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The Stalking and Kidnapping of a Brownrider


Date:  January 13, 1997
Places:  Seacraft Hall's Fisher Beach, and Boll's Gather Beach
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  This log isn't complete, because I had to sign off before
the fun and games were over; also, the first part of my log got wiped by
some freaky 'Net thing, so the first part of *this* copy has been 
generously contributed by Meli. :)  For the most part, all sorts of spam 
have been cut out; however, a page or three and at least one knot comment 
have been left in for the sake of amusement and/or relevance. :)  All
things prefixed by <*> take place away from Lysseth while I'm on her;
there are some of these in every place we went.  Things prefixed by
Lysseth> take place on the Gather Beach when I'm in the water.  Just
as a sort of addendum, this episode is sort of a follow-up to the
Greenrider Knife-Throwing Practice and Lysseth's Third Flight logs;
Meli once quipped that it's really episode four of the Snowman Slaughter.

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The Log:

From above, Juliath emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

Keriann nods back to M'rgan. A soft sigh escapes her as she then turns 
to make her way the rest of the way to shore, some distance away from the 
group to where she quickly dresses.

From above, Juliath bugles a welcome and spirals lazily downward towards 
an open stretch of beach.

Kena turns back to Aphrael. "Mart is staying out of trouble for the most 
part," she says, teasing her weyrmate.

Lysseth raises her head and trumpets a greeting to her clutchsister.

You slip smoothly down from Juliath's neck to her foreleg and to the 
ground, giving her a gentle caress.

Aphrael grins ruefully at Carissea. "I have that pleasure, yes." she 
admits with a grin over at M'rgan. Chuckling at Kena's words, she answers, 
"Good to hear."

Kassima blinks. "Wouldn't've thought 'twould be possible for Mart to stay 
out of trouble," she laughs, giving Lyss's neck a slap as she finishes 
removing the various leather doohickeys. "All right, sky-lady. This way, 
if you insist on soaking us all later, at least you'll nay ruin your 
straps in the process."

Prefeth warblecroons over to his clutchsister.

From above, Vidarth emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

From above, Vidarth, spiralling gracefully, lands on the ground below.

Vidarth flies in.

R'val slides down from Vidarth's back and lands in a crouch.

R'val leaps off his dragon's back and grins, "Aha. Here's where you all 
went."

Juliath happily digs her talons into the sand a few times before giving 
another warble. Meli just chuckles, stepping over with a tightly wrapped 
package carefully in hand.

Vidarth alights and curls up on the sandy shore, crooning to his fellows.

Kassima waves over to Meli, peering at her package. "Heya, Meli--what've 
you got there?"

R'val walks over towards the others and grins, "Benden's greetings to 
y'all, even if you're bendenites."

Carissea chuckles at Trianneth's obvious desire to join the game. 
"Martigan's been one of our steadier riders. If a little vain!" she says, 
teasing lightly. "Not /entirely/ without cause, I guess..." she adds, 
speculatively.

Meli grins, squinting slightly against the change in lighting. "Picked up 
some lemon bread" she replies to Kassi's question.

Aphrael looks over and grins. "Meli! R'val! Good to see you both." she 
greets.

R'val peers towards Meli, "Lemon bread?"

Kassima shakes her head and chuckles. "Looks like a regular Benden 
invasion... steadier?" She definitely looks surprised. "Shells, and here 
I'd thought he was as crazy as the rest of us all this time. Heya, R'val! 
Lemon bread, Meli?" This last is asked with considerable eagerness.

From above, Herath emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

Keriann salutes each arriving rider, smiling as she hears what the Benden 
greenrider is carrying. "From Ruatha?" she asks.

Carissea finally lets Trianneth go, and turns to nod at R'val. "Nice to 
see you again," she says, folding up the straps.

As she reaches the group, Meli nods again. "Ayeh. Got a hankerin' for 
some, so I popped in an' picked some up." She smiles at those she doesn't 
know.

From above, Herath, spiralling gracefully, lands on the ground below.

Herath flies in.

Vidarth croons in greeting to Herath as she lands.

R'val grins towards Kassima as he moves closer, "Sure is. Vidarth heard 
where all your dragons were and wanted to see what was up, and I was 
admittedly curious as well..."

Juliath, still playing in the sand a bit, warbles lightly to the gold.

Nestled in her familiar spot on Herath, Kindre waves before tugging off 
her helmet and gloves. "Benden's duties!" she calls and hops down.

Kassima grins. "Don't suppose you've any for sharing?" she asks hopefully, 
then waves up to the arriving gold and rider. "Kindre! I was hoping to run 
into you today--I wanted to show you what m'cousin finally finished making 
for me!"

Kindre gives Herath's neck a loving rub before she slips down with the 
polished ease of familiarity. The gold's eyes seem to burn through Kindre 
until she is certain her lifemate is sure-footed on the ground, then turn 
equally as hot to the surroundings in a quick survey.

R'val salutes towards Kindre with a grin, "Hullo ma'am." He winks, 
"Welcome to the party Kindre!"

Meli tries her best to look startled and offended, leaning her package 
away from Kassi's potentially grabbing fingers. But she just laughs then, 
adding "Course there's some t'share. Don' want me t'get all fat an' 
jiggly, now do you?"

Kindre wrinkles up her face at the bluerider, "Crackdust, R'val, saluting 
 -me-? Please," she winks. Smiling wide as she recognizes people, she puts 
her hands on her hips, "I didn't miss much of the party, did I?"

R'val grins at Meli, "Fat, no...Jiggly.." he looks mock-thoughtful and 
winks at her before turning to Kindre, "Just teasin', Kindre." He says 
light-heartedly.

Lysseth rumbles a greeting to Herath, then looks over to the water again. 
She walks over to it and taps the water with a foretalon, for which 
purpose, Faranth only knows. The green then unexpectedly gives her head a 
vigorous shake, dislodging three fire-lizards who fall into the water with 
a series of plops.

Keriann salutes the Benden goldrider, quietly offering, "High Reaches' 
duties to Benden and her fine queens, ma'am."

Kassima beams at Meli. "Then you're i'truth Faranth's blessing, Meli--oh, 
and I wanted to show this t'you, too. I think 'twill do you good with your 
knife practicing." She pats the mysterious bulky leather-wrapped whatsits 
that she removed from Lysseth's straps earlier.

Carissea smiles vaguely, growing slowly quieter as the crowd grows. "You 
/do/ have a lot of friends, don't you, M'rgan?" she eventually says.

R'val grins at Meli, "If you're sharing, I'll certainly try some. I 
haven't had the stuff in simply ages."

M'rgan continues to just relax in the water as he remarks to Carissea with 
a small smirk, "More than I realized."

Kassima grins and points to the 'Reaches brownrider. "And you, too! I 
think, Mart, that I have finally found an event at which you can be 
beaten."

Herath rumbles somewhat graciously in returned greetings before lumbering 
off to nap in a more seculed area. Kindre blinks first upon hearing her 
name and then smiles, "And Benden's to the Reaches...and, honest, saluting 
me isn't necessary. So," she turns to see what's being talked about and 
shared, "what is it you all are fussing over there," she asks and smiles.

Meli eyes Kassi's package with a quirked brow, even as she carefully 
unwraps the cloth around her own bundle. Soon she reveals quite a lot of 
lemon bread, only slightly stuck-together from having been layered within 
the bundle.

R'val peeks over Meli's shoulder curiously at the bread, his eyes 
narrowing as he regards it, "Quite a lot, hmm?"

