Falling with Style [Open]

[rii]

The floor, Versaith decided, was in her way.

She gazed up the length of stairs, licking in disquiet at the forepaw she twisted during the tumble down the last few steps. At least she assumed she had been able to clear the top half before the stone stairs got in the way of her glide. What she needed was lift. The air in these hallways was so thin and lifeless. The green eased onto three feet and began a hopping climb back to the top. There had to be a better way, perhaps if she took a running leap..

Versaith eased on her injured leg, pacing back a few lengths before spinning around and flexing her wings; a peculiar set of wings at that. Unlike her siblings the membranes ran the full length of her flanks then some more down her tail. She was meant to fly. There was just the matter of getting the right take off. Versaith's haunches wiggled as she eyed her launching point. Her rump raising inch by inch into the air until.. she decided she would need a longer running ramp. Then she could gain more speed and glide fly farther.

She spun, appraised the distance before flipping around and trotting back a few more paces. Here. Coiling in on herself, Versaith began to gather her energy, she glanced at her wings – checking their positioning – when she caught glimpse of someone's weyrledge through the doors. The sight of the open air beyond stone lured the dark hued green through the room and out to the edge before it mentally registered. All that space! Just feel the air rushing over her wings! Versaith sat on the very edge, drinking in the feeling rushing through her veins. This was amazing. She had to get one of these and soon!

A sense of vertigo seized Jenna despite she was very much standing on solid ground. In the hallway, no less, after dropping off the last basket of laundry and lingering no where near any ledges. Still, that feeling of free falling and the wind rushing over her wings was — wait wings. "Sai?" Oh lordie, the green had been playing in the hall a moment ago. "Versai?" All she had to do was lean forward and — "Versaith!?

Running now, Jenna darted down the hall checking every open doorway as she passed. She caught the small, dark shape of Versaith teetering on the ledge and skidded to a halt. "Stop! Stopstopstop!" Don't fret, I'll be right back The green chided her frantic rider before tipping forward over the ledge..

..only to be jerked to a halt by a pair of hands around her tail. The green dangled there, flailing her wings with an angry wail. You ruined my take off! "Ruined your fall!" What you call falling, I call flying! Jenna growled in frustration, ignoring the wiggling green. Laid out on her belly with her arms hanging over the edge she didn't really have many options available to her; letting go certainly not being one of them. "Stop thrashing, I won't be able to hold on — CAN SOMEONE HELP ME?"

[Shiny]

On the tips of her toes, Syrene stood completely extended, straining to reach the container above her head on the wall. Just... a little... more... And... there! With a grip on the blasted thing, she unhooked it and lowered it and herself, exhaling after such a struggle, letting blood flow back into her arms. "Damn things," she grumbled under her breath, walking over to her baby Blue. She upended the translucent glass container into one of the bags attached to Wridelth's side to deposit the glows that had become dark and useless. Reaching over to his other side, she pulled out three bright, fresh glows from the bag there and put them into the glass jar.

Raising her dark eyes to glare at the hook high above her head, she snorted. Which one she liked better, being bored to death or doing chores for a Weyr she hated, she didn't know. They were both equally bad. But since she'd spent enough time skipping rocks at the river to add wrinkles to her face, she was doing chores. And not only that, but if she didn't do them, she'd be kicked out of her new weyrling class. For about the twentieth time that day, she stretched herself as far as she could go, hands and lantern almost visibly shaking with the strain. Almost... Aaaallllmoooosttt...

Syrene jumped like a black cat dropped in cold water as someone screamed out for help, the lantern falling from her hands and shattering on the floor with a loud, sharp crack. Fragments of the sharp glass shot out all over the floor, the replacement glows coming to a rolling stop over them. "Sharding hell!" she hissed, immediately taking off without a second thought in the direction of the shout. Wridelth shot after her, bags shuffling against his icy pale hide as he moved fluidly.

