Growing pains (Lesson!)

[S'yal]

The wherlets were getting older. Now, their teeth were beginning to grow in... and like a young toddler, it'd most certainly be a painful experience for both handler and wher. This was not only a lesson, but a minor check up for the young whers. Whers were more prone to defects and diseases then their dragon cousins, and while Z did not have formal training he had been taught a good deal of wher healing at his former wherhall. He'd been a rather good choice for it- being not only a strong man but a goldhandler with a rather dominant gold who had been able to control all but the very senior queen. He grit his teeth, not looking forward to this lesson at all.

You see, whers were aggressive creatures. They would bite even their handlers if they felt threatened, and that was why Zalmask was walking at his side when she normally would not be needed in the lesson. Not only that, but she would be introducing the wherlets to solid food and it was better if their mother did such. A wher handler couldn't exactly demonstrate eating to their young wher. Once he finished up with teaching the wherlings how to soothe their partners pains and had ensured that none were too violent, they would be going outside for a... surprise lesson.

Z shifted the box he was carrying onto an empty cot, turning towards Zalmask. Will you call the wherlings that aren't here? Z asked her, and Zalmask nodded her broad head.

Wherlings come to barracks. She was sympathizing with her poor babies at the moment- cutting teeth was never a pleasant experience. Not to mention the general aches and bruises from the fast growing that all whers had- she could imagine just how much stumbling and bumping into things the larger whers were doing. Siatask was also a concern- Z was worried she would develop hip and joint problems. While Lucisk was beginning to improve on her walking, she also needed to be seen to. It was going to be a busy day. Zalmask's giving check ups and numb for tooth aches. She added, thinking that would make the wherlings happier to come.

I think the mention of check ups will send them running for the hills, Zalmask...

"Right..." Z rubbed the back of his head once the wherlets had arrived, looking over the small whers. "As you guys probably know, your whers are growing teeth. As you also know, this is not fun. So i've got a bit of numbing solution here to rub on their gums- it's a gross job, but it'll make sure they won't hurt anymore. Afterwards, i'm going to be checking the babies for any defects, and you are to tell me exactly how your wher feels. Even if it's just a mildly uncomfortable sensation, it can be something really bad." He scratched Zalmask's head, looking over the thick framed gold.

"There's also a treat that your whers will most certainly enjoy if they behave themselves."

[nozomi]

Hard enough to live with a baby in ones mind every hour of every day, but a baby with bone pushing through their gums? When Siata'd been a kid, her mother slathered babies gums with wine, put some in their milk, and it shut the little squallers right up. Siata always figured if she were unlucky enough to get pregnant and not take a trip between in time, she'd do the same thing before passing them off on the poor sod that knocked her up; somehow, doing that to her darling Siatask seemed... wrong. Last thing she wanted was a wher even more violent, and Siatask did not strike her as a happy drunk.

Even so, she'd managed to snag something cold from the kitchen for Siatask to gnaw on for the time being. Having, er, 'friends' in the kitchens assisted with such a quest, and the cold soothed her poor wher's gums as long as the green didn't attempt to bite down on them. Siatask held the object in her mouth, lazy with the uncomfortableness of the situation, and her handler sat next to her, studying a few smaller pieces she'd been able to make while her baby slept during the day.

Four hours of rest did little to assist ones mood; working in the forge for a few hours a day while her baby slept, sneaking away to at least fufill a few of her duties, and then waking right back up a few hours later to do wherling - things, and work still - ugh. Siata was not pleased.

Siatask's does too much, murmured the lazy wher, stretching out her thick frame. She mumbled something else, outloud, her voice gutteral, but then she heard her clutchmother's voice. Siata and her wher heaved a simultanious breath, and both struggled to their feet in order to head back to the barracks. Siatask headbutted her rider when she felt Siata's curl of worry over the mention of 'checkups', rubbed her face into whatever she could reach of the muscular woman. Zalamask's protect littles. Not hurt. Siatask protect Siatask's.

"I'm worried about you, pretty girl." Somewhere to her right, Little appeared, as if Siatask had called to the beautiful blue flit. He landed on top of Siata's head, perched and alert to everything around them. Siatask grumbled somewhat at the closeness of this blue to Siata, but remained quiet for the rest of it. Siata rubbed her head soothingly, and both fell silent when they entered, and Z started to talk.

