Post by Sher on Aug 9, 2011 16:59:21 GMT -5
01.05.3189
Are you certain you don't want to come along?[/color] Rusith asked Hers, edging away from the eggs that weren't hers. A pair of greens had already been signaled to come keep them warm, with an unusual degree of formality and thanks from the usually brusque gold. She was giving them space to move; getting closer to the gap in the roof of the Hatching Cavern had nothing to do with it.
Kadia waved her hand to indicate the gold should go hunting without her, and strode across the oddly warm sand toward the two greens' riders. I'll just slow you down. You'd have to stop so I could remove your harness, then you'd have to come back and get me, she said logically. Just hurry, okay? You haven't eaten much since we arrived, but there's a meeting with the stonesmith after lunch.
Right. Rusith hunkered back on her haunches and launched smoothly into the air, the first downsweep of her wings simultaneously stirring the fine sand in little clouds. Flying was the most glorious sensation, one she never tired of. As she rose toward the hole in the stone, she reflected with self-directed amusement on how nervous she'd been at first about going up and out of such a seemingly-small opening. It was in fact large enough that three of her could have safely gone out at once, if only just, but it was high enough away from the floor of the Hatching Caverns that it looked smaller from there.
The hole had another most satisfying effect: the heat leaving the Weyr from it streamed out rather than just fading outward in the chilly air, and provided a handy little thermal for a few wingbeats.
Rather than going between to hunt, Rusith powered her way through the chilly bite of the air. To her, the cold was invigorating, sharpening her awareness of the gently rolling plains. The first herd she happened upon was of caprines, making her snort disparagement. No goats today, thank you very much. She was after something much larger.
Almost at the end of the plain, where the scattered trees were thicker, were the herdbeasts. Rusith growled as hunger sent her down into the perilously close trees, letting out a roar to drive them out into the open where she could get at them without breaking anything.
A few of the dumb ones did break from cover and scattered wildly away from the rest of the herd, and the gold felt savage delight as she swept down heavily on the larger of the three. Hearing the dying squeals sent the other two into a frenzy, and though one of them gathered its wits enough to circle back into the trees, the last kept going out into the open. Perfect. She could fetch it at her leisure. For now, ripping great gobs of flesh from her first kill and gulping them down whole, Kadia and the problems of the Weyr seemed so very far away.
In the precious privacy of her most secret thoughts, the gold wondered for just a brief moment what it would be like, to be as free as a firelizard- going wherever one's desires led, without a human conscience advising caution. Without a human half completing one's soul. It was absurd anyway; dragons couldn't live without Theirs.
Humans had made certain of that in the beginning. Now there was a strangely bitter thought, but she entertained it as Kadia was still distantly engaged with the greenriders. Were the humans from so long ago actually responsible for the deaths of hatchlings for countless generations...? It would be something to think about.
When Kadia was asleep, of course.