Going on a rough estimate and the Hatchling Blue's instincts, the Bluepair shot up the staircase and into the other hallway. Both were dashing past the doors of the weyrs when Wridelth skidded to a stop. The problematic location is here, he notified Syrene, causing the darkly-dressed young adult to backtrack a little. Following the Blue into the weyr, the female immediately spied someone looking like they were hanging half off the weyrledge and sprinted over to them. In a matter of seconds, Syrene and Wridelth were there.

Cold, thin hands wrapped around Jenna's ankles. "Hang on." She began pulling with all her might, grunting with the effort she was exerting to drag the Greenpair back onto the ledge. Stop struggling lest you have a deathwish to fulfill, clutchsister,[/i] Wridelth said icily. Coming up to take Jenna's left pant leg in his teeth, he began pulling in the same direction as His. He knew His was a weakling and would not be able to drag them up alone. The Blue was helping mostly because His had wanted to, and he would not stand by and watch her struggle.

After long moments of struggling, Syrene gave a final, loud grunt and heaved as long and hard as she could. Jenna's body slid towards the weyr, and Versaith came up and over the ledge. The sudden lack of tension caused Syrene to collapse backwards, and she fell on her back, chest rising and falling quickly. Wridelth tried to get his teeth unhooked from the clothing, but ended up ripping them out instead. Nothing a needle and thread couldn't fix... possibly...

Your ledge-hanging position was extremely hazardous to your life, Versaith. Why did you put yourself in such a perilous situation?[/color] he asked coolly, his eerily blank eyes trained on his slightly younger sibling with a look of authority.

[rii]

"Ah!" Jenna quickly grit her teeth against the pain in her arms. Having Versaith's weight holding her arms straight down, and Syrene and her blue's pulling her body at a tangent angle. Arms were not meant to bend at that angle. Least to say, as the rock scraped along her triceps, Jenna was in good deal of pain. Versaith's tail slowly began to slip through her grasp, aided along by the perspiration forming on her palms. A cold sweat of fear she was about to lose the hatchling she had been so eager to impress. More of the leathery green skin slipped past her fingers as Jenna struggled to bend her elbows and bring Versaith over the ledge.

When all was said and done,Versaith sulked near the ledge. Wing arched above her head as she look dejectedly from at the two riders and her brother blue. Her tail thumped heavily against the stone as she snorted at Wridelth. It was meant to be a glide out into the open air so I could fly. Everything would have worked out perfectly. She has the silly notion that I'm meant to be grounded like a clipped bird.

Jenna sucked in a terse breathe through her teeth as she examined the welling scratches and bruises forming on her under arms. "Thanks– " She attempted a weak smile at the rather.. eerie girl. Had seen her around the barracks while a candidate, and on the sands during impression. Yet still Jenna had not learned her name. Girls didn't tend to interest her all that much. "I can't seem to get it in her head that she needs to wait to fly. I tried tying a bed sheet around her wings and body the other day. She made such a mess tearing it apart.."

Versaith flared her wings at them all, tail again smacking angrily against the stone. I can fly, and will! Determined to show them all the truth of her words, the green spun around and made a second lunge for the open air.

[Shiny]

((Powerplayed a little. If you want me to change it, just let me know~))

The tip of Wridelth’s tail swept fluidly across the stone ledge, his wings flaring just a little as his white eyes glazed over with an irritated, transparent orange-red. You are illogical, not she. Without our aid, I am certain you would be deceased. The force of the wind applied to your undeveloped membranes would be enough to tear them, and you would be sentenced to death by gravity. Do you not think of your bonded when you put your life at such risk?[/i] The cold of Wridelth’s voice had a sharp, strict edge to it – almost angry-sounding, but controlled. He couldn’t understand why Versaith would do such a thing. You must wait until you have grown before you attempt such a dangerous maneuver again.[/i]

Syrene propped herself up on her elbows and trained her eyes on the other Candidate, watching her inspect her injuries. She didn’t know her name, nor did she much care to know it. If the girl didn’t introduce herself, she would find her name out in weyrling lessons anyway. Her wounds looked like they would hurt, but she would live. If worse came to worse, she could go to the Infirmary. The girl smiled at her, and of course, Syrene didn’t smile back. “Looks like you need to try something else,” she said dryly, sitting up. “A dragon’s no good dead.”

