Three Dragonlengths Up
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Aaron, Devin, Duskdog, Halyonix
Date Posted: 15th March 2026
Characters: R'lor, H'yazi, N'jen, Tindral
Description: R'lor leads a group of weyrlings on their first paired flights.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 22 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Sh'del, J'lor, K’daen
“All right, all right, settle down,” the Weyrlingmaster said. “I know you’re all excited, but we’re going to be disciplined and orderly about this.” He looked around at the group of young dragons and riders. He’d split the weyrlings into two groups, with Sh’del and J’lor leading the second.
R’lor put his hands behind his back and slowly paced back and forth in front of them. “It’s important that we do this carefully. As much as you and your dragon might want to take off and soar around the Weyr, we don’t want anyone straining a wing. So your first flight will be _short_, and you will come down as soon as Kularth tells you.”
“Now . . . who would like to go first?”
N’jen stepped forward stiffly. “We will, sir,” he said. He could feel Falgryth just bursting to declare exactly the same thing (albeit with more blustery language than N’jen himself would have used), so it was partly to head that off, but despite his nerves, he felt responsible for providing a good example.
He hoped so, anyway.
“Excellent.” R’lor was pleased to see N’jen taking the initiative. “Mount up and double check your straps, and then I’ll clear you to take off.”
“Yes sir,” N’jen responded with a nod, and turned to Falgryth, clambering up to mount. He took a moment checking his straps, taking a deep breath in the hope that it might still the trembling in his fingers as he re-checked everything. It was part excitement, of course, but he couldn’t deny the nervous flip-flops his stomach was doing.
}:There’s nothing to fear!:{ Falgryth declared. }:We were hatched for this, you and I!:{
A smile ghosted his lips despite the seriousness of the moment.
“Checked and ready, sir.”
}:Ready to take our place in the skies!:{ Falgryth announced simultaneously to Kularth. }:A leap into the great unknown, the wild blue!:{
Kularth’s eyes whirled a little faster in amusement as his rider nodded to N’jen. “All right, go ahead. Just three dragonlengths up and hover there a moment.”
**You hear that? Three dragonlengths--** N’jen began, already mentally calculating in his head how high up that looked to be, but Falgyrth launched himself abruptly, excitement practically vibrating though him. **Fal, that’s too soon!**
}:No worry, my dear, we’re perfectly fine!:{ the blue assured him -- and, indeed, despite the sudden start and an initial small wobble, his flight evened out, and his wingbeats were steady. }:Up, up, up…!:{
**Three dragonlengths,** N’jen reminded him, his stomach churning both from the ascent and from nerves. He tried to focus on the height they were supposed to be getting instead of his discomfort, flexing his sweaty fingers in his gloves. **Okay, okay… I think this is right. R’lor said hover…**
}:I should like to glide,:{ Falgryth complained, but held, his wings straining just a little more as he beat them hard to stay in place. }:Everyone look!:{ he called to his group below. }:We’ve done it! Pioneers! Soon you’ll follow in our wingbeats -- have no fear!:{
Kularth and R’lor studied them for a moment, looking for any issues. }:Good! Now come down.:{
**Easy,** N’jen warned Falgryth, feeling the blue’s muscles bunch beneath him an instant before he moved; Falgryth jetted forward a little too fast, banking to turn around and come in for a landing, and N’jen instinctively grabbed onto the straps even though he was already safely strapped in.
They landed a little too hard, Falgryth forced to give a little hop and a few skipping steps to bring himself to a proper stop. N’jen released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, patting the blue’s neck. “Okay, that could have been better… Weyrlingmaster, sir, we’ll do better next time.”
“You did pretty well for a first try,” R’lor told the pair before turning to the rest of the group. “Who’d like to go next?”
}: We should go next, :{ Mdorith decided, striding forward confidently before Tindral could protest.
Tindral protested anyway.
“N-No, no, n-no, we…we…” the little girl started to say. They should be last! They should be never! They, they--
Mdorith’s head swiveled back to regard her rider. }: We will have to go regardless of if we are first or last, Tindral mine. Waiting does us no good. Come, come. Let’s do this. :{ Mdorith stepped up to the line and looked Kularth in the eye proudly. }: We will go next. :{
“Tindral and Mdorith,” R’lor said warmly. It was clear the girl was much less eager than her dragon. “Mount up and check your straps again, and signal me when you’re ready.”
