Don't Get Too Excited [Champions of Legend Weyrling Lesson]

[Zen]

K'ton

The Spring Storms weyrlings had been given an off day today, one he suggested they use to study for their upcoming final exams, but after the feast last night, he imagined some of them might have had a bit much to drink and wouldn't be doing more than nursing the after effects. It didn't much matter to him either way how they chose to spend their day. The Hatching had been a complete fiasco and then that boy had gone and made a fool of himself at the feast and had to be dragged out back to his weyr before he made an even bigger mess of the night. K'ton had never been a big believer in the 'will of the Weyr' when it came to the senior Flight, but he was starting to hope there might be some merit in it as A'zael's reputation continued to sink lower. He wasn't certain just how much longer he could stomach the man as Weyrleader.

He'd assigned Amaril to start going over star charts with the Once Upon A Time weyrlings. They would practicing flying at night tonight and start learning to navigate by the stars. And D'rew was handling the newest class, teaching them basic dragon care. K'ton scowled where he stood at the height of the eastern plateau just thinking about them. One female brownrider was bad enough, now they had two more? And he didn't even want to think about the drama surrounding the new goldrider. On the one hand, what the shell? On the other, golds only Impressed girls. Female ridden browns aside, the metallics were rather choosy about their lifemates, and nothing but their own sex would do. That was how it always had been and K'ton was quite certain it was how it always would be. What T'vir was playing at, he wasn't sure, but he found it incredibly hard to believe that the new goldrider might actually be a male. Whoever heard of a man dressing and living as a woman, anyway? And that would hardly be enough to fool a dragon. But it still put him on edge.

Today, however, his focus needed to be on the Champions of Legend weyrlings, of which T'vir was part of the class. As long as the boy didn't try to start any more drama during today's lesson, things ought to go just fine. Oh, yes, and Mollin would be fully integrated into the class starting today. While her blue had long since had his first unmanned flight, he could instead use the time to get more practice in the air. After the younger dragons all got their go at their first real flights, they would be be spending a bit more time in the air, exercising their wings. Daltilith could join them in that, at the least. And Mollin would join the rest of the class in learning about riding straps and how to make them afterward, while the dragons rested. Sorth perched at the edge of the plateau, watching as the class began the trek up to them following his call.

K'ton clasped his hands behind his back, surveying them all briefly as they finally arrived. “Today, your dragons will be taking their first real flights, unmanned,” he was sure to add, as some of the weyrlings looked at each other with excitement or trepidation, “They need to get used to carrying their own weight around in the air before adding yours. It will still be two more months before you'll be allowed to fly with them.” There were murmurs of disappointment, but they were brief as K'ton fixed them with a hard stare until they shut their mouths, “I'll give you all one warning, and that is it. If any of you attempt to fly before you have my express permission, I ensure you it will not be worth the consequences.” Sorth rumbled behind him for emphasis. The old bronze did enjoy getting weyrlings in trouble. He would be watching in the days ahead. It never failed, someone always tried to fly early, the temptation too much to ignore.

“Now then. Each of your dragons will take off from the edge of the plateau, fly out over the lake, and circle back, returning to land back on the plateau. They should remain at a fairly level altitude the entire time and not try anything fancy, and it's your job as their rider to keep control over them so they don't get over eager. After everyone has had their turn, they will all be allowed to return to the air for a bit more practice,” he looked over each dragon, his gaze resting for a long moment on Sonath. He'd be watching the green more carefully than the others. She tended to tire quicker during ground drills than the rest of her clutch and he imagined she would today as well. His gaze settled on Mollin, narrowing in the slightest, “Mollin. You may as well have your blue go first. It will be simple enough for him, but he can remain in the air instead of landing like the others. Have him circle the plateau for now.”

[Hiko]

The morning came too soon, Mollin thought as she groggily snatched at her clothing, none too eager to return to classes once it had become apparent that K'ton, not his assistants, would be taking on the day's lesson.
Ugh.
Her head was killing her.
While others might have dealt with a hangover after the amount of wine Mollin had put away over the course of the evening, the blue rider had always had a gift when it came to inebriation. Tipsy was one thing, but she had never been flat-out drunk before, and likewise had never endured the hangovers that lesser drinkers might.
She had, however, spent the bulk of her evening crying, and most of her time in bed that night ruminating over her emotional state. Her sinuses were stiff, her eyes weary, and her mood defeated, all before the day had even truly begun.
–

