Xanadu Weyr - Training Grounds
A wide, grassy expanse, nestled into the gentle bowl shape where something's taken a bite out of the mountain. It's high above the level of the beach, and there's a good eastern view of the lake and a long path leading down to that sandy shore. Granite cliffs surround it on the other sides.
While much of the grounds are left in their natural state, one area has been trampled and trodden by enough feet that the grass struggles to grow. A running track circles a set of equipment - straw dummies with wooden frames, obstacles of various sizes and shapes, and targets for flaming, archery, and whatever else.
There's a dragon-sized opening to the south that leads to the cavernous weyrling barracks, and a smaller tunnel to the northeast - large enough for dragons newly emerged from the sands, but quickly outgrown by hatchlings who are then forced to take the long way around - at least, until they learn to spread their wings and fly. Between them in both position and size, a jagged crack in the stone leads to a dim cave with the sound of water.
Dragons grow as fast as time flies, and it's hard to believe there's already been long enough for Xanadu's newest hatchlings to be big enough to be outside and doing basic stretches already. Thankfully there's a break in the weather, so there's no rain sluicing down on them all even if the ground is churned to mud and the sky above holds dark promise. Q'll is with Qhynnveslacth, the bronze standing proud on all fours despite the pair being ankle-deep in mud, stretching his glorious wings into a wide fan, then furling them back to his sides, only to spread them once more. He may look dashing as he does it, but Q'll doesn't look quite as charming as he demonstrates the movements for his lifemate to follow. Instead, the weyrling looks more like he's doing some sort of weird chicken dance.
Time does indeed fly and it's only now that one pair have found the time to venture down towards the training ground. Of course, Kiena's had her hands tied with duties, both to her Craft and to the Weyr. The storm has caused considerable chaos. At least now there seems to be a break in the poor weather. Approaching from the ground, the bluerider hardly seems phased by the squelching mud under her boots and she'll do her best not to smirk with too much amusement in watching Q'll attempts at demonstrating. Ujinath is there as well, though the blue hangs back as if wary of the new weyrlings. In an overcast day like this, his cerulean hide stands out considerably. No skulking about for him today. "They're not going to bite." Kiena drawls as she looks over her shoulder at her lifemate, only to be answered by a snort, causing her to roll her eyes. Fine! Be like that. "'Lo Weyrlings!" she calls as fair warning to her arrival. Is she interrupting? Probably, but she'll weather any lecturing from the Weyrlingmasters later.
Why be on the ground when you can be off it? For the moment Is'ac, formerly known as Zak or Zzzzzz, isn't anywhere to be seen but Kivshiralth trills a happy greeting from his spot from up, up, up! Nope, he's not flying; he's climbing. Currently he's several feet off the ground in his efforts to traverse the weyrling barracks. No mud up here though he's got a good splattering of mud across his hide already.
« Honestly, dear boy, I do this far better than you, given that I have wings and you don't. Why not just leave it to me, hrm? » Qhynnveslacth isn't shy about sharing his thoughts, so that Kiv and Ujinath will both be able to hear them. Q'll drops his arms, looking both relieved for being able to stop looking stupid and also embarrassed, for having been caught looking stupid by Kiena. "Hey, Kiena! Am I your best candidate catch, or what?" He salutes to the bluerider, and Qhynn turns his handsome head to look at her. It's a look that goes up and down, then back up again, whirling eyes sparking blue-green before he dips his head in a dragonly bow. "This is Qhynnveslacth. He's very pleased to meet you, and thinks you did a marvelous job in choosing me."
"Don't give me the credit," Kiena chuckles dryly as she returns the polite greeting with a slight dip of her head to Qhynnveslacth. He gave her a once over and now she's doing the same, mostly out of curiosity and not to feed his pride. "Though I will give you a belated congratulations! You settling in, alright? Fine looking bronze." As for Ujinath, he barely acknowledges the young bronze. He's far more interested in the other one, the one currently climbing. « Why are you up there? » the blue bluntly asks, puzzled by Kivshiralth's actions as he slowly walks closer.
