As Sweet as Honey (Peppeth's Flight)

[Rowana]

The air was fresh and clear on a beautiful spring morning as a glowing, striped tail curled and twisted. Farryl watched her dragon sleep with a soft smile on her face. She knew that Peppeth would wake soon enough, filled with energy and excitement for the chase, but until then she was calm and peaceful. Farryl sighed, getting to her feet. It would be their first Flight since the Wasteland takeover, and she had her reservations, but Peppeth had never chosen badly before. Besides, she was learning that not all the Wastelanders were as bad as some.

"Hobbs," Farryl whispered with a pointed finger. "Keep those two out of trouble." She pointed at Kurro and Faii, thankfully still asleep in their basket. Hobbs chirped an affirmative as the young woman left for the Flight rooms. She could only hope Hobbs would be enough. The last thing she needed was those two causing trouble while she was out of it.

She was nearly to the Flight room when Peppeth woke. A few quick steps took her the rest of the way and soon Farryl stood awaiting her chasers with an impatiently tapping foot. Peppeth yawned and stretched out on her ledge. Her eyes sparkled a bright violet as she gave her wings an experimental flap or two. Yes it was time to fly! She wanted them all to come! Everyone and anyone was welcome in her sky this day!

Fly with me! sang the tiny green. She dropped from the ledge, straight down the canyon to the river below, dodging other ledges as she went. Her voice chortled with laughter as she went, delighting in the joy and thrill of speed. Come everyone and play with Peppeth! She pulled up sharply, splashing water in all directions as she turned towards the waterfall. Tilting her wings, she rolled over on her back to see who would answer her invitation.

[dragon]

L'nu could tell something was up. Because Paglieth had never acted like this before. The Blue didn't want to do anything but lay there on his ledge and stare off into space ... or the far side of the canyon anyway. And it was making L'nu slightly worried and restless. Pacing back and forth, sitting down to try and scribble something only to be up and pacing again, chewing on a knuckle. "What is it, Pag?" He asked for the thousandth time.

Nothing. Paglieth answered with a gentle swish to his tail.

That was all the confirmation L'nu needed, to know that something was definitely up. He had long ago realized that Paglieth had a most difficult time getting his thoughts to come out straight. Which meant, in the terms of mots people, he lied a lot. So 'nothing' was actually 'something'. And given the circumstances? L'nu was willing to bet it was a bit something.

Pausing in his pacing at an odd stabbing sensation in his cheek, he pulled his knuckle out of his mouth and looked at his hand. Ah hah. He was holding his charcoal writing stick. He probably had a black smudge on his face now. Wonderful. If only he could convince his hands to not grab anything that was grabbable! When had he picked the thing up anyway? Oh, right ... he'd been sketching some ideas. ....... and he hadn't put it down? Odd.

"What are you watching?" L'nu asked, hoping to get a different answer from 'nothing'.

Only the ugliest blue in the whole Weyr. I mean green. I mean ... pretty. Paglieth answered, self-correcting. At least he was remembering to self correct this time.

"Green?" L'nu asked, bewildered. "Oh snap." he said, hands dropping to his sides. "Is she glowing, Pag?"

No.

"Oh whew." He was relieved for the split instant between hearing the answer and realizing that Paglieth had said it. "Oh shardit!" he kicked his bed, and then hopped around on one foot grimacing. "What. Is. Her. Name."

I don't know, but I aim to find out. She's sleeping. Paglieth answered.

L'nu stilled. That had sounded like a straight up honest comment. The ground was shaking!! "Oh Faranth help me. I hope she's not a wastelander."

I think she is.

L'nu wilted. "Watch me get knifed." He muttered, before going and finding his shoes. Or at least his sandals. Which he promptly kicked off again so he could pull on something longer than shorts. Toeing his sandals back on, he shrugged into a shirt and started trying to button it up. Hopefully he wasn't going to have to take it all off again.

Yet she flops! Paglieth was up on his feet and out of the weyr in a flash, only slightly opening his wings a smidge for the dive down into the canyon after Peppeth's falling form A trumpeting bugle announced he was with her, conveying the right message. Even if the comment that followed was absolutely atrocious. I will never fly for you, ugly. I mean ... always. Um! completely confused and unable to figure out how to fix what he'd said, he opted to shut up. He couldn't think when he was feeling so very amorous! Sorry. he managed.

