let the flames begin [oquith's maiden flight]

[Avu]

Meow.

There was no response from either greenrider nor dragon, but perhaps it was to be expected. The latter was asleep, curled up in a tight ball on the weyrledge with wings furled protectively around her, pressed against the stone of the cliff face. The odd position was due to Oquith's vague attempt at hiding her hide from the Weyr, for glowing was the small green, her hide gleaming and brilliant, as metallic as any queen's, with the glow that preceded Flight. One wing was draped loosely about her head, the other her back, but since the wings themselves glowed, it really accomplished nothing at all. Proddy had she been, though hers was not the snappy flirtatious manner that most Weyrfolk associated with the word. Rather, she'd been much more high-strung and nervous -- and she'd spent much more time "making" shinies, but unusually, she had not given them away but hoarded them, and Tr'esn was willing to bet that they'd go to whoever Caught her in the unavoidable maiden Flight. Tr'esn, too, was asleep, curled up around his furs and clutching a pillow. Indeed, the only one awake was Moth, the small feline blinking green eyes expectantly at Tr'esn.

But to be asleep was not unusual, for it was about fifteen minutes to seven in the morning.

The feline mewled again, louder still. The reaction she received, however, was more than likely not the one she had anticipated. It was not Tr'esn who awakened, but Oquith. Slowly did the layered lids of her eyes peel back, rising one at a time until the brilliancy of her jewel-faceted eyes was exposed, sweeping around her. It was not to the feline that the green looked, but to the sky, the rim of light that was all to be seen of Rukbat. The wings that had previously been covering the shine of her emerald body slid away, rustling as she furled them, twitching her tail. Nostrils flared, eyes scanning the sky again with a hunger that was new, foreign, exciting, to the small green. She didn't understand it; didn't want to. All she knew was that she wanted to fly. Oquith had always loved to fly, but was more than joy. It was desire, need, a primal dance, that she wanted...

And she wanted it now. But Hers...wings unfurled, Oquith hesitated on the brink of flight as she slid to the edge of the weyrledge, almost nervously flicking a glance behind her. Mine? Her voice was a whisper, eagerness running in an undercurrent beneath the tender soprano croon. As soon as she felt the sleepy response, the eagerness consumed the usual tenderness, became quick and almost breathlessly excited. Mine, wake up, wake up; we fly together today! Rapid shades of purple slid over her eyes, mixed and swirled among the blues and greens and then dominated them, completely overtaking those jewel-faceted eyes that slid around the weyr again, and the need and lust rose. See if they can catch us! The words came in a fierce, eager rush, the kind of eagerness that someone sure of winning might sport in uttering a challenge.

And a challenge did she utter. The calm, sleepy serenity of the morning was broken in two as she shrieked. That was it. One warning, she gave them, and they either took it or lost the chance. She would wait no longer. For a moment, there was a flash of nervousness -- supposing nobody came? -- and then it was gone, swallowed by the need past all needs to fly. Launching herself up and off of her 'ledge, Oquith worked to gain altitude. Altitude meant mobility, meant power, and meant that she, only she, would control this Flight. A cool wind caught her wings, carried her forward above the mouth of the canyon, the ground a dizzying drop below. But unlike other greens, who might have uttered another challenge, Oquith gave no other outcry. This was her Flight, her maiden Flight, and she would have it on her terms.

~*~*~

"Oquith!"

The anguished groan left Tr'esn's throat as instantly as he'd sat bolt upright after hearing the green's voice. Little change, there was, from her normal sweet, adoring tones, but there was a change. He recognized it, knew it for what it was. She was Rising, was his lovely little green. Mine, wake up, wake up; we fly together today! Tr'esn felt his throat close convulsively, and scrambled out of his covers, bolting towards the weyrledge. Moth's plaintive mewl behind him made him falter, and then the greenrider half-turned, staring helplessly. "I'm so, so sorry, Moth," he blurted. See if they can catch us! The lust was rising. Unfamiliar was the need, the raw desire and the desperate longing to feel the wind over wings...the need to see them, strung out behind her, trying to win her favor. "Oquith..." The whisper was rough in his throat as Tr'esn made to take another step towards the weyrledge...

And in that shrieking challenge he lost himself.

Most would have gone to the Flightrooms, then. But Tr'esn was already gone. Open, had their Bond been; never had he even attempted to close Oquith out before, and he couldn't do it, now. The green's nervousness had a low whine of anxiety rising in his own throat as his gaze whipped around his weyr, and he twisted on his heel, putting his back to the wall. Pale gray eyes narrowed in a phantom wind, glazed as Tr'esn/Oquith hovered above the canyon. Far, far below were the 'ledges, and instinctively Tr'esn spread his arms along the wall, in a mimic of the dragon's wings, a wide grin that was entirely Oquith's eagerness to fly and to dance spreading across his face as his face was raised towards the ceiling, and beyond that, the sky.

Today, they would fly!

...meow.

[Requiem]

He was watching. Faint purple tones had been swirling in his eyes since the dawning, and now they were growing stronger. Other than that, the giant bronze didn't move at all except for the slight expanding and contracting of his flanks that announced working lungs. Just that and the slow whirl of eyes intent on their mark.

His hunger flared to life as the glowing beauty stirred, as her form emerged into the gathering light of day. An anxious croon left his throat. So slow. Teasing them, she was. Almost paranoid, his gaze swept the other weyrledges briefly, to see which of the other males had their gazes trained on the young green as they should. Salenth usually chased older greens, but it had been too long. His tongue flicked out, tail twitching as his attention returned to the dragon posing on her ledge, her wings outspread. The male slowly rose himself, never looking away. He didn't move towards the edge of the ledge just yet, though. Not yet.

Her shriek ripped through the air. The bronze's wings flared in immediate response, filling the canyon with a bass roar directly on the heels of her cry. Between the two sounds, it was doubtful anyone could have slept through it. Salenth moved forward and sprung from the ledge, working for altitude, her glowing frame all that filled his vision.

***

Sane people would not yet be awake unless they had to be. M'ta wasn't worried, though; he'd long since established - to himself and everyone else - that he was most definitely not entirely sane. The weyrlingrider was currently engaged in his daily run along the banks of the river, and it was nearly finished, too; the rumbling crash of the waterfall was terribly loud to his ears. Not loud enough, however, to block out the cries of the two dragons.

Normally, it wouldn't have phased him. Dragons bellowed all the time, and after about four turns it had become entirely commonplace. Or it should have been, had not Behruth suddenly become very, very aware in his mind. The young brown had been consumed with something...likely a bug, since he and PMS seemed to share their fascination with the creatures...for half a candlemark now, but it was not a bug the dragon was interested in anymore. His eyes were only for Oquith. Something grabbed ahold of M'ta's stomach and squeezed, the teenager coming to a halt, bending to try to force air into his lungs, which seemed to have seized.

Behruth released the inhale he'd drawn at the glorious shining beauty that had taken to wing, sliding from his couch with an air of worship. Oh, oh, oh! She shone so, so brightly! Brighter than the day and night stars! Brighter than his hoard during that time of afternoon when the angle was just right to strike the gems and sticks and set them all into a dazzling glamour. Slinking to the weyrledge, he growled softly at the roar that dirtied her lovely cry. She wanted him to follow, didn't she? She must. And that's when he saw the great, evil beast that meant to steal his shiny. No. He wouldn't let him! The dragon queen could not be stolen! Do not worry, Mine. I won't let him, the brown called to his mindmate, erupting from the weyrledge in a flurry of wingstrokes, drawn like a ray of sunlight after the celestial body itself.

"Won't let him what?" the young man muttered, having finally caught his breath. Only to feel suddenly as if he really shouldn't be standing here, but rather feeling the wind beneath his wings and dancing for...for... Shards. A flare of panic. He'd known it was coming, but still it caught him off-guard. R'wign. Meira. If he could find them, maybe - stupid. It was a new feeling, yes, but that didn't mean he didn't know what it was, just as much as he knew he couldn't fight it. Not in the end. And as soon as he accepted that Behruth overwhelmed M'ta entirely, the boy standing near the edge of the falls, quivering, his nostrils flaring. Where was she?

Breaking into a jog, he moved down the stairs on the cliff face, before pausing uncertainly, his eyes swinging back upwards. There. It was the wrong place...no, he was clearly going to the wrong place, because Oquith could never be wrong. Just inside the door to the weyr, he paused, transfixed by her beauty and joy. He took a tentative step forward.