Vidarth rumblerumbles to Herath from nearby in the water, eyes whirling in 
an unusually cheerful mood.

Carissea removes her boots, wading in the not-so-cold water. "Do you 
compete in lots of events?" she asks M'rgan. "You're always so quiet."

Meli chuckles again, turning her head to eye R'val and stick her tongue 
out at him briefly. "Ayeh. Quite a lot." She then turns back to the group 
and says a little louder "Anyone who wants some, come an' get some 'fore 
R'val eats all o'it."

R'val pokes Meli gently in the gut as she sticks out her tongue, and does 
the same, "Hey! I'm no greedy guts, greenrider!"

M'rgan smiles apologetically at Carissea. "My mind was elsewhere." He 
glances down the beach towards Keriann before starting to make his way out 
of the water. "What was the question?"

Carissea turns around, her attention caught by an offer of free food. 
"Err... any extra for those of us stuck freezing in the cold?" she asks, 
wiping some sand from her bare feet.

"Lemonbread? Shells, I'm in for a piece, Meli, if you don't mind," Kindre 
says as she strides over to snag a piece of her favorite treat.

Meli's eyes twinkling, she nods, extending the pile towards Carissea. 
"Help y'self" she begins, ending with a "M'name's Meli, green Juliath's 
rider. Well met!"

R'val snatches a piece, gently of course, as Meli offers. He bites into it 
and scrunches up his nose as he chews, before looking pleased, "Aye, it's 
as good as I remember it being as a child. Yum!"

Carissea smiles. "Thanks! It's terrible to hear about a bread I've never 
had, and me an ex-baker," she says, taking a piece. "Oh, and I'm Carissea, 
green Trianneth's rider. Were you at Benden about 7 turns ago? You look 
familiar..."

Meli would distribute pieces herself, but both hands are busy cradling the 
pile. "Don' mind t'all, Kindre!" Turning back to Carissea, she shakes her 
head. "Neh, Jul's jus' a bit over five. Was at Seacraft here 'fore that, 
an' Crom even earlier."

M'rgan wipes the water from his body with his hand as he rises out of the 
surf, his feet finally finding purchase on the sliding sand. He shakes his 
head like a canine, spraying the water from his hair before grinning in 
Meli's direction. "When have you started carrying food with you?"

Carissea nibbles carefully at the bread, as if trying to divine the recipe 
with a single bite. "Ah... I thought I recognized you from then. I had a 
chance to enjoy your fine hospitality at Benden back then, but haven't 
been back except to talk with your Dragonhealers."

Meli rolls her eyes at Mart. "Don' usually carry bread, silly brownrider. 
Jus' happened to want some t'day an' stopped by Ruatha to get it." She 
just smiles at Carissea, finishing up her bread delivery.

Kindre takes a chuck of the bread and smiles, "Thank you, Meli...this," 
she holds up the slice of lemonbread, "is my absolute favorite thing on 
Pern, to be true. Well, second favorite lemon-colored thing..." Taking a 
seat on the ground, she goes about eating her snack, content to listen in 
for the time being.

R'val bobs his head towards Kindre with a smile, "The bread is simply 
delicious. Where'd you say you got it again, Meli?

"-- Ru-a-tha" Meli very clearly enunciates for R'val. "Heard of it?" she 
teases.

"I go to visit Channa there a lot," Kindre notes, "mostly, though, to 
pilfer a few slices of this while I'm there."

M'rgan bends down, snagging his trousers from the pile in the sand. "I 
just thought you might be proddy or something. Carrying lemoncake like 
Kassi carries knives." He says all this as he slides on his trousers, 
belting the slightly too large pants securely around his waist. At the 
mention of Ruatha, he chances a glance at Keriann.

Meli exclaims "Proddy! Hmph." She does admire Mart's lack of pants, 
however, even if only for a moment.

R'val pokes Meli again and grins, "You're acting proddy allright."

Carissea shakes her head at M'rgan's words. "Cravings are usually 
associated with pregnancy," she says around several bites of lemonbread. 
"But I might make an exception for something like this!"

Meli rolls her eyes, glancing at the other greenriders for some support. 
"Men!" she finally declares.

R'val grins wickedly at Meli, "See? She's even starting to grumble. Ayup, 
definitely proddy."

Meli shifts her bundle to one hand, swinging the other at R'val's shoulder 
for a light cuff.

R'val takes another bite out of his lemon bread, sighing contentedly, 
"Delicious."

R'val eeps, and dodges Meli's blow. He "thpts" her soundly, "Violent, 
too!"

Meli thpts back, then laughs. "Anyone want more 'fore I close this up?"

R'val nods eagerly, "I'd love another piece, Meli."

"Well considering how you were acting last time I visited Benden and you 
/weren't/ proddy..." Any other words from M'rgan are muffled by the bulky 
sweater he's pulling on over his head. He does manage to hear the word 
'pregnancy' though and he quickly pops his head on through. "Who's 
pregnant?"

"NOT me" Meli states very definitively, handing R'val another piece of 
bread.

Kindre shakes her head, "Mmph...mmph.." she starts and then decides, 
mayhap, swallowing the bite she's taking might make her better to 
understand. "I don't, thanks Meli," she finally manages.

R'val grins at Meli in thanks and bites into his bread. Spraying crumbs he 
says, "No one, M'rgan."

M'rgan tugs his damp hair over his collar before running his fingers 
through his hair to return it back to its normal disarray. "Oh, a joke." 
He laughs for two seconds before smirking. "I thought Kassima might've 
been drinking the Benden water again."

Kassima snaps out of a particularly long conversation/argument with Lyss, 
and blinks at words she can't help but hear. "Me doing *what*?"

Meli carefully rewraps the cloth over the rest of the bread, after making 
sure everyone who wanted seconds received them. She takes a moment to 
walk over to her sand-spraying green down the beach a bit, tucking the 
bundle into one of her hide bags. Kassi's words echo down the beach to 
her, and she is laughing the entire trip back to the group.

Carissea blinks at M'rgan, lost again. "Benden water?" she asks. "I know 
about their baklava, but water...?"

Carissea has disconnected.

M'rgan casually, yet obviously, lowers his eyes until they are level with 
Kassima's waist. "Any weight gains recently, Kassi?" He is wise enough to 
reposition his feet in the sand though, ready to run.

R'val nudges Kassima helpfully, "He accused you of the ultimate crime: 
drinking the Water."

Kindre chuckles a bit, offering, "Don't drink the water at Benden...
tainted, to be true," then quiets as surely someone will explain it 
better than she.

Kassima just shakes her head, looking pretty confused. "Why in the name 
of Faranth's bloody golden glowing tail ridges would you think I've been 
drinking the *Water*?!?" She gives Mart the Extreme Evil Eye. "Shards, 
nay! Nay that 'twould matter if I did; I don't think the Water's *that* 
powerful, but--" She reaches down to grab a handful of sand, with the 
thought no doubt in mind that it's probably about to come in handy.

"No particular reason," M'rgan comments with a wave of his hand, though 
the constant smirk on his face belies his gestures of innocence. "Just 
curious." He takes a single step back. "Found a weyrmate yet?"

Carissea shakes her head at M'tew and Kindre, as if unsure whether to 
send in a Healer to clean the water or to laugh at a joke.

Meli's strides return her to the group, and she carefully sidesteps 
around Kassi, being sure not to get between that handful of sand and its 
appropriate targets.

R'val steps away from the impending storm that is Kassima, and nearer to 
Meli and Kindre, munching up the last of his bread.

