Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Barracks
A long and roughly oblong cavern, about a third of the space is open, used for classes or chores as required. The rest of the space is filled with couches of varying sizes, all with plenty of space between them. Some couches are obviously intended for the very young weyrlings while the largest ones at the back are for the older weyrlings.
An expression of dread settles on Ers'lan's face as he stands in the barracks, debating on the fit of his new flight leathers, which had to be custom made due to the breadth of his shoulders and girth of his muscular arms. He reviews his reflection in the mirror ahead of him, twisting his torso one way then the next, lifting his arms with a gusty sigh escaping as the tailoring suited him well, but the prospect ahead didn't. He had delayed the inevitable with claims that he did not have proper flight gear, he even went so much as to sabotage Zhaoth's straps to keep them grounded a little longer. Zhaoth had been anxious, clearly, though in a most suspicious manner, he did not push in this regard. Lan fidgets in the flight leathers that compliments his form, pulling the sides of the collar high, taking time to wrap the scarf around his neck, eyes giving a fleeting look toward where he hung up the goggles, grasped now as he sets the band around his head, leaving the goggles on his forehead. There was a quiet scowl on his face as he peers at himself, squinting with what could be disapproval at what looked back. Zhaoth on the other hand seemed to approve of the finishing touches. Belts, buckles, boots, trousers, jacket, goggles. All new, polished leather brown. Zhaoth crans his eyes toward the exit, as a warm golden glow slides over Lan's anxiety, « Alosynth and her rider come. »
Alosynth has waited outside, under her canvas which is looking a little ragged after a turn in the sun and rain. Course Keziah is looking a little ragged too. Her arm is in a sling and is bandaged up pretty good. One would have to wonder at her sanity in being dressed up in flying leathers. Albeit the jacket is modified and the sling is well padded and insulated. "Well Ers'lan. Are Zhaoth's straps in order this time?" she asks with the arch of a brow and then glances over at Zhaoth "Or do we have ta keep you grounded a bit longer?" She heads up to Ers'lan and looks at his ensemble. "Well, looks in order."
Ers'lan closes his eyes as if to find some courage behind the dread for this undertaking, letting his chin drop some as Keziah heads over to him. His eyes flicker open at her words, his mouth purses together as he stares ahead at his own reflection. One last sigh can be heard before he turns from the mirror image of himself, licking his lips to wetten them as eyes lift to Keziah, "Aye… be it they be in order… Ya sure I can narh be grounded? Reckon I dun narh have ta fly with him ta be … uh… useful." While most weyrlings would be unable to resist the opportunity to mount up and enjoy the experience of being a dragonrider, Lan just scowls at the notion, not at all happy about it.
Keziah eyes Ers'lan "Ya know, the first time can certainly be scary, but then. There's nothin' else like it. Yer on the top of the world. It's you and your dragon. Everything else just falls away." Well kinda literally there too. "No, ya can't be grounded and well iffen ya wanna graduate, ya do haveta fly. Dunno bout you, but I wouldn't wanna stay a grounded weyrling ferever, and well. Such a big brown, he doesn't wanna stay grounded either now does he? After all, aside from trainin and mating flights, draogns typically don't fly alone too often.
Ers'lan's penetrating blue eyes mark the brown dragon, who while being absently still and reserved, shows a restrained excitement in the flip of his pinions and the curl of a muzzle lip to show teeth. Lan squints at his lifemate, returning his eye toward Keziah, listening to her pep talk on how it should all go and be. "Nay, he dun wan ta be without me up thar.. jus… fine, be we get this underway." He notes of his dragon and Zhaoth eagerly turns, trotting out of the barracks, a royal swagger about him as he prances his way out. Lan just drags his feet regardless, shoving his hands into his pockets, strap connector buckle loops clinking and softly slapping against his trousers with each stride.
Xanadu Weyr - Meadow
A large, slightly rolling meadow is set high enough above the riverbank on both sides to avoid suffering from flooding, healthy ground cover and grass spreading out from either side of the dividing river. Scattered amongst the meadow are a variety of buildings, each with a narrow path leading up to it from a main, winding road. Some are set under a few trees, while others sit by themselves.
