Ista Weyr - Northern Bowl
The three remaining walls of the weyr caldera rise upwards towards the tropically hued sky, the tightly packed floor black with the volcanic sand Ista is well known for. This is the quieter end of the bowl, narrower - it's certainly no perfect circle - and somewhat more sheltered, even with one wall missing, the bowl floor spilling out into the plateau. To the west, just at the edge of what is left of the bowl wall, the feeding grounds are located, the braying of animals audible at all times of the night and day, chimed in by the sound of movement from the training grounds to the south west, and the weyrling barracks to the east.
The plateau spreads forward, northwards, greenery reaching the edge of the black-sanded bowl floor, allowing a remarkable view of forest and ocean, spreading as far as the eye can see downwards from the weyr bowl. Above, the Star Stones are visible just behind - towards the west, and far above - as are the pockmarks of ledges and weyrs that line the bowl walls.
The weyrlings are much bigger now. Big enough to warrent a different location to have their current lessons. Much like the feeding lessons, however, they're down to doing lessons in small groups, or in the case of the large queen, pairs. G'kev and brown Zegadoth are their other half, the brown strolling into the bowl after his smaller yet older teacher, Loyauth. Lorena walks along side on the ground with G'kev, both wearing their riding leathers with helmets under their arms. In the heat of Ista the leathers are sweltering, a fact showing very obviously on their somewhat pink and gleaming faces. "Whoo… okay." Lorena casts a look around the bowl to make sure they've unimpeded space before she and Loyauth turn to face the others. "How's everyone doing? A bit warm?" Zegadoth rumbles, casting a look of concern at his partner. "We'll fix that in no time, believe you me. *Between* is a very cold place… You'll be glad of those jackets real soon."
Miraneith scuttles forwards in Zegadoth's wake, her plump and stubby tail lifted high off the ground, which makes the young queen move in a swinging sort of sideways crab-step as she follows the smaller pair of browns, her rider walking beside her. Enka's got her flying helmet perched atop her head, the goggles set at a somewhat rakish angle as the weyrling goldrider's fingers work around her midsection and torso, fastening up the heavy flight jacket with a somewhat peaked expression on her face. Trickles of sweat can be seen running down from her forehead, and the girl removes her helmet long enough to dab at her face with her jacket sleeve. Both queen and rider come to a stop, the gold letting out a little bleek of a squawk at her brown clutchsib before her rider stands at her shoulder. "I'm ready, Weyrlingmaster," Enka replies. "Even if I'm sweatin' like a porcine in this jacket, I know it'll come in handy soon enough."
Lorena watches as the gold pair comes into 'line' with the brown pair. "Alright… so first… an explaination… because it's always good to know what's about to happen." She gives a bit of a smirk at that. "We're going to *between* first to Red Butte. It's generally the first *betweening* spot we use because it's very open and very prominent. But I'm sure you've all heard horror stories by now of what can happen when you aren't spot on with your imaging." She casts a serious and knowing look at the pair and Loyauth croons sadly. "But thsi won't happen to us, will it? I'm sure you've both been practicing your visualizations with your lifemates?" G'kev nods very seriously, swallowing a little. "Right… so… Loyauth here is very familiar with the spot… which is of great importance for your first betweeing because he is from whom your dragons are going to aquire the image of your location. Your lifemates will recieve the image from Loyauth… visualize it themselves and between to that image. I have someone waiting there to intercept you both before Lo and I follow along. All good? Then let's mount up!" And with that she turns to Loyauth. The brown offers a forearm and she climbs expertly up his side and into his worn but sturdy riding straps.
"Y'don't ever come back," Enka's voice is hollow, the girl's tone somber and her expression blank for a moment. "Heard it whispered 'round the caverns every time the weyrlings were old enough to be makin' their first trips between. But," and here the girl grins dryly, turning to plop her helmet back onto her head and tugging at her riding straps to make sure they're snug. "won't happen to us. I don't intend to disappear forever, got too many friends here, so me and Mir have been practicin' real hard. We got few enough golds at Ista to risk somethin' happenin' to Mir." Face it, there nobody else, except for Ellamariseth. "You'll do fine, G'kev," Enka flashes her fellow weyrling a grin, and scrambles into place aboard her dragon, buckling the straps securely. Miraneith rumbles softly, craning her short neck in Loyauth's direction, waiting patiently.
