[Lesson 1: Basic Care/Info] Good Morning, dragonriders!

Syra sat informally in her chair with her mug of klah, watching as the tired stragglers wandered into the classrooms in various states of disrepair. It was soon obvious that etiquette would be one of the first things these new riders learned. Didn't any of them know how to properly address a ranked person? The woman shook her head. They would soon learn that she was a hardass for such things, but it usually turned out the best behaved riders when she was. The fire grew in her eyes when even the young bronzerider B'len didn't give her proper due rank. It was beginning to rankle on the bluerider. Who cared if she was female and a Weyrlingmaster? She was due the respect any man in the position was.

The young woman Lesera and her green Zelenyth had been the first into the classroom, but the girl was so enamoured with her dragon that she hadn't even remembered to say good morning before seating herself at one of the benches. Keket and her green.... and here Syra had to check her drawings in her journal to remember the name Passerith, came into the room - and this time Syra was greeted. She nodded to the girl, gesturing to the klah and inviting her to partake as her attention turned back to those who were arriving. Nymeriath and her rider Emberlynn came next, Syra nodding acknowledgement to them as they took their place. But it was the young Teylarrin who made the Weyrlingmaster grin and chuckle quietly, "No, Teylarrin, you are getting ready to come to class with your little green."

With that, she scoot the young lady on her way to finish getting ready, as sleepy as she was. No one would be sleepy by the end of the oiling of their dragons. Not too long after, Sonadorath and Veyani made their way into the classroom through the wide open hall entrance that was large enough even for an adult gold. Rasenth, can you wake the other weyrlings please? she asked her dragon, noting that not everyone was present. It wasn't long before the new brownrider, and the greenrider Lesera's brother T'rian came in with his dragon. He stopped in the doorway and faced her, surprising Syra to stop and turn to him as well, "Good morning Weyrlingmaster Syra." the young man said, giving a reasonably deep bow before being cheeky and winking at her.

"Good morning, weyrling brownrider T'rian." Syra responded with a dip of her head, not making eye contact with her other weyrlings and waiting to see if they noticed the exchange and altered their morning greeting. If memory served, T'rian had had Hold Guard training, and it explained why he knew how to greet someone of rank. The young man moved off and helped himself to klah, then went to sit beside his sister. Others trickled in and finally Syra checked her list, noting that Emerene, I'llium, K'vik and Z'ren were missing still. "Dragonriders," Syra said with a slight raising in her voice, "as members of a Weyr we strive to work together to create a family of riders. This means we look out for one another. Look around you, what is missing from this classroom?" she asked.

Confusion crossed many faces, and the Weyrlingmaster smiled, "There are weylings missing and it is class time. It is your job to make sure that everyone is here on time and presentable. I am not going to babysit you and keep you in line." She pointed at the time candle, "Class begins at the seventh mark, every morning except the weekend. Class begins at the tenth candlemark on those days. You will learn to work as a unit, as you will within your future wings." Raising a hand, she stopped a pair from leaving to retrieve the other weyrlings, "I have asked Rasenth to let them know that they are expected to be here. I won't hold it against you since today is your first day. In the future I expect you to look after each other, support each other and help make sure that everyone is awake and one time. This is your wing, treat it that way."

Noting that she had almost everyone's attention now, Syra decided to figure out if they knew of their other faux pas. "What else did almost everyone forget to do?" she asked, looking around to the gathered faces.

Teylarrin had suspected that she would receive the answer that she did as soon as she saw the Weyrling Master. That did little to soften the blow. She let out a breathy sigh that shifted midway in to a whine. "Maaaayan," she groaned as she was nudged away. Her feet instinctively fought against moving leading her to take several sliding steps before they began to cooperate. Once they did she meandered back to the sleeping quarters.

 She pushed aside the tarp-like curtain to reveal the hunched mass of her sleeping lifemate. "Ey." There was no response.  Teylarrin placed both palms against the shimmery hide and gave it a good shove.  "Ey." Still nothing. She began a series of intermietten shoves causing the Dragon to rock back and forth. "Gid ub, ya lezeh hardbest!"

I don't wanna.

Teylarrin frowned at the reply. Astraiath had not so much as moved an eyelid. "Weh gad ta guh ta clayus."


I don't wanna.

"Ah doan cayar. Gid ub!"

No.


Clearly the direct approach was not going to work. Why did she have to get stuck with the obstinate hatchling? Everyone else had a well-behaved baby. Well, almost everyone. At least hers did not nip at all of her siblings. But she did have one habit that could be exploited.

"Ya nuhw ehver'budeh elz ez uhlredeh thayr. Yer Numbuh Layast."

The small Green's head popped up, a bit of the mat padding clinging to the side of her jaw. Nuh-uh!  I'm Number Best!"


"Nup.  Yer Numbuh Layast."

 Astraiath gave an indignant puff. She hauled her unsteady body from the ground. "I'm Number Best!" She shoved passed Teylarrin and headed toward the classroom at a trot. With a look of smug satisfaction on her face, the teenager followed her out.

  They arrived in the spacious chamber shortly after Bl'en and his Dragon. The Weyrling Master looked as if she were expecting a reply. Teylarrin must have missed something while she was dealing with her sleepy Dragon. And as if on cue, the Green announced to all of the other Hatchlings the same thing that she had told Teylarrin: "I'm Number Best."