Give Siatask's numb-thing. Siatask opened her mouth, baring almost-teeth, and snapped her formidable jaws shut. She abruptly whined, causing her handler to snort.

"Siatask officially has an even more sore mouth. Don't do that, beautiful." ANother rub to her girls head, Siata glanced back to Z, glancing around. "Where's this numbing solution? I can tell you better if she hurts when her mouth isn't making her complain like a baby."

Am baby. Numb-thing, Siatask's. Now. Hurt. Cold not help much.

[Spiffy]

Bellatrix was also considering the bottle. She'd spent many mealtimes staring, part thoughtful part mournful, at the glasses of wine scattered about the refectory. But, like Siata, however appealing a solution it was, even Bella knew better than to give her two whers alcohol. She had two of the most dangerous whers in the clutch, if not the Weyr, and however unsympathetic she could be to whomever fell foul of them, she didn't want to loose them, which is what would inevitably happen should it come to that.

So she stared mournfully at glass after glass of wine, gritted her teeth, and mostly ignored the constant whining. Which was difficult, for if it was not coming from one wher, it was coming from another. At least Bellatrisk was less vocal than her sibling, even if Bellask seemed to make up the difference oftentimes. Even the gold was tiring of Bellask's whinging.

Bella glanced down at the green, looking most sorry for herself on the floor besides her bunk. That in itself was unusual for Bellask, normally she looked like a coiled spring, glaring at anyone else who dared to be in the barracks. She hadn't even chewed the bunk in the last few days. Bella could only watch and offer sympathy, for there was nothing she could think to do short of raiding the infirmary for some numbweed.

Bellatrisk on the other hand, had only gotten grouchier. Since the gold was naturally more controlled than the green, this was less of a problem than had it been the other way around. But it was still a problem. Even Bellask was keeping her distance (hence her being on the floor, as Bellatrisk was sprawled on the bunk), and she'd even snapped at her handler one or twice. If Bella hadn't been so devoted to her queen, she'd've had her eye out for such an insult.

So it was that when Z and Mama walked into the barracks, Bella groaned loudly, flopping her head back onto the headboard, causing her to groan again as the impact aggravated her headache. But at the mention of 'numb for tooth aches' she was up from her bunk and at the box before her whers realised she had even moved, completely ignoring the mention about checkups. Damnit if Z had something to numb their teeth she was gonna get it, through Fall, fog and fire.

"On the shells of the first Egg Z if you do not give me some of that numbing solution I am going to kill myself," she said monotonically, not even caring that Z would probably cheer for her to do so, if it meant that her whers would follow her.

Speaking of, the two whers had also heard of the miracle cure to the tooth hurt, and had slunk over to join their handler around the box, Bellatrisk snapping, but only half-heartedly, at Zalmask. Snapping was too painful right now for her to do properly, as Siatask had just demonstrated, but she felt that she had to give some show of aggression to her mother, ritual as it had become.

[Filch]

"Just slow and steady, love." Lucisk no need slow! The wingless white stumbled forward on her malformed legs as quickly as she could, only to teeter and fall on her side. "Sweety!?" Lucisk fine!

It would have been no issue for most of the wherlets to just hobble in to the room; however, for the pair that had been tromping from where they had been, it was...less easy. Lucine would have preffered to have scooped up Lucisk and walk there, but, the White insisted that she could do it. After all, she had to prove that she could be just as fast as her brothers and sisters!

While the physical therapy had helped the small, deformed white to walk, she was not speedy, by any means. Each step was a stumble that made her Handler tense up, only for it to be followed by the resilient little thing getting up with a Lucisk okay!. Then Lucine would grin, nod, and fight down the worry, because Lucisk could do it, and she would murder the first person that suggested that her little dear couldn't.

It was doubtless that the lesson would be well passed started when they got there, the dark haired girl kneeling down to keep Lucisk up when she stumbled to a stop. The white couldn't stop yet without falling, and Lucine had to hold her, despite the insistence from the small thing that it was far from necessary. "Sorry for being late. We were far away." It was a bit of a lie, but the woman refused to even begin to blame the lateness on the disabilities that others insisted her lovely little wher had. Lucisk here now!