At least K'ton hadn't bitten her head off, when he addressed her in front of the class. He'd narrowed his gaze, but had allowed her to keep the shreds of dignity she still had. She almost groveled at his feet for that; surely he'd been at the feast the night before, seen the mockery of functional adults that had been herself and their Weyrleader.
She swallowed a groan. She was not going to think about him. The wound was still too fresh.
Instead, she nodded at the weyrlingmaster and gave Daltilith the go ahead for flight. The blue, for his part, had slept troubled. With Mollin curled at his forelegs overnight, he had been as loathe to rise that morning as she, and the poor dragon had had to share her conflicted dreams. In spite of this, Daltilith was quite eager to stretch his wings in the sky. He loved the idea of being around the younger weyrlings, and more so the idea that he could keep flying, rather than land. It took some will on Mollin's part to not let the blue have his way in the air. At least, she noted, watching the dragon as he glided effortlessly in the sky, they were back in the fold. When he eventually finished the returning circle, Daltilith himself seemed quite pleased at the levelness of his flight.
Mollin! I did good! Didn't I do good?
You were amazing, love, she answered, grinning despite the ache in her head, That's how it's done. Now stay aloft until Sorth or K'ton give further instruction.
I could stay up here all day! the blue warbled a happy agreement to his rider's command.

This was right, she thought, this was where she belonged.

[Taxx]

T'vir mingled with the rest of the class, his gaze turning frequently to Brauth; the blue was off with a green clutchmate, trailing in her wake instead of keeping step with his rider. T’vir let him be; when the lesson got underway, he’d get Brauth’s attention. Until then, there was no reason to stop him from chatting with a clutchmate.

Sure enough, when the weyrlings and dragons had lined up in front of the Weyrlingmaster, Brauth broke off- if a bit reluctantly- to crouch behind T’vir and peer at the ‘master and dragon over his rider’s head. The brief thrill of excitement at the mention of flying died a sad death as K’ton stressed that it would be for the dragons only, adding his warning against any of the weyrlings trying it for themselves. Two months? A flicker of the thought went through his mind- could he get away with it? What consequences would the action give him?

Still, he wouldn’t. Two months was a wait he groaned over, but he knew equally that crossing K’ton was definitely a Bad Idea. Besides, he couldn’t risk Brauth. It’d be easy to convince the blue to go along with it, but if he got hurt, T’vir would never be able to forget that he was the reason behind it.

A gentle nuzzle pulled him from his thoughts. Daltillith has gone. My turn? Green eyes were blinking at the older blue, hovering now above the rest. T’vir nodded and Brauth gave a hum of joy, rising as he moved around to stand on the edge of the plateau, just a few feet from Sorth; wings spread, he crouched and then sprang, his wings beating hard to give him lift as he voiced a cheery rumble.

Just around the lake, T’vir instructed, lifting a hand to shade his eyes as he watched the blue take off, strong beats propelling him forward, the rumble rising to an almost-roar at the feeling. Being in the air, flying- it felt natural and he was thrilled. It made T’vir have to keep a hold on him, to stop him from pulling any antics that might earn them both a disapproving glare, and to convince him to come back after he finished his round of the lake, when Brauth would have happily gone on until he simply couldn’t fly any more.

Even that short flight made muscles unused to carrying his weight twinge, and as he landed, T’vir motioned for him to lie down as he began to lightly rub at the wing joints, while Brauth continued to hum, reveling in the simple pleasure of flying and attention from his rider as they waited for the next dragon to go.

[deebear]

Sonath practically vibrated with her excitement as they joined the rest of their fellow weyrlings for that day's lesson. As much as everyone around them seemed to think she was going to keel over and Between herself at any given moment, Mari's beautiful, little green was eager to prove to everyone, including herself, that she was just as able as her siblings.

It broke Mari's heart that Sonath knew, and worried, about her differences from every other dragon in her clutch and in the weyr. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, but just because she was smaller and a bit weaker than the others, it did not mean that people should dismiss her the way they did. She kept all these thoughts from her dragon, she refused to spoil her excitement and was ready for them to have something new to work at and practice.

