Ryslen - Flight 5

Flight 5

Green Varuith
(Written by Mariana)

Aleori was stretched out on her back on her weyrledge, contemplating the velvety black sky above her. She looked to her left at Varuith’s sleeping form. The young green had been glowing for most of the day, becoming increasingly bright as night fell—or perhaps it just appeared that way because of the darkness. She would rise soon. The rider smiled and turned her attention back to the starlight. The moon was full tonight; it bathed the Weyr with soft radiance.

Varuith stirred in her slumber, restless. Aleori glanced at her dragon anxiously, but the green did not wake. The young woman stood up with a yawn and was about to re-enter her weyr when she noticed movement in the Weyrbowl below them. Now who would be up and about at this time of the night?

Five draconic shapes were down on the Feeding Grounds. Aleori frowned—they all seemed vaguely familiar. And why weren’t any of them eating the herdbeasts they’d brought down? She could see glimpses of each dragon’s hide—two brown, one bronze, and two blues. How odd. What--

There was almost an audible click as everything fell into place. The five male dragons were the ones she’d seen hanging around near Varuith’s just this afternoon. And they were blooding their kills. Blooding their kills, in preparation for a flight. Varuith’s flight! Aleori gasped and whirled around to look at her dragon.

Varuith had awakened. Her eyes flashed red as she stretched limbs and wings sensuously. The green looked down her nose at the five expectant males and snorted. Such pitiful excuses for dragons. she remarked scornfully. Greens did not need to blood their kills before flying—much more efficient than those bossy queens! Varuith leaped from the ledge, flashing by before her suitors’ noses before climbing into the dark sky.

Aleori was transfixed. She was barely aware of the five sets of footsteps behind her. All she could sense was Varuith. No dragon would ever catch her green beauty! And with that thought, the curious mind-meld between rider and dragon was completed.

Varuith flew silhouetted against the moon. The white light gleamed on her bright form, making the dragoness seem like quicksilver. She waved the tip of her tail in front of the leading chaser’s face before speeding up even more. The green suddenly came to an abrupt stop in the air, making one of the eager males overshoot too far. Bronze Veralith reluctantly dropped out. Varuith, however, was far from disappointed.

She bugled smugly and shot straight up, weaving and turning in an intricate display of a green’s agility. One of the two browns, Amontilath, was hard-pressed to keep up with such maneuvers and was forced to retreat. If Varuith had been human, she would have laughed. Now there were but three left in the chase. Brown Requarith, with the blues Kulerth and Beridonth. She pondered. Were any of them good enough for her?

Most definitely not, Varuith decided, and went into another series of dives. She could feel that Beridonth was held back, however slightly, by his rider’s longing for another. Well! Then he shouldn’t have tried in the first place! Varuith huffed angrily through her nose at the (in her mind) errant dragon. On the other hand....Kulerth was a fine blue, and Requarith was an old admirer from her weyrling days. If they could prove themselves worthy, then perhaps....perhaps she would accept one of them as her mate.

Beridonth suddenly slowed, uncertain. That was not a good move. The younger blue spiraled back down to the Weyr, disappointed. Varuith cast her eye over the two remaining males. They both looked..hmm....rather tired. One more little trick then, to test their wits. Varuith spun on a wingtip and flew over their heads with a whoosh. Ha! They’d be farther behind than ever....

Or not. A sinuous neck wrapped around her own. Varuith squawked in surprise and wriggled around to face this new adversary—which was what her captor had been hoping for. Dark wings paralleled her green ones, as green and brown tails twined. They swept across the star-studded sky, the moonlight caressing both dragons.

This had better be a good clutch, dearie.. Aleori chuckled mentally at her dragon from the.....warm...darkness of her weyr.

Green Inyxith
(Written by Tiyanni)

The dawn came, and with it, unseasonable heat... As the day went on, it became common knowlede that Varuith had veen flown, and bets on the number of eggs she'd lay were being taken.

When the sun was ghigh in the sky, dragons began to move about - shouldn't they be resting in this heat? A bronze, two browns, and two blues decended on the feeding grounds and began to blood their kills. Their riders hurried to finish their meals before the thrall of the flight kicked in. Anyghari drained her tall glass of juice in one fell swoop, and quietly left the dining hall. The riders of the male dragons followed, but their exit was not so inconspicuous.

Inyxith was Rising. The green awoke from her nap, with fire pulsing through her veins. She dropped from her ledge to the feedng grounds. The lifeblood of a large buck was gone faster than Anyghari could react. Inyxith didn't fight to eat, but sprank skyward, leaving the males to try to catch up to her. With wide powerful strokes, she climbed high into the sky. Without warning, she turned and darted back towards them. Aeshoth flinched, and soon found himself far behind the others. Too far.

