You Need Safety Goggles [Kalushsk's Maiden Run]

[ravenmane]

Kalushsk was going to Run. That much Kalushka was sure about, but she didn't know when or how soon it would happen. The normally dark green Wher appeared brighter and shinier then she normally did, and her neon green goggle markings were almost blindingly bright. There was nothing Kalushka could do to stop the Green from doing what nature demanded of her; however, Kalushka was nervous about what would happen to her when the Green finally Ran. She was still a virgin, and because of her background, Kal wasn't all that sure how she felt about sleeping with someone she probably didn't know.

A quiet peep from her bed distracted the Handler from her troubling thoughts. She turned to see Fog huddled down in her furs with his blank eyes staring in the newest addition's place at the end of the bed. Eulo was quietly watching Fog with an intensity that was almost funny, except that Fog got nervous when he "felt" someone look at him. She sighed and shook her head. Eulo was a strange fire-lizard, and it would be interesting to see how his personality developed.

Anxiousness. The emotion was pressed into Kalushka's mind, and this time, when she moved to look, Kalushsk was standing expectantly by the doorway. Her tail was twitching endlessly, betraying the unexplainable anxiety the Green was experiencing. "Hold on, girl. Let's see if it's dark enough." Kalushsk huffed and stepped away from the door to allow Hers to peek out. "Alright, girl. You can leave." The moment the opening was wide enough, the Green surged past her Handler and out into the open.

This time, the emotions were those the WherHandler had never experienced before. Need. Lust. Desire for HER males. Stumbling out of her quarters, Kalushka stared dumbly as Kalushsk raised her head to bugle commandingly. She wanted her males now! Did they think she was not worthy of their attention? Is -that- what those creatures thought? Well, She, Green Kalushsk, would prove them wrong!

She raised her head once again to roar her challenge to the Males of Selenitas. There was no one more worthy then she, and they must come and prove their loyalty to her! Kalushsk! Leaping away from the Wherhandler Apartments, the Green raced down the banks of the River, following it until she was able to dive head on into the forest's thick vegetation. Kalushsk knew where she was going. A small trail, large enough to easily fit a green, but not those that would come after her. Oh no, her Chasers would not have it easy!

As for Kalushka, she had retreated back into her apartment where she stood commandingly in the center of it wearing only a breast-band and rather short trousers. Her mind was already lost to the Mating lust, and she stood there, annoyance began to build up. Where were her males? Did they not want such a beautiful creature as their mate? If they did not come, they would pay for this slight!

All the while, Fog, Eulo, and Jashta had retreated to the bookshelf with Eulo on the top and Jashta huddling with Fog on one of the lower shelves. What was wrong with theirs? Why was she acting so funny?

[nightingale]

A dark smear of motion flanked Kalushsk like a jungle cat, but the hunter in question was out for something far more tempting than blood this night. The low resonation of the brown wher’s voice was sharply counterpointed by the snap of branches against his though hide as he galloped through the brush after her. He thought her a fine young beauty, and made no point of hiding his adore. Truly such a strong, elegant creature as she deserved better than the cumbersome young fools who would doubtlessly come chasing after her. He would follow her for a time then, and when she tired of teasing and toying with the young ones, he would be ready for her.

The brown fell behind her at regular intervals, as he was forced to weave between trees and thick bracken as he carved a path through the jungle foliage beside her. He was never truly gone from sight however, and the thick baritone calls he sent her assured his dazzling quarry that he intended to be with her for quite some time.

The brown chaser’s handler approached Kalushka in a noticeably relaxed fashion, her boots clicking evenly on the hardwood floor. She paused when she reached the doorway, and pressed one hands against the frame. A patient smile was drawn across her features. Yes, a beautiful young thing...but so terribly impetuous. Not to worry. Her Danisk/Danica was here with her now, and would watch her dance until the curtain fell.

[hseru]

Another flash joined the pair in the darkness, and the sparse light from the moon and stars overhead trickled off the sleek, slender pearlescent blue form who had caught the scent of the ultimate quarry -a lovely green on her Run. The blue was quite small in height, but long in limb and tail, almost as long as a small brown, though his bulk and general size would never match up to the larger colors. His smooth hide was virtually scar-less, the evidence of his past battles on his face in the form of a milky eye surrounded by turns-old claw scars.

Like a serpent, he slithered swift as water through the brush to the side and behind of Kalushsk, keeping his small wings tight to his body as he found openings in spaces that the larger brown would have never managed. He was even able to run on the path that she'd so cleverly chosen, but only for brief moments before diving off for a different trail. He rarely needed to break his way through, though he didn't even hesitate when a mass of branches loomed up to deter him. He plowed through with all the willingness he possessed, breaking branches like twigs in his wake.

