Grooming (tags F'ur)

[Tashe]

Tika was, well, huge to say the least. Although she had gone through equine pregnancies before, Kaegan was slightly more nervous about the health of the black mare. Since she was her newest mare. Plus she so far had gotten on well with Condor, which was definitely more than Kaegan had hoped for. There had been a few trying times when Tika practically forced her dominance over the slightly larger Gelding, but neither of her horses received more than a few cuts and scrapes. Condor definitely seemed to respect the Mare more than he had in the very beginning when she had first been delivered. Well, she supposed all the minor injuries were worth it if her Runners could actually graze together in peace and quiet without constantly getting on the poor stablemaster's nerves. Faranath only knows her Gelding does that already...

Leading Tika to one of the many tie up stations, the Senior Weyrwoman looped the rope over the rail and quickly fashioned a quick release knot. In case something happened and spooked the mare, she would be able to simply tug the free end of the rope to release her Runner. She had learned the hard way what not having a proper knot could do. Condor had spooked badly while tied up a long time ago, and because he couldn't get free, he ended up braking his new leather halter she had bought him. The damage had been beyond repair, forcing her to buy yet another one for him. Humming quietly as she walked over to the small wooden cabinet that she (along with everyone else who owned a Runner) kept her grooming supplies in, Kaegan fished around for the handle before pretty much woddling back over. Being six months pregnant wasn't an easy task when you are trying to take care of your Runners. She had waved off the stablehands before she had even gotten the Mare from her stall. If she wanted their help, she'd ask for it. She had wanted to clean her Runners herself and actually feel useful again. Pausing briefly next to her Gelding's stall to pat him on the nose, the Goldrider soon returned to her Mare's side. She was glad that it wasn't in Tika's nature to spook.

Pulling out the round, wooden, circular comb, she began to scrub at the Mare's hide. The Curry Comb would drag up any dirt that hid beneath the coat, so she could brush most of it away with a normal brush later. Tika was in need of a good cleaning. She was almost so dirty that you could write 'clean me' with your finger on her side. It really was a mystery how dirty she could get. It wasn't like she could roll at this particular moment, not when she had a foal in her belly. Well however it happened, she was dirty enough to warrant a cleaning from Kaegan. "Goodness. Look at this. There are practically clouds of dirt coming off of you! You're supposed to be Black, not Grey." She looked up from Tika's hide in time to see her Bronze Flirelizard swoop in through the large Barn Doors before he settled on the closest barrel, no doubt to keep an eye on her.

[Requiem]

Why was he sleeping in the stables? Because the hay was comfortable? Hardly. Because the aroma was just soooo pleasant he couldn't possibly bear a moment away from it? Ludicrous. Because the view was the best in Selenitas? What view? Because he was here on a lover's tryst and didn't want the whole world (and their salamandyrs) to know?

...

Possibly, but not this time. No, this time F'ur was hiding in the stables because he...well, because it would be ever so inconvenient if he ran into R'el so soon after the Gather and the Benden bronzerider happened to recognize him as the irritating gypsy woman. Of course, F'ur could most definitely take him. That went without saying. But it might be difficult to explain, why he was beating the crap out of a random bronzerider, and rather than go through all that he figured that a few days in the stables wasn't so bad a thing.

That might have been more true if the wood wasn't rotten. For, at the sound of the woman's voice, the bluerider crept forward, peering over the edge of the ceiling to see who it was...and promptly a good chunk of it came loose and F'ur was quite suddenly airborne. He landed near the horse below with a surprisingly solid thunk, rolling to get out of the way of the hooves that were going to dash his brains out as like as not, and finally scurried clear with only one bruised shoulder to show for it. Now wasn't that exciting.

Shards, but he was getting old for exciting.

"A bit more dirty now, I'm afraid," the man commented breathlessly, a long arm snaking out to snag the Weyrwoman before the spooked horse could cave the girl's ribcage in with a well-placed kick. "Worm-eaten, I'd imagine. Sorry bout that. Maybe we should...just..." He retreated with Kaegan a short ways from the stall, putting the door between them and the beast for the nonce. "...wait until she's a little calmer."

