Tide Chasers Lesson 3: Flaming 101

[Akira]

K’lin stretched his back, legs, and arms as he made his way to the Weyrlake. He had decided the night before that the lake would be the safest place to teach his class how to flame. He smiled with approval as he looked over the piles of things they would need. He had made sure to cover everything so that it would be a bit of a surprise to the young weyrlings. After all, it wasn’t every day that a weyrling first gets the ok to start chewing firestone. Bearith rumbled with amusement as he watched his rider, and listened to the man’s thoughts. This really will be an interesting day Bearith. I just hope none of them get over zealous and burn down the Weyr. At the thought of the weyrlings flaming a sudden picture of them burning down the Weyr entered the man’s mind, and had him wondering if this really was a good idea.

Relax Mine, we didn’t burn down the Weyr, and neither will these young ones. And we don’t have to do this today, they also need to learn how to Between as well. That was one lesson that neither of them were looking forward to, more than one weyrling had tried to between with their riders and died when Alyara and Avirith tried to teach Loraketh’s first weyrlings how to between. He knew it was inevitable, and he would have to teach them eventually, but he wanted to get the flaming over with since he had a feeling that that would be the most dangerous for the Weyr to endure. Bearith crooned, and gently nudged his rider before turning, and bugling a call to the weyrlings of his class. Come little ones, it is time for another lesson! His voice was light and sweet, and contained a hint that something fun was about to happen.

[diogenessbeast]

At least for that contained in the voice, Dancereth was pretty good at subtly. It had to do with tone- she was an empathetic creature, and she could understand tonal changes and what they usually meant. So, when a familiar blue's voice rang in her mind, she knew instantly that today, something was Different. This would be a Special lesson. Her mind went instantly to what it could be-- Ter'lohr had told her all sorts of fun things she would learn in weyrlinghood-- but she could not remember, for the life of her, what other subjects were meant to learn.

So, instead, she ruffled her wings and reached her mental presence out to gently stroke Ter'lohr's mind. Lore, we have a lesson! And something about it is special. I don't know what, but Bearith's voice was Different. Excited. So this one might be fun! not boring, like some of the others. She couldn't quite remember the last lesson, but she knew it had been boring.

Ter'lohr finished the chore he'd been doing, and wandered out to the bowl to join her. "Perhaps it's betweening." he said to her, and she seemed to brighten.

Betweening! That would be fun! But scary- what if we don't come out? I heard the older dragons talking, and they said that sometimes weyrlings do not come back, the first few times they try to between.

Ter'lohr smiled at her as they walked, reaching a hand up to touch her neck in comfort. she was so much larger then she had been when she hatched, which made him smile too. It still seemed like a dream, but here she was next to him, proof in her existance and her growth. "We'll be fine, I'm sure of it." he answered, with all the confidence that he felt in his voice. as they neared the lesson area, however, it became clear what they were doing- stacks of firestone were hard to hide, and no attempt to do so had been made. "looks like it's not between today, though- it's flaming."

Flaming! Now |That| will be fun! she answered, no hint of worry in her voice: there was no danger of getting lost between in learning to breathe fire.

---

Kordelia and Isanoth also came when called, as soon as they were able, but they did not make the connection that this lesson was anything special until they were close. Kordelia's eyes widened at the firestone everywhere, and she frowned- this. This was the thing she hadn't wanted to deal with, when she Impressed a fighting dragon.

She wouldn't trade Isanoth for the world, not for the most beautiful clutcher in all of Pern. But, of course, the clutchers did not breathe fire, which to her was their major strength: something about firebreathing was just.. it made her shudder. Perhaps it was memories from childhood, where she had first learned-- the hard way-- how hot coals were, and why people didn't touch them, or perhaps it was some deeper, baser reaction to fire. It made her feel unsafe and uncomfortable.

Isanoth, however, was feeling quite enthusiastic about the lesson, and he headbutted his human gently. Don't worry, I'll be careful to keep my flame away from you.

"It's not your flame I'm worried about." she answered under her breath, but his words made her feel better, and she leaned into the opal gently.

I'll make sure you are safe from all the flames. he answered, and his sincerity touched her.

"Then I don't feel so bad." she answered, though the lesson still brought feelings of trepidation to her mind.

---

Shockingly, krofud was actually on-time for this lesson. She was not the earliest: oh no, not by a long-shot. But when the lesson call came out, Ortaith had reached his mind out and listened for his siblings' responses, to try to figure out what lesson it was, and what he learned had excited him.

Come on, kro. Stop acting like a feline and get to your feet- there's a lesson on. he said, as soon as he heard the word 'flaming' in a few of his siblings' mindvoices, and turned to his rider. She was taking her afternoon nap in the sun-- usually a position from which not all the dragons in the weyr could move her.

