Fear Weyrling Lesson Nine

[Ember]

Lesson Nine:
Classroom: Final Flying Leathers Inspection
Training Field: Using Air Currents; Weather Problems and Solutions; Communication Drills; Flight in Formation Theory (On Ground)

-- In an effort to make weyrling lessons more interesting I've decided to skip the classroom portion but please be aware that it did occur. --

Attendance:
Bronzeweyrling Cr'oph of Mavenath
Brownweyrling R'ven of Trilaranth
Blueweyrling Dy'shi of Chakraith
Blueweyrling L'nu of Paglieth
Blueweyrling J'naes of Barientoth *
Blueweyrling J'ash of Craivaruth
Blueweyrling K'lin of Picarth *
Greenweyrling Casta of Posilanth *
Greenweyrling Dyudahlii of Nemmalorith *
Greenweyrling Erilena of Feyrianth
Greenweyrling C'erc of Harmonyth
Greenweyrling Kiana of Tuelzanth *
Greenweyrling X'rx of Eveyth

Post count key: 1, 2, 3, 4+

*Inactive

----

Sharding Ka'rys. The bronzerider was definitely out to get her. Not only was he trying to torture her during wing drills (oh yes, she was still on his wing) but he'd volunteered her as the new Assistant Weyrlingmaster. That meant teaching little smart-mouthed brats and their overgrown whers how to do the very basics. The bluerider was not happy. Iskierka crossed the training field to join Ioth and the young dragons. He shifted uncomfortably and she was certain it wasn't just the fact that he hated being stationary that had him bothered.

Yet when she approached him he crooned very, very quietly and told her privately. There's a female blue here. Female! How very odd, Iskierka. Is it finally time for the aerial lessons? Calm down. It's mostly a ground lesson today but there will be chances for demonstrations. Iskierka turned to her class and waited until all had arrived before clearing her throat and continuing the lesson. They'd started inside but it was too hot in the stuffy room for even her to bear and the lesson would work better anyways if they were outside.

"This is Ioth. Your dragons are to listen to his suggestions and comments, understood? Good. He'll be demonstrating some of the uses for air currents. You all should know what these are by now. Some of these are good and some of them are bad. Your dragons will have an opportunity to explore the uses of them. Ioth." The blue unfurled his wings and stepped backwards to create some space. As per Ciceroth's request he took off, twisting and always moving to protect his wings. Iskierka was torn between telling the class she didn't expect their beasts to perform like her veteran dragon and letting them just soak it up. She decided on the latter.

"Air currents can be very helpful to a dragon in flight. Thermals are columns of rising hot air that can give a dragon more lift. Ioth has found one for you to see." Ioth had indeed found a thermal and he slipped into it gracefully and let it help him climb higher in the air. "Use of thermals can also backfire. You do not want to use one if, for example, it helps you rise towards an enemy dragon or thread." Suddenly Ioth was buffeted by a different air current and he visibly had trouble staying on course. He folded his wigns and dropped out of it. "Can anyone tell me why Ioth had trouble flying?" Her tone was dry and she watched the weyrlings.

----

Dy'shi didn't like the new teacher. She was scary and kind of mean. The way she looked at him, at all of the weyrlings really, was with thinly veiled disgust. Like they weren't worth her time. he'd noticed with interest that she was slightly more civil with Cr'oph and R'ven than the rest of them, but not by much. He shook his head slightly and followed her out of the weyrling barracks. He kept close to X'rx and commented, "She's not very nice."

When the blueweyrling arrived at the training field he looked at Iskierka's blue dragon more closely. Hmm, interesting. He focused his attention on the woman as she spoke and watched Ioth's aerial displays for them. When she asked the question he kept his head down and refused to answer. Who knew what she would do if he was wrong!

[Rei]

Erilena swallowed in nervous apprehension as she regarded their new teacher. Why had she ever thought Darya was scary? This woman was far worse. At least Darya had never looked upon them with distaste. This woman just seemed to think they where all not better than dirt. That thought made the weyrling take a step back to lay a hand on Feyrianth, who had lowered her head to nudge hers in the back. The new teacher has a asked a question mine. We are to watch Ioth. Concentrate on our dragon teacher. He does not seem scary. Removing her head from the comfort of hers the green raised it to watch Ioth in the sky. He made it look so easy. All the two winged ones did. A shiver went down Feyrianth’s body.