Pushing the hair from his face, he stepped back and released her, smiling a broad (if decidedly sheepish) smile. "My apologies for dropping in on you like that." Yay for bad puns. Cue the groaning.

[Tashe]

Tika, though the stable mare she was, jumped and pulled back on her lead rope at the loud crash trying to get away from the noise so she could asses it. Kaegan, fortunately had quickly tugged on the release knot as soon as she had gotten over the scare herself, saving the Mare from breaking her tether or other expensive leather item. "Huh, no she's oka- wah!" Squawking as the voice grabbed her from behind and pulled her away from the now quivering Black, Kaegan did her best not to stumble as she walked backward into a stall. "Hey!" Watching as the door closed between them and the Runner, who was now tentatively smelling the rotted piece of wood. Happy about being released, the Goldrider turned to look at who had fallen from the ceiling with a small huff. She'd seen him before, and she knew he was a Rider but his name seemed to escape her. F'ar? F'nur... F'lur... "F'ur?" Hopefully that was right. "Wha.. I... just..." She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to formulate a string of coherent words. "Dropping in is an understatement. More like crashing in." Rubbing where he had grabbed her, Kaegan turned to look at Tika, who was feeding on alfalfa. "Oh no!" Swinging the door open, the Goldrider made her way as quickly as possible with out jogging over to her Mare. She had a problem digesting the leafy green, and she already had her limit of alfalfa for the day.

Grunting slightly as she bent over to pick up the lead rope (which ended up being handed to her by a friendly stable hand), the Weyrwoman pulled the Runner's head away from the alfalfa and returned her to the tie up rack. Re-looping the rope, she retied the quick release knot before turning around to F'ur's direction. "Well now. Since you did decide to drop in and startle her from her grooming. Why don't you help me finish her? I don't think I can pick her hooves on my own at the moment anyways." Searching the ground for the curry comb she dropped in the excitement, Kaegan shifted the hay around on the floor with her boot. It took her a moment or two to locate it but when she did, she was once again beat to getting it off the floor by the same stablehand who had helped her earlier. Where was he when Tika got loose? She offered him a smile before turning back to the Bluerider and shaking the curry comb at him. "Well, are you up to it?"

[Requiem]

"Woah!" The bluerider skipped forward, only then realizing that the mare wasn't...really dangerous at the moment. Just munching on something. He stared at the creature rather blankly. F'ur, for all that he'd been alive a good deal longer than Kaegan, wasn't at all familiar with runners. All he knew was those hooves looked decidedly dangerous pounding the ground right near his head, and even a glancing blow hurt. The Weyrwoman hardly seemed concerned by the beast, however.

F'ur's expression was, undoubtedly, quite humorous in that there was nothing registering on his face but tentative confusion, and that was quite the rare expression for the bluerider. Blinking at the comb waving at him, the man's face split into an awkward smile. "Umm. You mean touch...her?" Little known fact: one of the only things on the face of Pern that F'ur was rather frightened of were runners. They'd always been like to bowl him over when he was a kid, and this one, he was convinced, had only calmed so as to lure him back within its grasp.

"I don't think she likes me much," he commented, to deflect her. The bluerider drifted forward just the same, stepping gingerly through the stall door and stepping to one side to press his back against the stall. "I'd only mess up her coat, anyway. Never could afford a runner, and my family was no better off when I was younger." Nor would he have wanted one of the frightening things, but that was beside the point.

[Tashe]

"Well yes. Grooming a Runner does in fact require touching the Runner. If we could groom a Equine without touching them, there would be little work involved with owning one." Walking back over to the Black mare, Kaegan put the curry comb to Tika's neck and began rubbing her in a circular pattern. "Tika likes everyone. And there aren't many ways you can mess up her coat at this point, she's really dirty." As if to solidify her point, the Goldrider patted the Mare hard on the back, making small puffs of dirt rise up from her hair. "See what I mean?" She offered the Bluerider a smile. He seemed to be very timid around Runners, despite having been hiding in the ceiling of the stables. He had been lucky in the fact that she had brought Tika out and not Condor, the six turn old gelding would have thrown a fit and probably would have scared the bageebas out of the man. Not to mention frightening her in the process.