***
Almost anyone wouldn't be able to sleep through the dragons' roars, anyway. Yet he managed. S'rei even managed not to notice the need welling up past the breaking point inside him, the bronzerider twitching in his sleep, knuckles scraping the floor from where his arm dangled over the edge of the bed. Infants tended to wear a person out...even to the point of sleeping through the beginnings of Flightlust. In fact, it wasn't Salenth who woke S'rei at all. It was a certain green salamandyr who decided now was the perfect time to leave her mark deep in his shoulder. Because, of course, Oquith had reminded her of Ophelie, and she wanted to know where her lovely firelizard was right this moment.

He hissed, batting at the salamandyr, who then latched onto his hand in retaliation. The moment S'rei's eyes opened, however, he felt the familiar tug. He frowned slightly at Worm, but she wasn't really occupying much of his attention, even when she squirmed back up to play the earring and dangle from his ear. ofleewhereofleeofleewherewhereNOW! He ignored her, bundling up his little daughter and taking the child to the creche, all the while attempting to jog his brain into wakefulness. Even upon seeing the boy...shards, what was Salenth up to, chasing a green bonded to a kid? ... the man found his thoughts were still too sluggish to fully process it.

He stood blinking at Tr'esn sleepily and then glanced around. Ah. A bed. That would be nice. S'rei suppressed a yawn.

[ravenmane]

Wasn’t she beautiful? Yes. Yes, she was. So pretty, so kind, and precious. His precious little Green. Look at her hide. See how it glows in the sunlight? How the colors danced across her hide, blending together while being completely separate from the rest. She would Rise soon; any male with eyes could see that, but not any random male deserved such a precious gem. The dainty little Green was so precious. His precious companion.

Qualuth lay “napping” on his weyrledge, silently watching Oquith sleep just next door. Her glow was so bright, a beacon under the sun. Everything else paled in contrast to her beauty, and he would take Chase when she Rose. It could be any moment, any day now, and he was ready, always watching her out of the corner of his eye, as discreet as he could manage. Big Blue ugly Dunghead stop. Mushu interrupted the Blue’s musings to scramble onto the dragon’s nose and open his frill in an attempt to intimidate Qualuth. Big Dunghead Ugly stay. Nonono Gogogo. The salamandyr ordered, but Qualuth didn’t listen. He growled threateningly at the Bronze pet, and Mushu toppled off Qua’s nose from surprise. The Big Dunghead Ugly had growled at him. Blue Dunghead never did that!

Hissing darkly at Qualuth, Mushu darted away from the Blue and into K’iel’s bed. Up! Upup! Higher Up. Dunghead Ugly Upup! K’iel raised his hand to swat at Mushu, but the weyrlingrider’s mind was still foggy with sleep. UPUPUP! Mushu cried, more insistent than ever. “Go away.” The salamandyr was unceremoniously dumped on the floor as his rolled over. What did wake K’iel was the roar of several dragons. He bolted upright, tensing as he stared at Qualuth’s weyrledge. In what felt like several candlemarks, the weyrling watched with horror as his life-mate raised his head to let loose a howl so unlike him that it scared K’iel.

It was a challenge, an answer, and a threat. No male touched his Oquith! None! I Chase, K’iel. Don’t try to stop me! The boy cringed away from the voice, so different from his happy Qualuth, also different from the way his Blue spoke when he was feeling reckless. Where was his Qua!? Up, up and away! Mushu answered K’iel’s thoughts as salamandyr and human watched dragon enter the sky. His mind was torn away from him, encased in a sea of emotion. Desire, anger, lust, loyalty. They whirled around in his head, in both their minds, driving rider and dragon to Chase like many before them.

Qualuth took to the sky, his wings unfurled on either side, carrying him after the beauty his heart sought. She was His. Nothing else caught his attention. No Green or Gold was more worthy than such a jewel. A faint voice touched the Green’s mind, the gentlest of touches. I am here… A quiet reassurance for Oquith. Her friend, her companion, her Qualuth was here for her and would be there forever! Below, K’iel did not have to go far. It only took a few steps till he was with his lovely Green, standing nearby with awe stretched across his face. Wasn’t she beautiful? Taunting her Chasers with her beauty and skill, and she would be his and his alone.

[glamourie]

“Gruhuhuhuhuhgghuhh.”

R’wign rolled over and completely out of the furs in his weyr. His body hit the ground with an audible smack, his palms breaking his fall. Dark green eyes flicked open in the darkness, staring straight at the floor as recognition washed over him. All of his fire lizards were asleep - all of them - but a feeling of warmth not entirely his own washed over him. If it wasn’t any of the sleepy winged ones, then it was Checkoth. But that feeling was not one he’d ever experienced from his dragon. A surprising haze masked over his mind, fogging up all of his thoughts. He felt constrained, trapped and conflicted, an all-consuming feeling alien to him. Amidst the trapped feeling was heat, inexplicable and undeniable. Heat. R’wign rolled over and brushed his long black bangs from his face, the curls bobbling around his cheeks and jaw, immediately. The first morning light from the end of his weyr, breaking around and silhouetting Checkoth’s form, made him squint. He crinkled his nose slightly and then sat up, very slowly. His gaze flicked to the sleeping form in his furs and his head cocked to the side. No movement. Apparently his awkward rolling over hadn’t roused her. Lucky her.

What had Checkoth in such a fuss, though? Scrambling to his feet, R’wign wobbled to the dragon’s half of his weyr. The brown was awake; he knew that without inquiring. In fact, Checkoth was perched precariously at the end of his weyr, staring upward as if the most entrancing thing in the world were there, high above him. R’wign couldn’t see anything from his angle, though - anything but sleeping dragons and weyrledges, nothing terribly out of the ordinary. He reached one hand to his eye and sleepily rubbed the crust from it before smoothing the loose black pants he wore to bed out over him. With the recent rain, the temperature dropped at night and his body hadn’t adjusted yet. It would only be a matter of time before he got back to sleeping naked, though… just like he liked it. Marra’s body wasn’t warm enough currently. He needed to work on that.

“What’s got you in such a fuss, Check?”

Startled by his rider’s words, Checkoth lifted his head. Pale purples swirled in his multifaceted eyes as he turned to look at R’wign. His head ducked in embarrassment and he crooned quietly, before replying, Oquith. It was the only answer he offered, but perhaps the only one he needed to grant. His head turned back up toward her weyrledge, watching, waiting. Pretty Oquith of the wonderfully pretty landings was up there, and she had all of his attention. Both of his tails twitched in excitement and he perched, claws digging into the ledge of his weyr. The brown made a low whining noise in his throat. She was entrancing, beautiful green up there that he couldn’t see; he knew she was there without actual sight. He could feel her. She was so, so pretty.

R’wign frowned, then glanced at the weyrledge again. Oquith. Oquith. A hint of alarm filled his mind as he stepped back away from Checkoth. Oquith was the green from their weyrling class. The one with the pretty landings, Checkoth informed him without words. Skydancer. Did that mean Checkoth intended to chase? Was it the first stirrings of flightlust he was feeling? Thoughtfully, R’wign walked over to the furs and pulled them up over Marra’s sleeping form. Then he paced, back and forth, restless as ever. Flightlust was supposed to be stronger, but it felt like - like when Beggar decided to chase that green during Aslath’s maiden flight. Uncomfortable but not impossible to ignore. If that was the full extent of what dragon-roused flightlust felt like, then it was nothing he couldn’t deal with. In some ways he was disappointed. He’d hoped for something bigger, better somehow. Flightlust was supposed to be amazing and he was not at all impressed yet. Not that it was Checkoth’s fault. Maybe he just had too much control, from having Impressed so many fire lizards? Possible, he supposed --

A loud shriek tore him from his thoughts and R’wign stumbled from the sudden surge of emotions washing over him. That was more in line with what he’d expected, he thought dismally as he wobbled over to one of the walls to balance himself. Checkoth flared his wings as a glimmer of green shine appeared in the air. Even R’wign could see her. Beautiful Oquith. Was that his thought or Checkoth’s? He wasn’t entirely sure, but she was beautiful. Astoundingly so. He’d always thought her pretty, though.

