"Let's move it people," one of the two gold riders for Seiryuu Weyr making the journey commanded as she waved her hand to the three bronze, seven brown, one gold, and one green riders. They were in search of one of their own, the search rider Ar'wen and his huge blue Camoth whom had only two day earlier conveyed a young man by the name of Grugrantal to Dragonhope Weyr, a Weyr which was around 2500 turns in the future. Gemtia was the other gold rider to be making the journey that most would consider dangerous; the jump would be straight, not in intervals. Those whose dragons had come to Seiryuu Weyr had quickly been found to be strong.

"Why's F'link coming along?" Gemtia's friend, T'lcin whispered in her ear, nodding towards the only green rider to be going along.

"Grugrantal's one of his younger brothers," Gemtia replied as she fit her helmet over her stormy brown hair, "Aisu informed him of what might have happened. He's so worried he's coming along to find out first hand."

"And what of his brother, Z'braxs, icy Reth's rider?" T'lcin frowned as he too placed his helmet on his head, "Isn't he worried about his brother as well?"

"I think he's too busy with Ru at the moment for Aisu or C'rter to even get near him," Gemtia gave a wiry grin.

"Well he better not try hitting on us then."

"You know he only does it to us in jest now, T'lcin," Gemtia chuckled.

"Faranth, you've changed since impressing four turns back," the bronze rider replied shaking his head, "used to be that you wouldn't take any of F'link's flack, whether he was joking or not."

"I still won't in the end, but he is our friend and I know how to handle him in the end." Gemtia replied and looked at the nearly seven foot tall green rider who was already seated upon his green dragon's neck, "besides, I think he's going to be fairly serious this trip as it has to do with his brother."

"Let's hope so," T'lcin replied, still sometimes unnerved by their bisexual green riding friend. It was at that time that C'rter, metallic brown Akigrath's rider, gave the last call to mount their dragons. The brown rider also lifted a young man up onto his dragon's shoulders though both Gemtia and T'lcin didn't know why they were taking the man. He was no rider.

Akemith's rider says he is a goalie for the Seiryuu Flits. Trith searched him an hour ago. They seem to think they'll be sending him to be a candidate at Dragonhope when they get there. Dangerous way to get a dragonrider if you ask me. But a fast way to get them and their dragon to fight with the wings quickly. Is that not what the did for this Grugrantal? And he is the reason why we're going searching. The Firestone Weyr bred gold stayed silent, her rider had a point and she knew it. Aside from that, she wasn't feeling up to the conversation. She was feeling a bit off, nothing that would stop her from betweening properly even between times.

The bronze Sakabatouth watched the gold closely. He knew something was up. Come on, Sakabatouth, you've got the location? Uh, yeah. Got it. Clear as a thread free sky. Nice joke, Saka, Dragonhope is getting ready for Thread. They say it will be coming in the next twenty turns there. The bronze chuckled half heartily at his rider keeping an eye on his golden sister.

Let's go, we may be going through time but who knows what might happen if we wait for our guts digest much more. one of the browns called out to the other dragons. Within a few minutes the group of Seiryuu Weyr riders were in the air high about the dragon shaped Weyrbowl. Within a few seconds the group of thirteen riders disappeared between.

The Seiryuu Weyr time travelers appeared above Dragonhope Weyr the brown watch dragon started to give a greeting but gave a sort of alarmed bulge in the end. Gemtia was surprised to see Akaneth and Akemith veer off, away from the Weyr. What are they doing? And why did the watch dragon sound so alarmed. Hasn't he seen this many dragons before? Get away from me you lousy pieces of dung! Gemtia gasped as Anyath screeched at those around her and dove towards the ground with lightning speed. Anyath! the gold rider called mentally in startlement. The gold heardly heard her but landed catlike in the weyrbowl hissing at the remaining ten dragons whom she had traveled with.

"Unless you want to fly with her while she mates, get down from there, woman!" a man shouted from the ground. Gemtia couldn't believe it, the gold had been fine when they left now she was in full heat. Despite the fact that the young queen was already four turns old she had not had one flight. Gemtia was on the ground within seconds but landed oddly rolling her ankle. The gold's eyes burned red as she looked to her rider and then at the male dragons who were now on the ground with her, all but one looking at her hungerly.

You did this to my rider! she howled and without waiting for her harness to be taken off of her she dashed for the near by feeding pens. The males waited long enough for their own harnesses to be taken off before following.

"Gemtia, are you alright?" T'lcin asked as he came to her side, his helmet being thrown to the side with his riding scarf and gloves the moment he had relieved Sakabatouth of his riding straps.

"My ankle, I think it's sprained," she whispered though she could no longer really tell who she was talking to.

"Get a healer!" one of the brown riders called out as he limped over to help T'lcin assist Gemtia in standing.

"Some way to make an entrance to my Weyr," the man who had advised Gemtia to jump commented with a stern look in his eyes, "who's bright idea was it to bring a gold in heat to my Weyr."