Kassima takes a single step forward, sand still in fist. "Nay, a'course 
nay... else I surely would've mentioned it last time we spoke, a couple 
of days agone, if'n you're recalling? Why in the name of Lysseth's bloody 
red egg would I have a weyrmate, anyway?" She's definitely not buying 
this innocence act, but then, she has known Mart for enough Turns that 
she would know better.

Kindre blinks a few times at the brownrider's comment. Wide, humor-
glinted eyes slide to Kassima before she takes the last bite of her 
bread.

Meli steps back one more step, then sits down, wrapping her arms around 
her knees. "Nice view f'here" she comments, watching Kassi stalk Mart.

R'val sits down by Meli and grins, "Nice and safe."

Meli turns and phtbts R'val again. "By all rights, y'should get sand 
dumped on y'too, for those proddy comments!"

R'val waggles his eyebrows at Meli, "Ssssh, dear. Sit back and enjoy the 
show."

M'rgan says, "Maybe if you had <step back> a weyrmate you'd be less 
likely <step> to stab knives at certain riders' <really big step> 
anatomies."

Meli snickers, covering her mouth with one hand.

Kindre bobs her head and chuckles, herself sliding back along the sand 
near Meli and R'val. "Um," she says quietly at the light banter between 
this pair now, "I think I need safer viewing..."

R'val gasps softly at M'rgan's latest, "Oh man, he's dead." he mutters 
to Meli.

R'val grins up at Kindre and whispers, "Best have Herath get between us 
and the battlezone."

Meli's eyes widen. "No!" she hisses back at R'val and Kindre. "She'd 
block th'view!"

Kassima raises an eyebrow, unoccupied hand falling to the hilt of the 
particularly long and sharp-looking knife she's wearing today. "And 
perhaps <step forward> if people would stop pestering me <step forward> 
about weyrmates, I'd nay be so tempted <equally big step forward> to be 
more sure of m'aim next time!"

R'val nods, "She'd block the view, and any stray knives!"

Herath huffs a bit before settling down for a short nap.

Meli leans over to the side slightly, muttering to R'val "Could prolly 
take bets, but I think w'both know who's likely t'win this one." She 
glances up from her seat at a new voice, gesturing the person away from 
M'rgan and Kassi. "Careful now!" she advises.

R'val nods his head to Meli, "I'm quite sure we know." He murmurs.

M'rgan's steps start taking him into a circle back towards the others. 
"Now who's been pestering you, Kassi. I hardly ever see you..." he 
remarks quickly as her hand falls on the knife, deciding to pass the 
blame around. "...so it can't be me."

Meli blinks, lifting one hand up to stroke her chin. "Int'resting tactic, 
don' y'think?" she asks R'val in a matter-of-fact tone, watching Mart.

R'val bobs his head, "Very interesting. It won't work though."

Kassima's knife slides out of its sheath just an inch as she comments, 
"Ah, but you accused me of drinking the Water...." She continues stalking 
the brownrider with all the determination of a green dragon hunting a 
nice, fat wherry. "And I do believe that's worse'n what the others have 
done. Didn't you try to start that one rumor about me expecting earlier, 
anyway? Do you want to know what I promised to do to whomever started 
that when I found them?"

Meli nods, watching the pair continue to circle. "Might if he picked up 
th'pace some, talk fast an' furious at her, but y'right, it prolly won't 
work." She grins again.

Kindre shakes her head, "I think once Kassi gets revenge on her mind, 
there's no stopping the wheels from turning. Even," she smirks, "a fast-
talker like M'rgan is doomed..."

M'rgan picks up speed as he backs his way towards the others watching his 
imminent death. "Hey now! You already took your stab at me. And I haven't 
been spreading any rumors. I've been to Benden /once/ in the past two 
months." He darts a quick glance behind him to see how much further he 
has to go before he's safe again. It's much too far. It's definitely 
time to give her another target. "But Meli...she's there all the time. 
And you know how she loves to gossip."

R'val shakes his head, "I don't think so Meli. He's doomed."

Meli snorts, waving a hand up at Mart as he approaches. "Oh, yah, right. 
Tha's not much of a defense. Kassi know m'better'n that."

Meli turns her head, however, eyes twinkling. "Uri, on th'other hand...."

R'val squints at Meli, "Eh? What about me?"

Kindre bobs her head as she prepares to move, just in case. "True enough 
there, Meli," she snickers, "Next try to save your hide M'rgan?"

Kassima shakes her head sadly. "Meli is another greenrider, and a 
Moonrise ex-wingmate; she'd never do that. You, on the other hand... 
you're always being one to taunt, aren't you? All that about everything 
you do being skill, and how you're going to win all the marks from me and 
Kindre...." The knife makes a further emergence from its sheath; about 
half the blade is showing now as Kassi stalks the brownrider. "And 
R'val," she adds, "knows better. Don't you, R'val?" This all is said 
without once taking those green eyes off of the prey--err, brownrider.

R'val bobs his head eagerly, then says, hastily, "Sure do, Kassima."

Meli stifles a chortle behind her hand again, saying "Shells, Uri, 
careful or y'head'll fall right off, f'you bob it like tha'."

R'val scowls at Meli, "Hush. Don't give her any ideas."

Meli laughs sharply, leaning forward to wrap her hands around her knees 
again and burying her face in her thighs a moment, her shoulders shaking.

M'rgan flicks his gaze behind him again. Just ten more steps. Think fast, 
Mart. But Kassi's mention of betting gives him an idea. "Hey, I didn't put 
any marks down on R'val's weyrmating pool last time I was there."

R'val blinks, "My whatting pool?" He asks, glancing towards M'rgan 
puzzledly.

Kassima's eyes narrow. "Weyrmating pool?" But that doesn't lead where 
Mart's hoping... after all, Kassi can always hunt R'val down at her 
leisure later. That's the problem with living in the same Weyr as her.... 
"You'd even consider putting marks in such a pool?" Kassi's steps are 
definitely picking up tempo, and she drops the sand in her one hand to 
extend it towards the brownrider. The other is now holding a wherry skewer 
that is pretty obviously razor-sharp.

Kindre watches the brownrider's back get larger as he approaches. Fleeing 
should be first and foremost in her mind, but laughter rackles her 
immobile.

R'val covers a grin as he watches the two combatants.

Meli looks up again, in time to see Mart nearing and Kassi's knife out 
completely. "Shells, maybe w'should do somethin' t'help?" she murmurs to 
the other two, although help whom isn't clear.

M'rgan's face is a muddle of expressions and emotions as he desperately 
tries to think of another tactic. He starts and stops several more 
excuses as each one sounds flat even to his ears. Suddenly he just 
freezes solid and shuts his eyes, awaiting his doom. He slits them open 
for just a second as he hears the sound of a foot crunching on sand but 
the look on Kassi's face convinces him that he really doesn't want to see 
it coming.

Kindre bobs her head in agreement, "I'm more partial to staying out of it 
myself...well," she grins.

Kassima's hand shoots out as soon as Mart's stopped, and she grabs him by 
the throat... only to put the knife away, and give the brownrider the 
noogieing of a lifetime. Mussing his hair a bit more just because she can, 
she grins at him without letting go of her potential death-grip on his 
neck. "Ach, come on now, Mart--would I *really* kill you?" Probably a 
question to which one doesn't want to guess the answer. "Nay today, 
anyway--for, y'see, I've a wish to test out this new thing m'cousin made 
for me. And I thought that you, I, and Kin could have a bit of a 
competition with it. I think we can actually beat you, with this one." 
The glitter in her eyes suggests that they had better beat him, if he 
wishes to live.

Tiemar wanders in.

