So Not Asking (Open)

[Ember]

((I have permission from Glamsy to do this.))

The day would have been so much more pleasant without the frightened squeals of herdbeasts being chased by a dragon. Unfortunately a large brown was very picky about his meal that day, so no quiet was to be had anywhere nearby. How much longer are you going to be? I'm getting a headache from your prey, Rosi! Ch'ero snapped mentally as he shot a glare at his beast soaring over the frightened animals beneath him. Ch'ero had been hoping to lay back and relax, but Rosilinth seemed to have other ideas.

Said brown liked his heardbeasts just right. It wasn't his fault that they weren't to his liking. Oh! He spotted the perfect one and swooped down at it. I found one! It's nice and plump. Would you like some, CheMine? Rosilinth inquired politely. The heardbeast was squirming underneath the large paw on top of it looking absolutely terrified. What creature wouldn't be? Ch'ero grimaced as it made it's fear known very loudly. No thank you Rosi. Just please...put it out of it's misery! The scarred dragon blinked and looked down at the creature curiously. Much to Ch'ero's chagrin Rosilinth watched it for a while before finally sinking his teeth into it's flesh and silencing the herdbeast. Would you like some herdbeast with your terror, oh dragon of the Threaded butt? The short rider's tone wasn't annoyed anymore though. He'd enjoy the relative peace before his brown went for the next victim.

The day was pretty hot and absent of a breeze. "Maybe a swim in the river wouldn't be a bad idea today. I'll have to wash the blood off Rosilinth anyways," Ch'ero said to himself. He watched Rosilinth eat with a morbid fascination. The dragon was a very messy eater and seemed to take much pleasure in it. It was one of the few times the pale dragon was at all mean to something living. The other herdbeasts were wise to be all huddle together in the corner and not making as much noise as before. I'll never get how you eat those things all bleeding like that. The brown paused and snorted. And I'll never get why you don't eat them that way. Or why you eat plants. It's not normal CheMine! Ch'ero burst out laughing at Rosilinth's reply. The silly beast just didn't understand.

Rosilinth finished eating his first, leaving behind the bones, before going after another. He wasn't nearly as picky with his second one. That or the one he wanted was easily spotted and snatched up. Ch'ero was thankful when his brown finished that one off quickly. He got tired of watching Rosilinth eat after the dragon decided he'd rather suck out the innards first. Ch'ero turned his gaze to the cloud-spotted sky, watching the wispy things slowly drift above him. As everyone knows looking up like that starts to hurt your neck after a bit. Another herdbeast squealed it's last as Ch'ero sat down with his legs outstretched, ready to lay back and rest his head on his bag. That's what he'd brought it for right? Just before he used it as a pillow he heard a strange sound coming from his bag. That just wasn't normal.

The curious rider opened the bag and noticed a surprising thing. "What the?" Ch'ero reached in and carefully pulled out a small, slightly moving egg. "Okay, this is officially the weirdest thing that ever happened to me,'" he muttered to himself. He laid it on the ground in front of him and watched it for a moment. The sound he'd heard had come from the egg, the faint chirps and squeaks not as muffled out of the bag. The bewildered thoughts from his rider made Rosilinth look over to see Ch'ero, sitting cross legged with his elbows on his legs and his chin on his hands, looking at something. The bulky brown wandered over to see what had his rider so confused. CheMine? What is wrong? Ch'ero merely picked up the faintly coloured egg before him, examining it closer. It was a pretty little thing with very pale yellow, blue, and gray ribbons of colour on a white background. It felt weird to hold too. He hardly felt the weight of it in his hand. It was light and airy, like an object from a dream.

The rider and dragon pair stared at it together before the brown made an observation. It will be hungry when it hatches. This snapped Ch'ero back to reality. "You're right Rosi. But where will I get food....here. Never mind, silly question," he said as he spotted one of the carcasses laying around on the ground. He stood up carefully, the egg gently cradled against his chest. There were bound to be some scraps small enough for the egg's occupant. Rosilinth followed his rider, curious to know what would happen. "We might have a new buddy in a minute Rosilinth." Ch'ero was still curious how the egg got into his bag in the first place. It was just too bizarre. Either way he was responsible to whatever happened to the creature inside.

Ch'ero got to the bony corpse just as the noises and rocking of the little egg increased. There still weren't any cracks though. Was it shy or something? Ch'ero put it down again so that he could pull some of the small pieces of meat off the herdbeast's skeleton. Dragon's weren't too good at completely cleaning the bones before they ate them. Sure it was gross but he'd rather Impress whatever was in his egg than let it go wild. Ooh! CheMine it has a crack! It has a crack! The dragon's excitement made Ch'ero laugh and return to the egg, bloody pieces of meat in hand. As he sat down he pondered what was inside. He was pretty sure the thing was a firelizard, but it may be one of those Salamandyrs too. Both had the same five colours of dragons. "I wonder what colour it is. I'm sure the little thing will be beautiful no matter what colour though. What do you think, Rosi? Gold? Bronze? Brown? Blu-" A sudden crack that wound around the middle of the egg horizontally stopped any words. Apparently the compliment was heard through the shell and encouraged it to hatch. The question of what colour it was would be answered very shortly.

At least that is what the two thought. Ch'ero and Rosilinth looked at each other and then back at the cracked egg. It had stopped moving and chittering. The rider lowered his face towards the egg. "Aww, come on sweety. You can do it! Come out and show me how amazing you are. Please?" No sooner were the words out than the top of the halved egg popped up, balanced on the head of a firelizard. Ch'ero and Roslinth blinked simultaneously. Apparently this little one did not want to be any of the usual colours for it's hide was pure white. It let out a hoarse cheep as she was being stared at, head lowering back into the egg slowly. "Wait," Ch'ero said gently, pulling the top of the egg off. "Are you hungry little one? I have food. Please don't go." The mention of food made the hatchling poke her head out again. The white firelizard broke the bottom of her shell when she tried to unfurl her wings. They were unusual and made Rosilinth croon in sympathy. This little one will never be able to fly with those long and thin wings, he commented sadly. "That doesn't matter Rosi. She's a darling anyways." The white miniature dragon stepped towards Ch'ero hesitantly but tripped and fell over. Ch'ero was tempted to help it up but the white righted itself so he offered her a piece of meat. She looked at it for a moment before snapping it up. White or not any relative of a dragon's is hungry at it's hatching.