"She wasn't when we left," C'rter's voice carried to the man as he patted his metallic brown before walking over, "Had to have been the trip between that did it for some reason. You must be Weyrleader S'xon. I'm C'rter, metallic brown Akigrath's rider from Seiryuu Weyr… We came in search of Ar'wen at the request of Weyrwoman Quachir. It's not like him to not return within two days of his travels…."

The rest of the conversation was lost to Gemtia as she found herself with Anyath trying to control the angry queen. If your going to have a fit about this and fly then let's do it right, An', blood and do not eat. You got done eating not thirty minutes ago. It's been twenty five hundred years since I last ate! Don't give me that, biologicly for you and me it was only thirty minutes ago. NOW BLOOD! The queen fought her rider every inch of the way but in the end seven carcasses flew through the air, each one blooded and not a piece of flesh consumed. Without even looking at the nine males that were not attached to any female at the time, she took off with a roar.

Three bronzes and six browns followed the queen with their own war cries. It was only luck that Anyath stayed close to the Weyr. She did know this area of Pern but this was a different time and things had changed as compared to the Third Pass. The ten dragons zipped by high above the Weyrbowl, Anyath leading the mayhem.

On the ground Gemtia could feel the golden beauty's muscles working overtime. She felt a twing of pain near the base of her dragon's neck and soon realized the riding straps were starting to cut into her warm flesh. "Some one has to cut the straps off. They're too tight to be on during her flight."

"A'kito, your Yuuth might be able to get in there," one of the riders commented.

"Yeah, but he's trying to win like the rest, he'll try to grab her before he tries to cut the straps," A'kito commented, "I'll try to mention it, but give the message to your dragons as well guys, it's anybody's flight here."

In the air Anyath wasn't even noticing the leather cutting into her hid, green bits of dragon blood came out of the paper cut like slits. The males however did, the flight had been only going for an hour now but they knew that one of them would have to catch her soon or at least cut the straps… if they could get in close enough to do so without getting clawed at. The three bronzes lead the chase but two browns were nipping at their heals. Suddenly one of the browns made his move. Flying a little higher than the others he made a short dive at Anyath trying to grab for the queen. She shrieked and swerved out of the way causing only the claws of the brown to slash at the riding leathers that still bound her neck.

Anyath hissed at the brown who almost looked comical as he mentally shrugged it off and continued the race for the gold. The riding harness was still on her though the claw of the brown had cut at it some. Another swipe or one of the males catching her and cutting it free in the matting would probably do the trick. By now the dragon's blood trickled down her chest in a thin line, it wasn't that serious but who knows what would happen if the flight kept up too long.

Back on the ground, Gemtia was finally become as incorporative as seemed likely for most riders of females in flight. Luckily the Weyrhealer had managed to arrive and wrap her sprained ankle before she decided. Gemtia growled at those around her, sitting in a chair with her bandaged ankle elevated. Those riders who's dragons were in the flight kept their distance. Though they were in the flight they still had enough sense to know that if they got anywhere near Gemtia now she could out right kill them instead of hurt them as she sometimes did to men who hit on her. Only T'lcin was able to get somewhat close to the gold rider, and even he kept out of arms length.

Back in the air two browns had dropped from the flight, leaving three bronzes and four browns to continue the chase. By now one bronze had disengaged himself from the main group and took the lead coming within a few meters of Anyath's tail. Reaching out his claws he tried to grasp it but missed. The gold in heat however had felt the attempt and with a screeching roar rounded on the bronze startling him into being knocked out of the race without the young queen even touching him. Without meaning to Anyath sent a brown spiraling down after the bronze as well. Five to go, she thought smugly.

It's none to go if you ask me, m'love, a voice crooned, catching the queen by surprise. Within moments Anyath found herself wrapped up in strong bronze arms, and she gave a draconic smile. With a single swipe, the riding straps were stripped from the queen so they would no longer cut her glowing hide… and also so they would not hinder their mating dance in the sky.

Back on the ground the room in which Gemtia had been put to rest was cleared out of all but the winner's rider.

"Is that Sakabatouth up there flying Anyath," Aisu asked of her weyrmate, C'rter, as she had arrived with her gold and F'link's green shortly after the capture.

"You don't see the dude out here do you?" C'rter quipped back to his long time friend.

"Hmm, looks like we'll have to stay longer than we planned," Aisu sighed for the first time noticing the chill that was not uncommon at Dragonhope Weyr, "We can't risk losing a whole clutch even if they've only just been fertilized. Aside from that it will give us more time to find that damned Searchrider…"

"Did I just hear my position cursed?" a man chuckled.

"Ar'wen!"

"Aw, I'm touched that I was missed," the blue rider smiled, "looks like my plan worked too. I think there will be two more flights from this lot, S'xon."

"With the way that gold and that green look from the flight I'd say so," the Weyrleader grinned speaking of Aisu's gold Akemith and F'link's green Akaneth, "Sorry to say but Ar'wen was hoping this would happen. Unless you want a repeat of this type of flight back at your own Weyr I'd say you'll need to fly and clutch here."

"Ar'wen, what about Weyrwoman Quachir?" C'rter accused the blue searchrider, "She'll send another group to find us next."

"No she won't we'll get back the same day you left. After all, we have all the time in the world."