Maniki looked at the old straps in her hands and the new ones next to her. They seemed right… but would they hold? Over the turn of being a dragonrider, Maniki had slowed her craft, now hobby, to making something every month, if she was lucky. Well, there's only one way to find out. "Vazilth," the young girl called out and sleepy rumble greeted the rider, "Would you come here, dear?"

Walking a bit sleepily out of the dragon's weyr, a green much bigger than Maniki herself stuck her head in the weyr. Though the green was much better than Maniki was tall she was a small sized green because she had been born out of a green dragon instead of a gold. What is it, Niki? Will it take long? the green yawned.

"Won't take but a few minutes, sleepy head," Maniki told her, "Now if you'd back up a bit, we'll try out this new harness." The green complied sniffing at the leather strappings curiously. Ideas of what the strapping might taste like popped into the green rider's head from her dragon and Maniki moved the leathers away from Vazilth. "They're not for eating, Vaz," Maniki mock-chided her lifemate. I know, Niki. They just remind me of that herdbeast that I ate earlier this week. Maniki looked at the leathers and looked at her dragon a bit surprised. "Ya' know, love, I think they were made for what you left of one of the beasts." I believe that herdbeast was harder to get through than most… those will be good straps for you. First we have to make sure I made them correctly, Maniki commented more to herself than to Vazilth.

Giving the green a mental signal to couch closer to the floor, Maniki flung a majority of the flying straps over her lifemate's neck. The former jeweler found smiled as she found the cinch straps to be more than long enough to go around her still growing green. Carefully she started to strap on the saddle and had to be encouraged by her dragon to make it good and tight. Do not worry, you could not hurt me very easily with that even if you wanted to. With those words of confidence from her dragon, Maniki braced one foot on her dragon's neck and tugged as hard as she could. Her dragon rumbled in approval as the girl checked the other straps.

"Well," Maniki sighed looking at her handy work, "Seems like they won't budge in turns and such… but let's check." In so saying the girl mounted her dragon as she'd done many times without flight straps on her. It was just as comfortable a seat as Vazilth without straps. Harnessing her legs to the side with the straps, she tipped left and right, forwards and backwards; she even had Vazilth shake her body rapidly the saddle didn't give.

See I told you, you had made it well, Vazilth told her rider happly. "No you said the hide had been good and tough, Vaz," Maniki replied, "You said nothing about me making it well… let's go see Weyrling Master C'gall, see what he thinks." Yes that sound like a good idea. Vazilth walked out of her weyr, rider still on her back and strutted past the weyrlake on her way to the Weyrling Master. They came upon him working with one of the latest gold clutches, showing the young Jr. Weyrlings how to properly take care of their lifemates. They waited off to the side patiently, a few of the newest green riders looked up at her admiringly.

It took some time but soon C'gall noticed her. "Keep on scrubbing, I expect you to have the majority of your lifemate cleaned by the time I get done with this Sr. Weyrling." The brownrider walked up to Maniki purposely and with out a word started to look at the flight straps, his blue fire lizard, Agate, mimicking him from his shoulder. The two nodded their heads in unision. "You did a fair job on your first set of straps, Niki; fine leathers, and good craftsmanship for someone who's only worked with metals and minerals before."

"Tanning the hide was the hard part, sire," she replied honestly, "It took me about ten times before I got it right." I left that much of that herdbeast behind? Yes. The C'gall looked at the greenrider in mock-reprem, both dragon and rider lapsed into silence. C'gall wasn't too keen on riders and dragons talking even the slightest bit while he was talking, or about to talk; the time though the brownrider didn't seem to mind to much.

"Alright, Niki," C'gall smiled, "I want you off Vazilth and we're going to let her try out her wings today without you."

"When shall we…?"

"Fly?" he smiled knowingly as the girl dropped to the ground in front of him, "You'll have your chance to fly with her tomorrow and we'll probably do between in a month or two, depending on your other weyrlingmates." C'gall stood still for a moment then looked towards his weyr where a brown was spiraling down from. In that silent moment, the Weyrling Master had called upon his sturdy brown.