Behruth is Chasing her, Checkoth informed R’wign with a definite note of disappointment in his ‘voice.’ I wanted to. R’wignmine, do you think he’d mind --?

No. Go. There was no hesitation in R’wign’s response as he encouraged his brown to the air. However, Behruth chasing (though he couldn’t see it, as his head was turned down) sent a chill of alarm through him. M’ta. M’ta was weird about people. He’d seemed almost unnerved by the flight talk in lessons. That fear kept R’wign grounded as he spun on his heel out of his weyr, though he knew where to go without thinking about it. Oquith, Oquith, pretty Oquith; he couldn’t very well catch his pretty from there could he? Wait, his pretty? R’wign squinted, trying to keep his mind in the here and now. It was difficult, as the walls of the weyr where he walked were fading to blue and clouds all around him in a surge of feelings not his own. Confusion. Excitement. Anxiety. Nervousness. Fear. Fear? Of what? Failure. He silently reassured his winged counterpart as he walked that Checkoth could never fail; even if he didn’t catch Oquith, he was the best dragon on all of Pern… but he’d catch her, wouldn’t he? Because he was the best. And if he lost it would be to Behruth and that wasn’t so bad, would it? R’wign squinted, wondering how many of those thoughts were his own. So confusing.

Checkoth launched himself off the weyrledge, his wings catching him. Though they were thin, he managed to angle himself just right so as to propel himself up into the air, after the glowing green magnificence above him. Such a lovely sight, Oquith was, and he crooned encouragingly to her rather than bellow or shriek as the other males might have. He ascended after her, powering up as fast as he could. While some dragons were competitive, Checkoth wasn’t. R’wign’s reassurance to go after her was all that he needed. While Behruth was his bestest friend, Oquith was beautiful… and he didn’t want to give up the chance to have her without a fight. She of the beautiful landings, who he wanted so much to teach him her grace. He only hoped to be worthy of her in the air, because he most definitely was not on the ground.

Moving as though drugged, R’wign stumbled into the entrance of Tr’esn’s weyr. M’ta --! But what could he do for him? If he tried to remove him, he’d get attacked. Saeo attacked C’oar, and that was a salamandyr run. Surely a green flight would’ve been worse. R’wign frowned, weighing his options mentally. His gaze snared first on the pretty there, the center of his focus - and then he tore it away with a forceful reminder that it was Tr’esn. He didn’t even like men. Tr’esn was a mere boy and a quiet one at that, he didn’t even know him. But he was so pretty. Shards. R’wign squinted and bowed his head to keep the lovely green from his sight. Maybe if he didn’t stare, he wouldn’t want her - HIM - so much. At least, that was his hope, and R’wign was spared his thoughts by a quiet … meow? from nearby. The brown rider ambled forward and then crouched down next to Moth, letting the feline keep his focus. He did not want to think about the flight. Thinking about the flight made him think about Tr’esn and how pretty he was, and that was altogether awkward. The feline was a good distraction, and he let his fingers run over her fur gently. What to do about M’ta? What could he do…?

[Avu]

((Latecomers are welcome, as always~))

Oquith quite nearly fell out of the air in shock at the roar that followed her shriek, quicker than any echo. The small green's body twisted, one wing drawn close to her body, once she'd reached her chosen altitude and hovered, just under the lowest layer of clouds, to see what creature had given the cry. Even before she looked, it was clear it would not be Qualuth, nor yet any blue. The roar was too deep to really fit one of the smaller males. But a bronze. A big bronze, a bronze that positively dwarfed her -- was unexpected. But not unwelcome, no: She just hadn't expected any of the gleaming, metallic males to Chase her. They were...above her, weren't they? Oquith crooned to Salenth shyly, uncertain. What...what did she do, now? The excitement, the strength surging through her -- the feelings were new, and had the males not come to her call, doubtless she would have stayed, considering them, for a time. Awkward was Oquith, for that moment, appraising Salenth shyly, pleased.

And then she saw Behruth. Lovely Behruth! As the brown approached, Oquith crooned to him, too, delighted, the sound becoming more like a warble than her original croon to Salenth. She liked Behruth. He was nice, and gave her shinies. And yes: That would count in the brown's favor. She didn't want the after-Flight to be awkward, and to her mind, past encounters was a perfectly reasonable thing to judge a male by, added to his performance in the actual flight. There was no flirtation in either of the croons she uttered, neither Salenth's nor Behruth's: No. Oquith was grateful that they had shown up, both of them, even Salenth, who was unfamiliar to her. As a howl split the air -- noisy, her Flight was -- Oquith answered Qualuth with a pleased croon. Her lovely, lovely clutchbrother, was Qualuth, and he was Chasing her, too? Yes. That touch on her mind, his words. Quabrother... Her response was the lightest touch, but it was there.

Another brown! Checkoth. His croon was answered with one of her own, the small green honestly pleased by the suitors. If she came across as flirtatious, she was utterly unaware of it. Hesitating, she glanced around the weyr, the ledges, again, making sure no others would be coming, before she flapped her wings, one downstroke, as hard as she could, that one motion and the ones that followed it sending her into the clouds. Soft clouds, they were, and not thick; they whirled around her wings, moisture visible against her hide, gleaming. The green was not trying to hide: She was just playing, sending wisps of the clouds around her body as she took off, over the river and the buildings located on it. Her path was not the curving ones that many greens took delight in: Oquith just couldn't turn that fast. As the river came slid directly under her, Oquith arched her back and dove, though the twist of her wings made sure it was carefully controlled. No, it was not designed to loose the males, either. She didn't want to loose them; she just wanted them to Chase her, did the green. Sneaking a glance over one wing, Oquith crooned encouragingly as she pulled out of the dive, her tail coming down sharply to push herself back up and sending up another spray of water.

She closed one wing to maneuver around the treehouse that served as Candidate Barracks, her entire frame arcing into the curve in order to bypass the hazard, and then flared her wings to gain altitude again. This...was not a vicious, fast and furious Flight. It was a dance, to Oquith, and she played it as such, unwilling to loose the interest of her dance partners -- and thrilled by the wind whipping across her body, damp with the cloud's moisture, playing across her wings.

~*~*~

The male whose cry had first rang out was not the first to come, and that...utterly bewildered Tr'esn/Oquith, who blinked at M'ta/Behruth, head cocking to one side slightly, curls falling into his eyes as the brown took a step towards her. One hand rose, palm forward and fingers extended, but the motion, expressing the desire for space, was accompanied by a smile, a low, pleased croon. Handsome was her brown, but he still mustn't. She wanted to soar, to feel the wind ruffling her wings, to feel the glory and wild ecstasy, and yes: She wanted to dance. But not yet. That came later, she was sure it did. The green's gaze flickered around the weyr, curious, searching. Where was the bronze...? A flicker of movement caught her attention, but it proved to be merely a kitten, a white ball of fluff that was familiar to the green even in Flightlust. Oh...the Moth...but her bronze, where was he? The hand, which had been hovering uncertainly, ran fingers through her hair, Tr'esn/Oquith still pressed against the wall.

Ah -- here was the bronze, and her blue! Her blue! Tr'esn/Oquith glanced over the bronze first, though. S'rei/Salenth...he was not familiar, to her. Handsome, but he didn't seem...very interested. Faltering, the green shrank back shyly, eyes focused on the bronze, her croon uncertain. Was he...did he not want her? Why...why was he here, if he didn't? Biting her lip, Tr'esn/Oquith's gaze flitted to M'ta/Behruth and then to K'iel/Qualuth, seeking reassurance. Blue, though...her blue. Her lovely blue. He would always want her. He always had, right from the beginning. The green's throat tightened in her pleased warble as she took a step forward, glancing around at all three of her current suitors, before meeting K'iel/Qualuth's eyes and mouthing the word. "Quabrother..." One hand extended, as if to reach for the blue, and then Tr'esn/Oquith dropped it abruptly. No...not yet.

And another brown. Checkoth. R'wign/Checkoth, who was...the green blinked uncertainly, head tilting to one side. She didn't...understand. Why was he...petting the feline? The noise that left her throat was distinctly confused as Moth mrowled happily, rubbing her head against R'wign's hand and then running her entire body along the brownrider's legs. Her emerald eyes, however, were fixed on the green dangling thing on S'rei's ear. She wanted it, she did. Maybe it would play with her...little things were fun to play with, sometimes even better than playing with a two-legged. The feline's tail flicked as she licked R'wign's hand absently. Too bad he was so tall; Moth didn't think she could jump that high. But maybe if she jumped off of a wardrobe, or something...?

