Asher tries to see what's happened to the 'snake now. "At least if it tries to climb the chair," he claims, "I can feed you to him while I run!"
Holl lets off a few angry hisses before winging back to Mehlani, who watches Arki vanish on her hunt, and she murmurs with a soft frown, "Oh dear."
The tunnelsnake soon reappears heading straight for Asrai. Miraculously, it's managed to avoid being mangled thus far.
Maylia ambles into the living cavern, no clue as to the chaos that riegns here until Snarl, the aptly named blue on her shoulder, takes flight with a hiss. With a yelp, the young greenrider's on a bench, boots placed firmly. "Shards!" She yells, then looks rather foolish.
Ro springs up and chases after full speed, hurdling chairs and the occational table. She will get the creature. Her grim determination is outlined in her expression.
Ceria blinks at Asher. "You'd better not feed me to him," she says. "Who will bake cookies for the candidates?" She winks.
Mehlani glances around, then lets out a little gasp, muttering, "Arki....!" She bites her lip and abruptly runs off into the lower caverns, somehow managing to avoid the 'snake. Her fire lizards rise in a multihued cloud around her, all of them hissing, eyes whirling in various hues of yellow and orange agitation.
Mehlani walks towards the inner cavern.
Mehlani has left.
K'nan's beltknife is in his hand in the blink of an eye, a full hand's-span long and crafted quite nice actually if one could get a good look at it. He spots the 'snake heading towards him and Asrai, and drops into a crouch, "C'mon.."
Asrai pales as she sees that she is the things next target. Without thinking..thinking made her faint. she manages to get her belt knife into ehr hand. Instinct take over as she leaps over the head and lands on the body, coming down with the knife into the ..hopefully...soft flesh.
Asher blinks at Ceria, holding her well off the ground. "Good point. Maylia! Quickly!" He gestures to the girl from his poistion standing atop a chair.
Maylia's knife is in her hands, as she tries to make it look like the bench really does give her a tactical adantage. Really. Honest. "Tha-that- that's HUGE!" she stammers out. Good observational skills.
The tunnelsnake jerks wildly as Asrai's knife bites into its flesh. It seems to be pinned to the ground.
Kassima ducks several low-flying 'lizards, nimbly avoiding the obstacles in her way. One hand holds a wherry-skewer of unusual size, the other a more common belt-knife, neither of which are stained with ichor just *yet*... but that'll change soon if the madwoman holding them has her way. As it dashes up to Asrai, though, she manages somehow to skid to a rather graceless halt. "Asrai!" she wails. "I wanted t'do that!"
Asrai grins up at the others, "I got it!" Course, she now has no idea what the /front/ of the Beast is doing....
K'nan blinks at his weyrmate's sudden attack. Well, it's long been said that women are more savage than men. "Finish it off!"
Ceria eyes the ground nervously. "Is it dead?" she asks.
Gwyndelone walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Gwyndelone has arrived.
As soon as she is within range Ro arcs a carefully aimed blow at the creatures back, narrowly avoiding bowling Asrai over.
Asher stares at the fight, and pleads, "Ceria, cover my eyes for me or I'll drop you to do it myself!"
Asrai yelps and crouches as Ro goes over the top of her. The head is still unaccounted for.
Neliea blinks, "Someone kill it? Please? Or is it dead?" She looks over at the next unfortunate person to walk in.
Ceria bursts into laughter and quickly obliges.
The SoS continues to spasm, whipping it's head around. Ro's blow manages to still it though.
Gwyndelone gives a shy smile to those she passes as she steps into the Liveing Cavern from the inner caverns.
Asrai remains crouched over the tip of the pinned tail...people flying about, its safer like this.
Kassima frowns with what one would swear is petulance, sliding her knives back into their sheaths. "Too late," she snaps. Whirling about, she stalks over to the juice pitcher with the storming stride of a woman who's just had a chance for vengeance foiled.
Ceria uncovers Asher's eyes as she watches the seemingly dead tunnelsnake. "I think they killed it," she says.
K'nan straightens slowly, "Cut it's head off to make sure.."
Maylia watches the scuffle on the floor with the largest tunnelsnake she's ever seen, appearing ready to jump in - honest, the only reason she hasn't is that there're too many people there now. Sure. So why's she still standing on a bench?
