The Blackest Night (Lightning Strikes!)

[Lark]

Ara paced for what must have been the hundreth time. They had worked on flying drills endlessly for the past three months, and memorizing spots had come with it. They were doing well, but today would be the ultimate test. She feared this lesson above all others.

Avirith crooned comfortingly to the greenrider, trying to calm the 18 turn old's fears. This is something they must do on their own. Ara bit her lip knowing it was true. Still....she sighed. She'd talked to S'bel all of yesterday about how to teach this particular lesson. After all, he had been the master before her for a while.

It was a comforting thought that she could talk to him again, and certainly helpful. Now, she was on her own though. Not entirely. I am always here MyLove. Avirith nuzzled her rider and grabbed for the minds of the dragons. Come! No fooling around, no tardies! This lesson is of the upmost importance.

One by one the weyrlings started to arrive and Ara double checked their straps to make sure they were in order. Straddling her green's neck, she signalled them to rise in the wedge shape form of a Wing. Once in the air a good ways she let Avirith do the talking. You will circle with us on formation around to the Red Stone. Then, you will be given an image by my rider and I. Take this, see it, focus on nothing else. It will be easier this first time since the picture is being given. Then circle around again, and do it by yourself.

The picture was simply where they started high above the Weyr Bowl. If they did it right they'd end up going from the Weyr Bowl, flying to the Red Stone, betweening back and doing it again but by themselves. Ara took in a breath to calm her nerves.

(This is happening a couple of days BEFORE the gather starts. Sorry I hadn't had time to put this up before now. If you want to kill off a weyrling, it's a good idea to do it now. Feel free to take slightly longer than normal and freak Ara out by the way. xD )

[Zirin]

[[OOC: Lark, I had did some mild powerplay with Ara, let me know if this isn't alright!]]

Both J'dol and U'wa, and of course their bondeds, arrived fully dressed and on time for the lesson. In fact, they were among the first to show up, through from opposite directions. They had known for a few days that a lesson, a very important lesson, was coming up. For U'wa, that meant he had spent a lot of his free time practicing his flying and point recognition. For J'dol, it had meant being lazy and oiling Kayath. Regardless of how they had spent their free time the last few days, they had both arrived ready for the lesson, both a little nervous about Avirith's call.

Once everyone had arrived the lesson started in earnest. Kayath moved to take her position behind and to the right of Avirith, her rider grinning cheekily to Ara in hopes of lifting the tension in the air. Peniath took a position at the very back, behind everyone. They had been practicing formations for a long time, and knowing how their fellow classmates flew made taking off and circling with the wing a snap for both pairs. He felt the tension get thicker as Avirith passed on the instructions. Betweening... piece of cake! J'dol thought, barely registering the snort of disproval from his Topaz bonded. U'wa was having a bit more of a heart attack over it. Had he practiced enough? Would he be able to do this? Peniath's voice in his head was calming, but not completely so. Green and Topaz, staying in position, followed Avirith until the image came. J'dol! Focus, this is no time to be day dreaming. Kayath reprimanded, though J'dol hadn't been daydreaming. He had just assumed he could do it easily. However, the tone of worry from the orange dragon made him sigh, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the image. Go! He called mentally when they were given the signal to go. Then blackness envelopped everything.

Kayath!? He thought he yelled, though he couldn't hear his own words. I am here. I am always here. Her voice was calm and level in his mind, and he focused on the image, only the image, as the seconds ticked by. Then, just as suddenly as the darkness had come, it was gone and the bright, warm sun as practically blinding him as he realized they were above the Weyr Bowl. He released a sigh of relief and rubbed the great orange neck affectionately.

U'wa had a similar reaction to his first trip between. Though unlike J'dol, he surprisingly did not freak out as the black nothingness enveloped them. He had read all about this, he had spoken to fully fledged riders about it. He was prepared for this. Well, it was still scary, but more for the worry that he had somehow messed up then for the shock value of the dark, and the cold, and the lack of feeling. He had to admit to himself that it was unnerving, the feeling - or lack thereof- of the dragon beneath him. He could feel her mind though and knew she was there for him. Of course U'waMine! I wanted to do this with you! We are doing it! U'wa grinned mentally as he continued to keep that image in mind. And soon, as soon as he could say the poem of Black, Blacker, Blackest, they had returned to the light. He whooped lightly before setting right into the second task. Individual betweening.

He could see J'dol and Kayath prepping to make their solo jump ahead of him, as well as a few others, and wished them luck. Circling around, he gathered his own image of their destination. It wouldn't do to use the image Avirith had given them. Already it was growing faint in his mind. He stared at the spot until he was confident in the image, then they went to continue the circle and, after passing the Stone, he brought the image to the forfront of his mind, and told Peniath to go between. This is easy Mine! I wanted to be as good as everyone else! But maybe we're better! U'wa grinned, but reminded her that they hadn't made it out of between yet.

I got it Princess, let's go J'dol drolled lazily as they started their circle. He was planning on just using the fuzzy image Avirith had supplied. Faranth no! Kayath replied angrily, You will do your best here Mine. I do not want to fail because my rider was too lazy to care about his life and my own. And really Mine, I am much too young and wonderful to get lost between. SO DO IT RIGHT! She physically snapped at him, red tinging her eyes. J'dol jumped from surprise, not expecting the topaz to have been so vicious about it. He glanced out over the side, suddenly nervous. Memories of their first spot recognition class came to mind. What if he couldn't picture it on his own right? He had improved since then... but his drawings were still not spectacular. Giving her his own image, he told her not to go between just yet. Instead, he was nervous enough to want a second opinion.

