Blood Only!

Writers: Devin, Emma, Len, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd July 2012

Characters: Y'gel, Lenala, U'das, K'reyel, D'ren, M'galec, F'rej
Description: Vilarth Rises!
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 25 of Turn 6

Y'gel

Lenala

K'reyel

Lenala's heart was on her throat and her mouth tasted like copper when
she ran towards the feeding pens. **Blood only, blood only!** The
words circled in her head like frightened flock of avians. Faranth,
let Vilarth listen to her! She had lost the control of the gold once,
only once and that was one time too many. The gold had shown signs of
being close to Rising for days now and yet she had managed to catch
Lenala by surprise. She had gone to the feeding grounds without her
rider, leaving Lenala to run up the tortuously long stairs. She
cursed the person who had designed the weyr so that the feeding pens
(and mating cots) were placed above the weyrs, on the top of the
limestone cliffs. **Don't you dare to eat the flesh!** she told her
dragon over and over again. **Blood only!** Last thing she need was
another meager disaster clutch of 18 eggs.

Lenala reached the feeding pen and collapsed against the fence out of
breath. She was bit out exercise. She felt almost giddy with relief:
Vilarth had already killed her first herdbeast and was obediently
lapping up the blood. Despite that she had torn open the belly and pulled
out the guts. Bronzes were already arriving as well as few braver browns.
Well, Vilarth had been know to choose brown for a mate before.

Zack landed and let his rider to dismount. U'das watched the young
goldrider with mixed feelings of paternal fondness and regret. Tsaera
had worked so hard to instill some self-confidence to Lenala and she
had started to show competence. Then she lost control of Vilarth and
they had to watch her slid back to square one. U'das didn't believe
Lenala to be so stupid and helpless she gave out to be. There had to
be more in her, and Tsaera had seen it. She was gold rider after all.
But Zharesti had damaged the rest of what Tsaera had accomplished with
her. U'das had been worried about her, especially since her
weyrmating with M'galec fell apart. But how to help someone who didn't
want help from you? Now she was gasping against the fence, not
very goldriderish.

"Show some dignity, girl," U'das said with quiet growl, to her ears
only.

Lenala straightened up and glared at the bald bronzerider.

U'das smiled, "That's better."

Erdenth knew that Vilarth would rise soon, the bronze had been keeping a
gentle eye over the gold, waiting for his chance to chase her and make
her his. He could give her good and string hatchlings, he knew that, and had
informed his rider of that fact.

K'reyel arrived on the scene as Erdenth was taking down a herdbeast
of his own, and trying to push his kill towards the gold as an
offering.

}: Mine! :{ She hissed at the male who dared to come too close and her
claws clutched the carcass possessively. Her eyes glowed purple.

M'galec saw all the other bronzes lining up around the goldrider and
regarded them with a disgusted sneer. Not a one of them deserved her
half so much as he did. Of course, most of them had probably _had_ her
considering the way she had once flaunted a young lover in front of his
face just to get a rise out of him. The spectacle she was putting on
now just reminded him of how far she'd fallen since kicking him out of
her life, and her weyr. **I could have helped you...** he thought with
a shake of his head. But maybe he and Dwarkanath could win this race,
and he could remind her what a _real_ man was.

D'ren had mixed feelings about the Flight. He wanted Menanth to win
and father a clutch, but ... he wasn't excited about the idea of
bedding Lenala. The young bronzerider hadn't been here long, but it
was still plenty of time to hear rumors about the Weyrwoman's Second.
Still, this wasn't about him, it was about his dragon. **Good luck,**
he wished the bronze.

}:I don't need luck. I'm the best!:{ Menanth was generally mild for a
bronze, but mating flights brought out his arrogant streak.

Aughashyth's sheer level of lust almost made Y'gel trip on his way up
to the pens where the gold blooded her kill. }:I can win her. She has
even chosen brown before and I can win her.:{ **Yes you can** Y'gel
encouraged his lifemate. Aug had never won a gold flight before. His
wing injury at such a young age had held the bronze to the back when
it came to suitors but he was always very determined to chase and
expend every effort doing so.

Y'gel joined the group of other riders around Lenala. He rolled his
eyes at M'galec's supercilious sneer.

F'rej, a mature brown rider, caught Y'gel's expression and smiled.
Not many browns caught golds but she was as good a choice as any. His
Pennath was as big as a brown could get and rivaled some of the
bronzes in size. This could be their day.

Vilarth rose to the air but not to fly yet. Ignoring Erdenth's
offering, she picked up a new herdbeast, lifting it to the air and the
dropping it to the ground. She landed on top of it.

"Blood only!" Lenala almost shrieked. She and Vilarth tested their
will for a while, the the dragon bit her teeth to the herdbeasts
jugular vein, letting the hot blood gush into her throat.

**Yes, please, do maintain control of your gold this time,** M'galec
thought sourly, remembering that they had only come together in the
first place because of a badly mishandled Flight.

Aughashyth's bronze snout sported it's own blood markers his eyes
whirling an intent red/orange as he watched the gold ready to leap
after her in pursuit.

After blooding one more herdbeast, Vilarth was ready. She spread her
mighty wings and stood on her hind legs. She started to beat her wings
and then she was on the air. She was no green, she didn't do twists
and turns. She flew strong, rising far, far up as high as the air
could support her.

Zack had chased this gold before and was ready. He didn't waste time
launching after her. Due his smallish size for bronze, he had a slight
disadvantage. His only hope was to out-speed the other bronzes.

Aug was only a heartbeat behind Zackariath in his leap after the
glowing gold. The strength in the strokes of his bronze wings were
from many Turns of catching falling dragons.

Level with Aughashyth was Erdenth. The bronze had chased and won gold's
before now. He knew he could do this, and please Vilarth, if she'd let
him.

Pennarth was just a hair behind the two bronzes. Being slightly
smaller, he beat his brown wings to gain as much altitude as he could.

As Menanth followed the shining gold, D'ren's reluctance faded away.
Dominated by his bronze's lust, he now looked at Lenala with desire.
She would be his. Menanth snarled, annoyed that some of the faster
males were blocking his view. He would show them, he'd learned to be
patient. They would tire and he would claim the prize!

Vilarth was riding the wind, flying far and high.

Dwarkanath past one bronze and was starting to make a move. Hopefully
he was not expending his energy too soon!

Zack's scarred wing had started to burn and he knew he was loosing this
chase.

Vilarth knew that time had come. She had already dropped out the weaker
chasers. Menanth's young vigor pleased her and she turned the her path, calling
the young bronze, encouraging him.

Menanth lost no time, surging forward to claim the gold. His first
gold, and his triumph echoed back to his rider. As Menanth twined with
Vilarth, D'ren grabbed Lenala.

Lenala melted into his arms.

Last updated on the July 5th 2012

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