A Flight to Bring More...

Writers: Clancey, Dana, Eimi, Emma, Estelle, Nici, Roxanne
Date Posted: 28th September 2005

Characters: Traelyn, U'kaiah, J'darin, T'moran, N'klos, I'lan, Br'nick
Description: Nyith rises to mate
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 3 of Turn 3
Notes: Follows "Outrageous Behavior"

J'darin

Nyith's screaming challenge resounded off the cliff faces of Dolphin Cove
Weyr as she folded her wings and dove towards the Feeding Grounds. The
snarling queen was unaware of the flurry of golden wings winking /between/
or the answering roars of the bronzes suddenly gathering on the Rim. She
wasn't aware of anything save for her _need_ for blood. Fresh, hot blood.

With a vicious grace, Nyith came upon the stampeeding heardbeasts and
struck her first kill just as Kalamath landed in the field. Traelyn and
U'kaiah hit the ground none too gently, and the goldrider staggered away
from him, her mind reaching for Nyith's.

**Blood it!**

The queen shrilled her defiance, her jaws hovering just above the
bullock's belly.

**You know better! Nyith!**

With a cry of protest, the gold sank her teeth into the beast's neck.

She should have noticed the signs. She _should have_! She should have
noticed them both in her queen, and in herself. Shame burned through her.

She _should have_.

But now was not the time to think about what she should have done.

Her jaw clenched as Nyith rose, screaming, and slashed at another bullock.
She was vaguely aware of U'kaiah's proximity, and the proximity of
others. Again, Traelyn exerted her authority over her dragon - and won.

U'kaiah watched as his rivals began to file in one by one, all eyeing the
prize in front of him. Kalamath's feelings of possessiveness was
filtering into his thoughts as he watched the circling riders. None of
them knew her like he did. None of them _wanted_ her like he did.
Certainly, none of them deserved her like he did.

**Are you ready?** he asked, watching Trae like his bronze was watching
Nyith.

}: Yes. Nyith will be mine. This Weyr will be ours. :{

**Ours?** Something about that word cut through U'kaiah's lust-induced
fog. **What do you mean?**

}: Their queen will never rise again. _Nyith_ is the queen now. And I
will be her mate. And you will be Trae's. This Weyr will be _ours_!:{
The bronze puntuated his singular desire with a trumpeting challenge to
the bronzes watching. This gold was _his_! This Weyr would be _his_.

}:She is going to Rise!:{

Lust rolled over J'darin as his bronze sent him that message, even while
he was talking to the Senior Weyrlings. Thinking he meant Moriath,
J'darin hurriedly dismissed the class and raced to the feeding grounds
where his bronze was already circling to alight.

Hasaarth always knew when a gold was going to Rise, sometimes before she
did.

Stumbling to a halt as the golden queen blooding her first kill, J'darin's
eyes narrowed. That was _clearly_ not Kalina.

}: She is Nyith! She is mine! :{ And then J'darin had a picture of the
rider of this queen, and as he realized who it was, he wondered what on
Pern _she_ and _her_ dragon were doing her in his Weyr, and Rising to
Mate!

Moments later, his thoughts trailed off as Hasaarth let out a challenging
bugle to Kalamath. This was _his_ Weyr! Not some bronze from another
Weyr!

}: Mine! :{ snarled the bronze at all the others males gathering. J'darin
felt the determination in his own dragon; this time he would catch a gold.
_This_ time no other dragon would win the gorgeous prize at the end of
the Flight.

The Weyrlingmaster of Dolphin Cove joined the circle around the
concentrating goldrider. He couldn't quite remember her name, only that
she was from Dragonsfall. She was lovely enough, he thought absently,
before dragon-lust and pride started to swamp over his other concerns
about who, why, and what.

Cendarnth happened to be down in the feeding pens when the gold landed. He
had never seen her before, but was not one to turn down an opportunity to
chase a gold. }:There is a new gold rising! I shall have her and the Weyr
shall be ours.:{ he told Br'nick his mind voice thick with lust for the
gold.

The bronzerider simply sighed and set the riding strap he had been working
on down. Perhaps a flight was just what he needed to take his mind of off
the loss of Cyritahn. He had truly loved the young greenrider even if he
couldn't limit himself to one bed partner. **I shall be there shortly, but
I don't think I want to be Weyrleader.** he replied, heading out towards
the feeding grounds.

**What?**

}:Gold! A Gold dragon is rising!:{

**Naath, no we're too young, this isn't for us.** I'lan tried to hold back
his young bronze, but Naath had made his decision. He hastily poured out
some water for his canine, before taking the long way down to the
gathering group at the feeding grounds.

Naath had no such qualms about participating. He struck down a herdbeast,
gaining quick energy for the flight ahead.

T'moran slid from his dragon's back and watched Haldarth leap into the air
with a roar of challenge. One strong wingbeat sent him high above the
feeding grounds and then he glided down, pushing himself forward among the
younger bronzes who encircled the queen as she sucked her kill dry of
blood. With his dragon's desire clouding his mind, he forgot his momentary
annoyance that the goldrider should have been so foolish as to take her
dragon out of her Weyr so close to rising. After all, there would be no
real harm done other than the loss of a few beasts, and it might be no bad
thing for the bloodlines of the two Weyrs to be mixed.

At first he'd been confused when his bronze announced that Nyith was
rising, unable to recall a green of that name in Dolphin Cove. Then he'd
seen through Haldarth's eyes the flash of golden hide, the bloodstains on
the ground, and remembered why that name was so familiar. The junior gold
from Dragonsfall...

Such political considerations were lost as he joined the other
bronzeriders. Friendships and alliances meant nothing here - all that was
left was rivalry and the consuming, dragon-induced desire to win. This was
_his_ Weyr - his and Haldarth's - and the gold would belong to him!

