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Charlie wouldn't admit it to anyone but he had a favorite Welsh Green. He also had a pretty good idea that today was going to be the day she flew to mate. He'd been in the observation blind since sunrise, having left only once to Portkey back to the base to deal with an injured Researcher who'd gotten a bit too cocky around a dragon. He'd flown back to the blind as soon as he could and he was glad he did. Que's underbelly scales were blazing bright. They had first noticed the beginnings of a shimmer in some of the females two weeks ago. The Researchers were given the task of coming up with theories and testing them, although nearly everyone agreed it was likely the shimmer was related to mating given the time of year. As the shimmers turned to glows as the time for mating flights came closer, there was extra attention being paid to all females to see if only those with the glow flew to mate.
He'd been sitting crossed legged on the ground for some time, allowing himself to get lost in his observations. Charlie used a dictation quill to record his field notes so that he didn't miss anything while looking down to write. He'd been noting something else when it finally occurred to Charlie that his body was vibrating slightly. He stood and could still feel the gentle vibration through his feet. He sat back down and placed his hand on the ground. He recorded his observations with a smile. That's how they did it, he felt pleased with himself for possibly solving a mystery that had perplexed those interested in Welsh Dragons as long as they've been studied. He'd have to test his theory further but he was sure this was how the females were alerting the males. Seismic equipment and low frequency sensor charms would be able to measure and track these vibrations if they were what he thought. It was one of Charlie's talents, observing and forming new theories from things either never noticed before, dismissed or thought to be something else entirely. No one knew precisely how the Welsh Greens, who isolated themselves from each other, had figured out exactly how the males knew to go off food before a female flew. And no one had worked out how it was that the males seemed to know to take to the sky before the female flew.
Charlie felt the tremor change slightly into more of a pulse of vibrations instead of a longer, continual hum in the earth. He dictated the change and logged the time. There they were. Half a dozen males on wing, spiraling around, trying to intimidate each other into backing off. Two of the smaller males did back off, leaving four large, fully mature males. Charlie cast a spell to see which were tagged and which they were. All but one was tagged and Charlie grabbed his omnioculars to begin recording what he could about the unknown beastie. He'd try to follow it down and get a team of Keepers on it after the mating flight. It was another five minutes before Que spread her wings and let out her melodious roar as she took to the sky. The ground immediately stopped its pulsing vibration and Charlie made note of that as well. He left the blind, being extremely careful, knowing he was breaking one of his own safety rules by working alone in the open. He made sure his emergency portkey to the base was outside his shirt where he could get the hell out of there quickly if need be.
There was little worry with his back to the ledge of rock and a large overhang a couple hundred feet up but Charlie, for all his bravado was not reckless. He carefully weighed every instance where he deviated from his own procedures and analyzed the risks and benefits before deciding. Charlie knew he thought better when he was alone. He'd never have noted the vibrations if another person had been with him talking and moving about. Que had begun her speed race through the tangle of males up, up, up as high as she could go, outstripping them as she raced to reach her peak before she began her spiral descent where the males would attempt to catch her and latch on as they plummeted, bodies entwined, mating in the frenzy of free fall. Charlie was rock hard. Watching dragons mate always left him hard and wanting. Each species had its own unique mating rituals and quirks but there was always a flight of some type to stir the blood.
The unknown Welsh Green male was the winner of Que's feminine charms. Charlie would have bet on that if there'd been anyone around to take him up on the wager. If the dragon had so far eluded tagging, it stood to reason it was a clever beast. Charlie thought he might take Lacrosse and try to track that bad boy himself. That witch was even better than he was at finding bolt holds. As the dragons' fall brought them closer to the mountain peak, the female keened loudly and the male roared before they separated and flew in different directions. The female, Que, would feed ravenously. The male would rest for several hours to half a day and then feed, unless he perceived another female close to flight, in which case he may not eat for another two or three days. Charlie noted the direction and mountain peak the male dove toward so that they had a place to begin their search. Collecting his field book and quill, Charlie activated the Portkey to take him back to the base. He had notes to write up so that the staff would begin noting vibrations tomorrow, and after watching the dragons Charlie also needed a good wank.