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Into the Air


Date:  October 12, 2008
Places:  Igen's Weyrling Training Field and Skyspace
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  Progress continues for the latest Mirage Weyrlings, who
have reached the point so many young riders look forward to--the time
to fly *with* their lifemates, and see Igen, and maybe themselves, from 
a different perspective.  

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The Log:

"What I can't imagine is why she didn't have wherhide pants already. Why
they all didn't," Kassi's telling A'deth, as the few Weyrlings approved for
this lesson begin to trickle in. "All that groundriding, didn't it chafe?
I'm horribly tempted t'go to the Infirmary and ask how many Weyrlings have
come in about sore thighs. 'Twould probably violate their privacy.
Probably." Once again Lysseth's being a support for her rider, though this
time it may be more simple comfort and the dragon's protectiveness than
strict need.

A'deth chuckles very softly; he leans on his cane beside her, and looks out
over the field. "I could, though they'd ascribe to me the most puerile of
motives, I'm sure."

H'sen walks out from the Weyrling Barracks.

Lekath walks out from the Weyrling Barracks.

T'nnusen files into the field with Dustenyth in tow, and raises an eyebrow
at the talk of chafed thighs. Speaking of puerile motives, "No chafing for
me while celibate," he comments at large, amused and already at least a
little less... silent than during the groundriding class.

H'sen arrives from the barracks with Lekath, the latter's hide with a sheen
of recently applied oil. There has been a lot of riding strap-building and
practice at groundriding since their initial lesson, and it semes that
Lekath has calmed down quite a bit. The bronze has probably visibly grown
some since then, too. H'sen salutes the riders as he takes his place among
the other weyrlings, giving a little wave to T'nnusen since he's nearby.

Kassima snorts, a quiet sound of amusement. "You're an Assistant
Weyrlingmaster. Their sore thighs are your business! Until the males start
flying, then we get t'never, ever think of such things again." A plus in
her book, and she's not apt to comment on T'nnusen's chafing of all
Weyrlings', but she repeats that low and entertained sound. "Saluting,
Weyrlings," she reminds them. H'sen does, and she returns it smartly.
"You'll enjoy today more if'n I don't have t'tell you to run a couple of
laps first. You all know what we're here for--" How could whispers of
flight, *flight* not pass through a Weyrling Barracks? "We'll give your
straps a lookover first. You won't fly if'n they aren't sharding nigh
perfect, but if'n they *are*... shall we, A'deth? 'Twill take that half
this time if'n you'll take that," indicating the small grouplet containing
H'sen first, that with T'nnusen second. There are only a couple of other
Weyrlings out here; it isn't a full-size class by a long shot.

A'deth salutes to them, too, cheerfully. His laughter is very soft, and he
steps toward the indicated group. "As you like, Weyrlingmaster Kassima." He
adds wryly to T'nnusen, "I'm told virtue builds character... undoubtedly
why mine's terrible. However, you can bludgeon the ignorant from atop your
moral high ground, after this."

Tannu's salute is perhaps overly-formal; overly-crisp, although it's not as
though running laps worries /him/ of all weyrlings, with his childhood. He
nods to H'sen and offers a faint little smile before turning to the
business of directing Dustenyth to crouch so that his straps can be
examined, and replying to A'deth in a distinctly wry tone, "Between this
and Candidacy, I'm sure," he comments, "not that anyone would believe it of
me, I'm equally sure." And he gives Dusty's straps a hearty pull by one of
the d-rings. "You're the one that taught me to stitch leather, if usually
the still-attached sort."

H'sen gives Lekath's straps a near-paranoid once-over. For certain, he has
spent an awful lot of time building and rebuilding them, comparing them to
the straps the grown dragons use and replacing anything that looks
questionable. Once again, he finds no flaw in them, so he has to have faith
that the Weyrlingmaster will find them acceptable. Before they are judged,
the weyrling gives the bronze a reassuring pat, as much needing that brief
contact with his lifemate as the dragon might.

"Celibacy does wonders for character. You pick up hobbies. Look at me, I
stab things," Kassima comments as wryly but in the same good humor as
before. She has no smile for H'sen, but something in the glance she flicks
him might be reassuring while she reaches to slide her fingers beneath the
main strap to check its fit. "If'n Lekath finds them comfortable...." Evil
Weyrlingmaster to pause like that! "...I judge 'em sufficient. Remember
t'oil the leather and keep it supple; desert air dries stuff out like nay
anyone's business."

A'deth looks at Dustenyth's straps quite critically, giving one a hard yank
for good measure and nodding with satisfaction when he finds them
acceptable. "Yes.... Same thing as what she said," he remarks. "I don't
have to tan /your/ hide for putting my teachings to shame." And he calls to
H'sen, too, "Good work, lad. I knew you'd get them right."

