Aww come on Nocesleth! It'll be fun! Redaelth pleaded with the light purple.

We are going to get into such trouble... Nocesleth sighed but left her warm spot on the beach to join Redaelth. But it will be fun.

Of course it will, Redaelth scoffed. But how are we going to catch one?

It can't be too hard, Nocesleth reasoned as the pair ambled over to the feeding grounds. Other dragons do it all the time.

Yeah... but how? Redaelth sat back to watch as a bronze easily made his kill. That didn't look so hard...

Except that he could fly, Nocesleth reminded the other dragon. I think we should just try flying. I don't know about you, but I know I certainly can, no matter what the stuffy old weyrlingmaster says.

Redaelth snorted. Lena and Ryff are already going to be mad at us, do you want to add the weyrlingmaster to the list?

Nocesleth sighed. No. But how else can we catch one? How do humans do it? They can't fly either.

They use a bow and arrow, dimglow, Redaelth told her. But that won't work either. He padded a bit closer to the edge of the feeding grounds. You know, they don't look all that fast...

Nocesleth joined him, cocking her head to get a better view of some of the nearer ones. They're too big and stupid to be very fast, she agreed after a moment. I bet we could chase one down easy.

A moment later, the frightened screams of herdbeasts and dragons split the lazy noon air. The herdbeasts, as the two dragons were suprised to find, were actually very fast whenever dragons were concerned, and the two weyrlings had caused them all to panic. Unfortunately for both the heardbeasts and the weyrlings, some of them were slower than the dragons, and almost half a dozen quickly became the victims of pounces by one or both of the weyrlings.

Why won't they stay still? Nocesleth complained from where she was trying to wrestle a cow to the ground without much luck.

They may be stupid, but they're smart enough not to want to be eaten, I guess, Redaelth replied as he lost another beast.

By now, the two dragons had quite an audience lined up around the feeding grounds. Most were trying to contain laughter; the weyrlingmaster looked ready to kill something. Ryff and Lena elbowed their way through the crowd and got as close to the feeding grounds as was safe.

Nocesleth! What do you think you are doing? Lena demanded.

Nocesleth was so suprised that she let go of the cow's leg and was kicked in the muzzle. We were just trying to catch a herdbeast!

Why did you want to do that? Ryff growled at Redaelth, who looked so guilty Ryff had to struggle to keep from chuckling.

Honest, all we really wanted to do was catch a herdbeast! Redaelth insisted.

Lena sighed. If you were that hungry, you could have just told me.

Nocesleth and Redaelth exchanged looks. Perhaps this was not such a disaster after all. That's it. We're just starving! Redaelth told Ryff.

Ryff shook his head in amazement. Well you really could just have asked. You know you're not big enough to catch a herdbeast yourself yet.

That wouldn't have been nearly as much fun! Nocesleth replied when Lena told her the same thing.

Both riders exchanged exasperated looks. "Dragons," Ryff said with a chuckle.

Humans, Redaelth sighed.