Erilena bit her tongue as she looked at Iskierka. To be honest she didn’t have any clue why Ioth would have trouble flying. If she was able to get Feyrianth off the ground they never went very high at all. Wind currents would probably be quite dangerous for the pair. At least currently, as Feyrianth was still working out how her wings did and did not work. There was an immense amount of wing sail to account for on her green, and a extra pair of wing muscles. This lesson was going to be painful for both of them she had a feeling.

~~~

Cr’oph stood at attention with the rest of his class. Bunch of pussies they where. Letting this woman just come in and scare them all. Tch. The red head smiled at Iskierka. He hadn’t been afraid of Darya. Why would he be afraid of this bluerider? His candidatemaster at Benden had been scarier. This woman undoubtedly came from Benden though. They had the same accent. Too bad he didn’t remember meeting her. If he had seen her it has likely been in passing.

Obediently the bronzer returned his eyes upward to follow Ioth’s progress. He had learned most of this already. You didn’t attend candidate lessons from fourteen to twenty one and not gain extra information and training. Almost lazily he drawled an answer when no one immediately spoke up. “Ioth got caught by a cross current of wind. He dropped to avoid it.”

Mavenath watched the blue very carefully and paid attention to the Weyrlingmaster as well. His had said this was a Benden fighting pair. There was knowledge here he wanted. The bronze craned his neck as he watched the blue. He extended his wings and then folded them. The large dragon tried not to become impatient. They would no doubt get to try themselves soon enough.

[rii]

I am hungry, mine.

R'ven kept an arm around the underside of his brown's muzzle, creating the illusion that he was keeping the bulky dragon in place by that restraint alone. Trilaranth moved to look in the direction of the calling herdbeasts, but a strong tug – both mental and physical – kept the brown's snout pointed toward the ground. He knew he could easily pull free, even drag his along, but he might hurt his in the process and then what would he do?

Pay attention. R'ven ran his other hand over the blunt snout, trying to force some of his patience through the bond to get the fawn colored brown to settle down. It wouldn't do for him to act out in front of the new teacher – another unfriendly face staring back at them and delivering the lesson with barely concealed contempt. It must a female bluerider thing, R'ven estimated with a faint lift of a brow.

Trilaranth's maw parted, displaying the row of viciously curved teeth while he black talons dug into the earth. Every so often the brown got into these moods and the only outlet R'ven had been able to find to soothe it was to take Trilaranth out to let him sink his claws into the inanimate trunks of trees – or let him tear apart a herdbeast. His tail smacked audibly against the ground but the smith pretended to pay no notice to his dragon's temperament.

R'ven tilted his head back to watch Ioth, urging Trilaranth to do the same, and for the duration of the display the brown was still, but immediately after he began to shuffle restlessly; claws tearing up the grass of the training ground. R'ven put his foot in the path of one claw, and as expected Trilaranth paused to avoid slicing his leg open. Lesson are to fly, let me fly over to the pen and eat.

Rapping his knuckles lightly against the brown's snout, R'ven paid no mind to the request and merely shifted his weight. Cr'oph had already given an answer and it sounded right enough. Hopefully they would get in the air soon, as much as R'ven didn't .. enjoy it as much as the others. The expending of energy would do well to settle his dragon. And, upon reading the thoughts of his bonded's mind, Trilaranth unfurled his large wings. Yes, yes, let him into the air and he would do the silly blue's moves and be politely excused to go eat.

[Requiem]

"This is Ioth. No shit," he muttered under his breath. "Like we all forgot that in between morning introductions and now."

The greenweyrling looked...a mess. To be truthful. The wild curls had lost all semblance of taming, caught up messily at the nape of his neck. If asked, he wouldn't be able to tell you the last time he'd washed this particular shirt, though it still smelled relatively clean. Yes, he'd checked after picking it up off the pile of rumpled clothes left in the corner. A pile that had started after the fight with his sister a couple days past. So what if the kid was crying; he wasn't allowed to play with knives, and a few tears were better than a missing digit. If he'd called the kid stupid...well, he was. Tch, four turn olds. So dramatic.

