December 17, 2003
Threadfall over Ista Hold; later, R'hyn and Dix get a little closer.

Previous Next

** From the sky overhead, Viasseth wings over from the northern sky.

** From the sky overhead, Viasseth wings down toward the northern bowl.

** Viasseth wings down to a landing.

** Cardixa slides down from Viasseth's helpfully lowered shoulder, landing firmly and confidently on both feet.

Arisvath crouches low, allowing you to swing your leg over his neckridges, and climb nimbly towards the ground, with the help of his straps.

Cardixa is busily tugging at Viasseth's straps and cargo, cinching here and loosening there, as necessary. Her expression is set in a deep frown, occasionally shifting to full-out scowl as she mutters inaudibly to her dragon. He looks as though he's doing his best to soothe, but with little apparent success.

From the sky overhead, Daymith wings over from the northern sky.

From the sky overhead, Daymith wings down toward the northern bowl.

Daymith wings down to a landing.

W'rik heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Siramyth heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Kiora heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

R'hyn's there, amid the outskirts of the dragons assembling from E'van's wing. His jacket is lying on top of his lifemate's forelimb, goggles and gloves on top, left in wait while he hurries about checking and rechecking Arisvath's straps. His expression is blank enough; it's not so much /autopilot/ as-- something else entirely. One glance is made across to Cardixa, just for the briefest of moments, expression equally denying categorisation.

Oki comes over from the waterfall pool.

Sh'dey has arrived.

In a classic near-miss, Cardixa glances back at R'hyn across the quickly growing chaos, just in time to miss him look away. Her face, too, is devoid of reaction one way or the other, shadowed as it is by stress and distraction. She's apparently done with her triple-checks on Viasseth, and beckons for her Wingseconds to join her once they've finished.

E'van heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Inashanth heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Y'lan heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Orinth heads over from the southern end of the bowl.

Oki makes sure to check Rhavinath's straps, which conveniently hides any shaking in her hands. "Are you ready for this?" she asks quietly of the blue, before peeking at the others.

From Inashanth's neckridges, A'raz has left.

A'raz slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Inashanth, the Blue lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the he hops to the ground.

E'van is, for a change, not flanked by Shiae. Today, he's walking side-by-side with Al'dez, the two muttering even as the pull on riding gloves. Already, the firestone sacks are going around and Wings are starting to form - with a few noticeable gaps, the largest ones in Al'dez's own Wing. "Before we begin heading to Ista Hold," E'van calls as he starts searching his bag for 'stone chunks to toss at Jeirath. "There's a bit of pressing business."

Y'lan and Orinth make their appearance, already dressed up in their fighting gear and harness respectfully. As he passes by E'van on the way to the firestone supplies, Y'lan salutes the Weyrleader. "Sir." And continues on his way, heaving two bags up behind him to haul over and fasted to Orinth's straps.

R'hyn misses Cardixa's glance, his head ducking down as he picks up his gloves, putting them on even as E'van calls out. The rider turns, head tilted sidewards -- surprise, and also consternation registers, more clearly than any previous emotions. Fingers wiggling inside the warmth of his right glove, he bites his lip.

Daymith stands patiently save for the sporadic twitching of his tail-tip as W'rik checks and rechecks the dragon's straps. His expression is emotionless, how should one feel at a time such as this? Daymith seems eager and rumbles at W'rik to finish already. So perhaps the dragon isn't as patient as he seems.

Kiora adjusts her flamethrower, settled in the appropriate spot behind Serriena in the queens' wing. She's bundled up quite well in her riding gear, though mostly identifiable by the fact that she's standing by Siramyth, who's /quite/ identifiable either way. "Arr." She's listening, at any rate.

Sh'dey comes from his cottage, ready for the upcoming Threadfall. He is already wearing his fighting gear, as well as Mreth. Sh'dey pats his dragon on the leg, then looks around at the others.

Cardixa cuts one of her Wingseconds off mid-sentence as E'van starts to speak, much to his annoyance. "In a minute," she growls. "You need to hear this." Viasseth rumbles quietly, eyes asparkle as he looks away from scanning the weyrling pairs to follow his rider's attention.

Oki did notice E'van, but manages to pretend that she doesn't. Y'lan, though, garners a look. "Hey," she calls out, but quickly returns to her task. Straps and other odds and ends taken care of, the bluerider turns to lean against Rhavinath's side, perhaps for suppport.

"As of this morning," E'van begins, very matter-of-fact, "thirteen riders from Ista Weyr have been granted a transfer - " Note the slight squint of one eye. " - to Southern Weyr to accompany Mechelle. This means there are thirteen gaps in our fighting Wings. And this means we need thirteen new riders to fill those gaps. I've spoken with P'rell, and I have a list of weyrlings who will be flying with their new Wings as of this 'fall."

Sh'dey makes sure Mreth's straps are just right, then listens to E'van. Weyrlings. Mreth seems a little impatient, looking up into the sky as if to see the silvery strands falling from above.

R'hyn's stoic expression puts in only a brief appearance, fading into pallor as he shifts this way and that, apparently calculating the loss. He mouths something indecipherable, but remains silent, both hands falling to his side.

The crunching of 'stone fills the short recess as E'van shuffles around to find a scrap of hide amid his pockets. "When I call your name, please move from your position in the Weyrling Wing to your new Wingleader." And he makes with the calling, the first five going to Al'dez's Wing - notably, the one that used to be Hana's, and that brownrider is absent - and the next two going to D'vel's Wing.

Kiora rocks back and forth on her heels, frowning thoughtfully as she waits to hear which weyrlings are going where. Siramyth shifts impatiently, fixing her eyes skyward.

Oki lifts her eyebrows, glancing at Kiora and W'rik and the others. Wings already? "This is a surprise..." she murmurs, but does straighten up a little. "Please not his wing," she says, not entirely aware she's said it aloud.

Sh'dey waits, but both he and his blue dragon seem impatient. The dragonrider keeps on shifting weight between his feet, and Mreth was looking all around. First at the sky, then at the dragons, then at the surrounding Weyr, then back up at the sky, etc.

Y'lan's eyes widen slightly, then narrow again when he hears this news. Stuffing his fists into his jacket pockets, he eyes the Weyrleader, waiting to hear more.

Cardixa looks increasingly more stoic as the minutes wear one, staring almost single-mindedly at E'van as he starts the roll-call. At the mention of Al'dez's Wing -- and the inevitable tie to Hana -- she glowers quietly, jaw set tight, arms crossed over her chest. Not a happy Wingleader. At all.

"Siramyth and Kiora will be flying with the Queens' Wing," E'van continues, glancing toward where Serriena and Niaryth are placed. "A'raz and W'rik will fly with my Wing. Oki and B'myr will fly with Cardixa's Wing." He pins a look on Oki, though the likelihood of him having heard her mutter amid the grinding of firestone and the creak of leather seems slim. "Find your formations. We'll between to Ista Hold momentarily." And, with that, he mounts up.

