08.Jan.19, 06:42 AM
The first question that fell from the Master Healer’s lips had Madiquel blinking up at him in surprise. Madiquel’s head tilted slightly, her long hair shifting and she frowned delicately at him. Was that a trick question? Eyebrows furrowed just slightly, Madiquel waited until the Master Healer had finished speaking, before replying – a small smile flickered over her lips at the quip about dragon travel – but she didn’t comment on it; it wasn’t the right time, though she had a feeling Verec would be relieved to know that the majority of folks who would respond with that were already Impressed (and mostly to blue dragons…).
“To learn,” she said honestly, her eyebrows raising up once more, but still slightly furrowed together. “To be useful to my Weyr, to help my friends and family when they’re in need.” Her features smoothed out, and she considered whether or not to elaborate. It probably wasn’t needed, but she had a feeling that the Master Healer would appreciate her candour. “My best friend Impressed at Ista,” she said, glowing proudly for A’tay, before her expression darkened. “He got mauled,” she said, before adding hastily, “not badly!” Well, that was a relative term – especially considered to the disaster that Hatching had been. “But I want to be able to help,” she said earnestly, “not sit stuck on the sidelines worrying uselessly.” She frowned darkly, gaze dropping to her lap.
Glancing up after she’d gathered her thoughts, Madiquel met Verec’s gaze firmly. “I will not be a dragonrider.” She stated that sentence with the firmness of someone who had come to a decision a long time ago, not someone who was sulking about losing out on a dream – a dream so many of her fellow Weyrbrats clung to without intention of releasing. “But I never thought about what I wanted to do until ‘Tay was hurt before his Impression.” She didn’t want the Master Healer to believe that she had been holding on to this dream for most of her life, that wouldn’t be true, and it wasn’t in Madiquel’s nature to be deceitful.
“To learn,” she said honestly, her eyebrows raising up once more, but still slightly furrowed together. “To be useful to my Weyr, to help my friends and family when they’re in need.” Her features smoothed out, and she considered whether or not to elaborate. It probably wasn’t needed, but she had a feeling that the Master Healer would appreciate her candour. “My best friend Impressed at Ista,” she said, glowing proudly for A’tay, before her expression darkened. “He got mauled,” she said, before adding hastily, “not badly!” Well, that was a relative term – especially considered to the disaster that Hatching had been. “But I want to be able to help,” she said earnestly, “not sit stuck on the sidelines worrying uselessly.” She frowned darkly, gaze dropping to her lap.
Glancing up after she’d gathered her thoughts, Madiquel met Verec’s gaze firmly. “I will not be a dragonrider.” She stated that sentence with the firmness of someone who had come to a decision a long time ago, not someone who was sulking about losing out on a dream – a dream so many of her fellow Weyrbrats clung to without intention of releasing. “But I never thought about what I wanted to do until ‘Tay was hurt before his Impression.” She didn’t want the Master Healer to believe that she had been holding on to this dream for most of her life, that wouldn’t be true, and it wasn’t in Madiquel’s nature to be deceitful.