Shooting Star at Dawn [Darling's Maiden Flight]

[boober]

C’lrynmine, you must rise. Mine, get up! Minoath’s mind voice was more urgent than was typical of the bronze, and it was likely this rather than his words that roused C’lryn from his sleep. It was the darkest hour of the night, the time when most people were sleeping deeply in their furs. The bronze weyrling had been one of those people until his dragon had most insistently roused him. “Minoath? What—“ It was then when he turned to look at the dragon that he saw the cause for the bronze’s waking him.

Darling was glowing brilliantly in the darkness from her place curled up against Minoath’s dark hide. C’lryn had long since suspected that, in her own quiet way, his little gold had claimed the bronze as her own. Never mind that he was a dragon; C’lryn just hoped she didn’t expect him to participate in her first mating flight, which looked as though it was imminent. As if roused by their stares, the gold lifted her head, opening bright, whirling eyes to look first at her bonded, then at the bronze with which she was curled up. Suddenly, her eyes began to bleed a deep reddish-violet and she spat viciously at Minoath before launching herself into the air. She wanted no part of these males! Her wings carried her in a glowing blur out of the room and into the hallway of the barracks.

A great shriek echoed through the barracks as the queen called her chasers. There was nothing shy or demure about her now; her hide was glowing brilliantly, almost white-gold, and her diminutive form was rocketing through the air. She called again, forceful, demanding her males. Where were her males!? Darling screeched her fury at the walls of the barracks. She did not want to be here! She wanted open sky, endless air, the wind on her brilliant hide. She flew out of the barracks and loosed a shriek that echoed through the darkness, breaking the nighttime peace. No one was allowed to sleep while she was in the air! She spiraled higher and higher, calling repeatedly for her males. She wanted them all! Blues, browns, bronzes, none were exempt from her Flight! Nevermind that a lowly blue would never hope to catch her, and no brown could hope to keep up with her this night!

Sounding her last cry, Darling streaked off over the Weyr, flying across the skies like a shooting star. They would come. Oh yes, they would come or face the wrath of a queen!

[Administrator]

Robika was... sleeping. Curled around Zadari, she slept soundly beside her weyrmate, her blonde locks sprawled on the pillow. Therefore, she didn't notice the sleeping Emanor on her pillow-- nor the bronze Valentine that was perched on their dresser, his small head looking up curiously. Something had prompted him awake. Fluttering out onto the weyrledge, he looked around, his eyes whirling red and orange in excitement. However, the smallest tinge of purple began to permeate his multi-faceted eyes. Lust. There was something pretty in the air that he wanted to catch. Spreading his wings, he ascended into the cool night air, lazily circling around looking for the beautiful prize. He had a feeling there was one out there, but he just had to find it.... Then! There! A shooting star against the velvety backdrop of sky! Not a silly green, no, but a true star! Returning her challenge with a trumpet of his own, he darted into the sky after her, determined now more than ever to make her his. What was better than a night Flight?

Beating his wings to be able to catch up to where her teasing form traveled, he crooned after her. She was stunning, with the light of the twin moons reflecting off of her nimble gold body. The fact that this was his first Flight didn't bother him in the slightest. It would be perfectly matched that he Fly her, another creature who was in her own first Flight! He could win her, he knew he could! But he would have to prove it... No matter! It would prove it again and again if he had to! He had no other competitors yet, and it angered him. How could no one else see how beautiful this queen was? Did none of them want to even try catching her? Well, even if none of them were good enough, they were stupid for not trying. He would give her the chance to let her pick only the best, the ones who would truly dare to give her chase! He was among the brave, unlike the cowards who wouldn't chase her.

In the meantime, Robika slept on, unfazed by Valentine's lust. She had had higher lust before, and this was nothing. However, she did move closer to Zadari in her sleep, unconsciously seeking more contact.

[dalina]

The bronze flitter had been ansy for days. He knew that the beauty was glowing, he knew that she would Fly, but he didn't know when. He usually avoided the place with his larger cousins and their noisy creatures. The bigger ones always ordered him around or away and he didn't like to be ordered. He ordered other flitts around, he didn't get ordered around. Unless, of course, a worthy queen, which was every queen, told him to heed her orders. Then he would follow her anywhere she chose to fly to. Golds were such beautiful majestic creatures. He didn't even mind the big, big golds!

