Stuck In The Mud [R’nd]

At hearing the boy in the bed was Indamor, R’nd’s attention shot back to the bed, vision much clearer than it had been previously. He saw the bronze dragonet guarding the sleeping boy but he also saw the lack of arm and the bundle of bandaging. “Oh, B’jin,” the child often came across as creepy to R’nd and he had had a brief moment of wondering at the Hatching what it would be like with Indamor now a bronzerider, meaning he would one day properly outrank him. He never wished the kid harm though. His heart broke again for the pain he knew the boy was in physically and the pain B’jin was in mentally and emotionally. What would it be like to see Benden like that? He had been lucky, the toddler and his mother had been trapped in their room from mud blocking the hall but freedom had been obtained and neither seemed to sport much of a scratch.

The reason for the loss of the limb was heard but not absorbed properly as the odd voice he wasn’t used to hearing filled his mind. R’nd frowned at the tiny bronze and was about to answer but B’jin surprised him by beating him to it. He knew hatchlings had no volume control but he also knew how hard it was for dragons to communicate with the greenrider. That was a fun and positive thing he learned that day and as silly as it was, R’nd cherished it after all the turmoil and misery of the day.

A protest almost came when B’jin separated them but the hand in his put an end to that and R’nd followed along and allowed himself to be seated. Another protest started to form over getting the chair while B’jin sat on the floor but the greenrider looked content to cuddle up as he did so nothing was said. They still had a form of contact and R’nd was making sure B’jin didn’t leave his line of sight for quite some time.

While B’jin’s murmured words weren’t clearly heard, R’nd thought he heard B’jin state he loved his boy and took the chance to address the guilt that was nearly bursting from B’jin. “He grabbed it because he loves you. I don’t think he’s ever going to regret doing it and you shouldn’t either. Don’t ruin his dedication and love to you with that, love.” R’nd softly ran his fingers through B’jin’s hair. It was normally gorgeous and soft to the touch but it had seen better days. Dirty and knotted, it matched R’nd’s own and while appearances did mean a lot to the bluerider, it had been the last thing on his mind that day, though at one point he had managed to tie it back. His free hand went to his own head and R’nd nearly laughed when he found half of his hair was still tied up though the strands that framed his face had fallen loose. He left it as it was.

“I should have stayed with you. I wanted to give you some space… some sleep, so I went home. If I was with you…” Maybe he could have saved one of the Weyrlings that were lost. B’jin had named one, and he was a sweet lad, but R’nd wasn’t ready to hear the other names. There were so many he was still trying to come to grips with; like V’zire. He was one of the sweetest men R’nd had ever known and he was gone. He had heard about B’sen as well. At least two of his classmates had died in the tragedy. R’nd suspected there was more but Ayyonth had started to shield him, leaving out names as they mourned all day. V’zire though; that had been hard. No; he didn’t want to hear anymore names that day.

“I’m sorry, B’jin.”