
Xanadu Weyr - Feeding Grounds
Sparse trees are scattered through this field on the western edge of the forest, not far north of the clearing. The pen extends partly up the hills to the southwest, and the trees grow sparser the further west one goes. Within the large corral are a variety of beasts - ovines, bovines, and wherries - free to roam and graze. 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.
Just at the forest's edge, set under the tree line, is a guest weyr for use in mating flights, a simple cottage made of weathered planking and grey stones.
It seems like only yesterday they were confined to the training grounds, the baby dragons too young to venture far before succumbing to exhaustion. And now, they are roaming everywhere. Kovagath, determined to see the entire Weyr with his own eyes, has been cajoling Sh'y into daily adventures to new and exciting parts of Xanadu. Today, it just so happens that their adventure coincides with an actual lesson — hunting. Or, rather, preparing for the eventual Day of Hunting. Today it's 'watching grown dragons hunt', which is a prospect that has Sh'y looking grim and Kova looking excited, the blue pacing well ahead of his weyrling only to pause and circle back because he doesn't know the way. When they eventually come upon the feeding grounds, the blue goes all the way up to the fence and, if allowed, right on into the corral with those poor, condemned beasties. Sh'y takes up a spot at the rail, arms folded over as he looks out upon the herd.
Avi and Mirieth are slower in appearing, Miri cause she's small and not particularly fast, Avi because he knows what is coming and dreads it to his core. Fortunately, he's proven to be exceptionally skilled at keeping things from Mirieth so little green is absolutely free from that dread. "We really should talk about this, Mirieth," he murmurs as he reaches out to smooth his hand over her sage hued neck. "Maybe do this lesson another time." Or never. Never would probably be for the best. « But everyone is going to be here, » Miri chimes excitedly. « We excel at classes, excelling is /important/. » Of course, the moment that they come within sight of the corral, she is bounding forward, her wings flair as she calls a merry greeting to Kovagath. « Kovagath! Hi! Hello! We get to see the animals, isn't it exciting? OH! Look! BABIES! » Slowing his pace, Avi winces at the last, one hand raising to tug his hair off his face as he steps up to the railing with the other weyrlings. "This is not going to end well…"
Kovagath's head swings around to watch Mirieth's approach, a warm welcome extended her way. « Hello, Mirieth! » The city-scape of his mind is alive with neon lights, a garish contrast to the desolate ruin of streets and sky scrapers. Excited. « Are you prepared for this? » He means that in a very literal sense, talons flexing in the earth beneath his paws as his head swings 'round to regard the beasts. His quiet, « soon, » is foreboding, prompting Sh'y to cast his blue a suspicious look before he tips his head toward Avi and Miri's arrival. "Are you okay with this?" he asks, a measure of concern in his quiet words. Because while Kovagath might be dancing on the edge of excitement, Shy is not at all naïve to what is about to happen — and how Avi and Mirieth might take it.
Mirieth is very excited, although she has a completely different idea of what is about to occur. At the moment, her mindscape is all fluffy warm sweaters, rainbows and flowers.. Maybe, just maybe, the occassional lamb bouncing through the scene. « I am! Cuddles are the best! » And clearly, /surely/, they are here to cuddle all the cute animals racing excitedly around in the corral. That is excitement, isn't it? They're just as excited to see her as she is to see them? « HELLO! HI! Aren't you cute! » "No." Avi's whisper is tense and faint, the strain on his face obvious in a glimpse. "She has no idea what is going to happen. I tried," he sighs as his fingers go white knuckled on the railing. "I tried to explain it to her.." Swallowing tightly, he slants a glance up to S'hy's face, his expression stricken before he shakes his head forces his gaze back to Mirieth.
"Maybe you should take her away." It isn't really Sh'y's place to suggest such a thing. He is not a weyrlingmaster. He is not a dragonhealer. He isn't even Avi's… person anymore. Not officially, at least. But that does not mean he isn't worried about him, or Mirieth, who is clearly ill prepared for what is about to occur. "Do this another time." Even Kova is clueing in to something be a little… off about the green's excitement at this particular moment. It's probably the mention of cuddles, which has him confused as he regards her. « Who're you gonna cuddle with? » is wondered with mild amusement before his weyrling's thoughts are bleeding into his own. « Oh. OH! Oh. Miri… » But, too late. While Kovagath might have the best of intentions in attempting to warn her about how very wrong she is, his words come just a little too slow. A circling green dives, claws extended, sending the herd scattering with shrieks of horror. A flash of claws and a quick, horrific scream is abruptly silenced with a snap of bone as she lands and dips her head to feast on her kill.
