Dragon Rider Play

(Thanks)

Pat opened her mouth then closed it again.  "Thanks," she said awkwardly.

"Come, we cannot find anything if we just stand here," Tithenor said, walking off.  "Henry, if you spot anything, please say."

Blade nodded. "Hey Tithenor, I'll scout ahead and in the brush more, and I'll also give a holler if I see a small group with a parsel." He offered.

Nightshade would have loved to ride on Pat's shoulders like she used to be able too, but she was too big now.

"Perfect," Tithenor said.  "Mark, watch our rear.  Pat, flank left.  Henry, flank right.  Let's go hunting."

Mark and Blade got in their positions and started scouting. After a while, Blade came back. "I see a small group taking on a small, nonpoisonous hydra guarding a pack. Do you want me to go and take it while everyone is distracted?"

"No," Tithenor replied. "If they can get passed the hydra, they have earned their pack. Keep an eye on them in the case of failure."

"I like him. My group leader would have said to get it," Henry mumbled to Mark/

Blade nodded and went back to scouting ahead. That group managed to get past and win their pack.

Mark smiled. "Tithenor is pretty honorable. I don't think we'd be a functional group without him."

(I'll let you say when and where they spot these packs since your teacher arranged it.)

Pat almost tripped over a branch but caught herself just in time.  She glanced at Nightshade and whispered, "Slink ahead and see what's in those bushes.  Something could be hiding there."

Henry smiled.  "You fellows really know your stuff!"

Nightshade went to investigate. She saw a pack! The dragon chirped excitedly before a mini chimera tackled her, pinning the feathered dragon under its greater weight.

"Nightshade found one!" Pat called and started running for her dragon, worried she'd get hurt.

"Pat!  Wait!" Tithenor called firmly.

Blade followed Pat, drawing two short swords. "Chimera!" He called out so everyone else knew. He helped Pat free Nightshade.

Nightshade hissed and fought with tooth and claw. Mellon caterwauled and attacked. He tried to freeze it, but the Chimera swiped at the hail dragon's face, and Mellon started to cry as he bled. He wasn't hurt bad, just scraped some.

Pat stared at the three-headed creature.  What the...?  She lunged forward and grabbed the snake tail/head/thing and started pulling hard.  "Stop that!"

"Pat!" Henry yelped, trying to catch the chimera's goat head.

Tithenor didn't even think as he put an arrow through the lion head.  No one and no thing hurt his dragon!  "/Mellonraumo!  Are you hurt?/"

Blade cut off the goat head after Henry managed to still it. Mark used his chain scythes to decapitate the snake head without getting bitten.

Mellon cried pitifully. He had three red lines across his nose that were bleeding.

Nightshade chirped to Erika and Warrior. Pack needs to be gotten!

Erika was already well on her way to securing the pack, but Warrior was next to Mark, hissing at the snack.  Bad thingy!  Erika picked up the package and carried it back to Blade, one eye on the chimera.

Tithenor saw the damage wasn't too bad and waited to make sure his team was safe before kneeling to examine the cuts.  "/They are not bad.  They will just sting for a time,/" he assured the dragon.  He pressed a clean handkerchief against the cuts to stop the bleeding and made a note to clean them more thoroughly later.

Pat suddenly found herself holding the head of a snake and nothing more.  "Ew!" she yelped, dropping it.

Mellon sniffed and looked at Tithenor pleadingly. He wanted to be carried now.

Blade grinned and took the pack from Erika. "Nice! Now we just need to get it back to the clearing without it getting stolen." Blade stashed it under his cloak. It was almost invisible there.

It hurt Tithenor to see his dragon like that, but he firmly shook his head.  "/You are fine, my little one.  You are too heavy to carry and your legs still work.  You did well today..  Be proud./"

Erika growled as she settled, her spines coming out aggressively.  No one was stealing her prize!
"Smoke, go see if the way is clear," Henry instructed.  His dragon chirped and scampered off.

Mellon sniffled some and meekly obeyed, although he stayed close to Tithenor still. His nose stung still.

Blade smiled. "If they do, cuddle them and prick them." Blade told Erika.

Tithenor kept an eye on his dragon but made no further moves to comfort or coddle him.  It was time to start showing him how to deal with pain.  It wouldn't be fun, but it wasn't like Tithenor could just one day tell him to buck up and be a man - er, dragon - without any preparation.

Erika chirped and stayed next to Blade as they walked.
"What if we happen to find two packs?" Henry wondered allowed.  "I'm not saying steal it from someone else, but what if we did?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't know. The worst I could see happening is one needs to be rehidden."

"oh good.  Cause there's one."  Henry pointed ahead to a package hanging from a low branch.  From the sounds of fighting off in the distance, it wasn't hard to guess that it had been dropped.

Blade frowned and looked up at Tithenor. "What do you think, boss man? Take it, or help whoever is fighting over it out?"

Tithenor considered, listening.  "Help," he said firmly.  "Blade, please go and distract their monster.  Pat, stay here and guard both packages.  Henry, go with Blade.  Mark, you and I will stay at the halfway point as backup in either direction."  He knew Blade wouldn't like this assignment.  He'd been about to say leave them when he'd recognized Alistair's voice.  Perhaps a little goodwill would help both parties.

Blade nodded and slipped through the underbrush like a shadow to get a better view of the other team's monster first.

Mark took out his chain scythes. He swung them slightly as he watched around them, at the ready.

(ho hum what should the monster be...)

Alistair yelped and ducked as the Kappa savagely swung a webbed tallon at him.  "Find it's weak spot!"
"It doesn't bloody well have a weak spot!" one of the others snarled at him.  "Knives and arrows bounce off its shell and skin like nothing!"

"Kappa," Tithenor remarked mildly, watching the fight.  "Have you ever seen one, Mark?"

Blade growled to himself when he saw Alistair. He got an idea of how to distract this thing, or help the other team. Blade pulled a grappling hook out of a pocket. "I'm going to try and tie him up." He explained to Henry. "I can start as I throw it, and then it's small enough I can run up and hog tie it while the thing is disoriented. Can you make sure the idiots don't get too close and bungle it up, especially the snobby looking one?"

Mark shook his head. "No, but I've read about them. Vicious, reptilian, aquatic water demons, right?"

Which snobby looking one?" Alistair asked dryly, but gestured for his mates to get back.  They did so willingly as the Kappa roared and swung around to face Blade.

"Correct," Tithenor said.  "There is only one way to defeat them, short of dropping a boulder on them, but it is very simple once you know it.  Do you know it?"