Winter's Last Breath [Ruby]

[Kisha-Ra]

Darya sighed and hunched slightly into her jacket as she stepped out into the bright spring sunlight. If there was any justice in the world, she thought, the sunlight would feel as gloriously warm as the dappling on the new leaves and the blossoms on the trees made it out to be, but it seemed the northern trees were far more cold hardy than the southern born bluerider, for another turn running. A gust of wind made her almost change her mind about being outside, but after the long winter the thought of taking her noon meal in the dining hall or her weyr just one more time was enough to make her want to scream. Rather than allowing the stirrings of sanity to overcome the restlessness that had sent her outside in the first place Darya headed determinedly for a section of the rock wall she could lean against while she enjoyed/braved the weather.

I’m coming down.[/color] The announcement from her dragon was something of a surprise, Darya didn’t think the blue ever got stir crazy. Of course that could mean that he was planning something, but since she had no idea what he could be planning the bluerider forbore to comment and simply leaned in chosen spot and watched the blue spiral down, land, and then walk towards her in the awkward gait of a landbound dragon. ‘You’re blocking the sun, you great lump.’ Darya complained and rasied an eyebrow inquiringly when the blue sunshade rumbled in amusement.

With a happy swirl of eye colours Azrath dipped his muzzle low, as if bowing to his rider, then stepped forward, reached a clawed hand behind her and swept the pale woman forward. While his rider stumbled, cursed, a recovered the blue slid neatly in beside the wall, though Darya’s chosen spot was too small for him and his hindquarters partially eclipsed a doorway all he really had to do was lounge and look smug.

Darya silently fumed, forbore to comment again, and moved over to perch on one of Azrath’s forelegs, which was actually a lot more comfortable than the ground. It looked like she might come out of this round ahead she thought, smiling in a faintly nasty way as she dug a meatroll out of some interior pocket of her jacket. Azrath gave a heartfelt sigh, but Darya couldn’t help the feeling that was just to make her feel better.

[Ruby]

It was that time again.

Rajnith had been impossible for 2-3 days, Big Brother and Quixote had started spending much or all of their time out in the jungles around Hyphen, chasing wild greens, and even Grip had ventured out a couple of times, trying to get his claws on a green of his own (with very limited luck). Even Ugly Duckling had found a new female to court - a buxom chicken, this time, who was not at all interested in a swan five times her size. Raj would be rising within the next two days, and unless Ten wanted to put the whole Hold in a frenzy and wake up in a very compromising position with E'iah, it was time to head to the Weyr for a few days. Green flights weren't like Gold flights, affecting everyone in their path, but Holders were much more... uptight about their sexuality, and even Green flights in close proximity holds had been known to cause problems. Not to mention that Ten hardly wanted to rampage through the halls half-naked or worse, looking for her missing males, and no doubt Raj would be in a right fury if Viveth was her only chaser. Yes. It was time to go.

So she packed an overnight bag, made sure one of the aunties would stop in and feed Ducky, fought an irritated Rajnith into her straps, and mounted up. The Southern summer was coming to a close, so Ten threw on her light flight jacket over her loose top and changed her skirt for a pair of riding pants and boots before heading out. Good enough, even though she'd sweat until she went between. Bracing for a bumpy takeoff (it was always bumpy when Raj was grumpy), Ten urged the Green into the air and absentmindedly visualized a familiar Weyrbowl.

It wasn't until she felt the blast of freezing Northern air that Ten realized her mistake. The rider immediately started shivering, blinking down at Inverness in confusion. She'd come here for flights when she was at Ista, but this would be Raj's first flight at Selenitas Weyr since they moved to Hyphen. Oops, I did take us to the wrong Weyr, no? Ten chuckled, squeezing her heels in slightly to urge Rajnith back into the sky... but the Green kept descending. Raj, we are meant to go to Selenitas this time, this do be Inverness. Come now, we will correct my mistake. No.

Ten blinked, scanning the Weyr below. What? Azrath, lovely afternoon, is it not? Ten was momentarily dumbfounded by her dragon's answer - she wasn't Azrath, obviously - but then she spotted the blue shadow down by the wall. No. No, Raj! No! We have to - urk! Rajnith's intentionally blunt landing jolted the thought right out of Tenlie's head, but she knew what was going on here. Her proddy dragon wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to recruit a new follower, and now Ten was stuck here in the freezing cold until her Green decided she was done. Fabulous. To make it worse, Azrath was ridden by a female, and had chased Rajnith before. That always made Tenlie uncomfortable. While the Green slunk over towards the Blue, making the best of her tubby land-gait, Ten slid off, cushioning her landing with a quick bend of the knees that wasn't nearly as graceful as it had been five turns ago. Shooting an awkward wave in Darya's direction, Ten made as if to head inside... then realized Azrath was blocking the doorway. Fabulous. No choices, then.

Walking over to the dragons and the other rider, Ten had to consciously keep her hips from swaying - damned proddy dragons. Raj could not rise soon enough. "Hello, Darya. I have no seen you in some time, have I?" As far as Ten knew, the two were not on a first-name basis, but it slipped out before she could add the appropriate honorific, again Rajnith's fault. They had both been at Burimyu, if Ten remembered correctly, so they had that in common, at least. There hadn't been many riders there, after all.