Flicker in the SKy (Eve's Flight)

[HG]

The air was filled with the sounds of forest life after the rain of the night before. Kyrah could feel the dampness cling to her skin and knew that her clothes would be plastered to her for the entire day. Eve had been sleeping restlessly on her middle section which was about to come to an end. Mostly because Kyrah was getting up. The Gold felt the muscles of her bonded contract as she sat up, causing Eve to open her eyes. In moments the Gold was on the young woman's shoulder.

Sighing deeply the red head looked over to find where Eriol was. He was probably nearby. She was never surprised that he was up before her though she often wondered if he slept at all. Standing slowly she tried to extricate some of the leaves that had decided to cling to her curly red hair. When the ones she could feel were out, she rolled up her blankets and attached them to the bottom of her pack. Eve, though she had been acting a bit out of sorts the last couple days seemed more than ready to eat.

Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a meatroll. The firelizard almost inhaled the roll. Raising her brow, she watched the twitching tailed Gold with curiosity. Kyrah felt herself that the tiny queen was quite hot blooded today. She felt Eve's desire to fly fast and far from where she was now. Oh dear. Kyrah thought, shaking her head. Sending out her challenge to the Bronzes and browns she knew, Eve was well aware that Kaiden was closest.

Next thing that Kyrah knew there was a flash of Gold in the sky. Well this was shaping up to be a more interesting day than she had assumed it would be. The red head sat down on a fallen log. Despite the dampness she was not about to stand for however long this was going to take. She was, not for the first time, happy that Firelizards did not share their emotions as strongly with their bonded ones as dragons did. While Eve was just beginning to enjoy herself, flying fast, free and unchallenged, Kyrah was already thinking of who she could possibly give the eggs to. Her blue eyes looked up to the sky.

Who would join? Who would win? Who was she going to have to argue with about whom the eggs should go to? Kyrah did not look forward to Eve's flights after the last one, which had not gone well. A small clutch worthy of a green had been the result of Eve's first flight. This time she hoped things would go better!

[firethorne]

Crouching down low, Eriol studied the impressed print in the earth, quickly glancing about to make sure that no movement was near. How ironic would that be, to be mauled by the very creature he was tracking? He found a sick, grim sort of humor in that. Icy blue eyes studying the prints for a few moments, he decided that it wasn’t a very large or even very heavy feline, since it barely left tracks a quarter of an inch deep in wet earth. That did not boast of an impressive creature by any stretch of the imagination. Of course, best to go ahead and end the beast now, before it got any bigger, but that just meant it was going to be an easy assignment for he and his partner. Even if the feline wasn’t a threat yet, it would be some day, and it had been prowling far too close to Refuge recently.

Upon his shoulder, Kaiden flared his wings slightly to keep balance as the captain stood, brushing some dirt off his breeches knee. The bronze seemed to be a bit agitated at the moment, though Eriol just assumed that he had caught the fading scent of the feline and that was upsetting him. However, the flit wouldn’t stop moving, pacing from one shoulder to the other, glancing back towards camp, tail flicking nearly constantly. The Shield snorted. Shards, if he had been a gold, he would have accused his firelizard of PMS. Pausing, Eriol could have smacked himself in the forehead. Duh. Kaiden would only be acting that way if a queen was close to Rising. Eve?

Turning swiftly, the captain prowled back through the jungle, silent and unseen, nearly almost reaching Kyrah before the cry of the gold echoed through the forest. In an instant, Kaiden leapt off his shoulder and rocketed up into the sky, instinctively knowing where Eve was. Shaking his head, a wry grin upon his face, Eriol returned to camp, finding his partner seated upon a fallen log. Probably a good idea, that, especially considering they had no idea how long Eve planned on flirting with her consorts before making a choice. “Well, now I know why Kaid was so irritated with me for making him leave camp this morning.” He grinned, striding over near her and leaning against a tree. “I was beginning to think I was slipping with my training methods.”

