Bouncing Between

Half Moon Bay 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 maneuvers required for the rescue and protection work that the 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.


It is an important day in the life of the Weyrlings, a lesson.. though not just /any/ lesson, it involves betweening. This lesson itself holds a lot of worry and fret for both teacher and weyrling seeing how things could possibly go wrong. Sundari is back it seems, and giving lessons at that as she is here, and so is Irkevalath. The blue is settled in a crouch behind his rider, his straps on proving that yes he will indeed be here and doing the lesson at that. Sundari is waiting for the pair she is to go over the lesson with today to show up, two boxes rest at the ground next to her. The once seacrafter has her flight gear on, jacket open and goggles resting upon her head while gloves rest tucked into her jacket pocket. "Go on and call 'em Irk." The blue doesn't waste time in sending out a message to both Valigath and Czaiath, it is time to come for the lesson.

It's a rare day indeed that finds Valigath out -early- for a lesson - and this would be that day. It probably doesn't hurt that Aglaia's finally figured out how to leverage some measure of control over the giggling, outspoken dragon. She's clad in her leathers, her lifemate in straps, and the pair arrive in a timely fashion. As usual, Valigath's mind is a seething mass kept just behind some strange, mental door - and Aggie, for her part, looks grim and ready, if a bit more pale than usual.

D'nyl stuffs his arms into his flight jacket as he and Czaiath trundle out of the barracks, the bronze' flight straps already in place. It only takes the pair a moment to fall in, but D'nyl's eyes are on those boxes. If anything, he seems more curious about the boxes than the content of the lesson.

Sundari isn't sure how she was given the OK to actually teach Valigath another lesson, though here she is, in all honesty she seems a bit unsure on the matter given all the flack she took after the flight lesson sometime in the past. A soft breath escapes her and she looks up to Irkevalath, seeming to question the blue in this matter. Irk merely tilts his head, a soft rumble heard while he noses out at the back of his rider, there is no reason /why/ they can't do it. Onwards though it would seem as the pairs move on out to take in line. Sunny offers them both a smile and offers them both a nod. "Morning! I hope that you all have gotten some good rest, this lesson will take a lot out of you after all." There is a pause while she picks up the boxes and is moving on over to give one to Aglaia and then the other to D'nyl, whom will also get a wink. "First, go on and open these." Inside said boxes is a set of flight gear, all nice and shiny new and the jackets will match their dragons in a rather tasteful color. "Gifts from the Weyrling Staff." Sunny offers happly.

Goodness only knows how things fell the way they did - and it's probably best not to look a gift runnerbeast in the mouth! In either case, Valigath is prancing in place as she tends to do and that prancing only intensifies when the boxes are handed out. The shrill « Kweeheehee! » of her amusement echoes somewhere in the shared spaces of the collected draconic minds, only to grow into an awed « Oooh! So GLORIOUS! Magnificent! » when the gift of fresh, new flight gear is revealed. Aggie, for her part, cocks an eyebrow up at the hue of the jacket - tasteful as it might be, it's still a bit flashy for her and it shows on the shifting of her expression. "I- ah. Thanks, Sundari!" There's an awkward moment where she looks at the new stuff, then down at the old, before she settles on swapping one jacket for the other. "We're as well-rested as we can be," she adds for the sake of the lesson. She smiles, but that smile tilts a moment later. "Though I'm not sure if any amount of rest will really help."

D'nyl gives Czaiath's shoulder a thump, then, once it's opened, he just stares at the contents of the box, "I don'… why?" He strips off his old jacket and pulls on the new one, flexing carefully to let the stiff leather fall right, "It's amazing." Czaiath croons softly in his own acceptance of the gift. It takes D'nyl a moment to process the rest of the query, then he nods, "We slept well. … why?"

Sundari looks a bit amused while she glances to Aglaia. "The color isn't that bad is it?" She questions with an amused tone. "True.. I suppose sleep will only help so much for the lesson that is to come." There is a pause while she glances to D'nyl curiously. "You all have learned all you can; now it's time for you go go between for the first time. Good to have a good night's rest." Well she didn't get a good night's rest before she and Irk went after all. "First off, do you two have any questions?"

"I'm not- I mean, I'm glad for it, I just…" « She likes BORING colors, » is Valigath's declaration with a loud huff and a mental blast of ember-filled smoke. All the same, Aggie shifts jackets and folds the other one to put it into the box. Her brow furrows a little as she considers Sundari's explanation and the ensuing question is met with a singular shake of her head. No words for this part and, for once, even Valigath seems to have been silenced. Somewhat. The mental gears are still grinding away, of course, but the sound is muted. Thoughtful, even.

D'nyl's fingers fumble with the unfamiliar clasps of he flight gear, trying to get suited up and listen at the same time, "Tha' soun's… surprisin'ly final. Questions abou' wha' now?" Czaiath rumbles in his stomach, supremely confident of everything he and D'nyl will do together. Ever.

