Stolen Gold

Writers: Devin, Emma, Heather, Jelena, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 1st March 2014

Characters: Cyradis, K'deren, N'vanik, Saibra, D'hol, R'enh, L'cor, N'mor, D'ene, Ch'van
Description: Panitath rises and a Weyrleader is chosen
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 12 of Turn 7

Cyradis

Cyradis sat sedately in a chair on the beach where the Weyr opened to
the sea. The air was fresh and wafted through her hair and though she
appeared calm, she was anything but. Panitath glowed. Her bright hide
like a beacon on the heights of the Weyr.

}:They're crowding me:{ she snapped and then literally snapped at one
of the bronzes trying to preen for her.

**There's a reason for that my love** she chuckled.

But Panitath was having none of it and suddenly reared up and unfurled
her bright wings in the mid-day sun. Cyradis rose from her
comfortable observation spot and began a slow amble toward the beast
pens. And sure enough a moment later there was a shriek and a bellow
from the heights and the golden body hurtled down like a hungry arrow.

**Blood Only!** she charged the gold but she was already on one beast
with her mouth around it's neck. Unmistakable defiance rang out in a
peal over the Weyr and they entered their battle of wills.

Cyradis had only lost this battle once but her memory was far better
than the queens and she knew what was happening and the consequences
of her failure to control her lifemate.

"_Blood Only_** she screamed both mentally and physically using every
bit of her will to keep the queen in line. Panitath turned bloody
jaws to her and roared her defiance yet when she turned back she only
sucked at the animal. Then another and another, each time repeating
the performance.

The call was unmistakable to any resident of the Weyr. That sound
meant one thing, and one thing only, K'deren knew it, Donneth knew it
and so did the rest of the bronze and some of the more ambitious brown
dragons. Hastily bidding a farewell to Deralie's fostermother, he
dog-trotted on foot to the feeding pens, where a small crowd was
beginning to form, both around his love, and her gold.

Loseth bellowed his intent to the whole Weyr, flying up to get the
best position on the Heights. His eyes whirled as he watched Panitath
feed. }:You will be mine again.:{

N'vanik hurried down to join the other riders, a flutter of
nervousness in his stomach. He'd been calm in the days leading up to
this, but now fear was creeping in. The Queen might make a different
choice, or a crafty bronze might surprise her.

Saibra looked back over her shoulder at the savage senior queen who
was terrorizing the herdbeasts. Panitath's unmistakeable glow had
caused the Weyrwoman's Second to pack a small travel bag that she
could grab at any moment. "Good luck boys." She said to the gathering
bronze dragons as Chioneth winged away from the Weyr. Saibra planned
on heading off to a small beach down the coastline where she could lay
out in the sun and relax until the flight was over.

D'ene was surprised when his bronze streaked off to the gathering pack
of males to chase after Dolphin Cove's senior queen. They were a
visiting pair from Dragonsfall. D'ene had just hoped to see his cousin
for a bit, he hadn't bargained on a flight too. Obligated to stay,
D'ene walked off to join the others.

With a bellow of intent, Yumath plunged from the sky to settle near
the feeding grounds, his eyes whirling rapidly. Every muscle was taut
and poised, his focus solely on the glowing gold in front of him. He
caught her before and he wanted to catch her again. He ignored the
other dragons with imperious disdain. From the emotions pouring off
of his rider, he had much to gain from this flight and so much to
lose.

D'hol's feet pounded as he found his way to the semi-circle around
Cyradis and the moment he saw her, his gaze locked on to her. There
was lust there, true, but also an intense yearning. He wanted, no
needed, to win this flight. There was only a moment when he flicked a
gaze towards N'vanik and...K'deren? The brownrider had some stones,
but he didn't blame the man. His gaze went back to the weyrwoman and
didn't waver again.

The spike of dragonlust that hit him was magnitudes greater than any
he'd felt before when Tonuth landed with the other bronzes surrounding
the big gold. L'cor edged up toward the outskirts of the group of
riders and then he realized! The winner of this flight would be
Weyrleader. He wasn't ready for that and he knew it, but there was no
dissuading Tonuth.

A moment later R'enh came trotting across the bowl to where Mnoranth
was already watching Panitath with hungry eyes. He meant to have her
and R'enh had no arguments there. He clapped N'vanik on the shoulder.
"Good luck," he smiled at his friend.

Suddenly feeling that strong spike of lust that could only accompany a
gold flight, K'deren unconsciously took a step closer to Cyradis.
Deep down he knew that it was more than likely that Loseth, or Yumath,
or even Mnoranth would win, and there was a tinge of rage there, not
that he would ever let that bleed through to Donneth. His dragon was
his, and he would try as hard as he could today. Donneth wanted
Panitath to be his, just as much as he wanted Cyradis, all the time,
flight or not.

Like every other bronze in the Weyr, Kedvencth joined the growing
group around the blooding Queen. Ked was young, his rider was only 17
Turns old but that didn't prevent him trying. Every time a gold Flew,
Ked was there to try. Some day he would succeed. N'mor just hoped it
would be ten turns from now. He was way too inexperienced to become
Weyrleader.

Cyradis could feel the merge coming and though she knew it was a
futile gesture she took a step closer to K'deren and reached for his
hand. But Panitath chose that moment to issue her challenge to the
puny males around her and launched herself skyward. She turned toward
the flight rooms while she still had the time to get there.