Meli laughs, tossing her head back, until she just collapses back 
completely onto the sand, ribs and shoulders shaking, sand bouncing 
around her.

R'val blinks as Kassima spares M'rgan and watches interestedly, "What's 
she gonna do, Meli?" He asks.

Tiemar stides down the beach, hands in pockets and hat knocked to the 
back of his head. He's whistling some sort of thoroughly reprehensible 
sea chanty, but pauses as he catches sight of the dragons and riders. 
He's already been into the evening's alemug, if he's missed them until 
now, big as they are. "Evening," he says, walking up to Kindre. After 
all. He's a craftmaster, she's a goldrider. It's a natural affinity.

"Do? Do wha'?" Meli asks, as she struggles to catch her breath. Twisting 
onto her side, she tries to see what Kassi and Mart are up to now, but 
only manages to see their legs around Kindre's form. Slowly, she levers 
herself back up, shaking sand out of her hair. As a shadow crosses her 
face, she squints, and then gulps. "Uh, evenin', Master."

Kassima would normally probably call out something about Benden's duties 
at this point, but she's too busy gripping the neck of a certain High 
Reaches brownrider, in a not totally comeradic way. "So what d'you say, 
Mart? Care to play a game with us?"

R'val salutes towards Tiemar, glancing nervously at Kassima, hoping 
she'll behave, "Evening, Master Tiemar."

M'rgan swipes his hair back into place before giving Kassima and then 
Kindre a wary look. "Well of course you can beat me, if it's rigged." As 
he turns his attention back to Kassima, he gives her a small wink, out of 
sight of the others. He never really thought she'd try to kill him.

Kindre hugs herself as tears of sheer joy fall off of her cheeks. 
"Crackdust, Kassi..." is all she can manage for the time being. Seeing 
Tiemar walk up, she waves as respectfully as one can in a fit of giggles, 
"Benden's duty to the Seacraft! How goes, Sir?"

Kassima grins at Mart and protests innocently, "Rigged? Rigged? Shells, 
nay, 'tis nay rigged? Would *I* rig a game? Come, now. If I were the 
rigging sort, you'd nay have won all those times before this." Finally 
noticing that people seem to be greeting someone, she turns--still not 
releasing Mart, but not *quite* holding onto him quite enough to choke 
him--and snaps a quick salute to Tiemar with her unoccupied hand. "G'day, 
sir! Benden's duties to the Seacraft Hall."

"Oh, Meli," Tiemar says, turning away from Kindre, even as the golrider 
answers. "Hello there. Didn't see you. How's life at Benden? He nods once 
to R'val, whom he seems to recall as an uppity healer from somewhere, and 
then turns back to Kindre without waiting for an answer. "Benden's duty. 
As if they have any to us, way out here on the peninsula. It goes fine..." 
He peers at her. She's been crying. He'll never understand female riders.

Kassima also returns the brownrider's wink, while the others aren't 
watching; still, it's decidedly impish, as though to reply, 'Don't be so 
sure.'

Doru steps out of the traders camp, wondering if its safe now..

Meli mumbles "Fine, fine, thanks" to the master's question, though he 
probably isn't actually expecting a reply. She pauses a moment, leaning 
over again to try to spot whatever it is Kassi's brought with her, before 
looking back up and saying "So, how's th'Hall? Ev'ryone doin' ok?"

Kindre's giggles slowly subside. Bobbing her head to the Master, she 
focuses on the latter of his statement. "Good to here it goes well, to be 
true. Oh," she comments to M'rgan, "She's being honest...it's not 
rigged...wouldn't be any fun to beat you that way..."

Doru sketches a salute to his CraftMaster. "Hello Sir."

"That's because you couldn't rig the other games as they weren't yours." 
M'rgan tries to pull away from Kassi but her grip is surprisingly strong 
for a woman. Must be all that clenching of knives and hacking at 
tunnelsnake heads. "I'll take /your/ word for it," he remarks to Kindre 
before saluting the CraftMaster as he was taught.

R'val glances at Kindre and Kassima and asks, "What /is/ this competition 
you seem to be thinking?"

Dragon> Meroth bespoke Lysseth with << What are you doing way out 
there? >>

Kassima smiles and leads Mart--well, okay, hauls Mart--over to the 
leather-wrapped bundled whatsits. "Good! Y'see, I don't think you can beat 
us at *this* game...." She pulls off the leather, to reveal what, 
precisely, it is.

Lysseth> Meroth senses that Lysseth rumbles a greeting tinged with 
amusement. << We are watching our riders be Silly, for the most part, and 
enjoying the sun and water. >>

Doru waves to everyone, and heads towards the Hall.

Tiemar spares one more glance at Kassima and M'rgan, eyebrow raised in a 
look that any of his apprentices would recognize as the 'I'm not going to 
ask, it's just going to give me a headache, and no one looks as if they're 
actually going to be hurt' expression. Meli probably knows it well from 
her days at the Hall. Returning M'rgan's salute with a little half-nod and 
a slight shake of his head, concerned for the young man's sanity, he 
shrugs to Meli. "Oh about the same, about the same. Sort of slow, sort of 
wet." He grins, then turns to Doru with a grin. "No need to salute just 
because the riders are here..."

"If you'll excuse me," she nods and smiles as her legs go beneath her and 
lift her to a standing position, "I believe I need to embarrass myself a 
bit," she adds with a wink. Following the former stalker and stalkee's 
path to the leather-bound object.

Doru shrugs.. and grins. "Alright, I'll remember that."

Meli levers herself to her feet, brushing off the last of the loose sand. 
"S'good, good" she mutters some more. "Kinda how I remember it, cept it 
was also soapy mostly"

Dragon> Meroth bespoke Lysseth with << Sun? There is sun there? >>
Lysseth> I bespoke Meroth with << Well, it is not very *warm* sun, but at 
least it is fairly bright. >>

From above, Meroth emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

The moment he's released, M'rgan rubs his neck where Kassima's 
fingermarks can still be seen blazing a bright red against his pale skin. 
"No way," he says firmly as he sees the game she has in mind. "It's no 
competition."

Kassima puts her hands on her hips and turns on the baby canine 
expression, pouting for all she's worth. "Oh, but *Mart*! It's all *luck*, 
you know... nay *skill*, never that." She sighs long-sufferingly. "But if 
you're nay even willing to *try*, I suppose we could drag you off to Boll 
and challenge you to our other idea for a contest...." She winks over at 
Kindre, certain the goldrider knows what she's speaking of.

Meroth flies in.

Tiemar frowns just slightly at the soapy reference. His memory must be 
failing him, because he's never remembered the hall to be -too- clean. 
Well, except for his Verticity's deck, of course. But never the rest of 
it. And especially nothing to do with the apprentices. "I see," he says 
to Meli with a smile. They're all nuts. It must be the altitude they're 
always at.

Kassima ceases pouting long enough to snap a salute as Meroth flies in. 
"G'deve, sir."

T'fian quickly slides down Meroth's foreleg and jumps to the ground.

R'val salutes towards Meroth, "Evening, T'fian."

"We'll see," Kindre comments a bit dryly. Chuckling at the mention of 
Boll, her head bobs, "Oh, true enough there, Kassi dear," she says and 
her eyes crinkle with her wide grin. Seeing the pair of Meroth and her 
former Werlingmaster, she waves and calls over, "Evening, T'fian!"

Meli sniffs experimentally, rubbing a finger along her nose. "Wha' 
exactly d'you propose, Kassi?"

