Flaming!

The boys flame unter Cerilla's watchful eye, and Jenna gets used to her new flamethrower. Watch out! She's armed and dangerous!

Jenna - Thursday, May 23, 2002, 4:32 PM
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Your location's current time: 17:37 on day 21, month 5, Turn 40, of the Tenth Pass. It is a spring afternoon.

Weyrling Barracks(#991RAJ$)
Row after row of stone couches line this gigantic cavern; weyrlings of all ages tend their dragons, hurry in and out, and perform various chores. Next to each couch is a small cot and press, so that riders can sleep by their dragons.

A small area is set aside near the north wall. It seems to be a classroom: the wall near it is covered in diagrams, as well as signs reading "Oil Daily" and the like. A large bin full of oil is strategically placed nearby, ceramic pots and long paddles lining the shelves behind it, ready to fill for an itchy dragon's oiling. Far in the back wall is a curtained partition that leads to the bathing cavern. Near the entrance is a dark, cool room with hanging slabs of meat and a gigantic bin filled with chunks for the young dragons to eat. Against a wall not far away are a few long tables where the Weyrlings take their meals.
+view is available.
A wide opening to the east opens out into the Bowl.
Contents:
Teth
Eishith(#5656OVabepst$)
Randoth
Keltan
Raith
Weyrling Board
Oil Bin

Jenna is working on straps, filing down a rough spot, though the leather extends well off her cot. And Niyath's couch, and the floor next to it, and...

F'niah and Saneth enter from outside, the blue stopping immediately inside the archway. Sef continues on another few feet before stopping as well, then turning. "What? ...Oh, now? Well why can't you just wait? ...Oh, fine. But I'll still have to haul them back to our cot before I can oil you."

Sef removes Saneth's flight straps, causing the little blue to wriggle and sigh in relief.

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << I have an itch. >> Yes, it does need to be announced. << Right under my straps. >>

Jenna says, without looking up, "Mind the straps, please, Mind the straps." It has the ring of reminding just about everyone that comes through the door.

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Niyath is drowsing in what is left of the sun. << So scratch it. >> Foolish blue.

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << I cannot. It is in an itchy spot. F'niah will oil it for me. >>

Niyath> Cerilla grasps Varquith's thick flying straps, using both them to swing herself to the ground.
Niyath> Cerilla has arrived.

F'niah's slung the straps over his shoulder, and contrary to his earlier words, makes directly for the oil bins. Which takes him, of course, directly across Niyath's straps. "Whoop. Whoa!" He breaks into a quite amusing little dance number attempting to carry him across the minefield safely. "Sheesh, Jenna, can you put these more in the way?"

Jenna scowls. "There isn't anywhere else to put them. They're too big."

Cerilla comes through the wide archway to the east which leads to the bowl.
Cerilla has arrived.

Jenna has Niyath's straps strung out: over her cot, the couch, the floor in front of it. She seems to be filing down a rough patch. Or would bem if she weren't glaring at F'niah, who's in the middle of them.

Saneth flips his wings to his back and makes as if to follow F'niah across Niyath's straps, but a flip of his boy's hand sinks him back onto blue haunches with a dismayed snort. "You oughta do 'em out in the bowl," is Sef's decree, as he carefully picks his way out of the tangle. "Shells."

Cerilla strides in from the bowl, keen eyes sweeping the cavern, likely noting any tiny bit of disarray as she goes. Sure, the barracks look in good enough shape, but is that a sock crumpled at the foot of a cot? And someone's pillow hasn't been straightened, hmm. Tsk tsk. The aging rider drums calloused fingers on her hips, mental-listing all of it. Then she clears her throat. "Ah-hem."

J'nas comes through the wide archway to the east which leads to the bowl.
J'nas has arrived.
Hanreth comes through the wide archway to the east which leads to the bowl.
Hanreth has arrived.

Jenna's tone is a trifle waspish, "I *told* you to mind the straps." At Cerilla's clearing of her throat, she snaps off a salute to her, pulling her glare from the bluerider.

J'nas strolls casually into the barracks with Hanreth right behind him. He manages a crisp salute to Cerilla on his way to Hanreth's couch.

Saneth carefully edges his haunches out of the immediate archway before plunking down again. F'niah retorts, "You say lots of things. Not all of 'em are worth paying any attention to." Cerilla's throat clearing snaps him around, blanching as he salutes desperately. Why, oh /why/ do the weyrlingmasters always come in just at the wrong moment?