"Good thing, too, I'm not allowed to enjoy it right now." Tannu chirps,
relief obvious enough in his slightly-slumping shoulders that the straps
passed inspection. He glances H'sen's way with a radiant smile at the other
boy passing inspection, too, and gives Dusty's shoulder a pat as well.
That's two so far!

H'sen can't help but hear Kassima's comment about having a hobby of
stabbing things. He doesn't know much how to take it, so he feels a nervous
but tries to ignore it. "Lekath says they feel fine. Better than the
hand-me-downs we started out using. We will keep them oiled, yes'm. I mean,
yes, Weyrlingmaster." Lekath does seem to enjoy wearing the straps, as they
are a signal to him that it's time to get down to business. "Thank you,
sir," he calls to A'deth. "We worked hard on them." Well, H'sen did most of
the work, but Lekath had to be patient with all of the fiddling. He grins
and nods to Tannu--one more step completed puts them one more step closer.

Kassima repeats the inspection process for the other Weyrling in her
sub-group, M'dras with his Ubevanth, and this time the brown pair passes
muster, so when Kassi returns to stand by Lysseth again she looks rather
satisfied. "Here's what we'll do. Mount up and form a straight line, once
again largest t'smallest: Lysseth, Jaelith, Lekath, Ubevanth, Dustenyth,
Soledyth. We'll all go into the air together and do a slow circle around
the Bowl for starters. Any problems, *any*, you let us know! They've flown
a'fore and you've been on their necks a'fore, probably 'twill be more treat
than challenge for you, but at this age you never, ever let excitement make
you ignore a bad feeling from your lifemate. Or yourselves. Understood?"

A'deth, inspection done, moves to Jaelith's side and clambers up; she being
just a metre smaller than Lysseth, she takes her position to one side of
the other green.

"Understood," T'nnusen confirms, and then -- with less fuss than during the
last lesson -- he moves to climb up Dustenyth's straps.

T'nnusen mounts Dustenyth.

A'deth clambers up onto Jaelith's neckridges with the assistance of the
green dragon's riding-straps.

You place one hand on Lysseth's neck and she warbles down at you fondly.
You grin and scratch her eyeridges once before climbing up onto her lower
neckridges, using the riding straps and Lysseth's thoughtfully offered
foreleg.

<*> H'sen falls into a broad grin, this time his own excitement at being
able to join Lekath in flight much greater than the dragon's. Lekath is
alert and serious--it's his "responsible" mindset, where he is more
concerned with taking care of his rider than speeding off and having an
adventure. H'sen feels a little flutter of nervousness but then silently
scolds himself for feeling that distraction. As the Weyrlingmaster said,
it's more important to be aware of his lifemate is feeling than his own
giddiness. "Here we go, Lekath," he says, then reaches for the bronze's
straps to pull himself up.

<*> H'sen climbs up Lekath's forelimb to reach the riding straps,
scrambling to the bronze dragon's neckridges with a helpful nudge.

Kassima buckles her straps. She's done this so many times she doesn't have
to think about it; the Weyrlings might be able to say the same, after so
many classes in riding on the ground. It's never been this important
before, though. Kassima twists about on Lysseth's neck to watch each pair
attach theirs, although Soledyth at the end of the line is far enough off
to make her squint. "All right. Now I raise m'arm," and she suits action to
word. "When I bring it down, that's the signal for takeoff. Make sure now
your airspace is clear! Naught too close in front of you, behind, to the
side, above. *Always* check. And when you're ready...." Another pause, one
that Kassi spends flashing a smile to A'deth. This is one of the fun parts
of Weyrlinghood. She faces forward again and drops her arm in the signal to
fly.

<*> Lysseth spreads her wings to their full extent, bringing them down with
a rush of wind as she leaps nimbly into the air.

You wing cautiously up into the Bowl.

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "hey, Igen!"

IGEN-> H'sen says, "Hey Ch'ton :)"

IGEN-> Kassima waffles, hey Ch'ton. :)

IGEN-> Kassima says, "And: Mirage Wing rules the Weyr. ;)"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "How goes? Sorry I had to bail on you guys."

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Goes well! We're doing the class tonight after all,
first mounted flight; come out and join us if you like. :)"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "What time?"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Now. ;)"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Oh. Alright. I dunno how long I'll be on, but I'll
come! :3"

<*> Jaelith rises up from the training field.

<*> Dustenyth rises up from the training field.

<*> Lekath rises up from the training field.

<*> Mobeth rises up from the training field.