E'van steps up to Jeirath's bent foreleg as the Bronze crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. E'van swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

Arisvath chews heartily, while R'hyn - keeping half an ear, and half an eye - upon the proceedings, shucks on his jacket. It takes him a little while to get his hands through, too big in their gloves. He buckles the garment up to his neck, reaching out to hand Arisvath some more firestone, then, quickly, moves to mount. "Poor kids," is his only comment, a quiet one at that.

With a smooth motion, you grap a hold of Arisvath's straps, using their guiding length to scramble from forelimb to neckridges, at which point you settle, safe atop the bronze.

** Sh'dey steps up to Mreth's bent foreleg as the Blue crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. Sh'dey swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** Oki lets out a sigh of relief and then makes the climb up onto the blue. Despite her increasing trembling in her hands, she manages to make it to the seat with little problems. Now it's a matter of being told where to go.

** Oki steps up to Rhavinath's bent foreleg as the Blue crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. Oki swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** W'rik looks 'round as E'van begins to speak and stands quietly to listen. His jaw sets as he listens for his name, then looks to the wing he's to join. He nods once, likely receiving the information from Daymith, and turns to mount as the dragon chews and moves into his slot.

** W'rik steps up to Daymith's bent foreleg as the Bronze crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. W'rik swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** Siramyth is appropriately settled, then, and shifts just enough to please Niaryth. This done, Kiora mounts up, managing the climb a bit more awkwardly than usual.

** Kiora steps up to Siramyth's bent foreleg as the Gold crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. Kiora swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** A brownrider off to one side gripes quietly, as he mounts up: "That goldrider they send better be worth the loss of so many, that's all I'm saying."

** "B'myr, Oki," Cardixa barks, not so much as hoisting herself halfway up Viasseth's straps so as to make hesrelf visible. "Hurry up, double-time. G'shen," she says in an aside to her blueriding Wingsecond, "Make sure they know where to go. Put B'myr in F'nid's slot, Oki in Disara's." "But--" "Do it." "Yes, ma'am."

** Cardixa steps up to Viasseth's bent foreleg as the Brown crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. Cardixa swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** Y'lan doesn't like that a single bit. He takes several long strides toward E'van, then stops to protest from where he is when the Weyrleader mounts up. "They've never flown with us before! They haven't drilled with us or anything!"

R'hyn, already halfway through buckling himself up, stops short as Y'lan -- a brief snatch of complaint carrying this far -- approaches the Weyrleader. He listens, attentive, straining to hear.

** From Rhavinath's neckridges, Oki gives Cardixa a disgruntled look since she wasn't dallying. Hearing her brother's voice causes her attention to perk a little. Now she's dallying to watch her brother and E'van, while Rhavinath shifts his feet around in anticipation. "Be still, Rhav. We'll go in a moment."

** From Jeirath's neckridges, E'van's busy buckling himself in for now, trying to look to busy to notice any grumbling or questioning looks. Tunnel-vision only serves him so well, however, as he eventually has to look down at Y'lan. "And? They come with the highest recommendations from P'rell - the cream of this crop. If you doubt their capabilities, you can take that up with them. After the 'fall. For now, find your dragon, boy, or we'll be leaving you behind."

Announcement: Pre-fall will begin in 30 seconds. If you aren't already there, please @tel to #603, or head to Courtyard - Ista Hold. Ask a dragonrider or a staff member if you need assistance getting there. The Fall will begin in 10 minutes. The fall will last 45 minutes thereafter.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Sh'dey buckles himself up and looks around, ready for the signal to fly. Mreth is impatient as well.

** G'shen hustles quickly over to Nhiameth, giving B'myr's instructions quickly up to him before jogging to Oki and Rhavinath. "You're flying right center, bluerider," he calls up. "I hope you know where that is, because I don't have time to show you. You'll see the open spot once we're aloft -- you're behind R'tan and Urith." And then *he's* double-timing it back to his dragon.

Dragon> Ista Weyr dragons sense that Viasseth calls out firmly to his Wing, << We will ascend immediately after the Weyrleader's Wing. Wait for the signal. >>

** Y'lan steps up to Orinth's bent foreleg as the Bronze crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. Y'lan swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

** From Jeirath's neckridges, E'van's mark is a fist up in the air, and he gives a quick look over his shoulder to see how much of his Wing is in formation. Y'lan gets a questioning frown, then his fist falls and Jeirath rises.

** Jeirath leaps aloft, following a thermal to bring himself higher in the sky.

** From the sky overhead, Jeirath wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** From Orinth's neckridges, Y'lan grumbles as he mounts up, there being no time to argue. Someone's going to get themselves killed.

You leap aloft, finding a warm thermal to carry you higher over the bowl.

** Orinth wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** Viasseth wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** Siramyth wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** Daymith wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** Rhavinath wings upward, finding a thermal to rise up from the Northern Bowl.

** Jeirath cranes his head, watching for the rest of his Wing. And then, once they're all aloft, once E'van has checked the formation of the other Wings, he pops into Between.

** Jeirath disappears into the frigid void of Between...

** Arisvath disappears into the frigid void of Between...

Between

Black...

Blacker...

Blackest...

The cold void of Between fills every sensation until there is nothing but infinite darkness.

** With a blast of cold air, Arisvath emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Daymith emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Viasseth emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Rhavinath emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Siramyth emerges from Between!

** Somewhere out at sea, blue-green water churn as long strips of gray Thread fall in. The water is made even more turbulent by the aquatic fauna that rise to feed upon the drowned Threads. A fin pierces the surface of the water from time to time as fish of all sizes come to find nourishment from a most deadly bounty.

** With a blast of cold air, Inashanth emerges from Between!

R'hyn leans forward, goggles readjusted one final time before his focus is set firmly upon the coming leading edge. Arisvath beats his wings carefully, holding his place in formation -- a low rumble his only remark.

** With a blast of cold air, Orinth emerges from Between!

** The skies darken as though a storm front has moved in, but the winds do not change, nor is the air more humid than usual. Light still breaks through, but casts sinister moving shadows upon the ground as the edge of the 'fall interposes itself between ground and sky.

** Viasseth is already positioned at the tip of the traditional V-formation, one Wingleader to her immediate left and slightly behind, and the other almost centered, back with some of the newer riders. His first load of firestone already chewed, Viasseth hovers slightly above the rest of the dragons, to make it clear that they should hold their positions. Cardixa twists around to get a good, long look behind her before turning the majority of her attention to the Weyrleader pair.

** Rhavinath emerges from between, but hangs back a little ways while Oki does the peek-a-boo thing over the neckridges. "What is that? That's thread!" Being so keyed up is the cause for her stupid chatter to herself. "What do we do? Oh, I'm going to mess up." Not likely that too many can hear her.

** With a blast of cold air, Mreth emerges from Between!

** From Inashanth's neckridges, A'raz sits, tensed, as the blue flies in perfect formation with the rest of E'van's wing. "... egads, Inashanth, y'ready? I can already see the Thread now... you remember the drill right? When y'get scored, y' between- and flame like all hell!" he reassures his dragon, before looking over to W'rik a moment to make sure his fellow weyrling is alright.

** The leading edge of the Fall looms into sight even as those below ready themselves to meet the ancient foe. Predicting the sway of wind and current is a tricky matter at the best of times, and in this case the shower that comes threatens to befoul the reports. Deadly clumps detach from each other, borne on a weaving downward path.

