Practice Consequences

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 26th April 2016

Characters: Talwynn, D'kere
Description: Talwynn and D'kere have a conversation about her recent adventure.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 1 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: T'shi
Follows "Practice Completed"

It wasn't the first night that Talwynn had come to his weyr with the
hint of firestone on her clothes, or a stiff limp in her step. The
other nights it had happened, D'kere had pointedly ignored her state,
because he felt that if she wanted to tell him about her "secret"
practices then she would. By this point in their relationship, D'kere
understood one thing clearly about the greenrider, she was extremely
prideful, and didn't want anyone, even her significant other, to see
her weaknesses.

It really hadn't taken D'kere very much investigating to find out what
Talwynn was up to. As the Weyrlingmaster's Second, his bronze Kenirath
could get information from other dragons pretty easily. Not to mention
someone had to be giving out bags of firestone, which were typically
reserved for Wing drills, Weyrling practice, or actual Threadfall.

Tonight was different than the other nights because tonight the
soreness, and he guessed pain, showed on Talwynn's face.

"You okay?" He asked, not addressing the real subject yet.

Talwynn's leg was trembling as she walked through the door - unaided
and without her cane, which she'd left behind. She'd been clamping
herself to Riveth for soo long that the motions of putting weight on
it felt strange. Her left arm hung beside her body, fingers curled
tightly together. Her hair was spectacularly terrible today, the
result of being under a helmet for over a candlemark with sweat. She'd
been letting it grow out some, and had forgotten how terrible extended
time in harness could be for it.

T'shi had told her to go to the Healer's for liniment and a checkup,
but she hadn't wanted to. She'd wanted to talk to D'kere first, now
that exercising had finally paid off.

"I think I need an incredibly long bath," she said.

"Yes, practicing Threadfall with T'shi will do that." There was more
of an edge to his voice this time, now that he knew she wasn't
seriously injured.

"Who tattled? Iberath or Riveth?" she asked, shifting her good hand to
her hip. "I didn't fall off."

D'kere pushed to his feet, and without regard to what Talwynn would
say, he swept her up into his arms easily and strode toward the small
attached bathing pool he was privy to in his weyr. "You, madam, are a
most frustrating woman. Did you know that?" He asked as he set her
back onto her feet and moved the basket of sweetsand and other
toiletries down to the ledge of the pool. "And it was Iberath, by the
way. Although your excessive fatigue and the hint of firestone weren't
too subtle."

She was startled by being picked up. Reflexively, her hand batted at
his chest. "Hey!" the greenrider objected.

But she couldn't deny it did feel nice to be held against him for a
moment, because being cradled against him felt good.

"I thought we were being careful," she said. "And I'm glad it wasn't
Riveth or I'd be angry."

Tossing some bath salts into the pool, D'kere turned to Talwynn, "Why
didn't you ask me to help you?" He asked brushing her hands aside as
he began to unbutton her top, preparing her for the bathing pool.

Talwynn took a moment to try to put together her thoughts, wondering
how she could word them in a way where he'd understand it. Her
reasons _felt_ legitimate to her, but would he see them the same way?
She'd been spoiling for a fight about it, but then he was treating her
gently, and she worried objecting would cause a rift, so she
hesitated.

}:My rider is stubborn and proud,:{ Riveth said directly to D'kere.

The voice surprised D'kere, and made him smile a little as he pushed
Talwynn's shirt from her shoulders. "Riveth says you are stubborn and
proud, two things I know." He knelt then and began unlacing her boots.

"It's true," she said. "I wasn't sure if you'd try to stop me or tell
me to slow down. I know the plan was to practice with Lissath's class,
but if I was going to fall off and fail - not in front of them," she
said with a sharp shake of her head.

"Of course I wouldn't have stopped you, I know how important it is."
He chided as he carefully guided her breeches down as well, mindful of
her sore leg. Leaving her to get into the bathing pool on her own,
D'kere pulled his own shirt over his head and began undressing.

Stepping out of the clothes and down into the pool was painful, but
the water eased it, and Talwynn breathed a sigh of profound relief.

"I'm so used to being told no that I expect it," she admitted.

"I don't think I've ever said no where you are concerned." D'kere
admitted as he joined her in the water and ran his hands beneath the
surface to massage at her sore leg.

"That's true."

She sighed again at the feeling of his hands when they made contact
with her skin. Shards, but her leg hurt a lot more than she'd
expected. "At least I won't embarrass myself in front of the
weyrlings,"

"I don't think you would have anyway." He said, running his fingers
along the tense muscle at the back of her thigh.

"I appreciate the confidence." And she did. He was supportive, and she
probably should have talked to him earlier, instead of just assuming
he wouldn't help her out.

"What else is sore?" he asked.

"My arm from the sacks. But mostly the leg," she said, before sitting
bolt upright.

Outside, next to Kenirath, Riveth shifted. }:I don't feel well,:{ she
said and her eyes whirled in distress. Then the green started hecking
up firestone ash all over.

Kenirath made a sound of distress as he tried to quickly back out of
the weyrcouch, but his tail slithered right through the goop and
trailed out onto the ledge behind him. }:We're going to need a clean
up in the couch.:{ He informed D'kere. It wasn't the first time
Kenirath had seen it happen, sometimes Weyrlings did the same thing
when they began working with firestone, but he'd never actually been
puked _on_ either.

}:Maybe we should head down to the lake?:{ Kenirath suggested to Riveth.

}:Yes, I think so,:{ the green said miserably. She made it part of the
way there before spitting up some more.

Talwynn tilted her head. "I think there's an issue..."

D'kere let out a little sigh, "You stay, I'll go see to the weyrcouch."

"I guess we weren't careful enough," she muttered. And it had looked
like it was going to shift somewhere nice, too...

Last updated on the April 27th 2016

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Practice Consequences