Do as I say, not as I do (Lightnight Strikes!)

[Lark]

Alyara had been drilling them since they first learned to flame a month and a half ago. The greenrider had them in the air, doing twists and turns...unfortunately there had been some injuries, but they were doing it. By Faranth, she was a good teacher, and they'd be ready for the Gather to show off their skills and be drafted into wings for graduation in another few months.

She could hardly believe it had been a full turn since they had been hatched. However, today, was their turnday. She had a special surprise for them. Call them love. Avirith crooned, wagging her tail behind her like an excited canine. WEYRLINGS, COME AND LETS CELEBRATE YOUR TURNDAY WITH A LESSON! The green chortled as Hers pulled on the hem of her tunic, then brushed off her pants.

You look fine Aralove. Avirith nudged Hers, not even remembering why the girl was so self-conscious. It was better that way. As each one came to greet her, she smiled and nodded her head to return the words. "Alright everyone, get mounted and head to Apollo." She vaulted over Avirith's back, the green arching her wings and shooting into the air without another word.

They appeared over the hold created to house most of the Halls on The Island. Landing in one of the pastures, Avirith let her head fall so that Hers could slip off. Want me to move those hay barrels over? Sure thing love. I'll be back soon, tell them to wait here, but move those things quickly. Avirith did so, placing them all into a carefully propped up bunch before the first weyrling popped in from between.

Heading to the Hold, Ara greeted the young man that was there. "Niro, do you mind sending some drudges out to the fields with some food for the weyrlings? I already talked to the Lord Holder about it." The man nodded his head, going back inside quickly. Ara went back after that, sitting against Avirith's side as drudges soon followed and set up a table with pastries and sandwiches. The greenrider thanked them as they left and turned to the weyrlings that were now here.

"Eat first, talk a bit. Then we'll get to the lesson."
At least this way those riders can't follow us here.

[kitsuneko]

Humph. You'd think what with it being our turnday, we'd get a day off, not an extra lesson, Kaith griped as R'hard got him ready for the day's lesson. The brownrider just gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kaith, I'm sure it will over soon. There might even be a party." R'hard grinned. Kaith did not answer, but as soon as R'hard was mounted on his back, he took off. It wasn't a particularly long flight to where Ara was waiting for the weyrlings, but R'hard appreciated the ride all the same.

Before long, they took off again, though, this time for Apollo Hold. R'hard grinned almost as soon as he and Kaith appeared from between. Ha! Told you there'd be a party...sort of. Kaith settled down in the field, and R'hard wasted no time in attacking the food table while waiting for the lesson to start.

[Zirin]

Avirith has called a lesson. How is that a celebration? Kayath huffed. She was still in a sour mood, ever since their private lesson on the river. Stupid weyrlingmaster and her stupid rules about chewing firestone. She would chew it, since she was forced to, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Not to mention, Ara had actually yelled at her. HER! Kayath! It sucked.

“Oh come on princess, maybe it’ll be more flying instead.” Kayath huffed unhappily again, but allowed J’dol to harness her up regardless. “Where is the lesson anyway?” He asked, finally pulling on his riding gear and mounting. Kayath only sent an image of where Ara was waiting. They landed and J’dol gave a mock salute to Ara in greeting, while Kayath gave a short snort of annoyance at the woman, though a pleasant enough greeting at Avirith. Kayath was quick to follow when Avirith launched into the air, and taking the mental image from J’dol twice (to ensure the image was correct) they betweened as well.

“Oh a party,” J’dol chuckled as he dismounted the grumpy topaz. He waved at R'hard, since he hadn’t had the chance to before betweening. He was quick to help himself to a pastry, curious as to what could have brought their lesson all the way out here.

---

"G-good day, Weyrlingmaster," U'wa greeted as he ran up to where Ara had been waiting for the weyrlings. He had been in the area relaxing, and so had been close enough to run there. Peniath soon swooped in from overhead, her straps dangling in her mouth. The moment she touched down, U'wa jogged over to harness her and hopped into place to join the others.

Betweening was easy for the green pair; U'wa's excellent memory meant almost no time was needed for a picture to be formed, and though the dark nothingness of between still frightened him, he was getting better.

Oh! Oh look it's a party! For our hatching right? Did I hatch today? U'wa chuckled, trying to get her to understand that it had been a whole Turn since she had hatched. Isn't this exciting, brothers and sisters? She addressed everyone, A party for us! I want to have lots of fun! You'll have fun too, right Mine? U'wa nodded, but as usual he hung back, still nervous about social interactions despite having been with his classmates for a full Turn.

[Zero]

Mideth stretched and gave a yawn as Avirith’s message disturbed his little nap. Rising from his ledge he stuck his head back into his weyr and relayed the message to His. R’xth couldn’t help it, he groaned outright when he was told they were being called to another lesson. This was supposed to be their day off! “I was gonna go fishin’…” Mumbling under his breath, the young bluerider hoisted himself off the floor, where he had been cleaning his boots and quickly tugged them on.

Don’t worry R’xthMine. There will still be time after our lesson for your fishing. Ry shook his head at his dragons words and quickly got to work getting the large blue nice and strapped up with the riding harness. A quick adjustment to the area Mideth pointed out and the two were on their way.

They met the others and Ry gave his usual light nod of greeting to his fellow classmates and teacher while Mideth rumbled his own greetings. Tugging his riding jacket on, R’xth mounted and the two followed the others into the sky. Then came the transfer, the moment of blackness and bitter cold, but just like that it was over and the duo were rejoining the rest on the grass.

