Mine! No Touching!

Writers: Clancey, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th April 2014

Characters: Tavia, E'naer, J'darin, Ninaine
Description: Weyrling staff have to try to comfort an upset weyrling
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 6 of Turn 7
Notes: Follows "You Can Keep Her!"

Tavia

J'darin

Ninaine

Tavia had heard the raised voices and saw N'call and Teseada talking
to some outraged holders but her concern was the fleeing new
greenrider. She knew the hatchlings were probably in a food coma but
that didn't mean the distress wouldn't communicate. She'd never
really worked with Weyrlings but this particular girl had worked with
her for awhile in the infirmary while she was a candidate.

"Ninaine," she called and trotted after her.

Eillispeth mediated the message from Onnyth and E'naer immediately
abandoned his drink and the person his talking to. It was his job to
help the new weyrlings.
** Where did she go?** he asked, his long legs carrying him out fast.

Ninaine ignored Tavia's call and darted to the barracks, nearly
tripping over her skirts in her haste to get to Luneth. She just
wanted to get away. How many people had heard her mother's shrieking
condemnation? She had never been so publically humiliated or so
brutally treated by her family and her father looking away had left
her with no doubt that he had privately agreed with her mother. Her
duty to her family was all she had ever been taught and she had failed
them...failed herself.

}:Mine? You are upset?:{ The sturdy little green lifted her head
sleepily, confused by the outpouring of sadness and grief from her
newly Impressed rider. }:Why sad? Are you mad at me? Did I do
something wrong?:{

Ninaine mastered her tears and curled up beside Luneth on the small
couch, hugging her tight. **I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault.
It's mine. Don't worry, Luneth.**

Luneth creeled and suddenly keened in upset. }: You do not want me?
You don't want me!:{

**That's not it! Not it at all! Don't think that! Don't ever think
that! ** Ninaine immediately burst into tears.

J'darin's attention had been caught by a seeming altercation between
the new greenrider, Ninaine, and her parents. He had been circling
the groups of families, answering questions if they had any, and
introducing himself to those who wanted to know who would be training
their younglings, and if not, otherwise staying out of the way of
families sharing all the varied emotions that Hatching feasts
invariably brought on, especially one with a gold egg hatched and
Impressed.

He saw Ninaine flee suddenly, and shortly after, E'naer out after her.

**Hasaarth, can you find little Luneth? Is her rider with her?**

What he got back from his bronze was inability to tell him anything,
he had not been able to get through to the little green's distraught
worry.

Frowning, he went out after E'naer and caught his Third's eye. "Bet
you 2 marks she's gone to the barracks."

Tavia followed the girl into the barracks when she didn't respond to
her hail but she didn't know how to help them. **tell the weyrling
masters where we are. We need then here right now.**

"No deal, that's a logical assumption. That's where I would go if I
was upset, to my dragon," E'naer flashed J'darin a humourless grin.
"All the hidebound parents..." he grumbled.

J'darin nodded in sincere agreement. He understood Holder views
after being raised by his own hidebound Father, but it was hard to see
the younglings hurting even still.

As they were talking, the message came in from Hasaarth via Sawauth,
who belonged to ... }:Greenrider .. Tavia:{ Hasaarth supplied when
asked, and J'darin nodded. "She is in the barracks, lets get over
there... "

They headed toward the barracks and appeared in the doorway, stepping
close to the couch and the young weyrling pair; he nodded at Tavia as
he came inside.

J'darin tried to speak to Ninaine, while mentally asking Hasaarth to
help calm the little green.

"Lass? Ninaine? " He took a step closer, glancing sideways at
E'naer. His 'Third was usually so much better with this stuff.
"We're here to help. Talk to us, please." He added in his firm
'Weyrlingmaster' voice, "You need to calm down and talk to us. You're
worrying your lifemate." Usually that got through to them. Usually.

The stern voice roused Ninaine from her grief and she looked up. She
hadn't heard Tavia, E'naer or J'darin come in or speak to her.
Clutching Luneth, she bowed her head. "I...I apologize for my
behavior..." She gave little hiccupping breaths and buried her face
into Luneth's hide.

The little green, completely confused and suddenly perceiving these
people as who had upset her rider, immediately puffed up her little
body and screeched at the trio. }: Go Away! Go Away! Mine! She's Mine!
All Mine!:{
She bared little dragon teeth and spread her little wings, trying
to make herself look as big as she could.

** Eillie, your turn, ** E'naer instantly drafted his green's help. He
knew better than try to approach the upset little dragon.

}: Calm down, little one, they are here to help your rider. We know
she's yours, :{ Eillispeth adressed the Hatchling with her best and
most motherly tone.

"Ninaine, you need to control your lifemate. You got her confused and
they are very protective at this age," E'naer's voice was calm.

Ninaine held Luneth tightly in her arms and hushed her, stroking the
soft hide. **It's okay. It's okay. Don't bite them. They're just
trying to help. I'm better. I promise.** She looked up at the trio of
people and nodded. "She'll be okay. We'll be okay."

