Across these endless skies [Open]

[rii]

"Easy big fella."

Crouched low to the ground, Jenna made a very slow forward step through the bog water. Muddied hands were held open and ready to snatch forward as soon as she got near enough the fat toad. He blinked at her, his slimy forelimbs moving as if to leap from the drifting log. Jenna froze; half submerged in the shallow, lukewarm waters and dressed in little more than the wraps binding her chest, a pair of underwear, and a small satchel looped over her shoulder. Within sight her clothes hung over a branch with her self-crafted spear leaning against the tree trunk.

Jenna puffed her cheeks at the toad. A burbling sound resounding in her throat that was meant to be a reassuring croak. She could feel the mud squishing in between her toes as she again eased forward. Toadie jumped, triggering the next few seconds to be filled with loud splashes and sputtering as Jenna chased after him. The wide grin she wore as she stood spoke well enough of her triumph – if the squirmy blob of dark green in her hands didn't.

The satchel was adjusted to sit against the flat of her stomach as she waded through the knee-deep waters; headed back to the shore of the bog. She undid the ties, quickly stuffing the toad in with the others she had caught that afternoon. Six was a good number. That girl in the barrack that had made fun of her was going to be so sorry.

A wicked smile curved on her lips.

[Tashe]

"Tchtch." Tapping her heels gently into Chicky's side, Ithanna moved the Runner into a steady trot. "Poor Darling." She had been riding so many other Runners recently it really had been a while since she had spent time with her own Pony. "I promise I won't squander our time together." The mare's ears flicked back as she whinnied. "That's right. We'll ride more often. I promise I haven't traded you in for the others. You're much better and prettier too!" Better yes, prettier? Well, it was okay to lie sometimes. Her shaggy Grey was well... a little homely. Not the pride of the stables beauty wise, but she could run with the best of them. "C'mon girl lets get your blood warmed up!" Ithanna clicked her tongue as she squeezed with her legs, keeping the pressure until Chicky picked up a canter. The transition was a little choppy, but her stride was shorter because of her stocky breed. Silly Runner. Getting a little Rusty are we? She'd have to work with Chicky on those transitions tomorrow.

Sitting back in the saddle and tugging gently on the reins, the Candidate signaled her Pony to slow back to a walk. "Good girl, my lovely." She patted Chicky on the neck as they ducked under a low hanging branch. "Its pretty down here don't you think Chicky? Its prettier than I imagined, even though the jungle is going through a frost." Reining her Runner to a halt, Itha stood in her stirrups listening for a noise she thought she had heard. She knew it was nothing dangerous, Chicky would have become antsy, but it had sounded familiar. There was a faint croak somewhere in the distance and then... a whole bunch of splashing. Blinking she sat back down in the saddle. What was going on over there? "Lets go find out Chicky." The ever expressive ears flicked back against the Mare's skull, but she moved nonetheless. If she had sensed something bad, she would have refused to budge in that direction.

What the...? Well, that was something she'd never seen before. Sliding her cap back as she itched her head, Ithanna didn't know whether to call out to the girl or simply just turn Chicky and head away. But the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. "What are you doing?" The curiosity in her face was apparent to all but the most unobservant. "You should get dry before you catch a cold." What was the thing she was in anyway? They didn't have any of these bogs in the North, at least, not where she was from. Turning Chicky around in a tight circle as she began to prance among the tree roots, Ithanna offered the nearly naked girl a smile. It was odd, but she wasn't about to judge. "At least she isn't afraid to get dirty." That was directed to Chicky, it would be embarrassing if the other girl had somehow heard her. But it really was a compliment. The Candidate hadn't met many girls who were willing to play around in the muckitymuck. It was nice to have finally found one.

[rii]

One would go in the shoes. Another in the wash basin. Three in the bed. That left her with.. Jenna stared at her fingers, counting off how many toads she would have left. One more, probably can put it in the girl's trunk. Hm, maybe she should catch more just to be on the safe side. Maybe keep them in a water tub under her own bed to used as ammunition for a later date.

The sound of a speaking voice and the rumbling snort of runner drew Jenna's gaze up. It was – Jenna squinted at the candidate on the horse – she hadn't a clue. Some girl. Unlikely to be much different than any of the other prissy maids inhabiting the barracks. Honestly, didn't any of them realize they were here to become dragonriders (Hopefully, if the little dragons picked them if Jenna understood correctly). There was nothing tea party about it.

