| Characters | Kate, R'sner |
| Synopsis | Xinieth takes to the skies for the first time. |
| Out-of-Character Date | March 17, 2020 |
Igen Weyr - South Bowl
The orange hued sandstone layers comprising the bowl walls curve gently, but ever presently in your view. Fine sand shifts underfoot, a slightly paler version of what is found upon the walls. It gives way along the eastern edge to a section of contrasting green grass where a series of cleverly engineered pipes provide water to the fenced off area of the feeding grounds, and keeps the shimmer of the shallow lake beyond from disappearing during the driest periods of the turn. A distinctly squared entrance farther south is the tunnel leading out to the lands beyond. Traders and tithes arrive here at regular intervals and it is not uncommon for part of the bowl to be set up with a series of tents and wagons as wares are displayed and sold. To the west, the bowl wall has been eroded by the desert winds into strange shapes. At their base are found the weyrling barracks and training fields.
Autumn - Month 10 of Turn 2724
The days are getting shorter, and the weyrlings are getting stronger. At least, one would presume that all those exercises and stretches and mounted drills would amount to muscles and staminal and strength. Those that are not ready have been dismissed. Those that are deemed fit and healthy have been called to the bowl, where Toith and R'sner wait. It is a serious moment, but even so there's a buzz of excitement from the older green, brimming with delight because flight is what all dragons are made for, and today? Today some of them will get to fly!
All those exercises were leading to something. They were told that. They were told that some day, some day soon even, they'd get to fly. It was only a matter of time and now today is the day. Xinieth prances her way to the meeting place in the bowl with Kate not too far behind, green settling in to impatiently awake instructions while the blonde sends a salute towards the Weyrlingmaster.
R'sner returns the salute quick enough, a nod of his head offered in greeting. Toith shifts in her spot, looking about as excited as her much-younger charges. Even if she's been flying forever, it's still an auspicious occasion! As the weyrlings settle, R'sner steps forward, his serious-face set but relaxed. This is a serious moment, but it's not a scary one. "Good morning, Kate," comes as he nears the weyrling. "How is Xinieth feeling? Any aches or pains we should know about?"
Excited, maybe a little nervous. This is their first time after all and well.. okay so Xinieth isn't anything other than excited. Its Kate who might show a little nervousness, but she offers a return "Morning sir," in greeting before shaking her head. "She's good."
"Good to hear." And even if the weyrlingmaster is calm, cool and collected (just another day on the job for him, really), he can certainly empathize with the high emotions all around. And so there's a reassuring little almost-smile for the weyrling before he turns to study Xinieth. "In a moment, I'm going to have Toith demonstrate what will happen today. While I'm explaining it, please start warming up with some wing exercises." Toith hauls herself up from the ground, stretching out her wings and giving them a solid flap before settling into the much more deliberate stretches they've been practicing. And, presuming Xinieth joins her, R'sner will explain. "We'll start with a very short flight. A large leap into the air, a few strokes of the wing to gain some height, and a slow glide back to the ground to land, all in a straight line. Any questions?" he wonders, for both green and girl. "And," he'll add. "How are you feeling about it?"
Kate watches R'sner's study Xinieth and nods quietly for the explanation of what today will entail. Xinieth on the other hand is watching Toith's demonstration for a moment before moving to do her own stretches as directed. "No," the blonde replies with a shake of her head, "all pretty straight forward." In words anyway. « Finally! Jumping and flying. » Oriapeth should be jealous of the turn. "Alright… I think, just her first time and all."
« Yes! » agrees Toith. « Jumpin' an' flyin'! » And even if she does at least one of those on the daily, the green can still be excited about it. "It's normal to be nervous," agrees R'sner, taking a moment to watch the pair in their wing stretches. "But I'd never let her try if I thought she wasn't ready. The hard part will probably be getting her to stay grounded once she's done it." At least, that has been his experience. But the weyrlingmaster offers another almost-smile to Kate, as though to say he really isn't that worried at all, before turning to address Toith. "Go on, then. Show her how to do it." « Watch this, » declares Toith, stretches halted. She turns away from the group, facing the open bowl. « Make sure y'r away fro' th' group, » she advises, making a show of checking to the left and right and behind to ensure no one is in danger of being toppled. « Then, crouch and jump! » Again, there's an exaggerated wiggle as she gets down into a crouch, before springing upward. « An' flap! » And down come the wings, propelling her into the air. « An' then, jus' glide down. » Wings stretched, she glides back down to the ground in a straight line, landing with a little puff of kicked-up sand. "Remember to stay in a straight line," repeats R'sner. "She three or four flaps is usually enough to get some height, but no going above the bowl wall. If she's ready," he adds, turning to nod at Kate, "Then she can go ahead and try."
