Wher Training

Xanadu Weyr - Forest's Edge

While the forest is thick for a long while, in time it begins to thin, as the ground becomes rockier to the south western stretches of the Weyr's land. The trees are further apart, and the rocks become larger, before rocky outcroppings seem to be more prevalent than the trees around them. As the hills begin to gain in height, the shruberry upon them become more stunted.

What's this, though! It seems with all the recent earthshakes from the south, the ground has begun to realign itself, and one hillside has shifted, revealing an opening into a small cave. At least, that's what it appears, as the whole is just large enough for an average sized man to sneak through.

A series of 'dens' sit into the rocky outcroppings, showing signs of the whers who make their home within them.

As Rukbat finally sets below the horizon Hyrlon emerges from his den, bulby blue Hysk at his side. He glances around, then spots the weyrbrat he'd asked to come help train the whers, a younger lad who was glad to be out after dark. They exchange a few words, but wait for the other handlers to emerge before before beginning.

Janelle and Jansk wait only long enough for Rukbat to fall beyond the trees, descending the wherhandlers' clearing in muted shadows and an easy darkness before they emerge from their nearby den. The little green lumbers on her short little legs, but with some excitement to her step, while her handler's own stride shows purpose.

Hyrlon raises a hand, waving to Janelle as Hysk trills a greeting to Jansk, "Hey, Janelle, this is Gronil, he's agreed to help us with training the whers to find people."

Janelle lifts a hand in greeting, first to Hyrlon, then to the boy. "Hey, nice to meet you, Gronil. I'm Janelle, and htis here, is Jansk." Jansk, who is tottering towards Hysk, churrring towards the other wher.

The boy nods, then asks, "What do I do?" He looks at the whers as if afraid they might bite him. Hyrlon chuckles, "Hide and we'll see if they can find you." He nods to Janelle again, "Cover Jansk's eyes and I'll cover Hysk's." He crouches down to do just that as Gronil runs off, searching for somewhere to hide.

Janelle kneels down next to Jansk, covering her eyes gently, "It feels good to be able to start teaching them things. Things that we'll be able to use to *help* people."

Hyrlon nods, "I know. I'm so glad they're old enough to start working with Hysk." He checks his watch, then uncovers the blue's eyes, "He should be hidden by now." He glances down, "Find Gronil, Hysk, find Gronil!"

Janelle nods abit. Then, uncovering Jansk's eyes, she leans low. "Find that boy.. Someone's gone.. Where is he hidden? Find 'im!"

Hyrlon watches, smiling, as Hysk casts around with his photosensitive eyes, wobbling first one way, then another. Where was the boy?

Jansk turns first left, then right, tentatively stepping forward in one direction, then weaving towards the other, then turning around completely. Finally, she settles for one general direction, and begins heading in that way. Janelle, on the other hand, stands strongly, hands clasped behind her back, as she rocks from heels to toes, and back again.

Hyrlon smiles, watching the two whers work, "Relax, Janelle. It's their first time." Hysk casts around, settling on a different direction than Jansk and continues to walk… until he runs smack into a tree… He turns, cheeping at Hyrlon, now what?

Janelle grins a bit, "Just kind of excited, I guess." She does try and settle herself a bit, however, looking back after Jansk as she continues on her path. The little green pauses to click briefly towards Hysk. Try this way!

Hysk turns, following Jansk now. Maybe she knew better. He waddles after her, staring around. Hyrlon chuckles, "Me too. Just don't want to work yourself into a lather. I think Jansk's doing better than Hysk is."

Jansk starts curving slightly to one side, slowing a moment to allow Hysk to catch up a bit. As the other wher moves towards her, Jansk continues moving, now pointing towards teh same general area that Hysk was, before he hit the tree.

Hysk gives a happy little chirp as Jansk lets him catch up, then stares in the same general direction as Jansk, chirpping, then rushes forward again.

