Bigger?

Writers: AmajoS, Emma
Date Posted: 26th February 2019

Characters: K'dee, T'min
Description: Temmin washes his first dragon.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 7 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Anndil

Remembering Anndil's advice, Temmin went looking for someone who might
need help washing their dragon at the weyrlake on his first Restday at
the Weyr. He wasn't sure he'd be able to work up the nerve to just go
up to someone and ask if he could help scrub their dragon, but he
could at least look.

K'dee had gathered things to wash his bronze. It was never easy to do it
himself, but there were usually some candidates around that would help him
and Vatonth.

After observing a while, he noticed that children - candidates and not
- along with other weyrfolk and even firelizards all seemed to pitch
in to help wash dragons. No one seemed hesitant or nervous about it,
so why did the idea of asking someone if they'd like his help make his
hands so sweaty and his heart beat in his throat? Dimglow, he called
himself with an irritated sigh.

He turned to leave, but then spotted a young man walking with a
considerable limp toward the lake and a waiting bronze dragon. Using
his self annoyance as fuel for his courage, Temmin forced his legs to
move and he marched over to the bronzerider. Glowering with the effort
of making the first move, he said, "Excuse me."

Glancing up, K'dee saw the knots on the young man's shoulder. "Candidate,"
he said politely. The lad was clearly new to the weyr and it's ways. "Are
you looking to offer your help with that big bronze monster of mine?"

Relief that he wouldn't have to actually ask swept through the young
candidate and his glower was replaced by a small but eager smile,
"Yes, please."

"Good. This is Vatonth, and I'm K'dee," he said by way of introduction.
"Your name is?"

"Temmin," the boy replied. His eyes were focused on the dragon. It
seemed the bronze was even larger up close, much larger than the
Search dragon that had brought him to the Weyr. That had been a blue,
and not a large specimen of that hue either. "Hello, Vatonth." His
voice was nearly a whisper as he greeted the dragon.

}:He'll do,:{ said Vatonth as he looked the candidate up and down, moving to
get a good look. }:Tell him I need a good scratch on my back.:{

"He says he needs a good scratch on his back," K'dee said, hoping that
Vatonth hadn't put the candidate off.

The dragon's back was huge. "Where on his back?" And, for that matter,
how was he meant to get to the itchy spot, Temmin wondered.

"He'll show you," K'dee explained, even as Vatonth moved. "It's usually
round about here," he said, placing a hand on the bronze's hide. "And just a
bit higher. I can't balance myself to reach properly."

Temmin was shorter than the bronzerider, but he thought he'd be able
to reach, if he stood on his tiptoes. And leaned on the dragon. Well,
he might have to practically lay on the dragon really. Or... possibly
stand on him. He glanced between the dragon and the dragonrider
nervously, not sure who to address his question to. Finally he decided
and asked the dragon, "Is it ok if I climb up a little? To reach, I
mean?"

After a moment Vatonth gave a rumble as he settled down a little to help
them reach. }:Tell him I will help him reach.:{

"He says he'll help you reach."

Temmin smiled and moved closer, reaching up to the great bronze back.
"Here?" He scratched lightly at the area that looked to be where K'dee
had indicated. He didn't want to scratch too hard, the dragon's hide
felt so soft under his blunt fingernails and he had a sudden terrible
worry that he might hurt the dragon by accident.

"That's the spot," said K'dee after a second or two to confirm it with
Vatonth. "But you can go a little harder, he say's you'll know if it's too
hard."

K'dee stepped back and took a moment to complete his preparations. "Here,
you start like this," he handed the candidate a brush lathered up with the
soapsand. "Scrub up a good lather, and when he's ready, he'll go rinse off
in the lake."

The boy took the brush and found it much better for getting to hard to
reach dragon backs, with its handle. He scrubbed a bit harder than he
wanted to, remembering what K'dee had said. Apparently dragon hide was
tougher than it felt. "Is this good?" He asked, glancing between the
dragon and the rider, wanting to check that he wasn't scrubbing too
lightly still.

"He says that's just right," K'dee said after a moment to consult with
Vatonth. "He'd let us both know if he was unhappy."

Temmin nodded and turned his attention to scrubbing the dragon's back
with the brush, periodically reloading the brush with soapsand. Once
the bronze's back and sides were well-lathered, Temmin paused and
brushed at his sweaty forehead with the back of his wrist. "There sure
is a lot of you," he said with a grin to the dragon.

"There is indeed, but just wait until you see the Weyrleader's bronze."

"He's bigger?" It was hard to imagine. He'd known dragons were big, of
course, you just had to look at them to see it. But, before today,
with his 'hands-on' experience, he hadn't realized just -how- big. And
to think there were some even bigger than this one! He loaded his
brush up with more soapsand and began scrubbing around the bronze's
neck and shoulder joints.

"Gold dragons are bigger still," K'dee suddenly realised that it was one
thing to know it, to actually see it was something different. He'd grown up
around dragons so it hadn't been a shock for him.

He hadn't seen any of the gold dragons up close yet. He'd seen one
flying from one place to another, across the weyr, the day he'd
arrived. He'd seen two lounging in the sun high up on their ledges -
at least he assumed they were the dragons' ledges. But he hadn't had a
chance to see one on the ground yet, much less get this close to one.
He did know the golds were the biggest dragons, still, it was hard to
wrap his head around it. "It must take forever to clean them."

"Forever and a day," joked K'dee. "Unlike this guy who only takes half of
forever."

"He's very patient though, I'm probably taking longer than it should
take," Temmin protested. He gave the dragon a pat before loading the
brush with more soapsand and tackling the shoulder on the other side.
"This is the first dragon I've washed," he added, feeling a bit
foolish.

"I don't think it'll be the last time," K'dee had waited to get Vatonth's
feedback before he spoke. "He says you'll be good at it one day."

"Thank you, Vatonth," Temmin said in a soft voice. "I hope I will be,"
he added louder. "I'll have a dragon of my own someday, I hope and
I'll want to do it right."

Last updated on the March 3rd 2019

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