"It's not that cold," Jenna drawled lazily as she waded closer to shore. The mud clung to her below the knees and elbows, so as she climbed up onto the dry ground with bits of sticks and leaves sticking to her it was hard not to be reminded of some sort of sticky nymph or.. bog beast. At least the grin on her face, and light to her green eyes, was bright. "Air of the ocean is colder than anything here. It's been gettin' warmer anyway."

Jenna sniffed pointedly. She extended a muck covered hand out to Ithana's horse to sniff. "Catching frogs and toads is what I'm doing. What are you doing? The ground is a bit soft 'round here for runners."

[Tashe]

"Has it? I haven't really noticed. I guess I'm just used to the long winters of the North." Subtleties in the weather often escaped Ithanna, her body just automatically adjusting without posting a memo. She looked upward. The frost on the trees did indeed look to be diminished or at least, were in the process of melting. She really was clueless sometimes. "The ocean?" She nearly shivered at the memory of crossing it. "I've had my fill of the ocean for... quite a while. I shall take your word on it." She paused." Although now when I think about it... when I crossed the ocean, the winds were rather chilly." Thinking it a bit rude to be up on a runner when the person she was talking to wasn't, the Candidate freed her feet from the stirrups and jumped down. The damp soil absorbing the normal 'thump' that would have resulted from the maneuver. Meanwhile Chicky was more interested in the proffered hand than the fact her human was dismounting, not that she would have cared anyway. She sniffed the female's hand before butting the girl in the shoulder with her nose.

"Tch. Chicky don't beg. I doubt she has any treats for you, unless you like eating frog legs." Pushing her muzzle gently, Ithanna scratched the side of the Pony's neck with her other hand. "We're out here on break. We were riding on harder ground, but ventured in further when we heard splashing. I haven't been able to spend as much time as I have wanted to with Chicky." Removing the reins from around the Runners neck the Candidate held them loosely in one hand as she smiled at the other girl. "I think I've seen you before. Are you another Candidate as well? I don't think we've ever spoken, though that's probably because I work at the Stables. So I'm always up well before the sunrises and back right about when they call lights out." She offered a hand to the girl. "I'm Senior Apprentice Beastcrafter and Candidate Ithanna."

Stamping her hoof, the Grey shook out her mane with a snort. Hey, pay attention to her! She liked attention too you know? "Oh and this is Chicky, but I bet you caught that already." And then she remembered a question she was going to ask. "Oh! Hey, what are you going to do with those critters now that ya caught them?"

[rii]

"I'm from Lighttower," Jenna shared, because everyone should know the town sat right on the ocean and the weather was often harsh with winds that came in cold and unfettered by the flat ocean. "M'Brother once said the winds are from the north, traveling across the ocean to warm up in the jungles." The grin widened at the bump from the runner. In return Jenna graciously scratched the beast's nose – keeping the attention there because her hands were muddied and Chicky looked to have been recently brushed. Didn't want this girl to start ranting at her for dirtying up her pretty horse.

The grin turned decidedly impish, Jenna's hand seeking into satchel at her side. "Maybe she does." She brought out the fat toad she had just recently caught. Both hands curled vice-like around the toad's powerful back legs as she brought it in front of Chicky's snout. Apparently Jenna was not as concerned about feeding Ithanna's horse a frog as she was about getting it splattered with mug.

"Name's Jenna. I think I've seen you 'round the barracks. Sleep is 'bout the only thing I do in there." Without even pausing to think, Jenna took Ithanna's hand – mud and frog slime as it was – and gave it a good, firm shake. Alright, to be fair, she did want to see if it would make the other girl squirm and had seized the opportunity to shake her hand before Ithanna could re-think the offer. "And this—"

The toad was lifted for all to be hold, his throat expanding in a protesting croak. If they were introducing animals, might as well be fair about it. "Is Boris, King of the Toads." So what if she had made that up on a fly, but he was an awfully big one. "He and his loyal subjects are going to help me... " What? Jenna lowered 'Boris', squinting at Ithanna. "Well that's a secret, unless you want to join us?"