The Horror of Battle[T'sai]

[Samari]

Tahli was sitting by her favorite tree near the lake. Her thick rider's jacket was zipped up. She was gazing blankly across the lake. She was totally shaken after the events of the previous night. She had no idea how long it would take for her precious blue to recover. She had felt so...useless when she was unable to stop her dragon.




"Relanth...I'm sorry I couldn't do more..."

[Wesku]

T'sai jogged along the edge of the lake. It may not have been a large portion of water, but anything liquid had always helped keep him calm. Calm was something he needed now more than ever. His beloved dragon had refused to fly ever since their accident, and in order to be transferred to Rocky Weyr, Gruulath had been tranquilized and carried by a couple of particularly buff bronzes. Right now his Brown was sleeping off the effects of the drug, and T'sai felt strangely empty without his beasts mind within his.

As he rounded part of the lake, he noticed a girl about his age sitting in the shade of a tree. She seemed to stare unseeingly out at the lake. Concerned for state of being, T'sai wandered over and shuffled to her position. When he had gotten as close as politeness would allow a couple of strangers, he spoke.

"Is this seat taken?"

[Samari]

Tahli flinched and looked to the other boy. She chuckled softly.



"Nah. No one else is around...I was just..coming out here to escape the......recent pain."



She spoke half-halfheartedly. She didn't feel like she was worthy of Relanth now that she had let him fight and almost die for her. Tahli felt absolutely disgusted with herself.

[Wesku]

T'sai sat beside the girl and stared out at the lake as she was doing. He did not wish to press her. He would however prod at the subject a little.

"Would you like to talk about it? You do not have to if you do not wish to. I will respect either decision."

There was a pause before he added, "My name is T'sai by the way."

[Samari]

Tahli shuddered.



"I'm Tahli. My blue is Relanth. I'm sure you've heard the rumors about the recent dragon fight. Or maybe not."



She sighed and curled up a little bit. She'd been subjected to Relanth's pain-killer induced fantasies for several nights on end. Her eyes were slightly dark around the edges.


"I haven't been able to sleep well. My dreams are always of the fight."

[Wesku]

T'sai nodded empathetically.

"I know how you feel. My Gruulath almost got me killed once. He has not uttered a word to me since, but often I wake in a sweat from a nightmare that he can't get out of his mind."

Looking away from Tahli, T'sai gazed up at the sky, a painful expression on his face.

"He has also refused to ever fly again."

T'sai had to take a breath before continuing.

"It is more my fault than his. I urged him to such extremes. He was only trying to protect me. That is how it happened, but that is not how he sees the events unfold. All Gruulath can see is my scar. Dragon's memories aren't that great, right? I waited for him to forget. I thought it wouldn't take long, and I would have my Brown back. I'm not sure how, but he has yet to forget. I don't know why. Maybe it has to do with the fact he almost got me killed. Kind of like a child remembers certain traumatizing things from their far past, but not anything else. I am not sure."

[Samari]

Tahli nodded. Her riding jacket just didn't seem warm enough for her. She checked on Relanth, only to meet a half spoken conversation.





"Do you see a white and blue butterfly, or is it just me?"[/color]



She sighed and turned to T'sai.


"He thinks he sees a white and blue butterfly. There's a white and blue butterfly on the back of my riding jacket."


She leaned forward and pointed to the very intricate butterfly.

[Wesku]

"Why do you suppose he hallucinates about that? Why not you or some other aspect of yourself?"

T'sai asked as he inspected the image on the back of her riding jacket.

"How long do you suppose they will last?"

[Samari]

Tahli shrugged. She had no idea. It was a more tame vision than the ones he had before.




"Its better than him hallucinating about Wrath looming over him...Those were the ones keeping me up at night."



Her brown flitter decided to pop into view and land in Tahli's lap. He nuzzled His and then decided to inspect T'sai.

[Wesku]

T'sai smiled at the little firelizard's curiosity. He had never desired one of his own, but he did enjoy them.

"Hello little one. What is your name?"

T'sai knew the thing could not understand him, but he liked going through the motions. Besides, a creature that resembled his Gruulath so made his heart ache.

[Samari]

Tahli smiled softly for the first time in a while. She stroked her flit gently and then looked up to T'sai.



"His name is Darwin. Sorry if his color..evokes bad memories."




She sighed and wondered if her big blue would ever be the same again.

[Wesku]

T'sai shook his head at her words.

"It's not so much as bad memories as plain loneliness. Have you ever been near someone and yet felt far away from them? That is how it is with Gruulath."

T'sai stretched out his legs and popped his back.

"If it is alright with you, I would like to meet this Relanth some time."

[Samari]

Tahli sighed. She stood up after Darwin moved up to her shoulder. She looked over to T'sai.




"He's obviously awake. I'm sure he'd enjoy company..Relanth hasn't been able to leave his weyr for weeks. And..I ask that you don't..mention his missing eye. It's kinda weird, but he's very..sensitive. Besides, I gotta give him another dose of that medicine."




Tahli smiled softly and brushed some of her hair to cover her now shivering flitter.

[Wesku]

T'sai gave Tahli a thin grimace.

"If there is anything I'm used to, it is a one eyed dragon."