He snapped a quick croon, his voice a light alto, and he let it lilt as he called to her, the beauty who had lured him from the jungles to romp. What age might have in experience, youth had in dexterity and the ability to endure. He would endure for her, and he prepared himself to last till the very end.

[weaving]

Jermaysk was growing agitated. He was pacing back and forth at the door to their apartment, waiting for it to grow dark enough to actually be let out. Jermayan was surprised until he felt the rising emotions of lust growing in the brown wher. While Jermaysk had never participated in a Run before, he’d been warned of this during lessons so it was easy to identify what was happening. He frowned, wondering who the female might be, though any confusion was quickly cleared when Jermaysk sent him an image of a dark green wher with bright green facial markings. Kalushsk was easy to recognize. There weren’t many whers in the weyr and they were a fairly tight knit group.

AS the feelings intensified, Jermayan stood and opened the door, letting the brown wher into the night. A call from nearby caught his attention and he paused to respond to the green’s cry with a bugle of his own. Jermayan stood in the doorway for a moment, watching his brown disappear into the night before the feelings overwhelmed him and he was forced to seek out Kalushka. He found her in her apartment, standing there tall and strong. He joined her inside, though dared not get too near for fear of angering her. No, he would only approach when she wanted him to.

Outside, Jermaysk followed the green wher along the riverbank, crooning occasionally to alert her to his presence. He was here. He had answered her call. There were others, a brown and a blue, but neither were as strong or as worthy of the green’s attention as he was. Rather than pick a fight however, he simply ignored them, focusing solely on the glowing gem ahead of him. She darted into the forest, along a path that he would be unable to follow.

Rather than force his way along the path after her, he chose to form his own path, avoiding various branches and brambles as he followed. His thick hide helped to protect him from scratches and cuts, for he wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings, his eyes glued to the lithe and graceful body of Kalushsk as she darted through the trees. Soon, enough he would join her once more, but for now he was content to follow.

[Rei]

A sharp bark answered the green and a old bronze crested the hill and enter the trees behind the other suitors. His hide was beginning to show the greenish bronze markings of age but his muscles rippled hard and strong under his weather beaten hide. This wher had been around for ages, passed down from son to son in an old miners family. They were at the weyr on tithe business but that didn’t mean the bronze couldn’t get in a bit of playtime.

The journeyman miner was well used to runs and fell into his beast seamlessly. He found Kalushka in her apartment and he circled her growling low in his throat. Beautiful green would she choose him or would another win her this day? He didn’t even notice or really care about the other suitors. Oh no let them chase Ranalsk and Ranalan. Would be the winners tonight.

Ranalsk tore through the underbrush trampling them into the dirt and snapping any young saplings that got in his way. The bronze wher increased his sped when he came to relatively clear patches but was slowed by stouter trees. This put him in the back of the pack but close enough to the green glowing Kalushsk. He roared a lusty challenge and redoubled his efforts it had been far to long since he had caught a beautiful young green. He was willing to give it his all and then some tonight.

[ravenmane]

She could hear and smell them. Her males. Her pretty pretty males, but only one would was worthy. So who was this male that she would Choose, the one she would allow to mate with her and sire her eggs. Yes, she would clutch. The female was sure of it (but everyone knows she won't), and the choice she would make tonight would affect the future of her young. When the Green turned her head to glance at the males, she crooned happily. The first flash of hide she noticed was a dark brown, and the female trilled lovingly to the male. For the first one to take Chase, a Brown was a very nice choice. Another flash of color was that of a light Blue.

When Kalushsk caught a glimpse at the male's face, she chirped with surprise, but the vocal noise turned to a croon of happiness. If this male could keep up with the others with only one eye, then he was a very good choice. Turning her attention to the other males that had appeared, Kalushsk couldn't help but wiggle with pleasure. A Bronze and a Brown had joined the Chase. Now she had the full spectrum of colors! Bugling with pleasure, the Green swerved away from the trail and into the brush on her right. She didn't even acknowledge the Brown she caught off except for a touch of her tail.

She weaved between the trees and debris upon the ground. A few times, branches would scratch her hide, and every time, the Green would snarl and suddenly swerve away from her current path as though continuing on her current route would not be good. Bursting into a small clearing, Kalushsk raced up to the top of a medium sized rock near the center. Whipping around for a moment, she growled at her Chasers before leaping away and into a massive tree nearby. Digging her claws into the bark, Kalushsk climbed high into the branches until they became too thin to support her weight and then dove into the thick vegetation.

