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One of Leather's Many Uses


Date:  No Idea Whatsoever
Place:  Benden Weyr's Weyrling Barracks
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  This was a simple, fairly entertaining lesson, if 
memory serves:  the Weyrlings learn the basics of strap making, and
Kassi begins her long period of being very bad at it. ;)  At this 
time, T'ren was still T'rench; he shortened his name later on.  Many
retroactive thanks to T'fian and Kerlyn for RPing this with us. :)

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The Log:

You climb out of Lysseth's Couch.

T'fian shrugs. "I generally replace mine... oh, once every four sevendays
or so. More often when it's cold. You, on the other hand, will have to make
them more often, at least until your dragons have reached their full growth
because they outgrow them faster than you can believe."

Kassima salutes T'fian as she swings herself out of her couch, then listens
attentively to what he's saying.

T'fian shakes his head. "No, they aren't. You see, no matter how hard you
try, the hide will deteriorate. Especially in the cold. When they start
cracking, soon they'll be unusable due to the danger of breaking.

Aphrael ahs softly and nods, waving at Kassi. "The weyr must go through a
lot of hide then."

T'fian chuckles. "And I hope you'd realize the ... uhm ... gravity of the
situation (hold on... phone call), if they snap."

Aphrael shudders and nods, "I sure do."

T'fian nods gravely. "I can't stress that too much. Your riding straps are
/your/ responsibility. It is your responsibility to make sure they are
secure, that the hide you receive from the Weyrweaver is durable enough.
Because we do not want to see any of you falling. When you start out, we'll
be here to help you, but we've all got riding straps to make and can't be
always making them for you. Eventually, you may find someone you can make
an exchange of something for to help you out, but if those break, then the
responsibility is still yours."

T'fian says "I know that I do not want to lose any of your or your dragons
to shoddy workmanship. That's why we'll be spending a lot of time on 
these."

Aphrael nods quietly, eyes on the pile of leathers.

From within Sinith's Couch T'rench nods and listens.

Kassima nods thoughtfully, examining the leathers with interest.

T'fian nods and picks up a relatively new set of straps. "These are my
current straps. They almost due for replacement, but I think I've got about
another sevenday before I /have/ to replace them." He runs a hand along a
well-oiled strip. "You have to request the hide from the Weyrweaver and
make sure that you specify it's for a riding strap, as the other hides she
has are not durable enough for this purpose." His hand runs across a
buckle. "And this is a turn buckle. You will need several of these from the
Weyrsmith for buckling yourself, a passenger, and the straps themselves."

T'fian says "We thread the straps and buckles together using a whergut cord
because thread will never stand up during the stress of dragon flight."

T'fian says "Additionally, at this stage, the hide will undoubtedly chafe
your dragon. I would suggest a wool backing to lessen the chafe, but since
you will have to replace your straps so often, it may not be worth your
while to go through that trouble."

T'fian says "Any questions on this so far?"

Aphrael nods slowly, "Can we just put some sort of pad beneath it? I dont
want to hurt Prefeth."

T'fian looks at Aphrael and responds. "You can, but it probably will not
help any, as Prefeth is growing too fast for the straps to be comfortable
for very long anyway."

Aphrael considers that and nods slowly with a smile, "He is growing fast."
She conceeds. "How do you fit the straps to your dragon, then?"

T'fian smiles. "I'm getting to that."

Aphrael ahs and nods, falling silent.

T'rench clambers out of Sinith's Couch.

T'rench smiles and yawns and stretches, saluting T'fian.

T'fian says "I will note here that these are obviously not like runner
saddles. You sit directly upon the dragon's back. The straps are for
securing only, not for comfort." He nods to T'rench and continues. "You've
seen riders fastening their straps, correct?""

T'rench nods "Yes, especially when I've been adragonback.

Kassima nods. "Aye, sir, a few times."

Aphrael smiles at T'rench and nods to T'fian. "Yes, sir."

T'rench grins and smiles, perhaps thinking about snowballs.

T'fian nods. "Well, when placing the straps, you want to fasten at least
three loops around the neck of the dragon, starting at the base (*OOC NOTE:
I'm winging it here) of the neck. You want to make sure the buckles are
snug up underneath the dragon, but not too tightly as you don't want to cut
into the hide with the straps.

T'fian says "You want to make sure that they are tight enough not to slip
off; the upper loop should never be able to slide over a neckridge."

T'fian continues. "Okay, in a moment, we'll go into the actual making of
the straps, but first I want to cover maintenance. I'm sure you've all seen
riders in their off time oiling their straps in the living cavern."

T'rench nods "Yup. Replacing work straps and making new straps and buckles.

Aphrael smiles and nods. "Aye sir. It's to keep the wherhide from getting
brittle and cracking in *between*, I understand."