Flailing, L'nu hurried out of the room. "I don't even know where I'm supposed to be going! Where am I going? OH SNAP!" He tumbled headlong down a flight of stairs even as Paglieth hauled up out of his dive, kicking up his own spray of water while air roared over the trailing edges of his now fully-extended wingsails.

Picking himself up, thankfully his flexible youth saving him from any kind of serious damage from the fall, L'nu shook it off and took off running again.

Not to her weyr! Paglieth remarked, trying to be helpful. The only problem was, L'nu assumed he was still lying and took off toward Farryl's weyr. Not that he knew where that was, but he trusted his feet to get him to the right place if he would only let them. Paglieth knew, after all, where the weyr was. Stumbling into Farryl's door, he shouldered it open and staggered inside. Panting and disoriented, he cast about the empty place, but did not see anyone.

This couldn't be right. "Paglieth!"

[Rei]

Z’ves really hadn’t intended to let Lucith chase at first. The blue had chased his fair share of greens lately. Lost them all true but that wasn’t the rider’s fault. The dragon rarely ever won unless he could force a catch early anyway. If it drew out too long the nasty blue ended up paying far more attention to the competition then to the green. Bad habit really. Leaning back in his chair in the main hall, the bluerider was spinning the nipple ring he had taken from M’ta in the takeover on the table in front of him.

Yes he still had it and he was keeping it too. The man was in high spirits lately. So many things were going just swimmingly for him. Really at the moment things just couldn’t get better. He had someone to torture, people to threaten, and all the while he was keeping up a careful friendly faux close relationship with J’ash. One day the poor kid would get his turn. Yes life was good. Even counting the pink attack on his weyr. Idiots. Didn’t anyone know how to be original around here? Obviously not. Well if they though it was going to bother him they were wrong. What did bother Z'ves was that Serine’s hairbrush was missing. Stolen. Likely by the one who decided it was fun to trash his weyr. He wanted it back. If he found out who took it he was going to slowly torture them until they finally succumbed to blood loss. Then he was going to dump them in the wilderness for the felines to finish. That was a happy thought. Maybe he’d even watch them get ripped limp from limb. Lucith would enjoy that.

Speaking of Lucith. When the blue kept showed interest in the newest green to rise Z’ves let him go. Simply because, hell he was in a good mood. Why not. Tucking the ring into his pocket the bluerider stood and made his way to the flight rooms whistling all the way. Before entering the room he drew his knife, not sure what green it was. Besides even if it was a sweet thing he always did like to see the flash of fear in their eyes. Entering the flight rooms the Wastelander gave a slightly menacing grin to Farryl and leaned against the near wall flipping the knife in his hand and staring straight at her. Well, well. At least she was a pretty little thing.

Lucith flung himself off the ledge as soon as permission was given. Tucking his wings the male plummeted after the tiny green. And tiny she was. Smaller than any green he had ever chased. Her speed as actually quite astonishing and he bared his teeth, his eyes whirling in intense violets. This would be fun. He was chasing her predominantly to get back at Ykkith really. But if he managed to sink fangs or talons into that pretty striped hide and claim her for himself? All the better. Flinging himself in a tight turn a few moments after she had turned to head towards the waterfall Lucith sped towards Peppeth.

As she almost lazily rolled onto her back he extended his talons and slashed out at her. His attack would meet hide if the small green didn’t attempt to avoid. He wasn’t into letting her relax and enjoy her flight. No. She was going to move for him and move fast unless she wanted to bleed or be force caught. Fly pretty fly.

[Avu]

Rhiiseth had been aware of Peppeth’s imminent Flight for a while, a steady kind of buzzing knowledge in the back of his mind, but the blue had never really been…interested. Peppeth was a sweet enough creature, he supposed, but she was just another Southern green and inherently uninteresting unless she proved herself otherwise. Which she hadn’t. Not before this (other than Ykkith’s fascination with her, which Rhiiseth supposed had been much the same as his with Feyrianth, and therefore she was as good as Ykkith’s in Rhiiseth’s mind) and not with that invitation to her Flight. Playful, overly happy, maybe just oblivious. His muzzle lifted briefly from the weyrledge, eyes gleaming dull blues, before Rhiiseth returned to his sprawled position over his weyrledge, wings draped over the rough stone.

Not interested? Ka’aen asked, mostly a rhetorical question. The bluerider was mid-doodle, slumped at his desk with a pen grasped loosely in his fingers, the paper before him covered in messy scrawls of dragons. Rhiiseth made a lovely model—never really moved very much.

