Post by glamourie on Dec 16, 2008 22:40:30 GMT -5
H U M A N:
Name: R'wign (ruh win)
Formerly: Rawign (RAH win)
Age: 22 (August)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual (+ M'ta)
Rank: Senior Journeyman Healer (Specialization: Herbalist), Acting WeyrHealer, Brownrider
Lover: M'ta of Brown Behruth
Physical Appearance: Standing at around six foot tall, R'wign is definitely not a small man. His build is trim, with compact muscle toning leaving no question to his physical strength. However, he's anything but bulky; the casual onlooker would most likely not realize just how strong R'wign is, due to his clothing hiding the majority of his muscle mass. His frame is more slender than the average man's, not enough to be taken as feminine, but definitely not large and imposing; as a result, most people would describe R'wign as a beanpole. He's certainly far from delicate, though, and only a fool would think him easily broken. One of his most characteristic features is his angular face, emphasized by defined cheekbones. While he'd likely never be mistaken for a woman, it's certainly possible that R'wign's physical appearance could be described as more feminine, particularly for a dragonrider.
However, he's definitely not perfect to look at. In fact, some would even say he's not even pretty anymore. Half of his face is, at least; his right eye is a dark shade of green very rare in humans, like looking at a dense forest's canopy. In poor lighting, his eye could even appear black. Shrouded by dark lashes, one might even go so far as to say that eye is pretty. His left one used to match it -- until he was twenty, when the eye was completely removed from its socket during the Siege of Selenitas. What remains is the empty eye socket, which R'wign usually keeps covered by an eye patch for the sake of politeness. The rest of his body is littered with scars from events throughout his life: twisting up his right side from just under his naval, over and around his back to stop at just under his left shoulder blade are several pure white claw marks from being mauled by a feline when he was seventeen, while two sets of four tears mar his chest. Another scar lines the bottom right corner of his lower lip, marring it a pale shade of pink in comparison to the rest. The last of his scars is a pair swinging around his collar bone, from when he Impressed Checkoth; the mauling was done by Bronze Aberath of the very same clutch, and the injuries were mostly insubstantial.
Aside from the mess of scars that makes up the majority of his appearance, R'wign has very dark hair. The strands are true black and wavy, often curling at the tips. He wears his hair cut short and parted to the side to hide his missing eye, and usually takes excessive time to dry it and pull it back before he sleeps, so that when he wakes it is straightened. His hair blends well with the tan he sports; his skin is dark enough that most would not believe R'wign isn't Southern by birth.
To compliment his appearance, R'wign usually chooses to wear moderate clothing; dark colors are preferential, but not necessary. He's very fond of green shades that highlight his remaining eye, and will bias toward them given the opportunity. He also wears a lot of belts, and not just the kind designed to hold up his pants; others that can have objects hanging from them, that strap around his legs, are even more desired. Since R'wign is fond of carrying around bits of meat for his firelizards and healing supplies, it's rare to see him without at least one carried bag. Typically, R'wign avoids all types of jewelry, except the kind with wings: He's almost never seen without at least one of his firelizards perching somewhere on his person.
Personality: Outwardly, R'wign is a pleasant, even friendly individual. He would best be described as a jokester, or class-clown; nothing is too flamboyant for him. From dressing in skirts, singing at the top of his lungs, to continual sarcastic comments, there can be no denying that he has a very developed sense of humor. He goes out of his way to pick at people in order to get a rise out of them, and the more elaborate the reaction, the more amusement he derives. He's mostly harmless, though; sometimes he picks at people and pushes too far, but usually, he's good enough at reading others that he knows when to drop it. Teasing, he is, and he's very good at it. Most of his statements could even qualify as flirtatious, though he doesn't typically mean it that way. Affectionate nicknames (like love and gorgeous) are commonly distributed among people he likes, and the more fond of someone he is, the more he picks at them. He's almost never at a loss for a joke, and he genuinely enjoys making people laugh. One of his better features is his ability to disarm other people with his playful behavior. It's hard to be rigid and uptight while laughing.
On the inside, however, he is quite different. The playful exterior is a mask to hide the more critical side of his personality. Incredibly intelligent (sometimes to his own detriment), R'wign is a fast learner - both with academic subjects and studying other people. It doesn't usually take him long to know how to behave with others in order to avoid a full-out fight and he's good at reading them to know just how far he can push his luck. He's a very good judge of character and more often than not, he knows more about people than they realize. His demeanor also usually leads other people to underestimate him, a trait he likes, for R'wign is very judgmental and also very manipulative; he likes to twist his words and behaviors in order to make people react how he wants them to. Most of his close friends could be described as dangerous - protectors. He very deliberately picks people he knows can protect him if he gets hurt, because R'wign is not a fighter. He can't stand to see other people hurt and the prospect of hurting another human being makes him feel physically ill. It's not that he's a doormat - he isn't; he's simply dedicated to the craft he's spent his life training, and healers save lives, they don't take them.
R'wign is a perfectionist; he is never satisfied with his own work. He always sees the flaws in what he does. This nitpicky behavior leads to him being rather insecure when it comes to his abilities as a healer. Ironically, he's very superficial and vain when it comes to the things that aren't important - especially his personality. Where he probably should be confident (he's definitely a gifted healer), R'wign is very hard on himself; he always pushes to try and be better. Under stress, he's a downright workaholic, spending every waking hour in the infirmary. Prying him out of there is a project and a half. He definitely doesn't let his health slip (he's a healer, after all), but he does obsess and is prone to ignoring other people when he's fixating on something. He's definitely efficient, though; rather than mope, he usually puts his energy to a very good use, even if he does damage friendships along the way at times.
To the few people R'wign actually befriends (and truly befriends, not just talks to in order to amuse himself), he is an exceedingly loyal friend. Getting rid of him is nearly impossible. He'll put up with just about any mistreatment, though he's prone to burying any hurt he feels so as to avoid conflict. He is very good at listening as well, and though he often appears flighty, R'wign is actually very responsible; he doesn't make a promise unless he intends to keep it, and he won't suggest to anyone something that he himself couldn't or wouldn't do. He's very good at giving advice (and would do well to follow his own from time to time) and never tells anyone what he's told; being born in the north taught him well to keep his mouth shut on most things. Rumors aren't something he bothers with. He'd much rather just make things up on the spot - works better that way in his opinion.
History: Rawn did not consider himself an arrogant man, but he was lucky and he recognized that. He was but a humble fisherman, albeit skilled in his craft enough to be recognized as one of the best at the minor fishing hold he called home. His wife Ligna was a rare prize among Northern women: Bold enough to speak her mind, respectful enough to back down and never do so publicly, and she was a beauty. With dark green eyes and black hair that fell in cascading curls over her shoulders, she was sought after by most of the hold's men... and others. Unfortunately for the fisherman, he would not find out until two Turns into their joining just how many men had eyes for his lady. The first few Turns of their marriage were almost miraculous in a place like Nerat; peaceful and happy, it seemed that they were meant to be together. Rawn never had any complaints about his woman, nor she about him, and unlike most females from the region, she never left her home covered in bruises... because her husband never raised a hand to her. Ligna was special, and everyone in the small fishing hold knew her name.
The small fishing Hold turned a decent profit in their industry, frequently bringing in a hearty catch when others from Nerat were unsuccessful. It was during the couple's first Turn together that the Hold drew the attention of their Lord Holder, and he came to visit in person. Whether it was intentional or not, he arrived several days before the fishing fleet returned home, and it was with the most popular female figure in the Hold that he chose to make his stay: Ligna. The visit was an altogether pleasant one, with the Hold's men receiving a great deal of praise for their craft and funding; homes were furnished and a profit was made, finally giving the region some recognition. Soon it came to be that the fishing boats that Rawn ran were some of the most well known in all of Nerat, and he one of the most renouned fishermen. At a mere twenty-five turns of age, it was more than a man of his stature could ever hope for. Unfortunately, he would find out later the price for his moment of glory.
