A Minor Miscalculation

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 22nd February 2006

Characters: Talwynn, E'naer
Description: Talwynn and Riveth take their first flight, but it's not quite what they hoped.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 27 of Turn 3

"Okay, Tallwyn, it's your's and Riveth's turn. Let me check her up before the flight," E'naer came to the next weyrling waiting for her turn.

}:Aren't you excited, ridermine?:{ Riveth chirped at Talwynn, waves of excitement rolling off of her. She was shifting back and forth in her excitement. }:I am to fly with you today!:{ She had flown alone, of course- but this, this was with her beloved rider!

Talwynn didn't feel as sanguine as her dragonet did. She had studied and studied and contemplated it- but she still wasn't confident, either.
**Calm down, we haven't flown yet- let's not get excited until we've done it.** she cautioned, shifting about. The riding gear still felt a bit strange on her. She made one last minute check of her straps before feeling secure.

She watched all of the others and studied them, noting their mistakes critically. So absorbed in this, she started slightly when E'naer approached her. "She's all geared up and excited to fly, sir." Talwynn replied professionally, no trace of excitement in her own voice. She stepped aside so that the Weyrlingmaster's Third could inspect her green.

"Good. Ask her to spread her wings so I can check the straps. Has she hunted her own food yet?" E'naer asked. He studied the green dragon carefully. She looked healthy and strong. He went to give the straps tug and checked they were properly attached. "Talwynn, this part is too tight, see how it squeezes her muscles? Loosen it a bit. A good memory rule is that if you can't push your finger under the strap, it's too tight and if you can fit more than three fingers under it, it's too loose."

**Riveth, I'm sorry!** she mentally exclaimed. **You should have told me!**

}:It didn't _hurt_.:{ Riveth replied defensively. }:I just assumed it was supposed to squeeze there.:{ Talwynn immediately adjusted it and managed to slip one finger under it.
She stepped back to show that to E'naer. "Is that better sir?" she asked, carefully keeping her distress and shame out of her tone.

"Excellent," E'naer smiled encouragingly. "Now, get on her back."

Riveth extended her foreleg and Talwynn mounted. Once she was astride, she looked down at E'naer, waiting for further instructions. "What next, sir?" she called.

"You get into the air and land as close the white stone I placed earlier as you can. It's about two dragonlenghts to fly," E'naer said and lifted his arm. He gave her hand signal that wings used.

Talwynn heard him and nodded smartly. **You know what to do, right?**

}:I am a dragon, born to fly- I know what to do!:{ Riveth reassured her.

Talwynn watched intently for the signal.**Let's go!* she thought, urging Riveth with her mind and with a slight, instinctual tugging on the straps to emphasize it.

Riveth sprung into the air, flapping her wings once as she did. Talwynn had ridden before, and so sensed that something was wrong as she did it.
The sense of pain that hit her added to that. She felt Riveth give another stroke of her wings and then they were airborne!

Riveth struggled slightly to hit altitude but then soared towards the stone. She exulted in the feeling of the wind against her, being in the air, using her own wings! Talwynn felt her own excitement that her green, her beautiful perfect green, was flying, and she on her.

**Now down to the stone!** Talwynn reminded her, reinforcing her words with a mental picture. Riveth dipped downwards and backwinged to land.
She overshot slightly and landed about a quarter dragonlength ahead of the stone.

As soon as she had landed, Talwynn dismounted. The exhileration she had felt from both herself and Riveth when they were in the air faded, replaced by concern and an awareness of the pain. Without waiting for E'naer, she dismounted and looked at Riveth.

Riveth held her wings up above the ground. Traces of green ichor dripped from the edges. }:I'm all right.:{ she insisted to her rider, but Talwynn felt the pain. She looked around for E'naer, wanting to ask if he'd seen what happened.

Eillispeth alerted E'naer that Riveth wasn't totally all right after her flight. The Weyrlingmaster's third jogged to join the weyrling-pair.
"What happened? Eilli said Riveth felt pain? Flying shouldn't be painful," he asked. The flight had seen perfect to him.

Talwynn wasn't quite sure what had happened. With a nod to let him know she had heard him, she inspected her dragonet's wings. There were traces of ichor dripping off of them, she noticed. Replaying the incident in her mind, she finally figured it out.

"Riveth swept her wings down too far and scraped them on the stone as she was taking off." she said, turning to E'naer as she explained. "It doesn't look too bad- but you'd know more than I would. She says it stings." She waited, nervously, then added in a tremulous tone "Did we do all right, otherwise?"

"Otherwise, you did well," E'naer assured and inspected the injury himself. "After the class, I'll clean it up and put some numbweed on it.
It's a small scrape only, it will heal in few days. Next time, be more careful, please."

"We will." she assured him. "It was only a minor miscalculation. So it's not bad enough to need to see a dragonhealer about, correct?"

}:It was only because I forgot to compensate for her weight.:{ Riveth added sheepishly to Ellispeth.

"I am a dragonhealer," E'naer pointed out and gestured his healer's knots, almost hidden by the weyrlingmaster's third's knot. "And my offical diagnose is: don't worry, it's just a small scrape."

She nodded, relieved. "Thank you sir!" she answered. "Is there anything else that should be done in this class?"

E'naer shook his head. "Just move among the spectators. There's still few pairs left."

"Yes sir!" she replied, and they moved off.

Last updated on the February 23rd 2006

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A Minor Miscalculation