No Easy Catch
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Noola, Paula
Date Posted: 1st May 2010
Characters: Cosani, N'vanik, Sh'dori, N'mor, O'relk
Description: Cosani's Shalith rises to mate for the first time.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 14 of Turn 5
Cosani slowly finished getting dressed. She wondered where she should
go today. Shalith had been chattering all morning about how
this or that dragon was admiring her. Cosani had finally snapped and
told her she didn't care who was admiring her. The green hadn't said
anything for the last several minutes, so that was a relief. Maybe
they could go somewhere farther inland, where it was a little cooler,
Cosani thought as she pulled on a boot.
A bugle rang out over the Weyr, and with it came a rush of lust like
nothing she had ever felt. **Shalith?**
}:Only the best will catch me!:{ The green bugled again and launched
into the sky.
Shalith was rising. Cosani tried to push her fear aside. Shards, she
had to get to the Bowl. Yanking on her other boot, she ran for the
stairs.
N'vanik lay dozing until Loseth interrupted his thoughts.}:Shalith rises.:{
He sat bolt upright, fully awake. He jumped out of bed and ran for the
ledge. **Don't you _dare_ chase!**
}:I won't chase her.:{
N'vanik arrived at the ledge to find Loseth watching the sky, his eyes
blue and whirling with curiosity. **You won't?**
The bronze looked down at him. }:Humans don't mate with their
hatchlings. I won't chase Shalith.:{
It was a surprising insight from the bronze, but then Loseth was
smarter than most. **Thank you.** N'vanik's tension eased.
Loseth rumbled. }:Besides, you would take me away if I tried.:{
**You're sharding right I would.** He leaned against the wall and
wondered who would win, and how Cosani would handle it.
Shalith streaked over the Weyr, feeling powerful, beautiful,
desirable. They wouldn't catch her easily!
Rahmuth bugled out his admiration. The brown flew to join the Flight,
leaving his rider to scramble up to the place as well as he could.
Sh'dori was cussing his lifemate under his breath when he found the
green's rider. **Great, another one barely out of childhood.**
N'mor didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Ked informed him that
he was giving her a chase. The young bronzerider still wasn't over the
last one, where Ked had actually won! The victory had given the bronze
even more confidence and he was making it heard and seen. At least he
knew Shalith's rider was a female.
** You're probably gonna annoy her with that arrogant-bronze show,**
N'mor warned him.
O'relk was dictating a letter when his blue announced his intention to
give chase. **Trasenth, are you sure?**
}:I am sure! I am ready and you are ready and I will catch Shalith!:{
Trasenth had not chased for a long while, not since the accident which
had blinded his rider and placed them in the retired Wing. But O'relk
was doing better and the blue wanted to catch greens again! The blue
waited for his rider to be helped by the boy who'd been writing his
letter out onto the ledge. His rider climbed up with the ease of turns
of practice which the recent months of blindness couldn't affect.
Once O'relk was seated, the blue took off carefully, taking him to
where the rest of the riders were gathered around Shalith's rider.
Once his rider slid down, he took off again, bugling a joyful
challenge to the green darting above.
Cosani looked around at the gathering men. Already, her mind was half
Shalith's. The part that was still her didn't want the men to take
her, to possess her. She belonged to herself, to her dragon, and no
one else. The part joined with her dragon flew faster, twisted and
turned. She wanted to be caught, but not yet.
Kedvencth expressed his admiration with loud calls, his strenght
making him easy to stay on her tail wake. He couldn't follow all her
twists though, so he just plowed straight on, following her general
direction. She was going to tire sooner that he would.
Blue Trasenth caught up with the rest of the flight after dropping his
rider off, and began working on matching the green's acrobatics,
darting between his competition as he strove to get closer to Shalith.
He dove and weaved and darted, gaining ground on the shimmering green
beauty, sending her appreciative calls as he flew.
On the ground, lacking normal visual input, O'relk was even more in
tune with his dragon's flight. All his senses were caught up with the
blue's and he was filled with the dragon's joy in the chase as well as
his lust and determination. He often 'saw' through his dragon's eyes
these days, but now, the focus was sharp and clear and he even
mentally nudged his blue toward a gap between two browns that were
between him/them and the green ahead. He didn't even realize he was
growling to match Trasenth's challenging bugle as the blue darted
through the gap.
Rahmuth gave the blue a sneer and deliberately moved to block his way.
}:Mine! :{ the brown roared.
The males called to her, flattered her, boasted about themselves.
}:Show me!:{ was all she called back. Cosani was gone, flying as one
with her green, nothing but soaring power and lust. Free, they were
free. She would fly until her wings ached.
A blue came close to her and she dipped her wing, turning sharply,
then climbing on a thermal. A shadow darkened the sun. She glanced up
and saw a brown, coming from above, in perfect position to catch her.
No! Not yet! Shalith dove and twisted, evading him. On the ground,
Cosani pulled away from grabbing hands. Cosani/Shalith would only be
caught when _she_ was ready.
When her energy began to fade, she glanced back at her pursuers. Who
was worthy of her?
Both Rahmuth and Kedvencth were doing everything the could think up to
impress her.
Trasenth roared as he was thwarted by the brown and he had to tuck his
wings to dive sharply underneath lest he collide with the larger
dragon. This lost him some valuable time and he was well back when he
recovered. Undaunted, the blue began darting through gaps as they
opened, making his way bit by by to the front again. But it was
costing him. If he did not close with the green soon, he would run out
of energy. Only the fact that the green herself seemed to be tiring
kept hope alive. The blue bugled again, calling for her attention as
he drew ever nearer.
Shalith felt her energy draining away. If she didn't choose soon, one
of the males would surprise her. She dared one last glance back at her
pursuers and made a quick choice. Twisting, she put herself right in
the path of Trasenth.
The blue bugled in triumph as the green veered directly into his path.
He reached for her, pulling her close, their necks and tails twining.
On the ground, O'relk reached out for the woman he instinctively knew
must be close and he pulled her into an embrace, echoing what was
happening in the air. In his mind, the two events were one and the
same.
Ked trumpeted his disappointment and started to circle back down.
On ground, Sh'dori shook off the effects of the mating flight, when
his dragon returned to the Weyr, and pondered if he should pick up
company or not.
Last updated on the May 3rd 2010