Such a bright dawn and day eclipses mystery and intrigue, Rhiiseth answered by way of agreement, and swished his tail around his haunches, burrowed his muzzle between his forepaws. Nevertheless, her fairy stardust draws across the skyline, lovely… The lilt to his tone was not quite bored, but getting there; Rhiiseth was usually up to date on most Flights and what have you, but in generally he had very little desire to Chase. It simply took too much energy and usually greens were not worth it. He would always Chase Rakmaninoth and he would always Chase Hisalyth—otherwise, it was whenever the fancy struck.

Ka’aen made a small mm sound, intended to be acknowledgement of the blue if nothing else, scraped the ink off of his fingers with his thumbnail absently. The bluerider looked back up at Rhiiseth just in time to see the dragon’s head lift sharply off the ‘ledge, eyes bright in orange and yellow concern, his entire body going still with tension. Looked past him, the sudden flicker of urgency rising. And—oh. Oh. Lucith. Of course. Rhiiseth never had made it a point to avoid Chasing the same green as his brother, did not fear Lucith—rarely took interest in his brother at all save to ensure safety. Hmm. Ka’aen said, very quietly, “You don’t have to play hero.”

Mm. Ykkith could handle Lucith just fine if he chose to Chase, but then he couldn’t focus on Peppeth and really, what green would choose a dragon busy tangling with another one? She’d only get clawed up and chewed up in the process. Wouldn’t, if she was smart. And as far as Rhiiseth was concerned, Peppeth was Ykkith’s, the end. Hmm, hmm. What to do. Unless it inconveniences you, KaMine…

Ka’aen shrugged, flicking his fingers dismissively. “Careful, Rhii.”

As you were. The blue was off his ‘ledge in the next moment and speeding towards the dragons converging. Paglieth went entirely ignored, Rhiiseth breezing past the younger blue with barely a glance. His teeth gleamed in a momentary amusement—all too predictable, brother, that wouldn’t do at all—before he whipped himself around. Rhiiseth was fortunate enough to have come from Lucith’s back—not a blind spot, but easily overlooked if Lucith was not anticipating an attack. And why would he; arrogance, brother. Rhiiseth’s teeth and foreclaws closed around Lucith’s tail, his wings flaring wide in a backwards jerk. The intention was simple; not to hurt Lucith but rather to pull him off balance and hopefully negate the threat to Peppeth entirely.

Careful, brothermine, purred like a secret as Rhiiseth released Lucith a moment later and pushed himself away from the other blue, head tipped to one side in something like mischief. Those of Southern dawns and dusks shall not appreciate the Northern ice and bite. To Peppeth, a brief glance, almost apologetic; Rhiiseth wasn’t very invested in her Flight, other than what his very presence demanded. A light touch to her mind—all he dared spare with Lucith so near still—something like a warning.

[Rowana]

Peppeth watched each arrival with a spark of joy in her eyes. So many new chasers and so many blues! She was sorry not to have any familiar wings in her Flight, but these males were very handsome just the same. Paglieth was young, but very amusing and fun. She chortled at his words and apology. Sharp reflexes reacted to Lucith's coming and a quick kick of her legs and wings push her faster, just shy of his claws. Her mind voice giggled at him and Rhiiseth. Look at them, already fighting for her affection. Lucith must really want her if he was trying to catch so soon.

Flipping back over, Peppeth headed straight for the waterfall. With so many smaller males, maybe she could have more fun this time. Peppeth's wings pulled up sharply and she blasted through the wall of water and hit the rock vertically. A push of her legs and the momentum sent her spirally back towards her males. Laughing with delight, she darted between Lucith and Rhiiseth and passed Paglieth with a brush of her tail. Then she was speeding back up the canyon wall as fast as she could fly, spiraling out into tight circles once she hit open air. Silly boys, she sang playfully. Peppeth will teach you how to play!

Farryl was extremely annoyed. Only one of her men had bothered to come, just one! How could she have a proper game when they clearly didn't want to play. Sighing, she flopped down onto the bed, eying Z'ves critically. He didn't look like he wanted to play, but at least he had come. Farryl leaned back lazily, still watching the door expectantly. Her mouth turned into a smile and she began to hum pleasantly. Lucky for her, Peppeth's happy mind kept her in far too good a mood to take weapons seriously. For now she was content to wait, but they had better hurry or she would not be pleased.

