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 weyrs, 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. The meadow continues with gentle rolls and dips, grass tall and short waving in the slightest of breezes, and eventually those hills grow higher and steeper, ending in a large ridge that provides a fine view of that meadow and the rest of the Weyr, gazing out over the multicolored roofs of the houses and the cliff that holds the caverns.
Runner stables with the paddock beyond are to the south beyond the meadow weyrs, and a smithy and a woodcraft shop are settled closer in towards the path to the clearing. Trees border the northern side of the meadow, and more of those low, rolling hills can be seen to the northwest. A road passes through the meadow, coming from the east and used by traders and crafters alike. Wagons laden with felled trees from the forests or ore from the mountains are hauled by burden beast up the road through the meadow, over the bridge spanning the river to be processed in the appropriate workshops.
Kera is rubbing an oily clothe over Moncerath's cheek and jawline, taking a few moments to spot oil her dragonmate while waiting for the small group of weyrlings to arrive. The dragon's strap packs are piled a few paces behind the green pair, well out of anyone's way. She also slightly loosens the green's straps to be more comfortable since she isn't gonna be riding for a bit. Pouring more oil on the rag, Kera ambles around Moncerath "Wings up sweety." and up they go and Kera barely had to duck to get by, reaching up to swipe over some of the under sail as a brownling pair arrive. "G'morning Weyrling. Have him start his stretches and warm his muscle up. Would be bad to ground himself before he can even get in the air the first time."
Jaicoureth ambles onto the meadow from the clearing taking a deep breath filling his lungs before letting it out once more. The winter at Fort is beginning to draw to a close and that means spring! The coming of spring means life will return and more importantly energy will return to the blue allowing him to come out from his shelter and once again re-engage with the rest of the world. He walks with a spring in his step toward Moncerath and Kera, and it seems a young dragon and his rider. « Hello Moncerath. » he says first to the green before turning his attention toward the weyrling pair, « And hello to you as well. » he says warmly to them.
On the heels of the brown weyrling is Is'ac and Kivshiralth. A snappy salute is given towards Kera. Kiv swivels his head around to peer towards the older blue. « Hullo! »
Kera smiles at the soft rumbling from Moncerath, and glances around to spot Jaicourath. "Hi Jaicourath." «The young ones are starting to fly Jaicourath!» The green pushes up from her crouch when Kera finishes with the spot oiling, and starts slowly stretching and working her wings n a bellow like motion. The rider spots a the last of the group arrive and flashes an eager smile around the group "Good, glad you all got my note. I also hope it was a light breakfast for those that have already hunted." She pauses and gestures to her dragonmate "You'll notice that Moncerath is warming her muscles and wings up to prepare for flying. Just like us, they need to stretch before strenuous activity, or they could seriously hurt themselves. Now have your dragonmates begin warming up and I'll come by and speak with each of you."
Jaicoureth bobs his head to Kera in greeting and rumbles approvingly at this tidbit of information that Moncerath sends his way, « Wonderful! » he exclaims, « Soon you will get to take to the skies often and feel the wind beneath your wings. The sky is the right of all dragons. » the blue says with a twinkle of color in his eyes and a gentle flourish of brass instruments in his mind. He too opens his wings and begins to stretch them as Moncerath is doing, « She is right. It is very important to make sure you are ready to take to the skies. Crashing is no fun. »
Kivshiralth watches the green warming up before moving off to the side to imitate those same stretches. Is'ac merely nods in agreement at the need for stretching. "He hunted yesterday morning and says he had plenty." informs the bronze weyrling to Kera. A sideways glance is cast to Jaicoureth briefly before going to Kiv's side. "Stretch it up a bit more." he encourages the bronze.
Kera grins as the older blue mimics Moncerath's stretching demonstration. The green finishing her routine with a feline like stretch of her talons digging into the turf as Kera moves towards the first pair of weyrlings, which happen to be Is'ac and Kivshiralth. She nods and grins when the young bronzer hasn't hunted yet "Oh you will later after he works up an appetite." Gesturing towards the young dragon, her hand half extended to the hide "May I check him over Is'ac. Make sure he doesn't have any sensitive spots."
