Adventure Time! - {Open}

What does it say? Oooh, how I wish I could read! "It says that R'ley and Sicasth are going clutch hunting. And to meet at the Weyrling common area." He had passed the flyer a few times before really noticing it. It definitely sounded interesting.

Clutch hunting? For firelizards? But don't we have Raincloud? Moruluth looked at the firelizard asleep on his back. "Not for me, for Teri. He deserves something nice. Besides, it's not as if we are garunteed to find them. Just the chance to is."

But what if we find one, but it hatches before we give it to him? "Well then, we will have another one to deal with." It would be nice for Teri to have his own. T'von knew he would take care of it well, as he always made sure Cloud was happy when the flitt came to him.

"Ok, so tomorrow, meet in the common area, and from there it'll be discussed, I guess." Remember to bring your knife, T'von. Tunnelsnakes will probably be out. "I know. Don't worry, I won't forget."

The next morning, his knife was bouncing on his side as he walked towards the common area. Mor was skipping, sort of, behind him, and Raincloud flew above them both, chittering at them occasionally. When they made it to the designated area, T'von continued in, while Mor waited outside with the other dragons.

He nodded to Day'ar, but said nothing as he found a seat to sit in, waiting for more to arrive.

It was still clear, nothing more than wisps of white in the sky, but since the absolute worst thing that could ever happen was for them to be trapped outside the Weyr during a thunderstorm, obviously one had to consider that clouds moved in fast off the ocean. So when Day'ar said cloudy, he meant...potentially cloudy.

However, R'ley's words gave him some relief - to his surprise. "Oh, so you don't think we'll be out more than a candlemark or two?" he asked. "Is that what you mean?" Please, please let that be what he meant, because Day'ar had had the impression this was going to be an all-day sort of miserable expedition, and if he was wrong...well, then maybe he'd thaw toward Ambrith a bit. Okay, so he wasn't actually mad at Ambrith for wanting to do this, but still.

"Do you have to call it a hunting party?" he asked plaintively, and then, when R'ley introduced him, added, "We've met. This is T'von and - Moruluth?" That was the purple's name, right? Much as Day'ar considered T'von a friend, this made him even more nervous. The purple was quite energetic, which wasn't the best combination with Sicasth, and he was very young to boot. How much trouble were they going to get in for dragging one of the junior weyrlings along?

That is why we are going,[/i] Ambrith reminded him. We would be in far greater trouble for allowing them to go on their own, if something were to happen. This is no secret, so clearly the Weyrlingmasters do not mind.[/i]

It was rational enough, but it still wasn't sensible. "Of course I have bread," Day'ar said. "For my pillies. Oh, your pillie is coming too?" He reached into his bag and removed a smaller bag of provisions, offering Bitter a piece of the roll.

Did the girl-dragon never cease with her yapping? Ambrith did not remotely understand her affection for him, and he fought it just as much as he could, because it made him feel sort of fuzzy and warm inside, and he despised that. He was not supposed to feel that way, it was strange, and therefore clearly, he disliked her. I am here,[/i] he said, stepping around the corner of the barracks with Starfall and Why riding high on his back. I was fetching my pillies. Calm yourself, or you will be the one to - wait, how do you expect to frighten eggs away? There is no point in finding the already-hatched.[/i] Good Faranth's egg, she and Hers were irksome.

"Yes a note would be wise. Trail of bread crumbs huh? Well it's not like you run across those everyday. And senior rider approval is always good." Mine! Guess what! I have a big sister now! Well, sort of.

Mor walked over to the pink and sat down next to her, passing a glance at Ambrith. T'vonMine, if Sicasth is my sister, does that make Ambrith my big brother? I don't know. Maybe. Just don't ask him. I don't think he will like the idea too much.

Cloud was also wondering the same thing. He flew down onto the pink and cheeped at her. He also turned to cheep at Ambrith as well.

Moruluth wrapped his tail as far a he could on Sicasth's leg. I know it's ok to be excited. Mine just told me to calm down before we go. Save my energy for when we go out. He looked at Ambrith. Are you as excited as we are?

"We're all ready to go when you are!" Cloud chirruped in confirmation.

Ambrith eyed the cheeping firelizard, but he was accustomed to the creatures, and Cloud could not possibly be any more dangerous than Starfall or prone to wandering off as Why, and therefore he didn't judge. I am not excited,[/i] he said with mild disdain. I am merely prepared.[/i] Excitement was for lesser creatures. Being a supremely sensible dragonet, of course he would not indulge in such an emotion.

Day'ar listened to R'ley with a growing conviction that the weyrling was insane, and that firelizards were some of the most dangerous creatures in existence; Sicasth's antics, unfortuately, only stiffened Ambrith's resolve that it was his duty to protect her and Moruluth from their own energy. Soon it would be too late to turn back, and Day'ar just rested his hand over his mouth with apparent interest but actual dismay. "Of course we're not flying," he mumbled after a bit. "Manned flights at our dragons' ages? That's ridiculously risky. We haven't even got any harness."