"Well I'll teach you. Its fairly simple, and Tika here is the best Runner to learn on. She pretty much puts up with anything." Which reminded her... Fishing around in her pocket, Kaegan pulled out a few small squares of sugar and offered them to the Mare, praising her for being such a good Runner. Tika, being quite the lover of sweets immediately devoured the sugar offered to her with a contented knicker. "Good girl." Giving her a pat, Kaegan returned to dividing her attention between the grooming and F'ur. "If you don't want to, you don't have to of course. Its all up to you."

/Kaeganmine. Are you playing with the food again?/ Millieth, Runners are not food! /You keep saying that... but they're quite delicious. You should really try them.../ No. /Your loss. Anyways, have you seen Gareth? I need to speak with him./ Nope. Shaking her head slightly, Kaegan moved to Tika's withers, blinking in surprise as a bronze tail flooded her vision. She looked up and was greeted with the sight of Azaran perching on the Mare's neck like a bird, his head tilting in interest as he watched her work. She really did have the weirdest bonds...

[Requiem]

Was it bad that the bluerider, probably a good ten turns her senior at best guess, chose to stick his tongue out at the pregnant senior Weyrwoman? Well, if it was, then he was a naughty, naughty boy he was, because F'ur did just that. Patronizing goldie. Of course he knew you had to touch the mare to groom her. He just didn't want to touch the big beast with the nasty hooves. Everyone said this woman was timid, so why was she risking herself around the monsters? Turning his head to regard that four-legged devilbeast out of one eye - and maybe discover in that way what was so compelling about it - he almost didn't catch what she said next.

He let off his glare at Tika to return Kaegan's smile, but immediately went back to glaring at the creature the moment she looked away. "Can't she just take a swim? That's what dragons do." Dragons were clearly more sensible than runners. F'ur, of course, was acting more the petulant child than he actually was like on the inside, but that didn't mean there wasn't a great deal of truth in his behavior right now. He didn't understand runners at all, and had deliberately gone out of his way to avoid them for a good long while. R'el was just slightly more of a problem, or he would be hiding from the runners rather than the bronzerider. Besides, this 'Tika' couldn't be all that nice. His smarting shoulder told him that much.

"You're going to teach me...to groom...a runner?" F'ur questioned incredulously. Firstly, he doubted he'd manage it without getting his skull kicked in. The true reason for his tone, however, was the fact that a goldrider was offering to get her hands dirty by actually interracting with a mere bluerider. That tickled his fancy enough that he was willing to brave certain death. See how the lovely Kaegan inspired him! More than just a little amused by Inocenth's resulting wave of long-suffering patience, F'ur stepped off the wall he'd plastered himself to and circled around behind Kaegan warily.

Never once taking his eyes off those dangerous legs of the mare, his hand fell on Kaegan's shoulder. "How could I say no to such a beautiful woman? You're going to have to protect me from the evil beast, though; I'm certain she wants to lay me flat." His words were only half-teasing. Yes, perhaps it was a bit silly to be afraid of runners, but that didn't mean it wasn't true.

[Tashe]

The fact the Bluerider compared the bathing habits of Dragons against Runners made her laugh heartily, nearly unable to respond. "Dragons don't have fur." She rubbed her forehead with the crook of her arm, reining in her laughter. She shouldn't laugh, but then again he had just stuck his tongue out at her. "The dirt gets stuck in the fine fibers of a Runner's coat, while dirt simply layers on a Dragon's hide. So even if you dowse a Runner in water, a lot of the dirt still remains in the undercoat." Even though she doubted he could see from all the way over near the stall, Kaegan rubbed her thumb against the grain of Tika's fur, lifting the longer hairs away from the body to reveal the smaller coarser ones. "And of course, Dragons are intelligent enough to bathe themselves if need be, Runners are not so lucky in that field. They might be smart, but they haven't developed that skill yet." Flattening the hairs she had disturbed with a pat, Kaegan rubbed the dirt onto her pants before continuing to curry her Runner.

