The following is a log of roleplay from PernMUSH . The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on pernMUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.

11/6/02



Weyrling Barracks

This immense cavern is the home for weyrling pairs. A huge opening is the entrance, leading to the ground level bowl. The floor is not quite smooth, being gauged with numerous scratches and cracks, from the clumsy undergrown claws on equally clumsy dragonets. The indentations on the floor, made by millennial pressure of the growing dragons, are quite suggestive of their purpose. Most of them have furs in one corner of them, as the new riders sleep as near their lifemates as they can. A particular odour lingers in the air here, not quite pleasant.

The normal ruckus of the barracks is almost constant.

Dragon> Telgar Weyrlings sense that Braerith's voice is set into rainbow eddies of amusement by Saulith's panicked herdbeast. << Oh! -Those- come from farms too? I thought they just came from *a dull image of the herdbeast corrals*. >> And to Lysseth, he says assuring. << We only want to see that place you show for friendly visits. >>

"Ma'am," Elauren says to Yashira in greeting. "Anything need our attentions?" she wonders, her chin nudging to point out the assistant's clipboards.

Kassima's entrance likely isn't linked to Yash's; it's several beats afterwards, and the greenrider isn't rummaging through any notes of her own. "Mmmph." She rubs at her nose for a minute. "I may tease her, but any time I come in here, I can't blame Her Ladyship for saying she'll stay safely *outside*--g'deve, Weyrlings. G'deve, Yash."

M'rten grimaces slightly as he notices Yashira, but tries to hide the expression behind a polite smile as he straightens. "Evening, Assistant Weyrlingmaster."

Yashira looks up at Elauren, nods, then consults her hides once more. "Let's see... you're both progressing nicely, actually. Both finished your first manned flights. And good evening, Kassima. M'rten." Another nod.

Cheni looks up at the mention of manned flights with a cross between wistfulness and panic in her eyes. She looks back just as fast at her own strap project but keeps an ear open to what's going on around her.

Dragon> Telgar Weyrlings sense that Lysseth produces a flickering image of great herds of such beasts as Saulith earlier showed, milling about in typical herdbeast fashion. << They come from farms, but we are not permitted to eat them at farms. I still don't understand why; you would think that food would be food, wherever you find it. I do not doubt you, Braerith--but you may want to caution yours to beware of the plants when she goes. Or so says mine. >>

Dragon> Telgar Weyrlings sense that Irenyath smugly curls on her couch. << They are fun to catch. And fun to eat. But on a farm? Why not just go over the fence and help yourself at the feeding pen? >>

Dragon> Telgar Weyrlings sense that Saulith teases Irenyath with more silver-gold glitters. << On the farms, there is more room to chase. >>

"Evening Wingleader Kassima," Elauren says. She begins the tedious task of tying off a secure knot. "And, umm, pardon my correction ma'am. But Brae's been ready for manned flight. It's me that's fallen behind." There's no blush, but she does hold up the straps with sternly set lips. "I was told I didn't have enough padding." There's a nod for Cheni as her fellow's panicked eyes glance about the barracks.

Kassima darts a long glance towards the Weyrling's respective straps. A sympathetic smile crosses her face, but for the moment at least she doesn't offer any comment. "Is this a class time?" she asks Yash. "I'd thought t'be checking in with m'mentee since I'd a free moment--I need t'develop a better sense of timing with these things, I begin t'suspect. Manned flights 'tis that they're up to now?" Which is followed by another glance, this time more for the Weyrlings and Weyrling dragons themselves.

"Mariloth's still looking fine, ma'am," M'rten tells Yashira as he picks up his straps again, leaning back against the side of the dozing green. "No signs of strain."

Yashira shakes her head at Kassima. "Nope, no lesson at the moment. Givin' 'em a breather."

Cheni smiles over at Elauren and nods to Kassima. "Good evening, Wingleader, assistant Weyrlingmaster." Stitch, stitch stitch. "Ouch!" She sucks her finger and glares at the straps with a pout but continues. Rather than her former mangled first attempt, her straps are looking sturdy and neat.

"This is where I'm tempted t'make some crack about a breather in the Barracks being more aromatic than might be ideal, but 'twill behave m'self. Promise." Kassima holds up one hand to emphasize her sincerity. She next finds herself a convenient section of wall to lean one shoulder against. "Padding's certes important, Elauren, but at least 'tis relatively easy t'fix and easy nay t'do next time; that's saying something, with strap problems. Take it from someone who took forever and a day t'manage a workable set. And they were *still* buggering ugly. Have you lot been having better luck?" she wonders more of the Weyrlings in general, with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"Glad you stopped by Wingleader. And thanks for the encouragement. I reckon we can always use some." Elauren replies, truly pleased at the visit from her mentor. She does wince sympathetically as Cheni pokes herself. "Well, as long as y'all are here, maybe you could look at my padding then?" she wonders. And from behind her Braerith uncups his claws, allowing a VTOL he had managed to catch while Elauren was talking to zip upward suddenly. He snorts into the air, trying to cause interference in the lift pattern.