Spoiler:

M'ket

M'ket has risen early; early enough to take his time getting ready to go to their first day of class and not have to feel rushed about it.  That didn't mean that he was not excited about attending. He was looking forward to meeting with Keket again, and getting to know her green as well. He was also looking forward to learning how to care for his new lifemate. For, in M'ket's mind, the care for his perfect new life partner was of utmost importance.

Having lived all his life caring for others and thinking of others before himself -even completely neglecting himself- M'ket was already turning that habit on his dragon, wanting to absorb as much knowledge and perfect all the skills of a dragonrider as soon as possible, so that never a thing would be amiss in the dragon's life. Then he too, could feel fulfilled. 

That being his goal, when it was time to make their way to the classroom, he didn't waste a moment in getting there, as that sure sense of purpose was always with him.


As he entered the classroom, M'ket took a moment to greet the Weyrling master courteously as he would any other master. He was limning with a particular pleasantness that rarely departed from him, so it was natural that he smiled. 

Turning that same smile on Keket, he greeted her as well. 

"Miss Keket. I'm glad to see you looking radiant this morning. Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to work together during lessons -if that is alright with you. I'd enjoy having your company once more."




Z'ren

Having already gotten a good lengthy talk the night before from the WLM, he and Lesera both, due to their dragon's behaviour, Z'ren was feeling slightly embarrassed still, though there was some part of him that was eager to go to class to participate with others. He still hadn't realized how much of that anticipation was likely Draugarth's eagerness just to engage his clutchmates in superiority contests, but either way, he was willing to learn. Likewise, Z'ren's own competitive nature wanted nothing more than to become highly skilled at what dragonriders did best -whatever that entailed. He was a willing candidate for whatever training they would be put through, and he was determined as Draugarth to be the best. Or at least compete amoungst the best. 

Z'ren had always been that way. He'd always been competitive, always been independent minded, and always been successful when he worked hard to perfect a certain set of skills; as he planned to do now. He'd also always been a survivor. And in his mind, and in Draug's mind, this was just a game of survival. 


After dressing himself, he noticed Draugarth already at the door, peering from under the curtains hung across the threshold, his eyes watching as others departed for class. The end of the dragon's tail twitched with impatience, though it was hard for Z'ren to differentiate yet between Impatience and Irritation. 

"Alright, let's join them. I know you're anxious to get to our first day of class."

The little brown turned his gaze on his rider with resoluteness that Z'ren was sure had something to do with their shared desire to learn and do well in class, proving to Syra and everyone else that they weren't a burden; they would be one of the greatest dragon pairs the Weyr had. They were both sure of it. It's just.. Z'ren had no idea what kind of competition they were up against. All he knew was that there were a number of other clutchmates who'd impressed to former guardsmen, similar to himself, and if they were also very skilled, then those few would be his primary competition. Because they had similar trades, it was natural to want to form a hierarchy amoungst them. It was harder to compete against those whose former crafts were completely different. The competition then, would lie solely in their dragonrider training.


Making their way to the class, Z'ren's eyes immediately looked for Lesera, his only friend thus far; though he wasn't sure how happy Draugarth was about that. He got the feeling the Brown would rather pester Lesera's lifemate than be friendly toward her, but he was compelled to be nicer to her than he may otherwise have been. 

On reaching the class, Z'ren hardly noticed that his clothes were quite plain compared to some, but he supposed they didn't need nice clothes for the training they'd be doing. He must have arrived just before her; though he didn't feel comfortable poking his nose around the female's barracks just to see if she was there or not. Other girls might complain that he was up to no good again, and he was used to being an exemplary pupil, so the very notion of upsetting Syra didn't sit well with him.

He was disappointed that Lesera wasn't at class quite yet however, and Z'ren felt as though some eyed he and Draugarth with suspicion. That too, made him uncomfortable, so he tried not to stand out, and drifted off to the edge of the room after getting himself some klah, until they were told where to sit, or how to organize themselves.




Emerene

Emerene was too excited about the new day -her first full day as a Weyrling- not to be up early. She'd only been up long enough to rub the sleep from her eyes while sitting up in bed, before she threw her legs over the edge of it, rushing to where Glittrath still snoozed.

The little Gold was curled up on her own sleeping spot with her head partially tucked under one wing and her tail wrapped around it, as if trying to shield her sleepy eyes from any light. Not quite feeling the dragon come to full consciousness yet, though she must have been aware that her rider was awake somehow, Emerene bounced over to her, kneeling beside her lifemate to put a hand on her head.

"Wake up my beautiful Love. The day is waiting for you to open your eyes so that it will become even brighter."

Nuzzling up against her Queen as the baby dragon woke fully at the sound of her rider's voice, the girl had her arms around her lifemate's neck the moment that she lifted her head. Both of them must have been radiating the warmth of love, one for the other, because Glittrath was soon crooning her contentment even though a terribly itchy sensation should have overcome her at that point.

Relaxing her arms from around the Gold's neck, Emerene sat back on her heels in the crouch. "Okay, Love. I'm sure you're plenty itchy, so this morning I think we're supposed to be learning how to  get you washed and oiled properly so that the itchy goes away. Does that sound good?"

I am itchy. Very itchy. That would be nice.

At just that moment, Glittrath's hide twitched along her back as some of the itchy became more noticeably uncomfortable. 