It wasn't long until Ligna started showing, and anyone at the Hold who understood math began to suspect... including Rawn. When she gave birth to a healthy baby boy almost nine months after the Lord Holder's visit, most of their suspicions were confirmed, for the child bore absolutely none of Rawn's features. His eyes quickly turned to the same shade of dark green as his mother's, and the same ebony locks, but the sloping nose he inherited from neither. The relationship between Ligna and Rawn became strained rapidly after Rawign's birth, with the lady caring for her child to the best of her ability. Rawn wanted little to do with the boy, and the older he grew, the more pronounced that feeling became; his face rapidly became a mirror image of the Lord Holder of Nerat's, even though he bore his mother's coloring, and by the time that he was a Turn old, even the most unobservant was aware of the child's true lineage. Ligna maintained firmly that he was Rawn's son, however, and though the small Hold whispered of her infidelity, the Lord Holder never came back to claim his child... and though it took some doing, Rawn eventually came to claim the boy as his own.
So it was that a small child came to be on the fishing boats of Nerat. Barely a toddler, Rawn brought Rawign everywhere with him. He was determined that his only son (if not actually his) would learn his craft and master it; he would be the best fisher that Nerat ever saw and carry on the family legacy. Keeping the boy with him also punished Ligna, not with verbal assaults but denial of the child she so adored (for any with eyes could see that Ligna loved her son with all of her heart). The relationship was strained at best, but Rawn never officially announced his pretty wife as an adultress, and after two turns of whispering amongst themselves (as small holds were wont to do), the rumors finally died down. Soon other matters replaced Ligna and Rawn as topics of discussion, such as the more recent Impressions at Benden Weyr and the tension between the two Weyrs in the north. Rawign became a deck ornament on his father's ship, and even though he was too small to participate, he learned quickly how to tie knots with an expertise of one many Turns more experienced than he was.
Religna was born when Rawign was just over three Turns old, and unlike her brother, there was no question to her paternity; she bore her mother's coloring enough to resemble her half-brother, but her face was all her papa's. Born prematurely, it was a wonder the girl survived, but she did; unfortunately, she was neither the apple of her father's eye or her mother's. Her father sought a son to inherit the fishing enterprise when he passed and he had that in Rawign, while the boy was Ligna's first born and her favorite. Only Rawign adored the child as she was meant to be loved, and the two became close very quickly. Whenever he wasn't busy on the fishing boats, he would stay and play with his sister. The siblings grew extremely fond of one another, with Rawign's name even being one of the first words that Religna uttered. In many ways, Rawign was more like a parent than either of hers, and Religna came to cry constantly when her brother was away on fishing trips with Rawn. It was a tense time for the entire family -- because being away from his sister fishing became something that Rawign dreaded. By the time he was five, he hated fishing so much that it was a constant battle to convince him to come on the trips at all.
The intense hatred that Rawign bore for fishing was amplified when Religna was old enough to walk. Often the girl would find herself the victim of merciless bullying; she was a small girl, and unable to defend herself. She was also one of the youngest children in the hold, and children could be vicious. It was not uncommon for her to end up covered in bruises. When he was home, Rawign would defend her (with his fists, if necessary) and most of the abuse stopped -- but the trips fishing with his father were frequent enough that keeping his baby sister safe became an impossibility. His refusal to go with his father (often even sabotaging the fishing nets when he did come) were the source of many fights between Ligna and Rawn, and for the first time since their joining, Rawn took to hitting her to prove a point. Both Religna and Ligna wore bruises more often than not, and always as a direct result of the fishing: If Rawign refused to go, Ligna's face was black and blue, and if he did, Religna's was. The conflict was enough to make him sick. He knew he needed to do something to fix the problem.
The decision to leave was an impulsive one, as most decisions made by nine-turn-olds are. In the dead of night after helping tend to his mother's broken nose, Rawign decided abruptly that he wanted to be as far from Nerat as possible. And what was further than Fort Hold? Many Crafthalls were attached there, Healer and Harper alike. With a firm resolution to his chest, he stole a skin of water, a loaf of bread and a dried meatroll. He left in the dead of night, with no word to where he'd gone, or even whether he'd gone on foot or not. To disguise his escape, Rawign unfastened one of his father's smaller vessels, and he also released all the runners from the small Hold. The residents would be distracted tracking down their beasts, too busy to look for a missing child, and his father would (with any luck) believe he escaped to the sea. It was a very poorly thought out decision, but Rawign did not back down. By the time anyone even noticed he was gone, he was far enough away that even he couldn't have gotten back if he'd wanted to.
How long he wandered, Rawign couldn't say. He traveled primarily along the beaches where he was able to fish for food. His water he drank irresponsibly, and thirst became a very real problem after a few days in the wilderness. So did hunger, and that was only amplified when he woke up one morning with a baby firelizard sitting on his face squawking for food. Not thinking (mainly because Rawign was not at his best when first roused from sleep; his thought process was to wonder how a dragon came to land on his face in a tree rather than acknowledging what the creature truly was), he made the very critical mistake of feeding the blue... and earned himself a mostly-useless tagalong that constantly wanted some of whatever he managed to scrounge up. As luck would have it, the blue flit managed to find them water on numerous occasions, but the traveling was slow coming; in between eating maybe once every two days and drinking about as often, Rawign quickly became malnourished, and his energy was virtually nonexistent. Only sheer stubbornness kept him on his aching feet as he traveled... seeking out, really, anywhere he could get proper rest.
Help came to him in the form of a shiny patch in the sky. That, at least, was what Rawign thought it was as he laid on the ground like a lump in the middle of the afternoon. Beggar (for that was what he'd come to call the little monster, derived from the phrase 'You little beggar!') darted back and forth screeching until said shiny spot came down.. closer... closer; Rawign thought it very odd that a firelizard could grow so very large, and he was just about to remark on it when a person jumped off its back. A very small person, but a person none the less. Said person was a bronze rider from Fort Weyr, by the name of Ka'rys. Half-delirious and starving, Rawign barely registered the information as anything more than amusing, but he was not pleased when he was hauled onto the giant firelizard's back. He expected to be asked where he needed to go and to be taken home to face his parents -- but the man didn't inquire any such thing. He was instead told to hold on and that it would be very cold. That statement was the epitome of an understatement, and when they came out of between, Rawign fainted from exhaustion and stress.
When next he awoke, Rawign found himself in a bed in Healer Hall with an apprentice looking after him. He spent the next few sevendays doing little other than eating, drinking and answering questions: where he was from, where he was supposed to be, and what was he thinking storming off on his own? It took some doing, but he managed to convince the MasterHealer to allow him to apprentice at Healer Hall with the condition that if he ever ran away again he'd find himself right back in his parents' lap - which he readily agreed to. As for the bronze rider that rescued him - he did not see him anywhere in sight, and could only assume that he'd returned to Fort where he was stationed. He also never found out just how long he'd been gone from Nerat... but he'd made it into Ruatha in terms of distance, no small feat for a nine turn old.
The boy's apprenticeship was anything but easy. Naturally independent and prone to sarcasm, it was a wonder he wasn't kicked out of the Hall immediately. He defied authority at almost every turn and quickly found himself unwelcome with other children his age. Other his keen mind kept him from being completely expelled, for though he was undeniably bratty, Rawign was one of the most skilled apprentices of his age bracket. He memorized things quickly and in situations of stress, he responded with an almost tunnel-vision approach that made him very good at his job. He was favored by the Master Herbalist, who was in charge of teaching the apprentices all about the plants of Pern, and it was that subject at which he excelled. By the time he was halfway through his apprenticeship, he knew more about plants than several of the Journeymen at Healer Hall. Already he'd chosen a favored specialty, and he likely would have made Journeyman status early if his attitude was adjusted.
