Ierne Weyrhold - Southern Beaches
Grasses blow in the gentle breezes on the small rolling sand dunes of the southern and southwestern shores. The beaches themselves are narrow strips that give way first to the dunes and then to a mixture of sandy ground and tropical plants. Scattered within this transition are pockets of civilization where Ierne dragons and riders reside. The private enclaves differ in size and style to reflect their resident, from dragonhold to tiny hut, but all are large enough to house at least a blue. Right at the tip of the island, a spar of sand jets out into the waters of the bay. Here is where the dragons and riders come to swim and bath. Just passed the dunes, a clearing contains a firepit, tables and chairs, and even a small stone supply building. The crushed gravel path back to weyrhold starts here as well as the many shell lined paths to individual dwellings.
The midmorning sun in Ierne is best enjoyed on the beach, and very easily enjoyed on the beach if you're having a lazy do-nothing day. X'ndr is there, stretched out in sunbathing appropriate attire - that being beach shorts, and little else - while Ffyldwrth is soaking her shimmering grey-green self in the gentle waters that lap at the sand. She's clearly having a good time of it, coaxing a blue into the water with her by flirting shamelessly, while X'ndr watches. Stiff in his posture, but not concerned, he's alert and paying close attention to his lifemate… and to the other male dragons that seem to be gravitating towards their sunny little spot.
Another blue is gravitating towards the beach, his cerulean hide bright in the midmorning sun as he glides down towards those gentle waters. Lean and lithe, he rumbles softly and politely to Ffyldwrth as he keeps his distance respectful for now but clearly focused on the grey-green. Poor Kiena just assumes that Ujinath wishes to bathe and soak up some sun! Xanadu is only in late spring and she won't deny her lifemate some enjoyment — only she wasn't expecting this! "Oh for Faranth's sake, Uji! Really? Now?" Of course she gets no answer from Ujinath and she just sighs, resigned to following this through. Oh, right… and there's the greenrider. "Uh. Morning… to you." Awkward? Just a bit. Kiena's not dressed for the beach at all. In fact she's not really dressed for Ierne weather though she's at least not in her full riding gear. She's rolled up her sleeves though in an attempt for cooler attire and her hair is messily tied back.
Another male to lure into the water! Ffyldwrth trills to Ujinath, fanning out her wings and snaking her tail towards him. Her hide's glowing more brightly that it might have seemed just moments again, and X'ndr squints out at her, holding his hand over his eyes to see better past the sun. "Morning," he replies to Kiena, giving her a wry grin. "If that's your blue, then I'm very sorry." He looks over her outfit, then pushes himself up to his feet, dusting sand off himself. There are other riders around now, and just in time, too - for Ffyldwrth's flirting suddenly shifts into a hiss, and she leaps up into the sky in a shower of salty seawater droplets. It's quite pretty, really, as the water catches them - and the water spray from the dragons following her - to cast a rainbow. "She's not one for blooding," X'ndr announces to the riders waiting on the shore, with a shrug. "Lex," he then introduces himself in a soft voice to Kiena, holding out his hand to her. "Also X'ndr. But Lex is fine. The others…" He casts a look over his shoulder to the gathering riders, "I already know."
Ujinath rumbles again to Ffyldwrth, his head lowering as he focuses intently on her, whirling eyes observing her every movement with a wary sort of fascinated curiosity. He's drawn to her, taking a step towards that snaking tail of hers and his front feet just touch the water when she changes and the flirting turns to a hiss. The blue answers with a growl, not of threat but of challenge and when she leaps up in a cascade of water droplets, he leaps forwards and springs aloft after her with a spray and shower of water and sand. Wings snap open, displaying a darker patterning outline over the back that is almost skeletal in the way they trace the contours of his wing-fingers.
Down below, Kiena's just begun to give X'ndr a grimace. "Shouldn't apologize for what's natural to them. Just… poor timing." When is it ever NOT? She'll be startled when Ffyldrwth takes to the skies so abruptly, shielding her eyes against the sun as water reflects to make that rainbow — a beauty she could appreciate if her mind wasn't already reeling with Ujinath's flight lust. "Really…?" Is all Kiena can think of to say before she's staring at X'ndr's offered hand warily before taking it hesitantly and letting go as quickly as possible. "Why Lex over X'ndr?" As for those other riders? Kiena knows none of them and she makes sure to keep herself from being crowded in, blue eyes watching the equally as unknown greenrider.
Ffyldwrth goes straight up, using her small stature to her advantage to put the larger, less agile dragons out of the running early on - or at least to make them have to work harder to catch up. Up she goes, up, up, up, over Ierne's coastline and towards the waves in the far-off distance. Her thoughts are projected to her chasers, watery cold and luring them on with the promise of the pleasure of catching her.
On the beach, X'ndr shrugs at Kiena. He's certainly connected with his dragon, but he's not too lust-hazed yet. "Lexander. Grew up called Lex. Ffyl called me X'ndr." The greenrider licks at his lips, brushing off a little more sand from his back as he looks at Kiena. "And you? You're… not from Ierne but you're here with good - bad? - timing…" The other riders press in closer, and X'ndr's body language changes with the closeness, becoming more closed-off himself.
