On the Other Side of Fear
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: Halyonix
Date Posted: 21st October 2025
Characters: Katora
Description: Katora faces down Thread for the first time
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 23 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: E'kirim, L'kayric, C'uren, Halia
Notes:
~*~
Katora sat astride Saoirth, her dark eyes on the sky, taking very mindful breaths to keep her stomach from cramping with nerves. She methodically went over everything in her pre-Threadfall checklist: straps, firestone, goggles, jacket, weather, pattern number, associated Wing formation. And then she did it again.
Her feline claw necklace hung heavy on her chest. Her hand went to clutch it, remembering another day when her bravery had been called into question. She hadn't felt brave when the felines had attacked their caravan. She didn't feel brave now. But Katora had learned one big thing about bravery in her young life.
Courage wasn't the absence of fear. It was the decision that there was something more important than that fear.
}: We will do this, :{ Saoirth said stoutly. }: We have trained. We are ready. :{
"We are," Katora agreed quietly, fervently, still gripping the feline claw. She realized now that she hadn't traded her old life for something much different. Being a Trader meant facing whatever the road brought, risk or reward. The Weyr was similar -- the reward of a dragon but the risk of Thread. The only difference between the two was the preparation. A Trader had to think on their feet. A dragonrider had to drill. So, in a way, she had been preparing for this all of her life. Just in a different form.
Comforted by that, she kissed the feline claw. She adjusted her goggles. "Let's do this." Saoirth took off.
Two hours later, Katora was sweaty, grimy, and thirsty. The jitters she had felt before Threadfall had solidified into a hard lump in her stomach, fueling her determination to survive. The past few hours had passed in the blink of an eye and yet felt the most grueling ever. Saoirth landed in the Weyrbowl with a tired thump. Exhaling, Katora gripped her feline claw necklace tightly. "We did it," she whispered.
}: We did it, :{ a trembling Saoirth agreed.
Katora scrambled down and began inspecting every inch of her dragon, searching for any injury. }: I'm fine, Katora love. Nothing even came close. :{ The young woman hugged the ash-streaked muzzle tightly. }: We're both fine. :{
Elation, the dizzying kind that came with the realization of remarkable triumph, filled Katora. She let out a yodeling sound that her caravan used to during celebrations -- once, twice, and on the third time, Saoirth joined in. They had done it! They would be deemed graduates and assigned into a Wing.
"We should celebrate," Katora said to Saoirth as she ran her hands over her dragon.
}: Once the others of our class get back, yes, :{ Saoirth agreed as she looked up at the sky. That stilled some of Katora's elation. Her classmates - E'kirim, L'kayric, C'uren, Halia - some of them were still up there, fighting. Would they...? }: Trust, Katora love. They know their training. :{
Her worry solidified into determination once more. "Right," she agreed. "Let's get you washed up. And then we'll celebrate when everyone gets back." She had to believe that everyone in her class was going to make it back, maybe not every time but this all important first time.
She kissed the feline claw again, this time for good luck for her friends still up there, and walked with Saoirth towards the lake.
Last updated on the November 2nd 2025