Darting up, up, over the treetops, Kaiden burst into the open air, whirling purple eyes finding the one who had issued the challenge. Trumpeting to her, sharing his love and adoration in that one, silvery note, the bronze pushed his large wings, twirling in the sky as he neared his queen. Look! He would dance in the sky for her, do anything she asked of him, if only this lovely gold would deign him worthy! Trilling to her, crooning to her, Kaiden tried to make her see how much he wanted her, how desperately he wished to catch her and sing to her from now on. He would be a strong father for their eggs, just look how mighty he was, and he would be an attentive mate for his clutching queen. If only, if only, if only! Eve had to choose him! For now, he was alone, yes, the bronze realized this, and he used it to his advantage. To croon and cry and trill to his lovely gold, to tell her all the things he would do, what he was willing to go through, if she would only be his.

[Dragon]

She was in a completely different area of the forest surrounding the Weyr, her long braid swishing behind her. It was her day today to be out scouting around. She was ready for some time alone in the Forests. She was one of the few that had not been paired up, but that suited her just fine, for today anyway. She wiped at a bead of sweat that trickled down her forhead. She'd had Karne send a message out of her location. She wasn't going to allow herself to get mauled like that poor child a few days ago. Her heart lurched. She'd been afraid that it had been someone she knew. She knew the little girl's name, Irinn and that H'nen was her father, but that was it.

She heard something and stopped. Silently commanding Karne to send another image of their location. Then she moved through the foliage, silent and efficient. Her eyes locked onto the prints that could only be feline. Karne twittered in irritation and she had to shush him. She cast the brown a glance and noticed the brown kept looking up and around. Something was up. She could tell by his atics. She sat back on her haunches while her ears strained for any sound. And then she heard it. A call in the still air. Karne had sensed an imminent flight! She sighed. Of all the sharding times for a flight! But Whos? Was it Kyrah's gold, Eve? She sighed again. She sent Karne a silent command to go. She'd be fine here, for the moment.

Karne didn't hesitate. Like an arrow released from a bow he was off like a shot. He dodged trees and foliage. He would not dare to get dirty when his Queen called! He paid little mind to the fact that Kaiden had beaten him to join the chase for Eve. He would prove to his Queen that he was just as good as any bronze. He trilled sweetly to her, doing loops in the air and barrel rolling, as he flew after her. Did she like tricks?

[Ise]

Akroma was out searching for the feline along with the rest of the Dragon Shield. She was taking a small brake while Nalaar flitted around the trees. The woman frowned a bit as she watched her brown, normally the fire lizard was far more calm then this. The search for the feline might have bothered him but he shouldn’t have been acting so… antsy.

She tried to get Nalaar to come to her and calm down before she heard something. Nalaar froze, his head tilted to the side a bit as he sent a flash of image to Akroma, a gold streak rising into the air. Oh shards, it was a mating flight. She gave her silent permission for the brown to join in the flight and he was off.

Nalaar rose straight up, quickly getting above the tree level where he could spot the other fire lizards. He was farther from the others and let out a loud bugle, wanting Eve to know that he was there, not yet part of the pack chasing after her but he was gaining on them quickly. He flew up a little higher before he tucked his wings in and dove towards the trees, angling himself out so he could use all his speed to shoot himself forward and catch up with the other brown and bronze flying after her. He let out a happy trill, letting her know that he was there, that he was fast enough to have caught up with them already and that alone should prove that he was better then the other two.

[HG]

Eve's response to the suitors was that of complete ignorance. She did not even seem to show that she knew they were following. The Gold was living in her own world now. Flying swiftly on the upward current that carried her, Eve was out flying the males easily. She had been practicing a lot with Kyrah in the woods and so her muscles had been bulking up quite a bit. This flight was going to be harder for the males than the first one she had. She got far enough ahead of them to begin performing her own airborne acrobatics. Suddenly diving and then turning to the side as if she were as agile as a green (although she knew she wasn't).

Twirling in the air the Gold found a current and took it up into a cloud. The moist air clung to her little hide as she sped through the cloud to above it. The sky was the limit as they say. Turning her head only slightly to catch a glimpse of those that followed the Gold flew towards the sun, hide gleaming from the wet air that had clung to it previously. She was more powerful than those that followed her. Eve moved her wing up and down, up and down, only twice and began to glide through the air in a seemingly effortless fashion.

From the ground, Ky spotted the males as they flew to catch the Gold. Kaiden, Karne and Nalaar all followed. Good strong lizards, all of them. She could care less herself who won really. As long as Eve was content that was what mattered. She seemed happy enough flying through the skies, boundless and free. The feel of the air under open wings, was inexplicably wonderful. That was the only reason she could see why someone would rather be a dragonrider than a member of the Shield. Dragonriders were able to experience flight like no other humans.

