe you need to add a shelf?" he suggested as he lifted the board in place. Birigundi tested it just to be sure it was sturdy and then reached out his hand. "Can you hand me some books?"

"Maybe, here," Rigella replied and started giving him the books one by one.

He dutifully reached up and placed them back on the shelf. "Shards, you do have a lot of books. Have you read them all?"

"Yes. So I don't have a life and I'm boring person," Rigella replied with self-sarcastic tone.

"I didn't say that," Birigundi said, trying not to roll his eyes. "Believe it or not, I used to read a lot myself."

"You did? When?" Rigella asked curiously.

"When I lived at home. I didn't live at a Hold. I lived in a tavern with a runner station. We were in Amythest Cliff territory, but not too close to the Hold, so I only had a few children to play with and very little entertainment outside of talking to guests and reading. When I was out on a long run, the only thing I had for entertainment was a book."

Rigella nodded. "My father used to bring home medical books and records, and then we studied them together. That's how he started to teach me healercraft," Rigella told with sad voice. "I didn't know your father taught you," Birigundi replied quietly.

"I was only one of his children who was interested in healing and he never believed it was right to deny somebody a craft training just because of her gender. Of course, he kept it secret. When I was older, I used to come to the infirmary when there weren't other healers in duty.
He let me work there, clean up, arranging stores, sterilizing instruments. While I worked, he told me why I was doing it and why it was important to do it. Sometimes he let me treat patients, change dressings or feed them." Not many fathers would risk their knots for the daughter. Birigundi could appreciate the gift she had been given. "I'm sure he was very proud you chose to come to the Weyr to study." "That's one reason why he accepted the Weyrhealer's position. To give me a chance to apprentice properly. He just didn't stay in that position very long, only a turn. He felt he was wasting his special skills in weyr, where most patients suffered from thread injuries. Those weren't his special field." "But you could stay and keep studying. It sounds as if that was what he wanted most for you."

"Yes," Rigella said with voice full of longing.

Birigundi could almost see the darkness creeping up inside her. This was the dark place she was talking about. "Come here," he said gently, reaching out to her. Rigella went to him, letting his arms comfort her, chase a way the sorrow and darkness that came with it.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" he asked as he gently rubbed her back.

"Please, could you?" Rigella asked.

"Sure," he nodded. "All you ever have to do is ask."

Last updated on the July 5th 2006

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Little help