Dy'shi's comment was met with an equally quiet one of his own. "She's a female bluerider. They all go around trying to prove they have balls when they don't...don't worry about her. Just angry at the world." Yes, that was meant to be reassuring.

Eveyth nudged up to X'rx with a brief wave of admonishment. Now now, play nice. So testy lately, Hers was. The green stood patiently as X'rx went through the now-familiar motions of rechecking her straps, just keeping one eye on the dragon flying above. As if they'd learn much of anything from watching a dragon play prettily in the skies. They'd had months to watch all the adult dragons flying, and no doubt they'd learned as much as they were going to from observation a long time ago.

Showoff bronzerider. Ioth got caught by a cross current of wind. He dropped to avoid it. Benden ex-candidate. Of course he knew, she wasn't asking people who were born to this stuff. Kiss ass. Whatever, he could play suck up all he wanted. Eveyth nudged X'rx again, a low growl in her throat. He rubbed behind her eyeridges. The young man came to lean sullenly against Eveyth, waiting for the Weyrlingmaster to get on with it already.

[mierce]

Cer’c as he stood at attention before their new Assistant Weyrlingmaster. He’s heard that female blueriders had a tendency to be gruff with words and actions much as Darya had been, but Darya was mostly just terse with words and overall angry looking. Iskierka, however, was angry. Not that Cer’c was afraid of her per se, but the uneasiness seeping over from Harmonyth was enough to muddle his own feelings towards the new arrangements.

We should watch intently, Cer’cLove. Of course of course. The green nuzzled her muzzle against Hers’ shoulder. Really we should. Cer’c opened his eyes wide then pointed to them as if to say, “I am, see?”

The greenpair intently watched Ioth’s demonstration as if their life depended on it, but alas watching wasn’t really enough for Iskierka then asked them a question which seemed quite related to her vomit of words as Ioth flew. Cer’c looked innocently away from either of the bluepair, hoping that she would not call on him to answer because Shards if he knew why Ioth had trouble flying. Fortunately (maybe) for the class, Cr’oph answered in a wholly dismissive tone.

A shiver of distaste brimmed from Harmonyth to Cer’c, prompting the boy to look sharply at her. What’s wrong? The green shifted, a low thrum vibrating from her throat and just as quickly the negative motions from her faded. I’m sorry Love. It’s nothing. Hmph. If you say so.

Turning away from his dragon, he directed his attention towards Erilena who stood a few paces from him. Honestly, he’s always been quite intrigued by Feyrianth so his gaze was initially directed towards the four-winged dragon. This interest just incidentally let him in on the girl’s apparent uneasiness. “Hey Erilena, chin up!” he whispered somewhat loudly. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” His gaze drifted to her dragon, a supportive smile beaming towards the green. “With four wings, you’ve already got quite the power than your sisters!”

[Ember]

Iskierka's eyes rested on the bronzeweyrling of the class and she barely resisted the urge to snap at him. What was he so smug about? Of course an ex-Benden candidate would know that. Oh yes, she recognized him. Not by name but she remembered the red hair and the face. Red hair was farily uncommon so it stood out in one's mind fairly easily. "As our little bronzer put it, Ioth hit a cross current. If your dragon feels one listen to what they say. They know how to fly; you do not. Now mount up." Ioth would take the lesson for the next little bit.

The blue returned to the thermal he'd used before and projected his voice to the class once he'd received Iskierka's permission to do so. Please join me in the air and I'll have you practice on this thermal. In time you will learn to recognize them on your own but for today please just use this one. After the lesson you may practice if you wish. I frequent the skies if you want extra tutelage. When you slip into the thermal remember that you are trying to catch the rising air. He set the weyrlings to doing that and stayed at a good height to assist if necessary. Ioth switched to a more private broadcast and addressed Feyrianth and Erilena.

My apologies ahead of time, Feyrianth. I have never taught before and I do not know much about how your wings work. I have a few ideas how they might...at any rate, please try to catch the thermal as comes naturally to you. You are meant to be different from your siblings and so you will have to learn differently as well. I will assist as I can. The blue, unlike his rider, felt an intense responsibilty to his young charges and he genuinely wanted to see them do well under his teachings. He was quite a polite dragon and for once His was giving him free reign in conversation and action with others.

----