Wridelth calmly watched his green clutchsister become angrier, and positioned himself for what he predicted was to come, judging by what she was saying. His prediction came true when Versaith attempted to make another leap off the ledge. Muscles springing to life, the pale gray-blue Hatchling uncoiled like a spring and pounced at the Green, colliding heavily with her. The laws of physics were once again proven true. Versaith’s small form was easily knocked out of its intended path by Versaith’s much larger one, although the Green’s original velocity took the two skidding towards the edge. Wridelth pinned the Green and tried to stop well before the end of the weyrledge, stomping his front and back paws down hard, digging his claws into the stone. His wings flared up and out, trying to take advantage of his knowledge of air resistance to slow them down. The footing of his back limb slipped off the edge, and he applied strength in all of the other limbs to try to get himself fully back on. Syrene scrambled to her feet and took a few hurried steps towards them, but didn’t go any closer in fear that it would somehow scare one of them into a wrong move. Whole tail swishing angrily in the air over the ledge, Wridelth glared down at the trapped Versaith, wings flaring out and looming over her small form in dominance.

I did not think you were so daft, but you have proved my assumption wrong. Program it into whatever small amount of intelligence you have that you will die if you attempt to fly again.[/i] He was not going to let her go until she was calm and smart enough to not throw herself from the weyrledge a third time. If you attempt something else, you will drag me down with you – show me you have sense and cease resisting. I am putting my life in peril to make you realize your mistakes, Versaith mine.

Syrene didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her lungs began to ache, and exhaled. “You should take her somewhere where she can jump off of all the ledges she wants and won’t die. She can’t just keep attempting to fly like this.”

[rii]

Versaith screeched, rolling onto her back after the impact and snapping her teeth at Wridelth's neck in clear annoyance. The angry orange-red whirl to her eyes faltered brieftly when her brother's leg slipped off the ledge. The concern genuine because Versaith never meant to harm anyone else – he didn't need to stop her, and it would be sad if he went over the ledge; it wasn't as if he could fly like she could. The tender moment passed, however, and Versaith bared her teeth and laid her front paws against Wridelth's chest. Not pushing, just applying enough pressure to firm against the blue hide. If you are so convinced we would die, then why would you put your own wings at risk? That is silly, brother mine. You don't know whether or not I can fly, because I have yet to complete my launch. What are you all afraid of?

Jenna was in near tears, but only just. While Syrene had moved in action, Jenna had remained rooted. She honestly didn't know what to do – and it's not like she hadn't tried to detour Versaith's attempts. It just didn't seem to be working. Weakly she chuckled, calmer with Wridelth pinning Versaith to the stone, "They never said anything in Candidate lessons about how to deal with a hatchlings crazed attempts to fly."

Her fingers where shaking. Jenna quickly stood and set them on the hem of her pants. It didn't remove the unstable feeling inside of her, torn in a conflict of loving her green, worried for her.. and the hot anger from the green along with the firm belief of being able to fly. Syrene's idea, had Jenna's eyes widen and staring at the other girl. Why hadn't she thought of that? She smiled – a natural expression on her, regardless that it feel flat when presented to the somber Syrene (besides, Jenna could hardly be a harsh judge at the girl who had helped to stop her Versaith from becoming a green smear on the rocks below).

"Do you know a place..?"

[Shiny]

Wridelth's head swiveled fluidly to stare down at the Green pressing against his torso with one calm and collected eye. The orange-red glaze had faded back into dull white swirls, his emotions once again completely in check. Not that they had been terribly out of check before.

