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Rinfala nodded as she stood up straight and gently took the pack from Kairos, tying it firmly to Zelith's riding straps. Once it was secured to her satisfaction, she swung up onto Zelith's neck and turned, looking down. "Got any pets, animals, things of that sort you want to bring? Probably have to sedate them with fellis a bit or something unless you've got a flit. Most of them don't take too kindly to between."

Rinfala smiled and nodded. "Well, make sure he's sedated, I would hate to see you lose her between. And I grew up raising animals...so I know felines can get pretty hard to hang onto if they get scared." She gave a reassuring nod. "I've got plenty of time."

Rinfala nodded and produced a small pack, similar to the type used to carry firelizard eggs. "Here, use this to carry her. I don't think you'd drop her, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes a first trip between can be...startling. I know mine was." She grinned. "I'm craftbred, so we have a little something in common. When you're ready, use this strap here." She pointed down to a strap in front of Zelith's shoulder with loops running up it at intervals. "I'll strap you in and we'll be ready to go."

About time, Zelith rumbled impatiently in her mind. I wish to sun before the day leaves.

Rinfala rolled her eyes mentally. You want to pretend to sun while you ogle the greens, you mean, she corrected.

That would be nice as well.

Rinfala simply sighed.

Rinfala climbed nimbly up the strap and swung her leg over Zelith's neck, settling in comfortably. She turned around and started strapping Kairos in. "I'm assuming this is your first ride a-dragonback, right?" she asked, glancing up. "How much you know about between?"

Rinfala smiled slightly as she finished strapping Kairos in and started working on her own saftey straps. "Well, that's true. It's also very cold, which is why we riders go between when Thread hits us. We'll be in it for roughly three seconds, though I've heard that timing it takes longer." Her face twisted in distaste. "But timing it is dangerous, and shouldn't be done unless necessary. What Lessa did bringing the Weyrs forward...that's acceptable. That saved the planet. Timing it just because...that's not. And Lessa nearly died going back that far, if I remember correctly. Pern could have been left with no queen at all."

Rinfala shrugged. "With practice, it isn't very dangerous at all, really. And sometimes, urgent messages must be delivered. True, there's always a few weyrlings in every clutch lost on the first attempts at between... I don't mean to frighten you, though. I'm simply not going to glaze things over, because it wouldn't be fair to you. However, that's why the mental image of where you want to go must be as perfect as you can manage." She tugged the final strap closed. "If you wish, we can fly straight for now. It'll take us a few hours at least to get there, though."

Rinfala nodded understandingly. "Alright then. Let's go." She gave Zelith a mental nudge, and the big brown launched into the air, kicking up small whirlwinds of dust on the ground. He didn't hurry to gain height, and Rinfala didn't rush him...for one, she didn't want to startle Kairos with a rapid ascent, for another, she was enjoying the flight. Once they were high enough, she gave him the mental picture of the Weyr and the big brown went between.

A few frigid moments of nothingness later, they emerged from between above the Weyr. "Here we are, Rias Weyr," Rinfala called back to Kairos. "You alright back there?"

Rinfala nodded and grinned. "Alright then, here we go." Her first dragonride had been startling as well, so she wouldn't have been surprised if Kairos had taken a deathgrip on her...a lot of holder candidates seemed to be like that, anyways. With a nudge, she directed Zelith to take them down towards the candidate barracks. He glided down and backwinged to a landing, stirring up a bit of dust as he did so.

Here we are, he said, sounding bemused. Then again, he was usually amused by the awe in which most of the candidates held his kind.

"Here we are," Rinfala echoed. "Candidate barracks." She turned around and unbuckled first Kairos, then herself, and slid down Zelith's shoulder to the ground, grunting slightly as her feet impacted. The brown turned his head and nudged her, and she smiled and scratched an eyeridge before looking back up at Kairos. "If you wish me to hold your things for a moment while you get down, that's alright. Shouldn't be too hard to untie them there."