Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Barracks
A long and roughly oblong cavern, about a third of the space is open, used for classes or chores as required. The rest of the space is filled with couches of varying sizes, all with plenty of space between them. Some couches are obviously intended for the very young weyrlings while the largest ones at the back are for the older weyrlings.
Early afternoon in the Weyrling barracks is often used for class time. Today the Weyrlings have been told to expect a lesson in Dragon Anatomy and in anticipation for that, to be available with their lifemates in the Barracks. V'dim enters the room in his usual mood, neither smile nor frown marring his weathered cheeks. He's lugging a large pail, grunting as he hefts it to a nearby table. He turns to scan the room, leaning on the table. Are all present? He seems to think so, for he begins gruffly, "Today you will begin learning about your dragon's physical makeup. We'll start with the hide." He pauses, then asks, "Can you tell me why it is so important to keep the hide washed and well-oiled?" He points to M'nol. Icy blue eyes shift towards Keziah, "And you please tell me what we use to alleviate the pain on hide?"
M'nol freezes for a moment. Was he supposed to answer? His heart beat in his chest. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath to calm himself, his left hand resting on Faraeth's neck, then he opens them, staring V'dim right back in the eyes, "A poorly oiled hide cracks with growth or dry. A cracked hide could kill a dragon /between/."
Vivian has been busy lounging around looking pretty while she waits, lying in the curl of Kelioth's neck while she reads a book on the moons to the green. She's not been singled out when V'dim enters so she puts the book aside only once she's finished the chapter she's on and gets to her feet. "Come on gorgeous." She croons to Kelioth, the green pushing up to her feet to take the delicate steps required to take her place with the others assembling.
Keziah hadn't been expected to get called on quite so quickly and her eyes widen. Alosynth's eyes whirl and she warbles a little. Looking proud that they would get called on. Keziah eyes her a moment and then snorts and then looks over towards M'nol as he answers and then she's looking back at V'dim "We use oil to rub onto the the hide to keep it from getting to that point, and sometimes that is all that's needed to alleviate it. But if the pain is too much, numbweed would help to alleviate the pain would it not until the hide is healthy again."
Looking up from a hasty scrawl of some notes that he's been studying in preperation for exams, R'owan lifts his head quickly and tucks the whole untidy mess of hides back behind him. He's all too glad not to be called on first as he scrambles to put them away and turn his attention back to the weyrlingmaster. Nyunath, however, is his usual calm self, watching with a curious lift of his head. His nose reaches out slowly, twitching towards the pail as if trying to get a sniff of what's inside. « Bucket. » The dragon beats once, as if that wasn't obvious enough already. Finally, Ro' settles to pay attention, grabbing a spare piece of hide since his brain is quite full lately, don't want to miss something important.
V'dim nods gravely to M'nol, "There is also the possibility of the hide thinning as your lifemate grows. The cold of *Between* can also penetrate hide that has thinned. Your diligent care will prevent this." His eyes narrow ever so slightly as Vivian joins them in her leisurely fashion, but he refrains from saying anything for the moment, for he's paying attention to Keziah's answer. "Correct." A faint, stiff smile follows that. "We're going let both you and your lifemates get the feel of numbweed today." He hefts that bucket down and carries it to a clear spot. "I want each of you to come with your lifemates, use the wooden paddle here and apply a generous dollop on their haunch. Dab a bit on the back of your hand as well." He pats his own outer thigh to indicate where that is before he steps back to give them room.
M'nol steps forward less than gingerly, for once not wanting to be first, but Faraeth nudges him forwards. The small boy takes the giant paddle in his hands and, stirring the foul concoction twice, moves to apply it Faraeth's haunch. Though he does manage to leave a good deal of it there, there's a muttered curse for the drop of numbweed that, slipping off the paddle, lands right on his head.
Vivian is all pleasant and nice and just smiles at V'dim as she saunters in to watch, when called up she doesn't have any hesitation in stepping forward to get a dollop of numbweed. "You won't be able to feel the bit of your leg once this settles in." She explains to Kelioth as she smoothes it into her haunch before dabbing a bit on her hand, dutiful and paying attention.
Keziah steps up with Alosynth who is sniffing once they get a little closer. Keziah is grinning. All that studying certainly has paid off and actually stuck into her head. She can't help but snicker a little as M'nol gets it on his head "He said hand M'nol, not head." she can't help herself. It's had to be said. At her turn, she takes the paddle and applies to Alosynth's haunch. As a beastcrafter she certainly knows that part of an anatomy. Alosynth warbles and then looks back at the spot and blinks while Keziah puts a little on the back of her hand. « This feels wierd. I cannot feel my hide there. » Keziah grins "It's numb, that's why it's called numbweed. I always thought it felt a little wierd too."