Ked bellowed his answer and lauched to the air after her.

Tablinth was there, of course, when the Queen launched into the air.
Though the bronze was growing slower with age, his experience had him
confident he could outlast most of them, if not all. He bugled in
ecstasy and he threw himself in the air, ready to give chase.

His rider was, up until that moment, a little more realistically
inclined. Ch'van knew that his and Tablinth's time of winning golds
was over, but he shielded that throught from his bronze. Nothing in
the world would stop him from trying and Ch'van knew that soon he
would merge with his dragon so deeply he too would crave for Cyradis
like Tablinth wanted Panitath.

D'ene's bronze Winscheth rose after the fleeing gold, feeling not at
all out of place in a Weyr that was not his own. Mating flights were
primal, and for a bronze a requirement, when the Queen rose.

Yumath leapt into the air after the glowing gold, jostling with the
others for only a moment pulling above them. He knew this gold well;
flying her required stamina and he had to pace himself. The younger
bronzes in the flight didn't concern him in the slightest for they
would most likely wear themselves out far too quickly. Donneth wasn't
a factor as far as he was concerned; it was Mnoranth and Loseth that
would be the most competition. }:Panitath, choose me once again.:{ His
voice was a suggestive rumble. }: Our clutch was wonderful to behold
and we flew high and far that day. We will again. :{

Tonuth winged ahead with youthful enthusiasm just the thought of the
shining gold filled him with drive to claim her. He used every bit of
effort he could muster to climb after her. Then he stayed as close as
he could as she maneuvered through the clouds.

Mnoranth climbed to an altitude slightly above and behind Panitath and
settled in for the long flight. He crooned of his presence and his
desire and her beauty. He also kept an eye on Loseth and Yumath who
were his main competition. Both of them had won this gold before but
he didn't know her preferences. Did she choose a new bronze each time?
If so, his chance was better than either of theirs. }:Choose me lovely
Panithath,:{ he thrummed.

The sky itself buoyed the glowing gold and she continued to climb the
sky. **Far and high** were the thoughts that were Cyrads' part of the
queen pair. But even she was subsumed by their bond. she looked for a
moment at a large brown but she sneered at his efforts and turned in a
sweeping updraft toward a bank of clouds. She shook off the browns and
younger bronzes easily with sheer stamina and while she hungered to
continue to the end she knew these last few would give out before she
reached her limit. She rose through the clouds into the clear sunlight
and screamed her joy and passion. As Yumath soared out of the bank
behind her, she called to him.

}:Claim me:{

On the ground, Cyradis turned blindly toward D'hol.

But Loseth was there, bursting out between them. He had gained on her
through the cloud cover, aiming perfectly. His wings trailed moisture
from the clouds as he turned and grabbed Panitath. }: You're _mine_!:{
He roared as he twined his neck with hers.

N'vanik seized Cyradis, lips and hands rough as he echoed his dragon's
claim.

Yumath bellowed a protest. She had chosen him, not Loseth! His roar of
complaint did little good and he had to turn away as Loseth stole away
his prize, inwardly fuming.

D'hol's eyes had lit with triumph and relief as Cyradis turned to him,
eager to finally take his place by her side and in her bed, if only
for the evening. But the shock of having that ripped away filled him
with a grief and rage. She was his! She was supposed to be his! "No!
Shaffit, no!"

Tablinth had given in long before, straining a wing in the chase and
he was long on the ground when Panitath made her choice. As a result
Ch'an had just enough of his conscience back to grab D'hol by the arms
when he heard the raw emotion in his voice. "Out," he grunted between
clenched jaws, knowing that there was nothing D'hol could do here that
would help anyone, not even himself.

"Out."

Cyradis gave herself up to the winner in the same way Panithath clung
to Loseth. He'd won her fair and square. Even if she'd chosen Yumath,
he'd been there to claim her at the end and fall with her through the
sky.

K'deren's face showed his disappointment in the way only a
disappointed rider could, he stumbled off, seeking release.

D'ene felt nothing but relief, and he happily wrapped his arms around
the first woman that was waiting outside of the circle of men. This
was going to be a great visit to Dolphin Cove, he concluded as
Winscheth flew down to the Weyrlake to cool off.

Once out of the room, D'hol shook off the hands pulling him with a
snarl and turned on his heel to stalk away. Seeing Cyradis wrapped up
with N'vanik when it was supposed to have been him, when it had been
Yumath who had been chosen and not Loseth had been almost too much to
bear. His one opportunity to be with Cyradis with no guilt on either
of their parts and it had been stolen. He pounded his fists in his
hand. So close! So sharding close! Still filled with angry lust, he
pushed away from the ready women and headed for his own weyr.

Once he got rid of D'hol, Ch'an gladly poured himself into the
lustful, waiting arms of a lady bystander. He was disappointed nor
relieved and soon forgot all about himself and the flight as he gave
in to the powerful feelings that washed over him.

N'mor was actually relieved when he staggered blindly out of mating cots.
At least the dragons didn't make him the Weyrleader. While Ked was heading
off to cool his blood, N'mor felt someone grab his shirt. He pulled whoever
it was closer to a heated kiss. Yes, he needed his release and now.

Last updated on the March 3rd 2014

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Stolen Gold