Dragonets Take Wing

Writers: Ames, Anaria, Len, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th March 2011

Characters: K'ale, E'naer, Cardella, J'nor, G'wen, S'vin
Description: Dragonets take wing for the first time
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 15 of Turn 6

K'ale

Cardella

Neath practically skipped as she and G'wen walked towards the large knot
of young weyrlings, all grouped around the much larger Eillispeth. The
boy glanced around at all the eager faces, looking for his friends.
Seeing S'vin, he wiggled past a couple of brown weyrlings to get to his
best mate.

}:Flying today!:{ Neath exclaimed as she bowled past the two browns,
following her lifemate.

}: Not flying if you ram into someone and hurt your wing. Calm
down,:{ Eillispeth cautioned her.

Neath snorted at her. }:Eillispeth is so stuffy,:{ she said to G'wen.

**Oh?** The boy glanced over at E'naer's lifemate, the very model of
everything that was_not_stuffy. **You_could_learn from her, y'know.**
He laughed as he heard her comments on_that._

Imalkyth hung back toward the back of the group he was getting a bit
large for a close group anymore besides he liked to spread his wings
and beat against the air lifting his front feet off the ground. K'ale
snorted at him. **Not yet, wait for Eillispeth to tell you what to
do.** The young brown settled a but but he could tell he was still
excited by the shifting of his feet and the twitching of his tail.

"Make sure your straps are properly attached, not too tight or too
loose. Me and the staff will circulate among you and check them before
before the dragonets are allowed fly. You better get used to put them
on correctly! Remember, too loose and you endanger your own life
later on, too tight and they cut your dragon's circulation!" E'naer
had to yell to get his voice carry over the din of excited weyrlings
and dragonets.

Those two brown riders were_loud_G'wen thought to himself. So much
for K'ale assurances that brown riders were calm and steady, those two
looked like little boys at a gather. He commanded Neath to stand to
one side, less one of them bump into her and injure a wing, thus
ending their day. Straining to hear E'naer, he tugged at Neath's
straps; they looked good.

J'nor had already triple checked his riding straps, but he checked
them one last time so E'naer wouldn't think that he was over
confident. Zoranaith excitedly bounced from side to side, unable to
contain his glee over finally being able to fly. **Calm down, I am
trying to check your straps! You're going to knock me over!** J'nor
chided.

Neath reached out to give Zoranaith a quick nuzzle. }:We're going to
fly today!!:{ G'wen leaned his head against his J'nor's shoulder
briefly before directing his lifemate to stay calm. This was going to
be a long day.

K'ale chucked at the way Zoranaith was bouncing. Imalkyth had the same
energy as most of the dragonets did. Today they would rise up on
those wings they'd been beating against the air and learn how to glide
and then fly as they were meant to. His eyes were focused on the
instructors green as she educated the young ones. Once again he
instructed his life mate. **Listen to her my dear. She will help you
get airborne on the first try.**

Awenth was literally bursting with joy from the moment she'd awoken this
day. Now, as she hopped from foot to foot she couldn't contain her
excitement, spreading her wings as though to test their strength. }:I
will soar through the skies today!:{ She happily decreed to her lifemate
as Awenth flexed her wings once again. The pair had found a spot off
not quite in the heart of the large throng, for though Cardella was just
as excited as her green, she was _not_ eager to be crushed by the
overzealousness of the weyrling pairs.

**Let me check your straps again, Awenth.** }:You've _already_
checked them. I want to _fly_!:{ Cardella chuckled, **You will, my
sweet, but first we have to prove to E'near that we are ready.** She
quickly double-checked the riding straps and when she was sure they were
as they should be, Cardella stood proudly beside her green and smiled
to her friends among the other weyrling pairs.

Completely fed up with the two brown Weyrlings, G'wen nudged S'vin and
the two moved over to Cardella and Awenth. Trying to keep his dignity
as best he could, the still tiny Kadeth leaned up to nuzzle Awenth's
nose. }:Are you ready?:{ he asked her.

}:I am _more_ than ready!:{ eager Awenth declared as she wiggled
a little in her anticipation. :{Can we fly now, mine?:{ She asked.
**Not yet, Awenth. Wait for Eillispeth to give us directions.**

Cardella looked to G'wen and S'vin. "They are all so eager!" She
stated with a huge smile on her face. "I just wish _we_ could join
them!"