They stood off to the side, Mari leaning gently against Sonath's warm side as they waited for, then listened, as K'ton started their lesson. Brown eyes flared slightly and purple and blue eyes whirled wildly at the news that their dragons would be taking an unmanned flight. She was okay with that because Sonath was still young and very small in comparison. She definitely did not want to hurt her dragon. Sonath flooded her rider's mind with love as, Fly!, bounced around her head. Making her want to laugh but she didn't dare, not while they were getting instructions. She patted her dragon's side and said, Yes! You get to fly today! Now listen to K'ton. We both have to listen. She impressed upon her young dragon the importance of paying attention, as she had heard what had happened to a previous weyrling and she sure as shells wasn't going to let that happen to her and Sonath.

Mari let out a little sigh of relief. Where she was sure Sonath could carry her, she was glad to know that they still had time before taking that step. She wasn't going to jump into something that might end up hurting her dragon. She caught K'ton's gaze as it rested on Sonath and she had to make herself not frown. She was always protective and defensive of her dragon, but she knew he didn't mean any harm. Both she and Sonath knew they had a lot of work to do and she was well aware that the little green didn't have the stamina of the others in her clutch. That was okay though, she could do it. Sonath, catching onto pieces of her rider's emotions looked down at her and puffed a breath at the top of her head. Mari smiled and took her eyes off the weyrlingmaster to look up at her dragon, giving her side another pat. She let her feel all her love and confidence, pulling back and hiding any worry or concern she felt. She would not cause her dragon to worry, not today.

They watched as Mollin's blue took to the air with what seemed to be practiced ease. Looks easy enough. Think you can do it?", she asked Sonath, her tone faintly teasing. She was nosed for her words. Yes, Mar., was what she received in response and Mari just smiled. I know, love., she told her then watched as Brauth took to the air. She smiled a bit as the blue made his flight out and back, but she could tell the difference in his flight, versus the older, Daltilith's flight once he was back on the ground. She blocked her worry she stood straight and looked up at Sonath. There was no reason to delay the inevitable and all that. You ready, Sonath?

Sonath stood from where she had been resting beside Mari, watching, and gave a soft bugle as she lifted and spread her wings. She gave a couple slow flaps, as they had been practicing for mobility, then closed her wings again. Ready! Sonath was excited! If her siblings were ready to fly then she, too, was ready. That's my girl! Easy does it now, remember what K'ton said? Sonath rumbled quietly as her whisper-like voice came to her again. Fly. Lake. Sonath paused for a long moment before speaking again, as was fairly normal. Back. Mari gave her a cheerful smile and said, That's right! Off you go now. Slow and steady.

Sonath made her way to the edge of the plateau and spread her wings wide, giving a test flap before crouching. Up you go! Easy! Sonath rumbled and pushed herself off the ground as she gave a strong, for her, down sweep of her wings which pulled her small frame off the ground. Her takeoff was slightly uneven and wobbly, but once she had her back legs tucked under her she leveled out for the most part. Mari, having had a slight moment of panic had moved forward as if she would be able to help her dragon to fly. More likely she'd have been flattened, even under the tiny green. You did it! You're flying!, she cheered her on as she, like the dragons before her, made her way out over the lake as instructed.

Easy, Sonath, not so fast. Slow down., she told her when she felt her excitement and eagerness to go as fast as her brother and Daltilith had gone. She could already feel her straining through their bond and watched her dip in the air a bit. Mari managed to keep herself calm, but she was wringing her hands and chewing her lip as the tiny green turned and made her way back. She may have paced just a bit as dark eyes watched her bonded struggle to make it back safely. Tired. It's okay, you're doing well! Almost back now., Mari told her. Sonath had managed to pull herself higher into the air again, which was good considering she had dipped below the plateau and a crash landing would not help either of them. There you go! Easy now, easy! Slow down. No, no! Not that slow silly! Okay, back feet first. Perfect!

Okay, maybe it wasn't your standard perfect, but for Sonath it was definitely perfect. Mari was at Sonath's side before her wings had fully closed to make sure she was, in fact, alright. As short a flight as it was Sonath's sides heaved in and out with her heavy breathing as she tried to catch her breath, heavy puffs of air were blown out occasionally past teeth and lips that were slightly parted. Her wings drooped beside her but at Mari's request, she opened them enough for Mari's small hands to start checking her for injuries. I am so proud of you! You did so well! Oh! I am sorry, does that hurt? I will take care of you, don't worry! No...worry...Mar

Completely forgetting, for the time being, the rest of the class, Mari made mental notes of every flinch and whine that her dragon made as she checked her over from nose to tail. Fly...fun! It was the most her dragon had spoken in a very long time, so she knew she was happy and excited, but Mari worried at the same time. Yes, love. Very fun!, she told her.

