Legal stuff: This is not fanfic, but a record of roleplay done with permission from Anne McCaffrey.

The world of Pern is copyrighted to Anne McCaffrey © 1967.

The Dragonriders of Pern ® is a registered trademark.

Cast: Candidates, Hatchlings, Weyrleaders/dragons, K'yasu, and Nagisa

SOW - Dining Hall

Presca looks directly at Caraline, "Did you see what Nagisa was wearing the other day? The weyr air seems to have loosened her up a bit!"

E'chan is sitting with a pile of fruit in front of him. Eat, eat, eat.

Caraline heads straight for the hearth and begins to fill a plate.

E'chan waves to Caraline, "Hi." Yes, his mouth is full when he says it. Orange citrus is lovely all chewed up.

Sabin walks in from the eastern clearing.

Presca looks around and says, "Come 'ere so I can kiss ya!"

Sabin just _looks_ at Presca. "No."

Caraline snickers as she carries her plate to a table. "You tell her, Sabin," she grins. "And hi, E'chan." Someone is in an awfully good mood.

Sabin sits down with another set of plans. "Hello, Caraline. The Hall's duty; you look a lot better than you did yesterday."

E'chan actually swallows his food this time, "How are you feeling?"

Caraline smiles at both. "Much better. Lilleth is sleeping, I slept well and hopefully everything will remain calm so that I can."

E'chan raises his eyebrow, "How much was she glowing when you last looked?"

Caraline shrugs. "No more than before. I think. When I start glowing too, you can worry," she teases. "And I'm not, am I?"

Sabin smiles apologetically. "I honestly wouldn't know." There's more he's thinking of saying -- it's written on his face -- but he holds his tongue.

E'chan watches Caraline closely. He teases, "Maybe a little."

K'yasu arrives looking much better than the last time he made a public appearance. Something agreed with him. Maybe it was a good night's sleep. He heads for the food table.

Caraline sticks her tongue out at E'chan, then just /looks/ at Sabin. "Spit it out," she grins.

E'chan smiles sweetly at Caraline. When he sees K'yasu he asks, "K'yasu, sir, can I talk to you for a moment?"

K'yasu continues heading for the food tables, right up until he gets there. "Yes, E'chan?" He begins to fill a plate.

E'chan takes a redfruit with him when he walks over to K'yasu, "You looked like you had something to say to me the other night."

K'yasu gives E'chan a funny look. "I did? When?" He bites off the end of a meatroll.

Sabin shakes his head, smiling. (Wistfully?) "I'll tell you later. I need to get these plans revised."

E'chan doesn't look terribly concerned, just curious, "When you were staring at me and R'liyn."

K'yasu chews and swallows, "I wasn't staring at the two of you. What the two of you want to do is your own business."

Caraline shrugs lightly. "Alright." She smiles and goes back to her meal.

E'chan gives K'yasu another curious look, but says, "Thank you for saying that." He takes himself and what's left of his redfruit back to where he was sitting before.

K'yasu blinks after E'chan, "E'chan.. you weren't honestly afraid I disapproved, were you?" He piles more onto his plate and follows after the bronze weyrling.

Caraline hums softly to herself as she picks at the food on her plate.

E'chan pauses in his eating, "I wasn't sure. You did tell him to stop hitting on me."

K'yasu drops into a seat near E'chan and arranges the food on his plate. "I'm sorry. I was being overprotective. But he's not that much older than you, so I suppose he probably isn't taking advantage of you."

B'ran strolls in from the eastern clearing.

Presca looks directly at B'ran, "Can you BELIEVE it? The cooks have refused to make ANY more bubbly pies! Any! And they were my favorite!"

E'chan smiles a little, "Of course not."

Sabin scribbles industriously on the plans, frowning as if they'd just insulted his mother.

Caraline mmms. "Yes, E'chan. You should always be wary of someone much older than you showing a marked interest in you," she chuckles.

Paesani wanders in from the eastern clearing.

Nagisa walks in from the eastern clearing.

Presca looks directly at Nagisa, "I think I'm in love!"

Sabin waves absently to Paesani.

