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.

12-07-01: Ride
Kyla is here. Really. Really and for true, and the sharding hides are flung onto the table by her office....

Kyla is here. Really. Really and for true, and the sharding hides are flung onto the table by her office. Grumble grumble. Green eyes lift and flicker over Weyrlings. Oh. Weyrlings. "So folks, how are the straps coming?"

Hanneke's much shortened hair is rubbed at with a towel, as the weyrling emerges from Caeruleth's couch, the green looming over her. "Straps," she repeats, with a heavy sigh. "They don't *work* like proper cloth." They're far harder and thicker, yes. "But the straps are done!" For the moment. A single moment.

D'las is working on the leather for the main straps starting to joing them together now, sewing this piece to that one and adding the soft fleece as he goes."Coming along pretty good." He tells Kyla, pausing to give the salute he is required to give."I think it will be good and Rojoth seems to like the feel of it."

D'nic sits atop Jaqueth -- good thing the bronze is getting /big/ -- fiddling with the brand spankin' new straps from up high. Jaqueth, of course, is sitting over there. Yonder. Seeing Kyla, he salutes from his perch, and takes a glance down at the straps with a shrug of his shoulders, "They're ugly, but I think they'll hold."

Kyla wanders around to each, taking a quick glance at the straps. "They are looking good." She slips out of her leather jacket and gives a back popping stretch. "You can all keep working on them while we review the weyr structure." Chair is nabbed and flipped around before she straddles it, arms resting on the back. "Now, let's see what you guys know." She pauses, gaze narrowing, "D'las. Who's the Weyrleader of Ista. And tell me one of his duties."

Hanneke hesitates, then returns towards her couch to lug the heavy straps towards Caeruleth, peering at the green with some trepidation. Straps go on green, yes. The 'how' is the real question.

D'las looks up from the straps with a perplexed look on his face,"Well the Weyrleader is D'san,"He says remembering well the visits he had paid D'las and what the visits were about,"And he is in charge of all the wings for one thing, and is the leader and head spokesperson for the weyr, the main delegate as it were." He says looking over at Kyla.

Kyla nods, "Good." and she figured he'd remember who D'san was. "How's he chosen?" This is aimed at D'nic.

D'las wipes his brow on that one though he did know the answer, he then looks over at D'nic as he softens the last piece of leather with a bit of water so he can finish sewing the three pieces together for a good fit.

"When the senior queen rises for a mating flight, whichever dragon catches her, his lifemate gets to be Weyrleader." D'nic answers in the midst of tugging on Jaqueth's straps, trying to find that optimal level of snugness and comfort for the dragon.

Hanneke attempts to swing one end of her straps over Caeruleth's neck, missing by a good half of her own heigh, whislt the green watches on with some amusement, raising her neck higher as if intentionally to tease the far smaller weyrling. "Caeruleth, that's not fair!" She is listening, really.

Kyla hasn't ever thought it was incredibly fair either, but who knows what's going on with Caeruleth. "Good. Now Hanneke, your turn. Name Ista's senior weyrwoman and tell me some of the things she is responsible for."

Hanneke's second attempt with the straps fairs no better, and thus she turns with a petulant frown, answering, "Katarra. She, er, sits on the sands. And wears pretty clothes."

Kyla winces slightly. "Yes she sits on the sands, though I don't think all Weyrwomen wear *say that 3 times fast* pretty clothes. I know Arien wasn't ever big on them. But moving on, or rather back to you D'las. Do you have anything else to add to Hanneke's work description there?" Please?

Hanneke shrugs altogether amiably, pointing out, "Katarra does!" And that's what counts. Straps are tossed up again, without so much as aim, clunking rather ceremoniously towards Caeruleth's talons. The green gives a long suffering rumble.

Kyla decides to intercede slightly. "Um. Hanneke, perhaps it would be easier if Caeruleth lies down initially?"

