Western Weyr - Weyrling Training Field
Near the tall black eastern wall of the crater is a cleared field. The earth there has been churned many times over by the landings and take offs of young dragons and only a few patches of grass cling to life in this active area. Wooden props and markers used to assist the weyrlings as they learn the precise manuvers required for the rescue and protection work that Western Weyr is famous for, litter the training field. Close to the rimwall, in the east where the sun is usually shaded is a large wooden slat barracks for the weyrlings to live in. Tropical trees and shrubs have been allowed to grow here, perfuming the air with a floral scent.
The vast majority of residents bustle back and forth on their many errands, keeping Western Weyr running smoothly. Children released from lessons scamper across the bowl while weyrlings bathe by the lagoon and practice. Delivery wings can be seen coming and going all day long overhead.Summer is upon the Western Isles, longer days and shorter nights making for a restless feeling that seems to invade every resident and urge them towards the beaches.
Late morning and the mist has burned off already leaving the skies and area around Western clear as a bell. Perfect time for a class. Lissi has issued the call and whoever isn't on chores will hopefully show up and get their clearance, weyrlinghood is steadily drawing to a close, before long the 'lings will be on their own. She stands near Damasth on the field and nods her head, the green pair in quiet conversation, as they often are.
Having heard the call, Velokraeth and Th'ero shortly arrive on the fields, the weyrling pair immerging from the barracks. The young bronze already has his straps on, his riding perhaps assuming that the morning's lesson will entail more flight practice. While Velokraeth waddles to a slow stop, his large head swiveling to focus on Damasth and a low rumble given in greeting to the green, Th'ero pauses next to him, nodding briskly to Lissi and offering a wan smile. "Morning." He calls out, one hand come to idly and almost distractedly pat the bronze next to him, while he gives the Weyrlingmaster an expectant and curious look.
Lissi nods her head and Damasth croons to the bronze, they aren't babies anymore, and this one is liable to be chasing her at some point in time. Mrrrrr. Oh, yeah, she's also especially sweet and swishy, there's a glow on the horizon. That not withstanding, today the WLM and her green are waxing serious, the topic is life and death as it were. "Morning," Lissi says then she waits while another green pair joins them. "The lesson taday is one of the most important you will learn. There is no room for error with this," she says and she starts to pace a bit. "Someone tell me a rule they know about betweening?" she asks, then pauses and turns to look at the group.
Indeed, Velokraeth is no baby anymore, though he's on the smaller side for bronzes. And no doubt he will be chasing Damasth and every other green or gold shiney hide that he has the pleasure of being in the right place at the right time. But for now, he simply shows a platonic interest in the green, focused more on his rider's sudden spike in excitement and nervousness, though Th'ero is doing his best to physically mask his expressions. When Lissi begins to pace, the weyrling's gaze follows her, before blinking a little when she tosses out the question. Fumbling a little on spot, Th'ero hesitantly speaks up. "Always have a solid visualization?" he offers. It's most likely the foremost worry on his mind, now that the Weyrlingmaster has confirmed today's lesson as the anticipated Betweening.
Lissi nods, "Yes right, good," then another hand goes up and Lissi looks toward the other greenrider who answers, "No metal against your skin?" and the WLM nods again. "Right, what else?" she asks, brows lifting. "It's important.. they all are..think.." she says and paces again, looking from weyrling to weyrling.
"Don't try to between when sick or injured? You or your dragon." Th'ero offers up another rule, though hesitant again on whether it's exactly right or wrong. His gaze is still following Lissi as she continues to pace, though he does give a bit of an anxious dart of a glance to his fellow weyrlings. Who knew there would be a quiz? The weyrling shuffles a little on spot, one hand coming up to scratch and run his fingers through his hair as he tries to wrack his mind for more answers. He knows them, that's for certain!
A grin. "Well yes but what sort of injury specifically, anyone know?" Lissi asks, eyeing the bronze pair for a moment. She smiles softly and stops moving, leaning against Damasth as she waits to see if he gets it. You never know what they know til you ask, right? Right.
Th'ero takes a bit of a deep breath the steady himself, before finally collecting his thoughts. Squaring his shoulders, the weyrling seems a little more confident when he answers Lissi again. "Cracked hide on a dragon. Guess the same applies to us. No open wounds." He elaborates on his previous answer, one hand still idly pressed up against Velokraeth's side. The bronze is simply being calm and patient, his eagerness showing only in the faint twitch of his stubby tail.
Lissi smiles at Th'ero, "Exactly, good, now then.." and she exhales slowly. "I know some of you are anxious, perhaps a little scared or nervous, some maybe just plain ole excited.. but no matter how you feel about going between, ya gotta take it seriously. When I was a weyrling we lost a pair, it really can happen that fast. How many of ya have betweened with a rider bafore?" she asks.
