Cathaline
Lady Holder 
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Aug 1, 2012 1:42:48 GMT -5
It was a simple enough matter for Kalenna, raised a weyrbrat and observant to boot, to realize that Kalesk was preparing for a run. Her hide seemed to glow a bit more than usual, and as the days passed, she became more antsy and demanding. She was too much a creature of the moment - not to mention a wher, of course - to know herself that something loomed in her future, and the gold's eyes slammed open one spring evening as the realization bubbled up inside her.
Kalesk hunt![/i] she snarled, bounding to her feet; she rushed from their room and out into the Bowl, lust and hunger driving her. She snapped at an unforunate drudge who happened to be nearby, and it was lucky a Herder was near enough the feeding pens to open the gate for her; it was a tossup whether she would have flown in or simply broken the fence down.
Blood only,[/i] Kalenna said, settling on her bed to wait, her mind twined with her wher's.
Kalesk did not appreciate being told what to do, not in the least. Most of the time, she was surprisingly quiet for a queen, her judgment and arrogance shared only with her handler. Tonight, however, was her night. She would test all who came to chase her, and only the worthy would survive. With a single, heavy blow, she dispatched a herdbeast and drank from it, then went sailing off, her paws barely seeming to touch the ground.
She loved nothing more than to run, and it was rare that Kalenna allowed her to truly give in to her instincts. Tonight, however, her handler, though present, did not hold her back. Faster and faster, she streaked across the Bowl like brilliant lightning, out past the entrance and into the wilds. So recently, they had held death and chaos; tonight would be somewhat different. Tonight she would create life rather than presiding over murder, and tonight she demanded a certain kind of order of her chasers. Kalesk abhorred nothing more than things being out of place.
COME,[/i] she called to the male whers; she already had a significant head start, and she did not plan to be caught too quickly, for where was the fun in that? The light of the Red Star flickered on her golden hide for a brief moment before she plunged into the trees. She wouldn't make this too easy for them. Only the smartest, bravest whers would even have a chance at catching up to her, much less impressing her.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Aug 1, 2012 10:58:12 GMT -5
His vestigial wings perked at the command. But he was busy, see. He had discovered something amazing: an enormous, bloated fish carcass. It was long and flat, like bread waiting to be doused in sauce and cheese, and he had dug up one corner of it to hold in the four talons of his front paws while he nibbled his way to the center. It was delicious.
So, the caller would just have to wait. Maybe. It was not like he was already running after her with a giant pancake fish flapping from the side of his jaw and over his back like a cape.
Oh.
The carcass blew over his eyes and he rammed face-first into a stump, falling onto his side. He dropped his pesky banner and then picked it up again, cocking his head after the golden summoner. It was not Risk. He should have realized that faster, considering. But seeing as how one of his first impressions off that one hard word had been Ausk, it was possible that he ought not put so much stock in his instincts.
He knew who this was. She wandered through his territory often, unlike Ausk. She was very young. Strong. Gone. She had vanished into the depths of the forest, and he could not even hear her anymore. Oops. He considered the patches of starlight playing down the plate body of his capture, facets rolling green and red. He had an idea. Setting the fish down, he began rolling it over itself till it was a compact tube rather than a spread plate.
A few minutes later, the iron came crashing out of the brush into a grassy valley, albeit the grass was all stubby and brown with Winter's touch still so fresh. Rocky foothills planted down on either side, like a tunnel without a roof. The air was sweet with the odors of bruised vegetation. Wild huntresses sometimes ended up here on their Runs, so it was his best guess. Something about the little brook splitting the vale, or the sleepy gawking of roosting wherry flocks from one of the few shabby white trees.
Slosk padded along the treeline first to see if he could pick up the scent, then clambered onto a boulder for a better view. There was a bulbous distension in the skin of his throat...but that wasn't anything important!
He didn't see or smell anything. But a gold did not stay lost for long. He knew how to make her other suitors betray themselves. Arching his back, he reared and roared challenge into the night. Though it sounded slightly bubbly and impeded, the volume still carried to vale and glen, asserting over the other competitors. The length of time he could hold the song was proof: he was the only worthy one, he was stronger and bigger and faster than the rest of them- all that jazz. Slosk plopped back down, and awaited eagerly for one of the other males to answer and...let him know where the Run had gone, exactly.