D'las watches the goings on and sends a mental note to Rojoth not to even think of playing Caeruleth's game,"Um..yeah I think I can add a bit more to that, I believe that the Sr. Weyrwoman is responsible for the Queens wings, the Pegusus wing here at Ista, and she is the over all person in charge of the stores and wares the weyr has," Another little bit of rhyming thing going,"She is over the headwoman and the steward keeping records of what the weyr recieves and sends out to different areas."

Hanneke flushes. "Oh. Maybe. Caeruleth!" The green complies, looming turned into lower lurking, which ensures that Hanneke actually has a snowball's chance of succeeding. Amazingly enough, she does. "Wow!" She peers at D'las, frowning. "That sounds like a lotta work. No fun."

D'nic chuckles at Hanneke's last comment, "Good thing Caeruleth's green and not gold, huh?"

Kyla nods. "Yes, and she needs to work with the Weyrleader as a liason to the holds and crafts." Ah Dom's turn. "Ok, do you know the wing structure?" This should be interesting.

"I suppose," agrees Hanneke. For more reason than one--Hanneke would be frightful as a leadership person, not that that would cross her understanding.

D'nic rolls his eyes, "Wing structure? Again?" With a flick of his chin, he gives a mental command to Jaqueth to unfurl one wing, and D'nic trails his hand along the bronze wing, pointing out the bits and pieces, "Finger tip.. finger sail.. batten ribs.. secondary sail.. primary sail."

Kyla sighs and rubs her face for a moment with her hand. "Fighting Wing structure, Dom. Like Phoenix.." Try try again. He's cute, never said he was quick.

D'las rolls his eyes at D'nic's wing description, come on now surely he knew what she was talking about, but he just gives a large sigh and continues to work on the leather putting it together to form the last part of the strap he will need, this just happens to be the end the buckles go on so there is an added aspect of this to look forward to.

Hanneke, now that she's managed to get the straps over Caeruleth's neck, attempts very slowly to buckle them up, a yelp sounding as she half crushes her finger in the process.

"Oh." D'nic grins sheepishly, "Gotcha." In a stage whisper, he tells the bronze, "Okay, lower your wing back down, Jaqueth. No, you did fine, but that wasn't what she wanted to know. Because that's not what she wanted to know. I don't know /why/, just because. Now shush!" Looking back to the weyrlingmaster with a grin, he rattles off, "Phoenix. That's R'ea's wing, I think. She's wingleader. And Filara's the wingsecond, I'm pretty sure. It's the one you used to be in."

Kyla knew he could do it, really. "Right. So you have a Wingleader over each wing. They usually have one or perhaps two wingseconds to help with the paper work and training. And you thought you were done with training? Nope. All wings have to stay active, so they drill and do sweeps. Anyway, each wing has around 12 or so riders." A little pause as she sorts out the next bit of information. "Three fighting wings make a flight." Now who's turn is it? "Hanneke, what are the fighting wings of Ista?"

Hanneke ummmmms with dramatic pause. Finally, she opens her mouth to repeat blandly, "Griffin. Phoenix. Isn't there Sphinx. Err...." She shrugs lightly, returning to her buckling, although with one finger being sucked, it's on the difficult side.

"And Pegasus." Kyla adds, "The gold wing." Tis shiny and all that. "Ok, there there is ours, Chimera, the Weryling Wing." Another pause, this time accentuated by a slight sigh. "So, what questions to you guys have?"

D'las looks up at the questions issue,"Well one thing I was curious of is when we will be able to fly with our dragons," That probably not what she had meant but it is a foremost thing on his mind,"And I was wondering, suppose something happens to say the weyrleader and his next in lines, and something happens to the senior queen on down till well lets say a very, very junior queen, who then is in charge?"

"Oh! Pegasus. Right." Hanneke nods rapidly, beaming charmingly.

With a sweet smile Kyla answers the first. "When I say so." Now on to the next bit. "The Weyrsecond would usually stand in stead for the Weyrleader, until he was able to return or until the Senior gold flies again. If something happened to both, then the Senior most Wingleader would step in." The next bit she thinks on for a moment. "And if something happened to almost all of our Weyrwomen, we'd most likely have a transfer of a Junior from elsewhere to help in the situation." She really doesn't want to think about that likelihood since it's fairly depressing. "Dom? Hanneke? Anything you'd like to know?"

