Bathing, oiling, and guilt trips (Open, Dragons)

[Rei]

Danar gave the green dragon a final pat and a soft shove. “There you go Ebolath. All done.” He smiled broadly as she crooned. Thank you. Mine thanks you as well. With a final flick of her tail Ebolath launched from the ground and banked sharply to avoid an incoming dragon.

Danar’s next customer was arriving.

Soon after the candidate was stitched and professed good enough for work, Danar had tried to help out with the injured. Lack of knowledge and a propensity for arguing with the wounded soon got him kicked out. Driving himself crazy with the need to somehow help out, he hatched a plan.

Many of the injured riders where to sick, to weak, or basically physically incapable of washing and oiling their own dragons. So Danar offered to do it for them. He charged nothing. To him it was duty. The duty to help his fellow weyrmates to the best of his ability. So far it was going well and he had a few frequent customers.

Occasionally a few other candidates would join him and Hero always lent a hand. The bronze fire lizard was small, but he could reach a lot of places Danar couldn’t. Grabbing his bucket of cleansing sand and other supplies he quickly made his way towards the descending dragon. “Hey there Frosstyth. How’s that thick skulled rider of your’s doing?” The brown weyrling was a frequent customer and Danar was under the impression that the dragon purposely got dirty just so he would have an excuse to be bathed….again.

[Rowana]

Ruskeath watched the boy bath two of the weyrling dragons. He was hesitating, circling the sky above. He actually hadn't been oiled in since the attack, although he had been swimming to clean away most of the dirt. He hadn't wanted to bother G'tor, who was still recovering. He wanted the man to get better and not worry over him, but when G'tor saw the state of his cracked hide, he had insisted that Rusk find someone to care for him. "It's only for a little while," he assured the brown with a smile. "I'm getting better all the time."

So here, Ruskeath was, waiting his turn patiently and with a little nervousness. It wasn't like he hadn't had candidates wash him before. Saeo and C'oar had done a fine job the last time. But G'tor had always been with him, and it felt odd letting someone else touch him without his rider around. Well, Rusk? Are you getting a bath yet? G'tor asked. Ruskeath grumbled. I am going. he said firmly and dropped down to land next to the pool. Should he say something? He really didn't feel like talking to this boy. He barely knew him. Ruskeath settled for a quiet rumble as he sat and waited his turn.

[dragon]

Frosstyth wiggled, and posed dramatically. I am ready for a bath! he announced to the friend of his. Mine is making a mess like always ... almost as bad as you about infirmaries. He doesn't want to be there. I am afraid that if he doesn't stop trying to get out, they're going to have someone bigger than him sit on him... I try to tell mine that he needs to stay off his feet until his legs heal, but he's being stubborn. Frossyth answered, suddenly taking on a more serious stance... his rider was something that he really cared about. And it distressed him that his had been hurt so badly, and then again that his was not allowing himself to heal properly.

Mine says his arm and face are healing nice. But his legs are taking longer to heal. I am so glad mine doesn't have any injuries any closer to his middle. The dragonet stooped low and rolled over and over in the water before sitting up again. Blinking the water from his gaze, he looked up as Ruskeath showed up and landed.

The young brown was plainly awed as the larger, older brown arrived. Do you need a bath too? He asked, staring unblinkingly up at Ruskeath.

[Rei]

Danar half laughed at Frosstyth’s comment as he began to sud up the weyrling brown. “Really now. You tell that bone head of yours that he needs to get better soon. I want him to see me impress when Millieth’s clutch hatches. I’ll be around to visit him soon. Ask him if there is anything from the kitchens he wants. If I know C’oar than he is no doubt complaining about the food they feed him there.”

The candidate stopped speaking to concentrate on a particularly dirty ridge. “Seriously though yours will get better don’t worry about him. He’s got a hard head but he’s not stupid. He won’t push himself to hard.” Suddenly a bronze flit bust from between and circled once before landing on the weyrling brown's back. Chirping pleasantly to him he began to scrub with his.

When Ruskeath landed Hero crooned a welcome and Danar looked over at the large brown. “Hi there. If you just wait over there I will be done with Frosstyth here in a few minutes.” Smiling pleasantly to the brown he resumed his industrious scrubbing. A few other candidates should be on their way to help as he had sent Hero for them.