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Ondine
Jr. Weyrleader
ondct[M:-155]
Posts: 436
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Post by Ondine on Aug 3, 2012 2:29:59 GMT -5
Lyrnn was expecting a nice, quiet night. Really, he was. He would do his rounds, practice with his weapons, review paperwork for Audren, eat...just a normal, regular night. That was all! He was hardly expecting either that the young Gold Queen would Run for the first time tonight, or that his Wher would decide that he would chase this one too. He had only just finished stretching for his exercises when Lyrsk's head abruptly swiveled towards the door. His eyes went from blue to orange in a matter of seconds, and the man knew what was happening. Run well, you hear? He'd given up on trying to stop his Wher from chasing unless it was truly dire, and he didn't think this was. Unless Ausk abruptly had decided that Lyrsk was her's and her's alone, but so far as he knew, that hadn't happened.
The Blue gave a brief flick of the tail to acknowledge his words, and slipped out of the door that was opened just a crack. In case someone needed to interrupt him on business. Well, this time it proved to be a reliable way for Lyrsk to join the Run for the Gold Queen. The young one. This one held promise. Order where Ausk was violent. Kalesk could be violent, perhaps, but it was not an assurance. Again, this was a Wher to chase. He would wait for the right ones. Which the right ones were, he might not always know, but this one was.
He conserved his strength, knowing that a Gold would rouse the Irons, Bronzes, and Browns of Dalibor and the Wilds. Amongst, given himself, others. They had the stamina to go for longer, he had the speed to catch up now. But if he caught up now, he'd get tired partway through the run. Untenable, especially given her head start. He ran at a steady pace as he moved out under the red star overhead, bolting out of the entrance to Dalibor. Like this, he could catch up to her, faster than her, but without her stamina. Sprint, and he would lose. Patience, and sprint at the right time. But he was good at waiting, and had turns upon turns of experience. He could play this game.
As she had commanded, he came. The roar that sounded out over the vale he could recognize. His competitor, Slosk, he remembered from the last run, with Ausk. The Iron was much bigger than him, and had much more stamina. So he did not waste his breath on roaring back a challenge. He followed Kalesk's scent trail, moving at a swift, steady pace through the forest. She wove a cunning track through the trees, and here his smaller body helped, there was no path he could not follow here, no barrier that he must squeeze under. Lyrsk come. It was simple. It was fact. But he was a Wher of few words, and she was worth those few words.
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster 
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Aug 4, 2012 1:20:05 GMT -5
That call from golden Kalesk was far-reaching indeed.
On the far Northern shore of the Weyr, a dark head lifted out of a shallow tidal pool, a gelatinous, be-tentacled mess oozing slowly between the dark bronze wher's slightly parted jaws. He snorted, sniffing the air deeply, the force of his inhales pulling his lips away from his mouthful of yellowed and broken teeth.
Well now. That was new.
Slurping his snack into his maw, he ran his long green tongue over his snout, considering the situation. The distribution of territory on the island was...very precise. He knew that the only queens on this island came from the mountain – the entrance of which was far away, and deep in the iron's territory.
Still. Gold called.
“URRRRRR....” he grumbled, faceted eyes rolling into a rich red, he set his massive front paws up onto the ledge of the tidal pool and heaving his hindquarters up after, set off at a rolling lope into the trees, accompanied by a soft rattling. The rattling came from a variety of crossbow quarrels clicking against his low spinal ridge from where they loosely hung in the hide over his humped shoulders.
Huge as he was, though his lope seemed deceptively casual, he was soon close enough to scent out the gold – setting a course to intercept her, he soon found himself in a grassy valley, vastly unfamiliar to him.
He paused in his hunt, though his nose never stopped working to track that alluring scent of running queen in the air – the iron was in attendance. He'd heard the roar, of course, but had felt no need to respond, at least not until he'd walked right into the presence of the other king wher.
URRRSK cocked his head, his stumpy tail swaying against his rounded hindquarters. He rumbled faintly, gradually modulating into a full roar – less threatening, more “I'm here, by the way” than anything else, and then cut it off abruptly.
Turning, he loped off again without another thought for Slosk, still intent on intercepting that gold.