K'yasu looks over at Caraline, "Yes, /E'chan/ should, because he's still a child."

Caraline just smiles innocently into her glass of juice.

E'chan smiles, "Don't worry, K'yasu. R'liyn and I didn't do anything more that cuddle, and kiss a little. I'm not quite ready to be taken advantage of yet."

Paesani quietly moves over to as close to where Caraline's sitting as she can get, and also gives a brief smile Sabin-wards.

K'yasu takes a large bite of some of his food, "Mm.." He pauses to swallow, "You'll be singing a different tune after Lilleth goes up. Goldflights aren't like greenflights."

B'ran strolls casually through the door, giving the room a quick survey before heading towards Caraline and Paesani.

E'chan nods, "I know. I hope the lake is /very/ cold today."

K'yasu nods to E'chan, "I hope she waits until it's night. The water cools down more after the sun sets."

E'chan says, "She's sleeping now. Rokuth thinks it'll be soon."

Caraline pushes the food around on her plate. "Shut up, E'chan," she mutters, her good mood fading fast.

K'yasu starts eating his food a bit more assiduously, washing it down with a glass of juice. "Mm." It's all he can say with his mouth full.

E'chan glances at Caraline and sighs, going back to his juice.

Nagisa comes in to the dining hall, looking tense, but not overly so. She frowns quietly to herself as she walks.

Caraline picks up her glass and wanders over to a window, leaving her meal unfinished.

E'chan's eyes go very wide, "Rokuth's blooding."

Paesani gets up and heads over toward Caraline.

K'yasu bites into a piece of fruit and starts sucking the juice out of it before he realizes what he's doing. He swallows and sets the poor fruit back on his plate before pushing himself away from the table. "He's not the only one."

Caraline is very pointedly ignoring the comments beginning behind her, her entire body stiff. She just stares out the window and sips her juice.

B'ran stops mid-stride, and his eyes narrow into slits. "No, he's not."

Paesani tentatively reaches out to tap Cara.

E'chan carefully puts down his glass of juice and puts his hands to his sides. "I guess nightfall isn't an option."

[DTU] Lilleth comes roaringly awake, her thoughts tinged with a rage and lust never before sensed in the young gold.

K'yasu rests his hands on the table to try to find his balance, "Guess not." His eyes find Caraline with no problem whatsoever.

Nagisa stops altogether, gripping the back of a chair as she stares off in the direction of the feeding grounds. She gives herself a shake, but even that doesn't seem to help, and she swallows hard. "Tilzath.. you.. /bother/." Someone else would probably have cursed.

The glass slips through Caraline's hand to shatter on the floor as she whirls around, wide-eyed.

B'ran stands stock-still in the middle of the room, eyes fixed on Caraline. Anyone, or anything, else in the room is ignored.

Paesani says, remarkably calmly, "Come on; it's time. You need to be out there when she gets to the grounds." She reaches for Caraline's arm, but stops short of touching.

Alanore comes in at a dead run, breathing hard. Her eyes immediately find Caraline, lips curling back from her teeth.

Sabin says, very very quietly, "I think I should probably go home."

Caraline takes a deep breath and nods, giving all the riders a wide berth as she quickly makes her way out.

SOW - Feeding Grounds

[DTU] (To Lifemate) Caraline projects, << Don't you dare, Lilleth. Blood only! >>

Paesani stands protectively close to Cara, and murmurs to her.

[DTU] (To Lifemate) Lilleth's mind is alien and savage. << No! I want the meat! I crave it! >>

Lilleth's head swings back and forth over the now-dead beast, her muzzle dipping toward the steaming entrails.

Caraline shakes her head. "NO! Lilleth..."

Nagisa follows after the knot of people, neither first nor last, her arms hugged protectively about herself so that she looks somehow smaller than she is.

Alanore's eyes have found Varroth, darting back and forth between goldrider and brown.

E'chan situates himself farthest from Caraline. He's ready to make a quick escape when he has to. His eyes are solely on Rokuth.

Lilleth roars at her lifemate but, as if conceding to something, dips her head, fastening her jaw about the herdbeasts neck, sucking it dry.