** The queen's wing maintains their lower altitude, fidgeting with their flamethrowers or adjusting their straps for one final time -- there's Siramyth in her spot behind Niaryth, with Kiora perched on top, wiggling a bit more than the rest of them. Set? Set. Or, hopefully, at least as much as they'll ever be.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Sh'dey looks around at the other members of Cardixa's wing. Soon the Thread was coming. Mreth swallowed a last bit of firestone that was still in his mouth. Closer... closer....

** Without Shiae, E'van's Wing looks a little lopsided. There's a brownrider filling her spot, but he clearly lacks the greenrider's poise. Not to mention that he's nowhere near as cute. But such is life. With a short burst of flame, Jeirath signals his readiness just as the foremost edge of 'fall arrives. It should come as no surprise that E'van keeps craning his neck to look between Daymith and Inashanth.

** The darkening skies present their face to Ista at large, turbulent tremors snaking their way across the surface smog, then all at once the clouds give up the masquerade, sending silvery spores tumbling to the ground. Threadfall begins, regardless of whom might be below.

** From Daymith's neckridges, Daymith emerges from between, looking around as soon as he can. W'rik first looks to E'van, then glances to where he knows A'raz is. The bronze rumbles eagerly from his position. "Calm down, you'll get to soon enough."

** It all begins so innocently -- the flocks of grey cloud formerly clumped in the skies loom nearer, swept in by a determined gust of tropical wind. Spurred by the force of those erratic currents, these smoky shapes flicker with their ominous load, as yet unreleased.

** A gout of flame is expelled from Arisvath, seering through a clump of thread that passes close to the bronze. He's well back in the formation - not trusted or respected enough to take point, and thus, singled out in no way. Dust falls, carried away by the winds.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Mreth gives out a low roar as he flames the first few small silvery strands that fall close to him. Now the blue dragon is cleary ready to fight. Under all of the gear, Sh'dey is ready for the Threadfall as well.

** The interplay of dragons and Thread continue, several dragons winking out only to be replaced by others as the exhausted members of the formations make their way back to the Weyr for treatment and well-earned rest. The wind shifts over time, swaying the relentless Fall in the direction of the Hold itself.

** Viasseth turns his head back just far enough to trumpet the go-ahead to the rest of his Wing, and then he, too, has whipped around and is propelling himself, eyes blazing, into Fall. A gout of fire bursts from his parted maw, and Cardixa ducks hard against his neck as the smoke blows back into her face.

** Orinth shifts, correcting the formation, and Y'lan twists around in the harness to make sure those two weyrling riders are where they're supposed to be, irritation mingled with worry in his expression.

** Inashanth belches, after a significant amount of chewing, an outward column of flame to successfully incinerate a clump heading his way, dipping ever-so-slightly to let one fall back to the person behind him where it might be flamed more easily. A'raz grins as he evades the smelly smoke, and gives him another lump of firestone.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Merth makes a sudden shift as Cardixa's wing turns around. Flame from the blue dragon burns a few stray glumps of Thread. Sh'dey hangs close to his dragon, almost repeating every movement that his dragon is doing.

** A mass tangle of serpentine silver detaches into two smaller tangles, and as the air shifts, one tangle heads toward W'rik and the other plunges lower toward E'van's wing.

** Siramyth maintains her position within the wing surprisingly well, though this is mostly due to the fact that it's rather hard to move her at all unless she wants to go. Kiora, thankfully, has yet to do any permanent damage to anything besides what little stray Thread that's come her way so far, though she squawks loudly as Siramyth drops to get her safer aim at a large clump.

** Thread falls around one dragon, getting flamed by another rider of E'van's wing as the pair go between, narrowly escaping being scored.

** Jeirath darts out of the way of part of the tangle, taking a glancing blow to the very tip of his wing - surely not enough to send him out of the fight. But he roars anyway, trying to catch the snag that's heading toward W'rik, but coming up short.

** From Daymith's neckridges, Daymith banks to the side, turning his head toward the thread coming toward them and spouting a column of flame from his throat. The hiss of charred thread seems to make the bronze unusually prideful, even though it was just a small clump. Lets not tell him that.

** Rhavinath flames a bit of passing thread, trying to keep his position. Drifting a little, maybe due to the fact that Oki keeps ducking and squeezing her eyes shut every time something zings by them. The blue dives a little at a piece of the shiny menace, flaming it into dust.

** Gouts of flame sear the sky, singing the silver Thread to harmless black char that floats down toward the ground almost peacefully. Only now and again does a clump escape the wings, hotly pursued by a glimmer of gold.

** Arisvath banks slightly port-wards, sliding just out of the way of a falling strand that will have to be left for one of the wings beneath. Pulling back into position, R'hyn wipes his forehead - or what is visible of it - with his right hand, scratching up beneath his helmet as they press on, his eyes narrowing towards the task at hand.

** Viasseth drops in a sharp left-descending swivel to avoid a tangle he can't quite reach, but that's bound for Oki and Rhavinath as various other dragons are preoccupied with their own problems.

** From Inashanth's neckridges, A'raz ducks someone's smoke flying over his head and coughs as Inashanth burps forth another flame almost gleefully. "Ina, I /know/ you like burping flame, but get /serious/."

** From Mreth's neckridges, Mreth continues flaming the Thread that was in his reach. A bunch of Thread comes down from above. It looks like it's going to hit until... Pop! Mreth had just went /between/ just in time to safe both him and Sh'dey. They appear again, but the clump of Thread falls on down.

** A silvery, tangled clump of Thread drifts through the sky above the Hold. A gust of wind buffets the tangle towards the fighting wings and its path leads it towards Viasseth.

** With a blast of cold air, Nhiameth emerges from Between!

** From Siramyth's neckridges, Kiora leans back a bit, watching as the others in her wing do their jobs and looking mildly irritated as a clump escapes -- but then there's one approaching on Siramyth's left, and her attention's caut by that as she does her best to char it quickly.

** Thread is blown clear of E'van's wing as the wind and rain buffet around the wings fighting the menace. It drifts and falls down towards Ista Hold.

** Viasseth angles up sharply left, flaming as he goes, jerking Cardixa back hard against his neckridge. As the clump disintigrates in a puff of smoke and ash just feet from his face, the brown winks quickly *between* to avoid a burn, emerging again a few feet higher than before. Although she's probably going to have an impressive bruise on her back in a few hours, Cardixa sucks it in and tosses another firestone chunk forward, into her mount's waiting jaws.

** Rhavinath tries to swoosh in on a flashy dive, angling for some of the falling thread, but manages to bungle it enough that he careens out of position. With a loud bellow and as a big flame, the silvery piece is burned from the sky, all the while Oki squeals.

** Jeirath cranes his neck, peering to see Viasseth. When the brown singes the clump, he turns his head back to his own work, snagging a tangle that comes very near him, leaving E'van swatting at hot ash that probably stings a bit as it rushes passed him.

