The Boy Who Could Hear Dragons

Writers: Eimi, Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 12th December 2017

Characters: Bryvin, Kiomo, L'fael, Healer (NPC)
Description: Bryvin and Kiomo get to the bottom of what caused Lafael's collapse.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 8

Bryvin

It had been several long sevenweeks since the 'accident.' Lafael
wasn't going to hedge around about it. But at least the overwhelming
despair deep in his heart was gone. Though seeing the destruction of
the Sea Hall had been almost as terrible a shock to his nerves.

The same door where he had collapsed was before him, closed as it had
been on that day. But this time there was no sorrow to pull him down,
just the voice of three men on the other side of the door. He
recognized Lord Bryvin's at once and the softer tone of Kiomo after a
few moments of listening.

Tentatively he knocked.

"Come," the Lord's voice called. He'd been the one to summon the young
man so he was expected.

Kiomo smiled and gave Lafael a nod of acknowledgement as he handed the
healer sitting by his side the report they had been looking at.

Lafael sat down after trying to return Kiomo's smile. He unconsciously
rung his hands as he watched the healer's eyes move from left to right
as the man read the report. It was going to be bad, this Lafael knew.
No way could the news be good if these three had summoned him. The
diagnose was going to be madness. What else could it be? People just
didn't collapse after hearing voices for no real reason. What was going to
happen to him? Would Lord Bryvin throw him out of his Hold? Could he survive
Holdless? Already Lafael knew that the Sea Hall was no longer an
option. He had already been there, enough to see that it had been
destroyed by the wave. Inwardly he sighed, miserable as he awaited his
fate.

Finally the Healer put down the report and gave Lafael a neutral
smile. "How are you feeling there, lad?"

Lafael blinked at the man, taken slightly off guard by the question.
"Fine...well...yeah I feel fine." True, there had been no more cries
in his head like on that day but he had felt a wave of sadness that
didn't really seem to be part of his own experience.

"Well, it's been a while since the incident now, and as you put it,
you do seem to be fine," the mindhealer said with a reassuring smile
and a nod. "But why don't you tell us what it is you experienced that
day. In your own words."

"Well..." Lafael glanced from the Healer to the faces of Kiomo and his
Lord. Did he trust them to say everything that happened? "I...well..."
Okay, he would give them the bare bones. "I was just standing before
the Lord's door, with his meal, when this overwhelming sadness came
over me. I've never had it before, it seemed like it was outside me,
almost like voices were shouting down the landing, or something..."
Had he said too much? His amber eyes darted from Kiomo to Bryvin to
the Healer, trying to read their emotions.

Bryvin lifted a brow slightly and flared his nostrils with impatience.
A finger lay across his lips as he leaned on the arm of his chair. He
lifted his fingers as if to say 'go on.'

Lafael's eyes widened. "Th-that's all, sir."

"As in you heard voices? Or that it was just _like_ a voice was
calling you from far away?" Kiomo asked for clarification.

"The second...a-a voice. A female voice, in fact." Lafael watched
Kiomo's face, wondering what he might make of that. He dared not even
glance at Bryvin for fear of what he might be thinking.

"Could you catch what they were saying?" Kiomo pressed.

"My eggs, something about her eggs. And there were other softer voices
that were saying things but I couldn't catch it, hers was by far the
loudest voice. And then she suddenly went still and there was this..."
He rung his hands whilst trying to explain it exactly. "This sadness
like I've never felt. It was like the most important person in Pern had
died or something, the grief was unbearable. There were no voices
then, just this...this grief. Words can't really explain it, to be
honest. It was like this black hole opening and I fell into it and
then had to try to crawl out of it days later." Lafael blinked at the
men and shrugged his shoulders. Well, if they were going to put him
out of the Hold for madness he might as well be honest about it all,
right?

"And was this the first time you had heard voices like that?" the Healer asked.

"I...uh...well...well no. I mean yes that's the first time it was ever
that intense but...no, I've heard them before." Lafael slumped into
his chair, his voice miserable. "What's going to happen to me?" He
glanced from the Healer to Kiomo, his eyes sad.

"Nothing bad," Bryvin said with a twitch of his lips. "Sounds to me
like you hear dragons. Anyone have another theory?"

"No," the healer said with a shake of his head. "That's my first
thought, as well. Though I do think we will need to contact the Weyr
and set up some kind of test to be sure. And perhaps they have a
Healer who might be more suited to helping you understand what all
that means better than I."

"Hearing dragons?" What? What was Lord Bryvin saying? Him, nobody
Lafael, could hear dragons? "I can't hear dragons, only girls can do
that," he muttered more to himself than to the three men. But it was
true, the only time he had ever heard of anyone who didn't have their
own dragon being able to hear other people's dragons those people were
girls. And the Weyr? Did they say they'd have to get him tested by
someone at the Weyr? Did that mean...oh it couldn't could it? Lafael's
breath caught in excitement just thinking about it. Did that mean he
would actually go to the Weyr?

"I assure you, boys can too," the mindhealer said with a reassuring
smile. "Now with Lord Bryvin's permission, I will write the Weyr this
afternoon and see if we can't get some answers for you."

"Very well," Bryvin slapped the arms of his chair and stood signalling
the end of the meeting. He nodded at Kiomo. Then he looked at Lafael.
"You can return to your normal duties and we'll let you know what we
hear from the Weyr. In the meantime, if you hear anything out of the
ordinary, please inform Kiomo."

"Thank you for coming," he reached for the healer's hand.

Lafael nodded at the Lord's words and stood up in a bit of a daze.
What had he said? Oh yes, return to his duties, which had been
scrapping roots for the dinner. Since no one seemed interested in him
anymore, he slipped out of the room.

Last updated on the December 21st 2017

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The Boy Who Could Hear Dragons