Emerene smiled, rising to her feet so that she could dress as quickly as possible. "I'll be ready to leave soon, so that we can get you taken care of. Bear with the itchy for just a little bit longer."

As the girl threw off her night gown, donning some swimwear under a regular pair of slenderizing jeans and a loose pullover top that would be cool enough for being outside in the late summer weather. She knew that their first lesson would be in the care of their dragon's hide, bathing the babies, and getting rid of the itchies with oiling and such, so she had to prepare for the eventuality of getting wet and probably a little sweaty today. 


As soon as she'd slipped on some shoes she and Glittrath were both hopping out the door of their room, ready to take on the day. She wanted to make it to class on time because she'd heard there'd be at least some klah prepared, if not some snackable foods for their breakfast waiting for them, and she didn't want to be stuck with left overs -or nothing left over at all.

Feeding off of her rider's excitement, Glittrath ran behind Emerene as she led the way, letting the jovial mood distract her from the itchies for now. 

She was glad to see there were already many faces present in the classroom when she got there, but went straight for the energizing drinks.

Bl'en immediately began mentally kicking himself for not dragging everyone into the classroom when he had come. He didn't know what to expect here at the Weyr. What was expected of them had not been made clear the day before. He was trying his best to figure out what would be expected of he and Vaqueroth as a pair.

Vaqueroth was slightly irritated by the tone of the lesson thus far. Why was she so upset? Her sleep hadn't been interrupted by that silly green and she wasn't as hungry as he was. He just wanted to eat and be bathed and oiled, then he could go back to sleep. On top of that, he had tried to be responsible for the others last night and they had not appreciated his advice. It wasn't fair to expect him to be able to keep them all in line. He was only one day old...not even.

Grimacing, because he realized his mistake too late, "If I may answer Weyrlingmaster..." He paused, "As a class, we failed to greet you properly this morning. I apologize." He said sincerely and as if he were apologizing for the entire class. Surely the first day, they couldn't possibly get everything right but Bl'en was already feeling worn down. Becoming a dragonrider was not going to be easy, not that he had expected it to be easy but surely he could do something right this morning.

---

Sonadorath wiggled with impatience. Were they supposed to pay attention for this long EVERY day? She didn't think she could bear it. As some of the others had yet to arrive when class started, Veyani thought it was good they weren't one of them. However, they were all soon hearing their mistake of not dragging their slower friends with them.

She didn't want to babysit them either. It wasn't her job and she couldn't be relied upon to be on time herself most of the time. Just let that Vaqueroth hunt everyone down. He seems the type. Bossy, interested in other people's business, good two shoes... The green commented to her rider with a mental snicker. Veyani tried and failed at not laughing in class.

Coughing she tried to save face but at that point, it was too late. The laugh was out there and it didn't look good for her. As it was she had missed Syra's question and only heard Bl'en's response. Oh great, they had to be formal first thing in the morning. Ugh. The Weyrlingmaster realized they had all rolled out of bed to get there on time...they weren't exactly the most aware group of people right then. Of course now that she knew it was expected, she would try to remember.

Sonadorath's tail flicked back and forth. I know, I know. It shouldn't be too much longer sweetheart. The green was literally itching to get out of there.

Syra nodded and when everyone was finally in the room, she motioned for them all to stand up, "Alright, first thing's first. In the morning, you should enter and bow. Show respect for your higher ranked members of the Weyr. I personally don't expect you to bow every time you see me, but a daily ritual of doing so will get you in the habit when you stand before the Weyrleader or the Weyrwoman." she demonstrated a dip of a bow to them, "Deepen it where necessary; women may choose to curtsy if they wish. Enough of the boring things, let's get your babies bathed and oiled. We will return here to feed them and put them back to sleep."

With that, she turned on her heel and led the way out of the room toward the Weyr Lake. While they were gone, Rasenth would kill for them and the weyrlings would learn how to cut meat the right size for their dragons. It would please them that there was food available when they returned as well.

When she reached the Lake, waiting for the others to catch up to her, she noted that an older weyrling pair were there already bathing and quickly asked for the use of the small green for demonstration. She wished her own dragon was there, but he would be plenty busy when she needed to show them the methods. The other rider finished their bathing ministrations and stepped aside, despite knowing that Syra would be rebathing certain spots.

Once everyone caught up and gathered in the shallows of the Lake, Syra dipped into the water and came up with the silky sand from the shore. She spoke as she showed them how to use the sand to gently clean away any flaky skin or dirt, rub in sweetsand if they wished to, and sent the dragon away to roll in the deeper water and scrub with the sand. It was a visual show for the dragonets as well, teaching them how to help their riders. Finally, when the demonstration green was done with her scrubbing, she came back to Syra and waited patiently while her own rider brought a vat of oil, clothes and a ladle to the Weyrlingmaster. Holding a cloth with one hand and pouring the oil over it with the other, Syra showed them how to find rough patches of hide to oil first.

"An imperfect hide will crack between and as your dragon grows. You will find many of these patches through the day and especially in the mornings after your dragonet grows in their sleep. They are often extremely itchy," she paused as she worked at a particularly rough, itchy patch she had found, making the green she was working on rumble with pleasure, "And you may have to keep coming to the oil vats through the day to take care of them." She handed the cloth to the green's rider and let her continue the oiling. "As you work on them, run your hands over their bodies and make sure you check obscure places for patchiness. Under chins, near the wing joints, between the legs, under their tails - even between their toes. Every single part of them needs to be oiled. If you feel muscles that are hot to the touch, it generally means a sprain - but call me over."

