The First Blooding (1/3)

Writers: Clancey, Len
Date Posted: 31st October 2011

Characters: G'wen, J'darin
Description: First Blooding for the weyrlings...and G'wen finds out all too soon that it was well named
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 6
Notes: Note: part 1 of 3

J'darin

So this was it, then. G'wen glanced over at some of his friends,
wondering. In a few candlemarks time which ones would be okay, which
ones would be in the infirmary. Would they all come back okay? Or
alive? Sighing deeply to steady his nerves, the small lad climbed up
onto Neath's neck. Reaching down, he took several firestone sacks
from the hardworking candidate and nodded his thanks to the boy.
The Fall had been going on now for a bit, soon they would begin
calling for sack replacements. When one of the Weyrlingmaster's staff
gave the boy the nod, he gulped and let Neath know it was time.

}:We'll be the best! Just you watch.:{ And with that the large green
lept into the sky and winked /between/ once G'wen had given her the
coordinates.

They were supposed to get the firestone sacks to several in a mid
level wing. When they winked into the sky just below the wing, G'wen
had to gasp, feeling a shock of terror through his body. Across the
sky was the Fall, far closer than he could have thought it.

}:We_are_dragon and rider, you know,:{ Neath reminded him dryly.

He nodded, trying to swallow but finding he couldn't. Well, there was
nothing for it, they had a job to do. At least they hadn't come out
of /between/ right into a clump.

}:No, I think we've done rather fine,:{ Neath added before beating her
long wings upwards. }:There's our first person.:{ Just above them a
blue rider was singling for a sack to be thrown.

Putting all his weight and muscle behind it, G'wen flung the sack as
hard as he could. The rider caught it midair and gave him the single
for a job well done. After nodding, the boy turned to look for the
next one.

}:Sarena and Yanth,:{ Neath reminded him, as the pair came into view,
off to their right and somewhat below them.

Leaning over, G'wen tried to drop the sack as gently as he could to
the petite rider. She was so tiny--smaller than his friend Catrien
even--that he wanted to make sure she caught it safely.

And that's when it happened.

Neath roared as a Thread burned like acid across G'wen's back. Before
he could scream out she winked them /between/, the cold soothing on
the wound. As they came out of /between/ he could feel it smarting
and bit his lower lip hard to keep from breaking down in tears.

}:Is it bad?:{ Neath circled low under the wing as she tried to
figure out what to do.

**No..no, I think I'm okay.** Really, he convinced himself, it was
more the shock of it happening rather than the horror or pain of being
scored. Already the adrenalin that was coursing through his body was
numbing it, luring him into believing it wasn't a bad wound.
Just a typical score, like the dozens of small ones that his da had
gotten over the turns. **We need to finish our sack run and then
we'll see what to do next.**

As he spotted the third dragon to need stone, he could feel his flight
jacket flapping a bit over his left shoulder. He felt a small pain of regret
as they had just been fitted for their fight gear just the other
sevenday. J'darin and E'naer would be so angry with him for ruining
his so soon. And that's when another thought hit him. He'd be the
first--the very blasted first--weyrling to be taken out of their
Blooding injured. How embarrassing! He was practically seething as
they dropped off their last sack to the brown, before going back
to the Weyr.

**No Neath, don't circle here,** he told her as they flew down to
where the line of weyrlings were, all waiting for sacks or waiting to
go. **Fly over to the Tannery and stables.** Behind them was the
storage room. Already a plot was forming in his mind. **Try to look
small too, I don't want anyone to see us.**

After she landed, he slid down her shoulder and ran into the storage
rooms. Jackets..where were the jackets? They were always..ah yes
there they were. He all but dove into the long row of wher hide
Flight gear, all hanging up, in various stages of wear. He ignored
that in favour of trying to find one in his size. Time was
ticking...soon someone would start to wonder where he was. A
jacket--any jacket--would do. Grabbing one, he quickly held it up to
himself before deciding it was small enough for his slight frame.
He slid his own off and--not daring to look at the thing--kicked it
away from him before putting the new one one. It was far too big but
if he folded it under the wide belt then no one would
notice. Not unless they looked closely and he doubted anyone would do
just that until after the Fall, if at all. He wasn't going to be the
first weyrling taken out of the Blooding.

}:Hurry!:{ Neath was watching and knew some dragons were beginning to
look her way. Already in her fear of being caught out, she had
forgotten the extent of G'wen's injury, for the time being.

His heart pounding in fear of a different kind--that of being
caught--G'wen ran out of the rooms and ran alongside the hopping
green, over to where the line of weyrlings were.

The Weyrlingmaster stood near the weyrlings, gathered in the bowl
awaiting calls for firestone. Some where gone at the moment, some
here. All were wide-eyed and realizing just how serious Thread
really was, and how dangerous. So far, just a few minor scrapes and
near misses. None had been wounded bad enough to pull out of the
air, at least not yet.

His blue eyes were ferocious and fierce as he watched each of them
disappear and return, his mind full of Hasaarth's commentary on this
one or that one, or this scrape, or that near miss. His dragon was
much calmer, though he wanted to be up in the air flaming Thread
himself. It was always difficult to hold Hasaarth back during
Blooding.

So far, so good.

Movement distracted his thoughts, and J'darin eyed G'wen as he
appeared from _somewhere_ and he looked closely at the young weyrling.
"Just where were you, lad? Everything alright?"

G'wen stopped in his tracks, trying not to look guilty. "I..uh..I
needed the toilet, sir? Y'know how it is..." Already he could see
himself acting much more effeminate than his usual self, more like
S'vin would act trying to get out of trouble.. **Stop trying too
hard, he's gonna know something's up.** Beside him Neath was doing
her best to look nonchalant.

J'darin raised his eyebrows at the youngster but finally nodded. "As
you say, G'wen. Be ready to go, though." He glanced up to the sky
as if he could see where they were fighting Thread, though he
couldn't. "And be careful. Its no easy thing up there." He looked
suspiciously at the lad again, catching something off in his manner
but put it down to nerves. "You're sure you're alright? You want to
sit out the rest of the Fall? After all, you will only be flying half
a shift when you join the fighting Wings anyway."

Sit out the rest of the Fall? He gave the Weyrlingmaster a look that
told him exactly what he thought of that daft proposal. How
embarrassing! He shrugged his shoulders and was about to say
something when the movement caused him to wince from the score being stretched.

J'darin noticed for certain, and now he frowned. **Hasaarth..check
on Neath and make sure they are okay to fly..**

His eyebrows arched at G'wen's look. "I'll make you sit out for no
reason at all, youngling. Mind yourself, hmm?" He kept looking at
the boy, waiting to hear from Hasaarth. As he was looking, though,
one of the other weyrlings went hopping off and up into /between/ with
firestone sacks and he was distracted.

Seeing J'darin's attention with the other weyrling, G'wen quickly
scrambled up onto Neath before the Weyrlingmaster could put his threat
into action.

**We've only three more candlemarks, we'll be okay** he told Neath,
and himself. She choose to ignore the bronze.

They'd be okay.

**She will not respond. I cannot make her, but she is not hurt. I
would know if she was.** was Hasaarth's answer, but when he turned to
scold G'wen about his green, both were flitting up into the sky,
disappearing /between/ almost faster than he could call them back to
ground. He would have made them come back, but the weyrling that had
left, returned, and was bleeding from a score, and all his attention
was diverted.

G'wen and Neath would be okay.

They'd be okay.

Last updated on the November 6th 2011

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The First Blooding (1/3)