Meanwhile, at Farryl's weyr, L'nu had made a big mistake. Hobbs flew to his face, whispering frantically, but it was too late. Two sleepy heads emerged from a nearby basket to blink at the young man. Who this? Faii asked curiously. Why loud? Kurro asked grumpily. Hobbs moaned sadly, landing on the bed and covering his face with a wing. He'd promised Farryl the twins would stay out of trouble! Faii and Kurro ignored him and fluttered up to hover in front of L'nu and pear at him closely.

Who Paglieth? Faii asked, cocking her head. Kurro glared at her. He wanted to ask that! Lost? he asked instead. Only the old human came in here without knocking, this one was new. The two heads look at each other, grinning mischievously. We know way, they chimed in unison. Follow us to OursLove! Flopping back to the ground, they sped off in the opposite direction than the flight rooms. If L'nu chose to follow, he was likely to get very, very lost indeed.

[dragon]

Paglieth let out a bark of concern when another blue came screaming in from nowhere and acted like he going to try and kill Peppeth. Not Peppeth! Not now! He faltered mid-beat and his toes splashed the water for a moment before he regained his coordination. Thankfully, Peppeth seemed to get away without harm while another blue appeared to yank on the first's tail.

What a bunch of perverts! Paglieth swayed off to one side to go around the two squabbling blues ... or whatever they were doing ... and chased after Peppeth again. When she litterally bounced off of the waterfall, Paglieth was so startled and impressed that he completely dropped out of the air into the pool at the base of it. Creating a huge cascading fountain of water he splashed and flailed a moment in the water in his efforts to get turned around. Leaping back into the air and smacking the water with his wings, he chased after her again, sending little droplets of water shimmering in all directions. Pretty is the worst flier in the Weyr! Had he really just said that? Gar! He'd tried to get it right. Apparently that effort had only lasted half way through the sentence. I mean best! he praised, trying hard in an effort toward damage control.

Unfortunately this meant they were headed back toward the two oafs that were either more interested in violence or each other. He wasn't sure which. Those two were scary. Paglieth gained a bit of altitude as he went, following resolutely on Peppeth's tail. She knew what she was doing, he was sure. He trusted her explicitly, following after her so-pretty tail. Spiraling up into the air after her, he did better at not crashing into things now that he was farther away from any random obstacles. With more room to maneuver, his wingbeats were more fluid and coordinated. Kicking his back feet out Paglieth arched backwards through a twirl inside the spiral as he crooned adoringly.

L'nu, for his part, had no idea what to think. He was being assaulted with sensations of horror and splashdown at the same time he was seeing what looked like ... looked like ... he had no idea what he was looking at. But it had two heads and it talked, all with a flitter zooming around like it had lost its mind. He opened his mouth in an attempt to answer the first question but was startled to silence by the second. "I'm not lost!" he protested, even as they scurried away through the doorway.

Turning completely about once, L'nu headed out the door after them. Maybe they did know what they were doing. Because Peppeth sure wasn't here! Where was she, anyway? "Wait up!" He called as he ran after them. One toe hung on the doorway though and he went sprawling headlong into the hallway. Scrambling back to his feet with no nevermind to the scrapes on his elbows, L'nu dashed after them again.

Someday he'd outgrow the clumsy stage of his life. Probably when he stopped growing, whenever that was.

[Requiem]

Stripped to the waist and pant legs rolled up above his knees, the lean man was no particuarly pleasing sight compared to the younger men who populated the Weyr. Though he was presently shiny, having managed to get oil over most of the front of him in the last candlemark. Predawn grey had given way to the soft roses and oranges of the budding day, Ykkith's hide awash in the fire of a recent oiling when struck so winningly.

"Lucith joins." So I see. Pride is such a sensitive thing. Unperturbed, Ykkith spread his wing so that Ur'h could get under it. The male was not in a mood to be hurried. His claim on Peppeth was, after all, a claim of favor and not of possession. At least not beyond her place on his wing. It had, in fact, been his intention to leave her to entertain herself with the faster, younger blues. Why sully things with something like Flight?

Finish the other side, please. "Now Rhiiseth's up." This just caused the aging brown amusement, apparently. He didn't see why His felt the need to give him a play-by-play on the Flight going on overhead. "And interfering with Lucith." Ur'h got all over the wing joint, ignoring the ache in his own joints. Now, that, Ykkith must admit, was mildly more interesting than the rest.

