Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Grounds
Cradled in a cup shaped bite out of the mountain, this wide, grassy flat has become home for Xanadu's weyrling dragons. It's set surprisingly high above the level of the beach, visible from the eastern side of the grounds where a long path snakes its way down the hill to the sand dunes below. All other sides to the grounds are bordered by the hard granite cliffs, two entrances clearly visible. One is merely human sized and leads deep into the mountain, to the Caverns. The other is broad and high, the entrance to the Weyrling Barracks.
Jhanieth lazes in the shade of the weyrling barracks, just watching, listening perhaps to all things going on while Tay goes over a few papers and checks a few sets of straps in progress. "Might as well call them all out now. Got to get those youngin's off teh ground sooner or later, might as well be now." the rider sighs out as one hand goes to the middle of her back while the other rubs along one side of her belly not that the rounding of said belly is noticable but hey it's there all the same.
Faraeth comes bounding out of the barracks, broadcasting on a wide band, silk and velvet waving brightly, « Fly? We get to fly? » He glances around, « No Nyunath? Then he can't be first! » M'nol comes stumbling out of the barracks a few moments later, in the middle of belting his pants up, shoes under one arm. He grins to Tay, then drops his shoes, slipping his feet into them easily, before saluting her, "Weyrling Master." He combs his fingers through the stubs of his hair, then tosses the wet from his recent bath aside.
Vivian comes out of the barracks with Kelioth, assuming a mental command to order has been given. She's pulling on her flight jacket, the weather may be getting back to normal but it's still cold out here, even if she is still wearing a pair of shorts. "You called?" She asks as the pair get closer, Kelioth nudging impatiently at Viv's hand.
Tay looks around with a grin. "Yup, today we get to encourage those lifemates of yours to take to the skies with a few hops and things." she offers before urging her lifemate up off the ground and out in to the clearing area. "We're going to take it easy the first few times. Jhanieth, spreads her wings with a attention calling warble. "Now have your lifemates watch Jhanieth, she'll show them what to do." is called out as the older green takes a few quick steps and makes a leap into the air. Those brilliant wings beat three times before she allows herself to glide along before coming to a landing at the other side of the training grounds.
For the first lesson ever, Faraeth watches intently. His focused gaze watches the scrunch of her muscles as Jhanieth as she takes off, the gentle sweep of her wings. He's visibly shaking with excitement at the prospect. « Can I now? Can I? Can I? » M'nol sighs, shaking his head. He mutters quietly, "Calm down or she might not let you at all, Farry." He turns his attention back to Tay with a grin, "Any particular advice for first-timers?
Unlike her lifemate who has been spending most of her free time pouting at one of the other weyrlings in an attempt to try and get them to help her with her straps; Kelioth is the model student, always attentive when it comes time to learn and practice things. « Just run, jump and stick our wings out? No flapping? » She queries curiously of Jhanieth once she's finished.
Tay sits back and lets the green teach the younglings. « Three beats of your wings and no more. » The greens mind is much like a felines, softly purring. « Take some running steps, stretch your wings out as you leap into the air, take your wing beats then glide as the currents carry you. » she states again. « Careful with your landing, don't just try to drop to your feet, a running or jogging stop might be easier at first. » Standing at the far end of the field again, the green repeats her demo again taking a few running steps before leaping skyward. Three more wingbeats and a glide before she comes to a landing that includes a few running steps to help her slow down.
Faraeth spreads his wings, but he doesn't get very far because M'nol stops him. They lock eyes and it's a hard-fought battle, but Faraeth eventually gives. M'nol strokes his nose, "Since Nyu isn't here, let one of the others go first so you don't win your bet by shear luck." He turns to Vivian, pauses, then turns to Kelioth instead. He bows slightly, "Ladies first."