"Hm! You sound surprised." Dropping the circular comb back into the grooming box, the Weyrwoman withdrew a heavily bristled brush and began to free Tika's hide of the dirt and dust that had been dug up by the Curry Comb. "Huh! You flatter me." She thought she looked weird, and wasn't particularly in love with her pregnant appearance. "Plus with the way you moved earlier, I think you'd be the one doing any saving. Not that there will need to be any saving anyways." Brushing out the rest of the dirt, which made Tika look like a Clown seeing that her coat was now half grayish black and the other a much prettier shade of Black, Kaegan dropped the brush back into the box before picking it up. Grabbing F'ur's hand with her free one, so he couldn't escape (or so she'd like to think), the Goldrider took him around to the other side. Putting down the grooming box, Kaegan rubbed her forehead again with her sleeve before addressing the task at hand.

"This is a curry comb." She picked the comb out of the Box and showed it to him. "Its circular because thats how you use it." Putting the grooming device to the Runner's neck, Kaegan began to rub at the hide in slow circles, so the Bluerider could see how she did it. "It pulls up the dirt thats hiding in the undercoat because it rubs against the grain of the fur." Stepping back, she offered the older man the comb. "Give it a try. Start where I stopped."

[Requiem]

Well, maybe runners shouldn't have fur either, then, since they couldn't figure out how to bathe themselves, F'ur thought to himself. Inocenth, by this point, was more than just a little amused at His. Fifteen-turn veteran of the dragon wars, slayer of more Benden riders than likely anyone else (though this was likely more Ino's pride talking than actually factual), feline hunter, occasional crossdresser and blatant daredevil, it hardly made sense that F'ur should be afraid of runners of all things. And yet...there you had it. F'ur wasn't going to hear the end of this from Inocenth for a few days, that was for certain.

"Oh, but there is nothing more lovely than a young woman preparing to bring a new little rogue into the world," F'ur commented graciously (and not altogether insincerely, either.) Yes, he had little use for women, but there was something about the fact that, with his particular preferences, he'd likely never father a child unless through the accident of Flight, that made him regard pregnant women with some reverence. The one thing a man couldn't do for him. He wasn't altogether sure he wanted a child, sure enough, though he did recognize that if he was to have one it was coming up on the time to start looking into that. "I couldn't very well allow what I thought to be a terrible monster to crush such a glorious creature into bloody goo."

Well, it had sounded almost poetic until the 'goo' part.

Fortunately for Kaegan, she was spared from any more of his drivel when she caught hold of his hand. F'ur was so outwardly shocked by the fact that she was touching him on her own volition that he didn't think to say anything, following behind obediently with many uneasy glances at the runner's hind legs. He stared at the proferred comb, his brow furrowing. Bringing the brush to the runner's neck tentatively, he began imitating her earlier motions, making it clear that, despite his behavior, he was actually a fairly observant individual. "I have it now. Yes. You are quite cruel, you are, trying to seduce me just to make your man jealous. I will not be a pawn!" He flashed a smile at her to show that he was just being - dramatic.

He really did want to know why she was lowering herself to consort with him, however. F'ur wasn't used to having Weyrwomen around to teach him new skills, to say the least.

[Tashe]

"Bloody goo... well I certainly am grateful for the promised protection if Tika suddenly decides shes a carnivore and not a herbivore." She offered F'ur happy little nod before placing a hand on the small of her back, adding a little more support for her tummy. She watched in silence as he began to groom the Mare, glad that she had actually been able to convince the Bluerider to take a chance. It was good to have some company, especially down in the stables. Sure, talking with the stable hands was interesting, but they were always there. New faces were refreshing, and she could often draw conversations out of them. But, then again, people who didn't own Runners themselves rarely ever came down to look (or hide) in the Stables. "Huh?" Her attention was pulled back onto F'ur as he spoke, a small smile of her own meeting his. "Ah, yes. You have uncovered my plan. Drats!" Well, he was right on the nose. Other than her having a man, and using him as a pawn to make that said man jealous. But she was using him to drive away her boredom.