The beginning of the Dragon Wars was exceedingly rough on the Hall, and understandably so. Many patients with injuries unlike anything the apprentices had ever seen came to arrive in large quantities; massive amounts of burns were common as were slashes, and there was no small amount of dragonless riders in mental agony. All the apprentices and journeyman had their hands full, and the first turn was one of a large amount of casualties. Rawign, like many of the apprentices stationed at the Hall, received an alarming amount of experience in the beginning: everything from tending burn victims, to watching the dragonless die at their own request. It was a learning period for him, and though only a turn passed, he aged emotionally at an alarming rate; by the time that the turn came to an end, he felt was if ten had passed. The amount of experience that he gained from tending to the dragonriders was substantial... but the fear that grew inside him even more so; he came to be terrified of dragons and the destruction they could cause, and dragonriders themselves were treated with a certain distance as a direct result. Too many lives had been lost, and the war did not seem as if it was even slowing down.
Healer Hall was a sanctuary of sorts. Fort Riders were kept on one side of the Hall while Benden was on the other. For the Turns of his apprenticeship, Rawign worked with both Weyrs. At fifteen, he walked the tables and received his Journeyman knots. Rather than immediately be stationed to an outside location, however, he was kept on at Healer Hall to work with the Fort riders who were brought there injured. There were often too many to take care of for only the apprentices; many journeymen stayed for the experience that dealing with the war casualties gave. Rawign was not one of the people willing to stay, but he wisely did not protest. The war was becoming worse and worse; while Benden casualties were actually more common than Fort, there were still quite a number. He spent two turns working to learn, trying to teach himself to detach from the patients in the beds with burns all over their bodies, and more often than not, he went to sleep smelling burnt flesh in his mind. The images were burnt into his memory, and though he managed to save many lives, the ones that were lost, he never quite forgave himself for.
It was at a Gather when he was seventeen that Rawign's life was fated to change. The Gather attracted many visitors, from all over; some were there for healing supplies, some were selling garmants for the healers. Rawign intended to purchase a new bag to carry Beggar's treats in, but found himself quickly pulled aside by none other than the bronze rider who had rescued him six turns previous. To his surprise, his station was changing - to Selenitas Weyr, whether he liked it or not. Evidently he was 'Searched' and if he refused to go as a candidate, he would be sent as a healer (for the Weyr desperately needed them). The idea of being moved to any Weyr, even one in the south, petrified Rawign and he protested adamantly - to no avail. At the end of the day he was piled with his belongings onto Ciceroth's back and, trembling, was taken back to Selenitas Weyr with the promise that, "Dragons only eat particularly annoying people, so don't be annoying."
Selenitas was like nothing Rawign had ever experienced before. With the majority of the Weyr built in trees (including the infirmary), he could honestly say that it was probably the most unusual place on Pern... and he didn't mean it as a compliment. He arrived just in time for Gold Aslath's maiden flight, and no one bothered to warn him about the effects that a goldflight would have on him. Add to it that his blue firelizard decided to chase a green, and Rawign's first sevenday at Selenitas was close to unbearable. He wanted to go back to Nerat; surely that would be better than being stationed at a Weyr with so many... dragons. Even the nicer ones terrified him, and he felt horribly out of place. The Southern Weyr was so ridiculously casual about just about everything; no one seemed to understand his fear, and the few people he met were flat out bizarre. The Dragonhealer's dragon didn't even have wings. Dragons were supposed to have wings. And one of the Weyr's harpers was quite possibly the most irritating person he'd ever had the misfortune of meeting. Was it too much to hope for someone sane and normal to talk to?
Evidently it was, for his most frequent companion immediately after arrival became said unbearable harper - a girl close to his age by the name of Marra. Whether it was inherent masochism or simply the desire to prove that he could make anyone like him if he tried hard enough was unclear even to Rawign, but he became determined to befriend the girl despite her efforts at basically pushing him away. The pair accidentally happened upon a firelizard clutch in their exploring/fighting/flirting, and together they raised the eggs themselves in secret. The clutch hatched healthy, and Marra Impressed a green from the group, while Rawign walked away with a very foul-tempered green he chose to name Roxie, and a bronze he called Li. The most interesting thing about the eggs, however, was a small creature that was gold and came to be called a salamandyr; the female was named Daeluunya by her blue weyrlingrider bonded, and she, like many of the babies from the clutch, was a matter of great interest to Rawign. He viewed them almost as though they were his children and in secret kept an eye on all of them as they grew -- just in case.
One of the people who Impressed at his and Marra's clutch (he'd come to think of it as theirs) was a weyrling brownrider by the name of Z'hin, and someone Rawign liked. Therefore, when he was asked to go and help the brownpair by the river one afternoon, Rawign acted without thinking and went after them. It did not occur to him that going down to the river would be dangerous until after he got there and saw a feline considerably larger than any runner. The entire fight took place in a matter of minutes, with Z'hin and the goldrider they were helping (a girl named Paryal) managing to both get badly injured. Rawign too was sliced and diced, around his side and up his back as well as on his chest. The injuries were severe enough to leave him in the infirmary for several days afterwords, and when he awoke, he found Marra at his side, having never left throughout the entire time he was unconscious.
The Senior Queen's first clutch hatched while Rawign was still recovering from his injuries, and therefore it came as no great surprise to him that he failed to Impress. What did come as a large surprise was the presence of fourteen-turn-old Religna, his sister whom he hadn't seen since he was ten. Unfortunately they were not given very much time to catch up, as she did Impress, a sweet green by the name of Ith who Rawign grew quickly fond of. Not long after that, his relationship with Marra moved from friendship to something more, egged on by her green flit flying and his bronze catching her. Even when Marra was transferred to Blossom, Rawign did not forget her, and in her absence he worked to overcome his fear of dragons. It was quickly pushed away with help from most of his friends being dragonriders, at least to a subconscious level. The attack on the Senior Weyrlings, and the aftermath of recovering injuries, led to Rawign feeling like he belonged at Selenitas... despite the massive amounts of death, which did give him a healthy fear. Most of his dragon-phobia was drowned out by the time Marra managed to transfer back, heavily fueled by him taking on an apprenticeship as a dragonhealer under the WeyrDragonhealer Kalierre once she recovered from her injuries. In some ways, Rawign had changed for the better by Marra's return; most of his 'shields' were back up, his confidence restored, and though he was still intimidated by large dragons (like Millieth who liked to jump over him for some reason), he functioned.
Daeluunya running was a surprise to almost everyone - including Rawign. When she was caught by a firelizard and proceeded to clutch, he couldn't prevent a morbid curiosity from striking him. It was for that reason that he made the mistake of attending the first ever salamandyr hatching. The clutch bore creatures like Dael, small and noisy as well as firelizards and from it, Rawign impressed two - both blue. He came to name them Stumpy (after his tail being eaten by a bronze salamandyr Impressed by Kalierre) and Ennayoh - N. A. O.; not another one - bringing his number up to five firelizards. In many ways he was almost glad he'd failed to Impress any dragons, as it certainly would have made his head explode from stress. He cared for his firelizards, and when Millieth went up for her maiden flight, Rawign spent the entire day with Marra... celebrating; it would become a common habit of his during Queenflights, and he almost looked forward to them as a result.
