It's Just Flight Lust... Right? (2/3)

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 19th January 2019

Characters: K'lvin, Riveenata, C'rin, R'nar, A'kades
Description: K'lvin and Xmrenth have another chance to win Riveenata's flight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 23 of Turn 9

C'rin

The weather outside perfectly matched Riveenata's mood. The sky was
full of dark grey clouds, fat and heavy with the promise of rain and
the occasional flickers of light inside them, and that ozone crackle
in the air that promised that when the rain finally broke, it would be
a deluge of thunder and lightning. The sun had been blocked out for
most of the day as the clouds rolled overhead, but right now, at
mid-day, there was a brief moment of clarity as a wind from the sea
moved some of the heavy clouds aside. It seemed like all the Weyr's
dragons were out on their ledges or the Weyr-rim trying to soak up the
rays of sun.

The green dragon had been dozing alone on her seaside ledge. All
morning, her hide had been subtly glowing, despite the dark clouds
covering the sun. When the sun finally peeked out, her glow had been
getting stronger and stronger, unseen by her rider indoors, but noted
by other dragons. Now she woke, stretching her wings, and left her
ledge for the feeding pens. This time, she would savage beasts to fuel
herself to fly!

Riveenata felt like the threatening storm outside was mirrored inside
of her. She'd been irritable all morning ever since she woke up, glad
there weren't drills today and resentful of the idea of having any
kind of responsibilities or interaction. She'd taken an early lunch
when the Dining Cavern had been fairly empty, and now she was picking
up some extra leather from the storerooms so she could repair Savith's
primary straps, because there was a wear point she didn't like. She
was halfway through collecting when she felt it as Savith went from
deeply asleep on her ledge to suddenly, vividly awake and hungry.

She had already taken down one wherry by the time Riveenata had run
from the caverns to the feeding grounds. The greenrider gripped the
paddock fence and stared at her dragon. **Blood it only,** she sent.
Savith snarled and shook her head, teeth still fastened on the wherry,
sending feathers everywhere. But after a moment, she subsided, and
sucked down the hot blood, which was suddenly all both of them craved.

A few male dragons arrived, circling the field and taking down their
own beasts in order to ready for the flight. One blue landed too close
to Savith and the green shrilled at him in warning. She finished the
first and leapt for a second one, draining it.

Riveenata looked at the crowd of bronze and brown and blue dragons who
were visiting the feeding pens, recognizing most of them. She saw
Volaith and Dasveth and Nekorth and Ouranath and Tyerth, all dragons
who'd chased them before. Even as she was cataloging the dragons she
saw there, she was looking for a few who she *didn't* see yet.

Iorath dipped into view, settling among the waiting males who watched
the green closely. R'nar wasn't far behind his dragon's presence.
While the bronze puffed out his chest and taunted the other males,
R'nar tried to find the place behind everyone else to stand. He'd won
Riveenata the last time she'd flown, and he wouldn't mind repeating
the experience, but he wasn't quite as cocksure as his lifemate.

The last dragon to land was a dark, burnt honey bronze with a few
scars crisscrossed over his flanks. Xmrenth.

K'lvin stepped through the gathering men. In the first flight he had
been hesitant to show an interest in Riveenata. They were friends and
he didn't want to make that awkward for the greenrider in the event
that she wasn't interested in him in the same way. That plus a good
age difference and he could almost talk himself out of the flight
again, but he wouldn't today. Today he would allow nothing to hold
Xmrenth back.

Riveenata skimmed over the options available. There was a strong
flicker of disappointment that she didn't see Seneth. It seemed like
F'lin was never around for her anymore, even though she knew from her
dragon that Seneth and Savith still spent time together. She'd hoped
he'd participate in this flight, but Seneth was nowhere to be seen
again. Without him, she thought she didn't have a preference for the
winner from the gathered men; there was no one she disliked, and
nobody she had strong feelings for. Any of them would be fine to wake
up with afterwards.

But then her wandering eye caught on a different bronzerider from
River Bluff joining the crowd - K'lvin. They'd been cultivating a
friendship since coming to Dolphin Cove, but she'd never thought of it
as more then that. But as he joined the group of men around her, she
suddenly saw his strong jawline and light eyes in a different light,
and Riveenata felt a stirring of sudden interest flush through her.

Savith drained the second wherry of blood. Her muzzle was coated and
drops flew as she lifted it away and shrilled a challenge. Her body
was primed with energy as she leapt into the sky to lead the males on
a chase.

Some of the more nimble blue dragons were the first into the skies in
pursuit of Savith, but Dasveth and Iorath weren't far behind. What
they lacked in the initial jump time they made up for with their long
wingspans.

Xmrenth and some of the larger bronzes were the last into the skies,
but on Xmrenth's part it wasn't because he was sluggish, no. The
bronze had a plan this time for Savith. He would win her by
outsmarting the other males. Xmrenth cut a path beneath the main pack
so that he wouldn't be caught in the midst of the younger males that
were jostling against one another for position.

The green dragon went along the shoreline this time, flying high but
occasionally diving to skim the treetops and throw them off. She led
them a good chase. Young dragons might not be as canny as older ones,
but the enthusiasm and strength in their young wings certainly gave
some advantages.

The pack of chasers thinned out as dragons tired or made
mistakes.Brown Nekorth nearly got in an accident with Volaith, and
both dropped out. Tyerth tired and slowed and fell out, as did a pair
of blues. Soon only a few remained. She had lowered close to the
treetops to try to use her agility and the threat of the trees to
dodge males who got to close, but now she was tiring.

Savith did not want to be caught this low, so she began to surge
upwards into the sky, arrowing as high as she could on tired wings.
She would gain altitude for the glorious fall and see what males could
follow her for the last trick.

}:Who is worthy of me?:{ she challenged of the dragons still
remaining. She passed very close by an older blue as she sought
height. He made a grab for her but she winged backwards and away from
him.

}:I am worthy,:{ Xmrenth said as he caught her in the midst of her
backwinging. He had waited and carefully watched and measured not just
Savith but the other participants as well. }:Come fly with me,:{ the
bronze crooned as he locked talons and twined necks with the green,
using the full width of his wingspan to glide them out over the water.

On the ground K'lvin stepped around the blue's rider that had tried to
grab Savith in her final climb, eyes searing as he took Riveenata in
his arms. His, finally!

Savith let out an initial screech of surprise - she had not expected
to be caught in the backwing, had thought she still had time! But as
their talons and necks twined she green was not displeased. She had
not had a particular choice of males in mind, but she liked Xmrenth.
She knew him well by now and he was a good flyer. And she was so
tired, and so full of need, and he would fix it...

And on the ground Riveenata arched up into and against K'lvin, her
mouth crushing to his. She didn't know how they stumbled into the
flight cot, didn't care, not when there was a need in her only he
could answer.

Last updated on the January 29th 2019

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It's Just Flight Lust... Right? (2/3)