Hanneke shakes her head. "Er, nope!"

D'nic nods, "Yeah, I've got a question... when we graduate, what wings are we gonna be in? Do we pick? Does the wingleader pick us? How's that all work?"

D'las doesn't feel like that was really an answer to his question, but isn't going to elaborate he will just let it go as that and seeing that he isn't asked if he has any more questions goes on about his task, the bit about the 'when I say so' kind of stings a bit too, not being what he was expecting. He looks over at D'nic and his question as he finishes putting the buckle on his strap, he could wait for that answer when and if he managed to graduate.

Kyla stands, again with stretch, only this time it's her knees that pop. Gotta love aging. "The Wingleaders will follow your training here and they are privy to the reports I send to D'san. When the time gets closer, it will come down to what I think, D'san thinks as well as the Wingleaders." She slips by Hanneke and nods, "Straps almost on? And D'las, are yours done?"

Hanneke removes her thumb from her mouth, nodding sullenly as she completes Caeruleth's strapping in. "Yes." She's not so interested in the flying bit--that's the future, whatever joy it'll bring.

D'las nods at Kyla as he begins to attempt to fasten them on Rojoth, not having the problems Hanneke had,"Yes mam, just going to check and see how Rojoth likes them and how comfortable they feel to him now that they are finished, just in case there is anything else I need to do to make them more comfortable or fit better."

Kyla slips her hand over the blue rider's straps. "They seem sound. Let's go try them out folks. We'll walk through some of the more simple flight formations." And guess what? She leaves to the grounds.

Kyla walks out to the Training Grounds.

You leave the huge cavern to go out into the bowl.

Caeruleth emerges from the weyrling barracks.

D'nic emerges from the weyrling barracks.

Jaqueth emerges from the weyrling barracks.

D'las emerges from the weyrling barracks.

Rojoth emerges from the weyrling barracks.

Hanneke bounces through from the barracks, Caeruleth following at a far slower, more deliberate gait. "We get to do formations! Ooh, fun, fun!"

"Ok, I know you've most likely done this a few times yourself." Kyla tosses over her shoulder. "But watch all the same." She approaches Nia, who leans down, her forelimb bent, giving Kyla a step up. From there she slips up the straps, finally swinging onto the dragons back. "Now."she calls back. "Listen to your mate, as you do this. Have them tell you if they feel something wrong, whether it's the straps or your weight." From her perch she watches with a slight worried gaze.

Kyla clambers up Niabeth's offered forelimb, nestling down between two neckridges, and rubs the soft forest hide.

Hanneke peers up at Caeruleth, takes a deep breath, then moves towards the green. "I can do this, Caer! This is going to be so much fun!" Ahem.

Caeruleth's cool, dark touch echoes forest greens through your mind, a hint of narcissus wafting dynamically through your mind, as you climb up her forelimb, using straps to get yourself safely between her neckridges.

Caeruleth(#644p)

Noctivagant passage palpable in a trellis of ossificated sinew, Caeruleth's vivified movements obnubilate looming presence, deepest malachite virescent to stark terminus. Braving irascible tongue is the calid heat from taut muscles, savering junctions to pristine wingsails unfurled--sallow completion decadent in svelte dignity.

Dark, darker, darkest: she has made her complete, but darkness hovers, and all serpents bite.

D'nic swings up to Jaqueth's neck, settling between two neckridges, and smiles down to his lifemate.

D'las swings up to Rojoth's neck, settling between two neckridges, and smiles down to his lifemate.

From Niabeth's neck, Kyla nods to herself, glad that no dragons belly flopped or something horrible like that. "Ok. How's everyone doing?" Niabeth stands finally and swings her head around to peer at the younger dragons.

>> [lings] Niabeth tickles lightly, <> A fresh hint of mint swirls, <> <<

>> [lings] Rojoth sends a warm peppermint scented thought out to all >>I feel great and the straps feel very good<< <<

Hanneke wiggles into place, beaming brilliantly. "See, I *can* do it, Caeruleth!" She waves a hand across towards Kyla, then the other weyrlings, shifting her position further as she gets comfortable. "I'm going to like this!"