"She wouldn't listen," Avi notes in tense tones. "She doesn't want to fall behind…" And Mirieth has a surprising knack for blocking out even the hint of unpleasant thoughts entering her world. Until it's right there in her face, shrieking and diving and rending and.. « NO! » Mirieth's mental shout is LOUD the air around her crackling with static that builds up into a BOOM as she watches the kill. « MONSTER! » Sunlight and flowers, even the hint of rainbows and strawberries, leave her mind as she charges forward, her mindscape taking on the dark, roil of thunderheads as she does her level best to put herself between the scattering herd and the other dragons. At the railing, Avi is immediately pushing up, his own sharp gasp exhaled as he stares intently at his girl. "MIRI! Come here.. Mirieth, you /can't/ do that!" The struggle between the pair is REAL, fierce enough that Avi is shaking by the time Mirieth wails and hurries toward him. « She killed it… » The thunderheads that had been roiling in her mindscape break, heavy rain falling as the little green pushes her massive (compared to Avi) head into Avi's chest. « It was so cute and sweet and wanted to play and she killed it! »
What can Sh'y do? Nothing. He stands at the rail, tense and watching, as the green dives and Mirieth reacts. His push against the boards is an instinct, a gut-response that has him wanting to stop her even if there is no possible way he'd be able to stop a dragon, even one as young and small as Mirieth. Kovagath reacts as well, leaping the fence to charge after Mirieth, not to defend but to protect, to try and put himself between her and the other green, who is none-too-pleased to have a tiny interloper condemning her for her meal. He stops because he must, little blue wings flared and eyes whirling in distress, though he refuses to return even as Sh'y tries to call him back. A frustrated sound escapes the human, who finally decides his blue is not about to do anything stupid (or get himself hurt; the herd is far from them and Kova is far from the feeding green, standing sentinel in the corral) and instead turns toward Avi and Mirieth.
Avi couldn't possibly look more horrified then he does. Not only because Mirieth's hurt and confusion is bleeding into him, but because blood and guts and gore are not things he finds at all appealing. "I'm sorry.." The words come out in a rush, although he won't look at Sh'y when he speaks them. Instead, he lowers his head over Mirieth's, his arms doing their level best to encircle her head— it's a little like trying to hug a volkswagon, though. "We can't… We can't." They can't do this, that much is clear from Mirieth's continued wails and the 'rain' sheeting down around them all in a wash of sorrow and pain and despair.
Sh'y does not know what to do. His instinct says 'go protect!' but there is nothing to protect from. And stepping into Avi's space does not seem like a wise idea. So, he hangs back, hovering around the fringes, gaze darting between the green pair and the blue in the corral who is stalwartly stationing himself between Mirieth and the blood. Like he intends to fight off the very idea of violence, despite the ridiculousness of it. "Then don't," says Sh'y, the words quick and firm as he flits another glance between Kovagath and Avi. The weyrlingmasters might say they have to, that this is a necessary part of growing up, but they're not here right now. So Sh'y will say, "If she's not ready, then she's not ready." Kovagath rumbles something akin to agreement, the city-scape of his mind a bleak and foreboding place, warning away all who might seek to harm.
On some level, Mireith is aware of, and grateful for, Kovagath protecting her. It shows in the lessening of the storm raging around her, it shows in the way she surrenders into sagging on the ground and pressing her head more firmly against Avi's chest. That it has him stagger stepping and attempting to tighten his hold is something neither of them acknowledges. Instead, he nods faintly in response to Sh'y his own face streaked with bitter tears as he glances back over his shoulder at the older weyrling. And while his lips part, for a moment, whatever he was going to say is lost as he turns his face back to Mirieth and hugs her more tightly. That he's sobbing, heartbroken for her, is clear in the shake of shoulders and the way he smooths his hands over her eyeridges in an attempt to soothe her own heartache. "Come on, Miri," he whispers. "We'll go to the beach and you can play with the fishes."
« I will guard your retreat, » confirms Kovagath, though what, exactly, he's worried about is anyone's guess. But he will do it. He shall maintain his vigilance on the feasting green and any other dragon that dares swoop down into the feeding grounds while Mirieth is present, while simultaneously fascinated at the hunting himself. It is a weird dichotomy; the blue both intrigued by the blood and gore (and not at all bothered by it himself) and his desire to shield Mirieth from the horrors. And then there is Sh'y, who grew up quite literally raising animals for this very purpose: to sell to the Weyr as food for their dragons. Sh'y, who is both distressed by Avi's distress, and unwilling to close the distance; who stands with his hands shoved in his pockets to keep them from reaching out, and keeps sending furtive looks at Kovagath because he can't stand the sight of Avi's tears. Because it breaks his heart, even as he guards his heart from breaking. "Go," he encourages, avoiding looking at the green pair for more than a moment or two each time.
« Protect them, Kovagath! » Mirieth can't help the plea, even as Avi guides her away from the pen, she's casting it back at the blue with the utter certainty that Kovagath will prove to be the hero in this tale of heartache and woe. Still, the rains are whipping around her, painting her normally cheery skies a violent shade of despairing grey. And for a moment, just a moment, she toys with the idea of breaking the corral, of freeing her poor frightened fluffy friends. Fortunately, Avi is there to rein her in, his hold on her remaining tight as he moves them back the way they had come. "Kovagath will protect them," he assures in soothing tones. "He's got this Miri.. Come on.." Swallowing his own tears, pushing his own despair and revulsion aside, he casts a single glance of his shoulder— unfortunately, it comes as Sh'y is looking away and that, more then anything, has his own tears flowing. "We have to go." The words are uttered in tones just barely above a whisper, the pair of them retreating down the path and away from the horrors of the feeding pens.