[Deleted]

The Hatching the night before had been an exciting time for most of the other weyrlings. They had drank and ate their fill, then stumbled back to their dragons in a drunken stupor to sleep off their vices. M'sarr had only attended the Hatching proper, having watched the once-candidates become weyrlings like herself. It was odd being in the audience of a Hatching, as she had stood at what felt like a great many in her Turns since being Searched. From there, she had only had one drink before removing herself from the overwhelming amount of people and sought refuge with Luluth.

As they walked up to the plateau, M'sarr thought back to what would have happened if she hadn't agreed to come with the bluerider that had Searched her. If she had decided to become a beastcrafter.

Well, Luluth began, you never would have met me and that would make me sad. I probably would have never hatched, you know, if not for you, so I guess I really wouldn't have been sad because I wouldn't be here-- I'd be somewhere between, you know, where ever that is. She chuckled physically, a rumbling noise in the young Green's chest. M'sarr's lips perked up a little.

Of course I'm glad I met you! M'sarr's mind voice tried to recreate the tone of I-didn't-mean-it-that-way, but failed. Luluth's own thoughts reassured her that she had gotten the message-- M'sarr didn't go into her reprieve due to anything the little dragon had done. Also, I don't think between is anywhere at all, Lulu.

It has to be somewhere otherwise you can't go there. You're silly. There was a pause, then Luluth started in again, You would have been fantastic with your... your... The dragon trailed off, forgetting the correct term for "runnerbeasts," and likely also forgetting her entire reason for going on with her story in the first place. M'sarr patted her shoulder lovingly; even if the dragon's previous words were depressing, the thought that a creature loved her so deeply and could show it in words was a unique and often strange experience. M'sarr still hadn't completely gotten used to the fact Luluth could hear all that she thought, and sometimes still spoke out loud to her even though it was unnecessary.

Their teacher, K'ton, began his speech about what they would be doing for the day. As soon as he mentioned their lesson, Luluth perked up and her eyes swirled blue. She was excited and M'sarr shared in the emotion, allowing her dragon's joy and excitement to spread through her. The emotion dulled slightly when she realized it was an unmanned flight, but M'sarr wasn't bothered terribly. Luluth was small, smaller even than Sonath, and the thought of riding her at all was somewhat worrisome. Would she be able to even bear her weight in the air when it came time? Would she even be able to bear her own weight in the air?

M'sarr's own excitement quickly turned to worry. She was only half-listening to the instructions K'ton was giving. Fly around the lake, fly back, don't try flying on Luluth before he said to. Simple enough, although M'sarr could feel Luluth's own excitement at being able to fly for the first time. She was probably going to try to fly farther than she was supposed to, or try some kind of aerial stunt. M'sarr was nothing if she did not know her dragon.

Daltilith went first. He was bigger than the other dragons, and M'sarr didn't quite know his or his rider's story. In fact, she barely knew any of her fellow weyrlings. She mainly kept to herself, although she was able to at least supply simple conversation with most of her class. Simple conversation, though, didn't get her anywhere in making friends.

Do I get to circle? Luluth asked.

No, Lulu, you have to land. At least that's what M'sarr thought. She did catch the tail end of what K'ton had been saying and why Daltilith was going first.

The next dragon that went performed well enough, but he was obviously fatigued when he landed. M'sarr's worrying only intensified at the sight of the rider rubbing the dragon's wing joints.

I can do this! Don't doubt me. The dragon ruffled her wings. The tips still touched the ground, just like they had on the day she had hatched. Perhaps Luluth's longer wings would help her fly and not be so fatigued. Some of the worry went away.

I don't doubt you, Lulu! I know you can do this. M'sarr smiled at her Green. It was slightly more convincing than she thought it was.

Sonath went next.

Luluth's eyes whirled purple in concern for her clutchmate. The small green swept her wings down, then was aloft. Her flight wasn't perfect, and it seemed to be fairly difficult on the little Green. M'sarr barred Luluth from sending Sonath encouragement, informing her that it could throw off her concentration. She flew slower, dipped low, then managed to regain altitude. Sonath landed not-so-gracefully, and Mari ran over to inspect her dragon.

Had Sonath been hurt? M'sarr looked over at the pair. She seemed to be fatigued, just like Brauth had been, only she seemed to be especially winded.