[Requiem]

The massive bronze hovered for a moment as her eyes fell on him, his great wings beating the air with a strength that lacked the usual violence involved when he Chased. The little green seemed uncertain, and that in turn made him uncertain. Oquith had Risen, though...the glowing of her hide and his instinctive response to her were all very familiar. Was she afraid, then? He twisted into a slow spin, gliding well beneath her, not crowding her, as a brief, reassuring croon left his throat. It is okay, little one, he spoke to her, brushing her mind only gently. You are very beautiful. I Seeing the flash of mahogany and hearing a scream from a blue further up, he amended that. We simply wish to worship that beauty, if you'll allow it.

He worked his wings mightily to catch up, though his anxiety diminished when the bronze seemed to pass passively beneath Oquith. Behruth knew instinctively that Salenth shouldn't do anything like try to catch Oquith before she was ready to be caught, but he still felt better to know for sure. Her croon excited him. Beautiful, beautiful Oquith, who gave him such lovely shinies. He would have to find a sky shiny for her sometime, he would. Her own little Pretty Mandyr Shiny. The small brown returned Oquith's croon, looping up and into the cloudbank before reemerging a respectful distance from her flank to express his happiness at her acknowledgement. He spared a glance for Qualuth, but, for once, the blue made him uneasy. Why had he been screaming? Behruth eased away from the other male.

Whatever sense of worship kept the brown from addressing Oquith in words, it did not hinder his reaction to seeing Checkoth. He dove a little to meet his rising clutchmate, twisting around the best of his dragonfriends. It put him a little further away from Oquith than Checkoth, but Behruth wasn't worried; they were going to play! And if Checkoth was the one Oquith wanted to play with alone, Behruth would be happy. Oh, Checkbrother, isn't she the prettiest of all shinies? You've come to dance with us? There she goes! he cried happily. His wings bore him easily, but they were smaller than either Salenth's or Checkoth's so he could not rise as quickly as the other two.

The young brown swirled into the clouds, enjoying himself immensely with all the pretty wisps, and especially at the glowing flashes of Oquith. Surely a sky shiny would see and want to play with his sister, too! He tried to make moves opposite her, to paint a pretty picture, but Behruth wasn't quite as nimble as her. It saddened him briefly, though not for long. A race to the ground! The brown dove, eager to continue the dance with all his clutchsiblings. Oquith was so nice to arrange this. He wanted to make her happy so she'd dance with him all alone at the very end! Wouldn't that be nice?

Salenth took the lower path, beneath the clouds, watching the younger dragons writhing through the clouds. He preserved his strength as he kept an eye on the brief, scintillating flashes of the glorious Oquith. This little beauty was gorgeous, and he wanted her more than any other, if only because her tentativeness was endearing. The bronze rolled in the air, scattering fragments of light and making his hide shimmer. He couldn't really follow up into the clouds without risking losing her - or accidentally doing something to throw off the other males. And he recognized they were weyrlings...probably all in their first Flight. So he gave them their space.

But as she dove, he looped upward and followed with a dive of his own, twisting through a tight barrel roll at the bottom of his dive that had his wingtips spraying up water with each downstroke. Oquith was not doing anything too quick, though she still turned tightly enough, even at ease, that Salenth was hard-pressed to replicate it. He slid into a turn higher than the green, coiling around the candidate barracks in the opposite direction and pulling away from the tree before he could get into Oquith's way. The bronze put his considerable strength behind his wings to shoot him straight upwards, nearly pacing the young green. Very, very sweet she was.

***

M'ta/Ruth whined softly in his throat, eyes never leaving his gorgeous Oquith. He didn't mean to crowd her! But oh, she was beautiful, and he couldn't tear his eyes away, even for a moment. Hovering near the doorway, he jumped a little when Qualuth came in from the side, shying away because Qualuth was acting strange he was, but his attention was back on Oquith nearly instantly.

Then he nearly bounced in place at the sight of Checkoth, greeting his brother with a throaty croon. He drifted over toward Checkoth and brushed against him affectionately, fingers trailing down the tall one's arm. M'ta might have been horrified at such behavior, but Ruth found it perfectly natural to cuddle with his clutchbrother until - if - Oquith let him dance with her touching, as he wanted. He smiled happily at the lovely green. Taking them dancing, she was. Oh, but so beautiful! How had he never noticed before?

WAKE UP. S'rei visibly jumped, causing Worm to let out a little squeal and bury her teeth deeper into his ear. The coppery smell of blood hit his nostrils. Lovely. Blinking, the bronzerider glanced around the room, having not even noticed the other two weyrlings who'd wandered in while he was spacing. All weyrlings. His eyes flicked to Tr'esn. The kid looked pretty in a fragile, he really shouldn't be thinking about anyone that young like that sort of way. So young he probably hadn't had anyone. S'rei...wasn't violent, but he'd still hurt someone that small, and it bothered him. I really want this one, Mine. Don't ruin it for me.

The bronzerider tried to let the Flightlust get a stronger hold on him, he truly did, but every time he felt it tighten, he found compassion for the kid preventing it from going any further. Salenth might have been disgusted, but he'd stopped paying attention to His after the initial rebuke.

[nightingale]

A soft warble of curiosity rose from Lamb's throat. What was her brother Jaymith doing? It was not yet time for lessons to begin. The bronze huffed quietly, somewhat surprised that anyone had noticed him moving about in the darkness when he had been being so careful not to make a sound. His great blue eyes shimmered faintly in the glow of his hide as he turned to regard Lamb with barely contained pleasure. Oquith rises today! Did you not hear her calling to us? I am going to go out and catch her. With that resolution made, the young bronze padded stealthily toward the doorway.

Lamb chirruped softly in alarm, but did not move from the shelf where her infant gosling was sleeping. Oh, but surely her brother was not going to chase after green Oquith? Was he not still rather young to be chasing greens? Was he not rather large to be chasing greens? Should he not tell Hers before he left? Do not be silly Lamb. The bronze snorted quietly, using his forehead to nudge the door open. Ke'rin-mine does not like chasing greens anyway. He will not even notice that I was gone! Before the flitter could protest any further, Jaymith had slipped outside and vanished into the silent hallway.

Blissfully oblivious, Kei murmured something about the wings being ready and rolled over in his sleep.

Oquith? Oquith where are you? Jaymith called, a low croon vibrating in his throat as he stepped out onto the dewy grass and gave his wings an idle flap. It wasn't a response to the question, but the lusty cries of other male dragons that alerted him to her presence. He turned and spotted her as she arced around the candidate barracks. Oh how pretty she looked! It was as if someone has tossed a pretty green stone up into the air and it had decided not to come down again.

His quarry in sight, the bronze took off at a gallop, flaring is wings and allowing the breeze to carry him ever so slightly skyward. Oquith! He called to her, his voice all delight and playfulness as his feet touched ground once again and he continued down the slope with all the speed his rippling muscles would offer him. Jaymith was far too young to even dream of what flightlust was, but that small fact hardly seemed to matter when there was a contest to be won. He would catch the beautiful green stone, and then...and then...well, he supposed they could visit the feeding grounds for some breakfast. He would even let her have the best parts of anything he caught! Yes yes! That sounded lovely!

[ravenmane]

While Oquith was uncertain about herself, Qualuth was completely confident in his ability to Chase and Catch the dearly loved Green. He glided slowly above her, waiting for her to begin the Chase, to lead her devoted suitors in a merry dance across the sky until she tired and twined with the male that had Impressed her most. Qualuth intended to be that male. The very thought of his darling Qui twining with a male ignited panic in the Blue’s heart. Oquith’s was his friend, his constant companion, and there was no other male that knew her better. He crooned lovingly as the spritely dancer replied faintly to his equally quiet words. She had acknowledged him! As far as he could tell, the lovely Oquith had not spoken to another male. Her challenge didn’t count of course because it had been broadcast to the whole male population and not a single individual.