Th'ero is a mixture of a bunch of the emotions Lissi just mentioned, though the weyrling is trying his best to control them and simply focus on the current situation. That becomes a little difficult when Lissi mentions the loss of one pair from her class, worry showing through in the frown that he gives the Weyrlingmaster. But he does nod his head, indicating he's all too aware of the seriousness of his lesson. Slowly, almost awkwardly, he raises his hand. "I have." He acknowledges, though doesn't go on to say it was only twice in his entire lifetime.
Lissi nods, "Well ya have a leg up then, at least ya know what it feels like.. I canna stress enough how important it is that you are careful. Our first little trip will take us just out of the weyr, everraone should know the spot at tha lagoon, and once we get you all through we'll continue. Now then, ya'll all need to suit up if yer not, strap in and then get ready to mount. I will go first then tha other green and lastly the bronzers, everyone ready to give this a try?" she asks. "Does anyone have any questions?"
Th'ero gives a shake of his head, having no questions to ask, though his fellow weyrlings might. "Understood. And we're as ready as we'll ever be, I think." Is all he says in reply. So once Lissi has given the all clear to start gearing up and to mount, he wastes little to no time in preparing. Flight jacket is done up, helmet is retrieved and slipped on, and riding gloves as well, for good measure. Next comes a quick double check of the straps (made by him, from reliable leather stock) and buckles and then Th'ero is hoisting himself up into place, much more at ease with that maneuver now that he's had many months of practice with it. There's an affection slap given to Velokraeth's neck before Th'ero buckles himself in, signaling to the Weyrlingmaster that both he and his bronze are ready.
A'ven and Glyith arrive with a little smile, "I'm not too late am I?" "I'm not here to see anyone get hurt… I just thought perhaps I'd go along for the ride." He tries to exude confidence, but there's always the chance…
Lissi is suiting up too then she sees Glyith and A'ven and smiles widely, "Oh good.. I was wantin someone ta stay with tha others while they wait their turn," she says, a bit relieved. "Everraone, if ya've not met them, this is Weyrleader A'ven and Bronze Glyith," she says in introduction.
Th'ero looks a little surprised to see A'ven and Glyith arrive, giving a nod of his head to the Weyrleader, while Velokraeth rumbles to the other bronze as introductions are given. There's a half wave, half salute given to A'ven from the weyrling. While never having formally met him, Th'ero has seen him before. "You'll be joining us then, sir?" he asks, mostly to clarify, before settling more comfortably into his straps. Anxious? Maybe.
A'ven nods in reply to Th;ero's question. "… just in case there's trouble.", he says, trying to be reassuring. "I'm sure there won't be but another set of eyes can't hurt." "I've met many of you before but if this is our first time saying hello, don't panic. I'm not much for formal titles and the like, at least not in private. We're here to learn, not get all flustered over me just because I wear a big knot." He smiles again, disarmingly.
Lissi decides that a kiss to the cheek will humanize the WL further, or at least that's the reason she'd give if asked, though really, she just wanted to kiss him. "Glad ya made it," she says then dons her helmet and heads for Damasth, heaving herself up. "Okay.. When I'm through Damasth will alert the next pair, then when they are through, we'll alert the Th'ero, then once he's through A'ven wll follow.. aye?" she asks.
Th'ero wasn't flustered, honest! But he does give a bit of a relaxed grin towards A'ven, nodding his head again before his expression turns serious. "Trouble?" the weyrling echoes, though that thought seems to slip from his mind and he doesn't elaborate on it. Instead, his gaze fixates on Lissi again, just in time to see the Weyrlingmaster give A'ven a kiss. That earns a bemused grin from Th'ero, though he quickly hides that as well with a slight cough. Time to be serious and focus! "Got it." He says, loud enough to be heard as Velokraeth begins to shift his position, reading himself for flight. The weyrling pair are being pretty calm and reserved for such a big lesson, but perhaps they're just very good at hiding it all.
A'ven returns Lissi's kiss with a deepening of his smile. "Let's not die today.", he says with playful dark humor. "It's absolutely true that your first jump is the most dangerous. If you doubt your picture at all, don't jump, it's that simple." That's all he has to say about that, leaving the more complicated teaching to Lissi and her expertise. He does however start to run through his own pre-flight routine, for all his Turns of experience, he's a very careful flier. Straps, jacket, helmet, gear, even Glyith's hide gets a once over for dry patches. First time, every time, every flight, routine.
Lissi smiles and then she's giving Damasth a once over and preparing to mount. Once atop the green she looks almost regal, even as petite as she is and the green's wings unfurl then the pair take to the skies. «Up, everyone, up! Off we go!» It is not too long before the pair *POP* between and then the other green pair is lifting and shifting and *POP* off they go as well. This leaves the two bronze pairs to get settled, lift, and go!