Perhaps he could get her to calm down with this proposition. You are my responsibility, Versaithmine. Indeed, all dragons were responsible for each other, especially those coming from the same clutch. But Wridelth, although he didn't show it, felt especially responsible for his clutchsiblings, being the oldest of them all. Not that he was older by much at all - they were practically all the same age - but he still felt so. And it was obvious that his clutchsiblings lacked any good amount of intellect - Versaith had just proven it. Without him, they would all surely kill themselves in stupid ways. If you can prove your flying abilities to me in a situation where there is no risk of death, I will let you use this weyrledge to your heart's content. He tilted his head back to face the pinned Green directly, his scheming, swirling pale eyes and the perfectly timed, metronome-like twitching of his tail adding a certain element of challenge to his words. He was fairly certain his clutchsister would not be able to resist a challenge.

Syrene kept a careful eye on Wridelth, secretly worried about just how close he was to falling off of the ledge. The Blue's authoritative and calm attitude worked at masking said worry, and the black-clad girl turned to look at Jenna. Her eyebrow twitched upwards ever so slightly at the smile; she tilted her head up a little to look down her nose at the girl and crossed her arms dominantly. She didn't smile back, but she didn't respond with her usual scowl, either; she realized the Greenweyrling had just gone through something quite traumatic. So, she was cutting Jenna some slack, even if the girl was not likely to recognize such a gesture.

Syrene huffed lightly from her nose, near-black eyes drilling into Jenna's face as she thought. After a moment, she spoke coolly. "The boulders near the waterfall should be good." She recalled there being such rocks and jutting ledges sticking out from the face of the cliff next to the water. Her weight shifted a little as if she was hesitant about something, and then continued speaking. "Wridelth and I offer to accompany you and Yours. You'll probably need someone there to save your hides," she snorted, staring at the Greenrider unblinkingly. The girl probably didn't realize how lucky she was. Syrene was offering her company. Why? She didn't know. She shouldn't (and she had convinced herself she didn't) care about these Weyrlings. She was going to go back to Fort with Wridelth once they'd graduated. Helping to train Selenitas dragons would just reinforce their Wings. Which was the illogical thing to do, but Wridelth wasn't objecting (he objected everything he deemed "illogical" in her mind), so she didn't bother thinking about it much more.

[rii]

Versaith's tail made a slow sweep over the stone, her eyes narrowed as he silently considered Wridelth's words. It sounded genuine, that didn't mean that her brother would go back on his word as soon as she proved herself more than capable of flight. She didn't have to admit that she felt a little sneaky taking up Wridelth's offer. When she showed him wrong he was going to be so blue – er, bluer in the face! You promise?

When the agreement came, Versaith wasted little time in energetically wriggling out of the pin and making a scrambling dash for the hallway. Race you! To where, Versaith hadn't a clue, but currently she was so ahead of her brother. Her claws scraped against rock as she turned, bounding head-long for the stairs. Ones she forgot even being there until her foot met air where ground should have been. She tumbled down the length of them, ending up in a sprawled heap with bat-like wings pumping for balance long lost. Sheepishly she tucked them into her sides, looking around to see if anyone had seen the slight stumble.

Can't catch me brother!

Alright, Jenna took it back, it was kinda hard to stare at a face so void of emotion. Yet, the other girl did offer an answer to the question. Perhaps she was just.. awkward. The phrasing of words said as much to Jenna. She kinda sounded like a lord addressing a lady, and for that Jenna bubbled up with laughter. Noise that she quickly clamped down in the face of Syrene's bleak expression. The grin persisted, though, but at least Jenna held back the urge to curtsey politely and accept such a gracious offer.

Instead, Jenna stuck out her hand. "I'm Jenna, and an extra pair of hands to hold back Versaith would be more than welcomed. Er, uh, feel free to lead on.. I think Sai is going to get herself lost.. "

[Shiny]

Wridelth watched Versaith with calculating, cautious eyes, easily reading the expression in her own. She didn't trust him. He had been as genuine as possible; he found no logical reason to lie in this situation. And that's exactly what he told her. I have not lied to you for I have no reason to lie, Versaith mine.[/i] Finally, the Green seemed to come to her senses. He let her slide out from underneath him, watching her bound and leap across the ledge, room, and through the door with a new vigor.