The attack on the second hatching was enough to make Rawign not want to stand again - period. Seeing the Weyrwomen almost be executed after Weyrwoman Shmee's disappearance was enough to turn him off dragonriding period. A simple healer would be anything but interesting to attackers, after all. That, coupled with lingering fear of dragons (heightened by the entire attack), led to Rawign considering withdrawing his candidacy completely. He stopped sleeping in the barracks and started spending the night with Marra; the two of them were still together after a Turn, likely a miracle for two eighteen turn olds. He also started skipping lessons. When he bothered to show up, he was defiant, testy and far, far from friendly. Aslath's next hatching was only attended because Ka'rys of Ciceroth was a friend (or at least, Rawign viewed him as a friend) and his failure to Impress once again came as no big surprise, or hurt to him. In some ways he was grateful; he was rapidly approaching the age where he could no longer Stand, and he wouldn't have to face a queen again. (Aslath terrified him due to her being testy at her first Touching because of his injuries.) Part of him thought something was wrong with him anyway -- after all, how many people Stood for so long and never Impressed? Not many. Him and Mutasim, a candidate he never spoke to. There was clearly something wrong with them both.
It wasn't long after the hatching when things became amiss again. Firelizards were rapidly acting strange, even becoming sick. Many of them were dying. Having five meant Rawign worked tirelessly in the infirmary to try and locate the source of the epidemic plaguing the little creatures, but to no avail, and all of his research was for naught -- for he lost three of his. Only Blue Stumpy and Green Roxie survived. The deaths of three of his beloved pets was traumatic for Rawign, enough that had Junior Weyrwoman Kaegan not actually told him that he should Stand for her Queen Millieth's clutch, Rawign likely would never have faced another draconic species again. Part of him would always mourn the three firelizards he lost; he'd Impressed Beggar at nine, nearly ten turns previous. It was a constant in his life very vividly disrupted, and he felt followed out inside, as if there was a whole in him that would never quite be filled.
But he got very close to it. Rawign spent the entire duration of Millieth's second Hatching lurking near Mutasim - until the boy Impressed the first brown of the clutch to hatch. While he was happy for him, Rawign was left with no one to talk to - or indeed, have anything to do with. He lurked and watched, fully expecting on the hatching to end with him walking off the Sands alone, when he was tackled by a bronze. The pain of the sands on his back (even through his candidate robes) was extreme, and as soon as the little monster got off of him, Rawign actually threw one of his shoes at the hatchling. (And missed; he managed to come close to hitting one of the weyrlingmasters by accident, though.) So distracted was he by his anger that he didn't even see it coming until it was too late: a brown hatchling with two tails tackled him over and proceeded to babble at him about what a good chair he made and -- his smell. As soon as his confusion cleared, Rawign realized the baby dragon's name was Checkoth and... he'd managed to Impress him, somehow. Despite smelling like the infirmary exploded on him. No, he didn't understand it either.
From there on out, he was R'wign of Brown Checkoth, and his days were very busy indeed. Right after he Impressed, he was promoted to Senior Journeyman status (at the age of nineteen), as a direct result of the experience working at a Weyr granted him. Weyrling Lessons were a necessary evil, but that did not stop him from being quite the mouthy student, and like with his training at Healer Hall, he was very likely not popular among his teachers. Nevertheless, despite having quite an attitude problem, R'wign did work hard -- and it was necessary, as Checkoth was more than a little naive for a dragonet. His two tails also made learning the most basic things more difficult. Sleep was an elusive beast, in between his hours at the infirmary and taking care of his dragon, and he came to savor what little time he did have to himself. His room mate was Mutasim - now M'ta of Behruth - and the two got along surprisingly well; or at least, better than R'wign would have suspected.
His long hours in the infirmary led to what, at the time, R'wign viewed as a misfortune: He managed to Impress not one, but two more firelizards, bringing his number back up to four. The first was a mild mannered and polite brown that he named Hazard, while the second was a sleepy and mostly-temperamental blue he called Collision. They were the offspring of gold Zesa, a queen firelizard who looked to one of the wherhandlers and healer apprentice, a girl named Meira. Though he was initially very unhappy about it, R'wign quickly grew fond of the additions to his fair. He'd always miss Li, Ennayoh and Beggar, but the emptiness inside of himself that he was trying his best to deny existed was rapidly fading away. It was hard to be unhappy with a dragon like Checkoth in his life. The brown found everything delightful and was an eternal optimist: nothing could get him down and, in his eyes, R'wign was perfect. He could do nothing wrong.
The months that followed were peaceful until the poisoning of the Senior Weyrwoman, Shmee. Killed by an unidentified poison in her wine, the Weyr was plunged into utter chaos. The healers worked tirelessly to identify the poison. Being an herbalist with a specialty in poisons meant R'wign kept himself up day and night. Many lives were lost - and the poison itself never identified, though tithes were stopped by the new Weyrleader, Bronzerider T'rid of Corinth. The poisonings brought a new sense of helplessness upon the healer; no matter how hard he tried, he could never locate the exact source of the poison, though he narrowed it primarily to a powdered substance mixed in with the grains. It was treatable by standard poisoning treatment (activated charcoal) as long as people were brought to the infirmary quickly. In the end, the major casualties were a healer apprentice (and younger brother to the youngest goldrider), several dragonriders, and the Senior Weyrwoman.
To celebrate the poisoning finally coming to an end, several caravans came to Selenitas selling various goods. One of R'wign's friends, greenrider K'lir of Calistoth, purchased an egg from the caravans and sneaked it into R'wign's bags as he was shopping. The healer was unaware, and so he was caught by a great deal of surprise when his bag started chirping at him. And when he opened it, he found a gold firelizard hatchling staring up at him in undeniable affection. His initial response was terror and denial, and he retaliated by dumping an avian egg on the greenrider, but it didn't take him long to grow fond of the mild-mannered queen. He named her Elegance, or Ellie for short, and in comparison to most queen creatures, she was very subdued. She required little in the way of fawning, and appreciated genuine affection more than flattery. A quick learner, Ellie became his constant companion, a shoulder ornament everywhere he went, and like R'wign, Checkoth grew very fond of the firelizard. She was an apt learner, and R'wign managed to train her to identify items in the infirmary to make his life easier. Invaluable was Ellie - even if she was the fifth firelizard looking to him. Five again - for the first time since the plague that took his two blues and bronze from him. In many ways, R'wign was relieved. He didn't forget Li, Ennayoh or Stumpy, but the loneliness they left was all but gone. He was never alone again.
The peace was not to be. Merely a month after the poisoning swept through Selenitas, Benden launched an all-out attack on the Weyr that wiped out a majority of the population, including the Junior Weyrleader and R’wign’s longtime weyrmate, Marra, as well as his sister Religna. Their deaths were only one of many devastating results of the attack. R’wign himself was injured – losing one of his eyes and taking a bad chest injury that left him unsure of whether or not he could go between at all. Many of his friends were hurt in the attack and he was given little reprieve; in the absence of Kalierre (due to injuries), he ended up having to run the infirmary (despite his injuries). It was at this time that he became the official acting Weyrhealer, as the most senior healer after Kalierre at the Weyr. It was strange to have a ‘title’ – particularly when he was fairly certain that he was underqualified – but for once he did not object. The infirmary was an excellent distraction from feeling like he’d betrayed the people he cared about by surviving.
Perhaps it was fate; some would certainly say it was. In the weeks that followed the attack, R’wign spent a lot of time working in the infirmary – rebuilding it in the new stone structure, tending to the injured and organizing everything. It was during one of his extended infirmary shifts that he ended up ‘runmothing’ as it were for one of the wherhandlers – a girl named Meira who was so painfully shy that he almost felt as though he’d brutalized her. He’d never really taken notice of her save for her owning a gold firelizard, prior to that, but he was determined to establish some kind of friendship with her, since she seemed so worried about having hurt him. (Really, hurt was pretty far from what he was…) He spent a Gather after the ‘incident’ following her around, trying to make friends – and though she barely spoke, he liked to think of them as at least being moderately friendly with one another. She’d gotten to where she teased, at least. And because of her, he Impressed another firelizard. Dratted girl. By the end of the Gather, his number was up to eight. No human being should have had so many of them stuck to them.
