Muneo's Ruin: Death of a Gold (Rewind)

[Dizzy]

(One Turn ago, Turn 2506)

The first of the Dragons’ wails echoed through the stone corridors of the Council Room bringing many to their feet. Merda and her Juniors rose from their chairs quickly as did J’ren and many of Sodalis’ Wingleaders. It was an ear splitting sound that drove the riders out to Sodalis’ bowl in search of a cause for such an up roar.

Periheth is gone…but her rider-They have her Caliath keened loudly for the younger gold, breaking into the air she circled her Weyr followed by hundreds of her kin. The feelings of sorrow and anguish hit Merda square in the gut, it was enough to make her have to pause leaning against the cool smooth wall. “Periheth? gone,” she whispered to no one in particular. “That poor child.” The older woman squeezed her eyes shut briefly before making her way on out to the bowl. The scene that followed left her in stunned silence.

The clutching Gold had not been the only causality…

[didster7]

Revonna hurried out to the bowl with the others. Rylonith, her golden hide dulled to a paleness that looked tarnished, sat back on her haunches, wings extended, keening loudly. Revonna ran to her dragon. "What is it my love? Who?" [glow=red,2,300]Periheth and her entire clutch. Rivers of fire and earth shakes. Hers remained.[/glow] Rylonith responded. She lifted her golden head and began keening anew. Revonna stroked Ry in comfort. "It is a terrible loss, the whole clutch." "and Periheth." she added almost as an after thought. She continued to comfort Rylonith until the keening subsided into occasional sobs. "You just stay here my beauty. I am going to take care of Periheth's rider.

'Yes, I will take care of you Amoare, you will be begging me for the draught.' she thought as she headed for the Infirmary. She mentally ran through a list of the herbs she could use.

[karwen]

Safiya's face paled at the news her lovely golden lifemate had just given her. "Amoare! Her gold and clutch!" The name was a whisper on her lips. She could understand, to a point, how the girl must feel. Be feeling now. Safiya quickly picked up her skirts and ran to where she thought the girl must be right now and saw Merda. She quickly fell in step behind her Weyrwoman.

[Memorie]

((I'll be picking Merda up from here.))

Merda noticed the steps behind her and glanced over her shoulder to find Safiya. The girl had been acting oddly for a long time. Mentally, the older woman knew that the junior weyrwoman had been "acting oddly" for long enough for that to become her normal behavior, and so it wasnt even really acting odd anymore, but she was still disappointed. She had had really high hopes for the woman to follow her as weyrwoman. Anyone but Revonna, she used to think. But now...Amoare had been her high hope. And now, Amoare had no chance as Weyrwoman. Weyrwomen had queens. There was a pinch in Merda's chest--sadness. You must keep a strong front for the Weyr, Merda, she told herself, giving herself some of that tough love she had so often shown others. "Safiya," she said stiffly, "I'm guessing you know what's happened. Please keep Ryceth away from Amoare for a bit. She and Periheth looked enough alike that seeing her gold hide will hurt even more. I'm not even sure that Amoare will be rejoining us at the Weyr. It may prove too painful." She went out to the bowl.

There were many dragons there, both injured and not. When Merda had heard the news of the earthshake, riders had been sent, but apparently not quick enough. On her way through the bowl, she glimpsed a blue with lacerations through its leathery wings, a bronze with a burn on his underside, a green with a chunk of her tail completely gone (almost as if left under a boulder somewhere), and a brown with light burns on his face. She shook her head and began giving orders. "P'yir, go get some numbweed on that bronze. Yiirrla, felis for the greenrider. G'rund, get your bronze to calm down that blue, and I mean now. He's gonna make it worse." Caliath?

I'm on it. The gold roared from her spot on the ledge, and the Bowl suddenly became much quieter.

"Much better. Now. Safiya, I want you to tend to riders. Your soft hands will heal many a wound, I think. Follow the Weyrhealer and ask him where you are needed." She turned away, indicating dismissal. "Now, where is that flamed Revonna?"

[karwen]

"Ryceth told me," the young goldrider replied. She listened to Merda a moment. "I understand." [[Ryceth, stay on our weyrledge. It might prove to be too painful for Amoare to see you right now.]]

{{I understand.}} Ryceth replied before slipping back into their weyr.

Tears came to Safiya's eyes as she saw the damage done by the natural disaster. She couldn't help but hate the savagery. It was almost too much for her to see. At Merda's crisp words, Safiya immediately turned from the Weyrwoman and looked among the gathered injured and able-bodied for the Weyrhealer. Spotting him she ran up to him. "Where can I help?"

