Month 7 - Airborn!

[Mik]

--Late: I'm sorry. And Month 8 shall be right around the corner, too. Hope it's okay to run these three (Months 6-8) at the same time as they can't really be combined either.--




Today was the day for excitement, nervousness, and surprising calm for the Weyrlings. Today was the day they were going to lift off with riders astride. Annalyra smiled as she had Precisith call her students to the Practice Field, straps included. They all knew that flying should be coming up. After all, they'd been practicing wing stretches with their dragonets the past few sevendays and had been paying particular attention to flight strap strength. {{Come, come, Littles! Harnessed andready to stretch your wings!}} the big green called.

[Adrienne]

{{hurry mine hurry another lesson, get my harness on we will stretch our wings today}} reed called his mindvoice bubbling with excitement. Sherly rolled her eyes and took her time putting on her blue's straps. Once they were ready she said **kay reed let's go** and made her way to the field

{{another lesson mine with harnesses she says we will stretch our wings}} Cameith said. Niradene pulled out the harness and proceeded to harness her green before the pair headed to the field as well.

[Mik]

{{Come, Gunteera-Mine. I get to stretch my wings today. Hurry with the harness, please.}} Lulith said in response to Precisith's call. Once harnessed, the pair walked and Hope flitted off to the Practice Field. There hadn't been a call that Hope wasn't allowed at this Lesson like there had been for a few others.

{{I get to stretch my wings!}} Eteinth bugled at the idea, starting off into a run with wings unfurled as if he had been born flying only to trip himself and fall head over tail in his excitement. Dragon just chirped and looked at him with his head turned to the side. Search had darted off after the bronze and wound up atop him where he lay from his tumble, chirruping cheerily. T'raren chuckled. [[Are you alright, Eteinth?]] {{Yes, yes. Can you harness me? Precisith said to be harnessed.}} And so they proceeded and headed for the field soon after.

Starkith took a moment for the green's words to sink in as he was admiring a sister a distance off, but when it finally clicked, the shimmery bronze bugled happily. {{I need a harness, Mine. I get to stretch my wings today. Does that mean I get to fly?}} L'ney smiled and let Sky flutter off. [[Yeah, I think so,]] he answered in thought before elbowing his friend and getting up. "Another l-lesson, 'S-sid," he said cheerily.

{{Come, Mine! Grab the harness and let's go!}} Zyurth told His, giving the hint that a Lesson was to begin and that his harness would be needed. K'lar sighed and smiled, setting his current glass project aside on a cleared stone top table so it wouldn't burn anything while it cooled. He left his gloves in their customary place and grabbed his bronze's harness before heading off toward the Practice Field.

Irohidth grumbled about being disturbed from his attempted nap, but he perked up some once he decided he knew what the big green meant. {{My harness, G'tee-Mine. We shall fly today.}} he said happily and G'tee followed suit with a smile, Mischief flitting about in "help".

Mihelith calmly stood and stretched from his observing of His making images on parchment. {{Mine? I hate to stop you, but Precisith has called us for a lesson and my harness is required.}} Tia'ar nodded and put his pasttime away. "Okay, let's go then," he said with a smile.

Visageth looked up from his careful investigation of the ground that he and His currently wandered along. The blue had wanted constructive investigation and so had agreed to carrying His around, as he was now able to at any time so long as his harness was on. {{Lesson time, Mine. Shall we?}} he asked cheerily. [[We shall!]] M'kan replied with just as much cheer and the pair headed for the Trainig Grounds.

Jonnth slowly looked to His at the command for another Lesson appearance. {{Another Lesson, K'sid-Mine.}} he started dully, then suddenly perked up. Stretching wings? That meant flight! Right? {{I think we get to fly today, Mine. Hurry, get my straps!}} the blue suddenly started, startling poor River from her content nap upon his back. K'sid chuckled and got up to L'ney's words as well as his dragonet's. Nodding with a hand signal, he grinned and they headed for the Barracks for their harnesses.