Despite the confident words, it was evident that the small wher was exhausted, plopping down on the ground, not being able to stand by her self. Quickly, the White had a supporting hand under her from her handler. Her wher could stand, just like everyone else's. Even if she needed a little help, she could do it. "It was a long walk." The explanation was false. It actually was a fairly short walk, and they had no need to be late, were it not for the multiple stops, paired with the sluggish speed they took. "But, we're here now."

Upon sighting her mother, the small white squealed, stumbling over to Zalmask as quickly as her warped legs could take her. Lucisk made it here all by self. Long way, but Lucisk did it! "Yep! Didn't need any help!" It was quite obvious how proud Lucine was- it wasn't a false pride to make Lucisk feel better, either. Lucisk was strong- she could do this, despite what some of the idiots in the weyr thought, and that made the Handler more proud than she could be of any 'normal' wher.

[lithle]

Annesk's fix it! Fix Ask! Ask hurts! Teeth hurt. Annesk's fix for Ask!

One of Annette's wher's simply could not cope with the pain and discomfort of cutting teeth. But it wasn't Ask. No, the little blue bore the pain with stoic silence, growing snappish and irritable but flat out refusing to complain about the pain itself. He was a good wher! Not a complainer. He'd bear it until the world ended if he had too.

It was big, friendly Annesk who couldn't handle it, who saw the little wher suffering and was driven half mad that his little pet was unhappy. Annesk kept up a constant chatter of demands in Annette's head, letting up only under the full force of Annette's will, and then only for short periods of time. Annette loved her whers, but the constant litany was beginning to grind her down.

Which was why Zalmask's call was so welcome. Leaving Annesk behind with strict orders to behave himself, Annette all but ran to the barracks, Ask following close behind. Arriving at about the same time as many of the others, she stroked Ask's too soft hide.

Hear that? Numbing.

Ask be strong! Ask not need. Others first. Ask last.

Strong and stupid live close. There's enough for all. You don't need to go without.

Aloud, she said nothing, simply stood beside the others. She kept half an eye on the woman with the crazy pair, she preferred not to let Ask get to close to those two. Really, she worried about him in the presence of most his fellows, though not Lucisk. Wher's were a rough and tumble bunch and Ask was more fragile than any but the delicate white.

Oh, there was the white now.

Lucisk try hard. Good Lucisk. Ask sent rather patronizing approval to his clutchsibling.

[S'yal]

It's funny, how an animal can go from docile to violent within seconds. It took a mere second for a huge paw to lash out at the currently small Bellatrisk, a golden limb capable of smashing bones and ripped flesh apart with deadly claws. Those same claws stopped a mere centimeter from the young golds face, a huge head lowering to stare at her with red eyes as Zalmask snorted, her jaws gaping to reveal yellowed teeth. Zalmask is tired of Bellatrisk. Zalmask snarled, her voice practically dripping with contempt and false sweetness. Zalmask love Bellatrisk, Bellatrisk daughter. But Zalmask not take anymore disrespect. Now for the punishment. Zalmask did not strike Bellatrisk, instead jerking her head to the corner. Sit there. Think about what Bellatrisk did. When Bellatrisk moved to follow the command, she'd finally get hit... a light cuff on the side of her head that probably wouldn't even make her stumble.

Zalmask glanced at Siatask, snorting at her bold daughter. Say please. Babies so rude. She scolded the green, despite the fact her eyes had turned a content green. It was obvious she favored Siatask, and who could blame her with the way Bellatrisk acted? Besides, Siatask wasn't about to start randomly mauling people or infringing on her territory... Zalmask could afford to be less strict with her. Gimme gimme never gets!

Z glanced at Bellatrix, rubbing the back of his head with obvious embarrassment. He made no move to stop Zalmask's punishment, amusing as it was to watch a wher be put in time out. "Well, let me demonstrate first. I'll give you enough for both of your whers after i'm sure you won't get your hands chomped down on. At this age, they're old enough to break bones if they try." He hesitated, before glancing around the room. He didn't respond to what any of the wherlings said to him after that, instead glancing at Ask. "Ask, come here. I can trust you not to bite me, at least." He grinned, pulling a glove out of the box. "Open your mouth and i'll demonstrate for the others, alright? You get to be my special assistant."