Name: R'wign (ruh win)
Formerly: Rawign (RAH win)
Age: 22 (August)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual (+ M'ta)
Rank: Senior Journeyman Healer (Specialization: Herbalist), Acting WeyrHealer, Brownrider
Lover: M'ta of Brown Behruth
Physical Appearance: Standing at around six foot tall, R'wign is definitely not a small man. His build is trim, with compact muscle toning leaving no question to his physical strength. However, he's anything but bulky; the casual onlooker would most likely not realize just how strong R'wign is, due to his clothing hiding the majority of his muscle mass. His frame is more slender than the average man's, not enough to be taken as feminine, but definitely not large and imposing; as a result, most people would describe R'wign as a beanpole. He's certainly far from delicate, though, and only a fool would think him easily broken. One of his most characteristic features is his angular face, emphasized by defined cheekbones. While he'd likely never be mistaken for a woman, it's certainly possible that R'wign's physical appearance could be described as more feminine, particularly for a dragonrider.
However, he's definitely not perfect to look at. In fact, some would even say he's not even pretty anymore. Half of his face is, at least; his right eye is a dark shade of green very rare in humans, like looking at a dense forest's canopy. In poor lighting, his eye could even appear black. Shrouded by dark lashes, one might even go so far as to say that eye is pretty. His left one used to match it -- until he was twenty, when the eye was completely removed from its socket during the Siege of Selenitas. What remains is the empty eye socket, which R'wign usually keeps covered by an eye patch for the sake of politeness. The rest of his body is littered with scars from events throughout his life: twisting up his right side from just under his naval, over and around his back to stop at just under his left shoulder blade are several pure white claw marks from being mauled by a feline when he was seventeen, while two sets of four tears mar his chest. Another scar lines the bottom right corner of his lower lip, marring it a pale shade of pink in comparison to the rest. The last of his scars is a pair swinging around his collar bone, from when he Impressed Checkoth; the mauling was done by Bronze Aberath of the very same clutch, and the injuries were mostly insubstantial.
Aside from the mess of scars that makes up the majority of his appearance, R'wign has very dark hair. The strands are true black and wavy, often curling at the tips. He wears his hair cut short and parted to the side to hide his missing eye, and usually takes excessive time to dry it and pull it back before he sleeps, so that when he wakes it is straightened. His hair blends well with the tan he sports; his skin is dark enough that most would not believe R'wign isn't Southern by birth.
To compliment his appearance, R'wign usually chooses to wear moderate clothing; dark colors are preferential, but not necessary. He's very fond of green shades that highlight his remaining eye, and will bias toward them given the opportunity. He also wears a lot of belts, and not just the kind designed to hold up his pants; others that can have objects hanging from them, that strap around his legs, are even more desired. Since R'wign is fond of carrying around bits of meat for his firelizards and healing supplies, it's rare to see him without at least one carried bag. Typically, R'wign avoids all types of jewelry, except the kind with wings: He's almost never seen without at least one of his firelizards perching somewhere on his person.
Personality: Outwardly, R'wign is a pleasant, even friendly individual. He would best be described as a jokester, or class-clown; nothing is too flamboyant for him. From dressing in skirts, singing at the top of his lungs, to continual sarcastic comments, there can be no denying that he has a very developed sense of humor. He goes out of his way to pick at people in order to get a rise out of them, and the more elaborate the reaction, the more amusement he derives. He's mostly harmless, though; sometimes he picks at people and pushes too far, but usually, he's good enough at reading others that he knows when to drop it. Teasing, he is, and he's very good at it. Most of his statements could even qualify as flirtatious, though he doesn't typically mean it that way. Affectionate nicknames (like love and gorgeous) are commonly distributed among people he likes, and the more fond of someone he is, the more he picks at them. He's almost never at a loss for a joke, and he genuinely enjoys making people laugh. One of his better features is his ability to disarm other people with his playful behavior. It's hard to be rigid and uptight while laughing.
On the inside, however, he is quite different. The playful exterior is a mask to hide the more critical side of his personality. Incredibly intelligent (sometimes to his own detriment), R'wign is a fast learner - both with academic subjects and studying other people. It doesn't usually take him long to know how to behave with others in order to avoid a full-out fight and he's good at reading them to know just how far he can push his luck. He's a very good judge of character and more often than not, he knows more about people than they realize. His demeanor also usually leads other people to underestimate him, a trait he likes, for R'wign is very judgmental and also very manipulative; he likes to twist his words and behaviors in order to make people react how he wants them to. Most of his close friends could be described as dangerous - protectors. He very deliberately picks people he knows can protect him if he gets hurt, because R'wign is not a fighter. He can't stand to see other people hurt and the prospect of hurting another human being makes him feel physically ill. It's not that he's a doormat - he isn't; he's simply dedicated to the craft he's spent his life training, and healers save lives, they don't take them.
R'wign is a perfectionist; he is never satisfied with his own work. He always sees the flaws in what he does. This nitpicky behavior leads to him being rather insecure when it comes to his abilities as a healer. Ironically, he's very superficial and vain when it comes to the things that aren't important - especially his personality. Where he probably should be confident (he's definitely a gifted healer), R'wign is very hard on himself; he always pushes to try and be better. Under stress, he's a downright workaholic, spending every waking hour in the infirmary. Prying him out of there is a project and a half. He definitely doesn't let his health slip (he's a healer, after all), but he does obsess and is prone to ignoring other people when he's fixating on something. He's definitely efficient, though; rather than mope, he usually puts his energy to a very good use, even if he does damage friendships along the way at times.
To the few people R'wign actually befriends (and truly befriends, not just talks to in order to amuse himself), he is an exceedingly loyal friend. Getting rid of him is nearly impossible. He'll put up with just about any mistreatment, though he's prone to burying any hurt he feels so as to avoid conflict. He is very good at listening as well, and though he often appears flighty, R'wign is actually very responsible; he doesn't make a promise unless he intends to keep it, and he won't suggest to anyone something that he himself couldn't or wouldn't do. He's very good at giving advice (and would do well to follow his own from time to time) and never tells anyone what he's told; being born in the north taught him well to keep his mouth shut on most things. Rumors aren't something he bothers with. He'd much rather just make things up on the spot - works better that way in his opinion.
History: Rawn did not consider himself an arrogant man, but he was lucky and he recognized that. He was but a humble fisherman, albeit skilled in his craft enough to be recognized as one of the best at the minor fishing hold he called home. His wife Ligna was a rare prize among Northern women: Bold enough to speak her mind, respectful enough to back down and never do so publicly, and she was a beauty. With dark green eyes and black hair that fell in cascading curls over her shoulders, she was sought after by most of the hold's men... and others. Unfortunately for the fisherman, he would not find out until two Turns into their joining just how many men had eyes for his lady. The first few Turns of their marriage were almost miraculous in a place like Nerat; peaceful and happy, it seemed that they were meant to be together. Rawn never had any complaints about his woman, nor she about him, and unlike most females from the region, she never left her home covered in bruises... because her husband never raised a hand to her. Ligna was special, and everyone in the small fishing hold knew her name.
The small fishing Hold turned a decent profit in their industry, frequently bringing in a hearty catch when others from Nerat were unsuccessful. It was during the couple's first Turn together that the Hold drew the attention of their Lord Holder, and he came to visit in person. Whether it was intentional or not, he arrived several days before the fishing fleet returned home, and it was with the most popular female figure in the Hold that he chose to make his stay: Ligna. The visit was an altogether pleasant one, with the Hold's men receiving a great deal of praise for their craft and funding; homes were furnished and a profit was made, finally giving the region some recognition. Soon it came to be that the fishing boats that Rawn ran were some of the most well known in all of Nerat, and he one of the most renouned fishermen. At a mere twenty-five turns of age, it was more than a man of his stature could ever hope for. Unfortunately, he would find out later the price for his moment of glory.
