I'm leavin on a . . . dragon

[twisting]

(ooc: reposting this here cause it got lost in the other thread. Feel free to have your weyrling try to stop her.)

Kuriel was already awake, staring at the ceiling of her section of the barracks. She'd been mulling over the entire situation concerning the new colors. Trying to figure out what it held for her and Djith. When it first rolled over here, she didn't even know what is was. She had felt flight lust before, well run lust, but it was nothing like this. This seeped into the tiny crevices of her mind and awakened things she'd never thought she would feel. It was better than a dust high. "What is that," was all she could gasp out.

That, Djith whispered into her mind, is my clutchmate. Djith was enjoying the new sensations, the two of them could have happily found someone to curl up with, had Djith not had a bit more to say. The males chase, so many of them, they fly after her. Kuriel's lust fogged brain still managed to put two and two together. All the male dragons were rising, all the guards must feel as she did. Kuriel rolled out of bed, though falling would be the better word for it. She hit the ground hard, her knee ringing with the pain of the fall. It did nothing to take the edge off the lust. Taking a few moments to catch her breath she crawled slowly to the hook where she kept her riding straps. The weyrling dragged herself up, trying to push away the thoughts of what she, and a willing assistant, could do with a set of leather straps. Kuriel pressed her head to the wooden beam struggling to compartment her thoughts from the Opals, it just wasn't working.

Come to me, I can get us through this. We must move, fast. Djith fluttered her wings, half of her wanted to join her sister in the skies, but her body knew it wasn't the right time for that. She shrieked in frustration, flaring her wings and pacing. Her eyes spun orange and red, lust nearly overwhelming her. Come, quickly.

It was all Kuriel could do to stumble out into the open air. She was in no way prepared for what she saw in the dim pre-dawn light. Dragons, dozens of them, had taken to the sky to chase the opal. People were in chaos, stumbling around like half drunk fools. Kuriel shook off the sight and ran to her dragon. She focused on the leather, on nothing but the straps. She closed her eyes as she buckled them, savoring the feel of leather on her fingers. She just hoped no one tried to stop her. She wasn't sure she could resist.

[lithle]

The moment Leshta became aware of exactly what was going on, she'd resolved to stay, with Semith, safe at their weyr. She was not a guard. She had no weapons and she didn't know how to fight. There was no reason for her to go charging out into harms way. Semith's run was only a few weeks past. She would clutch, not soon, but in time. There was no reason to risk either of them.

But Semith was Semith. And yes, she forgot things easily. That was unfortunate, but true. But sometimes, sometimes an idea stuck. Sometimes, ideas stuck well beyond the point where Leshta wished she'd have put them out of her mind.

Babies, that idea had stuck. She had babies. And now, those babies, as far as she could understand, were in danger.

It didn't matter that the babies were a turn in age now. It didn't matter that they probably thought of her not as mother, but simply as Queen. All that mattered was she had babies, and those babies needed protecting, and it was her job to do it. She didn't ask Leshta to come with her. She didn't respond to the mental and verbal demands that she come back this instant. She was going.

Which meant, of course, that Leshta was coming with her. The flightless queen rushed to the Weyrling barracks, Leshta jogging behind her. Soon, the queen had reached the place where her babies slept.

Djith! she'd spotted her daughter. Are you safe? Are you well?

She had not yet made sense of what the pair was doing, and Leshta, still jogging to catch up, couldn't yet see.

[twisting]

Djith hissed a low warning to Kuriel as the gold trotted up. The girl spun, shocked to she the flaming gold and her flaming rider approaching. This was bad, really bad, worse than bad, why on pern was she still standing there staring at the gold like a dimglow. Oh yeah, because she couldn't sharding think through that scorched opal's lust. She turned back and struggled to finish securing Djith's straps. Get rid of her! she hissed at Djith.

The yellow wasn't feeling like herself right now, maybe it was the lust, maybe it was. . . okay, it was the lust. She raised up, flaring her wings and confronting her mother. Kuriel cursed as the yellow ripped the half undone strap out of her hand. Djith was no were near the size of her mother, but you couldn't have convinced her of that. Safe? Well? You chain me and mine and ask me if I am well. No, my queen, I am not well.

Oh, really, antagonize the queen, the dragon who can keep us here. Kuriel could have kicked the yellow and her raging hormones. She glanced back at the weyrling barracks, she had hoped to have a chance to snag something other than a yellow jumpsuit to wear, but it was far too late for that. They're going to cripple you if we don't leave now, get back down here so I can fasten that strap

The dragon unwillingly lowered herself to allow Kuriel to finish the job.
I will get us out of here. I will not be crippled like her. Djith grumbled.

[lithle]

Semith had not sensed her daughter's initial hostility. She had thought to protect her children, to offer comfort, support, safety. They were her babies. It had not occured to her that some might be part of what was going on, that some might be leaving. But then, she did not fully understand the events that surrounded them, only knew, from her rider's mind, that they were very bad.