My turn. Luluth's voice was suddenly firm in M'sarr's mind. It was better now than never; wallowing in her own anxiety would just cause problems if she kept letting it get the better of her. She took a deep breath as Luluth approached the edge of the plateau.

Luluth's body shivered as she unfurled her wings. Her eyes were focused hard on the horizon. In one downswing of her wings, she was aloft. Another sent her forward and into the air. She was surprisingly unsteady, and M'sarr stayed with her not only to keep her under control, but to also offer support. Luluth was aware she wasn't steady.

It took a few long seconds for the Green to gain control of her body, and in that time she had dipped low. She adjusted her wings, then rose back up to the intended height... then higher. She did the opposite and managed to level out at the appropriate altitude despite her protests to M'sarr.

Her turn around the lake was graceful and languid. The sun glistened off her smooth emerald hide and her silhouette reflected in the lake below. Luluth took the turn slowly and tried to dip low so she could ride back up to the right altitude again. M'sarr kept her in check, telling her that whoever did best -- besides Daltilith, because he had practice -- would be the best flyer of the day. The sudden competition made the little dragon focus, and she flew back to the plateau without any further issues.

M'sarr felt the ache of her dragon in her own shoulders. Luluth came in to land, but it was unsteady. She flared her wings back and swept them down, pushing a large amount of dust into the air as she suddenly halted her momentum forward.

How do I land? her voice was concerned, although her feet were just a few feet from the ground. She pushed her wings down again as she drew too close to the ground too quickly-- a sort of uncertain hovering.

Just let yourself drop. It won't hurt you. You don't get points for best landing, this is just a flying day. Luluth snapped her wings closed at her sides and fell to the ground with her front paws first, similar to a cat. Her hind legs hit the ground heavily. She seemed momentarily stunned, then shook her head from side to side. M'sarr was immediately at the dragon's side.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She could feel the ache that Luluth felt in her wings-- a warm, dull pain that spread throughout her entire body. Taking T'vir's example, she reached upward and rubbed Luluth's wing joints. The dragon crooned softly.

That feels nice, Luluth said. Flying was so much fun! Did you see me? I must have fallen a hundred feet only to rise back up. I flew so high, Mm, so high!! You should've let me stay up there.

You know what K'ton said, M'sarr replied. Stay level. Which you did. You did a good job! She nudged her elbow into her dragon's shoulder lightly, You're in the lead. You should have seen how well you turned in the air.

Luluth hummed in contentment, and M'sarr went back to working at her wing joints. K'ton had said once everyone went, they would fly more, and she wanted to be sure that Luluth would be up for flying as much as he asked them to.

[Taxx]

Isali of green Zyrath

Even knowing that the lesson had been scheduled, Isali was late; not until Sonath had begun her flight did she stumble into the group, clutching a stitch in her side and trying to keep her breathing quiet as she made her way to Zyrath's side, one eye on K’ton in the perhaps vain hope he’d miss her tardy arrival. The green ignored her completely, which she was used to so she hardly batted an eye. Her breaths evened as the next few went, and then K'ton glanced at her and nodded. Zyrath rose, a glimmer of pleasure bleeding over as the other dragons and riders made way for her- they knew her temper, and Isali couldn't blame them for staying well away from her teeth and claws.

Crouching at the edge of the cliff, Zyrath spread her wings and launched, flinging herself into open space with a well-timed downstroke. She knew all eyes were on her, watching her course around the lake, but she ignored them. She might have considered a bit of showing off, but why should she? She was perfection and they ought to know it; antics were beneath her.

But she completed her round with ease and decided that surely- one more couldn’t hurt. What did K’ton know? He was human, and he didn’t know her as well as she knew herself. Land, Zyrath, Isali demanded, and any momentary doubts the green had had vanished at the attempt the young woman made to order her about. She flashed past the group without pause, angling to make a second circuit of the lake.

“Zyrath!” Mentally and vocally, Isali bellowed the green’s name, stomping toward the cliff’s edge and planting her fists on her hips. Of course her dragon, out of all of them, would ignore K’ton. “You sharding overgrown firelizard, get your tailforks back here right now!”

You dare! The green’s voice rang with fury, enough to make Isali wince, and she turned back- her maneuver, hastened by her anger, was a bit too quick and the sudden ache of a pulled muscle twinged in the rider’s left shoulder; fighting past the discomfort, Zyrath straightened once more and arrowed back to where Isali waited, backing away far enough to give the weyrling dragon room to land. It wasn’t the smoothest landing, but Zyrath hardly gave Isali a chance to feel relief at the fact she’d managed to land at all.

