The Trouble with Night Drills
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Clancey, Suzee
Date Posted: 10th November 2011
Characters: J'darin, K'ale
Description: Night Drills, not K'ale's best work.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 4 of Turn 6
It was always telling this week of training. Night drills
provided some different challenges than regular drills, and there were
always a few who had some trouble adjusting to the night moves.
**How are they Hasaarth?**
He asked his dragon, as they hovered in place, about ready to start
/between/ drills.
}:They are well enough, though some are nervous and a little scared. :{
That was nothing he didn't expect, so he nodded to himself, and send a
message to begin. Going /between/ was more difficult at night and
required practice and knowing your stars.
They watched and listened to the weyrlings practicing then he called a
halt so they could begin rider substitutions.
He had two green weyrlings go first, swapping places, but at the last
minute he spied a brown dragon out of place and called a halt before
wings could get fouled.
"Again!" He said aloud, and also had Hasaarth send.
"Shardit," K'ale swore.
}:Let me do it mine. I can see better than you in the dark. You have
to trust me.:{
K'ale felt all the worse at that. "Sorry Ima," he apologized. He had
caught on to everything else so quickly that he didn't expect this
kind of difficulty. He only hoped the Weyrlingmaster wasn't going to
delay his graduation because he had difficulty with the night drills.
He knew he had to rely on Imalkyth to know where they were. It was just
hard.
Night drills required a large adjustment. You had to trust your
dragon far more than usual, though knowing you had to trust them to
take you /between/ to the right place _and_ time was good practice for
trusting their amazing liftemates.
He watched the second time through with the swapping, paying close
attention to the greenriders this time. Sometimes they were slow and
that would leave a hole too long open that Thread could soar right
through and creat havoc in the ranks below.
Who was the brown above?
}:It is Imalkyth.:{
Ahh. They would be fine. K'ale had grasped everything else very
quickly. Surely night drills would be no trouble for the fine young
brownrider.
"Ok, ok," said the young brownrider. If he held steady then the greens
would too. It was his job to make sure his small piece of the wing
stayed formed up. **You keep them formed up, I'll just keep trying to
see where we're going for my own piece of mind.**
His heart was hammering in his chest but he called to the girl on his
right "It's ok Cerita, we've got this. Let her find her space. Trust
her." He realize he was reassuring himself as much as she was. "Form
up T'lar" he called to the other greenrider. Once again he directed
Imalkyth to have them to slip into the formation where Hasaarth had
told them to go.
The second time was much better. J'darin and Hasaarth both sent
their approval along, though the Weyrlingmaster's eyes stayed focused
on the group of weyrlings above him. The stars and the moon were
bright tonight, which was fortunate, but still, he knew the weyrlings
were all re-learning to trust their dragons.
They flew more swapping drills and everyone got a little better as
time went on.
He called a halt before they changed to a different drill.
In between the drills, he left the rest of the weyrlings to T'mahl and
E'naer, and called K'ale to him. "K'ale, come here a moment, would
you lad?"
"Yes sir, " he said and trotted over to where the Weyrlingmaster
stood. His heart hammered hoping he wouldn't get hammered for his poor
performance in the last drill.
J'darin nodded at him but smiled to show he wasn't in huge trouble.
"Are you alright, K'ale? I did not expect you, of all my weyrlings, to
have trouble. You've done so well through training. Maybe we can
have a little extra practice to help you? Or do you think you and
Imalkyth will be good to go for Blooding?"
He looked uncomfortable but it was his own inner voice condemning him
for his mistakes in the drill. He shook his head. "I'm sorry sir," he
said. "I just had a difficult time letting Imalkyth take the lead." It
just hadn't seemed natural and the more he'd pressed the worse they'd
gotten until the greens and their riders were hopelessly confused.
"But I think the last time was better." He was hopeful the
Weyrlingmaster would agree. "I think we'll be ready." He promised
himself they would be. He'd do additional work on his own if need be
to make _sure_ they were. It wasn't in his nature to slack off.
"That is why we practice, K'ale. And I have high hopes for you and
Imalkyth. High hopes, indeed. The last time was better, and the
next time will be better yet, yes?" He smiled to take the sting from
it. "Please let me know if you want extra work. Hasaarth and I are
always glad to lend a hand, alright?" His smile remained. He
believed K'ale would make a very fine brownrider. Maybe even one
J'darin himself would have picked for a 'Second.
Shards. All sorts of strange attitudes were taking over in his head
since he'd come to Dragonsfall. Foolishness. He pushed that
thought away. "Keep up the good work, K'ale, and you will be ready, I
know you will."
"Yes sir," the young man nodded with a tentative smile. "I will."
Last updated on the January 3rd 2012