"Why?" she muttered, not opening her eyes. "It's just a lesson. Let me finish my nap."

It's a |good| lesson. Flaming! I want to learn how to breathe fire. he replied, emphatically. And if we don't hurry, my brothers and sisters will eat up all the firestone, and leave none for me.

"Hardly." she snorted, but got to her feet anyway: it was clear Ortaith really wanted this, and only his desires would get her up with such alacrity. "Let's be off." She started without him, and Ortaith jogged to keep up. "and get this over with," she added, under her breath.

Where Kordelia nad Ter'lohr had greeted the weyrlingmaster with a salute, Krofud offered nothing but a glance and her presence. she had not gotten used to the weyr's formalities, and probably never would.

[jillianna]

Eulurth tilted his head slightly as bearith's voice echoedin his mind. The older blue seemed... Softer spoken? Happy and nice? What was up with that? He nudged jillalene gently with his nose from his shelf.

Enough reading littlelovemine. Time for a new lesson.

Jillalene sighed and sat her book aside. She'd neglected that part of her harper's training since her bonding with eulurth and had thought this might be a free day so she started it up again. Alas, it was like the weyr had decided on the path of the rider for her yet again. She got to her feet and righted her skirts.

"oh alright eulurth. But do we know what it's involving? I'm not changing again unless it's necessary."

"I'm not sure, but bearith seems a bit excited..."

"very well. Let's go."


When they arrived there were a few already there. Her old roommate kordelia among them. Judging from the way the girl was looking at the Firestone she was none too excited about the prospect of flaming. Jillalene smiled as she and eulurth greeted everyone

. "Come now kordelia. It's as if you don't trust us."

Eulurth's low rumbling chuckle belied the excitement that was building inside him.

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

D'rian sighed and tossed yet another log onto the fire. His blocks had been completely dry and dead inside. Totally useless for his art. With a frustrated groan he got up and started looking for his axe. This last batch hadn't lasted as long as the last one had. He hefted the axe and started to leave for more wood, but Kelath caught him before he made it out the door.

We have a lesson,mine. Flaming from the voices of my siblings...

Oh very well. But right after we're going to get more."

What has you so fixed on this lately mine?

" i wanted to build a crib for deadra and k'lin. It's likely to happen soon, she can't possibly hold out for more than a few more weeks, but with everything that's been going on I let the time get away from me..."

Kelath crooned his approval. Remarkably kind of you mine.

"Yes well. It's not every day you're there when you master is told he's going to be a father."

When they got to the lesson some of their clutch mates were already there. He offered k'lin a brief nod of respectful greeting and grinned at lene joining them to await he start of the lesson.

[Lark]

Oh AkiluMyLove, we're going to go to another lesson and be wonderful with my beautiful siblings again aren't we?

Lorendyth preened her wings as she chirped to her rider. The young woman smiled back at the green, wiping the newly oiled hide over once with a damp rag and then got up to her feet. "Yeah, we should be learning to flame soon. Faranth knows we've been doing drills on it for many days now." The dragoness, for what else could Akilu call Lorendyth now that she was growing up more and more, nudged her rider gently and got up herself.

Come on now love, let's get going. She pushed the girl toward her shoulder and bowed down for her to get a step up onto her neck. No one would ever see how much she actually cared for her rider, the girl was too naive to protect herself against the evils like herself. So, it was her job to protect Akilu, even if that meant destroying everything else around her. Not that that wouldn't be fun in of itself. The dragoness crooned to herself and luckily her rider mistook it for a happy laugh.

"Alright Lorendyth, let's get out of here." Akilu clung to her green's neck as the dragoness launched from their weyr and out into the sky. It was warm, lovely and warm. They'll only forever be cold though. Shaking her head, Akilu fought back the tears that threatened to spill over as she thought about a certain weyrling pair which had never come back after their first trip between. They are together, Sakalas and Arreth. That's all that matters in the end.

Nodding, Akilu braced herself for the landing as the green dropped to the Bowl below and cried out a high pitched welcome. That was another odd thing about her lifemate, Lorendyth never had any of the trumpeting bellows that some dragons did. Her cries were always just that, a cry sharp and like metal. Rubbing the dark, almost black hide, she slipped off and waved to the other weyrlings in her class. Lorendyth dipped her head in greeting to a few as well before flicking her tail at a certain Bronze and Amethyst.

The purple female was a problem, but at least not as bothersome as when she was younger, though still fairly bad. Turning to the Bronze instead, she decided he would be a good ally after all. Not friend, never friend, only Braymoth was a friend. Lorendyth took prisoners and allies, and that was it. Very little was differentiated between the two anyway. Come and sit near me my Brother. I have things I wish to discuss with you. The dragoness was a crafty thing though, and she had tricks up her wings. There was always a reason to her madness. You wouldn't deny your dear sister the pleasure of sitting with you...would you?