Shoving her muzzle into the woman’s face, Zyrath parted her jaws and roared, nearly rocking Isali off her feet by the burst of noise and breath. Reacting almost on instinct, Isali reached out to thump a fist against the green’s nose; surprised by the blow, Zyrath fell silent, a whirl of uncertain orange flashing through the red. “Don’t you roar at me!” Isali scolded, hands back on her hips. “You were told once, Zyrath, and only once. K’ton is your ‘master too, and I don’t care what you think of him, you will listen!”

The green had begun dancing before Isali had got halfway through the tirade, rage obvious in the now blood red of her gaze and the growl that rumbled in her throat, and the end of it broke off with an ‘oof!’ as a hard bump from Zyrath’s muzzle knocked Isali over on her back. Deadly quiet, the green stared down at her rider. You do not tell me what to do, she growled, and stepped over Isali- at least careful enough to avoid the girl’s body with her claws, settling down back in the midst of her clutchmates, speaking once more as she turned to glower at K’ton. No human tells me what to do.

[Zen]

K'ton :: Bronze Sorth

K'ton watched the progress of each young dragon as they took their turns. Daltilith did just fine, as he should at his age, even without the proper training he should have had by now. The Weyrlingmaster scowled as he watched the older blue for a moment longer as he remained in the air as instructed. He and his rider should be about to graduate, ready to join the Wings, not wasting time with flight basics. His disgust at their reckless Weyrleader flared once more, but then T'vir's blue was taking his turn. They followed directions. Good. As T'vir immediately saw to his dragon, K'ton nodded for the next weyrling to go. He didn't care what order they went in, though he'd step in if they wanted to act like 'brats and fight over the next spot in line.

So far so good, however, as Sonath rose and moved forward to take her turn. Some of the other weyrlings were watching to see if the green would be able to make the circle or not. K'ton mentally prodded Sorth and the bronze rumbled in protest but perched ready at the edge of the plateau if Sonath proved to need assistance. The green dipped and K'ton looked to Sorth, but the bronze had only tensed slightly and did not make any other move. Sonath leveled out, too low, but before he could tell Marilsa to get her higher, one or both of them already realized it. As Sonath landed, clearly far more tired from the flight than her blue brother had been, K'ton wondered if she had it in her to return to the air with the rest of the class. Perhaps that circle would have to be enough for her today.

Luluth went next. The green was slightly smaller than Sonath, but had normal muscle tone and had never seemed to have any of the troubles her sister had, so K'ton was hardly concerned that she wouldn't be able to do it, especially after Sonath had managed, winded or not. Luluth tended to be excitable, however, and he watched her closely just to make sure she didn't deviate from his directions. The flight went well, though her landing was rough, but didn't seem to do more than jar her. He wasn't surprised, many young dragons took some time to get their landing right.

He had been too focused on watching Sonath to notice Isali's late arrival during her flight, a lucky break for the young woman. But as the number of dragons that had yet to fly dwindled, he finally looked over at her and gave her a nod to go next, taking a moment as he tried to recall if she had actually been there at the start of the lesson or not. She had certainly made herself known for her tardiness.

Her green's flight went quite well... until she turned back out over the lake for another circle instead of landing. Isali's call of her dragon's name let him know she was trying to control her dragon, but as was often the case with the two of them, it didn't entirely work. Sorth rumbled amusement as he watched the ordeal, eyes whirling with interest as he eyed the young green. You should not be so amused by blatant disobedience, K'ton growled at his dragon. These lessons are boring. Zyrath at least makes them interesting. And as the bronze finished speaking, the green landed and roared in her rider's face.

Everyone watching appeared just as surprised as Zyrath as Isali gave her dragon a thump on the nose for her antics. Sorth's rumble of amusement continued as Zyrath knocked her rider over and stepped over her, only to turn her gaze toward K'ton. The Weyrlingmaster's jaw worked at the green's attitude, “You should know your place, weyrling.” Do remind her. Still amused by the entire situation, Sorth pressed his will as a bronze upon the green, While I appreciate your fire, little one, you will not disrespect my rider. You will listen or you will die from your own arrogance before you graduate.