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Post by Frangipani on Aug 11, 2012 8:19:02 GMT -5
Lachan leaned against a rock staring up at the night sky ignoring for the moment his wher’s attempt to show off his ‘prowess’ at swimming. Nine years after impressing the bronze, Lachan was quite used to Lachask’s more vain behaviour and simply chose to ignore it if the action in question wasn’t really worth the showing off. Lachask needed a bath but the wher had compellingly argued that he needed to show Lachan his swimming first and Lachan had neither the heart nor the energy to argue with him. He leaned back a little and considered his situation. Somehow he had stumbled into the position of prideleader and he had been quietly attending to his duties as best he could. Of course, it was not the easiest thing in the world – considering he had moved here for a fresh start. Still, moving to Dalibor had seemed to at least revive his relationship with his wife, if not completely fix it. That was alright though – such things took work. He smiled wryly. Certainly the frequency with which Dalibor’s female whers seemed to run helped. Lachan not watch, did. Said Lachask, Lachan not came the grumbling interjection into his thoughts. He glanced at his wher and smiled vaguely as he watched the splashing attempts through the water that the bronze happened to call ‘swimming’. It was still a chilly night and he huddled into his coat a little further. Can we get you washed now? I would like to get home soonish if you don’t mind… Lachask snorted derisively Be not needed washed, Lachask. Lachask wet, cleaned was. He strutted out of the lake and promptly shook himself off all over the bronze handler.
“Ugh”
Suddenly the bronze stopped, perking his head up and apparently listening intently. Lachan felt a familiar bubbling feeling of desire beginning to swell up within him. But this wasn’t right… he had to get to his substitute quickly. He glanced back towards the wher quarters at which point the bronze disappeared with a challenging growl. Lachan ran.
Lachask chased after the young gold with something that could only be described as devoted determination. She was a gold, he a bronze. He must win this run. He knew that words had been his downfall in the past so he decided to simply show her his strength rather than declare it. He heard the challenging roar of the wild and he stopped a moment to bellow back an answer to the challenge before again taking off in the direction of Kalesk. He reached the forest and launched himself over the undergrowth, using his wings to give his jump extra distance – although it was mostly to show off his ‘endowment’. He sniffed the air, attempting to follow her scent trail as he ran, jumped and flew after the gold – surprisingly agile for a wher his size. Lachask, came did to Kalesk.
Lachan reached the wherhandler quarters, struggling against the urge to go to the goldhandler’s room. This desire was not right in his mind. He had to find his wife.
OOC: Sorry it took so long : / |
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Aug 14, 2012 21:09:48 GMT -5
Kalesk flickered in and out of the trees, from one side of the valley to the other, heading west and north along the outside of the Bowl. She heard the bellows of declaration from two wilds; Slosk was known to her, the other was not, and she reserved judgment on them for the moment. She did know Lyrsk and Lachask, and appreciated their presence; she was not the sort to turn her nose up at a blue chaser, though he was very small compared to her.
They came from all directions, it seemed, but Kalesk knew her territory well. Oh, some of the wilds might think this was theirs, but no. She was queen of the night at Dalibor; the entire island belonged to her, and she merely granted them leave to live on it. In a flash she was gone, into a hole in the ground barely large enough to accommodate her. She escaped the other side of the tunnel into a much more rocky area along the cliff, and prowled along it, head tipped over her shoulder to watch. Perhaps her suitors would get lucky and come through one by one; more likely they would bunch up near the entrance and a fight would break out. Then she would know who was truly devoted to her, and who was easily distracted by the violent nature a run could bring out in the lesser.
But she did not wait long, for deeper urges compelled her. Soon she was skittering off again, wings flaring; her feet barely touched the ground, and the only sign of her passage was the occasional rattle of a pebble and the glisten of the moonlight on her wings.
Kalenna ran with her, for the most part, but eventually pulled back. She was Weyr-bred and had no qualms about her part in this, but she was aware that Lachan had come to Dalibor with a wife. While she did not see runsex as having any part in a relationship, his tardiness likely meant that he did, and thus she needed to find somebody else in case Lachask or one of the wilds were to win. She had a feeling Lonet would not mind.
However, as soon as she stepped out of her room, she spotted her quarries. Kalesk's hormones were really no joke, and all thoughts of her friend fled. "You, go to your wife," she ordered Lachan, and latched onto Lyrnn, a slight pounce in her step just like her wher. "You'll be mine." The odds of Lyrsk actually winning the run were slim, admittedly, but hey, it would be a much less awkward morning after than the alternative.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Aug 14, 2012 22:23:21 GMT -5
Slosk regretted this plan.
No wher had answered his challenge, leaving the mature iron somewhat out of sorts. And the bronze had appeared to know where to go, so...
URRRSK's hindquarters blocked his view. Slosk bit at the bronze's stub-tail every so often, but always let go since he would be lost without his guide. His nose was full of musky male hide odor. URRRSK was slow. Slosk bumped up against his butt several times even when he was not trying to rip his tail off.
Movement to the right. Slosk caught the arcs of large wings and cocked his head, but the shape that darted out of the trees was not pressed long and smooth like a dragon. It was not huge like a dragon. His heart pumped faster; another competitor. They were getting closer. He drifted east and sped up, keeping URRRSK at his left and the flier at his right. He swung his long head back and forth like a divining rod, picking up the first fresh currents of Kalesk. At last, a fleeting gold shine splintered the night.