It wasn't long until Ligna started showing, and anyone at the Hold who understood math began to suspect... including Rawn. When she gave birth to a healthy baby boy almost nine months after the Lord Holder's visit, most of their suspicions were confirmed, for the child bore absolutely none of Rawn's features. His eyes quickly turned to the same shade of dark green as his mother's, and the same ebony locks, but the sloping nose he inherited from neither. The relationship between Ligna and Rawn became strained rapidly after Rawign's birth, with the lady caring for her child to the best of her ability. Rawn wanted little to do with the boy, and the older he grew, the more pronounced that feeling became; his face rapidly became a mirror image of the Lord Holder of Nerat's, even though he bore his mother's coloring, and by the time that he was a Turn old, even the most unobservant was aware of the child's true lineage. Ligna maintained firmly that he was Rawn's son, however, and though the small Hold whispered of her infidelity, the Lord Holder never came back to claim his child... and though it took some doing, Rawn eventually came to claim the boy as his own.
So it was that a small child came to be on the fishing boats of Nerat. Barely a toddler, Rawn brought Rawign everywhere with him. He was determined that his only son (if not actually his) would learn his craft and master it; he would be the best fisher that Nerat ever saw and carry on the family legacy. Keeping the boy with him also punished Ligna, not with verbal assaults but denial of the child she so adored (for any with eyes could see that Ligna loved her son with all of her heart). The relationship was strained at best, but Rawn never officially announced his pretty wife as an adultress, and after two turns of whispering amongst themselves (as small holds were wont to do), the rumors finally died down. Soon other matters replaced Ligna and Rawn as topics of discussion, such as the more recent Impressions at Benden Weyr and the tension between the two Weyrs in the north. Rawign became a deck ornament on his father's ship, and even though he was too small to participate, he learned quickly how to tie knots with an expertise of one many Turns more experienced than he was.
Religna was born when Rawign was just over three Turns old, and unlike her brother, there was no question to her paternity; she bore her mother's coloring enough to resemble her half-brother, but her face was all her papa's. Born prematurely, it was a wonder the girl survived, but she did; unfortunately, she was neither the apple of her father's eye or her mother's. Her father sought a son to inherit the fishing enterprise when he passed and he had that in Rawign, while the boy was Ligna's first born and her favorite. Only Rawign adored the child as she was meant to be loved, and the two became close very quickly. Whenever he wasn't busy on the fishing boats, he would stay and play with his sister. The siblings grew extremely fond of one another, with Rawign's name even being one of the first words that Religna uttered. In many ways, Rawign was more like a parent than either of hers, and Religna came to cry constantly when her brother was away on fishing trips with Rawn. It was a tense time for the entire family -- because being away from his sister fishing became something that Rawign dreaded. By the time he was five, he hated fishing so much that it was a constant battle to convince him to come on the trips at all.
The intense hatred that Rawign bore for fishing was amplified when Religna was old enough to walk. Often the girl would find herself the victim of merciless bullying; she was a small girl, and unable to defend herself. She was also one of the youngest children in the hold, and children could be vicious. It was not uncommon for her to end up covered in bruises. When he was home, Rawign would defend her (with his fists, if necessary) and most of the abuse stopped -- but the trips fishing with his father were frequent enough that keeping his baby sister safe became an impossibility. His refusal to go with his father (often even sabotaging the fishing nets when he did come) were the source of many fights between Ligna and Rawn, and for the first time since their joining, Rawn took to hitting her to prove a point. Both Religna and Ligna wore bruises more often than not, and always as a direct result of the fishing: If Rawign refused to go, Ligna's face was black and blue, and if he did, Religna's was. The conflict was enough to make him sick. He knew he needed to do something to fix the problem.
The decision to leave was an impulsive one, as most decisions made by nine-turn-olds are. In the dead of night after helping tend to his mother's broken nose, Rawign decided abruptly that he wanted to be as far from Nerat as possible. And what was further than Fort Hold? Many Crafthalls were attached there, Healer and Harper alike. With a firm resolution to his chest, he stole a skin of water, a loaf of bread and a dried meatroll. He left in the dead of night, with no word to where he'd gone, or even whether he'd gone on foot or not. To disguise his escape, Rawign unfastened one of his father's smaller vessels, and he also released all the runners from the small Hold. The residents would be distracted tracking down their beasts, too busy to look for a missing child, and his father would (with any luck) believe he escaped to the sea. It was a very poorly thought out decision, but Rawign did not back down. By the time anyone even noticed he was gone, he was far enough away that even he couldn't have gotten back if he'd wanted to.
How long he wandered, Rawign couldn't say. He traveled primarily along the beaches where he was able to fish for food. His water he drank irresponsibly, and thirst became a very real problem after a few days in the wilderness. So did hunger, and that was only amplified when he woke up one morning with a baby firelizard sitting on his face squawking for food. Not thinking (mainly because Rawign was not at his best when first roused from sleep; his thought process was to wonder how a dragon came to land on his face in a tree rather than acknowledging what the creature truly was), he made the very critical mistake of feeding the blue... and earned himself a mostly-useless tagalong that constantly wanted some of whatever he managed to scrounge up. As luck would have it, the blue flit managed to find them water on numerous occasions, but the traveling was slow coming; in between eating maybe once every two days and drinking about as often, Rawign quickly became malnourished, and his energy was virtually nonexistent. Only sheer stubbornness kept him on his aching feet as he traveled... seeking out, really, anywhere he could get proper rest.
Help came to him in the form of a shiny patch in the sky. That, at least, was what Rawign thought it was as he laid on the ground like a lump in the middle of the afternoon. Beggar (for that was what he'd come to call the little monster, derived from the phrase 'You little beggar!') darted back and forth screeching until said shiny spot came down.. closer... closer; Rawign thought it very odd that a firelizard could grow so very large, and he was just about to remark on it when a person jumped off its back. A very small person, but a person none the less. Said person was a bronze rider from Fort Weyr, by the name of Ka'rys. Half-delirious and starving, Rawign barely registered the information as anything more than amusing, but he was not pleased when he was hauled onto the giant firelizard's back. He expected to be asked where he needed to go and to be taken home to face his parents -- but the man didn't inquire any such thing. He was instead told to hold on and that it would be very cold. That statement was the epitome of an understatement, and when they came out of between, Rawign fainted from exhaustion and stress.
When next he awoke, Rawign found himself in a bed in Healer Hall with an apprentice looking after him. He spent the next few sevendays doing little other than eating, drinking and answering questions: where he was from, where he was supposed to be, and what was he thinking storming off on his own? It took some doing, but he managed to convince the MasterHealer to allow him to apprentice at Healer Hall with the condition that if he ever ran away again he'd find himself right back in his parents' lap - which he readily agreed to. As for the bronze rider that rescued him - he did not see him anywhere in sight, and could only assume that he'd returned to Fort where he was stationed. He also never found out just how long he'd been gone from Nerat... but he'd made it into Ruatha in terms of distance, no small feat for a nine turn old.
The boy's apprenticeship was anything but easy. Naturally independent and prone to sarcasm, it was a wonder he wasn't kicked out of the Hall immediately. He defied authority at almost every turn and quickly found himself unwelcome with other children his age. Other his keen mind kept him from being completely expelled, for though he was undeniably bratty, Rawign was one of the most skilled apprentices of his age bracket. He memorized things quickly and in situations of stress, he responded with an almost tunnel-vision approach that made him very good at his job. He was favored by the Master Herbalist, who was in charge of teaching the apprentices all about the plants of Pern, and it was that subject at which he excelled. By the time he was halfway through his apprenticeship, he knew more about plants than several of the Journeymen at Healer Hall. Already he'd chosen a favored specialty, and he likely would have made Journeyman status early if his attitude was adjusted.