So when he sensed the upcoming gold Flight, he stayed close to the big place by the water. He was not going to miss this Flight, he knew it would be worth the wait. He had barely lidded his eyes when he felt her, she was Rising. As soon as he knew that she was close in the air, he took off from his perch, eyes whirling a bright red. He crooned to her, beating his bronze wings as fast as he could to climb to her height. She raced over the big place and he followed, not missing a beat. She was a real beauty and he would make her his!

[missa]

So he didn't have much of a chance, he didn't really care, he liked Darling, she was nice and friendly and much better than any other gold he'd ever seen... Hm, why not? Fiel gave His no warning other than a loud bugle to tell Darling that even though he was no bronze, he was going to try his hardest for her! Leaping off the sleeping weyrling's bed with a speed that came from his smaller frame as he dived off into the night, after the glowing queen he had absolutely no hope of catching.

She looked beautiful, she really did, or Fiel thought so too, and he told her that with a low croon as he followed her higher into the skies. As high as she went, he could do that too, he could twist and turn and flip to show her just how good he was so he wasn't a big flitt, that didn't mean anything, it only meant that he wouldn't have the staying power of the others. He'd chase until he couldn't or she sent him away, then he'd mae sure that her mate was kind to her. She deserved that, such a nice queen deserved a very nice mate.

You might want to wake up. If Fiel's bugle hadn't done it, the amused voice of Jeminorth would have, Rielana rolling over with a wide yawn as she fought to drag herself out of the sleepy stupor she'd gotten into. Where was Fiel? He never left her side, like, ever. He was always there, so where could he be.
Flying.
What? At this time? Gasping as her feet touched the cold stone, Rielana moved over to her green, wrapping her arms around her dragon as best she could.
Yes, I believe he's chasing. Why I don't know, there's no chance of a blue catching a gold-
"What?" Yelping slightly in her shock, Rielana instantly reached out to bring the blue back. Not again!

He'd tried chasing a gold before, and she'd hurt him, it had taken so long for him to heal. The sharding creature wanted to go through that again? Why? Shaking her head slightly as her flitter's lust momentarily grabbed at her mind in her attempt to pull him back, Rielana swore. She didn't care if other people were sleeping, she wanted her flitter back before he got hurt.
Minoath? What should I do? Mine is being silly about Fiel chasing, she can't do anything about it, yet she still reacts. What should I say? Automatically looking to her friend for advice, Jeminorth turned slightly concerned eyes on her rider. Darling wouldn't hurt Fiel, why was Hers worrying so.
"Sharding flitt!"

While all this went on, a wild bronze rose after her, determined to catch her as he tried with all other Queens. He was strong, young, a good colour and a reasonably good mate. Or he believed so anyway... Even if he didn't really like the weyr that much, there were too many big things about that growled at him. Well, he didn't need their approval, only that of the shining gold ahead of him. Crooning low in his throat, the bronze attempted a small twist, only to be out done by a easy flip in the air preformed by a-

A blue? A blue! A blue dared to try and share the skies with a gold or bronze like himself? How dare the little thing even try? Growling slightly, the wild bronze had to content himself with the fact that there was nothing he could do and the gold would never choose a lowly blue. Never.

[boober]

Darling swooped down suddenly, shooting for the earth like a star loosed from its tethers in the sky, down toward the darkness of the jungle below. Her wings narrowed and she was literally falling through the sky, only to catch herself as soon as she burst through the canopy. She shrieked, her call echoing through the empty jungle. She wanted the wild ones to join her Flight as well! As if on cue, she spotted a wild bronze as he rose to join the Flight. There had been two bronzes, larger and more well-cared for, obviously from the Weyr. Good! Another male joined in the Chase and Darling called out, having trouble seeing him in the dark, her eyes whirling as she focused on--

A blue! She swirled around a leaning tree and zipped between two more, screeching. A blue in her Flight! She flipped over a strand of vine, her body a brightly glowing blur in the nighttime gloom. She cast another look beneath her, doing a barrel roll till she was skimming just above the ground-cover. Too low. But she got a good look at the blue as she shot back up, weaving her way amidst the branches of a large and stately tree. It was Fiel. Even through her lust, Darling’s eyes whirled with thought. If Fiel thought he had a chance at her, then let him Chase!