Raising her brow at Eriol's statement she said, “I was not sure today would be the day myself. I do prefer her to be at the Weyr for these. There is more competition. She'd have a chance at a better clutch.” It still obviously bothered her that her Gold was compared to greens when it came to clutching. If Kyrah had things her way she'd shut the blabber mouths who spread such nasty rumors with a quick little fight, which she would obviously win. “You are hopelessly lax with Kaiden's training.” Her mouth twitched as she said it. Kyrah knew that Eve was a Gold and therefore had more potential but she couldn't help rubbing in the fact that she was a more dedicated trainer (in her opinion).

“She is making them work for it. I've got her in much better condition this time. Hopefully we'll see a brown or Bronze out of her clutch this time. “ She wouldn't dare hope there would be a Gold and in fact it was unlikely given the number chasing but Eve was always full of surprises.

[Ise]

Nalaar zipped after Eve, no longer trying to woo the gold with sounds. He would save his breath and win the gold through his magnificent flying instead! Sure, he wasn’t a bronze but he was faster then them. He followed her up higher into the air, working a little harder at it with his smaller wing span. But when it came time to dive after Eve, he was faster. Nalaar’s wings were tucked in close to his body, and he shot down towards the trees, twirling and spinning through the air before he adjusted his angle and used his speed to shoot back up, higher into the air doing loop-da-loops in hopes of impressing the stunning gold beauty he was after.

Akroma frowned a little as she tried to peer through the heavy foliage to spot the fire lizards. She had seen them for a little but now she couldn’t, she could only get those almost dream like images that she got from Nalaar. She leaned up against a tree, shutting her eyes to try and get a better feeling of what was going on with Nalaar before she stopped and looked to the side at the tree. She smirked a little before she leaped up and grabbed the first branch, pulling herself up and climbing higher into the tree. It wasn’t the tallest tree in the forest but it was high enough that she could spot the dots in the air that zoomed around, all following that one golden speck. She shaded her eyes and settled in to watch the flight, having a feeling that other Shield members were doing the same sort of thing.

[firethorne]

Not quite understanding why the gold was ignoring him, Kaiden let out a hesitant chirp from his position, so close to her and yet so far. She didn’t even acknowledge him, or the songs he sang in adoration of her. What, why? Had he upset her? No, no, not he, not the bronze! He had only admiration and love for the exquisite queen, and surely Eve knew that, yes? But she flew quickly and gracefully, far too fast for even him to stay on her tail. Rumbling lowly, the firelizard moved to the same current, allowing the air to catch in his wings and push him forward. Okay, she might have been quick, but he was a bronze, and a good sized one at that. He was no pushover!

Now she danced before them, displaying poised and lovely acrobatics in the air, the sun glinting off her golden hide. Trumpeting to her once more, his voice throbbing with appreciation for her grace and agility, Kaiden tipped on his wing and spun as she glanced back, hoping to show off his own prowess. Look! He could master the sky as well, he could dance with her in the air! Calling to her again, the bronze bunched his muscles and pushed himself harder, light trickling across his hide and flashing against the metallic sheen. It mattered not how hard and far Eve flew, for he would always follow, always be right behind her, ready to use his last bit of energy to carry her, if she would allow it. As the queen evened out her flight and began to glide, Kaiden did the same, slipping to the side and behind her a bit. He crooned and trilled at her, still full of energy and ready to prove himself a worthy and attentive mate.

Shaking his head, Eriol shrugged his shoulders a bit carelessly, blue eyes following the firelizards until they had gone too far to see. “The boys seem to have ways of knowing even if we don’t. Kaiden was a right mess this morning, rather agitated with me for making him leave her here.” Brow furrowing, the captain glanced at the redhead, picking up the irritation in her voice. Obviously, her queen’s previous, small clutches bothered her greatly, though he really couldn’t blame her for being bitter. He wouldn’t be any happier if someone tried to put Kaiden down. He liked that litter bugger more than he thought he would. Sliding his eyes back over, studying the jungle around them, the tall man gave a half-smile. “There is plenty of competition out here, too.” He said lightly, a bit of humor dancing in his voice. “The Shield has the biggest flits in the weyr. I’m certain Eve will have a good, strong clutch.” For a moment, Eriol was silent, then he quickly felt a little smirk tugging at his lips when his partner spoke next. Fall, fog, and fire, she never gave a man a break, did she?