Vivian stands off to the side, arms wrapping around herself as she watches her lifemate and the demonstration in progress. « It looks like fun, though it'd be better at night, can you imagine the sight of the moonlight shining off my wings as I glide through the air? » She croons enthusiastically to the other dragons and her lifemate a mental bow to M'nol. « Tell yours thank you for me. » She asks Faraeth before stepping forward herself. Vivian just glances towards M'nol, mutters her own pretty in sincere thanks under breath so he might not hear it and watches as Kelioth takes a run towards the beach and leaps in the air, her wings snapping out far too slowly to be off all that much use, a couple of flaps and she's gone squint, landing at a run after a only a few meters of actual flight. She still lets loose a triumphant bugle on landing though.
Tay claps her hands as the first pairs begin taking flight, Jhanieths triumphant warbles fill the air. It doesn't matter if the pairs are successful or not, Tay's right there patting backs or offering words of encouragement to keep everyone going along. "Good Job Kelioth and Vivian. Beautiful. With a little work each day she'll fly farther and farther, just take it easy and don't try to fly the length of the bowl in one day, work up to further lengths slowly so as to not strain muscles and tendons."
M'nol forces Faraeth to watch a few of the others go too, before finally allowing the brown to run free as he wished. Faraeth, bugling even before he takes off, makes a running start and pushes off up into the air. He beats his wings once, twice, thrice… force? then hits the ground running, « That was fun, I want to do it again! »
Vivian is glad she's only on the receiving end of words of encouragement, her distaste for anyone touching her without permission should be fairly well known. "She's a tough little one." She replies absently as she continues to watch Kelioth who has turned round with a bit of a huffy noise sounding across the area before she takes another run, leaps and gets her wings more level and in time with each other as she glides along in a straighter line this time. « Woooooooooot! » As she comes down into a running landing.
Tay claps her hands, her scroll being tucked under one arm. "Excellent." is called out as the pairs repeat again, she stops to check on one blue pair who cracks a claw sending them off to the healers to have it checked over.
Ontali has been waiting in the wings, one hand on Cidheoth's shoulder. The blue all but shakes with excitement and is wound like a spring, eyes whirring quickly. « I don't need to be in the group, Tali! I could have flown sevendays ago! I can fly further! » He keeps a constant stream of consciousness, and is thoroughly ignored, while his girl pays close attention to the others. "Cid, if you don't stop that, I'm going to —" « You'll do no such thing! We are a team! » Sparks hiss, and the girl rolls her eyes. "Patience, you wherry."
M'nol clapped loudly as Faraeth managed to complete his run. He hadn't admitted it to the dragon before now, but he'd been worried that that wing injury would damage his ability to fly. Faraeth trumpets again, then turns, flying back the way he came. His landing isn't as good this time and it somewhat rumble-tumbles past the onlookers, looking very much like a boulder rolling down a mountain. He does stop in an upright position, looking a little dizzy, « Did I get the pony? »
Alosynth has been sitting patiently, watching as the others have gone up. Keziah herself has been watching as well. The two seem to be convering back and forth and then the green gives a little nod and steps away. She seems to almost stretch, much like a feline and then she spreads her wings out, stretching them as well. She moves forward slowly at first and then she peeks up a bit of speed, and on just the right moment, at least she thinks so, she leaps up. For once, there's a little stumble and Keziah lets out a gasp, but the green corrects as she gives one, two and then three graceful beats of her wings. Perhaps not the most perfect of strokes, but they do the job and get her up there. And then she's gliding, soaring through the air as one who is born for it. There's no bugling triumph from her, but she seems to almost shimmer as the sun catches her oiled hide. But all good things must come to an end and downwards she glides and comes in fairly neatly, if a little quicker than she was hoping for, she kicks up dirt as she gouges it and brings her run to a stop. "All right!" Keziah cheers and the green sits down and looks mighty pleased with herself «That was fun! Can I go hunt some food now? » Keziah just snorts in reply.
After her more successful attempt and that mental woot, Kelioth pads over to Vivian, obviously well pleased with herself as she nudges her head happily into Viv's shoulder. "Ooof.. Geroff!" The girl sways backwards with the force of the nudge as she swats at the greens nose. "I know you're happy, but you're a dragon, you can't hug me like him." She chides the green.
