Mynialeth’s hatching had just occurred and poor D’van felt like he was going to pull his hair out. He hadn’t attended the hatching, being far more occupied with his extremely proddy green. Sereath was positively shimmering, she was glowing so brightly and she lounged by the weyrlake (as she always did) as if nothing were different. Of course, things were different, D’van didn’t even have to move before she’d be yelling at him, but Sereath seemed in no mood to rise.

Finally D’van couldn’t take it anymore. The silly green had just informed him that he needed to loosen up because his irregular breathing patterns were disturbing her. It was the last straw. The normally even-tempered greenrider exploded. “Shards Sereath, what’s wrong with you!? Why haven’t you just risen already? What, by Faranth, are you waiting for?”

Sereath perked up, though she gave no intention of having heard him. D’van followed the green’s gaze to a young woman rushing out of the lower caverns. She looked around and upon seeing him hurried over to them. She smiled, though she looked a little frazzled, and D’van frowned, not having seen her around before.

“D’van, right? They told me to look for the brightest green dragon I’d ever seen,” she smiled a bit sheepishly. “Trying to learn everyone’s names still.”

“Yeah, I’m D’van,” he replied with a tilt of his head, still not sure exactly who this woman was.

“My apologies! I’m the new Headwoman, and still settling into my position I’m afraid. Anyways, they sent me to tell you that Sereath’s flight has finally filled. We got the last entrant just a moment ago.”

Sereath rumbled from behind him and seemed to uncoil like a snake. That, my rider.

She said nothing more as D’van turned to look at her though she was now glowing like the sun (if the sun were green anyway). She roared a challenge and was answered by the eager roaring of seven very impatient males. She leapt to the skies and D’van had enough presence of mind to ask to be escorted to his weyr before he was in Sereath’s thrall.

Xalia watched the green rise with relief and just a touch of envy as she tried to organize the post-hatching celebrations. She was distantly aware that Frinaith seemed to be waking but she put not another thought to it until Frinaith was suddenly, almost violently awake. Overcome by her dragon’s ANGER that the puny little green was rising Xalia almost collapsed where she stood. Fortunately a nearby countertop allowed her to support herself long enough to recover.

“Shards and shells,” she cried tossing her notes to the nearest being and racing for the weyrbowl. She got there just in time to see Frinaith land on a large buck in the feeding grounds. “BLOOD IT!” she called at the top of her lungs and set off at a full out run.

Luckily for her Frinaith had no intention of gorging. She wanted speed and height and blood would give her that. Four discarded carcasses later she was ready and the males were too. She bugled her challenge as she took to the air and it took all of Xalia’s will to force her to fly away from Sereath’s path.

Meanwhile, Sereath was teasing her suitors unmercifully. The old pros were trying to hang back but Sereath would have none of it and the fancy flying of some of the blues was just making her angry. She changed directions often, doubling back to taunt them from below and then from above or from the side as she darted out of a cloud bank. It was all any of them could do to keep up with her. Darolith was the first to drop out and Sereath crowed in delight as he did. She had her eye on two particular dragons in this flight and neither of them were blue.

She darted up into a cloudbank, glad that night was falling to better conceal her. Azlith, quick, experienced and agile that he was darted into the bank after her, but when Sereath felt something graze her tail she roared in anger and dove nearly taking out Ummidvarth as she did so. The large brown’s plan had been to wait out the others and allow the green to weary herself but the near collision sent him careening into the path of blue Henitath and the two of them were too far behind by the time they untangled themselves.

Delighted that she had lost another two chasers Sereath bugled a challenge to the remaining pursuers. Lighting Blue Reven made an attempt to grasp her as she changed directions yet again but she swiped at him with her claws and he backed off.

There were only four dragons remaining now but Sereath was far from done with them. She changed directions once more, putting on a burst of speed that carried her farther than she had intended it. Up ahead she saw Frinaith flying fast and in her direction!

