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RESERVED for Benden's description

((okay Weyrlings, apparently I'm the new Weyrlingmaster pro tem. It's the day after your first flying lesson. We'll have to wait for Wrath's eggs to hatch before between lessons, as she will not make the jump with a clutch on the sands. It's unusual enough that she's willing to leave the eggs for even a jaunt to the lake.))

Rayi once again chuckles as Wrath anxiously gives Nakoreth last minute instructions for his eggsitting duties. Not that he actually sits on the eggs... She shakes her head with a grin, and heads out to the bowl, slinging a messenger tube across her back. The Weyrlings are already starting to assemble. Wrath hurries along behind her, wearing her harness. And he'd better get it right too, Ray hears her mutter.

After reaching the Weyrlings, Ray waits for the stragglers to settle in, and grins at them. "I am pleased to report that after all of the fun you had yesterday, not one of you had any sort of wing or muscle stress. I'm very proud of you, my wherry chicks, and I hope to remain that way.

"Today we will be going on a short trip. We are headed to the lake, and on our way we will be practicing the basic formations you learned in your boring indoor classes." She grins at their response to that statement; a few quiet groans and much shuffling of feet. "It should be more entertaining done in practice, and thus hopefully the lessons will stick this time. If you would all come closer, however, I have some diagrams for you to examine."

She pulls the messenger tube open and unfurls a scraped wherhide with several scrawled marks and lines on it, resembling some strange star chart, with circles and lines. "This is a diagram of the most basic of formations, the Wedge. In fact, this is pretty much the primary formation you'll be using, and thus this is what we'll practice for the flight there." She pointed at the central shape, which looked like a V.

"The point of the V usually goes to the strongest dragon in the group. For now, this will be Wrath, though in later practices, all of you will have a short stint there. In Threadfall, the point of the V and the two right behind are usually bronzes, with the browns pulling in the middle of each branch, and the agile blues and greens at the ends. They are expected to break off more often to attack stray clumps, while the central part of the formation makes broader sweeps.

"Out of Threadfall, there isn't much reason for flying in formation, aside from practice, and for straight-flight expeditions. One of the reasons we try to fly in formation regularly, however, is because it looks impressive. If, say, we were going to a Gather and appeared randomly in a mish-mash, people would think the Weyr was disorganized and perhaps we weren't doing our job. They might not send their tithes in a timely fashion, and we need their tithes if we're going to keep fighting Thread. When we arrive in formation, they are impressed and proud to have us guarding their skies.

"Also, out of Threadfall, and especially when the straight flight is very long distance, the order is somewhat different. A bronze is still usually the point, or sometimes a strong brown, but greens and blues are now in the middle of the branches, with browns and bronzes at the ends. Greens and blues are rarely the points; they have strength and stamina, true, but they can't match a bronze, and flying point is much harder than it is flying in the branches. The ends of the branches are the easiest, and thus the ones who would replace the point--should he tire--get the benefit of being fairly fresh for the job."

She indicated another diagram. "You don't fly directly behind the dragon before you in the Wedge; you fly with your dragon about even with that dragon's outermost wing, and about a halfdragonlength above and behind. Your dragon will know which spot feels right."

Ray rolled up the wherhide. "For this practice flight, although it'll be short, we'll be using the long distance method; after Wrath, organize yourselves from smallest to largest, with the largest taking the end positions. We'll be reversing the order for the flight home." She made quick rounds of the Weyrlings, checking all of the harnesses, then hurried to mount Wrath.

After a pause to make sure she was fastened in, she gave the command to lift off.

((you can RP being bored through my speech and whatnot, and converse with your dragons or via your dragons to other riders for the flight; I'll try to at least let most of the Weyrlings post before moving on to the arrival at the lake.))

Netesath's keening fills the weyr at the death of Fort's Weyrleader, to every dragon she brodcasts the plead for fighting dragons for help as she lands near the hatching sands to meet Beriardi who was running to her calling for her lfame thrower.

Rayi managed to get a message out of Wrath, feeling the keening resonate through the Queen's neck. It was Zorith, he and V'tos hit a very bad batch of Thread. I must return to my eggs! The dragon wheeled in the air, and Ray attempted to get her to convey the message to the Weyrlings that their lesson was postponed for the day.

I told them, we're going back now. Nakoreth knows and has called K'makin, and they'll be ready when we reach the eggs.

Tell the Weyrlings we'll meet tomorrow, Ray advises, I wish they were advanced enough to go between. I guess it can't be helped though. At least we can free up one more rider to go.

Right. They hadn't gotten very far at all, already Ray could see the peaks that guarded the pass for the ground route into the Weyr.

Ray shrugs as Wrath relays their suggestion. Give the bronzes the landmarks so they can continue on their way. I'll send Isskio along as additional supervision.

Wrath rumbles and relays the message on to Arizath. You're in charge of this for now, she tells the young bronze. Bring them home when the sun is thus, she sent a visualization of the sun at midafternoon as seen from the lake. These are the landmarks that you should see on the way, relay to the others so that all of you know them. She sent images of strange rock formations, the locations of different peaks, and a mental tracery of a line that guided through them. Be safe. It shouldn't take long to get there.

Isskio flies around Arizath, happy with the chore Wrath just explained to her. The Weyrlings were lots of fun! Fun fun fun! And they were going to the lake!

Circling over Benden, Nakoreth trumpted happily to the Watchdragon and then landed neatly on the ledge in front of the weyr he shared with his rider. Get this off of me, so I can go. Or do you want a ride down to the caverns?

I'll take it off and store it here, but I'm hungry too. I didn't finish my snack earlier. Working quickly, he unbuckled Nakoreth's harness and hung it on its stand, then clambered back up onto the dragon's shoulder. Take it easy now, all I've got to grip is your crest!

Another mental chuckle, and Nakoreth carefully launched off the ledge into an easy glide. Kya could feel the dragon's chest rumbling. Is there any more fire in you?

Not more than a belch's worth. I'll take care of it when I regurgitate. The brown glided to a stately stop near the beach. Work the kinks out of your legs, the hike will do you good. The watch dragon told me where the pit is located, so I'll go take care of that, then find my meal.

K'makin slid down. "Don't stuff yourself, Ray has dragged us into Firestone practice in a few days!" Nakoreth didn't bother answering as he walked off to find the pit.