All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.
30-06-01: Flying
>> [lings] Niabeth stirs on her ledge and looks out over the bowl, dawn just starting to warm the sky....
>> [lings] Niabeth stirs on her ledge and looks out over the bowl, dawn just starting to warm the sky. <
>> [lings] Caeruleth stirs; darkness seeps, washes, waves--and her green-tinted touch considers, << Perhaps it is, >> she agrees, alto smoothed with dark spice. << I wouldn't know, would I? >> <<
Kyla pushes past the hide covering the office entrance and comes out.
>> [lings] Saironth yawns from his spot outside the barracks. >> Yes, it is a good day to fly. A shame the young ones are much to little to experience it. << He taunts, yes. Gets their hopes down, etc, etc. <<
>> [lings] Rojoth swallows a mouthful of meat and answers >>Yes I would think it a very good day to fly<< <<
Kyla slips out of her office, tugging on her leather jacket. "Morning stretches.." she hollers, never pausing on her way to the grounds.
>> [lings] Niabeth responds with light to Caeruleth's darkness, and radiates. <
Kyla walks out to the Training Grounds.
Kr'lin rubs at sleep filled eyes, it would appear these long hours are finally starting to get to the blue rider. "Yeah.. Morning stretches." And if you think he's going to be the one leading it this time, you have another thing coming.
Kr'lin walks out to the Training Grounds.
D'las gives Rojoth a pat on his side and waves to Kyla,"Good morning...er." Noticing that everyone seems to be leaving for the training grounds.
Pixilate comes in to the cool cavern, blinking his eyes, trying to adjust to the dim lighting.
>> [lings] Caeruleth considers, stretching out with languid tone, deciding without warmth, << Perhaps that would be agreeable. >> <<
You leave the huge cavern to go out into the bowl.
Caeruleth emerges from the weyrling barracks.
D'las emerges from the weyrling barracks.
Rojoth emerges from the weyrling barracks.
Kr'lin does, actually. Quite a problem with it, "Nice of you to join us Niabeth. Shame you can't be as punctual as Saironth here." A sorrowful headshake is aimed at the green, "Such an example you are setting for the young dragons." A grin is aimed at Kyla, only to be cut short by a face splitting yawn.
Kyla heads over to Niabeth, a tiny chuckle slipping from her. "Aye. I agree." And it's settled. With a tiny flourish she turns on the growing group. "Who wants to fly today?" It's Rhetorical, don't answer. "Line up. Lifemates out front. First we need to get those wings warmed up." Now that Niabeth is distracted by Kr'lin she does her best draconic dismissal, which includes turning and setting rump down, back facing him. Bluerider? Where?
Hanneke lists from the barracks, her footsteps taking her at an unintended angle across the grounds, Caeruleth following with a sleek, lurking movement. Follow the wayward weyrling is interrupted as Hanneke shakes her head up, peering about, eyes rubbed by carefully balled fists. "We're flying? I do, I do! Ooh, Caeruleth said so, but I wasn't sure. Ooh, how exciting, don't you think, Cae-Cae?" The green emits a lengthy snort, aiming herself to position with the other weyrlings--slowly, slowly, of course.
Kr'lin instinctually raises a hand and waves it a few times at Kyla's question, but then, realization sets in and Kr'lin lowers the hand.. She was speaking to the Weyrlings, of course. Oh well, he'll just place himself on a dragon forefoot.. An obsidian one, that is. Niabeth is already forgotten, so her placement of her backside to him is completely ignored. "You sure it is safe? I'd hate to have one of those dragons crash into Saironth and all." Kr'lin kids, really.
Rojoth resembles more a canine pup ready to play than a dragon of any size and it's all he can do to contain himself as he follows the instructions given by his lifemate,"Take it easy Rojoth, I know you want to fly and you will be soon enough I'm sure but you have to take things a little slower."
D'iz and Neeth can hardly believe their ears and headknobs, "Fly? Ooooo." D'iz claps his hands together a few times and starts to get ready for the stretches, this time with a little more guston than normal. Neeth.. Well, he's about 4 stretches into the morning workout. He's not eager at all.. No...
Lots of ignoring going on round here, as Kyla mimics her dragon. No, she doesn't sit, backside to Kr'lin, but she does dismiss him momentarily...until she needs him, that is. "Hanneke, it's not your turn today, only Caeruleth's." And now she seems to need him, or something. "Lead them through the initial stretches, Kr'lin." Ha. And he thought he was going to get to sit
Kr'lin just sputters a few times, "But.. But.. You said you were going to do it!" He had to go and mock the dragon.. Just dandy. So, being the smartass that he is, Kr'lin waves a hand, "Okay.. Everyone come on over here and gather around." If she thinks he's going to stand up, she has another thing coming.