** Arisvath lets out a warm roar, disappearing between as a clump threatens to tangle about his right wingsail. He returns -- apparently unharmed -- a matter of moments later, the thread flamed into oblivion by another dragon below. R'hyn wipes the sweat from his face once more, as his lifemate emits a whoosh of flame to defeat another tangle that comes too close.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Sh'dey throws another chunk of firestone into Mreth's mouth as well. The blue dragon starts to show signs of fatique, but is trying to continue as long as he could.

** A single, ghostly curl floats serenely down towards Cardixa. Like a ribbon, it tumbles downwards, almost invisible in certain lights, on its trajectory towards flesh.

** From Inashanth's neckridges, A'raz is relieved that the Thread seems to be out of the way for now. "Ina, you're not wounded yet. Good." Whew.

** From Nhiameth's neckridges, B'myr appears to replace a tiring rider and gets his first chance at fall. Practice pays off when he automatically tosses firestone to Nhiameth's waiting mouth once the pair get into position. Nhiameth darts eyes around her at the other weyrlings, her movements cautious but efficient.

** Daymith moves back toward his position as W'rik tosses him a chunk of firestone, then another. The weyrling keeps a watchful eye, but the bronze seems to be more aware in his need to see the writhing clumps given what's coming to them. He bugles a warning to a blue nearby, but can't move quickly enough to help. The bronze, instead, turns to scorch a closer clump.

** The steady hiss of Thread merges with the gusts of dragon flame into an orchestration no Harper could repeat. Occasional yells or dragon roars only serve to punctuate the fight. Amid the din, a tendril breaks off, headed toward Rhavinath.

** From atop Viasseth, Cardixa's attention is pulled in a thousand directions: supplying her dragon with firestone, keeping track of her Wingseconds, watching E'van, and-- and then Rhavinath does that flashy flame-roar thing, and her attention is pulled behind her, both hands gripping the straps hard with anxiety. And then: too late, she sees that gray iridescent flash, just at the edge of her peripheral vision. Crying out, she leans hard to the other side, but the tangle brushes her arm and-- *wink*. She and Viasseth are gone from view.

** From Mreth's neckridges, Mreth flames all of those pesky Thread that comes close, but eventually the blue just cannot fly any longer. He winks *between* to go back to the Weyr. Soon another dragon takes Sh'dey and Mreth's place.

** From Siramyth's neckridges, Kiora seems visibly rattled by the activity down below, though an angry noise from Siramyth snaps her attention back towards where it ought to be: a few slender threads tumbling swiftly towards them, which are turned to ash just moments later.

** Wind snatches a wayward clump of Thread and whips it along the flank of E'van's wing's dragons at such speed there's only one possible response: duck! First a blue, then a green, then another blue blink Between to avoid the tangled mass of fungus. It falls, then, tumbling aimlessly, only to be caught up by another gust and hurled directly at Nhiameth.

** Rhavinath is too busy concentrating on another clump to realize that he's in danger. However, Oki screeches and squeaks very much like a girl when she sees the thread, causing him to quickly blink between. They come out safely above the thread, but again the blue attempts to flamboyantly flame the piece that nearly hit him. Only this time he impotently flames the sky and misses the bit all together.

R'hyn totally misses Viasseth's departure as it occurs -- he's being good, concentrating. It doesn't exactly escape him the next time he lifts his head, and there's /something/ in his expression for a moment there, though it's bottled up. The bronzerider mouths something, then quickly turns his head away: focus.

** From Jeirath's neckridges, E'van cringes visibly as the two riders wing into Between, watching for a few seconds before they both reappear - and only then does he give a satisfied nod. Jeirath starts a dive, but it's aborted before it's really begun: There's no way for a bronze to chase that gust-swept Thread, so he stays his position with a burble of fire.

** Ribbons of silver tangle to create a bigger clump of Thread, only to be violently tossed about with the wind as it soon sears the hide of brown Beowulth with its maddening touch. With a struggling creel Beowulth takes to *between* with his rider H'rothgar, only to come back out safely, Beowulth roaring with contempt for the tumultuous mass that scored his right side.

** Viasseth emerges with one unhappy Cardixa on his neck, her right fist white-knuckled on the straps, her left hand covering the ragged patch of flight jacket on her right upper arm. She isn't actually cursing, but those nearest her could easily identify her expression as that of one who is swearing quite roundly on the inside. Meanwhile, G'shen is waiting for Oki and Rhavinath to fall back into position, and he's looking none-too-happy.

** Orinth closes in, issuing a conservative burst of flame to sear a few stray strands that got by one of the upper wings. He looks over again, checking on the positioning of the weyrlings - there's a new one? He scowls, then recognizes B'myr, and sighs.

** Nhiameth begins flaming small clumps and gets into the rythmn quickly, chew, flame, flame, chew, flame flame. Her careful eyes catch clump after clump, B'myr having to wipe sweating hands against his leathers every so often. Her eyes whirl faster as she catches a warning and dips to one side, neck swinging around to char the missed piece. There isn't enough time to look proud though as the pair continue their work, B'myr functioning more to keep Nhi on track and not paying attention to the other weyrlings.

** From Orinth's neckridges, Y'lan does that.

** A stray wind directs Thread upwards along the heavens, coasting past flames and warm hide with a curious persistence that might almost speak of an intangible intelligence, towards the delicate underbelly of Nhiameth.

** Orinth roars a warning to Nhiameth and surges forward to help, his great neck arching as he holds flame ready for the moment she's out of the way.

** Nhiameth blinks between almost as soon as the second warning reaches her, B'myr is caught slightly off guard, his mouth open and startled as the two disappear.

** With a blast of cold air, Niaryth emerges from Between!

** Clouds scuttle overhead, momentarily muting Thread's eerie gleam. The shadows aren't enough to hide the strands heading directly for B'myr, tossed that way by the fickle wind.

** Viasseth has only seconds to be sure that B'myr and Nhiameth have emerged unscathed, and then is distracted by another clump too quickly to see another tangle heading straight for the green pair. Her Wingsecond sees it, though, and his brown bugles a loud warning to Nhiameth, who can't have more than a few seconds to flame or disappear.

** A bulbous mass of thread twists in formation like a ball of twine, shedding strands as it falls. The released strands fall like silver rain among the wings, sparing none in its onslaught. Just at the wrong time, one of the Ista winds throws the smoldering remains of flamed thread back up toward Inashanth's unprotected underbelly.

** Niaryth comes out of between in time to get a patch that slipped through from above. Serri's flamethrower greets the nasty strands -- hello... You're toast.. Goodbye. charred.

** Rhavinath slips back into formation, or as close to formation as the young pair can. The blue's head swings back and for, eyeing the tasty targets. Oki also looks around, nervously eyeing the sky above, behind and below her for any other pieces of thread.

Cardixa sniffs at R'hyn. You just want Viasseth to be green so's you can get some luvin'.

** From Siramyth's neckridges, Kiora's flamethrower makes one more valiant attempt -- it spits out just enough to hit a blessedly small patch of thread, and then Kiora's checking her guage, making a particularly angry face before she and Siramyth blink back to the Weyr for a fuller tank.

