Bonded at Cathair Fionabhainn
This time, Emser and Kendorisoth were surprised to hear a stream of insults coming from one instructor's mouth, regarding their performance.
"... Sir? I don't understand. We were to do a low swoop, switch wingleads, and circle back. We did that move. We even watched for incoming from the sides and rear."
"And would have crashed into a mountain you were looking so closely at them!" The man bellowed. "I canno' believe I've trained such idiocy!"
With due respect, Kendorisoth spoke carefully, I was looking correctly. We were not even told to glance back and forth, yet I knew that if others were in combat around me, I would want to watch for them. There was no threat to the front - this exersize went as well as we could perform it. And, you did not chastise the others for their lack of attention to their flanks where you could have.
"We -" Emser started but the look in the instructor's eye was vicious. "Sir! I regret our mistake. Next time I will make sure that when Kendorisoth is looking one way, I'll be looking ahead."
"Good," the elder rider grunted, sneering, and he turned away to watch the next pair go up.
Emser and Ken decided the rest of the afternoon would be best spent elsewhere.
Why did you let him say those things!? We were perfect!
"I know, Ken. I know." Something nagged at the back of his mind. Emser knew that the instructor had just lost one of his nephews to a band of attackers, and guessed that it was to a move of being outsmarted from the front, not the sides.
"He is demanding, but... I can understand his feelings, Ken. I really can. And next time I'll just do what I think he wants us to do, instead of what everyone else is doing."
I just feel he'd put us into trouble any way we do things. He has always been hard on me. I am not as big as the other coppers, is that why?
Emser chuckled, and patted his dragon down a little. "Ken, you're copper white, something new. He's not holding you to a standard, he's checking what you can do yourself. I think if he's pushing both of us, we'll both be better than if he let us get away with being average."
I do not want to be average.
"Neither do I," Emser said. Later that evening, they got a little mental knock from Jeleneresth.
I wish to go with them, the stars are pretty. But I still do not understand everything about how they move.
"Then leave that to Jel and Rell, they're best at it. So we'll probably want to bring some food along tonight. You two might be looking at the stars, but... um, no offence, I'll be looking at Rell."
