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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:34 am
All his life B'shir had been out of bed before the sun rose so that he could hurry to his grandfather's weyr and begin getting Rath ready for that morning's lessons. As a very small child, his father had gone with him, guiding him through the dark Weyr so that he wouldn't become irretrievably lost in the labyrinthine passages. That had lasted until he was about five, after which he was expected to find his own way, and he managed perfectly well. The way was indelibly set in his muscle memory. So now, more than a decade later, he had no need of a glow or light of any sort as he went through the black corridors and climbed the carved stone steps to the weyr A'ram and Rath shared. When he was about halfway there, he woke Sakneth.
I hate him, the bronze dragon snarled moodily. It wasn't clear if he meant A'ram or Rath, but it didn't really matter. He saw the two as inseparable, a single entity that existed to make his life miserable.
No you don't, B'shir told him, though he really didn't know why. The truth was that Sakneth really did hate his grandfather and his grandfather's dragon. He supposed he kept trying to convince Sakneth otherwise because he wanted to convince himself otherwise. He respected both A'ram and Rath deeply, and he was sure that there was a large amount of love in there, too. After all, they were family.
Yes, I do. I really, really do, Sakneth assured him as he climbed the last few stairs and walked down the hallway that led to A'ram's weyr from the inside. Rath would enter and leave from the other opening, but he had wings. B'shir didn't. Not yet.
I'm never flying you up there. You shouldn't spend so much time with them. They're old and useless. And they make us do the same thing over and over. It's boring and I hate it. For good measure he added, And I hate them.
B'shir sighed and pretended he didn't hear that last bit. He knew that what Sakneth particularly hated was waking up early. He felt it was beneath him to be awake at a time when only drudges and bakers and other laborers were moving about. It didn't matter how many times B'shir pointed out that dragonriders were also laborers. As far as Sakneth was concerned, they were higher and more important than everyone. After all, Sakneth's hide was bronze and B'shir was lucky enough to be the human he chose.
The senior weyrling was about to knock on the door to his grandfather's weyr when he heard Sakneth shouting to Rath, Wake up, Oldtimer! It's morning!
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:43 am
A'ram sat up slowly and stretched painfully. Some mornings he could hardly wait for Sakneth to finish growing so he would be assigned to a wing, leaving A'ram to sleep past sunrise for the first time since he Impressed Rath. First it had been practice for himself and Rath. Then it had been practice for Musil, who had disappointed him deeply. Then it had been practice for his grandson. Now it was practice for his grandson and his dragon. His bronze dragon. A'ram smiled to himself. He'd trained his grandson into Impressing a bronze. Even if the bronze left much to be desired.
Sleeping in his accustomed place, Rath opened his outermost eyelid on the eye nearest A'ram and huffed his agreement. He was an old dragon. Still fit, but old and harder working than any other dragon his age. The others from his clutch had allowed themselves to fall into decrepitude with their riders. Only he, Rath, kept his muscles toned, and even if they were more ropey than bulky, and he probably couldn't last a full Fall at this point, he was still capable of flight. He was capable of just about anything a person could ask of a dragon except laying eggs and flying queens, which he would never try anyway. He was content. If only B'shir hadn't Impressed such a nasty bronze.
The ruddy brown sat bolt upright with a soft growl as Sakneth shouted at him. His eyes flashed an annoyed yellow before settling back into his usual pale blue. He was not going to allow Sakneth to see that he'd riled him. Or even woken him.
An astute observation, weyrling, Rath replied. You had better be warmed up and ready to fly by the time B'shir has my straps on me.
A'ram, listening in on his dragon's conversation as he usually did whenever Rath spoke to Sakneth, nodded his approval. They'd be doing more flight drills this morning. It was a credit, he felt, to his grandson's upbringing that he didn't complain about these drills, which were more for Sakneth's benefit than his. B'shir would be riding Rath, who was cleared to bear a passenger, and Sakneth would be mimicking them while B'shir and Rath 'spoke him. A'ram would 'speak Rath to let them know how the drill would go. But B'shir had been doing these drills since he was old enough to fly. A'ram was proud that he didn't whine or complain of boredom. Unlike his dragon.