While her green was leading her Chasers farther and farther into the surrounding jungle, Kalushka remained standing in the middle of her apartment. Her eyes were trained on the three handlers/males surrounding her. Confusion had set in when the fourth hadn't appeared, and the wher-controlled girl was too far gone to realize that the Blue Chasing her Green was a Wild and had no handler. Irritated by the "missing" male, Kalushka lashed out at Ranal, her fingers curled in a claw-like fashion. How dare he think he could circle her that way! She was the Queen, and only she decided who Caught her. Kalushka retreated a few steps away, her eyes narrowed as she observed the three males in front of her. Where was the fourth? Did he think she wasn't worthy? A snarl of annoyance was released, but the woman made no other movements.

[Rei]

Ranalsk bugled in response and redoubled his efforts, branches and saplings snapped in his wake as his claws tore up the black earth. He entered the clearing a bit after her and was just in time to witness her scaling the rock. The large bronze surged up the rock after her paying no heed to the rest of the males if they got in his way and got trampled to bad for them!

The old bronze stopped as she threw a threatening growl at him and he barked an apology before she sailed off the rock and into a tree. Ranalsk regarded the tree with practiced eyes. He knew it would not hold his weight. So instead of following her into the tree, the old bronze threw himself off the rock. Flaring his wings, to slow his decent, he hit the ground with a grunt and resumed his chase.

He tore through the jungle beneath her crooning or barking when he caught a glimpse of her glittering green hide. Oh how clever and quick this one was. A lovely female to be chasing on such a muggy night. She most certainly deserved the best and he was that wher, surely she would realize this?

Ranal barked in surprise as Kalushka attacked him with her claws. He jumped back just in time and her nails only just grazed him. They tore his flesh, causing a thin trail of blood to run down his cheek. He crooned apologetically and backed away ceasing his circling. She was displeased? He had not meant to displease her. Ranal/Ranalsk gazed at the beauty before him and whined, a feeling of rejection building. He had made a mistake. Would it cost him the run? Perhaps he could still make it up to her.

[weaving]

When Kalushsk deviated off of the path, Jermaysk was ready for her, quickly picking up her trail. Now they were equal, both forced to travel through terrain not meant for the ungainly bodies of whers. If anything, he had it easier than her, for though he was larger, she had created a path for him to follow, the branches already broken, the underbrush already trampled. The other three were nearby but he blocked them from his mind, finding that worrying about the competition would only distract him from the only thing that mattered: the glowing hide of Kalushsk. He crooned out into the night, a song meant for her ears only, accompanied with feelings of lust and adoration.

Her leap onto the rock and from there to the tree confused the brown, who circled the trunk, whining and casting glances upward. He couldn’t follow her up there. He could only wait until she came down once more and the chase resumed. Sure enough, she leapt down from the tree and the run began once more. The old bronze was there, ahead of him slightly. Jermaysk hissed softly, more to himself than as a challenge to his competitor. There was no time to fight now, not when there was a green to be caught.

Jermayan backed away as Kalushka lashed out at Ranal, not wishing to attract her anger. Once it had subsided, he pressed closer once more, though dared not touch the beauty in front of him. He had sense enough to wait until she invited him. Brimming with confidence, the brown wherhandler knew that it wouldn’t be long until she realized that he was the best here and, perhaps, the best in all of Pern. His eyes were glued to her form, unable to look away from the beautiful creature in front of him.

[hseru]

The long, wild blue skimmed through the jungle, scrabbling for purchase against the ground when the beauty of a green cut cross ways against his own trail and he made to follow. As she wove much like her males had initially, he followed diligently, slipping through spaces, jumping over logs and partially fallen trees as need be.

As he followed her into the opening, he paused for the briefest of moments when she turned to growl at them, crooning a bark in reply. She was beautiful, and so agile! She suddenly leapt from the rock into the trees, and the lithe blue would have grinned if such were possible. Starting forward again, he used the same rock as a ramp, his short, powerful legs launching himself after her in a similar manner. The trees were a terrain he was able for and used to. This was a chance to show her what he was capable of! Landing harder than she, the blue had to work hard to keep from sliding right back down, but then he was on, and so was the chase!

With all claws working for purchase, the pale blue wrapped his way around the trunk like a quick snake, striving upwards after her. He was unable to go further earlier than her, and his upwards momentum slowed, but as she dove to the side, he followed at a lower altitude, clawing his way onto another tree with more finesse than before. He would show her that he was the only one able to follow so close, able to match her clever movements with his own. He crooned again, staccato beats that emphasized his desire to pursue such a lovely, lovely green.

[nightingale]

Kalushsk’s trilled approval was answered with a deep rumble of appreciation. The other males who had joined the chase were noted, but the brown paid them little attention as he kept up his steady charge through the undergrowth, whirling violet eyes fixed on the object of his desire as she swayed and pranced before him.

When they came to the clearing, Danisk slowed to a trot and watched as his green mounted a low boulder. Her growl drew a lusty roar of approval from his throat. Yes! Such a strong and powerful beauty! He was almost amused by how shamefaced the bronze seemed when faced with her display -clearly the greens he had chased in his life were not nearly so full of fire as this one was.