** Siramyth disappears into the frigid void of Between...

** A misty shroud of dreadful silver pirouettes in the wind for a moment before clumps. The first clump seems almost leisurely in picking its target before dropping with awesome speed upon the wind towards the left flank of Inashanth, the second patch follows its predecessor, the wind this time batting it towards the dragon's head. The third patch is an individualist and instead dodges the eager flaming dragons to try and make it through the Queens' Wing.

** Nhiameth appears and almost as soon as she does she is forced to dive to one side to keep B'myr safe and a small burst of flame reaches toward the thread, just enough to char it and push the ash off course before the startled B'myr tosses more firestone to her waiting mouth.

R'hyn pauses to feed Arisvath another few pieces of stone, warily watching the skies for anything to come too close. They're just in time to finish: Arisvath manages to flame a hurtling clump just before it's too late, spraying ash backwards towards R'hyn's face. He splutters, but keeps on.

** Orinth flames the instant Nhiameth disappears between, charring most of the big patch that threatened her to ash. He rumbles and falls back into position, looking satisfied with himself. And Y'lan looks relieved, too.

** Not so fast you wascally wabbit --er -- thread. The Queen's wing is right on top of that as Mario/Luigi like flamethrowers spit fire from the ends to vanquish the dreaded spores of Pern.

** As the dragons of E'van's wing fly above the Hold, winds cause the silvery threads to fall in erratic patterns.

** Jeirath flies above the Hold, yep. Chasing the thread on its way across the island and back out to sea. The 'fall must be nearing an end now, right? The trailing edge working its way back out over the ocean, where it can do no harm.

** Viasseth has about thirty seconds' worth of clear skies in front of him, and Cardixa takes the opportunity to twist around for another look at the ranks. So far, it looks okay-- at least, okay enough that she doesn't feel the need to start yelling at people. Yet. -- And then Thread starts doing that irritating erratic thing, forcing Viasseth to drop suddenly and without warning out of the way. Gasping in surprise, the brownrider clutches at the neckridge in front of her, head ducked low as flames spouts into the air.

** As if a veil has been raised, the skies cease their turmoil, resuming the calm shades of a tropical day. Rukbat's clear eye again shines upon the dappled scene beneath, lighting up forest and sea alike.

** Rhavinath drifts back a little, while Oki watches the trailing edge angle for the sea. The blue makes one more quick flame dive -- this time burning his quarry -- before falling again back into position, his rider a little more pasty than she was a moment before.

** From Daymith's neckridges, W'rik calls something to the dragon and he spies of rather fast moving clump of thread moving toward them. The bronze blinks between and reemerges moments later, flaming the thread that had nearly been upon them. Daymith wings back into position and looks around, still eager, as the veil of thread lifts.

R'hyn's relief is palpable, and, coughing a little -- ash in the throat, evidently - he rubs Arisvath's neckridge, breathing heavily. The bronze soars higher, so as to release his last burst of flame well away from any others.

** Jeirath chases a few errant slivers, then banks over the coastline to leave the last of the 'fall to get eaten by the fishies. With a satisfied rumble, he leads the Wing back over the Hold proper, fanning his wings lightly as his rider peers at the scenery beneath for an intent few minutes.

** And Thread fell over the sea, and there was no more mayhem, and it was good. Oh. Except for the part where Cardixa has a Threadscored arm, a nasty bruise on her back, and half her riders in various states of disarray. The fact that she doesn't turn around to check on them a third time speaks volumes. Viasseth *erps* a little smoke before bugling the a-okay up to Jeirath: we ain't dead yet.

** Niaryth shouts out a bugle. They all did well today and can return home to attend to their own injuries or their celebrations.

** From Nhiameth's neckridges, B'myr is happy that this fall is over, his breath letting out in a soft woosh before Nhi lets out a small and final trickle of flame. He and Nhi still seem to be pretty much in position still too.

** Rhavinath maintains what is thought to be the right position while Oki visibly relaxes -- to those who can see her -- as the last of the fall heads out over the see. The blue, however, does manage to eek out a bugle of victory.

** Jeirath slows his pace gradually until most of his Wing is just backwinging over the Hold. With another fist-up signal, he sends the lot of them Between - presumably to Ista Weyr.

** Jeirath disappears into the frigid void of Between...

** Orinth disappears into the frigid void of Between...

** Arisvath disappears into the frigid void of Between...

Between

Black...

Blacker...

Blackest...

The cold void of Between fills every sensation until there is nothing but infinite darkness.

** With a blast of cold air, Arisvath emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Nhiameth emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Viasseth emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Rhavinath emerges from Between!

** With a blast of cold air, Daymith emerges from Between!

You wing down to a landing in the northern bowl.

** From the sky overhead, Viasseth wings down toward the northern bowl.

** Viasseth wings down to a landing.

** Cardixa slides down from Viasseth's helpfully lowered shoulder, landing firmly and confidently on both feet.

** From the sky overhead, Daymith wings down toward the northern bowl.

** Daymith wings down to a landing.

** From the sky overhead, B'myr slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Nhiameth, the Green lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the he hops to the ground.

Arisvath crouches low, allowing you to swing your leg over his neckridges, and climb nimbly towards the ground, with the help of his straps.

From the sky overhead, B'myr steps up to Nhiameth's bent foreleg as the Green crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. B'myr swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

From the sky overhead, Nhiameth wings down toward the northern bowl.

Nhiameth wings down to a landing.

From the sky overhead, Rhavinath wings down toward the northern bowl.

Rhavinath wings down to a landing.

B'myr slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Nhiameth, the Green lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the he hops to the ground.

Oki slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Rhavinath, the Blue lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the she hops to the ground.

Cardixa has already pulled her jacket off, and although she is occupied checking Viasseth for injuries, a healer is already jogging over with a pot of numbweed at the ready.

From the sky overhead, Jeirath wings down toward the northern bowl.

Jeirath wings down to a landing.

W'rik slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Daymith, the Bronze lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the he hops to the ground.

R'hyn hacks several times, once safely upon the ground, leaning up against Arisvath's side for support. "Oh, yuck. /Ash/," he grumbles, coughing more of the foul debris up. Hesitantly, the bronzerider shucks off his helmet, goggles and gloves, setting them down as, from afar, he watches Cardixa. Aww.

B'myr peels his riding gear off and runs a hand through his hair. Quickly he looks at everyone else and chuckles humorlessly. "We made it ..." he mutters.

Oki wrinkles her nose and involuntarily coughs a bit. "Ew." Oki does go over Rhavinath very carefully to make sure there is nothing scarred, injured, or strained. "Yes, dear, I realize you want a bath. You will have to wait," is muttered to the blue who has craned his neck around to watch Oki.

Jeirath lights properly in his place, and is off to take care of the ash in his belly not a moment after E'van has hopped down. Pulling off his gloves and goggles, shrugging out of his jacket, the Weyrleader surveys the riders briefly, wipes a hand across his face, and starts toward the conference room.

E'van slips deftly down to the bent foreleg of Jeirath, the Bronze lowering to a crouch and watching with gentle eyes as the he hops to the ground.