She burst through the canopy once again, wings whirring as they beat the air frantically. The gold taunted her suitors before streaking up into the sky in a wide curve that swirled up and up before leveling off and sailing through the dark sky, giving the males half a chance. After all, one of them would have to catch her eventually! It wasn’t long, though, before she trimmed her wings and went into a steep dive, only to pull out of it almost immediately. A feint to throw off the males, and possibly eliminate those that the breakneck flight through the jungle hadn’t. There weren’t nearly enough males here for her, and she screamed her displeasure at this. But she would have to work with what she had, and if this was all she was getting, so be it.

Any too foolish to pursue her were unworthy anyway.


Minoath opened his eyes at Jeminorth's summons. He wasn't oblivious to what was going on, but there was nothing he could do for any aspect of the Flight. His was gone, but the bronze knew there was no danger. Stretching, he swiveled his head in the direction of Jeminorth's room. Even in Flight, Darling would not harm Fiel. Tell Yours this, and if she still does not believe, tell her that Minoath has said it is so. As always, the young bronze was the very voice of calm logic; when he said a thing, it was true. If someone didn't believe Minoath's word, then odds were they'd believe no one.

[dalina]

The bronze was highly amused when a measly blue joined the Chase. Did he sincerely think that he had a chance against four bronzes? It wasn't going to happen. He could outfly that little blue with one wing injured. No, he was going to win the gold, no one else. There was a blue and three other bronzes and none of them were competition. He would follow his queen like she was the only thing he could ever want and she would Choose him. He was the best and he would give her the large clutch that she deserved. He could be rivalled by none.

So he followed her, flitting under the vine and keeping his distance from the ground and she twirled towards a tree. Easily, he maneuvered his way through the branches, even using one to push off of to propell himself a little faster. Like a smart flitt, he kept a respectful distance from the gold. This one was vicious and would not be caught before she was ready. He wasn't going to push her limits. With a measured burst of speed, he broke through the canopy a little further to the left than the queen, coming out only a little lower than her. He beat his wings hard as she arched higher into the sky.

His wings were made for endurance and he wasn't even beginning to feel the strain yet. This beautiful gold was tricky, leading them on a very hard Chase through the jungle trees. He needed to watch out, she could best him. And down into a dive she went, drawing him after her. She pulled up so close to to him that she almost ran into him as he continued to plummet. Thankfully, he managed to veer to the left to avoid her then turn quickly to continue to Chase. He was right, she was a trickster, but he would not lose her in the night. She would be his queen!

[missa]

They all thought it was so funny that he was here, well, let them laugh. Fiel could out fly them any day! Was he not faster? Was he not smaller and there fore more agile? Not to mention his sea coloured hide, much more handsome than their silly metallic sheens! There was nothing Fiel felt he couldn't do, he'd tire early in the flight, but that would be nothing, he'd push himself. He was going to stay in the skies until Darling had a mate. Even if it wouldn't be him.

The jungle! Instantly, Fiel gave a triumphant trill, darting after Darling with all the confidence of one who knows he's better than his rivals at something. Twisting, weaving, after her was no trouble, his leaner and smaller form making the jungle the perfect place if he was going to pull ahead of his bronze rivals. Twisting about the branches as he followed the golden beauty infront of him, Fiel gave her a happy little trill to encourage and to tell her he was still chasing. He was still there, still there!

The open sky was hwere Fiel faltered a moment, he wouldn't be as good here, Darling and the bronzes knew that, but he was far from giving up. Forcing his wings to work harder as he attempted to keep up with the bronzes, so far ahead, closer, closer, eeek! Diving. Well, diving, now that he could do. Definately. Haha bronzes, Fiel is quicker than them, he can keep up with her twists, and wasn't she clever to pull these moves! Imagine, she was really testing her bronzes, and him too, yes she was, but he was still trying. Tiring maybe from the short struggle to keep up with the bronzes, Fiel dove after the gold, flaring his wings as she pulled into a stop sharply. Easy!

Chirp. She was awfully clever, and such a pretty Darling.

The brozne was annoyed, the jungle was snaring him, his frustrated sounds carried as he got snagged by the vines and the branches, snarling and snapping at them as he tried to sweep past the blue, only to find him dart past with an easiness that he almost envied. His hide colour mattered not here, not here. Growl, snap, get out of the way! Silly stupid blue... That was the better one down here... Sky! Clear skies!