}:Sometimes we have to give them a nudge,:{ Kularth told Mdorith with a hint of amusement.
Tindral's fingers ran across the straps, feeling each stitch and buckle, as she quietly repeated the lesson to herself before settling herself on Mdorith’s back. Even though it felt so _right_ to be onboard her dragon, there was still a pit of terror yawning in Tindral’s stomach. It ended up being Mdorith who gave the signal that they were ready, shuffling her wings and looking at Kularth with a confident nod.
“You’ll do fine, Tindral,” R’lor said. “Three dragonlengths up, Mdorith, and then hold while we check your form.”
}: Right, :{ Mdorith answered to Kularth with a nod of her head. She unfurled her spindly wings. Tindral squeezed her eyes closed tight. She felt a jolt that had her scrambling for a tighter grip on the straps, and then wind was brushing along her face quickly, and then…it stopped?
Tindral cautiously opened one eye. Mdorith was hovering, perfectly three dragonlengths up, her wings working powerful strokes to keep them in place. }: How is that? :{ she asked Kularth.
}:Very good,:{ Kularth confirmed as he checked over the green’s form. }:Now come down, and be careful of your landing.:{
R’lor wondered if Tindral might need a few extra lessons to get over her fear and learn to enjoy flying with her dragon.
Mdorith began her glide down, fluttering with a little uncertainty as she neared the ground. }: Oh, oh my. That will take some work, :{ she remarked as she landed with a harder thump than intended. Tinder, still gripping the straps with a deathly hold, fervently agreed.
Kularth watched with an assessing eye. }:You will get better with practice.:{
“Don’t feel too bad if your landing is a little rough,” R’lor told the class. “Landing is more difficult than take off. Do we have another volunteer?”
}:You really aren’t going to volunteer, are you?:{ asked Iarlath. }:It’s not as though we can outwait the exercise, you know.:{
**I don’t want to.** H’yazi was scarcely breathing. He kept hoping that if he did not make eye contact with R’lor, he may never ask him to go.
}:Well, far be it from me to insist. Let the other one go first, eh?:{
…
Once K’daen and Zarenth had flown and landed, Iarlath ‘cleared his proverbial throat’ with a mental, }:Ahem. Well, that’s us, isn’t it?:{
**He hasn’t said we have to go yet.**
The more eager weyrlings had taken their turns, and those remaining were the more quiet and nervous ones. R’lor glanced over them, giving them another moment to volunteer. When no one did, he said, “H’yazi and Iarlath, you go next.”
}:Well, now he’s, ah, well, he’s said it. You aren’t afraid of flying are you? You’ve done it before.:{
**No.**
}:Then you think _I_ can’t do it.:{
**What, no!**
}:Everyone’s staring, H’yazi, hurry up. Come on. Hup. There we go.:{
H’yazi took a deep breath, mounted up, and checked his straps. They were good. Right? He had not botched them. He stared at R’lor.
}:Well, give him a little nod then, shall we?:{ Iarlath nodded, and H’yazi rushed to catch up with the motion, nodding along.
“You’ll do fine,” R’lor said quietly. “Just don’t let him get carried away, okay?” Then he spoke louder. “All right, you’re clear to go.”
Iarlath went up. H’yazi’s stomach flipped over. But his straps did not betray him. He had made them well enough. Three dragonlengths came easily to the blue. And then he came in for the landing.
It was as rough as the others’, but no rougher. Nevertheless, H’yazi’s knuckles were white as he gripped the straps.
}:Now, that wasn’t all that bad, was it? I think I did all right.:{
**You did wonderfully, Iarlath.**
“Good job!” R’lor smiled at the pair. There were only a handful of weyrlings left who hadn’t taken their first flights, and so far there hadn’t been any serious issues. “All right, once everyone has gone, you’ll all get another chance, and you can stay in the air a little longer this time.”
Last updated on the March 19th 2026