Dy'shi glanced critically at his friend and wrinkled his nose. He wasn't entirely certain what was wrong with X'rx. He'd been testy for a while now but it seems to have gotten more extreme after the graduation of their senior class. Dy shot a fairly dirty glance at Cr'oph and it wasn't because of his show-offy answer. He'd seen X'rx hanging around the bronzeweyrling at the graduation and he'd been carried off in the other weyrling's arms. The young boy was convinced that he'd done something to his friend but he wasn't sure what.

Chakraith nudged him and he realized that Iskierka had told them to mount. He scrambled onto his blue's back - oof! She just kept getting bigger and bigger! - and strapped himself in. Ioth's unusual vocie in his mind made him start and he definitely paid attention to it. Using thermals? That wasn't overly interesting but then...Iskierka herself didn't seem intent on entertaining them. Darya hadn't tried that either so he shrugged it off and got Chakraith to get them into the air. She waited until most of her siblings had launched and were out of the way before she actually took off.

She let a few of their siblings try out the thermal before she slipped into it and spread her wings as much as she could as she beat her wings to catch the thermal. Thankfully flying was pretty instinctual for dragons. No one had to teach someone how to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk, it just came naturally after watching others do it. Chakraith left the thermal before she rose too high and she brushed the minds of the clutchmates that hadn't gone yet with encouragement.

[rii]

R'ven took his time – much to Trilaranth's chagrin – by checking the riding straps before actually mounting and securing himself to the restless brown. A good thing their bond was close, because R'ven only had the slightest inclination of a warning before Trilaranth coiled and lept into the air. A powerful down-sweep of his wings got his mass further off the ground and he moved toward the thermal with a small upward angle. When he felt the warmth beneath him, the brown stopped pumping his wings. Stretching out to his full wingspan, Trilaranth let the invisible push of air bringing him higher up in the sky. Using his tail as a rudder, he turned in a lazy circle to remain inside the thermal.

The brown's head swung impatiently to Ioth, then to the far pen of herdbeasts. Trilaranth's attention then moved over each of his siblings, pausing briefly on Feyrianth to wonder why she was still on the ground. Another lazy turn before Trilaranth left the thermal to glide on his own. For all that the brown looked ungainly on the ground with his stocky build his movements were significantly smoother in the air.

R'ven, however, was entirely the opposite. More comfortable with his feet on the ground. In the air the weyrling had a white-knuckled grip on the riding strap and his jaw was set firmly. Thankful, the former smith was, that his brown didn't care for flipping loops or twisting in any trick – aside that the brown was not built for such aerial stunts.

Anything else, Ioth? The brown spoke politely enough, but the thread of impatience was still present.

[Rei]

Cr’oph merely smiled at Iskierka and then gave her a salute before turning on his heel to literally run to Mavenath. As he approached the bronze crouched. In two swift movements the weyrling was aboard his beast. Thumping the big bronze’s neck he chuckled at the anticipation he felt. Thermals are baby stuff huh Mave? Want to show them what we can do? The large bronze rumbled in agreement before lightly brushing against Eveyth’s mind. My dearest sister. Shall we show them what we can do? The big male saw no reason to play at this beginner level. He and Eveyth flew together often. With and without riders. Crouching in preparation he crooned. Race you. Mavenath threw that bit in to appeal to his green sister’s playful side. Oh there was no way he would beat her in speed but that was okay. There where things he could do that she could not after all.

Leaping into the air he was aloft with just two sweeps of his large wings. It was easy enough to catch the thermal. After that he played by rolling in and out of it. Each transition into the hot rising air was flawless and it was obvious he had done a good deal of practicing. Did the teacher honestly think they where all idle? Finally the bronze slipped into it again and used it as a means to quicken his upwards speed. Breaking off once he was at a good height he dove and pulled up just underneath Eveyth. Cr’oph laughed, the sound being ripped away by the wind. Grinning he slapped his dragon’s neck. Showoff. Parting his jaws in a draconic smile Mavenath rumbled. Ioth is that acceptable? The large male asked as he circled just outside the thermal. Most of his attention however was on Eveyth. She was always a pleasure to watch. A low hum resonated in his throat at that thought.

