Troubling Changes (HG)

[LyricalBlue]

Side by side, walked petite dragon and rider. The emerald green padded silently beside her rider, clearly petulant about having to go see the healer. The entrance to the Infirmary was large enough to fit even a Queen so little Zhatiath was dwarfed in comparison.
I still don't understand why we have to do this. I feel fine.

Estess stopped, arms crossed and looked around the large cave. Not a soul in sight. Shard it. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. Both the green and herself had been running in loops for the last week or so. The normally volatile green was displaying even faster mood changes than usual. And combine that with the constant stomach ache and nausea that Estess had and the two were a pair indeed.

So, after much arguing, Estess had convinced Zhatiath come with her to see the dragon healer. Phaedon was well known for having a knack with the dragons that sometimes even their rider's did not.
Estess turned to the green, arms still crossed.
"We both don't feel well. And you haven't eaten!"
You are sick all the time.
"Right, which is why we need Phaedon to figure out what is wrong with you."

The green stopped, her head and wings visibly drooping. The worst part of her rider not feeling well, was that Zhatiath felt it too. Would that she could make it go away, but all she could do was share it.
Estess's eyes softened and she looped her arms around the Green's neck.
"Oh I'm sorry Zha, we just need to get better."

[hrsegrl]

"... we just need to get better." Was all Phaedon heard as he walked behind the pair towards his usual office. "Looks like you are in the right company then." He smiled warmly to both dragon and rider. The dragon was a bit droopy but her color was good. That he could see already.

"Why don't you both come over this way." He said as he passed them and showed them to a spot with a dragon couch built in to the cavern wall. Phaedon motioned for the green to come in and took a chair from across the room, bringing it next to the dragon couch for the rider.

"I try never to forget a face but lets make sure I'm not wrong. " He was a healer before he became a dragon healer and the pallor of the woman's face was a lot worse than that of the dragon. Both were obviously feeling ill from something. Which one was sick was more the question to him.

"Zhatiath and Estess." He said waiting for confirmation. "What exactly are her symptoms and which of those are you also feeling?" Phaedon was used to talking only to the rider, most dragons preferred only to bespeak their own. Also many people who did not impress had a very hard time with telepathy and did not hear them well.

[LyricalBlue]

A sigh escaped from Estess as the Healer showed up and she turned to face him. In time, she and the green turned and made their way over to the couch. Zhatiath laid down, wrapping her long tail about her side. She turned whirling eyes on the Healer and her rider as Estess sat down in the offered chair. The petite rider fidgeted for a moment

Estess paused to take a deep breath and gather herself, her stomach was still doing flip flops.
"Zha won't eat. We've both been temperamental and my stomach has been constantly upset." She chewed her lower lip and continued to fidget, now that she was in front of the Healer she was not sure that she wasn't overreacting. It could just be a simple summer sickness or something.

It is more than that. The green dragon swung her head to lock gazes with the Healer. She almost never talked to anyone other than her rider. But with Estess sick, she had few options.
She has been sick for a week. She can't keep food down, mornings are worse.
All Estess could do was blink in surprise, mouth open like a fish. Zhatiath didn't talk to other humans... Maybe this was more than a summer sickness after all.

[hrsegrl]

He was watching the interaction between the rider and the dragon. As he listened to what Estess had to say he could narrow it down to only a couple of things for Zhatiath but he got the distinct feeling something was a little off about all of this. Any of those illnesses would have Zhatiath looking pale and losing a lot of weight. Plus the dragon had walked here. Which meant her energy levels were normal.

In a habitual way, Phaedon rubbed the back of his neck a moment. When he was finished the dragon herself contacted him. Smiling he listened to what the green had to say. Dragons could not lie. He would trust Zhatiath's judgement over Estess if her had to.

"I see. Well as you may or may not know, I began in life as a healer not a dragon healer. I would love to say there was something to be done about all of this but its sort of a waiting game. Nothing is wrong with Zhatiath. She is in excellent color and condition, her mind is obviously active, she has energy and seems very much concerned about you. I'm more concerned about any emotional distress this may cause her if something is wrong with you." He wondered briefly if the thought had even crossed her mind.

There were only a couple of things that could be wronf with Estess and he could save her the trip to the infirmiry. One question would answer that for him. Women tended to react negatively to it though. Swallowing hard he asked the obvious question, "Have you gone Between lately?" That would solve it. If she said no, his suspicions would probably be justified.

[LyricalBlue]

For several long moments, Estess simply stared at the healer. Her mind whirled and she looked more like a wherry that a dragon was staring down than the human she was. Behind her, the green crooned soothingly and Estess reached out a hand behind her to lay it on the dark nose of the dragon. The contact seemed to snap her out of whatever place she was in and Estess shook her head.

As soon as Phaedon had said between, her mind had made the connections. No, nothing was wrong with Zhatiath, thankfully. It was Estess herself that was off, the more she thought about it the more it made sense. She scratched the green's muzzle and Zhatiath crooned worriedly again.
"No... I haven't I see what you mean now..."

Her voice trailed off and she turned to look at Zhatiath, the pinched expression on her face saying everything the voice could not convey. The green lifted her nose to push at her rider's hand.
It is alright, when you are better I will eat.
"Oh Zha."
Estess turned her head to look back at Phaedon and sighed.
"I am sorry to have bothered you, Healer. Thank you."

[hrsegrl]

Master Phaedon saw that the woman was not reacting well at all to this. Oh dear, people were harder to deal with than dragons. Estess was probably one of those women who did not want children. "It has been a pleasure to help you and Zhatiath. I have time to see you whenever you need." He grinned. It was no bother to him to spend time learning more about the dragon- rider relationship.

"Oh and Estess, congratulations." He had several children with his weyrmate. Each addition to the Weyr was needed. As she was a dragonrider herself she must know the benefit to the Weyr. As a person he was concerned she wanted nothing to do with children.

A thought flashed through his mind about her trying to Between now but he would not voice it. Estess would still lose the baby but it would be very painful and she would miss a lot of training with nothing to show for it.

[LyricalBlue]

Her mouth hung open for a long while. That was really not what she had been expecting, her hand never moved from the green's nose until Zhatiath stood and moved next to her rider. The little dragon nudged Estess gently with the tip of her wedge shaped nose.
We should go home. A little you is a good thing. Do not worry.

Estess found herself smiling slowly at the dragon's comment. Zha always did know exactly what to say when it came to cheering up her rider. A little her... well maybe that was not such a bad idea after all. It would mean she could avoid the Weyrleader's obnoxious drills for awhile. But it also meant... the only man she'd been around recently enough to matter was Ev'os. She'd not seen him since before he Impressed. No surprise there, he'd Impressed Bronze, she doubted she would ever see him again.

A hand drifted down to her stomach absently. She nodded slowly to Phaedon, clearly distracted.
"Again, thank you Healer. I'm glad nothing is wrong with Zhatiath." The green lifted her head, blue eyes whirling, to gaze at the Healer as well. She then turned silently and began to pad outside. Estess was behind her in a moment.
"You have to eat now you know."
I will. You should eat too.