Matsuath shot towards the ground the moment he felt F’linro go slack in the saddle and felt the heavy bag of firestones hit his left shoulder and forearm before he caught the bag with his front claws. He hissed at the slight pain at both collision points but shoved it from his mind as he tried to check on his rider.

F’linro, are you alright? the Senior Weyrling asked his rider seconds from landing. There was no response. Rider mine? Still there was nothing. F’linro?! the blue screeched in mental pain and fear as he turned to find his rider laying ever so still, still strapped into his riding straps, but not in a proper position. F’linro looked like a rag doll tied to the blue’s back, not able to stay upright or even lay comfortably on his bond’s neck. It was then that the young blue saw the blood that seeped from his rider’s head, Matsuath didn’t even register that there were other places that had also been hit by the firestone bag that dropped to the ground in his shock.

My rider, he’s dead! Matsuath keyed and prepared to jump to the air to go between. The blue had not noticed that at least one of his clutch mates and the Weyrling Master’s dragon had landed next to him. Suddenly the blue found himself pinned to the ground wings firmly pinned to his sides by the arms of his clouded blue brother, Toyozath. Calm yourself, brother, your rider still breathes. He is not dead! Matsuath heard the only slightly larger blue state, though it was more as if it was a whisper to the chaos his mind was in. The lighter of the blues tried to shake his brother off him but the storm cloud of a blue held his smaller brother firmly to the ground. Matsuath did not register what was being yelled around him by the humans on the ground. He barely registered that one had managed to leap onto his shoulder and was in the process of loosening the flight straps.

More fear welled up in the blue as he trashed about best he could under the way of his brother but soon found the voice of the Weyrling Master’s dragon, Brown Torth, thundering in his head as the brown also added his weight to the pile the moment the rider hand taken F’linro out of his saddle and the weight of his rider left his body. Concentrate, Hatchling! If you do you can tell your rider still lives. He is just knocked out! Both brown and clouded blue were now pressing their minds against the hysterical blue. Matsuath still fought but was also finding himself obeying the two dragon’s heavy wills and tried to find his rider’s consciousness. I cannot find it… No, I cannot find it because I am doing too much at once. the blue howled vocally as he spoke mentally. He forced himself to stop struggling for a short time to help him focus better on his rider. No… No… N-Wait, there! he crooned worriedly as he found the his rider’s mind. Unlike usual, the mind was thick like fog. There was a dull throb that Matsuath was sure was pain but because of the lack of the blue rider being awake he did not fully feel it in this unnatural slumber.

It was then that the blue realized he had closed his eyes as he opened them to see his rider a short distance away being tended to by Toyozath’s rider, Tr’zin. In the distance he saw a little blue fire lizard flying ahead of a group of three different healers. I need to get near him. He needs me, the blue crooned as he tried to move forward only to realize the blue and brown dragons were still holding him in place. Let me go! F’linro needs me! I must get closer. You will not try to between, brother? F’linro is not dead! Why would I between if my rider is not dead?! growled the younger blue considering slashing at the clouded dragon to free himself only to remember that Torth was also keeping him pinned to the ground. Toyozath rumbled at their master to which the brown rumbled back as he nodded. Within seconds, the blue found himself free and moved quickly over to his rider. He watched as Toyozath’s rider changed out a swath of cloth for a clean one. Matsuath’s eyes rolled a vibrant purple in worry as he watched his rider. A stretcher had brought out by two of the healers and they now carefully rolled F’linro onto the simple structure.

They will take him to the infirmary, Toyozath informed him in a comforting tone, We can follow. My rider will not let you lose yours, this he has sworn. Matsuath nodded still in some shock at his rider’s unconsciousness. He hardly remembered following Toyozath to the infirmary. He did not know how much time passed as he watched with nerves on end as his rider did not wake for some time. He did not even notice the weyrhealers attending the small scratching he had received from the firestone bag hitting his left front leg.

It was some time later that he started to feel like his head hurt. It took him a moment when he realized that it was F’linro’s own feelings and he gently wrapped his mind securely around his rider’s before mentally whispering to the blue rider. F’linro? Can you hear me? In response the rider groaned in his infirmary bed. He is waking some! the blue bespoke the healers nearby.

It has been three days, did he speak to you? came the voice of his Toyozath. No, but I can feel his pain more clearly than… …Matsuath? the weak thoughts of F’linro reached his dragon. F’LINRO! Gah! Sorry, rider mine, the blue replied sheepishly and tried to mentally ease the blue rider’s pain.

“Shards!” F’linro vocalized finding to his surprise that not only did his head hurt by his voice was dry and seemed to crack because of it, “My head hurts worse than a hangover. What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything really,” a quiet voice answered instead of Matsuath.

“Uhg… Tr’zin?” F’linro coughed. He felt something hard but cool pressed to his lips.

“Yay… Here, drink this, it’s water.” Tr’zin told the other rider. The blue rider tired his best not to guzzle the drink and spilled a little as he found his hands shaky.

“And lightly laced with fellis if I’m not mistaken,” he sighed sleepily.

“What do you last remember?” the younger rider asked.

“That silly burping contest in the dinning cavern,” F’linro replied after a few moment of thinking.

“Well at least you haven’t forgotten much,” Tr’zin replied exchanging the rag that F’linro realized covered his forehead and his eyes. He squinted until it was replaced with a cool cloth that he could smell the numbweed in, “You’ve been out for three days, starting about four hours after that contest. It was during firestone toss practice. Z’rut accidently hit you with a half full bag. Matsuath was in hysterics for about ten minutes at least thinking you were dead. Torth and Toyozath managed to calm him enough to have him realize you were just knocked out, though they had to tackle him to make sure he didn’t between because he thought you were dead.”

I was very afraid for you, Mastuath rumbled as he managed to peek his head into the room without disturbing anything. I’m so sorry to have made you worry like that, my love, the blue rider comforted his dragon as best he could with his head still throbbing dully at him.

“Z’rut and Sengoth have been by every break to check up on you. They’ve apologized multiple times to both you and Matsuath,” Tr’zin continued, “With you finally waking up you should be on the road to getting better soon. I’m sure the rest of our class will be relieved. I know I am, who else would I be able to talk to about healing matters?” F’linro chuckled but soon winced from the activity.

“You keep resting,” Tr’zin commanded with a small smile tugging at his mouth and then the clouded blue rider turned to Matsuath who’s head was still in the room, “And you get some sleep! You haven’t slept since before your rider got hurt. He’s better now so it’s no reason to hurt your health as well by not getting any rest.”

Yes healer, the blue replied sheepishly.

“I’ll let the other healers deal with you now,” the healthy blue rider chuckled, “I’ve got to get back to class now that you’ve returned to the living.”

HE WAS DEAD?!?!