<*> Lysseth's long wings churn up dust and traces of sand with each
beat--it doesn't matter. She rises upwards until they're beyond grit,
beyond all earthly things, beyond earth itself if only by a few meters, and
the air whispers secrets across her stretched sails. This is her element as
it is theirs--they're dragons. And they *fly*. Her voice rings out in a
clear, singing trumpet, welcoming the Weyrling pairs to this place they
were born to be.

<*> Jaelith vaults into the air when the signal is given, as sprightly as
ever despite her many Turns. The bowl recedes sharply beneath them --
beneath all of the riders as they soar upward as well as they might -- and
red rock walls bracket them from all sides. The blue of the sky is still
far above them, but it's now much closer than it's ever been.

<*> Dustenyth fans his stained-glass wings out while waiting, and then
launches up at the cue, T'nnusen bracing for it so as to not squeak
embarrassingly like he did for his first time on a jumping dragon... how
long ago? And then there's the surging, because going /up/ is no simple
glide, and the burn of strengthened muscles finally being put to their
proper use in the climb and then maintenance of that level, roughly about
the same as those around him.

<*> Mobeth looks up at the signal and cruches, then springs, his body
moving in a powerful, fluid motion as his wings catch the air and lifts him
and his rider higher into the atmosphere. Ch'ton, luckily not afraid of
heights, too, looks down, eyes wide with wonder.

<*> Lekath crouches, grounding himself firmly, then pushes up into the sky.
His wings extend, and he begins to push himself higher and higher,
following the others in formation. H'sen grips the riding straps and leans
close to the bronze's neck. Although he is securely strapped in, it is
still somewhat dizzying to look down to the ground beneath them. Would it
be unprofessional to yell? Probably, but H'sen's excitement gets the better
of him. "Woo!" he yells, enjoying the feeling of the air around them and
the dragon beneath him.

<*> If it's unprofessional, Kassi's unprofessional too! "Woo!" the
Weyrlingmaster echoes at the top of her lungs, laughing, as Lysseth tilts
her wings very gradually to follow the curve of Igen's great walls. "Very
good, Weyrlings! Beautiful!" The green beneath her leads a slow circling
indeed, and from here all can see Igen cupped within the rock of the dead
volcano like a jewel. The watchdragon, as they pass him, bugles a greeting
of his own.

<*> Mobeth  Ch'ton giggles giddily, his hair pulled back from his face by
the wind. Mobeth returns the greeting with a bugle of his own, though a
more squeaky, adolecent one. He tilts, too, following the lead of Lysseth.

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Sorry, but my signifigant other has to sleep, and she
cant' with my key-tapping. If I need to make this class up, that's fine.
Just let me know. See you guys later!"

<*> Lekath follows, his wings moving with smooth confidence, flying seeming
like the most natural thing in the world to him, and likely it is. H'sen
leans to the side, trying to get a better view of the Weyr in its distant
perfection. As much as he liked trotting around the Bowl with Lekath on
foot, it was no where near as cool as this. The bronze bugles a return
greeting to the watchdragon. His voice is gradually growing deeper and more
mature.

<*> Dustenyth glides along with, trailing along in his place between the
brown and green weyrlings who passed inspection. Tannu doesn't yell, or
laugh, too busy looking down at the familiar scenery from an unfamiliar
setting, and then around behind him at the dragon's wings in action; his
trailing tail; the blond is still what he is, after all, a fast-advancing
Dragonhealer before his knot changed to all white.

<*> A long, slow circle... but all circles meet their end at their
beginning. Lysseth tips herself forward, canting wings now to slow further
for landing. It's almost redundant but Kassima nevertheless repeats the
arm-raise-arm-fall gesture: now a signal for all to descend.

You glide over to land in the training field.

<*> Lekath backwings to land neatly.

<*> Dustenyth backwings to land neatly.

<*> Jaelith backwings to land neatly.

You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles,
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.

H'sen unbuckles from Lekath's riding straps and swings down to the ground.

A'deth takes hold of Jaelith's riding straps and slithers down her side to
the ground.

T'nnusen slides down Dustenyth's side to the ground.

Kassima unfastens her straps, slides down from Lysseth's neck and reaches a
hand automatically to stroke Lyss's chin. The green curves her neck to
allow this; it has the earmarks of a characteristic gesture between them.
"*Very* good," Kassi tells the class. Her expression and her voice both
show her to be pleased. "That was flight with your lifemate. What did you
think of it?" A quick, laughing glance to A'deth includes him in the question.

Jaelith folds her wings and settles down with much dignity; A'deth
straightens his coat, and dusts off each sleeve, and then retrieves his
cane. "They did very well," he states quite simply, his smile faint but
approving.

