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Feline Hunting
An Unofficial Event
By Chayse

Situation:
In a standard flyover greenrider T'bell and his dragon Liliath noticed a most peculiar feature just North-East of Rias Hold. While it is not uncommon for the holders to complain of felines stalking their herds, only rarely is it ever true. This flyover, however, something seemed a bit off...different from the usual routine.

The herdbeasts were all bunched together, not due to the dragon, but to some other disturbance. They were moving, grazing as normal, but very very close. Once or twice T'bell even swore he saw shadows in the edges of the thick brush surrounding the herdbeasts' clearing. He repported back to the Weyr and was ordered to do another flyover the following day.

~~~

The next day was very much the same. The herd had been watched since dusk the night before, and the firepits made by the holders were being stoked into height for a rough breakfast. The long dragonrider did he sweep, a proper height above the entire clearing. Nothing was amiss. Thinking that the felines would show themselves if he were to back off, he did just that, going between and reappearing much higher above the clearing. He cricled there for a long time until he saw a small speck moving on the other side of a stand of trees. Liliath swooped down and T'bell only caught a glimpse of what appread to be a female feline, looking as if she were nearly done weaning her cubs. There was not only one, but quite possibly many many more in the dark jungle.

Back at the Weyr duties were thrown together rather quickly, and T'bell was put in charge of the hunting flight in a rather quick decision yelled at him by a passing bronze rider. He has gathered all of the volunteered riders on the southernmost point of the rim and is about ready to give the signal to lift off.

Participants:
Chayse - T'bell/Liliath
Werewolf - Farran/Moth
Kitty-Ravenclaw - Kayla/Tarlith
Shinzick of Teh - Nico/Zareth
Kimaria - L'cian/Tallith

Awarded Prizes:

Chayse - T'bell/Liliath
Werewolf - Farran/Moth
Kitty-Ravenclaw - Kayla/Tarlith
Shinzick of Teh - Nico/Zareth
Kimaria - L'cian/Tallith

Last Words:
Read all of the above, please and thankyou, and when you are awarded with your prize (presented in three different views for your convenience) please save it and host it on your own server. These images are copywritten to ME and me alone, so please only use them in the guild and alert me if there is anyone who is displaying a pelt who is not supposed to have a pelt. The master list will be up in Imirin's shop once the event is completed.

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Tallith's rumble of impatience reverberated around the weyr, causing L'cian to look up from his reading, eyes focusing on the mahogany head that had been pushed through the large doorway into his room. The one visible, blue eye whirled with excitement, telling the brown rider that something was up.

The furries, we hunt! Came Tallith's enthusiastic sentence, as he spread his wings as wide as they would go in the confined space of the weyr.

L'cian's eyes lit up with understanding and reaching over he grabbed his jacket, sliding the garment over his shoulders and doing up the buckles with a practised speed. "Where are they dear brown?" He asked, sliding on gloves and stretching his fingers out as he fastened them at the wrists.

Liliath is waiting on the southern rim, she will direct us.

"Liliath?" L'cian tilted his head in a confused manner at his brown's remark, something didn't quite add up about that, "A green, my love?"

Yes, she was the first to spot our prey. The brown rumbled deep in his chest, backing up and turning his large body to face the ledge, padding out into the sunshine, folding his wings to his sides and craning back his head to gaze upon his rider.

L'cian checked the fastenings on his boots, reached over his bed to hook the goggles up by the tips of his fingers and using the other to grab his cap.

Why do you take so long? Tallith complained loudly, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, blue eyes slowing their dizzying whirl as impatience set in.

"The felines will wait for us, they are stupid and do not know what is coming."

Yes, the furries will be broken by my jaws.

"And you must learn not to underestimate the force of their claws and teeth against your tender hide." L'cian scolded lightly, moving up to stand beside his dragon, laying an affectionate hand on his friend's shoulder and caressing the soft hide there. He had seen many a rider injured badly at the paws of those creatures.

They will not break me, they are useless I am not.

"They have beautiful fur."

You dislike my hide?

L'cian laughed, clapping the gloved hand affectionately against the great beast's neck, moving to check the riding straps. "You know very well that I love your hide, but on you and not on the floor to be used as a rug." The answer seemed to suit the dragon for he gave no reply except to raise a forepaw as a platform to help his rider mount.

With one last check, the brown rider stepped up onto the offered leg and reached up with both hands, hooking them over the neck ridges and vaulting himself up, swinging his leg with ease and settling against the soft, warm neck of his companion.

"Lead the way dear heart." L'cian beamed, as he completed fastening the riding straps and preparing himself for launch.

Great, brown Tallith unfurled his colossal wings and with a loud bugle, lowered his body for that all important thrust upwards. As usual the sudden force of becoming airborne sent L'cian's head snapping back and after a few strained beats of his wings the dragon entered into his more graceful flight.

He turned on a lazy curve, soaring gracefully over to the southern rim, spotting not only Liliath but a couple of other dragons too.

Moth and Zareth also join us in the hunt. Tallith informed as he backwinged over to the rim, landing to wait for a destination and greeting the dragons with a soft croon.

((I'm deliberatly moving a bit fast to get to the actual hunting. Once everyone has posted again I'll detail their targets. Since no felines have made their appearance yet there should be no attacking ^_^))


T'bell looked somewhat nervously at the assembled group before him. Ugh, what must they think, being put under the orders of a greenrider.

