Blooming Weyrlings (Senior Lesson Eleven)

[weaving]

This part of the lesson was going to be awkward. I’fael sat at his desk in the lesson room, having arrived several minutes early in order to gather his thoughts about him. The weyrlings shouldn’t be too far behind him though. After their test on signing signals, he’d let them go for lunch, letting them know that he fully expected them back within one candlemark. That gave them enough time to eat without dawdling. They still had a full day ahead, full of awkward conversations and a rather extensive flight. There was no opportunity today for anyone to have time to goof off.

The first of the weyrlings began to filter in, causing the weyrlingmaster to shift nervously. Curse Laurie for needing to take time off now. He needed her now. I’fael didn’t know how to comfort or reassure a young woman who had never experienced flight lust before. The boys would be easy enough, but the girls? What if they didn’t trust him to actually open up about any fears they might have?

You’ve been through enough flights by now to be able to tell both sides what to expect I hope. If not, perhaps I should Chase more often? I’fael pointedly ignored Morendoth’s goading statement, instead standing and turning to those who had actually arrive on time. Well, it looked like he might as well start now. They did have a schedule to keep after all.

“Alright, welcome back to class everyone. Now, we’ll be covering the topic of mating flights and what to expect today. Unfortunately, Lauranna has become rather busy as of late, leaving me as the only one to teach this to you. I am aware that you may not feel very comfortable speaking about this in such a large group, or even with me, but we’ll try to make this work as best as possible. We’ll have a general overview in a group and then split up, girls on one end and boys at the other. I’ll come around then to answer any more, uh, personal questions that you have on the subject. Does that work for everyone?” As he spoke, I’fael could only think of have uncomfortable the others must feel, the girls in particular. He glanced around quickly to be sure that everyone was okay with how things were going to be. They’d have to understand.

“Well, then, let’s begin shall we? Before I go off on a lecture about Flights, I want to know what you’ve heard about them. I’m sure all of you were here for Aslath’s flight and some of you have grown up within the weyr. Would anyone like to share what they’ve heard from other weyrfolk, riders, or holders even?” First things first, right any misconceptions that they might have. Once they had unlearned anything that wasn’t the truth, he could help them better understand what most of them would be dealing with in just a few more months.


Roll Call
Savitri of Gold Hepaticath
K’dran of Bronze Risith
R’aro of Bronze Idith
Gl’myr of Brown Origoth (APC)
Roshya of Blue Sheyath
L’nos of Blue Bivroth(NPC)
As’lin of Blue Stillith
M’kier of Blue Tepidoth (NPC)
C’ralt of Blue Vomath (NPC)
J’on of Green Rinagth
Aminadra of Green Sairmonath(NPC)
Liassa of Green Tiaeth(NPC)
Lyelle of Green Pipsissoth(NPC)
O’dan of Green Emerith
Celeyn of Green Foglith

[kysseh]

This new weyrlingmaster was not so bad. Savitri had decided. The goldweyrling settled comfortably in her seat now that their lunch break was over, letting her gaze wander curiously over the rest of her classmates as they straggled in to take their seats. Attendance... was still an issue, she imagined. Sixteen weyrlings to start with, and she could count on one hand the number of regular attendees. Two hands would be required to count the semi-regular ones, but that was about the extent of it. It was sad, she thought. At least the weyrlingmaster could give them more one-on-one attention, and Savitri felt fairly confident that she had at least decently mastered the signals. She had found a few adult rider friends to help her practice; those came in handy on occasion.

Still, she was not entirely sure what else was on the agenda for classroom learning today. She trusted their new teacher, though. Weyrlingmaster I'fael seemed reasonably intelligent and sensible, and Savitri considered that a positive thing. She had not disliked F'rah, but she did dislike the constant changing of teachers. While it was not difficult to adjust to new teaching styles, it was wearisome. Her good opinion of the weyrlingmaster was put into jeopardy by the approach to the current topic of discussion, and the young woman arched a curious eyebrow at the somewhat hesitant way in which the man spoke of flights. Was he... as a male out of his teens and a brownrider... still a virgin?!

No, perhaps he was just uncomfortable talking to women about flights. Savitri thought it was unnecessary that he feel that way, though her current change in situation on the matter could have explained her slightly less tense attitude toward it. Splitting up into groups by gender sounded.... less than desirable, though. They would be expected to girl-talk, wouldn't they? She managed to not look too dismayed at the thought, but annoyance was foremost on her mind. Savitri did not enjoy girltalk, and she was not keen on discussing her limited knowledge of Flights and the effects thereof... particularly not with a group of similarly adolescent girls. Perhaps that was pride, or maybe just impatience.

Still, it was possible she could avoid it, right? At I'fael's question, she contemplated for a moment how best to answer his question. Thankfully, she managed to keep a blush from surfacing, if just barely. Thoughts of the the consequences of Aslath's last flight had Savitri wanting to retreat to the privacy of her weyr with favored company who could not be named. Still, she decided that sharing what she knew was a good sort of idea. She raised her hand, waiting to speak until it was her turn. "In flights, the female dragon Rises to mate, and the riders of both the female dragon and her male Chasers... sort of meld minds with their dragons while the dragons are in the air. When the dragons twine in the air, the two riders generally engage in sexual contact," she said as simply and tactfully, considering some of these weyrlings were barely into puberty, as she could.

She knew more, of course, but she would rather let the weyrlingmaster teach. He obviously knew far more than she did, even if he could not understand about being the partner on the bottom... figuratively speaking. She did recall that during the aftermath of Aslath's Flight, she had not been on the bottom all the-

No... no, not thinking about private things during class...

((My apologies. x.o I suck at posting today.))