Candidate Class One: What it means to Impress a Dragon

Ri-Ri finished setting up her "stage". It was actualy only a few blocks that would make the short woman tall enough to see over her charges as she lectured them.

Satisfied, she asked Ebith to ask the other dragons to ask their riders to ask any nearby candidtaes to come to the class. It had been a hecktic few weeks, and she had not had time to organise any classes. But today was the first class. Some candidates had already had this lecture in other weyrs, but iut was always good to hear it again.

Alan walks over and steps to the side remaining standing.
Celena also comes in tripping on her legs. She smiles and laughs. "Clumsy me." Celena says. As she gets up. She find a spot on the ground and sits down.

Since there were no chairs, Percy and Nikita dashed up and sat on the dirt side by side at the front of the candidate group. Nikita waved Opal, Heather, and Jasmine to come over and smiled as they settled beside her on the ground.

As the last of the many candidates walked to her, some standing while others sat on the ground, Ri-Ri steped onto the stage. As the last ones settinged, they began to talk.

"QUIET" Everyone looked up at her. She knew they were all still stunned that such a small woman could have such a loud voice. "Todays lesson is What it means to impress a Dragon" She paused, letting them absorb the imformation.

"So, what does it mean to ride a dragon? Do any of you truly know? Of cource not!" She knew that they had all been reared on tails of herioc and idelic harper tales. "The moment you impress, you are bound to your weyr, bound to your dragon. The only way to break these bounds are by death. You suffer as your dragon does, love as he does and love who he does" She looked at the skocked faces, she knew they hadnt hurd that part.

"The seccond you impress, all you care about is your dragon. Those with children stop caring as much, those with mates arnt interested anymore, you dont feel the family ties you used to, you even dont feel hunger till your dragon does."

"And we are aproaching a Pass. Many of you will die before you see threadfree skies again. And most will die fighting thread. You will devote your whole lives to protecting the men and wemon in the holds, who then will probably forget your heroisum for the next 200 years, and persecte your children and their children. But then they will beg on their knees again for our help come the first fall"

She sighed "But all is not lost, nor all is bad" She smiled "The seccond your impress, everything that was bad doesnt effect you any more. You dont realize how lonley you were till you have your dragon, forever faithful and forever your best friend. You are all they tink about, after theve fully grown that is, just as they are all your thaughs care about."

"The dragons love one another, and their love effects us. Weyrmates whos dragons are also mates have the strongest matebonds on Pern, utterly devoted, the only seccond to your love is their dragons."

"When thread falls, we rise to fight it. The rush of your first fall is said to be the most amazing thing. To ride a flaming dragon is the best feeling on the world"

Looking around at her stunned students, she smirked. "Any questions?"

Nikita looked around at all the candidate's gaping expressions. SHe however looked calmly into Ri-Ri's eyes.

While the others were still gasping, Mordue was waking with his flit on his shoulder. "Ugh, is it starting, and why is everybody gasping?" He looked around the class, and everybody was staring at him, mouthes even wider than before, and Ri-Ri, the class teacher, was glaring at him, eyes ablaze with anger. "Ohhhhh, shards..."

Ri-Ri glared at him. "Late for your first class are you? In that case, your on dunghouse duty till you impress... thats if you CAN impress" The other candidates casped and chatted amost themselves. "I wont repeat what I said, so if anyonw wants to help Dung boy here learn the lesson, they are welcome to"

Heather rolled her eyes and leaned over to Alan. "Dork... Who's late for their first candidate class?"She whispered. She gasped when she heard the punishment. "DUNGHOUSE duty for the REST of candidacy?"She hissed to Alan as she gaped at Ri-Ri and then Morlue. SHe made a mental note never to be late and to leave 10 minutes early each time.

"Mordue was late. I know that is going to be bad I'm glad I mad it on time myself." Alan replied in a soft voice.
Celena turns around she had been sitting on the ground near the two. "I left a little late that why I was running when I arrived. I'm a fast running so I was able to make up for lost time. Though I did happen to trip as usually. I'm just clumsy by nature." Celena whispered to theme.

Ri-Ri looked over the sorry lot of Candidates. "If you all havefinished giggling over Dug-Boys punishment" She paused to let the term sink in "And nobody has any questions, then Class is dismissed..."

Just as faces stared to light up, she decided to disapoint them ".. And boys are on Firestone duty, besides Dung Boy that is, and girls are on kitchen Duty, off you go."

Heather got a half grin-half grimace on her face as she looked at the horror-struck expression on Morlue's face. She looked curiously at Alana and then Morlue. Maybe they could be friends, though she herself was always gonna tease morlue about dung-duty. "Why don't you fill him in on the way to you guys' duties, Alan?"She asked him quietly just after they were dismissed. She groaned at the thought of more cooking and then waved bye to Alan before she stood and walked afterthe other girls in the direction of the kitchen. "Bye Alan!"She called over her shoulder and paused to wave before dashing to cathc up with her other friends.

As her Candidates Filed out to go to their assigned dutys, Ri-Ri sighed, then got a message from Ebith.

>>Essaith speaks to me. She says a High Reaches Queen has asked her and Alana to clutch here. There are too many Queens clutching in Pern. They clutch for the comming pass<<

"Shards! That means the candidates will be getting their dragons soon, I have only given them a single lesson! Please tell Alana that I need to have either more time or that I need them to work less and study harder"

>>I will, my chosen"

She walked towards the hatching grounds, and caught a glimps of Silver overhead. She hoped the Candidates hadnt spotted the new queen, who had an unusualy large girth due to her eggs.

Joiner

Nikita, Opal, Heather, and Jasmine walked in a little group chatting towards the kitchen. Nikita looked up at the sky as they paused before the gates. She gasped and pointed. "I-Is that a silver queen?"She asked the others excitedly. She looked closely at the queen, that was headed for the hatching grounds, and gasped again. "S-She's carrying eggs!"

"I'm not sure I can." Alan whispers softly looking down at his feet. Not realizing Heather had left yet.
Celena pushes herself up from the ground and turns to face the two "I'll help you out. Till we have to split off." Celena said.
"I guess we could If you helped me out. Thanks." Alan said.
"Mordue wait up" Celena called after him.

Alan fallow behind Celena almost getting bummed into by her. The two quickly explain the lesson to Mordue.

Then Cleana's runs off to Kitchen duty and Alan runs of to Firestone duty.