Lesson 4, *Riding Straps

[Dragoon]

It was just R'sul today, Xennoth as napping back at their weyr since he wasn't needed for this particular lesson. A large pile of leather was stacked up to his left, several scrolls lying on the ground in front of his feet. Today, the weyrlings would be learning how to make their own riding straps.

Once the weyrlings were assembled, R'sul began by unrolling one of the scrolls for them all to see. It was blueprints to making proper riding straps. "Today, you'll be making your first set of riding straps for your dragon. All the materials are here and these scrolls are all copies of the blue prints you'll be using. I am here just to provide assistance if needed, not to do your work for you. It's a rider's responsibility to make, maintain, and repair their own riding straps."

He looked at the growing dragons, their size increasing rapidly. "Now, your dragons are no fully grown yet, so you will probably make at least 2 more set of riding straps before the Turn is over. Make sure the straps are comfortable for your dragon to wear and that they meet the safety requirements in the blue prints. I will inspect your straps when you are finished."

---

Illea picked up a scroll and studied the plans, then showed them to Selenith.

Looks simple enough.

Ya, but I'm not a very good sewer.

I'm sure R'sul will be kind enough to help if you're having trouble, or one of the others. Grab some leather and get started, we don't have all day, those supply charts aren't going to count themselves.

Illea grimaced at the reminder of her other duties and went to the pile of leather and picked out a couple of large pieces. Selenith immediately inspected them, sniffing and prodding them with her nose.

No, this piece won't do, it smells moldy. Get another.

Must you be so picky?

Do you want to fall off?

Illea sighed, Selenith had a point. If the leather was rotted somewhere, it could easily snap while they were flying and that was not good. She tossed the piece aside and fetched another, which got Selenith's approval. Taking a string and a piece of charcoal, Illea began measuring out the longest straps first, then cutting them out with a pair of heavy shears.

[Houka Ryuu]

Weyrling Lesla and Green Shyqueyth
For a change, in today's lesson, Lesla would be the one completing the task. Just like with firestone sorting that they did for their second lesson some months ago now. Today, they were to make riding straps. R'sul showed them the blue prints for making them. Being a handler of runners, Lesla had a fair knowledge of mending saddles. It shouldn't be too different from making riding straps. she silently thought to herself as she looked at the blue print more closely.

Hazumi and Sky have recently took to exploring by themselves and returning to Lesla only at night when it was time to sleep. Shyqueyth on the other hand feeling lazy lay on her forepaws taking a light nap beside Lesla.

When Lesla was done scrutinizing the blue print, she walked over to the pile of leathers. She took one and promptly tried to stretch it. If the leather stretched too easily, Lesla knew that the leather would be no good. She didn't want the straps to snap in two if they were stretched too far. She also inspected the leather to make sure they didn't have mold on them. She picked the leather hides that were thick and sturdy enough to pass for her materials in making riding straps. Once she had those, she brought them over to where Shyqueyth was napping.

Shyqueyth roused enough to sniff at the leather hides. Looking at Hers she asked, What are these for? Then, after a few moments she added, They smell. with a snort of her nose as she wrinkled them in distaste.

Lesla replied, "Sure they smell, they are after all leather. And that's what I am going to use to make the riding straps for you to wear." as she measured what she would need from the leader hide.

Shyqueyth looked at the leather and just replied with, Well, make sure that they are comfortable when you make them. as she promptly went back to take a nap. She may not show it, but she was actually very much excited at the prospect of finally having Hers riding on her back as they flew in the skies above Pern fighting Thread, their ancient enemy.

[Kittisbat]

L'rik and Tonenelth
L'rik looked down at the blue prints with an eagerness that he hadn't felt in a long while. He had never had to do anything like this, so it was, simply, a challenge. With a grin, he picked up one of the scrolls and gave it a studying look before grabbing a piece of leather.

Slowly, Tonenelth reached his brown head forward, and gave the leather a good long sniff. Suddenly, he pulled his head back, and for a brief moment, L'rik was afraid he had hurt himself. Then he relaxed when the brown stated, It smells funny. L'rik gave the brown an affectionate slap before returning his attention back to the leather.

Meanwhile, just behind the dragon and rider, a blue and violet firelizard was watching the movement of leather. Another blue, on his right flank, was trying to stifle his own laughter, and simply watch, but was having a hard time of it and had ended up on his back, his little sides shaking. Rascal took one small step forward before spreading his wings, leaping up into the air, and pouncing on the leather, still in his master's hand.

And then Jokester broke out in his giggling-laugh, sending pictures to his master of his own shocked expression as he was "attacked."

Tonenelth, laughing lightly himself, reached over and removed the firelizard from the leather with one big paw, pulling the creature closer to himself as he did so. Now now little blue. L'rik needs to work. You wouldn't want him to get hurt because he did something wrong, would you?

The little creature's answer was pouncing on the dragon's wedged muzzle.

Z'ki and Nyasith
Z'ki was late to the class, which wasn't unusual. He had barely managed to get Nyasith up that morning for food, and she had downright refused to go to class, saying her bed was much more comfortable. It had taken a lot of bribing and promising that she could sleep through most of it for her to finally get to her lazy feet and walk with him to class.

Because of this, though, he had missed the instructions. Embarrased, he walked up to R'sul, alone, as Nyasith decided she was much more comfortable where she was, and hesitantly asked, "What is it we're doing?" He shuffled uncomfortably on his feet as he waited for an answer.

[Houka Ryuu]

Weyrling A'ir and Bronze Rhakimeth
Today was going to prove to be a day that A'ir would feel that he had accomplished something. Sure, firestone sorting had it's merits but the making of straps was one of the key steps in becoming a dragonrider. After all, one cannot ride the great dragons if one does not have a reliable and safe riding straps. And so, as with the rest of the Weyrlings, he took one of the scrolls that had the blue prints for making his very first riding straps. After some scrutinizing of the blue print on the scroll, his eyebrows scowling in concentration, A'ir went over to the pile of leather hides.

Rhakimeth always wanting to prove that he would be able to shoulder any responsibilities come the time that he catches Selenith on her mating flight, was interested in what A'ir was doing. He sniffed at the pile of leather hides and sneezed as the smell registered in his brain. What is this awful smelling thing? Rhakimeth asked in complaint.

A'ir looked up at Rhakimeth forgetting for a moment that the big brute was there. "Wha..?!" he asked confusedly.

Rhakimeth nudged the pile of leathers with his right foreleg for he was not about to put his nose anywhere near the smelly things.

"Oh, those. Those are leather hides. It's what I'm going to use to make your riding straps." A'ir replied as he began choosing among the pile looking for big stretches of hides that would encompass Rhakimeth's size.

Rhakimeth just nodded at the reply and lay down somewhere out of the way. He watched as A'ir went about in completing his lesson.

As A'ir bent to pick up a likely piece of leather hide, King who had been lightly perched in his head slid off. With a squawk of surprise, the bronze flit went Between and popped back perched once more on top of A'ir's head.

A'ir reached up with his right hand to placate the flit for he had not really intended for King to fall off. "Sorry King, I forgot you were there." he said.

Then bending down more carefully, he picked up the leather hide that he had been about to choose for his riding strap. He dumped the piles of leather that he thought would be good to make riding straps out of and gathered the other materials that he would need. Once he had those, A'ir followed the instructions on the blue print, making sure to measure Rhakimeth first before he cut away any of the leather hides. It was tedious work and needed all his concentration.