Kila
Sr. Weyrleader
kilact[M:217]
Let's move to a cloud so we're never under the weather
Posts: 1,574
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Post by Kila on Sept 14, 2011 13:39:53 GMT -5
The Weyrleader stood in full riding gear in the middle of the ‘Bowl next to his great Bronze, who looked quite somber, and with his dainty Orange firelizard sitting importantly on his shoulder. The other, his Black, slunk around somewhere or other, watching for potential disaster. Though his hands rested on his hips and his seemingly ever-present cheer was tuned down to a murmur, O’sho looked far from unfriendly or unapproachable. In fact, he was waiting for people to appear and come up to him. A few other Riders and their bondeds were already geared up and out in the cold with him, but they, the volunteers, had come early to prepare for the exercise he planned to conduct.
It was time to get serious. Past time, really. Thread would fall soon, and after a long pass the dragons and their lifemates were again to be called to their purpose. No one in Dalibor, or on Pern for that matter, had seen Thread; no one knew how to fight it. They had lore, of course, and instructions passed down from their elders, but they also had instinct, on which O’sho knew that would have to rely. But there is also practice, he had said to Daidoroth some time ago, before he had announced the drills. Many of the Riders had been out flying and preparing themselves the best that they could on their own. Of these among his numbers O’sho was very proud. They would be better off than the others when they took to the skies, but it was his duty to protect all his fighters. Protection through preparation; Daidoroth rumbled, nodding his head in tune with his Rider’s thoughts. The Bronze himself was in excellent shape, despite his age. Daidoroth had not only Thread to motivate him to move his wings, but a fatally fast and clever Queen that he lived to chase and catch.
”Sol, how’s it going over there? Do you have everything you need?” he called over to a cheerful Cyan Rider. She looked up at him with an armful of ropes and flashed a smile in lieu of a thumbs-up. ”Yes, sir!” she replied. ”And a good thing, too. I think these are keeping me as warm as my riding jacket- brrr!” O’sho grinned and let her be, knowing that his makeshift threadfall was well-managed. Several others would help her with the task, but she had readily agreed to head the effort.
Again, he waited; patient as always. He had asked that everyone attend the exercise. The young Weyrlings who had just impressed from Couinith’s clutch were expected to watch from sidelines, since it would help them to learn and there would be little else for them to. Healers too were to stand by, though more as a precaution than as a vital part of the proceedings. You never know when someone is going to up and fall off his dragon. The drudges would be there as well, ready to assist. The Wherhandlers were excused since it was the middle of the day, but O’sho suspected that a few might surface out of curiosity.
I do hope they’re on time; Daidoroth grumbled, taking the whole thing very seriously. Lighten up, old chap, O’sho said, but the matter wasn’t a light one at all.
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Lan
Weyrlingmaster
lanct[M:-1025]
Nomming ALL the kidpets!
Posts: 1,266
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Post by Lan on Sept 15, 2011 16:46:40 GMT -5
It's time, Poseith noted as F'ton did some last-minute preparations before they departed for the Threadfall Drill. It was frightening, really. First, he had been placed in the Senior Weyrleader's wing. It was intimidating working directly under the man that was the military leader of the whole Weyr... especially when riding a dragon of a comparable size. Poseith didn't quite see eye-to-eye in this matter, though. The iron thought it was an honor and a privilege to serve alongside the older bronzerider. F'ton felt the same, but it was just never something he could have ever aspired to over two turns ago. It felt weird. Really weird. And now, on the second account, they were practicing to fight Thread. Thread was so close now. It would fall with the new turn. Soon they would rise up and fight a menace that had no mind or strategy. It all seemed so haphazard. How would they even know what it looked like? How would it fall?
Arriving early, the iron pair came to a landing a little ways from O'sho and Daidoroth. F'ton smiled and nodded toward the Weyrleader, checking his riding straps for the umpti-billionth time. Echelon had been excused for the sake of the drill. Poseith, too, dipped his head toward the older bronze. Part of him told him that this bronze was, from a practical standpoint, his father, but there was no warm fuzzy feeling he received from it. There was only respect. Daidoroth was a mature and strong dragon, worthy of his respect. Together they would rise to meet Thread and strike it down like their ancestor's before them.
Malin and pink Piroeth showed up moments later, much in fashion as they liked to do. Piroeth flew circles before finally touching down with the rest of her wing. Jazard, in turn, flew circles around his human's head and came to rest on her shoulder. He wanted to fight thread too! It sounded like fun! While the trio were there and on-time, it was all still just practice to them... not a one of them thought about how dangerous Thread might be in the future. They just knew that they'd survive it together. The three friends against the whole of Pern. Thread was just another adventure to be had. Piroeth nodded to Daidoroth to show that she was ready and present.
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Post by purnip on Sept 15, 2011 20:52:47 GMT -5
Even those who tended to shirk their drilling exercises were keen to show up in these final days of peace and quiet. Rhysia sat upon Raeterith's back, yawning and gazing dreamily at the big blue sky. It was such a pity that a cool day like this one couldn't have been spent chasing snowfall in the east. But she had a promise to keep. A promise to the weyr that gave her the opportunity to meet her dragon, make new friends, and accepted her despite her condition.