Kassima nods an affirmative. "Aye, sir, and rider Flannery had us try our
hands at oiling them once, before the Hatching."

T'fian nods. "That's right. I've mentioned this already, but I have to
mention it again. No matter how careful you are, just normal usage will
wear the straps down, and like you just said, Aphrael, they don't like the
cold very much. Oiling the hide will go along way to keeping them useful
for a while longer."

T'rench nods "Yup. Makes sense. Cold does bad things to hides, leathers,
and sail cloth.

T'fian says "A lack of special attention to the straps could result in a
serious injury to the rider or the loss of both rider and dragon. We'd like
to avoid that, so keep a careful eye on your straps. Always check and
recheck to make sure they're not deteroriating and to make sure that
they're secure when you put them on your dragon." He nods to T'rench (and
now has to go into the trully difficult part of making them since his
player really has no idea how. ;)"

Benden Weyr> T'rench grins at T'fian "The Indiana Jones School of
WeyrlingMastering?

Benden Weyr> T'fian grins. "Something like that. ;) Of course, I only
signed on this gig as an assistant. I never expected to be actually DOING
anything. :)"

Benden Weyr> Kassima hands T'fian a fedora and whip. :)

Benden Weyr> T'rench says, "I say "Indiana Jones School" because of his
famous line "Hey, I'm making this up as I go along!""

Benden Weyr> T'rench thinks you're doing a fine job, T'fian. :)

Benden Weyr> T'rench hands T'fian the leather jacket, revolver, and
holster, too :)

Benden Weyr> R'val grabs the fedora, puts it on along with a rumpled
cream-coloured suit, and calls himself the 7th Doctor.

Benden Weyr> T'fian will gladly take them. :)

Benden Weyr> Kassima adds a few mysterious artifacts for T'fian to carry
around for no apparent reason. :)

Benden Weyr> T'rench hides a few 'rocks' in T'fian's rucksack that he will
think are the Shankara stones, but are nothing more than petrified hostess
cupcakes. :)

Benden Weyr> T'fian always liked the gold head. :)

Kerlyn walks in from the bowl.

Kerlyn walks briskly in, her arms loaded with bits of leather, ranging in
size from quite small, to absolutely huge. She's followed by a couple of
the other assistnt weyrlingmasters, similarly loaded. In sort order a large
pile of leather is against one side of the barracks.

Kassima looks up and salutes Kerlyn, watching her pile the leather 
curiously.

T'fian glances over at the entrance and spots Kerlyn and some other
assistants. He nods. "'Evening, Kerlyn."

Aphrael looks up and nods at Kerlyn with a quick salute.

Sinith clambers out of Sinith's Couch.

Kerlyn bobs her head, respectful without grovelling in diffidency, "Found
the leather. Someone'd left it in the firestone stores. I hope we didn't
interupt."

T'fian shakes his head. "Thanks. I was using my own old straps as
demonstration."

Kerlyn nods again, "Done the classroom, and time for the practical yet?"

T'fian chuckles. "I believe so. I don't think I've left anything out." He
turns to the weyrlings. "Do you have any questions on what I've said?"

Aphrael shakes her head slowly, "No sir."

T'fian waits for a few moments and smiles. "Okay, then. Since Kerlyn's
probably far better than myself at actually making them (it was never a
skill I felt comfortable with), I'll let her run you through actually
making them."

T'rench nods and listens

Kerlyn blinks, taken quite by suprise, but nods slowly. She holds up a
length of leather, "Aside from T'lar, who here's worked leather before?"

Kassima shakes her head. "Not me, ma'am."

T'rench nods and raises his hand "Leather and sailcloth.

Aphrael shakes her head, "I havent ma'am."

Kerlyn nods, and starts tossing scraps of smaller bits of leather to the
folks saying no. "First step is to get used to how a leather punch works,
and how to make neat, even, and most importantly, strong stitches. There's
no point in wasting the parge pieces when you're still learning to sew.
Those of you who know what you're doing, or think you do, can show T'fian
or I, and if we pass your stitchery, you can start helping your classmates
learn."

Benden Weyr> Kerlyn goes through commas like they're about to be 
discontinued.

T'fian chuckles at Kerlyn, even though he nods with her.

Aphrael takes the leather and examines it closely.

Kassima peers at the leather that gets tossed to her.

Handfulls of leather thong follow the scraps. "There're leather punches in
the drawer there, if someone wants to pass them out. Once you can all sew,
we'll start into the construction of an actual set. " Kerlyn nods towards
the set T'fian had brought in. "And you'll make one for your lifemate.
Then, once we tell you where the flaws are, you'll make another one. And
we'll go on like that for a while until we're convinced you can make
something that'll keep you alive."

Kassima nods and walks over to the drawer, extracting the punches and
doling them out to people before sitting back down with hers.