Hanneke pouts visibly, turning her head towards Caeruleth to give the green a beam of encouragement. "Oh! Okay--C'mon, Caer, do really, really well!" Caeruleth, as per usual, stretches without speed of any kind--whilst Hanneke does manage to move towards Kr'lin, beaming towards the bluerider.
D'las walks the now calmed Rojoth over to where Kr'lin instructed them to."So are they going to be alright flying by themselve?" He isn't real sure Rojoth is old enough but then he wouldn't know either way,"I mean I know he has been doing his excercise and all but I don't know it just seems well..." He shrugs not knowing the right words,"I mean it seems like only yesterday they hatched out of their shells and all."
Neeth is much too busy doing his morning stretches to move closer to Kr'lin, but D'iz does.. Half is better than a whole.. Possibly.
Kyla gives Kr'lin a 'look', the one she's trying to get patented, but she doesn't say anything to him. "Yes they are ready, D'las." the green rider assures.
Kr'lin hmms and shakes his head at D'las, "The first flights are always the most dangerous, D'las. You'll need to be extra careful in monitoring your dragon." The last sentence is aimed at the group as a whole, not just D'las, "Okay. Now, lets get some of that stretching in. First the wings." He eyes Neeth, who is already doing the tippie toe stretch. "D'iz, tell you dragon he's going to have to start all over and stay with the rest of the dragons. He'll hurt himself before he gets into the air." See, these things work, sometimes.
Hanneke straightens her posture, waiting rather impatiently, her feet bouncing up and down upon the bowl floor beneath her. "Oh, this is so exciting! C'mon Caer, do the warm-thingies quick, so that you can *fly*!"
D'iz juts out his lower lip and pouts at Kr'lin, "He's just excited." See, D'iz is so excited, he's backtalking a weyrlingmaster. That doesn't stop him from slowing his dragon down with a few mental touches. Neeth emits a deep, sorrowful rumble as he stops his 'stretches' and moves to join the others, where he gets into the stretch mode. Wings up as far as they can go, hold for 5, then relax.
D'las watches as Rojoth unfurls his wings stretching them to their fullest height, then lets them come down to their broadest width slow and steady. "Good job Rojoth," He pauses as he gets a message from Rojoth then says,"I'm not sure I'll have to ask." He then turns to Kr'lin and asks,"Rojoth wants to know will we be waiting till it gets a little bit lighter before flying?"
"Lighter?" Kyla wonders aloud, heading over to the group. "What does he mean? And Hanneke, stretches are slow on purpose. Don't hurry her." As if she could? Finally to D'iz, "See me after class." Hey she can be in a good mood, but that doesn't make her blind.
Kr'lin looks around the Bowl at the question, "Hmm. Why? If they can learn to fly in the dark, they can fly anywhere." Okay, a little overconfident, but that's only because he knows that by the time they are done with the stretches, the sun will have appeared over the Bowl walls. "Now, everyone, keep up with Neeth."
Exactly: Hanneke couldn't. Caeruleth is nonetheless slower than ever, as if to be perverse on purpose, and Hanneke bounces about in apprehension, excitement, and any combination of other particular forces of personality and nature. Sliding towards the shadows that still play upon the edge of the bowl, Caeruleth continues her stretches, rather falling behind Neeth.
D'iz blinks a few times in the Weyrlingmaster's direction, "Wha'?" And then correction mode kicks in, "Umm.. Yes, ma'am. Right after class, ma'am." He would toss a few more ma'ams in there, but, that might be too much. "Not too much, Neeth. Don't want to overstretch."
D'las looks at Kyla and says,"He is still kind of..well...afraid of the dark as it were." He says looking over at Rojoth who does the dragon equivalant of a blush,"It's ok Rojoth we all have things we don't like." The back to Kyla,"The shadows and darkness bother him." He finishes with a shrug.
Kyla remembers now and nods. "The sun will be up any minute now. See? The bowl's already getting lighter." D'iz gets a nod before she wanders on, looking intently at all the dragons. "As Kr'lin mentioned, you all need to listen to your lifemates. We aren't going to be doing alot of flying today, but after their first attempts, I want you to go over their wings carefully for strains." She heads out to the empty expanse of the bowl. After a moment she drags the heel of her boot in the dirt, she then takes roughly 25 strides and repeats the line. "When you feel they are ready Kr'lin, have them line up on that line." She points to the first.