Hiking was no more pleasant, of course, but he could put up with it. Probably. He was already getting hot and they'd barely begun, and he scrutinised the map. Something seemed...off about it, but he didn't know his way around the Weyr well enough to put his finger on the issue. "All right," he sighed eventually. "Let's get on with it. Please don't run on, we have to conserve energy, you know." Although probably no power in the world could keep R'ley from running his mouth.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, they were, in fact, under observation. Puff the pink firelizard perched above the barracks because it was a nice place to sun herself, and from what she understood of the pinkrider's chatter, something interesting was happening. Ooh, and Hers was definitely gonna be interested in that piece of parchment! With a soft pop, she disappeared, off to tell Edison that shenanigans were afoot.

Cloud was preening himself when he noticed Starfall approach him. What did the bug-thing want? Cloud had never seen a bug-thing up close, so he didn't know if they played or not. At Ambrith's warning, he hopped off, looking back at where he was perched. Hmm. So apparently they did play. Cloud wasn't in the mood to play though, so he continued until he landed n T'von wrapping his tail around his neck.

"See? I warned you." Even though he hadn't heard Ambrith, he figured that he was told to get off because of Starfall. "I didn't know Starfall and Why were on him. Had I known, I'd've made him stay with me."

"No, half a candlemark isn't too long. Just long enough to be productive, yet not so long as to cause worry." He looked at Cloud. "Why don't you make yourself useful and fly a bit ahead of us instead of giving Day'ar a heart attack. Tell me if you see a person, female flitt, or something that may look like a clutch."

Cloud cheeped. He could do that! He flew up and passed over Ambrith, passing close enough for his feet to brush against Starfall's back before flying high, going ahead of everybody by a dragonlength.

"Good. Now that we have him up there, he can give a warning if someone is approaching." Mor ran to where Cloud was at, then came back, went past Sicasth, and turned around to trot beside her. This is going to be quite exciting! I can't wait to find a clutch! It's not even for us, you know, it's for Mine's best friend.

"Mor, stay by us until we find something, dear. Talk with Sicasth or Ambrith until we get there." I am talking with them already. As they approached the path, T'von checked to make sure his knife was ready if the need arose. Not that much would attack three, well two if you count how small Moruluth still was, dragons and their riders, but you never knew.

Cloud escaped Starfall's wrath just in time, and she continued right up to Ambrith's large, wedge-shaped head, settling herself firmly between his headknobs. Her intention was clear: to protect her property from all intruders. Day'ar heaved a sigh of relief that at least she hadn't maimed anyone and told T'von, "Oh, it's all right. I don't expect anyone to be able to control firelizards, and I'm just glad she didn't eat him." She could eat all the wild firelizards she wanted, and frankly, so much the better, but people's pets were off-limits.

As soon as Cloud touched Starfall, however, she went insane, and Day'ar winced at the unusually-sharp sensation of rage. "Um, word to the wise," he told the other weyrling. "Your flit just made her blacklist. And, I mean, some other flits made her blacklist nearly a turn ago and she's still actively trying to kill them, so..." Watch out, was basically the message there.

Ambrith eyed Sicasth with mild irritation. I am having fun,[/i] he said sarcastically. At the very least, I would consider this outing far less fun if something that is not food were to be eaten, and she wants to eat the littleblack.[/i] She would, too, if given half a chance to either execute a plan or simply lose her head when he got too close.

All thoughts of the danger Starfall posed to the expedition were lost, however, when wild animals appeared. And not just any animals - wherries. Day'ar jerked back and plastered himself against the viridian's side, sweating up a storm, and not just because of his entirely inappropriate outfit. "Wherries! Where'd they go? Didn't a wherry nearly bite you in half?" he demanded of T'von, which was a serious exaggeration of the story the boy had so blithely told him the day they met. "Yes, I have some pretty serious reserv - awk!" This explanation was due to having sudden and unexpected Sicasth in his head, of course.

Of course, neither Day'ar nor Ambrith had any intention of haring off after anything, Why didn't seem to have noticed they'd left the world they knew behind, and Starfall was brooding over Cloud, so at least from their crew, this outburst was not met with the desired result.

----

Just as Edison set off across the Bowl in hot pursuit, he spotted the weyrbrats beginning to gather post-lesson. Hmm...interesting. Could this be related? He immediately began to walk nonchalantly, waiting to see what they would do. Perhaps they too were in the process of being lured.

Cloud clung to the pink as the two crashed to the ground. He cheeped victoriously, sending pictures of his victory to T'von and Moruluth. Cloud caught her! Good job, Cloud! Cloud chirped, as he was struggling to keep hold on the bigger flitt.