A while later the small firelizard crawled into Ch'ero's shirt and fell asleep, belly gently bulging from it's feeding. The brown rider smiled as he peeked into his shirt. He realized as he looked at her that they didn't have a name, although Ch'ero figured that it was a green from it's size and manner. That made the white firelizard a she if his guess was right. He'd have to ask later. For now his newly Impressed friend needed a name. What did one name an oddly coloured, mysteriously appearing firelizard anyways? "That's it! I'll name you Mystery. I don't know how you came to me but I'm glad you did," he told the thing sleeping in his shirt. In her sleep she gave a content cheep and curled closer to Ch'ero. He didn't care what colour she was, Mystery was just the cutest darn thing he's ever seen. I'm so definitely not asking where she came from, he told Rosilinth. The brown agreed that it really didn't matter.

[kysseh]

Move, Fat Thing.[/color]

Considering that almost nothing with a functioning brain got in her way, it was highly unlikely that the large brown would have been near enough to Tanith's desired prey to be a problem. The green did so enjoy snapping at everyone within range, though, so she offered forth the insult just to be gleefully spiteful. Soaring almost lazily, high up over the herd, Tanith angled her head to eye her food options with one quickly whirling eye. She was hungry... for food and for a bit of violence. With Hers so hormonally unstable as of late--though AlisciaHers protested insistently that she was mild in temperament for being an eggheavy human female--the green had not had her usual rock of sanity to rely on. She minded little, though. Hers seemed content with the Quiet One and the FreakThing, and the hatchling that was apparently on the way and taking its sweet time. Tanith, then, was perfectly happy to make do with bothering others with Hers so well taken care of.

Tanith, behave. I'm not about to defend your lazy carcass in a fight. Hers was admonishing her, the greenrider making her way briskly over toward the edge of the grounds. Aliscia was in unusually good spirits, which was probably the only reason why she was accompanying her green to the grounds on foot instead of in the air. She was trying to keep her flying time to a minimum, mostly because it induced body aches and was rather awkward with the way her body was changing. Shardit. She did so love to fly. But, since she was in a good and not-so-tired sort of way, walking was probably the best option. It was good exercise, and she barely skated her glance over the brown and his rider before turning her attention to the green circling indolently overhead. "Tanith, if you don't just pick one-"

Her voice was drowned out by Tanith's delighted scream, and the green flipped over onto herself and dove nearly straight downward, talons outspread. She got into a horizontal flight pattern over the panicked herd only a brief instant before she hit her target with almost frightening force, jaws crushing the poor beast's neck with one quick snap. The herdbeast fell limply, dead beneath the smug little dragon. It was soon snatched up in hungry jaws and claws, and Tanith took to the air again to find a nice clear spot of grass to eat on. Unfortunately, the only clear spot was near to the Fat Brown and His, but she only offered them a quick hiss before diving into her meal with ruthless enthusiasm.

Aliscia, stopping a good greenlength away, wrinkled up her nose. They were a match on many things, Aliscia and Tanith were. Their diminutive size... their dislike of bigger bullies. Their general dislike for bronzes. However, Aliscia had never found the eating of entrails to be so delightful, so when Tanith got through the belly flesh and started happily pulling out ropes of intestine, the greenrider looked vaguely disgusted. "That's disgusting, Tanny. I don't know how you manage that," she informed the green, who merely growled lowly in response and then hissed at the brown again, just for good measure. Tanith did not want him intruding on her meal, and she spread her wings a bit in an effort to make herself look bigger. Just to make sure he didn't get any ideas, of course......

Her rider rolled her eyes at that, offering a one-shouldered shrug to the nearby rider and his.... very large-looking brown. "Sorry. She's a bit fussy about her food. I'd tell you she's more bark than bite, but that'd be a blatant lie," she said drolly, arching an eyebrow as Tanith tossed her head a bit at that statement. Was the green looking a bit smug? Possibly. Both dragon and rider bore the scars of many, many battles, and the half of Tanith's head facing toward the brownpair bore a vertical scar just behind her left eye. Aliscia thought it was fascinating. Most riders in this passive weyr found it to be frightening. Their loss. "I hope he's finished, or she might try to steal all the good ones." Tanith gave her a reproachful look for having revealed her plan to instigate a fight. Shame... shame should be upon Hers.[/size]

[Ember]

Rosilinth looked upwards, puzzled at the sudden command from a green. This puzzlement carried across the bond and Ch'ero looked at the brown and then at the green in question. "What's wrong Rosi? Has a green finally silenced you?" The rider was clearly amused at his dragon's confusion. I am not fat, right CheMine? Ch'ero reassured Rosilinth that he was quite perfect the way he was and not at all fat. With that reassurance the pale brown turned his attention to the green, determined to act pleasant despite her comment, while Ch'ero watched the approaching rider. He hadn't expected to see anyone else at the Feeding Grounds, despite the fact that there were a lot of dragons that needed to eat at some point. Ch'ero tucked the bottom of his shirt into his pants so that Mystery could continue to sleep without him worrying about her falling out. Then he stood up and rested a hand on Rosilinth's leg. We don't know them yet I think, he told the brown.

Ch'ero chuckled as the green snatched her prey with vicious force. At least Rosilinth wasn't as bad as the female. She picked a good one, Rosilinth said wistfully. "Don't be such a glutton. There's enough of you to oil and wash as it is, I don't need you stuffing yourself needlessly." The brown was amused by the comment but was quickly distracted by the green's hiss. I do not want your prey, Rosilinth told her. And I am not Fat Thing, I am Rosilinth. Who are you, Lovely Thing? Ch'ero managed a sigh. Silly brown was at it again. He just hoped the green didn't turn her attention on him in the negative way.

Rosilinth snorted at Tanith's attempt to make herself appear larger. He was still much larger than she was. He still did not want her heardbeast so he didn't understand the need for the display. He tried an attempt at conversation. Names was not much of anything, really. Good heardbeast? I have already had three that were quite tasty, he said, remembering the taste and wanting another. Ch'ero reminded him that he wasn't hungry anymore and couldn't he stay nearby? But CheMine... "No buts. You've already had your fill. I could let you go for another but then she would have every right to call you 'Fat Thing'," Ch'ero admonished his brown lovingly. The idea of being called Fat Thing silenced Rosilinth's complaints rather quickly.

