Leap of Faith (1/2)
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, Iluva, Len, Sia, Steel, Suzee
Date Posted: 21st October 2024
Characters: J'lor, R'lor, B'lyse, C'rand, V'tian, Sh'del, L'fael, R'fayne, Tirraze, O'rosin, Saedyna, O'dyn
Description: The Weyrlings try /betweening/ for the first time.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 10 of Turn 11
This was the day R'lor both looked forward to and dreaded. The Weyrlings were taking their first jumps /between/ and some might not survive their first attempts. As Weyrlingmaster, R'lor was now responsible for all of them.
}:_We_,:{ Kularth reminded him. }:We have trained the young ones well.:{
R'lor looked over the class, noticing the ones fidgeting with anticipation, or squirming with nerves, or putting on a brave face. "Today you face your greatest challenge yet. Aside from facing Thread, this is the most dangerous thing you'll learn as a dragon and rider pair. Your visualization must be perfect, you mustn't lose your concentration." They all felt like _his_ and he hated the thought of losing any of them. "I want all of you to come back safe, do you understand?"
There were nods and a dissonant chorus of, "Yes, sir."
"When your turn comes, you'll form a clear image of the Star Stones and give it to your dragon, who will pass it to Kularth. We'll both check your visualization. Then you'll take to the air and pass on the visual again to make sure you have it correct before going /between/."
The Weyrlingmaster considered his choices. }:Azureth,:{ Kularth told his rider.
R'lor held back a smile. **You just want a blue to go first.**
}:He is eager, but not impatient. His rider is older, and they are one of the more steady pairs.:{
R'lor conceded, as he often did, that his dragon was right. "B'lyse and Azureth, you're first."
}:Kularth is sending us first,:{ said Azureth. B'lyse's heart immediately set off to the races, and he instinctively glanced to C'rand. He made an "I love you" sign to him: an amalgamation of the letter signs for I, L, and Y. It was innocuous enough that if nobody knew sign -- or nobody suspected him of being deaf -- it could just look like a cute little hand signal. But he did not want to risk disappearing forever without having told him unambiguously, one last time.
"All right." B'lyse climbed onto Azureth, and feeling his dragon beneath him did calm his nerves somewhat.
B'lyse's visualization was sharp and crisp. He had seen the starstones from above enough times now to remember exactly what they looked like-- and he had never lacked for imagination. Azureth sent it to Kularth, and once he had his approval, they took to the sky. With the image shared and approved once more, they disappeared.
It had been quite some time since B'lyse had been between. All of the world's distant, muffled sound vanished completely. He was in true silence. There was nothing to hear but Azureth. He counted. One. Two. Three... ... Four?
And then he was back, above the starstones, just as he had pictured. He gasped with relief, and his heart began to slow at last.
J’lor sent congratulations to Azureth via Luruth. And added his cheers to those of the Weyrlings. He grined and nodded at R’lor. The first was always the hardest.
The Weyrlingmaster quietly let out a breath. }:Good job,:{ Kularth told Azureth. }:Now fly back. You will get another turn later.:{
R'lor's gaze skimmed over the large class. "V'tian and Indith, you're next." They'd done well on their first flight and he hoped they would perform well again.
C'rand had signed 'I love you' back to B'lyse, though he couldn't be sure that his boyfriend had seen it before having to concentrate on his visualization. His heart was in his throat, but then B'lyse was back safely, and he couldn't help but release a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding, unaware that the Weyrlingmaster had done the same. **Tell Azureth how proud we are of them,** he told Berlinarth.
}: Shall I also mention the tremendous relief I have of no longer feeling your terror now that they're back safely? :{ the brown asked casually.
**Maybe leave that part out,** C'rand replied. He didn't want B'lyse to get fear in his head, when C'rand's own turn came.
It was hard to focus on V'tian now, but he tried. His other classmates deserved support, too.
L'fael glanced over at V'tian, hoping the unhappy weyrling would visualize okay and not do anything stupid just because his dragon was green and not bronze.
Above them Lorenth and Sh'del took to the air, to settle by the Star Stones. His lifemate's anxiety over his pair bleed into his mind, making him just as anxious.
V'tian faltered, glancing around at his classmates as he realized he'd been singled out.
}: We can do it, we can do it!!!:{ Indith insisted, shifting her weight a little, anxiety adding a yellow tinge to her eyes, already spreading her wings to take off. }: We can do it better than anyone else I promise they'll be impressed with us, we'll do it so well!:{
**Indith, stop! We need to-- we were told to visualize!! Stop!**
V'tian's grip on the riding straps was white-knuckled under the onslaught of Indith's insistent cheer and the nerves of doing this the first time, _all on his own_.
Indith froze, wings still extended, and ducked her head. V'tian concentrated, and passed on the image of the Star Stones to her, and she passed on the image to Kularth, }:Is that good? Can we go? We'll do it perfectly I promise. we'll be the best!:{
}:Do not be too eager,:{ Kularth said. }:Your image is good, you may take off. But you must send the image again _before_ you go.:{
V'tian didn't get a chance to speak before Indith was leaping skyward, flapping vigorously. }: I'll do it, I'll be the best! :{ she announced, both to Kularth and V'tian.
