Practise Makes ...

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 1st March 2009

Characters: Zelle, M'net
Description: Zelle tries to teach M'net how to better deal with variable winds.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 5

"Okay M'net." Zelle stated as she approached the bluerider. She gave his dragon a gentle pat, then turned to the rider. "You ready to hit the air? You'd best be prepared because I'm going to work you hard!"

"Yes ma'am" he gave her a mock salute before vaulting atop his blue. "I'm ready to be worked!"

"Good. Come on, I'll have Rillith give your lifemate an image." With a grin, Zelle turned upon her heel and moved over to Rillith. She lovingly caressed the smooth green hide, then mounted up and secured her straps. She looked over to make sure M'net was ready, then urged Rillith into the air.

}:After this I plan to take a nap.:{ The green stated as she pushed off with her powerful hind legs.

**That's perfectly fine. You can nap while I see if I can goad J'darin into getting out of the Weyr with me. Hasaarth can take us.** Zelle twisted around to be sure that M'net was in the air, then gave her lifemate an image. **Pass that along, will you?**

}:Of course.:{ The green rumbled softly and did as requested before blinking /between/ to reappear over the cliffs.

**Not so close.** Zelle warned and the green turned to put a little more distance between her and the jutting rock and they waited for the blue and his rider.

The two were jarred by the turbulence as soon as they came out of /between/, but they focused their thoughts and steadied themselves as they'd been instructed. **Move in next to Zelle as you would for formations.**

Zelle watched closely as fellow dragon and rider clumsily inched into position. }:You're over compensating. You needs to fine tune your wing movements, shallower changes in position.:{ The green explained as Yereth began to wobble in the air.

**Shards this is embarrassing** M'net thought as Yereth tried to do as told. They'd had no problems during weyrling training, except for the odd slip up like everyone else, but they were flying longer and higher, and in worse weather now so his deficiencies were becoming more apparent. **You're doing great Yereth, just watch what Rillith is doing.**

Zelle watched and nodded as M'net and his dragon compensated. }:Good.:{ Rillith echoed her rider's compliment. }:Now that you're steady, try to rise without letting the updraft take you too far.:{

After less than an hour, M'net decided that just because he was in Hurricane Wing, he shouldn't have to deal with hurricane type winds. He was exhausted, and he was sure Yereth was getting there too. He didn't know how Zelle and her green were able to make it look so easy. He was doing better than when they'd first started, but with the sun going down it was like the wind kicked up another notch and he was struggling again. Formation flying was so much more difficult than it just being you, your dragon, and the open sky. Then it didn't matter if swayed back and forth or up and down on the air streams, you could go all over and be perfectly happy... **Tell Rillith we'll go a few minutes more, then we'll call it a night.**

**Tell Yareth that's fine. Let's try /betweening/ from one spot to another and dealing with the change in winds that way. Make sure you warn him not to get too close to the cliffs.** Zelle leaned forward and peered over at the bluerider. She lifted a hand, as if to physically signal that she had received his message and sent one of her own.

They lined up with Rillith, parallel and a dozen or so handspans between their wingtips, and then jumped ahead several dragonlenghs to the image in her mind. It was bumpy, but they managed to hold the spacing and keep even in height. They jumped several more times to similar results and M'net was starting to feel his confidence build back up. "My turn!" he called out to her in a tease, and he had Yareth start sending Rillith images to jump to.

**Tell him not to get too cocky.** Zelle didn't mind a little teasing, but while the young man was having more success now, she was afraid he might be getting a little too comfortable.

The first jump went fine, one moment they were next to each other, wingtips almost touching, then then they were /between/. They came out just as planned and M'net was pleased to see that Yareth compensated as a draft tried to push them down.

**Again** he told his blue and gave him another destination, just beneath a large overhang of the cliff. They blinked /between/ almost immediately with Zelle and Rillith right in time with them. When they came out though Yareth was hit with an updraft. He tried to correct, but over compensated, drifting into Rillith and tangling his wing with hers.

The impact happened so suddenly that Rillith just barely had time to react, but not to go /between/. Zelle was flung forward so she lay against her dragon's back, the straps the only thing keeping her from tumbling into the air. The green tried to twist, then both of them were slammed into the overhang. Rillith howled and fairly crumpled midair, pain causing her eyes to whirl orange and red, almost blinding her.

As Yareth fought to right himself, M'net watched in horror as the green and rider struck the cliff. He reacted swiftly screaming "Rescue!" refocusing his blue's attention to the drill they'd practised often in weyrlinghood. They flashed /between/ and came out underneath the falling pair. Too small to be able to pull the green up to the top of the cliffs, he laid himself flat against his blue and braced himself as Yareth broke Rillith and Zelle's fall. The wind was knocked out of him at their impact, but he endured the crushing pain until both dragons and their riders hit the beach below.

Last updated on the March 8th 2009

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Practise Makes ...