Stables and a smithy are settled on their own plots, while trees border the northern edge of the meadow, and a faint outline of a fence can be seen to the east.
Keziah gives a nod as she follows the pair out. Alosynth has already headed out to the meadow, at least with the grass, the ground is just a little less bogged down from the rains then the weyrling grounds are. "Almost wish it was winter again, the ground would be hard at least." she mutters as she slogs through the mud and the muck. "The few others waitin' at the meadow. Yer the only one holdin' us up." Even the layabout R'olf is already there. Eager to be up in the air. The meadows are wet to be sure, and boggy in spots, but area's have been marked off to keep people from getting caught in it. She stumbles a little and winces as she jars her arm a bit and curses under her breath.
"Aye…" he remarks half aware of what Keziah had really said, won over by that distant look that is somewhere lost between dragon speak and the confounded worry that gnaws at him. There's even a little downward twitch of his lips as they continue striding through the area for the fact that he steps through a puddle that makes mud squelch up his boot. When they finally arrive in the meadow, Zhaoth, who had gone ahead, looks proud and mighty beside the others, tallest in the class for browns, making sure his regale lift of his head makes him an inch above the rest. Lan does give a bit of a grunt to Keziah, "Sorry ma'am…" is his response to holding up the rest of the class, nodding to them in turn to spread his apologetic look to the rest. He looks for Briana amongst those already waiting, shuffling his feet as the anxiety grows as they are nearly upon the task at hand, a task he has been avoiding.
Sahazyth and Briana also have been holding off on this lesson as they held off on unmanned flight. Some part of them holding back, watching as others take to the skies, but not doing it themselves. Perhaps it is Ers'lan and Zhaoth's lead they are following tonight. Doing the lesson with a friend and supporter. So the pair finally arrive, Sahazyth wearing her weyrling straps, plain leather they may be, but they look well against her burnished gold hide. Briana gives a salute to Keziah, before moving to stand by the brown weyrling.
Keziah gives a nod to Briana as she twitches her bandaged arm a bit in it's sling. "Okay, I want everyone to check over your straps." At a groan from R'olf she eyes the lad. "I don't care if you just did it. You always inspect your straps. It's your life you're playing with, as well as your dragons, when you don't inspect your straps. Check to make sure that everything is buckled and secured. THat nothing is rubbing and there are no areas that are cracked and dry. Check your dragons hide, areas rubbed raw will typically indicate either ill-fitted straps or ones that are dry and hard." she walks the line as address the 'lings. "I know many of you are nervous and have been putting it off as long as possible." A look at R'olf "Or have been suspended until recently." She turns and heads back the other way. A look at Ers'lan "However, a riders place his with their dragon, on the ground and in the air." a glance at Briana "And we're here to support our dragons as well as ourselves. Remember dragons are meant to fly. They're meant to protect The Weyr, the land and the people. In order to do that. They must fly."
A wash of relief floods over Lan's features when he notices Briana not too far behind them, settling in next to him. He flashes her a nearly pained look, his trepidation translated in that single glance. In a low voice to her, he nearly whispers, "I be wishin I narh have ta be doin this…today," a sigh as he shuffles his feet, fidgetting with his hands as they flex and clasp together. The fact that Bri was his friend and supporter as well contributed to his resilience in standing there, keeping feet that wanted to run grounded. Keziah's words do seem to instill a sense of duty to this whole process though, or distraction. Eitherway, the young man is starting to check and recheck over his gear and the hide of his brown. Zhaoth in the meantime reaches out his snout to bump against Sahazyth's, greeting her with a familar rub.
Briana smiles to Ers'lan, "We can do this together…it will be alright." There is a warble of her gold to the brown as she extends her neck in the greeting between the dragons. Briana gives the bandaged arm of Keziah a curious look, but for now questions are held back to focus on the lesson. At the order to check the straps Briana moves swiftly to the task. "Let me know if any spots feel tight Sahazyth.." She calls up to her dragon, who has thankfully lowered herself to the ground for the inspection. Even so she has to climb aboard in order to finish the inspection, insuring the straps are sitting comfortably past a ridge of her neck. «I feel them on me, but no area feels tighter than others.» She explains even as Briana dismounts and comes beneath her neck, grabbing hold of the strap, like she has seen riders do. "Rise up." With that Sahazyth lifts up enough to have Briana dangling a couple feet from the ground before she carefully lowers her lifemate once more.