Jaicoureth sees no reason to continue the stretching after the utility of the demonstration has passed. He moves to stand besides the green as he surveys the weyrling dragons, « It is difficult to believe we were ever that young. » he says to Moncerath. Of course he had never met her when she was so young, nor would he remember likely if he had, « They have so much to learn but they will. » he says optimistically, « Just a matter of putting one claw in front of the other. » He watches as Kera moves toward the bronze to make sure he is doing well, « It seems that Kera has traded out examining humans for examining dragons. »
Is'ac's look is a mixture of chagrin and amusement. "Anything he does works up an appetite!" it's not really a complaint though. More of a tolerant observation. "So he'll really be up in the air then today?" inquires Is'ac with a trace of worry to his tone. Kiv's eyes are swirling slowly as he watches Kera's approach. "Of course you may." permission is given.
«She does that sometimes now.» is Moncerath's response to Jaicourath, which causes Kera to peer back over her shoulder to the pair of them "I heard that!" thanks to her dragonmate sharing the comments. Turning back to the young bronzeling, she nods "As long as he doesn't have any tightness or soreness." Another nod to Is'ac before she touches the young bronze, "Is there any soreness at all?" she begins gently rubbing or prodding over the dragon's chest and around wing joints.
Jaicoureth raises a claw to his chest and points to himself as if to say 'who me?' in response to Kera's statement. He mentally chuckles in the meanwhile to Moncerath, « She has such a good sense of humor. » Nothing wrong with a good joke after all. He leans over to gently bump the green's neck with his snout, provided she doesn't move, « Are you enjoying your new duties as much as Kera appears to be? » He'd imagine so, but it never hurts to ask. As Kera examines him he too looks at the young bronze, « Are you prepared to take to the sky and see what its like? »
« I've seen the sky when I have climbed the trees within the forest. » replies Kivshiralth without looking towards the older blue. Instead he casts his gaze upwards to the sky with uncertainty in his mind voice. « There is no soreness. I am strong and exercise well. » he informs his rider who in turn dutifully reports that back to Kera. In an undertone he confides. "He's a little nervous about flying."
Kera smiles and nods to Is'ac. "That's understandable, many are nervous their first time up. Just keep letting him know that you have complete confidence in him." Another pat to the hide "And he seems to check out just fine. Keep him warmed up til it's his turn." Then she moves on to check the other young pairs in much the same way Kiv was checked over. Each seem fit so she steps to where they can all see and hear her "Alright. Now Moncerath will demonstrate what you will be doing. Today will be very short hops. You'll do two wing beats then glide right back to the ground. NO MORE! Any dragon that does more than two wing beats will be grounded until told otherwise. Is that understood?" Kera turns a stern gaze to each pair, making sure they understand she means what she says.
Is'ac grins thinly. He's nervous but more so just because his life mate is nervous. "Right." he murmurs. Quietly he offers reassurance to the bronze as they wait for Kera to check the other weyrling pairs. Once instructions are starting the pair listen closely. "No more." Is'ac reinforces that order quietly but from the whirling gaze of Kiv, it looks like this is one order he's more than willing to obey. Crouched low he awaits his turn.
Jaicoureth understands the need for seriousness when it comes to these sort of things but simply cannot restrain himself from saying, « She's making the serious face. I've seen the serious face before. » It doesn't pop up all that often but when it does Kera means business, « You best watch yourself young bronze. She'll get ya if you break the rules. » Though there is no sting to his words. It's spring! There can be no grumpiness in springtime.
Kera looks to each pair again before gesturing to her green "Moncerath will demonstrate a hop glide. Some dragons take a couple of quick bounding steps then leap, but she prefers to leap from a crouch." Moncerath does one more exaggerated stretch before lowering her body to a crouch, wings held loosely to her sides. Her flanks wiggle, paws repositioning under her before she leaps upwards. At the apex of her leap, wings flash out with an audible snap of her sails catch air. Wings grab at the air once, then twice before they straighten and the green glides to settle on the ground with a *thump* Moncerath settles her wings at her sides and waddles back to where Jaicourath is, giving his shoulder a little bump with her muzzle. Kera looks back to the group "Any questions?" After answering one or two that are more stall tactic than anything, she points to Is'ac and Kiv. "You two, you're up. Remember, two wing beats, then glide back down. And you can leap from a crouch or get a couple of running steps start." However Kiv feels more comfortable, though it will probably take a few attempts for him to know for sure. Kera cast a look towards her dragonmate and Jai when the green 'shares', brow arches to the blue.
