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[G] [C] 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - Printable Version

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742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - D'nei - 18.Mar.21

D'nei held his new firelizard close to his chest, wrapped up under his jacket as he made did his best to not outright run to the weyrling barracks. He was already starting to second guess his decision to visit Aederyn, but she did have a firelizard who was very well trained, so that meant she knew things about them right? At least that was his hope.

It's A'ryn now, Casnovath gently reminded him. The dragon was excited about having a new miniature blue friend for himself and D'nei, but the odd splotchy coloration and vast splotches of white (or perhaps very light blue) and the little thing's erratic skittish behavior had them both worried. At least for now it was happy and content to just be held close.

Luckily it seemed that Casnovath had already sent word ahead, either to A'ryn's little green or one of the weyrlingmaster's assistants about his short notice visit, since the former runner was waiting just outside. D'nei waved, relieved to see both the woman and her little brown firelizard. "Hey, sorry, hopefully you aren't too busy I just... I think something might be wrong with my firelizard."

D'nei opened up his jacket to pull the little odd colored blue out, as it mewled and thrashed in protest before tangling up around his arm. It was mostly whitish with was a tiny bit of more obvious brighter blue sprinkled over the wings, some on his feet and tail, but the largest span of blue was across the tiny thing's neck and the tip of its nose, a brilliant and bright hue with some paler sky blue splotches. Most of the face was white, including the eyes. Especially the eyes.

"I don't know if its eyes are supposed to be like that or not... is it like puppies where they're born with their eyes not really working? I managed to get him fed but he kept missing and he's really clingy and I'm worried I'm going to mess something up and I was hoping you'd know something."


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - A'ryn - 18.Mar.21

A message from the assistant on duty was a welcome distraction. A’ryn wiped her oily hands on a cloth and checked to make sure her precious green was comfortable before heading outside. It had been far too long since she’d talked to anyone other than a fellow classmate or the weyrlingmaster or assistant, and word of D’nei wanting to swing by was met with a grateful smile.

“Dnei! So good to see you!” A’ryn bounced on her toes, nearly about to throw an excited hug around the blue rider, sending Rudi launching into the air above her. The redhead hesitated, though, at D’nei’s worried demeanor, dropping her arms to her side instead as she took in the drawn expression. Her brown chittered excitedly before settling on her shoulder once again as she waited, brow furrowed, listening to the young man.

“No, I’ve got time. Jen’s down for a nap after her last meal, and I’ve got a little while at least before she wakes again.” Her expression flowed between excitement, joy, and worry, settling into a half smile oddly paired with a furrowed brow as he pulled a tiny, squalling firelizard from his jacket. A most unusual pattern, the creature looked completely white at a glance, but when he stopped writhing splotches of blue across his neck, nose, and a few on his wings were easily made out. Other than most of the color in his hide, he seemed to be missing some other color, too, and she noticed it as the words came from the blue rider. The creature’s eyes were completely white.

Her own eyes widened in wonder at the little thing, and shooing Rudi to take a perch on a bench close by, she bent to get a closer look at the creature wrapped around D'nei's arm. “No…no, fire lizards are much like dragons in that…whirling eyes, red with hunger at hatching. They work well right from the shell, they have to, as they have to be able to fly away to find food if there isn’t any being offered to them when they break shell…Good job getting him fed, for sure…”

“Hang on, I want to try something…see if he responds to movement or sound…” As quietly as possible, she waved a hand to one side, nodding to herself when the creature didn’t seem to notice, and then, the other hand behind her back so the movement wouldn’t be a factor, snapped her fingers. Watching as it drew a reaction. “I—I don’t think he can see…”


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - D'nei - 18.Mar.21

D'nei frowned at the mention of eyes turning red when hungry. He'd seen enough of that back when he was a weyrling, and he was certain there'd been no change in color when the firelizard had hatched. Or maybe there had been and he just hadn't noticed? When he'd tried taking a closer look after that initial awkward feeing and he could have sworn there was something then, but it had been very hard to tell either way. For now he just fretted as he waited for A'ryn to finish trying whatever it was she was doing.

"He can't... oh no." D'nei frowned, pulling the firelizard back more securely against his chest, offering it some soothing pats as it calmed back down and loosened the grip it had on his arm. "Shh... it's okay there, little guy." He could feel that it had been distressed being jostled about, felt insecure and worried it would fall, so trying to hold it a bit more firmly seemed to help. His concern seemed rewarded with a soft chirp and a radiating feeling of safety and D'nei's frown grew. "Should I take him to a healer? Maybe he's just sick and it will go away. Or would a beastcrafter be better?"

