Captain Durna Ironwake inspected Rod's party before allowing them aboard the Stonewing a second time.
Six days of Skyyard training had changed the way they stood on the deck.
During their first lesson, all five tried to steer the practice craft. During the second, Dirk left his assigned sail to secure a loose engine cover and nearly sent the ship into a tower. The instructors replayed every mistake on a floating screen while other trainees watched.
Rod disliked the embarrassment. He disliked learning that the instructors were right even more.
By the sixth day, the party could fly a practice route without speaking over one another. They learned the names of basic controls, how to brace before a sudden turn, and which alarms meant help immediately rather than finish whatever they were doing first.
None of them qualified as airship crew.
They had learned enough to understand how little they knew.