Ujinath is a small blue, limber enough to keep up with some of the more agile greens — if he's wise enough to conserve his strength! Up and up goes Ffyldwrth and so does he, drifting into thermals when he can catch them but also keeping well within the heart of the pursuing males, giving a warning flash of teeth or snarl if any come drifting too close to his wing space. He is bound and determined to catch her and her projected thoughts are answered by summer winds and sun over not a sea of water but of long meadow grass and a promise of faithfulness and loyalty but above all protection.
Kiena's no stranger to flights and can keep her wits about her and today is no different. Tense as it makes her, she digs in stubbornly to keep a hold of herself but unknowingly begins to attempt to ward off the other riders. Hey, they're having a conversation here! "Got it. Lex it is," she muses with a crooked smirk. "No," she answers, eyes now seeming to study the greenrider thoughtfully. "Not Ierne. Xanadu. Here to check out — opportunities. See if there's a decent forge setup. Smithing… I'm a Smithcrafter." A distracted one.
"I'm a Dolphineer, can't tell you about…" X'ndr has to pause there, eyes closing as he struggles to retain the seperation from his lifemate's lust-filled mind for as long as he can. It takes him a moment, but then he's back. "… forges." As Ffyldwrth amps up her siren song, one rider gets a little too eager and steps in too close to X'ndr, who shoves him away. "Not yet." He takes a step closer to Kiena, while Ffyldwrth puts in the effort up ahead to try and get one last pull-away from the chasing males before her energy's spent. "There are some Smiths, though. Um… you'll find them. I can't think right now." Because he's struggling even harder now, clenching and unclenching his fist by his side as a distraction.
"Dolphineer…" Kiena echoes but the sentence is left to hang unfinished. Despite her efforts, her thoughts are unravelling piece by piece as Ujinath's drive and instinct take her over. Still, she makes the effort, giving her head a sharp shake and blinking her eyes to will them into focusing. "Wouldn't think so…" she mutters abstractly, only to scowl and glare as one rider becomes too forward and while X'ndr steps towards her, she'll side step around him, staying close but not allowing either of them to cross that personal boundary. "Already did. Find them…" Was she supposed to have mentioned that first? She isn't sure. All she knows is X'ndr is close and Ujinath is picking up on Ffyldwrth's last effort to pull away and making sure he's ready, preparing for that final moment when he'll cease to hold back and use his more agile frame to his advantage, even if it means reckless flying to claim her!
Ffyldwrth's galiant effort pushes her forward, giving her a momentary advantage - with momentary being the operative word, since it expends her energy. She's got one last move left, which is a quick bank and steep turn upwards that will knock out the most unworthy from the pack, and leaving the perfect opportunity for an agile dragon to grasp her, which she indeed invites them to do with a watery call. "Ohshe'sclose," X'ndr hisses on a soft breath, holding out his hand to push half-consciously at the chest of a rider trying to push his luck by getting in tight to his side… only that push turns into fingers curling into the man's tunic as he finds himself falling deeper into his lifemate's mind as the flight nears its end.
The time to forge ahead in this challenge is now and Ujinath seizes that opportunity without hesitation. He slips through those of the pack incapable of following Ffyldwrth's steep banking turn and his broad wings will sweep powerfully before folding to allow him to dive forwards and down in the last few feet, white-blue talons extending in readiness to snare the grey-green in his grip as she so invites him to do. He'll seek to pluck her right out of the path of any of the other males, twining with her so tightly and possessively if he's so lucky to be given the chance and carry her off while things take their natural course.
Below, Kiena's giving up the fight. What's the point now? "She's a wonderful and skilled flyer," she mutters in a deeper voice and it's hard to tell if it's entirely her opinion or a blended one of her and Ujinath. Another rider shows brashness and this time the bluerider bristles and edges in closer to X'ndr's other side, a hand lifting, outstretched as if to grab at his tunic and haul him back and away, just as Ujinath makes his final move on Ffyldwrth.
Ujinath's skill wins him the prize, as his talons sink home and Ffyldwrth is his. She snaps out her wings, twines with him, and claims him as hers with a shrill cry. X'ndr's eyes open when his lifemate is caught, just long enough to link Ujinath with his rider - "You." He's certainly not displeased as he captures Kiena's hand, dragging her towards him and locking lips with her, while steering her backwards up the beach to the huts there. And if there's clothing left on the sand as they go? Well… it'll just have to be reclaimed later.
Ujinath's warbling cry of success joins that of Ffyldwrth's shrill voice before tapering into a softer croon as he is claimed and vice versa. Kiena's whole body seems to jolt, eyes ablaze, almost wild, with the lust a flight-fuelled instincts she'd been denying to this point. Her hand is captured and she does not balk but goes willingly into X'ndr's embrace, lips locked with a low throated growl. Thankfully he knows where to go and as for her clothes well… that'll be something she'll worry about later when she regains her thoughts. Time enough to face that awkwardness and the guilt later when she will have to return home to Xanadu, to where her weyrmate is no doubt wondering what has delayed her so long.