Aphrael nods and takes the thong, then the punch handed to her by Kassi.

T'fian nods gravely. "And don't be discouraged if that takes a while. We're
not going to loose any of you, if we can at all help it. It personally took
me a really long time to make a set R'till felt was adequate. And then it
was only barely."

Aphrael peers down at the leather and starts to sew rather experimentally,
occasionally glacing up to check what everyone else is doing.

Kassima looks at the punch dubiously before shrugging and giving it a try,
chewing her lip as she concentrates on attempting to make the stitches 
even.

T'fian watches the weyrlings with interest, walking among them and checking
out their work.

Aphrael manages not to prick herself.. she's sewn before, apparently. She
squints, keeping a close eye on the stitches.

Kassima sighs as she looks at what she's done so far. Like all her other
needlework, it's not a pretty sight. She continues with it anyway, watching
Aph to try and see how she manages.

T'fian glances over at Kassima. "Try to make the stitching closer together.
When you make your straps, you would a lot of tight stitching for more
strength."

Kerlyn, in the mean time, starts laying out the sample strap on the
barracks floor. "Not too tight though, because if the stitches rub against
each other, the fastening leather will wear itself out.

T'fian nods. "That's true."

Kassima looks up and nods, trying her level best to make the stitches
closer but not too close.

Aphrael nods and adjusts her stitching slightly.

Kassima looks over to Aph's work again. "How d'you do that?" she asks,
obviously frustrated with her own... well, you can't exactly call it
stitchery.

Aphrael chuckles and leans over to peer at Kassi's work. "It's all in the
way you place the needle. If you put it through there and bring it out
here," She points, "Then it comes out quite tight."

T'fian glances around. "Well, I will leave you in Kerlyn's capable hands. I
have some other duties to attend to, if you'll excuse me."

Kassima tries out Aph's suggestion; still enough to make a feline laugh,
but better than the stitches before. She grins a thanks at her friend and
gives T'fian a parting salute.

Kerlyn seats herself on one of the benches lining the walls, and answers
the questions people bring to her.

Aphrael grins and salutes T'fian, before returning to her work.

Aphrael lets out a startled 'Ow!' as she pricks herself. She sucks on her
finger and mumbles, "Havent done that in Turns!"

Kassima glances over to Aph. "You okay?"

Aphrael nods slowly, a little flustered, "I'm fine."

Kassima nods and turns back to her own work. "If that hasn't happened to
you in Turns, I'm impressed," she comments.

Aphrael laughs softly, bending down again over her work, "Well, I've done a
lot of sewing in my time, especially when I was working under Hilda."

Kerlyn *is sorry to idle on you.. work reared it's head. I've got to idle,
so I'll relocate, but page if you need anything!

Kassima groans. "Why doesn't that surprise me? She struck me as being a
real taskmaster." She wrinkles her nose. "Besides, my fire-lizards don't
like her."

Aphrael giggles, "Taskmaster indeed. My firelizards didnt like her either."
She emphasises the word, /didnt/. "I recently got word though, that she has
returned to retirement. Brianna is the new headwoman."

Kassima blinks and jabs her finger with the needle, surprised. She shakes
her hand as she says, "Brianna, huh? Well, much relief to the fire-lizards.
And to Martigan; from what I've heard, he and Hilda didn't get along so 
well."

Aphrael laughs softly, then pauses at the mention of Martigan. "I havent
seen him, not in many sevenday."

Kassima shakes her head. "Nor I. Haven't heard much word since he told us
he wasn't coming to the hatching, either."

Aphrael keeps sewing in silence for a while, then sighs. "I havent either.
I hope he's alright."

Kassima nods. "I'm sure he is, Aph. No news isn't necessarily bad." She
holds up her sewing and sighs. "This," she says sourly, "is a disaster."
She grins slightly and goes back to trying to make it look just a bit 
better.

Meli clambers out of Juliath's Couch.

Kassima grins and waves to Meli. "Heyla, Meli, how goes?"

Meli smiles and yawns. "s'fine."

Aphrael makes a face then shrugs, "I guess. It'd be nice to for him to
visit.. or me to visit him. But thats a long way away." She looks at her
bit of leather. "First, I have to get this right." She waves at Meli.

Meli smiles. "Ah, we have scraps t'work on for straps now?"

Kassima grins to Aphrael. "Hey, you're about forty steps ahead of me." She
shows Meli, with something less than pride, her... well, it's something.
The question is, what?

Aphrael laughs softly, "Not /that/ far."

Hanging onto Meli's shirt, Alluire chirrups and chitters at the others.

Kassima nods, making a face. "Yes, you are. I can't even count how many
knots are in this thong." She's exaggerating--anyone can see there are only
about fourteen.

Meli plops down to watch. "How's th'weather now?"