He clung to that bit of hope for the moment, unsure of what to do. "He doesn't even have a name yet, I've been too distracted." Casnovath had settled down nearby and cautiously crept closer for a better look. I like Specter. He's a bit spooky and pale isn't he? And his eyes are creepy. "His eyes might not stay like that," D'nei said with a frown as he glanced back at his dragon. "A healer might be able to fix them." He turned his attention back to the lizard, turning the name over in his mind again before looking back at A'ryn and offering an explanation, "Cassie suggested Specter because of the eyes."


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - A'ryn - 18.Mar.21

A’ryn waited patiently as her friend went through his various options, nodding. “A healer would be able to tell for sure.” She kept her tone soft, both for her friend and for the tiny flit cradled against him, not wanting to startle the creature more.

She pursed her lips, tilting her head, wondering whether a healer or beast crafter would be best, and decided on a reasonable in-between that was probably better suited to the situation, anyway. “There are a number of people here at Fort who are trying to learn as much about healing dragons as they can, maybe one of them?” She brightened a bit at the idea, and hoped D’nei would, too. “I know L’gan of Semath, and the candidate from, I think, Ista…not sure if he’s still around, though. Both of them had been helping that blue and his rider who got injured during the storm at Aradisscath’s last hatching. One of them would probably be best.”

Leaning closer again to watch it, those ghostly white eyes devoid of any color that she could see, she chewed at her lower lip in thought. The past couple of nights allowed some small respite as Jenath had started to get the hang of nighttime sleeping, and A’ryn had wanted to take advantage of that by trying to get a jump on her eventual healer studies. But, she’d soon abandoned the idea after needing to re-read the same paragraphs multiple times before retaining any of the information; the exhaustion of caring for a hatchling was still too great to allow for any new input to take hold. Still, she tried to recall some of what she’d read about symptoms of various things.

“Does he seem tired all the time? Or is he refusing food?” Rudi, no longer able to contain his curiosity, particularly after hearing a word he was intimately familiar with, ‘food’, winged up to land on his girl’s shoulder. Not seeing a meal, but another one of his own, he peered cautiously at the smaller lizard, head cocked to the side.

“It’s possible, that if he is sick, somehow, maybe his eyes would work again when he gets better.” She tried to hold onto D’nei’s hope, too, if just for a moment, and watched the tiny thing, contentedly curled against the blue rider. Sighing, her lips quirked into a thoughtful frown. “But he really doesn’t seem sick, to me…though I’ve a long way to becoming a healer.” She shrugged and offered a half-smile. “He is a sweet thing, though, isn’t he? And Specter, yes, I think that does work well, ghostly eyes, ghostly white coloring, mostly. The bits of blue are quite striking.”


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - D'nei - 18.Mar.21

D'nei nodded as he made a mental note to ask L'gan about it as soon as he could. The healer was rather nice from every interaction that he'd had with him, granted that wasn't all that much. D'nei mostly kept to the infirmary supplies and records, making sure the healers didn't run out of things and noting shortages or excess they could probably set aside to either share or keep in long term storage. He gave the little blue firelizard a gentle stroke with his thumb. "He's eaten everything I gave him, but he's not all that old... I don't think he's tired? He just likes to feel secure so he just hangs out on me. I'll try to keep an eye out for those things though."

Hopefully little Specter wasn't sick, but if he was then... well hopefully whatever was wrong could be fixed by a healer. D'nei sighed and gently adjusted his arms so that he was only using one arm to hold the lizard. "Well thank you for your advice. I just panicked and you were the first person I thought of who owned a firelizard and it made sense to come here and ask and... well I'm glad I didn't interrupt anything." He knew other people with firelizards, plenty of them, but for some reason A'ryn had stood out.

He gave her a smile and nodded. "I'll probably take him to L'gan as soon as I can. It's good to see you though. How are you doing with your dragon?" Hopefully D'nei hadn't come off as rude with his earlier fretting and anxious questions. Specter yawned from his position in the crook of his arm, though the bluerider knew that the firelizard wasn't feeling especially tired. Instead the little thing started to cautiously sniff around and climb up his jacket before gently bumping into the side of his neck and settling down there against his bare skin. D'nei frowned and reached up to make sure Spec wasn't about to fall off before he relaxed again.


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - A'ryn - 19.Mar.21

“You’re welcome, though I don’t know I was of much help…” She winced and shrugged helplessly. “Thanks for thinking of me, though…” She trailed off for a moment before reaching for Rudi at his perch on her shoulder. “I’m glad Rudi made a decent impression.”

