The Most Precious Gift (Part 1 )

Writers: Clancey, Emma
Date Posted: 31st January 2008

Characters: Mai, K'reyel
Description: Mai and K'reyel have a bad day. But mostly Mai.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 7, day 27 of Turn 4

K'reyel

It had been a long day. Or so it seemed to her, but in reality, no longer than any other day she'd spent teaching the wild weyrbrats of River Bluff. It had seemed they wouldn't settle all day, no matter which story she told or which song she pleaded with them to sing, nor which lesson to which she bade them turn their hands. It had not helped that it had been raining most of the day, and they'd had to remain inside.

Her head ached abominally and she had been fighting off the worst stomach ache all day.

But now it was wonderfully quiet, and K'reyel would be eagerly awaiting her at home. Still, before she could leave, she had some cleaning up to do and some hides to mark.

About a candlemark later, she was reaching up to put away a stack of books up on a shelf, and she tripped, landing on her back -
thankfully, with both hands hovering protectively over her belly, definitely showing the signs of her condition - twisting her ankle oddly underneath her.

"Shards!" She said aloud, and then muttered darkly about giant Harpers who put shelves too high for normal folk. After some struggling, more pain, and quite a bit more swearing, she got to her feet.

Sighing, she took up her cloak, wrapping it about her snugly, and with one last glance around her, decided she'd better go get her ankle looked at in the Infirmary.

Taking up a carisak of hides to mark at home, Tero chirrped gladly from the rafters and took his place on her shoulder as she turned to leave through the corridors. As she got close to the Lower caverns, she began to feel dizzy from the climbing between the two levels of the Lower Caverns. She fought it off bravely, but wobbled just before emerging into the warmth of the Dining Caverns and fell hard, knocking her head against the wall and dropping her carisak with a loud "thud".
She passed out, blackness covering her quickly.

She didn't see Tero appear over her head and squawk indignantly as his person collapsed to the ground. She didn't see him flying all around her trying to get her to wake up, either.

In the weyr he shared with Mai, K'reyel was changing clothing after his duties that day. As he slipped a clean shirt over his head he felt a tugging on it. "Tero," he said. "Go away and let me dress." But the flit wouldn't take no as an answer. He did let go of the shirt tail, but continued to fly around the bronzerider, making angry noises and refusing to leave him alone.
"Tero!" There was more annoyance in the bronzerider's voice. "When Mai gets home... Just you wait."

~Mai, lying on the ground~ Tero gave another angry squawk and glanced to the bronze dragon, he had to tell someone about his.

}:He is worried about her,:{ interrupted Erdenth.

**What?**

}:He showed me this,:{ explained the bronze, trying to stay calm in the light of his rider's mood. Erdenth passed on the image of Mai on the ground.

The picture was fuzzy, but K'reyel could only do one thing, slipping his feet into sandals, he left their weyr and ran for her classroom going the quickest way which was not past the Dining Cavern. When she wasn't there, he followed the slower route out to the weyrbowl, finally spotting her by the entrance to the Dining Cavern.

"Mai," he cried as he dropped to his knees.

She thought she heard someone calling her, and after a few moments, she opened one eye, then the other. She winced in pain and tried to focus. "Oh! K'reyel? Is that you?"

"It's me," he said, gladdened by the fact she could speak. "What happened love?," he asked gently as he assisted her into a sitting position.

The bronzerider also waved over a passing drudge. "Please go get a healer, now" he said. He tried to keep his voice calm, but the urgency no doubt came through. "Quickly!"

Speaking was about all she could do. She winced in pain and put a hand to her head. Her eyes dropped closed as she tried to blot out the light of the glows. Her voice was a bit strangled and certainly slurred. "I don't.. know.. K'reyel. I was very dizzy...did I fall?"

"It looks like you did, but Tero found me. We'll get you to a healer as soon as we can." He hoped he sounded reassuring, the way she looked was not good. "Do you still feel dizzy?"

She tried to open her eyes again and only suceeded with one. "Oh.. I feel .. strange. Yes, I need a Healer." She finally struggled to a sitting position. "I might be able to stand with help." She said softly, her words starting to firm up a bit, though her body appeared to be betraying her at every turn.

"Are you sure?" asked K'reyel reflexively, but he could see in her eyes that she wanted to try at least. So he slipped his arms under hers, and gently lifted her. "Can you manage?"

"If you help me, I think..." Tero squawked again, very agitated. He attached his claws to her tunic, much larger than she usually wore to settle over her rounded belly, and tugged with all his little might.

Mai imparted some further swear words that K'reyel might be surprised to hear from his usually quiet weyrmate, but between the two of them -
and Tero - she got back standing. She swayed alarmingly against the stone wall, but stood, her left hand resting over the obvious sign of her condition.

"Oh.. if anything's happened to the baby...." She said softly, tears leaking from her eyes. A solid kick greeted her questing hand and she finally smiled slightly, despite a doubly raging headache. "He's fine, then." But she wasn't, and leaned heavily on her weyrmate, wondering if she could walk.

"Do you think you can manage to get to the healers with just me, or should I get someone to help us?"

"I can do alot of things with just you, K'reyel. This seems to be one of them.. Mind my ankle, I twisted it earlier." She took her weight off the hurt ankle, and blinked a few times. She was beginning to at least be able to think clearly and form proper words. "Sooner the better, aye? I am worried for him..." The hand rested on her precious gift once more.

At that moment the healer K'reyel had sent for arrived. "Journeyman, can you help us get to the infirmary?" asked the Wingsecond. "My Weyrmate needs your help."

The Journeyman nodded, "We'll get you there and check you over, and the one you're carrying too."

Mai simply nodded and let herself be carried along like so much dead weight.
**Please be alright, little one.. . You mean so much to your Da and me...
Please..** She begged in her mind, even though she was fairly certain he must be fine, given the way he was kicking her just now.

Last updated on the February 2nd 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Most Precious Gift (Part 1 )