Ryslen - Flight 1

Flight 1

Senior Queen Litayth
(Written by Tiyanni)

A series of loud bugles and roars startled the weyr.

"What's going on?" someone whispered.

Their question was answered by a greenrider running through the caverns, towards her waiting dragon. "The bronzes are blooding their kills!"

"I thought Litayth was too old!" someone shouted as they ran to a window to see for themself.

"I guess not!" the rider called, and then she was gone. All the greens had been sent away, just in case Litayth would think them competition. Usually the golds ignored the greens, but not this one.

Weyrwoman Tiyanni stood on her Queen's ledge, watching the bronzes. Their riders were gathering below. Not one would set foot on the stone steps to her weyr until the outcome was decided. After all, he whose dragon flew the Senior Queen became Weyrleader.

Tiyanni stood comfortably, a breeze ruffling her long silvering hair. Soon she and Litayth would retire, but not today. She knew the instant her lifelong friend awoke, as her blood set on fire, echoing the great gold's emotions. Litayth rose gracefully from her couch, and strode out of the weyr.

Litayth lept from her ledge, golden hide gleaming with unquenchable fire. She flew straight to the feeding grounds, ignoring the onlookers entirely, felling a large herdbeast without a wasted ounce of effort.

The battle for control was on, and Tiyanni commanded her Queen to blood only. Litayth fought against it, roaring and trying to eat of the soft, juicy beast. Blood. It. Only. Tiyanni sent, emphasising every thought. Eventually, she blooded the beast, drinking deep. Litayth's golden muzzle was smeared red, and soon another herdbeast, met the same fate. This one didn't require nearly as much effort to get Litayth to blood it, as the power was already flowing through her. Litayth sent the wherries running about their pen as she snagged one deftly.

In a heartbeat, the shining gold lept for the sky, trumpeting tauntingly at her would-be suitors to try and catch her. Tiyanni's mind linked with her dragons, and together they soared through the sky.

Every bronze the weyr boasted lept after her, and the chase began, each trying to out manuver the other, and yet have enough wingroom to try and catch up to Litayth.

The chase went high and wide, and one by one the weaker bronzes dropped out, leaving the strongest and most experienced to chase. Tiyanni-Litayth crowed triumphantly, endlessly taunting them. She twisted about, and dove straight into the pack of bronzes, scattering them like so many leaves on the pond. She called to them mockingly, darting into a bank of dense clouds, the misty cool droplets sweeping across her gleaming golden hide.

She burst from the clouds, intent on climbing higher. Suddenly, she was siezed from above, pinned, as the bronze twined his neck and tail with hers. She fought, trying to free herself, but could not, and didn't want to.

J'kosh strode up the stairs to meet Tiyanni. The deeply bronze Zerroith had caught Litayth once again, and he would keep Weyrleadership. Grinning, J'kosh stood beside her, offering his arm to escort her. With a pleased expression on her own face, Tiyanni accepted, and as they say, the rest is history.

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