HRW:Weyrlings/Month9
Month9
| Weyrling Program | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||
| Month9 | |||
- Month 8 - Month 9
Between
Finally, it's almost over! Your dragon's growth is by this point leveling out to full size-fortunately, considering by this point making and adjusting straps is likely a real pain. They're eating about the same as an adult dragon now, too: two to three herdbeasts (less for the smaller dragons, more for the larger) every two or three days, making it a very good thing they can do all their food-catching for themselves.
With every weyrling flying, flaming, and housed in his own individual weyr, the barracks are emptied out, but they still provide a place for lessons and training during the day-what few book lessons you have now, anyway. Mostly, you're occupied with drilling in the mornings, and in the afternoon, you'll have short sessions of visualization practice, all leading up to the big day: your first betweening.
Between is the last hurdle of weyrlinghood, but it is the most dangerous: in the absence of Thread, it's the one place where weyrlings are still somewhat routinely lost. It's a scary thing to do that first time, and the weyrlingmasters and their assistants will seek to impress this on you heavily. The classes will be more serious, more somber, as everybody prepares for the inevitable. Finally, one by one, the weyrlingmasters will take you up and have you visualize the other side of the Weyr. After double-checking that image, you'll go between with them, and Faranth help you, emerge again on the other side.
After that day, you'll continue practicing, first individually and then in larger groups as you become more experienced. For now, you won't be asked to go between in drills, though that's coming soon. You will, though, be allowed to go between with your mentor after the weyrlingmaster clears you. You'll still be asked to clear your visualization with one of the weyrlingmasters or your mentor for the first while, but after a point, they will trust you to be able to take care of yourself.
With between conquered, your duties will once again expand. While you'll still, occasionally, find yourself pulling elevator duty, most of your time will be spent either delivering things all across Pern or on beginning sweeps runs with an older rider as you prepare for the final months of weyrlinghood, where you'll hone all these new skillsets until you are ready for a fighting wing.