Lekath follows the others down, backwinging to land surprisingly lightly...
well, as lightly as a dragon his size can, young or not. H'sen unbuckles
himself from the riding straps and makes his way down, with somewhat less
elegance than Lekath's landing. He definitely needs more practice.
"Amazing!" H'sen answers. "Can we practice unsupervised? When can we do it
again?"

Dustenyth's landing is much better than it had been back at the start of
this, if still not quite so graceful as it undoubtedly will be later on.
When they're both back on the ground again, T'nnusen unbuckles and climbs
down, going to check over the black-blue's limbs and talons. "A lot
different than on someone else's dragon," he says, since it seems an answer
is required, though he nods at H'sen's questions as well, seconding them.
Someone who knows him very well would note the glimmer in his eye and the
way he moves with an almost-bounce to his step as he checks Dusty over, but
otherwise...

Kassima grins broadly at her Assistant. In answer to H'sen, she laughs.
"Nay unsupervised yet," she says. "Eventually, but nay yet. After a
sevenday or two. You'll do it again tomorrow. And the next day, and the
next... once you learn a thing you never get t'stop practicing it, when
you're a rider." She nods in approval of T'nnusen's actions and reminds the
others, "Check your lifemates' wings and muscles now even though the flight
was brief. Then--if'n you're of a mind, I've an idea for something you can
do t'practice, though nay flight yet, that actually doesn't involve
formations. Be still m'beating heart."

Following Kassima's instructions, H'sen checks over Lekath's talons, feet,
legs, and wings, running his hands lightly over them and checking in
silently with the dragon to make sure he is all right. "Lekath is fine. He
says he could go a lot farther without getting tired." Of course. Patience
is not the bronze dragon's strong suit, but he is improving as he is
getting older. "What other thing do you have for us to practice?" H'sen
asks this with some wariness, not sure if they're in for something awkward
and annoying or actually fun.

Tannu pats Dusty's shoulder as he finishes his own inspection, and then
turns to eye the Weyrlingmaster as various others around him chime in on
taking the bait. He's listening...

"Mayhaps you've played tag?" Kassima asks. "Or capture the flag? You can do
both of those a-dragonback--on the ground anyway, for the flag game. Run,
chase each other and work on your finesse of movement. Even the biggest
dragons need some. 'Twill be another workout for those thigh muscles t'move
with your lifemate through a weaving run." M'dras rubs his leg in
not-entirely-happy anticipation. "Supervised at first, a'course... and when
you're ready, we'll show you how dragons play tag in the air--sometimes we
might just play in place of a drill."

"Overflying now," A'deth states quietly, "Results in strained wings later,
and then you'll be grounded for a lot longer. I know it seems like we'll
take too long for a good proper flight, but be patient... you'll be flying
about everywhere soon enough."

H'sen considers these games that Kassima suggests. "Capture the flag sounds
interesting. I've never played it before, but hopefully someone on our
group has." He looks over at Tannu, who seems to be well-versed in many
interesting games like that. He gives Lekath a reassuring pat. "See how
quickly everything is moving now? I know you want to do everything all at
once, but there's enough interesting things that we're allowed to do that
it isn't so bad just to concentrate on those.

Tannu just shrugs back at H'sen, and shakes his head slightly. "Not I," he
adds in case that isn't obvious at that reaction. Dustenyth rumbles at
that, and T'nnusen smiles as though at a comment the growing blue made.
"I'm pretty sure it's similar to 'Chase Jaelith'," he says to the dragon,
"Only instead of trying to pounce her tail, you'd be trying to steal
something." And the dragon's eyes whirl a faster green at that prospect.

Kassima shakes her head with regret. "You've missed out. Lyss and I can try
and demonstrate it another day, since this one should have less running
around 'til exhausted, more soaking in the springs and congratulating
yourselves on flights well made. I know you're going t'take A'deth's words
into account, and nay overstrain, nor neglect your lifemates' health now."
It's almost a tease, because she does know that. The reminder is more for
show. "Do any of you have questions or aught you'd like t'say?"

H'sen shakes his head. "No questions here. Just looking forward to our next
flight." He is also looking forward to a soak in the hot tub, his own
muscles feeling more sore from the last run around the Bowl than Lekath's
right now.

Jaelith flicks her tail very slightly, though she doesn't stop looking
coolly dignified. Hrmph.

"None here either," adds T'nnusen after a few of the other weyrlings chime in.

Lysseth keeps hers quite still. No chasing, no. Kassi slaps the green's
shoulder in unspoken affection, then, "In that case, class dismissed. Go
reward yourselves with hot water. You all earned it today."

And Dustenyth eyes that flicking tail, but T'nnusen just chuckles softly
and points towards the northern lake shore, and the blue ambles that way
instead, Tannu in his wake.