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.
It is a calm day at Xanadu Weyr - summer's warmth is not yet overbearing, and a gentle breeze barely stirs the leaves of the trees. A blue sky stretches overhead, while on the Weyrling grounds, green Isobeth is settled, stretched out upon the ground. V'dim, however, is hardly so relaxed - the Weyrlingmaster paces the grounds nearby, watching the barracks impatiently.
Vivian comes out of the barracks, flying gear already on. Kelioth has her newest set of straps on as well and the pair walk across the grounds towards the other green and V'dim, barely contained excitement showing in Kelioth, a slightly disdainful and annoyed look about Vivian.
"I suppose that we can't hold you back forever, Weyrling." V'dim says firmly, his gaze sliding over Kelioth and her straps, passing over Vivian without a second's hesitation. Its the draconic half of the pair who is approached with a slight bow. "I'll need to check your straps, to ensure that there are no accidents."
Vivian harrumphs something under her breath, glancing at Kelioth in the process to make some semblance of hiding her comment from hearing. Kelioth stops and stands to attention, perfectly posed to allow her straps to be checked and they are perfect thanks to the demanding nature of the green. "I would hope not, given she's been flying perfectly well with heavier weights than myself. If there has been any cause for concern in her abilities no one has advised me." She's trying to remain civil and it's mostly successful, despite her still receiving an admonishment form Kelioth.
"You are certainly your mother's daughter." V'dim says simply as he moves under Kelioth's neck, checking each strap, each buckle, settling them all back into place. "If you are so eager, I expect you mounted and buckled *now*." V'dim's voice is curt as he steps back from the yellow-green's side, glaring at the weyrling rider. "There are times when a rider is more than a physical burden, weyrling Vivian. Perhaps that is something you need to keep in mind."
Vivian will take that as a compliment for now. "Don't you think I know that, I've been flying dragonback since I was old enough to hold on." She replies. "That includes flying search and rescue." She's talking while she's mounting up, she's graceful and fast enough, quickly up and strapped in. "So do we just go or do you have specific instructions for where to go first?"
"What you've done does not necessarily impact what you *know*." V'dim says firmly, watching her move and get settled in, stepping back to double check the straps, shaking his head. "You do not just -go-." V'dim says with a snort of laughter, turning back to stare at her. "You will begin simply - Push off. five wingstrokes, and glide to a landing at the other end of the Grounds, do you understand?" He gives her a long stare as he backs up to Isobeth's side in silent permission to go.
Vivian just waits until he's looking the other way before she rolls her eyes, having just enough sense to keep her mouth shut for the moment. "Yes sir." In just the right tones that borders between enough and insubordinate. "I think I can understand that simple instruction, you hear Kelioth." She doesn't phrase it as a question though and the green with a happy warble, takes a few steps to settle from posing for mounting to a ready position before she jumps skywards, does the requisite strokes of her wings, counting off in her head before gliding back down to an almost perfect landing.
V'dim has other things to worry about then insolent Weyrlings - unfortunately for both of them, Vivian's antics have left him here with the young woman, working on basic flight while her classmates are beyond such a lesson. Each wing stroke is watched, the landing examined before a wave of a hand and a mental touch from Isobeth indicate that they should repeat the journey back to his end of the field.
Vivian doesn't take long to take the precise steps to turn round, more on instinct now than by rote before she leaps upwards again, five wingstrokes taking her upwards at an angle before she glides down to land in front of Isobeth. Her wings ruffle the once as she settles them in against her sides.
Its a pleased warble from Isobeth, and a stony faced nod from V'dim that greet Vivian and Kelioth as they settle infront of them once more, the older green shifting a bit on the ground. V'dim takes a few moments to pace around the young, yellow-tinged green. "She looked good. This time, you will take off, and complete a circle around the grounds - no higher than the third level - and then return. Do you understand?" And again, he nods, gaze flicking to the young rider with permission.
Vivian nods her head and replies with an easy going. "Yes sir." Kelioth has been practicing all of this diligently for months now and having Vivian sitting up top has not made for any differences to the little green at all. She turns and takes a few steps to make sure that she's not going to bat anyone in the back of the head with a wing before she leaps skywards again, flying to the correct height and flaps round the grounds with a mixture of wingstrokes and graceful glides.
Once Kelioth is airborne, V'dim's arms cross and he watches her progress with interest, before he turns to mount up on Isobeth, the older green gathering herself up to take off with a mighty push, joining her student in the air. A pump of his fist, and a command passed from green to green, and Isobeth turns lightly on a wingtip, headed out over the Weyr, leaving Kelioth to follow, as they put the confident pair through their paces.
Kelioth is diligent and has been training really really hard for all of this, flying with all the extra weights so she can figure out how to compensate and build up her stamina. With the extra time she's had to put in solo time she's good at this and Vivian sits easily on the back of the green as she swings out to follow Isobeth.
While its not a breakneck pace, neither is it a lazy one that Isobeth sets, a warning rumble from the older green indicating a sudden bank, a downsweep of her wings, and a near one eighty that sends them heading back in the direction of the Weyrling Grounds. However, she shifts into a hover, wings lifting to carry them upwards, directions passed for the younger pair to preceed them on this return leg, so that they may be observed from this new angle.
Kelioth should be able to keep up, she has had the extra time to build up the stamina and wings onwards, short strokes carrying her forwards. A short warble and a mental reply to the other green as she banks round tightly, swooping underneath and back towards the weyrling fields. Admittedly if she had been tasked with this at the same time as everyone else she may not have been giving the pristine performance she's putting out now.
Isobeth slowly drops downwards, as if putting an invisible hand on top of Kelioth and Vivian, encouraging the two weyrlings to return to the ground even as she herself does, wings flicking to her back neatly as she lands, leaving V'dim to cooly slide to the ground, straightening his jacket as he does so, silently waiting for Vivian to settle and join him.
Kelioth sweeps down to the ground as directed and steps pristinely along for a little bit, definitely preening at her success. Vivian is full of mostly silent praise for her lifemate as she unbuckles and slides to the ground a big hug for the green before she turns away and approaches V'dim, Kelioth a few steps behind her.
"Well done, Weyrling. You will continue your exercises with Kelioth, but now you will do them with her. Each day, you will be flying further - For the next seven day you are limited to the Weyr skies - if we feel that you are both ready, we will rediscuss the matter then." V'dim inclines his head. "Did you have any questions, weyrling?" He tilts his head, expression blank.
Vivian has a carefully controlled smile in place by the time she speaks to V'dim. "Understood." She replies about the instructions. "Only one question though, why did you keep her back for so long when she was obviously capable?" She does get a nudge from Kelioth for the impertinence, but she's not really caring about that. "Explanations can go a long way to fending off frustration."
"Anything less than perfection from the Weyrwoman's daughter indicates many things. What may not have been perfect then is perfect now. It was for both the good of both of you, even if you may not believe it." V'dim says crisply, inclining his head. "Lessons are learned better when one fights to have them." And he waits for a moment, to determine if the weyrling is satisfied by this answer, as Isobeth shifts.
Vivian rolls her eyes a little. "Perfection is something that needs to be attained. We're naturals at it. But you need to let us prove it instead of keeping us hanging." She replies haughtily before she turns away and pets Kelioth. "Sir." Is the only other thing she says before she walks away.
"We will see, weyrling." He says firmly, before as she turns, he does as well, Isobeth and V'dim both removing themselves.