"Come in, B'shir. You're in the air today, so start putting Rath's harness on." A'ram called once he was dressed.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:27 am
I hate how he says 'weyrling' as though it was an insult. It's not like he flies with a wing anymore, Sakneth grumbled to B'shir.
The key word being 'anymore.' He has flown with a wing, which is more than you can say. So listen to him and do as he says.
But it's boring, Sakneth said feelingly. And he's only a brown. He never even flew wingsecond, I bet, and I'm going to be wingleader. What can he possibly have to teach me?
Just do as he says.
Despite his complaints, Sakneth was warming up. He knew from experience that everyone, even B'shir, would yell at him if he refused to participate. Well. Not yell. B'shir rarely raised his voice. The yelling would come from A'ram. B'shir would either force him to obey or shut him out completely. Either option was unpleasant and the effort left B'shir in a foul mood for the rest of the day. They had more lessons to attend after this, and those always went better when B'shir was in a good mood. At least if they were flying, Sakneth could relax. He was getting good at flying.
B'shir pushed the door open and greeted his grandfather with a respectful nod. Like his journey to the weyr, the respectful gesture was ingrained. A'ram was the head of the family and a figure deserving of respect even if he wasn't also a brownrider and former wingrider. Trying to impress that upon Sakneth was futile, he'd learned, so he just handed his bronze ultimatums: You will be respectful because that's the way it is. He was relieved that Sakneth was in a cooperative mood, despite his mutinous thoughts.
While Sakneth warmed up his muscles B'shir checked Rath's harness for signs of wear or stress. There shouldn't be any, but it was part of the procedure. He'd check it again once he'd put it on Rath, making sure it was secure and none of the buckles were wearing out and that the leather wasn't too stiff. A'ram had probably already checked them, and he'd know if B'shir missed something, so he made sure to be thorough. Besides, it would give Sakneth that much more time to get ready.
When he'd finished checking the straps and harnesses B'shir carried them over to Rath and began the process of putting them on. He'd learned to put a dragon's harness on when he was seven or eight. With Rath. He hadn't been able to carry the contraption without it dragging on the ground behind him at the time, but that hadn't made any difference. He had to learn to put a dragon's harness on, and that was that. He'd struggled with it and eventually managed.
He was secretly glad that he'd not had Sakneth then. He and the bronze may spend most of their time in disagreement, but he knew Sakneth wouldn't put up with his rider being chastised as B'shir had been for mistakes. Mistakes were beaten out of him and good habits beaten into him. Not brutally. Not to the point where he would be unable to complete his tasks. Just enough that he wouldn't repeat the same mistake. He'd never had any broken bones or anything like that as a result of being taught. Excluding that time he fell off Rath from about twenty feet up.
Are you ready? he asked Sakneth.
I am. Hurry up so I can show that bag of bones how good I am.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:42 am
A'ram watched his grandson put Rath's harness on, but he didn't pay much attention, honestly. He trusted that by now the boy would know what he was doing. If he didn't he deserved whatever came to him. Certainly he didn't need A'ram to go over his preparations as though he were a child. Sometimes the Igen native still did that, surprising B'shir with a surprise inspection of his work, but most of the time he didn't feel the need to do so. He was confident in B'shir's ability to put a dragon's harness on properly by now. He'd been doing it since before he reached double digits.
Rath, however, made sure B'shir was doing his job correctly. He trusted the boy, but it never hurt to be careful. Particularly not knowing how much it would hurt if he wasn't careful. The brown would never forgive himself if he allowed any serious harm to come to B'shir. Even with the limited dragon memory, he was certain he would manage to remember if something happened to his rider's grandson. It would be a shame beyond imagining, and not just because it could cause a bronze to go between if B'shir died.
Once B'shir had finished and climbed on, Rath moved to the edge of the weyr and jumped into the sky. A'ram stayed behind and began the process of making himself some klah on the hearth. Mentally he told Rath the drills he expected them to run that morning, and Rath acknowledged them. A'ram pushed his grandson hard, but he didn't overburden him if he could help it. He just wanted to make sure that B'shir stayed a little ahead of his weyrling lessons. Like A'ram himself, B'shir was not overly creative, and so he would need the extra edge that foreknowledge would give him. Well. Sakneth, really, was the one learning at this point, but it amounted to the same thing. If a dragon did well, it reflected well on their rider.