Kassima explains to Meli, "Well, if m'young friend here isn't willing to 
show his hand at the fine art of knife-throwing, there's always Boll's 
vine... a fine swinging vine 'tis, too, with plenty of opportunity for 
glory and utter humiliation alike!" She smiles far too sweetly up at Mart 
and, with a lifted eyebrow, inquires, "So? Which will it be?"

T'fian nods to everybody who greeted him, adding a salute to Kindre. 
"Weyrwoman," he says to her. He also nods to Tiemar. "Benden's Duty to 
your Craft, Master."

M'rgan gestures at the knife tossing board. "Kindre bet when she didn't 
think I could do it. I have no doubt..." He starts to step over to the 
board, raising his hand to slap the bullseye but thinks better of it when 
he looks back at Kassi. It's not a good idea to get between her and the 
thing she plans to slay. "...uh...that you can get it every time." He 
listens to her plan, starting to shake his head in a long-suffering 
manner. Will it ever end. "Whatever you want, Kassi" he comments as he 
throws up his hands.

Meli lifts a hand, squinting against the setting sun. "Who's tha?"

R'val pokes Meli and gestures, "Tis T'fian."

Tiemar just shakes his head at the Wingleader. "Benden's got no duty to 
Seacraft. No more than we have to Benden. But welcome to the hall-- or at 
least, the beach."

Kassima grins at M'rgan. "Ah, how refreshing to hear you have such faith 
in m'abilities for once! Whatever I want, eh?" She waggles her eyebrows 
at Mart, giving him a very obviously mock-leer, then shakes her head and 
laughs. "Far be it from me to bind anyone t'what *I* want. Hey, Kin! What 
say you, should we kidnap him and drag him off t'Boll? How 'bout you, 
spectators--R'val, Meli, all?"

T'fian nods to Tiemar, "Thank you, Master." He looks around the beach. 
"It's not exactly the warmest beach, though," he comments. "At least not 
at this time of Turn."

Meli blinks, and nods. "OH!" She calls over a quiet 'evening' and turns 
to watch the contest develop further.

R'val shrugs at Kassi with a faint smile, "If you'd rather do it there, 
Kassi. Whatever suits ya."

Kindre half pouts, "Oh, M'rgan, don't take all the fun out of it. 
Friendly compitition is all and," she notes with a shrug, "it truly 
doesn't matter how well you do or don't do against me. I'm just testing 
my luck, of course." Grinning, she turns her eyes to the board and half-
studies it for a moment. Her arms cross her chest. "Hmm, kidnapping seems 
a good enough idea to me, in truth!"

Kassima hmmms and nods. "That makes a vote for kidnapping, then... Meli, 
what say you?"

Tiemar just laughs, though his conversation with T'fian is only holding 
half his attention. The talk of kidnapping and knife throwing is also 
drawing some of his ear. "Never is the warmest beach. Cold and rocky-- 
that's Tillek. But variety is the spice of life."

M'rgan returns Kassima's leer with an 'interested' quirk of his eyebrows, 
not at all mocking as he starts across the sand for the rest of his 
clothes. "Friendly?!" The sound seems to erupt from him, filled with 
shock and surprise and indignation and...amusement. "Kassi?! Friendly?!!"

Kassima watches Mart and clicks her tongue in that tsk-tsk-too-bad-he's-
weyrmated sort of way, then laughs and holds up her hands in protest. 
"Now when have I been anything less than friendly?" she asks, with wide, 
guileless eyes.

T'fian glances over at the other riders, their conversation having caught 
his attention. He shakes his head, smiling at them. He looks back at 
Tiemar. "That's true," he replies. "Especially in winter when even the 
smallest change in the monotony is welcome. Well, if you'll excuse me."
T'fian's last statement is said after a small pause in which he looks 
towards Meroth. "I just got here," he says to the blue. "Oh. Okay."

T'fian pulls himself up Meroth's foreleg, grasping the blue's riding 
straps, and settles between his neckridges.

Meroth, with a mighty leap, flies gracefully skyward.

From above, Meroth disappears into Between.

M'rgan tugs on his jacket as he starts into a litany of times that 
Kassima was less than friendly, ending with "...and finally there was 
your attempt to stab me not five minutes ago."

Kassima slugs Mart lightly on one shoulder as she complains, "Oh, but 
those were all in fun! Well, maybe nay that time by the Lake Shore, but 
the rest...." She snorts as she starts rewrapping the target, and turns 
to call to Lysseth, "Hey, lump! We've got to kidnap a brownrider--get 
your tail over here!"

Kindre chuckles as her eyes roll, "Jays, M'rgan, that -is- Kassi being 
friendly," she exclaims almost impatiently, like this is the most well-
known fact on Pern. "And I though you knew her well...shells."

Tiemar snorts lightly at the rider's quick disappearance. You'd think, 
from time to time, a rider would just tell his beast to knock off the 
pestering, and stay somewhere for a bit. But no, they're all alike. 
Flying off at a moment's notice, never a hello nor goodbye, never a hug 
for their favorite foster brother who used to carry them around on his 
shoulders. Never a Turnday gift, and he's not going to forgive Sionelle 
for that one. They're all alike. With a melancholy sigh, as if T'fian's 
leaving has wounded him to the heart when he doesn't even know the man 
from Faranth, Tiemar trudges back to the Hall. Fardling riders.

Lysseth snorts at her rider, but obliges Kassi by climbing back up to 
shore and to where her straps have been placed.

M'rgan holds out his hand to stop Kassima from covering up the target. 
"Wait a minute. Can I borrow that knife of yours for a second."

Tiemar wanders over to the Docks.

Kassima hrms? "Why, Mart?" she asks suspiciously. After all, she'd 
certainly want revenge if *she* were him.

"You know, I need to aquire a knife of my own," Kindre murmers mostly to 
herself.

R'val glances at Kindre in surprise and smiles, "Haven't you one already, 
Kindre?"

M'rgan rolls his eyes as he catches her suspicions. "So I can stab you 
with it," he states sarcastically before motioning towards the target. 
"Because I want to see if my lu...skill is still holding."

Kassima hrms, and reaches down to her boot to draw out a light, wickedly-
sharp throwing knife. She offers it to Mart, blade-first. "Go right 
ahead."

Kindre blinks, her mind halfway in *between* when she spoke aloud. "Hmm? 
Oh," she shakes her head, "I don't, to be true. Had to borrow one of 
Kassi's when we did the ice carving." The mental picture of the head 
forming in her mind causes her to smile a bit. "I just think I mayhap 
would like one of my own. Never know when it may come in handy," she 
notes before shrugging.

R'val grins towards Kindre, "You should see Tanghos then, the smith. 
He'll give you one."

M'rgan reaches past Kassima's hand to snag the knife's hilt. "Thank you." 
He eyes the board before taking a few steps back. "Where exactly do you 
stand?"

Kassima reaches out one foot to drag the toe of her boot along the sand, 
drawing a line. "Behind that should be 'bout right."

Kindre bobs her head slowly, "I should at that, hmm," she says quietly 
before turning to watch M'rgan test his ski...er, luck.

Stepping behind the line, M'rgan changes his grip on the knife over and 
over again until he feels comfortable with his hold. He eyes the target 
as he takes a deep breath, more to prepare himself for the humiliation to 
come than anything else.

M'rgan weighs the knife in his hand before flicking it forward in one 
fluid motion. The blade's flight is smooth and uninterrupted, taking it 
swiftly to land a bit off-center in the bullseye.

Kassima's jaw drops, and she turns to Mart, obviously astonished. "How 
did you--how--I didn't know you could even *use* a--shells!"