Kr'lin hmms as the wing stretches seem to be done, "Okay, now it's time for the legs. Everyone squat down to the ground, push yourselves up while your wings push towards the ground. Hold, then repeat." He nods towards Kyla, "Probably after this quick round. Don't want them straining a leg muscle, do we?"
D'iz lets out a sigh of relief as Kyla moves on. Maybe he'll be able to get out of seeing her after class.. After all, there is bound to be some excitement in the flying.. Maybe she will forget. His brown lifemate is well into his stretches. Body up, wings down. Body down, wings up. Repeat as desired.
Hanneke moves as if to perform the stretch herself--squatting slightly, before a nudge from one of the other weyrlings has her realign herself into a proper stance. Caeruleth snorts darkly, lithe form performing the stretch without difficulty, although the length of time it takes her is abysmally boring, as if watching it in slow motion. Why hurry?
D'las watches as Rojoth follows through with the excercise that Kr'lin told them to do, ever slowly but with greater convidence. Seems the shadows shortening into daylight have had an improved affect on Rojoth."You're doing great Rojoth, soon you will be flying up and away from the ground and the confines of gravity."
Kyla chuckles, "Gravity still reigns supreme, in the air or no, D'las." She continues to watch the group with a critical eye.
Kr'lin hmms and gives the dragons a good once over, "Okay. They are all yours Kyla." He points towards Kyla and her lines, "Everyone line up, D'las and Rojoth first, then Hanneke and Caeruleth..." He lists out the other weyrling dragons, before coming to, "... and last and hopefully not least, D'iz and Neeth."
Neeth has been rebuked! Here he was, the most energetic of the bunch, therefore, the most deserving and what happens. He's put at the end of the line. Eyes whirl slightly into the yellow before D'iz catches on and quickly starts to rub at his dragon's favorite spot, right where the right foreleg meets the body. Ahhh, yes. He likes that. Eyes whirl back into blue green as if there was never a hint of yellow present.
D'las smiles at Kyla,"Yes'mam but it isn't quite so confining when you're floating on a thermal or catching an updraft." D'las has been adragonback a lot of times and even though gravity still reigns he knows that in the air it's very different.
"C'mon, Caeruleth!" calls Hanneke, bouncing into position, a far slower, languid Caeruleth following -- at length -- to pull herself higher above Rojoth, leaning down with a loud bellow. Thus sated in some perverse way, she slinks into a more correct placement, waiting with perfect patience.
Rojoth gives the draconic form of a shrug to Caeruleth's posturing, and waits for instructions on what to do.
Kr'lin lifts a finger and notes, "Your dragon won't be high enough to catch any thermals or updrafts D'las." He leans back in his seated position and relaxes against his dragons foreleg, hands behind head, feet crossed. Ahh, this is the life.. "So, don't be encouraging them to ignore gravity, or else they'll discover it, very quickly and probably painfully."
D'las gives Rojoth a pat on his side and sends a mental note of encouragement on the next excercise. He is sure Rojoth won't do anything before it's time to, unlike D'las who has been known to rush into things without thinking."Yes AWM Kr'lin, I'm not trying to encourage him to do more than he is ready for or more than you or Kyla say he is ready for."
Kyla pauses to look at D'las. "Riding is different when you are linked to lifemate. It can be intoxicating at times, but you must always keep a clear head. Your life and your dragons depend on it." A tiny shadow slips across her face, "Remember that Weyrling." Now back to the matter at hand. "What I want you to have your lifemate do is, start there." she points to the line they are at, "And end here." The one at her feet is motioned to. "However they are comfortable with. I'd recommend a few hops and glides first. They can work their way up from that. Once they land near me, I want you to come here as well. Make sure you stay off the flying strip here."
Hanneke hugs Zureile! Zureile returns your hug in a most disappointing fashion, giving you one of those snobby, unsatisfactory hugs. You know the kind: A-framed and loose-armed, it makes you wonder whether hugging her was worth it or not.
Hanneke listens--very carefully, with exagerated attention--to Kyla, nodding her head up and down to indicate her understanding. She steps back from Caeruleth, who holds her over large wings *just* so as she waits to take flight--"Should she go, should she go?" queries Hanneke, still bouncing up and down.
D'las tells Rojoth,"Ok this is your chance to get into the air but don't do more than extend your wings and glide at first ok?" He says showing some concern for his lifemate,"I know you feel confident to do more but just humor me ok?" Rojoth rumbles and then, with D'las off the flying area,takes a few strides and hops into the air giving one good flap and then extending his wings to glide to where Kyla has positioned herself. D'las runs along the outside of the flying area smiling and giving encouragement."Way to go Rojoth!" He says and runs over to where the dragon lands on his feet if a bit falteringly.