« I have wings! » comes Kiv's slightly surprised reply towards Qhynn. Images of rolling green meadows underly his words, also spoken loud enough that both dragons present will hear. Later on he'll develop his ability to bespeak the one he wants to only but for now he projects broad-band so to speak. Briefly he flares them out as if to prove he does have wings though he's just as quick to return them to their former position of clinging to the stone. It's mere moments after Kiena and Ujinath's entrance that Is'ac comes rushing out right into the mud that squelches against his boots. "Kiv…? Kiv!" ignoring the others for now he backs up to glare up at Kiv with arms crossed. From the tossled look to his red curls it is evident he was sleeping when Kiv decided to go exploring. While Is'ac's words may be quiet, Kiv's replies are not. « I didn't go far!» « No, I'm okay…oh fine, I'll get down! » he does indeed make his way down until he's finally in front of Is'ac. « I promise not to climb while you are asleep» a promise he'll likely break within a seventy. Before Is'ac can reply to that though Kiv's attention is pulled over towards the older blue. « I climbed up there! » which doesn't explain why just how. But for the young bronze he seems to think it is explanation enough. « Are you exercising, Qhynnveslacth?? »
"He thinks you're due the credit, sooo…" So there? Q'll grins. "Thanks, though. We're settling in well, and he's pretty amazing, isn't he? Best-looking of the bunch." Does Qhynn puff his chest up and straighten his neck a little more at that compliment? He certainly angles his head so that Kiena gets to see him in his absolute best light. « Kivshiralth is exploring his inner tunnelsnake, » Qhynn comments to Ujinath, smugly and somewhat snidely, too. "Zak? I… shards, I was so wrapped up in Qhynn that I didn't even see Kiv getting up there." « I'm setting a somewhat superb example for the class to follow, Kivshiralth. You'll do well to follow me and do as I do - I'm quite the expert, you know. » And there he goes, flaring his wings once more, just to show off.
Ujinath will block out most of that wideband broadcasting from Kivshiralth, lending some privacy and at least keeping Kiena from getting any feedback she doesn't truly need to be privy too. « You know that is dangerous? » Comes his brisk reply, his head tilting as he observes the young dark bronze. Now that Is'ac is out, the blue does not hover so close. Kiena laughs gruffly, "Alright, fine. Guess I'll accept some credit. "There were three bronzes, right? Him… and that must be the other." Or one of them, as she admires Qhynnveslact first and then turns her attention to Kiv. Is'ac is given a nod of greeting too, of course. « He has a point. » Ujinath adds in to Qhynn's boasting. « Strengthen your wings. If you insist on climbing, you will need them. »
Is'ac stifles a groan as he makes his way over towards the others. "He says he was up there already. Exploring his sneaky side I believe." Kivshiralth stays a few steps behind Is'ac to flare his wings out, a darker color than perhaps his better looking clutch sib. Also splattered liberally with mud though he hardly seems to mind that at all. Hiding a yawn he turns his gaze towards Q's bronze. "He is quite the handsome fellow Q'll." that's his greeting towards his fellow weyrling. Kiena gets a more proper one in the form of a salute. "Good morning ma'am! I swear he climbs better than he walks." he says hastily to the bluerider. «I'll strengthen them! » Kiv's fairly agreeable to that as he does several more wing flares though without the boasting of his bronze brother.
Wait, is Kiena's attention drifting elsewhere? Qhynn can't have that! He cranes his neck to raise his head higher, positioning himself so his impressive wingspan blocks the bluerider's view of his sibling. Look at me, thanks. Q'll laughs, reaching out to affectionately caress his lifemate's extended neck. "Three, yep! Qhynn here, Kiv there, and Maorin - M'ori - and his Masikoth, too…. Qhynn insists he's the best of the clutch, though." And the young bronze is certainly doing his best to ensure Kiena knows it, as he practically flaunts himself in front of her. Q'll winks at Is'ac, and gives Kiv an admiring gaze, too. "I'm biased, of course, but I'd say we've got one very good-looking clutch." « That's right, my boy! Stretch your wings, just so! Like me! » Kiv gets a first-hand lesson from the newborn master!
"You're going to have your hands full," Kiena predicts to Is'ac though she could be wrong! Wouldn't be the first (or last) time! She does give him a crooked half smile, only to wrinkle her nose at the title. "Don't ma'am me… save that for your Weyrlingmasters. Kiena's just fine. I'm not so prickly—hey!" Suddenly she has nothing but Qhynnveslacth in her line of view. Sure, it's just his wing but it's enough to startle her before she laughs again. Ujinath just rumbles, almost sounding annoyed. "Oh relax, he didn't mean any harm." she scolds her blue. "Three is a good number for bronzes. Good clutch…" Her sentence tapers awkwardly as she's well aware of what happened Hatching day but isn't about to bring it up. Not now. "So you both are handling weyrlinghood alright so far? I remember it being quite the shock…"
"Yes ma..Kiena." Zak offers his own crooked smile. "Oh I know I'll have 'em full but it is certainly not a bad thing!" one can't miss the slightly sappy look he casts to Kiv who is now overshadowed by his slightly larger brother. Hey! His wings snap folded against his back as he sidles under Qhynn's wings to try to get in front of him. « My wings are stretched fine! ». Kiena's question draws Is'ac's attention back towards her. "Three bronze. And Kiv here hatched first. A good omen, right?" cause that's what he's heard about good luck or something like that. Not that the hatching ended well but… "It's um, well different. I never imagined really." he tone is clearly somewhat awed.