Yashira grunts. "Not with me helpin' 'em. It still takes me a while to make a good set of straps. I pretty much worked on them constantly during Weyrlinghood."

"They're not so bad," M'rten says with a shrug. "I used to work on stuff like this on the farm before I came here."

The right side of Kassi's mouth pulls into a half-grimace. "I didn't get truly adept at it, insofar as you can say I am anyway, 'til 'twas first pregnant and I ended up repairing straps for a small fee just t'have something t'do. Practice makes adequate if'n nay perfect. Well, then, by all means let me encourage or at least compliment: Braerith looks t'be growing into a fine blue. All of 'em look well, really. Mayhaps half their adult size now? What have *you* thought of this manned flight business?" This is addressed to the dragonets directly, though the solemnity of the question is disrupted somewhat by a brief grin at Braerith's vtol. "I'd nay mind taking a look-over, though Yash could probably offer better opinion than I. Are you having any better a time with 'em, M'rten?"

"Look 'em over, Kassima," Yashira says. "S'not stepping on my toes."

Note: Cheni's player disconnected and missed a pose somewhere in here.

Yashira makes a grunting noise in M'rten's general direction.

The small lecturing about the importance of straps is dutifully noted by Elauren, who nods her understanding. "Right. Oh, and thanks," she says, turning her gaze back on her blue charmer. He's gone to trying to touch his tongue to his nosetip. "Brae, what...nevermind," she chuckles. To M'rten, she gives an intrigued, furrow-browed glance. "Hmmm, must run in the family or somethin'. Brae's about the same. Though he usually waits for the lesson, then complains about how easy it is."

Cheni continues working away, nodding and looking up when need be. "Sounds like Irenyath, she usually catches on so fast." She smirks back at her dozing lifemate. "Although she didn't quite catch as fast at her first hunt the other day."

Kassima's smile, which hasn't left her face for very long since she came in here, widens and softens into something vaguely reminiscent as she looks over Mariloth. "Nay a unique attitude by any means. Could be a problem if'n nay watched, a'course, but I hope 'twill nay prove so. Is she enthusiastic, spirited? Or is it pure self-confidence?" She turns to slew a look towards Braerith now. "And that could also be a problem when the lessons get tougher--I likely don't need t'be advising it, but don't let yourselves forget that some things *aren't* as easy as they seem, hey? Going *between*, for instance. It seems terribly easy. And then, if'n you don't do it just right, you end up embedded in a rock."

Yashira adds, "And that's never fun."

"Both," M'rten answers Kassima, carefully not looking towards Yashira. "But I'm trying to teach her a little bit of caution. I really am."

Cheni swallows and pales as Kassima speaks and echoes Yashira. "Doesn't sound fun, no, not at all. Visualization very good. Rock, not good."

Elauren's lips twitch at the vivid description. "I reckon petrified weyrlings aren't good collector's items," she says dryly. If delivered by another, it may have actually been funny.

"Don't sell well," Yashira echoes.

"One could even say it bites herdbeast rump," Kassi suggests at her helpful best. "Visualization's part of it; so's being far enough up a'fore you jump, being sure of your skyspace... when you do it right, *'tis* easy, at least if'n you're nay reenacting Lessa's ride. Which is forbidden, needless t'say. But there are a lot of things you have t'get used t'thinking about. Have you heard the tale of what happened during the move t'Telgar that lost us a pair?" She's just such a little ray of sunshine, isn't she? Back to considering Mariloth for a moment. "If'n you can instill caution, but keep the spirit and eagerness, and a'course learn well all that you're taught, I daresay you'll make a fine fighting pair when the time comes. I've dragons both over-daring and over-cautious in m'Wing, and i'truth, I can say a balance is the best of things."

"If y'all don't mind, I reckon Brae and I could use a little evening walk. My hands feel all cramped from stitching," Elauren says.

Kassima waves one hand in a vague gesture of consent. "Nay skin off m'nose if'n 'tis none off Yash's, Elauren. If'n it doesn't let up, you might rub 'em with a little numbweed a'fore you sleep."

"Go ahead," Yashira says, waving her hand.

Cheni pales even further, her eyes widening with every sentence by Kassima. "No stone, no rock, no disappearing forever. Right, I'll remember that." Irenyath sleeps on but croons sleepily as if reassuring the girl even in her sleep.

"Thanks, will do. Thanks for the visit if you're not here when we return. And goodnight the rest of you if you're asleep when we get back or somethin'," Elauren says before turning out with Braerith following in lumbering strides.