He was loathe to take Lucith's bait. Peppeth would have no trouble with Lucith; she was much too fast for him. Ykkith wasn't sure that he could say the same for dragons who chose to tangle with the blue. Oh well. Peppeth would probably welcome him, even if he had no chance under the multiple suns in keeping up with her and her posse of blues. Still, an old brown had the guile of turns, now didn't he...?

Ykkith stretched, taking stock of himself to be sure His had completed the job properly. No sense in rushing off and ruining a perfectly good oiling. Thank you, Mine. You may step back now. The brown sprung into the air, rising swiftly on a direct course past the two blues. And if his draft effected Lucith's flight considerably more than Rhiiseth's, well, of course that was mere coincidence.

My, my. You're back again are you, nasty little green? Ykkith asked of Lucith. Ever so unsatisfying, his catch from last Flight. The brown spun neatly away, flicking his tail at Lucith's snout. If the male wanted to start something, Ykkith didn't mind. Lucith was a child. Though not quite so much a hatchling as that blue that looked like he was going to crash into something at any moment.

What game are we playing, little Peppeth?

[Rei]

So close. Another breath and he’d be upon her. Talons flexed in anticipation and then Lucith felt something close around his tail. A momentarily flare of pain that was just as quickly pushed aside. Snarling in wordless fury as he was jerked backwards away from his prize, his back talons kicked out viciously for Rhiiseth’s face. You are the one who should be careful brother. The last word spat like a curse as his darker hued clutch brother pushed away. The strike for Rhiiseth’s face unfortunately ended up falling short of it’s mark because his brother was smart enough to put distance between them. Distance Lucith was aiming to close and rapidly. Peppeth be damned for the moment. If Rhiiseth wanted attention he was going to get it. Ice and bite his brother had commented. Brief amusement whirled through the smaller blue’s eyes. Bite indeed.

Surging forward he aimed a snap at one of Rhiiseth’s wing tips, seeking to drive the other into a confrontation. Really it was nothing more than a game. One purely for amusement and if ichor was shed, then all the better. Z’ves kept him from trying to outright kill the other blue but little else. In fact the rider was urging the beast on solely to see if he could get a reaction from Ka’aen later. As Peppeth sped between them Lucith tried to take advantage of any lack of attention on Rhiiseth’s part. Talons extended the smaller blue darted in a feint for the darker blue’s flank, intending to dip beneath and slash for wing membrane when the other blue attempted to avoid.

Unfortunately Ykkith took that moment to breeze past them throwing off Lucith’s trajectory slightly. Aborting the attack the blue snapped his wings shut and fell to avoid the tail sent whipping his way. Snarling he pulled away from the other males, eyes flashing in playful amusement. Playtime was now yes. Giving a warbling croon to Rhiiseth, as he circled below the other male, he again shot upwards bypassing the other blue with a slash of talons and heading straight towards Peppeth. This time however Lucith made sure to keep a careful eye on his opponents. Especially Rhiiseth. Ykkith he wasn’t so worried about. The brown was too slow to be much of a threat unless he was caught off guard. That wasn’t happening again.

Z’ves was actually a bit surprised that he was the only one in the room still. Hmm. Farryl didn’t even look concerned either. How boring. Where was a Ka’aen when you needed him? Obviously not here. Well then he’d have to make due with the girl. Changing his grip on the knife he started toward her at a lazy walk a smile painted on his face. “Would you like to play with me Peppeth?”

[Avu]

Perhaps his lack of true intent to Peppeth’s Flight was both a curse and a blessing. If he’d wanted her so badly, Rhiiseth would have had no qualms about causing Lucith a bit more pain, a scar as a reminder to keep his manners; on the other hand, it left him more aware of his surroundings, less distracted by the glow to her hide, more likely to survive such an encounter if it came to that. And yet…all Rhiiseth had now was his own dark amusement at this, a game and a battle all in one, a quiet disinterest and fearlessness. Nothing to make him angry; nothing to make him want to push his advantage as Lucith compensated for the surprise of his initial attack. No follow-up. Instead, Rhiiseth flared his wings backwards, allowing Peppeth to pull away from the both of them as he danced backwards from Lucith.

Temper thy fire and ice, brother, the larger male murmured, She of stardust and dreams is already chasing brighter dawns.

Like—oh, there was Ykkith. Rhiiseth purred a polite greeting to the brown as his wings flared wider to ride on the wind pushed towards him by the larger dragon, the sound cut off at Lucith’s undeniably dangerous croon and the slash of his talons. Rhiiseth curled his wings around his body, turning the evasion of what he presumed was a halfhearted warning attack into his typical dance. Just because he had no real intentions of winning Peppeth did not mean he could not honor her Rising, although her seeming obliviousness to the fact that Lucith was in deadly earnest and not merely playing the games by the rules she tried to dictate did not endear her to him.

