An Inexperienced Passenger

Writers: Kaysea, Kurt
Date Posted: 1st October 2008

Characters: Feydik, Treya
Description: Feydik accepts Treya's offer to go for a ride.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 11, day 20 of Turn 4
Notes: Mentor Approved

Feydik stood quietly, at the designated place, near the feeding
grounds. He shifted his weight from one foot to the next, and then back
again. What a strange and exciting situation that he'd found himself in.
Surely a ride upon a dragon was not so strange a thing, even for a
technician. Still, thinking about it made his stomach buzz as if he'd
swallowed a nest of VTOLs.

He'd forgotten just how big dragons were, but, standing where he was with
a clear view of the feeding ground, he got a pretty good reminder. He
paled somewhat as he watched a large brown descend upon a herdbeast, and
then looked away as the animal was quickly rent into it's component parts.
He knew in his mind that a dragon would never harm a human, but his mind
was having a bit of trouble convincing the rest of him. He looked around,
wondering if Treya had arrived yet.

She could see the technician waiting on the edge of the feeding grounds,
as Cenith rounded about and angled to come in to land. The green had
eaten delicately, earlier, more delicately at least than the brown gorging
himself below. She admired the technician for his strong constitution,
there weren't many non riders who could stomach being so close to a
feeding dragon.

**Behind him, dear, if you can?** she asked Cenith lightly. The green
backwinged as her hindlegs stretched out below her, ready to take the
impact of landing and cushion her rider.

}:He will do well:{ Cenith intoned, also admiring the man's nerve as she
came in to land.

Feydik thought that he heard something, but wasn't sure. He scratched the
back of his head and listened. He frowned thoughtfully as a shadow fell
over him...was there a dragon flying overhead? He looked up and squinted,
then turned around and got a head-on view of Cenith coming in for a
landing. Of course, she wasn't aiming for the spot on which he stood, but
from his perspective, he could hardly tell that.

"Ah...ah...ah..." He took a step back and then another. By the time that
Cenith had alighted, the backdraft from her landing was enough to knock
the technician onto his rear, off-balance as he was.

Feydik stared up at Cenith. If dragons had looked large a moment ago, she
looked immense from where he sat. He lifted a hand and waved sheepishly.

"Heyla, Journeyman Feydik!" Treya hailed him, as she slid down Cenith's
shoulder. "Sorry, she didn't mean to knock you off your feet." She
crossed the ground quickly and took his hand, helping him to stand once
more. "Are you ready?" she asked, her face breaking into a wide smile.

"I..I think so? Thank you..." As he was helped up, Feydik gazed up at the
huge green form of Cenith. Weren't the greens the smallest? Shells, but
if that was small, he did not want to imagine the likes of the bronzes.
He blinked and brought his eyes back down so that he was looking at Treya.
"So..." he laced his hands together in front of him to keep them from
playing nervously with each other. "How exactly does this work?"

"Cenith will help you ascend, there are straps to help you climb up - as
well." she walked back to her dragons side, and took hold of the climbing
strap. "Once you get the hang of it, its quite easy." she assured him.
"Come on, I'll help you." she beckoned him forward and watched as Cenith
slowly lifted her foreleg a little, angling her claw for Feydik to stand
on.

"All right, that seems simple enough. In theory." Feydik walked forward.
"Uh, if I step on something that I shouldn't, Cenith, I'm sure you'll let
me know?" He gingerly put one foot onto the dragon's foreclaw, then
reached forward and took hold of the strap, then brought his other foot
up. He looked at Treya. "All right, so now what?"

"Just keep going, use the rope and let your feet find the footholds." she
urged, watching as Cenith turned her great head around and nudged the
journeyman on his posterior - trying to assist him further up her side.
"You're almost there." she encouraged.

Feydik wasn't sure how encouraging being butted from behind from a huge
dragon's muzzle was, but it certainly did get him to increase his pace a
bit. After a few missteps, he got the hang of climbing the harness and
clambered up until he was sitting astride the back of Cenith's neck.

"Oh, hey, I think I made it," Feydik remarked. "It _already_ feels like
I'm rather high up..." He put his hand on the hide of Cenith's neck. It
was very warm under his hand -- warmer than he'd expected. "So uh, I
assume there's a system to keep riders secured during flight?"