Jenna yanks on the straps, making them slither across the floor and out of J'nas and Hanreth's way just in time. Her jaw sets into a tight line, eyes narrowing at F'niah, though she says nothing in her defense.

J'nas glances back and forth between Jenna and F'niah. "What's going on?"

Cerilla extends the fingers of one hand, disdainfully inspecting her fingernails as she speaks, her tone almost bored but crisp nonetheless. But then, everything about this visiting advisor seems crisp. It's a wonder she doesn't sleep at attention. "F'niah is right, straps that size should be done outside, at least if you're stretching them out." But it seems no one is getting the upper hand in this argument. "And while everyone here is no more than a weyrling, one day you will all be in very different places, and at that time it might serve one well to have a friend that you managed not to completely toad off in weyrlinghood. Right, F'niah?" That arched expression takes in the bluerider with a vague smile. "I did that. Weyrwomen have long memories. Trust me. Now. Who wants to learn firestone tonight?"

Jenna's eyes flicker at Cerilla's statement, and she clears her throat, "Sorry, ma'am. I will next time." She shoots a glance at J'nas and murmurs, "Firestone, looks like."

"And flamethrower use," Cerilla mildly inserts, glancing at Jenna.

F'niah swallows hard, and doesn't look at Jenna, but mumbles something that might be a, "Yes, ma'am." He begins a step back toward the oil bins, only to swivel 'round once more. "Firestone? Really? I can finally do something more than /carry/ the stuff?!"

J'nas warbles happily and J'nas echoes that sentiment with a grin. "We're more than ready! Should we be outside for this?"

Jenna flashes Cerilla a quick, greatful look, though she remains quiet.

"Not -you-, F'niah," Cerilla says as she meanders out to the bowl. "Unless you have very strong teeth and a stomach to match. But you can bring your lifemate with you and see how he'd do. Join me in the bowl when you're ready." My, that's a lovely comment. When you're ready. How accommodating. Of course, rumour has it that to Cerilla, 'when you're ready' always tends to mean at least ten minutes ago. It's the thought that counts.

Cerilla steps out through the cavern's arch into the open space of the bowl.
Cerilla has left.

You step out through the cavern's arch into the open space of the bowl.
Fort Weyr Bowl, by the weyrling barracks
The Bowl of Fort Weyr, a large, nearly featureless plain surrounded by steep mountain cliffs, stretches out before you. It is vaguely oval in shape, long from the southwest to the northeast; you are standing near the wall northwest of its center. To the west is a cavern, carved into the cliffside, where newly-Impressed dragonriders live with their young dragons before they have been fully trained. When they join a regular fighting Wing, the young riders are ready to inhabit weyrs of their own.
To the south is the fenced off area where the Weyr's herds are kept. Along the north rim of the bowl, to the east of here, are the junior queens and weyrleaders weyrs, and the entrance to the Hatching ground. The center of the bowl, off which is the entrance to the large living caverns, stretches out to the southeast.
Contents:
Hanreth(#3131JOabpqs$)
J'nas
Cerilla
Tenkanoth(#16972Vapst$)
Niyath(#999Oaep)
Varquith

Saneth steps out of the Weyrling barracks.
Saneth has arrived.
F'niah steps out of the Weyrling barracks.
F'niah has arrived.

Niyath lifts her head from where she is trying to catch the lsat of the sunshine for the day, giving a curious warble.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Hanreth can barely contain his excitement, << We are going to learn to flame! >>

Varquith is stretched out between several large sacks of firestone. He's managed to cut one open, and is rolling a chunk between his forelimbs. Back, forth. Back, forth. Firestone, the toy with a punch. Off to one side sits an agenothree tank, but thankfully, the immense brown is leaving that alone for now.

Saneth leads his pairing outside, fairly gamboling with excitement. He plants all four feet to give the others an off-key bleat, ignoring F'niah's wince as he comes up behind. "Shells, Saneth, you're worse than I am!"

Cerilla casts her lifemate a look as she strides over to him, muttering something about old, grey-muzzled dragons who think they've hatched yesterday. Hmm. Turning, she indicates an imaginary line with the sweep of an arm. "Line up here, please. All dragons facing the same way, over there. Jenna, Niyath can stay where she is, just don't let her move lest she gets in front of the other dragons. You can stand over here by this tank."

