Almara desperately tried to stiffle a yawn as the Weyrling Master continued to drone on and on. She'd sat patiently through the pre-impression speeches, happily under the assumption that after impression they would be doing more hands-on learning.
Yisminth lay outside in the sun with the rest of the dragons. No such luck rider-mine. R'del's not gonna let you anywhere near a dragon-saddle until he knows that you know your stuff.
Almara snorted, knowing full well the only reason the green liked this arrangement was because she got to spend all day in the sun chatting with her clutch-mates. She was about to say as much when she was interupted by the Weyrling Master.
"Almara?" R'del raised a brow as he waited patiently for her answer.
"Yes?" She attempted to look like she'd been paying attention.
He sighed. "What's the answer?"
"Oh." She looked around quickly to see if any of her classmates would be willing to help her out. Unfortunately, the only reaction she got from them was snickering. She bit her lip for a moment before shrugging. "Four?"
R'del sighed. "Why is it you can't pay attention for fifteen seconds Almara?"
Almara shifted back and forth uncomfortably in her seat. She knew that she wasn't the only one who'd developed a tendancy to tune out the Weyrling Master. She felt that he was just picking on her. "Because for the last fifteen seconds you haven't said anything important."
"What?" R'del hadn't heard her spiteful remark as she'd muttered it.
She quickly made up a new excuse. "Yisminth was talking to me."
The green dragon flicked her tail angrily. Great. Drag me into this.
"You have to learn to communicate with your lifemate without loosing track of the real world." R'del turned back to the rest of the class. "Everyone who does know the answer stand up." About three quarters of the class rose. R'del stood at the doorway. "As you pass me on your way out tell me the answer." The class proceeded through the checkpoint, most getting through, some being sent back to the classroom. Almara wondered what the Weyrling Master was planning. "The question was 'Do you think you're ready to fly?' Since you guys obviously don't know the answer I'm taking that as a 'no'." As all the students left in the classroom smacked their heads, R'del pointed to some books stacked on his desk. "Read chapters 1 through 5 while I take the students who are ready to fly out."
An audible moan escaped the lips of all the trapped Sr. Weyrlings. Almara let her head fall to her desk as she inwardly cursed R'del, books, flight and especially herself. As soon as the door was closed, Taliana, drawn by her master's unhappy feelings, appeared within the room.
The golden firelizard landed on Almara's shoulder, obviously wanting to know how she could help.
"No." Almara tried not to loose her patience with the creature, she was after all trying to help. "Go back to the room Tali. Now."
Another Sr. Weyrling, already frustrated by the fact that they were being left out of the first flying lesson, tossed an erasor in Tali's direction. "Get that beast out of here."
Almara never figured out what upset Tali. Maybe the chalk dust, the other's hostile feelings, her own inability to help or being called a beast, but whatever it was, the golden firelizard decided to take it personally. With a shriek she lunged at the boy and began to scratch at his face and eyes. The youth screamed as Almara dove to retrieve her pet before it actually hurt him. As the chalk dust cleared, Almara noticed she was too late.
No. She paled as she saw blood trickling from her classmates ear. Taliana had bitten him rather hard. As R'del stormed back into the room, Almara held the struggling firelizard behind her back. "Leave. Now." For once in her life, Taliana obeyed and Almara dropped her hands to her sides as the firelizard popped between.
"What happened?" R'del was obviously mad. The room was covered in chalk dust and the boy was clutching his ear and making it sound as if Taliana had removed the entire apendange.
What will they do to Taliana? Almara desperately tried to think of something to say that wouldn't incriminate her firelizard. As soon as they'd arrived at Cincanta Weyr Tali'd began causing trouble. Finally Almara'd been told that if she couldn't keep the flit under better control, there would be dire consequences.
Dire consequences probably just means you'll be stuck on drudge duty for a while. Yisminth's head appeared at one of the window's and the dragon tried to offer her lifemate some sympathy.
"Well?" R'del bandaged the boy's ear quickly and turned to Almara.
What if they take her away from me? What if they decide she's a danger to people and...and kill her? Almara stuttered as her thoughts raced.
You're over-reacting rider-mine. They couldn't take Taliana away from you. Yisminth's mind was elsewhere for a moment. If you really don't want to get that little gold flit in trouble, say that he was getting a book, dropped it, put his hand on the ledge to steady himself as he got up, accidentally pulled the erasor down on top of himself and banged his ear on the rock wall.
He'll disagree with me! Almara realized it would never work, but she knew Yisminth was onto something.
The dragon was amused. No he won't. Not unless he wants everyone to know that he couldn't handle himself against a little tiny firelizard. A little gold flit made him cry.
Almara smiled weakly at the waiting R'del. It was worth a shot. "He went to get a book from your desk, but accidentally dropped it on the floor. He put his hand on the ledge to steady himself as he bent over, but his hand was on the erasor which slipped. He lost his balance, slipped and cut his ear on the wall." He'll never believe it.
"Is this true?" R'del turned to the injured rider.
The boy opened his mouth to disagree, when suddenly, he seemed to think the better of it. His eyes went slightly glossy as his lifemate obviously informed him of what Yisminth had said. Finally he just pouted. "Yeah."
R'del shook his head. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes." He sighed. "Class dismissed." The crowd cheered and dispersed.
As soon as Almara was out of the room, Talina reappeared, obviously upset. Almara laughed as she approached Yisminth. "Don't worry Tali. Yisminth got you out of this one." Almara rubbed the gold's head. "Besides, he was a wimp if you really could hurt him that bad anyways."
Someone has to keep you guys out of trouble. Yisminth, obviously excited that she and Almara had the rest of the day off, leapt into the air and flew for a short distance.
By the way, R'del agrees with you. The green dipped her head in the lake and shook the water off.
"What?" Almara couldn't think of any time she'd asked the Weyrling Master's opinion.
R'del agrees with you. Tali barely nipped him. The boy was over-reacting. Yisminth nudged Almara with her head. Let's play!
"Wait!" Almara backed up a few steps. "You mean R'del knew the whole time? He figured it out? How?"
Yisminth's eyes whirled bright blue. Of course he didn't figure it out. My idea was perfect.
"Then how?" Almara was confused.
Yisminth nudged her with her head again. You don't think -I- could possibly lie to an authority figure do you?
"You told him?!?" Almara said that louder than she meant to. "You gave me the lie to tell him and then you told him?"
Yisminth finally knocked Almara into the lake and jumped in after her. The dragon was obviously amused. Who me? Lie? Almara, I would never.
Read Almara's Candidate Story.
Almara impressed Yisminth at Cincanta Weyr.
Almara impressed Taliana from Gallimim Weyr.