Western Weyr - Corrals
Enclosed by a high wooden fence on one side and the steep walls of the weyr on the other is a half acre of grass that holds the Weyr's herdbeasts and wherry flock. While this dragon feeding area is smaller than most of the Weyrs on Pern, there is still enough room for a large dragon to swoop down and grab his dinner with relative ease.
Nae has been acting odd for days. 'Odd' is maybe a bit of an understatement. Anyone paying attention should have seen this coming. But now, there's no doubt. Kaiath's got that telltale glow about her as she descends upon the corrals, launching right at the most hapless herdbeast with a wild enthusiasm. Nae rushes towards the corral, eyes wide. "Oooh, no no no…" Yeah, she's a little panicked.
Odd is definitely something of an understatement. Thankfully, Zi'on hasn't had the pleasant experience of bumping into the greenrider recently. Though Nae's weyrmate for sure is probably hiding in their weyr, or passed out in exhaustion. Suldith though, has spotted Kaiath in her glowy state, and has been keeping tabs on the green as it goes. So when she wings off toward the corrals, the small bronze pops out of nowhere (or maybe from his ledge nearby) and wings off after her. Unlike his usual picky eating habits, he downs the first beast he comes across near to the green and puts his muzzle to its throat. Zi'on comes jogging over from his office a few moments later. "Ooh! Hello Nae!" He says, with a grin.
Irkevalath has spent most of his afternoon lounging near the pens, and why not? He has history here, see that fence? HE burnt it down, which only got him in a mess of trouble honestly. Though at the moment the blue is just dozing, right up until the herdbeast is slammed into. The blue lifts his head, swirling gaze settling upon the green within and he warbles softly while stretching limbs and is up with a hopping leap right over /his/ bit of fence. Well well, proody beautiful green is right over there has perked his interest it would seem. He wont take long to find a beast that is running towards him thinking he can escape one of the other dragons, bu the blue makes it short work by hauling it downwards.
In a whoosh of air and a flurry of wings, Ujinath descends on the corrals not long after Kaiath has in her wild enthusiasm. Maybe that's what caught his eye and definitely her glowing hide. It's been a long time since the cerulean blue was in Western, but he helps himself to the herds without pause, snaring his first kill and dragging it off to the sides where he'll mantle his wings and growl at any male who gets too close while he keeps a sharp eye on Kaiath. What, exactly, is Ujinath doing here? Kiena probably has far more colourful questions directed at her blue, but the Xanadian Weyrsecond is focused more on catching up. By the time she reaches the corrals, she's winded, having jogged almost half way across the Weyr when she first sensed Ujinath's intentions towards a proddy green. She's not on duty, so it's only a guess as to what brought the bluerider here. The markets? Possible. For whatever reason, she's there now and judging from the scowl she has (and directed to Ujinath), she's stuck and staying put.
Mur'dah has finished making his Comet delivery, and now that he's done with that…it's time for a flight? Oh joy. While Kalsuoth (still wearing his straps, yay?) hops the fence and tears into a beast, Mur'dah runs up from the opposite direction, the Comet Wingrider /on/ duty as his eyes seek out Kiena's. "Well…" Hmm. His eyes scan the crowds and focus briefly on Nae, green eyes brightening with a quick flicker of desire before he shakes his head. Kalsuoth dips his muzzle to drink greedily from the opened vein, and he rumbles a challenge to the others.
Nae rubs at the bridge of her nose at the sound of Zi'on's voice. She sighs, her eyes squinted shut. "… Hello, Zi'on." Kaiath does not share her lifemate's uneasiness about this event. Oh no. This is to be fun! And like most fun things, this starts with drinking a large quantity of herdbeast blood. Yum yum! She slashes, gnaws, and slurps, her whirling eyes glancing to the male dragons assembling. Hello, boys!