Surprised to find himself looking at someone shorter than himself Ch'ero offered a slight smile. "I have been warned," he said, noting the scars that both of them sported. The brownpair sported a fair number of scars themselves. Seeing them on others was something of a relief. Ch'ero still remembered the first scar Rosilinth received. The rider had felt guilty beyond belief for letting his precious dragon, his lifemate, get hurt so. "I think he's done for now." He looked up at the big head, one eyebrow raised curiously. At the very least the brown was still beside him and not going after another one. "My name is Ch'ero, and this big brute is Rosilinth," he introduced himself at last.

[kysseh]

Tanith turned her head slightly to regard Rosilinth with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Why was it speaking to her like that? Did it think that flattering would make her less inclined to smite it? Stupid thing. Fat thing. You are large and fat and a male. Thus, you are Fat Thing. Why do I have to know your name? she asked a bit peevishly. A hungry Tanith was an even crankier one, and she returned to her eating with a will. Mine, the idiot speaks to me. What is wrong with it? she inquired of Hers, happily hooking her claws into some intestines and yanking them from the carcass. She so enjoyed her food and destroying it this way. Entrails were fun to toy with.

The petite greenrider chuckled wickedly as she heard the rider's end of his conversation with his beast. The poor brown. She almost felt sorry for him and would have if he had not been unwittingly encouraging Tanith's grumpiness. The green was illogical, at best, when hungry, and based on her current coloring and the fact that she had not eaten in a few days... well, Aliscia guessed there would be at least one more beast going down the green's throat. Overgrown weyrling. Tanith's lack of size had not diminished her normal draconic appetite in the least. "Don't hold him back on Tanith's account. I'm sure she'll be having at least one more." At least. "And if he grabs one now, he won't have to fight her for it."

I would fight him just for the thrill of it. Tanith informed Hers almost primly, chomping her way through her meal. Tanith was an efficient eater... if not a very neat one. She made sure to squish the entrails around a bit, just to make Hers glare. Hers was so odd, not liking to eat innards. It is too bad he is so stupid. Otherwise, I would find him acceptable. she added almost lazily, which made Aliscia glare even more fiercely. You call him stupid because he won't grovel in fear. Isn't that considered very stupid? I am dangerous.

Tanith's smugness had Aliscia rolling her eyes. The beast was going to get her tail thumped one of these days. And Aliscia would laugh when it happened. And then promptly kick the rump of whatever rider was foolish enough to let their dragon mess with Hers. "Aliscia. That's Tanith. And Rosilinth, you might want to wait until she's got at least one beast in her to anger her. She's terribly cranky when she's hungry," the gravid woman informed the brown dragon, having gotten Tanith's relay of Rosilinth's words. "Flattery doesn't usually go over too well." Tanith punctuated that with a glare and angled her head to stare up at the brown.

Aliscia, meanwhile, was busy eyeing the brownrider. He looked... unfamiliar. "New transfer, I assume? Which weyr?" Which northern weyr, that was, but that was implied in it. Fort, she guessed. If he was Benden, he likely would have been stupid enough to try to make a move on her. Under normal circumstances, she would have invited that. She enjoyed giving people a good thrashing when they deserved it. But with a child in question? No, she was happy to have him stay a good distance away.

[Ember]

Rosilinth felt more amusement than anger towards the green who was refusing to give her name. He was much bigger than her, why should he be afraid? He was not unaccustomed to fighting. If I am large, fat, and male, you are small, pretty, and female making you Lovely Thing. I suppose we do not need to know each other's names now, he told her simply. He then looked away from her to Hers that His was talking to, rumbling gratefully as she tried to convince His to let him have another.

Ch'ero sighed and took stopped leaning against the brown's leg. It would be rather embarrassing if Rosilinth moved and made him fall over. "Go you big glutton, even though I know you don't need another one," he said, tone full of love even if the words weren't. The brown waited on Aliscia's introduction but saw no reason not to anger the green. If she refused to call him by his name, he would continue to call her Lovely Thing. Do tell Lovely Thing's that I thank her, CheMine, the brown said before stepping away from the others and launching himself into the air to snag another of the tasty prey ready for him.

The rider grinned at his beast's words. He was a friendly dragon but would never talk to another human unless His was in serious danger. Even then he'd probably ask the nearest dragonrider's dragon to have Theirs assist. "Rosilinth thanks you. He didn't say what for, but I assume it's for your advice." Relaying messages for the brown was simple enough but Rosilinth could sometimes be a bit vague, leaving Ch'ero to figure out what he meant.

He nodded at her question. "Fort Weyr, not that it matters anymore. I'm a Selenitas rider now," he said cheerily. Judging by the scars that Alscia and Tanith both sported, it was likely safe to assume they were from the north too. "I take it you're from the north too?" He asked, not bothering to ask from which weyr. None of his business really. She didn't even really need to from where he was from, but it was an innocent enough question so he had answered.

As the two riders talked, Rosilinth hunted another beast, catching it still alive in his claws. He brought it back towards his rider but kept some distance between himself and Tanith. As he landed he crushed the neck underneath beneath a claw, the crunch loudly audible. He ignored the glare from his rider as he dug into the thing greedily. He spared a dark glance for the green, a different dragon again now that he was crouching over his food. It was his food, and no one else's.

[kysseh]

Rosilinth was far too amused by this, and Tanith offered up a hiss and a snap for him, glaring to make sure he got the point across. There was nothing amusing about this! He was intruding upon her space and her meal, and she wanted him... temporarily gone. He could stick around to be her entertainment for when she was done, but he had to maintain his distance until then. Yes, you are very large and fat and male and stupid. I will not debate any of those points. she told him, happily ripping into the haunch of her meal. He was going to be ignored now, even though she was a bit miffed as he went off to snag another of her potential meals. She wanted more, and he had better not take that big fat one that she had had her eye on before.

