When Accidents Happen

Writers: Avery, Chelle, Paula
Date Posted: 10th February 2015

Characters: D'lorn, Riveenata, U'das, D'tras
Description: The weyrling class makes their first jumps between.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: This plot has been approved by the area L1.

Knowing very well how important a day this was and how fraught with peril it
was, D'lorn dreaded it. For the weyrlings it was a turning point and
meant really becoming a rider in the full sense of the word. It was a rite of
passage, just like Blooding. The greenrider stood there, looking at them as they waited. The first
time would be with him or U'das taking them through. Then, they would need to
do it enough times safely and would be asked to do it on their own.

Lining them up, he mounted Villith and took a breath, calling the first one
forward.

U'das rubbed his forehead and then patted Zack's muzzle. This was one
of these days he hoped his eyesight wasn't so bad. He had to rely on
Zack's eyes today. He gave D'lorn a nod for greeting.

Normally Riveenata didn't want to be the first to go, and she fought
Savith's need to be first. But this time, she'd found herself wanting
to go. She thought that worrying about others and wondering if she'd
make mistakes like them would stress her out too much to be able to
concentrate. And she'd been up all night practicing her Star Stones
visualization to herself - she didn't want to lose that in the waiting.

When D'lorn called her, it felt like relief. She and Savith snapped to
readiness. "Here, sir," she said.

}:Ready,:{ Savith told Villith, confidence bubbling in her tone.

}:The first time we will give you the image.:{ Villith waited as she received
it from her rider. Then she passed it to Savith. }:You must send it back,
Savith so we can see it is right:{

D'tras was waiting his turn, trying hard not to show out nervousness he
felt. }: We'll do fine, we were born to do this, :{ Gavitath crooned at him,

the young brown being more calm and confident than his rider.

**But this is when most weyrlings die, this and blooding," D'tras fretted.

}: Getting jitters over it won't help," Gavitath replied.

Savith showed her rider the image they got from D'lorn. Riven studied
it, confirmed that it matched her careful image, and then had Savith
pass it back.

}:Like this,:{ Savith said to Villith, relaying the same image.

When everything was confirmed, D'lorn and Villith launched and rose up,
flying near the Rim where the watchrider was perched. }:You will follow us
through on my count of three. One...two...now!:{

Savith leaped from the ground and followed Villith into the skies.
Riven waved quickly at the watchrider before focusing. **Still got the
image?**

}:Just like this,:{ Savith said, holding it in her mind so her rider
could check it.

Then Villith gave the order, and they were /between/.

Since she hadn't been in several months, she'd forgotten that it was
colder than the frozen mountain-tops. She couldn't feel her warm coat
or her hands that she knew were clenched around her straps. But this
time, she wasn't a passenger who had no idea when it would end. She
had Savith with her, the warm comforting dragon-rider bond in her mind
and reassuring her she was never alone.

They popped out of /between/ back into the warm air and the light. She
took several grateful breaths of it. They were out. They'd done it!

Savith bugled victoriously, sending Villith a message. }:We're here!:{

}:Good job, Savith. Let your rider warm for a moment. Then give me the
return image so I may check it:{ The older green hovered above the stones
that dotted the southern coastline. In the background, they could see the
beginnings of a cothold.

Riven looked around, not recognizing where they were from the air. She
soaked up the sun and let herself enjoy the view. But she knew the rest of
the class was waiting, so reluctantly she brought her mind back to the
topic at hand.

She'd been obsessively practicing the star Stones visualization, so it
snapped to mind immediately. Here was the Star Stones, there was the river
with the sun glinting off it, there was the curve of the open area of the
Weyr below.

Savith passed it over to Villith. }:This one.:{

Villith passed it to D'lorn who checked it before giving approval. "Allright,
focus on the image weyrling and go /between/." D'lorn hoped that Riveenata
would manage the second jump. This would be important since it was going to
be off her image. He would go behind her. Counting in his head, his
eyes followed the weyrling pair.

}:We go,:{ Savith warned her rider, who was still concentrating on the
image. With a flap, she went /between/.

It was still cold and black and terrifying, but Riven concentrated on
the image of how warm and wonderful River BLuff would be when they
came back out. One...two...three...fourth breath - and then they were
out, above the stones and looking down at the Weyrbowl and the other
weyrlings!