"I know," Kate replies. She does know they wouldn't let her if she wasn't ready, but hearing it said does help with reassurances. The blonde laughs, "Probably," she agrees about keeping the young green grounded after this, but there is a smile for it. The pair both watch the demonstration, Kate giving a nod once they're given the okay. "Go ahead," but there's no needing to tell Xinieth twice as she green steps forward away from the small group. « Away from the group, » she talks herself through it, double checking her space before crouching, wiggling (because that's a required action to jump you know) and then pushing herself up off the ground. A few good flaps, just like practicing, and if she thinks about going higher she doesn't. « I'm flying! » A little wobbly at first as she finds her balance in the glide down and R'sner might just find Kate reaching for a hand. The landing could use some work, it will undoubtedly come with practice, but she's not tumbling tail over headknobs either so it could certainly all have gone worse.
On the ground, Toith makes sure to scoot out of any potential flight-path before turning to watch. « You are! » Because she totally is. And it definitely deserves a trumpet from the adult green. If Kate needs a hand, R'sner won't mind offering. He might have taught this lesson over a dozen times, but he does understand the anxiety in the moment. With Xinieth back on the ground, there's a triumphant bugle from Toith and a nod of R'sner's head. "Good job," is called loud enough for the green to hear. "Have her walk back if you would," he offers. Because something about having a young dragon flying toward a group just doesn't seem safe. "And then she can go again if she'd like. Stick to straight paths for right now until she's more comfortable with it."
« Did you see me? » Xinieth needs to make sure even if Toith (and others) might have acknowledged the fact while she was in the air. She was flying! And very pleased with herself for her performance. Her return isn't so much walking as bounding and prancing and not quite running because the faster she gets there the sooner she can make another go of it. The second attempt begins much like the first, though more sure in her launch from the ground and this time around Kate is more confident in the green's readiness. The flight and landing showing the tiniest of improvements as she gets used movements of it.
« I did! » assures Toith, happy to confirm that the flight was definitely witnessed. And as with the first, the triumphant leap, flap and landing is met with a trumpet of delight, crowing the victory of first flight to the world. Or at least to Igen. « Good job! » she declares, while R'sner simply nods in subtle agreement. "Good," he says a moment later. "Come on back," he calls for Xinieth, turning toward Kate under the assumption that the little green will do as told. Toith, as well, will head back for the group, though she'll take the less dramaticly bouncy approach. "She's already improving, and it will get better each time," he says. "We'll work on longer flights and incorporating turns and group-flights as we get going. It will be important for you to keep track of how she's feeling. Any sort of strain or soreness should be addressed quickly. Better to take an afternoon off and rest, than to end up with an injury." It's something he's reiterated time and again, but it never hurts to repeat it. "For now, I'd like her to take a break from flight, but we'll go again this evening. Sound good?"
Xinieth bugles her own triumph, quite pleased with her showing and not quite modest in her bright « Thank you! » for Toith and R'sner's affirmation as she makes her way back towards the group. There's a fond smile as Kate looks towards the returning green and then turns back towards the Weyrlingmaster. "Yeah?" its a question for her improvement followed by a nod, confirming what she's been told. "Yes sir. Sounds good."
"Yeah," confirms R'sner, a little quirk at the corner of his mouth that is almost a smile. "Good," comes for the last. "Feel free to stay to watch the others, or you can take the rest of the morning off. We'll come back to practice again in the evening." « Ya did good, » confirms Toith, pleased as punch and happy to try and nose-bump Xinieth's shoulder in celebration before turning back to the group. "Sage, you're up," calls R'sner, moving over to assist the next student with their first flight.
