Blood and Gold

Writers: Avery, Chelle, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th January 2016

Characters: Rhosyn, Riveenata, Ciara, Lanniya, U'das
Description: Lanniya flies her first threadfall.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 1 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Vilarth

Ciara

Lanniya

Mounted on top of Orlaith, Rhosyn remained with her wing while all the
dragons took their places. When they were in formation and the signal was
given, they all rose and flew past the Star Stones before going /between/.
Everyone made it through and they regrouped, hovering and waiting quietly in
the sky-wings arrayed one on top of the other with hers below them all-even
the weyrlings. Thinking of them and knowing it was the first threadfall for
some, her head turned. Both Orlaith and Anaeryth had been placed in the
middle of the formation so the other dragons' instinct to protect the golds
was used well. Vilarth was sitting on eggs. Taking a breath, Rhosyn checked
her flamethrower. Today had to go well. She needed it to for so many
reasons. Anaeryth's hatching had been her triumph. The young gold had to
make it through her first fall or it would all be for nothing.

}:No heroics today everyone. Fly safely and keep watch! We will sear the
thread and be victorious!:{ Orlaith's eyes whirled faster, watching the
skyline as they waited for the leading edge to appear. }:Daughter, protect
your rider. Face the enemy and do not forget you are our hope and pride:{
And there it was! The gray line was coming-faster and faster. Her muscles
bunched and the red came into her eyes. Orlaith could smell it. }:Thread
comes!:{ She bugled mightily and many other dragons' voices joined hers
before they had begun the fight.

Savith had been assigned near the middle as well. She listened to
Orlaith's warning with the respect and deference due to the senior queen.
The tiny green bugled loudly when the gold called them to arms. The
fighting instinct burned strong and true in her and she craved the chance
to flame it to ash, to burn it to dust and fulfill her purpose. Once the
Thread began to fall, she shifted and hissed at it, waiting for some of
the ancient enemy to drop down to her level.

U'das was flying with the Queens wing only temporarily, just for the
Fall. His weakening eyesight wasn't such an issue on the low level
Wing. Zack was happy to get a chance to flame Thread and both of them
would be keeping an eye on the weyrlings. U'das had to rein him in,
the bronze was bit too eager. **Wait for Orlaith's commands. You're
not the leader any longer** he reminded Zackariath.

}: I will sear it from the sky! :{ Zack bugled.

**Yes, you will have your chance. Remember, protect the queens and
keep reporting to Xenderayth how the weyrlings are doing.**

Both Anaeryth and Lanniya were buzzing with barely contained nerves
and energy. The chatter from the dragons around her and their own
excitement was difficult to screen out of her own thoughts as she
checked her flamethrower. }: We are ready.:{ Anaeryth replied,
shifting from foot to foot as she waited for the signal to be aloft.

Ellianith shifted from side to side near the young gold and then
realized what she was doing. **Calmly. This is nothing we haven't
done before,** Ciara cautioned. They were as eager as any other pair
on the sands and Ciara had as many bags of stone as she could fit
safely. **Signal we're ready,** she held up her hand as her lifemate
passed the message.

After the Weyr went /between/ and came through, it didn't take long for
the leading edge to reach them. The Queens' Wing flew under the others,
below the weyrlings. Rhosyn had her hands full. Not only did she have to run
the wing short her Second, but she also had a gold weyrling flying Thread
for the first time. Anaeryth was safer with them, though, and it would teach
Lanniya how she would really be flying. Keeping her flamethrower ready, the
Weyrwoman received the messages from the other wings through Orlaith. Sometimes,
if a dragon needed catching, it fell to her wing. The fighting wings needed to
keep flaming and keep focused.

Zack concentrated to the moment at hand, forgetting that there had
been time when he had been first to meet the leading edge. He kept his
place in formation and his belly rumbled with firestone gas, ready to
be released as searing flame. U'das had to rely on Zack's eyes to tell
him how the fight was going.

Doing drills and then actually flaming Thread, Lanniya discovered, was
far different. With drills, there was less chance of getting
hurt...really hurt. But now, high above her, she could hear the
hundreds of mental voices chiming in, talking over each other,
commands, cries of pain...She was struggling to keep them from
overwhelming her. How had Lessa or Torene stood it? The young girl's
face was strained as she tried to keep her flamethrower balanced when
the occasional escaped silvery strand came her way. Her attention
split between the voices that flooded her mind and keeping control of
the flamethrower gave her little opportunity to be scared. She also
had to trust that Anaeryth would know what to do and follow Orlaith.