Dawnuth was about walking with Hers, getting out in order to be more brave as Rayra put it. She started just a little at the call for the Lesson, but complied without a fuss. {{Another Lesson, Rayra-Mine. We get to stretch our wings and our harness is needed. What does that mean?}} "It means that, I think, you get to fly today." {{Oh. Are you sure? I don't think I can. It's scary.}} "You'll do perfectly fine. I'll be with you the whole time. I promise." {{Okay.}}

[Sorra]

K'ryn had been rereading his lessons and going over things with Optith when the call for lessons came. }:Harness!:{ the bronze said. }:We get to fly!:[

K'ryn laughed and quickly got the harness on his younh bronze. Bandit sat on Optith's head watching everything intently.

K'ryn met up with J'dan and Claudith on the way out. The young trader had been out exploring with his brown and already had his harness on. "This should be interesting," J'dan said as Trig cheeped.

K'ryn nodded. "I agree."

}:Mine! Lessons! I get to look pretty in my harness!:[ Elliwodth said happily. }:Hurry! Hurry! We get to fly.:[

Kiyoni laughed and quickly complied. The young pair was soon headed to the practice field.

}:Lessons,:[ Hebertinth said unhappily. }:I do not want to go. We fly today.:[

Laliy looked up from oiling Shiver's bronze hide. **But it will be fun, love. Just think. After we can fly we'll be able to go anywhere,** she pointed out, getting up to get Hebertinth's harness.

The green thought for a minute. }:Okay, let's go.:{

C'lin and Seerowth had been out at the practice field already with the brown's harness on. They had been practicing the different excercises that Annalyra had shown them and were both looking forward to when they could fly. }:Lessons!:[ SEerowth said happily. }:Hopefully we fly today.:[

C'lin smiled. **You may, brother. We'll just have to wait and see.**

[Mik]

Seeing everyone gathered, the WeyrlingMaster smiled at them all. Most of them were quite excited and some seemed nervous. That was to be expected though. Dragonets instinctively knew how to fly, but their riders were the ones that doubled their excitement and worries. Once they'd settled, she called for their attention and began the lesson. "Alright everyone. I'm sure you've already guessed today's lesson, especially when we've been practicing wing stretches and balance. Today, you're all going to fly. Precisith will be running along the ground while your dragonets carry you no more than a dragonlength high and only for the length of the practice field. Now your dragonets instinctively know how to fly, but your balance is key to helping them to carry you. Are there any of you that are scared of flying today? Even somewhat uncomfortable? Please don't be afraid to speak up. And questions either?" she asked of her students.

[Adrienne]

Niradene raised her hand not becuase she had a question but because she *was* afraid of heights L'ney had helped her a bit before impression but they hadn't been able to do much about her fear. "I am afraid of heights ma'am." she said blushing as she said it outloud, face burning she wondered if anyone else was afraid. cameith leaned supportingly as hers admitted her fear.

Sherly on the other hand was thrilled alongside her blue to be flying finally she had adored the first flight here and couldn't wait to do it. Reed was so thrilled himself to fly.

[Sorra]

Kiyoni raised her hand too. "I'm scared too," she admitted.

J'dan and C'lin grinned at each other. They were looking forward to it. "Is it like riding a runner?" J'dan asked. "You had to have balance there too."

Hebertinth leaned into Laliy. }:I am still worried,:[ the little green said.

"What if our dragon is nevous?" Laliy asked, sending comforting thoughts to Hebertinth.

[Mik]

Rayra had raised her hand as well. "Dawnuth's scared, too," she added to the others' comments.

Annalyra looked to Niradene at her admission and gave the young greenrider a comforting smile. "We're not going very high today and you're welcome to wait until later in the Lesson to try out your dragonet's wings. Watch the others take wing. I'm sure that will give you some confidence for the moment and we will work on it after the Lesson, too. It can be scary way up in the clouds," she finished with another smile for her.

Kiyoni was fearful, too. Why did it have to be her greenriders fearful of flight? And Herbertinth and Dawnuth as well? The WeyrlingMaster had her work cut out for her.

"Well, as tradition shows, this Lesson is always begun with the greens since they're the smallest and most agile. Since there's a fair number of you quite nervous, we'll start with O'rn and Tohanath. Come on, let's go through the preliminary check before I turn you loose for a run," she said to the greenrider.

