Pride Cometh {Godrith's Maiden Flight}

The sibling dragons that had transferred from Benden Weyr had been split apart into different wings, but Rowenth for one could still remember their childhood. Four of them had hatching, three were at Dalibor now. Only one of their sisters had come; Godrith. She had yet to fly. Rowenth knew she would eventually--he was always a clever dragon. But he had shown no interest in it. He did not notice the brightening of her hide or the sheen in her eyes. Instead he and Jaci went about their daily adventures, which comprised mostly of Jaci healing and getting her shoulder back into fighting shape.

Most of the flesh had healed now, although in mottled patches. Not that Tieler would be satisfied. Jaci smiled as she remembered her friend. The redhead was really one-of-a-kind. "Perhaps we should pay her a visit?" She suggested to Radish as she finished putting on a fresh blouse. The yellow dog gave one loud bark in agreement. His tail swung back and forth as he chased circles around their bedroom. Jaci giggled. She slipped on some warm shoes as she made her way out to the ledge Rowenth was surveying the Bowl from. Silently he turned his head to see her, but then continued looking out at the goings-on. His calm, blue eyes were bright and shining compared to his soft, blue hide. For a moment Jaci leaned against him and closed her eyes to try to see the Bowl through his eyes.

There were dragons flying overhead. The watchdragons on the rim kept their watch. Rukbat's noon light twinkled over the lake made all the more sparkling as dragons splashed in it to get their baths. A chill hung in the air as the promise of a cold winter and the faint smell of warm lunch rose from the kitchens. Jaci opened her blue eyes again, the smell of lunch now replaced by the light smell of Rowenth's freshly-washed hide. It was a beautiful day, the blond thought. She even thought she had seen Godrith making her way to the herdbeast pen.

Can you take me to see Tieler, Rowenth?

I cannot.

The response troubled Jaci, who turned her carefree smile into a worried frown. Rowenth, while often offering unsolicited advice, would never just fully reject her. Why not?

Godrith rises. I mean to chase. It would be impossible for me to chase her and take you to see Klaisath's. He was right, of course. Jaci sighed. This was the second time since she had been injured that Rowenth had decided to chase a female. It was good for him, she thought. He was less up-tight after, but she had rather wanted to see Tieler today and show off her newly-healed shoulder. We should go soon. I'll take you to Godrith's weyr.

"I'll be back, Radish. Be good." Jaci kissed the top of the canine's head then climbed onto Rowenth's back without complaint. There would be no stopping what was going to happen, so she was just going to take it as she came. At least with Radish in her weyr her left shoes would be safe from Nargles.

Jaci's feet hit the floor of Teaque's weyr just as Godrith sent out her mating call. Rowenth was after her like a shot, leaving the bluerider to make her way over to her friend. Just before her mind melded with her dragon in the sky, she managed to speak with a strained smile, "Hello, Teaque. Long time."

Then she was in the air. Her eyes closed as Rowenth's skilled blue wings carried him farther away from the ground and away from the Weyr. I'm here. He called out to Godrith, although he let out no roar. Rowenth was quiet, but determined. In his mind he ran odds and figures, although slowly even that began to diminish. Lust filled his mind just as it began to fill Jaci's, and neither fought it. Why should they? Even Rowenth knew this was part of nature. So he chased after her, waiting for the other suitors that would be his rivals to come. I will fly with you. His statements were a matter of fact. There was no tone to his mental voice to betray the burning desire he felt inside. Jaci began humming light melodies from her place in Teaque's weyr. Her long, wavy hair fell from its loose holdings and covered her neck and her shoulders. She cared not how disheveled she might get during her time there. Unlike her knowledge-driven dragon, she would merely let herself enjoy the ride.

Reyith noticed Godrith rising, but was a bit ambivalent about the whole thing. HisC'lin and Ocouth'sEzzy had been sharing a weyr ever since Ocouth'sEzzy had been injured during ThreadFall. E'ra had since recovered, but they had yet to move back to their as of right now unoccupied weyr. Not that Reyith minded--he liked the company of his fantastic yellow friend. It was like having a sleepover that never ended. Yes, the black had been quite content with his life at the moment. HisC'lin was happy, or at least as happy as he had ever been, and Reyith had his friend to keep him company. Ocouth's heavily accented mental voice amused the mute black greatly. So, for a while, he thought about not chasing her. Godrith was beautiful and talented and had been in his wing, but she was a bit intimidating to the smaller dragon. Still, even as he tried to pay attention to something else--namely HisC'lin tidying up the weyr he had been sharing with Ocouth'sEzzy--he could not manage to tear his eyes away from her.

A blue followed after the dark pink and later another black. It was the second black that clenched it for him: he would chase after her. He hummed a goodbye to his yellow friend and then took off like a shot into the sky. C'lin would know. He always knew. But Reyith didn't have a second to lose if he wanted to have a shot at catching her.

Here, Reyith's one-word call broadcast to the fiery pink gem, although there was more emotion behind it than just the word. He sent her his heart-felt thoughts openly. "Here" meant he would chase her. "Here" meant he was here for her and her alone. "Here" meant he would follow her wherever she would go, even to the ends of the earth. "Here" meant that for however long the flight lasted she would be his home and home was all he wished to get to.

C'lin had noticed Reyith's interest a bit before the black had taken off. He had a mixed feeling of really wanting to go and not wanting to at all. He really liked Ezzy and he didn't wish to hurt the yellowrider at all. Still, all this monogamy had gotten him frustrated. He wanted freedom. The sparky blackrider wanted to go out and be his devilishly charming self. He wanted all this and he wanted Ezzy. Couldn't he have his cake and eat it, too? Well, as Reyith took off into the distance, it seemed his chance had come. He didn't leave a note; there was no time. E'ra would know where he had gone, anyway.

"I... have to go..." He spoke to no one in particular as he trudged out to find the weyr of the rider of the pink Reyith was now chasing. After participating in so many flights, he was able to find his footing relatively easily despite the effects of flightlust. Still, it wasn't exactly a cakewalk. He had never been to Godrith's rider's weyr before and he had to rely heavily on Reyith in order to get there. Steps and stone walkways dominated his vision while anything further away than that just went black. Even as he walked he had the sensation of flying. Reyith's ghost-like grace and his keenly tuned wings carried his faster and faster away from the ground.

Soon Reyith had caught up with the other two males. He too hung back, polite and dignified. For a moment he hummed a few bars to Godrith, one of his favorite lullabies HisC'lin used to sing to him when he was a hatchling. Then, as the flight wore on, he went silent again and focused on flying. Skillfully he slipped higher into the sky, catching a thermal that carried him above the crowd so he could survey everything with his ever-watchful gaze. He was older than his rivals so far. He had flown more flights and therefore knew that having the higher ground was important. But he did not make his move yet. For now he flew overhead like a discerning shadow in the skies, waiting for the right moment to act.

C'lin finally seemed to be getting close, although he would be late for the party. Others would surely arrive before him, but he kept trudging on. He had to get there. Reyith needed him there... and he needed for himself to be there. A twisted smile appeared on his face as his consciousness flowed between himself and his dragon. Dark and light merged together into a swirling vortex. Still, he walked on.