As his nose catches scent of the numbweed in the bucket, Nyunath draws his head back and snorts once. « It smells. » He complains with a rumble of drumbeats across the dry landscape of his mind. « What does it feel like? Can I taste it? » He sticks his tongue out towards the bucket, just in time to watch it get moved away, head sinking slightly in a draconic sort of pout. With no notes to take just yet, R'owan sets the hide down. "Well, you want to know, let's go find out." The bronze pushes himself up, following a step behind. It doesn't take much to draw the paddle out and slather a bit onto the bronze's hide and a bit onto his left hand as well. « It's cold. It's… strange. » He licks at the paddle, and then starts making a wide range of amusing looking faces. « Mah tun fees nub » His mind acts as if he were actually using his now numb tongue to talk.
V'dim turns to the door, clearly expecting someone. "Ah, and here is our Dragonhealer now." He nods no K'vin and steps to remove the bucket, gesturing K'vin to take over. He moves to the door, leans against the frame and crosses his arms, present and ever watchful.
The door opens and K'vin steps in. He blinks and nods his head. "Good, everyone's here." He then looks down at the bucket of numbweed and nods his head. "Right, tell me what do you feel everyone, please start M'nol, and get that numbweed cleared off your dragon's head before it slides in his eyes."
M'nol eeps quietly, and moves to quickly wipe the numbweed from Faraeth's head, then stares at his rapidly numming hand. Faraeth whines softly, « it's nuuuuuuumb…. »
Vivian passes the paddle on and steps back into place with Kelioth by her side, the green is intrigued and her head reaches back to sniff at the spot the numbweed was placed on, "No, No nose darling." She scolds the green, getting herself in the way before Kelioth sticks her nose in the numbweed. "You don't want a numb nose." She explains to her. "It's all tingly she says, and spreading, can't feel the middle bit now, just tingly round the edges." She replies to K'vin.
Keziah listens to the others as she peers at her hand a little and then over at Alosynth "She says it' wierd and wonders how long it has to stay on her." she notes and then looks thoughful "Will their hide slough off like ours will if exposed to too much numbweeb?" she asks curiously.
Nyunath continues to make an array of strange faces, most of them involving a lolling tongue. He tilts his head from side to side, and then rumbles what seems like laughter. "He says that it doesn't taste particularly good. And that it makes his whole mouth feel weird. And of course he can't feel his haunch either." R'owan's eyes roll slightly, patting the bronze's foreleg before leaning against it slightly, amused by the antics.
K'vin nods his head. "That's what it's supposed to feel." He says simply. "Now you can understand that this is used if your dragons get wounded, alright? So you can work and get him or her healed without the dragon suffering." He nods his head. "It's important not to put too much on your hands or you won't be able to use your fingers."
M'nol snickers at Nyunath's performance, patting Farath gently on the head with his un-numb hand, "What abou' more serious stuff… like wha' happened t' F'yr's dragon or the gash Seryth got during her flight?"
Keziah makes a not, not too much 'Or something to protect them." she hmms a little and then she's glancing over at M'nol and noding "Or what if they break a bone or something. How do you set something like that?"
Vivian just shakes her head at some of the others and mutters under her breath. "We could always see what would happen if we injected Faraeth with redwort." Is that the stuff that's lethal to dragons or is it Needle thingy? Either way she gets a hefty nudge from Kelioth for even thinking it, even in jest.
K'vin hmms softly. "It's important to numb around the wound." He says simply. "If a bone, the same, all around the wound and then, call for a dragonhealer, and a gold too, so you can control the dragon." He nods his head. "It's important you don't panick, very important."
Nyunath finally sucks his tongue back into his mouth, although he still seems to be moving it around, trying to see just what parts he can feel and which he can't. It's well enough to keep the dragon preoccupied while his rider thinks about the topic. R'owan shifts himself up a bit more. "Are there any bones on dragons that are prone to breakage? Wings would be my guess." He asks, reaching up to poke at one of the bronze's wingspars. Along the same lines as Keziah's question, he adds: "Do they splint them like with humans?"
M'nol blinks quizzically at K'vin, "Then wha-" He's interrupted by Vivian's crass statement, but before he could form a come-back, Faraeth's eyes pick up his deep seated anger and the brown growl's at Viv, saving M'nol in that at least his focus was changed to calming his dragon, stroking the brown's nose and eyeridges until he calmed and re-settled with a soft whumpf. M'nol shoots a glare at Vivian, then turns back to K'vin, "What injuries are we expected t' take care of ourselves, then?"
V'dim shifts, easing his back against the wall, waiting until K'vin has answered, "If any of you are interested, I'm sure K'vin would not mind if you visit the Annex and observe sometime." He seems to have something on his mind, clearly several ideas seem to vie for supremacy, "Perhaps ask Sigam since you see him about more often and K'vin is quite busy."
