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Writers: Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 17th February 2006

Characters: Isaline, R'alt
Description: Isaline comes to berrate Rialt for teasing her in front of the cute, new Candidate, but she can't really stay mad at him for long...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 3 of Turn 3

Hearing hoofbeats behind him, Rialt reined Storm in and glanced over his shoulder. He recognized that mare cantering towards them. Grinning, he turned his runner around to wait for her. The waves lapped lazily at Storm's hooves, the morning sun making the water seem to sparkle like jewels.

Isaline pulled her mare up just short of Rialt, glaring at him. "You are such a rotten brat, Rialt. I don't know why I even stay friends with you!"

He brushed sand off of his thighs and gave her a lazy smile. "Maybe because we've been friends a long time, so why quit now?"

"That's only going to last you so long," she retorted. "You just _had_ to go make smart comments about me in front of the new candidate, didn't you?"

"Shards, Isie, I was just teasing you. You know that. I always tease you. Now stop acting so uppity and let's ride, hmm?" Giving Storm his head, he looped around Opal until they were side by side, then he urged his stallion into an easy walk.

"Uppity?" Opal followed Storm from long standing habit, giving her rider a chance to work her way up to full annoyance. "Don't you _dare_ call me uppity!"

"I just _did_. Come on now...don't be angry. Since when has my teasing really bothered you?"

Isaline scowled at him. "Stop making fun of me in front of the new candidates. I thought he was cute!"

"I wasn't making fun. I was _teasing_." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a grin hinting at his mouth. "You thought he was cute, huh? So you're leaning towards the tall, dark and gangly ones now, are you? I thought you liked the tall, blonde-haired blue-eyed ones before. Like Johar," he chuckled. "Remember him? I swear...your eyes seemed to just get bigger and bigger every time you looked his way."

"Maybe I just like the _nice_ ones," Isaline retorted, nudging her mare ahead with her knees. "The new boy seems sweet."

"Yeah. He seems like a good lad." If a little shy. Maybe Rialt could help bring him out of his shell. Beneath him, Storm fidgeted and tossed his head, fighting for more rein so he could match pace with Opal. Rialt grinned and let him have it.

"And you had to go make fun of me in front of him." Isaline gave Opal a little more freedom, and the mare picked up her speed again.

Rialt slackened his grip on the reins before running a frustrated hand through his hair. "We're back to this? Look, Isie, I'm sorry, okay?" Shards, _why_ did she always act so sharding fluttery now whenever he did tease? It was all in good fun - as it always had been.

"Fine. Whatever." It was pointless to argue with him, since the one thing that might make him understand was the one thing she had no intention of telling him. **I want _you_ to realize I'm a girl, you sharding idiot.**
But the thought remained unvoiced, and she slanted a look at him instead.
"Think you can handle a little speed this morning?"

He grinned at her. "Oh, I think I can."

Her mare had been anxious to race since Storm had come into view, so Isaline loosened her grip on the reins and let Opal chose the speed. The mare immediately took off down the beach, and Isaline laughed as she leaned lower to keep her balance. She'd gotten tossed off a lot in the early days of riding Opal, but runner and rider had long since come to an arrangement.

With a whoop, Rialt let Storm have his head. The stallion galloped after the mare, his footing fast and sure in the sand. The black mane whipped against his face as he leaned lower over the runner's neck, his own hair streaming and tangling with Storm's as the ground churned beneath them. Soon they were up alongside Isaline and Opal, and Rialt flashed her a quick grin, his fingers tightening on the reins.

The race ended the way most of them did, with Storm pulling ahead as Opal's endurance waned. Isaline pouted at Rialt's back as she let the tired mare slow, wishing she could win more than two out of ten races.

With an easy flick of the reins, Rialt had his mount wheel about and came loping lazily back towards the losing pair. His grin was wide and his green eyes gleaming as Storm circled Opal, a bit winded but still raring to go. "We need to work on her endurance, Isie," he told her as he looped around them yet again.

"I know," Isaline replied, rubbing Opal's neck fondly. "I don't get out as much as I used to... sometimes I hate candidate duties!"

"Who doesn't?" he snorted. "They usually succeed in getting in the way of a good time."

"Between classes and crafting and all the chores my father is heaping on me..." Isaline sighed and shook her head. "Remember when we were kids and everything was fun?"

"Yeah. I remember." He gave her a lop-sided grin. "But then again, there's a lot of fun to be had at out present ages too, Isie." His expression grew teasingly sly. "Lots of fun, actually."

"Yes, well... back _then_, I had fun with you." She made a face at him.
"Not that I don't like my rider friends... but I miss when we all used to spend time together."

He smiled at her, understanding. "We'll have dragons of our own soon enough. And once our weyrling days are over, we'll all be on the same schedule."

"I suppose..." She sighed, fiddling with her reins absently. "Everything is changing now, isn't it?"

"What, besides the obvious?" he teased lightly.

She shrugged off the question, suddenly uncomfortable. "I don't know.
Just... everything." And to avoid having to answer the question more fully, she swung Opal around and grinned. "To start with, we plan on beating you back to the stables. _That_ will be a change!"

"Yeah - a change that won't take place!" Rialt laughed as he spurred Storm into a gallop. "C'mon, Isie!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Last updated on the February 17th 2006

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