The Blue snorted with simmering annoyance as he noted Checkoth’s arrival. It seemed that the three larger males, two of them being Qualuth’s clutch-brothers, thought that the small Blue could use much bigger competition. Joy. If Behruth or Checkoth Caught his lovely Oquith, Qualuth would never forgive them (Or at least until he forgot that is). Oh! She was beginning! Qualuth pushed his wings down to push him forward and the Blue took off after the lovely Green. He twirled playfully inside the moist softness that was clouds, watching appreciatively as the disturbed wisps danced on and around Oquith’s glowing body. It was like watching as a man courts a lady. While the lady twirled and twisted, the suitor did his best to compliment her finest features and to show them to those that looked on. Among the white coolness, Oquith was a glowing deity, powerful and worthy of great respect, but humble and honest all at once.

As the six dragons wove across the wide expanse of sky, Qualuth fluted appreciatively to his precious Qui and swerved playfully below her. When she turned, he turned, following, but not really following. He never copied her, but embellished upon his actions. Didn’t she deserve a mate as agile as she? Bronzes were strong and powerful creatures, but they were destined to mate with Queens and sire more clutches. Browns were the middlemen so to speak. The largest could Chase Golden Queens, but they were built for endurance and power while Blues, like Qualuth, were the agile mates of Greens, their playful counterparts so to speak. In his mind, none of the other Chasers were worthy of such a kind-hearted soul, and Qualuth didn’t even bother to count Jaymith as competition. The Bronzeling was too young for such activities, and he was also too young to understand what a Flight even was. Anyways, he didn’t deserve Qualuth’s thoughts, only Oquith did.

~*~

For him, there was no need to acknowledge or even think about the other Chasers. K’iel/Qualuth knew that Tr’esn/Oquith would Choose the best male, and that was, naturally, him. No need to think of competition when there was none. He would Catch the Green beauty, the Blue was sure of it. K’iel/Qualuth smiled smugly and crooned gently to the timid Beauty. No one would harm her, and if any dared hurt the Precious, he or she would face the wrath of K’iel and Qualuth. They would keep their dear companion safe even if it meant standing against a massive Gold. His eyes were trained on Tr’esn/Oquith, silently noting every movement and unconsciously reacting to each action. When Tr’esn’s gaze turned to S’rei/Salenth, K’iel turned his gaze towards the Bronze to see what had caught the attention of his lovely Green. His gaze brightened considerably when Tr’esn/Oquith took a step towards him with an outstretched hand, but he crooned unhappily when the Beauty pulled away abruptly. Did she not want him? Had he done something wrong?

[glamourie]

She was magnificent. Glowing, wonderful green. Checkoth was not normally entranced by ‘shinies’ in the way that his clutch brother was, but he could appreciate beauty when he saw it… and Oquith was beautiful. Indescribably beautiful in the air, like a mirage dancing through the sky. The clouds parted just for her, in his mind, and Checkoth was hypnotized. He could barely register that he was flying at all, let alone that he was not her only chaser. In his mind there was only Oquith, dazzling as lightning in the air, setting the center of the stage, and he was fortunate enough to watch her show. He felt privileged, as if she was granting him a special honor. Glowy, perfect Oquith. How had he never noticed before just how lovely she was? He’d always known her landings were to be envied, but in the air - in the air she was beyond words, beyond anything he could describe, and Checkoth could not bring himself to speak. He felt certain that the image of her glowing hide would remain with him for all of his life, for there was nothing quite so glorious as she on all of Pern. He knew that to be fact.

Forward he followed her, the lovely sky dancer that was Oquith (no longer his clutch sister but instead the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen in his life) until another voice - a voice he barely recognized, as though from so far away - reached him. Behruth. A hint of delight filled Checkoth as he registered at last that he was not alone with Oquith. Behruth was also there; yes, hadn’t he just told R’wignHis that? Oh, yes. Of course Behruth would be there. He never missed a shiny, and Oquith was beyond shiny. She was glorious! Prettier than any queen by far, and his clutch brother had very good taste. Behruth wasn’t mad at him for chasing the beauty, either - that pleased him immensely. Checkoth did not want to make his best friend angry with him.

Oquith is the most beautiful creature on all of Pern, Checkoth replied, but there was a lot less of a ‘childlike’ quality to those words than his usual demeanor; he definitely meant it. Perhaps it was because of R’wign being detached, or maybe simply because Checkoth was growing up, but he knew exactly what was happening all around him - he knew why he was Chasing Oquith, and he knew that he wanted to catch her. In that split second, she was the only thing on his mind. He’d met plenty of other greens, but none could compare to her beauty. If he lost her… well, she would pick the best, and he’d work harder to be worthy of her in the future. Nothing else doing. Oquith was the only green he wanted (at least, at that moment).

Twirling in a quick, almost agile loop around Behruth (for despite his size, Checkoth was surprisingly graceful), the larger brown crooned. Salenth, his idol, was temporarily ignored… or more accurately, not noticed. Neither was Qualuth, save the acknowledgment of their physical presences, and even then it was to prevent any flight dangers. His mind did not register who his other competitors were and it didn’t matter. For the moment they were not important to him, only she was. Checkoth pulled away from Behruth to spin in the air, the clouds cool and gentle as he burst through them. The flight was almost relaxing - or perhaps Checkoth was simply not a competitive creature. He was content to glide after her, beating his wings often enough to keep up and nothing more. His violet gaze was on the pretty before him and he swooped down after her, lowering toward the river as she did so. Pretty sky dancer with the pretty water! The closer that she flew, the more the droplets of water from the river made her glimmer, and Checkoth rumbled appreciatively to himself. No one else would be able to hear. No one else needed to.

R’wign blinked. Twice. The feline was rubbing on him, but she wasn’t the only one. He flicked his gaze up awkwardly toward M’ta, and another odd feeling of worry passed over him. The other brown rider was not normally so - so - well, so. Would he be okay when he realized what was happening? When the flight was over? One hand moved over to brush his arm where M’ta touched him and he smiled encouragingly, or at least, as encouraging as he could. Checkoth’s delight with Oquith, though, kept him glancing up toward Tr’esn, against his own wishes. So pretty was the green. That thought kept dangling through his mind, pushing anything contradictory out. He felt bizarrely aware. He knew exactly where he was, and that Tr’esn before him was a boy, a green rider, a mere kid in many respects… and he also knew that Checkoth very much wanted to catch Oquith. Two and two together made him uncomfortable, but that stacked onto a feeling of desire that he couldn’t quite explain… and so, so very much worry. Not just for M’ta anymore, but also Tr’esn. He didn’t know the boy well at all, but he seemed so shy. Would he be okay…? And the way he was looking at him…

Had he disappointed her? A hint of alarm half-Checkoth’s made R’wign stand back up and make a quiet ‘shh’ at Moth. The feline was a nice distraction, but his brown’s worry over upsetting the pretty green was enough to chase away most of his doubts. He didn’t want to make her sad. Flushing in embarrassment, R’wign mouthed “sorry” and hoped that Tr’esn understood; if he didn’t, well, at least it was obvious that he uh… liked cats? Such a silly thought, but R’wign was very, very confused. He’d expected to not know where he was at all, but he did. Shouldn’t he have been in the sky with Checkoth? But he was. He was both places at once, and it made him flustered; he didn’t know which was real, entirely. Weren’t both?

The closer they got to the river, the more Checkoth wanted to play. He couldn’t help himself. Both of his tails flipped out to snap in the river, as though to send a shower of water droplets toward Behruth; nothing to distract but definitely amuse. Yet - that one movement was botched, for the speed he was flying was not something Checkoth was used to. As his tails hit the water, a spray of it splashed up along his body and he half-jolted to the side. The splash covered parts of his wings, leaving tiny droplets to make his autumn-colored hide glimmer, and he blinked twice in confusion. It took several flaps of his wings to balance himself out right, losing him several seconds in the flight, and by the time he looked up, the pretty was curling around the Candidate Barracks. And he was barreling right toward them at full speed. Much too fast --!

But he could come out of it. He knew he could. Checkoth quickly snapped his wings and bent both of his tails to turn at the last second, darting up and around the tree that made the Candidate Barracks. He actually circled around it at a very wide angle, using that movement to ascend after the pretty as well as pick up speed again (which he’d lost with his splash). Checkoth was moving as fast as his wings would carry him in an attempt to catch up, to prove himself to her. Back into the clouds. Back into the air, when there was no more river to distract him - for now. but in the air - in the air she was beyond words, beyond anything he could describe, and Checkoth could not bring himself to speak. He felt certain that the image of her glowing hide would remain with him for all of his life, for there was nothing quite so glorious as she on all of Pern. He knew that to be fact.