Kyla watches the blue, nodding at his wing extension. "Good good." she agrees, albeit not as enthusiastically as his mate. "Now make sure his wings are fine, D'las." Gaze returns to the far line, "Ok, Hanneke, whenever Caeruleth feels she is ready."
Hanneke nods, and yes, she's still bouncing. "Goodie!" Caeruleth is more certain; she raises her wings, pushing off into a hop-type movement, propelling herself with her wings, although she doesn't beat them, just glides. Smooth, and with some measure of distance upon her very first movement, the green comes down into a somewhat uneven, but nonetheless decent landing, rumbling darkly upon her return to solid ground. "Cae-Cae! That was good!" Shudder. Cae-cae.
Again Kyla nods at the movement. "Good, landings will get better over time Caeruleth. Make sure her leg isn't strained Hanneke." Voice is lifted, "Ok D'iz. It's Neeth's turn."
D'las goes over Rojoths wings, which the dragon gladly extends to him."They seem ok, I don't see anything unsual with them what exactly am I looking for?" D'las asks and then Rojoth gives a little rumble to D'las."Oh? Let me see it." D'las says and Rojoth holds up his foreleg to show D'las where he got a little scrape from the landing."It looks ok Rojoth but we will clean it up just to be sure."
Kyla doesn't divert her attention from Neeth, but she explains to D'las. "Make sure his sails look good, and ask him if anything feels tender or sore."
Hanneke skips towards Caeruleth, running her hands along the green's limb with somewhat careful precision--"It *feels* fine. Is it, Caeruleth? Is it?" Her smile is far too wide for her to be in any way concerned, regardless of anything. "Yay, you'll get better, Caeruleth, I know you will--Kyla said so!"
D'iz waits 'patiently' for his dragon's turn. In that he only paces side to side at a slight jog, rather than a sprint, "Huh? Oh. Okay." Under his breath, "About time." then it's to the dragon, "Okay Neeth! You can do it!" Too bad his dragon is already making a mad dash for the line and D'iz is currently talking to a empty spot, whose only proof that a dragon was once there is a slight dust cloud. Neeth hops! He bounds! He's up! No, wait.. He's down... He's up again! No.. Down.. He's up! and this time he stays up, for all of two dragon paces, then he's down. Seems to be a bit harder than the dragon expected.
Kyla cocks her head as she watches Neeth. "Open your wings when you are coming down.." she helps, "Not when you are leaping up. It'll come in time." D'iz gets a smile, "Make sure he's ok. Now D'las, have Rojoth go back to the other line."
D'las leads Rojoth back to the begining line giving him encouragement and talking to him about all manner of things, the dragon trying to explain how it all felt to his lifemate and D'las awash with different feelings and emotions, then they make it back to the starting point.
D'iz appears at his dragon's side and gives him a series of scratches, "You did good, Neeth. I saw your feet leave the ground!" D'iz is taking this a lot better than his dragon, who is somewhat dejected at not being able to fly around the Bowl on his first attempt(s). The rubbings continue as D'iz inspects wings, looking for signs of strain.
Kyla nods after Rojoth and his mate, "Ok, once you are sure your dragon is ok, head back to the starting line and we'll give it another go."
Hanneke waits somewhat patiently as Rojoth and D'las get ready for their next flight, as she and Caeruleth move back to the line, following back to the starting line once more.
D'iz and Neeth have already returned to the starting line, well ahead of them slow pokes Hanneke and Caeruleth. This does mean they get to go befor them, right? Neeth can't help it if Caeruleth is a slow poke.
Kyla lifts her voice, "Go ahead Rojoth."
D'las gives Rojoth some encouragement and says,"Ok, Kyla says you can go again, give it your best effort this time."Rojoth rumbles and takes two strides then jumps and comes back down not really satisfied with the lift he got, the second stride and bound gets him into the air the way he likes and he extends his wings and just glides the rest of the way coming in for a landing just before making it to the line. D'las runs back to his lifemate smiling,"You're doing great Rojoth, I'm proud of you."
Kyla smiles at the pair, "Way to go. Now have him do a few wing stretches to cool off. That's it for now. We'll do more later." Neeth gets the go ahead this time, as he is in front of Caeruleth.