Then she was lost again. Slosk screeched, jaws already hanging from the effort of the chase. But this time he could smell, feel her scurrying under, and zeroed in on the ground hatch with little trouble. There was Something Else in the mix, another male that might already be closer to her than any of the rest judging by how his odor twined with hers. Something familiar.
Slosk was no dragon. His memory sharpened a knife and poked it under his skin. He recognized the last challenger and roared, legs kicking out at the others, flinging clumps of gravel in every direction as he trampled the tunnel entrance before finally flinging himself in. Almost no room to move, he latched his talons onto the rock and pulled himself toward the other side, breath gurgling out in chunky, wet gasps.
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Ondine
Jr. Weyrleader
ondct[M:-155]
Posts: 436
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Post by Ondine on Aug 15, 2012 23:35:06 GMT -5
Lyrnn was having difficulty navigating the tunnels. He shouldn't. Really, even if Kalenna's cave was in the White Court, and at the exact opposite end of the Wherhandler Quarters than his own, it shouldn't have taken him this long. But it was quite difficult to think, or navigate, and he ended up taking the long way around. At one point, he looked up, and he was outside. Clearly, Lyrsk wanted Kalesk something fierce.
So Lyrnn turned back around and had just stumbled into the White Court when Kalenna came out of her room. Run-fed lust kicked up a notch, and his eyes flared as she dismissed the other Handler to be with his wife before turning to him. There was something incredibly exciting about the predatory way she moved up to him, practically pouncing on him. He really did enjoy it when women were possessively rough during sex, and it looked like this run's climax was going to be no different. He was going to be her's? He grinned, lowering his head, “I'm fine with that.”
It was his last logical thought for quite some time.
Oddly, it was the Wher who was the more thoughtful of the two at the moment. The margin was slim, perhaps insignificant, but it was there. As the other males came closer, scents filling the air and fighting with the Queen he trailed, he only briefly acknowledged them. Fights over superiority could come later, a Run could not. He would wait. He was swift, especially now that he had almost caught up with the Gold, certainly closer than her other, slower pursuers. Certainly closer, and faster, than Slosk.
But the Iron, and all of the tension that Slosk surely felt towards the Blue for stealing his Ausk away from him, could come later. Much later, when the run was over and Lyrsk's mind was clear (as clear as a Wher got, anyways), he would know that it was stupid to consider dominating an Iron. At the moment, of course he would. He was superior, he could wait, he could plan. But because he could wait, would wait, such a competition, such a fight, would come when he wanted it to. Let the larger male roar his challenge and waste his breath. He had better things to do with it. Later, they could fight.
The Blue slipped into the tunnel, a shadow, before Slosk could jam it up with his bulk. Perhaps the other chasers made it through before the Iron, but he didn't care. Kalesk was up ahead. The Gold that would not wait for him, would not wait for anyone. And should not, such was a Gold's right, especially during the Run. He burst onto the cliff, claws flying over the rock, chasing something much more valuable than mere gold. Now was the time for all of his speed, now he would catch up to the Queen. He caught sight of a wing in the moonlight, and was off. A blue arrow, aiming for the gold, because there was no second place prize.
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Post by Frangipani on Aug 19, 2012 19:58:54 GMT -5
As Kalenna emerged Lachan faught with the urge to run to her right then and there. The lust was strong, but apparently she was stronger. As she dismissed him he was both hurt and grateful. A strange feeling to be having really. He nodded slightly without saying anything and moved off again towards his own quarters. Even if she wasn’t there it would be better to barricade himself in so he didn’t do anything he would regret later. He reached his room and was extremely relieved to find Kayles there. He walked over to the bed and looked at her, she returning his gaze questioningly.
“He running again…”
He said quietly as way of explanation. She smiled with amusement, well aware now of what her husband was going through at that moment. She joined him on the bed and held his hand, the two staring off into an unseen space as they waited.