Aphrael grins at Kassi, "You can always pull them out and start again." She
suggests, then shrugs at Meli, "It was alright this morning, still snowing,
but nothing near last night."

Kassima hmmms. "Snowing, I think," she says, glancing to the entrance.

Maarie clambers out of Zuseth's Couch.

Meli grins at Maarie. "Evening."

Maarie yawns and stretches, "Hiya."

Kassima puts aside her leather and waves. "Good eve, Maarie."

Maarie looks at the leaterher, "What is that for?"

Aphrael yawns and waves at Maarie, also putting her leather down.

Maarie gets a clue, "Straps?"

You say "It's to practice sewing with--for the eventual time when we're
going to make straps, aye."

Meli lifts a brow. "Eh? You didn't say that... someone hand me some and
show me what t'do, please?"

Kassima nods. "Sure thing." She hands Meli a piece of leather, a thong, and
a leather punch. "Just try to make your sewing straight, with the stitches
close together but not too close."

Maarie laughs softly, "We look like a bunch of old aunties."

Kassima grins. "Aye, at that, though I doubt old aunties stab their fingers
quite so much as me... ah, well, I'll just have to work on it."

Aphrael giggles and closes her eyes. "I just hope we'll get the hang of
this soon." She peers down at her bit of leather critically, and doesnt
pick it up again.

Meli takes the tools and leather, and leans forward a bit to see exactly
how Aph and Kassi are doing this. "Jus' sew th'two pieces t'gether?"

Kassima nods fervently. "You and me both, Aph, you and me both!" She grins
to Meli. "Don't bother to look at mine. 'Tis quite enough to make a feline
laugh, my sewing is, though I've seen worse. Believe it or not. Aph's will
make a much better example, trust me."

Aphrael hands up her leather to Meli, and points to it. "See? We're just
practising the stitching. Not too tight, but close enough to make it 
strong."

Meli hrms thoughtfully, and takes the punch first, making a series of holes
in one piece spaced evenly apart, not too close to each other or to the
edge, so that the leather won't pull apart between. She grunts slightly as
she punches each one.

Maarie just watches, "My hands are tired enough as is from cutting all that
meat today. I doubt I could sew a single good stitch."

Although she really has no idea if she's doing it right, Meli just
continues, putting holes in the other piece she's collected, until she's
ready to start sewing them together with another thin piece of hide.
"Where's that awl..." she mumbles.

Kassima starts picking the stitches out of her leather, somewhat idly.

Aphrael blinks at Meli, "Pardon?"

Meli hrms? at Aph, then smiles. "Sorry... jus' looking for somethin' to
pull the other piece of hide through with..."

From within Prefeth's Couch, Prefeth croons sleepily and finally opens his
eyes, peering out to see what his lifemate is doing.

Meli finds what she wanted and starts to sew the pieces together,
unconsciously sticking her tongue out a bit as she concentrates on the
small holes, squinting a bit.

Aphrael looks back towards Prefeth and smiles, "We're practising making the
straps that will hold me on when we fly." Prefeth blinks and rumbles,
sitting up at the mention of flying.

Kassima grins, looking to Prefeth. "Eager to start flying, is he?"

Dragon> Benden Weyrlings sense that Juliath rumbles croons << It will be
good when we are *image of soaring in the sky of the bowl* >>

Aphrael giggles, and nods, "Of course. We both are, but Prefeth most of 
all."

From within Zuseth's Couch Zuseth perks her head up and rests it on the
edge of her couch, watching the four girls, eyes half-lidded.

Dragon> Benden Weyrlings sense that Lysseth rumbles sleepily. << Not with
all that *image of sleet* in the air. >>

Dragon> Prefeth bespoke Benden Weyrlings with << I will be *happiness* when
I am *image of himself and his lifemate in the sky alone* >>

Dragon> Benden Weyrlings sense that Juliath rumble-bugles << We will fly
high and strong -above- the *image of sleet*!! >>

Dragon> Benden Weyrlings sense that Lysseth perks up some. << That will be
a good thing indeed, then. >>

Dragon> Benden Weyrlings sense that Juliath sends an image of her lifemate
concentrating with her tongue stuck out between her lips slightly and
rumble-chuckles.

T'fian walks in from the bowl.

Kassima salutes T'fian cheerfully. "Good eve, sir."

Meli salutes from her seat, where she's valiantly trying to stitch two
pieces of leather together with a piece of thin hide.

T'fian returns Kassima's salute as he checks the duty roster. "Oh. How are
the straps going?"

Aphrael looks up and salutes T'fian and grins, "Alright sir.." She points
to her now discarded leather. "I'm just taking a break."

Kassima grins ruefully. "A bit better, sir."

T'fian chuckles. "It'll take a while to get it down. Well, I will leave you
to your duties."

T'fian moves through the opening to the west, heading toward the bowl.