Sundari smiles to Aglaia and shakes her head a bit, looking amused still over the matter. "Its fine, don't have to wear it if you don't like." This said with a soft chuckle heard. "The one I got was pastel blue, I'm rather glad Irk felt the need to chew on it." She glances to D'nyl once more, there is a slight pause and she glances up to Irk a few moments. "It is final to some degree, and then not to another. You all are almost graduated, another few weeks and you're flew the coop so the speak." She offers with an amused tone at the idea with a soft smile seen. "Any questions you might have ask away, about anything I suppose." Open question time before the actually lesson.

It's too late! Aglaia's already wearing it, much to Valigath's tittering. The gold even puffs her chest out pridefully and struts a little before she settles down. "No, no. It's- don't worry." She dismisses the topic swiftly after that and cocks a look up to her inarguably worse half. Then it's back to Sundari with a grave expression and a single, shallow nod of acknowledgment. "To be honest, I don't have that many questions any more. Mother and Dad did a pretty fine job of beating a solid respect for *between* into my head. That and- well, everything else, like mating flights and actual flying and all." She'll not bring up the doomed flight lesson, but the wince definitely says she's thinking about it.

D'nyl looks up at Czaiath and there's an obvious moment of silent congress between the two before D'nyl snaps the last clasp in place of the brilliantly toned flight jacket and swings up to Czaiath's neck, "I have no questions."

Sundari won't talk about that flight lesson, though it is a lingering though in the back of her mind. Once the pair have no questions she nods an turns heading over to Irkevalath. "Then mount up. Irkevalath will relay the message. It will be one jump between and then one jump back to here." She pulls her gloves on before glancing back to the pair. "Were going to Eston, a fishing village. Only staying in the sky though." No wandering just yet! A glance is sent to D'nyl for a few moments before she pulls her goggles on. "Onwards then!" Is called out, Irkevalath leaps into the sky, wings carrying him upwards at a slow pace for him, but he is up there in the sky waiting for the pair to join him.

A quick salute is snapped off and Aglaia mounts up without another word. Once she's settled, it's up to Valigath to take to the skies with ruthless efficiency. Just a single, powerful hop and three strong beats of her wings and she's right up there, close on Irkevalath's tail. Her mind is open for whatever instruction is due to follow, but the bulk of conversation is kept behind a shuttered wall - meant for her and her rider's minds alone for the time being. Aggie does a few last minute adjustments on the wing, with the goggles going down absolutely last. Then the waiting begins.

Czaiath is two wingbeats behind the gold, D'nyl tugging his goggles into place against the harsh winds awing. Czaiath reaches out to Irk, transmitting his readiness more with feelings than words. D'nyl tries to shove his nervousness into a box and focus on the task at hand. He's not shaking, really.

In the air Irkevalath rests hovering in one spot, save for a few slow flaps of his wings to keep him there. His swirling gaze settles upon the pair once they are both at his level. « The image I give to you, share with your rider. Remember it, think of nothing else. When you have his image in your mind and are ready then think of being in that place and think of being nowhere else. » The blue lets this sink in for a few moments before he turns and heads higher into the sky. « Follow.. Count to three and then go. It will be three heartbeats between here and there, it will be cold very cold. Once there bugle a greeting out. » Sunny lets her fingers grip at the straps while the picture of Eston is given to both Valigath and Czaiath, everything is down to the letter, time of day, where they will appear above the fishing town. The town is place that is thought of mostly, fixtures that are there, that Sunny is very /sure/ is there as she checked the place out before this lesson and the key is a red building sitting upon the edge of the village, they will of course be in the sky so somewhere above this building is the key! With this given to the weyrlings Irkevalath waits to see if there is any question before he disappears between and is gone from the Weyr.

The image is snatched up and turned around - over and over again - in Valigath's mind until, at last, she fixes it right back the way it was supposed to be. The specifics of the place are practically seared in place - and, of coures, burned into Aggie's mind as well. So it goes, with the image bouncing between minds until, at last, it's offered back to Irk for inspection. Their skip *between* won't happen a moment before that permission is given - and, when it is, the weyrling pair will make the move - and hope they come out after three heartbeats have passed.

D'nyl absorbs the image, repeating it again and again like a prayer until he knows it every which way, only then is it shared with D'nyl, who fixes the image in his mind. It's shared back to Irk for approval, then repeated again before he follows the blue between.

Irkevalath will of course give any pointers he thinks might be needed, and then give the permission that Valigath is asking for. There is a soft assurance from the blue to both the gold and bronze to show that everything will be fine. Just as Irk said it is a full three heartbeats before he will appear above the fishing tone, and that red building is below him. Not wanting to be in the way he shifts off a good distance and both Irk and Sundari are turning this way and that to search out for the pairs that should be appearing at any moment..

The gold manifests right on cue, with a triumphant bellow at the very moment she spies that red structure. No words here, nor are any needed; her mind is an explosion of fire and satisfaction the likes of which are blistering to behold. It takes a bit of effort on Aggie's part to put a damper on that searing eruption - and, of course, the weyrling rider's nerves are already worn plenty thin from the stress of it all. She raises a hand to wave at Sundari when she's able to collect herself enough, though it's impossible to tell whether or not there's a smile there for her, too.