Loyauth drums his talons on the ground as he waits for Lorena to get settled in… and then the weyrlings. G'kev gives Enka a weak smile at her voiced confidences and reassurance, but it's the rumble from his own lifemate that seems to remove some of the paleness as he mounts up. They'll be fine… they'll be fine… they'll be fine. As soon as they are ready Loyauth trumpets, a sandstorm of dusty velvet and the smell of runners blasting into the young dragon's minds. « Let's get'er on, folks! Inta' the sky we go! » And with little effort Loyauth wheels like a runnerbeast, wings unfolding and with a loping step, leaps skyward. His wings catch wind and he drifts easily into the air, flap after flap now taking him high into the brilliantly blue sky.
Ista Weyr - Northern Sky
Three great walls rise up from the bowl floor, the caldera that makes up the weyr lifting high into the tropical skies. The fourth wall lies in ruins, creating a clear view of the plateau and ocean beyond it, the brilliantly blue sky meeting the equally brilliant blue of the ocean, and the sharp contrast of jungle and sand. Individual weyrs and ledges pockmark the walls that are left, ranging right up to the highest points upon the rising cliffs, although space, too, has been left for the immense opening that leads in to the hatching grounds.
Below, the bowl floor is a busy sight, always filled with bustling bodies and lazing dragons. The northernmost end of the floor has been fenced off to house the weyr's livestock, whilst the ground entrance to the hatching grounds is to the north-east. The weyrling and candidate barracks, and the clear area of bowl set aside for the training of young dragons, is visible to the north west, along with the entrance to several ground weyrs, including that of the weyrlingmaster.
Miraneith crouches, leaps! It's like pouncing, you see, only instead of coming back down, the mighty sweep of her over-large wings carries the ungainly gold upwards until she latches onto a thermal, lazily using it to spiral upwards to bring herself into line not far from Loyauth. The gold's warble is brief, just a little simmer of sound to alert the older dragon that she's in the air, and coming into position now. "Excellent flyin' as usual, Mir." Enka's voice can just be heard, the goldrider giving her lifemate a clap on the neck as the mustard-and-ivory queen brings herself into a sort of hover, her short neck tilted in the direction of the Weyrlingmaster's brown.
Not far behind Miraneith is Zedagoth, the brown using a manuver much the combination of the young gold's and Loyauth's of a lope into a crouching spring. They sail boldly up, drifting not too far below the pairs. Loyauth clearly has passed on the information that all pairs are now in the sky for Lorena give them all the thumbs up gesture. But from here, Loyauth takes over. « Alright, y'all… Now I'm gonna conjur up in my mind an image of that Red Butte sky as my dear Lorey had been tellin' yer lifemates. The import'n part is ta visualize it all -ezzactly- as I dun shown it to ya. No goin' n' imaginin' what the butte looks like, or 'round abouts below it… cause anything differ'nt from what I show y'all may be just the ticket t'end you up in a right mess… or a right lack o' anything. Yeh got it? » He drifts about, turning his wings this way and that as he, too, hovers. Brown Zegadoth rumbles his assent, the ruddy tinged confidence of his mindvoice coming in a visual « I do, sir. » Short and simple.