[Mik]

--Whenever you return, Or'n and Velina, go ahead and post your flights.--

--Moving on, though:--

After Velina and Or'n's flights, Annalyra moved on to the blues since the rest of her greens wished to wait a while before their attempts. "Sherly and Reedith, please."

[Adrienne]

Reedith held still as Sherly mounted him {{ready mine}} he asked flaring his wings. {ready reed} She said patting her blue after double checking her balance. He spread his wings and lifted off into the air, it was so thrilling being up with his on his back he wanted to keep going and higher {reed no just must do as told} the firm voice of His broke through his desire and soon it was over he landed decently.

[Mik]

Annalyra watched closely as Precisith ran along the ground next to the blue, also watching closely. Upon landing, the WeyrlingMaster smiled. "Good, job!" she told the pair once they had returned. "After everyone's gone once, we'll allow one or two more times today," she promised.

After Marna and Walweth and S'et and Realerth had gone, Annalyra called for M'kan and Visageth.

Visageth was in such a cheery hurry that he nearly tripped himself as he stepped up to Precisth and Annalyra. M'kan checked his straps like he'd been told then mounted and double-checked before giving his excited blue the okay to begin. After a few hurried hops and flaps, Visageth lifted off and shakily flew a couple dragonlengths before finding a glide and reluctantly landing with a trip. Blue and rider seemed to roll in a dust cloud and wound up laying flat out on Visageth's side with M'kan sitting awkwardly atop him. The saddle had slid during the "crash." The blue's head raised rather quickly, then after a moment, rider and dragon began to laugh as M'kan got off his blue and the dragonet got up. Both were dust covered, but neither hurt.

"Any pains?" Annalyra asked as her dragon nuzzled the little one in concern.

"No, ma'am! We're good to go! Visageth said he saw the ground ready to attack and decided it best to hit it running." He laughed at his blue's thoughts. "It was more of a tripping, slow motion fall," the rider explained as his dragonet was speaking with Precisith. {{That was fun! Ever tried to catch yourself while you're falling and knowing full well you're gonna end up on the ground in the end? It was fun!}}

After double checking for herself, Annalyra relaxed and sent the pair back among the others. "Thankfully, no injuries," she said then called up the next pair. "K'sid and Jonnth."

[Mik]

Jonnth took his time next to His to the designated place for flight. Stretching his wings and body while His checked his straps, he readied himself for his first chance at the freedom of the skies. Oh, it was going to be nice up there. After His had mounted, the little blue paid no mind to Precisth or anyone else for that matter. Off he went at a trot, then a canter, then he was leaping for the clouds, wings outspread one moment and pumping naturally the next. The blue was rather proud of himself as he took to the air and almost didn't want to come down at the time he should have, but His wanted to "live to fly another day" and so Jonnth headed groundward and landed with ease, wings staying unfurled for a moment as he inspected them with pride. Without a word to anyone, he trotted back to the others merrily.

"Very good," Annalyra said with a smiled before calling the next pair up. "C'lin and Seerowth, please."

[Sorra]

Seerowth was ready to go. He and his loved learning new things and he was looking forward to flying with C'lin. C'lin rechecked all the riding straps before vaulting to his brown's back.

Seerowth took off at a trot, but nearly tripped. he managed to catch himself though and right himself in time to take off. The brown spread his wings soon started pumping. Before long, the two were gliding. They both reluctantly came back down, neither really wanting to. Seerowth's landing was a bit bumpy and C'lin hit his wrist off the brown's neck ridge, but they seemed okay. Although C'lin figured he'd have a huge bruise.

[Mik]

Annalyra's trained eye was magnified through her dragon's as she watched the pair from below and above, a double vision of sorts playing before her, but she had trained herself to do such when her son had learned to fly on his blue. Having noted the rather rough looking landing, she asked, "Any pains, C'lin? That landing looked rather rough." He'd probably need some more balance training it looked.

[Sorra]

C'lin flushed a little. He had hoped no one had noticed. "I banged up my wrist," he admitted. "I think I just bruised it." He moved his wrist a little, but winced. "Well, I could be wrong," he grinned sheepishly.