It will teach them humility. Liliath rumbled with amusement, placing her leg out for T'bell to vault onto her back and straightening when he took his seat.

"Maybe so, love, but they all rank above me. L'cian especially." T'bell checked his harness and fretted quietly to himself, patting Zephyr when he trilled curiously into his ear.

I am not the only green. Liliath arched her neck, of the opinion that she was the prettiest even if she weren't the only of her colour. I will give them their location.

The image the green dragon sent them would put them in a V formation above the clearing. T'bell looked over his shoulder, making sure that everyone had gotten their location, and raised his arm as the signal to take off. As soon as he dropped it Liliath lept into the sky, causing a squawk from Zephyr, and took her position as the point of the V, rather pleased with herself. T'bell patted her shoulder and waited until the wing was in the proper position before giving the signal to go between.

The cold nothingness of between chilled the greenrider, and he mentally counted the span of three coughs before he appeared over the clearing and could once more feel Liliath under him and Zephyr around his neck.

Ahead and below the emerging wing a vast clearing stretched off for several dragonlengths, bracketed by lush forest on both sides. A smaller clearing stood to the east of the large one, only a small line of trees seperating it. Two blue dragons would fit comfortably there, and so that would likely be the perfect place for skinning.
In the center of the main clearing the group of herdbeasts huddled, aware of the trees around them. T'bell had given instructions for the wing to appear high above the ground so as not to alert the felines or the beasts to their presence. Now he waited carefully, both him and Liliath straining their eyes in the dusk to watch the empty ground below.

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A soft burst of warm air carefully caught the underside of Moth’s pea colored wings. She swayed gently with the air, her narrow wingtips angling to catch the thermal and ease her wing pressure.
Farin’s eyes meanwhile continued to scour the area below and above. She kept an eye on the other dragon’s movements, noting well that how a dragon handles itself in a hunt is often parallel to how it handles itself in threadfall. Some of the riders were younger riders she had yet to get herself acquainted with better, and as far as Farin was concerned the best and only way for a dragonrider to know others was how their dragons and themselves worked together.
With another quick pump, Moth left herself to gliding, her own eyes not focusing upon the dragon’s in flight rather then the ground. She mildly caught that quite a few of the dragons were a tad sore for having to follow the young green’s orders. As the oldest of the dragons in the particular hunt, she considered herself to be the senior of all of them, regardless of color. The only dragon who was even above her age was the bronze Basarith by a year. And as the wing leader’s dragon, it was as it should be. But Moth was a restrained dragon, and did not privately scold the others behavior. Instead, she amicably followed Liliath’s orders. And with a snort, she tossed her head, dipping her wing to the side to follow into a careful turn above the foliage.
‘What are you angry about?’ Farin squeaked in a rather peculiar voice, aware that her dragon was feeling a little testy about something other then the hunt.
Moth’s previous thoughts fell from her mind. Nothing Love, I am just looking for the felines. Moth would rather her rider not stick her nose in dragon’s problems, the woman’s temper being something she had to keep careful check on.
Farin nodded, and squinted her eyes closer against the dancing foliage. Patches of bright green and dark blue swirled around as they skimmed the air thermals so high above Pern. Presently they were much higher then the average height during threadfall, although this height was hardly the total expanse a dragon could achieve.
Moth returned her eyes back to the grasses and field, the sight of huddled herd beasts being the only living things her eyes could spot. But that did not mean the creatures were not crouched below some hiding point…It was still yet to be completely dark. There’d be time for them to come.
‘Make sure to be careful once we’re after one.’ Farin responded, her face stern.
No feline could take me. Moth retorted simply, batting her wings to their full extent.
‘There’s no reason to be too coy either. They still have claws, and they could take an eye if they managed. We’ll also try not to harm the pelt either.’ Farin added, her brow furrowing in thought.
Claws maybe, but not so much in intelligence. I will take good care of the pelt. I believe if we come on top of it and crash it to the earth, the spine will break without much effort.
‘We’ll plan for that then. But be ready to grab it if it makes a run at you.’
I will certainly grab it. Moth spoke, in a dragon’s tune of a smirk.

A long time passed and T'bell fidgeted nervously atop Liliath, wonderig if there would indeed be a hunt afterall. Minutes seemed to crawl by before below one, then two, made themselves barely visible. On the opposite side of the field four more skulked from the trees.

The herdbeasts were trapped in the middle of both the advancing groups, and they began to stir uneasily as a few recognized the danger of the pair from downwind, and moved towards the other side, only to realize there were more felines waiting for them.

"Tell them to wait, love, just long enough for them to get far enough out of the trees that they won't run back in." T'bell whispered, and Liliath passed the message confidently onto the other dragons.

The felines drew farther and farther from the trees, and once their distance seemed enough for Liliath to outfly one to the cover of the trees he leaned over Liliaths' neck, taking hold of the flight straps. "Now!"

Now! Liliath barely gave the order before she dove towards the palest streak closest to the trees. T'bell had cautioned her to allow others thier first pick, and now she was simply driving them from their cover and into the open field.

((Six felines total. Liliath has dove at the group of four. Free for all now ^_^ Take as many posts as you like, but remember I decide if the felines are caught or not *nod*))