Class One: Basic Care - This class is always the First Morning after the Hatching. Life begins well before dawn, with the weyrlings waking up to learn how to take care of their lifemates. The first thing is to bathe and oil the dragonets. A full dragonet is a sleepy dragonet. So, the first thing weyrlings learn how to do is feed their dragonets. They make their way over to the Weyrlake, where the WLM's dragon will have 'breakfast' waiting. After they've cut up the meat, they must bathe their dragonets in the water using sand from the bottom to lightly scrub away the dead skin. Then they oil the dragonets. Oil jars and paddles can be found in little open storage huts on the edge of the lake that are there with that purpose in mind. Then the dragonets are put to bed so the weyrlings can get cleaned up and be in the Dining Hall in time for their own breakfast before they begin the day.
Class Two: Firestone - This class begins within a few days of Impression. It is held in the Weyrling Classroom. Firestone of all shapes and sizes fill the various tables in the room. The idea is for weyrlings to learn how to identify good and bad firestone. Good firestone is neither extremely hard or powdery, rather a good solid stone that can brake into nice pieces fairly easily. A good test is dropping a piece from chin heighth and seeing what happens. If it doesn't brake or it crumbles, it's a bad piece. If is only brakes into a few pieces, it's good. The idea is for weyrlings to learn the texture so that they can begin to identify good stone on sight. The next step is sizing. Generally, for a full-grown dragon, nothing bigger than their eye should be used. Weyrlings use the 'no smaller than your fist, and no bigger than your head' rule since their dragonets are too small to base their decisions on. From this point on, weyrlings are responsible for bagging two to three bags of firestone every day, no matter what. Bags of firestone come in two sizes: large and small. Large bags are used for bronzes and browns, while blues and greens use the smaller. Brown and green ties are used to differentiate the bags. Weyrlings also learn that they are never to get firestone near gold dragons, and that includes the smell that remains on their clothes after they finish bagging. It is believed that firestone renders queens infertile, and no one takes any chances in that regard.
Class Three: Dragontoss - Dragontoss is a little deceptive. No one would ever think of tossing dragons around. Rather, in this game, bags of firestone are tossed. Weyrlings start this in their 3rd Month of weyrlinghood. The weyrlings gather in a circle, usually color-coded in some way, and toss the bag(s) about. It is taught that you ALWAYS call out the other person's name and wait for them to give the 'OK' signal before tossing the bag. Surprising a rider with a 15 lb bag of rocks could end up with a serious injury. As the weyrlings progress at the game, elements are added to make it harder. The weight of the bag increases (up to 30 lbs), there is a circle that every rider must stay within, the distance between riders is increased (up to a dragonlength away), etc. Once the dragons themselves are flying, the game is played on dragonback, and eventually, in the air.
Class Four: Straps - Weyrlings, like all riders, are in charge of making and maintaining their own riding straps. This is an exciting class since it means they are getting close to the time they will be allowed to ride their dragons in the sky. Weyrlings are taught the basics of tannery either by the WLM, or a tanner at the Weyr. Straps with tears in the leather can never be fixed, only replaced. The cold of b*tween can make such tears brittle, causing the strap to break, maybe at an inopertune moment. Buckles, snaps, and such items are what are fixed on straps. The harness fits underneat the dragon's forearms and around the base of the neck. The rider is secured in place by a harness. Fighting straps usually only have one harness, while other sets of straps might have more to accomodate other passengers.
Class Five: First Flights - This is a very critical class for weyrlings. Up to this point, they have not been allowed to mount or ride their dragons except under strict supervision. Weyrlings learn how to mount and sit on their dragons about a sevenday before they actually get to fly. Dragons (who really can fly since birth) have been doing wing excercises for awhile now, and have recently been allowed to practice take-offs and landings, under supervision. The first flight is simple, with the pair taking off, and circling the Bowl twice, staying below the Rim. After the flight is over, the rider must check the dragon's wings for any signs of strain. After this, flights will be a daily part of the routine, and dragons will be allowed to hunt for themselves.
Class Six: B*tween - This is the class the Weyrlingmaster hates the most. For a while now, the weyrlings have been practicing place recognition and recall, sending images to their dragons and from dragon to dragon and back to the riders again. It's usually less than two months after the dragons have learned to fly. This is in anticipation of going b*tween, where the proper image makes all the difference in Pern. The first time weyrlings go b*tween, it is usually to someplace easy, like the Bowl Rim, the Fireheights, the Red Butte, etc. Another experienced dragon and rider go ahead to meet the weyrlings at their destination while the WLM remains with them to direct them. The weyrlings are told to make sure their dragons check the images with the WLM's dragon before taking off. Some weyrlings are lost b*tween, but most make it. It is a scary time for the WLM. After this, trips b*tween are made daily, increasing in distance and varying in place.
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