Manual Labor (Open)

[Rei]

Danar wiped the sweat from his brow and continued to shovel the last of the manure into the already full wheelbarrow. He had been caught in yet another altercation and as punishment had been assigned stable duty for the remainder of the week. He hated the smelly beasts. The candidate pushed the wheelbarrow to the manure pile and dumped the contents without ceremony. The burly lad then pushed the barrow to its proper location and leaned his frame against the stable doors.

Danar’s only consolation was that Aslath would be clutching soon and his bronze was sure to be on the sands this time. He smiled at this thought. The lads who had been searched were mostly hold bred. Surly no self respecting bronze would choose one of those puny lads over a weyr raised lad like Danar. This thought put him in a better mood and he whistled an old harper tune his mother used to sing to him as he lead the stupid beasts back into their stalls for the evening.

He was eager for candidate lessons to start again. Danar already knew all the information but he would be able to size up the candidates for this round. There were quite a few he despised already and he doubted that fact was likely to change. Plus the candidate would get a good look at the girls. There were already a few that had piqued his interest that he would like to get to know a bit better. In a better mood he latched the runners stall and went to go drag another out of the pasture.

[binker]

Pepsi wasn't sure he liked it here. The Weyr was strange, confusing; he had been subjected to scalding hot baths and relelntless scrubbing, and all the babbling! At him, around him, all anyone ever did was talk! He could only learn so much at a time, despite his intelligence. It left him on edge, especially being both so close to the jungle, and seemingly so far. The river was always a challenge to cross, and Pepsi's inability to swim made crossing in a boat a rather frightening ordeal. Needless to say, Pepsi was stressed... And he only knew of one way to vent.

The poor runners had no idea what was in store for them as the wildling crept silently towards them, hiding himself in the tall grasses. Downwind from the beasts, Pepsi's eyes glinted dangerously in the dimming daylight, locking on to one; prey. Nothing made him feel better than hunting, stalking and bringing down a meal... But the Weyr would no doubt be happy if he killed one of their animals. So he'd make do with what he had.

Creeping closer and closer, Pepsi finally struck, bursting from the bushes with a snarl. The runnerbeast whirled but Pepsi moved with it, striking a hindquarter with a loud slap. With a loud squeal the runner bolted, Pepsi following. As the rest of the beasts saw one of their own in a panic it spread, and soon Pepsi was chasing after a whole stampeding herd. What fun!

[Rei]

Danar heard a loud squeal and the sound of stampeding hooves. He rushed out of the stable, grabbing a metal pitchfork on his way out. His only thought was that one of the jungle felines must be attacking the runners. The candidate thought of calling for help but that would have been hard considering he didn’t have a firelizard and he had seen no one else mulling around the inclosers. No he would deal with the beast himself with a fair amount of yelling and the weapon he could no doubt drive the infernal creature back into the jungle.

Danar had just gotten to the pasture when he came to a sliding stop mouth dropping open in surprise. What in Faranth’s name was that lad doing? Besides the obviously scaring the runners into a panicked state. The boy could see no reason for his antics and so he began to grow angry. He strode up to the gate and yelled at the lad. “Hey you! Get away from those runners you deadglow! Can’t you see I’m trying to do a job here?” He stood with his legs apart and arms crossed his eyes smoldering. That lad was making his job ten times harder. Shards this just wasn’t his day.

[binker]

Unfortuntely for Danar, it was sometihng much worse than a jungle feline, though Pepsi certainly acted like one. He whirled as the other spoke up, giving a snarl just like the big cats as is eyes blazed. He was just beginning to lose the edge of his anger, and now this person was yelling and waving what was obviously a weapon!

He regarded him cooly, but soon turned back towards where the runners had huddled together. The other was obviously not worth his time... He moved closer, watching them shuffle along the side of the fence. He pounced again, another smack sending the whole herd stampeding away, Pepsi again at their heels, giving the occasional snarl in order to keep them running. So much fun!

[archenstone]

Kalina and Uminth where coming to do their own chores, thinking the stables would be clear, when they heard the runners. Alarmed they rush to the field to see what was going on.