[Avu]

It was then, as she worked to gain altitude, that Oquith allowed herself to pause and think about the bronze's words. Beauty? Her? It was not a word commonly associated with Oquith, and even in Flightlust, it thrilled her that any male would think of her as thus. Her tail flicked thoughtfully, and she snuck another glance over her wing to make sure none of them had caught up to her enough to make her feel uncomfortable. For the urge to latch onto one of them had not yet risen. Now it was just the sheer ecstasy of flight as she twisted in an agility that the green rarely displayed, and slid into a descent towards the waterfall again, and the canyon. The affection that the two browns had showed each other had not escaped the green, but she wasn't upset. Not in the least. It was good that they were happy. She didn't want them not to be happy. Being upset was no good, and anyway, the attention had not been stolen from her for very long, though it was doubtful the green would have become jealous even if it had been.

And then a voice, in her mind.

A voice that was young, delighted, and playful, a voice that she did not recognize as belonging to one of her suitors. Oquith flipped a startled glance over her wing, and then, at the sight of Jaymith, the green crooned, pleased and confused. Jaymith, what are you doing? She twisted, arching her body backwards until she'd changed directions, headed back towards the young bronze. Her Chasers were momentarily forgotten as she crooned again, curiously, falling into flight just above Jaymith, her wingtips curving above the earth. Bewildered was Oquith, and it showed in the tinges of surprise that invaded the purple of her gaze. But there was no time to wait for an answer, for approaching was a hill, and Oquith pulled herself upwards again, remembering the bronze, browns, and blue in pursuit and crooning apologetically to them. She hadn't meant to keep them waiting...but Jaymith, what was he doing there? It was too early for a Weyrling bronze to be out...

She peered nervously towards the pursuing males again, trying to remember what each of them had done. None of them, at least, had been lost during their dance; she certainly wouldn't want that. The green's wings curved, and then she abruptly decided, a wild surge of adrenaline and in the pure delight of flying, to race the wind. And race the wind she did. Oquith was not excessively slender, but she was fast when she wanted to be -- at least, as long as she was flying in a straight line. And a straight line it was, a straight line that, after perhaps twenty dragonlengths, became an abrupt dive over the edge of the waterfall, her wings close to her body. She did not dive so much as go into a headlong fall, legs clasped close against her stomach to minimize the wind resistance. The first translucent lid slid halfway over the green's eyes and then, as she neared the bottom, her wings flared out. The pain of stopping so abruptly was all but ignored --

-- until she started to ascend again, and the strain became apparent. Oquith whined anxiously, pressing higher. Instinct prompted she must, absolutely must, be high. Too many ups, there had been, and she wasn't at all certain what she was supposed to do next...but up, up she pressed, feeling the beginnings of burn between her wings.

~*~*~

No, no, no! He'd misunderstood. Tr'esn/Oquith's responding croon to K'iel/Qualuth was quick, almost pleading. Not what she'd meant. She just...wasn't ready, yet, to single out anybody to dance with. She liked the group dance, for now. Except...not all of the group was dancing. The green took a curious step forwards, starting towards R'wign/Checkoth, pale gray eyes clearly curious. The brown wasn't...looking at her. Tr'esn/Oquith wouldn't have minded if it had been another competitor that he'd been looking at -- some part of her realized that he was supposed to be looking at M'ta/Behruth, who was quite close to him -- and then her eyes met the bigger brown's, and as R'wign/Checkoth stood, mouthing what was clearly an apology, Tr'esn/Oquith answered with a flicker of an encouraging smile, taking a step backwards again to press her back more snugly against the wall. Safe. It would stop her from falling, if she stumbled in her dance...but she mustn't stumble. It would be embarrassing...

The green squirmed suddenly, surprise flickering across her face. It...it kind of hurt. Why did it hurt? Rolling her shoulders against the wall, where the hurt was, Tr'esn/Oquith's hand snaked upwards, rubbing the area uncertainly, uncomprehensively. Why...why would it hurt? It wasn't supposed to hurt...

Moth, meanwhile, since R'wign had stopped petting her, had decided that the best thing to do next was to see if that little squirmy bitey green wanted to play. The feline mrowled softly to herself, slinking across the floor. One quick leap had her on top of Tr'esn's cot, and another planted her firmly on top of the headboard. Her tail switched eagerly, emerald eyes narrowing. Moth was not a hunter by any means, though, and she meowed -- quite loudly -- before she launched herself straight at S'rei, claws outstretched to latch onto the bronzerider's shirt so that she could see if the little frilly squirm wanted to play. She had to, she had to, playing was such fun! S'rei himself...was regarded by Moth as little more than an inanimate object, just another step in her ladder until she could catch the little squirm in her mouth and play with it.

[Requiem]

The young brown, either through instinct or something else entirely, did not follow the glowing shiny that was his favorite clutchsister too closely. Not now. More dancing with all the dragons, because they were painting a - a - a picture of...heat. Yes, the same heat that told him he wanted the beautiful Oquith to choose him for her solo dance, but only if he was the one she wanted. He twisted into the dive, the move itself not altogether graceful as he shadowed Checkoth, who dove faster because he was bigger, he was. Behruth was more the size of a large blue than anything else, and he could not dive so fast as his larger brother.

The mahogany-hued dragon banked as he saw Checkoth's tail moving - fortunately the opposite direction that his brother took a second later - and coiled around in a tight turn before angling up the side of the barracks, flying straight up after Oquith. Playing in the water looked like fun, yes, but he could do that with his friend later, after the dance in his clutchsister's honor. He flew up high, very very high, higher than he thought he'd ever been before arcing to follow her, slightly above. Beautiful, beautiful shining Oquith. He rumbled in pure wonder as he watched her muscles work and send glimmers over her hide, as he admired the grace of the wings slicing the air and buoying her. It was almost as if they never need land again! They could all stay up here forever and dance around their goddess...but the heat she gave off would consume him first, sadly.

Only Oquith could relieve that heat.

He wanted to dive fast to feel the coldness on his hide before it consumed him, and there she was, turning to go the other direction. Behruth changed direction on a wingtip, his lean musculature rippling and making his own brilliant red-brown color catch like a muted gem, though it was nothing in comparison to the sister-goddess. He folded his wings and dove, arching his back while he was still above her and rolling on the air with a flare of his wings that slowed down his momentum enough that he could see her clearly. Flying almost languidly to one side, curiosity spiked at the baby dragon running on the ground, but he found he couldn't devote much attention to anything but admiring Oquith.

A sudden burst of speed. Behruth worked hard to keep up, but she was just too fast, and he didn't know enough to go up for more altitude. He strained his wings desperately, but even before he reached the waterfall she was shooting upwards again. Unable to change directions so quickly, he banked above the pounding water and spiraled upward after her. He wasn't at all doing justice to the glorious dancing Oquith! Mildly distressed, the brown was surprised to find that he was gaining on her and the faint whine from above reached him. He touched her mind anxiously. Was the dancing goddess all right? But Behruth said nothing. Who was he to speak to a goddess, even if she had been his sister before the sun gave her its radiance.

Salenth stuck to height. All the ups and downs would quickly lose him, even though he was the king of the skies...just the amount of time it would take to adjust to each new direction would leave him behind. He twisted almost languidly through the air currents, feeling something like a spectator, and that aggravated him. Beautiful, nimble creature that she was, he just couldn't compete on that level. Not like the younger, smaller dragons were doing.

But his great wings carried him steadily above the darting creatures, and as Oquith again started ascending rapidly after her dive down the cliff face, he descended toward her, looping down below and coming up on one side as he banked slightly to display the strength of his wings, crooning again to the young one. These would carry her for a long, long time after she chose, they would, if she so desired. He fell a little behind, though only because he wasn't pumping his wings as hard as he could. She was trying to get high, and Salenth felt that he should not try to be higher, even if it meant that he might lose her if she did anything sudden. But he thought she didn't have much left, as she seemed to be faltering. Yes...he might be able to match one or two more tricks before she chose.