Keziah watches quietly as the weyrlings go through their strap inspection. As they finish up she addresses them again "Now, I want you all to mount up, just like we've been doing for the ground drills." she states as she heads up to Alosynth who has lowered herself. Keziah looks over the straps, quite closely and then nods a little as she graps a rope with a clip on the end with her good arm and gives it a tug. A rope ladder unrolls and drops down. She loops the rope through a ring on her belt and clips it on and then carefully climbs her way up. Slowly perhaps. There's only a few grunts and then a murmured. "I told them healers I could do it." Alosynth croons softly «They are wimps. » and then there's a bark of laughter from Keziah. "Too right me dear." She settles herself in and pulls up ladder and secures it and then straps herself in. "Make sure you're buckled in securely, it's different from sitting behind someone with going up, then it is on your own."
Ers'lan spares a glance back to Briana when she smiles with the confidence that both of them could get through the drill fine, eyes trailing up above them where the dragons rub muzzles and such. Then it's back to his inspecting, tugging and testing where the straps join, ensuring there is no stretch or strain on hide. Zhaoth's gentle wash of warm golden silk brushes across the area in a broad span, « It is as you made it Lan. Perfection. It is not like the fake set you had me wear before. » Oh yes, the one that earned him another sevenday grounded, which seemed to please Lan more than not. Lan gives a quiet snort, clapping his large hand affectionately on Zhao's flank. Sometime later, once the straps look in order, Ers'lan makes short work of the straps, climbing Zhao as easily as he would manage the rope decks on a ship. The easy part was becoming situated in the spot between last neck ridge and shoulder crest, the base of the neck where the saddle was perced. Lan buckles in with a scowl fixed on his lips, eyes beseeching Briana as he twists his head to regard her on the much larger gold.
Briana gives a nod to Ers'lan, a little smile before she heads back to Sahazyth. Yes they can do this. The gold lowers to the ground and Briana, steps up on her leg which Sahazyth raises up as high as she can so Briana can grab the straps and mount up again. There is a deep breath from the girl as she places her hands on Sahazyth's neck, then works at setting the straps around herself to secure her in. "We are going to fly together…" She murmurs as if she can't believe it. Sahazyth rises up from her crouch as Briana is secured, definately the tallest one here by far. «Let us fly!» She says as she flares out her wins before tucking them to her sides again and makes her way over to the green teacher.
Kagenaith is a bundle of nervous blue. Lavender wings flash sails wide and then low, stretching pinions only to fold in once more. Feet seem to prance upon the ground just as the blue's tail flicks here and there, there and here. It is a quick moving Flynn that is having to play jumprope over his 'mate's tail, and then again on the backstroke. "Oi… Oi. Kagenaith. Still." « Fly? We fly now? » The blue catches the end of Sahazyth's comment, pouncing forward with wings wide, stroking down with wings 'til tips strike the damp earth. "Wait! Not yet! Not without me!"
Alosynth gives a bark at Kagenaith « Wait for your rider. » The green says sternly. But there's a touch of amusement to the silken strands of voice. « It is like taking off without them, but you do have to remember you have a rider and you do not want to snap their neck when you take off. » Keziah watches as they mount up "Again make sure you're secure and hold on. You're going to want to brace yourself a little, but don't be stiff either. Flow with your dragon. First off we'll do as we did with the unmanned flight. A few wing beats up and then a gentle glide to the ground. Then we'll do some circles up in the air. So watch us and then follow." Alosynth leaps gracefully up into the air and gives a few beats of her wing and sails across the meadow and then coming down for a neat landing and turns to watch the young ones.
Zhaoth knows this trick now, staying rooted until he's told to leave, by order and by rider command. While others show eagerness, Zhaoth continues to be as still as his rider mounted. There might be a rustle of a long stretching pinion against the ground as wings are left hanging loose around him, sprawling sails open like a half-used fan. Ers'lan in the meantime has dropped his head down, goggles pushed into his eyes, gloves snapped over digits, buckles clasped onto his own belts, eyes closed and barf bag tucked at the ready.