The beginning of the Dragon Wars was exceedingly rough on the Hall, and understandably so. Many patients with injuries unlike anything the apprentices had ever seen came to arrive in large quantities; massive amounts of burns were common as were slashes, and there was no small amount of dragonless riders in mental agony. All the apprentices and journeyman had their hands full, and the first turn was one of a large amount of casualties. Rawign, like many of the apprentices stationed at the Hall, received an alarming amount of experience in the beginning: everything from tending burn victims, to watching the dragonless die at their own request. It was a learning period for him, and though only a turn passed, he aged emotionally at an alarming rate; by the time that the turn came to an end, he felt was if ten had passed. The amount of experience that he gained from tending to the dragonriders was substantial... but the fear that grew inside him even more so; he came to be terrified of dragons and the destruction they could cause, and dragonriders themselves were treated with a certain distance as a direct result. Too many lives had been lost, and the war did not seem as if it was even slowing down.
Healer Hall was a sanctuary of sorts. Fort Riders were kept on one side of the Hall while Benden was on the other. For the Turns of his apprenticeship, Rawign worked with both Weyrs. At fifteen, he walked the tables and received his Journeyman knots. Rather than immediately be stationed to an outside location, however, he was kept on at Healer Hall to work with the Fort riders who were brought there injured. There were often too many to take care of for only the apprentices; many journeymen stayed for the experience that dealing with the war casualties gave. Rawign was not one of the people willing to stay, but he wisely did not protest. The war was becoming worse and worse; while Benden casualties were actually more common than Fort, there were still quite a number. He spent two turns working to learn, trying to teach himself to detach from the patients in the beds with burns all over their bodies, and more often than not, he went to sleep smelling burnt flesh in his mind. The images were burnt into his memory, and though he managed to save many lives, the ones that were lost, he never quite forgave himself for.
It was at a Gather when he was seventeen that Rawign's life was fated to change. The Gather attracted many visitors, from all over; some were there for healing supplies, some were selling garmants for the healers. Rawign intended to purchase a new bag to carry Beggar's treats in, but found himself quickly pulled aside by none other than the bronze rider who had rescued him six turns previous. To his surprise, his station was changing - to Selenitas Weyr, whether he liked it or not. Evidently he was 'Searched' and if he refused to go as a candidate, he would be sent as a healer (for the Weyr desperately needed them). The idea of being moved to any Weyr, even one in the south, petrified Rawign and he protested adamantly - to no avail. At the end of the day he was piled with his belongings onto Ciceroth's back and, trembling, was taken back to Selenitas Weyr with the promise that, "Dragons only eat particularly annoying people, so don't be annoying."
Selenitas was like nothing Rawign had ever experienced before. With the majority of the Weyr built in trees (including the infirmary), he could honestly say that it was probably the most unusual place on Pern... and he didn't mean it as a compliment. He arrived just in time for Gold Aslath's maiden flight, and no one bothered to warn him about the effects that a goldflight would have on him. Add to it that his blue firelizard decided to chase a green, and Rawign's first sevenday at Selenitas was close to unbearable. He wanted to go back to Nerat; surely that would be better than being stationed at a Weyr with so many... dragons. Even the nicer ones terrified him, and he felt horribly out of place. The Southern Weyr was so ridiculously casual about just about everything; no one seemed to understand his fear, and the few people he met were flat out bizarre. The Dragonhealer's dragon didn't even have wings. Dragons were supposed to have wings. And one of the Weyr's harpers was quite possibly the most irritating person he'd ever had the misfortune of meeting. Was it too much to hope for someone sane and normal to talk to?
Evidently it was, for his most frequent companion immediately after arrival became said unbearable harper - a girl close to his age by the name of Marra. Whether it was inherent masochism or simply the desire to prove that he could make anyone like him if he tried hard enough was unclear even to Rawign, but he became determined to befriend the girl despite her efforts at basically pushing him away. The pair accidentally happened upon a firelizard clutch in their exploring/fighting/flirting, and together they raised the eggs themselves in secret. The clutch hatched healthy, and Marra Impressed a green from the group, while Rawign walked away with a very foul-tempered green he chose to name Roxie, and a bronze he called Li. The most interesting thing about the eggs, however, was a small creature that was gold and came to be called a salamandyr; the female was named Daeluunya by her blue weyrlingrider bonded, and she, like many of the babies from the clutch, was a matter of great interest to Rawign. He viewed them almost as though they were his children and in secret kept an eye on all of them as they grew -- just in case.
One of the people who Impressed at his and Marra's clutch (he'd come to think of it as theirs) was a weyrling brownrider by the name of Z'hin, and someone Rawign liked. Therefore, when he was asked to go and help the brownpair by the river one afternoon, Rawign acted without thinking and went after them. It did not occur to him that going down to the river would be dangerous until after he got there and saw a feline considerably larger than any runner. The entire fight took place in a matter of minutes, with Z'hin and the goldrider they were helping (a girl named Paryal) managing to both get badly injured. Rawign too was sliced and diced, around his side and up his back as well as on his chest. The injuries were severe enough to leave him in the infirmary for several days afterwords, and when he awoke, he found Marra at his side, having never left throughout the entire time he was unconscious.
The Senior Queen's first clutch hatched while Rawign was still recovering from his injuries, and therefore it came as no great surprise to him that he failed to Impress. What did come as a large surprise was the presence of fourteen-turn-old Religna, his sister whom he hadn't seen since he was ten. Unfortunately they were not given very much time to catch up, as she did Impress, a sweet green by the name of Ith who Rawign grew quickly fond of. Not long after that, his relationship with Marra moved from friendship to something more, egged on by her green flit flying and his bronze catching her. Even when Marra was transferred to Blossom, Rawign did not forget her, and in her absence he worked to overcome his fear of dragons. It was quickly pushed away with help from most of his friends being dragonriders, at least to a subconscious level. The attack on the Senior Weyrlings, and the aftermath of recovering injuries, led to Rawign feeling like he belonged at Selenitas... despite the massive amounts of death, which did give him a healthy fear. Most of his dragon-phobia was drowned out by the time Marra managed to transfer back, heavily fueled by him taking on an apprenticeship as a dragonhealer under the WeyrDragonhealer Kalierre once she recovered from her injuries. In some ways, Rawign had changed for the better by Marra's return; most of his 'shields' were back up, his confidence restored, and though he was still intimidated by large dragons (like Millieth who liked to jump over him for some reason), he functioned.
Daeluunya running was a surprise to almost everyone - including Rawign. When she was caught by a firelizard and proceeded to clutch, he couldn't prevent a morbid curiosity from striking him. It was for that reason that he made the mistake of attending the first ever salamandyr hatching. The clutch bore creatures like Dael, small and noisy as well as firelizards and from it, Rawign impressed two - both blue. He came to name them Stumpy (after his tail being eaten by a bronze salamandyr Impressed by Kalierre) and Ennayoh - N. A. O.; not another one - bringing his number up to five firelizards. In many ways he was almost glad he'd failed to Impress any dragons, as it certainly would have made his head explode from stress. He cared for his firelizards, and when Millieth went up for her maiden flight, Rawign spent the entire day with Marra... celebrating; it would become a common habit of his during Queenflights, and he almost looked forward to them as a result.