Keziah ohs a little at V'dim and looks thoughtful at that suggestion. "What about strained muscles or strained ligaments?" she asks after a moment "They're quite a bit bigger than a runner after all. What sort of things do we do for them then?" she looks at Alosynth "Is there a way to wrap it? I can't imagine getting so much ice to cover and area."
Vivian just smiles sweetly back at M'nol, he's obviously still not been forgiven yet. She soothes Kelioth as well, her lifemate not liking the conflict either apparently. « That wasn't nice! » Is directed at Vivian, before a more soothing mind touch goes to Faraeth. « I'm sorry, she's still angry at yours, she doesn't mean it against you. » Vivian settles and leans back against her green while she goes back to watching K'vin. "Wing strain I would imagine is the most common. Getting used to carrying their own weights, then ours eventually as well."
Nyunath stretches one of his wings and then folds it back again, momentarily distracted by the fascinating feeling in his mouth. His head swiveles to look between Faraeth and Kelioth. « What did Faraeth's rider do to upset yours? » He asks of the green, eyes whirling. "Visiting the annex might be interesting." R'owan seems to consider the option, even as his dragon's attention shifts back. « Yes. I would like to go. » "I wonder if they ever found anything out about those eggs Thea, 'kav and I found." He mutters to himself, under his breath.
K'vin nods his head. "Wing strain are much more common than bone breaking." He explains simply. "Dragon bones are way harder and tougher than human ones, to sustain the strain." He says simply.
M'nol blinks again, leaning gently against Faraeth for support, "But wha' d'we do if tha' happens?" Faraeth is plotting behind M'nol's back again… well, as behind as he could be considering they shared most of their thoughts, « We should go to the annex and see the healy man again. You could learn more and I could say hi! »
V'dim waits again until there is a pause in the questions and answers, "Prevention is the best form of dragonhealing and the training you get here should go a long ways towards helping that." His eyes flicker towards K'vin, "Mostly you will keep calm, soothe and support your dragon." He doesn't go into the basics of treatment since that is not his field, "After you learn the basic anatomy, you may choose to take some dragonhealing classes." He looks to K'vin to start covering the names of the bones, muscles and organs.
"In the case of wing strain, is there anything we can do?" Vivian asks, oblivious to any draconic conversations going on. Her attention and seemingly Kelioths is focused on the teachers.
R'owan shushes himself when V'dim begins to speak, almost having forgotten that the stern weyrlingmaster was present. He straitens, but stays comfortably next to the bronze foreleg as he turns his attention back towards K'vin. He glances up just once at his dragon, lifting an eyebrow at something that passes between them, and then is back to business. A sudden thought has him grabbing for the piece of hide to take notes.
K'vin nods his head. "Yes, there is. Most important is to keep the injured limb still." He says with a nod. "You land, numbweed and you try to get the limb still." He says simply. "Understood?"
Keziah listens a bit as the answers and questions go on around her. "I know there are stretches that they need to do to help prepare them, but are there any specific forms of stretches if it has been injured and is healing, to bring back the range of motion?" she asks. "I know muscles and such can be quite stiff after injury." She rubs her side absently in thought on that.
M'nol raises his hand slowly after a particularly forceful nudge from Faraeth, "Ummm… Faraeth wants me to ask how to deal with injuries to the neck, tail, and other non-wingy bits…" He blushes again, knowing how silly it probably sounded.
Vivian nods her head, satisfied with the answer she receives in regards to how to deal immediately with a wing strain. "The rest can be dealt with by the dragonhealers and follow what they say at the time." Kelioth's attention keeps drifting towards Nyunath for a time, but she's still listening and seems to nod in response to K'vin's answer.
K'vin nods his head at Keziah and then at M'nol. "For stretching, it's always a good thing to let your dragon stretch his legs and wings before taking off." He turns to M'nol. "As of injuries, it always depends to the kind of injury, can you precise your question M'nol?"
"Perhaps what to do for neck strain, K'vin." V'dim puts in carefully. "Do you massage the muscles or realign the neckbones if they need it?"
Keziah glances over towards V'dim as he speaks. She'd forgotten he was still there. She looks thoughtful at his words and then she glances at Alosynth "How would you relign?" she asks in profound confusion at just the sheer size. "Or even massage?" she hmms a little "How do you even lean into it to massage? Are their special tools?"
M'nol pauses, for a moment, either thinking hard or conversing with his dragon, then says, "He says like when Areith sat on his tail during warmups and it was stiff and hurt all day, is there anything I can do to help him with that?"
Vivian sits down cross legged on the floor and leans herself back against Kelioth's chest while she continues to listen. "I can only assume once it gets to that stage, you're onto other dragons applying the pressure." She murmurs, "Even the smallest of greens will be beyond the help of us lots."