Treya climbed nimbly up Cenith's side and reached for the secure riding
straps, fastening them tightly across Feydik's thighs. "They too tight?"
she asked, looking up into his eyes. She hadn't missed his looks earlier
in the dining room, and was once again reminded of the fact he wasn't
exactly her type, but there was something appealing about him, something
she couldn't overlook. She felt the colour creeping up her face, and
quickly averted her eyes, fussing with the straps a little more.

"Uhm...I don't think so?" Feydik smiled awkwardly at her. He gave the
straps a bit of a tug here and there. "I mean, they are secure, and I
would assume that they would need to be. I would rather be a little tight
than to chance sliding out of them in mid-flight." He raised his eyebrows
and tilted his head back slightly as he regarded her. "Ah, is something
wrong, Treya?"

"No...no." she shook her head, "Nothing is wrong." she glanced up again
and flashed him a brief smile. "I think we're set." she said, fastening
her own straps, as she settled into the neckridge. "You'll feel a jerk as
she takes off, but once she's in the air you'll just feel a floating
sensation, okay?" she asked, over her shoulder.

"Jerk, then floating. Right. Okay. Yes. I can do this." Feydik
cleared his throat. He closed his hands around the riding straps, even
though he was well strapped in. He couldn't exactly see directly ahead,
since that was where Treya was sitting, but he figured that if he had to
stare at somebody's back, he could do a lot worse than hers. To the left
and right, of course, his view was unobstructed. "Well, let's go."

Giving Cenith the command, Treya tightened her thighs and knees to
Cenith's neck, "You can hold on to me, if you want?" she said briefly over
her shoulder again, unsure if she was overstepping the mark with him. "If
you'd feel more secure, that is?"

Feydik held up his hands. "I uh, I mean, where should I-" He didn't
quite finish that question.

Cenith ducked for a moment before she sprung into the air, her powerful
hind quarters throwing them high as her wings beat down powerfully.

The technician's hands came down reflexively, clasping either side of the
greenrider's waist as he attempted to steady himself against the sudden
shift in position.

He pretty much forgot everything else as the ground fell away and suddenly
he was...flying. It was amazing and somewhat frightening, all at the same
time. Below, he could see the feeding grounds, and the herdbeasts below
were looking impressively small already.

"Oh. Wow." Feydik remembered where his hands were then and almost
removed them, but stopped short. After all, it was _her_ suggestion, was
it not? "Is this comfortable?" he asked, deciding to get her opinion.

It's fine, Feydik." she replied, "But the more important question is, are
_you_ comfortable - are you enjoying this so far? The flying, I mean."
she ended with a chuckle.

"Yes!" Feydik pretty much exhaled the word. "This is amazing! You're
right, it feels like floating! I can't believe we're so high up and
just...just out here!" He looked to the side, and simultaneously wished
that he hadn't, and was glad that he did. Such a view! "This is an
incredible perspective," he murmured. "I had no idea!" He found himself
hoping that the straps were well fastened and secure. Just one little
slip and he'd have quite a ways down to fall. He pushed that thought out
of his mind. Treya knew what she was doing. After all, she'd done this
thousands of times and always come back. "You must feel very fortunate to
have Cenith."

"I do..." her voice held a lot of emotion, if it hadn't been for Cenith,
she doubted she would have been able to cope with her life over the last
few months. "If you hang on to me a little tighter we can get some
wonderful views, but you'll have to let me know if you begin to feel sick,
okay?"

"Okay, uh, let me just shift my hands..." Feydik moved so that his hand
were no longer resting on either side of her, but he leaned forward and
put them around her waist, his hands meeting and joining, "All right," he
said, a little but uncomfortable with the proximity this new position
afforded. "Tell Cenith that I will try my very best not to vomit on her
lovely hide."

"She'd appreciate that." Treya laughed softly. "Okay, now I'm going to
ask Cenith to wing to her right, and you'll get an uninterrupted view
across the Weyr and surrounds. We won't let you fall - Cenith hasn't lost
a passenger yet."

