Everything hurt.
They blinked awake, their head feeling woolen and sluggish in thought. Breathing deeply hurt, bruised ribcage complained of excess use, shoulders ached from unrubbed muscles and unused wing joints protested with starbursts of pain. Tired, but too tired to sleep they turned their head to the side. For a moment there was a double image, a pale girl's face superimposed upon a blue-gray dragonet's. For a heartbeat longer the mindlock holds, then a break, as keenly felt as any fracture of bone, and Char was aware of herself again. Vaeth whimpered, and Char, her mind still too raw from the interlocking of selves, reached out and pat the dragonet's jowl, a silent reaffirmation of well being.
Outside the isolation weyr, on the visitor's couch, C'bay jerked awake, the soft mental touch of his beloved Mirrth informing him of the pair's wakening.
Wings up. He thought back at her, swinging his feet off the couch.
It's after midnight. Mirrth pointed out, gliding down to the ledge from her own weyr, eyes glowing green, casting just enough light for him to find his boots.
Gwedli said to collect her when Char came to, no matter the time. He replied, shrugging into his riding jacket.
Then I shall warn her of our arrival. Mirrth dipped a knee, and with the careless ease of hundreds of hours of practice he swung up onto her neck.
Yes, please do.
Gwedli, as it happened, had been up with little Liree, the baby fussing for several hours before finally falling into a troubled slumber. Flit, perched on the cradle, have been attracted by the noise, let out a startled chirp as the babe grasped her tail. Gwedli stun around and glared at the lizard, who promptly put a claw over her own muzzle, a guilty look on her face.
Perhaps it was an unkindness, but Gwedli left the firelizard stuck like that, her little boy sucking on the green's tail, when Mirrth announced their arrival.
"She's awake?" Gwedli asked by way of greeting, hurrying out into the night to meet the dragonpair. "Has she spoken?"
She is speaking with the Weyrhealer right now. Mirrth reassured her as C'bay helped the healer up, and tightened the riding straps around her.
"And the surgery, it went well?" Gwedli fretted, having already spoken to Cici. Mirrth leapt skyward.
The Weyrhealer thinks so. Mirrth informed her as they transferred between.
I'm so sorry for being a day late and half a chapter short. I'll make it up to you by posting an extra long one on the 18th.
If you see an spelling or grammatical errors, let me know. Thank you!