Wanna Race? (Wide Open)

[Rei]

Raylin swung the bay stallion around into another turn before digging in her heels and letting him eat up the earth. Who’s runner was he? She didn’t know or care and did it really even matter? It was obvious that he hadn’t been ridden in awhile. He even gave a few delighted bucks when she started schooling him, obviously happy to be out of the stable and eating up some of his contained energy. The girl was more than happy to let him rush all her frustrations away in a burst of adrenalin. The weyrling was in her element and interacting with one of the creatures she loved most on Pern. Besides her darling Ebolath of course.

Said green was quite put out and lounging outside the pasture. Be careful Raymine or you may actually break your ankle. Why must you ride the smelly beasts anyway. They are not intelligent at all. Darling when I can ride you I won’t have to ride the smelly beasts, as you call them, and they are intelligent. Says you. If they are intelligent why are they food? Raylin stopped the runner and swung him around to face the green. Her dragon had been horribly moody lately, why she couldn’t exactly place. It was way to early for her to be proddy. Perhaps it was the dragon equivalent of the terrible twos.

Ebolath gave a sudden short and turned around. Facing her back towards hers she flopped down on the grass and gave a exasperated snort. Fine ride the smelly thing. I will take a nap. Raylin sent love to her green and only got a testy snort in response. Chuckling she swung the runner around and kicked him into a trot.

[Tashe]

"No. I SAID NO... No, get away you stupid Runner! ACK."

Laughing genuinely as Saraina tripped over a log with the help of a naughty Red, the Senior Weyrwoman glided over to her fallen comrade. "Are you alright Rain?" Of course the Bluerider was fine, she was already picking herself up from the ground, a sour look on her face added even more to the comedic value of the moment.

"Yes I'm perfectly fine! I don't know why I jus' don't sign my 'alf of this Runner over to you. 'E listens to you."

Giving her friend a gentle pat on the shoulder, Kaegan stepped over the log Sara had fallen over and toward their gelding. Extending her palm, the Queenrider smiled when the male shoved his snout into her hand, lipping at it a few moments later. "Oh don't say that, he likes you, just... you need to get better at Riding is all. I don't think he appreciates you just kicking him. Isn't that right Condor. Isn't that right?" Grabbing the Red's lip as she spoke to him, Kaegan happily began to play with the Runner's mouth.

"Oh well 'scuuuse me. I don't 'ave time in the day to do this you know. 'Tween sleepin', Chasin', Runnin' Soleil and watch duty. 'Sides... Both of us know that you're the 'orsewoman, not me."

"Excuses, excuses." Rolling her eyes playfully at the ex-thief, the Senior Weyrwoman grabbed Condor's reins and made a clicking noise with her tongue, gently guiding the Runner over the thin log and out onto the open grass near the fence. "Now that I'm the Senior Weyrwoman, I hardly have time in the day to Ride. What with all the new sicknesses popping up and the loads of paperwork... I can't see how Shmee did it."

"She loaded most of it on ya'."

"I'm sure she did, rest her soul. Hopefully Savitri will offer to help me... " Stopping mid thought as the Bluerider stuck out her hand, Kaegan looked up as the sound of hoofbeats hit her ears. Giving her friend a sidelong glance, the Queenrider wondered how a person could develop such good hearing. "Come on lets watch it go by." Handing Saraina the reins as she climbed onto the highest rung of the wooden fence, the Goldrider clicked her boots together as she accepted the leather strands back from the other girl. Nearly getting knocked off balance as Condor stuck his head over the fence and whinnied, Kaegan looked to her right, waiting for the Runner to race by. Saraina of course, opted to stay on the ground and as far from the Red as possible, simply leaning over the top rail to watch.

[Rei]

The bay thundered up the hill and rushed down it, Raylin leaning over his neck to help with wind resistance. Suddenly, the girl felt the runner tense and she swung him in a circle to correct the stop he was preparing to make. Making him circle once more, she brought him to a trot, and from there a walk. The weyrling allowed the stallion to approach the fence slowly but stopped him a few feet from it.

Brushing her sweat slicked hair out of her face, she smiled at the two women. “Hello. Nice day for riding isn’t it.” The bay shook his head and pawed at the ground, stilling as he felt the girl on his back correct him with a gentle tug on his reins. “That’s a nice gelding you own him? Gosh, guess I’m being kind of rude. I’m Raylin of green Ebolath. My lazy lump is currently snoozing in the shade by the stables.” The weyrling smiled at the gold rider. She knew who Kaegan was, but they had never spoken before.

