Gold Mellonath Rises
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Xanadu Weyr - Feeding Grounds

A large portion of the eastern edge of the meadow has been fenced off, the corralling on three sides is located on the rolling meadow, while the fourth is located a short way up on the eastern hills. Within the large corral are a variety of beasts - ovines, bovines, and wherries - milling around, though the appearance of a dragon may send them one way or the other to try and escape. A small pond is set near one corner of the enclosure, and at times it reflects the low, bordering mountains.


Ethne shakes her head as she heads to look for where Mellonath had flown off to though a nagging suspicion brings her to the feeding grounds where she finds the honey gold queen already going after a herdbeast. She closes her eyes and says. "Just blood Mellonath… nothing else… please." Though the junior weyrwoman's thoughts are still of her weyrmate and where he could possibly be."

K'ralt is here, Ethne, don't worry. He's been about, really. "She's going up again?" he asks, coming up next to her and moving as if to wrap an arm around her shoulder.

Ethne sighs as she hears K'ralt's voice and almost startles as she feels him put his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah… I don't understand it, it wasn't long ago that she rose for her last clutch…" A tinge of worry is in her voice. She closes her eyes and remains quiet.

Itineranth has started on it. Blooding that is. He's rarely allowed Mellonath out of his sight since he saw her radiance near the sea, going to far as to camp out on a ledge near her weyr if she entered it. But that time of effectively driving his Rider mad has finally past and when Mellonath made her way to the feeding grounds the small Bronze had already caught two beasts of his own. Now that she is present though, Itineranth stays well out of her way, continuing to hunt but keeping his gaze locked for the most part upon the Gold after he had struck down another beast and begun to suck out its lifeblood. For his part, T'vis is leaning against the fence, his gaze settling upon Ethne. "I think I'll apologise in advance for anything Itineranth says or does in the next few hours…"

Mellonath dives after an older herdbeast already getting into her mindset that nature gave her to rise. She appears to act as if she's had a lot of pent up frustration and wildness built up as she gives a roar at any male that comes too close to her. It is her show and she's going to run it her way and no male is going to control it either. She sinks her teeth into the neck of the herdbeast as she listens to Ethne and is careful.

Alandoth didn't much like the strange bronze being near HIS gold! HIS GOLD! RAAAR! Growling at Itineranth, Alandoth goes and snatches out a herdbeast too, pausing only to croon at Mellonath. Who, if anyone hasn't figured it out yet, is HIS gold!

Najath soars into the Feeding Grounds, his eyes glowing and pulsing quickly as Zera nearly falls off his back, having no riding straps on. As the woman does eventualkly figure out which gold is rising, she tries to deter Najath, but the brown instead hisses at the other males after taking a stance.

K'ralt keeps his arm around Ethne, not as vocal as his dragon, but still possessive. Well, she is his weyrmate, after all. "You all right? It's actually been longer than you think since her last clutch."

Itineranth watches the new arrival with interest. Sure, its a Brown, but there's less than two meters between them. Quick as him, but perhaps not in for the long run? Nevertheless the Bronze rumbles a warning at the smaller Dragon as he strikes down a fourth beast and bloods it. After the animal is drained though, he stops and watches the Gold. He is full and the extra reserve of energy pulses within him, screaming for release but not yet… Not yet.

Ethne looks over towards T'vis as she bites her lips as she replies for a moment. "Um… yeah…" But it's apparent her focus is on that of her Queen and that is her only concern. "This is still much closer than her other clutches have been…" She mutters… "She's never rose this close together…" Poor Ethne is likely just as stressed though with the mood swings from her pregnancy and now Mellonath's moods and all on top. She seems a little preoccupied and a little jittery too.

T'vis's turns to Itineranth as the small Bronze assumes a stance which will allow him to take flight as quickly as possible. Lady's first and all that of course, but there's no need to be chivalrous to the competition. The man watches K'ralt and his Bronze for a moment and shakes his head. Oh well, not like he would ever outlive not fully supporting his Lifemate. He's already begun to be swept along.

A streak of honey gold is what is seen when the Queen is finished blooding and with little warning leaps up into the daytime sky. The sunlight kisses her radiant hide as she gives a roar as if to tell the males that they best not even get near her… they aren't worthy of her.