Miraneith's wings keep her aloft, that and the thermal she's currently riding, the gold's wings extended to their fullest to give her the loft and lift that she needs to remain in the air — and as she has been flying with a rider atop her for some time, and then on her own for longer still, this exercise is somewhat easy enough for her to manage. There's a slight movement of her short neck, the gold's wide broad-muzzled head bobbing up and down for a moment. « It is like a game. » she remarks, her gaze fastened on Loyauth. "Very serious game," Enka puts it then, crouching against the gold's neck for a moment, her cheek pressed to the mustard and ivory hide. «Of course, » the gold's remark is clear, she well understands as she takes this image from the brown's mind, projecting it into her own thoughts as perfectly as he had presented it. « Got it. Ready. »
Loyauth flutters his wing tips to hold his position a bit more readily, like a falcon or hawk. He gives the two pairs an appraising sense as his glittering eyes fix on each of them and their answers. « Alrigh'… Miraneith… why don' you go ahead an' go firs'… Zedagoth… when she leaves and we get the okay from t'other side yeh'll go ahead after an' Lorey an' I 'ill follow yeh. On t' other side'll be a big copper color'd bronze. Yeh be sure ta speak t'im with respect. Alrigh? Go on ahead… n' remember… keep yer mind on that image. No shiftin' it. »
Miraneith swooshes her great pinons through the air, the gold rising a little on the thermal to bring herself somewhat higher than either brown, and raises her upper body a bit. Enka swallows audibly for a moment, pushing herself up to crouch against her dragon's neck, both hands propped on either side of that too-short appendage. "Here we go, love," she murmers. The dragon for her own part keeps that image firmly rooted in her thoughts — exactly as Loyuath had shown her. « Copper bronze. Respect, right sir, » comes the gold's voice, a bit dreamy and wistful, like a little girl's giggle. And then she is gone, plunging into the darkness and cold of between
Sky - above the Red Butte
The sky streatches around you. To the north, you can see the hold rising as the mountainrange does. To the south, you can make out the beach, a white crescent of clean sand etched against the green blue sea. Below you is the Red Butte. From here, you can sense the pride that dragonriders must feel when seeing it.
Drifting along way above Red Butte has been a high polished gleam of the large copper Raenth. He and his rider seem to be discussing something for there are random snorts and rumbles… but it doesn't last long. The winking in of the gold pair catches Raenth's attention and without much warning to his lifemate, he wheels about in the sky and trumpets a greeting to the weyrlings. « Congratulations! » Comes a burst of gleaming brass mindvoice, « Gold Miraneith, yes? Well done… I am Raenth and T'eo is mine. We are contacting Loyauth and his just now. Come drift along with us, m'lady. » Indeed the mind is so glaringly different from Loyauth's, despite the siblinghood of their riders. It's warm, yes, but with traces of sweet smelling spirits and bold jazz that warm you right to the toes.
Miraneith emerges from the darkness and the cold, bursting back into the light of day high above the famous landmark of Red Butte, the gold letting out a triumphant warble that is met with an equally loud yell from her rider. "WHOO HOO!" Enka is jubilant indeed — the pair's first successful trip between and it shall not be their last. "Y'did it, love." Enka thumps Miraneith's neck with gusto, the gold spiraling into a lazy swoop. And then, they realize they are not alone. Heedful of Loyauth's instructions Miraneith's too-short neck cranes towards the voice that's spoken to her, an appreciative wisp of a giggle given at the scent of sweet-smelling spirits — feeling warm right down to her crooked little talons. « Hello! » her own response is dreamy, misty almost, and somewhat ethereal. « Thank you for your words. » she flips her wings up and down, spiraling into a spot right near the copper-bronze, even as Enka waves a salute to the bronze's rider, cupping her hands about her mouth to holler: "Ista's duties, sir,"
T'eo raises a hand to Enka in acknowledgment of the salute, his own face showing a crooked smirk on older features. Hard to tell with his goggles how pleased he might be, but his voice tells the rest as he yells back. "And Westerns, Weyrling! Congratulations!" Raenth starts to send inquiry to Miraneith, the jazzy trumpet starting along with the faint and pleasant tingle of warmth, but he doesn't get out a full fledged thought before his head snaps around once more. Zedagoth and his had appeared from ::between::, looking almost surprised as they hang in the air for a moment's suspension before the brown remembers to flap. « Congradulations, Brown Zedagoth! » Raenth projects out abroad instead. T'eo offering a wave to the pair as their attention comes around again. The brown weyrling pair seem totally beside themselves with shock, but manage a clumsy flutter down to where the gold and bronze drift, looking exceptionally smaller next to the metallic pair. "S…sir! Ista's duties, sir!" Stammers G'kev in a hoarse shout. "And you, Weyrling! Raenth?" And the bronze rumbles before the pouring of brandy slips into the younger dragon's minds again. « Follow us down to the Butte! Your Weyrlingmaster will appear- » But there they are, Loyauth having just winked in from ::between::. « Well there you have it! Greetings, Loyauth! » The brown trumpets happily at the sight of both of his charges, Lorena giving again the thumbs up as they drift closer. Raenth and T'eo head towards the Butte. « Go on ahead, y'all » Comes Loyauth's drawl. « Have a rest a'fore we head on back t'the weyr. »
Wilderness - Red Butte
This large granite dome rises from the Keroon plain. Its ridged surface spreads out beneath your feet, and you sense how incredibly important that this dome has been in history. Countless weyrleaders have met here to discuss important matters of Pern. Overhead, a weyrling may pop into view, going through the proper initiation of betweening to and from this place successfully. It's quiet here.