Seerwoth nudged his shoulder. };I am sorry, brother. I didn't mean to hurt you.:[

**It's okay. We're still learning. We'll both get better.**

[Mik]

"Have it checked out after the Lesson, please. We needn't any worse injury to happen if it's worse than a bruise." Especially young riders. They needed to learn and try new things and caring for a young dragon was much more work than that of a full grown dragon.

[Sorra]

C'lin nodded. "I will," he promised. He hoped he was okay. He wanted to be able to work with Seerowth.

Seerowth stayed beside C'lin as they walked back to the others. He kept his muzzle on C'lin's shoulder in silent apology.

[Mik]

Annalyra watched the pair return to the others. That was true spirit there, but sometimes spirit overrode common sense. She needn't have any injured Weyrlings. Or at least, she hoped for nothing other than the scratches and cuts. "Thank you, C'lin. J'dan and Claudith, please?"

[Sorra]

C'lin and Seerowth returned to their place. C'lin kept his arm cradled against him just in case. Once the lesson was over, he'd go straight to the Healer's, but he wanted to see if he could learn anything to help with his mistake.

J'dan and Claudith stepped forward. J'dan checked his brown's straps again before mounting. Claudith waited until J'dan was seated before takign off a run to get airborn. Once he had flapped a few times he even outed and glided for a bit until he reached the spot he was supposed to land at. The brown folded his wings like he had seen the adult dragons do and carefully landed. J'dan was slightly surprised by how well Claudith seemed to do.

[Mik]

"Very well done. Claudith, very graceful. Keep that up and you'll be one of the best flyers when you've grown," Annalyra said with a smile. He would probably show some Search potential with flight as smooth as that. They needed a few more Search dragons about Angel's Cove Weyr. "Tia'ar and Mihelith, please?"


Tia'ar and Mihelith stepped up to their teacher and were checked over then left to attempt their first flight together. After calmly checking his straps twice, Tia'ar gave his big brown the okay to try for the skies. And with a short, fast run and a few flaps of his large wings, Mihelith had lift off, however low it was. He glided quite a ways before lowering his feet to find the ground again, taking back to the ground easily, but with a few scrapes of his wingtips.

"Very good. We'll work on keeping those wings up while you land, Mihelith, but otherwise, very good," Annalyra said, happy that things were going as well as they should. "G'tee and Irohidth, please?"

Irohidth had been itching to get in the air and it was finally his turn. With a quick bound forward, he was in front of Annalyra before his lifemate, already spreading his wings for the check she'd done on everyone else so far. {{Hurry up, Precisith's. I wanna fly.}} the brown said quickly, though it was only loud enough for His to hear who smiled in apology. [[Don't worry. We'll go very soon.]] {{Not soon enough!}} Then they were checked and the dark brown was turned loose to the runway. G'tee checked his straps amid bouncing, his dragonet was that excited. Then they were moving, Irohidth's legs carrying his stocky body swiftly before a launch skyward. Broad wings snapped open as if he'd done this hundreds of times already and he was airborn and in control within two beats of his wings. Coming to the end of the Practice Field, he banked to the left swiftly before attempting to land unwillingly, but he would do anything for His. Returning to the others, Irohidth still pranced in want of going again. He loved the air!

"Very good G'tee and Irohidth," Annalyra said with a smile. Irohidth looked like he was going to be a hard one to keep ON the ground once he was allowed to fly without supervision.

"Kryn and Optith, please?" the WeyrlingMaster called once Irohidth had reluctantly returned to the group.

[Sorra]

Optith had been walking all his clutchmates. So far he thought they had done well. But now it was his turn. The bronze walked quietly beside K'ryn. He was definitely ready to try this, but wasn't going to rush into anything.

K'ryn checked over Optith's straps before swinging on. The bronze took a running start and was soon airborn. He didn't go quite as high as some of the others had, but he steadied out quickly enough. The bronze banked smoothly and slowly returned to the ground. He braced his legs and bounced K'ryn a little on their landing. }:Sorry,:[ he quickly apologized

**No harm done,** K'ryn assured him.