Once he saw a second dragon's form in the air that meant Sakneth had joined Rath and B'shir, A'ram came to the open portion of the weyr to watch them critically. The lesson for the day was flying in close formation, which meant timing wingstrokes to avoid entanglement or having riders swept off. Not too much to teach. It was really a matter of practice and spatial awareness. At this point, Sakneth was of a size with a large adult blue, so he would be flying in that position. As he grew, he would take another position in flight. In the back of his mind, A'ram could hear Rath offering suggestions and advice to Sakneth.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 4:12 pm
The wind was cold and biting around the edges of his flight goggles, but B'shir loved it anyway. He was dressed for flight in his own leathers and his own gear, which was such a treat, a lovely change from using A'ram's old togs. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable, and nothing could detract from it. Not even Sakneth's grumbling.
And Sakneth was grumbling. How does he expect me to stay in the air if I move my wings so slowly? The natural laws require me to flap harder and faster to stay aloft. He's unreasonable.
And yet, B'shir replied serenely, he's larger than you are, and managing perfectly well.
He has no muscles to weigh him down, Sakneth replied. And no brains either.
B'shir hoped Rath wasn't being allowed to overhear these things, but Sakneth gave him no clue. In reality, the bronze dragon loved flying every bit as much as his human, and was willing to be more agreeable while in the air, even if he felt constrained and irritable because B'shir raised valid points. If that old brown could do this, he should be able to as well. He took a deep breath and concentrated hard on making his wingstrokes count for more, since he got fewer of them, and not hitting Rath's wings with his.
In many ways, B'shir was just along for the ride, but he didn't mind. Flying. There was nothing like it. B'shir's face didn't naturally form itself into a smile, but if he had been one with facial expressions he would have been grinning from ear to ear. It never got old. He loved the speed, even though Rath was flying at a relatively sedate pace for the time being while he waited for Sakneth to fall into a rhythm with his wingstrokes.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:47 pm
Rath was not bonded to B'shir as he was to A'ram, not Impressed to him, but the dark-skinned young man had grown up with him and he was very familiar with his mind. He could feel his exhilaration and it pleased him to know that B'shir took joy in flying, even if they were only performing routine drills. He took all the credit for that. After all, B'shir had never flown with that bronze of his. So far all his memories of flight were with with Rath, and if he loved it so, it was because Rath was a good dragon. He wasn't an unusually proud dragon, but for this he felt pride. Three generations of men he had taught to fly, and even if his A'ram's son was a disappointment, B'shir was a fine pupil.
What are you thinking of? A'ram demanded. Pay attention to what you're doing. That bronze is never going to be able to fall into any sort of rhythm if you don't have one. He's not ready for complicated or uneven cadences.
A'ram scowled as he watched his dragon recover himself. He'd not been following Rath's thoughts. He hadn't thought he'd have to follow them. Rath was a veteran for this sort of thing. Even if he was distracted, he shouldn't have fallen off the beat. Perhaps it was a good thing they'd never had to contend with real Thread, A'ram thought pointedly, knowing Rath would pick up on it.
I'm sorry, A'ram, Rath said earnestly. I won't make this mistake again.
See that you don't, A'ram said sternly. I don't want that arrogant creature of B'shir's picking up bad habits and blaming them on you.
I'll tell him I just did that to challenge him because he was doing so well. He'll preen, Rath said dismissively, thoroughly convinced that it was so easy to manipulate Sakneth.
Do that, then, A'ram said. And keep your mind on the task at hand.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:23 pm
At his dragon's request, B'shir stopped woolgathering. Sakneth was really having a difficult time matching his wingstrokes to Rath's, and he didn't think it should be that difficult. After all, he knew how to fly, and it was a fairly basic activity for a dragon. He could hardly wait until he was allowed to carry B'shir, and then they're really show off. None of this stupid flapping in unison dreck. Real flying. B'shir would lose his lunch. It wasn't a wholly unappealing thought, though it would ruin the image he and B'shir were working to create.
And you're just sitting there enjoying the ride, Sakneth hissed accusingly. You never do any of the real work.
Sorry. Would you like me to fly, perhaps? B'shir replied.
No. Yes. Maybe. Just ask that brown what he thinks he's doing.
Ask him yourself.
No.