Miraneith hovers where she is for a moment, her head suddenly snapping sideways on that short neck of hers as suddenly there's another dragon where there wasn't one before. A whuff of satisfaction is given, the young gold acknowledging her brown sibling with a bugle of glee, even as Enka waves a final salute to the goggled bronzerider, and turns in her saddle to see Zedagoth and G'kev appear. "Knew ya could do it, G'kev!" the goldrider hollers across the dragonspace between them. And then as Loyauth appears, and the other dragons drop towards the Red Butte itself, Miraneith follows, folding her wings to land in a puff of dust, her fat chubby tail curling around her haunches. "So this is Red Butte," Enka remarks, peeling her googles off and plunking them atop her helmet. "We did it, Weyrlingmaster," lorena gets a wave.
Loyauth lands elegantly amid the stone floor, Raenth settling on his long limbs not too far away. It appears Zedagoth is still a little shaken as he scrambles to keep his balance upon landing. « Yeh'll be fine, boyo. Jus' takes sum gettin' used to. » Lorena lifts her goggles as well, waving to her brother. Her face is alight with happiness as she looks over to her weyrlings. "That was great you guys! No problems at all, eh?" Loyauth rumbles quietly, causing her to pause and then chuckle. "Well, the shock is certainly quite real when you come out the other side…" She says a bit to the brown pair, but then turns to Enka. "All good then? What'd you think?" Raenth strolls a bit closer to the weyrling group, his rider, T'eo, an older gentlemen but very clearly Lorena's brother in looks, having pulled up his own goggles and watching with that same lopsided smirk.
Miraneith curves her short neck, her rider leaning against the arch of the dragon's withers, both hands flat against the mustard and ivory hide of her lifemate. "Been between b'fore," Enka remarks to Lorena. "Once or twice with me Da, and then when they took us to that island with the spooky creepy ship out in the middle of nowhere. It aint scary," she remarks. "Cold and dark, yeah, but then again, I was with experienced riders who've been ridin' for Turns and knew what to do. Felt awful different when it was just me and Mir, but we made it out ok." G'kev gets another sympathetic glance from the goldling before the girl is peering over the distance between the bronze and gold. "Hello sir," she comments to T'eo — mindful perhaps of the proper protocols, as well as her recent chastisement at the Winter Games over her 'enthusiasm. "I'm Enka, gold Miraneith's."
T'eo nods to Enka. "I thought that's what Raenth said. Lorena sent us word." Comes his subtly pleasant voice. Lorena beams at her brother. "T'eo and bronze Raenth, as Lore might have told you. We were to be in the area and Lore asked if we'd mind spotting for y'guys." He shrugs a bit with his same half smirk getting briefly more animated. "And thank you so much Matt! Saved the day for my poor scheduling." Lorena looks a bit pink in the face for more than the warm summer day on the Butte. He chuckles a bit. "Been there, done that… You both have fine lifemates there." He tells the weyrlings, changing the subject for his sister's benefit. "Well Lore… I gotta head back soon. You think you all are good to head back?" He looks pointedly not just at the riders but also the dragons, Raenth rumbling a mirroring inquiry… though with that same tingling warmth… particularly to poor Zedagoth… as if this might chase the chills of between away. G'kev takes a deep breath but nods, Zedagoth's quiet and curt rumble of the affirmative.
Enka grins broadly, bobbing her head in a greeting to the bronzerider before she unsnaps her helmet, pulls it off, ruffles her hands through her hair before plunking the helmet back on. "Thank you sir, that's very nice of ya. I'm dearly fond of Mir," the gold gets a pat on the neck, the weyrling all smiles as she watches the two siblings for a moment. G'kev gets a look, but the girl remains silent, watching the brown and his rider for a second before she pipes up with a quick: "I'm ready to go home." Miraneith whuffles at the dusty rise of ground, inspecting the Red Butte for a long moment. « There is not much to hide here. » she says. « I would like to seek out new hiding places. » "We'll find 'em, Mir," comes her rider's words. "But first, we gotta go back to Ista."