From Jaqueth's neck, D'nic settles into his perch, fixing his straps into place, "Doin' fine, Kyla." He's climbed onto Niabeth more times than he can count, so climbing onto Jaqueth is just a matter of climbing higher.

>> [lings] Caeruleth nudges the connection with a darkly tinted green, efervescence lost to malachite's melancholy, touched with the faintest scent of cloves. << It has its good qualities, >> she agrees, nonetheless hinting at delight through deepest notes. <<

From Rojoth's neck, D'las smiles and says,"Rojoth says the straps feel good." And he feels great as well this being where he was meant to be and glad of finally getting to actually be here.

From Niabeth's neck, Kyla nods some more, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "Good. Ok. What we are going to do first is the leading wedge. We will form an inverted V. The lead would fly into the edge of threadfall first." A few moments before she adds, "D'nic, you lead. Then Hanneke, you would be to his right and slightly behind, D'las, you on the left and slightly behind." Where will she be? Wandering. "Go ahead."

Hanneke leans forward, urging Caeruleth on with a silent word of her own--the green proves no less eager to move quickly in this state, taking her passage very slowly to concatenate with Jaqueth, just behind at to the right. "C'mon, Caer, you can do this!"

Jaqueth pretty much stands in place, since, well, he's supposed to be leading. And if he's leading, then he's already in place. The bronze patiently waits for his clutch brother and sister... the little ones. D'nic calls out from up high, "But we're not flying, right?"

>> [lings] Niabeth shares a little insider info on the formation. <> Even though the green's never /seen/ thread, the thought of it tinges her mindvoice red. <<

>> [lings] Jaqueth quietly responds, a hint of butter in his scent. << But I would not miss. >> <<

From Niabeth's neck, Kyla is quick to answer that. "No. These are ground drills. We will do a few formations, which we will incorporate into morning drills." If anyone was looking they'd see her almost feral grin, "Plus we will start firestone throwing from dragon back now."

>> [lings] Caeruleth snorts, sending a tumultuous wave of aubergine towards her far larger clutch brother. << You would, too. >> <<

From Rojoth's neck, D'las moves Rojoth into position though the dragon seems to know kind of where he should be from listening to Kyla's instructions, with mental nudges he gets Rojoth to exactly where he should be,Rojoth rumbles recieving Niabeths mind message his eyes begining to whirl faster with an orange red tinge to them,"It's ok Rojoth thread is still a ways away no need to get worked up over it."

>> [lings] Niabeth slips in, calm and cool. <> <<

>> [lings] Jaqueth acquiesces. << I would miss some, but on purpose, so that the rest of you do not get bored. >> <<

>> [lings] Rojoth listens to his clutch brother and sister they both seeming to be a bit on the well arrogant side >>One should not miss the menace on purpose for any reason, suppose the other did not get it?<< <<

>> [lings] Caeruleth mocks, regal alto delineated with deepest red. << Oh, quite the magnanimous one, is he not? How sweet. >> Sarcasm is her element, she rejoins without pause. <<

Niabeth wanders over and then around the small group, rumbling positively. See, she can teach them. "Once you are all flying, we will do drills with paint soaked ropes." Ah the grin gets larger, "That's after your lifemates learn to flame as well. Those are /fun/." And Niabeth gives a quick bugle of agreement. "Now good. Let's try the trailing wedge. All of you turn, having Caeruleth and Rojoth now out front. And I want you to move together to the end of the grounds. Then turn again..to leading wedge."

>> [lings] Niabeth lets sarcasm and cynicism roll off her back, after all it takes all kinds. <> <<

Rojoth does his best to turn with grace and dignity striving to stay with his dark clutch sister, he loves her but she bothers him, Rojoth rumbles as he responds to Niabeth while D'las concentrates on what he is suppose to be doing.