“Some of us,” The captain started, certain to stress the first word, “have reports to file and send back the Weyrwoman.” Smirking mischievously, the tall man crossed his arms, lifting a brow. “I don’t have all day to play with my flit.” His voice was harmless, holding only a teasing edge with no bite, but he wasn’t about to let her get away with that without some retaliation. As she changed the subject, Eriol nodded in agreement, still watching the trees about them. “I can already feel Kaiden’s surprise. He seems to notice the difference in her as well.” The surprise wasn’t all he could feel, either, but the captain was quite used to this. It was old hat by now, and easy to ignore. “In fact, I’d wager one bronze at least. Care to bet on it?” Grinning, the Shield focused his blue eyes on his partner, a dark glee dancing within them. Every member of the DragonShield thrived on competition, even something a small as a gamble.

[HG]

The Gold was more than aware of those that followed. She saw what they were doing, heard their little voices calling out to her. They had no claim on her. The sky was where she belonged, racing onward to the light that guided all life, the sun. She was faster than before, she was stronger too. It came as no surprise then that she was quite ready to ignore the males who followed. Eve was free to fly as fast and as far as she liked. The small Gold did not wait for them to catch up to her before pulling another sharp turn and diving for a few feet only to then be lifted up by an air current. She was teasing them and showing off at the same time.

The browns were going to have trouble keeping up with her soon. As sturdy as they were and the best of brown firelizards, Eve was above her usual game. She was going to put their stamina to the test and find that they were better for the old Eve. Fully aware that even she would not be able to keep up her pace for long she looked behind her again. Karne had tried to impress her with his tricks though she could certainly do more in the air than any of them. Eve thought smugly to herself how well she manipulated her body. Than there was Nalaar who was keeping up rather well for a brown, he was fast but perhaps had not enough stamina to safely take her back home. She knew them well but Kaiden was whom she spent the most time. She had been watching him just as well as the others. He too had tried to impress her vocally and with his aerobatics.

Eve was done thinking things over. She really wasn't sure she wanted anyone to help her back. She could get home on her own. The Gold flew high again. Noting how they continued to follow. Eve wondered when they would drop out. They were getting closer. She would have to decide sooner than later.

On the ground Kyrah looked over at Eriol, a slightly irritated voice ringing out, “I'm just following your orders. You wanted her the best trained firelizard on the Shield to prove the extent of what they are capable of...” Like saving little girls from Felines. Ky thought to herself. He had to put her through the ringer on the whole Firelizard thing. That she generally took everything he said as a negative was not helping the situation or that she was entirely too defensive of herself and her firelizard. Of course having a hot head didn't really help matters either. “All I'm saying is that Kaiden could still learn a thing or two from my Eve.” All of them could. She and Honey were the most intelligent of the Firelizards. Honey did produce better clutches but she had Eve better trained than any other Firelizard at Refuge. She was not about to lose her reputation either. No matter how much the Captain nagged at her about it.

Lifting an eyebrow she glanced back over at the blonde man. “I'm certainly not betting against my Gold. I'd raise the stake and bet you there will be more than one large egg, both of which will either contain Gold or Bronze Firelizards.” Although she had serious doubts about any of it being true she had to put all her faith in her Firelizard. That and Kyrah had a hard time refusing a risk...even if it meant losing a few marks over it. “How about we say ten marks and if I win...I'd also like some recognition for my wonderful Eve....” Her voice had taken on a more mischievous tone. Her blue eyes lifted back up to the sky. Eve had never lasted this long.


As the males continued to drive behind her she could feel one growing particularly close. She made quick weaves darting this way and that. Her pace was starting to slow. Eve looked down where she felt the wings of the other firelizard beating. It was very apparent to her handler that Eve was tired. Back on the ground, Kyrah sighed. She didn't know how dragonriders handled their connection but this was enough trouble. Eve dropped ever so slightly purposefully getting her wing entangled with Kaiden's. Crooning softly to the Bronze she felt the weariness come over her in waves as well as the pleasure of a flight well flown.

((Thank you all for participating!))