Sahazyth gives a warble of assent to the green and watches her intently as she makes her across the bowl. Finally she warbles over to the brown and blue next to her, giving them each encouragement before looking back to Briana to make sure she is well secured. One all are accounted for the gold steps forward and gives a bellow that echoes across the weyr. She is going to be loud and proud about this it seems. Her wings flare up as muscles bunch beneath her. Briana leans low over the gold's neck, her eyes closing, muscles tight with anticipation. Then the gold launches herself up with a jerk and a couple flaps of her large wing sails that sends her higher than the green. Once airborn Briana slowly opens her eyes and seems to relax and looks around her with amazement. Whatever thoughts she has are shared with her dragon alone. «We are riders now!» Sahazyth declares to the weyr!
[Dragon/Xanadu] Sahazyth projects « We are riders now! »
Kagenaith doesn't get very far after Alosynth's remarks, maybe a flap or two into the air before he is collapsing back to the ground once again, splayed toes digging into the dirt. He swings his head around to look back at his rider… Fl'ynn with hands in fists on his hips, considering his dragon. The blue drops his head as if abashed, hanging it low 'til a chin is muddied. "Oh shells, don't give me that look." « Then what look should I give you? » "Anything but that one." « How about this? » Ever see a dragon grin? Toothy? That's Kagenaith right now, from headnob to headnob. It cracks up Fl'ynn, the teen picking up his heels to catch up to the blue. He takes ahold of the straps and climbs atop Kagenaith's back. "We're good now, old man." « Who? » "Nevermind."
Keziah watches proudly as the gold pair make their short flight. No necks snapped in twain so far. "All right, the rest of ya laggards get a moving and come join us!" she yells back down the field. « Come my little ones, fly! » Alosynth adds in in case someone couldn't hear the belting voice of the greenrider.
"I can nar do this…" Lan starts to repeat, with fingers tightening around the lower ridge of Zhaoth's neck. Indeed, the former-sailor's hands are searching and fumbling with the buckles that keep him strapped in. He's gone so far as to lean his head against his dragon, shoulders heaving as he starts to have a panic attack. Zhaoth remains rooted as his rider grapples for some breath, in fact, the brown lowers himself down to the ground, chest touching the dirt and wings fanning out to either side. His eyes reflect concern for his rider, the hints of his mind voice are prickling with steely clangs and golden caresses. Even Sahazyth's bellow to the world that they were riders does not move Zhaoth, instead he croons quietly to encourage them and to encourage his rider, one thing becoming audible in the otherwise private conversation between dragon and rider: « Stay aboard Lan. »
Sahazyth lands with a bit more grace then the first flight she did, though definately not so elegenatly as the green. There is a moment of stillness from Briana before she grins. "We did it…" She starts before the gold picks up on the anxiety of her sibling and turns without a thought and launches herself into the air to glide back to her brown brother and lands nearby by, coming up side to side to the brown. "Ers'lan…you can do this. We can do it together. Look at me." There is a subtle hint of authority in her voice, the junior weyrwoman starting to shine through. "Look at me and take a breath…then take another. The air is just another kind of sea…and Zhaoth just another kind of boat. Trust his sails." She calls over to him as she leans out to him, holding one hand to her straps as she does so.
Kagenaith curls his neck around to look at Fl'ynn perched right there. The blue nudges his 'mate, causing the boy to rub at the blue's muzzle. "Aye, I'm here, and we are supposed to be flying now." « Flying! Oh yes! » *WHOOSH* At least Fl'ynn has the presence of mind to suddenly lean forward as if giving Kagenaith a hug from above, right as wings lift, fill, and then snap downward, all with a galloping movement forward born of youth and awkwardness. A few more galloping pounces forward, a muddy splash in a puddle and then the blue gains some height. A fingersail slaps against the earth as the blue bounces and then turns, pushes hard, and is finally aloft! "Holy…" The rest of the explatives that fall from Fl'ynn's lips are lost in the screaming of the wind.