She was a simple dragon. Sweet, gentle, but not a plotter or planner. She wasn't good at abstract thinking, or abstract ideas. And as Djith's mindvoice hit her, she realized at once that her daughter wasn't angry, angry at her presence and angry beyond that. But she didn't understand what was being said. Chained? What chains? She didn't see any. She hadn't chained anyone. She knew some people weren't allowed to leave, but that had nothing to do with her. Her job was only to be around, Leshta said. A queen was a comfort to the other dragons, a sort of completion of a set. That was all.

So she was confused and hurt, at the words that Djith tossed her way. She relayed them to Leshta in her puzzlement, wanting explination. The Weyrwoman had reached her dragon's side at that point, and she laid a hand on that warm golden hide, this daughter of hers like a tarnished reflection in her yellow.

Leaving? They'd see.

Tell her to stay, Semith. She hadn't much wanted to get involved with the escape, if Djith's words hadn't hurt Semith so, she might have just watched the dragon and rider fly off. But now she was angry. You must, dear. Order her.

No. She wants to go. It is fine. I didn't mean to upset her.

And Leshta, watching this gold, remembered what she knew of the Atypicals, of the ability of one, and perhaps of others. Now, Semith.

Aloud, she said, "You're making a mistake, girl. You're almost graduated. Free. You'll take her into the jungle and feed her on what? Leaves? There's nothing for a dragonrider, there."

And Semith, reluctant, hesitant, obeyed. You will stay, Djith.She said, ordering now.It is bad out there. Not safe for you. Stay here.

[twisting]

Kuriel tightened her grip on the leather straps, willing Djith to stay put. "Graduated?" She spat back at Leshta. "Free? Free to do what? You will never let us leave this Weyr. No one else will take us. We will always be prisoners if we stay here." She snarled, the opal's lust frustrating her. "I would rather starve in the jungle." She trembled, knowing it was all over before it had even begun. The queen could order Djith down and she would be forced to obey. They would never even have a chance to be free. Kuriel couldn't stay here, the emptiness inside her own mind was driving her mad. Without dust she didn't know where else she could go to feel alive, but she knew she wouldn't find anything here.

Djith lowered her head and rolled a growl in the golden dragon's direction. She knew this bright, yet not so bright creature could force her to remain. They had all been taught the power of the golds. She braced herself, determined to resist the will of her mother, determined to carry hers away from this place. The gold's words rushed into her mind, her order plain. Djith snorted, her eyes spinning yellow in confusion. The words, they were just words. There was no force behind them, no power. Nothing more than the words of a simple dragon. It may as well have been a 5 turn old telling her to stay. Djith shared her mind with Kuriel, power flooded through the dragon, spilling over into Kuriel's mind and blending with the opal's lust. The yellow growl was very nearly a purr. Get on, Kurilove. We are leaving here.

Djith tilted her head, as a shocked and lust addled Kuriel did as she was told. She bared her teeth at the impotent gold, all semblance of respect gone. Djith would not bend to this pathetic creature ever again. She kindly included Leshta in her words. Forgive me, darling, I'm afraid I can not comply. Perhaps next time? She practically cooed the final mocking word As Kuriel buckled the last strap, the yellow launched herself into the air. The prisoner closed her eyes and reveled in the sensations that overwhelmed her mind. She let it roll over and through her carrying her higher than dust ever had. She had found her new high. Power.

[lithle]

"And you'll be better off in the jungle?" Leshta's tone was equal parts disgust and mocking, "What Weyr will you transfer to from there? You'll spend what little time you have left starving and set upon by insects. And your Djith will starve beside you. Fool."

Leshta was not a fan of the jungle. She'd had the occasional need to enter the heat, the wet, the insect ridden depths of it. And she'd hated each occasion more than the last until it'd just become one more thing about the south that she tried to avoid. The idea of trying to make a life there? With a dragon? Well the girl was lucky she'd not be able to fly, that Semith would stop her idiot dragon from taking off. She'd be better off here, regardless of the punishment that her actions, or near actions might warrant.

But even as she thought such things, Djith was taking off, and Semith was bugling her shock, her hurt and fear for her baby who was flying away from her.

"I told you to stop her!" Leshta snapped, before catching herself, swallowing the anger, directing it elsewhere. Where it belonged, at the dragon who was flying above them. Away from them. "Darling, you have to call her back."

I told her. Semith's voice was sad, deeply sad. It drew Leshta away from her anger, made her focus on her dragon. Her dragon, who sounded like the world had ripped her heart away. Who was broken in so many ways, and now this. I told her and she didn't listen. I tried. I told her. She's going to get hurt. My baby. Hurt.

Djith! No command this time, just pain being voiced, being sent to her daughter grief needing to be expressed.

And Leshta stood, lip caught between her teeth. Semith had never tried to command before. It appeared she could not.

She would tell no one. "We need to go back, darling." Her voice was coaxing, gentle, "Come on, love. It's okay. Come on."