Lebeth strode to the Green's side with L'am upon his back. The Bronzerider gave his old friend a small salute, but Rhysia pretended not to notice. They weren't on bad terms anymore, but the girl wasn't ready to extend the olive branch back his way. She felt kind of sorry for him, actually. Maybe even proud. He was finally getting that responsibility thing down now that he was possibly a father. Who would have thought it too? Rhysia didn't pin the young maverick for a dad. But these days anyone could have a kid. Even her. She just got lucky so far that she never did get pregnant. Or maybe she never stayed that way for long. Supposedly the cold of between could kill an unborn child.
In another row, Demeth was joining Poseith's side, though she didn't pay a hint of regard or attention to the Iron. It was Pananarie who guided her there. Pan was waving up at F'ton in a calm, friendly manner. He was one of the very few guys on the entire planet she sort of, kind of didn't hate. He was Artemis's daddy, after all; she never forgot that. Though they were still, yet barely Weyrlings, they would be flying Thread alongside their older bretheren. Pan just hoped all that firestone chewing wouldn't make Demeth completely infertile. She would love to see her dragon have just one ickle hatchling someday. Then they could watch him or her grow up like Arty! The poor tabby. Artemis was roaming the halls of Dalibor instead of joining everyone out here. All these dragons would surely scare the fur off his back!
D'ix and Ressouth kept a bit of a distance from everyone, listening without paying much attention. While the rider couldn't care less about these drills, Ressouth understood how important it was to fight Thread efficiently. She also understood the importance of being way better at it than everyone else.
B'wie wouldn't have attended at all if Sjanseth didn't drag him there. The Whiterider wasn't keen on spending a second away from his various investigations. Luckily, his dragon had a greater sense of responsibility. At least today he did.
E'rael and Harkenth were present, though Hark's rider was barely sober. He got to drinking earlier that day, and the two were...well...at least it's safe to say that Harkenth will be doing just fine in today's drill. E'rael might excuse himself shortly into it in order to puke in a bush somewhere.
Kos'ei and Math were at ready, as serious as heart attacks. While the Black seemed to be doing everything in his power to ignore those around him, the man seated upon his back gazed at his fellow dragonriders with cold, calculating eyes. He knew almost exactly what the next few months were going to be like, and he simply needed the Thread to start falling in order for his speculations to take shape into concrete plans. Kos'ei was not fond of working with chaos. He preferred to work under it.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Sept 17, 2011 16:39:21 GMT -5
Lexony was playing a drudge's role in the day's events, as was only appropriate. Direct observation, like the two classes of Weyrlings were enjoying, was not of any use to unImpressed Candidates. But he got the peripheral spectacle as he ran across the Bowl carrying, of all things, a water bucket. This was more of a side-task to his main chore, assigned at the last moment by a stranger of rank. That was how drudges lived: mastered by anyone with a slightly complex shoulder-knot.
He had to keep his eyes on the water, lest he spill out too much before he reached his goal in the eastern healer camp. But it was hard not to look up, immense shadows criss-crossing his tiny presence as he raced along the Bowl floor. It was one of those tantalized glances that led him to spot the Pink coming down right in front of him, and he skidded to a halt on the cold, lightly iced rock. He started raising his head to spot the dragon's eyes, then caught himself and bent at the waist in an apologetic bow before he scurried around the adult dragon and headed on.
A minute later he was sent back empty-handed, traveling in the infirmary's general direction as his brown eyes flicked between the frosted earth and the dragons clustered over it. He had gotten a basic grasp on their landing pattern, and how their flocks-- a weird word when dragons were concerned, but the best he could come up with --formed. None of the beasts sank into his route a second time. He jogged in-between the fighter rings and the giant Bronze resting in the center. There was a simmering quality to the air that he could not attach any physical sense to. One dragon by himself was grand and impressive, but Lexony did not have a term for what a congregation like this spurned in his heart.
---
Even O'sho looked insignificant from the height at which Q'sis and Unath left their weyr. Even Daidoroth. Both Q'sis and Unath looked over the metal dragon king, but only Q'sis studied him. Unath was simply pointing her eyes where her rider directed, and did not descend from her orbit while Q'sis' mind was elsewhere. The queens were old news, but for some reason the Weyrleader's Bronze had evaded his scrutiny till now. There were no immediate indications of brattiness or violence, which Q'sis had to take as strong positive traits in the virtue-starved land of Dalibor. He switched his searching gaze to the task of finding his fellow Tideturners. They had not all shown their faces in the Bowl.
Get out here you useless sacks of wherry fat! he barked through Unath, pressing the point onto the brain of each Tideturner clutchmate-- skipping the Weyrlingmasters' dragons, naturally. Even the ones already landed got to enjoy the message, as Q'sis had figured out long ago that the physical position of the dragon made little difference in how he had to direct Unath's voice to have an effect. Girls, stop doing your hair, you look fine. Your dragons are needed. Unath shook her head as the ventriloquy ended, rumbling beneath him. Q'sis searched the mind closer to his than any other, but found nothing. He ordered her down.
Unath managed to tighten her spin over the last few dragonlengths so that when she cupped her wings she ended up twirling down onto her appointed landing spot like a large brown leaf. The Tan herself sounded quite in awe of the maneuver, producing a soft, prolonged ooo in her throat till she thunked down on all fours. Q'sis lifted his goggles and rubbed his eyes.
"What was that?"