Niyath> Hanreth senses that Niyath wakes up a bit more, << We are? >>

Niyath was just starting to get to her feet, and as Jenna waves her back, she begins to look a trifle sulky. Jenna moves over out of he way, by the tank, though she gives J'nas a thumbs up as she goes.

J'nas and Hanreth step up to Cerilla's 'line'. The brown regards Niyath and warbles curiously. J'nas pats his lifemate reassuringly, "Niyath can't chew firestone, Hanreth. She's a queen."

F'niah and Saneth shuffle into position, though Saneth wants, at first, to join F'niah on his line. Some muttering and pushing later, and blue and 'ling are more or less into position. A quick look down Cerilla's imaginary line, and Sef jumps back, straightening his section of the line slightly.

Niyath gives J'nas a hard look and a faint snort. Jenna just eyes her, and she settles down, rumbling discontentedly to herself. Whatever comment the queen makes causes Jenna to snort with more than a bit of laughter.

It seems Cerilla has trained a number of queens in the past, for she seems to know just what to say during this particular lesson. "Don't worry Niyath. Since you won't have to worry about flaming in Fall, you can do all kinds of fancy flying to keep your rider unharmed. And it requires more coordination, distinct teamwork, since your rider is doing the flaming." Sounds rather special, actually. Who knows whether it's true. "Think you can handle that?"

Niyath's head swings around to regards Cerilla. She tilts her head at the brownrider, and then eyes Jenna, who protests, "Of course I can flame. Besides, firestone would make you sterile, and I know you say you're not ever going to have a clutch, but - yes you will." Sounds like this is a long running arguement between the pair.

Cerilla turns toward the other two dragons, and hefts the piece of firestone that Varquith was using as a ball. The large brown huffs, but somehow even that seems amused. "When dragons fly fall, they flame. You accomplish this by feeding them firestone. As you probably already know, your dragon has two stomachs. One for processing meat, the other, this." The firestone chunk is hefted once again. "Queens, however, cannot process firestone. It is said it makes them sterile. So Jenna will be learning how to use a flamethrower. The number one caution in this exercise is to keep your dragon's heads faced downwind, the way they are now. Sometimes young dragons wonder why they're not flaming yet, turn to look at someone else, and 'burp' out comes a flame. Usually not so bad, but we want to avoid any problems. Got it?"

F'niah nods, alarmed. "Yes, ma'am! I can just see Saneth now, turning back to show me he's chewing firestone, and..."

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Niyath listens to Varquith's rider and wonders, << Does that mean I only have one stomach? >>

Above the center of the bowl, Neilluth spreads his wings and launches off his ledge.

J'nas nods with understanding. Hanreth, however, snorts as if that bit of information is obvious.

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << How many stomachs does Jenna have? >>

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Niyath consults with her rider. << She says she only has one. >> Not that she's listening to Saneth, certainly not.

"... and you'd get all your hair singed off and a little more, to boot," Cerilla inserts. "Dragons, have a care. Riders, make sure your dragons don't get distracted or excited and turn toward you or anyone else. Once they've learned to control their flame, it's safe. But that won't be for a while yet." And on to the lesson. "Varquith will demonstrate." And, very obligingly, the huge brown opens his mouth as wide as he can, obviously making a joke of the thing. Ignoring it, Cerilla tosses the chunk into the gaping maw. "He'll chew and swallow, while thinking of his second stomach. Then, he'll feel a pressure inside... and when they push that pressure out, they flame. Less delicately put, it's almost like burping." True enough, Varquith chews the 'stone, swallows, and a few moments later, expells a rather impressive flame. "During Fall, you would 'stock them up' so to speak, so they could make longer flames, more often."

Jenna eyes the flamethrower, though doesn't move to do anything with it just yet.

Both F'niah and Saneth eye Varquith's 'feat' with near-equal amazement. Wooo! "Uh - how far can a dragon flame?"

Hanreth watches the older brown intently. He warbles in excitement as Varquith releases the flame. J'nas grins at his lifemate, "Yes, you'll be doing that very soon. Don't get too excited."

