Fancy Flying Lessons

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 25th October 2013

Characters: Paetri, Harki
Description: Harki and Cerillith impress Camilth with some fancy flying-although Paetri is unconvinced.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 17 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: G'nir

Azure drilled above the Weyr that afternoon, the hot sun in their eyes
as they flew formation and blinked in and out from /between/, dragons
peeling off and others taking their place in a well-choreographed,
high-altitude dance. Cerillith's wing beats were in time with her
wingmates, the air around them whooshing in and out like a heartbeat
that every now and again carried with it the chill of the void.

Harki found herself feeling like she was exactly where she was
supposed to be. Coming back to Dragonsfall was the best decision she'd
ever made, although there weren't many other good decisions she'd made
to compare it to. Being here was like wearing old leather-she just
fit. It fit so well that it was almost boring, and she found her mind
drifting toward the end of the drill, trusting Cerillith to keep them
steady while she daydreamed. When G'nir finally called an end to the
drill, her muscles ached and her cheeks felt simultaneously sunburnt
and wind chapped. }:Can we go to the outside lake?:{ Cerillith asked
wistfully.

**All right, love. You earned it,** Harki told her dragon. All around
them dragons were diving, their wings folding against their sides as
they returned to earth. The greenrider turned her face toward the sun.
**But let's fly together first.**

Cerillith rumbled in agreement, flipping her wings so they were
winging their way past their descending wingmates to head directly
skyward to where the air was chill and the sunlight a clear,
crystalline shimmer against Pern's almost imperceptible curve. Harki
yanked at her riding straps and tucked her legs beneath her, slowly
raising herself into a crouch on Cerillith's back with her arms spread
wide for balance. **Ready?**

Cerillith stretched her neck and flicked her long tongue against the
edge of a cloud. }:I am!:{

Harki grinned into the wind. Her legs bunched beneath her and she was
airborne, backflipping neatly over Cerillith's wing and avoiding the
lash of her tail to fall through the clouds. Beneath her was the Weyr,
the outside lake a shimmery sapphire and the dragons as small as
insects. A sharp breath of wind sent her spinning sideways as
Cerillith soared around her in a tight circle, then folded her wings
in a spinning dive of her own. Harki angled her body to knife down
through the air in pursuit of her dragon, who kept herself within an
arm's length but always out of reach.

All too soon they were passing dragons and laughing riders, and Harki
reluctantly caught Cerillith's straps and hauled herself in. It was a
work of a moment to secure herself before Cerillith was slowing their
descent enough to land delicately on the beach. Harki leapt off her
green dragon, who barely stood still long enough for her rider to pull
off her straps before barrelling into the water.

Bathing Camilth, it was hard _not_ to notice the plummeting green.
Paetri watched with her heart in her throat and a scream of dismay
bubbling upwards before it was stopped with a gasp as the woman
somehow strapped herself back to her green and landed. The woman was
insane!

Camilth, on the other hand, wiggled with frantic excitement. }: I
WANNA DO THAT!:{ Her mental squeal of excitement was piercing and
Paetri looked at her green in utter shock. }: It looks like fun! Mine,
let's do that! I can do it! :{ The little green bouncing on her feet
with eagerness.

**No! Not ever! Not for a thousand marks!**

Ignoring her rider, Camilth splashed away from Paetri, soaking her in
her eagerness, to approach Cerillith. }: That was awesome! Wonderful!
How did you do it? Can you show me? I wanna do that!:{

The older green arched her neck, showing off even though it was only
to a hatchling. Her rider watched her with an indulgent smile.
"They're such suckers for attention, aren't they," she called to the
girl trudging through the water toward her little dragon.

}: Showmeshowmeshowmeshowme!:{ The delicate little green was nearly
vibrating with excitement and eagerness. Her wings flared outwards as
she bounced on her toes, eyes whirling up at the older green. Paetri's
voice was ignored until it became sharp and Camilth visibly wilted
with a draconic pout and a scuff of a taloned foot. }:'S not fair...:{

Paetri turned to look at the other greenrider, and then tugged at her
braid in her frustration. "Yes. A bit too much." Her voice was soft as
she turned to Camilth, her hands on her hips. **Get back here,
Camilth.** Sulking, the little green dragged her feet and wings
through the water as she trudged back to her rider.