Cardixa's wound is bleeding quite nicely by now, the Thread-charred edges black and ragged around a wetly-pink layer of exposed skin. Satisfied that Viasseth has escaped unscathed, she lets the waiting healer rinse, numb, and bandage the 'score, wincing only a little as the water touches her flesh. Her Wingseconds jog over to join her, and they congregate for a few moments to exchange damage reports.

E'van heads off toward the southern end of the bowl.

Oki finishes checking her dragon over and jogs over to Cardixa, wincing as she catches the last of the bandaging. "Are you okay?" she asks in an honestly caring tone. "Rhavinath said that you wanted to see me? Did we do okay?"

R'hyn hesitates a moment longer, still clutching on to Arisvath's side, then unstraps the bronze - who promptly hurries off to the beach, while R'hyn, an armful of leather in various forms in his possession, heads to the Living Caverns -- stick hacking and coughing.

You head deeper into the bowl, in the general direction of the living caverns and Hatching grounds.

You head through the narrow tunnel and into the bustling living caverns.

Arisvath> B'myr turns finally to check on Nhiameth as she looks him over as well. "You did good Nhi ... thanks, I was trying." He begins undoing her straps, as the mention of baths she starts getting a little antsy, sounds like a good idea to her.

Kenara just looked at you

Arisvath> Oki's timing is good: she approached just as the two tired Wingseconds were dismissed. Cardixa looks at her dourly for a moment before answering, "G'shen tells me," she begins, a bit *too* calmly, "that you and..." a pause, almost too brief to be noticed, "Rhavinath left formation unnecessarily at least twice. Would you like to tell me why?"

R'hyn's leathers are covered in ash and dust, as is his face - safe for two large rounds about his eyes, where his goggles were. The bronzerider dumps the big pile of straps, jacket, goggles, helmet and gloves on one of the seats towards one side of the caverns, and then heads to the kitchens. When he returns, it's slightly cleaner - only slightly - and with a mug in his hand.

Arisvath> W'rik looks over Daymith's hide while he removes the dragon's straps. The bronze stretches his wings out, and even if he'd never admit it, looks a little tired. "You did good," W'rik tells the dragon.

Arisvath> Oki blinks and jerks a little at the other woman's not quite so nice expression and tone. Her own face losing the vestiges of concern, "Did we? I didn't think we had. There was that one piece that nearly got and we sort of blinked into and back out of between." She folds her arms across her chest, "But I think we did well for our first time."

Kenara was just about to go to the Infirmary, to watch experienced dragonhealers take care of the Threadscored dragons, before seeing R'hyn. Instead, Kenara walks over and stands close to the bronzerider, obviously fighting with herself. Whether or not to talk.

R'hyn settles down in the chair next to the one where his things are placed - no doubt making a horrible mess which Ismaye will blow up about later. The caverns are steadily filling up, dirty riders coming to relax. The bronzerider leans forward, balefully staring at his mug and coughing into one hand.

Arisvath> "What you think really isn't that important," Cardixa says shortly, just barely managing to hold onto her temper. "I understand that this was unexpected for you, and that you're inexperienced, and that you were just trying not to die a horrible screaming death." She pauses, letting those last three words sink in. "But you will learn *very* quickly that, as long as you're in *my* Wing, bravado is not only unappreciated, it's punished. Flame and get back in formation. Don't excuse it, don't explain it. Just *do* it. Do you understand?"

"Hello," Kenara says quietly, finally forcing herself to speak. She takes once quick glance around the Living Caverns before looking back at R'hyn.

Arisvath> B'myr is quiet getting the straps off Nhi and patting her shoulder as she goes for her own rinse. He's listening just a bit to Cardixa and Oki, swallowing and hoping he did alright.

R'hyn glances up - apparently surprised. "Oh," he says, in a slightly strained voice -- he quickly takes another sip from his mug, coughing again. His voice sounds better when he speaks again. "Um. Hi."

Kenara smiles slightly. "I see you're a dragonrider," she says, glancing sideways at R'hyn.

Arisvath> Oki stares at Cardixa, chewing on the inside of the corner of her lip. "Bravado? Bravado?!" Bluerider stares at her new wingleader incredulously. "We -weren't- flying with 'bravado'. We were trying to maintain the formation as best we could and hoping to keep our lives." Giving Cardixa a flat stare, she adds, "It's not like we were trying to show off." Rhavinath makes some antsy noises, shifting back and forth a little either in reaction to Cardixa's words or to Oki's temper.

"Yes," agrees R'hyn, nodding his head, indicating his knot. "I'm R'hyn. Arisvath's rider."

Arisvath> Cardixa stares back with equal incredulity. "Do you see this arm?" she says suddenly, thrusting her bandaged Threadscore towards the young bluerider. "Do you *see* this? THIS is because all that shrieking your dragon was doing made me think that you were hurt. My *skin* is *missing* because *you* did not control your dragon. YOU," she hisses, her eyes blazing. "And if the next words out of your mouth aren't 'Yes, ma'am, I apologize, ma'am, I'll do better next time, ma'am,' you'll be flying so many pre-Dawn sweeps you won't know what hit you. Do NOT talk back to me. -Do you understand-?"

"Arisvath," Kenara repeats. So many dragons! She looks a little closer at the knot. "Just came from the Threadfall then," she said. "I was just going to the Infirmary, I'm a dragonhealer. Trainee dragonhealer...."

Arisvath> B'myr moves quietly toward the ground weyrs with Nhi's flying straps in tow, keeping just in hearing distance of the ongoing argument but trying to stay far enough away to stay out of it.

R'hyn turns his mug about within his hands, lifting it up to take another tentative sip every few moments. "Arisvath," he agrees, with a timid smile. "Yes. Oh -- don't let me keep you from it. It's your duty. We all have our duties."

Kenara shakes her head before sitting down close to R'hyn. "Nah," she says. "It's not really my duty yet. I was just going to watch more experienced dragonhealers. To see what they do."

"That's still your duty," returns R'hyn, quickly, his head shaking. "How are you supposed to learn, if you don't watch? And what better time to watch, than just after thread. Shirking won't get you anywhere."

Arisvath> Oki lifts her chin and purses her lips for a moment, staring at Cardixa as she chaffs under her new leash. "You know, I am truly sorry for that, but I just honestly don't think that I deserve all of this for not being perfect on my first threadfall. What can I do but do better?" She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders, "Guess I'm going to be up at dawn." Even she seems a little weirded out by how much she's changed since Impression and with Rhavinath giving encouraging croons, the new full rider seems to be more than a little lost.

"If you say so, Rhyn," Kenara says. "I hope sometime I get to see your Arisvath!" With that, she gets up and walks back off to her desination.

Kenara slips in through the wooden door to the infirmary.

"I hope not!" murmurs R'hyn, after Kenara. "Not as a patient, anyway." He leans forward, delving into his mug -- and his thoughts.

Arisvath> Cardixa inhales loudly through her nose, her tongue pushing against the roof of her mouth behind lips pursed in a thin line. Count to ten, yes. Viasseth whuffs quietly behind and above her, his eyes whirling blue-and-yellow, anxious and calming, both. "I don't expect perfection. I *do* expect you not to die. I *do* expect you to be situationally aware. I *do* expect you not to be responsible for someone else's injury, not to make a scene every time your dragon does what 200 other dragons are doing without announcement, not to distract me or your Wingmates or anyone else. You're not an idiot. You _know_ what you have to do. Don't argue with me about it. Just *do* it." A beat. "Dawn sweeps for the next three days. I want a full report at the end of each, to be turned into G'shen no later than noon."