He was quick to fall into her shadow as she leapt into a nearby tree, knowing not only that following her would be impossible, but that it would mar the beautiful performance she was giving them. Instead he watched from the treeline, his muscles tense with unused energy and a purr rumbling in the back of his throat. The moment she jumped, he was after her, his heavily muscled form blurring into the dark shadows of the jungle until only the steady violet glow of his eyes was visible. Such beauty. Such fire. She would be his if he had to chase her into the rising sun.

Danica held her place in the doorway, the twitching muscles in her arms and neck making her desperation obvious as she fought against the need to approach her beautiful green. But the brownhandler remained motionless and watching. She had not been chosen yet, and until she was summoned she would not move any nearer to her her dancer. She would wait as long as she had to.

[ravenmane]

She was a growing a tired, a fact that angered her so. A Queen shouldn't tire so! It was blasphemy, but it was something she couldn't deny. The strain on her body was growing with every stride, and despite the need to keep running, Kalushsk found her body's strength slowly fading. Snarling with anger, the Green pushed herself farther and burst from the jungle. The sudden openness startled the Wher for a moment before she realized that she had left the protective jungle. Now, it turned into a flat out dash beside the river. Kalushsk knew she only had minutes, maybe seconds before she was forced to Choose the male she found favor in, and those last few moments were key to who she would pick from the four handsome creatures that Chased her.

Glancing over her shoulder and crooning encouragingly, Kalushsk looked at her Chasers. An old Bronze, two handsome Browns, and a Wild Blue. Jermaysk was a male she had known since before she could remember, but was he good enough to sire her clutch? Ranalsk, on the other hand... er, foot, was an old Bronze, a male that had seen many turns, but alas, she didn't know what else to her young except strength nor had she ever seen him before. It was the same for Danisk and the Blue. Kalushsk had no memory of the last three males, but memory was not a deciding factor. No, it was the male's potential. She would only have the best Wherlings, and no male could mate with her if they were not good enough!

Now. The Time was now.

Kalushsk continued to run ahead of the males, but her pace was slowing very obviously. As she continued to push herself, the Green mulled over her choices, summing up the best aspects and the negative aspects of each and every Chasers. Only the best could ever stand the chance of ever touching her the way a mate could. Finally her pace had slowed to a mere trot, and reluctantly, the Green fell in beside her Chasers. Snarling at the three males who had not been rejected, Kalushsk nudged her head against Jermaysk's shoulder. He may not have been the most handsome Chaser, but a niggling sense in the back of the Green's mind said that he was the best choice. So would he accept her?

Inside her apartment, Kalu was feeling the strain on her Wher and the exhaustion that threatened to devour her any moment. Snarling softly to herself, the young woman paced around her room, switching directions randomly in the same fashion as Kalushsk did in the forest. Her hands were clenched into fists from the tension and indecision of her Green. Which male would she Choose? Which male was worthy of her? The Bronze? One of the Browns? The Wild Blue? Oh the choices! All would good males, but only one could be the best. As Kalushsk made her Choice, Kalu turned and almost meekly stepped towards Jermayan. She crooned and pulled his head down so she could kiss him. He was Chosen. He was Hers! No other female could lay claim to him!

[weaving]

He could tell that she was growing tired from the way she moved. Her stride grew labored, her pace slowed. Soon, she would choose. He didn’t have much more time to prove himself in her eyes. The brown wher picked up the pace a bit as she exited the jungle. On open ground, it would be easier to catch her. Her smaller form no longer gave her any advantages. Of course, that also meant that the other chasers would have just as equal a chance. Jermaysk trilled to the glowing beauty that he followed, letting her know that he was here, that he hadn’t left her. He refused to abandon her until the very moment that she chose. If it wasn’t him, then so be it. The brown was a gracious loser.

She was slowing! He slowed with her, not wishing to pass her. It wasn’t long until she was running equal with him and the others. He crooned to her, though didn’t dare try and touch her until she wished it. Now was not the time to make a mistake, not when she was so close to choosing. Her snarl at the other males confused him until he realized that she had fallen in beside him and was nosing at his shoulder. He bugled his triumph to the night air as he wrapped his tail with Kalushsk’s, nuzzling at the green affectionately. Nuzzling at his green.

As Kalushka approached him, Jermayan stepped forward with opened arms, wrapping them firmly around the young woman as he bent his head to capture her lips in a kiss. He gave the other males a look and a growl (she was his after all) before paying them no more attention, his mind fully focused on Kalushka. He guided her toward her bed quickly. Full of Jermaysk’s lust, the man was all-too-eager to complete the run. Tonight would be a long night for the pair.