Between's A Bust

Writers: Leigh M-F., Paula
Date Posted: 31st May 2016

Characters: G'nir, A'kua, Falior
Description: The betweening does not go well.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 9 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Firelloa (NPC), Bellarria (NPC), Saibra, D'kere, E'naer, Bailan (NPC)

G'nir

For once, A'kua wasn't worried about much because he was still riding a wave of happiness: Firelloa was going to come live with the harper apprentices of Dragonsfall soon, and her mother would be close by at Opal Cove Hold. Before they had departed to settle things in their home hold, A'kua had asked Bellarria "Are you sure you won't stay here with us?" and she had again said she was too used to Hold life and Hold ways. And she had privately admitted to A'kua that she feared smothering Firelloa, and him. "You have had a mother; you're old enough that you don't need me as a stepmother," she'd explained.

A'kua had almost told her that wasn't true. But since she had seemed so convinced of her idea, he hadn't been able to bring himself to argue. Besides, he wasn't sure if she was wrong.

However, that meant learning how to properly go between was even more important, so he could take Firelloa to visit Opal Cove Hold whenever possible after graduation, and so he could bring Bellarria to the Weyr to see her daughter if she desired. He had checked the riding straps five times, and when he had finally been convinced of their structual integrity, he had mounted Zeiranth to wait for their turn under G'nir's instruction.

"Most important thing about going /between/ is to keep the visualization firmly in your mind and not let your attention wander. Nirreth will check your visualizations from your dragons before you're permitted to go. Remember, this first jump is just from star stones to beast hold. After that, we start to gradually expand your horizons," G'nir smiled after his lecture. He was almost as excited and nervous as the weyrlings were. "This is an important milestone. After today, you are senior weyrlings. Mount up! Form a standard v-formation above the Star Stones."

The dragonets arranged themselves as directed. Zeiranth was barely able to contain himself in his excitement, and A'kua's pulse was beginning to pick up as well. **If only everyone at Bex could see me now,** he thought, completely out of place, and put the idea out of his mind and focusing on the image given through Zeiranth. It was clear and sharp as glass.

}: Zeiranth, your visualization, please, :{ the bronze asked, hoovering in the air and facing the weyrlings dragons.

}:Here!:{ Zeiranth shared it, still clear. }:Can we all go now, please? Please?:{

G'nir got the visual from Nirreth and nodded, it looked good.

}: Yes, you can go. Keep your focus on visualization, :{ the older bronze gave the permission. He was going to maintain a light mental touch with the younger bronze during the whole process.

The words had only just left Nirreth's mind when Zeiranth cried }:Yay!:{ and blinked between.

And because he forgot to warn his rider, A'kua was jolted by the sudden transition and his concentration was shattered. Between was just as bad as he remembered from that trip with Saibra. The tall redhead was completely disorented, **Zei?! ZEI!**

}:I'm here!:{

**Where's here?!**

}:I don't know! We should've been above the Star Stones by now!:{

**Ya should've warned me! I lost the image!**

}:I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Give me another, quick! I don't want you to suffocate!:{

A memory flickered into A'kua's mind; something he had thought about just minutes ago, and suddenly they were above fields of hops and wheat, huts of stone with metal sheets for roofs. There were caprines and ovines, a few runnerbeasts and milchbeasts, and people looking up and gaping in shock at the sight of a bronze dragon out in the boonies where Search never came.

}:I'm too low!:{ Zeiranth yelped.

**Then pull up an' circle 'round!**

The young dragon did so, looking for a place to land, finally finding a suitable area next to a smaller, ill-tended hut. He landed hard, making himself and A'kua wheeze, and the moment he had his breath back, he unbuckled himself, slid the ground, and wrenched off his helmet.

The next thing Zeiranth knew, A'kua had thrown his helmet to the ground and started _screaming_.He'd raised his voice before, certainly, but this was full-on screaming, a torrent of profanity that nearly blistered the bronze's headknobs. When he ran out of breath, A'kua dropped cross-legged to the ground, elbows on his knees and face in his hands. "Call G'nir an' Nirreth. Tell 'em where we are," he moaned in a muffled voice. "If'n they're gonna skin us alive, let's get it over w-"

"What's all that racket out there?"