[didster7]

Revonna continued across the bowl toward the infirmary, stopping twice to help apply numbweed to dragon burns. Finishing with the second dragon she looked about the bowl. There was Merda, issuing orders to the riders as if they were drudges. Caliath's roar was quickly followed by one from Rylonith. Revonna smiled perversely. "That's the way my love. Help keep order out here while I finish my task. She then continued to the infirmary.


(TO THE INFIRMARY)

[Dizzy]

Master Briac afforded a quick glance about the bowl, ‘Thank Faranth for Merda and Caliath.’ At least now the chaos was down to a bearable dull roar. It was hard enough to heal without having to worry about pain stricken scared lifemates… the dragons weren’t much better.

The stout man continued walking through the lines of injured trying to assess where resources, both material and manpower, could best be used. The number of casualties was horrendous. Briac, in all his years as a healer, had never dealt with such numbers before, it would be taxing on the Weyr’s supplies to say the least. “Boy, what are you doing?” The Master Healer called out coarsely to one of the far too few healer apprentices on site.

“Nothing Master, merely easing his pain till he can be seen by a Journeyman or better.”

“Nothing you say? I would think giving fellis is more than nothing.” Briac knelt down beside the moaning man, trying to get a better idea of what was afflicting him. From the lacerations on his chest it looked like he had been crushed by falling stone. “Hear the gurgling? He is far too gone for one of us to save. Keep the fellis for those who have a chance at living.” Pulling out a red piece of oily chalk from his tunic pocket, Briac made a round dot on the dieing man’s head. “Go boy, see if Journeyman Abenzio needs anything.”

As the apprentice left the salt and pepper haired man called back out to him a sad compassionate look in his dark eyes, “It is a hard lesson to learn, but we can’t always save everyone.” With that said, Master Briac stood back up and looked about for Journeyman Tevel. “Tevel, start having the dying separated out, we’ve got to mark the ones we can’t save.”

“Aye. I’ll have the riders bring them to the edge of the bowl.” With that both men turned back to their tasks, until Briac was brought back by the light sound of a gold rider. “Ah, yes Safiya I can definitely use you here. You’ve a good grasp of basic healing from Revonna?”

[Drache]

Tevel followed his Master's instructions. Walking through the moaning and agonized casualties, he gently marked those whose wounds were to severe for them to survive. A small group of Sodalis riders followed behind him, picking up and carrying the marked ones outside of the infirmary, grim looks on their faces. Dragons continued to keen as more of their number Betweened, unable to cope with the deaths of their riders. Tevel was near the entrance when he was nearly bowled over by a panicked brownrider.

"A Healer! I need a Healer right now!"

The man was obviously fit except for numerous scratches on his face and forearms. What could be going on for him to be demanding help in such a tone? Tevel grabbed the man's arm to get his attention. "I don't know what's wrong, but all the Healers here are busy. If you have patient bring him here." The brownrider shook off Tevel's grip and placed one of his own on both of the Journeyman's arms, shaking him harshly. "Amoare is outside and she needs help. Periheth was killed and she is hysterical."

Tevel did not wait to hear any more. Yelling for Master Briac to follow him, he followed the brownrider outside at a run, stopping only to grab one of the numerous Healing kits that were being used.

"What have you done for her?"
"We forced her to swallow some fellis juice, but she won't stop screaming and trying to get away from us. We don't want to risk giving her anymore but she's hurting herself."

Amoare was only a few yards from the Infirmary. Getting close to her, Tevel stopped short. Of all the injuries he had seen today, none could compare to this. Amoare's face was streaked with tears and blood. Her dress was ragged and her legs proved to be severely bruised and torn up, flashing from underneath her dress as she tried to kick free of the large bronzerider trying to restrain her. Her fingers were bloody, a couple fingernails torn off as she tried to dig through rock to get to her dying lifemate. Her eyes though... her eyes were the worst. Hollow. Angry. A despair so deep that it sent shivers downTevel's spine.

Tevel hastily reached into his bag as the brownrider went to help the bronzer once more. "How much fellis did you give her exactly?" He pulled out the small bottle of fellis juice as he checked the bronzer for injuries as well. He had scratches on his face and arms like those of the brownrider which were not to bad. The bite marks on his arm would have to be treated however.

[hrsegrl245]

Jovial, Z'rion might be but today was not for laughter or smiles. Today was a sad a day. To lose ones dragon was possibly the worst thing to ever happen to a person. Since Amoare had been brought back to Sodalis, Z'rion felt he should do anything in his power to help. Sadly he had no real Healing knowledge and it seeemed upon approaching the infirmiry that he was growing less and less certain of what he might or might not be able to do for the dragonless woman.