Fast enough to evade him, maybe, but Lucith was still small enough to be a threat to that, and somehow, Rhiiseth doubted Peppeth would dare hurt Lucith for her own sake. Wouldn’t think to. Not a fair playing field at all, was that? At least Ykkith was here. Oh, and that other blue, he supposed, the hatchling with no sense of playing knight in shining armor when the green he was Chasing was in danger. Helpful, that.

Rhiiseth sped up, feigning indifference to Lucith’s position in order to coil around Paglieth as if the younger blue were an obstacle, brushing his wing across the other’s back in a feather-light touch, almost playful, before he breezed away from Paglieth again.

I said you didn’t have to play hero, didn’t I? A pause, a mental snort. You’re just being a vindictive bastard, aren’t you—you and Lucith are practically the definition of sibling rivalry.

Well, maybe. Rhiiseth hummed quiet amusement, his body tensing as Lucith went for Peppeth again. No doubt he’d be more careful this time. Assuming that Lucith was guessing where Peppeth was going to be at the end of her loops or something—trying to grab her mid-loop would be just stupid—Rhiiseth pushed himself faster, aiming for Peppeth rather than Lucith, something the blue couldn’t control. His flight was aimed to take him right past the green in a twisting corkscrew, close enough that his path would disturb her flight. It might make her angry; she might not even notice, but hopefully it would affect it enough.

Or he could’ve just bespoken her, but there was no fun in that, and he didn’t think he owed Peppeth any explanation. She was just unlucky enough to have attracted Ykkith’s, and therefore Lucith’s, attention. And his, Rhiiseth supposed, but he didn’t count himself as a bad thing. (Ykkith wasn’t a bad thing either, but it was just that in this case, a Ykkith came equipped with a Lucith and Lucith was very definitely not a good thing.)

Ka’aen sighed inside of the weyr, shaking away hallucinations of blue and brown and green hide, the flash of teeth and talons and the sky stretching on like eternity. He stretched, pushing back the chair and managing to smear ink over his jaw as he rubbed his hands over his face. Used to Flights now, but still. Never quite was comfortable with Rhiiseth going out on a limb with Lucith like this, not in some random green’s Flight when the green didn’t even mean anything to him. He brushed his hands down his shirt, tugged his pants higher over his hips, and stepped out into the hallway to head for the Flightrooms.

No doubt there was a greenrider expecting him.

[Rowana]

Peppeth glanced down to see how her males were doing. Oh look! Ykkith had decided to come too! A happy croon emerged from her throat. Ykkith was familiar and a good friend, though she wasn't one to be offended if he hadn't come, she was still pleased to see him. Paglieth was good at making her laugh, even if he wasn't so good at flying yet. Maybe now that she'd given them more room he could show her what he could do. Rhiiseth got a happy purr too. He was graceful and nice, but seemed a bit preoccupied with Lucith, such a pity. Lucith, on the other hand, didn't seemed to be understanding the game at all, Peppeth clucked. He was a tricky one, to be sure.

Reaching the apex of her climb, Peppeth felt, rather than saw, Rhiiseth coming up beneath her. He was a bold one, she brightened at the challenge. Gently she twisted and rolled out of her spiral and away from the rising males. Then she was off, whizzing in a zig zag pattern towards the jungle trees at the Weyr boundary. Trees were great for games and showing off, in her opinion. Once she was above the tree line, she dropped like a stone. She actually waited until she was below the canopy, using a tiny clearing, before pulling out and above the top branches. Not finished yet, she darted around some of the higher treetops, circling one completely to fly back towards the canyon again. See? This was fun! She wanted them to have fun too and see how fast they could go!

Farryl rolled her head back to look Z'ves over. Her mouth moved into an amused smirk and her eyes spark dangerously, not that it would likely bother him in the least. The Farryl part of her didn't think she would like his games at all, but Peppeth was curious. Besides, her other males were still late. It was their loss if they missed out. "Well then," she sighed, feigning indifference. "What did you have in mind?"