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Varquith sits up after flaming, mind voice coming in bright tones. << You have two stomachs, Niyath. But to use the second one would be bad. But there are other benefits. While other dragons come back from fall stinking of firestone, you will not. I have heard others say they like that. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << Will her hindquarters change color, too? >>

Niyath's tail twitches, and she wraps it around herself, sitting on it before giving Saneth a glare. Jenna digs an elbow into her side, evidently reminding her to pay attention.

Cerilla cocks her head to one side, calmly regarding her lifemate before answering F'niah's question. "I've seen a dragon flame almost a dragonlength, but he was pretty impressive. It depends, frankly, on how much firestone they have in their gullet and how practiced they are with it. When your dragons flame, it'll be no more than a trickle, but it'll come with practice. Now, you try it. Keep your heads pointed downwind, and think of that second stomach."

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Varquith turns to eye Saneth confusedly, getting a puzzling image of Niyath's backside turning shades of purple, then green, then pink. << Hindquarters? What? Nevermind. Try this flaming. Keep your head straight.>>

F'niah shoots Saneth a dirty look before fetching firestone and feeding it piece by piece to the blue. "C'mon, open up... And don't bite your tongue! ...Now think of your... well I didn't know you were listening. What's got you on hindquarters all of a sudden? /Don't bite your tongue/!"

Above the center of the bowl, Neilluth spreads his wings and launches off his ledge.

J'nas picks a sizeable hunk of firestone and offers it to Hanreth. The young brown opens his maw to accept the rock. "Remember," J'nas says, "Chew it /very/ carefully. If you bite your tongue, you can't fly Fall." After the firestone is deposited in his mouth, Hanreth chews very slowly and deliberately, mindful of his tongue.

Cerilla shifts position so that she is no longer in front of the dragons but ahead and off to one side, so that she may watch them and fiddle with the agenothree tank at the same time. "Now Jenna, have an ear. This tank is what you'll be wearing into Fall every day. It's full now, so you can get an idea of how heavy it is. You'll need extra padding on your jacket for long falls to keep the straps from biting your shoulders." The greying rider unhooks a long wand, demonstrating with it as she keeps an eye on the other chewing dragons. "This is long enough, as you can see, for you to flame without hurting Niyath in the process. There's also a safety catch on the side, here. See?"

Jenna nods, her attention zeroing in on Cerilla, even as she winces at the noise of the dragons chewing. "Longer than the ones I was checked out on for ground crew. I was always the runner, never the one with the tank, but I know how to use a regular one." A pause, "Kinda."

Hanreth stares at J'nas as he continues chewing the firestone. J'nas grins, "Think of your second stomach when you swallow it." Hanreth makes a big show of swallowing down the smelly stone.

Saneth's crunching stops. And he waits, eyeing F'niah nervously. Then Hanreth, when nothing happens. He begins to turn to stare at Varquith, but a hissed, "Stop it!" from F'niah brings him back to a hasty front and center.

Hanreth glances at his lifemate when a low rumbling can be heard from his stomach. "Don't look at me!" J'nas cries. "Face forward!" Just as Hanreth swings his head away from J'nas, a small jet of flame escapes from his mouth. The brown jumps with suprise at this new sensation.

Niyath, however, is under no such restriction. As Hanreth produces a flame, she lets out a little squeal of excitement, wings half unfurling. Jenna says sharply, "No. Absolutely not."

F'niah says "I don't know what it's supposed to... /no/ don't look at Hanreth!" Saneth's head swings back into line as F'niah, not frozen to a 'front and center' peers around him, looking for Cerilla. "I don't think it's working! What if he just ate it?"

"It's impossible to just eat it," Cerilla sagely informs F'niah. "Just give him a moment, sometimes it takes a few moments for the pressure to build up enough. Tell him to try to burp."

Eyes whirling with excitement, Hanreth opens his mouth eagerly for more firestone. J'nas looks to Cerilla, "Is it ok for him to try more so soon, ma'am?"

Saneth half-closes his eyes, helpfully opens his mouth, and waits. A gurgle boils in his mid-section, and then... a pitiful trickle of flame! "Yahoo!" Sef cheers, leaping to fling his arms about Saneth's leg. "You did it!"

Dragon> Hanreth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << :is quite pleased with himself. << Our training only gets more and more fun. >> >>

Niyath snorts at Saneth's flame, though croons encouragingly to Hanreth. Jenna, meanwhile, is inspecting the tank assembly. She at least looks like she knows what she's doing.