One clump plummeted down towards the queen's wing, towards Ciara and
U'das. }:Look up!:{ Savith told Zackariath and Ellianith.

Another fell towards Anaeryth and herself. }:Getting it,:{ the green
said, surging upward and letting out a gout of flame that charred the
writhing mass of silver Threads into fine dust and ash. It drifted
down and covered Riveenata's face, she had to wipe her goggles with
her arm.

Ellianith twisted upwards to flame the clump falling toward her and
Zackariath though a few tendrils escaped and she warned the bronze
below. }:To your right.:{

}: Got it! :{ Zack replied and flamed. The tendrils turned into harmless
dust. U'das gave Ciara a thumb-up -signal as a thank you.

On a good day, their wing didn't get much thread to deal with. Hopefully,
this would be one of those. Rhosyn couldn't help but hear all the noise around
them but she was focused on her wing and the area around her, filtering the
messages coming from the other wingleaders. So far, everything was proceeding
normally. They flew forward, following the thread, making sure nothing hit the ground.
So far, Anaeryth was alright and that was as it should be. The Weyrwoman glanced to
her side to see the young queen and her rider.

}:Above you mine!:{ Powerless to flame the thread herself, Orlaith
angled her neck where Rhosyn could get under the clump and flame it to
ash with her flamethrower. It was far more risky than a fighting
dragon's ability to flame a length or so away but they had the
experience of so many turns flying together.

**Thank you, Savith.** Lanniya had noticed the green's quick actions,
but the quick words of thanks seemed strained. Her hands trembled as
she moved the flamethrower to char a stray strand of Thread to her
right.

Anaeryth banked slightly and then righted herself as the Thread burned
to ash. Noting the strain of her rider's mental state, Anaeryth became
concerned. }: Mine? This is too much for you. :{

**I'm fine. I'm fine.** Lanniya worked hard to keep the tumult of
voices from around her from overpowering her senses. **Keep going.
I'll be fine.**

):But...:{

**This is important. I have to graduate. I'll tell you if it gets to
be too much.** She did not want to mess up on something this
important.

Zack twisted and flamed another clump before it could reach the queens.
}: One of the weyrlings is in trouble. :{ he reported.

** Anything we can do? ** U'das asked.

}: No. I already told him to go back to the Weyr, :{ Zack replied. }:
He is injured but it's not serious. His fear is more dangerous.:{ Zack
continued.

** Tell Orlaith, she can keep him from panicking," U'das was falling
back to his old leader-role without noticing it.

}: Orlaith, one of the weyrlings got a minor score, but he is in
danger of panicking and going forever /between/. Can you reach him and
keep him calm? :{ Zack's tone was respectable when he talked to the
senior gold.

Orlaith was trying to focus on the task at hand. Threadfall took a lot
of concentration. However, Zackariath's request wasn't one she could
ignore. **We can't go back to the Weyr now. We have to lead the
wing.** The bronze was more than capable of serving as Wingsecond but
Rhosyn couldn't leave U'das on his own, not with Anaeryth flying for
the first time. If something happened, she'd never forgive herself.

}:I will speak to him. Which of my children is it?:{ It would be
quicker if she didn't have to search. As it was, she was flying
slightly left to try and avoid the ash that was falling down. So far
not many clumps had made it through to their wing. The rest of the
Weyr knew who was flying that day as well, making the dragons extra
vigilant.

Zack provided her the name. His attention elsewhere, he nearly got
Scored himself. Twisting a way that would make a blue envious he
flamed the small clump.

**Careful old mate,** U'das thumped his neck affectionately. **Stay alert!**

And at the end of the day when they came back to the Weyr, Rhosyn
found herself taking quite a few deep breaths. Her eyes traveled over
to where Anaeryth and Lanniya were. She'd follow up with them and the
Weyrlingmaster later to find out how they'd found their first fall
experience. At least, they had flown it and survived. Thank Faranth.

Last updated on the January 11th 2016

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Blood and Gold