Arisvath> B'myr winces at both Oki's response and Cardixa's punishment. Shells ... he is starting to look dumb though just standing there with the straps gathered in his arms.

Arisvath> Oki sputters, "But, I didn't make a scene. I didn't do anything but cling to his back and hope that we lived through it. I didn't -intend- to do -anything-. I just tried my best. I honestly don't understand -why- you're chewing me out. But, whatever." Honest confusion lingers in her gaze, before she turns her head away to look at the ground. At Cardixa's punishment, the girl nods, resigned. "Will do."

Arisvath> "Make it four days," Cardixa says evenly. "Keep arguing, bluerider, and it'll be five."

Arisvath> Oki stares at Cardixa, makes her salute and swivels on her heels to tend to her dragon. "C'mon, Rhavinath, it's time for a bath." Even speaking to her dragon, her tones are clipped. She shoots B'myr a quick, bland stare before gathering up her stuff and heading for the waterfall pool, giving Cardixa a wide berth.

Arisvath> B'myr's brow crinkles as he watches Oki, giving her as much of a supportive smile as he can muster considering the circumstances.

Arisvath> Even though Oki wasn't officially dismissed, Cardixa lets it go, opting instead to head for her own dragon. She pauses by him briefly, laying one hand on his neck at some wordless exchange, and then continues on for the living cavern.

Arisvath> Cardixa heads off toward the southern end of the bowl.

Arisvath> Cardixa has left.

Cardixa comes in through the narrow tunnel from the bowl.

R'hyn, with a mug of water in one hand, is hunched over one of the tables off to one side. There are a few other people sitting nearby - the caverns are filling up - but he's not talking to anyone in particular. Every so often, he coughs, raspily.

Arisvath> W'rik steps up to Daymith's bent foreleg as the Bronze crouches low with a gently whirling eyes. W'rik swings up easily and settles between two neckridges.

Arisvath> From Daymith's neckridges, W'rik has arrived.

Arisvath> Daymith leaps aloft, following a thermal to bring himself higher in the sky.

B'myr comes in through the narrow tunnel from the bowl.

Cardixa enters looking like-- well, looking like crap, really. Her face is still blackened by smoke and ash, and while it looks like she's tried to mop it up a little bit, she's succeeded only in smearing it around. Her jacket is tucked under one arm, and the other is bandaged. She looks more than a little annoyed, and marches straight for the klah pot, apparently not seeing much of anything or anyone as she goes.

B'myr has finally tossed his straps in his weyr, and gives Cardixa some space as he enters behind her. His choice of drink is juice to moisten his dry mouth, he finishes a full glass before refilling it and then looking for a seat.

R'hyn is pretty dirty, too - he has big, wide circles around his eyes where his goggles were, and it's comical, though not out of the ordinary amid those in the caverns. He takes another sip from his mug - draining it, in fact, and stands, striding tiredly towards the serving tables again. "B'myr, congratulations," says the bronzerider quietly. "Oh! Dix. Is the... arm, okay?"

B'myr smiles softly, "Thanks, I'm glad we could help ..." he trails off as R'hyn ends up asking Cardixa aobut her wounds but he's there, not quite in the background, but sipping down his juice.

Cardixa doesn't even bother to take a seat for a while, lurking near the meal table with her klah mug clutched in both hands. She's not the only post-Fall rider there, of course -- the cavern is quite teeming with them, actually -- but most of them, like B'myr, are staying safe distances away. Until R'hyn sneaks up on her -- well, no. He didn't. But she wasn't paying attention, see, so she's jerked out of her klah-sippingness, and without even thinking, snaps, "Does it *look* okay?" And then she sees him. Really *sees* him. Regret is instantly in her eyes. "Oh-- R'hyn. I'm sorry."

R'hyn's expression immediately turns hurt, though this fades quickly. "No, no, don't be sorry. It's all right." He gives her what is pretty much a very timid smile, as he refills his mug - with water. B'myr's response, belatedly registered, draws another quick smile from the bronzerider. "It's your job, and all."

B'myr nods, "Yeah, just glad that I could help it being my first fall and such, glad I didn't cause any problems." At least he hopes he didn't.

Cardixa flops unapologetically into a chair near B'myr, apparently not terribly concerned about whether or not her demeanor is going to bother him. "No, it's not all right. I've been snapping at people all afternoon--" Insert mood swing here. "--But they've been acting like such *idiots*! Hana! And my riders! And this... this new weyrling, this Oki... Of all the insubordinate, irresponsible..." Muttermuttermutter.

R'hyn trails after Cardixa - his things can be left where they are until later, and seats down equally nearby. "I'm sure you did just fine," says R'hyn, quietly. More soothingly, he tells Cardixa, "People don't always do what we, er, want them to do. Sounds like you just need a break, though. Could there have been worse timing with... this. The riders, I mean."

B'myr can't help be interject since Cardixa and R'hyn are right there, "Oki is still changing since she impressed. E'van's attention didn't help matters."

"NO!" the Wingleader explodes, as uncharacteristic an action as anyone's ever seen. "Selfish pricks!" she spits, her fingers digging into her mug as best as anything can dig into a mug. "You can't just LEAVE. Do they think we can just... just pull thirteen riders out of our collective ass? Do they? Those weyrlings were thrust into this *completely* unnecessarily, and I'm -pissed off-." She doesn't seem to have heard B'myr, which is probably just as well.

B'myr curls in on himself a bit, but can't drag himself away, it's some strange curiosity that won't let him leave while all this is going on, and he's usually so well mannered.

"I'm sure she'll grow up in time," agrees R'hyn, tilting his head into a nod in B'myr's direction. "Quickly, too." Cardixa's explosion draws a wince, though to R'hyn's credit, he doesn't fall back too far. "I don't know what they think," he says, heavily. "But I think they probably just didn't care. Which means we're well rid of them. We need riders true to Ista."

Cardixa swears impressively, with lots of new and imaginative uses of various four-letter words, before partaking of her klah. Rawr.

B'myr nods in return to R'hyn, staying quiet and finishing his last bit of juice. The juice betrays his silence with a bit of a slurp and he winces a bit.

R'hyn's ears burn, vividly, and he ducks his head down towards his mug, sipping at the water in it carefully. His coughs, at least, are less frequent now.

Cardixa stews in silence for a bit, scowling at the tabletop in between pulls from her mug, until finally, her exhaustion seems to have caught up with her, and she slumps a little bit in her seat. "Sorry for that," she sighs, covering her eyes with one hand. "It's been a long day."

"It's all right," says R'hyn, as quiet as ever. "I understand." His mug is, yet again, turned about within his hands, the dark ceramic smoothed beneath his fingers. He rubs at his eye, leaving a smudge mark there, which he doesn't appear to notice. "Tired, B'myr?"