Kiv is crouched with his wings folded tightly against his body. The normally chatty bronze is quiet today, a sure sign of his nervousness over his impending airborne flight. Swiveling his head towards Is'ac his look is one of 'are you sure I have to do this'…but once they are up he heaves a heavy sigh and gets to his feet. No questions come from the pair as Is'ac gives an encouraging thump to his friends side before stepping back. Rumbling low in his throat he takes several steps running with his wings snapping open and he jumps…only to land back on his feet. Is'ac wrinkles his nose but is outwardly quiet as he no doubt is encouraging the bronze to try again. Three more running, shuffling steps are taken before a jump that does result in a small glide of one wing stroke before he lands with a thump.
« Ooooo. Now I'm getting the serious look. » Jai says playfully as some stringed instruments thrum through his mind. The blue can only turn toward Moncerath and say, « She's watching us. » he says to her before he hops around to hide behind the green, not very successfully mind you, but he's not being at all serious. He stops his hijinks though when the weyrling dragons begin their baby steps into the air offering congratulations to each one as they achieve the desired goal, « In time it will become even easier and then you will really be amazed and surprised. »
Moncerath's tail flicks to give Jaicourath gentle 'smack' when he tries to hide behind her, then bugles her encouragement to the young bronzling. «You can do this Kivshiralth!» Kera watches the first try, then the hurried second attempt. Nodding, she claps enthusiastically when he touches back down "Very good Kiv!" She smiles and gestures for Is'ac to check on his dragonmate "Make sure he didn't hurt himself and after everyone take a turn he can go again. As long as he hasn't hurt himself." A little smile offered as she sends the young brownling pair to attempt. The brown's first attempt doesn't work so well, since his wings decided to not flap together as they need to. "Good try. Come rest a few minutes then you can go once more if yo feel alright." Then it's a young blue's turn, he actually leaps upwards and gives a pretty good go before touching down. "Well done! well done." She claps for the pair and peers back around to Ziv, stepping closer again "Feelin up for goin again Ziv?" She looks between him and Is'ac and gestures for the bronzer to proceed if he wants.
Is'ac hurries over to ensure Kiv is fine. A bit abashed at the not so successful attempts he crouches once more to watch the others as they go. Finally it is there turn once more so he decides to try from the crouched position. He leaps up, snaps his wings open and glides! It's a wobbly glide and after two wingstrokes he lands with a bump. Is'ac pumps his fist. "Way to go Kiv!"
« Moonnnnnnn. » Jai playfully whines as he is smacked by her tail though in truth he doesn't mind in the least. He knows the green too well to think that she is actually being serious. He comes along side her and sits himself down to comfortably watch the weyrlings as they continue to go about their work. Very good for beginners. « If you keep that up young bronze you will be flying very high in the sky very soon. » At least it will seem like only a blink of an eye.
Kera smiles as the bronzer's next glide looks much better, clapping very strongly "Excellent Ziv! Very good glide. Feeling good still?" she looks from the bronze to Is'ac for confirmation or not. She'll stand near the pair, watching the other young ones glide back to the ground and nod approvingly and offering encouragement and congratulations to each. Giving Ziv a few moments more to rest, she points to the older blue. "How about you do a glide Jiacourath. Let these young ones see how different dragons leap." After all, not every dragon is the same. "If Ziv isn't too tired, he can go again when Jaicourath lands. But then you should let him hunt and rest. He'll be feeling these glides a bit later."
"He's feeling good still, ma'am." reports Is'ac back with a relieved grin. "He says he's not wanting to go again today." he adds. "But he is hungry now."
It seems that the blue's pleasant rest beside his lovely green ledge mate will have to wait as he is drafted into service to show how he glides for the younger dragons. He gives Moncerath a playful nudge as he gets back to his feet. Having already stretched he's feeling limber and ready to take to the air. He moves a few steps away so that he will have room to move. He glances over to Kera and the young dragons for just a moment before he snaps his head forward and readies himself. He begins to move forward at a quick trot before he uses his back legs to push himself into the air. As he jumps he unfurls his wings and catches the air beneath them. Normally this is where he would push upward into the sky but this is just a demonstration, so he glides above the ground and when he is ready to stop he flares his wings to catch more of the air and that brings him back to the ground. He closes his wings once more and trots back toward the group and bows his head, « Ta da. » he says.