B'ran runs in, not far behind the others. His eyes widen slightly at the vision of Lilleth, then seek out Memnarth.

Kamototh tears into the juiciest wherry he can find and bloods it thoroughly. His eyes whirl as they fix on the gold's glowing form.

Memnarth stays clear of the shining queen as he makes his second kill, and once more takes it to the edge of the grounds before latching his bloody muzzle on the equally bloody neck of his victim.

Tilzath shakes the wherry in his mouth, then drops it to the ground, selecting and pouncing on a herdbeast instead and crushing its throat in his jaws. He picks it up and tips his head, drinking the blood, small rivulets running down his neck.

K'yasu stuffs his hands in the pockets of his pants and rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Caraline nods her fists clenched and eyes fixed on Lilleth. "That's right. Just blood. Just blood," she murmurs, over and over.

Rokuth sucks the herdbeast dry, tossing it aside since it is no longer important. He jumps onto the next one and swiftly breaks its neck with a large CRACK. He latches his muzzle onto the herdbeast's neck and savagely tears at its flesh so there is a steady flow of blood to drink.

Paesani intones softly "Don't worry; after the first two or three she'll realize it herself."

Nagisa agitatedly scrubs her palms against her eyes, abandoning the frozen pose to pace amongst the gathered riders. Anything rather than watch.

Paesani watches Lilleth with somewhat detached interest.

E'chan begins to tremble slightly in his effort to remain perfectly still, unnoticed.

Alanore is focused on her brown, who is seeking his own prey admist a group of Igen and Istan bronzes and browns. Both he and his lifemate snarl angrily at the surrounding riders and dragons.

Tilzath tosses off the 'beast once it's drained, lowering his head to stare intently at the picture Lilleth presents, and croons plaintively.

Memnarth just drops the bloodless body of his latest victim, so focused is he on Lilleth. He crouches low on the ground, ready to spring into the air the moment the gold does.

Lilleth seems to understand what it is that her lifemate is meaning. She launches herself airbourne for a brief moment, carefully selecting a large buck. Landing on its back, snapping it in just one heavy motion, she only bloods it this time, without any hesitation.

Paesani allows herself a small smile and glances at Caraline.

Kamototh spends little attention now for blooding. He has more important golden thoughts on his mind. He tries a gentle croon in Lilleth's direction to earn her notice.

Caraline bites her lip, watching in rather horrified fascination. She unconsciously licks her lips as Lilleth lands on the buck.

Paesani says nothing more, now that the critical part of the blooding is over and Lilleth is going by instinct. Sani still remains close to Caraline without actually touching, and turns to watch Lilleth again.

Tilzath moves again to snatch at a panicked wherry, draining it quickly, then discarding it, his eyes and attention more on Lilleth than the animal.

B'ran tries to split his attention between Memnarth, Caraline, and Lilleth, but failing that, he focuses solely on Memnarth.

Rokuth rumbles his dissatisfaction as the gold tricked him! He doesn't bother to find the herdbeast from before, breaking a wherry's neck.

E'chan licks his lips, or starts to. He must realize what he's doing and he forces himself to stop.

Nagisa starts to relax, oh so minutely; this much she can handle. Her pacing slows, and she dares look at the bloody mess that the feeding grounds have become.

Lilleth toses the carcass aside, licking blood from her muzzle. Her body arches sensuously, wings stretching, showing off her lithe form to the males. Then, roaring a challenge to those surrounding her, she launches into the air, faster than would be expected for a gold.

Sky - Above Southern Weyr

The whole weyr sprawls below, one building looking much like another from above, differentiated only by size and location. From this point of view, it is clear that the open areas of the weyr are really all part of the same bare patch, and their apparent separation is more a result of human interference. The ocean is eventually visible on all sides, if one flies high enough, but even at low altitudes the eastern coast is visible. Directly below, or not so directly below, lies almost every open area in the weyr which is suitable for landing.

Kamototh is ready for her and shoots off into the sky a moment later. She won't lose him this easily!

Rokuth hesitates. Is she really gone this time? Apparently so. He wings up after her.