Gwyndelone watches the commotion with interest, headed over to see what is going on.
Asher slowly dares to step down off of the chair, peering suspiciously at the snake. "Is it safe?" he asks.
Neliea flattens herself against a wall is it, looking around slowly. "It's dead right?", she asks to only make certain that it's not comming back anytime soon.
Ceria smiles. "I think you can put me down," she says.
Ro seems to finally notices the others in the room and nods in response to K'nan's words. Solidly placing a boot on the creature's back she pulls out her hunting knife and uses it to slit the still creature's throat.
Asher looks at Ceria, a little bit of a smie tugging at his lips. "Ah," he says, and allows her to swing to her feet, an arm still about her shoulder to steady her.
"A'course it is. They killed it," Kassi says rather flatly, not turning about just yet. She spears herself a slice or two of roast wherry, and a couple of ribs--but not so much as a speck of herbivorous food, oh no. Her juice is the closest she comes to that, and she plunks it down with her plate on a table, proceeding to tuck into her food, glower, and ignore the commotion being made over the 'snake's carcass.
Asrai peers up, seeing for the first time what exactly it is she has done. She raises to her feet, legs not quite supporting her. The knife stays in the floor, pinning the SoS's tail to the floor. She half turns just as Ro does the dirty work and goeas from pale to green, hand covering ehr mouth quickly.
Ceria chuckles a bit as she steadies herself on her feet. "Thanks," she says to Asher.
Neliea quickly looks away in disgust as the tunnelsnake's demise, by beheading. Still blinking, she wonders where that mug of hers went to.
Asher lifts both brows and replies, "I didn't want to look like a coward /alone/."
K'nan moves swiftly to help support his weyrmate, knife vanishing as he slips an arm around her.. "You ok? Good shot.."
Arallia walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Arallia has arrived.
Ceria blushes slightly as she straightens her skirt.
Ro wipes her knife clean on her work pants and turns until her eyes fall upon Ceria. She says to her "I told you I'd kill it if I saw it, ma'am." There is a cold, unnerving edge lingering in the tone of her voice as she glances at the tunnelsnake once more.
Gwyndelone giggles as she hears Asher's words.
Ceria nods to Ro, a slight smile appearing on her face. "I appreciate it," she says softly.
Asrai leans into K'nan. "Thanks." She says softly. "I'm not so hungry anymore..."
Asher brushes off the front of his black shirt, smiles, and steps over to The Corpse.
Kassima finally steals a glance over to the decapitated 'snake, not looking the least bit nauseated... only impassive. "Huh. Doesn't look a thing like Bufus. Nay as big as Riche described, either. It must've been one of the smaller spawn." She rips another bite from one of the porcine ribs, waggling the half-stripped bone in the corpse's direction.
Neliea spots Arallia enter and moves away from the wall, "Ara, over here." Waving to her with one hand shakily while the other keeps her balance against the wall.
Gwyndelone walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Gwyndelone has left.
Asrai manages to get her color under control. "Smaller spawn?"
K'nan leans down and kisses Asrai's cheek lightly, "It's ok. Let's sit down?"
Kassima repeats with a measure of patience, "Smaller spawn. There must be more than one, unless Riche was exaggerating horribly."
Arallia comes into the caverns carrying a large basket of mending and notices Neliea motioning to her, "Heya Neliea." She says as she trots over to the girl and throwing a polite sir and ma'am to everyone else as she passes.
Asrai nods, "Away from the..body, eh?" She glances around K'nan to Kassi. "Oh, lovely..least you'll have a chance to get your own then, Kassi..."
K'nan nods, and starts to lead Asrai over to a further away table. He chuckles, "Good luck huntin', Kassi.."
Ro asks Ceria "Where would you like me to take it?"
"I'd better. 'Twould be a shame if'n I went hunting after the thing only t'have someone else steal m'kill," Kassi says through a mouthful of meat... and there's only a hint of jest in the words. She's serious. Downright dour, in fact. "Though I suppose 'twould nay be utterly surprised if'n someone else took *that* one, too. It's been that kind of sevenday."
Ceria gives Ro a rather blank look. "Um..." she hesitates. "I suppose I should put it to good use. I can cut it up for some of the firelizards, I suppose."
