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Post by Mello on Aug 9, 2010 20:12:09 GMT -5
He was tired, more drained than he could ever remember being as a result of putting so much into this run. But the bronze wher continued to follow as closely as he could. The need was greater than the fatigue- the need to win, to prove himself to the other males there and most importantly to the lovely golden queen. Speed had never been one of his strongest suits but he pushed on as quickly as he could while dodging tree branches, desperate to show her his strength and skill.
When she began to run next to the river he let out a small call of excitement. Yes! At last he could show his true strength to the gorgeous gold. While enough trees were still around to create obstacles for the unwary, there was more space than in the middle of the forest, and he felt new energy come to him with the realization that, while he may not have been the first to reach the riverbank, he could certainly gain on any others in front of him now. It was just proof that he was meant to win her affections!
His inexperience was still a fatal flaw, however. So excited about the new terrain, he didn’t see the fallen tree until he was tripping over it, limbs caught together in a jumbled pile. He forced himself to his feet as quickly as possible, but the damage was done. What if she had seen? Would she turn him away as unworthy? He knew if he was still to have a chance to prove himself, he would have to do something big and daring to catch her attention.
But by then she had already taken a leap into the air off the edge of the rapids and he barely stopped to contemplate, sure that that was the way he would catch her eye. He put the last remnants of his strength into his legs, trying to regain lost speed, before catapulting himself off the log and into the air. Would his maneuver be enough or would he plummet to the ground? He searched for the queen, hoping to see her close by.
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Kaemi
Weyrling
Posts: 144
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Post by Kaemi on Aug 9, 2010 21:38:11 GMT -5
Continuing behind his beautiful queen, Tovsk blocked out everything but the ground in front of him and the hide of extraordinary Rozsk. His muscles were burning, his energy quickly depleting as the Run went on. Afraid that he wouldn't have the reserves to finish, but not wanting to cut out steps now that could allow him to win, the brown ignored the problem and continued as he was. However, it soon became obvious that this just wouldn't do, as suddenly his prize accelerated. If he didn't follow just as fast, then soon he would be left behind.
Of course, there was no choice. He pushed himself, and followed his queen's glowing hide, as well as her well-marked sand trail. Every single one of his legs was burning like icy fire, and still he continued, ignoring the pain in favor of the success of keeping up with the lovely Rozsk. So focused was he on his goal, on the potential prize, on the Run, that he didn't quite realize where he was running to. For this reason, he didn't see that they were jumping until the gold's wings expanded further, and she leaped. Within moments, he was joining his fellows in their jumps to follow her. His own wings expanded merely extended on instinct, the shock of the muscles twinging almost jolting him to close them.
A slight falter was all that was allowed by the brown, however, and he quickly recovered. Though he didn't quite catch the air currents that were carrying his beautiful queen, Tovsk hadn't used his wings nearly as much as the other whers, having depended more on avoidance than balance in the higher obstacles. And so he attempted to beat at the air, wishing to follow the gold, and knowing that he probably couldn't without the currents. His wing muscles weren't as worn out, but his energy as a whole was greatly affected, and that in itself could be detrimental to his success.
But she was so beautiful! Hanging in the air, wings extended, hide glowing, beautiful form framed by the waterfall and the mist surrounding her. He may just be a brown, but the prize was too lovely to give up now. Tovsk managed to reach an air pocket, and it slipped him into a nearby current. He wasn't nearly as proficient at navigating the air as Rozsk was, or some of his competition seemed to be, but he was trying, and couldn't she see that? Working to near himself to her, knowing that he would fly as long as necessary to win the gold, he beat his wings again and attempted to angle closer to Rozsk.
Toven had heard many times that flitter Flights were the least affecting, and that then came Runs, and next came dragon Flights. Now, he had never been involved in either the first, nor the last, but he had suffered the effects of gold and green Flights second-hand. And a gold Run, firsthand, was much much worse. Green Runs had been bad enough, the close melding of wher and handler, the idea of one mind. This was that tenfold. He was having trouble remembering that he was Toven, and not Tovsk, and that the woman in front of him was not Rozsk, but her handler. Truly, though, the wherhandler didn't have a care that he was having trouble differentiating between wher and handler. His mind was there behind Tovsk's echoing his thoughts and encouraging him on.
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Rouxy
Cerulean Weyr Staff
Rouxy of the Jungle
Posts: 345
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Post by Rouxy on Aug 14, 2010 7:42:59 GMT -5
Rozsk let out a small cooing noise as she side slipped again, angling a bit further out from the waterfall, her eyes whirling with color while her body ached for a finish to the run. The moon gave her an almost incandescent glow as she hit pockets of spray and became slick with water.
Her wings were failing as she grew tired, and it was time to decide on her male. All had successfully made the daring leap, and each male was keeping himself aloft well enough. It thrilled her to see so many whers capable enough to hold their positions in the air with the help of the upwards currents. Each one was deserving of attention, but only one was deserving of her, deserving of the catch. She had made her decision.
Finally giving herself up, Rozsk let her tired wings begin to close as she angled towards her male, cutting crosswise through the currents towards the males, her tail flicking slightly to adjust her position like an air rudder. He was doing more than gliding, he was still attempting to gain height on his own power, rather than just the power of the currents. He was strong even after the run, he'd kept up, and he was handsome and known to her. She arced into Tovsk, closing her own wings as she wrapped around him, cooing and warbling her admiration that he'd done so well. Her brownmale, she trusted him to not let her fall as she gave a single wingbeat to angle them away from the deadly falls, then forgot about everything else.
Rozen/Rozsk took a few steps towards him from the center of the room, her arms wide as her eyes were locked on the brownmale. He was chosen, he should catch her before the falls took them both. She could feel the spray on their skin, the beat of the upwards currents as ecstasy filled her form. Her wings ached from her long final moment of testing her males, and now she needed his wings, his strong wings with which to hold her up.
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