Bronze Vremarth tried to snap his wings around her, but the elusive green slipped away. Vremarth fell to the back of the pack, but pressed on. Inyxith soared away like a leaf in the breeze, trumpeting challenges. You shall never catch me! she crowed, I am faster than you all!

Light brown Webeith broke from the pack and flew as fast and as high as his shaded wings would take him. He dove at Inyxith, but she darted away, leaving Webeith to collide with Vremarth. By the time they were sorted out, Inyxith ans her remaining suitors were long gone. Vremarth and Webeith were both out.

Inyxith flew high, and turned to survey those behind her. Blue Miliardorth was fast and bright, and brown Viresth - he was strong and cunning. Either would make a fine mate. Inyxith dove at them once more, taunting her prowess, before soaring up to the heights. The tiring males fought to keep up. Whatever drove them on was stronger than Inyxith had anticipated, and as she turned, she found herself entangled. A strong male body twined around hers, and as they fell together she saw Miliardotrth flying back.

Viresth was hers.

On the ground, Anyghari and Ada came face to face, a surprised smile on each one's face.

* * *

Rumors flew around Ryslen. Multiple greens flying in one day was old hat, but two fertile greens? How would this work? Surely one would be sent away...

Later that day...

Green Brindath
(Written by Trin)

The sun was just starting to creep its way up over the horizon in the east as Nasha twisted and turned uncomfortably in her temporary bed. Brindath was flicking her tail spade back and forth, creating and a soft scraping sound on the stony floor. Both rider and dragon woke from their seemingly restless sleep in time with each other.

Nasha slowly at up in her bed and craned her neck toward her Brindath. The nearly white green was beginning to lift herself from her stone resting-place when Nasha felt hunger panging at her stomach. She hadn't had much of an appetite the day before, but now she was hungry.

Hastily, she put on some loose clothes and headed to the kitchen of Ryslen Weyr. Brindath emitted a low growl as Nasha walked out of the weyr.

"No, Brindath, you're not eating anything today. I know you'll rise sometime today or tomorrow and you don't to be easy picking for the males do you?" Nasha said with her heads on her hips and a challenging glint in her eyes.

No, I don't, but I'm hungry.

"Well, after your done with your first glorious flight you can eat all you want. After all, you'll be carrying eggs soon."

Brindath held her head high and made a dragonish smile. Most greens didn't care much for laying eggs and being motherly, but it seemed to be important to Brindath that she lay at least one clutch before chewing any firestone.

Nasha had a sinking feeling that, despite her words, Brindath was not going to lay only one clutch. Nasha shook the thoughts from her head as her stomach reminded her why she was on the way to the kitchen. "I'll be back in a while, Brindath."

All right, but don't be too long. I'd like to take a bath sometime today. Brindath snapped. Both rider and dragon were suffering from the frequent mood swings that came along with the pre-mating flight period.

"Now, that I can let you have." Nasha walked down the short flight of stairs to the kitchen. Nasha's green fire lizard looked up from her morning meal and chirped happily.

"Ah, there you are Keeshi. I figured I'd kind you here." The deeply colored green chopped down her last morsel of meat and flitted to Nasha's shoulder to take her usual perch.

Keeshi carefully cleaned her talons as Nasha waltzed into the back of the kitchen to help herself to the fresh baked goods and klah. No one dared to bother her for fear of what mood she might be in. Even the slightest offensive gesture could severely anger Nasha and Brindath. Nasha took that as one of the only advantages of her dragon's present state. Other than that she was very uncomfortable, so was Brindath and even Keeshi. But it was all to be over very soon.

Nasha took her breakfast back up to the weyr to find Brindath lazing about on it's sunny ledge watching some males dragons arrive down in the weyrbowl.

Iyirhath and his rider have arrived. Brindath said in a calm and content voice. Iyirhath and his rider, Sh'lilen, were Nasha and Brindath's wing leaders. Brindath had practically forced the large brown into joining her flight. Nasha blushed a little when Sh'lilen waved at her and then shifted her view back to her dragon.

Brindath's eyes whirled with uncertainty as another brown, two blues, and one of Ryslen's light browns popped out from between and landed near Iyirhath.

I don't know why they insist on coming now. Brindath snorted. I will only rise when they least expect and then I'll give /them/ all a real challenge. Brindath seemed to smirk with an undeniable amount of pride in her tone. Nasha could only sigh and smile as she continued to eat.