I have no idea, Unath snorted, then burst into a very private fit of giggling. Q'sis' lips twitched, he grinned, then he flipped the goggles back down. He cleared his throat and adjusted the expression-hiding cloth mask of his riding gear.
"Unath," he said once, and the dragon stopped laughing. She clicked her fangs together impatiently, looking around with active, self-propelled swings of her head, wings poised to take off again till Q'sis forced her to fold them.
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Sakoru
Drudge
THE FEARSOME FIERY BEAST
Posts: 11
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Post by Sakoru on Sept 17, 2011 17:20:03 GMT -5
Never one to miss an important happening -- okay, he was if it suited his purposes -- Xiro'el found himself standing on the ledge of his weyr, peering down into the Bowl curiously. He loved his new quarters, at least as much as he could ever love anything that was made of rock. For one thing, he was good and high in the air, and for another, this space was his. All his! Not that he ever spent enough time in it to make it feel like home.
Hey, Tigs. Something interesting is going on in the Bowl -- I don't know what yet. Care to take a look? The trader turned towards his cyan, who was sprawled on the floor in playful rejection of her couch. Somehow he suspected that she had just gotten lazy and opted to flop where she stood instead of walking the three draconic steps that would have arrived her at her bed. Now, however, the dragon perked up and scrambled to her feet, bounding out of the weyr to skid to a halt on the ledge next to Hers.
I see the Weyrleader! Ooh, it really must be important! Let's go see, Mine! Maybe it's dangerous! Maybe we'll die! [/color] Thrilled at the prospect of this, Tigreath flung up her head and whipped around to pull her riding straps off the hook on the wall, swinging them around in her jaws before dropping them in an unceremonious heap before Hers. Go, go, go, Mine! As fast as you can! I wanna see what's going on already!By now Xiro was convinced that Tigreath was as interested in potential trouble as he was, and possibly more so. Unfazed by her rough treatment of the straps (it was hardly an unusual occurence with this dragon), the cyanrider slung them over his bonded's neck and quickly rigged everything up. He'd learned to be fast, because if he wasn't, Tigs was liable to start fidgeting and utterly ruin his work. Good thing he knew how to do it right. All right. Up and away, Tigs! Braced against the harness, Xiro crouched down low for the bumpy takeoff, and then straightened to let the wind at his face when Tigreath banked to spiral down into the Bowl. This was approximately when the cyan gave a startled chirp and slowed, glancing back at Hers. Unath says I'm a useless sack of wherry fat. I didn't know she knew how to insult people.That's because she doesn't. Go on down and land next to her, Tigs, Xiro'el urged, and his dragon did as commanded, managing to not quite jar her rider right off her back. The weyrling turned and grinned up at Q'sis -- way up, now that the tanrider was seated on a dragon half again as big as his own. "Wherry fat? You were once a trader, man. Be more creative than that." He paused a moment, and then the grin widened and the green eyes glittered with cheerful wickedness. "If you've figured out a way to see into the girls' weyrs without being in 'em, do share your trick."[/center][/size]
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Post by matsi on Sept 17, 2011 17:35:40 GMT -5
S’id had been waiting for the word. It was time for the hardest training. Well, maybe not the hardest, but the most important. No reason to get overly excited, Mine. Just stand tall and remember our place. We will help when needed, and do our best when time. You do know this is your clutch father, right? That is addressing us? Yes. I have done all that he told me a turn or two ago. If he is not proud by our normal actions. Then we will not waste our time. We will shine when it is our time, S’id. Now get on and lets go, S’id sighed and pat Yang real quick before heading over to his finally full grown, but still small, brown. The flitter crooned from his nest of bed furs, but only watched as His and Big left.
S’id rode with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths and clearing his mind. He was getting excited for nothing. He had to calm himself. Apoth gently was helping, allowing his smooth, sweet mind flood into His, allowing images of the drifting land and cloud’s to fill S’id’s mind.
Apoth flew just over one of the older weyrlings, and crooned to the small black. Watch us, watch the graduated, and learn, my black friend, Apoth crooned to Wujith. The black blinked up at him. Did tan clutch sister graduate? The black’s mind pushed into Apoth’s.
S’id finally opened his eyes again when Apoth’s mind prodded at his. Apoth was slightly annoyed, but still calm and relaxed. What? A weyrling was bossing her clutch siblings to come watch. So? They should. Let her. It isn’t her place yet, Mine. If they do not come, then let them be punished. That is how we learned. That is how most others have learned. It brings out the better of us, S’id shook his head and chuckled as the bowl broke under them. Apoth let out a humming greeting to the Bronze and all the others. Lightly, he tilted his wings and drifted down slowly, then landed without much of a sound. Very nice, Apoth, S’id patted the brown’s shoulder’s, removed his goggles, then slid from the dragon’s back.
S’id stood tall, after cracking his back, and intent. His greenish eyes scanned the group, taking note of who he recognized, and who he didn’t. Well, almost everyone he had seen at least a few times, though he didn’t know many names. Apoth was busy watching the black Weyrling he had spoken to, and his injured rider, wander in, then his eyes shifted to a pink rider and his new itty bitty baby pink. Apoth crooned softly. Babys were so cute in his mind. He reached out to the pink, wanting to know her name and who Hers was, then after getting an answer, told His. The new pink from Couineth’s clutch. Arboth, and Hers is Sh’ale. Thank you, Apoth, S’id looked at the pair, putting face with name, then looked back to the Weyr Leader.