[hseru]

It was a rare moment of quiet and rest for Lanthos, as he took a break from the toil of caring for patients. He was learning a lot at the makeshift infirmary. Maybe after everything was back to some sense of normalcy, he’d apply to be an aid to the place. He was honestly surprised that he wasn’t completely sick of the whole thing already, and he was sick of the never ending list of injuries from the attack, just not the act of caring for the injured. He found that he had a soft patience for those he looked after, much like that for the animals he used to train.

He lounged out on his bed, groaning at the sheer feel-good effect of the action. Mask trilled cheerfully, landing on the foot of his bed and starting to preen. He tended to remain in the candidate barracks when Hispet went off to the infirmary, so the fact that Lanthos had come to visit him was cause for much joy. Pep slid down from his perch atop Lanthos’ head, sitting up on his chest and ‘singing’ with Mask. Pep Pep PepgoodPep. The blue frilled at the flitter, who flapped in return. Lanthos watched with an amused smile.

It was then that a bronze flitter popped from Between and circled over them for a moment before flashing a few images to Lanthos of dragons and weyrlings in particular getting bathed next to the river by Danar, a candidate he was now rather familiar with from a number of things, from class to the attack. A question was tagged the end of the flitter’s images, and Lanthos got the message. Would he like to help? He glanced down at the bluepair, who had stopped fluting to watch the bronze firelizard. “What do you two say, wanna help Danar wash some dragons?” Mask shied away from the thought of meeting other bigwings, but Pep was all for it. He liked the Wings, even the big ones. His Bluewings wasn’t as fascinating, but that’s because he was Pep’s Bluewings, and Pep knew just about everything about him.

Before Lanthos could send his reply, the bronze flitted between again, and Lanthos laughed a bit to himself at the flitter’s impatience. Gathering both blues to him, he quickly stood and headed outside. Mask launched to follow, gliding just overhead, anxious at meeting bigwings. Peering over the railing, he made his way back to where he’d just come from, surprised that he’d missed the other candidate’s dragonwash. It took a bit as he navigated the falls and shoreline, but he was shortly striding across the sand to Danar and his ‘customers’, grinning at the prospect of cleaning a few dragons. It reminded him of his first meeting with a dragon, and that thought abruptly made him sad all over again. Poor, poor Kindrith… and E’yan. He should visit the first rider friend he'd made at Selenitas. Maybe it would make him feel better, thought Lanthos doubted he could really cheer up someone who'd lost the other half to their soul. Just thinking about losing either Pep or Mask made the candidate weak with unhappiness. Trying to find his upbeat attitude again, Lanthos raised a hand in greeting to the other candidate, forcing a smile that slowly became more real. “Hey Danar! Want some help?” The fact that a big brown had just appeared only made him more eager to begin, rather than driving him away.

[Rowana]

Ruskeath settled himself down. His tail twitched as he waited patiently for Danar to finish with Frosstyth. When the weyrling spoke, he looked down at him with surprise. He wasn't used to inspiring awe in other dragons. Though some greens found him nice enough and G'tor always said the dark red down his back made him look handsome. Even so, he was not the largest of his size, by any means, nor the most impressive. The young brown might even grow to be bigger one day.

I do. Ruskeath admitted privately to the other dragon. My skin itches. And Tor says I should not wait for him to be well again. At least Frosstyth helped Ruskeath to relax a little. This was a dragon to one of G'tor's favorite weyrlings. If he was enjoying the bath, then it would probably be just fine. And here was a second boy too, another one that G'tor new from when he had impressed Star. Good, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. At least G'tor wouldn't complain at him afterwards. Ruskeath didn't think it was fair. G'tor hadn't had a bath in days either, and he was starting to stink too. After this, he would see that the healers made him get a bath.

[Lotty]

Kasella still had slurry and pulp stuck on him from the archives when he managed his way back to the barracks. There simply was never words for the relief the boy felt whenever he got out of chores and a chance to lay down on his bunk for a bit. He practically threw himself onto the cot and rolled around a few times, wrinkling up an already ragged tunic. Finally finding that certain spot that was so comfortable he let out a big sigh and tried in vain to fall asleep, but if it wasn't for the bump in the mattress then it was the humidity in the air, or the light shuffling in from the hall or any other various distraction that kept him awake. He had to settle for a nice zombie like state, laying sluggishly and bored.