Paesani calls her two firelizards and lets them gorge on the leftovers.

Caraline steps forward as Lilleth leaps for the sky, her only focus the glowing gold quickly disappearing.

B'ran's firelizards join Paesani's, but he's far from noticing. His eyes follow Memnarth until the bronze is nothing more than a speck in the sky, then he focuses on Caraline.

Paesani turns to Caraline. "Want me to walk with you as far as the weyr?"

Lilleth wings up into the air, the rush of wind over her body chilling the heated lust that seems to be consuming her. She lords her lead over the males, head snaking back to gauge them, a jeering noise leaving her when sees how far below her they are. Then she returns her attention to the skies. And her freedom.

Alanore spins, as Varroth leaps into the air with the rest of the males. She pushes past men and women, trying to get to Caraline.

Rokuth isn't going to let his momentary hesitation stop him from winning this flight. She's his, all his. He finds a thermal, because that's what he needs, and it quickly lets him catch up to the pack.

Caraline quickly glances at Paesani, confusion written all over her face. "What?"

E'chan jumps slightly as Rokuth leaves the ground and shifts slightly on his feet. He murmers slightly, "Mine."

Memnarth ignores all others around him, focusing only on the vision of gold before him. Her taunts are ignored as he pumps his wings, thinking of only one thing: making this shining beauty his.

Tilzath launches upward and begins beating his wings as strongly and quickly as he can, letting them carry his more slight frame upward. Already his entire body reaches toward the gold, stretching as if he could actually gain ground that way. He ducks between two bronzes and wings desperately after Lilleth, not wasting breath on any sound that she's unlikely to hear, yet.

Paesani says, "You need to get to the weyr, now. You will be with Lilleth even though you can't see her."

Nagisa fixes her gaze on Caraline, steady and absolutely intent. Though some may push their way closer, she's content simply to watch, at least for now.

Kamototh surges forward and upward, thoughts of the golden form ahead of him consuming him. She'll be unable to ignore him once he's caught her, that's for sure! He wings out ahead of some of the slower-to-start males.

K'yasu bounces on the balls of his feet. He's watching Caraline, waiting for her to move so he can chase after her.

Caraline nods. "Alright," she murmurs, more with Lilleth in the air than she is herself. She looks around and suddenly moves very quickly in the direction of her weyr.

Lilleth is determined to ignore the males below here. What do they matter? She is free. She quickly gains altitude, using a thermal that snakes up the cliffs to gain even more distance before making a side turn, heading southwest. Farther, fasters, higher!

Caraline's Retreat

Rokuth bugles as she finds another thermal and attempts to get away from him. This will not happen. He quickly picks up speed and moves forward. That gold is his and noone elses.

Caraline just stops in the middle of the room, completely ignoring those following her.

Kamototh jockeys for position amongst the browns and bronzes. He's content to be part of the pack, just as long as he's not at the tail end of it. And just as long as he's still following after that lovely, lovely gold.

Tilzath finds a place in the middle of the pack, not too crowded in, and tries to keep a steady pace, neither lagging behind nor spending energy he may need later. He turns in the middle of the group, carefully avoiding being jostled by the dragons around him. His gaze follows the glowing queen, neck curving so that he can watch her no matter what weird twists he has to make to follow.

Alanore paces around the goldrider, even as her brown prowls through the skies above. The older woman's eyes never leave Caraline, her lips curled just a bit.

Nagisa comes not even that far; she stops just inside of the door, slumping down against the wall and hiding her face in her knees.

E'chan follows Caraline, zombie-like. His eyes are locked on her, but there's really noone behind them. E'chan is apparantly somewhere else. He licks his lips again, shifting from one leg to another repeatedly.

Memnarth follows doggedly after her. When she turns, he turns. If he isn't at the head of the pack, so be it, as long as he can see her.

B'ran follows the others into the room, narrowed eyes intent on Caraline. He moves to one side of the room, where he has a good view of her, and stands there, swaying slightly.

