"Nire! Come over and help me with this." The tall, strong woman waved a large hand at the Journeywoman. The Weyr Dragonhealer was a large woman, but not over-weight. She was very tall, and her sturdy frame was very intimidating. Her entire family followed in this line, with the rare exception here and there.

The lithe Journeywoman set down the jar she had been labelling among the others. Jumping up from her stool, she raced over to where Sirry stood. "Yes, Weyr Dragonhealer?"

Sirry held the brown's tail in her hand, and as soon as Nire stepped up next to her she handed it over. The tail had been curled around and brought back up towards the front of the dragon, and Nire could see the face not far away from her own. Sirry wiped her hands on her Infirmary breeches and began to walk towards the Storage Room at a brisk pace. "I'll be right back. Look at that tail and tell me what you think. You're a Journeywoman now, I want to see just how much you know."

"Alright..." Nire took a deep breath and let it out in a quick sigh. She'd been a Journeywoman for almost two years now, but both Sirry and her mother still treated her like the little Apprentice. Turning her face towards the dragon, it's eyes sparkling, she smiled and brought the end of the tail closer to her face.

Just before the forked end was a ring of redness. The hide was dry and flaking, though the remains of a good oiling were apparent. It didn't take her long to reach her conclusion, and she stood awaiting Sirry's return.

"Wow. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to bark at you yet." Nire turned on her heel to see a man leaned against the dragon's neck. He was grinning, and he didn't look much older than she. The comment struck her as odd, but she seemed to remember something about a dragon who thought it was a dog...

"His name is Kelienth, right?"

"That it is. How did you guess?"

"I'm a Dragonhealer. I'm supposed to know the dragons of the Weyr." She smiled shyly, bowing her head and patting the brown on the side. "He's a very handsome dragon. I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember your name, though."

"J'mini. So, you're a Dragonhealer? Surely not a Master, you're too young. Maybe not young enough..." He trailed off for a moment. He turned his head towards Kelienth and frowned. "Don't give me that. I know what I'm doing." He had obviously meant only to talk to the dragon, but it didn't seem to work out that way. "Well, Dragonhealer, I'm off. I need to help Ar'zec out with some wing duties while Kelienth is in here. Farewell." He bowed his head to her and spun around on his heel, walking away.

"So what is it?" The voice interrupted her thoughts, and she spun back around to see Sirry staring at her. Bewildered for a moment, she didn't know what to say. Sirry sighed slightly, but started to grin. "About the brown's tail?"

"Oh!" She picked back up the tip of the tail that she had dropped when interrupted by J'mini. "It looks to me like an infection of some kind. Maybe from eating an infected herdbeast or something of the sort. Or it could be a rash, maybe from over-feeding?" She kept her fingers away from the flaps of skin she knew the dragon used as an excretory device, having already cleaned up after five sick dragons that same morning.

"You're right on the first account. Kelienth will be alright in a few days, as long as he sticks to the Weyr's supply of herdbeasts for a while. Now, hold his tail still. This might sting a bit since it's so raw, but it'll do him good." Nire winced at these words and tightened her grip on the dragon's tail.

~*~ Later ~*~

The young Dragonhealer walked out of the Infirmary. Her white work tank-top was stained with sweat and other various things, as well were her dark shorts. There were curious bruises on her arms, that resembled the pattern of a wrapping tail. Sighing, but happy with a days work, she started back toward an empty weyr and the bath she knew awaited her there.