Here and Back Again *Strikes, Darkstars, Chasers!*

[Wish]

It had been a month, a whole sharding month since the battle had ended. Had things gotten better? Somewhat, even Panille couldn't deny that. She bit her lip as her legs swung back and forth below her. The greenrider felt trapped, always watched, always kept within distance. S'vrin wasn't an idiot, he knew that she was involved in the rebellion. Thankfully though she wasn't the one recruiting right now, or spying.

Of course, only a few knew just how Lorendyth and the others were getting info to the Lieutenants, and that was something the young green kept guarded even from Hers. Rubbing her arm as she looked around, Panille finally rolled her hair up onto her head into a half-way decent attempt at an up-do and called for her dragoness. Call them. Call them all, all the ones that are to graduate in the upcoming gather. It's only a sevenday away, they need to learn this before they go off into the wings, and shard it K'lin hasn't started the lesson yet so it's up to us. Call him too, he's probably just cooing to those kids of his.

Iliath rumbled a chortle, twitching her tail. They had just fought Thread that morning but thankfully none of the Weyrlings had sported serious injuries yet. Lightning Strikes, Darkstars, Tide Chasers, all of you will report to the training grounds for your lesson today. That means you too Bearith. If you are late, I will eat you, I'm not in a happy mood today. "When are you ever in a happy mood lately Iliath?" The green snorted as if to say that was her point but didn't say anything mentally.

That left Pan to wait for the weyrlings, and she felt the familiar fluttering as she hoped that F'lon would not be among them. She had hoped since she had gotten caught that night so many days ago that he had gotten free. At least she hadn't seen him lately, which was good, it was one last thing to worry about for her. The greenrider gritted her teeth as the first few weyrlings showed up, remembering that the only reason she was in charge of Alyara's/Sh'ay's group was because the bluerider was MIA and her own had only one or two weyrlings left.

Well, not many have made the trials of the last few months. Sighing, Panille eyed Lorendyth arrive with Akilu and observed the Green staying away from some of her peers. Not an uncommon thing for the dark weyrling, but still noticeable. "Alright everyone, gather around and get comfortable we have a lot to talk about first. As you all know, you three groups will be graduating out of weyrlinghood at the next gather in only a matter of days. You will have two lessons during the gather where you will learn what to do, and throughout the gather there will be certain days assigned to certain classes where you will participate in The Games."

"Now, you're not free yet. You are about to do the hardest thing you will ever do. It is something that the Weyrs forbid unless under the direct orders of your Wingleader because it is that dangerous. It is not for everyone, and though you must do it once, no one will make you do it again after that. I warn you, do not try it without K'lin and my references if you are not that good at imaging things for between! We are timing it today, mount your dragons, stay quiet and don't ask questions until we say it's okay. Focus is incredibly important if you want to live."

(Ooc: Alright, so if there are any characters you would like to mention that have died/are being killed off now, please do. If you have a weyrling you'd like to escape to the rebels have them contact Lorendyth or Braymoth and they will give them the coordinates. They will be believed to be dead in Trelis though until a later time.)

[Akira]

K’lin had actually been in the record rooms when Iliath called for them. Let them know we will be there shortly Bearith. He rolled the scrolls he had been studying back up, and replaced them where he had gotten them from, before stretching his muscles for the second time that day. He quickly made his way out to the Weyrbowl, and then shortly after that, to the Weyrling Training Grounds. He had decided to walk for the sheer exercise of it. After all, he had two little boys now and needed all the exercise he could get so that he could stay in shape to keep up with the two of them. He nodded his head to Panille and her dragon as he approached them. Good day Panille, and you as well Iliath. he walked over to his own dragon, and turned to wait for the weyrlings to arrive.