After grabbing the solution, which was more like an ointment to be rubbed on the young whers gums, he crouched and waiting for Ask to open his mouth. If he was doubtful or hesitant, Zalmask would add a bit of a push to try and encourage him... though she was hardly forcing him to do such. "Do NOT put this stuff directly on the gums where the teeth are growing in." He told the wherlings once Ask had opened his mouth. "It takes a few seconds for it to kick in, and that will hurt the poor whers pretty bad. Rub them on the front of the gums, instead. It'll still work, and that way you won't hurt them as bad. Whers react to pain by biting, and with your hand in their mouth... well, let's just say that even at this age they can break your hand if they try."

"Ask, don't hesitate to tell me if I press down too hard. I don't want to hurt you."

[Spiffy]

Bellatrisk, for all she was impulsive and naive, was not stupid. She knew that he constant jibing and disrespect were wearing away at her mother, bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day. She knew that one day, Zalmask would snap, and that one day the pair would come to blows, not just the scraps they'd had so far in which Zalmask had always won, no, one day Bellatrisk would be equal to her mother, and then she would see on the day of reckoning, who was Queen of whom.

But that day was still far off and all Bellatrisk could do in response to her mother's swing was flinch out of the way, reminded of the damage a similar swing had done to her still-splinted wing, low rumbling growl accentuated by hissing and spitting, even if the movement was unnecessary, Zalmask's paw stopping mere inches from her daughter's face. Each glared at the other with eyes swirling red, neither, at that moment, willing to back down. When Zalmask revealed her teeth, Bellatrisk did the same, though the red and swollen gummy expanse was dwarfed by the older gold's.

Bellatrisk no love mother. She drew out the insult in low and hateful tones, not snapping, not shouting, much as she would have liked. She was matching her mother's tone, but there was no false sweetness to be found, no trace of mother-daughter love, just pure, unadulterated hatred.

But she was still her daughter, and only a wherling queen, so the command that Zalmask gave could not be ignored, direct as it was. Giving one final hiss, Bellatrisk stalked off to the corner in silence, to glare at her mother in silence. She wanted respect, did she? Well Bellatrisk did not think she deserved that respect, certainly not from herself. Bellatrisk did not care about her mothers feelings. But again, she wasn't stupid. As it was she could not stand up to her mother if she were to truly strike her again. So if respect was what she wanted, then respect was what she'd get. Bellatrisk would give her respect. So damn much respect.

Bellatrix had been watching the exchange with something akin to horror. But this was Bella, so she'd never exactly get close. But her head was hurting too much for her to really do much about it, staring dumbly at the anger on her wher's face. The same anger that was flooding her already stressed mind, stretched this way and that by two new presences, both constantly whining about toothache. Bellask, meanwhile, had been going spare. Her two queens were fighting, and much though she loved Bellatrix, Zalmask was her mother and ultimately senior queen, the poor (well, that was questionable) little green didn't know what to do. Initially she followed Bellatrisk over to the corner, but the toothache was still nagging her unbearably, and she inevitably slunk back over to her handler, buffeting Bella's hand until the woman automatically rubber her eye ridge, whimpering pitifully. Bellask's teeth hurt so bad. Bad bad baaaaaad. Need numbing Bellask's, need nooooww...

Bella herself said nothing, trying not to listen to her gold's internal ranting in the corner or to Bellask's whimpering, but to what Z was saying. She was actually paying attention for once, or trying to. At least her was going to given enough numbing salve for both whers.

[nozomi]

About time Zalmask finally started the smack-down on the uppity gold wherling. Siatask smirked inwardly, smug satisfaction all but radiating from the stunted green, an aura that only strengthened when their mother not only didn't snap at Siatask for her boldness, but even appeared to joke. Ha! Siatask cast her sibling a long Look, her lips pulled back from the sore gums in a grotesque almost-smile.

Bellatrisk make noise. Dumb noise, no good. Blah blah blah. Not worth. Siatask added that last little tidbit with a sneer to her voice. As soon as she snarked at her gold sibling, Siatask turned back to the task at hand: asking politely for something that should be hers anyway. Siata put a hand on her pretty girls head. She rubbed her head knobs and ears gently, rewarded with a burst of possesive pleasure from her bondmate. Siatask crooned, rubbed herself up against the smith's leg.