The attack on the second hatching was enough to make Rawign not want to stand again - period. Seeing the Weyrwomen almost be executed after Weyrwoman Shmee's disappearance was enough to turn him off dragonriding period. A simple healer would be anything but interesting to attackers, after all. That, coupled with lingering fear of dragons (heightened by the entire attack), led to Rawign considering withdrawing his candidacy completely. He stopped sleeping in the barracks and started spending the night with Marra; the two of them were still together after a Turn, likely a miracle for two eighteen turn olds. He also started skipping lessons. When he bothered to show up, he was defiant, testy and far, far from friendly. Aslath's next hatching was only attended because Ka'rys of Ciceroth was a friend (or at least, Rawign viewed him as a friend) and his failure to Impress once again came as no big surprise, or hurt to him. In some ways he was grateful; he was rapidly approaching the age where he could no longer Stand, and he wouldn't have to face a queen again. (Aslath terrified him due to her being testy at her first Touching because of his injuries.) Part of him thought something was wrong with him anyway -- after all, how many people Stood for so long and never Impressed? Not many. Him and Mutasim, a candidate he never spoke to. There was clearly something wrong with them both.
It wasn't long after the hatching when things became amiss again. Firelizards were rapidly acting strange, even becoming sick. Many of them were dying. Having five meant Rawign worked tirelessly in the infirmary to try and locate the source of the epidemic plaguing the little creatures, but to no avail, and all of his research was for naught -- for he lost three of his. Only Blue Stumpy and Green Roxie survived. The deaths of three of his beloved pets was traumatic for Rawign, enough that had Junior Weyrwoman Kaegan not actually told him that he should Stand for her Queen Millieth's clutch, Rawign likely would never have faced another draconic species again. Part of him would always mourn the three firelizards he lost; he'd Impressed Beggar at nine, nearly ten turns previous. It was a constant in his life very vividly disrupted, and he felt followed out inside, as if there was a whole in him that would never quite be filled.
But he got very close to it. Rawign spent the entire duration of Millieth's second Hatching lurking near Mutasim - until the boy Impressed the first brown of the clutch to hatch. While he was happy for him, Rawign was left with no one to talk to - or indeed, have anything to do with. He lurked and watched, fully expecting on the hatching to end with him walking off the Sands alone, when he was tackled by a bronze. The pain of the sands on his back (even through his candidate robes) was extreme, and as soon as the little monster got off of him, Rawign actually threw one of his shoes at the hatchling. (And missed; he managed to come close to hitting one of the weyrlingmasters by accident, though.) So distracted was he by his anger that he didn't even see it coming until it was too late: a brown hatchling with two tails tackled him over and proceeded to babble at him about what a good chair he made and -- his smell. As soon as his confusion cleared, Rawign realized the baby dragon's name was Checkoth and... he'd managed to Impress him, somehow. Despite smelling like the infirmary exploded on him. No, he didn't understand it either.
From there on out, he was R'wign of Brown Checkoth, and his days were very busy indeed. Right after he Impressed, he was promoted to Senior Journeyman status (at the age of nineteen), as a direct result of the experience working at a Weyr granted him. Weyrling Lessons were a necessary evil, but that did not stop him from being quite the mouthy student, and like with his training at Healer Hall, he was very likely not popular among his teachers. Nevertheless, despite having quite an attitude problem, R'wign did work hard -- and it was necessary, as Checkoth was more than a little naive for a dragonet. His two tails also made learning the most basic things more difficult. Sleep was an elusive beast, in between his hours at the infirmary and taking care of his dragon, and he came to savor what little time he did have to himself. His room mate was Mutasim - now M'ta of Behruth - and the two got along surprisingly well; or at least, better than R'wign would have suspected.
His long hours in the infirmary led to what, at the time, R'wign viewed as a misfortune: He managed to Impress not one, but two more firelizards, bringing his number back up to four. The first was a mild mannered and polite brown that he named Hazard, while the second was a sleepy and mostly-temperamental blue he called Collision. They were the offspring of gold Zesa, a queen firelizard who looked to one of the wherhandlers and healer apprentice, a girl named Meira. Though he was initially very unhappy about it, R'wign quickly grew fond of the additions to his fair. He'd always miss Li, Ennayoh and Beggar, but the emptiness inside of himself that he was trying his best to deny existed was rapidly fading away. It was hard to be unhappy with a dragon like Checkoth in his life. The brown found everything delightful and was an eternal optimist: nothing could get him down and, in his eyes, R'wign was perfect. He could do nothing wrong.
The months that followed were peaceful until the poisoning of the Senior Weyrwoman, Shmee. Killed by an unidentified poison in her wine, the Weyr was plunged into utter chaos. The healers worked tirelessly to identify the poison. Being an herbalist with a specialty in poisons meant R'wign kept himself up day and night. Many lives were lost - and the poison itself never identified, though tithes were stopped by the new Weyrleader, Bronzerider T'rid of Corinth. The poisonings brought a new sense of helplessness upon the healer; no matter how hard he tried, he could never locate the exact source of the poison, though he narrowed it primarily to a powdered substance mixed in with the grains. It was treatable by standard poisoning treatment (activated charcoal) as long as people were brought to the infirmary quickly. In the end, the major casualties were a healer apprentice (and younger brother to the youngest goldrider), several dragonriders, and the Senior Weyrwoman.
To celebrate the poisoning finally coming to an end, several caravans came to Selenitas selling various goods. One of R'wign's friends, greenrider K'lir of Calistoth, purchased an egg from the caravans and sneaked it into R'wign's bags as he was shopping. The healer was unaware, and so he was caught by a great deal of surprise when his bag started chirping at him. And when he opened it, he found a gold firelizard hatchling staring up at him in undeniable affection. His initial response was terror and denial, and he retaliated by dumping an avian egg on the greenrider, but it didn't take him long to grow fond of the mild-mannered queen. He named her Elegance, or Ellie for short, and in comparison to most queen creatures, she was very subdued. She required little in the way of fawning, and appreciated genuine affection more than flattery. A quick learner, Ellie became his constant companion, a shoulder ornament everywhere he went, and like R'wign, Checkoth grew very fond of the firelizard. She was an apt learner, and R'wign managed to train her to identify items in the infirmary to make his life easier. Invaluable was Ellie - even if she was the fifth firelizard looking to him. Five again - for the first time since the plague that took his two blues and bronze from him. In many ways, R'wign was relieved. He didn't forget Li, Ennayoh or Stumpy, but the loneliness they left was all but gone. He was never alone again.
The peace was not to be. Merely a month after the poisoning swept through Selenitas, Benden launched an all-out attack on the Weyr that wiped out a majority of the population, including the Junior Weyrleader and R’wign’s longtime weyrmate, Marra, as well as his sister Religna. Their deaths were only one of many devastating results of the attack. R’wign himself was injured – losing one of his eyes and taking a bad chest injury that left him unsure of whether or not he could go between at all. Many of his friends were hurt in the attack and he was given little reprieve; in the absence of Kalierre (due to injuries), he ended up having to run the infirmary (despite his injuries). It was at this time that he became the official acting Weyrhealer, as the most senior healer after Kalierre at the Weyr. It was strange to have a ‘title’ – particularly when he was fairly certain that he was underqualified – but for once he did not object. The infirmary was an excellent distraction from feeling like he’d betrayed the people he cared about by surviving.
Perhaps it was fate; some would certainly say it was. In the weeks that followed the attack, R’wign spent a lot of time working in the infirmary – rebuilding it in the new stone structure, tending to the injured and organizing everything. It was during one of his extended infirmary shifts that he ended up ‘runmothing’ as it were for one of the wherhandlers – a girl named Meira who was so painfully shy that he almost felt as though he’d brutalized her. He’d never really taken notice of her save for her owning a gold firelizard, prior to that, but he was determined to establish some kind of friendship with her, since she seemed so worried about having hurt him. (Really, hurt was pretty far from what he was…) He spent a Gather after the ‘incident’ following her around, trying to make friends – and though she barely spoke, he liked to think of them as at least being moderately friendly with one another. She’d gotten to where she teased, at least. And because of her, he Impressed another firelizard. Dratted girl. By the end of the Gather, his number was up to eight. No human being should have had so many of them stuck to them.