Pointing at a shed near the Lake she commented, "You can always find cloths, oils, ladles, and sweetsand in the sheds. When you feel you are ready to begin, you may bring out the other vats of oil and start. See me when you think you are finished and you can have the dragonhealer go over your dragonet for their first exam and to ensure that you didn’t miss any patchy places." A grin lit her face, "Have fun, dragonriders. This is great bonding time."

Lesera and Green Zelenyth
{ Tags: #Zren }

Lesera listened to the Weyrwoman talk with sleepy eyes. She wanted to make sure she listened this time, considering how badly her dragonet had made her look during the Feast for the Hatching. Even though she was one of the first ones to the class that morning, she couldn’t help but look around for Z’ren and his Draugarth. While her little green Zelenyth seemed to have mixed feelings about the brown, Lesera had a feeling that the two would eventually be rather close as they grew up. She was happy to see him walk through the classroom entry, but was slightly saddened that he hadn’t seen her and come to sit with her.

It was all too well, though, thought Lesera as she tried to focus once more on the woman’s words. Of course her brother had been the only one to properly greet the woman. The newly Impressed greenrider wanted to kick herself. She knew better than that, and what would her mother have said if she had seen that?! The young woman could feel the hunger of Zelenyth’s more fiercely now as the green grumbled that wanted food and all this waiting was taking much too long.

Finally, after the woman had demonstrated proper bowing etiquette, they were being led to the Weyr Lake which was a surprising distance away. She reasoned that it must be good for the muscles of the babies to be worked, and that the walking would help wake them up. As everyone filed out, Lesera scooted up to walk by Z’ren to the Lake. Offering a smile to him, she cast her gaze down, still slightly embarrassed about their night at the Feast together. If he was anything like her, he probably wanted to be a model student too to make up for his dragon’s and her green’s antics.

Lowering her voice she tried to speak so that others wouldn’t overhear, “It was nice spending time with you at the Feast last night. I’ll make sure to give your jacket back when I get a chance.” Lesera could feel the blush creeping into her cheeks and tried to make it seem like it was the cold of the pre-dawn morning that was causing it. She was definitely not looking forward to wading into the cold water to bathe her dragonet, but again decided that it would be for waking them all up.

When the group made it to the Lake edge, Lesera again claimed a spot next to the only person besides her brother she had had much contact with. Her eyes followed Syra’s movements as she watched the woman scrub in circles and run her hands over each part of the dragon she was demonstrating on. When she gestured to the sheds, the young woman made a note of memorizing their locations and brought her gaze back to Syra. She noticed how the older green’s hide tended to shine where the oil was rubbed in and smiled. Zelenyth would look very pretty by the end of her bath and oiling.

Lesera raised her hand, “Excuse me, Weyrwoman Syra. I’m from the Holds and haven’t been around dragons that much…” she blushed, looking down, “But, does oiling always make green…. glow like that?” for the dragon seemed to pulse with energy. The Weyrwoman looked from her student to the older green and her face changed.

“Greenrider, take your dragon to the herds. She’s about to rise.” She snapped, not wanting the maiden flight of the green to stir up trouble for her young dragons and their riders who had just been put on sexual restriction. The green bellowed as her rider lept to her back and urged her into the air. The woman’s face took on the look of one speaking with a dragon as the Weyrlingmaster grounded her blue from the flight. “Good eye… Lesera?” the woman seemed to ask, making sure she had gotten the name right, “That dragon is rising to mate. We will discuss mating flights at another time.”

The attention turned away as another weyrling asked a question, and the woman released them to bathe the dragonets. Zelenyth wasted no time bounding into the water and rumbling her appreciation for the cool water. Lesera took more time to get ready, kicking off her shoes and rolling up her pant legs and sleeves. Lesera! whined the dragon impatiently, The water feels amazing, but I am soo itchy!

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” She grinned, obediently wading into the water to tend to her dragonet.

Veyani and Sonadorath


(Tags: Teylarrin & Bl'en)

Listening to the Weyrlingmaster, Veyani had a feeling that this was the sort of thing S'jiro would have known to do instinctively. Feeling strangely inadequate, she shook the thoughts crowding in, out of her head. Sonadorath was not bothered by doing things wrong. Things were done wrong today, didn't mean they couldn't be done right tomorrow. There was nothing they couldn't accomplish together. That was probably the best sentiment she could keep in her head right now.

Well she at least had more experience than the other Hold-bred folk as she had helped to oil an adult Bronze dragon. Sonadorath looked so small and much easier to clean in comparison. Veya had no intention of bathing without companionship and had Sonadorath follow Astraiath. When they had come to the Lake, they stood next to the other green pair, listening to the instructions Syra was giving them.

The glowing hide of the green caught her eye as Lesera pointed the green out. She had been a Candidate long enough to know what that meant. Hopefully the green would be far enough away that they couldn't be distracted by her flight.

Another laugh, this time because what Teylarrin was saying was completely ridiculous, burst forth. "Teylarrin, there is no such thing. Have you been listening to weyrbrat tales?" Shaking her head at her friend, "Come on, the worst thing about it is that the water is cold." The second worst? It was wet. The combination was going to freeze them.