K'ton glanced to Isali then, “If you cannot control your dragon, you will be held back until you can, Isali.” The slightest smirk settled on his lips as he returned his attention to Zyrath, “Something tells me you would not like to be left behind by the rest of your clutchmates, so next time you're feeling high and mighty and want to ignore orders, your rider may want to remind you of that. You are grounded for the rest of the day. Enjoy watching the rest of your clutch test their wings while you are stuck on the ground.” Do not let her fly. Sorth impressed the order onto the young green to keep her grounded for the day, and K'ton dismissed them both from his mind and returned to the lesson. “T'skel, get your blue in the air!” he called.

Taxx Esko

[Esko]

T'skel and blue Taloth

Interesting. Sonath didn't snap under the weight of the wind.

'Taloth!' T'skel stood by his dragon, though he'd rather be with some of his friends; the blue always made it a point to stand as far as possible from his peers. The wind whistled and blew around the man's curly hair. 'Why do ya gotta be so moody all the time? You're going to be flying today! What's not to be excited about?' T'skel patted Taloth's side. The dragon snorted and whipped his tail at his bonded, the man jumping back with a yip.

A necessary step in the growth of a dragon. It is just another milestone in my path to full maturity. Taloth huffed and examined himself, nodding with satisfaction. There is nothing to celebrate.

'But at least be happy? Or maybe even smile? You're too sad!' T'skel took his thumbs and pushed the corners of Taloth's mouth upwards, revealing some teeth. The blue's eyes narrowed and a streak of red swirled once before vanishing. One of these days, I will lose a tooth in your arm.

'Please don't.' T'skel put his arms down and looked up as Zyrath flew. Everything seemed to be going well, and he smiled. He'd seen troublemakers and pranksters before, but Zyrath was prone to outright disobeying the rules. T'skel himself didn't get it, but whatever. Neither did Taloth, and it was a relief when he had something in common with his blue. Surprise, surprise. Zyrath is overstepping her bounds. Taloth commented as his green clutchsister took a second spin around the lake. T'skel groaned; he hated seeing when others were about to get in trouble, even if they were the sole ones responsible. You hold too much empathy for others, T'skelmine.

'Empathy's a good thing.' He winced as Zyrath landed and proceeded to claim that no human could command her. Idiot. Taloth snarled. Just proving the stereotype about greens. Ditsy, idiotic.

'Taloth! That's mean!'

It is true, though. The 'Master should just let her die of her own arrogance and relieve Pern of her burden. The blue's tail flicked back and forth, before he stood up with a sigh. You do not need to 'get me up', for I am already up. Without much protest, Taloth beat his wings and followed the course, remaining at a level altitude. He saw no need for such frivolous things such as showing off; let herdbeasts like Draveth do that. Without much of a show, Taloth landed once more. Alright, I'm done.

[Zen]

K'ton :: Bronze Sorth, M'kal :: Bronze Draveth

Taloth's flight was uneventful, as it should have been. As the rest of the weyrling dragons took their turns, one by one, K'ton became increasingly surprised that M'kal and his bronze seemed content to wait. Young bronzeriders were usually some of the first to volunteer for these milestones. Until finally they were the only ones in the class that had not gone. There had been no further incidents, and Sorth was growing bored again. “M'kal, finish us out.”

From his place leaning against Draveth's side, M'kal pushed forward and took a step away from his dragon, Well, you wanted to go last.

Of course, all the better for them all to remember my most spectacular performance, Draveth replied smugly, stepping forward and raising his wings just so, the light glinting off his metallic hide. He launched from the plateau, rising easily enough into the air and beginning his circle around the lake.

Surely you are capable of more than that? Sorth was quite aware that Draveth was incapable of backing down from a challenge.

The older bronze's words briefly distracted Draveth in his flight and he dipped in the air, but quickly regained his altitude. Of course I am! Just watch, grayhide!

As Draveth banked around the far side of the lake, he continued to roll in the air, and M'kal's stomach flipped with his dragon, Draveth, what are you doing?

Giving everyone a proper show! He completed the roll, but dropped in altitude more than he had anticipated. Luckily he had plenty of time to regain it before he reached the plateau. And the drop had brought him closer to the surface of the lake, where he could properly see his reflection. He bugled triumphantly and admired himself in the water. I am most impressive today, aren't I?

You need to rise or you're gonna impressively run right into the side of the plateau! M'kal stood at the edge, watching the bronze intently, but cast a quick glance back to see the displeased expression on K'ton's face. Great. First Isali and her green had gotten themselves yelled at and now he was sure to get an earful as well. I hope you realize he's probably gonna ground you too now, you sharding dimglow.