Kurro and Faii were bubbling over with malicious joy. Their prey was following! It was almost too easy to trick him in his current state, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun. They giggled evilly, keeping up a pace just ahead of L'nu down the maze of passages. Follow, follow! Hobbs flew after them, chattering in distress, but since he couldn't speak actually words, he was finding it hard to fix the situation. Oh, Farryl was going to be so mad when she found out! The twins came to a halt at a junction in the hall, pausing to think. This way, Kurro said firmly, tugging to the left. No, no, Faii insisted, pulling to the right. This way! Kurro barked and nipped at her frill. Stupid Faii! he scolded. Choose wrong! Kurro more stupid! Faii countered hotly, whacking him with a wing. Not leader! Almost forgetting L'nu and their plot, they began to scuffle in a rolling ball of green and blue.

[dragon]

Peppeth whirled and danced in the air like only she could. Paglieth put on his best effort to keep up and match her, all the while trying to avoid all the other males that were cluttering up the air with their teeth and talons. What was their problem, anyway? Clearly they had no idea how to honor a lady proper-like! He was careful how much showing off he did, though. She could sure turn and dart in a hurry, and it would be too easy to lose track of her for it. Even though with clear airspace he could fly a whole lot better than he had been in the canyon.

To be fair, he normally didn't fly that clumsily. As much effect as he was having on L'nu, the reverse was also true. Every time L'nu had a clumsy spat, so too did Paglieth, much to his chagrin. Unfortunately, L'nu had a lot of those of late. For the moment, L'nu was doing a decent job of keeping his feet under him, and while he was Paglieth was making the most of that time. Cutting and turning, he flared first one wing and then the other as he twisted through the air. Dipping and diving, he did not follow Peppeth down under the canopy. Not for a lack of desire to do so, but more knowing that if he did that would be when L'nu would faceplant on something... and Paglieth would impale himself on a tree, he was sure of it. So he stayed above the canopy, tracing her through it until she came back up again. He followed her as closely as he dared through many of her hair-pin turns, dodging tree tops as he went.

As she darted back in the other direction, Paglieth forewent going around the tree. Instead he tumbled backward over himself in the air, and shot after her again. Warbling and crooning, he opted for the purely vocal communication of his adoration. At least this way he couldn't get his words all mixed up and risk insulting her again!

L'nu barely registered that his guides had stopped guiding him to tussle with themselves (what a strange creature) in the hallway. Instead he blasted on past them, running for all he was worth down the halls and taking turns as if he knew them by heart. By this point, there was very little left of L'nu in his head. More and more was being taken over by Paglieth. The only part that was really left anymore was the part that navigated the hallways.

He'd been lost plenty in the halls over the turns. But it was not all for naught. He had eventually learned where they led. Which served him well now. With the little compass in his head that was direction him to his reality of Peppeth, he made his way through the halls to her. The long, round about way, sure. But that hadn't been his fault. The two headed demon had started him off in the wrong direction after all!! Finally, he arrived, skidding to a stop in the doorway.

At the sight of what greeted him, some part of him wondered if he really wanted to step through that door. Seeing a fellow approaching a lass with ... was that a knife? ... in his hand... it was not really a place someone like him really wanted to be. But neither was he entirely himself. Stepping over the threshold, he cleared his throat. "Leave her alone."

It was wrong ... didn't matter what he was up to. It was wrong. Catching the lady before she was ready, possibly sticking her with a blade ... didn't matter. It was wrong.

[Requiem]

"None that you're likely to favor," Ur'h commented dryly from the doorway. A staying hand fell on L'nu's shoulder. Kid was going to get himself killed playing hero. The brownrider slipped past the child, not interfering with Z'ves. The bluerider might have some skill hidden away somewhere, but for the most part the man only preyed on the weak and the helpless. Couldn't be bothered to risk his neck and the like on something that wasn't...guaranteed.

Thus it was enough to merely interject. Ur'h smiled slightly at Farryl. Stepped aside to give her clear view of L'nu. Children were better suited to children, after all, and the older man had little desire to complicate things with an inter-wing mating. Not that it had much to do with him. Ykkith and Peppeth - more Peppeth than Ykkith - would determine it. Still, couldn't hurt.

Well. That was simple enough. Rhiiseth and Lucith would not tear each other apart after all. It was almost anticlimatic, really. Why had he urged Ur'h to hurry the oiling, anyway? The brown turned his attentions fully to Peppeth now. A croon was gifted her in return for her greeting, and the moderately-sized brown took to the chase. He slid sideways, spilling air and banking at the crux of the dip to swing suddenly back under the smaller dragons.

