The following is a log of roleplay from PernMUSH . The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on pernMUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.
11/5/02
Dragon> Irenyath senses that Saulith just checks in, a warm glimmer of rose and gold. << We wonder what you are learning about now. Have you caught the wind yet? >>
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath gurgles and chortles as she surfaces from the lake. << Not yet. The wind goes high and I am not allowed past the first tier of weyrs. >>
Dragon> Irenyath senses that Saulith stirs gold into the bubbly gurgles. << You can catch the little winds that don't go very high. >> Flicker of a dust-devil, faintly visible as it swirls across the Bowl.
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath sounds muted, if not a bit reserved as she remains loyal. << My lifemate says I have to obey those who teach us and not go fast until I am ready. >>
Dragon> Irenyath senses that Saulith agrees, with a faint memory of a twinging strained wing-muscle. << That is usually best. The wind will always be here to chase. >>
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath is matter of fact, not a tinge of cockiness in her tone but she almost glows with confidence. << My lifemate is puzzled as I learn so easy. But I know how to do things. It is not a struggle.>>
Dragon> Irenyath senses that Saulith laughs, a ripple of silver. << Some things are very easy. We have wings, of course we can fly. It is our riders who find it so difficult. >>
I'sai comes out of the weyrling barracks.
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath looks on her lifemate with almost maternal affection. << The poor dear, she is not as quick at learning things. >>
Taralyth rises from his crouch, stretching his wings in a series of slow, easy ripples that soak up what he can of springtime's thin afternoon sunlight. His rider pointedly doesn't look, though a smile does quirk up one side of his mouth - that breaks for, "'Lo, Cheni. Irenyath. Hungry?"
Dragon> Saulith bespoke Irenyath with << They do other things. >> Though what those things might be, she isn't too sure. << They oil us. That is very important. >>
Irenyath nudges her lifemate who is pouring over a formation chart that is spread out in front of them. So lost in concentration and perhaps puzzlement is Cheni that it takes that nudge of a wing to get her attention and she looks around the bowl. "Huh?" Spotting I'sai, she quickly stands at attention and salutes. "Good afternoon, assistant Weyrlingmaster." At the mention of hunger, Irenyath looks eager. "She is a little peckish, sir."
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath's eyes whirl with a faint tinge of red. << I am hungry. I didn't know I was hungry until that Taralyth's rider asked me. I am -very- hungry. >>
Dragon> Irenyath senses that Saulith laughs, silver tinged with red. << Then go eat. Have your rider feed you. Or do you hunt now? >>
I'sai recognizes that salute with a brief nod as reply; then, "Seemed as if she was doing fine attacking the kind that didn't move, gotten so she won't choke on the hide or anything - up for trying something that can actually run away? If you're nervous," and here he tucks his thumbs into his belt, and just grins, "That's to be understood."
Irenyath> Saulith senses that Irenyath pouts. << We play a game, they drag a dead herdbeast and we pounce. But it is boring. I know it's not dead. I'm not stupid. I don't like the game. >>
Above, Saulith flies over from the south end of the bowl.
Saulith backwings for a landing.
Saulith lands, with a small tornado of backlash, in the flowers. The Weyr gardeners are going to have heart attacks. Kichevio dismounts, looking rather rueful. "Suddenly she's hungry. This always happens while she's chatting with the weyrlings. Hey Is, Cheni. Hunting the dead herdbeast already?"
Kichevio slides down easily from Saulith's neck.
Irenyath croons with eagerness at the thought of a live kill. Her enthusiasm is not met with the same level by Cheni who swallows, her eyes wide as saucers. "Umm, well, she says she knows what to do. I don't know ...but she is hungry and she's utterly bored with the drag the herdbeast behind an adult dragon game, she says it's silly to expect her to believe it's any challenge." She rolls her eyes at Irenyath and then snaps a salute to Kichevio. "Rider, good afternoon."
Taralyth yawns once, and hugely, showing an expanse of sharp white teeth as if eager to take up any opportunity Irenyath misses; he then noses amiably in Saulith's general direction, scenting the wind. "Well, worth a try. See what she does with it. And as for - " I'sai breaks off with a laugh, "'Lo, Kich. Hey, how old's Saulith gotten? Nearing ten Turns, is she?"
"My name is Kichevio," the rider in question enunciates clearly to Cheni. "Kich-ev-i-o." But it's a cross she's used to bearing. "Still better than ma'am. Nine Turns and some, Is, close enough to ten as makes no difference. Is Tear feeling his age? Saulith, leave Irenyath's practice-thing alone." Saulith is thoughtfully batting at the dead herdbeast. Her food's not playing.
"You know she has to," I'sai says briefly, just a little flatly. "And what, Tear? He's young; no, was thinking ten's a good round number, is all." - "Could give one to her hobbled, Cheni; but I think she's deft enough to be able to do it live."
