C'dor stroked D'nian's close-cropped, bristly hair. He had never seen his weyrmate like this before. Never imagined that the strong, confident brownrider he had fallen in love could fall so far. Never imagined that D'nian would ever need to turn to him for help, for comfort.
It was just a stupid training exercise. They had done it a million times, without any difficulty at all. Why did this time have to be different? Why had that stupid bluerider allowed his dragon to flame without making sure he was in clear air? C'dor still couldn't really believe that it had actually happened.
D'nian stirred in his arms, and C'dor helped the younger man sit up. "Ni?" he asked tentatively.
"Dor," D'nian said, with a hint of a sob still in his voice, though he had stopped actually crying for the first waking moment since Gellith… C'dor's mind instinctively veered away from finishing that thought. Since the accident. "I… I need…" D'nian broke off, starting to sob in earnest once more.
C'dor pulled him up into a crushing hug, understanding what his weyrmate could not say. He needed to join Gellith between. And how could he deny him that? Would he be so cruel as to force the man he loved to live dragonless, just for his own comfort? "I know," he heard himself say, his own voice breaking. "I know."
D'nian clutched at his shirt. Through his tears, he said, "Will you and… and… and Talith?"
Time seemed to slow. It was one thing to understand D'nian's need, even to accept it. But to help? To drop his weyrmate, his love, between and leave him there? And yet… To leave that task to another knowing that he and Talith would be a comfort to him in his final moments seemed to be the worst kind of cowardice. C'dor felt tears start down his own face as he pulled D'nian even closer. "Yes." Surely no word in history had been as hard to say as that one.