Keziah winces a little as she watches the blue take off. But at least they're aloft? As the other weyrlings take to the skies for their short distances she turns her attention back on Ers'lan. And Brie. She hmms a little and nods. « Mine says you are to take your time as needed. » Alosynth croons to Zhaoth and then she's directing those that have landed to head up into the sky again. The green lifts off herself and leads a circle about the meadow « Easy wingbeats now, keep it steady. That's it. Saliurfath, stop showing off. Gentle flight. Control. It's all about control. »
Zhaoth turns his wedged shaped head toward that of his clutchmate, maw half hung open and chittering his teeth together, making odd almost 'whale' like sounds, ended by a wash of a loud snort. Ers'lan has the buckles undone, tight leather pieces burning in the palm of his hands as he grips them fiercely. Briana's subtle hint of authority has Lan twisting his chin in her direction, regarding her through goggle covered eyes as his chest heaves and sweat drips down his face in streams. The man nods at her words, his eyes closing as he the man is obviously concentrating on drawing a breath, then another, as directed. Zhaoth uses this time to gather back up to feet, crouching with wings curling in against his side. « She is right » is the echoing words from the brown as Lan fumbles to reclasp on the buckles that he attempted to struggle out of. « We will sail » is the brimming excitement from Zhaoth as he senses a moment where Lan is bolstered by Briana's words, using it. Lan is just opening his eyes when Zhaoth leaps high, filling wings with air in the moment, jolting them both upward at the first downward stroke, followed by another and another. Just as it looks like there might be success, Zhaoth descends gently back to the ground with but a fraction of the length of a glide that the weyrlingmaster ordered. Zhaoth landing is deftly done, keeping the jarring to a minimum. There is a slight shake of his neck, curling his face to the side, voice reaching Sahazyth, confused, « He does not like it. »
Sahazyth watches as Kagenaith takes off and warbles her encouragement of him as well, «Steady it…» She calls out with Alosynth. Then her attention is focused back to Zhaoth, «We go together.» "We go together." Briana echoes her dragons thoughts to Ers'lan. "Just sails in the air, the air is your new ocean." She calls out to him, "Take a breath and hold on." She says and as the brown prepares to launch, Sahazyth takes a step away before launching herself into the air to follow. She does her best to match the pace of the brown, though her larger wings carry her a bit further and so she must wing back to land with the other clutchsibs on the return. «He is a rider now…it will come. Mine has ridden before.»
Kagenaith manages to get aloft. What was a sketchy liftoff morphs into a rather graceful turn, drawn with wide wings and a weyrling rider who slowly sits up to be buffeted by the winds. Those cursing words drop off and instead the teen is hooting with excitement. Wings rise and fall in the damp air, bringing on another hoot and then a digging in of his heels as if to urge the blue forth further. Another lazy spin about, Kagenaith unable to resist his lifemate's excitement by crooning a note too.
What a sight to behold as most of the pairs are up in the air. As the onw brown make it up she nods. Well, it's a start. « Keep it steady. You are doing well. » Alosynth croons and then slowly starts leading the pairs higher. «Sahazyth, follow. Zhaoth and his will come when they are ready. Some things are not to be rushed. » Keziah shifts her bandaged arm a little as she watches. There's a smile on her face for the blue. Some pairs are meant to be in the air. A glance down at the ground towards Ers'lan. Some pairs. Hmm. Might take a little longer. « Feel the wind on your sail, the splash of moisture on your face. » For indeed a light misting has started. Keziah eyes the clouds a little and hmms.
The moment that Zhaoth had landed, was the moment Ers'lan was bounding off him, flinging belts and straps to the side and nearly breaking a leg on the way down. Whipping off his goggles, the former sailor drops to his hands and knees with heaving coughs and Zhaoth suddenly enfolding a wing around him, hiding from view what most who have come to know Lan expected the outcome to be. Zhaoth's head tucks down into the enfolded wing, reappearing with a wistful regard to the whoots of excitement from Kagenaith and Fl'ynn. A soft exhale has the beast groaning as he lies down, paws extending in front, leaning his rump to the one side of haunches, sheltering Lan the entire time from his humiliation. « Maybe there is a cure for this… » Zhaoth speaks to those in the area, leaning his head down between his forepaws, like a sullen canine would, his rider hidden from view even still.