B'shir sighed. Sakneth was frustrated, and so he was going to be obstinate. Fine. It didn't bother B'shir to ask Rath what was going on. He could tell that the brown's wingstrokes weren't on the beat, too, though for him it wasn't really a problem. He asked Rath and was told that they were varying their strokes to challenge Sakneth. He relayed this to Sakneth.
Sakneth did, indeed, preen when B'shir told him that he'd been trying to deliberately challenge him. So he was doing well enough to warrant a challenge, was he? Well, naturally. He was a wonderful dragon, and a bronze. Of course he would learn quickly how to perform such a trite task. None of them put enough faith in his intelligence or natural ability. Let them underestimate him. He would astonish them when he performed to his utmost.
I think you will, B'shir agreed, surprising his dragon. B'shir was not effusive in his praise. Like his grandfather, he preferred to say nothing when things were done well and only speak when mistakes were made. All he ever did was criticize, usually. Sakneth practically glowed with pleasure, and when Rath returned to an easier pace he also radiated smugness as he was able to match his wingstrokes exactly.
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:18 pm
A'ram watched the candles burn in his weyr, keeping track of the time. When they had been at it for a candlemark and a half he called Rath back to the weyr. The brown landed gratefully. He would not have admitted it readily, but he was beginning to feel the cold more and the need to keep warm combined with the effort of the morning's lesson had tired him. He was more than pleased to land on his ledge and go into the warmth of his weyr. Perhaps A'ram had sensed that, but he wouldn't say as much to the dragon. Neither of them would admit to weakness or aging, even to each other.
Not bad, Rath said dismissively to Sakneth. You may go now.
Perhaps he took too much pleasure in being dismissive toward Sakneth, and perhaps he should be making more of an effort to befriend the bronze, who would one day soon be in a position to give him orders, but he wasn't interested in it. He'd tried that early on and come to the conclusion that it was a wasted effort. The bronze was determined not to like him, and helplessly jealous that Rath had more history with B'shir than Sakneth did, and Rath didn't feel it was worth his time to try to change the stubborn weyrling's opinion of him.
"The lesson ran long today," A'ram observed to his grandson. "You'll have to hurry to your next lessons. Don't be late. I can take care of Rath's harnesses."
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:12 pm
B'shir glanced at the candles that his grandfather used to tell time as soon as Rath landed. He didn't swear, mostly because swearing was something he did rarely, but it would have been an appropriate time to swear. This should have ended a quarter candlemark ago at the latest. Now he had three choices before him: break the rules and fly back to the weyrling barracks so that he'd have time to change, run back to the weyrling barracks to change and show up late, or show up on time in flying gear. None of them were particularly appealing, but as always his face did not show his dismay or displeasure. He simply nodded to A'ram respectfully.
"Thank you," he said politely as he left. He always thanked A'ram, even when the lessons went horribly and he left with bruises from corrections or mistakes. He would be running to the weyrling barracks and hoping to change in time. To expedite the process, he was stripping off his outer layers as he made his way back at a reckless speed.
Why do you thank him? Sakneth demanded. There's no way you'll make on time, ruining our spotless record, assuming you don't break your neck hurtling down those steps.
I thank him because he shares his experience and wisdom with us, and he doesn't have to. It is because of him that we do so well in our lessons and you're growing so strong so quickly. If we didn't work as hard as we do, you would be less of a dragon, B'shir retorted, jumping down an entire flight of steps.
And what if you break your neck trying not to be late? That would be his fault. I did not need that much practice for so basic a skill. B'shir got the mental impression that Sakneth was pacing. And why didn't you just have me fly you down?
Because A'ram wouldn't have approved if I'd flown on you without a harness. It's far more reckless than this is. I could do this in the dark. I have done this in the dark. Besides, I can't imagine you'd be too torn up if I did break my neck. Then you'd get to do whatever you want, providing I survived the experience. Maybe even if I didn't.
Sakneth hissed. I would not stay without you. Do not break your neck or die. No one will say anything if we're late. Or else.
Or else? Or else what? No one is an exception to the rules. Just get to the bowl, all right? I'll be there in a few minutes, and if I'm late, I'll do whatever extra work is assigned to me, all right?
It was clearly not all right, but Sakneth did as he was asked.
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