Savith bugled her triumph so everyone could hear as she did a
victorious spiral and twisting loop in her glee.

**Tell the 'master -** Riven started.

}:We arrived,:{ she sent back to Villith.

With a relieved sigh, D'lorn gave Villith his own coordinates and it wasn't
long before they were themselves down with the other weyrlings. }:Well
done Savith. Now it's your clutchmates' turns. We will practice more again
after they are finished. Have your rider work on her visualizations while you
wait.:{

The pair settled down and watched the other weyrlings curiously, wondering
who would go next and how they would fare.

It was D'tras' turn. He mounted Gavitath. His fingers curled around the straps
with enough nervous force to the leather to cut his fingers.

}: Stop that, we can do this! :{ Gavitath commanded and took to the air.

**I am going to get sick,** D'tras said nervously. They reached the correct
altitude for /betweening/.

}: The visualization? :{ Gavitath inquired and hovered.

**Right...** D'tras took a deep breath, concentrated and sent the image to his
brown. He sent it forward to Villith.

The green passed it on to D'lorn who examined it. Luckily, the greenrider found
no fault with it. The Dawn Sisters were in the correct position and so was Rukbat.
}:Take this image I give you and follow me Gavitath:{ The green would lead them
through the first time. They would go first on the second. She readied, then nodded.
}:1....2...3...now:{ And then she was gone.

}: We are good to go, :{ Gavitath said eagerly.

**Right, let's go then....I'm so going to throw up...** D'tras said
and Gavitath winked /between/, following the green. **One, two,
three**, and then they emerged out from the emptiness, right next to
Villith.

Villith gave the young dragon a croon to congratulate the pair. D'lorn
gave it some time as they hovered. The weyrling looked slightly out of
sorts. "Are you okay over there?"

}: He's been terribly nervous, :{ Gavitath told Villith.

}:Why? He just did fine:{ She was trying to understand but her rider
understood that the boy would need to calm down before he would let
them try to jump themselves.

D'tras was feeling really sick now and his stomach churned. It wasn't
just nerves, he suddenly realized. **Uh, I think I might be getting a
stomach flu or something...** His face was green now and he was biting
his lips to prevent himself retching.

}: I think he's sick! :{ Gavitath told Villith. He was starting to
lose his cool and sounded worried, even a bit panicky.

}:Gavitath's rider is sick, mine:{ Villith told D'lorn who leaned in
to get a better look at the young one.

**Tell his dragon we land and he will ride back with me. She can
follow on your wing.** He made a split second decision, knowing the
situation could easily get worse.

}:Gavitath, we land now. Yours will come back with mine and you will
take my wing:{ Villith couldn't order like a gold could, but the
haughty green was pretty superior when she wanted to be.

At the same time as Villith was giving Gavitath instructions, he
received an image from his rider to return to the Weyr, quickly. D'tras
was leaning over to the side and feeling ill. The young brown panicked-
the two conflicting orders meshed up in his head and he /betweened/.

}: No! :{ Zack roared, trying to stop the panicking brown from going /between/.

Gavitath reappeared at the Weyr...but instead of being in the air the
young dragon had brought them through into the earth below. It was just
horrible-the pair had buried themselves alive with one wrong move just like
the harper legend of the rider trapped in the rocks up north.

Even U'das had never seen anything like it, and he had seen some
gross deaths during his long career as a dragonrider. The dragons keened.

A feeling of shock rippled through Riven as the dragons began to keen.
Savith's head snapped up and she flapped her wings in distress. }:Gavitath!:{

Her visualization dropped away as she wrapped her arms around herself.
D'tras had been a nice boy, always a pleasure to work with. Tears
sprung to her eyes. Every class lost one - but why him?

It took D'lorn a moment to realize what had happened. Villith went through the
blackness and came out, not seeing the brown. When they heard the noise, it was
easy to realize the brown hadn't made it. Then, she started to send conflicting
messages about the dragon being in the earth. **What?** When the full impact
of what had happened hit him, though, he wondered if he could have done something
different. **Oh Faranth...that poor boy...**

"Everyone, class is dismissed today. We'll have restday tomorrow and resume in
two days. If you need to talk, come find one of us." He wandered over to U'das and
just stood there, hands on his hips as he tried to reason the situation out.

Last updated on the February 18th 2015

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When Accidents Happen