Apoth looked around again, and spotted the tan that the black told him about. Please, remember your place. It is best for them to learn from mistakes, young tan, He crooned to her softly, adding a polite tone to his voice, then shifted his attention to more of the approaching riders and dragons. Green Foranith and hers arrived, and then Ayarth and His. Apoth had been doing good at remembering names! Koketeth the green he spotted coming in, but lost her in the mass of others.
Greetings, Lanith! He crooned out as a blue that he had just met approached. The blue landed close to him and let his dismount before speaking back to the younger brown. Apoth. Embracing the freedom still? The blue gurgled with dragonic laughter. We are settling into our role as new riders. No longer weyrlings, and no longer drunk with freedom, The blue hummed in response to the brown, and looked at His.
H’to was standing, leaning against Lanith, watching the bronze rider. A lot was on the blue rider’s mind, and it was clear that he wasn’t all there.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Sept 18, 2011 19:14:25 GMT -5
"I'm a mere dragonrider now," Q'sis answered his familiar nemesis, looking not to Xiro'el but to the drudges swarming against Unath's sides. "And why waste creativity on the indolent?" He dropped the Tan's leg to give the drudges a way up, then snatched the firestone bags they offered and lashed them to the neckstraps ahead of him. The drudges passed things up via a sluggish convoy, leaving the strong man's outstretched hand bereft for several seconds between bags. He made a face at his dragonless assistants, flicking his fingers toward his palm, gesturing for them to hurry.
Unath was tilting her head about, trying to look behind her without violating Q'sis' restrictions on her movement. It was during this dance of surveillance that she noticed Tigreath beside her and tensed, then reached over and planted her chin on the Cyan's eyeridge.
Hello! Unath chirped, and Q'sis corrected her greeting gesture: withdrawing her chin, she instead leaned the side of her face up against the Cyan's, angling both their eyeridges together and rubbing slightly. Startled by the sensation herself, the Tan cooed. Q'sis turned his goggled face toward Xiro in one of the lulls between bag receipts.
"Such a comment would almost lead me to believe you are interested in women now," he offered.
Hello hello hello.
"But if so, I'd warn you off the ones we ride with. There's plenty of willing Weyrfolk-- after you graduate." Q'sis seemed to have taken a moment to catch up on his own proposal and who he was talking to, for his sentiment came out light but he frowned as he considered Xiro'el after the fact. Unath grabbed one of the smaller dragon's headknobs in her mouth, holding but not biting.
Hello, she concluded very firmly, then bent to the business of nibbling at Tigreath's neckridges the way one wherry might groom the stubby spine-feathers of another. She stayed far from Xiro'el and the firestone bags that were being loaded. Mid-groom she stuck her short snout up with a squawk as Apoth's voice touched her. Her tail wagged at the friendly tone, but she ended up looking around in bewilderment before cheeping back a short Hi in the Brown's general direction and resuming her work on Tigreath.
Q'sis glanced to Apoth as he hooked on another bag. When Unath judged herself finished with the Cyan-- by obscure criteria known only to the spotted subqueen --she bobbed her head, unfurling a couple wingspars. She had turned restless under the added weight of the firestone, and the drudges were scampering away from her like fleas from fire. Unath noticed a similar exodus occurring from around Tigreath, but saw that Xiro'el remained. She stared at him, eyes whirling in slow blue confusion, and murmled at the Cyan that bore him to notify her that he was still there.
"I see the Weyrlingmasters. Let's get aloft with them and the others," Q'sis commanded the other trader blandly before fastening his riding gear shut over his face. This slick new attire, courtesy of the Gather, had been tailored to him and sealed every last gust away from his skin. "Keep her out of the fire, Xiro'el," he added before a mental kick prompted Unath back into the air, circling around to a join the other firestone-loaded Tideturners. They would be practicing their caravanning, though their own First Fall would come later when they could Between. Q'sis anticipated no difficulties in the area of getting supplies from one place to another uneventfully.
Unath grunted and growled under the added weight, but the bags had at least been arranged so that neither side was unbalanced in its share of stone. Once she was locked into a hover beside her fellow Senior Weyrlings, she peeped about for Tigreath again, and upon spotting her wiggled those massive wings.
Danger, she finally observed after nearly nine months of interaction with her clutchmate.
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Sakoru
Drudge
THE FEARSOME FIERY BEAST
Posts: 11
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Post by Sakoru on Sept 18, 2011 20:23:07 GMT -5
"And merely boring as well," Xiro'el commented cheerily, turning his own attention to the drudges attempting to scale Tigreath's outstretched leg in an effort to hoist up firestone sacks. The cyan did not appreciate it, and she hissed at them, retracting her limb before her rider made a suggestion and she plucked the sacks from the extended hands so that she could twist her supple neck about and give them to her rider. "Why not? All the people who aren't indolent are boring. Much like you," the trader reflected, quickly fastening a firestone bag onto his dragon's straps as she passed it back to him.
At this very moment, Tigreath heard her clutchsister greet her, and her head jerked up, eyes whirling with excitement as she realized that Unath was acknowledging her. In fact, she totally forgot about the drudges bustling about her legs, and let them up high enough that Hers could accept the firestone. To heck with drudges when she had Unath! Crooning in delight, the cyan returned her clutchsister's greeting and, humming, rubbed her face against the tan's. Hello! she responded eagerly. This was great! Unath knew she was here and she was speaking to her! That was like a whole new level of accomplishment for the tan!