K'vin hmms thoughtly, trying to word up the explainations easily. "Well, as for when a neck needs realignement, it's so delicate you should ask a dragonhealer to do it but, of course, you should also stay beside your dragon, because it's likely to hurt him and he'll need support." He says simply. "As for simpler massages, it's handy to have stuff like, a rollpin for example, and applying pressure on the stiff part with it."
Keziah hmms a little and then nods "Makes sense. What about an upset stomach? Can they get food poisoning?" she asks curiously.
Vivian glances over at Keziah and rolls her eyes at the question. "It'd be the beast crafters fault if they did, you see them feeding? Unless they've let a /really/ sick animal in there I don't think there is anything for us to worry about."
K'vin nods his head. "Keziah's question is interesting, though, Vivian." He says simply. "Food poisonning doesn't happen, but indigestion do, you got told about how to never let your dragon overeat." He hmms softly. "You need to be careful about the ovines too, if ever your dragon as problem swallowing with all the fur, a nice bucket of oil should do."
M'nol gulps loudly at the thought of food poisoning, then asks quietly, "Can they… can they choke?" Faraeth nuzzles the boy gently as old memories cause him to shake slightly.
Keziah eyes Vivian a bit, but she doesn't lower herself to Vivian's level of sniping and instead turns her attention back to K'vin "But what about with firestone? I've heard some talking about accidental ingestion into the wrong stomach, but I've never gotten to hear all of the conversation. What do you do then? Can it hurt them or is it passed harmlessly?"
Vivian just shrugs her shoulders, she thought it was a perfectly good question. "We're talking about creatures who eat rock to make them breath fire, their dinner isn't likely to cause much harm." Huffy? Not much.
K'vin has reconnected.
K'vin shrugs. "I admit, I never saw that happen Keziah, I can't really answer you." He says simply. "But speaking about bones, the ones who'll break will be the wing bones, since they are a bit thin, but it's still rare, since the bones are tougher."
Keziah gives a nod and sits back for a bit and listens. Alosynth is paying attention and the two seem to be conversing a bit. She then looks back over at K'vin "What about breating problems? Do they get affected by dust inhalation? Or even possibly mold spore inhalation?" she asks curiously.
Vivian stays quiet and cuddles back in against Kelioth while she listens, no more questions coming to mind, it's not really her area and after wing strain she'd be right to the dragon healers.
K'vin hmms thoughtfully. "Dragons don't really have breathing problems, in case of dust, a few coughing or sneezing and it'sll be gone, same for mold spore I'd say, I never really had a serious case of sneezing or coughing."
Keziah grins and lightly thumps ALosynth "Healthy little buggers aren't ya?" Alosynth huffs a bit at that and Keziah wrinkles her nose somewhat and eyes the green. Then she shrugs somewhat and turns her attention back to K'vin "Now, I've heard of some dragons, generally the older ones straining their hearts out and such during a mating fight. But they're older. Does heart failure ever happen in younger dragons?"
Vivian perks up at that question. "Is that something us greenriders need to worry about or are they more likely to allow the catch if they get to that stage?" She adds to Keziah's, with a gentle pat to Kelioth. "Or is it more of a danger for the boys pushing too hard to catch."
M'nol's eyes go a little wide, "Heart… failure?" Faraeth nuzzles him again, and he blinks, watching the exchange of information with a poorly practiced eye before asking, "What about broken toes? I know those're hard to work with in humans…"
K'vin shakes his head. "It has never be heard of." He says simply. "Young dragons usually know when to stop, older dragons can get a bit too sure of themselves and they're more prone to heart failure too."
Keziah hmms a little at that. "THat's good to know. Kinda wondered since the overeating was more common in the young dragons." There's a pointed look at Alosynth « But they ovines were tasty. I did not think one more would hurt. » "So wasn't sure if they had to sense to watch themselves yet. I'm glad to hear that though."
"So it's the older ones who need to watch." Murmurs Vivian softly, turning her attention back to reassure Kelioth, "It's fine dear. They should be old enough to know better."
M'nol pipes up again, his question having been missed in the flurry, "What about breaks to small bones like toes and wingthumbs? Are those simply numbed until they heal or is there a more complicated process?"
K'vin turns to M'nol "Like with human, it should heal by itself with a splinter." He answer M'nol with a smile. "Any other question or can I call this lesson over for today?"
Keziah shakes her head a little "I've no questions for now." she notes and is looking thoughtful with the information she's gleenes. "I think I want to think on things first. Thank you for the lesson K'vin." she says with a smile and then heads over to her cot while Alosynth stays up near the entrance, catching a breeze.
Vivian shakes her head as well. "Nothing more for now, though I should let mine go and eat something to stop my stomach grumbling."
M'nol shakes his head, "Nope… Not jus' now, anyway. I can always go to th' annex to ask if something comes up."
K'vin nods his head. "Yep, that sounds a good idea M'nol, thank you all for listening and I'm always open for questions in the annex."