"Aw, she's so perfectly tiny!" Harki threw her straps over a tree
branch, pulled off her helmet, and came to stand beside Paetri. "I
love her hide markings. I wasn't here for the Hatching-- what's her
name?"

Paetri turned to look at the other, more adult, rider and gave a
slight smile. She was still a bit sensitive about Camilth's size; she
had began to accept that Camilth would probably be one of the smallest
greens in the Weyr. But she didn't think this woman meant any harm by
it. "Thank you." Her voice remained soft and she didn't look the other
woman in the face. "Her name is Camilth."

"Hello, Camilth," Harki said, respectfully nodding her head to the
younger dragon.

Cerillith made a peeved huff from the shoreline, irritated that she'd
lost her admirer. She flopped into the water, sending a wave up to
tickle Harki and Paetri's toes. Harki snuck a sideways glance at
Paetri. "Cerillith tells me that you and Camilth want to learn to
fall. Where are you in your training? Have you started your catch and
fall drills?"

Paetri's eyes widened at the suggestion and she hurriedly shook her
head, swallowing. "No. _We_ don't. She does, but I don't have a death
wish." She glanced at Camilth who was noticeably giving draconic pouts
and pointedly, flipping water at her rider's ankles with pure pique.
"We've only just now started a couple of seven days ago."

Harki pursed her lips. A death wish? Those weren't good words to hear
coming from a dragonrider talking about flying. "Well... if you want,
I could take you up on Cerillith. We could give it a run before you
have to do it in class, and Camilth could practice her dives so she's
strong at it, too."

Paetri paled. "Uhm...there are something I don't think I'm ready for
yet." And willingly flinging herself from a dragon, especially one
that was unfamiliar was one of them. What if she got hurt? What if
Camilth panicked? "I don't think Camilth is ready to uhm..feel that
just yet."

Harki shrugged. "Fair enough. What's your name?"

She sighed in relief. That rocky creek had been crossed. "Paetri, Greenrider."

"We're both greenriders, you don't need to make it into a title."
Harki hid a smile. The girl was so obviously from a Hold that she
might as well have been wearing a sign. "Or you will be, soon enough.
Are you looking forward to getting out of weyrling classes? I know I
did."

"But I'm only a weyrling and you're not. "Paetri replied. As Camlith
meandered over, still slightly sulking, Paetri laid a hand on her side
with a light touch. She frowned. "I don't know. It's a little scary."

"The knots or the Thread?" Harki asked.

"Both." Paetri admitted it softly. "There's so much expected of
greenriders that I didn't even think of when I was a Candidate." She
looked up quickly. "Not that I would trade Camilth for anything."

"Of course not." Harki pursed her lips. Compared to the metallics, not
much was expected of greenriders at all. "What were you going to do
before you Stood?"

"Oh...I was working with W'ser learning dragonhealing." She
brightened. "I don't get a chance to do it as much now, but once I
graduate, I can go back to studying that more."

"That's good. Somebody's got to patch up these clumsy beasts." Harki
grinned as her dragon cast a baleful gaze in her direction. "Yes,
you."

Camilth copied the other green exactly, moving back to sidle close to her.
She added her own disdainful huff, and Paetri finally smiled. "I think
you offended both of them."

"They'll get over it." Harki snuck a sideways glance at Paetri. "You
sure you don't feel up for a flight?"

"I love flying, but I don't think I'm ready for jumping off of
Camilth." She shuddered. "I think we'll have to wait until Camilth can
/between/."

"You don't need to go /between/, but if you ever change your mind,
Cerillith and I are always up for an excuse."

"Thank you, but I think I'll still wait."

"Sure." Harki shrugged. "Nice talking to you, Paetri. I'll see you around."

Paetri sucked in her lower lip. "Well, maybe after she learns to
between, she won't panic if I do and we could try then."

"Feel free to change your mind. My offer stands." Harki smiled. "You
won't regret it!"

Last updated on the November 2nd 2013

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Fancy Flying Lessons