Neliea smiles as Arallia makes her way over. Leaning over towards her she whispers to her, "There was a tunnelsnake in here!" Jazzy chirples her agreement, eyes whirling a pale yellow now, almost green.
Asrai is lead over to the table, slipping into a seat. At Kassi's word's, and tone..she glances up at K'nan..then out towards the bowl...
K'nan does the same..then chuckles, leaning over to murmur something to Asrai.
Ro nods and slips her knife back into her boot. She picks up the corpse, ready to carry it whereever Ceria leads, paying minimal attention to the greenrider's moods.
Ceria sighs. "Why don't you take it into the kitchen," she suggests. "I'll just take care of it now."
Arallia blinks and peers over at Neliea, "A tunnelsnake, really?" She moves to a table near the other girl and sets the basket of mending down, gaze flickering over to the dead 'snake, "Ewww, guess they caught it too."
Tunnelsnake stew!
Asrai nods in agreement. "Yes, just what I was thinking. Think you could get me some juice?" Her belt knife is forgotten in the corpse.
Yum!
Asher looks decidedly disgusted, and wrinkles his pale nose. "Goodness! Can't we simply flame the beast?"
Ceria glances at Asher. "Well we should put it to good use," she says.
K'nan chuckles softly as he rises to his feet, "Aye, love. Anything t'eat as well?"
Kassima shoots K'nan and Asrai a mild *look*, though she couldn't possibly have heard them. Paying little heed to the couple, the Candidates, or anyone else, she hauls a sheaf of hides from her satchel and begins to script on them with a sharpened charcoal stick. "And waste the meat? Don't be ridiculous, Candidate."
Ro nods and carries it into the kitchen, not looking at all green. In fact, she seems to be calming down and becoming more the Ro people expect to see now that the creature is dead.
Asher could tell you about ridiculous! Letting a snake just...exist! Eeech. He shudders, shaking his shoulders, and walks away flexing his fingers.
Ceria and Ro enter the kitchen from the living cavern.
From the living cavern, Neliea nods as she ventures over the the table where, Arallia's basket is staying for the moment. Finding a seat though, she slumps into the chair not even glancing at the dead snake.
From the living cavern, Asrai shakes ehr head emphatically. "No..no food, thank you. although...snake does make good eating if seasoned right."
Ceria pulls the bowl of firelizard scraps out and prepares to add to it.
From the living cavern, "I'll take your word for it." K'nan returns to the table a few minutes later, with a pitcher of fruit juice and two glasses.
From the living cavern, Arallia smiles sympathetically over at Neliea and pulls out a torn shirt, "Kind of hard to stomach, huh?"
Ceria smiles at Ro. "Just put it right there," she says pointing to an empty spot on the counter.
Ro sets the tunnelsnake down in front of the baker, laying it out on the counter "Yes ma'am."
From the living cavern, Asrai smiles up at K'nan as he returns. "Thank you for the juice." She pours a glass for each of them, taking a long sip.
From the living cavern, K'nan settles back down across from her, and grins, "My services are yours, m'dear."
From the living cavern, Asrai chuckles. "Well, I'll have to keep that in mind."
From the living cavern, K'nan lifts his to take a sip, chuckling.
From the living cavern, Neliea nods quickly to Arallia, "I can stand somethings, but not a snake like that." She folds her hands in her lap, to hide any shaking.
Ceria pulls out a knife and moves over to the tunnelsnake. "Thanks," she says as she starts cut the 'snake into scraps for the firelizards.
From the living cavern, Asrai continues, "Never know when information like that could come in handy."
From the living cavern, Kassima rolls her eyes at the overheard speech between the weyrmates. "Reason number one-hundred and fifty one agin." The venom is gone from her voice, though, and replaced by mild humor; the food must have had a soothing effect on the very oddly out-of-sorts rider.
From the living cavern, K'nan grins, "I suppose that's true." He nods over to Kassima, "Reason for, not against."
From the living cavern, Asrai looks over at Kassi as well. "Yeah, having another's services at your disposal is a /good/ thing Kassi."
From the living cavern, Arallia nods, "Know what you mean. I can squish or pick up all the crawlies you want, but when it comes to things bigger than my arm or me..I'm a little squimish." She says and starts to sew the torn sleeve with her readied needle and thread.
Ceria quickly disposes of the tunnelsnake and returns to the living cavern.