Zi'on blinks at Nae, then laughs at her response. "Sorry. Suldith doesn't usually chase greens. But he has known Kaiath for a long while now, so he actually pays attention to when she goes proddy. Don't look so glum! It'll be just like old times!" There's a a grin when Kiena approaches. "Weyrsecond. You're welcome to join in if Suldith catches. Right Nae?" Rude. Very rude. There's a nod to Mur'dah. Suldith meanwhile is sucking his beast dry, laying on the torso to help speed things along and chewing on the neck a bit until it's a gory mash. There's a low rumble for the green, while the other males are ignored.
Irkevalath rumbles out while he works on blooding his kill, his tail slowly sways and lashes about while his wings flutter a few times and his gaze flicks over to the other males that have joined in. Well look who all showed up! Soon his gaze flicks back to the lovely green, he croons out a pleasant little tune to her. Seeming to say 'Hello there beautiful', just without any words for the moment.
Kiena approaches, but also takes a moment to catch her breath, bending forwards to rest her hands on her thighs. Okay, so maybe she ran, rather than jog? Surely that's why her cheeks are so red and have nothing at all to do with Zi'on's rude comment. That heated flash in her eyes has nothing to do with it either, but Kiena only scoffs and straightens, tossing her now half-loose hair back over her shoulder. It never could be held back for long and already a few strands are free to frame her face in a haphazard and wild manner. "… I'll pass, Weyrleader. If Ujinath doesn't win, there's only one I'm sleeping with…" And speak of the devil? Kiena will turn her head to glance back to Mur'dah, relief and conflict written on her features, though she masks it all behind a crooked grimace. "I'd say something about timing but… figure it's an old and tired joke, eh?" she mutters, stepping closer to the brown rider's side though her gaze drifts back to Nae, watching her with the same intensity that Ujinath watches Kaiath until the bluerider gives her head a brisk shake. No. In the corral, Ujinath growls almost constantly under his breath as he bloods his kill and once its done, he'll sweep his wings back, toss the carcass aside and launch for another herd beast to fell.
Mur'dah snorts as he approaches, eying Zi'on. "What, she's invited and I'm not?" There's a smirk as he slips his arm around Kiena. Macho bravado and claiming? Why…yes. He's young. Lucky he's not peeing on her shoe, the way his eyes flash at Kiena, and then to Nae. "Hey. I'm Mur'dah." Did his voice just drop half an octave? To Kiena, he smirks. "Only for you, little bird." In the pens, Kalsuoth's old-growth forest mind is shadowed, full of secrets and the whispers of dark wings. Bells and drums sound in the distance, muffled. Enticing, as he drinks further and the shadows begin to receede, chased back by the steadily growing drum beat and the warm red glow that hovers above his mindscape's ground, between two massive oak trees.
Normally, Nae would either laugh off Zi'on's rude remark, or respond with something equally rude. But the whole heavy proddiness has her go a little flushed as she looks at Kiena and Mur'dah, eyes flashing at the unfamiliar faces. "… Sure. All of you." She sounds like she might almost be serious. She shakes her head like she's trying to clear it, but to no avail. "I… I mean…" She's not sure what she means. Kaiath finishes up her blooding, stretching her wings and trumpeting to the males. It's an invitation, warning, and challenge all at once. With a few powerful beats of her wings and a leap forward she takes to the air, beginning the flight in earnest. The chase is on!
Zi'on just grins to Kiena. "Suit yourself. It is convenient having brought your other half along. I'll have to run back to mine if I end up on the losing end." He peers at Mur'dah and ponders. "Well, maybe. But I'm exits only, so…" He laughs. Zi'on doesn't seem to mind the bravado, oddly enough. Perhaps he's finally over Kiena? Nae is given a smile. It's meant to be reassuring, as is the pat he gives to her shoulder. Zi'on looks up as the dragons take to the sky. Once Kaiath is off the ground, Suldith spreads his sails and leaps into the air after her. He gives an enormous trumpet for a small bronze. Just letting Kaiath know he's back here! And giving chase!
