A Sight To Sea [The World Above Weyrlings Lesson]

Allendris had arrived punctually, his hair tied neatly back and dressed in unusually subdued clothing that served as a clear indication of his suspicion that with a classroom location like 'the lake,' the day's lessons promised more than just a simple lecture or a test of their knowledge. And while he could have been surprised that a bronzerider had chosen to volunteer himself to attend to a weyrling lesson (and additionally that a man of what he could assume to be some rank was assigned to him with seemingly so little hesitation), it didn't occur to the bronze weyrling that this should be anything out of the ordinary. Though Remelant had apparently not earned himself the honor of transport on a gilded, glittering hide - he could feel the other weyrling pair's pointedly frigid glare at the back of his head even now - it seemed only natural that at least one great metallic beast should be called upon to tend to his younger siblings. Not that little Krypth would have appreciated the gesture, but Vyaniorth, for his part, seemed as appropriately impressed with the older dragon's size and splendor as much as he was taken aback by Gugaroth's unprecedented friendliness.

After a moment's pause and a slight tilting of his head, as if momentarily considering the possible repercussions of associating himself with such an indiscriminating beast, Vyaniorth finally seemed to decide that he found the larger bronze's exuberance and nearly overbearing chattiness rather amusing for its unexpectedness. The larger beast's hide might have resembled his in its eye-catching sheen, but other than that the proud little dragonet drew the immediate conclusion that the two of them had little else in common. Hoth was so different, and Ronarth was so different, and Gugaroth was so different! That alone interested Vyaniorth just enough for him to readily accept Gugaroth's happily rambling away in his mind with his own cheerful warble of greeting. And besides, the older bronze's excitement was only stoking the fires of his own eagerness to feel the wind on his hide for the very first time. Even if he was just hitching a ride, he was still quite keen to get up there!

Hello, Gugaroth! the bronzeling greeted, his mind-voice as cool and silky as ever, despite the fact that the little creature was ready to start dancing circles in his impatience to proceed onwards to the fun bits that the elder dragon had promised.

There was just one thing.

After all, Vyaniorth didn't want anyone getting confused, least of all another of his bronze kin.

I hope the day I am allowed fly beside you comes soon, but actually I think I am going to be much, much, much bigger th--

Allendris coughed, the sound masking Vyaniorth's small chirp of suprise as the man delivered his best approximation of a mental kick to his bonded, which miraculously cut the dragonet's imminent faux pas short despite the fact that the future dragonrider was still perfecting the art. Or perhaps it had been his sudden grip on the growing beast's headknob that had done the trick. Either way, with offense to a fully grown bronze dragon (however diminutive, when compared to the others at Katila Weyr) hopefully averted, the tall young man allowed said grip to soften into a fond stroke of the small, lustrous head as he gave M'bal a polite smile and a very formal bow of greeting. "I am very sorry to inconvenience you this morning, but we really do appreciate your and Gugaroth's help. Don't we, Vyaniorth?"

The bronzeling, upon being hefted up into his bonded's arms (with no small amount of effort, but with life at the Weyr as it was Allendris suspected he was indeed getting stronger) and subsequently up to M'bal's outstretched arms at the bronzerider's urgings, answered with an eager Does this mean we get to fly soon?!

Once Vyaniorth had scrambled aboard the much larger dragon's back, Allendris was next to join them, and it occurred to him quite suddenly, as he stared at Gugaroth's outstretched foreleg with what he had to admit was a bit of trepidation, that this ride upon the bronze dragon would only be the second time in his adult life that he had ever been a-dragonback. Moreover, his first time had been with Larrikith, whose tiny size hardly compared to even this modestly built bronze. He imagined one could easily take a tumble from little Larrikith's back and hardly sustain any serious injury. Gugaroth, however...

Well. Now was not the time for hesitation, the dragonrider-to-be urged himself as he stepped up and climbed aboard with M'bal's help. Moreover, Allendris reminded himself, if Vyaniorth really was going to grow as massive as he was constantly promising everyone he would, then he was probably going to have to get well-accustomed to heights.

Still. Once situated, Allendris was sure to make extra-certain that the riding straps were secure as M'bal showed him what to clip onto where. Vyaniorth, utterly fearless, sent his reassurances to his bonded, and despite his prior unease Allendris found himself sharing in some of the little dragon's thrill as the larger bronze took off into a running start and finally launched himself into the air.

Though he was distracted throughout the ride by both the as-yet unfamiliar feeling of the wind whipping against his face and also by the sheer, unadulterated joy coursing over his bond with Vyaniorth, Allendris did his best to entertain M'bal's interest about his past and his present at Katila Weyr. The man's line of questioning did sound suspiciously like an interview, but the former glass-smith was willing to write off the bronzerider's seeming nosiness and simple curiousity regarding one of the two men who would soon be joining his ranks. That sort of drive to know as much as he could about his current situation and his peers matched his own, and indeed Allendris was sure to add in a few of his own questions to M'bal when and where he could, though always politely phrased and never too personal.

Upon their gentle glide back to solid ground and M'bal's apology, Allendris smiled at Vyaniorth, who looked and felt about as far from bored as a dragonet could possibly get. "I don't know what they've been chatting about, but Vy is just thrilled to be in the air. Dragons are really made to fly, aren't they?"

There was a hint of envy in the younger man's voice as he spoke, as he wondered if and when he might ever feel as purely at ease at such death-defying heights and speeds as Vyaniorth and even M'bal seemed to be. But then, Allendris silently reassured himself, perhaps soaring through the skies atop your own dragon was a wholly different experience from hitching a ride on another's, no matter how careful and smooth Gugaroth had courteously made his flight. Vyaniorth seemed to echo these sentiments, chiming in privately to his bonded with cheerful confidence, Flying with me will be so much better. I promise you that.

In due time they had all dismounted, and after the weyrling pair had given their words of gratitude to Gugaroth for his smooth flying, Vyaniorth watched with envy - and Allendris with some measurable shock - as the boulder-sized beast  happily launched himself into the lake.