**No, Indith, wait!** V'tian protested, but Indith pressed onward determinedly. }: I can do this, Mine, I'll _prove that we're the best, like you want! :{
She sent the image of the Star Stones again, and then _jumped_.
The world around V'tian vanished, replaced by _nothingness_ and cold, and his heartbeat picked up immediately.
One... Two.... Three...
They popped back out, noise and colour swirling back in, the Star Stones abruptly there, too close, _too close_!
Indith swerved, but not quickly enough to fully dodge. Her wing impacted the side of the Stones, and she cried out in startlement and pain, floundering midair and then dropping to the ground the Stones stood upon.
V'tian swore, already starting to dismount. "Faranth-- Indith, I _told you to wait_... "
A moment later Kularth appeared above them. "V'tian, what happened!" R'lor shouted as the blue landed nearby. His heart had stopped when they disappeared, but at least they were here, alive.
}:Are you hurt?:{ Kularth asked the green.
"She just _went_!" V'tian called back, shaken himself. "She knew we had to wait and she just _went_-- I didn't tell her to go, sir!"
Indith whined. }: My wing hurts.:{ She responded. }: I was just trying to make Mine happy...:{
"We can't just do whatever we _want_." V'tian snapped at her. "We could have _both_ gotten really hurt!"
}:You and yours please escort them to the dragon infirmary,:{ Kularth said to Loranth. Then he focused on Indith. }:This is why it is important to _listen_ and _obey_:{
"I'm very disappointed in both of you," R'lor said. "We'll discuss this later. Sh'del is taking you to the infirmary."
"_I_ didn't do anything." V'tian muttered, but his shoulders slump. "... Yes sir."
Loranth had landed lightly close to Indith. Sh'del leaned down to V'tian. "Come up on my brown, lad, and let's get her to the healers. I don't want her to have any weight until we know how injured she is."
Loranth nuzzled the smaller green. }:Can you fly on your own or do you need to lean on me?:{
V'tian nodded, and moved to Loranth to climb up without looking back at Indith once. "Yes sir."
Indith whined again, softly, tried to hold her wings out and managed not to flinch. }: I can fly, Loranth.:{ she asserted, trying for bravery. She'd gotten in _enough_ trouble.
R'lor went back to the rest of the class, and of course many of the youngsters looked concerned. "Indith and V'tian will be alright. This is why I have you check the visual twice and wait for confirmation before you make the jump." They couldn't dwell on mistakes, though. "C'rand and Berlinarth, you're next."
"Oh boy, no pressure, right?" C'rand laughed as he mounted up, a little of his nervousness leaking through despite his attempt to remain steady. Going up right after a botched attempt was nerve-wracking.
}:The Weyrlingmaster would not have chosen us to go next if he didn't have faith that we could handle the pressure and calm everyone by performing this _properly_,:{ Berlinarth replied reasonably. }:Show me where we go.:{
C'rand pictured the Star Stones, careful to visualize it at what he estimated to be a _safe_ distance, and waited for Berlinarth to share and get approval from Kularth. Once obtained, they took to the sky, hovering as Berlinarth shared the visualization again. Getting a second approval was a relief, actually -- they were going to be fine so long as they focused on the exact image that Kularth and R'lor, who had no doubt done this thousands of times, said was right.
He resisted the urge to look down at B'lyse, if only because he couldn't afford the distraction now.
Approval given, C'rand directed Berlinarth /between/.
Light and sound and everything abruptly disappeared. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like forever... and then the world rushed back to them as they emerged into the bright sky above the Star Stones.
}:That,:{ Berlinarth announced smugly to his clutchmates, }:is how it is done.:{
B'lyse breathed a sigh of relief when Berlinarth reappeared. After Indith had nearly broken her neck, he had feared the worst.
}:Berlinarth is much less... impulsive than Indith. He listens. We never had anything to worry about,:{ said Azureth.
"Excellent job," the Weyrlingmaster said as the pair returned. "It's alright to be excited, or nervous," he told the class. "but when your turn comes you need to be steady and patient. If you follow instructions and make sure your image is clear, you'll be fine." He turned to one of the younger riders. "O'dyn and Genireth, you're up."
If watching Indith try had sent O'dyn into a panic, the steady words of Berlinarth reassured Genireth enough to calm his rider down. The little rider mounted and held on the straps tightly, perfectly imagining every detail behind his scrunched-up eyes. **Do you see it?** he asked anxiously.
}: Better than through my own eyes, :{ Genireth replied, swinging his head towards Kularth as he relayed the image. }: May we? :{
}:The image is good,:{ the Weyrlingmaster's dragon said. }:You may take off.:{
Genireth did so, passed the image back and forth again, and then, with a quiet warning to his rider, who was holding his breath, transferred /between/.
When Genireth reappeared over the Star Stones, _exactly_ where O'dyn had imagined, the little bluerider let out a mangled sob of relief. "W-We did it. We did it. We did it."
And then O'dyn burst into tears.
Last updated on the November 4th 2024