***

M'ta/Behruth never saw Checkoth's smile, and even if he had it would have meant little. As long as Checkoth wasn't upset...it wasn't of importance. He slid away from his brother, though he didn't move to close the distance to Oquith. Pretty shining goddess-sister. Such a perfect emerald color with the glorious curls that he wanted to run his fingers through and bury his face in and they could play, just the two of them, in the skies. He controlled his breathing through sheer force of will, throwing back his head in an attempt to draw her gray eyes. It wasn't that he was jealous. No. But...but she was looking at all the others and not him. Deflated a little, he was. Did she think they were better to dance with?

His brows furrowed and he whined softly, venturing another step closer, though half the room still stood between them. He reached out, fingers closing on air and curling before the arm fell back to his side. Why...why was her shoulder hurt? That wasn't at all good. He watched her anxiously.

Standing, a hand perched lightly on a hip as he watched all the young people - most, with the obvious exception of R'wign, so much smaller than him it was almost ridiculous - S'rei found his eyes frequently returning to the greenweyrling. Such a pretty boy he was. The Flight must be reaching an apex, as Salenth's desire was stronger at this moment than it had been. He could almost feel the air, enjoying the strain of working but not overworked muscles. His eyes half-closed as he watched Tr'esn with a silent, patient hunger.

The meow did not so much alert S'rei as Worm, who bounced on the end of his ear in an attempt to twist so she could see the scary furball pouncing her minepet. He hissed, eyes tracking down to the cat firmly attached to his chest, the man blinking at the creature numbly. It took him a moment to separate enough from Salenth to realize that this - kitten - was after Worm. The salamandyr, however, had no such issues; she released his ear and scurried up to perch on top of the bronzerider's head, hissing down at the feline with the claws and the teeth. Back!

[glamourie]

What was pretty, pretty Oquith doing? Confusion stirred in Checkoth’s eyes as the dazzling green turned and… came closer toward him? At least, it felt like that, for he was behind - much too behind for his own taste. Her reversal in direction, though, gave him an advantage. He swished his tails to turn very quickly (though it would have nothing on a blue; his size was to his detriment in that regard) and followed after her. He was determined to keep up, determined not to lose sight of the glorious green before him. To even slightly become distracted was an insult, and he didn’t want to do that to her. Oquith was the nicest green ever to hatch and the most beautiful. She deserved better than to be insulted, no matter how unintentional it would have been, and Checkoth would be worthy of her. He’d show her that he deserved at least a glance from his pretty, pretty green.

Oh, but what - what was she - Why - Jaymith? But Jaymith was a Weyrling! What was he doing, chasing pretty Oquith? He couldn’t hope to catch her. Confusion stirred in Checkoth’s eyes and he swept down purposefully. He stayed up high enough to not be a danger, but as he flew past Jaymith, the brown crooned a pleasant greeting. Well, if he wanted to try and chase despite being young, best of luck to him! Silly, silly bronze. Checkoth playfully flipped his tails in the smaller dragon’s direction, keeping enough distance to be anything but a danger. Couldn’t he fly, at least? Maybe he was too young. Checkoth didn’t know. He couldn’t remember being as young as Jaymith was. To him, it felt like a lifetime ago when he couldn’t fly. His wings were so important.

Then she pulled away and Checkoth followed her; even as he’d been musing about Jaymith, Oquith had his full attention. If any other dragon would have been offended by her curiosity in the bronze, it didn’t even occur to Checkoth. He himself was curious, but not enough to worry. Her apologetic croon made his eyes whirl, and he mimicked the sound back at her - but there was nothing more than reassurance in his tone. She needn’t apologize. This was her flight, and if she wanted to fly around the weyrlings and play with them, that was her right. Checkoth didn’t think anything out of the ordinary about anything Oquith did. She was the star of their show, and she decided the pace that it went at. Checkoth was happy - honored, even - to participate at all. Though, excited, too; the excitement outweighed every other feeling, for with each passing second he was reminded of a game. It was a game, in some ways, but a very important one. So pretty was Oquith. So, so pretty.

And fast!

Why was she - he, R’wign scolded himself mentally - looking at him that way? He’d disappointed her, somehow. He knew that without thinking, and R’wign bowed his head in embarrassment that was only half his own. Part of him longed to walk up to her - HIM! - and apologize out loud. Except that he couldn’t. R’wign started to speak, only to find that words escaped him. What little he could form was odd thoughts, chains and sounds and a severe feeling that he shouldn’t speak to her. She didn’t want to talk, and it was rude to interrupt the show. He didn’t want to be rude. Was that thought Checkoth or him? R’wign didn’t know and for a split second, he also didn’t care. Talking was an insult, though, he knew, and he did not want that. Oquith deserved the center spotlight, and R’wign would give it to her, if only in his own eyes. Her? Him. Oquith - Tr’esn. So confusing. Something in the back of his mind told him to stop bothering to separate at all. What was the point? Tr’esn and Oquith were one, just as he and Checkoth were, right?

Except he wasn’t, not entirely. So strange, the sensation, though the resistance he put to staring at her glory was all but faded. There was no point in fighting what was natural, and any creature with sense would have gazed in wide-eyed wonder at such a spectacle. Most of the conflict in his mind was fizzling away, as the flight drew on, and the cold walls of Tr’esn’s weyr were starting to disappear from around him. A bizarre feeling like ascending swelled through his mind and he was distinctly aware of a freedom he’d never really possessed before. Flying was a very interesting experience… but humans weren’t made to fly on their own, were they? But he wasn’t. He wasn’t flying on his own, he had Checkoth’s wings, and Checkoth was a creature of the sky as natural as anything else on Pern. Dragons belonged in the air.

The faster she flew, the more he beat his wings in an attempt to keep up. It was fruitless on some level. Checkoth was larger than Behruth, and considerably larger than Qualuth and Oquith. He wasn’t as fast, he knew, but that did not stop him from trying. His wings moved rapidly as he poured as much of his strength into the flight as he could. The back of his mind acknowledged Salenth’s presence as nearby, but he was primarily ignored - not maliciously, but Checkoth couldn’t distribute attention evenly at all. The powerful burst of speed, which was unusual for Checkoth, took every ounce of concentration he had, and he followed Oquith as if his life depended on it. At least their flight was straight, no need to lose speed with quick twists and turns that he couldn’t mimic even if he wanted to. He was too - too big!

The sudden jolt downward alarmed him and Checkoth turned, but at a much wider angle than some of the smaller dragons would need. The descent was rapid, and a hint of nervousness filled him as they fell down the side of the waterfall, the cool spray barely reassuring. If they kept going, he’d hit the ground hard. He wasn’t strong enough to stop. But - but surely Oquith wouldn’t lead him to get hurt. He didn’t think she would, anyway. Checkoth did his best to trust the glorious green, barreling downward as fast as his body would let him… and his faith was pleasantly rewarded when she pulled so suddenly out of the dive. Unfortunately, his own body was not so good at turning and he pulled upward, but shot out at an angle rather than ascend with the grace she possessed. That one movement sent a surge of pain through his wings that he, fortunately, kept from voicing. They were too small, his wings, too thin; good for turning, yes, but not good at catching him. Not nearly good enough at catching him.

R’wign blinked twice, his arms crossing in front of his chest to rub at the joint where they connected to his shoulders. Burning spread down through each limb, mirroring the hurt that Checkoth felt. He was surprised to see Tr’esn also rub at his shoulder, and winced in sympathy; evidently it wasn’t just Checkoth who had trouble turning so fast.

Upward, up, up! Despite the pain (or perhaps, in a rare show of stubbornness, because of it), the brown beat his wings and pushed himself into the air. Both of his tails pushed downward, propelling him up after her. Pretty green, mustn’t let her get away. He hurt, yes, but it was worth it to keep up with her, and he hoped she’d forgive him- forgive him for not being as graceful a dancer as she was. Even though that one sound told him she stung, too - did it hurt her as much as it hurt him? He hoped not; he’d much rather hurt than anyone he liked, and Checkoth very much liked Oquith, he did.

[nightingale]

Fast. He had not expected them to be so fast. The young bronze must have made for a rather comical sight, ambling along the riverbank with his wings half-flared only to unfurl them and glide a dragonlength or two when the winds turned favorable. He looked more like an overgrown salamandyr than any self-respecting dragon, but Jaymith could not have noticed. If he had, he would have corrected himself immediately for the sake of looking like the regal creature he was.