Ch'ero's words had Aliscia chuckling a bit as she watched the brown go to take another bit of prey. Oh, Rosilinth would probably be stuffed after another, but the greenrider was amused enough to encourage that. Besides, he likely would not get another nibble today if he tried whilst Tanith was in the area without a mouthful of meat. The green was spoiling for a fight. The fact that she was being called by such an effeminate nickname was obviously not improving Tanith's temper either, for the green was becoming a little more... vicious... in the way she was devouring her meal. The chunks of meat were rapidly disappearing down her throat, and Aliscia had a feeling that there would be a second bunch soon to follow.

"You're welcome. You can tell him that," she said dryly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Shards, but she was getting uncomfortable already, even dressed lightly as she was. The bulge in her abdomen--even slight as it still was--was putting an undue amount of strain on her back, and she pressed both hands against her lower back to relieve the ache. It helped... a little, but it did not take an observant person to see that even with a careful mask neutrality in place, she was in some discomfort. She needed to sit... soon. After Tanith was finished eating. "Yes, from the north. Glad to be out of it." Incredibly glad, for a number of reasons that the petite woman was just not keen on sharing.

Tanith was highly amused at the fact that he was protective over his food, and she happily chowed down the last of her herdbeast with one eye fixed on the territorial brown and his meal. She glanced down at the bloodstained grass in front of her and then made a show of moving towards the brown, eyes whirling quickly with the prospect of a fight. Unfortunately, she only got halfway before Aliscia caught wind of her intent and exerted her authority. Tanith hissed at Hers, sent a general feeling of dislike at the woman, and then moved over toward the pens. There was no sense getting airborne. The panicky herd was just not very organized, and she pounced on one squalling beast with very little trouble. Crunching its limp body around the neck, she fairly strutted back to her mealplace, dragging her prize along with her.

"Nicely done, Tanith. Could you have found a bigger one, you pathetic excuse for an overgrown weyrling?" Aliscia asked a bit scornfully, eyeing the beast that Tanith was currently sinking her claws into. Of course I could have. But this one looked tastier, and the last one was just too small. I will work it off. Fear not, Mine. I will not become fat like you. the green retorted smugly, and Aliscia glowered at the beast. She was not choosing to be fat. Pregnant, yes... but 'fat' was just a side effect of growing babes. It happened. "Quirky, aren't they?" she commented almost offhandedly to Ch'ero, her near-gold eyes flicking towards him. "He doesn't enjoy fights, does he?" It was hard to tell, sometimes, who the real quarrelsome ones were.

[Ember]

The brown did not bother to reply to the green, far too busy chewing on the leg of his own meal to care. He no more wanted to flirt when he was eating than she wanted to be flirted with. CheMine, she annoys me, Rosilinth admitted to his rider. Ch'ero figured he was only annoyed by her because he had food now and another dragon was nearby. Can she not eat elsewhere? I would prefer not to eat with her. Tell her to go away. Oh yes, that was definitely the result of food in front of Rosilinth. Silly beast. You can put up with it. Once you finish that you'll be back to liking her again.

The brown amused his rider when he ate around other dragons. Normally he liked them all fine, but when he had food before him he always thought others wanted it. Kind of like when an older brother had something and a younger brother wanted it just because their brother had it. He wouldn't have let Ch'ero take scraps of his meals for another dragon, so it was a good thing Mystery was a firelizard instead. Speaking of the little white hatchling...He felt the slight bulge at the bottom of his shirt. She was still asleep. Was that normal for a firelizard baby? He didn't know.

She says you're welcome, Rosi, The rider told his dragon. He noticed with slight alarm that Aliscia was uncomfortable. Ch'ero frowned a bit, wondering what was wrong. "The north is not a pleasant place." Especially for women. He had been about to say it, but it seemed a better idea not to. "Are you alright?" He asked with quiet concern. So far Aliscia seemed an alright woman. She wasn't some meek, pathetic little thing like so many others he knew. She seemed...somewhere in the middle so far. Ch'ero couldn't judge well yet. He hardly knew her at this point.

Rosilinth paused his eating, jaw locked around the same leg as before. His last meal was always much slower than the first ones. He let out a low growl around the appendage, eyes whirling reds and yellows. He snapped the leg with the force of his bite, letting go of the carcass to glare at the approaching green. Suddenly the green hissed at Hers and changed direction. Good. She would not steal his food. He looked at Ch'ero before going back to his food. Did you see that? She wanted my herdbeast. She is not good eating company at all. Then hurry up with that last one. I appreciate the help, CheMine, Rosilinth said, watching as Tanith dragged her own prey back. He hissed at her and ate the separated leg.

Ch'ero sighed. Quirky was right. "They certainly are. He," Ch'ero motioned to the brown, "is normally very friendly, but when he feeds he's rather antisocial." The man grinned slightly. Not much he could do about it. He loved every side of Rosilinth anyways. "Enjoy fights? Never. He's a big softy, part of the reason I left the north. He just wasn't a fighter by nature." The brown tore into the stomach, after the juicy innards. Ch'ero glanced at him. His eating habits made him wonder sometimes.

[kysseh]

Aliscia arched an eyebrow as Ch'ero was poking at the bulge in his shirt, wondering. Well, he certainly was not pregnant, and that was far too irregular a bulge to be some sort of growth. A pet, maybe? That would make more sense, and she turned her gaze back towards the feeding dragons to watch Rosilinth hoard his food away from Tanith. Silly brown. She would not let Tanith steal his meal, though she had no problem letting the green put on a ferocious sort of display. It got some of Tanith's boundless amounts of energy and aggression out, and she had no issues with that. Rosilinth could tolerate a little bothering, and Tanith could do with an easy target. The green just liked to wreak havoc, though the most she could do now was hiss and snap. There would be no contact with-

Ch'ero's comments had her startled, and she turned her gaze toward him to notice his frown, near-gold eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion. No, the north wasn't a pleasant place, though that rather went without saying. He was lucky, being male and from Fort. She... had not escaped the north as unscathed as she would have liked. His question, though, had the corners of her mouth tilting upward in a faint smile, and she nodded, a bit bothered at how perceptive he was. Then again... well, it was rather hard to hide the sort of discomfort she was in. That, and the gentle swelling of her abdomen was... not as invisible as she would have liked for the moment. He would see, if he looked hard enough. Not that she wanted him to look that closely, but the point still stood.

