Ever the Twain

"He's sure he's hurting much more than he really is," C'tic said amiably, beginning to loosen another towel. Neru carefully held a damp towel out by its corners, trying to hold his breath from the acrid smell of the numbweed-soaked fabric.

C'tic chuckled. "You get used to the smell of numbweed quickly," he said, taking the corners of the towel from Neru. Keeping it carefully stretched, he placed it flat on the raw-looking flesh. Brith gave a moan that was more relief at the coolness of the potion than pain.

"How long does it take him to heal?" Nian asked.

"Actually, they heal very quickly," C'tic replied. "You can see here on the shallower parts of the burn when the new skin is already forming after just a few days. Are you really interested?"

"Oh yes," Nian said.

"My sister is good at nursing," Neru said, staunchly.

"Well, if you aren't upset by such things, you can peel off that next towel while your brother gets a replacement. Easy now."

He watched her as she carefully slid her long index finger nail under the edge of the towel and began rolling it back as she had seen him do. He nodded approval. Brith's neck flesh quivered briefly, and then Ru was holding out a replacement dressing. Nian managed to get it neatly into place.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," C'tic said. "Hey, Brith, this is going to be a snap today," he said encouragingly to his dragon.

To one side of the infirmary, one of the other riders exclaimed in dismay, "Shards. We've got another fainter. Someone get me a cold compress while I brush all the sand off her; she certainly hit the dirt with a bang!"

Neru peered around those gathered to assist the fainter and he chuckled. "It's the girl in blue, Ni," he said with a little smirk. "The one who fancied your egg."

"There's usually one who's not good with wounds," C'tic said. "Has someone brought the restorative? That one will make a fine rider!" His tone was sarcastic.

"You'd think she'd be used to injured animals, being the Masterfarmer's daughter," Nian murmured to her brother.

"Now, she can't help the way she is," Neru said with considerably more charity than his sister expressed, "even if she was promised the gold."

"I'd pity the gold," Nian replied.

Brith carefully turned his head back to eye Nian and Neru. The blue of his faceted eyes was shot through with orange.

"We're not hurting you, are we?" Ru asked apologetically.

No. The twins gasped as the dragon's mind seemed to fill theirs. The fresh numbweed is so soothing.

"Did I really truly hear him speaking to me?" Ru asked C'tic, who grinned at them. The question Nian sensed in her brother was that, to him, being bespoken by a dragon meant that he had a right to be a candidate.

"Dragons speak to anyone they want to," C'tic said, reaching to remove another old dressing. Ru scooted off immediately to provide a new one.

"Will it be like that in the Impression?" Nian asked. "We will hear a dragon's voice in our heads?"

"Yes, that's how it happens," and C'tic had the same soft expression on his face as H'ran had had.

"And you can always hear them?" Nian asked. "I can usually hear my twin brother — especially if he's in trouble."

"Ah, I thought you two looked alike."

"Oh, we're not completely alike," Nian said. "Neru's much smarter and stronger. He'll make a splendid dragonrider."

"You both will," C'tic surprised her by saying.

"How do you know that?"

"My dragon told me so," C'tic said, and his smile was kind, not teasing.

Two more dressings were needed and then C'tic thanked them for their assistance.

"Can we help again?" Nian asked.

That will depend on what happens at the Hatching, Brith replied himself. But I would he glad of such light fingers. Maybe you should train to be a dragon healer.

Nian blinked, startled by his remark.

"Well, you could, you know," Ru said, regarding his sister with some pride. "You're always tending the injured at the Hold."

"Come along, now, candidates," H'ran said. "It is nearly dinnertime."

"Oh, good," Ru said, rubbing his hands together. "I'm hungry."

"Wash your hands well," C'tic said, pointing to a sink to one side of the infirmary. "Remember, you've been handling numbweed. If you don't scrub your hands thoroughly now, some of the numbweed may rub off on your lips when you start eating. Believe me, I know, it's no fun trying to eat your food when your lips are completely numb. Added to that, you'll slobber all over yourself and not even realize it. Not a pretty sight!" While their laughter subsided, the candidates used the scrubbing brushes at the sink and lathered their hands with sweetsand until their skin was rubbed red. As they washed, aromatic odors wafted in their direction and promised a fine meal. By the time they reached the Lower Cavern, weyrfolk were setting generous platters and bowls on the table for them to serve themselves.

"Hey, this is great food," Neru said after he took his first heaping forkful.

"It's meat, you mean," Nian said, teasing her brother.