"He likes the attention," Q'll says apologetically to Kiena when she seems startled by Qhynn forcing himself into her line of sight. To try and make up for it, he drapes his arm over his lifemate, just as Kiv sidles up against his other side! And that's something that Qhynnveslacth doesn't appreciate. The bronze snaps his wings shut huffily, possibly buffering his brother on the head as he does so, and sidesteps to be sure he's blocking out access to Kiena. « Manners, Kivshiralth. It's hardly befitting a young bronze to go barging past his kin. Exercising restraint is far more dignified - like so. » And he strikes a statuesque pose, to prove his point. "What Zak said," Q'll agrees, still stroking his lifemate. "It's not at all what I expected, but it's also everything I never knew I needed. And… it's hard. Especially with…" He looks over to the barracks, biting his bottom lip. "Well. Nadaunth."
Kiena chuckles dryly, "Perhaps not." she agrees with Is'ac and then smirks, "Yeah. Old tradition says bronze first is a good omen." At least it proved to be lucky in some senses! Even if in a personal sense. Her mouth quirks into a more easy going grin, "It never is. You can hear folks prattle on about it all day but it's not until you feel it for yourself that you truly understand. Even then, it's different for everyone. You'll likely both experience Weyrlinghood in a different way…" To Q'll, the bluerider simply waves a hand almost dismissively. "Don't worry. I can tell he's… He likes the limelight, huh?" Ujinath just observes from a distance, though he'll interject at some point. « He can go about as he wants. » he corrects Qhynn. Kiena follows Q'll's glance back towards the barracks and he need not say more. Her expression grows clouded, worried. "She recovers?" A question that is asked to both weyrlings but does not need a full answer.
« I've manners! I'm older. » protests Kivshiralth loudly with his last word being accompanied by an OOF as his head is whacked with a wing. Retaliation is had with a head-butt towards Qhynn's own head before he continues to try to get in front of Qhynn. Is'ac frowns a touch with a backwards glance towards the barracks. "…aye." he murmurs. The whole hatching..the ending and everything was pretty rough. "I've not really heard though how well the wing will repair."
Qhynnveslacth cants his head at Ujinath when the blue interrupts the conversation with his brother. « I dare say he can, however just because one can do something, doesn't mean one should. There are proper ways to do things! » And he knows them all, despite being barely hatched. « Kivshiralth would do well to emulate my own approach. » Just as the others look to the barracks, Q'll's gaze lingers there a little, before he looks back to their little gathering. "What Zak said. We know the healers are on it and she'll live, but…" He shrugs his shoulders, brushing it off to fate. "Qhynn managed to rake me, when he found me." The weyrling reaches down, drawing a line over his trousers, in his groin region. "Right there. You've no idea how numbweeded up I am right now."
Ujinath shifts from where he had settled into an observant position and approaches closer again. « And you know these proper ways? » The blue asks of Qhynn, not masking the doubt in his tone. Kiena shakes her head, "Xanadu has some of the best Dragonhealers… and maybe it will work in her favour that the injuries happened when she was so young. She could mend with growing…" Or that's her just trying to add a positive light to the situation. She winces when Q'll shows where he was raked by his bronze's talons. "Shells… I've an idea I think. Bad, then?" If there's numbweed involved, she figures as such! To Is'ac, she asks: "And you? Any scrapes?"
No longer sunburned from the vacation stay on the island though the former igenite has some peeling skin and scabbed over scratches along his arms and legs. "No." Is'ac shakes his head. "First impressee to be off the sands. No injuries." he casts a look over to Q'll. "How bad was it?" his head bobs a few times as he listens to Kiena. "Dragon healers are good here." he murmurs. Lucky for him he's had no need of their expertise.
"I've got some stitches, but I'll live… and most importantly, everything should still work." Q'll winces at what might have been, but still manages to look relieved that he's not too badly beaten up. "It looks worse than it actually is because of where it is, I think. And he didn't mean to do it, not at all." Qhynn is busy puffing himself up, flaring his wings and posturing. « But of course, Ujinath. It takes no time to learn such things, and I have committed my life to ensuring I am exemplary in every way. See, my stretch? » He flares his wings. « Full extension, flexing the appropriate muscles without overdoing them. I am a perfect example. »
Kiena snickers under her breath but she'll keep her tongue in check and not tease Q'll mercilessly about what could have been. She'll promptly sober, "I'm glad you're alright, Q'll. Shards, glad you're both alright." Is'ac gets in on that too! "Guess the good luck from first hatched does rub off in someways…" she tells him quietly, before glancing sidelong to where Ujinath now hovers over both young bronzes. They're still small enough that he can do that! « You'll need more practice. » He does not seem easily impressed as Qhynn may hope.
