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 Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:12 pm
The candidate's passing comment drew an unashamed laugh out of Ja'kki. She'd never give Emerath up for anything else but she too had known from an early age that rank and born privilege were not to be hers.
"Ain't that just how it is?" She smirked. "At least with Keller, We, " She gestured to herself and her fellow Bolts. "Greenriders, have honor. We have respect, because we earned it." She stared boldly at the young man she'd only moments earlier been trying to kill. "You haven't seen us in action but we can fly circles around your precious metallics!"
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:21 pm
Knockabout gave himself a shake, sending drops of egg goop flying across the cavern. Where was his where was his? He couldn't see him but he could feel him quite close by. Well if he couldn't find His, maybe His could find him. Rearing up on his hind legs the bronze dragon bugled and reached out for the mind that matched his own. ((All dragons in the area are safely Impressed! Hatchlings will remain here for a few days until they are strong enough to travel.))
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Dragonflight Pern Captain
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:36 pm
The young baker's apprentice hadn't meant to go along on the hunt. In fact, he hadn't really even been invited. But there had been something that had caused him to follow the group, quietly and unobtrusively and unnoticed. Though he hadn't dared venture into the cave, especially once the fighting had started. Instead, he had hid in the bushes, having difficulty determining what he was even doing here. It was as if the normally cheerful boy had been possessed, overcome by some strange compulsion. It was a good thing he had a pocket full of meatrolls to snack on while he waited for... well. He couldn't really be waiting for anything. Perhaps they would end up camping over night, and then he could cook for them.
When the voice resonated in the blond boy's head, there was an instant of shock. This could not be happening to him! He wasn't a candidate, he was just a baker, a lowly weyrbrat. There was no way a dragon would pick him!
The boy bolted out of the bushes and shoved his way past the dragons and the people in the entrance, eliciting a number of confused and irritated grumbles. But it didn't matter, not in the slightest! He stumbled to a stop in front of Leonaith, his blue eyes wide, panting a little from the sprint.
"Leonaith! You are beautful!" The newly impressed boy said, throwing his arms around the dragon's neck. The bronze was gorgeous and impressive and His. Eiran had never known such an instant, intimate bond with anything or anyone before. Digging the meatrolls out of his pocket, he offered them to the dragon while he looked around for more food.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:41 pm
Kaeyne blinked at Ja'kki, his inky eyebrows twitching just slightly upwards with her words.
"There's nothing wrong with green or their riders," He said, voice bland. "I never disapproved of your reasoning or ideals, just your tactics. Don't go lumping me in with the color elitist sorts just because I made you swallow some sand when you stole what doesn't belong to you."
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Dragonflight Pern Captain
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:51 pm
"Kaeyne!" Kleos cut in sharply as the candidate addressed Ja'kki; it had been fine up until the 'lumping in with... etc etc' part....
It seemed however that there was no longer a need for their truce; the dragons had Impressed. "It is time for you to go now," the wingleader said firmly to the Revolutionaries. "You will not take either of these Weyrlings and raise them in a culture of violence, where the ends justify the means regardless of blood spilled. Leave now so that no more need be spilled this day. You are outnumbered, and cannot hope to prevail; I ask that you take this chance to retreat. I would not like for these two dragons to see death on the day of their birth." Even as she spoke the crimson rider tightened her grip on her knife; there was every chance that these Revolutionaries would try to kill them regardless if it meant the loss of their own lives, after all that was what they and their allies had done during the upheaval of the conflict itself.
Moriath said to all of her allies save the newly Impressed. To the dragons who had just bonded she said; will protect you from any who would do you harm.>
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:03 pm
Merrell had watched the bronze impress, but there was no opportunity to get near enough to the new rider who had come barreling into the cave like a bat out of hell. No chance to whisper persuasion in the young man's ear. She felt a wave of sadness, which was replaced with a wave of hostility when Kleos demanded that they leave. Merrell's own hand twitched toward her knife when she saw Kleos reaching for hers. But she waited, not deigning to respond to the other woman as she glanced at Ja'kki and S'lar for guidance. In the end, they were both older and wiser than rash, unpredictable Merrell.
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Eiran and Laeonaith were both preoccupied with feeding the hungry bronze, neither of them registered the increased tension that had suddenly developed in the cave. Eiran had not bothered to fully butcher the herdbeast that Daroth had provided, but he had slit its belly open so that Laeonaith and Kaeth could both feast on the soft entrails.
Laeonaith asked, pausing briefly in his eating to look around. But everything looked fine to the little bronze. At least as far as he was willing to look.
Still blissfully ignorant of everything except his dragon, Eiran grinned at the playfully demanding tone and obeyed cheerfully. He didn't mind that he was covered in the blood of the herdbeast. He didn't care about anything but Laeonaith.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:15 pm
The corners of his mouth twitched and Kaeyne looked away. He didn't talk much to begin with, this day aside, and it was mainly due to the fact that all the nasty fell out.
"Sorry, wingleader, ma'am." He said after a moments quiet, and looked back up to her. Kaeyne blinked. "... Wingleader, you're bleeding."
...and so was he.
Shaff.
Kaeyne looked to his arm and leg with a frown. "...huh."
