Christmas Weyrlings (Lesson 12)

[weaving]

Classroom: Thread Pattern Construction Project (done during individual jumps)
Training Field: Guided Individual Between Jumps with Weyrlingmaster; Three-Man Teams Fly Straight to Assigned Area, then Jump Back to Selenitas

Today was the most important lesson that these weyrlings would learn. It would also be the most dangerous. Learning to /between/ was no easy task, and while he knew that all of his students were quite intelligent and eager to learn, not even that could protect every accident. If something happened to any of them, he wasn’t certain that he’d ever be able to forgive himself and so it was with much apprehension that he stepped out into the training field that morning. Even worse was the fact that he and Morendoth wouldn’t really be able to join them in the skies. The brown’s wings had never fully recovered from the attack, making anything but the shortest of leisurely flights possible. He doubted that Morendoth would ever again be able to gain the altitude necessary to /between/.

He planned on asking one of the weyrlings, Ke’rin most likely, if he could fly with them. There was no way he was sending them up there alone with no one to guide them. Weyrlings, please join us in the field this morning. We’ll be learning how to /between/ today. The pair waited patiently as they all arrived; it took them a bit longer now that they had moved out of the barracks and into their own weyrs.

“Good morning everyone. As Morendoth said, today we’ll be learning to /between/. In order to prepare, we’ll be going back to one of the most basic exercises: transferring images to your dragon. I want each of you to picture the North Watchdragon point as clearly as possible. Once you have that image, send it to your dragon, who, in turn, will send it to Morendoth to verify that you’ve done it correctly.” After speaking to the group in general, he moved closer to Ke’rin. “Would you mind if you and Jaymith carried me for this lesson? I want to be with you as you /between/, but Morendoth’s wings can’t carry him that high or that long.”

Christmas Weyrlings
Ke’rin of Bronze Jaymith
C’oar of Brown Frosstyth
A’fyr of Brown Rudolth
N’lai of Blue Kyssith (dead)
C’vin of Blue Mallowth
Saeo of Blue Cherilith
T’ke of Blue Garaeth
Za’x of Green Irylth (dead)
Raylin of Green Ebolath
Farryl of Green Peppeth
T’rea of Green Rioth(APC)(dead)
Morea of Green Heith(APC) (dead)

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[Rowana]

Did you hear? Peppeth bounced with excitement as they came onto the field. We are learning to between! Will you ride me? I am much bigger now! Peppeth stood as tall as she could as if to prove it. Farryl smiled. Peppeth had indeed grown bigger and from what she had learned, she should be full grown now. If not now, than never. "I'm sure I will," she patted the green fondly. Peppeth had been training hard, carrying sacks of increasing weight so that she would be able to carry Farryl one day.

Farryl checked over Peppeth's straps and then went over to I'fael and Ke'rin. "Excuse me, Master I'fael? Peppeth and I want to know if she's large enough to carry me now?" Her face was hopeful and eager, but also calm. She was ready if he told her Peppeth would not be big enough. She wouldn't trade her dragon for all of Pern.

Time for class! Garaeth sang out. T'ke glowered at him. He didn't think he had a right to be happy, after what he had put him through for Emerith's flight. Half the others hadn't even chased yet! Why his sharding blue?! Cheer up, T'ke-mine Garaeth nuzzled him gently. Today we go between. Great, T'ke said sarcastically. So we can all get lost and never come back. I'm so excited. Silly T'ke-mine. You will never be lost so long as I am with you.

[Rei]

Ebolath back winged to land on the training field, her rider absent. Morendoth? I am afraid mine will not be attending today’s lesson. She is ill and had to go to the infirmary. I do hope we will be able to learn to between later. The green shifted in place, anxiety the most dominant emotion in her whirling eyes. Mine will be seeing the healer soon. I also do not think she is mentally well enough to between anyway. Raymine is still sorting things out. Is this ok? Ebolath folded her wings and crooned to her clutch siblings. Good luck my brothers and my Peppeth.

[dragon]

For a change, C'oar wasn't going to miss a lesson. Though he did ride Frosstyth to get there. The brown ambled along the ground in his odd, rocking gait. Trundling along he came to a halt on the training feild, stopping once he'd reached near where Ebolath was standing. Dropping his head, Frosstyth gently nuzzled his clutchsister. I hope yours feels better soon! he sympathized, as C'oar slid down his shoulder. He made sure to land most of his weight on his sound leg, before limping once and then standing square on both feet.

C'oar listened to the lesson carefully, and then had a moment of hesitation ... the north point? Well ... he hadn't spent a lot of time studying that particular spot. But at least he sort of knew what it looked like. And he concentrated on remembering as much about it as he could. Some of the details were slightly fuzzy, but it was the best he could do. What with having had no warning, and been as good as glued to his seat for many long weeks. The image he ended up with was not nearly as clear as he would have liked, but it was all he had. That he sent to Frosstyth, who obediently passed it on to Morendoth. Though, the brown did embelish it some ... unlike C'oar, he did know what those fuzzy parts looked like.

[topaz]

MINE! Mine, /between/! /Between/ Mine, /between/! C'vin was startled nearly out of his seat by the vehemently excited voice of his blue, and was caused to fumble his spoonful of soup, spilling it all over himself. "Shard it Mal! Could you come on any stronger?!" He yelled back, glaring frustratedly at his ruined lunch. "What are you talking about anyway?" He asked, calmer this time, as he went to grab a washcloth from is brand new personal washroom. Faranth it was nice to have their own room now. No more sharing the common weyrling baths. Although he would miss the hilarious lengths some of the girls - and even a few of the guys - would go to, to keep concealed.