"Just uncomfortable. I'll go sit when the brat is done stuffing her face," she said, not sure how much she wanted the brownrider to know. Ah well. Might as well go for it. "I'd forgotten what a growing child does to the body. Takes a lot of energy." Strange, but after the mutual comfort she had shared with Faolan, just lying there with each other and grieving.... she felt better. Her heart ached, but it was not such a drowning sorrow. She counted that as a blessing. Perhaps she was not destined to be a lonely, heartsore, weary wherrybrain for her entire life, after all. Tanith gave a disdainful snort, and Aliscia promptly acted on a childish impulse and stuck her tongue out at her mindmate.

Then she remembered the brownrider's presence and sucked her tongue right back into her mouth. Oops. Had he seen that? Shardit. So much for the fierce demeanor that she tended to portray.

Tanith looked highly affronted at the hiss, and she growled low in her throat, tilting her head as she dug her teeth into the belly of her prey, dragging coils of intestines out and slurping them down with gusto. Stupid... slurp... stupid... slurp ... brown! She hated males sometimes, and she had the strangest urge to go hop on his back and gnaw on the back of his neck. Ah ha! Yes, that would show him who was boss. But, she was hungry still, so he got a pass for now. She had to hurl an insult his way, though, as she began to gnaw on the blood-rich liver. You missed a spot on that leg, Fat Thing. Shall I attend to it for you? Whether she meant an invisible speck of meat on the separated leg or bit of blood on his own self was unclear. Really, she was just trying to be difficult without bothering to check the facts. She just wanted to take a swipe at him... after her food.

Aliscia's wicked chuckle had Tanith rumbling with glee, both green and rider amused by the brownrider's assessment of his bonded. Tanith innocently passed on a comment to Aliscia, who could not help but share it. "She's of the opinion that she would best him in a fight with only one functional limb and only two teeth left. She was born fighting. I think she might've killed a candidate on the sands trying to find me. She certainly did maul a few," the greenrider offered forth, highly amused at the wicked rumbling that Tanith was emitting. Her Tanith and her ego... really. "I'm glad he's not into fights, or she would be really encouraged to try to instigate. She's been spoiling for it since we got here. And... I think all dragons are antisocial and territorial over their food. Their eating habits leave a little something to be desired, thou- Tanith!"

Tanith, having just bitten off the poor deceased herdbeast's external male parts, looked up with a mouthful of squishy things, all innocence. Really, I do not know what you mean, Mine. she commented loudly enough for Rosilinth to hear, fairly radiating false naivete.

[Ember]

Ch'ero caught Aliscia looking at him as he checked on Mystery. He grinned as she looked away. What better chance to show off his new little friend? He pulled the bottom of his shirt out from under his pants and carefully pulled the albino firelizard hatchling out, holding her close. She was still asleep as he cradled her in his arms. He contented himself with admiring the young thing. She had absolutely no colouration. He toyed with the idea of Mystery being a new colour, but he doubted the likelihood of that. A dragonhealer or someone with more firelizard experience than him could give him more information.

He looked back up with a neutral expression as Aliscia turned her gaze on him again. He felt badly for any woman or girl in the north. They did not often have a good life, but he liked to see those that could come out of a place like that with some of their dignity and personality intact. Ch'ero had been mean to women before too. It was just plain cruel what they had to go through and he still felt bad for the things he'd done while at Fort. He couldn't take them back, but he could makes sure he didn't do them again.

He was surprised when she told him she was pregnant. She didn't appear to be far along, but now that she'd mentioned it he could see a bit of a roundness to her stomach. He himself couldn't imagine what it was like to carry around a child in one's stomach for nine months. "Perhaps you'd like to sit on the ground until Tanith finishes? Dragons do tend to take their own sweet time." His last comment was partially directed at Rosilinth but the brown was too busy eating and glaring at Tanith. Ch'ero was still watching for a reply when the greenrider stuck out her tongue at her beast. He grinned but didn't say anything, looking down at Mystery and stroking her gently. She was in the shade his body provided, looking perfectly relaxed in sleep.

Rosilinth continued to watch Tanith as he continued to eat his tasty herdbeast. It was - he was absolutely certain of this - ten times better than hers was. She fantasized about chewing on the back of his neck, he was imagining hunting her like the scared beasts he was eating. As she spoked to him again he growled. No, thank you, Lovely Thing, he replied testily, his nickname for her being twisted into more of a mocking insult. Maybe you'd like me to chew that into bite sized pieces for you though. Ch'ero caught his end of it and mentally snapped at him, Stop it, Rosilinth! I know she's annoying you, but there is no reason to stoop to that level.

Ch'ero glared at his brown, the beast looking back with sheepish thoughts. He looked at Aliscia as she told him what Tanith had said. He grinned darkly, rather amused at such an idea. He didn't bother to correct Tanith in that, or relay the message to Rosilinth, but the pale dragon had been in his fair share of fights. "I have to admit I'm scared now," he commented sarcastically...and quietly, so that Tanith would not hear. "Spoiling for a fight? Not exactly something most Selenitas riders would let their dragon do." He would have continued but she suddenly yelled at Tanith, and he saw why when he glanced at the green.

Ch'ero chuckled in amusement. "You can tell Tanith that she had a good idea, but it's not something Rosilinth will care about," he commented to Aliscia. He watched Rosilinth look up, snort, and go back to his meal without any further adieu. It was the rider that felt sympathy for the beast Tanith was eating.

[kysseh]

The neutral look he gave her was initially ignored, mostly because Aliscia was feeling merciful today, if only because this brownrider was not quite so bad. She could tolerate him--Ch'ero, if she had to call him by name--and he was friendly and easygoing enough to be... likable. He was still a northern rider, though, so he was entirely deserving of her trust. Nope, she did not trust him at all, though she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and not knife him or treat him like the plague... yet. Either pregnancy was easing her aggression, or being in Selenitas and having Faolan around was making her more like her... more docile self, the self she had been before the war made her... tougher.