Kassima is very articulate when surprised, obviously.

R'val covers his mouth lest he laugh outloud at Kassima's expression.

Kindre's frown and disappointment is beyond obvious. Shaking her head, 
she mutters something about never seeing that sharding mark again. "I'm 
amazed," she begrudgingly admits.

M'rgan blinks in surprise until Kassima speaks. That's when he slaps on 
a mask of confidence and a touch of arrogance. He knew that's how it 
would come out. "So, where are we off to?"

Kassima snorts at Mart, looking a bit annoyed and determined to challenge 
that arrogance--never mind that she loses every time--as she steps up to 
the line. "Hold on just a moment, here. I *know* I can beat that."

Kassima's casual ease with the knife she holds shows her to be practiced 
at the art of throwing. So, too, does the way that she does not take more 
than a second to aim before throwing the knife forward. The knife's final 
place dead-center in the bullseye is a more convincing token of Kassima's 
skill than anything else, however.

Kassima watches the knife land with a very satisfied expression. "See? 
There're *some* things I'm at least as good as you at, brownrider!" With 
that, she walks over to wrap the target back up. "We're off to Boll, 
where Kin and I are going to beat the shards out of you on that vine." 
Finishing with the target, she turns to replace Lysseth's straps, then 
reload the bundle onto the dragon.

R'val raises an eyebrow in silence at Kassima's throw.

M'rgan shrugs, covering up his awe at her skill with the knife with a 
quiet remark, "Pretty good." His eyes are a bit bigger than just a 'pretty 
good' would suggest, however.

Kindre doesn't seem as surprised with this past throw...she's seen 
Kassima's great skill with the sharp projectiles. "Great aim, Kassi!" She 
says enthusiasticly.

Kassima turns to grin at Mart and Kin as she tugs the last buckle into 
place. "Thankee. 'Tis glad to hear you're thinking so, and to see that 
I've nay quite gotten rusty yet... being able to land a knife where 
y'choose from a distance is a marvelously handy skill, y'know." She isn't 
bragging, surprisingly; this is said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone.

"Umm, yes," M'rgan remarks, knowing first-hand how Kassima likes to use 
that skill. He hooks a hand around Ularrith's straps as he starts to 
clamber up the dragon's neck.

M'rgan climbs up onto Ularrith's back, using his straps as handholds.

Kassima hmms to herself as she rechecks the straps, "That's why you've got 
to use a knife... it's the perfect little weapon if you want t'take a 
life... doo dee dah dah doo...." Still looking fairly cheerful, she swings 
herself aboard her dragon.

[Editor's Note:  The preceeding song verse, as well as the one hummed by
Kassi in the next pose, are modified from the song 'Use a Knife,' by 
Heywood Banks.]

You place one hand on Lysseth's neck and she warbles down at you fondly. 
You grin and scratch her eyeridges once before climbing up onto her lower 
neckridges, using the riding straps and Lysseth's thoughtfully offered 
foreleg.

<*> R'val uses Vidarth's side straps to mount up agilely, settling onto 
the little blue's back and straightening. He pets his lifemate's head once 
as Vidarth rumbles excitedly, ready to fly.

<*> Meli climbs smoothly up Juliath's extended foreleg and settles herself 
between the neck ridges, as the green gives a welcome rumble from deep in 
her throat.

<*> "So we're off, then...to Boll," Kindre asks and her brows raise. Oh, 
she's not looking forward to this at all. Nope. Humilating herself is a 
worthy trade to watch someone else do the same. She moves over towards 
Herath and nudges the dozing dragon. "I know, I know...it's warm there, 
though, 'member," is muffled before she grabs the harness.

Kassima sings a few more verses, "She killed forty-two men, and so she 
lived a happy life... if you want t'get away with murder, you've got to 
use a knife. Dah-dah! I do love that song." She buckles herself into the 
straps. "Everyone got sunning gear with 'em? Might get a bit hot for 
winter things."

<*> Kindre gives Herath a soft, loving pat on the side. Humbling her oft 
high-held muzzle, Herath dips close to the ground and Kindre half-steps, 
half-tugs herself up with courtly ease. An unusally easy and contented 
glint is in her eyes as her lifemate bestrides her.

<*> Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan clips himself to the straps before 
motioning to Kassima in a 'it's your party' manner. He tugs on his helmet 
and goggles as he waits for the signal to rise.

Kassima looks over at the others and yells, "Everyone ready?"

<*> From her gold Herath, Kindre bobs her head, "I shoved mine in a bag 
just in case we headed that way..." then pulls her helmet over her head.

<*> From Vidarth's back, R'val calls out, "I'm quite ready!"

<*> Nestled in her familiar spot on Herath, Kindre nods again after 
buckling herself in nd lowering the goggles across her eyes, "Me too..."

<*> Astride Juliath, Meli waves a gloved hand as well, shifting slightly 
and grabbing the straps with the other hand.

Kassima grins as everyone signals their readiness, and calls, "Okay, 
then--to Boll!" She slaps Lyss's shoulder in the signal to launch.

<*> Lysseth springs from the ground, the air from her wings churning up 
dust as she takes to the skies.

You fly gracefully skyward.

<*> Juliath flies in.

<*> Herath flies in.

<*> Vidarth flies in.

<*> Ularrith flies in.

<*> Lysseth disappears into Between.

Between
You gasp as the icy black nothingness of Between surrounds you! You hear 
nothing, see nothing, and feel nothing. The trip takes five heartbeats...
Black...
Blacker...
Blackest!

You suddenly emerge...

<*> Lysseth emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

You wing down onto the gather beach.

<*> Juliath backwings to a landing.

<*> From the sky, Vidarth emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

<*> Herath backwings to a landing.

<*> From the sky, Ularrith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

<*> Vidarth backwings to a landing.

<*> Ularrith backwings to a landing.

<*> Kindre gives Herath's neck a loving rub before she slips down with 
the polished ease of familiarity. The gold's eyes seem to burn through 
Kindre until she is certain her lifemate is sure-footed on the ground, 
then turn equally as hot to the surroundings in a quick survey.

<*> R'val slides down from Vidarth's back and lands in a crouch.

You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles, 
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.

Meli slips smoothly down from Juliath's neck to her foreleg and to the 
ground, giving her a gentle caress.

Atop sturdy Ularrith, M'rgan immediately sheds his helmet, goggles, 
gloves, and jacket as the steamy warmth of Boll envelops him.

"Stop being such a grump, love," Kindre murmers to Herath before patting 
her neck in adoration. "Crackdust, what a shock of weather," she notes 
before using her gold as a block to changed behind.

M'rgan jumps down Ularrith's side to the ground, as the dragon rumbles 
softly.

Kassima snakes a hand around to pull her sunning clothes out of Lysseth's 
strap-pouch, wandering over to behind her dragon to change. "Have you 
ever practiced this solemn Bollian ceremony, M'rgan?" she calls, voice a 
bit muffled by her lifemate's bulk.

Meli exhales contentedly, rapidly stripping off hide and clothing, 
mindless of needing something to change behind. She didn't have any 
bathing clothes, she never does after all.

M'rgan hrms questioningly as he digs his boots into the sand. "Which one?"

Meli grabs the vine, swings out, releases it before slicing cleanly into 
the water.

"Which what?" Kassi asks, craning her head around from beside Lyss. 
"Which vine? The one Meli just used--good swinging there, Meli!"

From the shallow waters, Meli grins, resurfacing with a spout of water. 
Brushing hair back from her eyes, she lazily strokes back to shore.

Meli steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

Meli shakes a bit, letting water droplets fly. "Gah, I needed that!"