Lilleth peers behind her. What is this? Those males are still behind her? Silly males. She doesn't need them. They shouldn't even bother. She dodges amonst the clouds, darting in and out of them, occasionally disappearing from view, a glowing ghost-like form.

K'yasu gives up any claim to wallspace, just standing in the crowd of riders. His height allows him to see over the riders in front of him. He'll just keep his eyes on Caraline and mind his own business otherwise.

Kamototh isn't easily fooled by Lilleth's hiding in clouds. He's far too experienced to allow something like that to disrupt his flight. He puts on a burst of speed to push ahead of some of the other browns.

Caraline turns arms crossed over her chest. She looks contemptuously at the riders surrounding her.

The crowd of browns and bronzes from other weyrs has already thinned behind the gold, some dropping out, too intimidated by the movements of the young gold.

Rokuth gets himself into a position where he's able to follow Lilleth. She's not as fast as those greens. He can catch her. She's his after all. Instead of wasting energy following her darting form, he maintains a steady path, only shifting in direction slightly to follow her course. It puts him ahead of many of the other males chasing the pretty gold.

Tilzath would, if this were any other occasion, probably be having a ball zooming through the clouds. As it is, he makes Lilleth's glimmering form his beacon and follows as directly as he's able, zigging when she zigs and zagging when she zags. At first his adjustments are as wild as her turns, but after a while he realizes he doesn't have to mirror her path exactly, since she's going to change direction again soon enough, and he'll be able to catch up faster if he doesn't veer as sharply.

Memnarth surges past several dragons, barely noticing them. He weaves in and out of the clouds after Lilleth, moving steadily. He may as well conserve his energy, for he will need it when those ahead of him have spent theirs. Lilleth is all that matters. Lilleth, who will be his.

Lilleth grows weary of darting through clouds. Soundlessly, she folds her wings against her side, dropping from the heights to rocket toward the ground, her youth giving her an impetuousness and recklessness that an older dragon would never dare. At the last moment, her wings unfold with a *SNAP* and she soars upward again, bugling in delight.

E'chan closes his eyes so he can concentrate better. His face is still turned towards Caraline, focusing in her.

Rokuth bugles at Lilleth. She will not get away that easily. He follows her down, but stays above the gold. She will have to climb upwards again and he'll be there when she does.

B'ran looks right back at Caraline, unfazed by her contempt. His body jerks slightly in one direction or another every so often, in response to the movements of the lifemate he can't see, but can only feel.

Kamototh thrills to see the gold begin some aerial antics. He has agility that she and the bronzes don't! Yes, keep doing that Lilleth! He dives after her and easily pulls out to keep following after her without hitting the ground. More males break off from the flight, screaming weary frustration toward the elusive gold. But there are still a number of northern bronzes and Southern bronzes and browns speeding in pursuit of the gold.

K'yasu's hands are still stuffed into his pockets. He bounces up and down on his feet. One would think he was a little boy needing to relieve himself.

Tilzath folds his wings in close and drops like a stone, some instinct pulling him out of the drop at not /quite/ so low an altitude as Lilleth herself, and when she climbs again he has some advantage of height, arrowing after her in a steep climb.

Alanore takes a step toward Caraline, giving a contempuous growl to a Telgar bronzerider who stumbles out of the weyr.

Memnarth bugles in surprise as his glowing goal drops suddenly from his sight, and snakes his head down to search for her below. He manages to soar down slightly as she comes back up, bringing him even closer than before.

Nagisa pulls her legs in even closer as the shifting bodies of other riders, including those whose dragons have dropped out, threaten to impinge on her space. Worse, their inattention may even lead them to trip over her -- so she shrinks into as tiny a ball as she can manage, apparently the best compromise she can come up with at the moment.

Lilleth pumps her wings, calling out jeeringly to the males, the blood having given her the energy for surprisingly quick bursts. She instinctively veers away from a Benden bronze that makes a grab for her, using her familarity with the Southern air currents to her advantage. That thermal *so* and she soars upwards again, gaining speed and making her way to fighting heights.

Caraline laughs out loud, her expression and stance daring anyone to try and approach her.

