Up on the Star Stones, Velokraeth remains with Kayeth even after their riders have parted ways on the lookout ridge below. He's finished with his routine preening of the fiery gold and satisfied that she's in an amiable mood, tilts his ugly head to offer her a few nuzzles. Something of which he enjoys given he's… not pretty to look at. Who'd want that up close? « You're looking exquisite this morning, my queen. » he compliments in his sweetened tone.

Kayeth rumbles softly, tilting her neck up to accept his nuzzles, leaning against him. His looks she's long since gotten past. He's proven himself in far more important ways…plus his offspring rarely take after him in looks. « Thank you. » Do tell.

Velokraeth does throw some pretty awesome offspring… who are fortunate not to end up looking like him. Must be Kayeth's genes who dominate! « Are you pleased? » he goes on to say as he draws his head back and turns it to overlook the Weyr below, resting and leaning back against her. Aren't they a cute couple? « The Weyr prospers. We've had so many new ones Hatched of late. Rhenesath is about to tend her second brood. » Kayeth's daughter. Another compliment but there's something more implied there too. Crafty bronze!

Kayeth shifts, stretching her wings briefly before she lets them settle against her sides again. « Of course I am pleased, » she answers, content warmth of a summer's day washing against the sands of her beaches. « Our queens mate well. » She arches her neck with a soft rumble. « The bronzes fly strong, the hatching grounds are often occupied. It is good. » Her head swivels to peer down at the yawning entrance to the Grounds, and she shifts again.

Velokraeth welcomes that warmth and joins in it with the usual honeyed wines that flow so steadily and freely in his mind. This time though they're accompanied by the scent of summer as well, of ocean air and citrus. « Our queens have always mated well. » he boasts and with a light chuckle to his tone. He would know! He's behind a good portion of those flights. He'll gently touch his blunted muzzle to hers, whuffling softly. « It is very good! » he agrees and he will notice the way she shifts, his whirling eyes missing little. « Seems a slight pity that we do not have eggs, doesn't it? » It's brazen, it's coy but Velokraeth pushes his luck a bit with that nudge.

Kayeth is no fool. She dips her muzzle and tilts her head enough to eye him, her gaze spinning slowly, amusement tickling her thoughts. « Eager for a Flight, are you, Velokraeth? » she teases. « Want to win your rider another term as Weyrleader? »

Velokraeth exhales in a huff of breath that steams from his muzzle like smoke but is only mist in the colder air. He feigns indignation well and while he puffs himself up, his voice his rippling with laughter beneath his affronted tone. « My queen! I'm hurt that you assume such things of me. » Chuffing, he gives her as coy a look as a dragon can and almost appears to smirk, amused. « You know me well and only proves how sharp your mind is. I should know better than to try and trick you with cryptic words. Of course I am eager for a flight. You know my habits. » Unfortunately. « My rider being Weyrleader is of little importance. I am more intent on catching you and showing the bronzes here what a real flight is like. » Sorry junior golds. No offence meant!

Kayeth arches her neck, rumbling in amusement as she looks down at the bronze. « No assumption is necessary when it's true, » she teases back in a dry tone. Her tail moves next, sliding gently along the bronze's in a teasing way. « Your rider being Weyrleader is of great importance. »

Velokraeth chuffs again and his mind is filled with deep laughter, « Truth! Indeed, it is the truth. » he muses and rumbles in a curious manner as his head lowers and tilts to watch the movement of her tail. Chortling quietly, he'll attempt to twine his tail with hers in a brazen move but playful. « Is that why you let me catch you time and again? » he asks coyly. « Or is it my charm and handsome looks? »

Kayeth twists her tail with his, gripping it firmly. « The weyr chooses your rider, » she says softly, her voice sweet. « But I choose you as my mate. »

Velokraeth flicks one of his wings in mild surprise when Kayeth grips his tail and his rumble to her takes on a different note. Is he paying closer attention to her hide too? Probably. His head lifts and he rubs his muzzle with hers again before preening her neck ridges again and surprisingly gentle. Almost coaxing. He's a terrible bronze, really. « I count myself very fortunate that a queen such as yourself favours me as her mate. High Reaches does not know how much they have lost and yet Fort has gained so much. »

Kayeth half lids her eyes, rumbling in quiet contentment. Then she snorts at the mention of High Reaches, posture tensing and her mind taking on a swirl of snow. « They know what they have lost, » she says, voice tinged with bitterness for memories plucked from her rider's mind.

Oops. Velokraeth whuffles in a soothing way and nuzzles her, trying to ease away that tension and bitterness. « Of course, of course. » he says placatingly, his mind trying to gently envelope the snow in warmth and spice like a comforting mulled cider. A sense of home and safety, curled up by a hearth. « That is all the past now. Let us focus on our future! »

Kayeth flicks her wings, restless now, lifting her head to look down upon their weyr. « Our future, » she echoes, eyes spinning. Her wings shift again, mind restless and taking on tinges of other thoughts, other emotions. Down below, in her weyr, Nyalle looks upwards and sighs.

Those other thoughts and other emotions are exactly what Velokraeth was hoping to kindle and spark within Kayeth. Once he catches on, the bronze plies his tricks and honeyed words to coax those sparks to a proper fire. « Your eggs should grace those sands too, my queen. A fitting end to the autumn season and to usher in life even as the snows blanket our home. By spring, they will be close to full grown. » he murmurs in a low, smooth tone like silk. Bad bronze. Bad!

« They will, » Kayeth rumbles, arching her neck to peer down towards the hatching grounds entrance. « They will, and be a larger clutch than the others'. » Someone's a bit competitive.

Velokraeth turns his head towards the grounds as well and then tilts his head to peer at her curiously, his expression almost smug if a dragon could look smug and pleased. « Your clutches have always been magnificent, my queen and a larger one that Rhenesath's, Zuvaleyuth and Kouzevelth's would certainly be a testament to your prowess as Senior. » He's totally feeding her competitive nature and playing the dominance strings a bit too. Anything to trigger her! If he were truly terrible, he would play a dangerous game and see that Iaverulth returned but he wants a flight, not a fight.

Kayeth swings her head around to look at the bronze, well aware of what he's doing. Still, she was on the edge to begin with, it's not like he's pushed her /that/ far. « Soon, » she answers, moving back and spreading her wings before she surges off the Stones in a magnificent display, hide gleaming.

Velokraeth just feigns innocence when Kayeth looks at him but will hold his head proudly too and defiant. Yeah, he was toying with her moods. But it's all for the good, right? « Soon! » he agrees with a rolling laugh and will watch her as she spreads her wings and takes to the skies in that magnificent display, not about to allow that go unnoticed. The compliments will fly just as smoothly as he does when he takes wing as well, not to chase but to certainly shadow her now gleaming fiery hide. Somewhere in the Weyr, Th'ero will pause, head slightly cocked to the side before sighing heavily, knowing full well there is no point to protesting.