~~~

Erilena started as Cer’c bespoke her but she smiled softly and mouthed a thank you. It was really nice of him to say anything at all. Especially since she hardly ever spoke to her fellow greenrider. Not much more time was spared Cer’c however for at that moment their teacher spoke up and then her blue followed. It was a bit different, hearing the words of the blue, but she found herself nodding to his words. Which probably looked silly considering he couldn’t very well see her. Feyrianth rustled her wings nervously as she crouched to allow hers to mount. I understand Iothteacher. I will do my best. Politely the green waited for the rest of her classmates to get in the air. She didn’t want to accidentally cause any collisions. Erilena kept one hand nervously clutching her riding straps while the other stroked the green beneath her.

With a quiet warning to hers Feyrianth sprung into the air, her four wings causing her to rise quite a bit quicker than the rest of her class. Even if it was a near vertical ascension. Lift, for her, was easier to achieve due to the massive amount of wing sail she had been born with. She was still working out the finer things, like how to use her tail with her wings to steer correctly. Turning was still a bit hard. However she could hover better than any other dragon and she hovered for a few moments just outside the thermal while she waited for her classmates to get out of the way.

Ready? She asked Erilena, her voice containing the barest traces of nervousness. The weyrling gave a mental nod as Feyrianth slipped into the thermal and spread her wings wide to catch it. With her double wings again lift was easier to achieve and she didn’t even have to flap to rise upwards at a decent speed. It was easier than it looked really. Slipping out of the thermal she glided forward and then back winged to hover in place as she awaited further instruction. That was really good darling! Hopefully it would all be this easy but Erilena doubted it. With Feyrianth’s wings she was willing to bet that strong wind would be dangerous for the pair.

[Requiem]

Mine, what am I supposed to be telling you? No clue. I'm not the one flying. How odd.

Why did they think none of the dragons had bothered to fly on their own when they could and discover? Boring to simply wait around during chores or mealtimes...of course Eveyth had flown. With Mavenath, at times. And at others simply to have Hers with her in the air where no one might distract them. You didn't go a month without discovering thermals. But...this was the lesson, so...

Mavenath's mindvoice made her beating hearts quicken with delight. Yes, yes, that would be fun she thought, much more interesting than just riding it up placidly like Trilaranth was doing. Chakraith didn't much like fun and she didn't want to embarrass Feyrianth who seemed tentative about flying, so instead Eveyth brushed the mind of Harmonyth. TranquilsisterMine! Maverick thinks to show off. Let us show him how greens fly... Keeping a light feeler out on Harmonyth's mind so the other green would know where she was going and they could weave their dance without mishap, Eveyth slipped into the thermal after Mavenath, wending in and out, playing on the little crosstreams that came through in movements that were less quick and restless so much as a careful display of the full range of mobility she'd discovered in her playful outings with her clutchsiblings.

Beat that bronzebrother! Greens for the win!

Eveyth released her light touch on Harmonyth's mind with a carress of thanks and delight, diving down and coiling around Mavenath in an almost lazy loop, her tailtip just barely tracing along his flank. A fine dance, Maverick, but I think us girls fly prettier. Hovering not far from her clutchbrother, she crooned to Ioth.

Our apologies, IothTeacher. We have already been flying for awhiiiile. Just floating up a thermal is ever so dull. Once the lessons are over, would you like to play with us? I should love to fly with a dragon who can move as gracefully as you. Yes, she'd watched him, and many others. The older dragons flew so well!

[Shiny]

Although Iskierka was intimidating, J'ash didn't let it ruin the lesson. This was finally the time where they got to fly! Even if it was just riding a thermal, it was still up in the air. Like, nothing below your feet! That still counted, in J'ash's books. (Technically, jumping was flying, too. But this was bigger! Better! The works!) Both dragon and weyrling watched as Feyrianth accomplished the task, even with her four wings. Craivaruth was extremely proud of his clutchsister.

Craivaruth's eyes were a rare excited blue; J'ash felt the same, just seeing his dragon feel upbeat for once. "It's our turn! Ready for this?!" he exclaimed to his blue-green dragon, who had bowed down low to allow J'ash to clamber onto his back. Ready since the day I hatched.

Once mounted, J'ash placed both of his palms solidly on the base of his dragon's neck. "Up, up, and away!" J'ash quoted randomly. Craivaruth began to beat his wings as he began to pick up speed. As they approached the area they knew the thermal was in, J'ash's heartbeat sped up to pound wildly in his ears.

Craivaruth launched into the air, flapping his abnormally long wings. The length seemed to be giving him difficulty - they rocked in the air as the Blue fought to keep them afloat - and suddenly, they were being blown sky-high. "Yaaaah!" cried J'ash happily. A rush of adrenaline shot through him; this was the moment he had been waiting for. He'd waited for so long to know the feeling of flying, and now, he was living his dream. But there was so much more to learn, so many places to fly; it kept him optimistic as Craivaruth flapped out of the path of the thermal. They gracefully glided down to the ground again, which was exceptionally easily with long wings. It would be the actual getting into the air bit that would cause them problems.

Once landed, J'ash slid off of Craivaruth's back, patting his neck affectionately while grinning widely. "Good job!"