Briana is about to release her own harness, when Alosynth calls them to the sky again. She frowns a bit and before she can unbuckle, Sahazyth is heading to the air again.
Drawn along by the encouragement of Alosynth, and following much of what she says, literally, Kagenaith fans his sails wide, feeling the air whip over those wide sails. Another turn has the pairing wheeling in a slow circle once more, Fl'ynn leaning way, way, way over so he can see below, where Lan and his brown are, not looking all that well. Just as Flynn is starting to consider what a shame it is, Kagenaith switches pathing, instead of a circle, they flow into a line… to the sea. "Kagenaith?"
As the rain becomes more insistant, Keziah has Alosynth call the weyrlings in « Time enough to learn to fly in bad weather. Now is not the time. To ground! » she bugles and sweeps in back towards the meadows and to the brown below. There's a croon for the brown « Mine suggests ginger. » is her answering reply. As the green lands, Keziah watches the flying pairs and watches to catch any who might disobey. Course Alosynth has her own gently reminder « Come back home my little boy blue. » She calls out to Kagenaith. On the ground, Keziah sits there atop Alosynth. Yup, she's up there watching.
Ers'lan is still out of sight, his brown very much in the same position as they were last. Even as the class returns, well, some of them, there is little to see from the pair. Zhaoth looks to be lounging, as if half asleep. For the suggestion, Zhaoth rumbles a reply of gratitude.
« But she said to feel the moisture on your face. I was going to dive into the sea. » Fl'ynn considers this, a touch of reckless consideration flicking in his dark eyes. "Oh, well…" He is about to urge further when, once more, Alosynth calls them in. « Landing? » "Landing." Awh. There is a sigh there, both in dragon and in rider as the blue turn upon pinion's point with all smooth grace. Landing isn't quite so beautiful though. It is a mess of limbs and squelching earth, splashing, flaring wings, and Fl'ynn clinging through it all. Once all is grounded and seems to be together, the teen hoots. "Lets go again!" Kagenaith looks ready to do so.
Keziah eyes Fl'ynn and starts to speak just as a bolt of lightening lights up the sky, followed by thunder and then a downpour. "Perhaps next time." she says a bit dryly. She looks over towards the brown "Perhaps it would be better to see to your 'mate." she suggests, quietly. If a bit firmly. At least nothing can be too serious, if the brown isn't in an uproar. To the rest "Thank you all, you did wonderfully." she states and still she stays up on Alosynth, rain and all as she watches weyrlings head for the barracks and dry clothing.
Ers'lan abruptly shoves aside one of the longer spans of sails, appearing from underneath the extended appendage with a fierce look upon his face, eyes cold as he starts to climb back up on Zhaoth. Zhaoth arches his head to the side to watch as the sounds of buckles and pulling leather suggest that Lan is going to try again. Goggles previously thrown to the ground had been snatched up and are now splatted back down against his face. Zhaoth abruptly rises to his feet as if on some cue from his rider. Lashes of rain make the ruddy brown glimmer as if metallic, sails slicing through the water as they are fanned out. Against the boom of a thunderclap, Zhaoth ascends with an audible snap of leathery wings, spraying a splattering trail of mud as back legs kick off and carry clumps of it, tail whip-snapping into a newly made puddle.
Fl'ynn leans forward to wrap his arms about Kagenaith's neck once more. This produces a crooning noise from the blue, his hide near to flushing to a vibrant purple at the attention. With a laugh, the teen starts to unbuckles himself, but still remaining atop the blue. Another affectionate touch to the hide of the dragon, then he turns to look to Keziah, shooting her off a salute. "I stand ready and happy to fly again… that next time, ma'am." Cheeky grin. His head ducks down, a dark forelock of shaggy hair falling over his eyes 'til he hears the sound of buckles. "Lan…?" Kagenaith startles, looking after his blue clutchmate with a questioning croon. « They fly? » Kagenaith hops, wings spread as if to follow after.