Itineranth knows he's not worthy, but he's already asked and gotten permission to chase. Being small has its advantages as he follows the Golden streak into the sky. Oh yes, lessons will be learned today.

T'lek wanders in to the feeding grounds to watch his dragon eat, supposedly. "Mont…" he begins uncertainly, glancing around at all the people already here. "Y' ain't gonna get t' eat much now." His dragon, however, is headed into the air without him, to follow the lady.

Najath growls at the small bronze before flinging up into the air, wings drawn in close to gain air-flight and then chase after Mellonath, crooning sweet nothings at her.

Alandoth was worthy of her last time she went up! With a brassy roar of his own, he leaps up after HIS gold. No one else can have her! No one! Alandoth was born to win! Especially this beauty.

By now it's evident that the junior weyrwoman, Ethne is already lost to the skies with the honey gold lifemate of hers. No longer fully aware of K'ralt by her side she pushes herself away with the instincts coming from Mellonath… nothing personal to her weyrmate. The woman moves back a little to distance herself.

T'vis is also drawn but such instincts. They lead him nearer to Ethne, but he keeps his distance. Only if his Lifemate were to win would he dare to approach any nearer.

Zera desprately tries to keep her distance. Najath can chase Mellonath all he wants, but Ethne is not on the plate tonight, not that the brown realizes this as he gives quick chase.

K'ralt was more or less expecting that. Sighing, K'ralt stays where he is, though if she gets any farther away he'll definitely follow. He's caught up with his dragon too, experiencing that dragon sensation again.

T'lek's palms are seriously sweaty now, and he's wiping them on his trousers. He paces a little, not yet used to this. He steps back from the others, then forward again, then contents himself with pacing in place. Oh, boy, oh, boy.

Mellonath quickly rises up as far as she can get away from her suitors. No they can't have her… that won't happen. She's too strong. After all, she is what they want and she's going to evade them as much as possible. A powerful beating of her wings helps her rise up further in altitude.

Itineranth spares but a glance around. But three others, and two larger than himself, despite one being a Brown. He climbs, weaving to avoid the others and gain upon the Golden beauty above. Her shining form a becon to aid him in his quest, a talisman to lend him strength and stamina to accent his agility and grace.

Alandoth soars upwards, wings beating strongly. He's one of the top 5 largest bronzes on Pern, he's got a reputation to uphold! He's almost as big as some golds! He's got skill! Talent! And doesn't need to overcompensate for anything! Plus, he's dead sexy.

Montereth beats his strong wings and follows the others chasing the queen. Objective noted, now how best to proceed? He considers his options quickly, not wasting a bit of his energy. Straightforward. Shortest distance between two points, isn't it?

Najath does a nose dive into a air flume, spiraling up to soar above his competitiors. Being the smallest, he takes air drafts, conserving his energy.

Of course, most would automatically figure who Ethne would favor to win, and who she wants to win but even in the past… Mellonath had been highly unpredictable even when Ethne factored into the equation. Part of coming into the flight and all scared her due to her pregnancy for sure. What if something happens wrong? Unfortunately Mellonath wiped that all to a blank slate when she took to the skies. The Queen though hisses each time one of the bronze or browns gets closer. She dives and turns gracefully in the sky to avoid contact with others. She's not ready or tired enough to go down yet. Mellonath hisses fiercely and wildly. She is in control, just as she likes it. The sky today is hers and so are those chasing her whether she wants them to be or not.

Itineranth finds a thermal but quickly avoids the air as his wings are too small to make must use of the currents, but more importantly the glorious Gold has decided to dive. Lower is better for the moment as he continues to rise.

Najath would swear if he could, but instead the brown nose dives into a down-ward flume, definitly putting him behind, but he has most of his energy left.

Alandoth notices that runt finding a thermal, but /he/ has nice, big wings, able to catch it. He goes up just enough so that if Mellonath decides to come back up, he'll be ready for her.

Montereth continues his straight pursuit, catching a wayward thermal. Refiguring his arc carefully, he lifts one wing slightly quicker than the other, and returns to the correct place. We'll get there yet, sir.

Only problem is instead of drifting back when she starts to show signs of tiring, Mellonath climbs back up in the air. If she's going to tire, so are the males and by then, she'll have won it all. Why be so predictable when one can give them a run for their money? Mellonath makes a sudden turn to the right and changes the direction without much notice in hopes that it'll fool them.