"So, F'ur. What were you doing up in the Ceiling? Its a bit dangerous to sleep up there, even without the rot." Which reminded her that she now needed to speak with the Stablemaster about replacing damaged and decaying supports for the ceiling. That is, if one of his many eyes and ears hadn't reported to him already. "Its very high up." Moving to her Runner's head, Kaegan cooed at Tika before offering the Black a sugar cube... make that two sugar cubes. Being one with a rounded belly, Kaegan new what it was like to crave sweets. "Us pregnant girls got to stick together." It was a mere mutter, meant for Tika as she itched the Runner's forehead. Turning back to F'ur, Kaegan picked the brush out of the grooming box before speaking again. "When you're done with that we'll move onto brushing that heavy dirt layer away."

[Requiem]

F'ur's eyes flicked toward this Tika runner creature, brow furrowing briefly. Was that possible? his expression clearly said. Could a runner turn carnivore? He was just worried about strong legs and nasty hooves, but actively being hunted by one...quite disturbing.Really, F'urMine? Really? I'm almost embarrassed to claim you. Hmph. As if. F'ur shot an unseen glare in the direction of the weyrs, toward an Inocenth curled tightly in an attempt to absorb the heat of the day. What there was of it so early.

"I'm afraid I'm just a bit too old for you," F'ur commented, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "They'll just think you're indulging a dirty old man for your own amusment."

At the senior Weyrwoman's question, however, the bluerider pulled a face. "It's quite an unfortunate story, really. You see, I love to browse Gathers, and it was a Masquerade...so, for the amusement of all, I decided to -" Tika shifted and F'ur jumped, shooting a glare at the hooves. But when she didn't try to bash his skull in, he went back to the circular motions tentatively. "- I decided to go as a woman. A most ugly, obviously male woman, mind you. But it seems that wine can addle the mind so that even the ugliest, queerest-looking of women can be taken as beautiful. Thus I found myself beset by a most large and amorous individual, and he did not seem willing to take no for an answer.

"This R'el of bronze Kreyanth was, as you might imagine, not all too pleased to find that the woman he drunkenly embraced was not a woman. I found it best to lay low."

By now, however, F'ur had taken a step back, a true look of dismay on his face. "There's more?" No no no, touching runners bad. "And did you just say she's going to produce more of the little monsters?"

[Tashe]

"Oh my. And yet that sounds like something a... friend of mine might accidentally get himself into." She wasn't aware that so many of her Riders liked to dress up like women for gathers. First R'wign, then M'ta and now F'ur. There was quite possibly more to add to the list, but as of that moment she only knew of the three. "And this R'el of Kreyanth, he didn't hurt you? I would imagine that he would be rather... upset in a drunken fit that well, you weren't a woman. To his dismay I suppose." Yes, she could perfectly place R'wign in this situation. Men. What was she going to do with them? "Well in the very least its a good thing you didn't get injured from falling out of the rafters. You could have easily broken something." Or someone. But she decided to omit the last part from her sentence, finding that saying it in her mind was just as good as saying out loud.

"And yes there is more." She laughed holding up the stiff bristled brush. "We brush her down after curry combing her. And seeing as you keep glancing down at her hooves, I have a feeling that you would rather not get near them. So I'll pick the hooves myself." Patting the Mare on the neck, Kaegan began to braid a portion of her mane. "Oh yes. Tika isn't normally this large. She's pregnant with a foal, I have a feeling it'll be a good sized baby by the looks of it too." She flashed a smile at F'ur. "At least I think so, the foal might actually be small and Tika is just overly fat. But you never know." She shrugged, momentarily taking her eyes off her Braiding to watch her Firelizard land on the nearest stall.