Avirith dear, Kayath called to the green, sending the somewhat fuzzy image J'dol had given. Is it alright if I double check with you? Is that image clear enough? After getting a response from their teacher, J'dol gave it a second attempt, focusing harder than before to supply his dragon with an image. Yes, that one was better! He could feel Kayath's approval and the pair circled the Stone and went between.

Kayath and Peniath were among the first to have returned. Both green- and topaz- pairs cheered at their success. Little did they realize that, as the firsts there were still many coming behind them. Many who they could potentially never see again. It wasn't a thought on either mind though, both were too drunk on their own successes to be on the lookout for their classmates just yet.

[kitsuneko]

R'hard and Kaith arrived at the weyrlings' meeting place at almost the same time as Hirion and Ferrth, and the two riders nodded cordially to each other. The brownrider and bluerider had become friends over the last nine months, though neither was interested in making it anything more than that. Hirion gave the other weyrling an encouraging smile, assuming that he was probably as nervous about this all-important lesson as she was. She had grown up in the Weyr, she knew the statistics when it came to flying between.

It'll be alright, HirionMine, Ferrth assured her with a croon. We've both studied hard for this and we know exactly what we have to do.

"I know, Ferrth." Hirion sighed and settled back to listen carefully to what Ara and Avirith had to tell them.

Well, what are we waiting for? Kaith asked even as they took to the air and formed a Wing.

Kaith, are you even paying attention to Avirith? R'hard demanded. This is important!

Yeah, yeah, the weyrling grumbled, but all the same he redirected his attention to the green dragon. Impatient to get it out of the way, R'hard and Kaith were some of the first to go, after the topaz and one of the green weyrlings. The pair flew straight to the Red Stone and Kaith fixed the image borrowed from Avirith in his head. Within a moment, they were in between.

Faranth, he'd forgotten how cold it was in between. R'hard had only been there once before, after all, when he'd been dropped off at Trelis, but this was even worse than he remembered. He thought of the familiar Weyrbowl and they were soon back where they had started. Kaith bugled proudly when he realized he had successfully betweened.

Fine, but now we have to do it on our own, R'hard reminded him dourly. Dutifully, the pair repeated to their trip back to the Star Stone and R'hard fixed his mental image firmly in his head as he had been taught. They went between again--and again came out safely. Only then did the brownrider finally breathe out a sigh of relief.

Ferrth had watched it all, and he snorted. It doesn't seem so hard.

"Easy, there," Hirion warned him. "You know what they say about overconfidence."

Do I?

"Never mind," she groaned. "Let's do this, but be careful!"

As the pairs before them had done, Ferrth winged his way over to their landmark and received the image from Avirith. They jumped between, and though Hirion shivered, she didn't feel it. Would she ever get used to this? They burst back into the air above the Weyrbowl and almost immediately the blue whirled around in the air to do it again.

Concentrate, Hirion reminded him, as rider and dragon both thought about the image they had been taught to form in their mind. Was it just her, or did this trip between take a little longer than last time? She'd barely begun to count her seconds when Ferrth brought them back to the Weyrbowl again, and Hirion abruptly realized her heart was pounding in her chest.

[derek]

D'rek and Emiath were probably the last to arrive. The pair of them listened to their Weyrling master attentively, but did not actively participate in any conversation. They stood off to the side, glaring around them. Finally, after Alyara had checked their straps again and again, they rose in the formation of a Wing.

Emiath flew powerfully, and followed the instructions. The image was in his head. In D'rek's head. They concentrated, and then they felt the cold of between. D'rek nearly panicked before they were once again in wing formation over the Weyr Bowl. D'rek gasped. That was very, very uncomfortable! And they had to do it again?

There. The cold of between, and then back above the Bowl. D'rek definitely didn't like this. Emiath told his rider not to be so weak, and the boy snorted.

[shinska]

Aela took a deep breath. Their first time Between. It was enough to make anyone nervous. Not everyone made it out from the cold darkness, but Aela vowed she wouldn't be one of them. "Ready my beauty?" She whispered to her Obsidian. With a low rumble Talath prepared herself. The image that came to them definitely helped, but that wasn't what worried Aela. It was doing it alone that terrified her.

That strange voice filled her head again. Do not worry Aelamine. I will be here with you. NOTHING will happen. I promise you this.[/color]

Aela gave a small smile and said, "I will never get used to your voice Talath. You are so quiet and hearing your voice is not something I expect, unlike others. Though I appreciate your confidence in me. As long as we're together nothing can go wrong."

So with that Aela focused hard on the image given to them and they Betweened for the first time. Then they were beside the Garnetrider and boy was Aela happy to see him! It meant she had done it right the first time!

Now WITHOUT our teacher's help.[/color]

With a deep breath Aela steeled herself. She thought of nothing, but the task at hand and soon found herself Between again. Fear started to creep up, but Aela held it back. She could do this she knew she could. Talath believed in her! Then the glorious sun on her face, "We did it!" She shouted.

Talath let out a rumbling laughter and landed. Aela hugged the Obsidian, "Thank you for believing I could do it. I love you Talath!"