Month 2 and 3: Dragon Ages 3-6 months
Your dragon
In the third and fourth months, your dragons are starting to grow beyond the subsistence stage of life, they'll begin to start manifesting more distinct personalities. They’re getting older and stronger, so their independence continues to grow. They want to be like the big dragons! While they're still very attached to you and very much need you around, they may begin to want (or pretend to want) more space, and may even test out disagreeing with you. Hopefully you've really practiced exerting control through your mental bond, because you may have to start using it. Still, all in all, they're agreeable, more interested in reassurance and your love than in asserting themselves. Your dragons are regularly able to be left alone for short spans of time-- a couple of hours when awake-- though you're expected to return to them the moment they begin to get anxious.
Your dragons will only be eating about twice a day now, though the meals will be increasing in size, and they'll still need frequent oiling. Thankfully, though, your dragon is also now old enough to go to the muck pile behind the barracks-- mucking now becomes a once-a-week group task rather than the daily (or more) mess to clean out of your dragon's personal space!
Your dragons will also be taking an increasing interest in the outside world during these months, in beings outside of themselves and you. The questions will come just as fast as before, but now, they may be directed to older dragons, even those they've never met before! Communication begins to go between dragons and dragonets, sometimes multiple times considering how short your dragons' memories are. Best make sure you answer as much as you can, or that horribly embarassing question about what it is you were doing over in the corner may just be spread from dragon to dragon around the weyr.
As your dragon gets into his or her fifth and sixth months, their growing size becomes cumbersome. They often begin to get into everything now, wanting to help you out, and you may find yourself tripping over necks, tails, and feet on a disturbingly regular basis. Milestones during this time will be your first time mounting your dragon, as well as your dragon's first hunt (Whee! No more butchering!). Chores are becoming more physical, and exercises for both you and your dragon have intensified. Wing exercises will be a major focus of your dragons' part of physical training and the sixth month culminates in their first efforts at flying alone!
Older riders will be checking in on you regularly to make certain everyone is adjusting well, though there's very little hand-holding left for you to rely on. Weyrlings are expected to take responsibility for their lifemates, their chores, their schedule; slip ups in any of those areas is likely to result in punishment, depending on the degree of the error. Basically, the Weyr now provides just enough support to let you know you aren't alone and everything will turn out all right.
Instruction
Exercise sessions are becoming more physical in nature as both humans and beasts become stronger. For the most part, the weyrlings will all be treated to the same rigorous routine of exercises, with exceptions being rare. Weyrlings that lag behind in terms of physical capacity will be handed extra work to help build stamina. Anyone complaining very loudly that these standard exercises are too taxing is more likely to get extra work than any sympathy from either D’ven or Issa.
Classroom sessions are becoming more academic in nature-- it's expected that you will be able to attend to your lessons more consistently now that your dragons demand less constant attention. It's also expected that you'll have mastered the basics of weyr heirarchy, protocol, and so forth presented in previous sessions. Anyone who didn't know how to read or write upon Impression will receive intense remedial instruction in that arena, these to be taught by the wingsecond herself in the off periods between other lessons. These will continue as long as they need to, until the weyrling can easily interpret any written formation, chart or instruction as well as write a legible letter. An increasing number of the weyrling classes will be guest-taught, as many as a couple per IC week, relying on the expertise of the Weyr's full complement of riders and staff.
Restrictions
D’ven remains relentless on the subject of restrictions and weyrlings are still not allowed any alcohol or sexual relations of any kind. But though lessons and exercises are still strictly regimented, free time becomes more and more, well, free. Weyrlings may travel within the Weyr’s confines as they wish and you no longer need to inform the Weyrlingmaster or wingsecond of where you are during your free time. As long as you are where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be, you can do as you like in the time between. However, there will be strict punishment for anyone who lets their free time extend into the period set aside for drills or lessons, or for anyone caught breaking any of the other rules while they are out.
Sample Schedule
As the dragons become more and more capable of spending much of the day on their own, the weyrlings will be required to attend even more lectures, practical lessons, and exercise sessions - calisthenics and weights have been added to the strength-training circuit, and self-defense lessons are available for those who want them.
6:00 AM - Wake up, run circuits around the bowl
6:45 AM - Running: any of a variety of circuits and terrain around the Weyr's outdoor areas may be assigned
7:30 AM - Cleanup and morning feeding
8:30 AM - Breakfast
9:00 AM - Classroom lessons
11:00 AM - Strength/agility training
12:30 PM - Lunch; dragons hunt with elder dragon supervision or take a feeding if they have not yet learned to hunt
1:30 PM - General lessons
3:30 PM - Group exercises
6:00 PM - Dinner; dragons may hunt with elder dragon supervision
8:00 PM - Optional classes/training, time to work on first set of straps
10:00 PM - Nighttime feeding of dragons, lights-out
Chores
Get to know other dragonriders and dragons
Butchering carcasses
Feeding and oiling dragons
Encouraging dragons to bathe after hunting
Intense physical exercises
Keeping the barracks tidy and refilling oil vats
Marching formations on the ground with and without dragons
Swimming lessons - a required safety skill!
Occasional written homework!
Strap work and other classroom lessons, perhaps requiring visiting with Weyr staff for research