And so Kalina hops the fence and sees. A guy she doesn't know with a pitchfork and a young man chasing the runners. She watched for a moment, curious.

KaliMine...is that normal? Asked Uminth as she wiggled through a space in the fence. Her dark skin glistened like stone in the daylight and her unique leaf-like patterns stood out beautifully. Walking over to Kalina she watched the young man chasing the runners too. It looks like fun... see how happy he looks?

Kalina glanced down on the young dragon. Yeah... but some of the mares might get overstressed and loose their offspring. They're not like dragons...they carry their babies with them till they're born and they can loose them to stress. ....She couldn't recall where she heard that but continued..Uminth...I bet if you flared your wings out they would turn from you. If we could direct them towards the stables we could get them in and calmed down.

So they ran out. Kalina liked the challenge...she had caused her share of runner mischief back at the hold and was familiar with their herding. She angled out ahead so she could be in position in time and Uminth waddled behind as quickly as a young dragon can. She smiled...the last time she had been in a flat run was back home...once again pushing her body made her smile.

Stopping in front of herd she spread her arms out. "HYYYAAAAH!" And Uminth flared her wings and roared and absolutely puny squawk that made Kalina laugh even as the herd turned away and towards the stables. With the runners turning Kalina looked for the guy...glancing into his eyes.

We did it!Uminth expressed gleefully as she stood up proudly.

We still need to calm them down...besides...I don't even know why the guy went after them anyways... he might scare them away again.

[Rei]

Danar had halfway decided to jump the fence and chase the lad from the pasture when he was distracted by the arrival of a green weyrling. What in Faranth’s name was going on now? The candidate walked to the fence just as the weyrling pair entered the pasture and went for the runners. It seemed they were trying to help drive the panicked animals toward the stable. Good that might help. Danar whistled as the runners turned toward him and a few of the less flighty ones allowed him to grab their headstalls. He hurriedly began to lead them back to their stalls.

After securing their stall doors he sprinted back to the pasture and cupping his hands shouted to the Kalina. “Thanks for your help! If you could get that deadglow out of here while I gather up the last of them I would be really grateful.” He paused to listen for her answer, hoping she and her dragon would see fit to help him out. If he got into another fight he was quite certain he might be banned from standing for Aslath’s clutch.

[dragon]

Having heard all the horrible racket going on from the runner pens, Cloar had abandoned his passtime of forest wandering, and had gone streaking at a dead run toward the pens. What he'd find when he got there, he had no idea. He was pretty sure dragons didn't tend to eat the runners.

But all the human voices yelling, runners squealing, and then that awfull sounding squawk that might have been an oversized wherry ... ?! By the First Egg, what was going on?! The sound of pounding hooves that spoke clearly of a herd in panic had Cloar running faster. Surely something wild wasn't acosting the herds!!

Breaking out of the forest, Cloar came to a stumbling halt to try and determine what was going on, now that he could see. It became quite apparent to the lad what had happened... something had been acosting the herds ... that something being the wild stringy creature otherwise known as Pepsi.

What was he thinking?!

Heaving a sigh, and noting the expression on Danar's face, Cloar decided he had better do something before Pepsi ended up murdering Danar. The both of them didn't know how to back down or say no to a fight. And he could so clearly see one coming.

"Pepsi!" Cloar called, to get the lad's attention, and draw him away from the others out there... and away from those poor, lathering runners.

[archenstone]

Kalina waved at Danar in acknowledgment, not wanting to call the unknown guy a deadglow just for chasing runners. Come Uminth....let go meet him and see who he is... She felt an affirmative from her young dragon as she jogged over to where Pepsi was... seeing another guy exit the woods and reach him before her. Uminth followed as best she could...making what use she could of her legs.

"Hi" Kalina said as she reached him. "That looked like fun... just next time lest not frighten the mares into dropping their foals." She smiled at him, not mad. She doubted anyone would purposefully try to distress the mares.

Uminth came up and stood near Kalina sniffing, He smells more like the woods than the Weyr...