Mine is in the Records Room, he will be there shortly. After relaying the message to Iliath, Bearith took off from his ledge, and angled straight for the Training Grounds. He landed lightly, a little ways away from the others, and silently waited for His to arrive. He crooned to K’lin as he showed up, and re-settled himself as he waited for the weyrlings. He was sure that they would be most eager to get the lesson over with since they all would be graduating very soon. The thought of the graduation had both of the males thinking back to their own graduation. There’s hadn’t been as dangerous as this one would be, but then again, things change over time, and change was something no one could really control. So they would all have to just wait and see how things would go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even though she didn’t know N’ck or his dragon all that well, she felt terrible for his death. He had died while riding his white dragon and attempting to defend them all against Thread. Just another thing she chalked up against the mutations. She knew she shouldn’t hate them so much, but she just couldn’t pull her mind in any other direction. She shook her head, and looked at the sky, wondering when the next Threadfall would be. Mine, we are being called for a lesson with the other graduating classes. Oridith’s deep voice pulled her back into reality, and she nodded her head. Of course, let’s go. She turned and climbed up onto the young blue’s back. He was already fully-grown, which meant she had to climb up his leg in order to reach his back.

It didn’t take them long to reach the place where they would be attending this lesson, and it didn’t look like there were that many people there already. Akira jumped off her dragon’s back when he landed, and nodded her greeting to the two teachers that were there. Oridith sat down behind her and wrapped his speckled tail around his hind legs. Greetings to you Iliath, and you as well Bearith. The other blue had been his teacher since he had hatched, and both of the weyrlings held much respect for the man and his family. But they didn’t know Panille or her dragon all that well, so they didn’t show them the same respect that they did Bearith or K’lin. Whether or not they took that as an insult was unknown to them, but they hoped they realized that they meant no disrespect to them.

[phantomofthewolves]

G'daro awoke to a call, a call for a lesson. Banemith heard it too, as well as the two flits. So G'daro got dressed and the four made their way to where the call came from. As they walked, G'daro thought of his fellow weyrlings who died long ago. He feared there would be more deaths in this lesson. He tried not to cry, but he chocked back tears of regret. Why do you cry, G'daroMine? Banemith asked his rider. It's nothing to worry about, my Banemith. G'daro replied.

When they arrived, they greeted their masters and sat in the front. The thought of graduating now filled G'daro's mind. He grinned and flexed his muscles at the thought of becoming a Wingsecond, following his Wingleader into battle with the deadly Thread. He even might become Weyrleader if his dragon was lucky.

Then that deadly word entered his ears: Between. His heart sank, he knew that dragons betweened to commit suicide when their riders died, and he knew that some of his dragon's siblings did exactly that. He was given the orders to mount his dragon, and with a sigh, climbed aboard his dragon.

[Zero]

Vl’kan had just finished the long arduous task of oiling his behemoth of a dragon and was in the process of putting the supplies away when word came of this new lesson. Thormyth rumbled and shook himself as he passed along their green teacher’s message. A bit snappy today isn’t she? For her sake I hope she loses that attitude before I arrive. “Everyone’s been a bit on edge lately, Thor. No need to rile them up even more with promises of violence and bloodshed.” Wiping the last bits of oil from his hands with a spare rag, Vl’kan quickly gathered up the riding gear and went to work strapping up his brooding companion.

It didn’t take him very long at all as over the turns he had become somewhat of an expert at the task and soon the pair were off to the training grounds. Upon arriving the first thing the duo noticed was that they were not the first to show up. Of course Thormyth was displeased at this and growled lowly as he slinked towards the loosely gathered group. Leaning against the garnets leg, Vl’kan quickly scanned the crowd for any sign of his amethyst rider cousin and frowning when there was no sign of the thief or his little purple dragon. It had been days since he had last seen F’lon and with the high number of deaths and disappearances that had happened lately it was yet unclear which side his cousin fell under. If Thormyth knew, well he wasn’t saying.

Shaking his head he pulled his wandering mind back to the here and now in time to catch the last of what his red-haired teacher was saying. The garnet snorted at the brief flicker of unease from His. Stop worrying, as if I would lose us. Despite the unusual bout of confidence radiating from his companion, Vl’kan was still a little hesitant about the whole idea even as he clambered up the crimson dragons neck and settled in to wait for the next set of instructions.

[/font]

[Kitsuneko]

Hirion and Ferrth could barely contain their excitement. Their graduation, (probably overdue at this point) was finally approaching, and today was their last lesson before the gather. The blue dragon landed in the weyrlings' training area and Hirion jumped off his back, waiting to see what Panille would tell them.