* * *

Later that day:

"Another bath, Brindath? I already gave you one this morning! If you get anymore clean I'll end up scrubbing your hide off!" Nasha told her dragon sarcastically. Brindath rose to her feet and bugled, annoyed, at her rider.

Tiny green Keeshi, who was sleeping between Brindath's shoulders, woke up startled from the sudden movement of the "bleached" green. I want another bath. Keeshi says she'll help you.

"Fine, you win." Nasha told her in defeat. "But only after I'm finished with my dinner."

Okay. That's fine with me, rider mine. Brindath stretched her fore legs, extending her talons and making a loud scraping sound of the solid stone floor. Keeshi chattered in protest to the ear-piercing nose and Nasha made a contorted face and covered her ears.

Nasha quickly finished eating the last tuber on her plate, gathered the bathing utensils, and headed once again to the lake in the weyr.

Brindath smugly followed her rider by gliding down and gracefully landing in the water only making a few small ripples and immersed herself the cool, clear waters. Her rider and Keeshi arrived a moments later.

Just wash me lightly, Nasha. Not need to scrub like earlier. Nasha shrugged her shoulders and began to gently wash her stubborn green. Keeshi also lent a helping talon by cleaning between some of Brindath's hard-to-reach places.

"I still don't understand why you want another bath. I cleaned you very well this morning." Brindath didn't seem to be listening very well to her rider's words as she was watching the golden sun start to set on Ryslen Weyr. "Brindath are you listening to me?" Nasha asked, staring blanking at her dragon. "Brindath?"

Suddenly, Brindath opened her large wings and bugled causing Nasha to become soaked with excess water. Leaping out of the water with one mighty swoop of her wings Brindath took off for the feeding grounds. Realizing right away what was happening Nasha immediately composed herself.

Brindath took down a large, unsuspecting buck as soon as her reached the feeding grounds. Holding it greedily in her talons she attempted to devour it.

No, Brindath! Blood it only! Don't you dear eat it! Nasha shouted mentally to her dragon. Brindath bugled and echoed throughout the Weyr. Blood it, Brindath! Reluctantly the green sucked the blood her kill.

Soon after she downed another large herd beast. Only this time she did not protest to her rider's "blood it only" commands. She was beginning to feel a surge of energy swell up within her and she now wanted more.

Her male suitors where starting to gather around feeding grounds and one more time she downed a herd beast, this was smaller, but still satisfying.

With a mighty, challenging bugle that echoed throughout the entire Weyr, Brindath to the air in her first mating flight.

Brindath danced in the air, her hide pulsed brightly in the light of the setting sun, and her damp wings glistened. Brindath had never felt so powerful. She bolted through the air as male took flight and the case began.

Their minds one, Brindath and Nasha gave the dragons and their riders the flight of their lives.

The agile green weaved through her suitors, daring them to try to catch her.

The first to try was Brown Nadornth, but Brindath quickly turned on her tail and the brown started a spiraling descent to the ground below them.

Flying into the golden horizon, Brindath caught an air current as Blue Pazeth made his attempt to catch the flightily Brindath and failed.

Stopped suddenly she turned, beating her glistening wings strongly, to challenge the remaining three males. Brown Iyirhath, Light Brown Anikupath, and Blue Ayceth. Brindath all ready knew whom she wanted, but it was the question of if he was worthy that still up in the air.

All four dragons hovered in the air while the four riders waited. Nasha pushed away her male riders just like Brindath had pushed away the male dragons.

Shall we finish this? Nasha asked her Brindath, sweat dripping down the sides of her face.

Soon, my rider, soon. Brindath replied as she made a totally unsuspected move and flew straight toward the three suitors. Surprised and startled, they all made another more attempts to ensnare the flightily green.

Blue Ayceth nearly entangled her wing, but Brindath quickly shook free of him and he, too, went spiraling back down to the weyr.

Now there were only two suitors for her left in the skies of Ryslen Weyr and Brindath once again commenced with her teasing antics. She caught another strong air current and glided through the air with tiring ease. The end of the flight was near and Brindath knew who was going to catch her now.

She stopped one more time and flew toward the speeding browns. As Brindath overshot Iyirhath's advances, it was light brown Anikupath that finally managed to tangle his wings in hers. Without trying to set herself free, she accepted the daring light brown.

I knew you would catch me. Brindath said when the pair melted together as they flew entwined as one.

Ryslen's Weyrfolks wonder what will come of this -- Three greens, with clutches, all at the same time?!

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