Raylin was happy to see that the other women seemed to have an interest in runners. Finally someone she could chat with about them. Her friends, especially Saeo, were less than sympathetic when it came to the beasts. Who could blame her, they smell, and you will now stink like them too. Saeo will complain. I thought you were asleep. No just dozing. Figures you’d get all nosy when I am speaking to someone else. “Let me correct myself my lazy lump has just awoken. She is horribly nosy.” Am not.

[Tashe]

"Yah'. Nice day for falling over too."

"Hush now." Rolling her eyes as the Bluerider shook out her short hair, Kaegan returned her attention back onto the young woman as she continued to speak. "Oh thats right. You impressed recently didn't you? Well anyways, I'm Kaegan of Millieth, and that sketchy one with the characteristically dark expression is Saraina of Blue Hokth." Talking to unfamiliar women wasn't like talking with men, there was no stammering and no obvious recoil. The Weyrwoman wasn't afraid of women, just a little shy. Glancing at Condor when she remembered Raylin asking whether or not she owned him, Kaegan let her hand wonder onto his muzzle as he made bitting motions at the Stallion. "Yes... well, we own him. But, they kinda got it for me as a gift to help settle out my nerves a few months after I arrived."

"Yet ya still try an' pawn 'im off on me when ya' can't go a ridin'."

"Well he has to get ridden. Otherwise he'll get nippy and start bitting." Turning back toward the girl, the Goldrider smiled slightly. "And yes, the weather is nice for a change. All the rain has washed out some of the trails, but fortunately not all of them. Too bad we have to close them off to single riders... You know how it goes now. Always go with someone."

"That's why I'm 'ere. You can't exactly be refusin' the Weyrwoman when she asks ya to go with 'er."

"Speaking of going... where are our dragons?"

" 'Okth says 'e's near by and... that Millieth is sunning 'er radiant self on the shoreline. 'Okth also says 'e's thinking of coming over to say ''ello' to some of the Runners. 'Scuse me while I tell 'im not too. "

[Rei]

Raylin listen politely and smiled. “Nice to meet you both.” She stroked the bays neck thoughtfully. “I find runners do help with nerves. You can do so much around and with them. They keep you occupied. A good hard ride always helps me short things out.” The weyrling fell quiet as the two women continued to speak. “Yes it is quite a bother having to stay in the pasture. I really do want to get in a trail ride. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone willing to go with me. None of my friends ride.”

Raylin frowned at her last statement and shifted the stallion a little further back so as not to unsettle the gelding anymore. “To tell you the truth this isn’t even my runner. I left mine at home when I was searched. No way I could get him to the weyr. I kind of borrow the ones who look as if they need a good work out. That’s not illegal is it?” She shifted her gaze to the gold rider and pushed her braid back over her shoulder.

At the mention of the blue coming to meet the runners Raylin laughed. “Sounds like Ebolath. She was pretty peeved when I told her the runners won’t tolerate her presence. Ever since then she has called them ‘smelly beasts’. Ebolath wouldn’t mind company if you wanted to push him her way. She is horribly bored right now.”

[Tashe]

"Its only illegal if you claim that it is your own Horse, or the owner of the Runner wishes no one else to ride it, therefore has the ability to bring up charges. Otherwise, you can simply claim that the Stablemaster let you help him exercise the Runners who haven't been able to be ridden recently." A short pause. "And the stablemaster is a good man. He'd happily back you up in defense."

"She's a wealth of political and legal information."

"Being Weyrwoman calls for at least a simple knowledge of it." Tapping the heels together, Kaegan tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes, meanwhile making sure she had a tight grip on the reins of her Runner. "Its too bad you had to leave your Runner. I had to leave my Chickens when I got accepted to..." She caught herself before she could finish her sentence, a grimace crossed her face for a fleeting moment. "Well if you need a riding partner... Condor... could use some work on his gate."

"Y'all should Race. Condor could beat that boy by a league! If you want Ebolath's ego pumped up, I can send 'im over. Oddly enough, 'e's nice to the little ones."