It isn't my fault if he's jealous that his own grayhide bronze clearly can't keep up with my abilities, Draveth replied, unconcerned as he tore himself away from his reflection and began to climb in altitude. M'kal moved away, giving him room to land, and though it wasn't as graceful as it could have been, it wasn't a bad landing by any means. He flared his wings in triumph of his glorious first flight, which had clearly been far more impressive than any of his siblings'.

“Stupidity must run in your family,” K'ton spat at him, “Do you realize that he could very well have fallen out of the air? It was his first sharding flight and you thought it was all right to let him do an unnecessary maneuver?”

M'kal's temper flared at the insult, “I didn't let him do anything! He just suddenly decided to do it with no warning. Or did you want to me try to stop him in the middle of it and probably make him fall, since you know, as you pointed out in your infinite wisdom, it was his first flight and I doubt he could'a pulled out of it successfully at this point!” I could have if I wanted to. How could you doubt my abilities? I'll do it right now- You will NOT.

“Watch your tongue, boy,” K'ton growled, but hearing that the bronze had given no warning at all had him suspicious and his glare turned to his own dragon, What did you do. The bronze mocked hurt, What could I possibly have done? K'ton growled, What did you SAY, you threadspore. Does it matter? He could have been hurt! But you never think about these things. You JUST warned Zyrath off because she could get hurt, has your memory really gotten so bad? Sorth huffed indignantly, He is a bronze. What is your point? He is more capable. And if he hurts himself he is less competition for you. He is no competition for me as it is, the bronze insisted, offended at the notion.

Not giving M'kal any indication that it was his own dragon that had instigated the issue, K'ton returned his attention to the young man, “There seems to be a problem in this class with keeping control of your dragon. Draveth can keep Zyrath company on the ground today, as I cannot trust either of you to keep them from overextending themselves.” Sorth's interference or not.

I told you, M'kal growled moodily to his bronze, arms crossing over his chest defensively as he glared at K'ton. Draveth gave a dramatic stretch of his wings, Jealousy is truly a pitiful thing. He is hardly jealous of your stupidity. The bronze huffed at that, I prefer to call it daring. Call it whatever you like, it still got you grounded.

K'ton turned to the rest of the class then, “The rest of your dragons can return to the air. Take off one at a time and give the dragon before you ample room before your own takes off. Watch your dragon closely and keep them well away from their clutchmates so there are no collisions while they practice using their wings and getting used to carrying their weight. Be aware. This is an exercise in your bond with them just as much as it is physical exercise for your dragons. You'll start to feel their aches as if they were your own. Get them back on the ground before they strain themselves, and pay attention so there are no landing collisions. They can rest for a while if they need it before taking back to the air. We'll continue with the flight exercise until lunch. Easy flights only. Do not let them try any unnecessary maneuvers.”

The weyrlingmaster cast a pointed look back at M'kal and Draveth, and M'kal gritted his teeth at being made a bad example for the entire class. You see what you did? Did you really expect to me to be content with such a boring first flight? Yes. Well, Sorth was right. I was capable of much more. Wait, what? His gaze narrowed at the older bronze, What do you mean, Sorth was right? He questioned my abilities.

As the first dragons returned to the air, M'kal stalked over to K'ton, “Are you sharding serious? It was your own shelling dragon's fault Draveth did that roll in the first place and you're punishing US!?”

K'ton eyed the boy, “I already told you once to watch your tongue, boy. You ought to be able to control your dragon despite outside interference. If you can't keep your bronze from making stupid decisions at the slightest suggestion, it is hardly my fault.” As M'kal opened his mouth to keep arguing, K'ton continued, “If you would like to keep arguing, I would be glad to assign you extra duties to take your frustrations out on.”

M'kal's mouth snapped shut with a click of his teeth and he spent a moment longer glaring hatefully at the man, but when it became apparent the boy at least had some sense, K'ton turned his back on him to watch the weyrling dragons in the sky. As M'kal stalked back to Draveth's side, he growled under his breath, “Chase yourself Between.” He slid down Draveth's side and considered a nearby rock, and whether it would be worth the trouble to chuck it at K'ton's head. He sabotaged us on purpose, Draveth. Maybe you're right. He is jealous. He wants to hold us back. I told you.