Caeruleth has her own dignity and grace, although she moves rather too close to Rojoth as if on purpose, lifting her neck as if to loom over the larger blue for a moment, which causes Hanneke a moment of distress. "Eek!" Smoothly, the green lowers her neck once more, placing herself in formation with cool nonchalance.

>> [lings] Rojoth sends with a gingerbread sweetness>>I would hope that no one would miss on purpose for that reason as well, but he did say he would<< Indicating his bronze brother >>But my rider says we are a long ways from having to deal with thread <<

Jaqueth swings out to his right in a wide arc. Big dragons mean big turns. Caution: This dragon makes wide right turns. He's not clumsy... but his turning radius leaves something to be desired. Finally completing the turn, far far away from the other two young dragons, he has to gallop to catch up to them -- at least his strides are longer than theirs. Hey, check out the tail on Caeruleth....

Niabeth cheats, cuz she can. With a hop and a glide, she lightly lands at the other end of the grounds. "Good, now turn and try to stay together..with /out/ trompling each other." Ah that's the tricky bit.

Caeruleth could trample for fun; that would be amusing, and oh-so-easy, with empty-headed blues invading her space, and bronzes checking out a tail that is about to whip about--take that, fragile patch of air. Instead, she manages to make a fairly smooth passage around, somewhat out of time, being rather slow, but not quite trampling.

Jaqueth turns. Ever wonder, if he were backing up, would you hear BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP? Least he's not as big as Suryareth. But, still, he's big enough that his turn again takes him to the outside of the area, not able to make the tight turns that Rojoth and Caeruleth can manage. Again, he hurries to catch up to the other two, while D'nic calls out, "Kyla, there's no way that Jaqueth can stay with them on the ground. It's impossible!" He's not complaining or anything, just stating a fact.

Rojoth is far from empty headed and he stays in his designated area as instructed, he keeps his formation as it should be watching to make sure he stays away from the large bronze and the stealthy green.

From Niabeth's neck, Kyla doesn't laugh, at least out loud. It's a talent, this internal giggling stuff, but anyway. She waves a bit at Dom, "Fair enough. Just have him do his best. Ok folks, how are your lifemates feeling? Any sore muscles or are they tired?"

"She feels fine!" Hanneke assures, giving her lifemate a brilliant smile. "I think she's very, very cool for that. Isn't she, isn't she!" Er. Yes.

From Rojoth's neck, D'las shakes his head,"Rojoth says he feels great no soreness at all, though he is a bit worried about Jaqueth turning into him and is trying to avoid that at all costs." D'las informs Kyla, "He really likes this and is glad we can start doing it on a regular basis."

From Niabeth's neck, Kyla nods, "That you can. You may all ride your dragons on the ground around Ista. No gliding or flying at all, though." She quickly warns, "Their wings are not ready for the additional stress." With a grin, she flips a leg over Niabeth's side, and slips to the bowl floor. "That's enough for now. We'll add a few more formations to that over the next couple of days."

With surprising agility, Kyla slides down from Niabeth's neck and lands softly beside her forelimb.

D'las unbuckles his riding straps and then slides gently down from his lifemate Rojoth's neck landing next to his lifemate with a soft thud and a bending of his knees.

From Jaqueth's neck, D'nic shakes his head, one hand patting the long bronze neck in front of him, "Nothing wrong here, other than normal itching." D'nic's not going to admit that Jaqueth's wings are still kinda sore from over-exerting himself in the feeding pens. That's what happens when you're hunting for two.

Hanneke's face falls with some disappointance, but she unstraps herself, wiggling her way around to peer down Caeruleth's side. "Next time! We'll do much more. I won't have to run about the bowl anymore!" Oh, raptures, delights.

Caeruleth sends dark ripples of forest green through your mind, releasing you as you tumble, somewhat precipitaciously, down from her neckridges, eventually reaching the ground in an acervated heap.

Kyla gives Niabeth a little rub, "I know love. Soon they will be flying and we'll go as well." She turns to the group, "Keep working on the straps, trying to get them soft. Oil is great for that. Anyway, class dismissed.." And all that.