It's lessons, Mine. Morendoth said we will be learning to go /between/ today. I'm so happy Mine! Hurry up! Between . . ? Wow. The honestly was exciting! The blue pair was so previously engrossed with flying, that C'vin had barely thought of the possibilities using that kind of skill. They had always wanted to be able to travel around Pern to all the different Holds - of which they had only visited Selenitas Hold, and briefly so, to observe since C'vin had too little marks to be spending them - and now they would be able to blink anywhere they wanted in just seconds!

Pulling off his stained shirt, C'vin replaced it with a crisp, clean one in a sea-green color, which did not look particularly good with his light brown riding pants, but C'vin was never one to put too much thought into what he looked like. His face newly washed of soup, he strutted out to Mallowth on his weyrledge, and hurriedly put on his straps. After what seemed like ages, C'vin grabbed his light riding jacket and mounted his blue. With a leap, Mallowth was suspended in air, flapping his wings powerfully to gain enough altitude. Once above the the height of the waterfall, Mallowth swooped downward slightly, giving himself an added boost of speed and momentum along with his wingbeats. Soaring just about a length over the tops of the river trees that made up Selenitas Weyr, Mallowth headed north to the training field, C'vin grinning from ear to ear the whole way. It seemed he had finally made a full recovery, physically and emotionally, from the attack that now seemed so long ago, and Mallowth rumbled in their shared delight.

After a slow circle around the field to pick a good spot to land, Mallowth made his descent, and landed just a length away from Peppeth. C'vin hesitated to dismount, wanting badly to start the lesson right then, but he soon saw I'fael getting ready to begin his usual instruction so he dismounted and made his way over.

Mallowth fidgeted in his spot on the grass, fluttering his wings in anticipation for more flight. Crooning sweetly to nearest Peppeth, as he saw her rider speaking with I'fael, Mallowth regarded the small green with happy blue-green eyes. Peppeth sister, will Yours be flying with us today? It really is a lot of fun. I hope Morendoth's lets you. But I think he will. You are very big now, and he is very nice. He rambled anxiously, but with no less sincerity. Could they start now?

Back over by I'fael, C'vin said a polite 'good afternoon' and intently listened as the weyrlingmaster continued with their instructions for the day. Mal, do you remember the Northern Watchpoint from the sky? C'vin conjured up an image in his own mind, which looked pretty accurate to him. He focused mostly on the very center of the image, the actual point, and the edges seemed to fade out like those on a very old piece of parchment. I know it a little bit Mine. How much can you remember? Per his request, C'vin sent his halfway image to his blue, who rumbled happily. You remembered the important parts Mine. I think. I can remember more of the landscape behind it if I try . . . With a last check back to his bonded for reassurance, Mallowth sent their combined image to Morendoth . . along with a distinctly overexcited twitter from the blue dragonling. They surely had it right. They must. If they didn't they could not go between today, and that just could not happen.

[nightingale]

Saeo and Cherilith had arrived to class with bells on –literally. In place of his usual bandanna/tablecloth, the young blue’s harness had been outfitted with a number of small wind chimes that jingled merrily as he and his rider touched down on the grassy training field. “Good morning!” She called enthusiastically, seeking out each of her classmates and catching their eye so she could smile encouragingly at them. The girl faltered slightly when she spotted Ebolath, as the green had once again arrived without her rider. Shells Raylin, would you quit running things for Ebolath?

She sighed, irritation drifting thickly into the front of her mind. She really did not think much of her former roommate lately. The whining, self-absorbed girl she seemed to be turning into was not the Raylin that Saeo knew. Quite honestly, she wanted nothing to do with her until she got a hold of herself and stopped shirking her responsibilities in favor of moping. Good morning Ebolath! Cherilith offered when his rider made no move to offer her own greeting. Do not worry! Once yours is feeling better, we will help her learn all about jumping Between!

It was quite obvious to Ke’rin and probably anyone else who saw them flying that day, Jaymith was very glad to be in the sky once again. Ever since having his wings declared flight worthy, the young bronze had doubled his workout routine, and had been spending nearly all of his free time circling the Weyr like a gleaming bronze cormorant. He was so occupied with re-toning his muscles lately that he had even neglected to demand a bath preceding their first jump Between –a fact that he was now sorely regretting.

Why did you not remind me Mine? People expect a dragonpair as special as us to look our best on these occasions. Jaymith, you look fine. Well of course I look fine, but I am supposed to look…to look…/exceptional/ on this sort of occasion! Jay, you look great. Nobody is going to notice that you haven’t been bathed this morning. Ke’rin sighed as they came in for the most drawn out and melodramatic landing a dragon was capable of producing. It seemed that Jaymith was trying to make up for having not been seen in flight for quite some time.

Do we know that tower Mine? I think so…Saeo offered tentatively as she mulled over the weyrlingsmaster’s request, wondering exactly what angle she was supposed to be picturing the tower from. I cannot Between onto the staircase. He corrected her gently as she sent him an image of the watchtower’s main door, and nudged his own memory of an aerial view to her. The girl thanked him wordlessly, filling in whatever blanks she could before prompting him to forward it to Morendoth.

It looks like this Ke’rin-Mine. Jaymith told his rider with a sharp snort of satisfaction as he shoved an image of the north watch tower against his rider’s thoughts. “Jay, I’m supposed to be giving you the coordinates, not the other way around.” The boy’s pale eyes flicked upward sharply as he realized that I’fael was coming toward them, and he stood a little bit straighter upon that recognition. “Yes sir.” He answered plainly, bobbing his head in a quick affirmation. We will carry you anywhere you wish to go. Jaymith added in a solemn promise. The young bronze had not yet forgotten that he owed his own wings to Morendoth’s selflessness.