She shrieked in surprise and alarm, diving to get out of the gold’s path. Then anger set in and she bugled her challenge to the gold. How dare she fly while Sereath was rising! This was Sereath’s show, the gold had no part in it. But when she saw several bronze dragons flying swiftly in the queen’s wake she settled, the gentle touch of her rider’s mind told her to let them go and focus on her own chasers.

To her dismay they had used her distraction to sneak up on her. She was now surrounded above, below, and to each side. She snarled at them, not ready to be caught and waited for one of them to make his move. Quick little Azlith was the first, coming at her from the left and Sereath chortled as she rolled and he found himself catching Reven instead. Both dragons squawked in surprise but it was too late, they were out of the running.

Now all that remained were Jexth and Lukath. Lukath was young and untried, but then so was Jexth if not near as young as Lukath. Pleased that she was left with her two favorite suitors Sereath flew on, letting them stew over who would catch her and who would make a costly blunder.

Eventually Jexth moved in from above crooning to her as he approached cautiously. Sereath was tempted to give in to him, he was a handsome brown and his rider had at least spoken to hers once. But as she turned her attention to him she was startled to find herself clutched from beneath. In her distraction she had taken her eye off of Lukath and the Tripaldi bred dragon had taken advantage of it. Crooning her pleasure she wound her tail with his and Jexth left disappointed.

Meanwhile, Frinaith was having a hard time shaking her chasers. There were only two among the six that she fancied at all and her rider was no help in that department. Unfortunately the ones she wanted didn’t seem to be the ones most eager to catch her. Nemirith was a crafty beast, sneaking up on her when she was distracted by other suitors and so far she had been able to shake him off, but she was beginning to wonder if she’d be successful should he try again.

But the thoughts were out of her head a moment later as two males came at her at the same time. Onilaath and Khansirith came for her from opposite sides and she roared at them as she dove. She almost sighed in relief when they tangled and dropped from the flight. Two less dragons to worry about but also two less to keep her from Nemerith’s clutches. She wasn’t sure what it was that bothered her about the bronze, maybe it was merely her rider’s dislike for his rider, but he seemed too eager to catch her somehow.

Frinaith shook it off and flew on, snapping her wings out and flicking her tail to execute a tight turn, or at least as tight a turn as a large gold such as herself could make. Toshikoth and Kostelth came into view as she did so and she aimed for the two of them, lightly darting past Nuasaolth as she did so. Nemerith didn’t seem to be in sight and while that worried her she was willing to hope that he had dropped out.

The three males in sight came up to loosely circle her, Toshikoth above, Kostelth and Nuasaolth below and a trifle behind. She crooned enticingly to all of them before executing another neat turn that took her sailing off on a new thermal. She used the thermal’s draft to send her soaring away but regretted it a moment later. Nemerith came out of the clouds beneath her like a rocket and using the same thermal she was on, came up behind her with such speed she knew she was caught this time.

Frantically she searched for an out but the determined bronze had her by the tail. She shrieked in outrage and lashed her tail about, trying to throw him but he held her firmly as he began to draw himself up above her. She dove, and he dove with her, she tried to turn and he used his grasp on her tail to keep her on her current path. Her eyes whirled in desperation as she sought her escape but it seemed futile, inch by inch he was gaining on her and he had only firmed his grasp on her tail.

Then when she was about to give in and resign her poor rider to another Weyrleader she would dislike Toshikoth plummeted out of the clouds below, falling on top of her. She felt the breath get knocked out of her and her beautiful tail was scored by Nemerith’s claws as she was dragged from his grasp, but she crowed in delight. Toshikoth crooned happily to her and opened his wings. She did likewise and, tails entwined, they soared off into the night sky.

Back at the Weyr Xalia fell breathlessly into the arms of D’rison, too thankful that it was not Umber’s arms wrapped around her to remember her prior attitude to any and all men of her acquaintance.