Starting to Flame

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 11th April 2015

Characters: L'pin, E'ska, Satai, Hevalda, N'val
Description: The Weyrlingmaster Third runs the Senior Weyrlings' first flaming practice.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 8 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Panitath

So far the weyrlings of Panitath's clutch had been very lucky. They had
had no major injuries during learning to fly. The last three months of
weyrlinghood allowed more freedoms for the weyrlings, but it was also
significantly more dangerous. /Betweening/ and Blooding were obvious, but
learning to flame and night drills could also be very dangerous. Which is
why L'pin was being very conscientious about setting up today's practice.

L'pin had let one of the assistants convene the weyrlings, while he
checked over the practice grounds they'd cleared for use for flaming
practices one last time. The ground was clear, the pre-sorted bags of
firestone nicely laid out. All was ready for the class to come. But a
feeling of unusual discomfort washed over L'pin as he looked over the
training area. He just couldn't shake the feeling of dread that something
terrible was going to happen. The overcast sky wasn't helping his mood
any.

}:Leriath says the weyrlings are ready to come over,:{ Chaneth interrupted.

**Tell E'ska to bring them,** L'pin replied. He busied himself fussing
with the small bags of firestone while he waited for them to arrive,
trying to build up his confidence. It wouldn't do the students any good if
they knew how scared he was. The only thing worse than this would be -

}:Don't think about those thoughts. Teach them about flaming and how fun
it is,:{ Chaneth said, punctuating his serious thoughts with a large yawn.
}:You should give me some stone so I can show them how to produce a real
flame.:{

L'pin shook his head, a little smile appearing on his face right as the
dragons were landing in the area by Chaneth, where the bags were. A few
other assistants were on hand to direct them into a wide spacing, where
they shouldn't be able to hit each other with flame.

He clapped his hands to get their attention. "As you know, this is the
sevenday where you start chewing firestone and flame for the first time.
Or rather, your dragons will. Riders, please don't try it yourself," he
said, trying to coax some smiles out of the serious young faces. His
attempt succeeded at getting a couple titters and grins, and their
response helped him relax.

"Riders, your job is to feed them firestone as they ask for more. Help
them concentrate on their second stomach. Also, stay out of their way when
they say they're going to flame!" he said sternly, pausing to try to meet
eyes with as many of the weyrlings as he could.

"Dragons, you chew the firestone," L'pin continued, turning to look at the
other part of this equation. "Think of your second stomach. The firestone
will mix in there and start producing gas. You will feel uncomfortable,
perhaps like you need to be sick. When you need to belch, flame will start
coming out. You need to be certain to not be looking at your riders or at
each other when you do this," he warned.

"Now, any questions before we begin?"

"How much do we give them?" Satai asked.

"Half of the bag we're giving you, to start," the Weyrlingmaster's Third
said. "That'll be enough to get them producing early flames.

"How do we tell them to think of their second stomach when we don't know
what that feels like?" queried Hevalda.

"The adult dragons will help them define the right sensation," L'pin replied.

After the next four questions, it looked like they were ready. He finished
giving the final instructions for the course of the lesson. The weyrlings
would sort into their nines, with only one group at a time flaming, to
reduce the number of people the weyrlingstaff had to watch out for at
once. The other groups would work on grading and bagging extra firestone
for the rest of the sevenday's practice periods, as well as have a chance
to see how the first groups did.

"N'val's nine will go first," the bluerider said. "The rest of you, get to
bagging stone."

N'val's group wasn't the one that usually began classes, but he wanted to
see them take initiative. The brownrider was steady and unflappable
despite his youth, a good contrast to both Hevalda's snobbish
overconfidence and Satai's nervousness. He had Chaneth send their dragons
the feeling of sending firestone to the second stomach and the sensations
it produced.

When that was one, he gestured to them to start chewing and get ready. He
made sure to stand behind all of the pairs, where he was out of range of
the flames, but could hear all of their chatter. Chaneth was looming
behind them, and L'pin started feeding his own dragon some stone. He could
show the dragonets different types of flame control better if he was able
to demonstrate more directly, after all.