B'myr blinks over and nods, "Yeah ... I should probably head out soon." It's his offer to give them slightly more privacy, he is taking up a seat near them. "I just was wondering how I did ... just didn't want to ask ... but ... well ..."

Cardixa opts for silence, stretching one arm flat out on the table, the other holding her mug either near or to her face, depending on whether or not she feels the need to sip from it. "I really didn't see you," she confesses to B'myr, fatigue coloring her voice more by the minute, "but I'm told you did well. You transfered in quickly, did what you had to do, and didn't make a fuss about it."

R'hyn sets his mug down - mostly empty, now - and rests his hands upon the edge of the table. "If you're tired, you should clean up and rest," agrees the bronzerider. "But only if you feel like it. Some people prefer to unwind, first."

"Take a hot bath," Cardixa suggests tiredly, actually bothering to look *at* B'myr for the first time since she joined the table. "Good for your muscles."

B'myr smiles slightly, "Thanks ... I tried, Nhi seemed to know just what to do ... she was just a bit worried about the others." He nods toward R'hyn. "I have to clean up Nhi's straps and such before I take a bath, and I think Nhi wants to sit and talk." He lets out a breath through his nose and his smile streaches slightly. "I'll let you guys be ... hope you feel better Cardixa, thank you," though he's not clear for what as he gets up slowly and places his glass amongst other dirty dishes and heads toward the bowl.

R'hyn's face allows a tired - if friendly - smile a place, his head tilted forward into a nod. "Rest well, then, B'myr. And well done." His fingers curl against each other, shoulders slumping backwards a bit.

"You don't have t..." the brownrider begins, but B'myr is already on his way out, so she lets it go. Expelling a breath with a puff of her cheeks, she puts her mug down and leans back against her chair, stretching her arms out over her head for a good ten seconds before relaxing. "I feel disgusting."

B'myr disappears through the narrow tunnel to the bowl.

"He seemed pretty intent on just going," says R'hyn, shrugging his shoulders as he glances around the cavern. His mug is picked up again, played with between hands far less dirty than the rest of him. "Have a bath, or something? That usually helps. Hot water is soothing."

Cardixa nods, scrubbing at one eye with the cleaner of her palms. "I will. The bathing cavern is probably pretty packed right now, so I'm just going to give everyone a while to clean up and clear out before I go down there." She looks over at him, then, as though seeing more clearly. "I assume Fall went all right for you."

R'hyn begins to roll his sleeves up, stretching his shoulders as he does so. "Makes you almost wish you were a Weyrwoman or Weyrleader, with your own private bathing chamber, doesn't it?" Almost. He shrugs, tiredly, clearing his throat against, his right hand placed over his mouth. "More or less. Ash in the mouth, which was unpleasant, and hot. How bad is the hand?"

Cardixa smiles a touch. "Almost," she agrees. "But living so close to the rest of civilization wouldn't be worth it. Sorry about your mouth. -- The hand?" She looks confusedly down at her hands, then up her arm to her bandage. "You mean my arm?"

"True," agrees R'hyn, with a toothy smile. "I miss being up in the heights. After I wasn't weyrleader any more, I just moved into one of the ground weyrs. Mother liked me being close, and it was easier." He waves his hand airily, sighing. "Hand, arm, that thing. Yes."

"It hurts," Cardixa admits, appraising her upper right arm, "but it won't kill me. -- Your mother. You talk about her a lot." She says it matter-of-factly, but also seems intrigued somehow. "Laerya?" A little more uncertain, there.

R'hyn bites at his lip, softly. "I'm sorry. That it hurts, I mean." His face turns pink - pale pink, but pink nonetheless. "She's... yes. Laerya. The one-legged one. I mean a lot to her. Her son. She's even more clingy, now that she only has the one leg."

Cardixa lifts her eyebrows slightly. "You don't need to specify that she has one leg, I know who she is." This doesn't bother her in the slightest-- she sounds more like she's wondering why he felt the need to specify so trivial a fact. "How is she?"

R'hyn's flush darkens. "Sorry. I guess you're right." He takes to fiddling with his mug again - a common thing, for him to play with something. "She's all right. She's been enjoying teaching the weyrlings, I think, until lately. It burns her a bit, that they can do things she can't, now."

Cardixa nods, unconsciously imitating his mug-fidgeting. "That's understandable." She falls silent again, awkward.

"Yes," R'hyn agrees with this without hesitation. "But frustrating, for me. Because she gripes so much. It's not /my/ fault."

Cardixa looks up, surprised by this vehemence -- as R'hyn goes, anyway. She says nothing in response, but watches his face carefully, waiting for more.

R'hyn, predictably, winces at his own words - blushing, of course. "I'm sorry. She... just depends on me. To do everything. To be everything. I'm not good at that."

"How so?" Cardixa wonders, keeping her voice neutral.

"I'm supposed to crusade against E'van for her, and lead the weyr into great times." R'hyn takes a deep breath. "You know. Make her proud. And still manage to have a steady weyrmate and lots of children, and be the perfect father."

Cardixa shakes her head. "I wonder what it is about parenthood," she says reflectively, "that makes people-- mothers in particular-- do that. Live vicariously through their children. It's as though the moment you have children, you go insane." She snorts to herself, eyes taking on that introspective, distant look for a fleeting instant. "So odd."

R'hyn's lips part into a brief, amused smile. "Hormones. I'm not sure-- I hope I don't go that way on Rhyena." Turning his mug over, a few droplets spilling into his hands, he adds, "It is odd. People tell me that Mother was the sweetest, friendliest, least ambitious girl you ever knew. She's not that, now. Nor for as long as I can remember."

Cardixa idly watches the drops plunk into his palm. "Losing a leg will do that to you, I guess," she says noncommittally.

"Maybe," agrees R'hyn. "Guess I wouldn't know." He lapses into silence.

"Let's hope you never have to," the brownrider adds solemnly.

R'hyn nods quickly, without a smile. "Nor you."

Cardixa looks without looking at a klah-stained patch of table, distractedly rotating the shoulder of her injured arm. "I, uh." Hm. No. She squints, looking *reaally* hard at that spot.

R'hyn, oblivious, adds, "Nor anyone else, I suppose. It's not a good thing. And all."

Cardixa is briefly confused, her train of thought derailed. "What? Oh. No. It's not." Severed limbs=not good. Right. Make note.

"Oh, er. Sorry. I interrupted your thoughts. Please, continue," says R'hyn, hurriedly. "I'm going to get something else to drink. Do you want something?"

Cardixa quickly waves a hand. "No, never mind, it wasn't anything," she lies. "Oh, uh-- no. I think I'm okay. Thanks."

R'hyn accepts this at face-value, and merely nods. "All right. I'll be back soon." Slowly - almost painfully so; clearly, he's stiff and tired - he makes his way back over to the serving table, and then back again, his mug refilled.

Cardixa watches him go, brow knitting in sympathy as he makes his way back to his seat. "That doesn't look like it feels good. -- I wonder if the baths have emptied out by now." It's hard to know if the two thoughts are related to each other.

"I'm sore," admits R'hyn. "You'd think I'd be totally used to it, but-- maybe I just strained something a bit. Mmm. Maybe they have. It's worth checking, I suppo

Previous Next