Race? Wridelth blinked slowly, righting himself to a standing position silently. His tail swished back and forth just slightly above the rock of the ledge as he considered the Green's words. A race was a game. He didn't do games. There was no way the Green would know where to go. The Blue hatchling snorted lightly. Once again Versaith had proved her lack of intelligence to him. He leaped forward and trotted quickly after his sister, his movements fluid and professional. He would have to catch up to her and surpass her so she would know where to go. If she thought it was a race, it was her own loss. For she surely wouldn't win without a destination, not to mention the fact that he was already much larger than her, and quick on his feet, too.

Syrene watched Hers go after the Green without a word, knowing that Wridelth would take care of his racing clutchsister. A choked laugh brought her attention back to the girl, and she scowled hard. Just what was so funny? Glaring coldly into the grinning face of her classmate, she almost let herself refuse the hand offered to her. Remember your own advice, Mine,[/i] the Blue pitched in, making Syrene mentally huff. Yeah, yeah. I got it. She grabbed Jenna's hand none too gently - although she could have taken it much, much harder (she was still being "nice" due to the fact that the girl had gotten pretty scraped up) - and released it almost immediately. "Syrene." Her black cloak whirled silently in the air as she turned and took a few steps after her dragon. She stopped, however, and half-turned, looking over her shoulder at the Greenweyrling. "Some advice: don't laugh at those who offer help, especially if it's me. Or you may end up worse than helpless." Hm, perhaps she was in a worse mood than she thought... Without waiting for a reaction, she turned forward again and stalked from the room, expecting Jenna to follow.

The Blue shot after the Green, not making the same mistake as Versaith on the staircase. The larger hatchling sprinted, smooth muscles rippling under pale blue-gray hide. With his wings folded tightly against his back and his slightly curved form, Wridelth was aerodynamic, and proceeded to gain on and overtake Versaith. This is not a game. You do not know where you are going; let me take us to our destination.[/i]

[rii]

Jenna took a step after the gruff Syrene, but came to a dead halt when the girl whirled on her. In the back of her mind the childish question popped up to inquire the purpose of the cloak. It was too hot and humid in the South to justify it. Perhaps it went with the look. So very oh dramatic – it made Jenna think of the plays they would do up on the stages during gathers. Maybe Syrene was from some traveling troupe of actors. Certainly would explain the makeup, clothing, and the peculiar way of speaking. It could even be Syrene was in character now, wouldn't that be curious.

So caught up in the tangent thoughts, Jenna didn't pick up on the subtle threat (why would someone that had just saved her hatchling from becoming a green smear on the rocks suddenly be dropping threads anyway!) "It's not that. It's just I've never heard someone offer help that way before. It sounded like a lord address a lady, but all the same, I'd still love your help - and I appreciate it. Versaith is a handful - how is your blue doing?"

This the green weyrling babbled as she trailed after Syrene, skipping forward a step to walk alongside the dark girl. "You've a northern accent too. How'd you end up here?"

Versaith bounded to her feet, bouncing on her pads she she went along with her blue brother. At first content to travel beside him, but soon enough she was making longer strides so she paced a step ahead of him.. then two steps.. then eventually she just ducked her head down to streamline her slender body and power forward in a full on sprint.

I'm not falling for that trick. If you want to race, you have to do it far and square – last one to the river is a rotten wherry egg! Versaith almost didn't make the turn outside. Her rump and tail collided with the stone, front claws doing the work to simply pull herself in the new direction. Obstacles were an annoying occurrence with Versaith. Because no sooner had she cleared the door, was she running into the legs of a laundry toting drudge.

Did she let this stop her? Never!

Through the toss of clothing and curses Versaith stumbled, a shirt ending up stuck over her head and hinged on a wing. She poked her snout through the sleeve, peering through the cuff to keep a visual, albeit a limited one, on her destination. It didn't quite work out as she planned; her claws suddenly catching in the trailing material and sending her into a face plant to skid across the grassy ground. But, but she could hear water. it meant she was by - or near enough- to the river!

I win! Didn't she?