"Let all your doubts be laid to rest: I like women," Xiro quipped glibly. "When in memory have I ever listened to your warnings?" He paused for a moment, and then grinned brightly, eyes glittering with amusement. "As if you could stop me if I decided to make an attempt on someone before graduation!" Utterly unfazed by the frown, the cyanweyrling winked at his fellow trader and bent over the side of Tigreath's neck to accept another sack of firestone. Another chance to hold his tongue completely wasted. He didn't regret it at all.
Ignoring the two riders' chatter, Tigreath chirped with amusement as the tan caught a headknob in her jaws, and stood patiently, playfully angling her head a little. Hello! she responded a second time, apparently content to stick to her sister's vocabulary for an interaction as novel as this one. The cyan, pleased to be the subject of a grooming, arched her neck and warbled to her clutchsister. This was great! She was getting clean and she didn't even have to work at it and it wasn't Hers who was cleaning her! Awesome!
Alas, it was over too soon, and when Unath had finished grooming her, Tigreath sighed. She did, however, notice the tan staring at her rider, and twisted her own neck about to stare at him too. That's Mine, she informed the larger dragon helpfully, and then stretched out her nose to almost touch Q'sis, gazing at him with wide, rapidly whirling green eyes. The brilliant blue jaws parted in a grin, and then she helpfully licked Unath's shoulder before prancing away at her rider's insistence. Xiro'el scratched the bright neck in front of him, and then flashed a broad grin at the tanrider. "You keep Unath out of it," he returned, and crouched low over his dragon's bright neck as she gathered herself, bounded forward and leapt into the air. Broad blue wings beat against the extra weight of the firestone, and then Tigreath was up, spiraling away into the sky with a joyous bugle that rang out over the Bowl. We should do stunts, Xiro'el! I bet that'd be fun, and-- she swung her attention abruptly to Unath not far off, and bugled to her enthusiastically. Lots of danger!
Laughing, settling back to look around, Xiro nudged Tigreath to go join the other weyrlings. She harrumphed loudly, claiming that it wasn't dangerous, but obeyed all the same and hovered as they were doing. Her rider adjusted the firestone sacks slightly, though they were already balanced and even, and the cyan snorted and looked about her. Nothing of interest popped into her view except Unath, and she blew a sigh through her nose, projecting her thoughts to her rider. I'm bored. This isn't dangerous.
Just wait. Soon we'll be doing something.
Tigreath flicked her wings, and then returned her gaze to Unath. I'm going to come join you, she decided, and ignored Xiro'el's exasperated sigh as the cyan dropped under the other weyrlings and then climbed up again to settle into a hover next to the tan. Hello!
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Post by mangonumnum on Sept 19, 2011 9:42:04 GMT -5
L'sd, being a Wingsecond, had tried to get to the training as early as possible. But Shriek had decided that that would not be the case this morning. Screaming at the top of his flitter lungs, the blue clung to the bluerider's face, claws refusing to let go.
"I don't have time for this today, Shriek" L'sd sighed. One of the pillie's strange noises from the corner, though, distracted the blue firelizard long enough for L'sd to finish getting into his riding gear. Shriek clung to the back of gray Ea, screaming. Luckily, the hard shell of the pillie could not be damaged by the claws, much unlike L'sd's bleeding face. He'd have to put some numbweed on that before going between.
He hurried and fed Shriek enough to bloat him up (the firelizard really was starting to get fat) so that he would sleep through training and hopped onto Tabeyiith's back. We go now, Mine? the blue said, looking back at His with excitement swirling in his eyes. The blue dragon didn't completely get the concept of Thread yet. he knew it was bad. But he also knew that training would help them stop the bad. This excited him.
L'sd nodded and the pair rushed down to Bowl. They landed gracefully, for the most part, by the Daybreak Wing. He gave a short apology to T'kor and J'kan before finding a healer to get some numbweed. It wasn't the first time L'sd had shown up with facial or arm wounds since he had gotten the blue firelizard, so he was hoping the two would not mind. Especially since they didn't seem to be too late. There were many more who still had to arrive.
---
"Wheeeee!" Ch'ko called, struggling to put his rider's gear on as he bounced up and down (it wasn't a very effective combination).
You must calm yourself, Mine the bronze scolded, standing impatiently on the ledge. They were going to be late if His continued to....well....be himself..... The bronze let out a snort of annoyance and turned to watch the two pillies, Po and Lo, run about as well. Their strange calls seemed to match Ch'ko's and the bronze would have found that slightly amusing if it wasn't for the fact that pillies were much lower creatures than himself and His.
Ch'ko, finally being dressed in his slightly-oversized riding gear, climbed up onto the great bronze's back and the two wheeled down to the Bowl. Ch'ko began to muse what sort of fun he could have while they waited. To this, Paixioth offered that Ch'ko make friends with the Wingleader and Wingsecond to show his dedication to the wing as well as his amiability. Ch'ko stared at the dragon for a moment before bursting out laughing and simply bouncing up and down. He really had too much energy today.