Cheni nods to I'sai and looks up at Irenyath for reassurance but the green has her attentions already on the feeding pens. "I think she's able to catch one, and she's tired of dead things. She says that she dreams of live things to kill." Shuddering delicately, she chuckles dryly. "I can definitely attest to those dreams."
I'sai lifts fair brows, and his smile widens before shading businesslike again; "Well, all -right-. We've got them mostly herded into the side pens, as you might've seen with some of the other pairs, so there're only about five or so in the main section she'll be flying over - and that Saulith'll be flying over? If she's still in the mood."
Kichevio makes a sympathetic face. "Best diet plan in the world is a starving dragon," she agrees. "Sure, Saulith will be picking her meal. You want her to go first, so Irenyath can have a model, or is she starving and withering away?"
I'sai considers a moment, then glances Cheni's way, his brief hand-gesture deferring that to her - and what she thinks they're ready for.
Cheni admits. "I haven't been out to watch the others in their ..err, hunts. I was busy doing other things." Anything else but watching that is. She pales slightly but reassures Irenyath. "Of course nothing you do would ever disgust me dearling." Laughing, she answers Kichevio with a gesture of the well fleshed and muscled green. "She's not exactly dying from famine no matter what our belly might say." She nods to Kichevio after a moment with Irenyath. "She says if I have to call you Rider, she should show the same respect to Saulith and allow her first pick."
I'sai's mouth - twitches. Not a grin. Not a grin at all. But, maybe, a hint of one. "C'mon, then," and he heads over towards the pens, and once there, holds the gate for the other riders.
I'sai opens the gate and enters the feeding grounds, closing it behind him.
In the Feeding Grounds, I'sai opens the gate and enters from the central bowl, closing it behind him.
You open the gate and enter the feeding grounds, remembering to close it behind you.
Feeding Grounds
The feeding grounds are wide, and covered with huge gashes, the clawmarks of feeding dragons. The fence that surrounds this area is very sturdy, to prevent stampedes during a dragon's feeding. Toward one end the fence ends, and the shore of the Weyr lake is visible.
The evening is clear, not a cloud to be seen, giving you a perfect view of the stars. The smaller Belior is shining brightly as a full moon while Timor winks as a waxing crescent. There seems to be a light breeze and the spring air is warm enough, with only a slight chill.
Contents:
I'sai
Obvious exits:
Bowl Pasture
Irenyath> In the Feeding Grounds, Cheni opens the gate and enters from the central bowl, closing it behind her.
Irenyath> Kichevio opens the gate and enters the feeding grounds, closing it behind her.
Irenyath> In the Feeding Grounds, Kichevio opens the gate and enters from the central bowl, closing it behind her.
Kichevio opens the gate and enters from the central bowl, closing it behind her.
Irenyath> In the Feeding Grounds, Kichevio laughs, in tandem with Saulith's pleased rumble as the humans leave the dragons behind. "She says that's very kind of you both, only give her a moment."
Kichevio laughs, in tandem with Saulith's pleased rumble as the humans leave the dragons behind. "She says that's very kind of you both, only give her a moment."
Irenyath> In the Feeding Grounds, Cheni gingerly follows behind I'sai, picking her way across the ground even though there are no spare parts on the ground. She looks back at Irenyath and purses her lips, doubtful "I have no doubt she'll do fine. I hope I don't mess this one up somehow."
Cheni gingerly follows behind I'sai, picking her way across the ground even though there are no spare parts on the ground. She looks back at Irenyath and purses her lips, doubtful "I have no doubt she'll do fine. I hope I don't mess this one up somehow."
I'sai perches on the rail, though not so casually that he can't swing over to the other side in a hurry should beasts - or dragon - come too near; "Hope not too," he says amiably. "But, with only a few beasts like this, it's unlikely she'll gouge them all up and only kill one, or something."
Saulith flies over the feeding grounds from above the bowl.
Cheni follows I'sai's example and straddles the rail, using a fence post as a small back rest. She winces at the mention of gouging. "I do hope she doesn't do that. Neat and clean, nice and simple. Humane, there we go." Irenyath's snort reminds her. "Right, she's not human."
Saulith makes the most of her small audience, circling in a fluid spiral above the slowly panicking animals before swooping down in the approved Death-From-Above manner. Her chosen wherry never had a chance. She impales the beast on one talon, cradles it in two more, and settles in a clear patch to enjoy her meal, wings half-hunched for a spot of privacy. Please ignore the small streams of blood, she's doing her best to be dainty. Kichevio's only response to all this is a brief, expressive eye-roll. "Show-off. Epicure. Yes you _are_."