"I dunno.. I think they were both pretty close on to start.. look where they're headed.." Janelle points out, watching. Not far from the whers's path, there is a fallen tree, with it's rootball still stuck in the dirt, creating a little miniature den. "Do you think he's in there?"

Hyrlon chuckles, watching the whers' progress, "It's a definite possibility. It could be a decent hiding place." The wher's continue their journey, sniffing and staring, Hysk making his way generally towards the root-balled tree.

Jansk ambles towards the root-balled tree, racing ahead of Hysk, then falling back with him, churring out loud towards the darkness within the tree-cave.

Gornil emerges from the tree, "You found me, please don't hurt me!" Hyrlon just chuckles, "We're training them to rescue, not eat."

Janelle Grins wide, "They did it, Hyrlon..!" Obviously an excitement for the young woman, and for the wher as well, as she hops up into the air, though stationary. She stays a few feet away from the boy, warbling towards Gornil.

Hyrlon nods, grinning big, "They did! Good job, Hysk!" Hysk chirrups happily, cocking his head at the handlers with a chirp, reward?

Janelle meets up with Jansk and Hyrlon with a grin, falling to a knee beside the green wher. Rubbing Jansk between her lopsided headknobs, and along her muzzle, the creature rumbles with pleasure. "We'll have to find something special, for when they have their jobs well done. And speaking of jobs well done, you did great, Gornil."

Hyrlon crouches down next to Hysk, "Good job." he rubs the beast's headknobs gently as he smiles up at Gornil, "Thanks, you did hide well." Gornil nods, "No problem."

Janelle ocntinues rubbing at Jansk's hide, along her neck and shoulders, in small massage-like movements. "What next, now? They've made one find today.. do we weant to try another, or what?"

Hyrlon chuckles and pulls a bundle of meat out of his bag, "I'll hide this in the mine and then we'll see if they can find it?"

Janelle hmms, and nods a little. "That could be interesting…"

Hyrlon nods, standing, "Not as much heat, but some." He looks at Hysk, "Wait here for me, I'll be back." He ducks into the mine and emerges a few minutes later, his hands empty of meat, and grins, "Now's the real test."

Jansk Cranes her neck to lick her tongue towards Hyrlon's hands, where the meat had been. With that done, Janelle points towards the mines. "It's in there.. Find it! Go, where'd it go?"

Hysk chirrups, sniffing and licking Hyrlon's hand as well, before tottling off towards the mine. Hyrlon grins, "We should probably follow them, just in case something happens."

Janelle nods, "Yeah, following them would be a good idea.. Onward, Jansk.. Go find it!" And so she heads along with Hysk, towards the mind, her handler following.

Hysk ducks into the mine, Hyrlon a few steps behind him through the entrance, though once inside he stays near the entrance, watching Hysk sniff and search around.

Xanadu Weyr - Mine

Jansk sniffs and scans in the dark mine, head swiveling from side to side. She lags back just a touch this time, waiting for Hysk to make a move, first. Janelle overs near the entrance, and Hyrlon, watching.

Hysk sniffs a few more times, then heads down the right-hand tunnel, whuffling and sniffing as he goes.

Janelle Watches Hysk head through the right-hand tunnel, as Jansk skips a second to catch up to the other wher. She snuffles and sniffs, head still turnig every which way.

Hysk continues down the tunnel, sniffing and staring, assuming that Jansk is following. After a few more moments the blue's nose runs straight into the end of the tunnel. He rocks back on his heels, giving an inquisitive, pained chirp. He'd been sure this was the right way…

Jansk Stops short of running into Hysk, pausing to sniff the chamber they are in. After clawing lighgtly at the ground, beside Hysk, she turns, and heads towards the left of the wall that her blue bretheren had stopped at. This Way!

Hysk rubs at his nose gently, then follows Jansk with an inquisitive cheep, really?