Timing it, eh? Sounds exciting, Ferrth said once the Weyrlingmaster had finished.

Hirion smiled, but she didn't hide her nervousness from her dragon. Yeah, and dangerous. Let's be careful for once, okay Ferrth? Let's not mess up when we're this close to graduating.

The blue dragon snorted, but nodded his assent as Hirion mounted him again.



Unusually, it was Kaith who was eager to attend the lesson for once, rather than R'hard. The brownrider was still sulking ever since Aela and Talath had left, and Kaith was getting rather sick of it. This was a chance to draw his rider out of his shell a bit and turn his attention to other things. He stood silently beside his dragon, moving only to climb onto Kaith's back when directed.

[Zirin]

Siiigh. Once more our presence has been requested by the lesser folk. Shall we attend, Yufa? Braymoth stretched lazily on his ledge not feeling particularly inclined to do anything but sunbathe today. It was such a lovely day, why ruin it with a boring lecture. Especially since it seemed like they were doing a large group lesson. He really didn't feel like dealing with that many idiot dragons today.

"Lorendyth will be there." Yufa spoke softly as she went about hooking up his riding straps, knowing the garnet had a strange soft spot for the green. Yufa didn't mind at all, Akilu had become quite a bit of a dear friend throughout weyrlinghood. Braymoth simply sighed again, shifting so his rider could reach the final buckle. Before long they were spiralling down to join their peers in the training grounds. Braymoth gave a flick of his tail to Lorendyth in greeting before finding a place to stand. Yufa glanced over to Vl'kan nervously as Braymoth growled at Thormyth, not at all pleased to have another garnet in the vicinity. Luckily, the garnet's attentiion seemed to be distracted at the arrival of Yufa's brother U'wa and his green.

Hello classmates! This is going to be fun isn't it? I soooo hope it is! Peniath took no time in addressing absolutely everyone gathered, causing her rider to flush in embarassment. U'wa listened carefully at the instructions, his expression hardening in determination with the knowledge they would go between. Now... now was as good a time as any wasn't it? Are we really going to do this Mine? Are you ready? I don't want anything to go wrong, so be careful okay Mine? The green's voice was worried, nervous even, but with a silent nod from her rider she set her mind to it as well.

Braymoth, we are ready. Mine wants the co-ordinates.

[Wish]

Panille took a deep breath, centering herself for what was to come. Calming herself though, she shook her head and gave the signal to prepare for between. Tell them we're starting with a simple jump to the Stones. The spot was the first marker anyone ever learned so it was a good way to get them moving. Signalling once more for the trip between, Panille gave her dragoness the image and counted the spaces of time it took to get back into warmth and daylight.

Good, now give them the image for late last night. It was a full moon then so it'll help them. Give them every detail I give you now. She painted the mental picture of the night scene and then gave the signal. This time it was longer, but that was normal. Three coughs, four, fi...and they were in the black of not between but Night. She waited patiently for them to return and when she saw Lorendyth and Braymoth, Panille nodded in their direction. Go here instead.

The green sent the thought to her few clutchmates that had contacted her for the coordinates to the rebellion instead. She focused on the image, getting it from Braymoth and His Own while using that faint little, yet still strong tether of not her own rider but another. Another that she had had to put her life in, and the life of Hers Own. Loren do good.

[Kitsuneko]

Hirion listened carefully to their instructions, not willing to let her mind wander at this crucial hour. She wondered if anybody wouldn't be returning from today's lesson and repressed a shiver of foreboding. She hoped not. They had lost so many from their class already...

Their first destination was the Star Stones--an easy enough trip for the experienced pair. The blue dragon and rider reappeared in the air beside R'hard and his brown. The dragons settled down around the Stones until everyone had arrived, then they started timing it.

It seemed simple enough compared to their previous trips between--Ferrth relayed Iliath's image to Hirion and jumped between. It took longer than they were used to--not just three coughs, and for one dreaded moment, Hirion began to panic. Had they messed up after all? Were they now stuck between forever?

They reappeared in the air above the Stones, except now it was night instead of day--and there was the Weyrlingmaster and her green. Hirion breathed a sigh of relief. As Ferrth landed, she heard R'hard remark dryly, "That was slightly more terrifying than expected."