Th'ero snorts from where he sits, lips moving a little as he repeats A'ven's little dark humored remark to himself. No, the weyrling does not plan to die today. Not for many, many Turns at least. There's one last smile, thankful in nature, given to the Weyrleader's last piece of advice and then Lissi is mounted and Th'ero's attention focused there. Both he and Velokraeth watch as Damasth take to the skies, disappearing moments later. By the time the green weyrling pairs have gone, the young bronze is visibly showing his restlessness by the twitch of his tail and wings. Finally, Th'ero gives the command and with a leap and a bound, their airborne, hovering for the time it takes for him to gather his confidence, visualize clearly and then they two have gone Between.
A'ven says to those who are still waiting, "Well, I'm pleased to see you all so eager. I don't blame you one bit, not one bit! Today marks the beginning of being able to go literally wherever your mind can take you." "Big day, huge…" He chuckles, "Some say it's the only real way to get away from H'zani's snoring in the barracks." He watches the rider turn pink and he winks back, "You and your snoring have become somewhat of a minor legend.", he says gently to the young rider. "I'm sure it's just stress."
A'ven mounts Glyith and with the crisp precision of wet clay, the riders under his temporary guidance manage to sort of get in formation before going between.
Lissi waves as each pair squeak through from between and Damasth bugles her congratulations then she begins to wend her way down to settled on the lagoon shores. She slides down from the green and waits, watching the skies. «Come young ones, come, bask in your success! You performed beautifully!»
Velokraeth doesn't need much encouragement to land and bask in his own success, as the bronze is practically beaming (if dragons could, that is) in pride as he answers Damasth's bugle with one of his own. Once he's over his initial shock, Th'ero lets out a bit of a 'whoop' like shout before catching himself. The bronze backwings to land heavily on the lagoon sands, wings ruffling a little before neatly folding to his sides and his oversize head swivels around so that one mismatched eye can watch his rider. "We did it!" Th'ero says, grinning from ear to ear. Usually quite reserved, the weyrling can't help but let his excitement and relief show through.
A'ven is all smiles as well, willing to forgive the slightly less than textbook formation and chalk it up to just nerves. Besides, they're alive, that's what counts most. "Well done! Well done indeed." "Now you have hours and hours of trying to memorize reference points ahead of you, won't that be a thrill?" He can't resist the little dig. Rider life isn't for the soft or faint of heart.
Lissi applauds and Damasth bugles again then the greenrider removes her helmet and addresses the weyrlings. "Alright. Now you know how it feels and how it works," then she nods to A'ven's comment. "Fer the next couple of days you will only between to places near the weyr that you know and you will always alert another rider that you are going and when you will return. During this time you will be learning destinations and as your last posted assignment indicates, you will need to choose a place to visit for your ambassador flights though you are not allowed to do so until Wednesday. As of Wednesday you are free to move about this region of Pern, then when tha weekend gets here you will have no limitations from me. Use your head. You have chores and duties here along with lessons, don't make me make rules. Along with your freedom comes responsibility. Understood?" she asks, then waits. "Questions?"
It's true, Velokraeth didn't quite come out of Between in formation, but at least they arrived in the air and not embedded in rock somewhere. Now that it's been done, Th'ero will no doubt become nitpicky over the finer details. A'ven's little dig doesn't go unnoticed by the weyrling, who promptly grimaces. "Oh yes, quite thrilling." He remarks sarcastically. But it's a necessary task, considering it means his life if he doesn't do it. So despite the remark, Th'ero will probably be one of the first weyrlings practicing memorizing as many reference points as possible. As Lissi wraps up the lesson with a final set of assignments, Th'ero nods his head in agreement with all, though a frown comes across his features at the mention of the ambassador flights. He's yet to pick an area, it would seem! For someone who's lived all his life on the Emerald Isles, to have sudden access to all of Pern - there are so many choices! "Understood!" he replies, before grinning. "And no questions."
A'ven comments, "I used to fly transport. I've got a lot of hours in the air even now — and I know a lot of the more obscure jumping points, if anyone cares to learn — in their 'off time.' a few of the more sneaky destinations…"
Did the Weyrleader just blush a little? Nah. Trick of the light, surely.
Th’ero side-glances to A’ven, tilting his head a little, as he seems to consider the Weyrleader’s offer. It’s quite tempting for this weyrling, it would seem and it’s not long before he’s giving a wan smile. “I wouldn’t mind. Couldn’t hurt to know some of the more obscure areas, right?” Of course not, since Th’ero would never use these obscure points to get into trouble. With the lesson now complete, Velokraeth rumbles and the silent comment shared between them has Th’ero chuckling. “Alright, alright. We’ll eat.” Another victory feast, it would seem, though sadly without alcohol. Blinking at the flirtatiousness from Lissi, Th’ero politely declines the offer, instead saluting both Weyrlingmaster and Weyrleader before having Velokraeth take off and back towards the bowls, leaving the two to relax in peace!