Janelle churrrs quietly, as she creeps along the tunnel, staying to the left side of the path. Her nose leads her, as she continues to sniff.

Hysk follows Jansk, churring as well. Then he stops, sniffing the air more seriously, « Ewhrrr? » bad air?

It takes a moment for Jansk to register Hysk's thought, but her response to sniff the air here is immdeiate thereafter.

Hysk continues to sniff. The air *is* a little bad… but is it dangerous or just… He sticks his nose in a crevasse and out comes the rotting carcass of a tunnel snake. He's not sure what to do with it, but it's definitely the source of the bad air.

Janelle sniffs slowly, following after Hysk. Once he's found the source, however, she's off again after that other thing.. the meat pack! Nose up in the air, she's off again, headed for what she *thinks* is the right way.

Hysk decides to eat the carcass, then follows Jansk. Sniff sniff sniff. He stops again, sniffing more, is this the right way?

Jansk warbles briefly, slowing her steps after a few minutes. Then, Jansk comes to a complete stop, not quite sure where to go from here. From here, the tunnel has opened up into a large cavern, with three or four tunnels beyond.

Hysk sniffs the air carefully, then turns, heading towards the second tunnel from the right with a warble, « this way! »

Janelle takes a turn follow Hysk again, sniffing after him, as she goes. « …hard…»

Hysk warbles gently, sadly, « very hard. » He continues to try, though, sniffing this way and that until he reaches yet another fork in the road.

Jansk is not about to give up either, stopping beside Hysk at the fork. Nose out to the air, first she sniffs one, then the other, then back to the first. « Here? » She smells that scent, but she doesn't at the paths.. so instead, she branches off, eyes now searching the cavern in which they are in..

Hysk turns as well, smelling as hard as he can until suddenly he picks up the scent and he's off again, bounding back down the corridor they'd just travelled.

Janelle turns on her hind quarters, to follow after Hysk, back towards where they came from.

Hysk sticks his nose in crack after crevasse until he manages to pull the bloody steaks from a hole. He warble happily, victorious, then noses one to Jansk, « take? »

Jansk churrrs excitedly, as the strength of the scent increases. Then, as Hysk finds the price, she noses him excitedly, with a brief -but excited- whirrr! With gratitude, she takes the offered morsel, clicking her thanks to the blue.

Hysk clicks back, happily chewing on the meat before realizing that maybe they should bring it back first… prove they found it. He gives a worried click, « Back? »

Jansk bobs her head up and down, nosing her meat onto the wrapping, then taking both wrapping and meat into her jaw to carry back. « No mess. » Don't want to leave anything behind, after all! She rumbles slowly, her intent to show that she is ready to head back before actually starting back up the path.

Hyrlon chirps happily, carrying his own chunk of meat in his mouth as he begins to practically prance back towards the mine's main cavern.

Several minutes, it takes, for the whers to return to the main cavern, but the pride of the find is felt by Janelle long before that. She's standing ready, grinning widely when Jansk and Hysk come around the final bend. "You did it! You found it! Good, Jansk… Good, Hysk!"

Hyrlon kneels down as Hysk and Jansk approach, waiting for the blue to finish slurping down his meal before thumping him gently on the shoulders, "Good job, Hysk, good job. You found it and it wasn't even a person."

Jansk chews down her food, still chewing as she butts up against Janelle, churring. The handler rubs down along Jansk's hide, across her back and sides, with a grin. "That was great! They did it, Hyrlon, they really did it!"

Hyrlon smiles big as well, still rubbing Hysk's back and head, "I know. I didn't really expect them to manage the meat. Just wanted to see if they could. I've been around whers my whole life and I'm still impressed."

Janelle Grins, nodding. She goes back to rubbing Jansk's headknobs happily, « Next? » Janelle can't help bug giggle some, grinning, "I think you've done quite enough for today, Jansk.."