"Orznath will be flying beside Vazilth incase she makes a careless move or has trouble," C'gall told Maniki as he watched his dragon land. I shouldn't need a chaperon, I was born to fly like every dragon! He said it was just a safty measure, I'm sure Orznath had to go through the same thing, so did your dam and the Sr. Queen. the green sighed in defeat and spread her wings flapping them gently. I am ready. the green commented. Both brownrider and greenrider stepped back. Flapping her wings strongly along with Orznath's, Vazilth started to lift off the ground.

"Stronger wing beets, Vaz," Maniki commanded her green with prompting from the Weyrling Master. Taking the advice the little green pumped her wings harder and started to raise herself fully from the ground. Giving a quick shove with her back claws she shot into the air startling all on the ground including brown Orznath. The green crowed happily as she flew about. It took Orznath's strict bulge to sound five times before the green settled into a slow fly from her speedy frenzy.

On the ground Maniki was looking very sheepish though after a while C'gall was chuckling and soon roared with laughter. "That Vazilth of yours is giving me memories of Orznath's days as a weyrling, he practically did the same thing on his first flight." The brown snorted and his rider composed himself. "That's enough for her for today." How did I look? the green asked as she glided down for a bit of a bumpy landing. You did great! C'gall said you reminded him of Orznath on his first flight… I don't think the brown agreed though.

Maniki was up at dawn dressing herself for a day of flight. She'd watched the Dawn Sisters appear just before the sun rose and smiled. She was lucky to have impressed at the Weyr named after that cluster of stars… or should she say ships. Nowadays people of Pern knew and some acknowledged the fact that what for turns they'd thought were stars were actually the ships their ancestors and rode upon to bring them to what Maniki and everybody else on the planet called home.

Vazilth paced excitably as she looked at the sky. Orznath's rider said as soon as we were ready in the morning didn't he? So are we going to be ready soon? Maniki chuckled at her excited green, she seemed to want this more than herself.

"We can go any time now… are you sure, Orznath and C'gall are awake?" she asked. There was silence for a moment then and angry bellow came from above with a few choose human curses. They are now, the green replied brightly. Maniki winced; she wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Weyrling Master would not let them fly today for Vazilth's stunt. Orznath said they'll meet us by the lake the green told her rider happily. Sighing with a bit of relief she followed the green down to the weyrlake, too excited to rider there on her dragon's back.

The green danced from claw to claw as they waited for the brownrider and his dragon to appear. Only when Maniki tried to calm her did she still some. Time seemed to flow slowly when the spotted the Weyrling Master and his brown deccending in a slow spiral. They are taunting us! the green snorted. More like taunting you, Vaz, Maniki commented back with a giggle. The C'gall looked a bit grumpy yet there was a glint in his eyes which told that he was chuckling at the whole situation.

"You best mount up, Niki," he told her only seconds after Orznath touched down, "She's libel to fly herself right now without you she's so excited." Maniki nodded not questioning her Weyrling Master. She vaulted up onto her dragon's neck and quickly strapped herself in. Within moments she had her gloves out and on. Sliding her helmet over her head she slipped the goggles on as well. Seeing that Maniki was ready, C'gall gave the signal to ascend. Both dragons leapt from the ground and were airborne. Maniki was glad that she had strapped herself in tightly, had she not the first few moves might have caused her to slide off her dragon's back and back to the ground now far bellow them.

C'gall gave a thumbs up sign to the pair 5 minutes into their first flight and then pointed down at the ground. The duo sighed loving the feel of wind under their wings as most every Sr. Weyrling enjoyed. They landed a bit wobbly yet Vazilth kept upright. Maniki patted her green on the shoulder lovingly. "You did great, Vaz!"

"She did well," C'gall corrected the rider, "to get a better feel for flight I'm putting you two on elevator duty. It may not seem like too much of a punishment now but you'll find it is later on."

Maniki had learned over the turn she'd known the Weyrling Master that when he said something like that it was usually true. Maniki sighed, well at least they'd be able to practice more.