Siatask's please get numb thing. So Siatask not- She bared her (lacking) teeth once again, despite the contented green eyes. The wher paused, as if to speak again, but then Z asked the little blue to be the 'special assistant'. Siata grinned, leaning over to peer at Z and how to actually do the rubbing without damaging her girl. Siatask did not attempt to push her over again, simply continued to lean, her claws flexing against the ground in anticipation. To whisper something cruel to little Ask? Taunt him? He'd ignore her, wouldn't he?

Do you really care all that much, beautiful? And, then, outloud, "How many times a day can we put it on them? Can they overdose on it if it's on their gums too much?"

Siatask snorted, her attention more on the blue on Z's hand. Bellatrisk was elsewhere, off her radar, and the other siblings weren't misbehaving and disrespecting those they shouldn't. Ask had her full attention, Ask and that damned numbing salve he was being given first. Silly virtue, taking what was hers. So she crooned, as full of sarcasm as her mother before her was false sweetness. Ask so special. No bite, no bad.

The small wher huffed out her amusement, the last words having twisted into a mockery of the little blue, no matter if he was not the only male she didn't fully dislike.

[lithle]

Poor Ask. He hadn't wanted to be first! He wanted to be last, like a good wher. He wanted to be strong, and brave, and good. The other whers, poor misguided souls that they were, straying from the righteous path, they needed the numbing much more than he did. He was patient.

But it was true that he wouldn't dare bite the boss! That was how Ask's thought of man, and Ask, of course, was picking up the thinking. And he was supposed to listen to the boss, she'd made that clear as well. Ask trotted up obediently, though with less enthusiasm than might be expected. When he reached the indicated spot, he opened his mouth.

Ask not bite Boss. Biting bad. Ask good! he assured him, and everyone. Even so, he bridled a bit when the stuff came in contact with his gums. It was... gooey. Good, yes. It made the pain stop. But not clean feeling. Ask immediately felt dirty, and feeling dirty made him miserable.

Siatask's snarky comment flew completely over his head. He'd yet to be introduced to the concept of sarcasm and, considering the company he kept, was unlikely to learn it anytime soon. Yes. Ask special. Ask good. Siatask bad. Learn be good. Learn be special.

Annette was quiet, witnessing all of this. She knew well enough how to apply numbing salve to her wher's gums, so didn't feel that she was missing out by not having the chance to do it first hand. She'd done it oft enough with Annesk, who had been known to snap. She somehow thought Ask would be an even easier charge, in this respect. He tried so hard, poor little thing. She respected that. But when contrasted against Annesk's love of life, even she could see that he was a bit over serious.

Anyway, they'd been promised check-ups and that was important, especially for Ask. He was a bitsy thing and fragile. It worried her. She wanted him to grow strong and healthy, whatever that took. She was more than glad that Ask was her second wher. She didn't like the idea of him going up against a prisoner by himself. But, with Annesk at his side, even soft hided little Ask was sure to be safe. And it was clear enough that big, slow, sweet Annesk would rip the throat out of anyone who came after his 'little brother'. He was fonder of the new wher than Annette had expected.

[S'yal]

Zalmask was content to ignore Bellatrisk and her other wherlets now that punishment had been dished out, instead turning to chew on a particularly itchy spot on her back leg. The gold didn't even bat an eyelash as her handler rolled his eyes at her. Z turned attention back the wherlings, patting Ask's head before snatching a rag out of the box. "He's going to drool a lot. So you might want to have this." Z grinned at Annette, before taking out several small bowls of the stuff. "Come and get one. Handlers with more then one wher to tend to may take two. Take a rag as well, this stuff makes them drool like crazy."

Z merely stood there with a blank expression on his face as the wherlings hopefully tended to their whers, Warden Jr. popping out of between to rest happily on his shoulder and chitter at him about the things he'd accomplished today. "Alright. Now that everyones pain free, who wants a check up first?" He suddenly went stern, a scowl on his face. "If anyone bites me, you guys aren't going to get the break I planned today. I'm going to take the wherlets down to the river, but if I get bitten it won't happen and the biters handler has double chores. Got it?"

[If you have your wher go up for a check up, just say in paranthesis if anything is wrong. I'll let you guys decide if your wherlets are healthy or not.]