U'kaiah watched the others gather one by one, listened to the bronzes
trumpet challenges to one another, eyeing the gold possessively. His mind
was torn between the connection, one moment Kalamath's desire overwhelmed
him, the next U'kaiah's sensibilities nagged at him. **Kalamath, their
queen will not rise? Nytih will be queen of Dolphin Cove?**

}: She will be queen and I will be her mate! _I_ will! Not these others!
:{ his bronze's conviction was punctuated with another challenging scream.

His rider knew what that would mean. Trae would be Weyrwoman... the
winner would be weyrleader... she would have to stay... and if he won...
**We cannot do this Kalamath! We cannot win!**

}: _Why not_? :{ Kalamath took his whirling red eyes off of Nyith as he
swung his head towards his rider. }: I want her! You want to lead! _We_
want this! :{

U'kaiah summoned his strength and battled the strong emotions that
threatened to overtake him. **No! Please Kalamath! Not like this! Not
here! We don't belong here!**

But Nyith did. Raising her head from the last blooded carcass, she spread
her long, glowing wings to their full extent and eyed the bronzes who were
watching her so intently. _Her_ bronzes. The queen trumpeted a fierce
challenge to them and crouched low. With a great arch of her back, she
flung herself into the air, swiftly beginning to gain speed and altitude.
She rose high above the Weyr, high above the sea, high above those bronze
ones who desired her. They would not catch _her_ so easily!

While U'kaiah might have reservations, there was one bronzerider who had
none at all, shoving his way past those who had crowded onto the Weyrbowl
when the visiting queen rose. N'klos strode into the circle of
bronzeriders surrounding the goldrider.

Moriath had been flighty, her decisions often without merit or less than
consistant. N'klos figured he as much of a chance than he'd ever had with
_that_ queen rising and he meant to take advantage of it.

Xanath flew far above him, breezing past some younger bronze's and joining
the more seasoned, his lust for this new queen taking over N'klos and
drowning him in the sensation of flight and overwhelming desire.

Sensing that the bronzes were closer now than they had been but moments
before, Nyith snaked her head around and snarled her annoyance. They were
too close! Her wings folded suddenly as a rush of wind gathered beneath
her. She rose higher, ever higher, and then she plummeted down, shrilling
her amusement as they careened out of her way. Easily, Nyith soared above
them again, teasing them, tantalizing them, mocking them.

Kalamath roarded his frustration as he struggled to catch up. U'kaiah's
reluctance had distracted him. He had taken his eyes off the gold and now
he was fighting to make up for the head start the others had on him. His
rider's hesitations had no effect on him now - now he was flying on pure
instinct and fierce desire. U'kaiah had no choice but to follow him now.
}: I must catch her! I _must_ catch her! :{

J'darin was lost in Hasaarth's drive and determination. Something about
this chase felt so _right_ to the bronze. They all did, of course, but
J'darin did not begrudge his beloved lifemate one iota of confidence, and
urged him on with mind and voice. Nothing of worry of the outcome
reflected in his blue eyes as Hasaarth caught an updraft and soared very
close to Nyith's golden side before she put on speed contemptuously and
fled from him and the others.

A resounding cry of }: MINE! :{ as Hasaarth warned off all the others,
although each of the great bronzes were full of the same desire.

The rider himself moved closer, then away, to Traelyn, just as his dragon
did to her's, their bodies bent together in the same unfaltering _need_ to
win. To get what they _deserved_.

Cendarnth was usually one to hold back a bit and let his competitors
exhaust themselves, but he put his heart and mind into chasing _this_
gold. She would be the senior queen and he would be her mate.

Br'nick recognized all of the riders gathered around the goldrider, but he
had never met the young woman before. He could feel his bronze's lust
filling him and he let himself be overcome by the feelings. Anythng was
better than feeling lost and lonely, that was for sure.

Being not so powerful as the largest bronzes, Haldarth knew he had to rely
on the wits that had won him the senior queen once before. He followed the
leaders closely, angling his wings just right to take advantage of every
breath of wind and feeling the pull and ache of muscles as the queen flew
long and high. Patience was the key, and he resisted the temptation to
surge forward and attempt a catch too soon. Nyith was clever and
strong...she would not be won so easily.

Indeed she would not! They had to prove themselves to her! Nyith soared
higher, her hide glinting and flashing like gold-dusted amber in the
sunlight. She glanced under her wing, and studied her suitors
possessively. One she knew. She knew him, and yet he was so far below
the others! With an annoyed snarl of contempt, she spun on wingtip,
shrilling her need.

Hasaarth answered her cry with one of his own, and beat strongly after
her. He was so close to her! She was beautiful. He bugled his
intentions, loud and clear, though there were several other bronzes
closing on her now, even the one that didn't belong here.

She couldn't bear it any longer! With a cry, the queen swooped down,
diving amongst her lovers, and dropped just below Hasaarth.

}:At last!:{ cried an exultant bronze voice, bugling his triumph for all
to hear. In that instant of decision and need, Hasaarth caught Nyith
forcefully, twining his neck with her's as both their long-awaited needs
were filled. The bronze was confident in his win, claiming the beautiful
gold... and incidentally the Weyr... for his own.

Joyfully, without knowing what he was doing, J'darin pulled Traelyn into
an embrace as tight and sure as his dragon's, both of them proud of
winning, and both hungry for their mates. As his mouth closed on the
goldrider's forcefully, J'darin's mind had nothing in it but dragon-fueled
fire save for one thought - this was not Kalina, and he was _glad_.
Traelyn felt good, and right, and then he couldn't feel anything at all,
anymore, save passion and the need to spend it.

Last updated on the September 28th 2005

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A Flight to Bring More...