Irkevalath sends a glance off to the others while his claws grab hold of another beast that got to close. He is just latching on and going about blooding it as well before the green is off and in the air. With a quick rumble the beast is tossed to the side, the warning calls not bothering him as he leaps into the air and is off chasing after Kaiath. It has started it seems! A mixture of bugles and trumpet's escaping him as he moves higher into the air.
"Don't encourage him," Kiena mutters under her breath to Mur'dah, not seeming to mind the brown rider's bravado or the arm he slips around her shoulders. She'll lean against him, though her posture is tensing and her attention drifting more and more frequently to Nae. "You do that." she fires back to Zi'on with a smirk, concerning running back to his other half. She'd had a wittier retort any other day, but with her mind already scattering and becoming more Ujinath's by the minute, coherent thinking is slipping away. "All of us?" Kiena drawls to Nae, giving her a lingering once over glance and a smirk that turns more to a wry grin. "Ambitious, but not my style." Shaking her head, she blinks her eyes clear and then darts a look up to Mur'dah, brows knitting into a faint look of concern as she mumbles something hurriedly to him. Ujinath will lift his head up from his second kill, muzzle bloodied, and voice his own call of accepted challenge as he discards his kill, flares his wings and leaps aloft in the skies. Sweeping his wings in powerful strokes, he will aim to join the thickest part of the pack of males for now, blending in as they rise after Kaiath. May the odds be in his favour and let the games begin!
Mur'dah snorts, rolling his eyes. "Where's your sense of adventure?" He drawls to Zi'on, though his gaze is swiftly taken by the rising green, and then to her lovely young rider. He licks his lips, swallowing thickly, lifting a hand to run his fingers through his hair. In the pen, Kalsuoth laps up the last bit of blood and surges upwards after the green, that glowing red sphere in his mind expanding, reaching outward and chasing away the shadows. Despite his awkwardness on the ground, in the air he is dark wings and dexterity, swooping up and taking the high line after her, middle of the pack and biding his time for the moment.
Nae stammers a little bit. She looks distinctly torn, a kind of uncertainty that is rarely seen in the usually confident greenrider. "What I meant was… was…" Her eyes trail over the various riders as she leaves the sentence unfinished, no longer sure what she meant. Kaiath zooms almost straight up, a steep initial ascent. She warbles and trumpets gleefully as she finds an air pocket that helps her rocket up to soar properly. Once she has enough altitude her wings go wide so that she can zoom forth.
Zi'on laughs at Mur'dah. "Not hidden up there, that's for sure!" Zi'on hops up to sit on the corral fence. Normally he'd try to comfort Nae, since the greenrider seems out of her element. But he's decidedly distracted, and Nae seems to be as well. The disadvantage of being a larger dragon means that air pockets don't have as much lifting effect as they might for the smaller, lighter dragons. So Suldith continues his rapid wing flapping until Kaiath levels out, moving just above where she is to catch some extra momentum as he sinks back down slightly. The other dragons are still largely being ignored, until a blue gets too close to him, earning a growl and a snap from the bronze.
Irkevalath shifts and turns slowly, following after that beautiful green hide. He won't get to close that yet mind you but he isn't about to let the bigger bronze and brown think he is out for the count, the other blue isn't a worry in his mind at the moment. His wings stretch as he glides a few moments across a updraft with soft croons and warbles escaping him. There is the growl and snap from the bronze picked up and his head turns to send a low rumble right back at him.