Rokuth knew she'd have to go up again and since he never lost a whole lot of altitude, he's able to catch up to the gold quickly. It allows him to get ahead of even more males.

Memnarth surges ahead of several more, growling menacingly at one telgar bronze as he almost runs into Memnarth, then drops like a stone. Memnarth catches the thermal close behind Lilleth, and surges after her. All others disappear as he finds himself so wonderfully close to her.

Tilzath darts into the thermal, catching it right, but he can only rise so fast, and gains no more ground that any of the others as he follows. Now, able to almost rest as the warm air lifts him, he spares breath for a coaxing, pleading croon to the gold before doubling his efforts, pumping his wings furiously.

B'ran takes a step closer to Caraline, taking the place of a retreating bronzerider. His breathing is heavy, as though he were chasing, rather than standing nearly still.

Lilleth is almost panicking as she realizes that there are males behind her. *Right* behind her. She trumpets in dismay, her movements becoming frantic as she feels the pack pressing behind her, getting closer. She doesn't want to acknowledge the need filling her body with heat, the desire, as she twists to the left, one last desperate attempt to escape.

E'chan takes a step forward, and then another step back.

Caraline backs away slowly, her face mirroring Lilleth's panic.

Kamototh is tiring quickly now. But he won't let a little thing like that stop him. He calls upon his reserves of strength and puts on a fresh burst of speed, straining to reach out to encapture her. She will be his if he tries just a little harder.

Alanore lets out a low moan as Varroth drops out of the flight, her eyes burning with thwarted need and desire. She starts to try and push her way out of the weyr, but has ended up on the far side, with many bodies between her and the door.

K'yasu's hands tighten into fists while remaining in his pockets. His entire body tenses and the bouncing ceases entirely as he concentrates on catching that lovely gold and her lifemate.

Rokuth is determined. She is his and he knows it even if she doesn't. As the gold becomes close enough for him to reach, he extends his feet towards her. He can get her if he just reaches a little further.

Memnarth's path brings him just above Lilleth, and he swerves with her. She will not, cannot escape him. Not when she is so close. He reaches for her, with feet, neck, and tail, wanting, no, /needing/ to succeed.

Tilzath's luck in hitting the thermal and his efforts to make the best use of the lift pay off, and he finds himself in reach of the gold despite having used up most of his strength in his last climb. He stretches out with every limb, reaching desperately to snare Lilleth with neck, tail, or talon, and claim her for his own.

Nagisa moves not at all from that frozen little ball near the door, utterly removed from this particular venue -- she's elsewhere, wrapped up in someone else. Lilleth is captured! Strong bronze wings, neck, tail, all wrap around her. And it’s suddenly obvious that this wasn't ever a contest. Memnarth had captured her heart long ago and her body responds to his with a complete surrender, a sweet croon of desire escaping from her. Her neck and tail twine eagerly with his. Her mate.

E'chan whimpers his/Rokuth's frustration and stumbles towards the door.

Kamototh is too tired to put up any sort of protest. He sinks like a stone, barely keeping himself aloft enough to not injure himself in his plunge into the water. One sure way to cool himself off.

Memnarth bugles in triumph, the sound tapering to a soft croon, meant only for Lilleth, as he tenderly twines himself about her. His stretches out his wings, as if suddenly realizing that their rapid decent must be slowed.

Alanore hisses her displeasure, not quite taking a swipe at B'ran as she finally pushes her way past the other riders, darting out of the weyr.

K'yasu's eyes stay focused on Caraline until they seek out B'ran as well. His expression contains nothing but frustrated passion as he turns on his heel and exits with the rest of the crowd.

B'ran steps more surely towards Caraline, arms reaching for her. The glint in his eyes is a strange mixture of lust and tenderness, as is his voice. "Cara..."

Nagisa remains an immovable lump near the door, taking longer to exit than most, until she somewhat returns to herself. Then, she leaves at almost a run, not sparing even the slightest look for the goldrider.

Tilzath can't help a shriek of frustration, veering abruptly out of the way of the crowding dragons before descending.

Caraline moves forward, her eyes huge and luminous. She just nods and steps into B’ran’s arms.

****fade****