She arched an eyebrow as he cradled and stroked the little flitter, moving closer to investigate. She was cautious about being so close to him, but since the rider seemed so preoccupied with his odd little pet, it was... safer. The little flitter was an oddity, though, and Aliscia frowned, leaning in a bit to look at it. White?! That was odd. She was about to ask, but he briefly mentioned sitting down. She immediately shook her head, hair brushing along her jawline as she did so. "I'll pass. Tanith will make a good seat once she finishes with her meal," she said mildly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. After so many Turns of completely flawless fitness, it was... strange.... to be a bit on the heavier and unwieldy side.

Ah, he was rising to the bait! Tanith wickedly chomped her way through the male parts she had previously bitten off before she started picking the ribs clean, carefully moving her way along the carcass with no real hurry now that she was getting somewhere. Silly brown. Falling right into it. No, thank you, Fat Ugly Thing. I would rather you not break your delicate jaws chomping something so tough as a proper herdbeast. Poor little Fat Thing. Now she was just poking fun at him, and what entertainment it was! He was far easier to pick on than she had first thought. Fun! She had not had a good challenge in quite awhile. He was not trying to steal her food, too, which was lovely in itself.

The darkness in his expression had Aliscia tensing on alert, but she did not otherwise react, mostly because his amusement seemed to be headed toward Tanith. A smirk slowly worked its way across her scarred face, mostly because Ch'ero did not seem to realize that Tanith was not as ridiculous as she appeared. At least the green had stopped eating such... sensitive bits. "I never said I would let her. She just is of the opinion that his capabilities are vastly overrated. She takes delight in getting a rise out of others," the petite woman commented, both of her hands finding her way toward her back. "Though she seems a bit disappointed that he didn't react."

That was a mild understatement. Tanith was almost livid that the brown would not react further to her mauling of the male herdbeast's... choice bits. She growled low in her throat and snapped her jaws in the brown's direction. Her scarred head tilted one way and then the other, watching him with a calculating sort of look, eyes whirling a distinct yellow-orange. Then she turned back to her food and ignored him again, seemingly very keen on thrashing her meal to pieces as she devoured it.

"I think she gets the idea, and she's not happy." Poor Tanith. Aliscia almost felt sorry for the snappish creature at times. Almost. She adored her mindmate, but Tanith was trying on a good day. A bad day? She was a nightmare. But, the greenrider was appropriately distracted by a few things. The first of those was the continuing discomfort in her back, which she pressed both hands against in an attempt to relieve. Shardit. She should have napped a little longer. The second was the little white flitter in the brownrider's grasp, and she arched an eyebrow in query. "I've never seen a white one before. It's a young one. When did you get him... her... it?"

[Ember]

Ch'ero was generally likeable nowadays, but he had not been so at Fort weyr. He could remember some times he had been a downright pain to others. Not only had he mellowed out as he grew older but he also Impressed Rosilinth. It was fifteen turns ago that the brown had broken shell. Was it really so long ago? The rider sighed tiredly. He was getting older too, much as he disliked it. Thankfully riders were vigorously healthy or else he'd start having visions of him being the lonely, decrepit old man with a faded brown. He had to make up the time here at Selenitas, make some friends and not just acquaintances. Maybe even a weyrmate. The very thought made Rosilinth snort.

Ch'ero watched as Aliscia moved a little closer to examine Mystery. Even in her sleep she seemed to realize she was being scrutinized by someone other than hers. She wriggled slightly but settled back into a quiet sleep when Aliscia turned her attention from her. The rider had noticed the behavior though. Even in sleep? He had a feeling Mystery was a shy firelizard. He nodded in understanding. "Dragons do make very comfy couches sometimes." Rosilinth was certainly very comfy to lean against. He often fell asleep with the brown, awaking the next morning rather stiff but incredibly happy too.

Rosilinth would have said something back but was unfortunately out of insults. He was not incredibly witty with insults. He stayed silent as he tore some meat off his prey, pretending he actually hadn't heard what she said. He would have sought help from His, but Ch'ero would not be willing to help in such an act, nor did the short man normally just give him the answers. He did not like letting the female have her way. He tore into his food with more energy. Ch'ero ought to thank Tanith, now the brown was eating quicker than he normally ate a fourth beast. He wondered what the green would think when Rosilinth was done eating.

Ch'ero nodded in understanding. A lot of dragons believed themselves to be the best. Such as when Rosilinth chased a green. How could the green not pick him? Obviously two perfect dragons ought to be together, and that was always the green and Rosilinth. The silly beast nearly had multiple personalities, one for each situation. As the greenrider spoke again, he glanced at Tanith and grinned. "Rosilinth is convinced that she just really likes that part of the herdbeast," he told Aliscia. The brown couldn't figure out why she would like that are best though. Every other dragon knew that the innards were the best.

Rosilinth lifted his head curiously at her growl. What had he done to anger her this time? He could not figure out why she should be angry that he was not saying anything. He hissed slightly in response to the growl though. He returned to eating when she did but he did so in a less messy way. Destroying the herdbeast was not a priority for Rosilinth. He did like to feel the flesh tearing from the bone, but mauling his food? Not for him. He could go for mauling Tanith at that moment though...

Ch'ero wished there was something he could do to relieve Aliscia's discomfort but he didn't know enough about pregnancy to help. He blinked as she spoke about Mystery. He looked down at her fondly before replying. "I'm pretty sure it's female, although the white colour does make me wonder. I don't know how or really when I got her her egg, but Mystery hatched not even an hour ago," Ch'ero said as he stroked the smooth white hide. "It's almost like she appeared from between. i was going to use my bag as a pillow and just relax for a while, but I heard a weird sound coming from it and, well, long story short she hatched and impressed to me."

[kysseh]

Aliscia snickered softly. The dragons were a regular pair of idiots. He thought that flattering her would get him somewhere, and she thought that indirect threats would get a rise of him. It appeared that despite somewhat similar upbringings, the dragons had not a clue as to how to properly interact with a personality such as the other had. Of course, the fact that Rosilinth had swapped moods like a proddy female as soon as food was in front of him... that was just not helping matters. She could sense Tanith's infuriated confusion over their bonded, and it made her quirk a wicked grin over toward the dragons and their respective--and very separate--meals. They would probably never get their acts together, but that was half the fun. Besides, Aliscia would not permit Tanith to attack Rosilinth, except in self-defense, so there was little chance of danger.