Mor looked toward the approaching group. I was running because R'ley and Sicasth were. I mean, they were gonna scare the flitt anyways, so I decided to run with them. He began to fidget, waiting for the others to catch up.

Another minute later, and T'von caught up with R'ley. Moving past Sicasth, he took a look at the pink. "Hmm. Well, boys, hate to break it to you, but I really don't think this flitt is wild, much less clutching." What? How do you know? Moruluth said, walking next to T'von. "Don't you find it odd that a wild flitt wouldn't go between while being chased by an entire group of people and dragons?"

Now that you mention it, it does seem kinda odd T'von began to take out a meatroll. He gave one to Cloud, praising him on his god work. Then, he took another out and offered it to the pink, crooning gently to her. Cloud was still on top of her. "Ok Cloud, you did good, but I think you can let her go now."

Cloud hopped off of her and fluttered to land on Sicasth. Moruluth joined the older dragons. That was fun. Even though it wasn't very productive. he told the entire group. "You're happy anytime you get to run. That's why I let you go." He returned to crooning to the pink firelizard, still offering the meatroll, but now holding his arm out for a spot to perch if she so desired

Ambrith is really moving.

Suppressing a flutter of delight at his hatchling's name retention, L'xon approached the exit of the barracks to see what Halventh was talking about. And there was Ambrith's glinting yellow-green posterior, shuffling along in the distance. Heading out of the Weyr. What is it? Halventh cheeped before his lifemate could even form a bewildered expression. The Blue hopped onto all-fours, mantling his wings. Something wrong? ...or, something will be wrong.

L'xon blinked down at his enthusiastic partner. Halventh had arrowed his posture to point his muzzle after Ambrith, sharp on his target as a hunter canine. L'xon himself liked to think that after so many Turns as a Hold guard he had some slight instinct for troublesome activity, but Halventh always seized on his observations and blew up their importance well beyond L'xon's most fitful imaginings.

It takes a long time to figure out what is harmless, and otherwise, he cautioned the Blue. But then a sign by the exit caught his eye, and he turned to read it. The message scrawled there really only leant to Halventh's determination that this was some kind of wrongdoing. The hatchling had a fat stomachful of herdbeast slowing him down at the moment, or he might have sprang after the others. As it was, Halventh was starting to fall into one of his frequent post-meal naps even as he mined L'xon's thoughts for further validation.

Mostly L'xon was confused: he had not thought Day'ar the sort to follow plans like these. But he remembered R'ley, the message's scribe. Talker, not a thinker. He could have notified the Weyrlingmasters, but since the sign was posted here didn't that mean they already knew, and approved? He glanced at Halventh only to find the Blue collapsed over his own stretched belly, fast asleep. "Oh," the Weyrling mumbled, and abandoned thoughts of the adventure so he could drag Halventh to more appropriate sleeping quarters. Halventh had almost every characteristic of a human infant, except the crying. The dragonet never cried. He was always loyal to what L'xon wanted.

He pushed Halventh's small form into the string bed in their room, then checked the Blue's hindquarters for scuffs or dirt. Though Halventh was not terribly big, L'xon had only been able to lift his forebody clear of the stone floor. But dragonhide served Halventh well. The hatchling was safe. Now, those adventurers...

I can help. All six of Halventh's limbs twitched fitfully, though he had not opened his eyes. L'xon sat back down beside the bed and put both arms around the hatchling's small, bony chest. Halventh coiled his neck over L'xon's shoulder. I can help... he insisted, but was soon asleep. L'xon listened to the dragon's heartbeat a while, long enough that when he got back up and looked out to the Weyr's exitway, all signs of Ambrith and the others were gone.

Or maybe not. A loop of swirly Pink back arched out of the forests beyond Dalibor. The movement was sharp, as if surprised. L'xon made his decision. He did not quite sprint after the ghost of activity, but he made a good jog and soon outpaced the gathering of Weyrbrats- and one older fellow -as he tracked the adventurers. Soon he saw not the Pink, but Ambrith again. And Day'ar. L'xon ran up alongside the young subking.

He reached for Day'ar's shoulder, only to recall how unwise such action was. He stared blankly at the back of Day'ar's head, then gave up all notions of avoiding any disturbance. Maybe Ambrith heard him panting to catch his breath, and had announced him anyway.

"Hey, Day," he said as gently as he could. "I'm sorry," he added, for the inevitable panic he would cause the Viridianrider. Day'ar's sense for danger, to put it one way, was far better-developed than even L'xon's own. He had hoped the other Weyrling could provide some answers.

Belatedly he made a check for Starfall's whereabouts; he was only wearing sandals today. But the pillie was well up on Ambrith's viridian head. L'xon noticed an oddity behind her though: almost directly above Ambrith's face was a bucket. In a tree. L'xon was trying to piece this together with the rest of the situation and not coming up with anything logical. "Ambrith..."