Lorena nods as her weyrlings appear ready. "Alright then. Thank you again, Matt. And Raenth." The bronze rumbles absentmindedly to this, more interested in Miraneith. His eyes whirrl in an amused lime green. « Hiding places? » He inquires with a drip drip drip of curious trombone. Meanwhile, T'eo and Lorena get their goggles in place, Loyauth the first to get into the sky, followed shortly by Zedagoth. "C'mon Raenth…" Raenth reluctantly obeys, moving off a ways to get his long legged bulk in the air. Loyauth's dusty drawl fills all the dragon's minds as he beats for the sky. « This'n time Lorey an' I 'ill lead y'all back. Miraneith… you and Enka follow us when Raenth gives yeh the go ahead, alrigh? And Zedagoth, yeh and G'kev after. An' if yeh need any help for visuals, go on 'n ask ol' Raenth thar. He don' bite much. » The falsely indignant trumpet of Raenth's mind intrudes but a moment. « Who're you callin' old! » There's a rippling dragony chuckle as Loyauth waits for everyone to be ready.
Sky - above the Red Butte
The sky streatches around you. To the north, you can see the hold rising as the mountainrange does. To the south, you can make out the beach, a white crescent of clean sand etched against the green blue sea. Below you is the Red Butte. From here, you can sense the pride that dragonriders must feel when seeing it.
« I like to hide. » the gold is quick to respond to Raenth with a wispy dreamy air. « When I was small, i could hide so well. Although I like to seek too. I love to find hiding places and where others might be hiding. » the gold curves her neck, turning her wide head towards Loyauth with a soft bleek of a warble. "Wait up, Mir. Lemme adjust me goggles first," Enka says, thorwing up a hand to shield her face from the dust flung up by the other dragons taking wing, and once she has her goggles firmly settled around her eyes, the gold too leaps skywards in a pouncing upwards leap. There, she hovers, wings beating lazily, dropping into position near Raenth. « Mine says she is envisioning the Bowl. » Miraneith reports, « although she wants to make sure she has it right. » That sounds like a request for a reference if there ever was one, Miraneith turning her head in Raenth's direction.
Raenth rumbles curiously at the younger gold's response. « Hiding isn't too bad sometimes. Water's good for that. » "Yeah," Come T'eo's response just loud enough to hear. "When you are a great gleaming copper-bottom." « Har har har… I forget to laugh. » Comes the deep tones of a trombone adding comic relief. But as the gold floats up nearby he is now attentive to her question. « Ah… well the important part isn't the bowl itself.. she needs to visualize the sky more over or… » The image of the istan stone floor comes into his mind as if to make a point. « If you need Loyauth and I both have it clear now? You can check it? » Raenth says, pushing forth the Istan Southeastern sky clearly for her to view. Meanwhile Loyauth makes ready, seeing that Raenth has things under control. « See y'all in Ista! » Loyauth rumbles.
Miraneith's amusement is apparent, the young gold radiating a dreamy sort of contentment at the very thought of hiding in water. « It is about all that hides me now. » the dragon comments. « But perhaps someday I shall seek and find other hiding places, and others already hiding there. » the gold falls silent for a moment, her rider sitting atop her withers with one hand on her neck, and her head tilted slightly before there's a definite nod from the girl. "Thanks Mir." she says, her brows furrowing together in concentration as dragon and rider exchange visual images of their home Weyr. "Got it!" Enka yells out triumphantly as Miraneith turns towards Raenth. « We have it now. » she says. « My rider has the image. We thank you. » With a flick of her wings, the gold rises higher up into the air, well away from bronze and brown. « Nice meeting you! » she replies to Raenth, Enka waving and hollering in her turn of "Nice t'meetcha!" and then gold and rider are flickering into the cold black emptiness, gone away …
Ista Weyr - Southeast Sky
Above, the sky is a neverending canvas of blue - mixed with grey and white as the weather changes - but below, the view is just as breathtakingly stunning: Ista Weyr and her environs spreading out in rocky crevices and great peaks. Patches of greenery interrupt volcanic stone, jungles and areas of growth startling in contrast to that - and the great, blue waters that spread further away, against sable sands, visible thanks to the collapse of one wall of the bowl. To the northwest, the further curve of the bowl is visible, whilst beaches and forest spread to the southeast
The weyr walls rise up to the sky, the pock-marks of ledges and personal weyrs beyond visible about all sides of the great caldera. Nearest to the bowl floor are the ramps to the ground weyrs, and the larger entrances to caverns - not to mention the smaller area of the training grounds. Ista's Star Stones, a remnant of times past, sit high against the bowl wall: a sentinal against the peaks of the Weyr.