Luneth turned and tucked herself against Ninaine, her rapidly whirling
eyes never leaving those who were around her newly bonded lifemate.
She had lowered her wings, but was still wary of the group and spoke
to Ellispeth in a trembling mindvoice. }:They don't get to touch her.
They can look, but no touching! No one touches!:{

Hasaarth snorted from outside, wanting to interfere. J'darin quickly
reigned him in when he felt his bronze getting ready to 'yell'.
**Let Eillispeth do it, Hasaarth. You'll scare her more.** His
bronze was aggravated, a little, that he hadn't been able to get
through to her. She should listen to him, even newly hatched.
**Its fine. She's just a baby and she's barely hatched. E'naer is
right.. they are very protective at this age. ** Hasaarth finally
agreed. }:If she hurts you, I will stop her:{

What was wrong with his dragon? Didn't he remember that younglings
needed patience more than anything?

"No apologies are necessary, Ninaine." He said aloud, turning his
focus from his bronze to the real issue. The young woman before them.
She needed their care and understanding more than ever after her
parents acted that way. "Listen, we are all your family. All of
us. Tavia, E'naer and me are just 3 of hundreds that are happy to
have you here, happy that Luneth found you on the Sands. Do you want
to talk to us, or do you want us to leave you alone? We don't want
to leave you alone right now, but we will do whatever we need to do to
help. "

He started to reach out to her, but was stopped just in time by the
mental warning. The last thing he needed was an angry bronze dragon
bugling the Weyr down because a confused hatchling bit him.

"Ninaine... you are home.. You are safe, and you are among friends. I
know you hurt, but Luneth loves you and you were meant for each other.
This very special little green dragon chose you, out of all that were
there. Take some comfort in that, or try."

Sawauth crooned to the little one from outside the barracks. }:They
wouldn't hurt yours little one, they only want to help you both.:{

Tavia squatted off to the side and waited for the Weyrlingmasters to
handle the situation but she was a trained nurse and was preparted
leap into action if anyone were injured.

Holding Luneth close, Ninaine didn't look at any of them. She didn't
want them as her family; she wanted her own.
She wanted them to be proud of her. But her mother was right about
what she was going to have to be. She'd seen older greenriders and how
they acted. Her stomach turned at the thought and she pushed it away.
She loved Luneth, she really did and wouldn't have traded her for a
shiny hide, but the reality of her mother's words hit her hard.
"Please. Just leave me alone. I want to be alone."

}: No one will touch her, :{ Eillie assured the little dragonet.

"All right, we will leave you alone, for now. Just remember this: Your
parents aren't dragonriders, they don't _know_ what dragonrider's life
is. They just think they know," E'naer said. He made a mental noted to
find one of the more prudent greenrider to talk with her. Not all
greenriders were eager bedhoppers. He could actually name several,
most his former weyrlings.

Tavia just smiled even though her heart ached for the young green and
her rider. She and Sawauth couldn't help them and it seemed the
Weyrlingmasters were going to let her send them away. **Tell Luneth
we're just a thought away if hers wants to talk.** She'd seen enough
of suffering dragonriders to know their lifemates were the only ones
who could really give comfort. **And tell her we're not the enemy. We
love hers.**

Just because E'naer was letting her be alone for now, didn't mean he
was going to ignore her problem. Just now, she was in no mood to
receive help and councel. That would come later when she had calmed
down. He was going to keep her under watchful eye.

He gave J'darin a little tug on the sleeve. "Let's let her calm down
on her own. Eillie can keep eye on them. We deal with this when she's
more receptive."

Tavia just nodded and backed away. After all the weyrlingmasters knew
how to deal with something like this far better than she did.

J'darin nodded in firm agreement. The dragons would watch Luneth, and
through her, her rider. It would do no one any good at the moment to
try to talk to Ninaine. "Ninaine... we are here for you. Just call.
Any time."

Sometimes the best thing they could do was let dragons heal their
riders. Sometimes.

He followed the other two out of the barracks and nodded his thanks to
both of them. "Appreciate both of you for helping. Tavia - she
might want to talk to another female greenrider sometime. Maybe you
could check in on her in a couple of weeks? If you don't want to,
thats fine. We will be helping her as best we can during her
training."

He smiled at E'naer. "E'naer .. thanks. You are always there for the
younglings."

He sighed inwardly, though, and found himself sad. SHe would not be
the first dragonrider disowned by their family, and he hoped that
eventually ,she did come to see the other riders as her _new_ family,
even though it would hurt to say goodbye to her former life.
Suddenly without a desire for further company, he headed toward his
own weyr and his new weyrmate, asking Hasaarth to speak to Ellyth and
see if Devyn wanted to meet him at home instead of returning to the
Hatching feast.

Last updated on the May 6th 2014

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Mine! No Touching!