Wingtip caught updraft, the male riding it in a corkscrew upwards even as the others plunged for the canopy. Ykkith played a different game, though. One that played more to his strengths than a jungle obstacle course. Diving, he ran the treeline along the riverbank, flying low enough to send up splashes with flicks of his tail. Ykkith found his path and tucked his wings tight for the plunge through the trunks, using hinds to propel him forward in a great thundering crack in place of wings.

The clearing that saw him opening his wings and shooting upwards was but a couple dragonlengths from Peppeth's. Playing amongst the treetops himself, he instead used them almost like steps, making them sing as they lashed about in his wake. Then he was swirling high with great strokes of his wings, a languid barrel roll marking his position. The male followed from his higher vantage point to have time to react to the speedy green.

[Rowana]

Peppeth's pace slowed, the wind carrying her higher as her wings beat a slow, tired rhythm. Acrobatics and games were great fun, but also wore her out quickly. Being small did have his disadvantages too. It saddened her that the game had to end so soon, she would have played all day if she could. Circling in the air, Peppeth's gazed over her chasers thoughtfully. She'd lost Lucith and Rhiiseth at some point. Maybe that were more concerned with each other than her, she thought sadly. Still, they had flown well and she gave them a happy chirp of thanks.

Peppeth looped over to Yikkith, caressing his back with her tail. It was so nice of him to come, she crooned happily. His danced had thrilled and delighted her for it's difference to her own. Not so old, now was he, she thought playfully. Her eyes sparkled, but she dipped past him in the end. Today was not a day for friendship, after all. With a loving sigh, Peppeth dropped to her chosen one. He who had adored her with clumsy words and wings, and delighted her with his enthusiasm. Yes, this was a good choice, she crooned. Her dear, silly Paglieth.

Farryl's gazed passed by Z'ves to her other males. Finally they were here, or at least most of them. She beamed at Ur'h and got up to give him a playful hug. "Oh?" she quipped, Peppeth's curious nature was almost sorry not to see what it was she would not like. She ran a hand through the older man's hair with a smile of thanks, before bouncing away. Farryl took L'nu's arm and swung him around in a tight embrace. "Who's protecting who?" she asked, with an amused smirk. So brave of him to try; foolish, but brave.

[dragon]

Paglieth followed Peppeth back up into the sky again, determined to not lose track of her agile pretty self despite everything else going on. What ever else was going on. He'd somehow managed to lose track of it. But it was hard to keep an eye on the rest of the world when the shining beauty ahead of him was just such an attention magnet! Crooning softly, Paglieth spread his wings as he slowed slightly through one turn, curious to see what she was doing now.

She seemed to be talking to those other two. And then she swooped after that brown. Paglieth's heart sank all the way to his toes. He'd failed. But it really was no wonder, with some of the awful things he'd said right at the beginning. Even if he had meant the absolutely opposite of being insulting ... he still knew how he sounded. His never failed to inform him of his slip ups. Or, at least most of them. He wasn't sure how often he actually slipped.

In the moment where he just glided on spread wings and watched while trying to decide what to do with himself, Paglieth realized it was not quite over yet. She was coming away from the old brown again, and dropping neatly through the air like only something as pretty as her could. At first he suspected she might just be teasing him like she had just done that brown, but all doubt was erased with that soft croon of hers. Suddenly going from the doldrums of defeat to the ecstasy of victory, Paglieth happily caught her and carried her away lovingly. Knowing better than to try and force good words out in such an excited time, again he substituted with just a soft croon of his own.

L'nu, for his part, almost came right out of his sanity when his shoulder was grabbed from behind. Focused on what had been in front of him, he'd never known anyone was coming up behind him until his heart was in his throat. With all the not-nice energy in the air, he almost expected to be feeling pain shortly after the touch. But it didn't come. Instead the newcomer merely moved on and past. Heart feeling like it was going to punch a hole through his throat, L'nu swallowed and just looked at the other people in the room.

He was outclassed and he knew it. On some instinctive level, he knew it. Even if right now his was half way convinced he was a blue dragon. At the same time that Paglieth assumed defeat, so did L'nu in seeing her move to the Brown's rider and hug him. But, just as Paglieth noted, she didn't stay there. Instead, she moved on ... wait ... coming to him? L'nu blinked and stumbled as she yanked him off balance and around. He caught her in his arms, half as an answer to her and Paglieth, and half to keep from ending up face down on the floor for tripping over his own fat feet. "I'm not sure anymore." He answered, before capturing her smirking lips in a kiss. He hadn't known feelings like this were possible!