[Rei]

Raylin looked back and forth between the two women and a smile spread across her face. It was obvious that they spent a lot of time together. She tapped the bay and he moved forward a few steps before she reined him to a stop. “I would love to have a riding partner! It would make it much more enjoyable. Are you sure you don’t mind?” The weyrling shook her head. “I don’t want to bother you. I am sure you have loads of stuff to do. What with being Weyrwoman and all.”

Raylin looked at the other woman as she spoke and turned her attention back to Kaegan. “I’m defiantly up for a race if you want. Trail ride or race it’s up to you.” The weyrling was just extremely thankful and excited that she had someone to ride with now. “Go ahead and send him over if you want Saraina. Ebo would love the company. I don’t want to impose on him though. If he doesn’t want too it’s fine. She‘s laying in the shade by the stables.” I get to meet a new friend? Maybe love.

[Tashe]

"Oh posh. I'm on a break, and most of my work is done anyways. Given the fact I seem to be able to work quickly." Tugging on Condor's reins so that he shifted to an angle, Kaegan swung the strips of leather over his head and lept from the fence to his saddle. "If us Leaders don't take a break every once in a while, we go crazy." Glancing back at Sara from her seat, Kaegan inclined her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. At that moment her Bronze flitter appeared from the between, followed closely by the other Rider's two Blues. Since Kaegan was going to be with Raylin, Saraina needed somebody with her, there for Flitters would have to do. The two girls had called their Firelizards at almost the same time, the Bluerider picked up the silent question a few seconds after it had been 'asked', given the fact the Queenrider was rather obsessed with safety at the moment.

"Azaran, stay with Saraina and be nice to the Blues. Remember last time you tried to boss them around?" A chirp was the response Kaegan got from her Flitter, images and emotions translating into what she wanted to know. Watching as Azzie perched himself on the railing next to Saraina, Kaegan addressed the GreenWeyrling. "A race sounds fun."

--

"Call me Sara, if you would." Turning back to the other Horsewoman as her two pets arrived, the Bluerider leaned heavily against the fence before speaking again. "I'll talk to 'im and see if 'e wants to." Hokth. /What lovelymine?/ There is a little Green named Ebolath near the stables, why don't you go talk with her instead of getting me in trouble and trying to scare the Runners silly for your sick amusement. There was a pause. /Well I suppose I could spare you from the oh-so-frightening ire of the Stablemaster/ The sarcasm in his mind's voice was thick. /Fi~ine./
---

Angling his wings so that he drifted out of the air current he was riding on, the uniquely colored male made for the place that smelled of equine dung. Circling the establishment as he studied the WeyrlingGreen from up above, Hokth picked an open spot to land, doing so without hesitation. He had to take a few paces to slow his momentum, but the Blue came to a slow walk, stopping short of the little Female. /Hello little Green one, I am Hokth./ He bespoke her as he settled his long wings along his back, positioning them so that they were comfortable.

[Rei]

Raylin’s face broke into a wide grin as Kaegan accepted her challenge. Swinging the runner around she trotted him back a few paces and the had him face the fence. Kicking him sharply into a gallop he approached the fence, and without breaking stride gathered himself and leapt. The bay cleared the fence barely clipping his back hooves against the wood.

How he managed to avoid stumbling was beyond Raylin but he kept his footing and Raylin gave a sigh of relief as she stroked his neck. Risky? Perhaps but the adrenaline rush was well worth it in her opinion. The weyrling could feel Ebolath’s disapproval in the back of her mind, but a quick reassurance sent the green’s attention elsewhere.

“There now we are on the same side of the fence. Much better. Where shall we race to?” The bay snorted shaking his head and pawing at the ground. He was anxious to be away. Raylin stilled him with a light tap of the reins and she half turned to look at Saraina.

“You sure you’ll be alright by yourself?” A unspoken call to her flit had him popping from between to alight on her shoulder. “I’ll take Vega with us just in case we need to send for someone.” The green weyrling was nothing if not practical. Runners were dangerous, accidents happened, unfortunately.

----

Ebolath looked up a Hokth admiration clear in her eyes. The blue was oh so large to her. The green hastily clambered to her feet and crooned in greeting. Hello Hokth. I am Ebolath. She stretched her own wings and flicked them back to her back. You are so very large and your wings are impressive. She added shyly.

Mine is down the fence line with yours. She likes to ride the smelly runners. Does yours ride them to? The small greens “voice” was unerringly polite and friendly. To Ebolath, every dragon she met was a potential friend.