He rumbled his delight as he caught Oquith's eye, basking in both her mating glow and the attention she offered him. I am chasing you my pretty Oquith! I am going to make you my princess! There was not a trace of doubt in the weyrling's mindvoice as he turned to match his quarry's new course, puffing out his chest and arcing his neck a little more handsomely as he felt the pulse of her wing beats above him. He was the best after all, and Oquith deserved to be caught by the best male.

And then she sped up. The little bronze let out a quiet snort of determination as he redoubled his efforts, ignoring the brightly coloured hides as they shot over his head. He would catch her! He would! It was that blind sense of self-assurance that almost send him flying -quite improperly- over the edge of the cliff that suddenly rose before him. He came to a stop within inches of the ledge, his sweat-flecked hide heaving in regular, if somewhat labored breaths as he watched Oquith and her males descend.

Well, this was certainly not fair! He was not allowed to fly for another sevenday, and Ke'rin had been very specific in telling him how he felt about jumping off of cliffs. Snorting his annoyance and disappointment, the weyrling sat down and watched the dance as it continued on without him. When the green once again rose into view, he keened his approval and resignation. I will catch you next time, pretty Oquith. He informed her, almost sighing. When I am allowed to fly with you. You may choose another bronze this time.

[ravenmane]

Nothing else existed but this Flight. Anything outside of it was ignored or forgotten as soon as it had passed him. Even the other Chasers were not really noticed by Qualuth. Oquith was all that mattered to him. What she did, he reacted to, playfully dancing behind her. There was no reason to acknowledge those that also Chased, that sought to dance alone with the glimmering jewel because Oquith’s decision in which male she desired the most was all that mattered. If he was not worry this time, then he was not worthy, but Qualuth could always try to prove himself again when she Rose next time. While he would silently accept Qui’s choice if she mated with another male, but the Blue wanted to experience this for the first time with her, to enter this new stage of life with her by his side.

So he danced. He did not carelessly throw away his energy, but used it as sparingly as possible while still throwing his whole being into the Flight. If Oquith chose him, he would have to carry her across the sky with his own strength. That meant rationing his energy while still catching her attention. Hard to do with his mind so focused on her sinuous form, but somehow, the Blue managed. He snatched up the chance to relax a few moments when Oquith turned her attention to Jaymith. Qualuth didn’t mind at all that she was investigating the very young Bronze. It was only the fact that Jaymith thought he could Catch Qualuth’s Oquith. It was downright annoying! Qua crooned gently as Qui pulled away from Jaymith and apologized to them. There was no reason to be sorry. She was only making sure Jaymith was okay.

Her acceleration was unexpected and Qualuth was momentarily surprised before he too took off like a bullet. It wouldn’t do if he fell behind. That might affect his chances with the sweet angel that plucked at his heartstrings so innocently. It was not very difficult to stay relatively close to Oquith. Like the rest of the males, he allowed a polite distance between him and Qui. It simply wouldn’t do to crowd her. No, her feelings were important than how any of the males felt. Only she mattered. Only Oquith could satisfy this maddening need inside his body. When she dropped, Qualuth didn’t think about what he was doing. His wings were suddenly snapped closed and the Blue began to plummet after her. He had wanted to do this once, but His had not let him, but now… now, Qualuth was doing it with his Oquith and his two Brown clutch-brothers, Checkoth and Behruth. Then, Oquith’s wings flared out on either side her, and the Blue desperately threw out his own wings. The sudden hindrance threw him up, and the male grunted from the pain that shot through his wings. He flailed in the sky for a moment before forcing his sore wings to move and ascend after Qui and her Chasers.

~*~

His face brightened drastically as Tr’esn/Oquith attempted to sooth his unhappiness. K’iel/Qualuth cooed reassuringly to her. She hadn’t done anything very bad, and he did understand. Her time had not yet come, but that didn’t make the wait any more bearable. His veins were burning with lust and the love that Qualuth held for Oquith in his heart. Having to wait for her decision, for the time when she would choose the male she wanted, was a cruel torturous time, and the thought of his Tr’esn/Oquith Flying with a different male ignited a spark of resentment and jealous in the Blue’s heart. Some Chasers weren’t even paying attention to her! Did they really want his Oquith, or were they here just because she was a Green and there was nothing keeping them from leaving her when the Flight was finished. That could not happen. If any hurt his lovely Tr’esn’/Oquith, he would face the wrath of K’iel and Qualuth, and no doubt Mushu would be involved just because he could be. The Bronze salamandyr, who was watching everyone from Tr’esn’s desk, hissed quietly at everyone. What were they thinking stealing His from him? They would all pay, yes, they would, but how was still undecided as of yet.

[Avu]

Oh...oh, had she hurt some of her lovely Chasers? No, she hadn't meant to...Oquith twirled in her anxiety, crooning back down to the dragons. Her wings ached, they did...but she hadn't thought of the pain when she'd performed the trick, and she hadn't thought it would hurt them, either. She really was sorry...the dance could hardly continue for much longer if they were hurt, could it? As she pushed herself upwards, past the cliff again, she crooned to Jaymith. His words amused her, but she responded gravely, indulgently, for she really was fond of the bronzeweyrling; he was sweet -- Thank you, Jaymith. Next time. It wasn't a promise, really, because she was quite sure they'd both forget in due time -- certainly before the next time she danced -- but it was sweet of him. But...another bronze? There was only one bronze...other than Jaymith...Salenth? Did he think she'd Choose Salenth? Hmm...the green crooned in soft confusion, looping upwards and then twisting her body to glide along a wind, gratefully resting her wings for the moment.

The instinct to go up was abruptly overwhelming, and Oquith wearily headed upwards again, the ache becoming more and more unbearable as she went. No, she hadn't gone far. Oquith knew that, but she couldn't help it. So quickly had she tired -- she simply couldn't gain altitude as easily as she wanted, and it hurt to turn so sharply. Her wings were unaccustomed to it, for without the keen senses that the surge of adrenaline brought, it was usually quite a bit harder to turn so sharply, for fear of dropping too low or something. There had been no fear, in her turns, during her Flight. But now, there was fear, growing. What if her wings let up on her? Just -- dropped her? She whined low in her throat, the green's gaze flickering backwards towards the males again. What did she do now? She...wanted them. One of them? All of them? Which of them? Curling one wing, she leveled off, the cool wisps of clouds brushing over her body again, soothing muscles and easing the burning heat that threatened to overwhelm her.

To choose...yes. She had to choose. But how? Which? Confusion drew another faint whine from her. How was she supposed to choose? They were all lovely and she just didn't know and how was she supposed to choose just one of them?! Salenth? The bronze had been the first to come, and he was big. So big...too big? Very big. But he was kind, too, and he was so pretty, and...somehow, Jaymith had assumed she'd pick Salenth. Why...? Then Behruth had come. Her 'ruthbrother? He'd given her shinies, before, and he was so sweet...she liked Behruth, she did. And she liked Checkoth, too, though to a lesser degree than Behruth, for she was much more familiar with the smaller brown. But he was doing such a wonderful job keeping up, and how could she possibly reject them? And then Qualuth. Her lovely, lovely Qualuth. Her favorite male, but...her Choice? Not necessarily. He'd done a lovely job, too -- not outstanding, but wonderful nonetheless.

Her wings faltered and Oquith cringed as she dropped a beat, before pushing herself up higher, twisting to be above the males -- and then, abruptly, she could stand the burn no longer. It hurt, and she didn't like it. She hadn't made a choice yet, and as she closed her wings and twisted to drop among the Chasers, the green cried out, swinging herself against the one nearest to her and clutching desperately, blindly. Her head was tucked under the male's neck as she clung to him, wings trembling in the breeze and with the fatigue, her tail clutching at his to steady herself as she closed her eyes, pressing as tightly as she could against the brown. Childishly, she blurted, Don't let me fall...

The other males in the weyr faded to nothing, as the panic seized Tr'esn/Oquith, and, as dragon twisted mid-sky, she darted forward towards the center of them, eyes closing as she spun sharply, took a step forward, and then slid to her knees in front of R'wign, one hand coming up to close around the older boy's, a low, anxious, pleading croon rising in her throat. "Don't let me fall..." The whisper came simultaneously with Oquith's pleading, and her fingers closed tighter, with a panic that was almost comical.

Checkoth, Check, please, please don't let me fall...