Tanith treated Rosilinth's hiss with a snap of her jaws before burying her face back into her meal. The haunches were thick and tasty, and she ripped a bit at the tougher meat with her claws before attempting to yank them off to go down her throat. She liked her food in little bits, particularly when she was in a foul sort of mood, and Rosilinth... he had her in one of those moods. She arched her neck and flared out her wings, angling them over her food in a gesture of protective possession. Hers... all hers! And she did not like that he seemed totally unconcerned with her presence for the most part. He was not responding, blast him! How irksome. She would smite him once her belly was full, the point of which was rapidly approaching, even as she tore off another juicy strip and wolfed it down with the enthusiasm of one who had not eaten in ages. Overly dramatic? Of course. Thus, pure Tanith.

Aliscia was distracted from her amusement by the beautiful little white flit, and she tilted her head to one side, curious. White was... unheard of, as far as she knew. "Female, hmm? She seems a little too sweet to be male." Brutal. Honest, but brutal. She looked over the flit and then tipped her head up to regard Ch'ero, one eyebrow gracefully arched. "I'd say someone snuck it on you. Eggs don't generally sneak themselves into bags on their own," she pointed out. "You got lucky, though. She seems to be a kind sort of thing... especially for a hatchling." Having had flitters of her own in the... far-distant past... she remembered how good and how awful the little beasts could be. She envied Ch'ero; she missed her pets.

She did, however, have a kitten and a roommate and his little flitter, all three of whom she suddenly missed. The company that they provided was... not the same as the company that Tanith gave, but it was pleasant nonetheless. The mere thought of Faolan had a genuinely gentle smile flitting across her face, a smile that soon vanished to give way to her normal impenetrable expression as she remembered where she was and who she was with. "I suppose you and Rosilinth-" She kept wanting to call him 'Fat Thing', courtesy of Tanith's insistence. "-came to the weyr here alone, then? No pets, no friends... no weyrmate to tag along?"

Tanith seemed to be slowing down, finally, and she hiccuped absently, looking over the remains of what had been her meal. It was.... essentially gone, minus some meat around the neck and forelegs. She nibbled at it, feeling rather weighed down based on the way she had inhaled the meat off the carcass. Her belly was obviously a bit distended, but she seemed a little more docile, her eyes slowing to a mild yellow-green whirl that was slowly fading more toward green. Evidently, a full belly made for a more contented dragon, and she was nibbling on the tidbits mostly out of want rather than any real hunger. Had she overeaten? Perhaps, but she felt rather content with it.

A dragonlength away from her contented green, Aliscia snorted and shook her head softly, yanking at the mental reins until Tanith let out a snort and halted her nibbling, settling back on her haunches before the remains of the herdbeast. There was some left still... but she obviously had to leave it. She huffed lightly, which only made Aliscia laugh. "Idiotic little beast. Ate yourself into a good mood, didn't you?" she chuckled, highly amused as Tanith gave her a mildly disgruntled sort of look.

[Ember]

There was no chance of Rosilinth initiating a fight for no reason. The main reason he'd ever attack another dragon was if they intended to harm his rider. Ch'ero watched as his beast ate more of his meal. The brown was nearly done and His could tell that he had indeed stuffed himself. He sighed and shook his head. He really should have stopped Rosilinth from going after a fourth, especially after the size of the second herdbeast. He would have to stay for a while and let the pale dragon digest some of that food. At least he was satisfied and would soon return to normal. Poor Tanith. If she was angry at not getting a rise out of him she'd be pretty mad when he returned to flirting with her. The thought made Ch'ero grin slightly. He couldn't wait to see that happen.

Rosilinth looked down at the nearly finished herdbeast. He was oh so full but unwilling to just leave it there. If he did he was certain Tanith would want to have it. So he forced himself to eat the rest. He looked at the carcass, satisfied that there was nothing left worth eating. Then he glanced at Tanith who was still eating. She didn't seem to have much left either. He slinked closer to His again. He had brought out the little cousin and he wanted to see her again. The white firelizard seemed to be a good distraction for more than just the riders. He crooned gently for the sleeping figure in Ch'ero's arms. She was much cuter than the eating green Tanith. At least she didn't try to steal his food unless he wanted to give it to her.

Ch'ero glanced up at Rosilinth with a smile. I'm glad you like Mystery because she's here to stay now, he told the dragon. He looked back at Aliscia when she spoke, chuckling at her comment. "So I thought too. Plus she's no bigger than a green." Everything about Mystery pointed to female, in Ch'ero's opinion. "I'm grateful to whoever gave me her egg. I've been wanting a pet of some sort since I came here," he admitted, smiling fondly. "Kind and shy. She was trying to hide in her egg until I offered to feed her." He didn't want to imagine what would happen if she decided not to impress to him. She couldn't very well fly away. In the wild he doubted she'd last too long.

Ch'ero missed the smile unfortunately, but the question was most certainly heard. He shook his head a little. "You'd be right," he said simply. He had never had a pet back at Fort weyr to bring with him anyways. As for friends...no one he knew at Fort could really be considered one. Rosilinth snorted at the idea of a weyrmate. He grinned and pointed at the brown. "Rosilinth is of the opinion that I'd never get a weyrmate. I think he's hoping I don't. Then he'd have to stop chasing so many greens." The brown looked at him, disgruntled that His would say such a thing. Ch'ero chuckled and said, "Oh don't be so mad. You know it's true."

Rosilinth turned his attention back to Tanith. She had just finished her meal (although she was still nibbling a little) and he was no longer eating so he threw a compliment her way. Why, Lovely Thing, the light of the sun has nothing on your beauty, he told her with a slight croon. Tanith may be in a better mood than before, but Rosilinth would likely send her right back into a bad one. People wondered why he avoided greenriders and goldriders, Rosilinth was the reason. If their dragon wasn't nearby there was no problem but in general he preferred to talk to men. Getting close to a woman meant more opportunities for Rosilinth to flirt with the dragon.

Ch'ero chuckled as Aliscia spoke to Tanith. He'd never heard of a dragon eating themselves into a good mood but - if it meant Tanith wouldn't launch herself at Rosilinth for flirting with her - he was glad. Angry dragons were not the best of company. Rosilinth made a point to comment that angry humans were not pleasant to be around either. That was true too, but dragons were a lot scarier when angry.