Dragonriders must get used to the  frigidity. Compared to Between it wasn't that cold. "I hope they transfer us to Igen." She said to Sonadorath. "Then we'll be warm all the time."
Oh? When can we go there? Look everyone is getting in the water. Whee! Water time! Come on Astraiath follow me!

"Hold your Runners." she said to the green. "I can't watch you AND grab vats of oil and things to scrub you with."

I will be good. I'll just put my feet in...

"I can get the oil and scrubbing things for you both." A decidedly male voice cut her off from saying anything more to the green. Bl'en added, "Vaqueroth is in no hurry and I need to get supplies anyway." The Bronze Weyrling smiled kindly.

Suddenly I feel horrible for thinking mean thoughts earlier. And she did think he was too nice but there was nothing wrong with a nice Bronzerider. Now that she thought about it, this could be a really nice change to her usual experience. "Thanks Bl'en, I know I'd appreciate it." Because her green had no intention of waiting on the shoreline for her rider to have everything together.

---
Bl'en and Vaqueroth

(Tags: Veyani, Teylarrin & Emberlynn)

Bl'en walked a little behind most of the clutch on the way down to the lake, mostly so he could keep an eye out for anyone who might be having trouble. It was their job to make certain the rest of the clutch was alright. At least that was his take away from the talk in class.

Vaqueroth was ready for a good scrubbing and oiling. The Bronze was not the largest dragonet in class but neither was he on the small end. This was going to take a while, so it was best that they were prepared for a long process.

The newest Bronze pair paid very close attention to Syra's instructions. So much so that they weren't really paying much attention to the green whose hide was glowing until it was pointed out by Lesera. He should have known but he hadn't been at the Weyr long and his sister didn't particularly like to talk about Flights. Raidenth was a large green and seemed thus far to like bigger male dragons. And knowing Lancelle's distaste for Bronzeriders, it seemed only fitting she didn't want to talk about it.

His sister would come around to his being a Bronzerider though. He couldn't see her judging him by his dragon when she knew him well enough to know that he would never be anyone other than who he was. And who he was would never be an tunnel snake of any kind to anyone. Chivalry was his middle name. Or it could be, if they had middle names.

Vaqueroth was not in a rush to get in the water. It looked cold. The Bronze made it a point not to bathe anywhere near Draugarth or Zelenyth. He didn't feel that either of them were good to associate with when they liked to cause trouble. More so Draugarth than Zelenyth. She seemed to act based on her feelings which were not so bad in and of themselves. Draugarth seemed to get pleasure from being bad.

The Bronze could not condone that. So the mature little metallic thought he would socialize with someone else. He approached Nymeriath, dipping his head to greet her, while his rider went to get things to bathe him. Good morning Nymeriath. Mind if I bathe here? My rider would like to talk with your rider while we get clean.

Bl'en came across Veyani, struggling to get her green to listen and offered to get her and Teylarrin supplies so they could watch their greens and not have to worry. He brought the girls their supplies first.

"Thank you again Bl'en!" Veya said with a smile.

He thought for being so happy, she seemed rather...sad? He didn't know, he wasn't as empathetic as others. There just seemed to be something behind her eyes. Shrugging it off as him reading too much into things, he approached his Bronze, surprised to see he was standing nearest to Nymeriath. "Mornin' Emberlynn." He said with a smile. "Sleep well?"

Teylarrin was concerned for the party. She had been forthright about those concerns. She was offended that her declaration be so openly dismissed. Worse, it had come from her friend. Weren't those the people that were supposed to back you, or at the very least give you the benefit of the doubt until you were proven wrong? Instead she had been contracted i front everyone in a derogatory manner. She could not help but puff up. "Idz duh trooth," she shot back.  "Ah sah id wid uhn ahz. Id jumd ride owd uh duh wahdur un uhagged ah buhl thad bownzd innair. Thuh Leg Wur iz reuhl."
Astraiath, for her part, was completed uninterested in things like undead whers. They rated on her List of Important Things as Number Bottom. Granted, that list was constantly in flux and things never maintained their position for very long with obvious exception of herself, which was directly on the top, and rightfully so. She was the most special Dragon ever, being the first flyer, the fastest runner, and most definitely not the last to meetings. She was certainly not going to jeopardize her position by being second in to the bathing pool, Lake Whers be damned.

I am going to put my everything in! the smaller Green announced upon hearing Sonadorath wuss out. She then hustled off toward the lake. Being young and still in the midst of a rapid growth spurt -as all Hatchlings were- her rushed steps were uneven causing her to wobble as she went.

"Ehy!" Teylarring shout. Her hand stretched out to clutch at the Dragonet but Astraiath far beyond arm reach. "Dunt! Stahp!"

Okay, I won't! Astraiath called back.

"Nuh!" Teylarrin shouted. "Thadz nahd wud Ah..." Her voice trailed off as Astraiath reached the water line. The baby Dragon leaped forward. Her wings extended which really did little but add an extra two seconds of glide time before she crashed down in the lake. She bounced up and down, the water still being shallow enough for her feet to tough the bottom. Her wings flapped, flinging water all around.

It's cold!