Keziah watches pairs land. She wasn't watching the landed pair. Then suddenly the brown pair are taking off. They can't ever follow the rules. Can they? "Ers'lan!" she yells out as she shifts quickly in her seat. Wincing as she wrenches her arm and then gets hit in the face with mud. « Down. Now. » Comes a smooth rumble of surpressed anger. « Out of the sky. Now. » The golden strands lashing out as violently as wind swept vines. Keziah's face is a mask of anger. Perhaps the anger covers fear as lightning storms aren't very friendly. A glance to the blue « You will not. »
Windgusts, lashing sting of the rain, the illumination of the lightning as it crackles just overhead… a sailor's thrill on the open water, to beat the storm was to cheat death. Here it is no different. Buffeted by the storm, the brown is submitted to the roller coaster of downdrafts and air bursts, nothing he hasn't experienced before in the chase of a green or two, but certainly a battle that gets the incor pumping as he ascends higher. With altitude, the pair become shadow in the storming sky, lost in the veiling curtain of hissing rain unleashing buckets of water on the landscape bellow. Their adventure is a grueling one. The experience unknown save by the two in the air. Their presence is felt, they are still alive as sizzling cracks and pops of lightning snake through the sky. Only some heart pounding minutes later, Zhaoth comes back into sight further down the field, struggling against the winds as he backstrokes for a landing. A rather large splash marks his landing.
Kagenaith lifts and falls wings, bouncing up onto his hind legs, rearing almost with Fl'ynn clinging to the blue's back. Those unclasped buckles rattle with a metallic click, falling away from Fl'ynn. It is once more the green's reprimand that has the blue setting all four feet back on the ground. The teen's features turn briefly stormy, then curious as he follows the brown's path. He pushes up to sit upon Kagenaith, watching with murky dark eyes in his dusky face. He reigns in quiet, watching.
Keziah sits where she's at on Alo's back and when the pair finally return it is with a cold voice that she addresses them. "You are to report back to your barracks. There you will clean up and make yourself presentable. You are then to report to Galaxy's wingsecond and learn about the hazards of flying during a lightning storm. I then want a report. Verbal or written, your choice, on said hazards." A glance at Fl'ynn "You and yours did well, you are dismissed. Tell Kagenaith that I appreciate his restraint." A glance back at Ers'lan. "I understand that flying is difficult and you had wish to be grounded again. Consider yourself grounded for disobeying orders for everyone to be out of the sky. The restriction will be lifted as soon as your report is done." A pause "And think of this. Metal attracts lightning. Dismissed." Keziah closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and holds her bad arm a little.
It becomes apparent that nothing is broken by the lack of a wail, yet the stunt somehow leaves both rider and dragon completely covered in mud, head to tail. The splash might have been more of a roll, but it was hard to tell between all the rain and across the distance of the field. There was even some time spent afar from the main group, with Zhao holding up his wings and hiding Lan again. When they finally decide to grace the rest of the class, and the weyrlingmaster with their presence, brown is certainly their color. Lan is dripping wet with it, soaked to the bone, leather jacket looking oddly darkened across the one arm with similar dark patches across his jawline, while there's an odd patch of mud across Zhao's shoulder and forearm, glistening with oily residue. Hearing their punishment, Lan gives a stiff salute and flags his arm to get Zhaoth to follow him back to the barracks. There's a quiet look flashed Fl'ynn's way, though no words spoken for anyone at this time.
Fl'ynn's eyes flick down and over to Keziah as she speaks to them, bringing on a pleased croon from the blue. « I did well? » a query drawn with airy promise and the glee of hope. "Yes, you did very well, Kagenaith," Fl'ynn adds, petting his hand across the blue's neck. His eyes slowly move back towards the forms of Lan and the brown, watching the pair with a quiet look. As Lan looks to him, the teen offers up the slightest of smiles, but a phantom of a grin that is lost in the next breath as his head ducks, chin falling to chest and dark eyes overshadowed by black hair. "Are we done then, ma'am?"
Keziah gives the brown pair another look and then sighs and shakes her head a bit. A glance at Fl'ynn. "You are done kiddo." she smiles a little a the blue and then gives Alo a little bit of a nudge and the green makes her way towards the forest. Keziah still hasn't dismounted. "Will they ever learn? Or will they end up killing themselves? If anyone's going to get lost between or in rock it'll be those two. I swear."