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:52 pm
Hekate let out a muffled snort of amusement as Aurlien jokingly suggested that maybe the Rebels try and recruit her, the newly impressed bluerider's grin warming her heart. Glancing over at him she gave him a cheerful wink. It seemed at least one candidate had the common sense to realize what they were here for and who was on their side. Maybe Kaeyne was sharding wherry, but she had still defended the candidate so he wouldn't risk not impressing due to injuries.
The new bronze and his rider though tugged at her heart strings. Calanoth would be happy to see that his eggs had produced a bronze for him to fawn over and even Devith couldn't stop a croon of welcome seeing much of his friend in the two new hatchlings. However that didn't stop him from being on guard when it came to the traitors. He would not allow either of them to harm Calanoth's babies!
While Hekate knew not how the new bronzerider would turn out she looked upon the newly made bluerider with warm eyes. He wanted to be a Wingleader? Well maybe she could help make that happen. One day all colors would be given an equal chance and all backgrounds allowed to flourish. This time it would be done without such murder.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:57 pm
There was an audible snap as Ja'kki's teeth slammed shut, her lip curled into a sneer. "Fine!" She spat. "Have fun 'belonging' to them. WE don't belong to anyone! We aren't owned like cattle but I guess with your brains that's where you belong!"
Glaring at the Wingleader Ja'kki raised her knife hand, eager to have another go at the bleeding pair. Just give her the chance.
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:20 am
...Oh. So she was. Kleos noticed the cut in her riding leathers now, and the blood. She still didn't feel any pain from it though, and thankfully it seemed the slash to her thigh hadn't hit a major blood vessel. If it had she would have collapsed by now. Nevertheless the sudden realization that she was wounded shook her a little, and it was with a tight expression that she raised her own knife into a defensive posture.
"I shall be fine Kaeyne," she said tensely, eyes fixed on Ja'kki. "Leave," she repeated, now addressing the woman herself. "Ask your dragons to come to you, and leave. As for belonging, I myself was proud to belong to Malvren and now I am proud to belong to Trine. I do not presume to own anyone, and nor am I owned. I act as my conscience dictates; on this day it dictates that I give you and your companions the chance to retreat, because I do not believe in slaughtering those who cannot hope to prevail as much as to save these young dragons the sight of blood so early in their lives. I am aware that you and your ilk have no such compunctions, but that does not change what is right."
If Kleos sounded rather too pleased with her idea of her morals, it was because she was. In her own mind she was the epitome of honour and while she might often struggle to decide what the wisest course of action for her as a leader was, she was always convinced that she had the moral high-ground. It was true that she did her best to do the right thing but often enough her own arrogance blinded her to harsh truths; the moral grey of the Revolution was one thing she would never be able to even acknowledge let alone seriously contemplate. They were wrong and she was right; it was as simple as that.
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:52 am
S'lar put his hand very firmly on Ja'kki's shoulder, squeezing. His other hand was linked with Merrel's - to watch a bronze hatch was hardest for her, who had the worst experiences with them.
"We will leave peace-"
As he said this, a loud, trumpeting call echoed from outside the cave, and the small green dropped a huge herdbeast down, grinning a very smug grin at the other's minimal haul.
S'lar figured that if he didn't know she'd stolen some nearby farmer's prize beast, he didn't have to feel guilty about it. And then the wingleader spoke and S'lar shut his eyes, diverting his anger away from the surface - he could be angry later. For now, the priority remained getting he and his team away from here safely. His team in a familial not a leaderly sense - S'lar was better as a backup role, after all.
"Perhaps our compunctions simply differ from yours. But I acede that we are unlikely to come to an agreement - your head is almost as slow and as thick as your dragon's hide. As for the hatchlings.."
S'lar smiled at the pair.
"Whatever path you choose to tread, good luck."
At the moment they were making a terrible impression. It wasn't that he didn't mean it - he did, but should they choose the Resistance, S'lar would have no issue with later turning against them.
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:17 am
Merrell was nakedly grateful that S'lar and Ja'kki were doing the speaking now. She didn't really want to talk to anyone, or to fight with anyone. Their mission had been a resounding failure and on top of that, there was another bronze pair that were going to be raised with Traditionalist values which would probably turn them into a nasty, arrogant and cruel duo. No, the only thing Merrell wanted to do right now was to fly with Amaranth. Fly so high and spin so dizzily and dive so fast that every other thought was pushed from her head, replaced by a rush of adrenaline.
~Yes, Mine. We will fly and forget all about this mess. We will show these fools where real talent lies! Nobody can fly as fast as the Bolts!~
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With a satisfied croon, Laeonaith finally stopped eating and yawned widely, his little belly bulging with food. It wasn't until this point that Eiran realized how exhausted he was as well, filled with a satisfied warmth that had everything to do with his newly bonded Laeonaith. He leaned against His, and Laeonaith rested his head on the crook between Eiran's neck and shoulder. Neither of them had been paying attention to what was going on, but they finally began to notice the arguing that was going on at the other end of the cave, near the entrance.
Eiran watched the arguments, half thinking that he should go over there and see if he could help them come to a resolution. But no... they were adults, and he was loathe to leave Laeonaith. "They're probably fighting because those ones there, with the green dragons, stole some eggs. Including yours. And the folks from home were pretty angry about it."
Laeonaith responded with a mental shrug. He added, his attention suddenly veering off into a totally different direction.
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