On The Hunt

Writers: Leigh M-F., Suzee
Date Posted: 21st July 2016

Characters: T'lat, A'kua
Description: T'lat met A'kua and didn't mind. Faucheth met Zeiranth and did.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 17 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Riveth, Luneth, Lissath.

T'lat

**Zei, just hurry up,** A'kua insisted.

}:I can't hurry up,:{ the bronze insisted from where he was crouched in the feeding pen, eyes fixed on the random food animals ahead of him. }:If I go too fast, they go crazy, and then I have to wait for them to settle down before I try again.:{

A'kua snickered. That statement sure brought back a memory from month five.

*~*~*~*

**Zei, just hurry up!**

}:I can't. If I go too fast, they all go mad and I have to wait for them to calm down.:{

Now that they had their own weyr, Zeiranth was trying to learn how to hunt on his own. So far, his efforts were rather like trying to teach a trundlebug math: Disastrous. Adult blues had taken pity on the young bronze and shared their own kills, which made Zeiranth all the more determined to provide for himself: He couldn't rely on other dragons much longer.

Faucheth sat on the heights watching the weyrling while she gazed across the vast plain at the foot of the cliffs. }:Over there,:{ she called to the bronze. }:There is a flock of wherry feeding by the river. You can sneak up on them because the water make more sound than you will.:{ She sent him a picture of the location.

Zeiranth swung his head to look at his rider. }:I'm being called to the plains,:{ he said. }:There are wherry I can sneak up on.:{

**May as well try it,** A'kua replied with a shrug. **Go on.**

The bronze launched himself into the air, and the animals promptly went berserk, running about and making a great deal of noise. Zeiranth ignored them and winged his way to the location indicated, landing near the- oh dear, it was a green. Zei found himself hunkering down. Despite how he blabbered to Riveth and Luneth, and was still fond of Lissath, he was still very shy around female dragons. }:Um, hello. A-Are the wherries still here?:{ he asked awkwardly.

Back at the fence, A'kua found himself shaking his head and chuckling. It still surprised and amused him how he and his dragon could differ. He'd once thought, when he was newly arrived at the Weyr, a dragon was the reflection of their rider. But that wasn't true, and he liked that. He checked the position of the sun through the clouds and turned around to lean his back and elbows on the fence, waiting patiently and humming under his breath.

Faucheth landed quietly nearby and began her own creep up on the unsuspecting animals. }:See?:{ she asked as they got closer. }:There is one coming toward you. You'll only need to grab it as it goes by.:{

T'lat was a bit puzzled by the things he was getting from Fau and looked up to see a bronze rider gazing into the beast pen but without his lifemate. "Hey," he said in a friendly manner walking up next to him. "Is Faucheth bothering you?"

"Huh?" A'kua stopped humming and tensed on realizing he wasn't alone. After sizing T'lat up, he relaxed on realizing there was no threat and answered the question. "Nah, she's actually doin' Zeiranth a big favor."

The young bronze tucked in his wings a little tighter and crept forward like Faucheth was doing. He held his breath before he leaped and struck with his left forepaw, tearing a wing clean off and rendering the wherry unable to fly away. Thus Zei was free to pounce and end its misery. }:I did it!:{ he cheered excitedly. }:I got a wherry! Thank you!:{ he said to Faucheth.

Faucheth lay down nearby where the young bronze munched. Her tail idly flipping up and down and eyes swirling with curiosity. }:You're a very nice color for a bronze.:{ she finally said.

Likewise, T'lat leaned against the fence near A'kua. "Looks like he caught a wherry," he smiled remembering Fau's first hunts.

"Let's hope whatever technique he used sticks," A'kua chuckled as Zeiranth gleefully gobbled his catch. "And that it's less messy in the future."

The bronze almost choked on the last of his prey. What was the green's comment supposed to mean? }:You don't like bronze colors?:{ he ventured a little sadly.

}:I like them,:{ she said honestly. }:But they're mostly big and slow. I like blues better.:{

}:Well, it's not exactly nice to say that to to a bronze's face,:{ Zeiranth said unhappily, and started creeping toward another wherry.

"Is your green always so blunt?" A'kua asked T'lat, having caught most of what was happening from Zei's thoughts.

T'lat chuckled. "Oh yes, though she forgets just as quickly."

}:Why?:{ she asked, honestly puzzled. }:Aren't you going to be big and slow?:{

}:Yes, but out and out telling me you prefer blues while I'm right here and not blue is kind of mean,:{ Zei explained.

"Make it clean and fast, Zei," A'kua said aloud without really thinking about it. "Just because it's food doesn't mean it should suffer."

}:Fast I can do. Clean can come later when I've had more practice,:{ his dragon told him, and jumped.

A'kua snorted, but waited to reply once the kill was made. "Aye, but who's the one who'll have to wash the blood off you later?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Kids, huh?" he asked T'lat.

Faucheth blinked at the young bronze. }:But that isn't really what I said,:{ She tilted her head. }:You're bronze, so you like gold better than green,:{ she sniffed at the obvious.

}:No I don't. Golds scare me,:{ Zeiranth muttered as he gulped down the second wherry. }:Except for Mother, but she's my mother, so she's special.:{

**You are goin' to finish some time this sevenday, right?** A'kua prompted, then added to T'lat, "I'm sorry about this. I didn't think he'd get into an argument with the dragon who was nice enough to show him how to hunt."

}:I just want one more,:{ Zeiranth replied. }:Then I'll be ready.:{

At that point Faucheth was done with the cranky little fellow. }:Babies,:{ she sniffed. }:Glad I don't have to have any.:{ She was just fine with that arrangement. She had no memory of her own weyrlinghood or the silly things she'd said and done.

**Be nice** T'lat warned as he simply smiled at A'kua. "So is he always that touchy?"

"He's not touchy at all. He's just shy around girls and your green wasn't particularly tactful," the redhead defended, brushing his bangs away from his face to scratch the scar between his eyebrows. "That's not a good combination in any scenario."

T'lat chuckled. "Have you ever met a tactful green? I mean... she's green." He spread his hands. "I doubt she remembers what happened yesterday."

A'kua laughed. "Aye, okay. Not a lot of greens know tact. It's like they try to have big personalities to make up for their smaller size, and don't leave any room for stuff like that." This guy was okay, he figured.

"Exactly," the greenrider smiled back. "Although she does still have a fear of walls from an incident in our weyrlinghood. So something must stick."

"Walls," A'kua repeated, and arched an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

}:I do,:{ Zeiranth piped, mouth full of his third and final wherry.

T'lat couldn't help the chuckle any more than he could help the sway in his hips around good looking men. "Oh they were only a few days old when they tried to play tag in the classroom. She ran smack into a wall and nearly knocked herself out. She's been afraid of walls ever since, even in mid-air."

A'kua cringed in sympathy. "I don't blame her at all. Head injuries are more serious than most people realize." He'd gotten his bell rung enough times in brawls to know that all too well. "Could you give her my thanks, since Zei's too shy to do so? She really did do him a favor."

"Of course." T'lat smiled and sighed mentally. There was zero chance with a bronzerider but A'kua certainly was yummy to look at.

*~*~*~*

}:Okay, all finished,:{ Zeiranth said, licking his chops. }:Let's get to our duties.:{

Jarred from the recollection, A'kua nodded. "All right."

Last updated on the July 25th 2016

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On The Hunt