Kindre chuckles and claps when she emerges baack into the group. "Well 
done, Meli! Hope I can do half as well," she calls.

Kassima ducks out from behind her dragon, setting the heavy riding gear 
down by her dragon's forelimbs. "Ah, there," she says, shading her eyes 
and stretching a bit as she looks out towards the vine. "Good to be out 
of the cold again, eh? Now, the vine... Kin and I've been practicing, 
Mart, and we *both* know that it's luck, nay skill. We know from 
experience, so don't y'go trying to claim that 'tis skill if by some 
miracle y'do win, all right?" She grins at the brownrider, and looks 
around the group. "Who goes in what order, then?"

R'val grins amiably at Kindre, "I'm sure you can."

Meli bows, her hair dripping down to dampen the sand. Straightening again, 
she grins. "Could get t'like this."

"Oh that," M'rgan says brightly, suddenly understanding. He continues to 
strip, having long since gotten over his shyness. But having a weyrmate 
with a wild streak can do that. "Sure, I've done that before." He drops 
the rest of his clothes into the pile.

Meli whistles low, waggling her eyebrows.

"By the egg, I love it...couldn't get enough yesterday, to be true," 
Kindre smirks after saying. "Even when I slipped or the like!"

R'val grins at Meli, "You did well." he notes.

Kassima wolf-whistles and starts applauding, then grins and looks back to 
the vine. Strange how even being one to have a wild streak herself hasn't 
seemed to eradicate Kassi's modesty quite yet... but then, she is a 
contrary sort. "This is going to be fun, methinks! So, whom?"

Meli chuckles. "Kassi's right, though... s'all luck, mostly."

Kindre shrugs, "I'll chance my luck," she grins. Arching her brows she 
pauses, "Unless someone else wants to go before me?"

M'rgan glances around as he hears Kassima's whistle but he doesn't see 
what she's whistling at. Shrugging, he pads along the beach towards the 
vine. "Doesn't matter to me."

Kassima laughs and makes an elaborate bow to Kindre, ending with a 
ridiculously florid hand-flourish. "Be m'guest, weyrwoman!"

Kindre does a rather ridiculous attempt at a curtsy, "I thank you, kind 
lady," she chuckles out before heading down the beach at her intended 
target.

Kindre grabs the vine, swings out, releases, arcs before performing a pike 
dive flawlessly.

Meli claps, whistling again. "Awright, Kindre!!"

R'val applauds loudly, whistling, "Good shot, Kindre!"

Kassima woos and starts applauding in earnest. "Ya-hoo, Kindre!!!"

From the shallow waters, Kindre pierces the surface and her wide, proud 
grin reflects on the surface. Wiping her hair back, she calls, "And whew, 
too," she admits before diving under to swim in.

M'rgan cheers for Kindre. "You /have/ been practicing," he adds with a 
laugh before cheering again.

Kindre steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

R'val grins at Kindre as she surfaces, "YOu must feel good?"

Kindre is still smiling, "I do...caught some fortune that round I 
believe!" Wringing some water from her hair, she wonders, "Who's up next?"

R'val cracks his knuckles, "Shall I have a go then?"

Meli nods, pushing Uri forward playfully.

Kassima grins. "Right good show, Kin!" she exclaims. "Excellent swing! Did 
I nay say you could do this well?"

R'val stumbles in surprise, grinning over his shoulder at Meli, "Ok ok, 
I'm goin', no need to push!"

R'val swings out on the vine with one hand, releases, twists forward, back 
and then somersaults once before diving faultlessly into the clear waters.

R'val steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

"-- Wow!" Meli exclaims.

R'val crawls out of the water, standing as he reaches nearer the shore, 
wipping black dripping hair from his dark eyes. He favours the group with 
a wide grin, white teeth shockingly gleaming, and says, "Piece of cake."

Kindre chuckles, "As you said, so long as I don't look down, I'm fine! 
Oh," she exclaims after R'val's attempt, "Nice one!"

R'val blushes at Kindre and grins, "Thank you! I didn't think I'd do so 
well...."

Kassima whistles again, "Nay 'tall bad, bluerider! Easy to tell you've 
done this a'fore!" She grins. "Even if 'tis luck," she can't resist 
teasing. Turning to Mart, she arches an eyebrow. "Shall you go, or shall 
I? Doesn't matter t'me one way or another."

Meli chuckles. "S'up t'you, now, Kassi! Four for four?"

R'val pokes Kassima in passing, "Luck my bluerider fanny," he retorts, 
grinning.

M'rgan motions towards the vine. "Ladies first."

R'val grins, "For now, I have an errand to run. I'll be back."

R'val uses Vidarth's side straps to mount up agilely, settling onto the 
little blue's back and straightening. He pets his lifemate's head once as 
Vidarth rumbles excitedly, ready to fly.

Vidarth hunches down before launching up into the skies, with powerful 
strokes.

Meli can't help muttering something about that being a -lot- of luck as 
the bluerider vanishes.

Kassima snorts at Meli. "Riiiiiiiiight. I'm sure I'll doom us all to utter 
humiliation," she moans overdramatically, clasping both hands to her 
heart. "And woe betide me, that I should be the downfall of Benden's 
glory! Hey, who're you calling a lady, anyway?" She drops the lamentation 
at that to snort with amusement, then heads for the vine. "But I'll take 
that to mean I should go first anyway, lady or nay."

Kassima runs toward the vine, leaps up and grasps the vine, sweeping 
majestically out over the water. However, upon seeing the distance down 
to the water, their hands refuse to let go and after several minutes of 
swinging back and forth, two drudges help them down off the vine with 
crowbars.

Lysseth> Kindre is still towelling her hair when R'val takes off. "Shells, 
the boy has more errands to fly off to than anyone I know..." Blinking, 
she winces slightly, "Oh, Kassi..."

Lysseth> Meli laughs. "Hey, Kassi, thought you'd been practicin?"

Kassima yelps as her hands are finally pried free and she falls into the 
water with an inelegant splash. "Aye, aye, so I forgot and looked down! 
'Least I'm proved right, am I nay? Told you y'couldn't be expecting me to 
hold up the luck streak...." She continues on in this vein as she wades 
back up to the beach.

You wade towards the shore.

Meli laughs again, and shivers ever so slightly as the wind dries her. 
"Your turn, then, Mart. See f'you c'n do better, neh?"

Raj wanders up the trail from the west and steps out onto the beach.

Kindre rolls her eyes sympatheticly, "Jays, that looking down gets me 
every last time, to be true."

M'rgan slaps his hand across his mouth to cover up his laughter. His 
expression is appropriately apologetic and contrite. "It happens to the 
best of us, Kassi."

Raj alights on a nearby dragon and watches.

Kassima flicks her sopping black bangs out of her eyes, using the towel 
to get some of the water off of her face. She then gives Mart the evil 
eye. "Uh-huh. Happens to the worst of us too, apparently." She flops down 
on her towel to watch the others go after spreading it out on the sand. 
"Let's just see how you fare, hmmm?"

"I guess it's my turn." M'rgan takes a few steps over and grabs hold of 
the vine up high, stretching his tall frame even further.

Juliath snorts idly, then slowly moves to the water's edge, well away 
from the landing zone.

M'rgan swings out on the vine with one hand, releases, twists forward, 
back and then somersaults once before diving faultlessly into the clear 
waters.

From the shallow waters, M'rgan whips his head back as he resurfaces, 
clearing the hair from his eyes.

Meli grins, ruffling her fingers through her quickly drying hair. "Think 
we should make Kassi go again, neh?"

