Lancing The Wound

Writers: Leigh M-F., Paula
Date Posted: 28th May 2015

Characters: E'naer, A'kua
Description: It's time to let it all out.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 24 of Turn 7

It was still early enough that the very air was quiet. Aluka hoped he would
be able to catch a weyrlingmaster at this hour. He'd wait outside the
office door if he had to. He knocked on said door and once more started
mentally going over everything he had thought about in the bath and needed
to say.

E'naer wasn't yet in his office, he was in fact, approaching it, with a hot
cup of klah in his hand. Feral flew ahead and noticed the boy first. She
went to inspect him, making inquiring chirp when she circled his head.

Aluka saw the little gold coming just in time, and thus didn't feel the
need to duck when his head was buzzed. "Hey, little lovely," he said, and
nodded to E'naer. "I know it's early, sir, but I could really use your
help. Please tell me ya have some time."

"Yes, Feral, I know who he is, so you can leave him alone," E'naer told his
golden firelizard and she flew to perch on his shoulder. "Good morning,
Aluka. I'm here to help you. How urgent it is, I haven't had my morning
klah yet?" E'naer greeted the candidate.

Being not a morning person himself, the dark-eyed redhead could sympathize.
But that wasn't enough to get him off track. "This is somethin' I should've
talked about much sooner," he said. "My past is going to ruin my future,
and I want to fix it."

"Sounds serious enough," E'naer remarked. "Step in please," he opened his
office door for him.
The Candidiate did so, taking a seat and waiting for E'naer and Feral to
settle themselves before starting. He gave the weyrlingstaff member a brief
outline of the trouble he had gone through at his hold, how there was so
much he wanted to say to his mother and never had, how the experiences that
had driven him to voluntarily become Holdless were holding him back and
hurting him. "I don't know how to move on, though," he finally said. "It's
so frustrating I could just scream."

"Maybe you should just scream," E'naer suggested, only half seriously.
Aluka paused. That sounded like a good idea, actually. "Can ya take me
somewhere quiet, then?" he asked.

"Sure, why not. Just get me a half candlemark to finish my klah and get
Eillispeth's passanger straps on. Meet me at the Weyrplateau," E'naer
replied with a quizzical look at the candidate. Well, there been crazier
things to do to deal with frustration.
"Thank ya." Aluka got up and left, not bothering to get breakfast or klah
first. The hike to the Weyr plateau gave him more time to think; time he
needed.

~*~

Eillispeth landed on a clearing near the edge of a forest. You could see
Sea of Azov glimmering between the tree trunks. There was no sign of human
habitations. It was beautiful place with spring flowers blooming and avians
in middle of their mating rituals. E'naer dismounted and turned to help
Aluka to get down. "Here we are. No humans within ten mile radius." Feral
had followed them and went to perch on a nearby tree branch.

"Thank ya," the Candidate said, both for the help and the ride. "I'll try
not to take too long." He stripped off a riding jacket E'naer had loaned
him, but kept the gloves, and picked a random direction to walk in. It took
perhaps ten minutes to find a good place; there was an old, rotting tree
there, about as tall as he was, with some broken or half-broken branches,
and plenty of surface area. Aluka stared at it, imagining the holders he
had grown up with, the boys he had fought with, the hold harper who had
sabotaged his early music lessons, and Bailan. He imagined his grandsire,
his mother, the sire he had never known, and let the grief, the loneliness,
the feelings of blame, and the all-too-familiar fury come back at once.

And then he proceeded to go absolutely insane. He punched and kicked the
tree and broke the branches further. He screamed. He swore. He spat. He
sobbed. He cursed out all the people who had wronged him. He shouted
everything he wished he had said to his relatives. He repeated everything
he actually had said to the holders. And most of all, he raged at the man
who had impregnated his mother and gone his merry way without a care on
Pern. He did it all over and over until his energy was gone and he had
fallen to his knees in front of the dying tree, fists and forehead pressed
against it as he gasped for air.

He was so tired. His arms, hands, and legs hurt abominably. His throat was
completely raw. But damn if he didn't feel so much better. Aluka soon
dragged himself to his feet and shuffled back to where E'naer, Feral, and
Ellispeth were waiting, still panting hoarsely and wiping his eyes.

"Feeling better?" E'naer asked, leaning against Eillispeth's side. Feral
eyed Aluka suspiciously. She had actually followed him, out of curiousity
and when he had started his attack on the tree, she had quickly fled back
to E'naer. The tiny gold firelizard was convinced he was crazy.

The dark-eyed young man tried to reply in the affirmative, but all that
came out was a harsh croak that made him cough. Great. He had forgotten
that would happen. It looked like his next trip was to the healers. Aluka
nodded instead and motioned to Ellispeth, indicating he was ready to go
home.

E'naer tsked his tongue with amusement. "Hop on board then," he gestured
towards Eillispeth's back.

The Candidate did so, glad greens were easy to climb onto, and put the
jacket back on before he strapped himself in.

When her passangers were secured on her back, Eillispeth launched to air.
After reaching correct heights, E'naer directed her /between/. He also
guided her to land near the entrance to infirmary. "You better check that
throat out," he told Aluka.

Aluka dismounted one more time after the green touched down, handing back
the jacket and gloves. His knuckles were turning red and swelling despite
the cold of between. Then he bowed to E'naer, Ellispeth and Feral, hoping
it conveyed his gratitude properly.

"I hope it helped you. You might well as get those hands treated too,"
E'naer said, noticing his hands only now. "See you around, Aluka," he said
and Eillispeth prepared to fly to her ledge.

Aluka nodded, and waited for the pair to take off in order to be polite
before he headed inside. Maybe after he saw the healers, he could sneak off
and have a nap. It would get in him trouble, sure, but he thought he had
earned the rest.

Last updated on the May 29th 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Lancing The Wound