Kiena is equally as torn, for a moment, as she looks from Mur'dah to Nae, still leaning in close to the young brown rider's side. Her posture shifts then, as Ujinath continues to soar higher and her mind drifts further into his. Her eyes never leave the greenrider now, save to dart swiftly to Zi'on or Mur'dah, but the look of determination and, yes, desire too, are reserved for Nae. She is definitely no source of comfort and as the flight progresses, Kiena will pull away a bit from Mur'dah's side. High up in the skies, Ujinath will push on ahead once Kaiath has levelled out, using what thermals he can find to help boost his speed and conserve his strength. Lithe and nimble though he is, his stamina will only go so far but it won't keep him from bullying a few of the other males out of his way with snarled and snapped warnings to other blues, browns and bronzes alike. Out of his way! The rest of his focus goes to the glowing green, the object of his desire and his goal, the fuel behind his determination to see this out to the very end.
Mur'dah lets his arm slip from around Kiena, hands flexing at his sides. His focus has also shifted to Nae, letting his eyes travel over her body. Not lewed in his interest, but he's definitely /focused/ on her, drinking in the details of her face, hair, her body…and what she might look like beneath her clothes, and how she might respond to him, pressed together… He twitches, shaking his head firmly, but the clarity doesn't last long and his desire returns swiftly. Above, Kalsuoth shifts, dropping through the pack to fly beneath, finding steadier currents here below the other dragons, and pushing forward with strong beats of his wings, tail lashing, thoughts expanding and then narrowing, focusing on /her/.
Nae fidgets with a nervousness that seems unusual for her. Her fingers toy with the buttons on her clothing, and she nibbles on her lower lip. She's no longer talking, at least not on the moment. She shifts foot to foot, making a sort of growling sound as she looks up at her lifemate above. Kaiath, on the other hand, has no such ambivalence. She's the center of attention, radiant in her glorious grace and beauty. Plus, she gets to show off her awesome flying! What could be better? She trumpets more challenges as she does a barrel roll, swooping left. Then, just when her chasers near, she dives into a sudden half-loop, reversing direction. She's still got plenty of energy!
Zi'on keeps his eyes shut for much of this flight time. Only popping them open every so often to look up or to glance over at Nae. There's unfortunately not much he can do to help her, without overstepping. The flight would be over soon. Maybe. The other disadvantage to being a larger dragon was the inability to comfortably do the wild flight maneuvers that the smaller dragons could keep up with. Suldith at least has enough experience to know what he can and can't do, and falls to the back of the pack to ease into the green's loops and turns without falling too far behind. The good thing about being larger? He won't run out of juice any time soon.
Irkevalath continues to follow, his wings stretch out, form dipping to the side while he turns to follow up this way, down that way it is like a dance in the air and he is all for following the movement if able. Soft rumbles, and low bulges escape him. His mindscene is the sea, rich dark blue with flashes of greens and yellows, there is a low dump of musical notes almost felt within the water itself as he reaches out to Kaiath. As the loop is seen he dives downwards wings tucked close and he is right there, zipping back in the other direction once more. She will have to try harder to get him to slow down it seems!
Kiena doesn't approach too close to Nae, lingering a few paces back from the greenrider though the bluerider is fidgeting in her own way. Not quite pacing but not exactly idle either, it could almost be described as prowling even though her steps never quite take her full circle and though her eyes drift to the other riders present, she's not seeing them. She's as much Ujinath now, lost in his drives and instincts and only a small shred of herself left and clinging stubbornly for control. Kiena's quiet too, watching Nae and waiting… Waiting, much like Ujinath is high above as he wheels and dives after Kaiath. He won't fall for any fancy flying tricks either, cunningly finding a swifter path or a way around if he can, which ever gives him speed and advantage. He's not one to flirt or show off, too focused in calculating his next move and avoiding his competitors. Yet when the glowing green trumpets her challenge, Ujinath will answer in his melodious call and his mindscape will expand in a flurry of vivid painted colours in a myriad of landscapes. Undaunted by her barrel rolls and a sudden half-loop and reversal, Ujinath will dip his wings and turn sharply to veer back after her. Lead on, lead on!
Mur'dah continues to watch Nae, drifting away from his girlfriend to focus on the greenrider instead, his gaze intense and admiring. In the skies above, Kalsuoth pushes on, swerving to dodge another brown who veers too close. That costs him a bit of space in the race, but he surges forward after the glowing green, rumbling, the skies of his mind opening up and inviting her in.
