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Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 16th December 2017

Characters: Talwynn
Description: Talwynn's return to Threadfall.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 19 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Teseada (indirectly), K'reyel (indirectly), D'kere

Today was Threadfall day. Return to flight day.

In less than a candlemark Talwynn would be facing her first Threadfall
as an active wingrider in four Turns. Not delivering firestone, like she
had in month 13 when she was re-Blooding along with Onnyth's weyrlings,
but actively flying as a wingrider on a flaming dragon. She had worried
she'd never be here again.

Riveth was quivering with excitement. Talwynn had to concentrate hard to
get her dragon to calm down and stop moving so that she could secure the
fighting straps against the green's hide. She tugged twice on each of
them, making sure there wasn't give that indicated strain in them, and
trying to slide her fingers under to check tightness.

}:It hurts on the left,:{ Riveth said, giving her rider the impression
of painful tightness.

Talwynn felt where it was in the ribs, and loosened it slightly, but not
enough to risk trouble. "Better?"

}:Yes. But it is uncomfortable still.:{

Uncomfortable wasn't the same as painful, and the sensation she was
getting wasn't the painful tightness from before - more a sensation of
scraping, like a boot not yet worn in. Talwynn made a mental note to
look into padding that strap later. But, if she wanted to get into
formation she'd have to leave now.

She stopped to check her own gear - helmet on, goggles fine, boots
secure, pants tucked in, her own harness straps waiting... All of her
gear was good. She pulled her flight jacket on over her tunic and
buckled it up. Everything was spotless and secure, and she could have
passed any Weyrlingmaster's inspection.

Then she and Riveth made their way out to the Weyrbowl, where the wings
were massing. They took their place in the formation of the Queen's
wing, and Talwynn climbed up on Riveth's back at the Wingleader's
signal. It felt good to be in full gear again, perched on Riveth's back
and knowing they were going back to the fight. It seemed like an
eternity of tense waiting before the Weyrleader threw his hand up to
signal all the wings aloft.

This Fall was over the Amber Hills and former Amethyst Cliff
territories. The /between/ point was to a spot over Amethyst Cliff. She
held the coordinates in her mind and Riveth waited for the order. As
soon as they were passed the signal by their Wingleader, the pair went
/between/. Talwynn was pleased to see they re-emerged right in place in
formation.

The green started trembling again, and Talwynn could feel the vibrations
running up the left flank to her leg. Riveth's eyes were whirling
red-yellow with the sense of Threadfall and the fight to come. Her
impatience was plain - she wanted to be flaming and fighting _now_ and
it communicated itself to her rider. The leading edge wasn't visible
yet, but Talwynn squinted anyway, looking for it.

}:Stone,:{ the green commanded, turning her head to receive it.

She pulled some from her bag, threw it into the waiting maw, and watched
Riveth's jaws crunch it. **Second stomach,** she reminded, just in case
the green had somehow forgotten since their last drill, but she could
feel that Riveth was already thinking of it and that it was going in the
right place. Then she squinted again and saw a faint cloud on the
horizon. **Oh!**

There it was. Thread. The villain of Pern. The threat dragons were born
to fight. The menace that had nearly taken her leg and arm from her.

Talwynn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt anger at what
it had done, eagerness to return to the fight. If there was a trace of
nervousness in her heart, Talwynn ignored it and buried it.

She opened her eyes just in time for the engagement to truly begin. The
high-altitude wing was in first, searing the first Threads that fell.
She remembered flying with them and felt a twinge of jealousy. They were
doing a great job of sweeping clear, but some slipped through, as always
happened. Next was the mid-altitude wings working on those. Their wing
stayed in position, ready to respond either to the Threads that slipped
from all the above wings or to catch injured dragons from the higher
levels if they were so ordered.

Finally she saw Threads falling below the level of Torrent, and her
Wingleader signaled for them to close and engage. Some of it was falling
towards their place in the formation, so Riveth surged forward and
targeted a tangle of Thread in front and above them, a massive clump
that was writhing like a ball of tunnelsnakes in mating season.

A gout of flame blasted forward, long and hot. Talwynn couldn't stare at
it for the brightness. It reached out to the tangle, catching one side
on fire, which licked its way up the Threads until it reached the center
ball. It began to separate into individual strands, which had fire
racing down them and turning them to ash. Not satisfied with her work,
the green released another blast to singe it all to char.

**Good work!** Talwynn thought, pumping her arm in the air in triumph.
Riveth bugled in her own glee. This was what she had been born for, what
she and her rider were destined to do. They were dragonriders again!
Proper ones!

But there was little time to continue exulting in their success. A few
more Threads were slipping through the higher levels and Talwynn had to
keep an eye on them. Even if they were in her wingmates' zone of
authority, she didn't want to lose her situational awareness.

Partway through their half of the Fall, Riveth began running low on her
flames, and Talwynn called for a resupply. She'd caught practice sacks
in the air but now it was for real and she tried not to feel nervous as
she signaled the bluerider and he tossed it over. She caught it
successfully and began feeding her green more stone.

The Fall seemed to go by very quickly and it felt too soon that they
received the signal for the first wave of greens to go back to the Weyr.
Talwynn pictured the rim of Dragonsfall and /betweened/ back there on cue.

As soon as they re-emerged over their home, Riveth began spiraling down
towards their weyrledge. She wanted her straps off and to have a bath.

**Let's tell D'kere we're fine,** Talwynn reminded her green. She knew
Kenirath would have known if something had happened to her, and he would
have known when she got back, but she still wanted Riveth to share the
good news anyway.

}:We are back safe and unscored,:{ Riveth obligingly told the bronze.
}:My rider will meet yours in our weyr when we are done. But first I
want my bath.:{

Once she landed on the ledge, Talwynn began to unstrap herself. When it
was done she slid off and groaned when she hit the ground. Now that she
was free of the support of the saddle and straps, she realized how much
tension her body had been holding and she ached. She wanted to soak in
the pool so badly...

But Riveth's straps needed to come off, and she needed to be cleaned off
or she'd stink of firestone and get crackdust all over their weyr. She
sighed and began unstrapping the green. Her lifemate first, then she
could tend herself and by then D'kere should be back.
**You were magnificent,** she thought as she peeled the straps off Riveth.

}:We did it. We are riders,:{ the green said proudly. She knew how
excited Talwynn was for this to have happened.

Yes, they were active wingriders once more.

Last updated on the December 21st 2017

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