Teylarrin's breath seeped out in quiet growl. Her Dragon's antics had caused her to forget her righteous indignation. At the sound of Bl'en's voice, she slowly turned to look at the boy. This was not the first time that he had come to them offering his services. It almost seemed like it was his chief hobby. Naturally, this led her to the obvious conclusion. "Iz thad hem?" she asked Veyani. "Thuh boi yer sluhddin'?"

Spoiler:

#Veyani, #PoAWeyrlings

Unlike Bl'en, I'llium was not one of the first awake.  Perhaps it was the excitement of the day before.   Perhaps it was Borsaioloth's influence-- the blue had almost been snoring, so deeply asleep was he when the former guard had returned from the feast celebrating his Impression.  Perhaps it was the fact that he'd lain awake just staring at his dragon and contemplating how much his life had changed in the space of a couple of hours.

He'd gone from being the son of a miner to being a guardsman, reluctantly and forcefully back to simply being the son of a miner, and now… he was a dragonrider.  Standing through his own decision, but chosen by the whims of chance… and Borsaioloth.

Twice in his life, the decision on who or what to be had been taken away from him.  But the difference in the end result, and his own emotional reaction to it, was immense.  Borsaioloth had chosen him because they were meat to be a pair, to work together to protect Pern.  The father of the girl he adored had had him forcefully ejected from the guard because he hadn't wanted I'llium to pair with his daughter.  Complete rejection versus complete acceptance.

Though his mind was in turmoil, his heart had settled.  Borsaioloth had filled the void that had been left when he'd been ordered to leave Crom.  He'd taken up the space that was forever wounded by his mother's rejection of his father's death, and the more recent lack of recognition from her.

Or at least that's how it felt to I'llium as he lay there watching the blue's side rise and fall evenly in slumber.

Eventually, sleep had claimed the human part of this new dragon pair as well, and it was reluctant to relinquish its hold on him.

Startled awake by the shuffling of another young dragonet as it passed the curtained entry way into his alcove, I'llium sat up straight, reaching for his sword.  It was the reaction of a guardsman, and one he'd not totally lost since leaving Crom.

But his sword wasn't there.  And his instantaneous alertness woke Borsaioloth, who sat up almost as quickly as his rider had done.

We are awake!  It came out mentally as a crow, and was accompanied by a tiny vocal bugle.  As if it were the most impressive thing for the two of them to have done.

But Borsaioloth clearly noted the frown on I'llium's face, as well as the wariness still flooding his rider's mind.  Is something wrong?

I'llium was quick to reassure, though his heart was still beating fast.  "No, nothing is wrong."  Just how did one articulate one's own dragon that one wasn't used to waking… with dragons nearby?  It didn't seem right to tell Borsaioloth that he didn't… remember.  "This is… new.  Having you here.  And other dragons nearby."

Is new... bad?

Quickly throwing his feet over the side of the cot, I'llium rose and moved to his blue's side.  "No, not bad.  Just new.  Different."  Struggling to come up with the right words to say, he could only add, "I was not born here like you.  I haven't… been around the big dragons long."  And almost hesitantly, he reached out to pet Borsaioloth's head, his fingers slowly moving to rub the closest eye ridge.  Because that's where he felt the best place would be.

Borsaioloth leaned into the touch, the faint thread of panic that had started to form melting away into contentment.  And a recognition that more of his hide wanted I'llium's scratching.

More of me needs that.  It is... itchy?

The word was clearly pulled from his rider's mind, as the young blue had no real concept of what it meant.  It just sounded right to him, so he used it.

"I think… we need to oil you this morning.  To help with the itching."  Hadn't the Weyrlingmaster said that the night before?

And speaking of, another new dragon pair was heading out of the barracks, from the sounds of the strange skip-jump-drag noise going on past the curtain into his alcove.  Which possibly meant the Weyrlingmaster had called them, and he'd missed it.  "We'd better get going.  So we can get the itchiness to go away."  And get the blue fed, once it was time for that, as well.

Oh, more food?  I get more food?  I get more food soon?

Clearly, Borsaioloth thought it was time now, but I'llium vaguely remembered being told they would have to take care of other basic dragon care first, so their dragonets were awake for the sessions.  "Yes, soon."  'Soon' was a relative term, after all.  Wasn't it? he thought as he shoved his feet into his boots.

"Come on.  Let's go find all the others.  And see what the schedule is."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

For the record, Emberlynn had been one to greet the Weyrlingmaster with at least a 'ma'am' tacked on to her 'Good morning,' and a respectful nod.  She might not have specified the woman's rank, but 'ma'am' and 'sir' came out far more easily than more formal titles did, used to serving in a tavern as the new goldrider was.

Nymeriath had headed right on into the room and chosen a spot amongst her clutchmates.  Somewhere in the middle, she could interact with all of them, and yet be the center of their group at the same time.

At least that's what the gold's actions had appeared to suggest to Ember, who had grabbed a mug of klah before joining her dragon.  Smiling sleepily at her classmates in greeting as she passed them, she nodded to Bl'en, noting that he looked a bit more put together than she probably did.  The early hours put in as a guardsman would probably help him be the first one awake most of the time, she was guessing.  Along with the other two.  Although, they did seem to be missing so far…

Not for long, though, she thought as one strode in with his brown, followed not long after by the other and his blue.

The young man gave the Weyrlingmaster a salute instead of a bow, perhaps as if she were his guard commander, but otherwise greeted her with her name and rank as T'rian had done.

Why do you worry about them?