He entered quietly, a hard task for one so large and looked from the Healers to the WEyrwomen. Before he spoke he made sure that people in the room could hear him, though it was hard to miss the loud boom of Z'rion's voice on most occassions. HE didn't wish to alarm anyone especially Amoare.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" The twenty three turn old was not sure how to handle a situation such as this one. Perhaps it would have been better for him not to come. Sadly it was too late to back out now. You better not...or I'll flame you myself.Empty threat though it was, it certainly got Z'rion in the mood to help. Sharding dragons...

[Dizzy]

"Help us hold her, she's been fighting like this since Periheth let out her last scream." The Bronzerider got a better hold of the struggling woman's arms even as she was able to bring her knee up into his side. The desperate man let out a deep half sigh, half grunt. "You're a strong looking fellow, get her bloody legs for she does that again or worse.."

"The Fellis? Right..." The Brownrider thankful that it had not been him to get his ribs bashed, turned back to the Healer. "We've given her close to 2 1/2 drops...

Tevel set back on his heels, mild shock crossing his sweaty face. "You're sure it was 2 1/2 drops... you weren't mistaken?"

[hrsegrl245]

"Oh. Certainly, just a moment." Z'rion walked around the Healer. Now that was what he called a job. Something he could certainly do. He moved over to the side of the flailing woman. Using some amount of force he held her down. The tall man used one hand to grab her ankles and hold them down. He used his other arm to hold her knees down, by spreading it across and applying pressure.

He didn't want her upsetting the Healer's work, anymore than anyone else did. Why were they keeping the poor woman alive? She looked worse than anyone he had seen come from the Muneo incident. Even worse, what would she do without a dragon? Z'rion couldn't imagine the pain , shock and loss. What if he lost Viderieth? He couldn't fathom it. He just couldn't.I am here. You are here. Dragon logic.

[karwen]

"Yes, sir," Safiya stammered. The thought of Amoare still clinging to her mind. What if I lost Ryceth?

Don't even comprehend such a thing! It will NOT happen! Ryceth growled.

I know love.. but I can't help it. Safiya turned her attention back to Briac. She put his instructions to memory. She nodded when she should and made sure to keep her attention on him, not what was going on around her. "I'll do my best, sir."

Safiya hated injuries, of any kind. She didn't like this any better either! She felt sorry for Amoare. She hated to think of what that girl was going through. To lose her lifemate, lose the other half of her soul. She bit her lower lip as she turned to do the Healer's bidding. Her mind was still whirling with the grief and anguish she felt. She shouldn't feel this though. She was a Goldrider. She needed to be strong!

Everyone has to be weak every now and then. Even Goldriders. Ryceth remarked to hers.

[Dizzy]

Master Briac heard Tevel's yelling and looked back to see what was so urgent... he wasn't sure at this distance who was putting up such a fight but Tevel and the riders with him had their hands full.

"Lady Safiya, an emergency. Please see to the blue outside, they are trying to set his rider's broken leg before they move him any farther and it is enough to deal with his fighting without one of the Journeymen being crushed in the process. I know they could use some skilled hands and a Gold's mind touch... after that work with the Apprentices and any who can be pressed into applying, reapplying and checking dressings." Without waiting for a reply the Master Healer took off at a jog toward the entrance of the infirmary, a time like this didn't respond to rank and file... only to action.

[Drache]

The Brownrider shook his head. "I'm afraid not. She is still giving us a fight, as you can see. We didn't want to give anymore at risk of killing her." The brownrider didn't want to kill Amoare, but in the state she was in, he wondered if it would just be better to do so, to let her be with her dead gold.

Tevel was shocked and perplexed. What was he to do? He couldn't give her any more fellis. That could kill her. Any other sedative could cause her harm as well. Seeing Master Briac running over, Tevel let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Faranth..." Now he wouldn't have to make the tough decision.

After letting Master Briac examine the dragonless woman, Tevel took him aside and informed him of the fellis. "The only thing I can see doing right now, Master, is taking her to a comfortable bed and restraining her so she can't hurt herself or anyone else further and let her get all of this out of her system there." It was a last resort suggestion from the Journeyman and after having said it, he gladly let the Master Healer take over.

[Memorie]

Merda took in a deep breath. All these men were doing was rough-handling a grief-stricken girl. Holding her up and back, and force-feeding her fellis until she dropped...Merda thanked Faranth that Briac had better sense. She shook her head and went over to the small gathering as fast as her old, achey legs would take her. Damn the joint-ail!

"Oy! You, boy! Let her go, you silly dimglow." Merda rushed forward to catch the girl as she fell. She was still raving and ranting, and Merda held her close to her chest and petted her hair softly. "I know, girl. Let it out." Amoare clawed at her, but Merda just let her. She needed to get it out.

After a few more seconds of the strenuous effort, Amoare lost consciousness. Merda supported her until one of the bronzers came to carry her to a bed.