That's when the firelizard popped in. Images...of more work? Kasella buried in face into a pillow as if that would help blind him to the charitable deeds of his fellow candidates. When the question was asked of him - to help or not to help - he curled his face into a definitive from and cried, "NO!" into his bed.

Nobody should expect me to be as kindly and great as the others... he huffed in his head, trying to justify his selfish, brash response. As he laid on the bed some more, the firelizard now gone and now alone with his thoughts again, he couldn't help but feel bitter. What are they looking for someone to give them a gold star for this? He shuffled uncomfortably again, guilt leaking into his every thought until finally he groaned and said, "Fine!" to the empty room.

Kasella made his way to the river, vaguely recognizing Danar and Lanthos, though a perennial candidate such as himself couldn't be expected to remember every name he learns. Approaching, cool, collected, but still with a much too serious look on his face, he offered his help, or at least in his own little way, "So you wouldn't mind if I came and helped out a bit I suppose?"

[dragon]

Frosstyth wriggled in the watter, creating small waves and possibly throwing Danar off balance next to him. Oh! Well, Danarfriend here is giving baths! He has washed me twice already! He is really good at it, and so is his Hero... Hero! Hero! Frosstyth turned his attention from Ruskeath to the young bronze flitter. A little lower there, Hero... that spot itches terribly! He bounced in the water once, in excitement, when other lads showed up to help. Some with flitter-friends, some without. Oh! More help! Maybe they can start on you? he asked, of Ruskeath, completely forgetting how big he was already, and the dangers he posed to the likes of Danar in the water next to him.

Mine will get better! Will yours get better soon, or later on?

[Rei]

The entrance of the other candidates was a bit overshadowed by Frosstyth’s happy bouncing. “Fross! Be careful you big lug. If you don’t stop moving you are gonna smash me. If you smash me I won’t be able to bathe you anymore.” Danar gave the brown hide beside him a pat and shook the water out of his hair. Yeah, now he was soaked. Good thing he had worn old clothes.

Ridding himself of his shirt Danar tossed the soaked fabric onto the river side to fetch later. “Stay still for a minute ok and then you can go rinse off.” Noticing the other candidates he have a wave. “Hey guys! That brown over there is waiting if you wanna start on him. There is cleansing sand in those buckets behind you. Make sure you ask him to get wet first. If he doesn’t speak to you don’t worry. Not a lot of them do.”

Hero chirped obediently and lowered himself to scrub where Frosstyth directed. Was that better? He could scrub harder if the big brown liked. Soon the weyrling brown was all scrubbed and ready to rinse. “Ok buddy go ahead and rinse and met me on the bank. We’ll go ahead and oil you now.”

Danar sloshed to the bank where he proceeded to wring out his pants. Grabbing an oil rag and a bottle of oil he began to work the oil into the cloth. Hero winged over to the other two candidates. Would they like some help with the rather large brown?

[dragon]

((Posting here early, cause I'm leaving ... so ya'll can go a little farther before getting stuck))

Frosstyth stopped moving suddenly, as he realized what he was doing to Danar. Swinging his head around, he nosed the boy in the side. Oh, Ok. I forget ... you are getting smaller every day, you know that? So is mine! Are you not eating enough??[/color] He warbled a croon as he felt just the right spot get scratched thoroughly by Hero. Good, good He praised of the flitter. Almost as good a scratcher as Storm!

And then he happily trounced downriver to drop to his belly and roll enthusiastically in a wide spot there. All his soapy sand rinsed off as he rolled. He stopped shy of getting himself all muddy again, though, and crawled out of the water onto the bank. Taking a moment to shake his head and ruffle his wings, he sprayed the forest around him with water. Thus partially less-wet, Frosstyth hurried over to where Danar was standing with the oil.

I like getting oiled! He remarked, happily. He was in a chipper mood today, and apparently didn't mind making really strange or silly comments the whole way. Be sure to tell those two to oil you well, you look like you need it! It will feel very good. He told Ruskeath. And then he opened his wings, so that Danar could reach all places to oil him good.