A'kua's head snapped up as the hut's back door opened, and he laid eyes on a man he had thought he would never see again. Falior the hold harper, the man who should have been his father, was apparently visitng Gordione. A slow, cruel grin spread over the weyring's face as he took in Falior's utterly gobsmacked expression. "Hey, Pops," A'kua sarcastically drawled.

The harper paled, and leaned heavily on the doorframe. "What.... W-What- What are you doing here?" he gasped.

The weyrling adjusted his accent. "I heard you're still pinin' after Ma and my grandsire's body is betrayin' him, so I came to see it for myself," he lied, tilting his head slightly so his canine teeth would look even more fanglike.

}:Nirreth?:{ Zeiranth called in a very small voice. }:I'm sorry. I got my rider and I lost. Can you come here and guide us home? It could get bad here.:{ He supplied an image of a place to land near him.

}: Coming, :{ Nirreth replied. He and G'nir had known something was wrong the moment they had not apparead out of /between/. They had experienced a very tense few minutes before Nirreth again got contact with Zeirath. G'nir's hearth was still pounding overdrive. Leaving rest of the class for D'kere and E'naer, Nirreth picked up the image and they popped /between/.

When Nirreth came out again, he let out a loud warning below. He could feel intense emotions radiating from Zeiranth, he felt threatened. It could be just the scare of /betweening/ to wrong place. But there were holders who didn't like riders, especially in a backwater holds.

**Where the blazes are we? ** G'nir was not familiar with the location.
Nirreth landed next to Zeiranth, eyeing all humans that weren't dragonriders with wary, warning look. There was red among the swirling colours in his eyefacets.

"A'kua! Are you alright?" G'nir's first priority was check the weyrlings well being and assure his safety. Chewing up and tanning his hde would wait till later. It was not done in front of the holders.

"Never better," A'kua practically purred, watching Falior grip the doorframe for support. Behind him, Gordione hobbled into view, leaning on a cane. He too paled, and his knees nearly buckled. "Well, since my sweep is done and my escort's here, I guess I should get goin'." He stood and outright swaggered to retrieve his helmet. He had never swaggered before, but he did so back to Zeiranth, putting said helmet back on. "Be a dear, Falior, and tell Bailan I'm sorry I missed her. I'll write to her later," he said airily, and felt a little guilty as he mounted up. He hadn't written to the woman since after he gave her permission to talk about where he'd ended up. Maybe he should.

}:We're ready for our visual,:{ Zeiranth said, voice still tiny. }:A'kua says if we can make this look really good, he'll be your servant for a sevenday- no, two sevendays.:{

G'nir wasn't sure what was going on, but he could pull off a show if need to. Besides, he was Lord Holder's son. Putting up airs was in his blood. "Beginng your pardon for disturbing your day, my good holder," G'nir said with his most haughty tone. "If nothing is amiss here, can we go back to the air now, bronzerider?" G'nir asked from A'kua with more normal voice.

}: And this time you're taking the visual from _me_, not from your rider, :{ Nirreth said to Zeiranth and crouched to jump back to air.

}:This wasn't his fault, I swear,:{ Zeiranth protested, but that was all he said before they launched. }:I'm ready for the visual. I really am.:{

Nirreth just grunted. After they had reached the right altitude, he sent the visualization of Dragonsfall for the younger bronze. }: You go first,: { he told him.

}:Yes sir,:{ Zeiranth unhappily mumbled, and shared the image with A'kua, who reinforced it. }:I'm going now,:{ the younger bronze said to Nirreth and the redhead, and went between, reappearing eight seconds later over the Weyr. }:We're here safe.:{

A'kua let out a breath and leaned forward until his head knocked the neck ridge in front of him.

Nirreth re-appeared two seconds later, right next to him. "In my office in a candlemark," G'nir called to A'kua over the air. He still have the rest of the class go thru their first /between/. He just hoped there would not be more mishaps. It was common to lose weyrling or two in this phase of training. He wondered if A'kua realized himself how close he had been to get permanently lost in /between/. Well, he would make sure the boy realized it. If they hadn't gotten out...G'nir shivered.

The weyrling signaled that he understood the order. **Well, if we're goin' to be skinned alive for this, at least I got to see the looks on their faces.**

}:They can't skin you, it's my fault,:{ Zeiranth insisted. }:Nirreth is going to turn me into riding leathers.:{

**Thanks for that lovely mental image.**

Last updated on the June 1st 2016

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Between's A Bust