Kassima sighs, putting her head in her hands. "Doomed!" she moans. 
"Ruined! Staged up, by a brownrider of all people! That does it; m'life 
may as well be over. Someone hand me a knife, would you?"

Meli manages to look suitably shocked. "Wha? Kassi w'out a knife? Mus' be 
th'end of th'world!"

Kassima shrugs. "Didn't want to get it harmed from being dipped in salt 
water and th'like, y'know," she says philosophically.

"'Tis only luck, Kassi," Kindre tries to assure the greenrider, "How many 
times was I too frightened to let go myself, hmm? He's fall just as 
assuredly as we did..."

From the shallow waters, M'rgan slowly plods out of the water, not looking 
at anyone in particular. He's especially not looking at Kindre and Kassima 
because he knows he won't be able to contain his smirk.

M'rgan steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

Kassima falls over backwards in a sort of half-swoon, wailing, "I am 
distraught! Unconslable! I must have a knife, so I can end it all... and 
take him with me, a'course," she adds in a much more realistic tone.

Kindre frowns briefly before sporting a smile, "Good job, M'rgan."

Meli tsk tsks, moving over to straighten Kassi. 'Neh, jus' got t'try it 
again right away, tha's all."

Kassima wrinkles her nose. "Ach, forget it; t'day's obviously nay m'day, 
eh? I mean, shells... what's to become of me if people can actually free 
my best death-grip with *crowbars*?"

M'rgan plops down into the sand by Kassi, patting her shoulder gently. 
"Some of us are just luckier...err, more skillful than others."

Kindre just laughs, her head shaking, "Oh, Kassi, you'll do doubly as well 
next try..."

Meli shrugs and goes to try again. "Eh, you watch, it'll prolly happen 
t'me too."

Meli runs toward the vine, leaps up and grasps the vine, sweeping 
majestically out over the water. However, upon seeing the distance down to 
the water, their hands refuse to let go and after several minutes of 
swinging back and forth, two drudges help them down off the vine with 
crowbars.

From the shallow waters, Meli lets out a tarzan yell (or at least a yell 
similar to what tarzar would yell if tarzan lived on Pern) and finally 
drops into the water, feet first.

Meli steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

Kassima snorts faintly at Mart. "'Tis luck, 'tis nay skill. Else I 
wouldn't have been able to do it at all last night, since I don't have 
any skill or talent at all with this sort of thing." She sighs and shrugs, 
then winces sympathetically as she sees Meli. "Ooh, Meli, you all right?"

Kindre, smiling crookedly, adds her concern as well, "Yea, are you okay?"

Meli nods, limping slightly and shaking one foot out. "Yeh, thanks. 
M'fine" she grins crookedly. "At leas' th'water's warm."

Kassima grins. "Aye, there's that," she agrees. "Could be worse. Kin, 
you're up, I think--going to give it another go?"

Kindre eyes the vine suspiciously, "You know," she muses, "seems anything 
-he- touches is tainted with bad luck for all of us." Turning back and 
nodding, she shrugs, "Yes, I'll go at it again..." With that said, she 
jogs over to the vine mumblng 'don't look down...don't look down..' before 
her arms outstretch at it.

Kindre grabs the vine, swings out and does four spectacular somersaults, 
but forgets to let go! The vine becomes twisted about an ankle for a 
moment before slipping free! All you see is an incredibly huge splash. 
*CANNONBALL*

Kassima whoops with delight and raises one fist in a victory gesture. 
"Kindre! All *right*!"

Meli eeeps, glancing at the water, waiting to see Kindre emerge. "She ok, 
y'think?"

From the shallow waters, Kindre pops up laughing. "Well," she starts to 
say before shaking her hair loose from her head, "wasn't exactly graceful, 
but..." she says before paddling up to the shore again.

Kindre steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

Kassima laughs, "How couldn't she be, after something as fun as that 
looked? Marvelous, Kin!" She nudges M'rgan with an elbow and gestures to 
the vine. "Beat *that*, brownrider."

Kindre takes the corners of her dripping dress and mock-curtsies, "I 
thank you...true enough, though, it was fun! Though I was scared for a 
moment."

M'rgan laughs as he rises, slapping the sand from his backside. "Beat an 
almost broken leg? Certainly." He runs over to the vine and leaps on it.

M'rgan swings out on the vine, releases but isn't able to twist quickly 
enough to avoid a bellyflop. *OUCH*

Kassima falls back against the sand, laughing, "Oh, y'beat that all 
right!" She does manage to regain her composure and ask, with some genuine 
concern mixed with amusement, "I take it you're all right, brownie?"

From the shallow waters, M'rgan sputters as he surfaces, taking a deep 
gasp of air to replace what was smashed out of him. The moment he has his 
breath back the excuses begin. "Now I was just trying to show you what 
/not/ to do."

Meli winches, reaching down to rub at her own ankle. "Shards an' shells, 
at this rate, we'll all be laid up. An' how'll we explain tha' to our 
wingleaders?" In a deeper voice, she says "Oh, sorry, can't fly fall 
t'day, I hurt m'self swingin' from a vine."

Kindre hoots, "Good show, M'rgan! Good indeed..." she bursts out first 
before thinking. Oh, hmm, he could be hurt. "Um...you okay," she wonders 
as an afterthought.

Kassima folds her arms. "Uh-huh," she snorts, obviously unconvinced.

M'rgan steps onto the sands and grabs a towel.

Kassima sighs. "Well," she says, eyeing the vine dubiously, "I suppose I 
can't do any worse than Mart or I have already done, so... here goes 
naught, eh?" She takes a deep breath and *stares* at the vine, as though 
she could *will* it not to dump her ignonimously again.

Kassima runs toward the vine, leaps up and grasps the vine, sweeping 
majestically out over the water. However, upon seeing the distance down to 
the water, their hands refuse to let go and after several minutes of 
swinging back and forth, two drudges help them down off the vine with 
crowbars.

You paged Kindre, M'rgan, and Meli with 'Just shoot me. Shoot me now. :)'.

From afar, to Kassima, Kindre, and Meli, M'rgan ROTFLs.

From afar, to Kassima, M'rgan, and Meli, Kindre aws! and hugsa Kassi! :)

Kassima starts yelling her own excuse the second she resurfaces--and, 
unlike Mart's, it's actually plausible. "You *cursed* that vine, brownie, 
admit it!"

Lysseth> Meli continues to rub at her ankle, carefully avoiding eye 
contact with Kassi after she lands.

You wade towards the shore.

"I told you," Kindre calls across the water. "He curses everything he 
touches, I swear it," she continues when Kassima rejoins them on the 
shore.

M'rgan has a completely innocent expression on his face as he starts to 
pull on his clothes. "Me? I was only hoping for the best for you." His 
face falls ever so slightly as he's injured by the insinuations of the 
greenrider and goldrider.

Kassima throws up her hands as she walks back to her towel, sliding back 
into her seat on it with a sigh. "I give up. You lot go ahead, but I'm nay 
daring the brownie's curse anymore t'night." She snorts at Mart. "Right, 
certes... ah, well, mayhaps. Who'm I to judge? Mayhaps you did. Mayhaps 
the moons are made from green cheese, too, but I won't judge that, 
either." She wrinkles her nose and, grinning, gives the poor brownrider 
another sock in the shoulder. Being Kassi's friend--sorta--is definitely 
hazardous to the health, if you don't like bruises.

Benden Weyr> Kassima zhaiwafflesnugs the knot before vanishing in a puff 
of illogic. :)