Hanneke opens her mouth to protest at Neeth's movement up in the queue--quite unfair, but Caeruleth's rumble has her quiet before she can even get a word out. Nonetheless, she's piping up moments later, complaining, "That's not fair, not at all, and you should be upset, Caeruleth! Stupid Neeth."
Ah how sounds travel in the bowl. "Excuse me, Hanneke?" Kyla says in a chill tone. "Caeruleth was last back, and Neeth was their first. There is nothing wrong here but your reaction." The tone is now accompanied by a smile. "You can also see me when we are done here."
Hanneke's mouth opens again, then snaps shut. Almost. "But--!" Again, it shuts, and she mutters something darkly to Caeruleth, who makes no audible, nor visible response, simply waiting with exagerated patience for her turn to come.
D'iz sticks his tongue out at Hannekem, "That's what you get for having a lazy dragon. Neener, neener, neener." The tongue goes out again, in unison with his dragon taking off the ground. It would appear that D'iz gets to miss his dragon's first halfway decent glide. Well, atleast the first bit of it. As the dragon is quick to inform lifemate and D'iz spins around, tongue still sticking out, "Oo." Man of few words. Neeth makes a landing, just beyond the second line, somewhat akward, yes, but any landing you can walk away from is a good one.
"Ok Caeruleth." Kyla says, "Your turn."
Hanneke sticks her tongue out at D'iz in response, nose wrinkling in distaste, and perhaps even disgust if one were really interested in going that far. "She's *not* lazy. She likes to...move slow, because she wants to." Caeruleth turns her intention to flying instead, although her tail slides towards Hanneke protectively; who would want *D'iz*, when they could have had *Hanneke*? Her flight is better than before: smooth in the air, her large wings aiding the propelling of her smaller body to the landing spot, where she lands with far more grace than before, svelte form shown off as she settles down with some satisfaction.
"Very good." Kyla nods, happy with the results. No hurt dragonets is a good thing. "Now, Hanneke and D'iz." She goes in for the kill, "You will both rake and level the training grounds. Our exercises have made it a tad of a mess. I will check on it later today. And if I see any more of this behavior between the two of you, or rather four of you, I will postpone your initial flight with your dragons." She waits to make sure this is absorbed.]
D'las gives Rojoth a good going over pleased that he seems to be in excellent condition, he feels sorry for Hanneke but not really for D'iz who seems to egg things on a bit too much still he doesn't get involved with it.
Hanneke's face was already pale, but not her annoyance shows, and she positively bristles. "But that's not fair!" states she, never having been sensitive about when one should shut up, and when one should not. Between pushups, and now this, she'll never have a hope at surviving weyrlinghood.
D'iz's jaw drops open and he points at Hanneke, "She started it!" Okay, so she had nothing to do with him backtalking Kr'lin, but still, that was back when they were doing stretches. "She's the one that has the slowpoke dragon that wasn't at the line as quickly as my Neeth."
Kyla was turning to head back to her office, but now stops in her tracks. "Enough." she says in a low but sharp tone. "Now not only will you rake the grounds, but you will muck /EVERY/ couch in the barracks." Gaze has a glint to it, "Would either of you care to say something else about fair? Or who started this?"
D'las still pats his blue's side and massages his wings,"I'm proud of you Rojoth and you've done a good job." His attention is on the goings on with his fellow weyrlings and he looks abit shocked as they seem to be getting in deeper and deeper.
Caeruleth emits a dark rumble, her eyes whirling rapidly as she focuses in upon Kyla, her tail swishing with obvious discomfort. Hanneke is perhaps even less at ease, her posture marked as if a board has been pushed up her uniform, her eyes flashing. "But--yes, Weyrlingmaster." Pause. She even, get this, manages a salute. She also manages a scowl towards D'iz, as much behind her back as positive.
D'iz hmphs and folds his arms, but still, taking the time to kick some sand onto Hanneke's boots, "See what you did. Got her all mad and everything." See, he isn't talking back to Kyla. He's blaming Hanneke for all his troubles. Kyla doesn't really get an answer. Just a head nod and a defiant look.
"Hanneke, you and Caeruleth are dismissed. Make sure she cools down.." Ah multiple meaning there. And now Kyla focuses on D'iz. "And you will also clean out the feeding pens D'iz, that is after you polish Hanneke's boots." Small arms cross over her chest as she waits for the lad to finish digging his hole. Hey she's got all day and a list a dragonlength long of chores.
Hanneke positively brightens--she's been swallowing glows again, evidently--and makes another face towards D'iz before she and Caeruleth make tracks for the barracks; slow tracks, but still, tracks nonetheless.