The sight of food managed to put R’xth in a slightly better mood. So after hopping off Mideth’s back, he wandered over to the table and began to enjoy one of the sweetrolls. Indeed PeniathSisterMine, it should be exciting. A party for us, who would have guessed... The dark blue rumbled in response to his green sister as he settled himself on the grass back behind where His was currently standing.

[Lark]

Alyara smiled as the werylings popped in from between and reacted to the scene she had gotten ready for them. Avirith crooned to her charges as well, lowering her body into the grass and curling up on her side. Ara leaned against the green's forearm, watching as the riders ate and talked. Her gaze kept going to one in particular, but she met it each time with a scolding thought. She was supposed to be having fun yes, but she was also here for a lesson. Glancing at the barrels of hay that Avirith had moved over, she smirked.

Listen up Little Ones! AraMine and I have something new and exciting to teach you!

Avirith crooned as she got to her feet, nudging Hers playfully. "Alright, I don't know how much you all know about dragons in terms of their psychic abilities, but a couple of hundred turns ago they learned something knew and since it has been passed down in the last few months of weyrling training. Getting to this point means you have learned everything you need to know to be a rider. You have flown, betweened, flamed, and you have drilled. Now, your dragons are about to learn something. In about a month, we'll be learning the last thing a weyrling pair learns...it is also the most dangerous and the most forbidden thing unless given orders to do. There will be more on that later though."

She looked at each and then at Avirith who folded in her wings. "Your dragons have the ability to go between places, they have the ability to speak to you in your mind and others too...they also have the ability to move things with their minds, and they can go between times as well. The second of which is the thing that I mentioned you must never do unless instructed. It is dangerous, and it is taxing on both rider and dragon." Ara let her words sink in before she nodded and walked around a bit. "Now, for moving an object with their mind, a dragon has to focus on just that. They have to imagine it moving, and most of all, they must believe they can do it."

Avirith let her voice broadcast to the weyrlings. It is much like flying and betweening! It's just something that we know how to do, we just must learn. She turned her head to the nearest barrel of hay and concentrated, the barrel moved to the left a few spaces, then back to its original spot. "Try it with your dragons, then I'll tell you why we are here in Apolla Hold learning this."

[Zirin]

Kayath snorted, still peeved of the use of Little Ones as a nickname for them, well, namely for her, but many of her siblings were not much larger than the green. It should have been 'Listen up Kayath and Little Ones', or 'Your Majesty and the lesser ones'. Yes, Your Majesty was a good name. You should pay attention Kay, this is stuff that you should know. She snorted, not pleased at being reprimanded by her puny human. Nonetheless, she gave Avirith a portion of her attention.

J'dol wondered briefly why everyone was taught these skills if they weren't supposed to use them; he would have been less surprised if it was somethng saved for the bronzes and queens, but, they were all learning anyway. Hmm, travelling between times could be fun, but was anything in the past all that exciting? Now who isn't paying attention!? He chuckled under his breath as Avirith began the lesson in earnest.

Kayath looked at the hay bail when instructed. Why in all of Pern would she want to move hay? She couldn't eat it, and without stone she couldn't flame it, so she saw no purpose. It's for learning, idiot. A snort of dismissal was all he got from the large dragon before she began attempting it. After a few moments, the hay bail still hadn't moved. Kayath growled at Avirith. My hay bail is broken. Go fetch me a new one.

---

Peniath giggled gleefully at Mideth's response. I never would have guessed, that's for sure! And I'm glad too! Surprises are so much fun. The greeen was almost shivering in excitement as she bounded around, poking her snout into every nook and cranny she could find. At Avirith's call, she gave up her game and flopped her butt down near Mideth to listen. U'wa had to repeat the instructions before she fully understood what was required of her. That one right there! okay Mine? The dragoness, sent her boy an image of the particular bundle she had set her sights on.

U'wa smiled as he felt her intense concentration through their link, but remained as quiet as he could. Then, as he was watching, he could have sworn the hay twitched a little... then again, and finally a small jerk to the left proved it had infact moved. "Congr-" I did it! I DID IT! Look everyone my hay moved! Eeeeeee! I've always wanted to be first at something and now I have been. Yay!

Red-faced with embarassment, U'wa buried his ehad into his hands.

[kitsuneko]

Okay, so Hirion and Ferrth were a little late. But as far as they were concerned, it was their party anyway, so they were excused, whether or not Alyara and Avirith saw it that way or not. Ferrth bugled a greeting to Peniath, and then his other brothers and sisters, as the pair arrived. Yes, a party! Will there be food? the blue asked.

Hirion bit back a chuckle. "I know you can't be hungry already, Ferrth."

Before he could respond, the weyrlingmaster started to speak, and he and Hirion settled down to listen. The girl cocked an eyebrow at the mention of timing it, and tried not to let Ara see her smile. Oh, the possibilities...

She turned to Ferrth, urging him to try it. The blue made a comical image, hunched over on the ground with his eyes fixed intently on the nearest hay bale, but nothing seemed to be happening. He growled in frustration.

"Hey, I think it just moved! Like, an inch or two to the side, maybe?" Hirion glanced at her blue hopefully.

Ferrth snorted. Nope, it's not working, he said, twitching his wings sulkily.

Kaith was having much less trouble. R'hard had abandoned the snacks soon after Ara started her speech, and now stood beside the brown and watched. After a moment of concentrated effort, the hay bale he was focusing on moved to the left and then back, perfectly mimicking Avirith's earlier demonstration.

"Alright, Kaith!" R'hard patted the dragon's shoulder proudly.

Kaith just heaved a draconic sigh. How boring.