Getting Some Practice In

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 25th July 2014

Characters: Harki, Talwynn
Description: A little unauthorized practice, and some gossip as well.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 7 of Turn 7
Notes: Who: D'kere, Rorela

Talwynn did one last safety check. Riveth was in full harness, which she'd
checked
out. She was as safely secured as she could make herself, though it had
taken a
half-candlemark. She had a half-full firestone sack. Now all she needed was a
partner.

}:Cerillith, is yours free? Mine is ready.:{ Riveth said to the other green.

}:Yes. We will join you soon-- and then, we fly!:{ Cerillth said
excitedly. She
usually had to be prodded into going on her rider's jaunts, but in this
case, she
was looking forward to flying with Riveth again. It wasn't long after that
green
wings appeared above Talwynn and her dragon, and Cerillith landed
delicately next to
them.

Harki pulled off her goggles with a grin. "Hey, Tal! How're you feeling?"
Her words
came out as white puffs of air in the chill wind.

"Determined," Talwynn said. "You wouldn't mind checking my straps, would
you? I've got them as tight as I can get them, but it doesn't hurt to have
an extra check."

She wanted to get back to doing as much herself as possible, but knew the
value of prudence. If she hurt herself during this unauthorized excursion,
it would have repercussions on the both of them.

"Sure!" Harki had her own straps undone in a moment. She slid from her
dragon's back and crossed the space between them to tug on Riveth's
straps, frowning
slightly as she came to the aft strap. "You're probably all right, but I'm
going to
take this one in a hair just to be on the safe side," she said.

"Thank you," Talwynn said. That one had been a bit more difficult. She
wondered idly if there was a way to adjust buckle designs - other
dragonriders must have hand issues too, especially older ones.

"Nothing else was bad?"

Harki shook her head. "I usually make Cerillith's leg straps a little
tighter and my
toe loops a little shorter, but yours are fine. And the toe loops are just a
preference thing. You're good to fly."

She waited till Harki was mounted on her own dragon again before asking.
"I know a small meadow that might work, unless you have another good
idea?"

"I'll follow you," the other greenrider said. It would be better for Tal
if the
location wasn't distracting. "I'll have Cerillith take co-ordinates off
Riveth.
Whenever you're ready."

Riveth leapt into the air, her takeoff and wingbeats smooth. Once they
were both up, she had Riveth pass the image on. It was a meadow in Opal
Cove territory, beautiful the spring when it was lush with flowers - now
it was covered in a faint dusting of snow. She often used it for sky
observations.

}:Is yours ready?:{ Riveth asked Cerillith.

}:Yes. We will follow.:{

A moment later the two green dragons blinked /between/, and then were
spiralling
down to Tal's meadow. Harki squinted at their landing site through her
goggles,
wishing that Tal had chosen somewhere a little warmer to spent a
candlemark. But it
would work. The ground was flat and large enough for the two greens to
maneuver, and
it was well away from prying eyes. Cerillith landed with a soft 'thump',
and Harki
flashed a thumbs up to Talwynne as soon as Riveth was safely down.

The weyrlings could do this, so she could too, right? She unstrapped the
sack with her good hand, then transferred it to her left for the throw.
Her arm went out and the bag arced towards the other greenrider - but was
it far enough?

The sack began its descent-- and Cerillith made an "oof!" sound as it
struck her
foreleg. "So close!" Harki called, although her dragon looked a little
annoyed at
the assault. The green knelt and bent toward the ground so that Harki
could retrieve
the sack. "Feel up to a catch?"

"Sorry Ceri!" Talwynn called over. Riveth offered a sympathetic croon and
shifted slightly so she'd be in a better position. "Go for it!"

"All right. Here you go--" Harki tossed the half-full sack back at Tal.

Harki's throw was obviously much better and the angle was excellent. Her
arm went up, long-drilled even if recently-unused instinct took over, and
the sack brushed her fingers. She closed them quickly around it, and
feeling it start to slip quickly pulled her arm in to let it go into her
lap.

Okay. She could hold it with those fingers, but closing her fist...she
could make this work. She _could_.

"At least it didn't go everywhere like some of the weyrlings' did," she
said ruefully.

Harki laughed. "True! Good for you. Not the prettiest catch, but better
than decent. Now toss it back."

Talwynn checked to make sure that nothing had fallen out, then tossed it
again. This time it arced higher and looked like it was going to go
farther - she didn't want to hit Cerillith again.

The dragon moved slightly to help her rider, and Harki snatched the bag
out of the
air with a smooth motion born from long practice. "Good! Here it comes,
back to
you--" She threw it to Tal.

She'd done it! But she had no time to be elated, because here it came
back, and - "There!" This time she caught it with the other hand, the one
she'd practiced lifting it on.

"Nice!" Harki flashed her the thumbs up. "If we're good for a few more
throws, want to go airborne?"

"I think so. Thanks for helping,"

"Hey." The greenrider shrugged. "What else am I going to do with my
evenings?"

"Cute men?" Talwynn quipped.

"Maybe! I like this plural you speak in..."

"There's got to be a way to make that work, right?"

"Sure. First you find a pair of blueriders--" Harki held up a finger. "But
make sure
that they're not more into each other than they are into you. Then, you
strip them
naked. Then you make them strip you naked. Finally, you find your furs.
And presto!
Plural." The greenrider's grin was positively feral. "You've never done
that?"

"No. Never." The firestone sack dangled, half forgotten. "Shards, I have
enough trouble getting men without a flight."

Harki narrowed her eyes, wondering if Rorela wanted another project.
"That's a
flaming shame, if you ask me. I'll have to introduce you to some of the
blues I know."

"Please do. Though that Weyrlingmaster's Second is kind of cute, too."

"How can you tell under that beard of his?"

"They're not that common, so I find it interesting," Talwynn said.

She looked up at the light, saw it was dwindling. "Should we do a few more
tosses, then plot how you're going to fix my life?"

"Sure. Let's do a few more, and then do a couple before /betweening/."
Harki held up
her hands. "Hit me."

Laughing, Talwynn threw the sack back. "Heads up!"

Last updated on the July 26th 2014

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Getting Some Practice In