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Elsewhere on Pern
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Story Listing
Series Listing

Weyrling Training

Writers: Noli
Date Posted: 2nd June 2025

Characters: N'tur
Description: N'tur and Graileth go wherry-hunting.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 8, day 27 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentor Approved by Heather

}:I will catch the largest one first.:{

N'tur doubtfully eyed the distant flock of wherries which was currently grounded by the lakeside. He gave Graileth's brown hide an encouraging pat, careful to shield his thoughts from his life partner. Graileth always wanted to go after the big bucks first. In theory, it was sound strategy; the bucks tended to get aggressive, and despite being much smaller than their hunter, the raking talons still hurt when they met dragonhide. But Graileth was rarely successful in catching the wherries in an ambush-style attack, and the bucks in particular were speedy when frightened. N'tur preferred it when their hunting strategy was less dependent Graileth correctly anticipating his quarry's escape path; he often advocated for a more guaranteed approach, finding the egg-heavy hens in their much-diluted ranges. Those could be flamed casually and without much effort; they tended to remain perched even while Graileth practically trampled over them.

Still, he wanted to project confidence in his dragon's ability. **OK, old boy. Let's see what you've got.**

N'tur slid from Graileth's back onto the small outcropping which held them. He would remain behind while Graileth approached, providing reconnaissance from his vantage point as the flock inevitably scattered, and hopefully be able to warn the brown of any imminent concentrated attacks from the remaining enraged creatures should Graileth succeed in grabbing one. As soon as N'tur was clear, Graileth sprang into the air, beating his wings rapidly to gain altitude, and sped towards his prey.

N'tur saw the big male snap his head in the direction of Graileth's approach. Even from the considerable distance, he could hear the wherry's enraged cry. Immediately, the flock struggled to lift off from the lake bed as a single unit. They were clumsy and slow at this stage, but they rapidly gained speed as they became airborne in earnest. Graileth let out a bout of flame in their direction to deter any thoughts the predators may have been harboring of a coordinated counterattack.

It worked. The flock, moments before a dense mass of downy bodies and talons, were now scattered in panic as the dragon closed the distance between their positions. N'tur watched in fascination as the confused and frightened animals fled in every direction-- some directly across the water, some making for the supposed safety of the trees, and one young hen-- apparently crazed with terror-- flying directly into the cliff face bordering the southern rim of the lake. Graileth bugled triumphantly as its body crumpled and fell lifeless into the water. However, he did not change course to retrieve it, and it floated their unmolested for a few moments before it began to sink beneath the water's surface. The dragon had eyes only for the largest wherry. His target was now crossing above a large clearing and would soon be lost in the massive trees on the other side.

The big buck angled downwards as he flew, his front talons cutting twin paths in the tall grass as he leveled out just above ground level and shot straight ahead towards the safety of the forest. Graileth was flapping furiously to catch it before the wherry could reach his goal. He did not flame again; he had no interest in harming the precious trees during this hunt. Instead, the brown intended to pluck his prey out of the air with his talons and grapple it into submission by virtue of his larger size. He was a _dragon_, after all, and such inferior creatures as wherries were no match for his awesome skill and power.

The wherry, seeing the shadow of the chasing brown growing ever larger in front of him, evidentally determined that he would not reach the treeline in time. It swerved suddenly left, then left again, now heading back in the direction from which it had just come and shooting past Graileth before the dragon even realized that it was changing direction. Graileth let out a frustrated roar as he banked hard, nearly clipping his left wingtip on the ground; he had also been forced to descend low as he had approached his fleeing target.

The wherry had almost reached the lake again by the time Graileth got himself corrected and had resumed the chase in earnest. Again, the dragon closed the distance rapidly. The wherry seemed to be tiring; it's terrified flight slowed significantly as it began to cross the water. Graileth extended his forelegs, grasping...

And met with empty air. At the last moment, the wherry changed course once again-- this time straight downward-- and disappeared below the surface of the water in an incredible dive.

N'tur watched, discouraged, as the dragon floundered to recover for the second time. Graileth circled the rim of the lake, ready to catch the buck as it resurfaced. But the water remained still, and there was no sign of the avian it concealed. Graileth roared in frustration.

Suddenly, the dragon spotted something-- there, a kilometer to the west, was a wild herdbeast pair moving slowly across the open plain. Graileth immediately took off towards the new targets. Upon reaching their location, he dispatched both in quick succession without even bothering to eat the first before springing up again and pouncing on the second. He gave a final bugle of satisfaction at his victory and began to eat.

From his vantage point, N'tur watched his dragon devouring his kill on one side of his field of vision. On the other, he saw the large wherry buck finally reemerge from the safety of the water, head snapping in all directions to spot its recent pursuer. As soon as it determined Graileth's location, it darted in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing from sight behind a ridgeline to the east.

}:I am a wonderful hunter.:{ Satisfied, Graileth seemed to have forgotten his failed chase of the wherry buck the moment he succeeded in killing the herdbeasts.

**Yes, you are, my love.** N'tur sat down on a relatively smooth boulder to wait and pulled his jacket tighter around himself to guard against the cold. **You take your time over there. You've earned it.** And he sighed as Graileth happily complied.

Last updated on the June 14th 2025