---
Zara was not looking forward to drilling today. It was still cold and she was quite tired. She shuffled onto the scene a bit later, having just woken up when the call came. She found her Wing and sat there, not speaking to anyone at the moment. She, instead, started checking out the girls. The pinkrider who pranced around like a belle was cute, but she seemed a bit too stuck up and obnoxious for Zara to give her any serious consideration. Both the female blue riders were kind of cute. Overall though....there weren't too many distractions. She sighed and consented with undoing her bun and redoing it, meticulously putting each hair into it so that it wouldn't fall out.
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Kila
Sr. Weyrleader
kilact[M:217]
Let's move to a cloud so we're never under the weather
Posts: 1,574
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Post by Kila on Sept 20, 2011 0:09:46 GMT -5
When the Weyr had more or less assembled, O’sho raised his voice to speak to them briefly. The lengthier, emotional speeches he was accustomed to giving at feasts had no place here. ”Right then, let’s begin.” Idle chatter between the Riders stopped respectfully. ”Riders, group into your wings if you have not already. Tideturners, as you and Yours have not yet learned to between you will fly in the Weyrling wing and carry firestone in case the Riders need it. You are welcome to practice flaming and I urge you to take this practice seriously. Healers and other grounded weyrfolk- be active onlookers. The Jr. Weyrling class in particular, though you have not yet begun intensive training, has much to learn by watching.” Turning neatly and vaulting on to Daidoroth’s back with the ease of many turns, he issued the first command: ”DragonRiders, mount your partner and fly!”
Once in the air he explained the logistics. A network of volunteers would drop powder-covered ropes across the Weyr Bowl, emulating threadfall. There would be no cheating; if hit, dragon and/or rider would be marked by the powder on the rope. For the rest- ”Well, I trust you know what to do.” If they didn’t then Pern was in trouble. What they were about to attempt was little more than a glorified Weyrling practice within a much weightier context. Once everyone was situated (questions answered, everyone sure of procedure), O’sho gave the word and ropes began to fall.
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Boo
Jr. Weyrwoman
booct[M:-425]
Shirath: THOSE aren't spirit fingers... THESE ARE SPIRIT FINGERS!!!
Posts: 1,917
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Post by Boo on Sept 21, 2011 7:00:31 GMT -5
Je’kyll knew that things would change and they would change soon. As Hydeth landed to join the other dragons assembled, he could not help but feel a little cold and clammy, clinging to the straps. He heard without truly listening to what was being said, nodding along with the speech. Well, he needed the Weyr so he would do what was asked of him. Either way, he’d get this done… Simple enough. The pinkrider joined his wing as they leapt into the air to begin their wing formations.
This is as easy as taking a herdbeast and decimating it.
Je’kyll smiled grimly. It was easy enough now but he had no doubt things would be tougher when they were forced to dodge corrosive Thread instead of powdered rope…
Z’is joined his new wingmates as Hephaeth stood grumpily to attention, watching the other dragons moving around. The poor blue rarely seemed anything but as he huffed in a surly manner. Z’is patted the blue’s side trying to calm him a little. The newly made rider was entirely unsure of how he should feel about the thought of fighting Thread. He knew it was his duty and had come to terms with this over the past few turns but that didn’t stop him feeling exceedingly overwhelmed at the thought of having so many people rely on him…
Ith thith a game we will be playing? How juvenile. I am now a beautiful, grown blue. Thith ith not what we should do. It will make us a little readier for Threadfall… I thuppothe… Thill, there mutht be another way. We will look tho thilly to thothe other dragonth. They’re going to be doing the same thing. Do not concern yourself.
As soon as the word was given, they took their places. Z’is felt a thrill but also some worry at the thought of flaming again. He didn’t much care for the whole concept of fire but at least the young rider understood the need… Well, things were different now anyway. They were no longer Weyrlings but full riders and would be flying beside their wingmates, protecting them and being protected. He spied one of the new orangeriders nearby, the dragon holding herself proudly indeed. He thought they were Lirone and Agrippith… Certainly, they seemed a curious pair…
Fel stood by, ready to fly into the air with Dhanuth and take firestone to those who may need some. I wish we could play too… It’s not a game. And we sort of are. Yes, but I wish we could flame and everything. That would be lovely. I guess.
Shirath moved his flirty way towards all the other dragons, sauntering over to join the group. There were so many there to admire and loooooove him!!! LOVE HIM!!! ALL OF THEM! Nodding his head at a few choice ones, he didn’t pay much attention to what was actually being said. Neither did C’ian. When it came time to actually moving off the pair were at something of a loss. Looking about frantically, C’ian finally realised what they were doing and half jumped to attention, trying to get everything organised once more.
When we fly they will all be distracted so much they will not even know where to look!
The purple crooned softly as C’ian rolled his eyes but still grinning, he climbed into the riding straps ready to copy whatever he saw the Day Defender do. He was fairly certain it had something to do with firestone…
On the ground, Tedaon watched the riders flying out to practice. He only wished he did not have healing duties...
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Post by mangonumnum on Sept 21, 2011 9:20:21 GMT -5
Areith quickly took to the air, eager to take out his bundled up anger on something. He chewed the firestone and quickly burped out a flame. His flaming had only improved slightly so the rope continued to fall, half on fire. Zara, noticing it was heading for Rosasharn, urged Areith to follow it and launched another flame at it, reducing the rope to ash and nearly burning the top of Rosasharn's head. She flew down next to her, shouting over the noise, "Sorry about that. I'll make it up to you later, just stop by my weyr!" She would have winked if it could have been seen. Instead, she took off again to the skies. Ok, the girl was cute. They made gags for a reason.....