A small half-laugh escaped as she watched the tiny blue curl against D’nei’s neck. Such an usual little thing…She wondered what would come of him, and hoped all the best for the creature. He at least had a kind human as his bonded, so he wasn’t poorly off, even if he wasn’t ever able to see…

“Oh, it’s no interruption. At least, not a bad one.” Rolling her eyes, a weary smile flashed across the redhead’s face. “It’s nice to be reminded that there’s more to life than oil and hunks of meat. We’re doing well, thanks. A lot of work, but worth every second of it, for sure. Though, I’ll be glad to start up my morning runs again…I’ve missed that.” The little trail around the inner wall of the bowl, while not much, held a certain draw now that she’d been deprived of her running for month, with the sporadic sleep and constant feeding and oiling.

Yes, we are doing well, thanks for asking. The little green nosed open the door nearby, fast-whirling, curious eyes betrayed by a mighty yawn. She plopped her backside down with a huff, long limbs awkwardly folded beneath her as she looked between her girl and this newcomer. You were talking. I wanted to know what was going on. You mustn’t expect me to just sleep when you are out here talking and stuff. She said, by way of explanation, but seeing her girl’s somewhat withering expression she dipped her snout apologetically before continuing anyway, tilting her head at D’nei. Another rudi?

“Another firelizard, yes. This is D’nei, of blue Casnovath there, and the firelizard is Specter.” A’ryn said in matter of fact introduction, trying to stifle a smile. She hoped that the art of tact was something that could be taught, but for now it was tolerable, and, she dared think, even somewhat cute, though still not to be encouraged. Turning to her friend, she shrugged and flourished a hand toward the green. “And this is Jenath. Who really should be asleep right now.”


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - D'nei - 19.Mar.21

"Well you reminded me that healers existed, and helped me calm down a little bit at least. I'm still worried about him, but now I at least know I'm right to? If that makes sense." D'nei did his best to not just be embarrassed by his initial panic, instead just smiling in relief that he hadn't bothered A'ryn too much. "The Weyrlingmaster will probably start to require morning runs soon enough so at least you'll have that, though it probably won't be as much as you're used to already."

Jenath's arrival caught his attention and he smiled at the little green. "Hello there, iti s nice to meet you," D'nei said in a casual greeting. Casnovath eyed the green weyrling curiously before offering his own warm, Hello. She was still too young to have his proper attention beyond that greeting, and D'nei was grateful that his dragon wasn't making things even more awkward and weird. He turned back to A'ryn with an amused smile, remembering some of his own awkward moments while he was a weyrling. "She'll grow faster than you realize, they always do. I was so excited to see that you'd impressed, even if it did mean I missed you while out running. Once you two get settled in more and you have more free time let me know, I'd be glad to visit with you more."

He could practically feel Casnovath roll his eyes at that, not really at the desire to hang out, but more the mention of running. D'nei ignored his dragon and reached up to give Specter a soft pat. "I should probably let you get back to things and I need get Spec to a healer. I'll try to let you know what they say and maybe visit some more." He gave her another smile and turned to Jenath to give her one as well. "I'll probably see you later as well. Be good for A'ryn, she's really nice."


RE: 742.03.15 | Flitter Fretter - A'ryn - 20.Mar.21

“I’d like that.” She smiled at her friend, feeling like it was safe to call him such, and glad to count him as one. “I still need to teach you to dance, too.” The smile morphed into a lighthearted smirk at the idea, looking forward to whatever challenge awaited, before flipping again to an expression of concern when he said he’d take Specter to a healer. “Please, yes, let me know what they say.”

Under the blue rider’s brief attention, Jenath shook her head and flicked a wing, sending a few pebbles skittering across the ground as she misjudged her limb’s length. I am good. But yes, I will behave. She is nice. You are, too.

Something between a laugh and a sigh escaped the redhead at her green’s cheekiness, and with a small wave farewell, she herded Jenath back inside. “See you around, D’nei, and keep me posted on Specter,” A leather pad, with some sort of texture or grip, or maybe even a tether of some kind, might be helpful for the little blue…if he truly was blind. It might help him feel more secure. She logged the thought away for future reference.

With Cazan gone, she’d be on her own for figuring stuff out, and it would be quite a while before she’d have the free time to get back to any crafting. And by then, the blue may be able to see…or be comfortable enough to get around…or… She shook her head. She didn’t want to think of the last possibility. Rudi crooned from her shoulder, and she scratched at his eye ridges. No, hope for the best. Always. Spec looked healthy enough. Though…

Once Jenath was settled again, she dug out the book from under her cot and tried to look up anything she could on eyesight issues.