I am not worried about them, Emberlynn quickly countered, not wanting to alert Nymeriath any further to the misgivings she held about being classmates with several former guardsmen.  But she hadn't been swift enough, it seemed.

They will not harm you?

No, no.  No one will harm me, or you, here.  At least, not intentionally, anyway.  That much was true.

Good.  They will answer to me if they try.

Ember almost laughed aloud at the insistence and imperiousness in the gold's tone.  But Syra was speaking, and that would be highly inappropriate.

Especially so, as the woman didn't seem about to cut any of them slack for not all being weyrbred, or even holdbred, nor for this being their first morning as dragonriders.  Not that they should necessarily deserve any, but at the same time, barely any instructions had been given to them the night before, so they couldn't be expected to do everything correctly right away.  They'd learn as they went, on the job.  A concept she was highly familiar with… until she'd been stuck in Candidate lessons for reading and writing.

But that was neither here, nor there.  And it did indeed appear that they'd be learning not he job this morning.

Urging Nymeriath forward as the Weyrlingmaster led them out to the lake, she carefully kept her thoughts on the task at hand.

----------------------

Not long later, the demonstration over, and the rising green gone from the vicinity (important, to note, that sometimes it was difficult for the rider to tell, when it was the first time? Ember supposed, since she did have a dragon that would do that one day), Emberlynn watched in amusement as Nymeriath strode into the waves as if the owned them.  Clearly unafraid, the gold was in for a big surprise when the water proved as chilly as it was.

Making a tiny sound of distress, she backpedaled out of the water and wound up falling backwards, flailing a moment rather ungracefully before she managed to roll over and get back to her feet.

All the while, Emberlynn was trying hard not to laugh.

And at that point is when Vaqueroth found them.

As if she hadn't just been rolling around in the sand, the gold simply nodded to her bronze clutchmate.  That is fine.  But this... water needs to be warmer.  It is quite.... unpleasant.  Vaqueroth wasn't in it, either, so it was likely that he agreed with her, after all.

Chuckling because she couldn't help it, Ember shook her head at her dragon and turned to Bl'en.  "Good morning, Bl'en.  And as well as could be expected, with all the excitement of yesterday," she responded, gesturing towards their dragons to indicate what all had changed since the day before.  "You?"

Reassuring Teylarrin, "I'm sure our dragons would be a match for any lake Wher. I can't see them allowing anyone to hurt us. Maybe it is only out at night? Whers see better in the dark don't they?" Veyani wasn't actually one hundred percent sure on that but she wanted to help Teylarrin.

Once the vats of oil and bucket of scrubbing sand and materials were before them, she began to wade into the water a little in order to better reach Sonadorath.

Veyani felt her cheeks get warm at Teylarrin's question. "No. He's just nice I think." Too nice really. She probably wouldn't even have looked twice at him if he hadn't been nice. But the flip side of that was she really would never be interested in someone like him. Not that she was sure she'd be interested in anyone again, at least not any time soon.

Certainly there were plenty of good looking men around the Weyr. She would have multiple options when Sonadorath was more mature. For now, the green was going to be her focus. Thankfully she had Sonadorath to keep her feeling positive. She began to scrub her hide, trying to work in some kind of methodical way but realizing she was anything but methodical in her movements. Surely she wouldn't miss a spot even if she wasn't a meticulous person.

---

Vaqueroth approaching Nymeriath was a good thing, Bl'en though although unexpected. Though why it should be so, he wasn't sure. He wanted to believe he had kept his feelings from his new dragon but he felt he had obviously failed. Why else would the Bronze have chosen to approach Nymeriath? He had to wonder.

Why here?
Nymeriath doesn't cause trouble like some of the others. Also you like her rider for company. Were you friends before?

Sort of. I'll explain it another time. "Now into the water...so you can get a bath."

The Bronze was hesitant, inclined to agree with Nymeriath, I must agree. The water is unpleasant. Being clean will be nice and to no longer be itchy.


To Ember he replied before gathering his bucket and scrub brush, "Yeah. Everything has changed. From my own perspective it has changed for the better though. Even if it might have complicated some things."

  "Ah dunt noh," Teylarrin said, unconvinced. She had seen the proof. She had heard the stories. It would take more than just logic and reason to make her change her mind. The possibility of a zombie wher was too good to pass up. She could just image all of the fame and legends that could arise from its existence.  No, that was not true. She could not imagine it at all. But if she could, then she imagined that she would imagine that it would be astounding. Not to mention that it would give her something unique to see. Granted she had had several new experiences since she had first arrived at the Weyr but none of them were this cool. If the tales turned out to be false, what else had she learned was a fable too?  No, she definitely preferred to believe in the mystical monstrosity.

"Idz ahlwez dirk unner theh wadur. Mehbeh id dunt tuh slehp nun," she theorized. "Mehbeh thuh juhz fehd id uh baybuh draguh tuh ahpeez id suh theh dunt hayv tuh fur ids moownzluhd rayth." That totally made more sense than the Lake Wher just being made-up.

Astraith was happily bouncing up and down in the cold water. She put out a lot of sloshing ripples. Thewater around her puffy waist was white with froth. She flicked her wings in and out, even the one that was still sore from her minor flight time the night before. Her frolicking sent the occasional frigid rain showering back to those who remained ashore. As far as she was concerned, the refreshing blasts were good for them. They needed to spend more time playing and less time running about in the sad little lives.

