Dang Straps

Writers: Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 10th March 2011

Characters: D'ale, K'ale, G'wen
Description: Two weyrlings struggle with the fit of their riding straps
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 12 of Turn 6

D'ale

K'ale

He almost wanted to curse under his breath, this was the second set of
straps he'd had to make in the last month. Imalkyth is just growing
too fast but the time was soon coming when he'd start to fly and K'ale
didn't want to be left on the ground. He'd taken his measurements but
had somehow gotten them in the wrong place and now one strap was
too long and the chest too short and he had to fix them.

Beside him, G'wen sat in a frustrated heap, refitting the neck strap
he was so sure had fit Neath just yesterday. His green was off to one
side, occasionally flapping her large wings and sending waves of dust
towards the boys.

Mock glaring at her, the boy called, out, "Neath, could you be so kind
as to not cover us in dirt?" Turning to his tall friend, he continued,
"I swear she wasn't_that_big yesterday."

}:I wasn't:{ came her smug reply.

**Don't I know?** Really, G'wen figured if he stared long enough, he
would actually see her growing.

Imalkyth was tucked in to a big ball nearby and that bulk seemed to be
growing all the time. K'ale despaired of keeping up with him but the
new sliding buckles the tanner had showed him were helping. Now if he
could only put it together the right way. He was certainly gaining
experience with his riding harness.

**I want to fly with you when we finally get the chance.** The brown's
whirling eye opened up to regard his rider. }:You will mine:{ he said.

"At least Ima has sense to sit still for you," the smaller boy
muttered to K'ale, as he stopped for a moment to watch Neath show off.
There was a young bronze close by, trying hard not to eye her.

K'ale looked up from his frustrated work with the straps and smiled at
G'wen. "Thats my boy," he said "steady and calm." His brown lifemate
was a steadying influence on him as well as others around him. He was
beginning to understand why his da was so even tempered and always had
been.

He lifted up the repaired harness. "Ok, Let's take a look." Imalkyth
rose and approached to nose the straps in curiosity. }:This one will
not hurt?:{ "No it shouldn't hurt. You tell me how it feels ok?" he
said while he struggled with putting it on just right and fastening
the buckles so it wouldn't pinch or pull in the wrong place. He'd seen
D'ale do it hundreds of times over the turns but while it looked
effortless he realized it wasn't at all and would take practice.

"It looks...better," G'wen said to K'ale, trying to be encouraging.

"Well, I don't know." the voice came from behind the two boys. D'ale
walked up smiling. "Imalkyth told Torerath you might be
needing some help." he smiled. "Hello Neath," he said "You're looking
lovely today." It never hurt to compliment a green he thought. He
heard the bass chuckle of his life mate in the back of his mind and
grinned.

"Don't encourage her!" G'wen rolled his eyes and pulled
a face at his lifemate. He held his straps up. "Help!"

Imalkyth shrugged his shoulders }:This does not pinch:{ K'ale walked
around him reaching up to adjust one of the straps.

D'ale grinned at G'wen, he'd heard about Neath and hadn't been able to
resist the quip. Walking over to Imalkyth he smiled. The pecan brown
hide practically shone with good care. He ran his hands under the
straps bending to walk underneath to the other side. "Looks good." he
said.

Then he walked over to G'wen. Picking up the straps, he looked at the
green. "If you replace the belly strap that should do you for the next
week."

The boy did as the older rider directed, muttering under his breath,
"yes, and after next week, what then?" Shards knew she'd probably be
even bigger. "At this rate, she's going to be larger than T'bel's
green by the next sevenday." He watched as his green snorted at him
and then craned her head around to look for D'ale's brown.

K'ale walked around like D'ale had done and felt between the strap and
Imalkyth 'not too loose and not too tight'. He knew he was more guilty
of the latter as his lifemate had told him about the pinching. He was
feeling good about the straps they didn't feel like they were going to
slip of he climbed up on Imalkyth's neck. The young brown put his leg
forward like he'd seen Torerath do to assist D'ale to mount.
K'ale grinned.

Not wanting to be left out, Neath nudged G'wen to mount as well.
Feeling he was the awkward third person in a close moment between
father and son, her lifemate hushed her and kept his head down. He
was also aware that D'ale might be making fun of his Neath with his
comment.

As K'ale mounted Imalkyth and sat on his back, D'ale walked around
Neath feeling her straps. "Just a second son." he said to G'wen.
"Neath is this a little tight?" he asked pulling on one of the straps
around her neck that the saddle pad was affixed to.

}:Tell him just a bit:{ the big green told her lifemate.

"She's says it's a bit tight," the boy said quietly.

"Alright," said D'ale. He loosened the buckles a little and moved the
pad that protected the dragon's hide underneath. "That should be
better. Up you go." he added

Feeling self conscious that he had an audience as he mounted up on
Neath for the first time, G'wen tried to quietly get up on the big
green's neck.

K'ale grinned at G'wen from his higher perch upon Imalkyth's back.
"You look good." he told his friend.

"You both do," said D'ale.

}:Of course we do. Now where's a bronze to impress?:{

Last updated on the March 20th 2011

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Dang Straps