Hyrlon nods, continuing to reward his own wher, "I think you two have done very well for your first time. But we don't want to over-work you. Maybe back to the clearing to play with the ball?" He raises an eyebrow, asking silently if Janelle had the ball with her.

Janelle nods a bit, and grins. Patting the pouch at her waistbelt, "That sounds like a great idea." With a final pat on her wher's hide, she stands, awaiting Jansk to start, and lead the way outside.

Hyrlon gives Hysk a gentle shove as he stands, encouraging the blue back out of the mine. The wher looks hurt for a minute, then picks up on Hyrlon's emotions and happily bounces out into the clearing to play.

Xanadu Weyr - Forest's Edge

While the forest is thick for a long while, in time it begins to thin, as the ground becomes rockier to the south western stretches of the Weyr's land. The trees are further apart, and the rocks become larger, before rocky outcroppings seem to be more prevalent than the trees around them. As the hills begin to gain in height, the shruberry upon them become more stunted.

What's this, though! It seems with all the recent earthshakes from the south, the ground has begun to realign itself, and one hillside has shifted, revealing an opening into a small cave. At least, that's what it appears, as the whole is just large enough for an average sized man to sneak through.

A series of 'dens' sit into the rocky outcroppings, showing signs of the whers who make their home within them.

Janelle breathes in deeply, the air of early evening. Holding the breath before letting it go slowly, Janelle grins and fishes the ball out of her waist pack before tossing it towards the whers, a little less new-looking than before.

Hyrlon takes a deep breath as well, he hadn't been in the mine for a while and had forgotten how claustrophobic it could be. Hysk goes bounding after the ball and Hyrlon smiles, "I'm glad they're playful as well as good workers."

Jansk runs after the ball as well, rolling on the grass as she misses grappling it up in her jaw. Janelle, on the other hand, nods as she watches, grin braod. "They're still babies, really.. It's good for them to play."

Hysk tackles Jansk, trying to take the ball from her, making a bunch of chirping and clicking sounds. Hyrlon nods, "That they are. At least they grow up fast. Not like human babies. Human babies are still in diapers and being force-fed at this age."

Janelle nods a bit, "That's nice enough, for sure." She chuckles a bit, as the two whers wrestle the ball between them, Jansk eventually giving Hysk a chance to get it.

Hysk takes the ball, tossing it up in the air and then catching it again before tossing it up for her to catch. Hyrlon slides to the ground, leaning against the usual tree, "Do you know where the other handlers are? I haven't seen them since the storm.

"I haven't seen them.. Hope things are alright, with them and their whers." Janelle admits, settling to the ground next to Hyrlon, watching the whers. Jansk paws at the ball, batting it towards her playmate.

Hysk leans back on his haunches, bating the ball back at Jansk with a 'think fast' kind of warble. Hyrlon nods, "Me too. I figure Tig's probably got his hands full between Tisk and his little one, but I haven't seen Verina in a while, either."

Jansk pounces after the ball, rolling with it once it's caught. Then, using her maw, she tosses it back towards Hysk. "Hope Tig's little girl's ok.. That storm would've been pretty scary.. But it's been a while since then, already."

Hysk takes a leaping dive at the ball as it comes towards him, flapping his vestigial wings as if they could actually hold him up. Hyrlon nods, "It has, hasn't it? Months, in fact. Time flies, I guess."

Janelle nods slowly, watching the pair play and frollic. "Wonder what their whers are like.. if Tisk is coming out of his shyness yet or not, for example.."

Hyrlon ponders, his eyes mostly on the whers as well, "I thought it was Vesk that was really shy… wouldn't even leave Verina to play…?"

Janelle mms briefly, then shrugs with a sigh, "See? I know them so poorly, I can't even keep them straight.."

Hyrlon chuckles, "Yeah… I'm just glad I remember their names some days."

Janelle nods her agreeance. "I'm not the greatest for remembering things, anyways, so I know what you mean."

Hyrlon chuckles, "No one's perfect"

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