A taunting call to the blue as he darted past him once in teh skies, none could best him here, this was where his wide wing span belonged, here in teh skies. She was diving? What? Follow, wait no, squealing in surprise she pulled up, the bronze gave a frustrated call as he was slower than she to do so.

Jeminorth said that she would, before turning to Rielana, the girl was glaring after her blue, just waiting for him to fly back, exhausted, cheeping piteously. He wouldn't catch, he might strain something, or worse actually get hurt, Rielana knew bronzes to be competetive.
Darling would not harm Fiel- It's not her I'm worried about now. I don't think Darling would allow them to hurt him. They are friends. Like Minoath and I, I would not like to let him get hurt. Darling is a sweet one, flight lust or no, she wouldn't hurt him. Is that all that's bothering you.
No. If I have anythign to do with it, you won't Rise. It's uncomfortable from him, let alone you.
Haha.

[Administrator]

Valentine didn't waste his time bothering over the blue. Blues were physically incapable of chasing queens. Fiel would likely only last a minute or two before dropping out of this fierce race. The bronzes, though... They were true competition. He growled at them, pulling himself forward after his precious little queen. Yet she was angered. She had every right to be! With a stupid little blue thinking himself worthy of such a glorious creature, she deserved to be angry. Diving after her, he watched avidly as she rolled through the trees. He didn't go down too low; he knew that queens needed to mate high to produce a good clutch. He just hoped that he would be the one who made it with her. He remained around the tops of the trees, just into the canopy. Admiring her nimble form that glowed in the trees, she did just as he had predicted. She began to rise, and he immediately darted in her direction. He needed to be fast now, to be able to keep up with her incredible speed. This, he found, wasn't all that bad; it was level, with hardly any ascent. He was almost disappointed. Where were the rest of her tricks?

Yet she proved herself straight away, making Valentine's desire burn even more for her. Falling for her feint, he dived as well, bugling in alarm as she pulled out of it. Pumping his wings harder, he struggled to regain his original pace. What a smart beauty she was! This little vixen certainly knew how to keep him on his toes. His wings aching from the abuse a little, he ignored it for now. She was angry again, he thought worriedly. Yet it wasn't at them, or else they would probably know it. Crooning tenderly over to her, he beat his wings as he began to near her again. Any other bronze was not even worth to look at her dazzling hide! He was the only one she needed, and it went the same the other way around. He was devoted to her intensely; he would never drop out unless his wings fell off of his body, and even then, he would still run, almost like those disgusting salamandyrs.

Looking at the wild bronzes, he spat at them. If he had the energy to waste, he would attack, but no, he needed to reserve his energy for the golden beauty. Besides, a queen like her probably wouldn't like it if he was immature and attacked the competition. Oh, but it was so tempting! Still, he ignored Fiel. It was only a matter of time before the blue would be forced to drop out on his own accord.

[boober]

It was time; Darling’s wings were beginning to ache from the blurring speed and the break-neck antics. So much for just her first Flight, she would have to save a little for the next. Yet even as she began to go over her suitors in her mind, she swooped in a wide arc, having made a complete U-turn to brush over the males’ heads. Just because she was ready to choose didn’t mean that she would go easy on them! She dipped suddenly again before flaring her wings and pumping with all her might, soaring up and up into the night sky. She wanted them to work, and even now, she was not done testing them.

The wildlings she had dismissed almost immediately; they may have been made of tougher stuff, but she wanted a male who would be nearby to dote upon her and the clutch, not some ragged creature who would disappear into the brush from where he’d come as soon as the deed was done. That only left Valentine and… Fiel? Fiel was still Chasing? Darling’s eyes whirled with indecision for a moment, even as she twirled through the air on nimble wings. She was fond of the blue… he was nice, and familiar, and by all appearances very strong if he had kept up this far with her brutal pace. Perhaps he would make a better clutch with her than others would give him credit for. But queens did not choose blues! But it was Fiel…

Her decision had been made.

Suddenly flicking her wings to the side, Darling fell through the damp night air before rolling across one of the wild bronze’s path, dismissing him from her Flight with a flick on the snout from her tail. She screeched at him to make sure he got the message before flaring her golden wings wide and placing herself in the perfect position before Valentine. The golden queen had chosen. It was up to him to do the rest.