Teylarrin smirked when she noticed the shade that was creeping up Veyani's cheeks. Perhaps her comment on Bl'en had not been as far off mark as her friend would have her believe. "Ah dun cuked rayur meads thad wur lace peeng thahn ya," she teased. "Mehbeh heez gahd tuh nehxd tecked fer thuh Vey-Vey Experez?  Hmm? Gahduh cehch thad riyuhd nehxt tiyum id cuhms riyuhnd, yayuh?"

Spoiler:

#Veyani, #PoAWeyrlings

Uncertainty was not something she was accustomed to feeling. Maybe a creature did lurk at the bottom of the lake? She wanted to believe that was wrong but at the same time, she didn't want to make Teylarrin feel invalidated either. Especially since she seemed to believe there was a creature there quite vehemently.

Veyani shrugged at her comment about being pink. She was embarrassed a little. Not enough to be upset at Teylarrin for pointing it out. Her parents had spent a good deal of time warning them about proper behavior when she lived on the farm. Certainly she would never have expected to fall for someone so quickly as to allow herself to be...well...used.

Sonadorath was quiet while she was being scrubbed, allowing her rider to focus so that they could be done soon. The water was cold and the little green was already bored with it. She wanted to be out in the warm sun as quickly as possible.

A little bit shocked by Teylarrin's suggestion, "No more of that for a while." And she was a little relieved that was the case. Veya didn't particularly like thinking about her relationship sometimes. At other times it might be okay to reflect on the good things. Or so she told herself.

"What about you? Anyone catch your fancy?"

Teylarrin thought that Veyani was just playing off her embarrassment as a whole lot of nothing. Blushes didn't lie. She knew the truth. She thought that she did anyway. As long as she believed in something, it was as good as proven, much like with that Lake Wher. Who needed actual proof when supposition was readily available? "Id aynd nuhthin," she told her friend with a dismissive wave. "Ah dun sayn lads'uh thangz add muh codohl thad mayk ya bluhz mur'in thad. Sum thangz thad wur daywn ride scureh." She did not quite manage to suppose a shudder as images came unbidden to her mind.

 Astraiath ceased her frolicking as a few of those same images reached her own child-like mind. The Green could not make sense of what they were supposed to represent, a sentiment that her Rider shared, albeit to a lesser degree. However, unlike Teylarrin, Astraiath was quick to drop the strange thoughts. She was much more interested in having fun. Not many of the other seemed to feel the same way.

Why are you all waiting on the beach? she asked her siblings. I have tested the water. It is warm and soothing.

Okay so maybe that was not quite true. But if she told them that it was cold then they may not wish to enter the pool. Bathing only grew more fun as the lake filled with occupants, or so she assumed. It was acceptable to fib so long as it was in the best interests of the group. So they would be a little chilled at first. Soon they would come to accept her way of thinking, then everyone would be splashing about. What greater goal could one aspire to than having the best day? And it would all be thanks to her: the Number Best Dragon.

 Veyani's queston drew Teylarrin's attention from a less than happy images to a set that were more pleasing to her mind's eye. "Meeeeehbuh," she answered with a coy smirk. She was tempted to leave it at that. The urge to continue won out, though. "Thayr'z thiz  tuh boiz Ah med wehn Ah furzt gawd hayr. Thayr cehwt, layk twehnz ur sumthan. Ah main thayr yuhner thuh meh, buhd nahd eff ya pud'em tuhgehthur." Her smile stretched in toone that was a touch more devious. Yes, there was an image that she could work with.

Spoiler:

#Veyani, #PoAWeyrlings

Yes, Nymeriath responded.  I look forward to the itch being gone.  I would prefer that before getting clean, but my rider says that is not the proper order.  The young queen had tried to convince Emberlynn that doing things out of order was sometimes a good thing, but her rider  explained that bathing would remove any oil they applied, and thus waste it, if the process was reversed.  Believing she would need a great amount of the stuff to get rid of the itchy spots in her hide, Nymeriath was all for conserving the oil, even if she was rather impatient in waiting for the time to use it.

Cocking her head to the side as she considered Bl'en, Ember wondered at his words.  "It's changed for the better, for you, huh?  And here I thought you wanted to be a guardsman all your life."  She couldn't argue that things had certainly taken a turn for the good for herself, though-- going from Holdless to goldrider was something out of a harper's tale, even if one else knew the entire story.  "I suppose being a dragonrider is still similar to that profession, though-- you'll just be protecting people in a different way."  Especially with a bronze.  Instead of guard captain, he'd possibly make Wingsecond, or Wingleader one day.  Maybe even Weyrleader, if Vaqueroth were lucky enough to fly the senior queen.

Taking up her own supplies, the weyrling goldrider privately agreed that Impression had complicated things a great deal-- for her, at least.  How they had done so for him, though, she wasn't sure-- other than granting him greater proximity to herself, which he'd already professed to wanting before they'd both come to the Weyr.  Was that possibly what he was referring to?

Instead of asking, she continued to outwardly muse, "It's still a surprise, even now.  Two golds, of all things, in that clutch.  One of them chose the Weyrwoman's daughter, which probably wasn't surprising, while the other… chose me.  And I'm not really sure how."

Go on, love.  You have to brave it some time.  It's not going to get any warmer, unfortunately.