Across the mountains Weyrwoman Adelia flew on the neck of her dragon, Gold Elieth. Elieth was a large and healthy gold, and the Sr. Queen at Dragon Fang Weyr besides. Next to her, Weyrwoman Ulania rode on the wings of her gold Ziarrath, Sr. Queen at Valley Weyr. They had flown out over the Tralaway mountains where their joint Weyr, the Twin Weyr, was nestled, just as a routine check. Thread was not due for several days, but the Weyrwomen had wanted to make sure that all was well, and it was a fun outing besides, souring above the mountains with the grace of their mighty Golden Dragons.
    As they flew however, Adelia noticed a change in her dragon's attutude, and wondered if such an outing with another queen dragon had been such a good idea. She hadn't thought Elieth was due for another mating flight for a while, but by her behavior, she began to wonder.
    She was sure of it when she looked at the hue of her dragon's skin. She would rise soon, and right now she had best get back to the Weyr as fast as she could, before Elieth antagonized Ziarrath. Queens did not tolerate other Queens durring a mating flight, and it was bad for Elieth to be out flying, she should be at the Weyr with the bronzes, blooding her kill!
    Stay away from me! Elieth hissed at Ziarrath, causing dragon and rider to stop in midair.
    "I've got to get back to the weyr, she'll rise sooner than I thought!" Adelia called apolegetically to her fellow Weyrwoman, knowing she would understand. She pressed her grumpy queen to fly back to the weyr fast.

    The bronze and brown dragons had gathered at the feeding grounds and were  blooding their kill angrilly. The riders were very worried, this signified that the weyr queen was due to rise, but the weyr queen and Weyrwoman was absent! Worse, she was out with another queen dragon, and in the state she would be in, disaster was sure to strike.
    Yet just as they were thinking this, the gold shape appeared in the sky, the bronzes bugled as Elieth circled to land. She bugled louder.
    Out of my way you pitifull excuse for dragons! The bronzes and browns scattered, and Elieth felled a herdbeast in one quick diving motion. Adelia, who had jumped from her dragons neck and had run with the bronzes to get out of the way, sighed. She would be fighting this battle of wills with her dragon again, just as she had done the first time Elieth had risen to be caught by Palinth. She smiled breifly at R'san before turning to her dragon, shaply commanding her; "You must blood only!"
    Elieth ignored this at first, but Adelia shouted louder. "BLOOD YOUR KILL!" Elieth complied, drinking deep of this beast, then moving on to another. She seemed to glow now with an inward glow.
    After blooding another, she once again sprang into the sky, agile and wingfree, taunting the bronzes and browns.
    Catch me if you can, though I doubt you can! There were five of them in all, and except for Palinth, who had caught her before, none seemed worthy. Though Palinth would have to work to catch her again.
    The largest bronze, Rauath, pulled forward, and Elieth smiled inwardly, letting him come closer, then suddenly folded her wings and dove, leaving the perplexed bronze behind. A larger brown dove after her, and as she unfolded her wings from the dive, she found him there. He was clever that one, but not clever enough. Elieth whirled around him effortlessly and rose again, wheeling once and beating her great golden wings. She flew ahead and above the now laboring males, laughing inwardly at their clumsiness. Two browns dropped out, spent. Now only the larger ones, the bronzes, remained. Againi Rauath pulled out ahead, did that male never tire? But she avoided him easily, swirling away to the right. Now she was beginning to tire, but continued to fly straight and true, and far enough ahead of the bronzes. Looking back, she saw Rauath, Palinth and Toreth. Rauath certainly was determined, but Palanth was the only one she thought worthy, Palinth was the only one she wanted to catch her.
    Toreth dropped, spent, and now it was between determined Rauath and Palinth. She dove again so suddenly that the bronzes wheeling sharply before realising what was going on. Rauath dove after her, but Palinth remained above.
    You clever gold, He teased her as she rose again away from Rauath, catching her with his talons, tail and wings entwininig witih hers.  But you know I would let no other dragon catch you.
    Actually you bronze, I would never have let any other catch me either.
    "Another great flight." Adelia muttered to R'san, still her Weyrleader R'san, as he smiled and replied by kissing her.