"And not eating humans, either," I'sai teases, afterwards slanting an approving nod Saulith's way. Back to Cheni, "Just like practice, the whole moving thing; and no worries if she bites off more than she can chew, to speak, in trying to stop it. And if she wants to play with it? Well, the first time's not so bad, she'll be excused; it's later that everyone'll complain if all the meat's run off the herd."
Irenyath springs into the air for a quick flight over the fence from the central bowl. It settles, terrifying the animals within.
It's been long enough that, foolish beasts that they are, a couple of the bovines have begun to nose at what thin grass pokes just within muzzles' reach from the pens; the two remaining wherries are more attentive, eyeing the dragons and fluffing their plumes again and again.
Without as much as a nod to her lifemate, Irenyath rises up into the air and over the feeding pen with a graceful glide. She dives towards a small wherry, plump and just begging for her attention. Foolishly, she goes for the tempting morsel, even though the avian is well aware of her approach and skitters to get away. She reaches out with her razor sharp talons, hovering over long enough to hopefully grab her prey but she only succeeds in raking it along it's side before it begins to half hop, half run, squawking in fear and in pain. She chases after it, as the remaining beasts in the section begin running around, dirt flying, the noise deafening. She pounces again, this time, victory! She rips into its gut with a razor sharp talon, snapping its neck with a sickening crack with her maw.
Saulith swishes her tail out of the way of Irenyath's dinner demolition derby, rumbling mildly. There are those of us trying to _eat_ here.
Cheni holds on to the rail, shutting her eyes. That only heightens things and her eyes pop open again. Not able to keep her eyes off her lifemate's rather messy approach to her dining, she winces as the green's total rapture is heard in a rumbly croon as she sucks up the guts in a huge slurp. "Shells." She laughs shakily. "You'll never sit at a Holder's table that way, dear." She looks over at Saulith. "Is she alright?"
I'sai squints against the setting sun - not that it's not mostly shadows, this low in the caldera - to watch; "How's she feel to you, Cheni?" he asks without commenting on the time it took.
Kichevio chuckles, unfazed by the blood and all. Long Turns of practice. "Oh, she's fine. More concerned that Irenyath might distractedly run her over than anything else."
Irenyath continues feeding, eating quite neatly now that the critter is indeed dead under her. She raises her maw to look Cheni's way and sucks back an entrails much as a polite spaghetti eater would dispose of the very tip of a strand. Swallowing bile, Cheni shuts her eyes again. "She's fine, she's happy, she says struggling live things now dead taste good. And she wouldn't have run Saulith over, she said it wouldn't be polite."
I'sai watches with the studied ease of practice, and - spotting Cheni's expression - can't resist smacking his lips a time or two. Still, all he says is, "Good to hear, good to hear. Take your time."
Kichevio's eyes flicker blank as she calls Saulith over, laughing gently. "That's very kind of her. And tell her not to chase them around so much next time, it adds to the gristle. Please excuse me..."
Kichevio disappears up onto Saulith's spring-green back.
Saulith takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry her aloft -- much to the relief of the wherries.
Cheni glowers at I'sai after saluting the departing Kichevio. "Take -my- time? She's the one eating." She makes a face at the sickening crunch then slurping sound as Irenyath finds the joy of fresh marrow in the thigh bone of her meal. "I like a girl with a healthy appetite but that's ridiculous."
I'sai waves the adult pair on before turning back, and adopting a Harper’s dry, distracted tones: "'Your' can be plural or singular. Unlike 'his' or 'her.'" He clears his throat, and stops the lecture in favor of a bright, "Just think, if you get really good at it, you can hide in your weyr and just stick your fingers in your ears and try to drown out the mental echo of crunching with a 'nyah nyah nyah nyah.'"
Cheni snorts. "I remember, I think. The grammar lessons from long ago." She chuckles. "Not that I put them into much practise these days." Not much is left of the wherry and Irenyath looks rather disappointed as she turns off the carcass this way and that, looking for any tidbits left as Cheni sighs. "She's happy, she's full, even though she says she's not. I think she just wants to show she can do it right this time. And I thought we were to share every moment of our existence together. She can get in my head no matter what I do anyhow."
"Me ain't bother no grammar neither," I'sai says with quite a straight face. "...And that's the important thing, or one of them, that you know that she isn't full despite what she's said. And, hm? Sharing is one thing, sharing _everything_ _all_ the time... can't fight Fall that way." He stretches, then says, "Bet our own dinner's ready, by now. Going to stay with her here, or will you two head back with me?"
Cheni laughs. "I see, I see." She nods to I'sai. "I've learned that already, I'm not going to let her get ill. But we are going back and I'm not hungry, for some reason." She rolls her eyes as Irenyath cleans herself off somewhat. "I think I'll go scrub her down."
I'sai nods amiably back, then swings over the rail to escort the pair to the barracks.
I'sai opens the gate and heads out to the Bowl.
*** Disconnected from PernMUSH ***
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