"I dunno," he replied, eying Neath, as she danced from side to side in
her excitment, all thoughts of being dignified like a queen forgotten.
"I'm thinking I'd like to see her try on her own first. As eager as
she is, I'd be afraid of being knocked off!"

"That's true," Cardella replied with a chuckle. "Best they get their
'wings' about them before we add ourselves into the mix." She looked
up towards the center of the group, hoping they might begin soon
before all the eager dragonets stomped on their riders in their
excitement.

E'naer circled among the dragonets to check the staps. When he was
satisfied, he addressed the whole group. "Form a line. Remember, just a
short flight, from here to where Eillispeth is going to be in a
moment. Make sure your wing muscles are warmed up and no stunts yet.
Time for those comes soon enough!"

Eillispeth took air and after three dragons length, landed. She folded
her wings and crouched to watch the dragonet's first flights, ready to
advice or help.

Imalkyth lined up with the other dragonets across from where Eilispeth
and K'ale stepped away knowing those wings were going to kick up all
sorts of dust and gravel from the ground. First in the air was a young
bronze who seemed to flap hard several times before he got off the
ground. He sailed directly to the waiting green dragon and took a few
running steps as he landed. Imalkyth tried next, but he did like he'd
seen her demonstrate and though his wings were unfolded he used his
powerful hindquarters to jump into the air before stroking once and
gliding to where she waited.

He broadcast his joy at getting into the air so easily but when he
landed he tried to stop too quickly and face planted right at
Eilispeth's feet. **Don't worry, you'll do better next time** sent
K'ale

**Right, you've seen them, there's nothing to it!** G'wen broadcast to Neath.

Feeding on his confidence, the big green opened her wings and leapt
into the air. All her wing practicing payed off as she quickly flew
to Eillispeth, and then past her. Knowing her had overshot her mark,
she awkwardly folded her wings a bit to land, stopping suddenly when
her feet and then her chest hit the ground. G'wen had the stray
thought that she looked like one of the kites that he used to fly when
he was a child when it took a nosedive. He ran to her side to make
sure she was alright.

}: Imalkyth, Neath, good take offs, concentrate to practise your
landing, :{ Eillispeth commented.

"Next!" E'naer called.

Awenth hopped forward, ready to take her turn. **You can do it, love.
I know you can!** Cardella broadcast thoughts of pride and love to her
dragon. Awenth hopped into the air and tried to pump her wings, but
somehow managed to do them at the wrong times together. She landed
with a thump where she'd started. Looking a bit downcast, she glanced
to Cardella. **Try again, Awenth. You can do it this time!**

Raising her head again, Awenth followed Ellispeth's instructions,
jumping and pumping her wings. This time it worked! The little green
was in the air! She was so excited she nearly collided directly with
Ellispeth as she came in for a landing, actually catching the older
dragon with her wing. }:I'm sorry, Ellispeth,:{ She quickly told the
other green before she walked away.

Cardella threw her arms around Awenth, **You did just fine for your
first flight, Awenth! I'm so proud of you!**

Kadeth stepped up next and, as in most of his life so far, mustered as
much dignity as only a tiny blue could. He opened his wings, flapped
themm a few times and with considerly more grace than those who went
before, flew to Eillispeth and landed as gracefully as he had flown.

}:Show off,:{ Neath muttered.

}: Good flying, :{ Eillispeth complimented.

J'nor took a deep breath as he and Zoranaith walked forward. Zoranaith
had seen his clutchmates, had concentrated on what they had done right
and wrong, and was confident that he knew what he was supposed to do.
Crouching down carefully, he wiggled his hindquarters before leaping
up into the sky. His first wing stroke was a bit awkward, but he
managed to catch himself quickly with a second. His wingbeats were a
bit off-rhythm, so his height fluctuated as he progressed towards
Eillispeth. He landed next to the green dragon in an exaggerated
parody of an adult dragon's landing, but managed not to fall flat on
his face. Preening with confidence, the blue dragon waddled back over
to J'nor, who hugged him proudly.

When everyone was done, Eillispeth moved twice as far as she had been
and they continued the practice.

Last updated on the April 3rd 2011

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Dragonets Take Wing