"Oh good, I was so worried something might not work for ya there, bud." not really but he's grinning as he says it. Not really wanting to focus too much on those injured ( or worse) at the hatching, Is'ac turns his attention to the pair of bronzes and their antics. "Ha…looks like Qhynn isn't being as impressive as he thinks maybe!" another grin emerges even as Kiv once more flares his wings to show how well he does it. "How old will they be before they can fly?"
Q'll clears his throat when Zak mentions Qhynn. "Uh…" A finger's raised to his lips, a symbol for quiet as he shakes his head. Qhynnveslacth looks affronted, eyes whirling faster as he stiffens his posing posture, nose canted in the air. « You're quite right, practicing will perfect my perfection. » Is he in the huff? Absolutely. The young bronze continues to stretch and flex his wings, adamant in both action and thought that his way is the right way. "I think there's a while before that yet, Zak. About a turn or so, if I remember right? It's pretty long, anyway."
"Heh, shards no! You'll be flying with them well before the full Turn mark. If I remember right… Ujinath was flying without me around the fourth or fifth month and by sixth or so, we were flying together. Not far but shells, it was worth it regardless. You'll be about done your training by a full Turn. Give or take," Kiena makes a so-so gesture with her hand. "I've no idea if your Weyrlingmasters will do things differently, but we were full fledged Wingriders by the time Ujinath was over a Turn old. All that flapping," She points to Qhynnveslacth since he's currently doing the very exercise. "Will lead up to flight. Eventually."
"I was thinking more just them flying. I assumed they fly first before they can bear our weight.." Zak says with some uncertainty to his tone. "Shards…growing up in a weyr you'd think I'd know more." disgruntlement colors his tone. "Full training within a turn? Really? Will I be able to pick up a journeyman project for the Beastcraft? After training is all done?" he asks hastily. A smirk is cast at Q'll's quiet motion.
Kiv bores of the wing flapping and starts exploring in the mud, clearly liking the way the mud feels between his talons.
Well, that went down like a tonne of bricks. Not only is Qhynnveslacth already put out by Ujinath correcting him, but Q'll manages to be wrong too, in his prediction of how long it takes to fly. "It's always felt like a turn, watching weyrlings from afar…" His young bronze turns to give him a gentle, but meaningful headbump in the belly, before neatly sidestepping the humans to sashay his way back to the barracks, head still held high. "Uh… yeah. I've gotta go… bathe him. Oil, food, all that stuff, too. Uh…" Q'll's blushing, as well as stammering. "Nice seeing you, Kiena. See you in a bit, Zak." And off he scuttles through the mud trail Qhynn's left behind him.
Kiena chuckles, "It's different seeing it all from one side and then going through and experiencing yourself." she explains to Is'ac, only to have Qhynn distract her as he sashay's his way back to the barracks with Q'll following in tow. "Later, Q'll!" She'll probably visit again later down the road. Journeyman projects? That garners her interest and Kiena turns back to Is'ac with a small grin. "Yup! Might take a bit longer 'cause you'll always be putting your dragon and the Weyr first but nothing says you can't keep your Craft. I've kept up with my Smithing and I'll be putting through my project soon enough."
Is'ac lifts a hand in farewell towards Quill. "Be in a bit!" certainly the bronze stomach of Kiv will be empty again soon since it's been ages since his last meal. Full attention back to Kiena he nods. "Right right, Kiv and the weyr will always be first." in that order. "But I really want to do animal healing in the Beastcraft." eventually. Once he is able to resume his studies.
"Then by all means, do it! You ever think of considering Dragonhealing too, while at it?" Kiena suggest with a crooked smile. If he's showing so much interest in healing animals, why not broaden in all directions! Ujinath rumbles, catching her attention and she sighs. "Looks like I need to be heading back. Well met, Zak." She'll just copy what she heard Q'll calling him. No harm in that, right?
Now that's food for thought. "Dragon healing." Is'ac murmurs quietly. "Well met Ma'…Kiena!" he says her way as he too is being summoned quietly. Someone wants food now that the idea has been planting in his head. He hardly notices that the Zak names was used. He's still hardly used to Is'ac himself. "Clear skies."
Kiena grins when Is'ac echoes her suggestion and she'll tap the side of her head. Think on it! He's got plenty of time. "Clear skies to you as well!" she calls back, already having to turn and pick up as much of a jogging pace through that mud as Ujinath's already well ahead of her.