"Just fine," Cerilla says with a nod. "Now that he's flamed once, you can practice all you want. Just make sure his head isn't turned -toward- anyone." She grins as Saneth does the same, and turns back to Jenna. "You'll be blackening all the rocks in the bowl. They're the best to practice on. So let's heft this to your back, and you can give it a go."

Niyath> Hanreth senses that Niyath enthuses, << Make a big flame for me! >>

Jenna nods to Cerilla, "Yes ma'am." She hefts the tank, oofing a little bit, and fumbling with the wand before she gets it on right. She has to brace herself against Niyath - the whole thing looks heavier than the slender weyrling is herself.

F'niah says "Uh... ma'am?" His head's sticking out from around Saneth again, who's looking inordinately smug. "Is that it? I mean, can we go? Saneth reminded me that he has an itch."

Dragon> Hanreth bespoke Niyath with << As you wish. This one is for you. >>

Niyath watches Hanreth rather eagerly, apparently ready to be impressed.

Hanreth bobs his head and watches his lifemate, eyes gleaming. J'nas places a piece of firestone in the brown's maw and picks up another. When Hanreth finishes chewing the first rock, he opens his mouth for the second. After noisly finishing of the firestone, he lets loose with a larger flame. While not up to par for flaming Thread, it is still impressive for a weyrling.

Niyath> Hanreth senses that Niyath is suitably appreciative, crooning her admiration rather girlishly.

"Well done," Cerilla tells Hanreth and Saneth. "You can go, whenever you feel as though you've had enough. Practice over the next sevenday, but make sure a weyrlingmaster is with you when you do it."

Jenna eyes Niyath, who is crooning at Hanreth. She mutters something under her breath that sounds vaguely like 'sharding holdergirl'.

Saneth doesn't wait for a second dismissal, just turns on his haunches and bolts for the barracks. F'niah runs after, bawling, "Wait! You've still gotta get rid of that ash!"

Saneth enters the weyrling barracks.
Saneth has left.
F'niah enters the weyrling barracks.
F'niah has left.

J'nas Turns a curious eye toward Niyath but his attention is drwan back to the weyrling master. He nods, "Thank you ma'am. Come on, Hanreth. I think that's enough for the day. Let's get you scrubbed down before we go back to the barracks."

Cerilla turns back to Jenna, indicating a fair-sized boulder not too far off. "There's a good one."

J'nas begins the half-mile trip southeast, towards the center of the bowl.
J'nas has left.
Hanreth begins the half-mile trip southeast, towards the center of the bowl.
Hanreth has left.

Jenna nods to Cerilla, heading in that direction. Apparently, she's under the impression that she needs to be all of two feet from it for it to work.

Cerilla tags along, silent for a moment, but then she pipes up. "Make sure you're far enough away that the wand isn't longer than your target, and you're all set."

Jenna ers, "Right." She backs up perhaps a pace. Her clothes, at least, are old enough that if she ruins them, it's no great loss. She settles the goggles around her neck up over her eyes, and then flicks off the safety. Acid roars out the end of the nozzle, and it apparently has quite a kick to it, for she exclaims, "Woah!" Good. It's a wild runner now. Seems that way, for the spraying all around the boulder. Unfortunately, very little actually falls on the rock.

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Niyath asks curiously, << Is it supposed to do that, Varquith? >>

Cerilla cocks her head to one side, approaching warily. "Jenna, let me see that handset for a moment? There's supposed to be flame coming out of there."

Jenna flicks off the switch. And she was just getting it down on the boulder too. After doublechecking it, she hands the wand over. "There is? I thought it was just agenothree? Like the ground crew uses?"

"Not exactly," Cerilla answers, inspecting the handle. "Ah, there we go. The trigger was caught. See, if you were to spray agenothree acid all over the skies, you'd spatter everyone else all over. Not too safe. But with a flame, you can point it at your target, and it's controlled." The aging rider aims the wand toward a more distant rock, flips the safety catch off, squeezes the trigger, and out comes a gout of flame. "All ready! Want to give it a try?"

Jenna nods eagerly, taking the wand back. "Right. Here goes." She squints her eyes and pulls the trigger, aiming the wand at the rock. She holds it a bit steadier this time and a nice gout of flame billows out on the slight breeze. However, if a look at her face is taken: eyes are closed and her face is averted from the heat.