Itineranth keeps low, shadowing the glowing Mellonath's every motion to the best of his ability. With each moment he rises slightly, closing the distance without haste or waste. Large wings are fine, but who'll get them tangled if there were to be a sudden rush to save the Gold when she begins to tire. And tire she must, certainly. But until that time the small Bronze continues to creep toward his shimmering talisman. When that moments does come Itineranth puts on the burst of speed granted by the blood of those extra beasts. The Gold's sudden turn does not fool him and he continues to rise, following the Gold as loyaly as her own shadow.

Alandoth turns on a wingtip, not quite on a dime, more on a halfdollar, but he does end up going the right direction, keeping his altitude. Because when it matters, altitude equals speed.

Change in course, please. Montereth turns quickly, spiraling slightly lower than he intends, but beating his strong wings to compensate. He bugles a short bugle to the lady, as if in greeting.

Najath growls as he manages to go the complete wrong way, taking a draft and spiraling upwards towards the queen, beating his wings strongely.

Mellonath lets out a sharp hiss as she sees a few of them getting closer. She doesn't converse, she feels no need to convey her feelings. Only the one that is truly worth of her in this flight will even get to know them. The Queen does show signs of tiring as she starts to be unable to keep up the higher altitudes and drops down lower getting much too close to the group of males that are so intent on winning her.

Itineranth tucks his legs close and spreads his wings wide as he catches a thermal. His smaller mass rises quickly upon the warm wind, aided by strong, regular beats of his wings. As Mellonath begins to fall, he continues to climb. This is the true test of his balance, he must pick the perfect moment to swoop out and catch the Golden Queen and learn what she might teach.

Ethne has definitely moved a bit farther back with each of the male riders' attempts to get closer. It's lucky she hasn't tripped and fallen on her backside in the process thankfully. Her fists clenched tight as she is well aware of Mellonath's tiring as she is feeling it too.

Alandoth is glad for that thermal, because he's having a bit of difficulty keeping high up himself, and starts soaring more than flapping, headed towards Mellonath.

T'vis continues to approach Ethne, slowly, maintaining a constant distance between both Riders even as his Bronze attempts to close the distance between Dragons.

Montereth is tiring a little, but has some power left in the reserves. Pour it all into th' wings, we'll nae catch her otherwise. He keeps up the pace.

K'ralt keeps close to his weyrmate, moving protectively towards her. He's got his eyes fastened on the specks that are the dragons, knowing instinctively where Alandoth is.

T'lek is somewhat horrified by how well Montereth is doing. He shakes his head nervously, looking at Ethne, blinking and then beginning to pace again. He lifts his head to watch the brown's progress.

Well time has come for this honey golden girl to retire and it's apparent that the gold falters nearly missing the talons of one of the bronzes as she turns to manuver away she gets close to Alandoth but her tiredness causes her to make a mistake and swerve directly into the waiting talons of the smallest of the bronzes… Itineranth, much to her shock and Ethne's likely as soon as she is fully aware of things.

Itineranth missed the Gold as he misjudges his exit, but a moment later a swerve on her part and a rapid correction of his own leaves tails wrapped together and small sails are set to the task of keeping the pair in the air to herald the next generation. Upon the ground, T'vis draws close to Ethne, following her lead as to where to retire, but no longer maintaining the respectful distance of the hopeful suitor.

Alandoth growls low as that midget steals HIS gold away from him, then abruptly leaves the area.

Ethne blinks as she still is caught up in things and she realizes that something is off at least for her as T'vis takes her into his arms. Those aren't K'ralt's arms at all… they aren't her weyrmate's arms.

Hey, that's not right! She's /his/ weyrmate! K'ralt comes to, and notices T'vis going off with Ethne. He growls similar to his dragon, but there's nothing he can do that doesn't involve hurting the other male rider. Badly.

Relief floods T'lek's face as he stops pacing, and Montereth wings down to land. He scritches Mont's neckridges, absently, leaning over on to the big brown.

Zera rubs her eyes and looks around, and her jaw -drops- as Najath comes to a land behind his rider. "« Wow. »" Both comment at the same time.

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