Even Nae's breathing is effected by now, her cheeks flushed as she continues to fiddle and fidget, eyes on the dragons above. Kaiath is thrilled as ever. These suitors are even better than she expected! She thought she'd lose a few with those sweet moves of hers. Well, now it's time for the advanced stuff! Sharp turns! Loop de loops! A brief spin with some upside down flying! Now everyone will see how acrobatic and graceful the green is! Though… are all those fancy moves sapping the green's energy just a little? She may be starting to slow a tiny bit. Almost imperceptably.
Suldith sits at the back of the pack. He bids his time, and watches the green do her tricks and loops. No, he won't be attempting any of them. Just following close behind the other dragons. Otherwise he might end up in a crash, or be pushed too far behind to catch up. Sharp turns he can more or less handle without too much trouble, wings twisting and giving a blast of air to change directions at the last moment. Suldith barrels ahead with the rest of the pack to try and scoop up Kaiath!
Irkevalath twists and turns, there is a bit of a dive this way and then a sliding dip that away. When it comes to flying he is rather graceful, almost as if swimming through the air in a sense. As Kaiath goes about showing off those fancy moves he only follows after a couple, he doesn't want to use up all his energy after all as that would be silly thing to do at this point in time. There is a moment where he catches sight of the green starting to tire, waver there, and then again? Well then he best hurry up or else he'll be left in the back with the rest of the pack once more. A low rumble escapes him and he turns to zip sharply forward with a flap of his wings, taloned forepaws stretch out to try and snag Kaiath in an attempt to pull her closer to him before one of the other males zips in to try and do the same thing. Around now is when Sundari is making her way out to the corral seeing how her dear blue is already there and on the case, though she isn't fully on her own it seems. Her gaze lifts up to the sky as she catches sight of the dragons flying and a soft breath escapes her before she is searching about for Nae, which she is guessing is over with the other riders at the moment.
Ujinath is certainly admiring Kaiath now as she leads them on a wild chase and his desire to snare her grows ever stronger. He likes a challenge and her acrobatics and grace are as alluring as her glowing hide. He won't follow her into any of those loop de loops or the risk of flying upside down, but sharp turns? Oh, he'll be making a few of those, as well as some close and narrow flying as he pours the rest of his energy and strength into his wingstrokes and surges ahead. Now is the time, when he senses that faltering in the green's movements, to make his move. Kaiath is all he sees and he will set his path and course as he hones in on her, weaving and darting around any of the other males who may be in his way. Ujinath is the type who is not against stealing or plucking a potential mate right from the claws of another, using his slender and nimble form to his advantage here as he closes in. So close, so close! His white tipped talons extend, ready to snare should fate favour him after all… While below, Kiena advances in small steps on Nae, her blue eyes bright and heated as she half-paces, half-prowls her way closer to the greenrider, her expression mixed between determination and desire and her body tensed, readied to dart forwards (or away).
While Mur'dah watches Nae closely, Kalsuoth shifts and then makes his move. Pushing forward, the darkly hued brown turns, dodging another chaser before he rises up towards Kaiath, his thoughts reaching out towards her with a flare of heat, welcomed passion and a call for her to come join him in his embrace.
Kaiath has enthusiasm, grace, and style. What she's running out of is energy. She's having great fun, but even she realizes this can only go on so long. She takes a moment to consider her suitors as her flapping slows. So many handsome bronzes and browns. So big and strong. But no. Not on her first outing. She's a delicate little green, and she's got blue fever! The final choice is made on impulse, like so many other choices in Kaiath's life. She croons and swirls in a final swoop that sets her on a collision course with Ujinath, sweeped right up with the blue. Nae, her eyes almost glazed over, follows her lifemate's lead and practically leaps upon Kiena. Oh my.