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Ch'ko took off eagerly into the air as O'sho gave the word. The exercise was a bit difficult for the pair, mostly because Ch'ko was not exactly the most focused individual. After narrowly avoiding five ropes, Paixioth grumbled his annoyances to his rider. Mine. This is no silly game.... He paused to flame a rope that was overhead of them, trying to think of something that would make Ch'ko take it seriously. Mine, let us pretend that we are....pranking....this "Thread" Well, Ch'ko was always in for a good prank.
Alright! Ch'ko agreed whole-heartedly, blinking between to avoid a too-close "Thread" and reappearing to flame it as it passed. This enthusiasm continued for a while longer until Ch'ko just happened to glance Zara's antic. A paralyzing sort of rage (a very rare thing for the boy) froze his mind and he barely heard the bronze's call before he was hit square in the face with a powdered rope, covering his whole face in powder. Obviously, the pair was quite lucky it was only a drill and not the real thing as that would have surely killed them both.
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L'sd did his best in assisting his wing to get ready, giving a quick look-over on the straps of some of the younger riders. As the drill started, Tabeyiith took to the air, a bit clumsilly due to his excitement. We burn all the ropes, right? the blue asked, wanting to make sure all was right in his mind. He wanted to do well today!
That's right! There's one there! L'sd directed Tabeyiith to the powdered ropes, watching the blue with proud eyes.
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Kila
Sr. Weyrleader
kilact[M:217]
Let's move to a cloud so we're never under the weather
Posts: 1,574
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Post by Kila on Sept 22, 2011 16:19:01 GMT -5
Sereinth and Rosasharn had been perfectly fine until a haphazard jet of flame nearly took off the PinkRider’s head. MineOwn! Watch out! Sereinth cried, horrified, as another dragon bore down on them. She blinked between and back, but still Rosasharn had only narrowly missed being crisped. More nervous that before, Sereinth craned her neck back to examine Hers, snapping forward again quickly and then worrying back and forth to avoid running into any rogue clumps of rope.
”Well Ah’ll never! Be careful!” the small Rider cried indignantly, shocked from the heat and then the abrupt cold. She pulled herself up in her seat, face set in a pout, but settled back down when the offending Rider swooped by and apologized. ”It’s alraight, Ah suppose,” she grumbled, half heartedly, her cheer only repressed for a moment. Are you okay, MineOwn? It’s not alright! You could have been burned! Sereinth fussed. Whereas she had flown with utmost care before, nervous and wary, she was now on edge. But Ah wasn’t burned, darlin’. Now go on and pay attention- we’re laikly to get hit if ya don’t! Though still rattled and unhappy, Sereinth complied. Don’t worry, MineOwn, I won’t let anything touch you. And indeed the dragon’s paranoid vigilance left them one of the least damaged at the end of the day.
~
Y’nis and Yusriyath, in direct incompliance with the Weyrleader’s words, were not taking the drill seriously. As usual. Whooping and flying and flirting mid-air, the Purple pair were a distraction and a nuisance to all around them. Silence- focus! Daidoroth demanded several times, annoyed. What a waste of talent, O’sho observed as he watched them. Daidoroth took out a few ropes and the demanded an explanation. They are talented. Look, the Purple has not been hit yet. He may be silly, like his Rider, but his agility and wits seem to serve him well enough. In lieu of agreeing the Bronze said nothing.
Tigreath! Over here! Hello, little friend! How lovely you and Yours look today! Watch me fly! Oh, and watch out for the ropes! Yusriyath trumpeted.
~
As had been requested, Sh’len stood outside in a loose group with his fellow Weyrlings. His hat was jammed firmly on his head as usual, but with Nivoth curled lovingly around his ankles the world seemed less scary than it had before. Oh Mine, will they be alright? Those long things won’t hurt them, will they? Nivoth fretted, rubbing against him. In her mind, all the big dragons flying around were potential friends, so the possibility of them getting hurt worried her. This doesn’t seem like a very nice game! The danger of it all didn’t appeal to her, but at the same time she was strangely aroused by it. She couldn’t explain why, but she wanted to chase after the ropes and chew them to pieces. Sh’len smiled, recognizing Nivoth’s desires as her dragon instincts. He had heard riders talk about that before. Don’t worry, Nivoth, he soothed her, Everyone will be okay.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Sept 24, 2011 19:36:16 GMT -5
Unath.
The Tideturner dragonets, big as they were now, did not have the skills of flaming and betweening necessary for a real Fall. There was not only the threat of Thread, but of their fellow riders. In a way the Weyrlings' short-lived excursions out into the Fall were highly dangerous in their own way, because they did not move as part of any official wing. They could appear anywhere that was convenient to pass their burdens of firestone along. They could be victims to the flames of their older peers as much as the alien enemy. And today the Weyrleader wanted to add their own utterly inexperienced firing to the mixture. It would be a second line of defense besides their relatively small size-- though Unath was bigger than most of the adult fighters already --and their agility. But they would not between away any accidental shots of flame in their direction. Nor could they repel the flames of another dragon with their own. They were at their most vulnerable.
