Training and taming is done by teenager halflings who were born in the year before turtle mating was observed in the river mouths. These 15 and 14-year-olds move into nurseries themselves to live for a year before the hatchlings are expected to leave. Throughout this year, teenage halflings are expected to fend off for themselves in the wild, without aid from their families. If several teenagers are taken to the same pond, they are allowed to team up, and it is actually expected.
During this first year, the teenagers are not supposed to pay particular attention to the hatchlings. Most follow the guideline because they are usually busy building themselves shelter, foraging in the surroundings of the lake, and protecting themselves. There is always a halfling or two that do start forming a bond or taking a liking to a specific hardback. These are usually the more naturally-inclined ones, future rangers and druids, but it is not always the case.
The only exception to not minding the hatchlings too much is that the teenager halflings are expected to keep the hatchlings safe. If a creature, even a humanoid, tries to harm the hatchlings, the halflings are expected to deal with the intruder, even if it costs them their lives.
Once individual hardbacks start making forays outside of the lake, often travelling around the lake's area for one of two days, the teenagers know it is their time to leave. They are to pack up rations and anything else they may need to survive, choose a hardback, and start travelling with it. Hardbacks very rarely travel in groups, most often choosing to disperse on their own, so the teenagers must be able to survive on their own by this point. It is during these weeks, sometimes even years of travel that the bond between a halfling and their hardback is formed.
Later on, once they reach a river or a swamp, halfling and hardback, rider and mount will learn to coordinate with each other. It is during these times when they find other halflings and their turtles. Most often, also in training. But sometimes, they find caravans of travelling halfling clans. This gives a chance to the now adult halflings to catch up and trade. They will remain in the rivers until their turtles are ready to mature at sea.
These halflings will form small groups, often forming relationships and even having kids during these years. By the time their turtles have matured and they are ready to rejoin halfling society, they have spent a couple of decades together. These tight-linked groups often stay together for life, joining a clan as a group rather than going back to their original clans; the decision on which clan to join is made jointly, and sometimes, they join a clan with which they had no kinship relationships with, but rather good commercial relationships or a relationship developed throughout the years of chance encounters.
Very detailled, I love the layout and details you put into your article! Happy SummerCamp :D
Thanks so much, happy SC back ;)