Miraneith lets out a warble of triumph as she emerges from the cold and the dark, a deep breath taken at the scent of heavy humid tropical air — so different from the dry and the dust of the Keroonian plains they had just left behind. There's a glimmer of movement on the gold's back, and a whoop of glee from Enka as the pair spirals a little lower into the Istan bowl. « We are here! » that statement is matter of fact, the young queen speaking to the older brown as she folds her wings inwards, looping in and out of the thermals rising through the air to descend. "Y'did it, Mir!" Enka's thumping her dragon's neck in satisfaction. "We did it." Of course, they had had help refining the visual, but nevertheless, gold and rider have successfully completed that most important stage of their training.
Loyauth raises his head from his drifting as Miraneith appears from between and Raenth's confirmation is sent. He trumpets proudly as Lorena shakes a victorious fist in the air. "Awesome!" Can be heard as Loyauth expresses equal sentiments… in his own way. « Whooo hoo, lil'darlin! That was righ' on! » It's not too long after that Zedagoth and G'kev pop in from between not too far from where Miraneith and Enka had been. Both look conciderably less shaken, though a visible sigh of relief spreads through them. And there is much rejoicing. Loyauth guides them on towards the ground, prattling on about how well they did. « Firs' time an' what a success! And ol' Raenth seemed purdy impressed by you lot, 'e did. Yessir! Well lets get on down folks! »
Enka can't help but let out another crow of glee, the weyrling throwing her arms up in the air, and going "Yeah!" repeatedly as her dragon backwings towards the bowl floor. "We did it!" there's a glance over her shoulder, and a visible look of relief at the reemergence of G'kev and Zedagoth. "You did it!" the girl hollers, cupping her hands around her mouth to help the sound carry better. And then Miraneith is dropping lower into the sky, pulling up slightly to drop heavily to the floor of the Istan bowl and curling her tail around her haunches. Enka whoops again, slips off her goggles and flings them upwards with a cheer only to watch as they fall back down in her direction. "Ack!" Just in the nick of time, a swooping gold firelizard snags them. "Thanks Sunshine!" the girl is full of jubilant triumph, grinning from ear to ear as she salutes Lorena. "Thank you Weyrlingmaster, for gettin' us there and back."
Loyauth settles in the dusty bowl, landing in an extended trot. He rocks back and whirls around to face his charges at they land, his eyes still whirling bright colorful jubilation. Lorena pulls up her goggles to watch the young dragons land and even Zedagoth seems to be getting a bit excited now. He lands with a bit of a skid and trumpets. G'kev, laughing, pats his brown's neck. "No problem guys. S'my job." Lorena responds, her amber eyes dancing. "T'eo sends his luck and he and Raenth say they were glad to meet and assist you all. A nice change, they say, from droll weyr duties." Loyauth croons. « Shou' think so! » "Well you guys are free for the afternoon. A few more of these guided trips and you won't have to muck anymore." The weyrlingmaster points out amid her grin. "Make sure Miraneith and Zedagoth get a good oiling. The cold can effect their younger newer hide. Class dismissed."
"Faranth, that'll be nice!" Enka shrugs out of her flying jacket, draping it over Miraneith's withers across the saddlebow of her flight harness. "Mucking's an awful duty sometimes," she wrinkles her nose. "I love ya, Mir, but I don't always love the stuff that comes out of your tail fork." the girl pats the gold's neck tenderly, her words merely teasing. A final salute is tossed towards the Weyrlingmaster before gold and rider take to the air again — a brief hop from the southern bowl to the northern bowl, whereupon the pair makes their way to the training field. Once there, Enka unbuckles her straps, and kicking her feet free of the stirrups, slides to the ground. "Right this way, love," and together, the pair disappears into the weyrling barracks.