Czaiath bursts from between just behind Valigath in the same formation they entered. D'nyl's whoop doesn't carry on the upper winds, but it is obvious. His arm waves in the air. They made it! He's not dead (yet).

Sundari is waiting and counting the time to herself, there is worry slipping across her face none the less and her eyes close tightly. Please.. Is the only thing that runs through her mind. One call and then another as Irk spots the gold and then the bronze, and this is when Sunny will look up to the pair smiling warmly. Irkevalath bugles out his happiness at the pair while his wings flap a few times and he is heading up into the air to be a bit closer to the pair. « Good! You both did well! Everything alright, anything you wish to ask, now is the time! » You know before they head back home. This was not to be a long lesson, seeing how much stress it does cause after all.

« Kweeheehee! » Valigath's mental call carries well as she announces, « Of COURSE we did well! There were no- *HURK* » The mental equivalent of a gag is slapped on before the gold can continue - and gauging by the strained look on Aggie's face, it's taking quite a bit to keep that gag order in place until the moment passes. When it does - a mere minute later, even if it feels like forever - the rider releases and blows out a breath. Relayed through Valigath is: « SHE doesn't have any questions but I would like to be back in time to get a proper meal before the OTHERS get to squishiest beasts! »

« No questions here. » Czaiath's mind is bright with joy. D'nyl slaps the bronze hide as the young dragon settles into a spiral to keep his altitude until given his next instruction.

Irkevalath is clearly pleased, they both did well, HE did well, everyone did well! WELLWELL!! Sundari chuckles softly while she gives the blue a good pat. "Good job Irk." Is murmured to her dragon while her gaze is ever lingering upon Czaiath and D'nyl. Back.. in time?.. Oh boy! « No.. It is forbidden to go back in time. To go back in time is not permitted. Ones that have tired, have died horrible deaths.. HORRIBLE ones.. » The blue does not plan on going in detail mind you. « It is a rule, a common rule among all dragons, and riders to not go back in time. Not for any reason. » Irk is eyeing Valigath a few moments. « You understand Yes? »

Oh, confusion. Bewilderment is a cloud of smoke and ash that clears with a mental sweep of some unseen hand. « That is NOT what I meant, » Valigath intones with blistering curls of frustrated sulfur. « SHE says that I should have said RETURN to the Weyr in time for a meal. » This, of course, is met with mental eye-rolling; from Valigath's perspective, everything was clear enough the first time. « But I SUPPOSE I will just have to clarify so you don't go flying off the handle next time! » Aglaia… is absolutely facepalming at the moment.

Czaiath's bright mind flickers at both in a sort of mental sigh, « So… can we go back now? I'm bored hovering like this. » D'nyl sighs and rubs the bronze hide, "Relax, Czaiath. We're learnin', righ'?"

Irkevalath just eyes the gold for a few long moments, his head lowering a bit at the answers from her and he is left rather quiet. « To home we go.. Image of home, think it, know it, show me then go. » Sundari sighs softly and shakes her head before glancing off a touch. « I no fly off handle, merely teach Valigath. » Irk offers with a dejected sort of sound, a soft note picked up, a 'sad' note really that strings across his mind while he turns and heads up into the sky once more. The image is of the training yard, the weyr seen, time of day noted and then when Irk is sure there are no questions the blue disappears once more going *between* and will be heading homewards.

There's an agitated huff from Valigath, though she takes the image as it's offered and takes care to pull it apart before putting it together. « To even THINK that I would ASK about going from one time to another…! » She scoffs. « Those are the kinds of plans I WOULDN'T share! » Plans that, one hopes, don't actually exist! In either case, the gold returns the image as it's given, wholly intact and without a glimmer of time-tweakery in it. Once the approval's given, she'll make the hop *between* as before - sans triumphant bugling this time, but with an eye for the corrals as soon as they're dismissed.

D'nyl follows the others between, D'nyl breathing a sigh of relief as soon as they settle into a glide over the Weyr. Then, in a moment of sheer stupidity, a desire comes over him and he sketches another image from his memory and the pair disappears, again, between. Someone's gonna be in trouble.

Irkevalath does not comment on anything while he soars over the weyr once appearing once more over the skies. A soft bugle escaping him to greet the watcher dragons to let them know they have returned. The watcher dragons all offer up bugles of their own once each weyrling has returned. Sundari sighs softly. "Tell them to go take the rest of the day off." She murmurs to Irk, the comment is sent to Valigath and Czaiath and Irk is letting his wings stretch out as he seems to be turning to head out to sea.. Up until there is a missing bronze weyrling that sends an alarm through the Weyr. Irkevalath lets out a sharp creen across the skies.. "Dammit" Sunny hisses out while she looks to the skies.. What /now/.

Take a chill pill, Sunny. A few minutes later, Czaiath and his rider flit back from between, both looking a touch pale, and start for the corrals.


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