}:I think Orylath will flame soon,:{ Chaneth said after L'pin was down to
the end of the bag of firestone.

L'pin carefully made his way up to the brownrider, avoiding the heads of
the other dragons. "How's he feeling?"

"Better than Talureth," N'val said. The brunet looked worriedly over at
Satai and her dragon.

"You just focus on the pair of you," L'pin reminded him. It was good that
the brownrider was showing concern for his nine; it reinforced the
compassion and leadership potential he thought the boy had. But he didn't
want the kid being so interested in others that he didn't pay enough
attention to his own dragon.

"He says he feels like he can do it soon," the brownrider said, looking
away from L'pin and towards the pale brown. "Do I just tell him to - "

The brown interrupted his rider by snorting, coughing, and then bent his
head down towards the ground and opened his mouth. A small lick of flame
came out and brushed the stone. The two riders immediately smelled the
stench of fire breath.

"And there's our first flame of the day," L'pin announced.

"It wasn't very big," N'val said with a trace of disappointment in his tone.

"That was the first try. He was just letting out the gas but not directing
it. Tell him to try to expel a lot of it at once, to let out a quick burst
of flame."

}:Like this,:{ Chaneth said to the brown and his rider, lifting his head
toward the sky and letting out a quick, but large, burst.

Orylath lifted his head up and expelled a quick breath. A bigger burst of
flame shot out this time.

"Very good," L'pin said to him.

A draconic moan from the right caught his attention. Satai looked
troubled. Her green was snorting and twisting her head down towards her
chest, body language looking thoroughly uncomfortable.

**Are they alright?** L'pin asked Chaneth as he walked over towards the
greenrider.

}:She has sent some to the wrong stomach. Leriath will give her the
impression of how to do it correctly. Again,:{ the blue added, a hint of
exasperation in his tone.

"Was she concentrating on the second stomach?" L'pin asked Satai.

"I told her to, but she didn't get it right. I was afraid of that," The
holdbred weyrling looked miserable.

He rested a hand on her shoulder. "If you're worrying about getting it
right, so is she. And that's more likely to make her get it wrong."

"I don't understand," Satai admitted.

"Your thoughts guide your dragon's thoughts," L'pin said, slipping back
into lecturer mode. "She has instincts that tell her what to do. But if
you're thinking about her getting it wrong, she's going to spend time
focusing what you're thinking about, and not paying attention to her
instincts."

"If she's supposed to rely on her instincts, why do we have to be
involved?" Hevalda called over.

"They have the instincts for flying and flaming because they're built for
it, but you have to guide them and make sure they stay focused on what
they need to know," L'pin told both the greenriders.

E'ska walked over to see what they were discussing. "Trouble?" he asked.

"Talureth hasn't grasped the second stomach concept, and I told Satai that
thinking too much was getting in the way, "but it looks like she'll need
some concentrated help," L'pin said. What he didn't say when she could
hear was that he had many other weyrlings to be checking on.

"I can take over," E'ska said readily, as though he'd read L'pin's mind

"Thank you," L'pin said. The other bluerider had once been as
doubt-ridden, he'd heard. Maybe he'd have a better way of explaining it to
her.

"Just keep chanting "second stomach" in your mind to her. That will focus
her thoughts, and then she'll be able to just do it as a matter of
reflex," E'ska started explaining to Satai.

His next stop was over by Hevalda. "How's Shiath doing?"

"She got it all in her second stomach, and says it should be any time
now," the weyrbred girl bragged.

L'pin turned to the pudgy green dragon. "Point your head away from the
others and give it a try."

The green did as instructed and whuffed, but nothing happened. Before
L'pin or his dragon could say anything, she reared up slightly and let out
a much stronger breath. This time, a large burst of flame leapt from her
mouth.

}:I did it!:{

"She did wonderfully," Hevalda said, her voice filled with pride.

}:Very good,:{ Chaneth complimented. }:Try sustaining that into a longer
tongue. It should feel like this.:{ And he demonstrated his own extended flame.

Meanwhile, L'pin moved on to the next one. Hopefully the others in this
nine would all do more like Hevalda and N'val, and less like Satai.

Last updated on the April 29th 2015

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Starting to Flame