[kysseh]

Rosilinth was finishing too, Tanith noted with a bit of dislike. Already?! Stupid brown. The bigger mouth meant he could get more down faster, and she envied him for that. She had to carefully take smaller bits than he to make sure she did not choke on her food. Peeved as he moved toward His, Tanith immediately dropped to all fours and efficiently hopped over to hers. Thankfully, the green missed the fair of wild firelizards that descended upon the remains of her carcass to devour it. Had she noticed, she probably would have scared them off out of principle. Instead, she made her way right up to Hers and the brownpair, settling on her haunches about an arm's length from Aliscia to lick the blood and herdbeast bits off herself.

Wrinkling her nose at the smell of fresh gore in close proximity, Aliscia kept her attention on the little mystery flit. It was cute, though she was willing to wager that it had more than a few health problems. The wings looked a little odd, for one thing. She shook her head at the thought of the green trying to hide from the world in her egg. That hadn't lasted long, apparently. "I envy you. It's been Turns since I've had a firelizard. I've got a feline kitten, but... not quite the same," she commented, rolling her eyes slightly as they moved back to the discussion of weyrmates. Rosilinth received a mild chuckle. "Poor thing. He'll have to settle with just flying one attractive green over and over again... or trying to. Not all greens are known for their fidelity." Was that far too amusing to her? Oh, yes... yes, it was.

Tongue extended to clean off some gore, Tanith froze in mid-lick at the compliment that was aimed in her direction. Light of the sun... beauty... what?! Tanith did not mind compliments about her speed or strength of agility, but vague compliments about the state of her hide were... highly annoying. The brown wanted something; she was sure of it. She would have taken a snap at him, but her full belly made her rather lazy. Eh... he was just stupid. She would give him a pass on it this time. And you're obviously hoping to get on my good side, you fat back end of a wherry. I care little for beauty, barring Mine's. And Hers was quite beautiful, in her opinion. The most beautiful woman alive, Aliscia was, and she would snarl at anyone who dared say otherwise.

Aliscia just sighed at the interaction between the two dragons. "He really doesn't take a hint does he? Good thing she's got a full belly now, or she'd want to take a chunk out of him," the greenrider said mildly, making a noise of disgust as Tanith went back to grooming herself. Ugh. Her mindmate had the most disgusting of bathing habits at times, and Tanith picked up her disgust and responded with a wicked rumbling sound of obvious amusement. Of course Tanith was amused by disgusting everyone in the vicinity. Only Tanith, who was currently taking another slurp of blood and gut bits off her foreleg, would be so proud. "You're disgusting. And you wonder why people avoid you."

I am just getting clean. Would you rather be me be filthy? Tanith returned innocently, loud enough for Rosilinth--but not unworthy His--to hear. She edged over closer to Aliscia and provided her side to lean against. The greenrider took it, sighing happily as Tanith's side took a little pressure off her leg joints. Better. Much better. "Hmm, well, there is the senior weyrlings... the greens of that class are due to Rise in... two... three months? He'll have plenty of options," she commented drolly, arching an eyebrow up at Rosilinth. Poor dumb male. She pitied him. "He's probably not going to want to try his luck with Tanith, though. She has a tendency to.... injure her Chasers." That was a nice way of putting it, she thought. Too nice, perhaps.

[Ember]

Rosilinth blinked his big eyes as Tanith rejoined Hers with a quick little jump. Was it some kind of competition with her or something. He looked down at his rider with puzzlement. CheMine, I find this green very odd, in a good way, he told the youthful looking man. He watched the green lick the gory stuff off her hide, amused that she would keep herself clean when she seemed like the type who would be fine with it. He didn't bother cleaning off the signs he'd just eaten, much to his rider's chagrin. Cleaning him was for Ch'ero to do. It was an activity they both enjoyed no matter how much his rider tried to convince him otherwise.

Aliscia would be right about that. Ch'ero would have to keep to keep a close watch on her health at all times. Being earthbound would make that easier on him. She wouldn't go flying off and catching some weird cold or something from wild flitters or even other tame ones. "Oh, you've had one before? Any tips for taking care of this little one?" he asked, emphasizing the question with a nod towards Mystery. He figured even a couple of tips would be a lot of help as she grew up. He'd have to seek out a healer for help on health issues that may arise from her strange colouration. The brown in question looked at Aliscia with and rumbled, disgruntled that she would mock his plight. Why should he not share himself with many greens? Ch'ero nearly shuddered at the very idea of a particular Fort green always being flown by Rosilinth. He wouldn't mind nearly any other green's rider but that one...

Rosilinth was amused by his rider's thoughts. He could see His having a weyrmate eventually, but definitely not the girl he was currently picturing. He heard Tanith's annoyed comment. What if I am? The pale dragon asked on the matter of getting on her good side...if she even had one. You care little for it but you still are pretty nonetheless. You make a pretty pair, you and Yours. A female who did not want to be flirted with only made it worse for herself, for the brown would get determined to say at least one thing right.

Ch'ero chuckled, shaking his head in the negative. "Nope. If anything she is encouraging him to come up with better things." He was amused as Tanith rumbled. He wasn't grossed out simply because Rosi insisted on making him clean up after his mess. It actually didn't take that much effort if you got to it before it dried and one could get used to the sheer grossness of the task. Plus we have fun while you clean me! Was Rosilinth's input on the subject. He would have patted the beast's leg but it was probably a better idea not to.

The brown was distracted by the green again, rumbling in amusement at the exchange. He politely relayed what Tanith had said so that Ch'ero could see what was so funny. Ch'ero grinned but said nothing as the subject of flights was brought up again. He groaned slightly. Great. Now Rosi would want to chase after much younger dragons with equally young riders. "I'd really rather he didn't get a chance at them," was his wry reply. Senior weyrlings were 23 turns old at most and often younger than that. he may look younger than he really was but that didn't mean he'd go looking for a younger bed or weyrmate. Experience was generally a good thing. He smiled slightly at the warning. "Oh, he'll want to. He always does. I appreciate that information though." He'd try and keep him from flying if he could. Ch'ero had better luck keeping Rosilinth grounded if he was fully awake and not distracted at the time the green chose to rise.
her Chasers." That was a nice way of putting it, she thought. Too nice, perhaps.