"First time for everything?" The technician quipped. "Well, on that note,
I don't _need_ to be her first. Drop some other technician instea--
whoooa!" Feydik's dry remark got cut off as the world suddenly rolled,
and, upon looking down, Feydik felt as if he were simply hanging in midair
over the Weyr below. His arms tightened around the greenrider
involuntarily, and he quickly chastened himself and relaxed his grip.
"Oh...oh wow...that was sudden...oh, but Faranth, what a view!"

Treya smiled to herself. His reaction was priceless. The feel of his
arms around her waist was good too, but above all else she had made him
happy, she could sense it. She enjoyed the sensation of Cenith's right
wing it was exhilarating, she loved the aerial acrobatics her dragon could
accomplish, but knew too much wouldn't be good for the technician, much as
she would have liked to show off the greens talents. "Thought you'd like
it." she called back over her shoulder.

"You were right!" Feydik called back. "Ask her to do more! I think I'm
starting to get the hang of this!" He couldn't really explain it, but his
anxiety had drained away like water in a sieve. He felt reassured and
excited now, and wanted to experience more of what flight was like.

"Okay, you asked for it." She asked Cenith to do another right wing,
followed by a slow dipping left wing over the forested area beyond the
Weyr. "You'll get an eyefull soon." she called. But he wasn't the only
one surprised as Cenith dipped lower as she winged left, her wing tip
barely skimming the surface as she gave them a close view of the treetops.

"Whoaaa..." Feydik reacted to the sudden shift in direction and the
strange sensation of falling as they descended. "Oh...those trees are
getting really close...really fast.." He tensed, forgetting for a second
that Treya and Cenith knew exactly what they were doing. A moment later,
and he relaxed again, feeling stupid for his anxiety. He had, after all,
asked for it. "Amazing!" he exclaimed as they nearly grazed the top of
the forest. "I've never seen trees from above like this! Oh..." A flock
of small wherries that had been roosting in one of the trees scattered
frantically into the air as they blew past. Feydik found himself
laughing. "Whoops! They didn't sound too pleased!"

"They're lucky she doesn't fancy the taste of wherry!" Treya laughed back.
"So you're still enjoying the flight?" she asked, not sure she would have
handled such a dramatic drop herself, if she didn't know Cenith wouldn't
let anything happen to them.

"Oh, absolutely! I mean, it is a little frightening, but at the same
time, I really feel like you're are in perfect control up here. Well, you
and Cenith both." Feydik stared out across the treetops. "It never gets
boring, does it? You must feel thrilled each time Cenith takes you up."

"Thrilled - yes, but also a little nervous at times as well. Especially
at the beginning or end of Threadfall." she agreed. "It can get a little
hairy up here, and there's always the thought in the back of your mind,
that, well...."she shook her head, "Never mind. As long as you're
enjoying your flight that's all that matters."

"Oh. That's right. I didn't think about Thread." Feydik felt stupid for
not remembering the whole point of dragons in the first place. Being a
dragonrider was certainly not fun and games! For her friendly demeanor
and gentle manner, he had let himself forget that she and Cenith were
warriors, putting their lives on the line on a regular basis for the life
of Pern. "My apologies, Greenrider." He fell silent and looked out across
the wide expanses so easily visible from where they were.

"Hey! I didn't mean to lecture you." she said, turning in her seat to
look him in the eye. "I was just saying that it is thrilling, but can
also be a worry. I wasn't offended, Feydik." she said, finally drawing
her gaze from his eyes.

"Oh, well...I think I was partially chiding myself," Feydik admitted, a
little bit surprised when Treya had turned around like she did. "I just
did not mean to make light of it. That's all. I'm glad I did not offend
you, though." He thought for a moment. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't
you take me someplace that _you_ like to go? I imagine a dragonrider has
more possibilities in that regard than most."

"Okay, that sounds like a plan." she nodded in agreement. "Let's
see....where do I like to go?" she murmured half to herself. "Do you mind
if we go /between/?" she asked, quickly, an idea coming to mind.

"No, of course not," Feydik replied, perhaps a little too quickly. The
concept actually sounded daunting, but he wanted to see what Treya had in
mind. "It only lasts a moment, right? I'm ready."

"Yes, it only takes a moment, count to three slowly, and we'll be there."

Last updated on the October 5th 2008

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An Inexperienced Passenger