The Final Test

Writers: Avery, Paula, Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th August 2015

Characters: L'pin, Alina, G'dori, Satai, C'thon
Description: The senior class flies against Thread and the worst happens.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 8
Notes: Notes: Serves as a control post for the Blooding of Panitath's clutch.

Alina

L'pin looked over the assembled weyrlings. They'd survived the
firestone resupply runs. A few faces were missing, down from active
duty with mild scores, but so far none of them were dead. Today's
Threadfall was different. Today they were going to actually flame the
Thread.

}:Be silent and listen to the instructions,:{ Chaneth told the
weyrling dragons, reminding them of the need for their riders to hear
as well. The anticipation of flying the Thread was making all of the
tails twitch and eyes whirl. The blue felt it too, but his rider's
firm mental hand was keeping him focused on the young ones.

"You've delivered firestones and dipped in and out of the upper wings
to see hat Fall looks like in the thick of it. I'm proud of you all
for it," he told the class when they'd settled. They were listening
attentively.

"Today you'll start searing Thread in a wing. The weyrlings will fly
with the queen's wing. We'll be supporting them in cleaning up what
falls from the upper wings. You'll hear some warnings about incoming,
but mostly you'll have to pay attention to what's above you and beside
you, so you only sear the Thread."

He answered a few questions, then signaled them to mount up. "Let's
assemble in the sky."

G'dori was filled with excitement, fear and nervousness when he
mounted Naryath. He stroked her emerald neck before they launced to
the air. Naryath was calm, as usual. She was level headed green.

Imarith leapt skyward eagerly, her wings strong and sure. }:We will
flame today!:{ she said excitedly. }:I will fly the entire Fall!:{

**Don't be silly. None of the greens are flying the entire Fall,**
Alina told her sternly. Her own fear was in stark contrast to her
dragon's confidence, but she had buried it down as deep as it would go
to hide it from Imarith. Her dragon didn't need to deal with her own
silly emotions. Focus on the task. Focus on the starstones and their
position in the Queen's Wing. They blinked /between/ and came out into
the bright, early morning light. The sun was just over the horizon but
the humid air promised a hot day ahead. The weyrling shivered. **Let's
join the Queen's Wing and get into position.**

Naryath took her place in the Wing. Ged fed her firestone.

The sky was turbulent before them as it, silvery Thread falling and
coming closer every moment. At a command, the high wings surged
forward to meet it first. Above them the dragons flittered around,
flame belching from their mouths as they seared as much as they could.
For a few moments there was nothing to concern the weyrlings down at
the lower level. They could watch the wings above and their intricate
dance around each other and the Thread, seeing what patterns the
experienced riders used. But then strands slipped past the top wings
and fell ever downwards towards the ground below. The next level
engaged the majority of it, removing the majority of the danger, but
pieces still fell towards the weyrlings.

As it neared the first group of weyrlings, C'thon surged upwards, his
brown shooting flame and quickly searing a piece into dust. Petasth
bugled in triumph. But they didn't have much time to celebrate, as
more was slipping by.

The most hardest part of Thread Fighting, Ged decided when Naryath
surged ahead to sear a small clump of thread, was to stay alert and
keep and eye on _everything_, There was so much happening around them.
They had keep watch for their wingmates, keep an eye on how much
Thread fell from upper levels _and_ watch out for themselves.
**Left!** Ged commaned and Naryath turned sharply to left. She breath
out a steady flame and the Thread turned to harmless ashes. Well,
mostly harmless, as Ged found out when wind blew it ash straight to
his face and he found himself coughing.

Another piece fell down towards C'thon. Petasth wasn't agile enough to
turn up to flame it, so he blinked /between/ and popped back out above
the Thread, flaming downwards to crisp it.

Imarith belched flame, twisting to spray it against a clump of Thread.
Like G'dori had found, there was too much to pay attention to for
Alina to spend time worrying. Her fear disappeared as they met Thread
head on, replaced by an intense focus and drive to do their duty.

So far, none of them had been scored. But luck was about to change.
What had been a tightly compacted ball was unraveling as it met the
warmer air of lower down, going from something easy to flame to a huge
rain of silver tendrils that spread far and wide, grasping for prey.

One clump went towards J'rell, a filament piercing the green
weyrling's shoulder. His green blinked /between/ to freeze it off,
then came back out above the weyrbowl. }:We go to healers,:{ his green
relayed.

One fell straight towards Satai and Talureth.

Ged was perfectly positioned to see it coming but too far to do
something. "Satai! Go /between/," he yelled as loudly as he could, his
heart jumping in to his throat. Not Satai, he liked her, she was
funny. He guided Naryath to jump / between/ so they would emerge above
the Thread, ready to flame. But would they be in time?

Satai didn't hear G'dori over the wind. She was looking the other way
as the Thread drifted down, gentle as gossamer as it struck green
Talureth's left wing-- and clung there. Talureth screamed, then Satai
did too as pain radiated through their bond. Thread turned wingsail
and shoulder into ichor-stained nothing as the pair spun out of
control.

}:Talureth!:{ Imarith's pained cry echoed through Alina's skull. Alina
watched, horrified, and G'dori came out from /between/ too high and
Naryath's flame missed the Thread wrapping itself around the pair. She
caught a glimpse of Satai's terrified, tear-stained face before
Talureth blinked /between/.

And was gone.

Imarith's ribs heaved as she suddenly keened in anguish. The sound was
a knife through Alina's heart.

Chaneth began to keen. L'pin's head whipped up, wondering who'd been lost.

}:Talureth,:{ the blue told his rider.

L'pin's eyes stung. He'd tried to keep her safe, thought after she'd
delivered stone to the Queens and lived that she'd be fine. **No, no,
no,** he thought in agony. How could she be lost?

They kept going through the motions, but it was mechanical. His nerves
felt frayed to nothing, his heart broken. One weyrling, down. How many
more to go?

"Nooo! Nononono, we failed!" G'dori's voice was full of anguish while
Naryath keened for her clutch-sister. They had simply miscalculated
the speed Thread fell.

Last updated on the August 13th 2015

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