Tay nods in approval. "Very good, very good." is called out as she motions for another pair to take their turn. "Each day you can allow them to fly a little further, a little longer. Right now for this week no more then three short flights a day, next week we'll increase the time and distance a little more so that they don't over do it and harm strengthening muscles and tendons." she yells out to them all. "SOon enough they'll be large and strong enough to carry you all when it's time for you to fly together as teams."
M'nol hurries to Faraeth's side even as the brown rights himself, "Are you-" He's cut off by a mental reply. Then he's stroking the brown's eyeridges and thumping him gently on the shoulder. After a moment he asks, "Why so long… I… I don't think Faraeth will wait forever…" It's pretty clear his concern is more for his dragon breaking himself than for the actual wait.
Cidheoth waits his turn (im)patiently, paws shifting the grass beneath him, kneading, claws furrowing little ditches. "Right," It's finally his turn — Tali takes her arm off of his shoulder and steps back, watching the dragon get into position warily. "Behave!" The girl calls up, watching while the blue casts what can only be described as a devious look. « Would I ever not? » For her ears only, before he stretches his wings a few times, limbering up with an air of nonchalance. Then, the blue takes a few steps and /leaps/ with all of his might. His first downthrust gets him airborne — the second, carries him higher. The third is lazy, almost, and the fourth is tossed in in vague defiance, though he makes it look like it's needed for a smooth landing. Which he doesn't make anyways. It's kind of a trot-trot-trot-trip-roll maneuver, which he somehow manages to make look completely normal (and vaguely James Bond-ish). The blue stands and shakes himself off, preening a wing. « That went well. Now. » Tali just stares for a long moment, glancing with wide eyes between the dragon and Tay. 'Did you see that stupid dragon?' is clearly the look on her face as she rounds on the blue, scowling. "Don't /ever/ do that again, Cid! Shells!" Muttered, then she's listening to the Weyrlingmaster; the scowl is quickly replaced by a grin. "Soon! How soon?"
Tay looks up and down the line, grinning with pleasure as each dragonet makes it's first flight. "ANother month and we should be able to start ground drills, then another month from that and we'll begin making short flights in thebowl together with you on their backs." She quickly walks past each dragonet, checking over wings and claws before stepping back. "Remember before you have them make their flights, have them do some wing stretches and excersises to cut down on chances of wing strain and serious injury.
Kelioith is all about the love for her siblings and she sends reassuring waves of comfort to those who aren't quite succeeding and happiness to those are. Vivian is a touch more impassive about it all, sharing her happiness with only Kelioth with a nuzzle at the green now that she's not trying to hug her. "Come on you, move down the beach a bit so you're not in anyone's way and practice there." She walks away that direction herself, Kelioth bounding happily along, keeping in touch with her siblings while she practices the short hops, doing her best to try and try again till she can master that little manoeuvre over the course of the rest of the day.
Faraeth watches the rest of his clutch-siblings go as well, giving little croons and bugles when someone succeeds. M'nol doesn't break contact with the mountainous brown for the remainder of the exercise. Only after the others had all had their try did he allow Faraeth to practice again. It was going to be hard to keep the brown safely on the ground.
Ontali waits for the Weyrlingmaster to check over Cid, then does so herself, carefully feeling each inch of his wings and then briefly over the rest of him to prod out any hidden soreness. Her work is quickly accomplished; frequent use of the technique over the last five months of rough-and-tumble living with the blue has her used to it. Dragonhealer-friends are good for something! « I'm fine, Ontali. » The dragon sighs exasperatedly, watching his siblings move off in different directions keenly. « We should go find Nazguth and his. I like his technique, and will learn from it. » Stoutly said, the blue moves off, while Tali salutes Tay in what is certainly a crisper manner than she once executed. "Thank you, m'am! I look forward to it." Here, a bright smile, before she's watching Cidheoth ramble off, and following after a moment, with a sigh and bright smile to the others. "Have fun, guys!"