Kassima offers Cheni a variant on the earlier smile, this one sympathetic and perhaps a little sad. "Hopefully 'twill. Control's the key to avoiding it all. 'Tis what happened with that Weyrling lad--there was a Fall over where the Weyrlings were camped; they had t'fly t'Telgar straight, y'see. And his blue panicked and flew up as if'n he'd fight the Thread himself. His lad had him coming back down, but... some Thread slipped past, and he jumped t'avoid it, and didn't come back. Even a moment's slip of control can prove fatal in the important things. I'm nay saying never t'trust your lifemates, but you can't always trust their *instincts*." There's a pause. She makes her face. "And listen t'me harp on the subject, Faranth. You've both doubtless gotten the idea long ere now."

M'rten rises and stretches, starting to move around to the far side of Mariloth. "If it's all the same to you guys, I'm gonna try and get some sleep. It's been another of those long days."

"And it's likely going to be repeated again and again and again," Yashira grunts. "Sometimes I wonder if we lose pairs from fear."

Cheni whistles softly. "Can't help but think about it. Fortunately, Irenyath is agreeable and listens to me, she hasn't yet rebelled against any of the Weyrlingmaster’s dragons or their commands." She shrugs "Not the type, I guess?" Yashira's comment is met with another long look. "Don't want to stifle or inhibit her either, it's a balance."

Kassima gives a not-entirely-comfortable shrug. "Probably. But fear can keep you alive, too, and should they nay know what can happen? 'Tis a point, though--remember when the time comes," she offers to the Weyrlings, "that hundreds upon thousands upon millions of dragonpairs over all the Turns have managed it successfully. So there's that. A'course, M'rten, 'twouldn't want t'be keeping you from it. Fair dreams t'you and Mariloth, hmmm?"

Yashira grunts. "I think Cheni has the right of it - balance between 'em. Hard as that is t'do."

Cheni blinks, rather surprised. "I .. do?" She nudges Irenyath. "Imagine that?" She ignores the now slowly waking dragon's amused whuffle. "Well, I'm confident in Irenyath but I just hope I don't screw things up."

"You won't hear me arguing against," Kassi says, with another shrug. "Dragonriding's an art of moderation, or at least resembles one sometimes. 'Tis a difference between stifling terror and a little healthy wariness." The Weyrling's surprise would seem to surprise her; lifting a brow, she murmurs to Yash, "Is she nay right oft...? Probably you'll make mistakes in some things, Cheni--nigh everyone does--but keep 'em as minor as you can and learn from 'em and you should end up all right."

Yashira shrugs a little. "Maybe feels that way. Eh, Cheni?" Yashira almost smiles. "You're doing just fine."

Cheni nods but wryly chuckles. "I haven't killed her yet and I'm still standing and I managed to unstitch myself from the straps when I sewed them to my tunic a while back, so I'm learning. Just, I don't know. I seem to be one step behind Irenyath and she's the one more teaching me than the other way around it seems." She does look a bit more reassured though as the riders speak. "It's taken me a while to get into synch with the everyday goings on of a weyr, no matter everything that is Irenyath and her world."

Yashira stands up, stretching her arms above her head. "Hey, at least she's helpful. Decarath never helped with much of anything. And always got bored. And upset the other dragons." She pauses, then glances at Kassima. "He still does. He upsets the weyrling dragons."

Cheni looks Decarath's way. "Well, he does have a certain uniqueness in his approach, I must admit."

"What's wrong with that?" Kassi's still surprised, and curious to boot. "If'n she grasps things faster, then good for her. Sometimes that happens. Dragons are born t'do this sort of thing, after all, which can't be said for humans. Doesn't reflect poorly on her or on you." Bobbing her head at the last, the greenrider suggests, "If'n it comes down t'choosing which t'give more attention to, I'd vote for the latter. The everyday goings-on of a Weyr can wait. You'll live in one for a long time if'n fate's good t'you. The time t'grow with your dragon's a bit more limited since they're adults so sharding fast. What," she asks, "did Decarath do?"

K'ran walks in from the bowl.

She asks Yashira, even.

"Tells them they're going to die if they don't listen. Nonchalantly. He passes my messages on in very interesting ways. Oh, and says he's better than them. Arrogant as usual. Yes. A unique approach," Yashira says, lowering her arms from the stretch.

Cheni sighs. "But he is better than them.. I mean, he knows more, maybe not -better- but more experienced." She shrugs, faintly embarrassed. "Well, up to now, or up to the day I was searched, I was rather able to grasp things easily, in my little corner of Pern. But the weyr is upside down to almost everything I know, or knew up to that time. Living in huge cave for example?" She scritches Irenyath who listens intently. "But things seem to become more of a pattern and I've got some foundation under me now."

K'ran keeps his entrance unobtrusive by side-stepping around a weyrling so focused on strap-stitching that he barely notices passing feet, and so can only offer a belated salute. "Evening," says Indrath's rider, quietly, to that one, and encourages, "Nice straight seam, that. I could never get the hang of it," before offering a quick smile to the rest of the room.

Note: I disconnected yet again and the log abruptly ends here.











*** Disconnected from PernMUSH ***

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