Unath's head turned around on her thick neck to look at him, her jaws pointed at the perfect angle to receive a load of firestone. She never even got to answer Tigreath. Q'sis watched the wings out beyond where they hovered in the Weyrling lines, the dissipation and reformation of the flight structures following the lines of "Thread" to the ground. Many of the dragons had gone scarlet-eyed, but Unath's uncomprehending gaze remained blue as the unfiltered sky. He had only to think of sampling her a parcel of stone and her jaws canted apart. He could see her bright blue tongue nested between her fangs, twitching with expectation. Unath knew nothing of firestone, he thought. She could not make the connection between a rock to eat and a fire to burn. But she was lodged with a helpful complement of instincts, and she was following his lead as always.
His eyes rolling up to the Weyrlingmasters, Q'sis untied the neck of the nearest firestone bag. They had not even trained this on the ground. It would be the first light. But the Weyrlingmasters were not complaining, nor stopping anyone from feeding their young dragon the black phosphine. He suddenly realized the Thread-ropes were being tossed toward their sanctuary as a dragon in the uppermost line abruptly backwinged to dodge one. His fist was down in the firestone bag as he stiffened, checking the air for other filaments. The white ropes were not equally visible from every angle: they tended to blur or disappear when the wrong side faced the sun, or when they tangled up and lost their distinctive silhouettes.
The lone rope that had scouted the Weyrling wing continued plummeting, outside the main operation and thus, apparently, forgotten. Q'sis scowled behind his mask of glass and cloth. They were likely not to be called in till at least half the "Fall" was over, and the wingriders' own starter bags had been emptied. But then they would start moving very fast, adding their unique complications to the fray. In the meantime, it seemed they would be receiving no support for the strays that snaked their way.
He placed a flake of firestone the size of his sizable palm in Unath's mouth, his eyes still raking the skies for a time before he felt safe to monitor the Tan instead. The firestone sat on her wet tongue in a black, glistening pile, the surface flawed and faceted like a dragon eye. Unath had no idea what to do with it, but she did not push it out either. It was an ugly knot from which dragonfire bloomed. Q'sis touched his hand to his leather-coated throat, but it was not really his throat he had to think of was it? The Tideturners might not have practiced flaming before, but they had gone over the theory. He had to find the second stomach, something no human had.
It's okay, Q'sis, Unath said, with her usual tone of boundless expectation. He could sense her smiling across their bond. Dragons could crack toothy grins that a man might interpret as identical to a humanoid counterpart, but what they projected to their mates was a different breed of mirth altogether. Even his mind could be tricked by it, interpreting her voice like a touch to his skin, putting a physicality to a feeling that could not be understood any other way.
The Tanrider lowered his hand and tilted his face heavenward, watching for false Thread. At the same time he touched Unath back, wrapping his senses into hers, curling her tongue back to send the block of stone down her throat. He swallowed for her, aligning the firestone to the correct stomach-- that is, the place that felt most unusual. His own arm moved out to gather more, and he feasted her on the dragonrider's weapon of choice. When she was full he turned her head out toward the field of battle and concentrated on digesting the stomachful of obsidian sediment.
It was not an enjoyable sensation. Not like feeling the wind stretching her wings on each downbeat, or the minor adjustments of her powerful muscles needed to keep her place in the line. It burned inside first before it ever touched the air. Q'sis noticed that only he experienced the full unpleasantness: Unath seemed ignorant of the goings-on within her own body, or perhaps she was far more tolerant of it than her rider. In moments the character of the digestion changed, and the fiery core resettled in Q'sis' chest. He ducked his head, losing his focus on the sky, on everything but that hot stone tapping against his heart for release.
Unath spat out a brief, mostly transparent red-blue sheet of warmth, then shook her head and hacked up something that sizzled and smoked off her lower jaw and dribbled out into the air, disappearing so rapidly as it fell that Q'sis did not even have to warn the Weyrling line below them. He looked up for the deadly powdered ropes and saw nothing. He tried to guess the nature of the liquid afterbirth-- Unath was still quaking and spitting beneath him. Like the critical cap on a vein of pressure, that pathetic show of force took away the demand in her chest, but Q'sis realized he had to make her retain the remaining produce constantly, till it was needed. Maybe he had overloaded her, though the bag in front of him was only a quarter empty.
Her first attempt had been more of a fiery cough than a flame. Somewhat after the fact, she asked What is that? What is that? curiously, perhaps inspired more by the other Weyrlings lighting up around her than by her own paltry puff.
It's okay, Q'sis echoed back at her, though Unath never really required reassurance. The Tan's eyes had turned green, but were only now beginning to speed up their ticks of emerald shading as she watched Tigreath intently. She was excited rather than distressed, and Q'sis took heart from her in order to restrain the inferno in her gut. The lights of other dragonfires flashed orange glints over his shiny new wherhide, some of the flames so intense and broad as to creep into his peripheral view. The upper Weyrling line lurched out of their hover as the call came in to bring the backup firestone.
Q'sis reached forward and loosened the secondary restraints on his bags, as was needed to make them easy to pick off the straps and toss to the wingriders. He could estimate the size of Unath's proper plume by checking that of the fighters around him, then expanding the hypothetical blaze in proportion with his Tan's greater size. He settled back into Unath; her wings, her strength, and her fire his. Their next flame would be in earnest, as now their line was departing its so-called sanctum and racing after the wingriders with the much needed resupply.
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