Lachask continued to chase after Kalesk with as much strength as he could muster. When she disappeared into the tunnel however he was a little dismayed, even more so when the Iron apparently tore the tunnel entrance down. He stopped a moment, impatient to get on with the chase, however there was no point in getting stuck in a tunnel that was already a tight fit without the Iron’s structural modifications. But Kalesk was on the other side. With other challengers. He had to get through now. He waited for the Iron to disappear before he set to the tunnel entrance, tearing at the fallen dirt with all he had in him. He flung dirt everywhere behind him as he forced and dug his way through the tunnel, determined to get to the gold. He broke through after a few minutes of determined digging and growled his triumph. It was also a growl of warning. He was a little behind the pack now but he refused to give up. The growl was also a declaration of his renewed determination to catch the gold. He set off at a run, chasing after Kalesk – again using his wings to push himself along and give bursts of speed every now and then. He had to win this… and he wasn’t even tired yet. |
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Aug 20, 2012 19:57:16 GMT -5
URRRSK grumbled low in his throat the whole way back the the gold's trail, whipping his stubby tail out of Slosk's reach every time the other wild king bit at it, but only really upping his protest to a snarl with Slosk rammed him from behind.
Scenting out the gold took time!
The arrival of another competitor, for it could be no other, has him lifting his snout from the ground and speeding up, jaw dropping over as he panted, running off to the left of the iron, Kalesk's scent now heavy in the air. A flash of gold in the moonlight had him bellowing, calling out to the running queen, and he moved to ram Slosk's shoulder with his own – but the iron had stopped.
The gold was missing again. The iron seemed to be on something, and URRRSK gave the other king space, for a moment – and spotted the tunnel right around the same time Slosk did.
URRRSK, however, was just a touch slower.
Slosk's rump blocking his way, URRRSK snarled again, more seriously this time, and bit viciously at the iron's rump before he moved out of reach. Pacing for a moment, the bronze heaved himself up atop the tunnel, clawing and the soil over the tunnel and shuffling the end of his violently sniffing snout through the dirt. Faint, so faint it could be his mind playing tricks, URRRSK followed the scent, clawing up a trench as he went.
He did successfully find the other end of the tunnel, though by then he was a behind. Rearing up on his hind legs, he roared again – cutting himself off as he spotted a hint of gold.
Dropping down again, he lit off after Kalesk, paws kicking of clods of dirt as he ran.
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Aug 20, 2012 20:15:40 GMT -5
She had managed to lose none of them, she realised, as her paws skimmed the ground again, pushing her further and further along. They were a reasonably suitable pack, therefore. But she was not here to start her own pride; there could be only one winner, and as a queen, she was driven not only by her physical needs, but by the knowledge that this run would produce eggs.
Had she been anything else, Lyrsk would unquestionably have been hers, and she stopped suddenly, turning toward her chasers. But it was only to give him a relatively gentle headbutt. The blue was impressive for coming this far, and she admired his speed, but he would not be hers this night. Kalesk eyed the approach of the wilds, but they displeased her despite their devotion. There was no order in the way they lived and no order in the way they fought for her. They carried the stench of failure in her mind.
Perhaps a different wher would have been disgusted by the fact that Lachask was last, though catching up rapidly, but it showed Kalesk's lust-fogged mind that he was solid, reliable. Clearly he had been somewhat cautious with the tunnel. Besides, if she kept running, he would catch up; she had no doubt of that. But her decision had been made.
That didn't mean she was going to make it easy on him, however. Kalesk snarled at the other three and took off again, down toward the beach; she would run until Lachask caught her, but he would be the one to catch her. She was a queen and would not be taken by any who was not her choice. She would slaughter them if they tried.
Kalenna dragged Lyrnn back into her quarters, leaving the door very slightly ajar so that Kalesk could return when morning came. The run seemed interminable, but Kalenna was a patient woman, and she could feel that to Kalesk, each moment of glorious freedom was beautiful. What came next was glorious too, however, and when Kalesk finally turned to Lachask to demand his attentions, Kalenna demanded Lyrnn's. A good run, all things considered.
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Post by Frangipani on Aug 22, 2012 19:58:21 GMT -5
He was gaining speed. He was catching up to the rest of the pack. And it felt good. Suddenly the object of his attentions stopped and turned around up ahead. Confused, Lachask continued to approach her, slowing down a little. Had she decided? He saw her approach the blue with a sinking feeling, but apparently it was only to dismiss him. He might still have a chance! This much was made certain when the gold suddenly snarled at the other three challengers and took off again. Lachask, realising that he had not been dismissed, took off after her with unabating devotion. They seemed to be headed toward the beach, or at least that was what his internal compass seemed to suggest. He felt elated. She would of course be the one to decide when and where, as was the queen’s right. But he was there. As she turned to face him, Lachask knew that he had won and he slowed down. She was demanding his attentions but she had never had anything else. He approached her cautiously, the lust at last taking control of his mind.
Lachan felt his wher’s satisfaction and he was overcome with the lust. As his mind became his wher’s he turned to Kayles, eyes unusually bright as he released all control. |
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